Muslim women do not receive equal treatment with men Essay

Some westerners think Muslim women do not receive equal treatment with men. In fact, the aim of Islam is quite the opposite.’ Examine and comment on this claim in the context of a multicultural society. Why is it that western consciousness perceives Islam in such deeply flawed terms? Why are negative images of Islam more prevalent than any others? Why is it still acceptable to say things about Muslims that would simply be deemed unacceptable of Jews, Christians, or Buddhists? That years of inter-faith dialogue have done little to advance a better understanding of the Islamic faith in the western world is an indication of how profoundly entrenched in the West misrepresentations and vulgar stereotypes of Islam are. The western society generally views itself as the source of women’s liberation, and feminists seem to have an obligation to broaden their rights to the eastern oppressed women. West sees the veil as a stumbling block and feels if they were to remove it would it would gain freedom for these women. These views have misunderstood the status of women in Islam and have been publicized in the media. Britain regards itself as giving equal rights to men and women Although in Britain latest studies have shown that men are paid more than women to carry out the same task. Surveys have shown that employers would rather employ men than women with the same qualifications. There are hardly any women politicians in comparison to men but Muslim women like Khaleda Zia of Bangladesh, have ruled over 300 hundred million Muslims in the 1990s and now is currently being ruled by another women. Benazir Bhutto had been the president of Pakistan. There has essentially never been a female president in the United States till this present time. The extent of a religion’s efficiency depends on what resolution to controversial issues like that of women is presented. Islam has provided the most practical outline of social organization, according to the natural and physical capabilities of both men and women. However other civilisations and faiths prior to Islam dealt with this matter as well, Aristotle and many other Greek philosophers argued that women were not fully human and this view was accepted in the catholic churches. St Thomas Aquinas another philosopher later put forward his view of the earlier Greek philosopher proposing that women were the traps of Satan. Every evil caused in humanity was likely from them. This idea was accepted throughout the middle ages. Men were the only ones who had rights before the law they could buy, sell and own a property. Up to this present time male Jews still recite,† Blessed art thou our lord, our God king of the universe that I was not born a female†(Alan Unterman, Jews: their Religious beliefs and practices,1981, page 140). Also in Judaism, the Talmud states â€Å"Woe to the man whose children are female† (Ibid, Page 133) In pre Islamic Arabia women were treated like commodities, object desire that were bought and sold like cattle. Some of them were even made to dance naked in the vicinity of the Kaaba during annual festivals. In those times a man could have as many wives as he desired and women were inherited if widowed from father to son. Arabs used to bury their female children alive at birth, and treat women as mere chattels and objects of sexual pleasure possessing no rights or position whatsoever, these teachings of the Noble Qur’an were revolutionary. Unlike other religions, which regarded women as being possessed of inherent sin and wickedness and men as being possessed of inherent virtue and nobility, Islam regards men and women as being of the same essence created from a single soul. The Qur’an declares: O you who believe! You are forbidden to inherit women against their will. Nor should you treat them with harshness, that you may take away part of the dowry you have given them – except when they have become guilty of open lewdness. On the contrary live with them on a footing of kindness and equity. If you take a dislike to them, it may be that you dislike something and Allah will bring about through it a great deal of good. (4:19) O mankind! Reverence your Guardian-Lord, who created you from a single person, created, of like nature, his mate, and from this pair scattered (like seeds) countless men and women. Reverence Allah, through whom you demand your mutual (rights), and reverence the wombs (that bore you); for Allah ever watches over you. (4:1) Spiritually men and women are equal. They are created out of identical spiritual material. (According to some old Christian’s thinkers) so therefore if women are sinful so are the men because they are identical. In Islam there is absolutely no difference between men and women as far as their relationship to Allah is concerned, as both are promised the same reward for good conduct and the same punishment for evil conduct. The Qur’an says: And for women are rights over men similar to those of men over women. (2:226) The Qur’an, in addressing the believers, often uses the expression,’ believing men and women’ to emphasize the equality of men and women in regard to their respective duties, rights, virtues and merits. It says: For Muslim men and women, for devout men and women, for true men and women, for men and women who are patient and constant, for men and women who humble themselves, for men and women who give in charity, for men and women who fast, for men and women who guard their chastity, and for men and women who engage much in Allah’s praise, for them has Allah prepared forgiveness and great reward. (33:35) Enter into Paradise, you and your wives, with delight. (43:70) Who so does that which is right, and believes, whether male or female, him or her will We quicken to happy life. (16:97) The Qur’an admonishes those men who oppress or ill-treat women: The Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him) said, â€Å"Women are the twin halves of men.† The Qur’an emphasizes the essential unity of men and women in a most beautiful simile: They (your wives) are your garment and you are a garment for them. (2:187) the ideal relationship between husband and wife is graphically described in the above verse. Just as a garment hides our nakedness, so do husband and wife, by entering into the relationship of marriage, secure each other’s chastity. The garment gives comfort to the body; so does the husband find comfort in his wife’s company and she in his. â€Å"The garment is the grace, the beauty, the embellishment of the body, so too are wives to their husbands as their husbands are to them.† Islam does not consider woman â€Å"an instrument of the Devil†, but rather the Qur’an calls her musanat – a fortress against Satan because a good woman, by marrying a man, helps him keep to the path of rectitude in his life. It is for this reason that marriage was considered by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a most virtuous act. He said: â€Å"When a man marries, he has completed one half of his religion.† He enjoined matrimony on Muslims by saying: â€Å"Marriage is part of my way and whoever keeps away from my way is not from me (i.e. is not my follower).† The Qur’an has given the raison d’à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½tre of marriage in the following words: And among His signs is this that He has created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquility with them; and He has put love and mercy between you. Verily in that are signs for those who reflect. (30:21) The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was full of praise for virtuous and chaste women. He said: â€Å"The world and all things in the world are precious but the most precious thing in the world is a virtuous woman. He once told the future khalif, ‘Umar: â€Å"Shall I not inform you about the best treasure a man can hoard? It is a virtuous wife who pleases him whenever he looks towards her, and who guards herself when he is absent from her.† On other occasions the Prophet said: â€Å"The best property a man can have is a remembering tongue (about Allah), a grateful heart and a believing wife who helps him in his faith.† And again: â€Å"The world, the whole of it, is a commodity and the best of the commodities of the world is a virtuous wife.† The Prophet (peace be upon him) was most emphatic in enjoining upon Muslims to be kind to their women when he delivered his famous khutba on the Mount of Mercy at Arafat in the presence of one hundred and twenty-four thousand of his Companions who had gathered there for the Hajj al-Wada (Farewell Pilgrimage). In it he ordered those present, and through them all those Muslims who were to come later, to be respectful and kind towards women. He said: â€Å"Fear Allah regarding women. Verily you have married them with the trust of Allah, and made their bodies lawful with the word of Allah. You have got (rights) over them, and they have got (rights) over you in respect of their food and clothing according to your means.† â€Å"One who makes efforts (to help) the widow or a poor person is like a mujahid (warrior) in the path of Allah, or like one who stands up for prayers in the night and fasts in the day.† These aspects were much emphasized by the Prophet (peace be upon him). He exhorted men to marry women of piety and women to be faithful to their husbands and kind to their children. He said: â€Å"Among my followers the best of men are those who are best to their wives, and the best of women are those who are best to their husbands. To each of such women is set down a reward equivalent to the reward of a thousand martyrs. Among my followers, again, the best of women are those who assist their husbands in their work, and love them dearly for everything, Islam, as a religion recognizes men’s and women’s role as different but, however it certainly does not regard them as superior or inferior than one or the other. Both roles are as important as each other. Islam has been designed to be flexible enough to be interpreted in a variety of ways to cover a variety of cultures, times, contexts, individual personalities. both men and women should dress (in public) in a manner that will de-accentuate their sexuality1. The Surah an-Nur says: Tell the believing men to lower their eyes and guard their private parts†¦ Tell the believing women to lower their eyes, guard their private parts and not display their charms except what is apparent outwardly†¦ (an-Nur 24:30-31). O Prophet! Tell thy wives and thy daughters, as well as all (other) believing women, that they should draw over themselves some of their outer garments (when in public): this will be more conducive to their being recognized (as decent women) and not annoyed. But (withal,) God is indeed much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace! (al-Ahzab 33:59, Asad transl.) The spirit of this ayat is to dress in a manner that will signal ‘unavailability’. The reason why another ayat (an-Nur 24:60) is crucial in gaining a broad overview of the Qur’anic concept of appropriate dress is that it implies that women should wear in public more than what they would wear in private, in front of their ‘intimates’ – their families. So this leads to three basic ‘points’ in considering how to dress: a) the universal idea of de-sexualized dress b) the time and context specific concept of being identifiable as a Muslim c) that before she reaches old age (and preferably after) a Muslim woman should wear more in public than she would privately in front of family. As long as these three injunctions are met, there is a wide range of options open to the Muslim woman depending on the context of the society in which she lives and moves in public. Today, Muslim women’s dress has been politicized and carries with it many conflicting symbols and meanings; perhaps the most visible is the use of head covering as a confrontation against western colonialism. Muslim woman has to have the right and freedom to choose how she interprets her dress code. This fundamental acknowledgement of her instinctive ability to choose (or not) the path of Allah (swt) is more important than any type of specifics about what constitutes hijab (or appropriate covering of the body). Without this freedom to interpret Islam to the best of her ability (a part of which, of course, is seeking the informed opinions of knowledgeable Muslims in order to educate herself) she is not living up to her potential as a human being, and that is more fundamental than what clothes are being worn. As the Qur’an says: There is no compulsion in matter of faith. Distinct is the way of guidance now from error†¦ (Al-Baqarah 2:256, A.Ali translation) The queen of her house’, is the position a true believer is expected to give his wife. In contrast to these enlightened teachings of Islam in respect of women, Western talk of women’s liberation or emancipation is actually a disguised form of exploitation of her body, deprivation of her honor, and degradation of her soul! Islam has given the highest position to women on earth, while Europe and the west were wallowing in the dregs of degradation and savagery. Islam had accorded women a position of honour, respect, safety and love, which has not yet been matched to this day, let alone being superseded and excelled. When questioned about status one must consider Muslim women’s rights in the field of finance. A Muslim woman has the right to full ownership and disposal of wealth at will. This right was granted to her about 1423 years ago whilst Britain, women didn’t have this right untill1860s. Her father if she was unmarried must provide for a Muslim woman or by her husband if married; however rich she may be, she is not responsible for domestic expenses. This is one of many privileges given to women. The Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, ‘The searching of knowledge is incumbent for every Muslim (male and female).Women should pursue their education as far as it is possible. One of the main aims of acquiring knowledge in Islam is to become Allah-conscious. In the history of Islam there were women who were narrators of Hadith, mystics, scholars, writers, poets and teachers, in their own right. They utilized their knowledge within certain precepts of Islam. The west has fabricated many myths that Muslim women are not allowed to work. These myths have no basis in Islamic law. It is natural in Islamic societies for there to be a female doctors and teachers. However, she is not required to participate in trade, vocation or professions unless necessary. A woman must receive her husband’s approval in order to work, because he may feel that her work will cause her to neglect her matrimonial duties and care of the children Muslim women just like the men are prohibited from taking on jobs that sell her femininity to make money (dancing, prostitution, modeling etc) even if her husband doesn’t mind. Apart from those jobs that are prohibited in Islam all others are lawful. A women is entitled to equal pay of equal work of equal value, this concept was established by Islam centuries ago. Although a woman can inherit from her father, children and husbands when before Islam she could not inherit at all, the rate of her inheritance is half that of a man. In order to requisite this apparent unfairness, Islam gives women many privileges e.g. dowry which is obligatory and is her own. Quran says: â€Å"And give women their dowries as a free gift† (4:4) A woman has the right to choose who she marries and shouldn’t be forced to marry anyone with out her wish. She can even have her marriage annulled in a court of law if she can prove that her parents/guardians went ahead with it against her will. Yet there is a resounding silence when the issue being raised is Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), honor killings, forced marriages, the unequal application of hadd punishments on women, or the denial of education to girls and women. All of these wrongs are perpetrated on women in the name of Islam. Genital mutilation for females is not allowed in Islam? Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him clearly prohibited mutilation or maiming of the body. While it is true that many of these violations occur across cultural and religious boundaries, the only action often taken by conservative Muslims is a condemnation of the action because it is â€Å"cultural† and not Islamic. Meanwhile, women continue to be murdered and little girls continue to be mutilated. Polygamy is a misunderstood phenomenon that is more a remedial law in Islam than anything else, used only if necessary. Monotheism is a norm in Muslim societies past and present, and one must remember that prior to Islam, men could have as many wives as they desired. so much that many women were deserted for long periods of time. The verse in the quran that legitimates polygamy was revealed after the battle of uhud, when many widows and orphans were left without care. Hence at the time polygamy was the answer. Although in some extreme circumstances e.g.when the wife is a barren, seriously ill, and mentally unstable or has a bad character. In these cases a man can marry again if he feels the presence of the second wife will benefit the wife, the children or him. However Islam insist that the man treat both wives equally in every aspect possible.The quran says: If you fear that you will not be able to deal justly with orphans, marry women of your choice , two or three or four; but if you fear that you will not be able to deal justly with them, then only one† (4:3) Islam recognizes that marriages are sacred and are a civil contract between husband and wife which should work or be dismantled if it ceases to do so. Although Islam permits divorce the prophet (pbuh) says: â€Å"Of all the things that Islam has permitted, divorce is the most hated by Allah†. This shows divorce shouldn’t be taken lightly. Divorce is a right mainly available to men (although a woman can demand to have it in a marriage contract). As well When Islam discusses the deficiencies of women; it is neither insulting them nor belittling them. Some men, unfortunately, do precisely that when they quote the words of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that women â€Å"have a deficiency in their intellect and their religion†. They take these words out of context as a means of oppressing women and putting them down. The Prophet (peace be upon him) meant something quite different. He said: â€Å"I have never seen among those who have a deficiency in their intellect and their religion anyone more capable than women of swaying the intellect of the most determined of men.† He is actually asserting here the power of women to influence men and sway their opinion. This is one of the distinctions that women, in their natures, have. He then went on to define precisely what he meant by these deficiencies. In the remainder of the hadà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½th, some women asked him: â€Å"O Messenger of Allah, what is this deficiency in our intelligence and religion?† He replied: â€Å"Isn’t it that a woman’s testimony as a witness is half of the testimony of man?† They said: â€Å"Yes.† He said: â€Å"This, then, is the deficiency in her intelligence. Isn’t it true that when she is in her menses, she leaves off prayers and fasting?† They said: â€Å"Yes.† He said: â€Å"This is the deficiency in her religion.† Therefore to every male witness there need to be two female witnesses also because of their lack of knowledge and experience women are not preferred to be positioned as judges in Islam. There is no specific directive of the Shari`ah that prohibits a woman from leading prayers. Therefore, we cannot say that Islam prohibits a woman from leading prayers. The matter actually relates to the general practice of the Prophet (pbuh), which was subsequently followed by the Muslim leaders that followed the Prophet (pbuh). This practice of the Prophet (pbuh) as well as the Muslim leaders, who followed him, subsequently became a part of the social traditions of the Muslims. Thus, it is not a directive of the Shari`ah, but a part of the Muslim cultural tradition that men, rather than women should lead prayers. This gender-based distinction, it seems, has its basis on a few important facts. For instance, although the Prophet (pbuh) encouraged Muslim women to come to the mosques to offer their obligatory prayers with the congregation, yet it was not as strong a directive for them, as it was for the Muslim men. The nature and the variance of the Prophet (pbuh)’s directive has generally resulted in a lower number of Muslim women being present in mosques, as compared to men. In many places, women are not even seen (even in lower numbers) in mosques. Thus, especially when the over whelming majority of people present in mosques consists of men, it was natural that a man was appointed as the Imam to lead the prayers. Moreover, because the Imam holds a central position in the mosque and naturally becomes the center of attention for all those who are present, it seemed a better decision that a man, rather than a woman, be appointed for this position. We obviously do not have any control over the thoughts and emotions of all those present in the mosque. Thus, to keep the minds clear of any sexual thoughts, especially in the mosques, it was felt more appropriate to appoint a man as the Imam. These are a few of the points that have played a role in the general acceptance of this socio-cultural tradition among the Muslims. The matter, as I have stated earlier does not pertain to any prohibition of the Shari`ah. â€Å"Women are very capable of taking on any job previously monopolized by men,† said Ms Hindi, a former English literature student at a college in Mecca, her home town. Women not allowed to drive cars in Saudi Arabia because of the ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia was made official only in 1990 after 47 women demonstrated against what was then a customary law by driving a convoy of cars in Riyadh. They were arrested and detained until male relatives signed undertakings that they would not violate the ban again. The ban was made official by a fatwa issued by the Council of Senior Ulama (religious scholars). â€Å"Women driving leads too many evils . . . included among these is her mixing with men without her being on her guard,† the fatwa said. â€Å"O Messenger of Allah, who is the person who has the greatest right on me with regards to kindness and attention?† He replied, â€Å"Your mother.† â€Å"Then who?† He replied, â€Å"Your mother.† â€Å"Then who?† He replied, â€Å"Your mother.† â€Å"Then who?† He replied, â€Å"Your father.† In another tradition, the Prophet advised a believer not to join the war against the Quraish in defense of Islam, but to look after his mother, saying that his service to his mother would be a cause of his salvation. Mu’awiyah, the son of Jahimah, reported that Jahimah came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said, † Messenger of Allah! I want to join the fighting (in the path of Allah) and I have come to seek your advice.† He said, â€Å"Then remains in your mother’s service, because Paradise is under her feet.† The Prophet’s followers accepted his teachings and brought about a revolution in their social attitude towards women. They no longer considered women as mere chattels, but as an integral part of society. For the first time women were given the right to have a share in inheritance. In the new social climate, women rediscovered themselves and became highly active members of society rendering useful service during the wars which the pagan Arabs forced on the emerging Muslim umma. They carried provisions for the soldiers, nursed them, and even fought alongside them if it was necessary. It became a common sight to see women helping their husbands in the fields, carrying on trade and business independently, and going out of their homes to satisfy their needs. â€Å"Among my followers the best of men are those who are best to their wives, and the best of women are those who are best to their husbands. To each of such women is set down a reward equivalent to the reward of a thousand martyrs. Among my followers, again, the best of women are those who assist their husbands in their work, and love them dearly for everything, save what is a transgression of Allah’s laws.† The Shari’ah regards women as the spiritual and intellectual equals of men. The Shari’ah requires a man, as head of the family, to consult with his family and then to have the final say in decisions concerning it. In doing so he must not abuse his prerogative to cause any injury to his wife. The word of the Prophet (peace be upon him), ‘the queen of her house’, and this is the position a true believer is expected to give his wife. In contrast to these enlightened teachings of Islam in respect of women, Western talk of women’s liberation or emancipation is actually a disguised form of exploitation of her body, deprivation of her honour, and degradation of her soul! Manji is lesbian and has adamantly argued that the condemnation of homosexuality by most strains of traditional Islam is at odds with Qur’anic doctrine that â€Å"Allah makes excellent everything which He creates.† Her partner is Michelle Douglas, a Canadian activist. Manji has been a vocal critic of orthodox Islam, especially that treatment of women by some Muslims. She does not wear a headscarf or chador whereas most traditional Muslim women do observe the hijab. She has criticized the Palestinian leadership and the opinions of some Muslims about Israel. WOMEN IN THE QUR’AN AND THE SUNNAH Prof. Abdur Rahman I. Doi Professor and Director, Center for Islamic Legal Studies, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaira, Nigeria. In Islam there is absolutely no difference between men and women as far as their relationship to Allah is concerned, as both are promised the same reward for good conduct and the same punishment for evil conduct. The Qur’an says: And for women are rights over men similar to those of men over women. (2:226) The Qur’an, in addressing the believers, often uses the expression,’ believing men and women’ to emphasize the equality of men and women in regard to their respective duties, rights, virtues and merits. It says: For Muslim men and women, for believing men and women, for devout men and women, for true men and women, for men and women who are patient and constant, for men and women who humble themselves, for men and women who give in charity, for men and women who fast, for men and women who guard their chastity, and for men and women who engage much in Allah’s praise, for them has Allah prepared forgiveness and great reward. (33:35) Enter into Paradise, you and your wives, with delight. (43:70) Who so does that which is right, and believes, whether male or female, him or her will We quicken to happy life. (16:97) The Qur’an admonishes those men who oppress or ill-treat women: The Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him) said, â€Å"Women are the twin halves of men.† The Qur’an emphasizes the essential unity of men and women in a most beautiful simile: They (your wives) are your garment and you are a garment for them. (2:187) Just as a garment hides our nakedness, so do husband and wife, by entering into the relationship of marriage, secure each other’s chastity. The garment gives comfort to the body; so does the husband find comfort in his wife’s company and she in his. â€Å"The garment is the grace, the beauty, the embellishment of the body, so too are wives to their husbands as their husbands are to them.† Islam does not consider woman â€Å"an instrument of the Devil†, but rather the Qur’an calls her muhsana – a fortress against Satan because a good woman, by marrying a man, helps him keep to the path of rectitude in his life. It is for this reason that marriage was considered by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a most virtuous act. He said: â€Å"When a man marries, he has completed one half of his religion.† He enjoined matrimony on Muslims by saying: â€Å"Marriage is part of my way and whoever keeps away from my way is not from me (i.e. is not my follower).† The Qur’an has given the raison d’à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½tre of marriage in the following words: And among His signs is this that He has created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquility with them; and He has put love and mercy between you. Verily in that are signs for those who reflect. (30:21) The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was full of praise for virtuous and chaste women. He said: â€Å"The world and all things in the world are precious but the most precious thing in the world is a virtuous woman. He once told the future khalif, ‘Umar: â€Å"Shall I not inform you about the best treasure a man can hoard? It is a virtuous wife who pleases him whenever he looks towards her, and who guards herself when he is absent from her.† On other occasions the Prophet said: â€Å"The best property a man can have is a remembering tongue (about Allah), a grateful heart and a believing wife who helps him in his faith.† And again: â€Å"The world, the whole of it, is a commodity and the best of the commodities of the world is a virtuous wife.† The Prophet (peace be upon him) was most emphatic in enjoining upon Muslims to be kind to their women when he delivered his famous khutba on the Mount of Mercy at Arafat in the presence of one hundred and twenty-four thousand of his Companions who had gathered there for the Hajj al-Wada (Farewell Pilgrimage). In it he ordered those present, and through them all those Muslims who were to come later, to be respectful and kind towards women. He said: â€Å"Fear Allah regarding women. Verily you have married them with the trust of Allah, and made their bodies lawful with the word of Allah. You have got (rights) over them, and they have got (rights) over you in respect of their food and clothing according to your means.† â€Å"One who makes efforts (to help) the widow or a poor person is like a mujahid (warrior) in the path of Allah, or like one who stands up for prayers in the night and fasts in the day.† â€Å"O Messenger of Allah, who is the person who has the greatest right on me with regards to kindness and attention?† He replied, â€Å"Your mother.† â€Å"Then who?† He replied, â€Å"Your mother.† â€Å"Then who?† He replied, â€Å"Your mother.† â€Å"Then who?† He replied, â€Å"Your father.† In another tradition, the Prophet advised a believer not to join the war against the Quraish in defense of Islam, but to look after his mother, saying that his service to his mother would be a cause of his salvation. Mu’awiyah, the son of Jahimah, reported that Jahimah came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said, † Messenger of Allah! I want to join the fighting (in the path of Allah) and I have come to seek your advice.† He said, â€Å"Then remain in your mother’s service, because Paradise is under her feet.† The Prophet’s followers accepted his teachings and brought about a revolution in their social attitude towards women. They no longer considered women as a mere chattels, but as an integral part of society. For the first time women were given the right to have a share in inheritance. In the new social climate, women rediscovered themselves and became highly active members of society rendering useful service during the wars which the pagan Arabs forced on the emerging Muslim umma. They carried provisions for the soldiers, nursed them, and even fought alongside them if it was necessary. It became a common sight to see women helping their husbands in the fields, carrying on trade and business independently, and going out of their homes to satisfy their needs. â€Å"Among my followers the best of men are those who are best to their wives, and the best of women are those who are best to their husbands. To each of such women is set down a reward equivalent to the reward of a thousand martyrs. Among my followers, again, the best of women are those who assist their husbands in their work, and love them dearly for everything, save what is a transgression of Allah’s laws.† The Shari’ah regards women as the spiritual and intellectual equals of men. The Shari’ah requires a man, as head of the family, to consult with his family and then to have the final say in decisions concerning it. In doing so he must not abuse his prerogative to cause any injury to his wife. The words of the Prophet (peace be upon him), ‘the queen of her house’, and this is the position a true believer is expected to give his wife. In contrast to these enlightened teachings of Islam in respect of women, Western talk of women’s liberation or emancipation is actually a disguised form of exploitation of her body, deprivation of her honour, and degradation of her soul! http://www.allaahuakbar.net/womens/rights_of_women_guaranteed_by_islam.htm A COLLECTION OF REFERENCES FROM THE QURAN AND HADEETH ABOUT THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN GUARANTEED BY ISLAM Spiritual Equality of Women and Men Allah has got ready forgiveness and tremendous rewards for the Muslim men and women; the believing men and women; the devout men and women; the truthful men and women; the patiently suffering men and women; the humble men and women; the almsgiving men and women; the fasting men and women, the men and women who guard their chastity; and the men and women who are exceedingly mindful of Allah. (Al-Ahzab 33:35) Attitudes towards women O ye who believe! Ye are forbidden to inherit women against their will. Nor should ye treat them with harshness, that ye may take away part of the dower ye have given them,-except where they have been guilty of open lewdness; on the contrary live with them on a footing of kindness and equity. If ye take a dislike to them it may be that ye dislike a thing, and Allah brings about through it a great deal of good. (An-Nisa 4:19) Collaboration and consultation The believing men and women, are associates and helpers of each other. They (collaborate) to promote all that is beneficial and discourage all that is evil; to establish prayers and give alms, and to obey Allah and his Messenger. Those are the people whom Allah would grant mercy. Indeed Allah is Mighty and Wise. (Al-Taubah 9:71) Women’s Right to Attend Mosques Narrated Ibn Umar: The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, â€Å"Allow women to go to the Mosques at night.† (Bukhari Volume 2, Book 13, Number 22) Ibn Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Do not deprive women of their share of the mosques, when they seek permission from you. Bilal said: By Allah, we would certainly prevent them. ‘Abdullah said: I say that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said it and you say: We would certainly prevent them! (Sahih Muslim Book 004, Number 0891) The Common Performance of Ablutions Narrated Ibn Umar: â€Å"It used to be that men and women would perform ablutions together in the time of the Messenger of Allah’s assembly.† (Bukhari: 1: Ch. 45, Book of Ablution) Women’s Right of Proposal Narrated Sahl: A woman came to the Prophet, and presented herself to him (for marriage). He said, â€Å"I am not in need of women these days.† Then a man said, â€Å"O Allah’s Apostle! Marry her to me.† The Prophet asked him, â€Å"What have you got?† He said, â€Å"I have got nothing.† The Prophet said, â€Å"Give her something, even an iron ring.† He said, â€Å"I have got nothing.† The Prophet asked (him), â€Å"How much of the Quran do you know (by heart)?† He said, â€Å"So much and so much.† The Prophet said, â€Å"I have married her to you for what you know of the Quran.† (Bukhari Volume 7, Book 62, Number 72) Women’s Right of Permission Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, â€Å"A matron should not be given in marriage except after consulting her; and a virgin should not be given in marriage except after her permission.† The people asked, â€Å"O Allah’s Apostle! How can we know her permission?† He said, â€Å"Her silence (indicates her permission).† (Bukhari Volume 7, Book 62, Number 67) The Right of Women not to be Forced Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas: Barira’s husband was a slave called Mughith, as if I am seeing him now, going behind Barira and weeping with his tears flowing down his beard. The Prophet said to ‘Abbas, â€Å"O ‘Abbas ! are you not astonished at the love of Mughith for Barira and the hatred of Barira for Mughith?† The Prophet then said to Barira, â€Å"Why don’t you return to him?† She said, â€Å"O Allah’s Apostle! Do you order me to do so?† He said, â€Å"No, I only intercede for him.† She said, â€Å"I am not in need of him.† (Bukhari: Volume 7, Book 63, Number 206) The Characteristics of a Believing Man Narrated AbuHurayrah: Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said: a believing man should not hate a believing woman; if he dislikes one of her characteristics, he will be pleased with another. (Muslim Book 8, Number 3469) The Education of Women Narrated Abu Said: A woman came to Allah’s Apostle and said, â€Å"O Allah’s Apostle! Men (only) benefit by your teachings, so please devote to us from (some of) your time, a day on which we may come to you so that you may teach us of what Allah has taught you.† Allah’s Apostle said, â€Å"Gather on such-and-such a day at such-and-such a place.† They gathered and Allah’s Apostle came to them and taught them of what Allah had taught him. (Bukhari Volume 9, Book 92, Number 413) On the Treatment of Women Narrated Mu’awiyah al-Qushayri: I went to the Apostle of Allah (pbuh) and asked him: â€Å"What do you say (command) about our wives?† He replied: â€Å"Give them food what you have for yourself, and clothe them by which you clothe yourself, and do not beat them, and do not revile them.† (Sunan Abu Dawud: Book 11, Number 2139) â€Å"The best of you is one who is best towards his family and I am best towards the family†. (At-Tirmithy). â€Å"None but a noble man treats women in an honourable manner. And none but an ignoble treats women disgracefully†. (At-Tirmithy). A Husband’s Attitude ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) said that a man came to his house to complain about his wife. On reaching the door of his house, he hears ‘Umar’s wife shouting at him and reviling him. Seeing this, he was about to go back, thinking that ‘Umar himself was in the same position and, therefore, could hardly suggest any solution for his problem. ‘Umar (RA) saw the man turn back, so he called him and enquired about the purpose of his visit. He said that he had come with a complaint against his wife, but turned back on seeing the Caliph in the same position. ‘Umar (RA) told him that he tolerated the excesses of his wife for she had certain rights against him. He said, â€Å"Is it not true that she prepares food for me, washes clothes for me and suckles my children, thus saving me the expense of employing a cook, a washerman and a nurse, though she is not legally obliged in any way to do any of these things? Besides, I enjoy peace of mind because of her and am kept away from indecent acts on account of her. I therefore tolerate all her excesses on account of these benefits. It is right that you should also adopt the same attitude.† quoted in Rahman, Role of Muslim Women page 149 The Prophet’s Disapproval of Women Beaters Patient behavior was the practice of the Prophet, even when his wife dared to address him harshly. Once his mother-in-law- saw her daughter strike him with her fist on his noble chest. When the enraged mother -in-law began to reproach her daughter, the Prophet smilingly said, â€Å"Leave her alone; they do worse than that.† And once Abu Bakr, his father-in-law, was invited to settle some misunderstanding between him and Aishah. The Prophet said to her, â€Å"Will you speak, or shall I speak?† Aisha said, â€Å"You speak, but do not say except the truth.† Abu Bakr was so outraged that he immediately struck her severely, forcing her to run and seek protection behind the back of the Prophet. Abu Bakr said, â€Å"O you the enemy of herself! Does the Messenger of Allah say but the truth?† The Prophet said, â€Å"O Abu Bakr, we did not invite you for this [harsh dealing with Aishah], nor did we anticipate it.† quoted in: Mutual Rights and Obligations http://www.allaahuakbar.net/womens/women_sharia_and_oppression.htm A lot of attention has been focused on the issue of Muslim women and human rights since September 11, almost all of it by non Muslims. Once again, images of women swathed in black veils or blue burqas are de rigeur, as the media soberly reminds us that Muslim women are not considered equals to men in Islam, and that they are oppressed even by the moderate regimes in the Muslim world. From the Muslims, we have one of two reactions. The first is the reaction of the â€Å"liberal, reformist, secular† Muslims. They believe that Shari’a oppresses women, and that we need to completely overhaul it, or toss out sections of the Qur’an that are â€Å"uncomfortable,† or institute secular forms of government that separate the sacred from the legal all together. These are the same Muslims who equate Hijab with oppression, and who support the denial of free speech rights to â€Å"Islamists† (all the while, crying for their rights to free speech in countries where it is denied). They take their political thought not from Islamic sources, but from feminism, socialism, and capitalism. Naturally, it is to these Muslims that the Western media turns when it wants a â€Å"Muslim† perspective on â€Å"Muslim issues.† On the other side, we have the organizers of the mainstream conservative Muslims, the leaders of our civic societies, advocacy groups, and associations. When presented with instances of women’s oppression in the Islamic world, these Muslims, almost always men, respond defensively. They cart out examples of women’s oppression in the Western world, or worse, they address the issue by lecturing the questioner about the virtues of the Ideal Place of Women in Ideal Islam. In other words, they treat the ideal that we are all aspire to as the reality on the ground. Pressed into taking a stand on real life issues, they retreat in anger. â€Å"That’s culture, not Islam, it has nothing to do with me as a Muslim,† they sniff. Who speaks for them? Most often, it is the United Nations, human rights groups, and feminist organizations, led by people who have no foundations of knowledge in Islam, and who often have a real antipathy for Islam. While the Feminist Majority Fund was selling swatches of â€Å"burqa† and petitioning the government for action on behalf of Afghan women, the leaders of our Islamic societies stayed silent. Publicly, many Islamic leaders and organizations disassociated themselves from the Taliban, but other than denying them entry into the Organization of Islamic Conferences (OIC), they took no action to petition the Taliban for change from an Islamic view, or form any sort of Islamic opposition. Perhaps this is because when any Islamic organization or individual Muslim attempts to change or speak out about injustices towards Muslim women, the rest of the community circles the wagons. These lone souls are labeled â€Å"radical feminists,† and accused of attempting to undermine Islam. Strangely, when a Muslim woman’s Islamic rights are violated, many organizations are eager to speak out and petition. For example, when Merve Kavacki was denied her seat in the Turkish Parliament because of her headscarf (and later stripped of her citizenship), Muslim groups were quick to condemn the Turkish government, as they should have. In many Western Muslim circles, Merve has been elevated to a symbol of the struggle muhajabat women face in secular societies. Yet there is a resounding silence when the issue being raised is Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), honor killings, forced marriages, the unequal application of hadd punishments on women, or the denial of education to girls and women. All of these wrongs are perpetrated on women in the name of Islam. While it is true that many of these violations occur across cultural and religious boundaries, the only action often taken by conservative Muslims is a condemnation of the action because it is â€Å"cultural† and not Islamic. Meanwhile, women continue to be murdered and little girls continue to be mutilated. In Africa, conservative sheikhs teamed up with women’s rights advocates to educate people about the harms of Female Genital Mutilation. These people get very little mention in the Western media, which, of course, paints the â€Å"Islamists† as the opponents of an enlightened, secular minority of liberal Muslims. About a year ago, a small band of conservative Muslim women, almost all of us from the West, came up with the idea of starting a Muslim women’s human rights group, to petition and advocate for the rights of Muslim women as they are given in the Shari’a of Islam. Although slow to start, we have managed to form a basis from which to work, and have taken up our first case. Right now, a Muslim woman in Nigeria is under a death sentence from the Shari’a court for the crime of adultery. The situation came to the attention of the authorities when the man who impregnated her decided to confess his crime to the police, rather than pay the child support that her father asked of him. There are many glaring errors in the case, from a classical, â€Å"Orthodox† fiqh point of view. These errors (which would aid the woman) are not coming from a â€Å"reformist reinterpretation† of Shari’a, these errors are so great that any of the qadis of the past would have thrown the case against her out. Prophet Mohammed, sallalahu aleyhi wa salaam, was mocked and assaulted because of his strong and courageous stance on the status of women. He came with a message that lifted women up and gave them dignity. Fourteen hundred years later, we have descended back into the dark pit of Jahiliya, and Muslim women around the world find themselves cast into the same slavery that the Prophet, sallalahu aleyhi wa salaam, was sent to liberate them from. It does not make you a â€Å"radical feminist† to decry honor killings and volunteer for peaceful campaigns to educate and change laws. Raising your voice against Female Genital Mutilation does not mean you want to â€Å"undermine Islam.† To the contrary, working against these injustices in the way of Allah is a manifestation of the desire to uplift Islam and the Muslim people. When the Taliban decided to deny education to any girl over a certain age, it is the conservative Muslims, the ones who profess adherence to â€Å"Qur’an and Sunnah† that should have spoken the loudest against this. The longer we stay silent, the more people, both Muslim and non Muslim, will begin to equate â€Å"Shar’ia† with the oppression of women.

Effects of Longterm Imprisonment

CRJ 220 Effects of Longterm Imprisonment While the average time served in US prisons is 34 months, many inmates are serving sentences longer than this. According to a 2009 report by the Sentencing Project, 140,610 out of 2. 3 million inmates are serving a life sentence. However, with the possibility of parole, not all life sentences mean inmates spending their lives behind bars. Some inmates will return to society and face many challenges. One issue with long term imprisonment is the effect on family.While the inmates connection to his/her family may remain the same, the family moves on. Some spouses will divorce over the crime itself. The inmate now faces their long term sentence without the support of a significant other. Even those whose marriages survive the initial ordeal will encounter many more challenges along the way. Spouses are facing the prospect of spending a great period of their lives alone. The inmate knows this and will now have the added anxiety of wondering: will t hey find someone new, will they cheat?Children further complicate the matter. The child will grow up without a father or mother. At any age, the child will go through milestones that the inmate will miss: first words, first steps, first day of school, first date, graduation, marriage, grandchildren, etc. The long term inmate will likely miss one or more of these events. Young children may not remember their parent. They will likely have no relationship with the inmate. Even those who manage to form some kind of bond find it is very difficult to maintain from behind bars.The released inmate then has to be a part of a life that they were absent from for years. Another issue with long term imprisonment is employment. In five or more years, much can change. As society changes, technology advances. An inmate's prior skills, training and education may now be irrelevant. While â€Å"free† workers may face the same dilemma, they also are given time to gradually adjust to these change s and learn new skills. The inmate is thrown into these changes upon release. Even if their skills are still relevant, the inmate may lose their work skills after not using them in so ong. The long term inmate who was incarcerated at a younger age may not have had a chance to get an education or any job or skill training at all. Upon their release they may be 48 with the education of a 17 year old. Long term imprisonment may also have an effect on work ethic. Inmates have not been part of the work force for a long period of time. While some inmates are assigned jobs, not all are. Will those who don't have a diminished work ethic upon release? Will they remember how to function in a work environment?Another issue with long term imprisonment is the effect on mental health. Those sentenced to long terms may encounter psychological issues during their sentence and upon their release. Inmates may give up hope; those sentenced to life in prison give up the idea of ever gaining freedom. Th ough they may have a chance at parole, they know the chance of being released might be slim. There are inmates who commit suicide shortly after being sentenced because they can't deal with the extreme life change. Being in a prison environment for so long also can change a person.Inmates grow very accustomed to the prison lifestyle: waking up at a certain time, following a strict schedule, being watched at all times, following very strict rules. It can be difficult to adapt into being a â€Å"free† individual again: making your own decisions, knowing what to do without someone telling you what to do, giving yourself rules, etc. There are also the rules in prison versus the rules in society. Prison rules include not only the ones set by the institution itself, but also prison ‘norms' set by the inmates. These rules are very different from the ones we have in society.These rules can also change an inmate's personality. They may become more violent to protect themselves or prove their power to others, or become overly cautious and suspicious of people. These effects can carry over upon release. While some of the effects of long term imprisonment are beneficial to society and the inmate, many of the effects are harmful as well. The longer a prisoner is incarcerated, the more they will adapt to their environment and lose contact with the outside community. This adaptation can be difficult to reverse, even after release into society.

Great Bombay Textile Strike

Great Bombay Textile Strike The  Great Bombay Textile Strike  was a textile  strike  called on 18 January 1982 by the mill workers of  Bombay  (currently  Mumbai) under trade union leader  Dutta Samant. The purpose of the strike was to obtain bonus and wage increases. Nearly 250,000 workers and more than 50 textile mills went on strike in Bombay. [1] History of Mills in Bombay | | Built in 1887,  Swadeshi  was Bombay's first textile mill, the first of the factories that spread over  Girangaon, popularly nicknamed as Bombay's â€Å"village of mills†, in the next decades. By 1982, when Datta Samant led the textile strike, over 240,000 people worked in Girangaon. [2] Protests In late 1981, Dutta Samant was chosen by a large group of Bombay mill workers to lead them in a precarious conflict between the Bombay Mill owners Association and the unions, thus rejecting the  INTUC-affiliated Rashtriya Mill Mazdoor Sangh  which had represented the mill workers for decades. Samant planned a massive strike forcing the entire industry of the city to be shut down for over a year. 3]  It was estimated that nearly 250,000 workers went on strike and more than 50 textile mills were shut in Bombay. In August 1982, the city police briefly went on strike, apparently in sympathy with the workers resulting into the army and Border Security Force to be called in to control the unrest. [1]  Samant demanded that, along with wage hikes, the government scrap the  Bombay Industrial Act of 1947  and that the RMMS would not longer be the only official union of the city industry. While fighting for greater pay and better conditions for workers, Samant and his allies also sought to capitalize and establish their power on the trade union scene in Mumbai. Although Samant had links with the Congress and Maharashtra politician  Abdul Rehman Antulay,  Prime Minister  Indira Gandhi  considered him a serious political threat. Samant's control of the mill workers made Gandhi and other Congress leaders fear that his influence would spread to the port and dock workers and make him the most powerful union leader in India's commercial capital. Thus the government took a firm stance of rejecting Samant's demands and refusing to budge despite the severe economic losses suffered by the city and the industry. As the strike progressed through the months, Samant's militancy in the face of government obstinacy led to the failure of any attempts at negotiation. Disunity and dissatisfaction over the strike soon became apparent, and many textile mill owners began moving their plants outside the city. After a prolonged and destabilizing confrontation, the strike collapsed with no concessions having been obtained for the workers. The closure of textile mills across the city left tens of thousands of mill workers unemployed and, in the succeeding years, most of the industry moved away from Bombay after decades of being plagued by rising costs and union militancy. Although Samant remained popular with a large block of union activists, his clout and control over Bombay trade unions disappeared. [3] Consequences The majority of the over 80 mills in Central Mumbai closed during and after the strike, leaving more than 150,000 workers unemployed. [4]  Textile industry in Mumbai has largely disappeared, reducing labor migration after the strikes. [5]

High end wedding Business Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

High end wedding Business Plan - Assignment Example The proposed business is unique in terms of meeting the needs of its clients. The proposed business firmly ensures to provide unwavering attention to its clients. The proposed business further focuses on the needs and expectations of the clients and work according to the requirements of the clients so that highest level of customer satisfaction is provided. The services of the proposed business include weddings, honeymoons, receptions, anniversary, wedding hair makeup, special event make up, musicians, entertainers and budget planning. The proposed business aims at providing the best service to each time to the clients of Houston, Texas. The objective of the proposed business is to provide top class services to clients whether it is wedding, anniversary or any other special events in order to make the experience of the clients pleasurable and memorable. Thus, the proposed business is committed towards offering services that are specially tailored according to the needs of respective couples and their families. In order to achieve the broad objectives of the proposed business, special attention will be focused upon the quality and timeliness of the services offered to the clients. The proposed business will thus, ensure that services are promptly and efficiently offered in accordance with the needs and expectations of the clients. ... The wedding industry in the United States can be recognized as an important industry that has a major impact on almost 100 other industries. The portion of contribution made by the wedding industry to the national economy is constantly increasing. Over the last few decades, the industry has witnessed significant growth in the country. However, the recent economic crisis situation in the US has dramatically influenced the growth rate of the industry. It is expected that the wedding industry in the coming years will again be able to touch new heights with rising revenue. Nonetheless, it is firmly advocated that the proposed business is required to formulate and implement suitable strategies in order to efficiently meet the rising demands of the customers. It has been ascertained that despite the recessionary situation, there has been slight increase in the number of couples getting married. It has been projected that this increasing pattern will continue in the coming years thereby pro viding significant opportunity for the wedding industry to earn and expand the proposed business. At the same time, it has been observed that the guest attending the wedding has also affected by the recession which has caused a slight reduction in their numbers. However, it is estimated that in the future years the figure shall improve. The spending of couples is also estimated to increase in the coming years. During the year 2011, it had been reported that there was slight positive shift of 1% in the total spending made by the customers in the wedding industry of the USA. At the same time, it has been ascertained that the couples in the recent times are inclined towards planed weddings as well as more couples are observed to prefer outdoor ceremonies rather than indoor

People Resourcing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

People Resourcing - Essay Example Ensuring better employee relations is as important in public sector companies as for any other organisation. However, it is generally observed that most employees in the public sector organisations suffer from stress (Health and Safety Executive, 2002). Mersytravel is the operating name for Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive; which oversees the provision of public transport on Merseyside. It was initially observed that the employee morale was low and they used to get tensed. The company identified that as per Frederick Herzberg two factor hygiene and motivation theory, some factors like job security, salary, and status etc., that are the provided by public sector organisations do not motivate employees and don not contribute in ensuring employee well being. Instead, if these factors are not present, this may lead to employee dissatisfaction. In contrast, as per the theory, employees will feel motivated if they are provided growth and advancement opportunities, and are recognised for their achievements (Accel Team, 2006). In order to improve employees' morale and to enhance employees' knowledge, the company established a learning and development strategy in consultation with its employees in 2003. A scheme called Merseylearn was developed that focuses on providing learning and development opportunities for hard to reach learners such as shift workers. They can use this system 24 hours a day to develop their skill sets. This has also enabled the staff to undertake courses at home (Investors in People, 2006). A wide range of other learning and development programmes have also been developed that have helped staff to undertake language and literacy training within workplace. The company gained myriad of benefits from this approach. Employees' turn over rate has sharply declined; sickness days, which were quite high previously, dropped by an average 3 days between 2003 and 2006; staff promotions have increased by 10% as a result of training programmes; staff participation in work related participation schemes has also risen by 50% per cent (Investors in People, 2006). This steady increase in employees' productivity indicate that the training programmes add to the employee well being by improving employees' skills, knowledge and behavior towards

What Is An Entrepreneurship All about, How to Be a Leader Assignment

What Is An Entrepreneurship All about, How to Be a Leader - Assignment Example Entrepreneurial implies that an individual must display the ideal knowledge to operate a company. In my case, I have displayed a tendency to make strategic decision. For instance, I use my time to study efficiently, which involves subdividing my time in order to understand how to allocate equal time to the subjects I took. During my time in the university, I did some community work managing the community center. During my time as an operations manager, I managed to ensure my subordinates worked efficiently, which meant subdividing the workload between the subordinates. Another important factor during my time in the community center was being prompt to work in order to create a work schedule which would ensure all the work for the day was accomplished. In some cases, I had to pitch in on the tasks in order to cover for workers who may were unwell to report for work (Kleiman, 2010). Such factors were important in order to ensure that the community center operated efficiently; hence, de monstrating my entrepreneurial qualities. In terms of being entrepreneurial, I will be able to make decisions promptly, which will not put the company in jeopardy. I am an efficient worker, which ensures that I am very reliable in relation to accomplishing tasks quickly and with the expected quality and high standard of the company (Kotter, 2002). I can operate independently without the need for supervision, which is a quality that entrepreneurs possess. This means that I can work independently, but not in a manner that suggests I cannot work in a team. Another aspect of my character is my ability to coordinate individuals.

How Does Social Context Contribute to the Definition of Value in Music Essay

How Does Social Context Contribute to the Definition of Value in Music - Essay Example This essay approves that music is coherently considered to be the gift of a lifetime. Ever since its evolution, music has remained an integral part of society, culture and now even education. As a result of its affective power, music is seen to improve the learning environment. Social context provides a platform in the recognition of value in music. Music is it found in expressing religion as well as celebrations encompassing weddings, funerals, festivals, etc. No human community has ever been discovered without music. This enables us to think that music is not only a derivative of human activity but also a predominant part of human community. This report makes a conclusion that from the dawn of human civilization music has persistently remained embedded in the everyday life of individuals around the globe. The fact that no society or culture is ever been untouched by music enables us to acknowledge that music is the very core of our lives. Each society or culture is characterized by its distinct form of music. The hip-hop music or the pop music for example exhibits its unique kind of culture like dress, language, etc. Music is responsible in adding elegance to a particular culture. With its intrinsic values it coherently touches our souls and acts as an active contributor in the social context. It encourages creativity, provides the opportunity to perform in public and acts as an excellent means of communication as well.

Hamza Yusuf Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Hamza Yusuf - Essay Example Yusuf often acts as a guest speaker at events coordinated by different subdivisions of the Muslim Students Association of the US and Canada. Together with Haten Bazian and Zaid Shakir, Yusuf is a co-founder of the Zaytuna College located in Berkeley, California. The college was established in 1996 and is dedicated to reviving traditional methods of study, especially with regard to the sciences of Islam (Ghazali 2011, 65). Yusuf is also a signatory of A Common Word Between Us and You, which is an open letter written by Islamic scholars addressed to Christian leaders, speaking to the need for peace and understanding. Yusuf has adopted a stance against all religious rationalizations for terrorist attacks. After 9/11, he typified the actions of the attackers as acts of mass homicide. Yusuf strongly condemns terrorist attacks arguing that Islamic is exploited as an innocent victim (Ghazali 2011, 115). Yusuf has authored an array of books and pamphlets, which seek to educate Muslims on pro per and ethical conduct. Thought Yusuf is renowned for a number of original thoughts, which are aimed at assisting Muslim lead fruitful lives devoid of evil deeds. One of his most notable thoughts is that of dunya. Yusuf typifies dunya as the illusory nature of the world; it consists of aspects that delude people into thinking that they are permanent fixtures in the world. Dunya also compels Muslims to think that they can transgress since they believe they are independent from Allah. In essence, Yusuf considers dunya as the element that takes Muslims away from the akhira (the after life), thus exemplifying Satan’s game. Satan’s game, according to Yusuf (2008, 69) is aimed purposely at detracting people away from the akhira through shaytan, which means to obstruct or make distant from the akhira. Therefore, Yusuf (Yusuf and Shakir 2007, 128) believes that dunya makes Muslims feel that dunya is nearer than the akhira. Islam argues that dunya is distant and equates it to attempting to reach for grapes that are beyond one’s grasp. This is the true character of dunya; one can never get it since it always evades people. Through his teachings, Yusuf seeks to teach Muslims that dunya is unimportant. He in turn demonstrates the importance of the akhira, which is the essence of all Islamic messages. Therefore, he argues that, in all their actions, Muslims must endeavor to head away from dunya and further towards the akhira. In order to delineate the true nature of dunya, Yusuf contrasts it to normal human actions. Yusuf (2004, 89) argues that seeking food to sustain a healthy body is not considered dunya, neither is earning enough money to meet one’s obligations or spend on halal. In order to justify his stance regarding dunya, Yusuf ponders on the assertions of the Holy Prophet of Islam that if Adam’s son had a single mountain of gold, he would then desire a second mountain. The Prophet argued that the son’s mouth would never b e filled, with the exception of the dust of his private grave. Yusuf takes this teaching to mean that dunya is deceptive since it compels people to desire more earthly possession than they need. Yusuf teaches Muslims to steer clear of the deluder and in turn move towards the akhira. In addition to this, Yusuf teaches that Muslims should avoid the delusion of dunya that it is possible to live both in the past and future. In turn, Yusuf believes that Muslims should always endeavor to live in the present. He argues that

Core Curriculum Content Standards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Core Curriculum Content Standards - Essay Example In large part, both the New Jersey curriculum standards and the National Core Curriculum Standards are designed to prepare students for the college environment. Indeed, this is one of the major noted concerns of the establishment of the standards, as it was believed that previously public school systems had not gone far enough in establishing stringent enough instructional methods that consider the importance of college preparation. Another important element that is reflected across both curriculum standards is the importance of combining both content and skill specific knowledge. In both instances, this knowledge is incorporated into the specific curriculum designations. Indeed, it’s noted that, â€Å". The Standards set a rigorous definition of college and career readiness, not by piling topic upon topic, but by demanding that students develop a depth of understanding and ability (‘Myths vs. Facts).† Indeed, it’s clear that the underlining philosophy behi nd the two sets of standards are directly in-line with each other. While the overriding philosophy of the state and national curriculum standards are in-line with each other they differ along a specific line.

Hooters Of America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Hooters Of America - Essay Example (Hooters of America, Franchise Disclosure Document, 2010). Therefore, their beginning can be traced back to 1984 with a different name while their functionality under the name of â€Å"Hooters of America† can be traced back to 1989. â€Å"Hooters of America† is mainly concerned with the business of running Hooters Restaurants. However, it has many affiliates, which run different kinds of businesses under the title of â€Å"Hooters† such as Naturally Fresh, Inc., Super Sports Merchandisers, Inc., Super Sports Marketing, Inc., Hooters National Advertising Fund, Inc., Hooters Magazine, Inc., Hooters Racing, Inc., Hooters Sports News, Inc., Hooters Sports Productions, Inc. and National Golf Association, Inc. (Hooters of America, Franchise Disclosure Document, 2010). There are varieties of eatables served at Hooters Restaurants and there are certain unique characteristics that make Hooters Restaurants different from other dining spots. â€Å"Hooters of America† offers franchises for the institutionalization of its restaurants and its services under the name of â€Å"Hooters of America† (Hooters of America, Franchise Disclosure Document, 2010). It is a public traded company. As far as the expanded business of the company is concerned, â€Å"Hooters of America† is a large networked corporation with many affiliates. Their head office is in Georgia. All the affiliates of the company are also located in Georgia (Hooters of America, Franchise Disclosure Document, 2010). The company has license to operate in the whole United States of America and also outside the States. The company provides franchises for restaurants (Hooters of America, Franchise Disclosure Document, 2010). The franchises of â€Å"Hooters of America† are spread in the whole United States due to which, it can be easily stated that the business network of the company is widely expanded. The company,

Internalization theory best explains CEMEX’s FDI Essay Example for Free

Internalization theory best explains CEMEX’s FDI Essay 1.Which theoretical explanation (or explanations) of FDI best explains CEMEX’s FDI? 1.Internalization theory best explains CEMEX’s FDI because CEMEX entered into many countries and bought domestic cement businesses instead of licensing. CEMEX has a great system and needs to protect it from competitors. 2.What value does CEMEX bring to a host economy? Can you see any potential drawbacks of inward investment by CEMEX in an economy? 1.The value is that CEMEX has a â€Å"Midas touch† that transforms a cement business into a thriving business. This brings great stimulation to the host economy and also helps in the construction field, which in turn helps to build cities and civilization. No, CEMEX would do well to invest inwardly, yet, CEMEX is better at acquisitioning businesses. 3.CEMEX has a strong preference for acquisitions over greenfield ventures as an entry mode. Why? 1.Acquisitions are solid because the business in the host economy already knows the demographics and the market. CEMEX just has to make the business better with little research. A greenfield venture would prove risky and not cost effective. 4.Why do you think CEMEX decided to exit Indonesia after failing to gain majority control of Semen Gresik? Why is majority control so important to CEMEX? 1.A licensing is very dangerous. CEMEX only have a 25% push with Semen Gresik. It did not have full control and the methods of CEMEX would be exposed and vulnerable to be stolen. CEMEX has a great system and does not want anyone interfering. 5.Why do you think politicians in Indonesia tried to block CEMEX’s attempt to gain majority control over Semen Gresik? Do you think Indonesia’s best interests were served by limiting CEMEX’s FDI in the country? 1.Indonesian politicians did not like the possibility of CEMEX taking over the cement market. Their interests were in domestic businesses and protecting the â€Å"purity† of their economy. No, Indonesia would have benefitted greatly if CEMEX was allowed an in. 6.What is CEMEX doing today? Do they still engage in FDI? 1.â€Å"MONTERREY, MEXICO- OCTOBER 8, 2010 – CEMEX (NYSE: CX), announced today that pursuant to the exercise of a put option by Ready Mix USA it will acquire its partner’s interests in the two joint ventures between CEMEX and Ready Mix USA which hav

Animals Rights Essay Example for Free

Animals Rights Essay Animal rights are benefits that humans give to animals, including the right of protection from user and abuse by people. Do you agree or disagree? For decades, the question â€Å"Do animals have rights?† has been examined from many different angles. People contend that animals do or do not have rights based on several factors, including whether animals can learn, can use language, are conscious, are able to suffer, and are ethical beings. Whether and which animals have rights depends on which characteristics are considered. For many years, there has been a major debate regarding animal rights. So, what are animal rights? Animal rights is the idea that animals have the same rights as humans, to live free of suffering, are just as important as living individuals, and have the same moral status as humans. Also, as Doris defined animal rights â€Å"The right of animals is to be free of oppression, confinement, use and abuse by humans† (721-725). There are people think that animals need rights to be protected. They think that animals should be treated as humans. Moreover, they believe that animals should be protected from people. On the other hand, there are some other people who think that animals should not be treated as humans. These people believe that they need to use animals to live. In addition, they use them for every aspect of life. Now everyone wonders which group is correct. In my point of view, animals are not even close to being in the same league as humans. True, animals can feel pain and emotion, but that does not give them the rights to freedom that humans have. As Carroll said, â€Å"Scientists claim that the cardinal difference between animals and humans is that humans have a capacity for moral judgments and thought. We are ethical sentient beings whereas animals are only sentient beings.† Humans can consider aspects in making decisions that animals cannot. For example, in deciding whether to shoot a bear that is pregnant or has young cubs in tow, a hunter can consider ethical reasons not to kill it, such as the bear’s responsibility to its cubs. Animals, on the other hand, have no concern to the lives, responsibilities, or feelings of other living things, as is the case when a bear attacks and kills a person whose family is nearby. When was the last time someone wanted to eat or kill his or her children? For humans, that is something unbelievable. On the other hand, animals eat and kill their own children. Mother dogs will kill or push out their young ones if they are sick or cannot keep up with the rest of the bunch. It also happens with fish, birds, cats, rodents, and many other animals. If we were to give animals the same rights as humans we would have to kill or punish the animals if they were to do such acts. It is obvious that animals cannot be responsible as humans so they should not have equal rights as human. Humans need animals to feed themselves. There is huge number of people who are vegetarian but it cannot be compared with the number of people who are not. Some people like vegetarians and philosophers, believe that people should not eat animals because animals have the right to life. In fact, if animals have the right to life then why do animals kill each other for no reasons? Many of us have seen a house cat killing rabbits or rats just to kill them. They would not eat them, just kill them and walk around with the dead animal in their mouth. If you watch some Discovery Channel shows on young animals, especially meat eating animals, the same thing applies. In addition, some animals eat plants as humans do, so do plants have rights too? Plants are live creatures just like humans and animals, so should we prevent animals from eating plants? Of course not because this is the nature of the life of all creatures; humans eat animals and animals eat plants and life continues with this conce pt. Humans have been evolving and will continue to evolve through time. To learn we must experiment and use trial and error. This involves the animal testing issue. This is where it starts getting hard to define the rights of animals. It is true that there are some unnecessary experiments, but the most are important. For example, there are a huge number of women who suffer from breast cancer; through testing on animals, humans are provided two medicines that have saved the lives of women with breast cancer. Another example of diseases which was fixed by testing animals is lung cancer. Lung cancer has been killing more people than breast, colon and pancreatic cancers. Through relying on mouse models of lung cancer and focusing on understanding, preventing, and detecting lung cancer, scientists are developing new therapies for treating this disease. These examples prove that testing animals has significant positive impact on human lives. It prevents human from death by different disease; therefore, when human use animals to find a way to prevent themselves from death there is nothing wrong about it. For instance, when you driving down a road and a small animal crossed it, would you run over it for your own safety or you will out yourself in a dangerous situation to just save that animal. Most people will choose their own safety rather than the animal’s life. This applys on testing animals to save humans lives. In conclusion, it is true that humans should respect animals, but that does not mean that animals have the same rights as humans. When humans kill animals to feed themselves, they should kill them as painlessly as possible so that animals do not suffer as Michael mentioned â€Å"animals do not suffer and that their deaths are swift and painless† (374). Also, although it is correct thought that some animals are treated poorly, animal testing is for the better overall as it saves humans lives. Animals should not be given the rights that humans have because humans can think, judge, and behave, but animals cannot. Work Cited Lin, Doris. â€Å"Protecting Animals Moral Status and Moral Rights.† Animal Rights 9:6 (2008): 721-725. Print. Carroll, Jamuna. â€Å"Gale Cengage.† Do Animals Have Rights? (2004): 209-217. Print. Polloan, Michael. The Norton Reader. London, NY: W.W. Norton Company Inc, 2012. Print.

The Roper Logan Tierney Model Nursing Essay

The Roper Logan Tierney Model Nursing Essay The aim of this study is to demonstrate the care management that a nurse can provide to a patient who had Laparotomy and mesh repair of incarcerated incisional hernia. It also shows how the Roper- Logan- Tierney Model was utilized in assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating patients care. The core of this care study is on infection and wound healing management which was identified as the patients main problem. According to NICE (2008), a minimum of 5 out of 100 surgical patients develop infection and that this covers almost a quarter of all infections acquired in a hospital. The patients name was altered to uphold confidentiality (NMC, 2008). In this study, health and social care policies affecting the patient care were also considered. PATIENT PROFILE Mrs P is a 63 years old lady who was admitted due to symptoms of small bowel obstruction like vomiting, bloating and abdominal pain. She lives with her husband in a privately owned house who also has impaired mobility due to stroke. Mrs P weighs 111 kilograms, 5 feet 7 inches tall and body mass index of 38. Previous medical history includes Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 2 (2008), Congestive Cardiac Failure (2007), leg cellulitis (2006), Essential Hypertension (2005), Primary repair of Incisional Hernia (1992), Type 2 Diabetes(1991), Repair of Umbilical Hernia(1985), Total Abdominal Hysterectomy NEC (1979) and Cholecystectomy (1976). After series of examination, she was found to have incarcerated incisional hernia which was repaired with mesh on the emergency list. Post- operatively, she was admitted to ITU for ventilator support and post-op care. When she was stable, she was transferred in the ward and two weeks post- op she developed infection and her abdominal wound dehisced. Patient has to take several medications while in the hospital to help her recover. She had Augmentin (Co- amoxiclav) 625 mg via oral route three times a day, followed by tazocin (Piperacillin with Tazobactam) 4.5 grams intravenously every 8 hours interval, Fragmin (Dalteparin) 7500 units once at 6 pm, senna (7.5mg) two tablets in the evening, bisoprolol 10 mg once daily, furosemide 20 mg daily orally, ramipril 5mg daily orally, amlodipine 10 mg daily oral, paracetamol 1 gram 4-6 hourly oral, domperidone 10mg three times daily orally, insulin Glargine(Lantus) twice a day SC injection, Novorapid three times daily SC injcetion, and oxycodone hydrochloride (oxynorm) 10 milligrams every 4-6 hours orally when needed. PATHOPHYSIOLOGY The development of an surgical site infection depends on contamination of the wound site at the end of a surgical procedure and specifically relates to the pathogenicity and inoculum of microorganisms present, balanced against the hosts immune response(NICE,2006). Typically, wound infection is caused by migration of patients normal flora to the wound site. Another way of surgical site being contaminated is being in contact with contaminated surgical equipments, environment, and hands of staffs. (NICE, 2006). ASSESSMENT The Roper- Logan-Tierney Model of Nursing based on activities of living was used in planning the care of Mrs P which is a widely used model in practice areas in the UK(Roper et al 2000). Maintaining a safe environment Mrs P was alert and orientated however she is diabetic, hypertensive, uses eye glasses and obese. She has an infected wound that is oozing and painful, poorly healed, dehisced, abdominal wound. She has a urinary catheter in situ which can be a potential site of another infection. Communicating Patient can communicate effectively, her primary language is English, can hear and talk without any aids and difficulties, and very conversant but when it comes to her care she tends to stay quiet and just wait for her turn to be look at. Breathing Patient is at risk of developing chest infection due to decreased mobility and respiratory depression due to oxynorm medication. Patient has a respiratory rate of 15 breaths per minute, oxygen saturation of 98% on air, no shortness of breath noted, no signs of respiratory distress and no complaints of pain during breathing. Eating and Drinking Patient claims to have decreased appetite after operation and risk of poor wound healing since although she is obese, she still needs some important nutrients like protein and vitamins like vitamin A,C, and K. Also patient is scared that when she ate, it will cause more pressure to her abdominal wound. Patient is able to eat and drink independently, no complains of difficulty of swallowing, and she is on normal diet. Eliminating Mrs. P has urinary catheter in situ draining adequate amount of urine at present which made her at risk of further infection. She was continent of faeces and uses bedside commode with assistance of two staffs. Because of the pain on her wound when moving and the need of two staffs to help her get out of bed, she keeps refusing her senna tablet and end up opening her bowel on bed. Personal Cleansing and dressing Nurses are the one irrigating and changing her wound dressing. Mrs P is unable to wash and dress herself independently due to her current state of health. Did not have any shower since admission because of her difficulty in mobilising. Controlling body temperature Although Mrs P got an infection, her temperature during assessment was 36.8 degree Celsius, no sweating noted, skin warm to touch, uses only hospital gown and dressing gown to keep her warm during the day, and uses top sheet and one blanket at night. She has limited mobility which predisposed her to poor blood circulation. Mobilising While on bed, Mrs P can turn on her sides but still with assistance of one staff because of her abdominal wound and shes an obese patient. Patient complains of pain on the surgical site when moving and mobilising. Three days before she was being hoisted from bed to chair and back to bed with assistance of 3 staffs but at this time after referral to physiotherapist, she can transfer to chair with assistance of two staffs and use of a zimmer frame. She was able to stand during the transfer and can make 2-3 steps during transfer. Working and playing Patient worked in an office before but had early retirement due to illness. Enjoys knitting and playing with her grandchildren at home. Although she can still do knitting, she cannot run or look after her grandchildren at home in her situation. Expressing sexuality Mrs P is 63 years old, menopause, and still lives with her husband. Her abdominal wound makes her anxious about her body image. Sleeping Patient says shes not able to sleep well due to environment change, pain and sometimes bowel urgencies. Mrs P takes two glasses of milk before bedtime. Death and Dying Mrs P keeps asking about worst thing that could happen to her regarding her present condition. She is worried for her husband when it happens to her first. Patient does not have a will. IDENTIFICATION OF PATIENTS PROBLEM While in the ward, Mrs P was assessed using the RLT Model based on activities of living. From those activities, all problems identified were related to her infected wound that is not healing normally. She has to stay further in the hospital until her infection is dealt with and that her condition will be manageable by primary care. This is a serious problem that if not attended immediately would cause further injury or problems to Mrs P therefore these problems which are related to each other should be the priority and the focus of her care plan. GOALS After nursing interventions, Mrs P will be able to verbalize feelings regarding her condition and understand the course of treatment being done to her. In three to 7 days, patient will be able to mobilize on her own using her zimmer frame and will be infection free. NURSING CARE PLAN PROBLEMS INTERVENTIONS RATIONALE REFERENCES 1.Wound Infection >Monitored patients vital signs. >Assessed wound site daily and documented. >Maintained aseptic technique when changing dressing and irrigation. >Administered antibiotic as prescribed. >Encouraged patient to eat nutritious food and increase fluid intake >Educated patient about wound infection control and prevention. >Infection is frequently linked with pyrexia >As basis for treatment >To prevent further deterioration in wound >Inhibits growth and kill microorganisms >Enhance immune response >To have an idea on how to manage her surgical wound Rico et al, 2002 Shultz et al, 2003 MEP,2008 Colier, 2004 Dealey,2012 NICE, 2006 2. Poor wound healing >Assessed the wound and its surroundings >Monitored blood glucose regularly >Maintained strict infection control measures >Encouraged patient to eat nutritious food and increase fluid intake >Encouraged diversional activities like knitting and reading papers. >Maintained a moist wound environment but not saturated >Managed exudates to ensure that surrounding skin is protected from leakage. >Referred to tissue viability nurse >To assess healing and as basis for treatment. >Associated with delayed wound healing. * need to expand >To prevent further infection >Poor nutrition increases infection risk. * how does protein, calories affects healing, hydration? Link poor healing with nutrition. >To reduce stress caused by pain on the wound surroundings. >Supports wound healing >Exudates can damage surrounding skin and is ideal for bacterial growth >To give advice on appropriate wound dressing for wound healing by secondary intention. Daugherty and Lister, 2004 Patel, 2008 Pratt et al,2007 Dealey, 2012 Augustine and Maier,2003 Shultz et al,2003 Vowden and Vowden, 2002 NICE, 2006 PART 2 HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE POLICIES The basic principle of NHS is that good healthcare should be available to all, regardless of wealth(NHS website,2011). In order to maintain it, the NHS is regulated by several policies. DH policies are designed to improve on existing arrangements in health and social care, and turn political vision into actions that should benefit staff, patients and the public (DH 2010b). Mrs Ps information are compiled in a folder and kept in a secure place so that only members of the Multi-disciplinary team responsible for her care will be able to access it. It is the responsibility of healthcare professionals to safeguard their patients information and share it only to appropriate individuals (NMC, 2008). Mrs Ps personal information were handled in accordance with Data Protection Act of 1998. According to Mental Capacity Act of 2005, every adult has the right to make his or her decision and must be assumed to have capacity to make them unless it is proved otherwise. Informed consent was taken from Mrs P before any procedures or treatment was given or done. Doctors, anaesthetists and nurses has the responsibility to explain all tests and procedures being carried out on her and made sure she understood why it is being done or given to her. The consent is not valid when the person did not understand intervention (DH, 2009a). The vital signs of Mrs P were kept monitored and documented using the National Early Warning Score (NEWS)Chart. It is a new observation chart (implemented July, 2012) used in the ward where Mrs P was admitted. RCP (2012) says that this is also used as a surveillance system for all patients in hospitals, tracking their clinical condition, alerting the clinical team to any clinical deterioration and triggering a timely clinical response. Another tool used in Mrs Ps ward is the SBAR Tool. It is a structured method for communicating critical information that requires immediate attention or action(NHS Website, 2008). The patient was also assessed using the Waterlow Pressure Ulcer Risk Assessment Tool and Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool(MUST). In the chart it says there that although the later was incorporated to Waterlow, they should be assessed individually to ensure patient needs are addressed and their care was implemented (Waterlow 1985, Revised 2005). This tool helps nurses and other healthcare professionals in identifying what measures and equipment are needed for the care of the patient. NICE (2006) recommends that all hospital inpatients on admission and all outpatients at their first clinic appointment should be screened (weighed, measured and have Body Mass Index (BMI) calculated). Screening should be repeated weekly for inpatients and when there is clinical concern for outpatients. The abdominal wound of Mrs P was also assessed and documented on the Wound Management Chart implemented by the trust. Mrs Ps surgical team decided to leave her dehisced wound open and heal by second intention. The team looking after her prescribed antibiotic, and twice a day irrigation and dressing of her wound. Mrs P was referred to the Tissue Viability Nurses (TVN) for advice on appropriate dressings to be used on her wound as it was planned to heal by secondary intention (NICE, 2012). Another issue to consider in looking after Mrs P was infection control. The fact that she was already infected does not mean healthcare staffs no longer follow Infection control procedures. Infection control should be strictly manifested in order not to aggravate her situation. Hand hygiene is important especially before touching the patients wound to minimise introduction of pathogens and also after changing wound dressings to prevent self and cross- contamination of patient. The WHO (2006), provided Five Moments as to when healthcare professionals should perform hand hygiene. Use of appropriate Personal Protective Equipments (PPE) should also be worn when irrigating and renewing the surgical wound dressing of Mrs P to prevent spread of infection. Guidelines on how to put on PPE and how to take it off were also produced by WHO(2007). Proper disposal of sharps used by Mrs P like needles used for her antibiotic, insulin, and fragmin injection should also be observed. They should be th rown directly to designated sharp bins as uncapped and still assembled (RCN,2011). OVERALL EVALUATION AND CRITIQUE OF FRAMEWORK The nursing process is an orderly method of designing and providing nursing care which are collecting information and assessing the patient, planning care and defining objectives for nursing care, implementing interventions and evaluating results (Uys Habermann, 2005,p.3). Roper et al(2000,p.124) pointed out that assessment which is considered to be the first phase of the nursing process should be done regularly and not only once. Being this the case, the use of Roper- Logan-Tierney (RLT) Model based on Activities of Living is preferred for Mrs Ps case. It does assess the patient needs wholly and can determine the impact of infection and poor wound healing to her identified twelve activities of living as recognized by the model. Using RLT model, an overview of Mrs Ps health status was created and from it prioritization of her needs is easier. This model enabled healthcare professionals to produce a care plan which is unique or aligned to her needs. The author of this care study find this framework to be an ideal model in assessing patient and useful for healthcare professionals as they do not miss out any aspect of care. Looking at the down side of the model, it is a very long process of assessment and it takes time for a healthcare staff to finish all the twelve areas. The author of this study thinks although it is an ideal one that in a ward where Mrs P was confined, there might be an issue in doing this regularly to all patients. It is a very busy ward and if all patients are assessed regularly using this model, problems on other aspect of nursing process will be left untouched and cause additional work to incoming staffs. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR FUTURE PRACTICE Health and social care policies are indeed very important and has a great impact to the healthcare system. It serves as the basis for the trusts in making their own policies and it guides healthcare professionals to their practice. Nurses practice in accordance with the NMC Code, Standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives and other laws and guidelines provided by the British government and different departments or agencies like the Department of Health, National Institute of Clinical Excellence, World Health Organization, etc. After using the Roper-Logan-Tierney Model The care of Mrs P went smoothly during her stay in the hospital. Her post- operative complications have been managed without any major issues. Since the very start, nurses and other members of the MDT reassured her that personal details and all information regarding her care is treated as confidential and that this could only be shared to appropriate people only on her approval. The MDT members based their interventions on the protocol and policies of the trusts which was based on National policies. Mrs Ps problems were managed by the interventions provided in the hospital and was now discharged and back to her home. Long term goals were also taken into account therefore a proper referral to the district nurse was done before she went home.

Images of Africa in Heart of Darkness and Things Fall Apart Essay

Images of Africa in Heart of Darkness and Things Fall Apart  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Joseph Conrad's novel Heart of Darkness portrays an image of Africa that is dark and inhuman.   Not only does he describe the actual, physical continent of Africa as "so hopeless and so dark, so impenetrable to human thought, so pitiless to human weakness" (Conrad 94), as though the continent could neither breed nor support any true human life, but he also manages to depict Africans as though they are not worthy of the respect commonly due to the white man.   At one point the main character, Marlow, describes one of the paths he follows: "Can't say I saw any road or any upkeep, unless the body of a middle-aged negro, with a bullet-hole in the forehead, upon which I absolutely stumbled three miles farther on, may be considered as a permanent improvement" (48).   Conrad's description of Africa and Africans served to misinform the Western world, and went uncontested for many years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1958 Chinua Achebe published his first and most widely acclaimed novel, Things Fall Apart.   This work-commonly acknowledged as the single most well known African novel in the world-depicts an image of Africa that humanizes both the continent and the people.   Achebe once said, "Reading Heart of Darkness . . . I realized that I was one of those savages jumping up and down on the beach.   Once that kind of enlightenment comes to you, you realize that someone has to write a different story" (Gikandi 8-9); Achebe openly admits that he wrote Things Fall Apart because of the horrible characterization of Africans in many European works, especially Heart of Darkness.   In many ways, Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart can be seen as an Afrocentric rebuttal to the Eurocentric depi... ...t of Darkness.    Works Cited Achebe, Chinua.   "An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's Heart of Darkness." Heart of Darkness: An Authoritative Text, Backgrounds and Sources, Essays in Criticism.   3rd  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ed.   Ed. Robert Kimbrough.   New York: W.W. Norton, 1988.   251-262. ---.   Things Fall Apart.   Greenwich: Fawcett Publications, Inc., 1959. Boahen, A. Adu.   African Perspectives on Colonialism.   Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1987. Conrad, Joseph.   Heart of Darkness.   London: Penguin Books, 1989. "Doctrines on Colonialism."   The Government of Tibet in Exile.   3 May 2000. http://www.tibet.com/Humanrights/Unpo/chap2.html>. Gikandi, Simon.   "Chinua Achebe and the Invention of African Literature."   Classics in Context: Things Fall Apart.   Chinua Achebe.   Portsmouth: Heinemann Educational Publishers, 1996