Treaty of Varsailles - P3ip Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Treaty of Varsailles - P3ip - Essay Example Accordingly, more than two million young German men lost their lives during the Great War and our cities remain deserted and destroyed following this unfortunate war. We, the German people, take issue with many of the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles and respectfully submit our challenges to a document which we believe does not but punish the suffering German people and lay the groundwork for future conflict on this great continent we share. We turn to the American delegation and plead for a just and amicable resolution to the Great War. We do not seek to provoke further animosity with our neighbors and believe that a peaceful settlement can be reached, provided that the understanding that we have all suffered in this dreadful conflict, is brought to the fore (Boemeke et al., 2009). First and foremost Germany takes issue with the â€Å"War Guilt† clause which stipulates that we alone are guilty of this War. We cannot forget the more than two million young German men lost their lives during the Great War and it would be dishonorable to tarnish their legacy by declaring exclusive guilt for the travesty which befell all of our people. With respect to land and the seemingly unilateral desire to take German land away from our people including Alsace-Lorraine, Eupen and Malmedy, Northern Schleswig, Hultschin West Prussia, Posen and Upper Silesia, we must object. The annexation of this land by foreign powers will do more to sow disharmony between the Western Powers and Germany and we seriously hope that the division of Germany by the victors in this terrible conflict will be reconsidered. Furthermore, we believe that a â€Å"League of Nations† which excludes the great nation of Germany will be unrepresentative of the civilized people of this earth and fo r it to work in the manner in which it is presently being designed it

Why did he write this Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why did he write this - Essay Example He does not necessarily write this essay simply to drum into its reader the importance of reading, which has been done many times and in many different ways, but to explore how reading shaped and morphed his life, and use this exploration to examine how people go about reading and what reading can be more generally, and hopefully, to have the reader examine their relationship to reading. â€Å"The Lonely, Good Company of Books† takes on almost a narrative format, outlining the different stages of his life in terms of what readings he did and how he interpreted readings. He starts by talking about his upbringing, about how his parents interacted with their reading and how that affected him. He said that his parents read nothing more substantive than a recipe or a pamphlet, and believed that reading should be kept to a bare minimum, only extract the important information you need and then stop (Rodriguez). He then moves on to explain the next step in his relationship with reading, and the influences on it. One of the major influences with reading was his mother, as mentioned before. When Rodriguez wanted to be a writer, his mother advised him not to, saying that it would be a foolish financial decision (Rodriguez). But there were counterinfluences going against the influence his parents put on him, like an Old Nun who encouraged him to read, telling him that th rough reading he could access new characters and experiences that he never would have been able to imagine or live himself. This narrative framework, talking about his relationship with reading from a young age as well as the influences who affected his relationship with reading, helps force anyone who reads â€Å"The Lonely, Good Company of Books† to examine the own parallel happenings in their life. Everyone conceives of their own life in a narrative form, understanding how they

Modified Huffman Coding Schemes Information Technology Essay

Modified Huffman Coding Schemes Information Technology Essay CHAPTER 2 Document compression is a digital process. Therefor, before compressing the data , information about the document should be known. The CCITT algorithms deals with a page of size 8.5 x 11 inch. The page is divided into horizontal and vertical lines. These horizontal lines are known as scan lines . Dots per inch and pixels per inch are two standards for image resolution. A 8.5 x 11 inch page is 1728 x 2200 pixels . One scan line is 1728 pixel long .the normal resolution is 200 x 100 dpi and a fine resolution is 200 x 200 dpi. Figure 2.1 Each pixel is represented by 1 bit , the number of pixel that will form the above page is 3,801,600. Although sending this data through an ISDN line it will take approximately 7 min. If the resolution of the page is increased , the time taken by the transmission will increase. Thus it is not important to transfer every exact bit of the binary page information. The most commonly encoding used for CCITT compression is Modified Huffman which is supported by all the fax compression techniques. Other options used are Modified Read and Modified Modified Read. The following table gives an overview of these encoding/decoding techniques. Characteristics MH MR MMH Compression efficiency Good Better Best Standard T.4 T.4 T.6 Dimension 1-D 2-D 2-D(extended) Algorithm Huffman and RLE Similarities between two successive lines More efficient MR Table 2.1 : Comparisons of MH, MR and MMR 2.1.1 Modified Huffman The fax pages are contains many runs of white and black pixels which makes RLE efficient for minimizing these run lengths. The efficiently compressed run lengths are then combined with Huffman coding . Thus an efficient and simple algorithm is achieved by combining RLE with Huffman coding and this is known as Modified Huffman. RLE consists of terminating and makeup codes. MH coding uses specified tables for terminating and makeup codes. Terminating codes represent shorter runs while the makeup codes represents the longer runs. The white and black pixel runs from 0 to 63 are represented by terminating codes while greater than 63 are represented with makeup codes which mean than greater than 63 bit runs are defined in multiples of 64 bits which are formed by the terminating codes. These tables are given in chapter 4. a scan line represented with long runs gives a make code which is less than or equal to the pixel run and then the difference is given by the terminating code. The following example will help in understanding how it works. . There are three different types of bit pattern in MH coding Pixel information (data ) Fill EOL The term Fill refers to the extra 0 bits that are added to a small data line which fills the left space in the data. The Fill patterns brings highly compressed scan line to a preferred minimum scan line time ( MSLT) , which makes it complete and transmittable. Consider a transmission rate of 4800 bps with an MSLT 10ms so the minimum bit per scan line is 48 bits.1728 pixels scan line is compressed to 43 bit . 31 data bit + 12 EOL bits which in total is 43 bits. The left space is filled by 5 Fill bits given as follow Scan line 1728 pixels EOL RLE code 4B 3W 2B 1719W 12 bits 43 bits Bit pattern 00110101 011 1000 11 01100001011000 00000 0000000000001 31 data bits fill patren EOL 48 bits - Figure 2.2 Modified Huffman structure In addition to this another special bit pattern used in the MH coding is EOL . EOL are special bit patterns which have several different identification function i.e. EOL at the start of the scan line indicate the start of the scan of line EOL at the end of the scan line consist of 11 0s followed by a 1. It helps in stopping the error from one scan line penetrating into other scan lines and each line is independently coded. At the end of each page an RTC signal is given which holds six EOL patterns which identifies the end of page . MODIFIED READ MR is also known as Modified Relative Element address designated (READ). MR exploits the correlation between successive lines . It is known that two consecutive lines have a very high percentage of single pixel transition due to a very high resolution of the images. Using this phenomena, instead of scanning each scan line as done in MH, MR takes in account a reference line and then encodes each scan line that follows. In fact it is more appropriate to say that MR is more complex MH algorithm. MR encoding encounters both MH and MR coding technique. The reference line is encoded using MH and the subsequent line is encoded using MR encoding until the next reference line appears. The decision on how to encounter the next reference line is taken by a parameter K. The vale of K defines the resolution of the compression. MR is a 2-Dimensional algorithm. The value of K defines the number of lines that uses 2-Dimensional phenomena, which K-1 lines. However the reference line using the MH algorithm is using 1-dimension. For a normal resolution of an image the value of K is set to 2 the refrence line is encoded every second scan line. Where as the value of K set to 4 will give a higher resolution because the reference line is MH encoded every 4 line , making it more complex and compressed. The following figure shows scan lines for both resolution of K set to 2 and 4. MH MR MH MR -2 scan lines- For normal resolution k = 2 , 1 MH line, 1 MR line MH MR MR MR MH MR MR MR 4 scan lines For higher resolution k = 4, 1 MH line , 3 MR lines figure 2.3 modified read structure The advantage of having low resolution over high resolution is that the error prorogation into the subsequent line is reduced with lower number of dependent scan lines. However in MR encoding the value of K can be set as high as 24. The change between two subsequent line i.e. the refrence line and the next scan line given by MR can be given as follow reference line b1 b2 Scan line a0 a1 a2 figure 2.4 MR 2-D coding. The nodes that are given in the figure above are described as follow a0 is start of changing element in the coding line which is also the reference for the next changing elements a1 first transition on the coding line a2 second transition on the coding line b1 first transition on the reference line on the right of the a0 , first opposite color transition b2 first transition on the reference line. In the above figure the reference line is coded with the MH coding while the next scan line is coded with MR. Hence it can be seen that there are very minor changer between both the scan line. MR takes advantage of the minor changes and encodes only the changing elements a0 , a1 and a2 instead of the complete scan line. There are three functional encoding modes of MR , which decide on how to code these changing elments of the scan line with respect to the reference line. These modes are Pass mode Vertical mode Horizontal mode As it is due to these different modes of MR which makes it more complex algorithm. These MR functional modes are discussed in detail in chapter 3. And then one can reffer back to this part to completely understand it. The structure of MR is given as follow EOL +1 Data 1-D fill EOL +0 Data 1-D EOL+1 Data 1-D fill EOL +0 Data 1-D EOL +1 EOL +1 EOL +1 EOL +1 EOL +1 EOL +1 K = 2 EOL+1 MH coding of next line EOL+0 MR coding of next line FILL Extra 0 bits RTC End of page with 6 EOLs Figure 2.5 Structure of MR data in a page Modified Modified Read ITU-T Recommendation T.6 gives the Modified Modified Read or MMR encoding algorithm. MMR is an upgraded version of the MR. They are both 2-Dimensional algorithms but MMR is an Extended version of the 2-Dimension. The fundamentals of MMR are same as MR except a few minor changes to the algorithm however the modes of MR i.e. pass mode , vertical mode and horizontal mode are same for MMR encoding. The major change in the MMR with respect to MR is the K parameter . The MMR algorithm dose not use the K parameter and recurring reference line. Instead of these the MMR algorithm uses an imaginary scan line which consist of all white pixels which is the first line at the start of each page and a 2-Dimension line follows till the end of the page. This introduced scan line of all whites is the reference line alike the MR. The error propagation in MMR has a very high predictability because of the connected coding method of all the scan lines. Thus ECM is required for MMR to be enabled. ECM guaranties error free MMR algorithm. Thus MMR dose not require any EOL however a EOFB (end of facsimile block) is required at the end of page which is the same as RTC in MH. The organization of data in MMR and the EOFB block bit sequence is given as follow. Data 2-D Data 2-D Data 2-D Data 2-D Data 2-D Data 2-D Data 2-D Data 2-D Data 2-D Data 2-D Data 2-D Data 2-D Data 2-D EOFB scan lines of page EOFB bit sequence 0000000000001 0000000000001 Figure 2.6 Scan lines in MMR page Tagged Image File Format Tagged Image File Format(TIFF) is purely a graphical format i.e. pix elated, bitmap or rasterized. TIFF is a common file format that is found in most imaging programs. This discussion here cover majorly the TIFF standard of ITU-T.6 which is the latest. T.6 includes all the specification of the earlier versions with little addition. TIFF is flexible and has good power rating but at the same time it is more complex. Extensibility of TIFF makes it more difficult to design and understand. TIFF is as known by its name a tagged file that holds the information about the image. TIFF structure is organized into three parts Image file header (IFH) Bit map data (black and white pixels) Image File Directory(IFD) IFH Bitmap data IFD EOB Figure 2.7 File organization of TIFF Consider an example of three TIFF images file structures. These three structures hold the same data in possible three different formats. The IFH or the header of TIFF is the first in all the three arrangements. However in the first arrangement IFDs are been written first and then followed by the image data which is efficient if IFD data is needed to be read quickly. In the second structure the IFD is followed by its particular image which is the most common internal structure of the TIFF. In the last example the image data followed by its IFDs. This structure is applicable if the image data is available before the IFDs. Header IFD0 IFD1 IFD n Image 0 Image 1 Image n Header IFD 0 Image 0 IFD 1 Image 1 IFD n Image n Header Image 0 Image 1 Image 3 IFD 0 IFD 1 IFD n Figure 2.8 Different TIFF structures Image File Header A TIFF file header is an 8-byte which is the start of a TIFF file. The bytes are organized in the following order The first two bytes defines the byte order which is either little endian (II)or big endian (MM). The little endian byte order is that it starts from least significant bit and ends on the most significant and big endian is vice verse. II = 4949H MM = 4D4DH The third and fourth bytes hold the value 42H which is the definition for the TIFF file The next fourth bytes holds the offset value for the IFD. The IFD may be at any location after the header but must begin after a word boundary. Byte order 42 Byte offset for IFD Figure 2.9 IFH structure Image File Directory Image file directory (IFD) is a 12 byte file that holds information about the image including the color , type of compression, length, width, physical dimension, location of the data and other such information of the image. Before the IFD there is a 2 byte tag counter. This tag counter holds the number of IFD used. Which is followed by a 12 byte IFD and a four 0 bytes at the end of the last byte. Each IFD entry has the following format The first two bytes of the IFD hold the identification field. This filed gives information what characteristic of the image it is pointing to. This is also know as the tag. The next two bytes gives the type of of the IFD i.e. short, long etc The next four bytes hold the count for the defined tag type The last two bytes hold the offset value for the next IFD which is always an even number. However the next IFD starts by a word difference. This vale offset can point anywhere in the Image even after the image data. The IFD are sorted in ascending order according to the Tag number. Thus a TIFF field is a logical entity which consist of a tag number and its vallue Tag entry count 2-bytes Tag 0 12 bytes Tag 1 12 bytes Tag n 12 bytes Next IFD offset or null bytes 4 bytes Figure 2.10 IFD structure The IFD is the basic tag file that hold information about the image data in a complete TIFF file. The data is either found in the IFD or retrieved from an offset location pointed in the IFD. Due to offset value to other location instead of having a fixed value makes TIFF more complex. The offset values in TIFF are in three places last four bytes of the header which indicates the position of the first IFD Last four bytes of the IFD entry which offsets the next IFD. The last four bytes in the tag may contain an offset value to the data it represents or possibly the data its self figuer 2.11 CCITT Encoding This type of compression is used for facsimile and document imaging files. It is a losses type of image compression. The CCITT ( International telegraph and telephone consultative committee) is an organization which provides standards for communication protocol for black and white images or telephone or other low data rate data lines. The standards given by ITU are T.4 and T.6. These standards are the CCITT group 3 and group 4 compression methods respectively. CCITT group compression algorithms are designed specifically for encoding 1 bit image. CCITT is a non adaptive compression algorithm. There are fixed tables that are used by CCITT algorithms. The coded values in these tables were taken from a reference of set of documents containing both text and graphics. The compression ratio obtained with CCITT algorithms is much more higher than quarter size of the original image. The compression ratio for a 200 x 200 dpi image achieved with group 3 is 5:1 to 8:1 which is much increased with group 4 that is up to 15:1 with the same image resolution. However the complexity of the algorithms increases with the ratio of its comparisons. Thus group 4 is much more complex than group 3. The CCITT algorithms are specifically designed for typed or handwritten scanned images, other images with composition different than that of target for CCITT will have different runs of black and white pixels. Thus such bi-level images compressed will not give the required results. The compression will be either to a minimum or even the compressed image will be greater in size than the original image. Such images at maximum can achieve a ratio of 3:1 which is very low if the time taken by the comparisons algorithms is very high. The CCITT has three algorithms for compressing bi level images, Group 3 one dimensional Group 3 two dimensional Group 4 two dimensional Earlier when group 3 one dimensional was designed it was targeted for bi level , black and white data that was processed by the fax machines. Group 3 encoding and decoding has the tendency of being fast and has a reputation of having a very high compression ratio. The error correction inside a group 3 algorithm is done with the algorithm itself and no extra hardware is required. This is done with special data inside the group3 decoder. Group 3 makes muse off MH algorithm to encode. The MMR encoding has the tendency to be much more efficent. Hence group 4 has a very high percentage of compression as compared to group 3 , which is almost half the size of group 3 data but it is much more time consumed algorithm. The complexity of such an algorithm is much more higher than that of group 3 but they do not have any error detection which propagates the error how ever special hardware configuration will be required for this purpose. Thus it makes it a poor choice for image transfer protocols. Document imaging system that stores these images have adopted CCITT compression algorithms to save disk spaces. However in age of good processing speeds and handful of memory CCITT encoded algorithms are still needed printing and viewing o data as done with adobe files. However the transmission of data through modems with lower data rates still require these algorithms. Group 3 One Dimensional (G31D) The main features of G31D are given as follow G31D is a variation of the Huffman type encoding known as Modified Huffman encoding. The G31D encodes a bi-level image of black and white pixels with black pixels given by 1 and white with 0s in the bitmap. The G31D encodes the length of a same pixel run in a scan line with variable length binary codes. The variable length binary codes are take from pre defined tables separate for black and white pixels. The variable code tables are defined in T.4 and t.6 specification foe ITU-T. These tables are determined by taking a number of typed and handwritten documents. Which were statistically analyzed to the show the average frequency of these bi level pixels. It was decided that run length occurring more frequently were assigned small code will other were given bigger codes. As G31D is a MH coding scheme which is explained earlier in the chapter so we will give some example of the coding is carried out for longer run of same pixels. The coded tables have continuous value from 0 to 63 which are single terminating codes while the greater are coded with addition of make up codes for the same pixels, only for the values that are not in the tables for a particular pixel. The code from 64 to 2623 will have one makeup code and one terminating code while greater than 2623 will have multiple makeup codes. Hence we have two types of tables one is from 0 to 63 and other from 64 till 2560. The later table is selected by statistical analysis as explained above. Consider a pixel run for 20 black . Hence it is less than the 63 coded mark in the table . We will look for the value of 20 in the black pixel table which is 00001101000. hence this will be the terminating code for the 20 black pixel run which is have the size of the original. Thus a ratio 2:1 is achieved. Let us take the value 120 which is greater than 63 and is not present in the statistically selected pixel run. Here we will need a make up code and a terminating code. The pixel run can be broken into 64 which is the highest in the tables for this pixel run and 57 which will give 120 pixel run 120 = 64 + 57 64 coded value is 11011 57 coded value is 01011010 hence 120 is 11011 the make up code and 01011010 terminating code as given in the figure 2.11a. Now consider a bigger run of black pixel which is 8800. This can be given a sum of 4 make up and one terminating code 8800 = 2560 + 2560 + 2560 + 1088 + 32 which is 000000011111, 00000001111, 000000011111, 0000001110101 and 0000001101010 so it can be given as shown in figure 2.11b 11011 1011010 Makeup code terminating code 2.11a makeup and terminating codes for 120 OOOOOOO11111 OOOOOOO11111 OOOOOOO11111 OOOOO111O1O1 1101010 makeup makeup makeup makeup terminating figure 2.11b makeup and terminating codes for 8800 Group 3 Two Dimensional (G32D) Group 4 Two Dimensional (G42D)

Vegetarian Essay -- Healthy Lifestyle Essay

Vegetarians Growth problems. Animal population problems. Disease. These are all problems caused by being a vegetarian, that is, one who only eats vegetables. There are different degrees of being a vegetarian. To one extreme, is a person who eats nothing associated with animals (no yogurt, ice-cream, or even anything that has come in contact with meat or another animal). The opposite are those who just eat vegan most of the time and will still eat animal bi-products. Then there are others who are in between. Being a vegetarian is not natural. Since the beginning of time, humans have been consuming animals. A vegetarians diet lacks energy, calcium, zinc, and vitamins (B-12 and D). Without supplements, severe medical problems can arise. Also, those supplements are usually man made and do not require some of substances, still un-identified, in meat. A carnivorous diet has always been in American history. Turkey is eaten on Thanksgiving, not Tofu Surprise. Fish on Fridays, not salad. Pop and son would go hunting in the winter for fresh game to eat, they wouldn’t go picking berries and roots. Those who could not or would not eat meat did not survive. Studies have been done by M. J. Lentze, a German who found that vegetarianism causes impaired growth in children five years or younger. Vegan children even fail to grow as well with supplements that exceed the Recommended Daily Allowance. It is true that many vegetables contain a high amount of protein...

Apush Whigs vs Democrats Essay

1. The Whigs and Democrats agreed on a few things. First, they agreed to push slavery aside as long as they could, as noted in the gag resolution. Not only that, but both parties also made use of campaigning towards the â€Å"common man.† Despite that, these parties also differed. The Whigs were made up of Jackson haters, whereas the Democrats composed of people who supported Jackson. With this in mind, the Whigs were incredibly disorganized. The Whigs also supported a national bank, whereas the Democrats certainly did not. Finally, the Democrats supported westward expansion over the Whigs. 2. There were two significant events of Jackson’s time in office. First was the bank war. Jackson was against having a national bank because of the fear of having a monopoly. When Jackson vetoed Congress’s national bank bill, it showed how much power the president had over congress and in the separation of powers. Furthermore, Jackson, a democrat who supported westward expansi on, had another significant issue while in office that was known as the Trail of Tears. This showed that Americans disregarded Indians as a cost for White men’s expansion. 3. The first change was that women started to become initiated into the work force. During the market revolution, women who were young and unmarried were being used as a form of labor. Furthermore, women changed with the ideal of the Republican Motherhood. This basically stated that the women’s role in society is to raise the young Americans into well mannered leaders of possibly society as it is. 4. There were three changes during the market revolution. First was the mass influx of immigration. Due to this market economy, mass numbers of immigrants were coming in seeking jobs for low wages. Not only that, but also working relations decreased significantly. What used to be a friend as a boss was now a stranger. Finally, the use of alcohol changed. Once a social item, alcohol then became a use to escape the average individual’s job.

Critique: Effects of Class Size and Instruction on Kindergarten Achievement Essay

Introduction This article discusses some very important points that will affect many children as they begin the first steps of their education. It is fairly clear that the authors have done quite a bit of research on the effects of the classroom size and the achievement of kindergarten students. Both authors are affiliated with the same school, the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In reviewing the article, the authors point out some important details pertaining to the quality of the teacher as well as their method of teaching in an effort to keep in line with the NCLB Act(No Child Left  Behind Act). The main aim of the authors is to prove that the size of the class may affect a student’s academic progress because there have been mixed findings in the past as to the validity of this issue. Literature Review One of the main sources used by the authors in their review of literature was an experiment done by students in Tennessee in the 1980’s called STAR (Student Teacher Achievement Ratio). â€Å"Researchers have referred to STAR as: â€Å"one of the great experiments in education in U. S. history (Mostellar, Light, & Sachs, 1996). † The variables are mainly the  Kindergarten class size and the teacher’s instruction methods which are well defined throughout the article. Statement of Problem This research study was conducted to determine whether teacher quality is more important than class size for achievement. The hypothesis is explicitly stated in this article and gave sufficient understanding of the specific variables that were to be studied in the article. An example of the hypothesis would be â€Å"teachers may teach differently in larger and smaller classes, Experimental Design 3 some instructional practices may be more effective than others in a smaller class, students may  behave differently in larger and smaller classes†. (Milesi & Gamoran, 2006, pp. 291-293) The authors have made a very convincing argument concerning the stated hypothesis because they used reading and math data collected from children’s classroom experience, classroom size and their teacher’s instructional methods to come up with their definitive conclusion. Methodology The kindergarten class size was measured from a sample of 21,260 children that were enrolled in approximately 1,000 kindergarten programs. It also consisted of children from various racial and ethnic backgrounds as well as socio-economic backgrounds. Some of the children studied were from private kindergartens and others were from public school kindergartens (Milesi & Gamoran, 2006, pp. 293-294). Data was collected twice throughout the year, during the spring and the fall. Most of the authors mentioned used data that was supplied at the beginning and at the end of the student’s kindergarten year. The parents were asked questions concerning their socio-economic background. In determining the student’s cognitive achievement, information was gathered from the children using a one-on-one computer assisted interview. Data in the areas of reading, math and general knowledge was used to assess the students. In evaluating the teachers, they were interviewed in the fall and in the spring of a particular kindergarten year (Milesi & Gamoran, 2006, pp. 291-293). There was some concern about the validity of the study because there were some limitations on how the data was gathered from the teachers. There were questions as well as interviews which investigated the teacher’s instructional methods because it captured more of what a teacher’s intentions were as opposed to the teacher’s accomplishments through the year. Experimental Design 4 The authors had a few limitations but if they wanted to use the descriptive method to demonstrate whether or not the quality of a teachers’ instructional method versus the size of the class played a larger part in a kindergartner’s achievement, it was a necessary step (Milesi & Gamoran, 2006, pp. 296-297). Results The researchers presented very descriptive statistics for all the student levels and class level variables that were used in the analysis. There were descriptive statistics presented for large and small classes. The researchers weighed the statistics at the student level but not at the class levels but they used descriptive statistics for both the original and the mean-imputed variable (Milesi & Gamoran, 2006, pp. 299-306). Discussion The researchers have offered no evidence that the class size affects reading or math achievements for kindergarten. The major findings were that class size does not affect the achievement of kindergarteners on an average nor does it affect any particular group of students. The researcher’s findings for the class size differ from those of Project STAR (Student Teacher Achievement Ratio). It was not determined whether the same teachers use different instructional methods in classes of different sizes (Milesi & Gamoran, 2006, pp. 299-309). Experimental Design 5 References Mosteller, F. , Light, R. J. & Sachs. J. A. (1996). Sustained injury in education: Lesson from skilled grouping and class size. Harvard Educational Review, 66, 797-842. Retrieved on February 17, 2011 from ERIC. Milesi, C. , Gamoran, A (2006). Effects of Class Size and Instruction on Kindergarten Achievement. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 28:4, 287-313. Retrieved on March 17, 2010 from http://eepa. aera. net.

Free Essays on Foreign Policy With North Korea

Foreign Affair ~ North Korea I.) Peace talks failing Economist 11/1/02 â€Å"Presented with the evidence of their uranium enrichment, a key material needed in the development of nuclear weapons, North Korean officials reportedly told Americans that they considered the 1994 nuclear peace deal â€Å"nullified† and have adamantly refused to discuss any form of a nuclear treaty with the United States.† Analysis: This indicates to us that North Korea has no desire to promote de-escalation of nuclear arms in the international arena and refuse to have any negotiation talks with the U.S. As a result we must apply militaristic force on this nation as all economic, political, and diplomatic tools have been exhausted. II.) Corrupt government will not be reformed with out direct involvement from the Economist 11/1/02 Economist 11/1/02 a.) â€Å"In an ironic twist South Korea and China actually support U.S. military strikes on North Korea to prevent further U.S. involvement. For if this communistic government does not see reform in the near future it would lead to political chaos and instability in North Korea, damaging stability in the region and promoting U.S. forces to move closer to the borders of these two countries.† Analysis: As we can see here Asian countries usually shy on U.S. involvement in their region are pressuring our nation to launch military strikes as they see a political collapse along with further U.S. involvement eminent if action is not take in the near future. b.) Jane’s Defense Weekly 10/16/02 â€Å"The fact is that the United States is simply not sending a clear message condemning North Korea for its failure to compromise with nuclear peace treaties. The U.S. still gives over 500,000 tons of heavy fuel oil and 3.8 million in food aid a year to the Korean government and has not given any indication that it will ease up on the handouts after North Korea refused to recognize the nuclear peace treaty las... Free Essays on Foreign Policy With North Korea Free Essays on Foreign Policy With North Korea Foreign Affair ~ North Korea I.) Peace talks failing Economist 11/1/02 â€Å"Presented with the evidence of their uranium enrichment, a key material needed in the development of nuclear weapons, North Korean officials reportedly told Americans that they considered the 1994 nuclear peace deal â€Å"nullified† and have adamantly refused to discuss any form of a nuclear treaty with the United States.† Analysis: This indicates to us that North Korea has no desire to promote de-escalation of nuclear arms in the international arena and refuse to have any negotiation talks with the U.S. As a result we must apply militaristic force on this nation as all economic, political, and diplomatic tools have been exhausted. II.) Corrupt government will not be reformed with out direct involvement from the Economist 11/1/02 Economist 11/1/02 a.) â€Å"In an ironic twist South Korea and China actually support U.S. military strikes on North Korea to prevent further U.S. involvement. For if this communistic government does not see reform in the near future it would lead to political chaos and instability in North Korea, damaging stability in the region and promoting U.S. forces to move closer to the borders of these two countries.† Analysis: As we can see here Asian countries usually shy on U.S. involvement in their region are pressuring our nation to launch military strikes as they see a political collapse along with further U.S. involvement eminent if action is not take in the near future. b.) Jane’s Defense Weekly 10/16/02 â€Å"The fact is that the United States is simply not sending a clear message condemning North Korea for its failure to compromise with nuclear peace treaties. The U.S. still gives over 500,000 tons of heavy fuel oil and 3.8 million in food aid a year to the Korean government and has not given any indication that it will ease up on the handouts after North Korea refused to recognize the nuclear peace treaty las...

Free Essays on Wild Swans

Wild Swans Jung Chang in Wild Swans gives the accounts of three generations of women in China during the 20th century through herself, her mother, and her grandmother. The stories of these women reflect the changes in society and politics that were occurring in China during the time. Chang expressed her history in this novel to reveal the treatment of women, the experience of political duress, and the conditions of adversity that resulted from that repression. Chang begins the book with the life of her grandmother. Her grandmother was born in 1909, at a time when Chinese women were required to be compliant and subservient to men. She was subjected to the painful ritual of foot-binding, which forced women to walk in an â€Å"erotic† manner, emphasizing their defenselessness and need for protection. Her parents sold her as a concubine to a warlord named General Xue Zhi-heng. She did not want to be a concubine, but â€Å"it was unthinkable to oppose one’s parents† (30). She hardly ever saw her warlord master and it became clear to her that he regarded her as nothing more than a plaything. Her life as a concubine was depressing, but due to the social pressures it was impossible for her to do much. When General Xue died, she escaped his wife’s household with her young daughter, Chang’s mother. Later, she eventually married a well-to-do doctor named Dr. Xia. The situation for women had changed somewhat by the time Chang’s mother, Bao Qin, reached maturity in the mid-1940s. For example, she refused to accept her parents’ choice of a mate for her, because she â€Å"had made up her mind to choose her own husband† (81). Also, she was able to leave home without being married, which was something Chang’s grandmother would never have been able to do because of lack a job market for women. By contrast, Chang’s mother was able to get work as a teacher. During that time, Bao Qin became a follower of Mao Zedong, and she m... Free Essays on Wild Swans Free Essays on Wild Swans Wild Swans Jung Chang in Wild Swans gives the accounts of three generations of women in China during the 20th century through herself, her mother, and her grandmother. The stories of these women reflect the changes in society and politics that were occurring in China during the time. Chang expressed her history in this novel to reveal the treatment of women, the experience of political duress, and the conditions of adversity that resulted from that repression. Chang begins the book with the life of her grandmother. Her grandmother was born in 1909, at a time when Chinese women were required to be compliant and subservient to men. She was subjected to the painful ritual of foot-binding, which forced women to walk in an â€Å"erotic† manner, emphasizing their defenselessness and need for protection. Her parents sold her as a concubine to a warlord named General Xue Zhi-heng. She did not want to be a concubine, but â€Å"it was unthinkable to oppose one’s parents† (30). She hardly ever saw her warlord master and it became clear to her that he regarded her as nothing more than a plaything. Her life as a concubine was depressing, but due to the social pressures it was impossible for her to do much. When General Xue died, she escaped his wife’s household with her young daughter, Chang’s mother. Later, she eventually married a well-to-do doctor named Dr. Xia. The situation for women had changed somewhat by the time Chang’s mother, Bao Qin, reached maturity in the mid-1940s. For example, she refused to accept her parents’ choice of a mate for her, because she â€Å"had made up her mind to choose her own husband† (81). Also, she was able to leave home without being married, which was something Chang’s grandmother would never have been able to do because of lack a job market for women. By contrast, Chang’s mother was able to get work as a teacher. During that time, Bao Qin became a follower of Mao Zedong, and she m...

Ancient Rome Essay Example for Free (#2)

Ancient Rome Essay During the Han Empire of China and the Roman Empire of the Mediterranean World were both had advanced technology for their time. Han China’s attitude toward manufacturing and labor was more positive than the Romans who had a more class divided society, therefore causing attitudes toward labor and technology to be looked down upon. The Hans respect technology and the people who use it. In China, 2nd century B. C. E. a government official stated that he wanted to organize their labor force with the use of technology so they could help to prevent a disaster from occurring when and if a flood takes place. This could help the people from getting hurt and their property from getting destroyed (Doc. 1). Huan Guan, a Han government official during the first century B. C. E. was concerned about the lack of technology and poor government policy that is affecting the people. Haun Guan was trying to say to the Han government that using convict labor to make tools and monopoly on salt and iron is causing devastating affects towards the people and feels that the government can solve this problem by using the available technologies. Even though Haun Guan is a government official himself, he shows interest in helping the people and is very critical towards the current government policies that are in place (Doc. 2). Huan Tan, a upper class Han philosopher during 20 C. E. is expressing his appreciation of the progress that technology has had since the emperor’s first invention . Huan Tan also expresses how technology has benefited the Chinese people and feels that technology is a â€Å"gift† from the enlightened emperors (Doc. 3). A Han government sponsored speaker, around 200 C. E. states how a Han governor, Tu Shih, cared deeply for the Chinese people and used the advanced technology to help benefit them. This government sponsored speaker emphasizes how much the inventions helped minimize the amount of human labor that the people did (Doc. 4). This is interesting because he was hired by the government to talk to people who might be losing faith in the Han Dynasty and he basically glorified the information way more than it actually was. On the other hand, the Romans felt that working with your hands was vulgar and seemed to heavily look down upon technology and whoever used it. Cicero, an upper class Roman political leader from Italy during the 1st century B. C. E. states that anyone who works with their hands are vulgar and looks greatly down upon craftsmen and hired workers. Cicero then goes on stating that â€Å"gentlemen do not work with their hands. †(Doc. 5) It seems that Cicero lacks a huge respect for inventions and inventors and feels like technology is indeed necessary, but not for the â€Å"enlightened minds†. Plutarch, a Greek born roman citizen during the 1st century Roman Empire, expresses Gaius Gracchus’ road building enterprises and continues to explain how the Roman upper class does appreciate technology that benefits the upper class (Doc. 6). Plutarch does show appreciation towards technology, but only because it benefits himself, as well as the rest of the upper class. He does not go on to mention how it helped the commoners in any way, because it most likely didn’t help anyone but the upper class. Seneca, an upper class philosopher and advisor to Emperor Nero, from the 1st century Roman Empire, states that it takes someone nimble and sharp to make inventions but craftsmen don’t have great minds. Seneca goes on to say that he does â€Å"not believe that tools and crafts were invented by wise men† (Doc. 7). Seneca lacks respect for craftsmen and is basically saying that they are not as smart as he is, and degrades their achievements and abilities that they have. He isn’t concerned about any of the tools or inventions that are made by these craftsmen because he feels since he is an upperclassmen, he would never use them for the fact that they would be degrading to his specific class in society. Frontinus, a Roman general, governor of Britain, and water commissioner from the 1st century C. E. of the Roman Empire discusses how he praises the Roman aqueducts and their uses in Rome. He talks about how intelligent the designs are and how much it benefits the public (Doc. 8). It was quite interesting how highly was talking about the aqueducts. He talked about how amazing they were to the other Roman officials so they could see he was doing a good job as water commissioner, which is why he talked so highly of the aqueducts, because that’s his job. A point of view that is missing from these documents that could further help to the discussion of the Han and Rome attitudes towards technology would be the commoners. All eight of these documents were of the point of view from government officials or other upperclassmen. It would’ve helped to see an argument made by the commoners from both empires because that’s who the technology is affecting-the commoners. Although the technology is also affecting the upperclassmen, it would have made a better argument to have someone who is more â€Å"exposed† to the technology in their everyday lives. The people of the Han Empire did have a more optimistic approach towards technology, while the Roman Empire looked at technology as a more negative thing. The Hans took more into consideration of how it would benefit the commoners, unlike the Romans who didn’t mention the commoners in any of their arguments. Although both Empires did use technology, some thought more highly of it than others. Ancient Rome. (2017, Jan 01).

Home land security and terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Home land security and terrorism - Essay Example Either they belong to Muslim communities or non Muslim; they become the target of violent spreading factors (Eric Croddy, James J. Wirtz, 2005, p 458). In such a worse condition there are few countries which are severely affected i.e. Pakistan Afghanistan and Srilanka. But the super power of this world is not yet largely affected by the roots of terrorism. Securing the borders is one of the biggest challenges that US government is facing these days. To avoid the risk of terrorism the government utilizes a number of technologies such as â€Å"virtual fence† of sensors; cameras, motion detectors, and other equipments (United States, Dept. of Defense, Newton N. Minow). Undocumented immigrants are also forbidden by the government so that the invasion of terrorists is controlled within a state. But this does not make the whole system a fool proof system but it still leaves doubts because of which the government tries to enhance its system. Bush administration bequeathed a border security program to Obama team in which undocumented immigrants were cited as a cause of terrorism. Therefore Secure Border Initiative (SBI) plan was made by Obama administration’s new team. It is a comprehensive plan to control the illegal flow of immigrations. It includes increased staffing to strengthen interior enforcement. A great investment was also made in detecting technology and infrastructure. A vital module of the SBI strategy is SBI- net program. In March 2010 DHS designed another surveillance policy in which a new security technology would be installed. It includes mobile surveillance, thermal imaging devices, ultra-light detection, backscatter units, mobile radios, cameras and laptop computers for pursuit vehicles, and remote video surveillance system enhancements. By applying all these parameters it is expected that US can be successful in maintaining security

Experience about film or video related art field Essay

Experience about film or video related art field - Essay Example On Saturday and Sunday, the timing for visit to DIA starts at 10am in the morning and continues till 5 pm in the evening. On Wednesday and Thursday, one can visit DIA between 10 am and 4 pm. Friday happens to be the longest day in which the visit to DIA can be made. On Friday, visitors can make a trip to DIA from 10am till 10 pm. I also visited the Museum on Friday so that I would have maximum time inside it. DIA’s collection of art is very vast. It has compiled art work from all over the world. This makes it extremely diverse in its collection. Number of artworks presently contained in DIA exceeds 60000 which came from different parts of the world. Among all forms of art, the two that I liked the most were the classic work and the cutting edge work. The perceptions of the visitors about art are enriched through a visit to the Museum. DIA has developed partnership with quite a lot of hotels in its vicinity so that the visitors can be fully facilitated in every way and the visi t can be made as enjoyable as possible. There are superb gadgets and accessories in the Museum Shop at DIA. Visitors can see few extremely nice and unique accessories in this shop, many of which are not easy to find elsewhere in the world. I found a wonderful clock in the Museum Shop at DIA, and could not help purchasing it. It cost me $90. Unfortunately I did not have membership with the Shop.

Global Business Today The Hofstede Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Global Business Today The Hofstede Study - Essay Example Initially, the company plans to open a sales office to relocate key members of their management team to the country as well as hiring executive who are natives of the country. The plans might include developing production facilities in these same countries over the next decade. Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) This dimension implies the level of a society’s broadmindedness for uncertainty. It tells to what point a culture programs its members to feel at ease in unexpected situations. The power distance is quite low in Denmark the Danes incredibly democratic approach the Danes deem independency, equal rights and that management facilitates. Power is equally distributed to the lowest levels of any organization; managers’ count on the experience of their workers. Institutions has incredible informal business atmosphere with direct and involving communication. Employees of any organization expect to be consulted in the decision making process. This facilitate smooth establishment of the Azure Sky Tea offices. Denmark has a high preference for a loosely-knit the level of interdependence of the society to its members. The social framework where persons are anticipated to take care of themselves and their direct families, it is relatively easy to start doing business with the Danes. Danes is more individualist than a collective society (Rothwell 2010). This is similar to the US and facilitates business growth due to personal efforts attributed to the business. Azure Sky Tea therefore, will smoothly fit in the business environment. Denmark is considered a feminine society, an efficient administrator is accommodating to the personnel, and decision making is attained in association of key members. Danes strive for consensus and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their working lives, conflicts are resolved

Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 15

Business Ethics - Essay Example The leadership style of Robert Nardelli is described as autocratic and directive. He was a task oriented and directive leader who employed severe strictness and inflexibility in Home Depot during his tenure as the CEO in the organization. The leadership style of Nardelli was characterized by centralized control without considering the behavior and acceptance of the employees and the customers. The incorporation of extensive technologies and new organizational procedures harmed Home Depot bringing down its stock prices in the long term and negatively affecting the shareholders. Though the immediate effects of his leadership were not erosive but after few years the growth of the company slowed down to a great extent due to the increased dissatisfaction of the employees as well as the customers of Home Depot (Baack, 2012). The management style of Nardelli was criticized to be inflexible and callous. But the leadership style of Nardelli was much influenced by his tenure at GE as a result of which he focused more on technology and goal driven business plans. But this kind of leadership was not suitable in the retail industry as the leadership style required in Home Depot needed to be more people oriented creating better employee and customer satisfaction. The reputation of home Depot suffered and the share prices feel whereas the competitor companies succeeded through the creation of better customer experience and satisfaction levels. Home Depot needed a constructive and participative leadership style as opposed to the autocratic leadership style of Nardelli. Due to the directive leadership style of Nardelli, the financial metrics of the company improved initially but the metrics of customer service and employee satisfaction declined. Home Depot need a situational leadership from the CEO but Nardelli was not able to respond to the requirements of the changing situation related to the

Write a book review on any book dealing with Islam as a religion Essay

Write a book review on any book dealing with Islam as a religion - Essay Example But Abu Bakar controlled the Muslims with his wisdom. He ruled for two years and was succeeded by Omar. A man of rules, Omar played an important role in Muslim’s revival and also many areas were conquered in his era. His era shows the great development within Muslim world, not only as they conquered different parts of Middle East and Africa, but also he solved many conflicts within Muslim world. He established few basic practices. He remained as a Caliph for almost a decade and during this time, Islam spread worldwide and he conquered large are of land as well. Hence, his era could be called the unforgettable era of Muslims. He established the first public treasury and also financial administration for the first time. Umar succeded by Usman, the third Muslim Caliph, ruled for almost twelve years. Islam spread worldwide during his era. He arranged the Koran in an order and spread it all over with the same order. The Koran that is read by Muslim today is the same version. He was murdered by few young men, as anarchy among Muslims started at that time. He was succeeded by Ali, Shia Muslims consider him as their spiritual leader. Ali was famous for his bravery, his rule is still remembered as the one which kept Muslims united. But after all these Caliphs, Muslims never get united again. After telling about the four Caliphs, writer stated about Ummayad Caliphs. It was established in 661 and last for a century. Damascus was the capital of Islamic World which got wider till that. It includes a great part of Asia and some part of Europe as well. Ummayad era is remembered as a golden era. Islamic conquests continued during this time, including Asia and Europe, the main parts conquered at that time were Central Asia, Spain, France and Indian subcontinent. Not only they did well in Defense side but also they did great at founding and organizing the basic social and legal institutions of the

Th Scond Globl Shft s Rloctng Clustrs n th Fnncl Industry n Europ Term Paper

Th Scond Globl Shft s Rloctng Clustrs n th Fnncl Industry n Europ - Term Paper Example ent economically and politically reigning over the world, but the rapidly emerging economic power of China and Japan is also an undeniable fact; which is the precursor of the second global shift. An emergence of competitors in the shape of China and Japan is adversely affecting the economic power of the USA. The resurgence of Asia especially East Asia is undoubtedly, the most significant global shift in the geography of the world economy during the past 40 years. (Dicken, 2007, p. 43) Another very important fact is the complex geography of the product manufacturing process. â€Å"In other words, economic activity is becoming ‘deterritorialized’ or ‘disembedded’.† (Dicken, 2007, p. 18). For example, open boarders today allow some parts of the product being made in one country and it’s assembling being done in another. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the influence of the second global shift on the financial service industry, particularly the European financial services. Moreover, we will examine how this global shift will change the structure of financial groups in Europe. The first global shift is the period of time when economic and political power was shifted from Britain and some European countries to the United States. This shift started occurring after the Second World War when United States appeared as a supreme economic and political power. After 1945 the world was dominated by two blocks i.e. the United States with its allies and the Soviet Union with its allies. This division was not only confined to economic differences but to socio-political differences as well. This is when the silent strain between the capitalist and the communist world began. â€Å"Hence, the world economic system that emerged after 1945 was, in many ways, a new beginning. It reflected both the new political realities of the post-war period – particularly the sharp division between East and West _ and also the harsh economic and social experiences of the

Write a book review on any book dealing with Islam as a religion Essay

Write a book review on any book dealing with Islam as a religion - Essay Example But Abu Bakar controlled the Muslims with his wisdom. He ruled for two years and was succeeded by Omar. A man of rules, Omar played an important role in Muslim’s revival and also many areas were conquered in his era. His era shows the great development within Muslim world, not only as they conquered different parts of Middle East and Africa, but also he solved many conflicts within Muslim world. He established few basic practices. He remained as a Caliph for almost a decade and during this time, Islam spread worldwide and he conquered large are of land as well. Hence, his era could be called the unforgettable era of Muslims. He established the first public treasury and also financial administration for the first time. Umar succeded by Usman, the third Muslim Caliph, ruled for almost twelve years. Islam spread worldwide during his era. He arranged the Koran in an order and spread it all over with the same order. The Koran that is read by Muslim today is the same version. He was murdered by few young men, as anarchy among Muslims started at that time. He was succeeded by Ali, Shia Muslims consider him as their spiritual leader. Ali was famous for his bravery, his rule is still remembered as the one which kept Muslims united. But after all these Caliphs, Muslims never get united again. After telling about the four Caliphs, writer stated about Ummayad Caliphs. It was established in 661 and last for a century. Damascus was the capital of Islamic World which got wider till that. It includes a great part of Asia and some part of Europe as well. Ummayad era is remembered as a golden era. Islamic conquests continued during this time, including Asia and Europe, the main parts conquered at that time were Central Asia, Spain, France and Indian subcontinent. Not only they did well in Defense side but also they did great at founding and organizing the basic social and legal institutions of the

Muslim women do not receive equal treatment with men Essay Example for Free

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 womens 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 religions 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 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 Quran 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 Quran 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 Christians 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 Quran says: And for women are rights over men similar to those of men over women. (2:226) The Quran, 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 Allahs 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 Quran admonishes those men who oppress or ill-treat women: The Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him) said, Women are the twin halves of men. The Quran 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 others chastity. The garment gives comfort to the body; so does the husband find comfort in his wifes company and she in his. 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 an instrument of the Devil, but rather the Quran 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: When a man marries, he has completed one half of his religion. He enjoined matrimony on Muslims by saying: Marriage is part of my way and whoever keeps away from my way is not from me (i.e. is not my follower). The Quran has given the raison dà ¯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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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. 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: 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 mens and womens 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 Quranic 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 womens 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 Quran 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 womens 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 womens 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 didnt 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 husbands 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 doesnt 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: And give women their dowries as a free gift (4:4) A woman has the right to choose who she marries and shouldnt 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 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: Of all the things that Islam has permitted, divorce is the most hated by Allah. This shows divorce shouldnt 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 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: 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: O Messenger of Allah, what is this deficiency in our intelligence and religion? He replied: Isnt it that a womans testimony as a witness is half of the testimony of man? They said: Yes. He said: This, then, is the deficiency in her intelligence. Isnt it true that when she is in her menses, she leaves off prayers and fasting? They said: Yes. He said: 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. 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). Women driving leads too many evils . . . included among these is her mixing with men without her being on her guard, the fatwa said. O Messenger of Allah, who is the person who has the greatest right on me with regards to kindness and attention? He replied, Your mother. Then who? He replied, Your mother. Then who? He replied, Your mother. Then who? He replied, 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. Muawiyah, 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, Then remains in your mothers service, because Paradise is under her feet. The Prophets 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. 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 Allahs laws. The Shariah regards women as the spiritual and intellectual equals of men. The Shariah 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 womens 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 Quranic doctrine that 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 QURAN 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 Quran says: And for women are rights over men similar to those of men over women. (2:226) The Quran, 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 Allahs 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 Quran admonishes those men who oppress or ill-treat women: The Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him) said, Women are the twin halves of men. The Quran 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 others chastity. The garment gives comfort to the body; so does the husband find comfort in his wifes company and she in his. 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 an instrument of the Devil, but rather the Quran 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: When a man marries, he has completed one half of his religion. He enjoined matrimony on Muslims by saying: Marriage is part of my way and whoever keeps away from my way is not from me (i.e. is not my follower). The Quran has given the raison dà ¯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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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. 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. O Messenger of Allah, who is the person who has the greatest right on me with regards to kindness and attention? He replied, Your mother. Then who? He replied, Your mother. Then who? He replied, Your mother. Then who? He replied, 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. Muawiyah, 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, Then remain in your mothers service, because Paradise is under her feet. The Prophets 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. 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 Allahs laws. The Shariah regards women as the spiritual and intellectual equals of men. The Shariah 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 womens 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) Womens Right to Attend Mosques Narrated Ibn Umar: The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, 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: It used to be that men and women would perform ablutions together in the time of the Messenger of Allahs assembly. (Bukhari: 1: Ch. 45, Book of Ablution) Womens Right of Proposal Narrated Sahl: A woman came to the Prophet, and presented herself to him (for marriage). He said, I am not in need of women these days. Then a man said, O Allahs Apostle! Marry her to me. The Prophet asked him, What have you got? He said, I have got nothing. The Prophet said, Give her something, even an iron ring. He said, I have got nothing. The Prophet asked (him), How much of the Quran do you know (by heart)? He said, So much and so much. The Prophet said, I have married her to you for what you know of the Quran. (Bukhari Volume 7, Book 62, Number 72) Womens Right of Permission Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, 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, O Allahs Apostle! How can we know her permission? He said, Her silence (indicates her permission). (Bukhari Volume 7, Book 62, Number 67) The Right of Women not to be Forced Narrated Ibn Abbas: Bariras 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, 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, Why dont you return to him? She said, O Allahs Apostle! Do you order me to do so? He said, No, I only intercede for him. She said, I am not in need of him. (Bukhari: Volume 7, Book 63, Number 206) The Characteristics of a Believing Man Narrated AbuHurayrah: Allahs 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 Allahs Apostle and said, O Allahs 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. Allahs Apostle said, Gather on such-and-such a day at such-and-such a place. They gathered and Allahs 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 Muawiyah al-Qushayri: I went to the Apostle of Allah (pbuh) and asked him: What do you say (command) about our wives? He replied: 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) The best of you is one who is best towards his family and I am best towards the family. (At-Tirmithy). None but a noble man treats women in an honourable manner. And none but an ignoble treats women disgracefully. (At-Tirmithy). A Husbands 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 Umars 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, 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 Prophets 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, 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, Will you speak, or shall I speak? Aisha said, 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, O you the enemy of herself! Does the Messenger of Allah say but the truth? The Prophet said, 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 liberal, reformist, secular Muslims. They believe that Sharia oppresses women, and that we need to completely overhaul it, or toss out sections of the Quran that are 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 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 Muslim perspective on 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 womens oppression in the Islamic world, these Muslims, almost always men, respond defensively. They cart out examples of womens 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. Thats 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 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 radical feminists, and accused of attempting to undermine Islam. Strangely, when a Muslim womans 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 cultural and not Islamic. Meanwhile, women continue to be murdered and little girls continue to be mutilated. In Africa, conservative sheikhs teamed up with womens 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 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 womens human rights group, to petition and advocate for the rights of Muslim women as they are given in the Sharia 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 Sharia 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, Orthodox fiqh point of view. These errors (which would aid the woman) are not coming from a reformist reinterpretation of Sharia, 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 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 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 Quran 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 Sharia with the oppression of women.