Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Clinical Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Clinical Psychology - Essay Example In this disorder, the patient may at one point, feel very low or depressed; in another instant, he may feel very high and elated. The depressed mood usually manifests in the patient first; so a patient may be diagnosed first as clinically depressed then later, when manic episodes manifest, he may be diagnosed with bipolar disorder (National Health Services, 2009). Because of the erratic manifestations of this disease, it is often misdiagnosed as either clinical depression or schizophrenia. Most often, for many years, patients are treated for the wrong illness and manifestations seem to indicate that applied interventions are not effective for the patients. Consequently, this disease has become an important concern among mental health professionals and among sufferers. Latest figures from the World Health Organization (as cited by the Australia Bipolar Schizoaffective Support Network, 2008) reveal that bipolar disorder is the 6th leading cause of disability in the world, with women 3 times more likely than men to experience rapid cycling. Women are also more likely to experience depressive and mixed moods as compared to men; and women are more likely to be misdiagnosed as depressed and men would most likely be diagnosed as schizophrenic (Australia Bipolar Schizoaffective Support Network, 2008). As was previously mentioned, instances of misdiagnosis is prevalent in bipolar disorders and the World Health Organization (as cited by Australia Bipolar Schizoaffective Support Network, 2008) affirms this fact as they reveal that only 1 person in 4 is likely to receive an accurate diagnosis for this disease. This disease has also been known to cause 9.2 years reduction in the expected life span of bipolar patients (Australia Bipolar Schizoaffective Support Network, 2008). Based on statistics from the Department of Health in the United Kingdom, they reveal that bipolar

Monday, October 28, 2019

Middle School Essay Example for Free

Middle School Essay So I am not really ready for middle school and btw my name is Aniah Stitt and I am leaving the 5th grade from Reedy Creek Elementary. I am really scared because I was supposed to go to a school called Northridge Middle and that is a really bad school! People say they have bad kids and that is true but every school has bad kids and all of my friends are going there and I have no friends from my school going to my new school(well my friend Sharifa, Mackenzie, and this boy named Justin)and its really hard. The thing is I have friends in the 7th, and 8th but I  won’t be with them. I know what I am wearing but I don’t have my whole day planed out and do we have to wear book bags and btw we don’t get lockers till 8th grade and it has to be a privilege! And I forgot to tell you I am going to Randolph Middle and it will be so hard because it’s an IB school and I decided to write about my junior high life. Welcome!!!!! and it will be a long year I can already tell. Ok, first things first I am in Ms. Pfahler’s Homeroom and my math teacher is Mr. Dunn and Science and Social Studies is Mrs. Mitchell. People say I have the good teachers because I am in the building but I say I also have the boring ones, but I officially don’t know yet, so I guess I have to wait and find out. My school starts at †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. And ends at †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.! We also have to do community service for 10 hrs! but I did 36 because of operation charlotte at Hickory Grove Baptist Church (HGBC) and I like basically do everything there and they have a school that I wanted to go to HGCBS (hickory grove baptist) well get comfortable for a year of sixth grade at Randolph Middle!

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Cellular Functions Essay -- Biology Biological Essays

Cellular Pathways Several principles govern metabolic pathways in the cell:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A. Complex chemical transformations in the cell do not occur in a single reaction, but in a number of small steps that are connected in a pathway.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  B. Each reaction is catalyzed by a specific enzyme.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  C. Metabolic pathways is catalyzed by a specific enzyme.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  D. Many metabolic pathways are compartmentalized, with certain steps occurring inside an organelle.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  E. Metabolic pathways in organisms are regulated by the activities of a few enzyme.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Obtaining Energy and Electrons from Glucose   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The most common fuel for living cells is the sugar Glucose.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cells trap energy while metabolizing glucose   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If glucose is burned in a flame, it readily forms carbon dioxide, water, and a lot of energy----but only if oxygen gas(O2) is present. The balance equation for this combustion reaction is:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  C6 H12 O6 + 6 O2 ---- 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + ENERGY (HEAT AND LIGHT)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This same equation applies to the metabolism of glucose in cells, except that metabolism is a multi-step, controlled series of reactions, ending up with almost half of the energy captured in ATP.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Three metabolic processes play roles in the utilization of glucose for energy: GLYCOSIS, CELLULAR RESPIRATION, AND FERMENTATION.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A. Glycosis is a series of reactions that begins the metabolism of glucose in all cells and produces the three-carbon product pyruvate. A small amount of the energy stored in the glucose is released in usable form.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  B. Cellular Respiration occurs when the environment is aerobic (contains oxygen gas , O2), and essentially converts pyruvate to carbon (CO2). In the process, a great deal of the energy stored in the covalent bonds of pyruvate is released and trapped in ATP.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  C. Fermentation occurs when the environment is anaerobic (lacking in O2). Instead of energy-poor CO2, relatively energy-rich molecules such as lactic acid or ethanol are produced, so the energy extracted from glucose is far than under aerobic conditions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Redox reactions transfer electrons and energy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a.Reaction in which one substance transfers one or more electron... ... in glycolysis. This molecule then passes through the rest of glycolysis and the citric acid cycle,where its energy is extracted in NADH and ATP.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  B. Lipids are converted to their substituents, glycerol and fatty acids. Glycerol is converted to dihydroxyacetone phosphate, an intermediatein glycolysis, and fatty acids to acetate and then acetyl CoA in the mitochondria. In both cases, further oxidation to CO2 and release of energy of energy then occur.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  C. Proteins are hydrolyzed to their amino acid building blocks. The 20 amino acids feeds into glycosis or the citric acid cycle at different points.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Catabolism and Anabolism are Integrated   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Glucose is an excellent source of energy. Polysaccharides and fats have no such catalytic roles. The level of acetylCoA rises as a fatty acids are broken down.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Allostery regulates metabolism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and the respiratory chain are regulated by allosteric control of the enzymes involved. The main control point in glycolysis is the enzyme PHOFRUCTOKINASE. The main control in the citric acid cycle is the enzyme ISOCITRATE DEHYROGENASE, which converts isocitrate to ketoglutarate..

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Iran’s Influence in Iraq

ABSTRACT In the period after 2003, Iran was extensively involved in Iraq by demonstrating its leading role in the international context. However, Iraq has been confronted with substantial instability as a result of Iran’s invasion, even though scholars have presented mixed arguments about this issue. This paper discusses the role that Iran has played after 2003, which has affected both the dimensions of stability and instability. The primary objective of Iran after 2003 was to observe a positive economic change in Iraq and also to ensure that the Western troops were taken off. Different factors affected Iraq’s stability, including inherent sectarian divisions and the role of other states. There were two types of influence on Iran and they are: first and foremost was that the projects politically influenced leveraging close historical relationships with several Shi’a organizations in Iraq like the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI), the Badr organization, and the Dawah political party. A second factor was that Iran had used the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Qods Force (QF) to provide paramilitary training, weapons, and equipment to various Iraqi militant groups, including Moqtada al-Sadr’s Jaysh al-Mahdi (JAM) and the Special Group Criminals (SGCs). Iran also had an influence on the legal and constructive functions of Iraq. Although it was seen that Iran’s policy in Iraq is also duplicitous, it publicly called for stability but diverted Iraq’s government and illegally sponsored anti-government militias. INTRODUCTION Although the factors and consequences surrounding Iran and Iraq war have been extensively discussed in the research literature, the post-war implications have been hardly understood. The United States has been accusing Tehran of its undue interference, which was done by Arab leaders for establishing an Islamic Republic[1], and by prominent Iraqi officials of an array of illegitimate meddling. It has been observed that Iran’s influence in Iraq has created a quite complex situation for the entire region. Iran had vital interests in Iraq, which can be perceived as strategic important for establishing power relations in the region. In order to maximise the success of Iraq from its political transition, it is very important that Tehran and Baghdad work together. In addition, it is fundamental for all involved parties to prevent the US from further deterioration of its relations with the Islamic Republic.[2] Therefore, the objective of the present research is to explore Iran’ s role and influence in Iraq in both political and military aspects. The essay is divided into introduction followed by theoretical remarks regarding the Iraqi insurgency, and the political stability. In reviewing the literature on the conflict between Iran and Iraq, it becomes clear that Iran has played a role in bringing about instability in Iraq since 2003, which has been further divided into different sections. The first and the foremost division occurred between those academics who cite Iranian influence to be the most significant destabilising factor in post-2003 Iraq, and others who hold the opinion that Iran’s influence is considered either positive or insignificant. As per Barzegar[3], the first approach is that Iran’s influence in Iraq is both strong and negative. At the same time, it has been indicated that Iran had a negative foreign policy. The nature of Iran’s relations had changed with various militant groups in Iraq and after the fall of Saddam’s regime in 2003. Moreover, Iran had deployed thousands of intelligence and paramilitary people to Iraq, as Iran had conflicting and negative goals in Iraq. The primary goal of Iran was to expand its influence at both national and local levels in Iraq. Thus, it was seen that it had made links with the local actors, even when they opposed Iran’s preferred clients at the national level. It may be also argued that Iran follows a policy of favouritism. In the beginning after the invasion, Iran has tried to combat US power. The US had a strong position in Iraq, which could have a negative impact on the security of Iran. With the worsening situation in Iraq, and with the regime change that the US tried to impose in Iraq, the United States became less of a driver of Iranian actions, although it was always an important factor in the Iranian leadership’s calculations. Soon after 9/11 Iran also had changed some of its policy as there were significant changes in the US policy. Initially Iran had cooperated with the US with regards to al-Qaida and to some degree in Afghanistan’s issues. However, later on Iran believed that the United States rebuffed its gestures. In addition to this Iran also had exploited the situation that followed the US regime and change in Iraq so as to expand its influence there.[4] As of today, Iran has its closest ties with the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI), formerly the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI). This relationship basically was on the exceptionally close and subservient days when SCIRI’s role was that of an Iranian proxy to be wielded against Saddam’s regime during the bitter 1980-8 Iran-Iraq war. Indeed, Iran even organised part of SCIRI into the Badr Corps to fight against Iraqi forces on Iran’s behalf. Today, as the International Crisis Group notes, â€Å"although the extent of ISCI’s continued involvement with it is a matter of debate, there is no question that Tehran exerts significant influence over the Party and that ISCI’s ties to Iran’s security establishment remain strong†.[5] Therefore, ISCI has been recognised as having the strongest ties to Iran. It has also been shown as quite cooperative with the United States.[6] For instance, ISCI had members, which were a part of Iraq’s intelligence and police forces. These members are now working with the United States in its capacity as part of the Iraqi government; they have also gone after ISCI rivals like Muqtada as-Sadr’s Jaysh al-Mahdi (JAM). In spite of ISCI being Iran’s closest ally in Iraq, Tehran has had many other relationships, which were maintained at any cost including weakening ISCI, such as Iran’s ties to JAM have grown to the extent of even hosting its leader Muqtada al-Sadr. This happened despite his repeated criticisms of Tehran and violent rivalry with ISCI. Thus, all these efforts were done to accomplish the initially set goals, including the major idea of maintaining a solid local influence.[7] IRAN-IRAQ WAR (1980-1988) It is important to clarify the circumstances leading to the 1980-1988 Iraq-Iran war in order to understand Iran’s and Iraq’s complicated relations. In 1979, after the rule of the Shah of Iran was overthrown in 1979, under the leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini, an Islamic Republic of Iran was established. Soon after assuming power, Ayatollah Khomeini not only exported the Islamic revolution to other countries in the Middle East but also to Iraq.[8] Because of all this Saddam Hussein in 1980 decided to initiate a war; thus, for the next two years there was a persistent war between Iran and Iraq, resulting in Iraq being expelled from Iran. [9] Although at this juncture Iran could have been declared victorious, Khomeini fought across the Shatt al-Arab waterway in Iraq to overthrow Saddam Hussein and forced his resolution in there. Khomeini had thought that Shiites would support him in his invasion but they were least interested to do it. Throughout the Arab countries it was assumed that it would take time for Iran to overthrow Saddam Hussein before the vulnerable monarchies of the Gulf fell, including the prised Saudi Arabia and its oil. Till now America was just waiting and watching all the drama (war), but at this juncture it decided to get into the war itself and tilt towards Iraq.[10] During the reign of Saddam Hussein, Iran launched a number of Shiite groups who violently opposed the Iraqi Baathist regime and this particularly took place before the Iran-Iraq war had started. The Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution (SCIR) in Iraq was led by Ayatollah Muhammad Bakr al-Hakim and his militia, the Badr Brigade, also joined forces with Iran in the Iran-Iraq war and very actively participated in the war by supporting the Iranian side. [11] After responding to the President George H. W. Bush’s ill-fated call for a Shiite uprising, which happened in 1991, SCIRI temporarily occupied the Iraqi port of Basra. Soon after the reprisals, SCIRI continued to be with the Shiite group and opposed Saddam Hussein. They were competing with different groups, such as Ahmed Chalabi’s Iraqi National Congress. After the US invasion and also after the establishment of the interim Iraqi government, SCIRI established itself as one of the most important and main political parties, which represented southern Shia (the other being Dawa). [12] Bakr al-Hakim, who was an Iraqi religious leader, was killed in the US led Iraq war. Abdul-Aziz Al-Hakim was the SCIRI’s political leader and was very famous in Iraq as a politician.[13] Moreover, SCIRI and Dawa had supported Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim when he was in Iran and was exiled; they also gave their support to the Iranian regime and advocated an Iraqi Islamic theocracy. After returning back to Iraq, they withdrew their support from Dawa and another government party, which was led by the velayat-e faqih. As a result, they started propagating the meaningful role of religion in governance.[14] IRAN’S STRATEGY TO INFLUENCE IRAQ Soon after the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003, Iran tried to influence Iraq by adopting the strategy that Iran and Iraq are neighbours with a long history of dealing with one another. In addition, they both have same historic, religious, economic, and cultural factors of influence. Moreover, the eight-year long war was a result of their troubled relationship, in which Iran tried to position itself to influence the formation of a new government in Iraq. This took place through the use of all elements of national power: diplomatic means, information technology, military, and economic resources. Iran has tried to achieve its goals in Iraq by adopting different strategies. For instance, Iran openly supported pro-Iranian factions and armed militias; it also tried to influence Iraqi political leaders by building strong economic ties in Iraq, which were considered a manifestation of goodwill towards Iran.[15] According to Joseph Felter and Brian Fishman,[16] Iran has persistently tried to affect the political landscape of Iraq. It has been argued that Iran has a well-developed plan so as to exert influence in Iraq in order to minimise or avoid the American power projection in the Middle East. Two significant modes of Iranian influence have been identified in Iraq. The first mode was associated with the idea to influence Iraqi politics through the assistance of various Shiite organisations, such as the Supreme Council of Iraq, the Badr organisation, and the Dawa political party. The second method suggested support of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Qods Force (QF) to obtain arms and ammunition as well as paramilitary training to various Iraqi militant groups to include Moqtada al Sadr’s Jaysh al Mahdi (JAM) and the Special Group Criminals (SGCs). Iran’s influence on Iraq has been identified as economic and religious. Iran’s ambitions for influence have spread to different diplomatic, military, and economic sectors of Iraq. Iran wanted to influence Iraq not only politically but through the involvement of mass media by creating a specific image in minds of Iraqi people so as to get help for its strategy. In economic terms, Iran has helped Iraq to build its trade and expand it accordingly.[17] IRANIAN MILITARY INFLUENCE IN IRAQ Because of the influence over the military, it had made many insurgent groups to operate in Iraq and some of them were directly opposing the US military in Iraq. With such influence in Iraq, Iran could possibly retaliate against the United States. In turn, this prompted the United States to convince the United Nations to impose economic sanctions on Iran because of its nuclear program. Iran also executed return attacks on the US forces using proxy militia groups in Iraq in case the US decided to take direct military action.[18] Since 2003, Iran had pursued extensive collaboration with Iraqi political allies, such as the United States, in order to participate in the nascent democratic political process. It has also armed, trained, and funded Shiite militias with the idea to defeat the United States, which would prevent further intervention of the US army in that particular area.[19] As Katzman mentions,[20] in the period from 2005 to 2008, Iran had increased support for Iraqi Shiite militias and took over both the material aid like physical arming of militia groups and the contribution of troops, as well as training or harbouring of insurgents. The Quds forces were supplying material to Iran, and they were charged for territorial actions, although reports have said that the military training in the Iraqi Shi’a militia was done by the Lebanese group Hezbollah.[21] The major terrorist activity was completed by Iran and Quds Force. This was confirmed in 2010 by the US State Department[22], but it appears that not only this Iranian government was involved between the IRGC and the Special Groups inside Iraq.[23] It has been noted that the Iraqi military group linked most strongly to Iran, is probably the Badr Corps, the armed wing of the ISCI, which, even prior to 2003, was described as â€Å"Iran’s most important action arm inside Iraq†.[24] Bergner (2007) stated that Iraqi Shiite groups were not in the situation to bring about such massive and destructive attacks, without weapons and training from Iran, implying that Tehran has carefully planned its actions. Again it was argued that links between military groups in Iraq were made in Iran, and this further fuelled instability. However, the question whether other agents or groups were involved in creating such an unstable situation remains open.[25] IRANIAN POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT IN IRAQ By 2011, it has been observed that Nouri al-Maliki, Prime Minister of Iraq, was openly against the Vice President Hashemi. In addition, there was persistent agitation between Erbil and Baghdad, which made the members of Iraqiyya and the Kurds to actually consider prime minister’s ouster seriously, which occurred in the 2012 spring. At this point Maliki’s opponents took the help of Sadrist because it was necessary at that point of time to obtain 163 votes, which were required to pass a non- confidence motion. Sadr was not willing to break with the other Shiite blocs and side with Maliki’s Kurdish and Sunni opponents in a non- confidence motion, in spite of having meetings between top Kurdish, Iraqiyya, and Sadrist officials (including Sadr himself) in Erbil and Najaf.[26] President Jalal Talabani was also under high pressure from the Iranian government to help and support Maliki, but he directly opposed the initiation of a non-confidence vote in the parliament, sa ying that there is no proper support for this action.[27] However, by June 2012, it has been evident that the non- confidence vote had faltered. It was in late 2012 reported that the President Talabani had changed his position on a non- confidence motion because of growing tensions among Arabs and Kurds.[28] By the end of 2012, Talabani suffered a stroke there by ending any chance of renewing push to remove Maliki through a non-confidence measure. De-Ba‘athification served the Iranian ambition more than the Iraqi one. The extensive period of Saddam Hussein’s Ba‘athist rule had left a deep societal mistrust and sectarian divisions. This institution, de-Ba‘athification, was created after Saddam’s downfall in 2003, but it was very quickly politicised, which also applied a ban on the former members of the Ba‘ath party. Again it was noted that there were links between the Iranian-backed militant groups and the head of the Shi‘a-dominated commis sion and his deputies, Ahmed Chalabi and Ali al- Lami.[29] Iran has been involved in Iraqi politics since 2003. Yet, Iranian efforts to exert influence over politics in Iraq have been evident since 1980s. However, the main point which is debated is whether Iran is committed to exerting long-term control over such a government, and whether the Iranian government would be comfortable in allowing a Shiite Iraqi government to become militarily and political powerful. It has also been claimed that the Iranian government had exerted persistent political pressure over the US to force the Americans to withdraw their troops in 2008 as per US-Iraq Security Agreement.[30] It has also been observed that Iran normally exerts pressure on the political sphere in Iraq through Iraq’s Shiite political parties by using its religious prowess to garner favour in the Shiite community. It appears that many of the political links were falsified after the Iran-Iraq war. This resulted in a huge number of Iraqi political figures being exiled in Iran and returning in the aftermath of the 2003 invasion to influence the politics in their home country. Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, had to spend a substantial amount of time in Iran, although most of his exile was spent in Syria, but this was during the rule of Saddam Hussein.[31] Similarly, it has been also noted that the Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr had strong links with the Iranian religious government and political establishment, although the Sadrist movement was basically anti-Iranian.[32] There were lots of other people, who felt that Iran had a negative impact on the instability of Iraq. According to Alsis et al.,[33] after the war the elections backed all major Shiite parties, so that if any of the party wins elections can be beholden to Tehran. Again this was the strategy of Iran to get support, which had led to Shiite divisions, and thus the cause of conflict and instability in many case s. Such political instability was the major cause of the development of various divisions in Iraqi society. The eruption of these division fuelled pressure not only in Iraq but in the entire region. During the 2010 elections, many incidents of violence were reported. This raised the question about the politically unstable country considering the presence of weak coalitions and holding of elections. This has provided Iran with an opportunity to demonstrate its support for Shiites, as this could be conducive to social stability, or such a condition may simply serve to whitewash and thus diminish the reality of the ground situation. The Brookings Institute Iraq Index (2006)[34] had charted a peak in multiple fatality bombings in January 2005, during the elections, and again during other months of the same year. All this has been seen very common in Iraq and somehow very much seen during Ramadan and elections, or in other words, it was considered quite normal during religious and political events. For example, Cordesman cites that â€Å"the number of attacks peaked to some 700 per week in October 2005, before the October 15th referendum on the constitution, compared to 430 per week in mid- January†.[35] In relation to these events, many political groups and parties, who are said to have links to political establishments of Iran and also independent elements within Iran, have argued that most of these groups have strong influence and links to the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI). It has been observed in recent years that the Mahdi Army, which is led by Moqtada al-Sadr, has become very powerful and influential due to reported links with Iran of Sadr.[36] ECONOMIC INFLUENCE Since the US invasion, trade between Iran and Iraq has steadily increased and Iran is now Iraq‘s biggest trading partner[37], and the trade consists of building materials, chemicals, consumer goods, and foodstuffs, much of it via the border at Mehran and Mundhirriya/QasrShirin. In addition to this, Iran has negotiated electricity deals with Iraq that were implemented after the CPA era.[38] According to the Iranian ambassador to Iraq, Iran supplies 750 megawatts of electricity to Iraq daily. Moreover, two Iranian banks have received an approval to open their branches in Iraq.[39] Nonetheless, Iran’s investments in real estate and businesses in Basra, Karbala, and Najaf have been seen as exploitative rather than a form of gratitude from Iraqis.[40] To add to this Iran-Iraq economic ties are strong, and this has been encouraged to some extent by the impact of international sanctions on Iran and in other markets. It was demonstrated by Iran‘s ambassador in August 2010 that Iran would double its trade volume with Iraq.[41] Iranian officials have also indicated that they welcome a strong economic integration between the two countries, â€Å"Our message to Iraqi brothers in my visit is that Iran is fully ready to expand ties with Baghdad. We announced that Tehran is prepared to put its scientific, technical, engineering, economic and commercial potentials at the disposal of Iraq†.[42] In 2005, there were reports that to get a job in Basra, this requires the sponsorship of Iran, as teaching posts were filled only by those who were supporting Iran[43]. As a result, most traders in southern parts of Iran speak Farsi and many accept Iranian currency. Iranian exports include electricity, refined oil products, and cars. It al so helps to fund reconstruction. Iraqis have also started receiving medical care from Iran. Thus, Iran has presented a strong economic influence on Iraq. IRAN’S BROADER ROLE IN IRAQI SECURITY The interests of Iran and Iraq security coincide in certain areas and security competition is complicated as it is seen by some Iraqis that Iran is making huge efforts to acquire nuclear weapons as a Muslim bomb, and not as a threat to Iraq.[44] It was also noted that Iran has given some funding to Iraq‘s security forces in 2005, and Iraq had to promise the United States that Iran would not train Iraqi security forces.[45] Iran had pressurised on the security arrangement between the US and Iraq. General Odierno who was the Commander of the Multi-National Force in Iraq at that time said on October 12, 2008, that Iran may try to corrupt the members of the Council of Representatives so as to vote against the Status of Forces agreement.[46] However, in December 2011 Iran indicated that the US forces should withdraw from Iraq, as the US should not use Iraqi land, sea, and air for launching or for any transit point when they attack other countries.[47] It has been argued that some Iraqi military and intelligence officials had significant influence over elements of the Iraqi Ministry of the Interior, and had accused Iran of providing shaped charges and artillery to Iraqi militants. Moreover, Iran had also recruited thousands of Iraqis for gathering information; in fact, Iran has had intelligence agents in northern Iraq for at least 20 years.[48] As per Dafna Linzer, the rough estimate about Iranian intelligence officers in Iraq in 2007 was about 150.[49] It was also observed that some of the Iranian people felt that an increase in Iraq would be a threat to them, while others have attempted to use Iraq‘s military as a wedge to force the US out of Iraq.[50] As per Iran‘s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, â€Å"Considering the fact that the Iraqi Army can provide security, their presence in the country is not justifiable†.[51] THE ROLE OF THE IRANIAN REVOLUTIONARY GUARD IN IRAQ Immediately after the fall of Saddam in 2003, Iran began funnelling much of its aid to militias in Iraq via the Qods Force, which is a branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.[52] They not only provided funding, weapons, operatives, and training to groups in Iraq, but also to Islamic militants in Palestine, Bosnia, Hezbollah in Lebanon, fighters in south Sudan, and the Taliban in Afghanistan.[53] It was argued by Mahan Abedin, who is a director of research at the London-based Centre for the Study of Terrorism that Qods’ training was largely focused on utilising intelligence and this was the key to their success. As per official figures, the number of Qods and Iranian intelligence personnel in Iraq was 150, while US commanders believe there were only fewer Shiite provinces.[54] Although the United States was slow to grasp the full extent of Iran‘s expanding role in Iraq, but on July 19, 2005, the United States sent a secret cable to Iran which stated that a British soldier was killed by an explosive which was supplied by Iran, although Iran denied there involvement, which lead to confrontations. [55] The Commander General Petraeus, who was in power during the Multi-National Force operation in Iraq, stated in his testimony to Congress that â€Å"none of us earlier this year appreciated the extent of Iranian involvement in Iraq, something about which we and Iraq‘s leaders all now have greater concern†.[56] Moreover, the Qods was a tool used by Iran directly or indirectly for hurting the US military and also disrupting American interests in Iraq. In 2007, General Petraeus stated that, â€Å"There should be no question about the malign, lethal involvement and activities of the Qods Force in this country†. He went on to add that Iran was â€Å"responsible for providing the weapons, the training, the funding and in some cases the direction for operations that have indeed killed US soldiers†.[57] American officials did not accuse the Qods Force directly for attacking Americans and very carefully said that they were not aware of leadership of the Iranian gover nment as being involved in the Qods Force‘s activities.[58] Such uncertainty in the US regarding the potential involvement of Iran in hte Qods Force raises certain issues that should be addressed by American politicians. Although the American president, George W. Bush, confidently said that those arms, ammunitions and explosives, which were used in Iraq, were certainly from the Qods Force, but â€Å"we are not aware whether or not the head leaders of Iran ordered the Quds Force to do what all this and what all they did †. [59] As per the US intelligence reports, which leaked in 2010, certain details were provided about the precise extent to which Iran was involved in 2006-2009 violence. The report also said that the IRGC used Hezbollah to train militants in Iran before crossing to Iraq. Moreover, General Petraeus had stated Hezbollah‘s role in a 2007 report to Congress.[60] The reports draw on testimony from detainees, captured diaries, and weapons originating in Iran which included explosively formed penetrators, bombs, and surface-to-air missiles. Thus, by all these reports it can be concluded that Iran had a hand in training and resourcing of specific attacks, including assassinations of Iraqi ministry officials, mortar attacks on the Green Zone, and also on kidnappings of American soldiers. In addition, General Petraeus implicated Iran in the 2007 car bombing and killing of two southern Iraqi governors. Besides using Hezbollah to train terrorists, the reports point to both the Badr Corps and Mahdi Army as allies in Iranian efforts.[61] According to the Long War Journal, which is basically based on interviews with senior military and intelligence officials and also mid-level military people, the Qods Force streamlined its operations in Iraq by creating the Ramazan Corps. The Corps was responsible for most of Qods Forces operations in Iraq in 2007 and consists of the Fajr command in the south, Nasr command in the north, and Zafar command in central Iraq. The Qods Force’s aid also included Mahdi Army, the Badr Brigades, the Qazali Network, the Sheibani Network, and many more groups and parties, as they mostly targeted political rivals, the Iraqi Security Forces, and Coalition forces. Moreover, when Badr Brigades and SCIRI formed a government, Iranian groups targeted them.[62] Again as per Brigadier General Kevin Begner, on July 2, 2007, Iran had supplied the Iraqi militias with $3 million per month.[63] Again in 2011, the US raised concerns over Iran‘s involvement in Iraqi violence and said that the incre ase in the number of Americans dying in the summer of 2011 was because Iran had supported Iraqi militants. Again in July, Admiral Mullen said that Iran was supplying militias in Iraq so as to take credit for withdrawing American troops.[64] During the war, which lasted for 8 years, Iran has developed strong ties in terms of religious and political influence with Shiite parties. During this period, Iran played a very important role in mediating between the Iraqi political leaders. It also had strong relations with the Sadrists who are one of the largest political parties in Iran’s ruling collation. Moreover, IRGC also had a significant influence over Iraqi security forces. Iran also has a large mix of resources, which were available in the process of exerting influence upon Iraq after Saddam Hussein was toppled in 2003. Iran also used its influence in Iraq so as to divert the US goals, and pursue its own goals and interests. Iran used its sway in Iraq in order to keep the pro-Iranian Shiite Prime Minister Maliki in power and also to maintain stability along its western border. Thus, it can be argued that Iran’s role in Iraq is very complex, and not a simple task to mould Iraq as per the wishes of Iran. [65] CONCLUSION From all that has been discussed and looked at above, it is beyond doubt that since the invasion of Iraq by the United States and the downfall of Saddam Hussein, Iran has exerted more and more influence in Iraq by both conventional and unconventional methods. It has used a number of tools ranging from economic, political, military, regional to historic to exert such influence and has also formed proxies both with organisations of different profiles and objectives. Sectarianism and factional divisions have also been largely exploited by Iran to achieve its goals. Iranian influence in Iraq is vital to Iran since it considers its importance as a means of establishing its regional dominance and counters the influence of the United States in Iraq. Such efforts of establishing its influence in Iraq have not been without setbacks considering that Iran has had to work with organisations that have been counter-productive in their goals and objectives. The situation in Syria in the past few years has also lessened the viability of Iran’s dominance in the region. Even with such setbacks, Iran has enjoyed some benefits from its dominance in Iraq since trade between the two countries has flourished in a critical moment when Iran was undergoing trade sanctions from the United States and Western countries. One can only wait to see how long such influence will be exerted and whether such status enjoyed by Iran now will continue to exist regardless of the political situation in Iraq. BIBLIOGRAPHY Al-Jazeera English. (2011). â€Å"Iraqi PM in US to Chart Future Relations.† Accessed July 2, 2014, http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2011/12/2011121273244299490.html. Allawi, A. (2007). The Occupation of Iraq: Winning the War, Losing the Peace. New Haven: Yale University Press. Alsis, P., Cordesman, A. H., Mausner, A. and Loi, C. (2011). â€Å"The Outcome of Invasion: US and Iranian Strategic Competition in Iraq.† Centre for Strategic and International Studies, 2011, accessed August 20, 2014, http://csis.org/files/publication/111128_Iran_Chapter_6_Iraq.pdf. Bargezar, K. (2007). â€Å"Iran’s Foreign Policy towards Iraq and Syria.† Turkish Policy Quarterly 6, no. 2: 1-36. Barnes, J. (2011). â€Å"Mullen Accuses Tehran of Arming Iraq Militias.† Wall Street Journal, July 8, 2011, accessed August 4, 2014, http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304793504576432312376139394. Beehner, L. and Greg B. (2008)†Iran’s Involvement in Iraq.† The Council on Foreign Relations, March 3, 2008, accessed August 20, 2014,http://www.cfr.org/publication/12521/irans_involvement_in_iraq.html. Bergner, K. (2007). â€Å"Multi National Force Press Briefing.† July 11th 2007. [Online].Accessed July 29, 2014,http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2007/07/mil-070711-mnfi-b01.htm. Blight, J., Lang, J. Banai, H., Byrne, M. and Tirman, J. (2012). Becoming Enemies: U. S.-Iran Relations and the Iran-Iraq War, 1979-1988. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Brookings Institution. (2006). â€Å"Iraq Index: Tracking Variables of Reconstruction and Security in Post-Saddam Iraq January 2006.† Accessed August 20, 2014, http://www.brookings.edu/fp/saban/iraq/index20060130.pdf. Cockburn, Patrick. â€Å"Iran Increases Hold in Iraq as Shia Militia Enters Politics.† The Independent, 7 January 2012, accessed August 20, 2014, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iran-increases-hold-in-iraq-as-shia-militia-enters-politics-6286339.html. Cockburn, P. (2008). Muqtada: Muqtada al-Sadr, The Shi?a Revival and the Struggle for Iraq. New York: Scribner. Cordesman, A. (2006). â€Å"Iraq’s Evolving Insurgency and the Risk of Civil War.† Accessed August 21, 2014, http://csis.org/files/media/csis/pubs/060622_insurgency.pdf. Cordesman, A. and Khazai, S. (2012). â€Å"Patterns of Violence in Iraq.† Washington DC 20006. Accessed August 4, 2014, http://csis.org/files/publication/121024_Iraq_Violence.pdf. Cordesman, A. (2007). â€Å"Success or FailureIraq’s Insurgency and Civil Violence and US Strategy: Developments through June 2007,† [Online]: 105. Accessed August 21, 2014, http://www.comw.org/warreport/fulltext/070709cordesman.pdf. Dagher, S. (2010). â€Å"Iran’s Ambassador to Iraq Promises Closer Trade Ties.† The Wall Street Journal, August 11, 2010, accessed July 3, 2014, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703435104575421520747000364.html. Eisenstadt, M. (2011) â€Å"Iran and Iraq, Iran Primer.† USIP. 4, accessed July 2, 2014,http://iranprimer.usip.org/resource/iran-and-iraq. Eisenstadt, M., Knights, M., and Ali, A. (2011). â€Å"Iran’s Influence in Iraq Countering Tehran’s Whole-of-Government Approach.† Washington Institute for Near East Policy Focus #111, April 2011. Foxnews Website. Experts: Iran’s Quds Force Deeply Enmeshed in Iraq.† Foxnews, February, 16, 2007, accessed August 18, 2014, http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,252212,00.html. Felter, J. and Fishman, B. (2008). â€Å"Iranian Strategy in Iraq: Politics and ‘Other Means.’† Combating Terrorism Center at West Point, October 13, 2008, accessed August 21, 2014, http://iraqslogger.powweb.com/downloads/CTC_Iran_Iraq_Final.pdf. Flaherty, A. (2010). â€Å"US General Cites Direct Intel Linking Iraq’s al-Lami, Chalabi to Iran.† Associated Press, February 16, 2010, accessed August 24, 2014, http://blendz72.wordpress.com/2010/02/17/us-general-cites-direct-intel-linking-senior-iraqi-officials-to-iran/. Gordon, M. and Lehran, A. W. (2010). â€Å"Leaked Reports Detail Iran‘s Aid for Iraqi Militias.† New York Times, October 22, 2010, October 22, 2010, accessed August 15, 2014, Gordon, M.and Shane, S. (2007). â€Å"U.S. Long Worried That Iran Supplied Arms in Iraq.† The New York Times, March 27, 2007, accessed August 17, 2014,http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/27/world/middleeast/27weapons.html?ref=georgewbush. Hardy, R. (2005). â€Å"The Iran-Iraq War: 25 Years on.† BBC News, 22 September 2005, accessed August 20, 2014, http://articles.latimes.com/1990-08-16/news/mn-1034_1_iran-iraq-war. International Crisis Group. (2007). â€Å"Shiite Politics in Iraq: The Role of the Supreme Council,† Middle East Report N °70, 1-30. Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty Website. â€Å"Iran: Expert Discusses Iran’s Quds Force And U.S. Charges Concerning Iraq.† Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty, February 16, 2007, accessed August 19, 2014, http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1074751.html. Mausner, A., Loi, C., and Alsis, P. (2011). â€Å"US and Iranian Strategic Competition: Competition in Iraq.† Iranian First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Rahimi, 7/7/11, Marine Corps University, accessed August 24, 2014, http://csis.org/files/publication/110927_Iran_Chapter_6_Iraq.pdf. Katzman, K. (2007). â€Å"Iran’s Activities and Influence in Iraq: RS22323.† Congressional Research Service, 2007, accessed August 21, 2014, http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/105164.pdf. Katzman, K. (2010). â€Å"Iran-Iraq Relations.† Congressional Research Service, August 13, 2010, accessed August 21, 2014, http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/RS22323.pdf. Katzman, K. (2012). â€Å"Iran: US Concerns and Policy Responses.† Congressional Research Service, 2012, accessed August 20, 2014, http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/RL32048.pdf. Kemp, G. (2005). â€Å"Iran and Iraq: The Shia Connection, Soft Power, and the Nuclear Factor.† Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace. Los Angeles Times Website. â€Å"Key Events in the Iran – Iraq War.† Los Angeles Times, August, 1990, accessed August 20, 2014, http://articles.latimes.com/1990-08-16/news/mn-1034_1_iran-iraq-war. Lajeunesse, G. (2009). â€Å"Crimes against Humanity in Iraq: The Case Against Iran.† The Open Law Journal 2, no. 1: 8-15. Linzer, D. (2007). â€Å"Troops Authorized To Kill Iranian Operatives In Iraq.† The Washington Post, January 26, P.1. Lowe, R., and Spencer, C. (2006). â€Å"Iran Its Neighbours and the Regional Crises.† The Royal Institute of International Affairs. Mardini, R. (2012). â€Å"Iraq’s Post-Withdrawal Crisis, Update 23.† Institute for the Study of War, May 25, 2012, accessed June 30, 2014, http://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iraq%E2%80%99s-post-withdrawal-crisis-update-31. Milani, M. (2010). â€Å"Meet Me in Baghdad.† Foreign Affairs, September 20, 2010, accessed July 2, 2014, http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/66750/mohsen-m-milani/meet-me-in-baghdad. Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism. (2009). â€Å"State Sponsors of Terrorism,? Country Reports on Terrorism 2008.† US State Department, April 30, 2009, accessed August 20, 2014, http://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2008/122436.htm. Petraeus, D. (2007). Report to Congress on the Situation in Iraq,?Sep. 10-11, 2007, accessed August 20, 2014, http://www.defense.gov/pubs/pdfs/petraeus-testimony20070910.pdf. Roggio, B. (2007). â€Å"Iran’s Ramazan Corps and the Ratlines into Iraq.† The Long War Journal, December 5, 2007, accessed August 20, 2014, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2007/12/irans_ramazan_corps.php. Rousu, D. (2010). â€Å"Beyond the Shatt Al-Arab: How the Fall of Saddam Hussein Changed Iran-Iraq Relations.† Master’s diss., University of Arizona. Hurriyet Daily News Website.â€Å"Talabani Rebuffs Move to Unseat PM.† Hurriyet Daily News, June 1, 2012, accessed August 20, 2014, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/talabani-rebuffs-move-to-unseat-pm.aspx?pageID=238&nID=22057&NewsCatID=352. Taremi, K. (2005). â€Å"Iranian Foreign Policy towards Occupied Iraq, 2003-05.† Middle East Policy 12, no. 4: 28-47. Thompson, Ch. (2009). â€Å"Iranian Tentacles into Iraq.† Washington, DC 20503, 2009, accessed July 3, 2014, http://www.dtic.mil/cgibin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA513319&fb_source=message. â€Å"US accuses Iran’s envoy to Iraq.† BBC News, October 7, 2007, accessed August 20, 2014, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7032557.stm. Wicken, S. (2002). â€Å"Political Update: Can a No-Confidence Vote against Maliki Succeed This Time?† Institute for the Study of War, December 21, 2012, accessed July 1, 2014, http://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/political-update-can-no-confidence-vote-against-maliki-succeed-time. Wong, E. (2004). â€Å"Iran Is in Strong Position to Steer Iraq’s Political Future.† New York Times, July 3, 2004, A6. Woods, K., Williamson, M., Thomas, H. and Mounir, E. (2009). â€Å"Saddam’s War: An Iraqi Military Perspective of the Iran-Iraq War.† McNair Paper 70, National Defense University-Washington. Wright, R. (2004). â€Å"Religious Leaders Ahead in Iraq Poll.† Washington Post, October 22, 2004, A1.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

The Religion of Islam

The religion of Islam, unfortunately, has been exposed many unfair criticisms from nonmuslims. Especially about how Islamic Laws are treated towards the women. There are plenty of misinterpretations and accusations. It needs to mention about fundamental and basic principles in Islam.According to Islam, human beings are not evil and sinful creatures, and they do not come to the world with tendency to sin. Human beings are not sinful until they choose to sin. Unlike Christianity, a newborn baby considered to be pure, innocent, and considered as if s(he) a given present from Allah. There is even a saying in Turkish ‘like a paradise-scented child'. This saying refers that the children are innocent and as if they are coming from the paradise. Also, every human is equal in Islam regardless of their race, color, and class. Islam is not definite with only one age, it is for every age. Khurshid Ahmad describes the aim of Islam as, Islam aims at establishing an equilibrium between these two aspects of life – the material and the spiritual. (36)Another detail in Islam is that how Quran describes Eve. In Quran, Eve is not represented an evil or a seductive woman. Quran puts an equivalent blame on Adam's and Eve's mistake. It does not separate Eve from Adam. Eve is not portrayed as a deceiver or a seducer. Eve is not blamed for seducing Adam to eat the fruit from the forbidden tree. Actually, in Quran Surah Taha, verse 121† †¦ Thus, Adam disobeyed his Lord, and fell.† This verse states that Adam is especially blamed for the sin not Eve. Another important detail is that the original sin concept. It does not exist in Islam. For this reason, Adam's sin is not inherited to the other human beings like it does in Christianity. This is because Adam and Eve repented to Allah and they had forgiven. Allah does not punish anyone for other's sins. Therefore, in Islam, everyone is responsible for their own actions, and their own sins.The Quran provides clear-cut evidence that woman in completely equated with man in the sight of Allah in terms of her rights and responsibilities (Ahmad 136). In Quran Surah Al- Imran verse 195 † Their Lord answered the Prayer thus: â€Å"I will not suffer the work of any of you, whether male or female, to go to waste; each of you is from the other†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This part of the verse simply refers that there is no discrimination between a man and a woman in the presence of Allah. In Islam, the superiority only occurs when it comes to the actions. Other features are not important. For instance, being a man or a female, noble or ignoble, those features do not affect the actions that have done. It is crystal clear that there is no difference between a man and a woman. Later on, the Quran states again that there is no discrimination between a man and a woman in Surah An-Nisaa verse 124 † But whoever works righteousness, whether male or female, and is a believer— those will enter Paradise, and will not be wronged a whit.† The only thing that matter is the actions. Another Surah emphasizes the same topic again, in Surah An-Nahl verse 97 † Whoever works righteousness, whether male or female, while being a believer, we will grant him a good life—and We will reward them according to the best of what they used to do.† As long as following Allah and embrace the religion, believers will be rewarded by their works and actions. In Islam there are some religious obligations, for instance, routine prayers, fasting, alms, and going on a pilgrimage. A man and a woman have same obligations and duties for those religious obligations. Except some circumstances, to give an example, a woman can be privileged from prayers throughout her mensuration. The same case applies for fasting. There can be some exceptional for the women, otherwise the man and the women are equally responsible for the obligations. In the Pre-Islamic age of ignorance, if someone has a daughter as his or her first child, burying her was vastly common amongst the various Arabian tribes. Surah An-Nahl verses 58-59 describe the how people react when they have a daughter. † And when one of them is given news of a female infant, his face darkens, and he chokes with grief. He hides from the people because of the bad news given to him. Shall he keep it in humiliation, or bury it in the dust? What an evil choice they decide on?† Quran unquestionably and strictly forbids the infanticide. With the acceptance of Islam, the daughters were protected and treated fairly. Females had gained rights with the Islam. Surely, during the age of ignorance women were treated as if they were the objects, and they had no right. Prior to the advent of Islam, woman had no rights to speak of. When a woman's husband died, any of his male relatives would simply appropriate her, as if she was an animal or a commodity ( Al-Ghazili)The Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) has a saying about treating the daughters † Whosoever has a daughter and he does not bury her alive, does not insult her, and does not favor his son over her, Allah will admit him to Paradise because of her.† (Ibn Hanbal Hadith No 1957). Even just by deducing from this Hadith that in Islam, the daughter has an equal position with the son. Moreover, it can be said that how treating a daughter significant for awarding the father with the Paradise. Woman in the marriage in the Quran states in one of the Surah which is Al-Rum verse 21 † And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are Signs for those who reflect.† The Quran clearly indicates that marriage is sharing between the two halves of the society, and its objectives, beside perpetuating human life, are emotional well-being and spiritual harmony. Its bases are love and mercy (Ahmed 138). Furthermore, a woman cannot force into marriage without her own approval according to Islamic Law. The rules for married life in Islam are clear and in harmony with upright human nature. A woman and a man both have equal rights and claims on one another, except for one responsibility, that of leadership. This is a matter which is natural in any collective life and which is consistent with the nature of man (Ahmed 138). In Surah Al-Baqarah verse 228 † †¦ And they (women) have rights similar to those (of men) over them to what is reasonable, but men have a degree (of responsibility) over them. And Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.† Having a degree has to do with the maintenance and protection of a women, and as Khurshid Ahmed refers that it is the natural difference between the sexes which entitles the weaker sex to protection. It does not imply no superiority or advantage before the law, and the man's role of leadership in relation to his family does not mean the husband's dictatorship over his wife (138).One of the distinction between Islam and Christianity is about remarriage of the widows. Unlike Christianity, the widows or divorced women do not expose to discrimination against the unmarried women or another. According to Islam, a divorced or widowed woman has the right to remarry without any shame or denunciation. In fact, the Quran allows the betrothal of a divorced or widowed woman even during her period of transition (Jawad 34). In Surah Al-Baqarah 235 states as: It shall be no offence for you openly to propose marriage indirectly to such women or to cherish them in your hearts. Allah knows that you will remember them. Do not arrange to meet them in secret and, if you do, speak to them honorably. But you shall not consummate the marriage before the end of their waiting period. Know that Allah has knowledge of all your thoughts. Therefore, take heed and bear in mind that Allah is forgiving and merciful.This verse mentions there is no sin in offering a marriage implicitly to a woman whose husband died and waiting for the iddat. The explanation of Iddat is a period of time during which a divorced or widowed woman may not remarry (oxforddictionaries.com). This offering can be through expressing the intention of the man by asking questions or stating his wishes to the woman. By this way, woman's opinion will find out, and if the woman wishes to marry that man, it will be prevented the woman to promise someone else. Islam values the treating respectful and kind to the parents, but especially to the mothers. In Islam, women are also valued being a mother too. For instance, In the Quran, there is a suggestion for the polite behavior for the mothers. In Surah Luqman verse 14 † And we enjoined upon man to be dutiful to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness upon weakness†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Likewise, in Surah Al-Ahqaf verse 15 † And We have enjoined upon man, to his parents, good treatment. His mother carried him with hardship and gave birth to him with hardship†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Surah Al-Ahqaf verse 15 indicates that Allah ordered to us to treat our parents kindly and take care of them. It is also emphasized that how our mothers suffered during her pregnancy with having sickness and at the same how challenging her labor was. Similarly, in Surah Al-Isra verse 23 is regarding the good and polite treatment towards the parents †Your Lord has commanded that you worship none but Him, and that you be good to your parents. If either of them or both of them reach old age with you, do not say to them a word of disrespect, nor scold them, but say to them kind words.† There are several sayings of The Prophet Mohammad (pbuh). One day, The Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) stated: † Be regretful!† when they say † Who? O The messenger of Allah!† The Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) replied as † It is the person who cannot enter the Paradise because he did not show respect one or both of his parents in their old age.† (Birr and S?la 251) Furthermore, The Prophet Mohammad has a well-known saying † Paradise is at the feet of mothers† (Ibn Hanbal). One more case can be given as:A man came to Mohammad (pbuh) asking, † O Messenger of Allah, who among the people is the worthiest of my good company? † The Prophet (pbuh) said, †Your mother.† The man said, †Then who else?† The Prophet (pbuh) said †Your mother.† The man said, † Then who else?† The Prophet (pbuh) said, †Your mother.† The man said, †Then who else?† Only then did the Prophet (pbuh) say †Your father.† (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) The financial status of a woman is secured in Quran. It can be easily seen in the verses of the Quran.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Data Analysis Skills For Economics And Accountancy Economics Essay Example

Data Analysis Skills For Economics And Accountancy Economics Essay Example Data Analysis Skills For Economics And Accountancy Economics Essay Data Analysis Skills For Economics And Accountancy Economics Essay rising prices besides goes up by 0.2697 % , bespeaking the positive correlativity between the 2 sets of informations. However, there are some little anomalousnesss shown on the graph. For illustration, some points of the graph show that as the money supply is increasing, rising prices is falling. B.3 This chart shows the relationship between the unemployment rate and rising prices over the last 20 old ages. Here you can see that over this period rising prices by and large falls as unemployment is lifting. However, this is non the instance for the full graph. Between 4 and 6 % unemployment, rising prices is lifting as unemployment additions even though the theory of the Philips curve indicates an opposite relationship between these variables. However, the correlativity for this information which equates to 0.10615719 indicates that there is a really weak positive relationship between these variables which conflicts with the opposite relationship. This weak positive relationship is besides shown by the arrested development line, which shows that for every 1 % rise in unemployment, rising prices rises by 0.0941 % . Economic Analysis of the Data for Part B3. ( Fig. 1 ) Alban W. Philips was the laminitis of the Philips curve ( Fig. 1 ) after transporting out research into the relationship between unemployment and rising prices. This involved him analyzing 95 old ages of economic informations ( from 1862-1957 ) sing rising prices and unemployment rates in the UK. After analyzing the information, he noticed that by stand foring it on a curve there was an reverse relationship between rising prices and unemployment. The Phillips Curve ( Bized, 2010 ) The theory behind the curve suggested that as the rate of rising prices rose, the rate of unemployment fell and frailty versa. This can be explained by utilizing the construct of AD and AS. If, for illustration, the economic system was sing strong growing due to rises in consumer disbursement, this would do rightward displacements of the aggregative demand curve. At the same clip this would intend falling degrees of unemployment. However, the rises in AD will besides do inflationary force per unit areas due to decreasing trim capacity in the economic system. If trim capacity is get downing to cut down, this is as consequence of extra demand in the markets which causes a rise in costs of production. If we look back at the graph demoing the relationship between these two variables, we can see that as the rate of unemployment rises from 2-4 % and from 6-10 % , the rate of rising prices falls. Therefore, for these peculiar parts of the graph we can see that it supports the theory of the Philips curve. However, the Philips curve was criticised in the late 1970 s early 1980 s by Milton Friedman when the UK experienced Stagflation i.e. lifting rising prices and unemployment, due to the immense rises in oil monetary values moving as a supply-side daze. This led him to make an account for this by holding fluctuations on the original curve called Expectations-augmented Philips Curve . Friedman acknowledged the being of the short tally curve, but in the long run his position was that the curve was perpendicular and there was no trade off between rising prices and unemployment. He believed additions in aggregative demand reduced unemployment and increased rising prices, as the curve suggests, but would merely hold an consequence on occupations in the short term. This can be explained from the undermentioned diagram: ( Fig. 2 ) Expectations-Augmented Phillips Curve ( Bized, 2010 ) From figure 2, you can see that if an economic system began at point U with rising prices at 0 % and unemployment being excessively high, the province may make up ones mind to increase demand by 5 % to cut down unemployment. This is illustrated by a motion along the curve to indicate V . However, after the addition in demand, there are likely to be deficits ensuing in increased monetary values. As monetary values rise, more people seek higher rewards ; there-by increasing the costs for houses and as a consequence the sum supply curve would switch left. As a consequence of their increased costs, houses will look to keep their net income borders by puting off workers, increasing unemployment. The economic system would so travel back to an unemployment degree of W . This indicates that unemployment can lift along with rising prices when cost push rising prices occurs. If we look back at the graph between the two variables, we can see that as unemployment rises from 4-6 % , rising prices is lifting with along with it. Therefore, we can see that some of the informations findings for the last 20 old ages struggle with the theory of the Philips curve. In decision, we can see that over this period, the information has by and large supported the theory of the Philips curve. However, some parts of the informations besides majorly struggle with the theory. This was shown during the 1970s-80 s when the UK experient Stagflation due to the Oil supply side dazes. Mentions Bized ( 2010 ) Monetary Policy Inflation Causes Theory 4 Phillips Curve is unemployment inflated? [ online ] available from A ; lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.bized.co.uk/virtual/bank/economics/mpol/inflation/causes/theories4.htm A ; gt ; Ruttenberg, L. , Tregarthen, T. ( 2009 ) Principle of Macroeconomics. New York: Flat World Knowledge Smith, L. ( n.d ) Examining the Philips Curve . [ on-line ] available from A ; lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.investopedia.com/articles/economics/08/phillips-curve.asp A ; gt ; Tutor2u ( n.d ) A2 Macroeconomics/International Economy The Phillips Curve [ online ] available from A ; lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //tutor2u.net/economics/revision-notes/a2-macro-phillips-curve.html A ; gt ; For this piece of work I have used the CU s Harvard Reference Style

Monday, October 21, 2019

Nestos Transboundary River Basin.

Bulgarian-greek Cooperation For the Intergrated Water Management of The Mesta/Nestos Transboundary River Basin. Free Online Research Papers Bulgarian-greek Cooperation For the Intergrated Water Management of The Mesta/Nestos Transboundary River Basin. ABSTRACT The Mesta/Nestos River basin is one of the case studies of a FP5 European project â€Å"Iron Curtain† for development of a methodology and information basis for integrated regional planning and decision making support of sustainable regional development. Priority of the Mesta/Nestos River basin is the social and economical development of the transboundary region, common use of natural resources, and integrated water resources management in compliance with the new European Water Framework Directive. This second part of the paper presents a short analysis of water resources in the Bulgarian territory. The main problems of the Mesta water use and protection and Bulgarian measures to improve water quality are shortly discussed. The annual discharge of fresh water to Greek territory is estimated. To be able to avoid potential conflicts and issues and to ensure the success of sustainable regional development the paper recommends an approach of share Bulgarian-Greek use of the Mesta water in the framework of EU and forthcoming integrated river basin management. THE WATER RESOURCES In Bulgarian territory the Mesta River length is 129.5 km or about 50 % of the total length. There are 24 tributaries without the Dospatska river. Its tributaries rise from the highest Bulgarian mountains Rila, Pirin and West Rodhopi and they have high slope. The Dospatska/Despatis river is the biggest left-bank tributary in Greek territory, however almost all catchment area is in Bulgaria. The Mesta catchment is rich of water resources. At the territory is formed about 6.5 % of the Bulgarian fresh water discharge. The Mesta River and its wetlands is more natural and in a better state than many found in Europe, and may have less difficulty than expected in complying with the EU requirements, (WWF, 2000). It offers a great natural wealth and is among the pearls of Europe. There are 22 hydrometric gauging stations installed in the basin, from which 5 on main steam and rest on the tributaries. They all belong to the National river-monitoring network of Ministry of Environment and Water (MOEW). The distribution and density of the gauging stations is adequate for water-resource assessment of the territory. The Mesta River flow is estimated at the Bulgarian-Greek border, aiming to assess the average annual volume discharging into Greece. The assessment is based on 29 year series (1955 1983 inclusive) of measurement data from the Hadjidimovo gauging station closest to the Geek border (23 km), independent of water consumption in the basin and the volume of diverted water to other river basins. We consider such an approach as more objective because is difficult to evaluate the real water consumption and it may arise some pessimism of the border water balance on the basis of the so called natural discharge. The flow at the border is calculated according to (Ivanov et al., 2002): , m3/s where Q.?.. and Q.?.? are mean annual discharges at the border and the Hadjidimovo station respectively; Q..?.? = 30.695 m3/s for that period with variation coefficient ?v = 0.2569 and mean probability error ?0 = 4.77 %; F = 2768 km2 catchment area up to the border with average level of 1318 m a.s.l.; Fx = 2260 km2 catchment area with average level of 1310 m a.s.l; = 12,709 l/s/km2 basin discharge module at the border river section; = 13,582 l/s/km2 basin discharge module at the Hadjidimovo station. Then the average fresh water discharge to Greek territory is Q.?. = 35.178 m3/s and annual water volume is 1109.37 mln m3. With the same approach Q.?. = 41.533 m3/s according to the 1945/46 – 1974/75 data of hydro-metric register. 2. SOME FACTS OF WATER USE The Mesta River is used for: irrigation, domestic use, energy production, fishery, tourism, and waste disposal. 2.1 Industry and domestic needs An idea of potable and industrial water use in the basin can be obtained from the National Statistic Institute data (Ivanov et al., 2002), Figure 1. Here the drinking water consumption includes also its use for industrial consumption. Both surface- and ground-waters are used, and ground-waters account for significant percent. Almost all water is redirected back to the stream after its use, and this fact is essential when we tackle with water use and water balance. Figure 1. The Mesta basin water consumption for 1989 (mln cubic m). 2.2 For irrigation The amount of water used for irrigation has sharply declined in Bulgaria during transition. The problem is important for the future development of agriculture and allocation of the countrys water resource. A further study should concentrate on how institutional factors, in particular legal and de facto property rights on irrigation systems and irrigation governance, are affecting water usage. At the moment one can conclude that land fragmentation in the region in the wake of decollectivization and restitution has contributed to irrigation decline. However a study before 1989 shows that the total agricultural Mesta-valley land which might be irrigated accounts 18292 ha (Ivanov et al., 2002). The gross water volume for irrigation of those lands, if we accept 2000 m3/ha mean watering norm of all crops and a system efficiency 0.65, will be about 50 mln m3 annually. 2.3 For electric power production Small water-power stations have been constructed Toplika, Yakoruda, Razlog and Bansko with total power of 1.542 MW. In Dospat catchment area there are two dams Dospat dam and Shiroka poliana dam, which are utilizing for electro-production and for transferring of water to other river valley. The Mesta River has the highest water-power potential in comparison with the other river in the country (Figure 2), and very high specific water-power potential (Figure 3), which is utilized in Greek territory. Figure 2. The Mesta River power potential in comparison with other Bulgarian rivers. Figure 3. Specific water power potential of the main Bulgarian rivers at the state border. 2.4 Diverting to other river basins In spite of availability of many ideas and designs of total assimilation and use of the Mesta water, at the moment only few water transfers to internal territories are implemented. They are summarised as follows (Table 1, according to published design data): Table 1. Annual water volumes by project data diverted to other territories during winter and spring period. from To Project water volumes, mln m3 Granchar and Djefaritsa canals Belmeken dam 77.6 Veshteritsa and Kanina canals Dospat dam 68.7 Bistritza canal Dospat dam 18.0 Total 164.3 From the analysis of the Mesta-basin water consumption is evident that it is basically by domestic consumption, industrial consumption, and by irrigation, Figure 4. Figure 4. The Mesta basin total annual water consumption in mln m3. The total annual water need of the population in the basin is 84.822 mln m3, from which at the moment is consumed 17.22 mln m3 annually. SOME MEASURES AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY AND USE Bulgaria has always given attention to the protection of environment and water. 3.1 Programmes and Strategies Being Implemented (OECD, 2001): National Waste Management Programme (1999) National Programme for Priority Construction of Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTPs) (1999) National Biodiversity Conservation Strategy (1999) and Action Plan (2000) National Programme for Phasing Out Production and Use of Leaded Petrol (1998) National Action Plan on Climate Change (2000) National PHARE Instrument for Structural Policies for pre-Accession (ISPA) Strategy – Sector Environment (1999) Programme for the Transposition and Implementation of EU Environmental Legislation (2000) Programme for Water Resources Conservation in conditions of Drought (2001) National Environmental Strategy and Action Plan 2000-2006 (2001) Being Prepared: River Basin Management Plans In order to realize sustainable development in the river basin and in accord with the international agreements, Bulgaria takes structural and non-structural measures to manage water resources as follows (MOEW, 2000): 3.2 Non-structural measures: Protection of important areas for water sources and conservation of forest and vegetation areas including reforestation; Optimization of water usage including improvement of excessive water use and optimization of water balance in the river basins through integrated operation of reservoirs and operation of intakes, irrigation systems, hydropower systems and water supply systems; Optimization of reservoir operation so that to keep sufficient base flow along the rivers for improving water quality and maintaining fauna and flora around the river courses. Provision of green belts along the river for controlling runoff of polluted water and suspended materials from non-point sources and soil erosion areas; Providing forest and vegetation for controlling soil erosion and runoff from contaminated areas of soil; Improve and strengthen monitoring and information systems. While both nations engage in some monitoring, at the international level there still is no effective monitoring and management of the Mesta River water quality. Since 1992 the Ministry of the Environment and Water (MOEW) has been responsible for monitoring and pollution control for all surface and underground water. Sampling and analyses of the water quality are performed by Regional Inspectorates for Environment and Water (RIEW) of MOEW. The major sources of water pollution in the Mesta region are municipal waste waters and industrial effluent, which are being released with inadequate or no treatment. These sources are generally being identified by the RIEW of MOEW. 3.3 Structural measures include: Improving water supply systems, irrigation systems, and hydropower facilities; Waste-water treatment plants (WWTPs) for municipal and industrial wastewater; Water recycle systems for the industries. Projects and constructions of WWTPs are planned to commence for Mesta basin. The National Program for priority construction of urban WWTPs for settlements with over 10000 equivalent inhabitants in Bulgaria includes especially for Mesta basin 2 new WWTPs and 1 for extension, reconstruction and modernization (Dontchev, 2001). Razlog is a small town in the Mesta valley with a population less than 13000, supplied with drinking water from central supply network, and currently about 90% of the population are serviced by the build sewerage. The commenced WWTP with full biological treatment will result in the removal of 85-95% of the incoming pollution load, and will serve more than 15000 inhabitants. The design is for extended aeration process and mechanical sludge treatment. 3.4 Financing and investments In difficult economic times it is mobilizing different sources of funding. Parts of the projects will be financed separately or jointly by State Budget, National Environment Protection Fund, the PHARE Program or other international sources. Direct budget subsidies for the environment from the state and municipal budgets are directed toward construction of town water purifying stations and depots for household wastes. However the share of these subsidies decreases permanently (from 37% in 1993 to 3% in 1996 of GDP). Figure 5 shows the site of Hadjidimovo monitoring station and the new Solid Waste Depo of town of Gotze Delchev, serving not only the town but also surrounding villages, total population about 23573 Figure 5. View of the Mesta river at the Hadjidimovo monitoring station situated at 23 km from the Greek border (last in Bulgarian territory) (left), and the new Solid Waste Depo of town of Gotze Delchev for population of 23573 (right). The National Environmental Protection Fund and Municipal Environmental Funds are effective sources of financing. They compensate for the lack of credit capital from trade banks. Using the principles the polluter pays and shared responsibility the National and Municipal Environmental Funds collect off-budget resources which are used for financing important investment projects. This type of financing is usually grant or credit without or with a low rate of interest for borrowers. The aim is to support environmental investment activities during the period of transition. The European Committee (PHARE and other programs) is funding monitoring stations, WWTPs, scientific studies of transboundary pollution, and the establishment of warning systems for the areas threatened by siltation and flooding. Such a station, as mentioned above, has been constructed recently in the northern section of the Mesta River. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the UNDP also have funded proj ects designed to improve water management in Bulgaria. The WWTP for the town of Razlog has applied for financing by ISPA (Instrument for structural policies for preaccession). This investment is justified by the anticipated benefits to the natural resources development in the Mesta River as a transboundary water course and to the health of the community, as well as to the improvement of agriculture, fishing and property values (Dontchev, 2001). Thus the project is fully financed through grants, i.e.: PHARE CBC financial instrument 75%, and Bulgarian government grants 25%. 4. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS The main problems of the Bulgarian territory concerning the Iron Curtain project, identified during our field trips and Bulgarian-Greek common visits to the region in 2002, are : water resources of the region water quality the Network of river hydrometric stations solid waste and industrial waste treatment forest and its importance tourism infrastructure Having in mind the water-resource study in the region and the lack of an effective monitoring at international level, and to avoid possible issues between the two countries, a new water quality monitoring station closed to the Bulgarian-Greek border should be built. It will serve the two countries and will be a supporting point in the forthcoming integrated river basin management of the Mesta water. As the priority of the IC project is the social and economic development of the transboundary region and share use of natural resources, the integrated water resources management of the Mesta/Nestos River basin is a key topic. Environmental, economic, and social benefits that are likely to arise from the implementation of such a share use of water resources could be significant. Until 1989 almost all preliminary concepts of the experts and the numerous decisions concerning the use of the Mesta River waters in Bulgaria are based on the fundamental logic: after the complete satisfying of the necessities of the population in the catchment area in perspective, the residual water resource will be used through its transfer to other river valleys. (However there are realized projects for an insignificant part of the residual water resource.) This logic is preserved in the developed and developing project decisions after 1989, as the quantity of the residual flow is conformed with the requirements of the agreements between Bulgaria and Greece from the end of 1995 (State Gazette, 1996) concerning the Mesta River flow. ?his approach is logic and juristically well-grounded, but when the flow of a transboundary river between two neighbour (and beside that friendly) countries, with relatively close objectives within the framework of the European Community, comes into que stion, the problem ?f using the Mesta River flow, in our opinion, must be solved by ?stimating the benefits and damages for the both sides from the ?ventual transfer of about 450 – 500 mln m3 for an average year in other river valleys in Bulgaria. ?his undoubtedly depends on the good will of the both countries to search and find a decision, based on the economic balance, the mutual benefit and usefulness. Several large-scale reservoirs and water power stations are built in Greece, an acute shortage of irrigation water is felt ?nnually, complex ecological problems in the Mesta River delta are apparent even now, and if some 50% of the river flow, formed in the catchment area in Bulgaria along the Mesta River, are diverted, these problems will intensify and may take even a catastrophic turn. Obviously the river basin management and water use in the framework of the concepts and decisions of the EU are more than necessary in a situation like this, but not without the mutual benef it of the both sides and the good will of the both countries. This will is apparent from the Bulgarian side, not because we are candidate member of the EU, but because this is maybe the best that can be done for development of the region as a whole. It would be improvident to wait and to think that the question of the Mesta River flow can keep in future this present state, which is unfortunately favourable only for one of the sides. We hope that all these is understood not only by the experts and scientists, but also by the politicians of the both countries. We need to unite the scientific and political thought with the economic practice. The challenge lies in raising the political will to implement water-related commitments. Water professional need a better understanding of the broader social, economic, and political context, while politicians need to be better informed about water-resources issues. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND DISCLAIMER The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the research by the European Commissions Fifth Framework Programme, part Quality of life and management of living resources, contract reference: QLRT-CT-2001-01401. The authors are solely responsible for the content and it does not represent the opinion of the Community, the Community or Bulgarian Academy of Sciences is not responsible for any use that might be made of data therein. REFERENCES Dontchev, V. Implementation of the requirements of Directive 91/271/EC in Bulgaria. Financing of the urban waste water treatment plants –examples., Workshop on Implementation of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive in Rural Areas, 14-16 November 2001, Magdeburg, Germany. Ivanov, I., E. Bournaski, L. Apostolova (2002) Water problems of the Mesta/Nestos transboundary river in the Bulgarian territory, (submited for publication). Ministry of the Environment and Water, Bulgaria, 2000, National strategy, Environment sector. OECD (2001) Environmental Information Systems in Bulgaria. An OECD Assessment, 2001, olis.oecd.org State Gazette, Bulgaria, 19.09.1996 WWF, (2000) WWFs Water and Wetland Index, panda.org/europe/freshwater. 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Sunday, October 20, 2019

Dont Be Too Eager to Publish

Dont Be Too Eager to Publish Dont Be Too Eager to Publish Dont Be Too Eager to Publish By Maeve Maddox My son gave me a mystery the other day. Hed encountered the author at Barnes and Nobles and, having chatted with the man, he felt bound to buy a copy of his book. Well call the writer Author X. Under the attractive dust jacket, the sturdy binding is stamped with the title and authors name in gilt letters. The book could have been produced by a major publisher. As soon as I read the first paragraph, however, I knew that the book had been self-published. With a bit of disguise, heres the first paragraph: The phone jingled on Butch Grands desk and jolted him out of his daydream. He had been thinking about how hot and dry the last two years had been and was hoping this year would be better. As Police Chief of Philadelphia, Mississippi, things just went better for him when it was cooler and they got some rain. The phone rang again and he took the receiver off the hook. Whats the first clue that Author X is not a professional? He tells the reader that the character is having a daydream, and then he tells what the daydream was about. An experienced writer would have placed the reader in the daydream with sensory details, and then jolted him out of it to answer the phone. An experienced writer would probably have had him answer or pick up or perhaps just start talking, and not have told us that the man took the receiver off the hook. See if you can identify any other marks of too little revision. This opening paragraph is followed by a lengthy conversation with a woman who is reporting the discovery of a body at the town dump: No, she didnt discover it, some boys did. And then she puts a boy on the phone and the police chief asks how he spells his name and then he talks to the woman again and wants to know what time she cooks supper and then he tells her that he might not be able to get to the dump right away and then he drifts off again thinking about the fact that the town hasnt had a murder in seven years and then a Hello? at the other end of the line jars him back to business and then he hangs up the receiver and sets the phone back on the desk All this has taken us to page 3. Now we learn that he warned the woman that he might be late because his department has only two patrol cars and both are out with other drivers so he goes to the cafe and gets the Sheriff to drive him to the dump and on the way he thinks about how the dump originated and what the town was like in the 1800s and then they get to the dump where the two men exchange introductions with the boys who found the body and then, finally, on page 8, we see the body. Mysteries can open in various ways. Established authors like Elizabeth George and Sara Paretsky can afford to begin with descriptions of weather and the thoughts of their characters because their readers are confident they are entering a fictional world that has entertained them in the past. First-time authors have to work harder at drawing the reader in with the first paragraph. The body does not have to appear in Chapter One, but if you decide to put it there, get on with it! Consider this opening paragraph: The bodies were discovered at eight forty-five on the morning of Wednesday 18 September by Miss Emily Wharton, a sixty-five-year-old spinster of the parish of St. Mathhews in Paddington, London and Darren Wilkes, aged ten, of no particular parish as far as he knew or cared. P.D. James, A Taste for Death. Like Author X, James delays our first look at the bodies until several pages later. We dont see them until page 9. But where Author X rambles about, talking about this and that, throwing in lengthy conversation and irrelevant detail, James uses the intervening pages to build suspense and horror in the reader. The existence of the bodies is established in the first sentence, but then James makes us wait as she reveals the relationship between the woman and the boy. The more we know about them, the more we want to know what kind of circumstances could have led them to discover dead bodies. When we finally do see the bodies, our horror is greater because we see them through gentle Miss Whartons eyes. The main problem with Author Xs story is that he was too eager to publish. He was not willing to do the revision necessary to turn a draft into a (professionally) publishable manuscript. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to Capitalize Animal and Plant NamesIs There a Reason â€Å"the Reason Why† Is Considered Wrong?Ulterior and Alterior

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Problems in teaching history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Problems in teaching history - Essay Example Consequently, the subject appears to be, not surprisingly, unloved by pupils. The given paper will discuss what is wrong with American history and why it appears to be false and really boring for students. Young people, who enter higher level institutions and start learning history there, usually become surprised, because many historical facts they were taught in school appear to be different. However, many people do not enter such establishments and many of those who do choose not to learn history. They do not want to continue learning it, because schools do not usually accept discussions and debates. Thus, the discipline is turned into gathering of logically disconnected uninteresting facts, while a lot of remarkable ones are missed because they are unlikable. In order not to explain to students the facts, which are not very pleasant for American citizens, instructors prefer to exclude them. Therefore, pupils do not know about real events and, as they usually omit negative ones, they call there past â€Å"good old days†. This automatically generates an opinion that America always acted properly, without any mistakes. Young people think that the United States is the best country in the world and other countries just envy and try to imitate its behavior. Believing that other countries are admiring the United States, young people become shocked, when something like the events of 9/11 happen. Suddenly, they got to know that many nations hate Americans, but can’t understand why, because did not learn real historical facts. The history is false and that is why it is uninteresting. James Loewen explains: The same things that make history false are what makes it boring. Many high school history teachers are teaching out of field. That is, they don’t have a degree in history or a related discipline. And they usually aren’t even interested in history. So they

Endangered Species Reseach Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Endangered Species Reseach - Research Paper Example Human processes such as clearing of forests, poaching, human settlement, building of infrastructure and agricultural expansion have destroyed natural habitats for plants and animals. Destroying natural habitats leads to the extinction of certain species of both plant and animal families (Pimentel, Westra, and Reed). Destroying natural habitats leads to the threat of more plant and animal species to be at risk of further extinction. This paper shall focus its argument on extinction of tigers caused by human processes, which threaten to endanger this species of the animal family. The paper shall discuss the need for human beings to act against extinction crisis facing the world. Human beings are the primary cause of the current mass extinction of species facing planet earth. Scientists predict that if current trends are to carry on, half of all species may become extinct in less than 100 years. Activities such as habitat destruction, climate change and pollution are significantly contr ibuting to this mass extinction. Only a few of the global population are aware of the current mass extinction. This poses a substantial problem to the raising of awareness of mass extinction. Tigers are among the most endangered species in the globe today. There were eight subspecies of tigers known in the world of which three have already become extinct. Tigers live in densely covered grasslands. This assists with their camouflage for prey. Three subspecies of tigers have become extinct: Bali tiger, Caspian tiger and Javan tiger (Burke 22). The remaining subspecies of tiger continue facing endangerment due to actions of human beings. From approximated 10,000 tigers in the world in 1900, tiger population has dropped to an estimated 4000-5000 in the globe. The ever increasing human population and industrial growth lead to competition for land and food between human beings and tigers. Due to the increasing population, human beings become forced to clear land for settlement and in turn destroy the natural habitat for tigers. Due to human encroachment and clearing of natural habitats, tigers become endangered since they become homeless (Burke 23). They get forced to wander into unfavorable habitats, which are not conducive for their survival. Human beings need to practice natural living. This ensures that habitats for plants and animals do not get destroyed to ensure the continued existence of different species (Thoreau 51). The existence of different species within a habitat promotes biodiversity and promotes natural beauty of the environment. It enhances the natural balance between ecosystems promoting healthier lives between living organisms in the ecosystem. Global climate change has contributed to species endangerment and extinction. Climate change has led to destroyed habitats for animal and plant species. Climate change has largely been caused by environmental pollution. Industrial revolution by human beings has largely contributed to environmental pollutio n. Carbon dioxide released by industries into the air contributes to climate change. Climate change affects weather patterns, and this affects habitat growth (Zebrowski 106). Grasslands and forests are prime habitats for plant and animal species. When the natural habitats for species become destroyed, species become homeless and are at risk of getting killed as human encroachment also proceeds. There is the need for habitat protection and creation of reserves

Friday, October 18, 2019

Diamond Wipes International Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Diamond Wipes International - Essay Example The company has an annual revenue of around fifteen million dollars and employs over 100 people now. Yen had no former experience as a business owner or as a manager but she managed to pursue her enterprise to come to the top. Diamond Wipes International was featured in Fortune Small Business as well as other prestigious business avenues. The journey has not always been smooth for Eve Yen given she had little management and business experience when she started out (Longnecker, Petty and Palich). This case study will look into various choices made by Eve Yen in context of her company’s management and business choices to decipher their success. Recommendations will be provided for areas where improvements could be done. What leadership style did Eve Yen use with her employees? Describe her actions that support your choice. Eve Yen can be seen largely as a democratic and an affiliative leader in most of her actions. Eve’s respect for other people’s opinions especial ly her employees opinions before making large decisions reflects that she acts as a democratic leader. In addition, Eve’s close relationship to her employees and her sensitivity towards her employees shows that she is an affiliative leader (Longnecker, Petty and Palich). What aspects of Eve’s leadership approach directly or indirectly affected the problems that developed? Clearly explain the connections between Eve’s behaviors and the resulting problems. A business leader must wear many hats at the same time in terms of being a leader. Among other leadership styles, the leader must be authoritative where required. This does not mean that the leader must be authoritative at all times but it does indicate that the leader must act authoritatively where he feels it is required. The lack of management experience meant that Eve Yen acted too personally with her employees in terms of leadership style. This meant that employees saw her as a weak character whose instruct ions and set objectives could be ignored (Lerner). In addition, Eve’s lack of character judgment meant that she hired the wrong people for the right positions. As a consequence of this bad decision making, the company lost money as the newly hired people failed to perform their duties as per the settled objectives and provided instructions. Another major shortcoming on the part of Eve Yen as a leader was her lack of consideration for short term and long term objectives. A good leader must have the ability to stand above everyone else and see beyond the horizon. Only this can allow a business leader to guide his team in the right direction. However, Even Yen failed to look beyond everyone else and faced numerous challenges as her organization was expanding. Being a leader, Eve Yen should have speculated what was required to expand especially for a rapidly expanding company like Diamond Wipes International. Explain why entrepreneurs in general have difficulty being effective or ganizational managers. How does Eve Yen reflect these characteristics? As mentioned before, an entrepreneur must wear many different hats at the same time in order to be an effective leader. Most entrepreneurs wear one leadership style that suits them and then try to make employees attune themselves to that leadership style. However, individuals working for an organization differ in their thinking and approach to work. The business leader must be ready to deal with differentiated individuals by being a wholesome leader for all employees. In order to deal with this dilemma, the business leader has to be prepared to work as a dynamic leader who keeps shifting his leadership style as the situation requires of him. Ineffective organiza

Malware and computer system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Malware and computer system - Essay Example Malware is every computer owner nightmare due to the known effects that come with them. The name malware which owe its derivation from the two names malicious and software has universally been used to refer to these softwares. This malicious software can be thought of us a program that is specifically created by someone who intendeds to disrupts normal operation of the computer. Some of these malware are intended to gather sensitive information from the computer or with the intention of accessing the private computer system. The history of these computer malware date back to as early as 1986 when the first computer malware was made for PC by the two Pakistani brothers. Since then there has been so many advances as far as the malware are concerned from the then window malware which had the mail worms and the macro worms. Later there was the network warms that came through the internet then finally new malware like the rootkit and ransomware were to be found in the computer systems in the later years. Today malware include the computer viruses, ransomware, worms, rootkit, keyloggers, dialers, spyware, adware, malicious BHOs and Trojan horses (Skoudis & Zeltser, 2004). Body of the Report During the last twenty four hours our computer experts have be up to task due to the so many computer malware that have been detected and has thus given us a hell of trouble as far as the function ability of the computers systems are concerned. To begin with our experts have had to deal with the menace of computer virus, computer worms, rootkits and ransomware, spyware and backdoor malwares (Christodorescu, 2006). Computer virus During the last twenty four hours one of the malware that has really given our Information Technology experts a lot of headache is the computer virus. A computer virus can be said to be a malware that harms the computer by spreading within the infected files and this has to be with the aid of other software since it is only during the time of program execution when the code is executed. Specifically our computer system was under attack by the so called Randex which is a computer virus that falls under the memory resident virus affected all the file that were being opened by the user of the computer. It was so hard to deal with this virus since it was specifically located in the RAM of the computer. The computer user subsequently lost control of the system memory to this virus that then was later responsible for the corruption of the many programs that the user was trying to open. In most case the virus not only closed programs that had already opened but also made multiples of copies for the files in the memory and even renamed most of the files thus grounding the user as far as the use of the computer is concerned. Computer worms Secondly, our experts had so much difficulty in dealing with the computer worms that were detected in the computer system. Computer worms can be thought of as the malware that act independently and thus must not attach itself to computer software in order to affect a file. Most of these worms work by