Islam and terrorism

Islam and terrorism INTRODUCTION When the terrorists attacked the United States on the morning of September 11, 2001, they set in motion a sequence of events that demonstrated unequivocally the power and influence ofterrorism. Less than two hours of unimaginable violence by nineteen terrorists led to repercussions felt around the world. Beyond the death and destruction that the terrorists caused more than 3,000 people were killed in the suicide attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. They also inflicted a deep psychological wound upon United States and the rest of the world.[1] Although the United States had experienced major terrorist attacks on its soil in the past, including the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center and the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, the September 11 attacks were beyond most peoples worst nightmare. Hijacked planes crashing into U.S. landmarks and live television coverage of the twin towers of the World Trade Center collapsing images that will likely be etched in ones mind forever. The tragedy of September 11, 2001, has revealed the roots of deep planetary contradictions that threaten the world community and indeed life itself on planet Earth. This act of unprecedented terror against thousands of innocent people ought, at last, to start humanity thinking about the stark incompatibility of modern achievements in the areas of scientific knowledge, human rights, and the establishment of human moral standards with ideological, nationalistic, or religiousfanaticism in any form. Lately, most of the terrorismseems to be about Islam, and it all seems to be the same. By all accounts the specter of jihadism looms large. Even if we suspend the belief for a moment and simply cast aside all those terrorist groups that clearly have nothing at all to do with the Islamic religionthe Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, the FARC in Colombia and the IRA in Ireland (to name but a few)we are still left with a slew of seemingly similar groups all motivated by and distorting Islam to suit their own ends[2]. The anatomy of propaganda The document found in a suitcase belonging to leading September 11, 2001, terrorist Muhammed Atta further strengthens this belief. The suitcase document is reproduced below and analysed in the ensuing paragraph: Pray during the previous night. Remember God frequently and with complete serenity. Visualize how you will respond if you get into trouble. Read verses of the Quran into your hands and rub them over your luggage, knife, and all your papers. Check your weapons, perform ablution before you leave your apartment, and remember God constantly while riding to the airport. Take courage and remember the rewards which God has promised for the martyrs. [3] The suitcase document is remarkable for four reasons. First, it embodies a classic ascetical strategy for applying formulaic principles to intended actions. Second, it shares much in common with repetitive techniques for self-hypnosis. Third, it bears a striking resemblance to mainstream traditions such as Catholicism in ascetical manuals like The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola or The Rule of St. Benedict that says, keep death daily before ones eyes. Whether or not such manuals threaten human freedom depends, of course, on the various contexts in which they have been presented. If in the wrong hands they can function as formulas and meditations both for indoctrination and for fighting holy wars. Fourth, the document from the suitcase directly connectsreligiousformulas and meditations with intentions to perpetrate mass murder. Practical checklists of objectives, terrifying in magnitude, are interwoven withreligiousstatements and then repeated and applied as mantras of s elf-indoctrination. Religion The Terrorists Best Weapon Whileterrorism even in the form of suicide attacks is not an Islamic phenomenon by definition, it cannot be ignored that the lions share of terrorist acts and the most devastating of them in recent years have been perpetrated in the name of Islam. This fact has sparked a fundamental debate both in the West and within the Muslim world regarding the link between these acts and the teachings of Islam. Most Western analysts are hesitant to identify such acts with the bona fide teachings of one of the worlds great religions and prefer to view them as a perversion of a religion that is essentially peace-loving and tolerant. Western leaders such as George W. Bush and Tony Blair have reiterated time and again that the war againstterrorismhas nothing to do with Islam. It is a war against evil[4]. Modern International Islamistterrorismis a natural offshoot of twentieth-century Islamic fundamentalism. The Islamic Movement emerged in the Arab world and British-ruled India as a response to the dismal state of Muslim society in those countries: social injustice, rejection of traditional mores, acceptance of foreign domination and culture. It perceives the malaise of modern Muslim societies as having strayed from the straight path (as-sirat al-mustaqim) and the solution to all ills in a return to the original mores of Islam. The problems addressed may be social or political: inequality, corruption, and oppression. But in traditional Islamand certainly in the worldview of the Islamic fundamentalistthere is no separation between the political and thereligious. Islam is, in essence, both religion and regime (din wa-dawla) and no area of human activity is outside its remit. Be the nature of the problem as it may, Islam is the solution.[5] The role of religion of Islam needs closer examination since the majority of terrorists of contemporary times are practising the religion of Islam. One of the enduring questions is what religion of Islam has to do with this. Put simply, does religion of Islam cause terrorism? Could these violent acts be the fault of religion-the result of a dark strain of religious thinking that leads to absolutism and violence? Is religion the problem or the victim? When one looks outside ones faith it is easier to blame religion. In the current climate of Muslim political violence, a significant sector of the American and European public assumes that Islam is part of the problem. The implication of this point of view is the unfortunate notion that the whole of Islam has supported acts of terrorism. Most Muslims refused to believe that fellow members of their faith could have been responsible for anything as atrocious as they September 11 attacks-and hence the popular conspiracy theory in the Muslim world that somehow Israeli secret police had plotted the terrible deed. Recently, however, Islam and fundamentalism are tied together so frequently in public conversation that the term has become a way of condemning all of Islam as a deviant branch of religion. But even in this case the use of the term fundamentalism allows for the defenders of other religions to take comfort in the notion that their kind of non-fundamentalist religion is exempt from violence or other extreme forms of public behaviour.[6] CHAPTER II METHODOLOGY Statement of Problem Terrorism has been a persistent feature of warfare and the international security environment for centuries. The magnitude and impact of terrorism has not remained consistent but rather has ebbed and flowed over the course of time. Today terrorism has emerged as one of the most significant international and regional security issues. The terror attacks of Sep 11 have brought about a lasting change in the way contemporary society perceives the religion of Islam. The perception of the people all across the globe has been that Islam is source of violence. Scope Islam is a vast religion and consists of various facets. The dissertation would aim to study the historical perspective of terrorism, conceptualise terrorism and then determine how religion is used as a motivator for terrorism before studying the Quranic interpretations associated with the violence and finally aim to answer the question Is there a link between Terrorism and Islam. The scope does not cover the causes and motivators of terrorism like cultural conflict, globalisation, and economic disparity e.t.c. but is limited to investigate the general belief that Islam is associated with the terrorism. Methods of Data Collection Data for this research has been collected from the following sources: Books, journals, periodicals and studies on the subject. Authenticated information from selected web sites. A bibliography of the books, periodicals and web sites referred to is appended at the end of text. Organisation Of The Dissertation Topic is intended to be dealt in the sequence enumerated below: Introduction Methodology The Genesis of Terrorism A historical perspective. Conceptualising terrorism Definitions. How religion is used as a motivator for terrorism. Interpretations of Quran and Terrorism. Conclusion Is there a link between Islam and terrorism? CHAPTER III THE GENESIS OF TERRORISM A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE Introduction The terrorism is as old as the human civilization. Although the use of violence has been integral to the human beings in the entire process of evolution. Zealots of Judea. The earliest known organization that exhibited aspects of a modern terrorist organization was the Zealots of Judea. Known to the Romans as sicarii, or dagger-men, they carried on an underground campaign of assassination of Roman occupation forces, as well as any Jews they felt had collaborated with the Romans. Eventually, the Zealot revolt became open, and they were finally besieged and committed mass suicide at Masada fortress. The Assassins. The Assassins were the next group to show recognisable characteristics of terrorism, as we know it today. A breakaway faction of Shia Islam called the Nizari Ismalis adopted the tactic of assassination of enemy leaders because the cults limited manpower prevented open combat. Their leader, Hassam-I Sabbah, based the cult in the mountains of Northern Iran. Their tactic of sending a lone assassin to successfully kill a key enemy leader at the certain sacrifice of his own life (the killers waited next to their victims to be killed or captured) inspired fearful awe in their enemies. The Zealots of Judea and the Assassins were forerunners of modern terrorists in aspects of motivation, organisation, targeting, and goals. Although both were ultimate failures, the fact that they are remembered hundreds of years later, demonstrates the deep psychological impact they caused. The period between 14th and 18th century was of relative calm. From the time of the Assassins (late 13th century) to the1700s, terror and barbarism were widely used in warfare and conflict, but key ingredients for terrorism were lacking. Until the rise of the modern nation state after the Treaty of Westphalia[8] in 1648, the sort of central authority and cohesive society that terrorism attempts to influence barely existed. Communications were inadequate and controlled, and the causes that might inspire terrorism (religious schism, insurrection, ethnic strife) typically led to open warfare. By the time kingdoms and principalities became nations, they had sufficient means to enforce their authority and suppress activities such as terrorism. The French Revolution. The French Revolution provided the first uses of the words Terrorist and Terrorism. Use of the word terrorism began in 1795 in reference to the Reign of Terror initiated by the Revolutionary government. The agents of the Committee of Public Safety and the National Convention that enforced the policies of The Terror were referred to as Terrorists. The French Revolution provided an example to future states in oppressing their populations. It also inspired a reaction by royalists and other opponents of the Revolution who employed terrorist tactics such as assassination and intimidation in resistance to the Revolutionary agents. The Parisian mobs played a critical role at key points before, during, and after the Revolution. Such extra-legal activities as killing prominent officials and aristocrats in gruesome spectacles started long before the guillotine was first used. The 19th Century Narodnya Volya. The terrorist group from this period that serves as a model in many ways for what was to come was the Russian Narodnya Volya (Peoples Will). They differed in some ways from modern terrorists, especially in that they would sometimes call off attacks that might endanger individuals other than their intended target. Other than this, they showed many of the traits of terrorism for the first time. These traits included clandestine tactics, cellular organisation, impatience and inability for the task of organising the constituents they claim to represent and a tendency to increase the level of violence as pressures on the group mount. Internationalisation of Terrorism Modern Terrorism. The age of modern terrorism might be said to have begun in 1968 when the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) hijacked an El Al airliner en route from Tel Aviv to Rome. While hijackings of airliners had occurred before, this was the first time that the nationality of the carrier (Israeli) and its symbolic value was a specific operational aim. Also a first was the deliberate use of the passengers as hostages for demands made publicly against the Israeli government. The combination of these unique events, added to the international scope of the operation, gained significant media attention. The founder of PFLP, Dr. George Habash observed that the level of coverage was tremendously greater than battles with Israeli soldiers in their previous area of operations. At least the world is talking about us now.[9] Cooperation. Another aspect of this internationalisation is the cooperation between extremist organizations in conducting terrorist operations. Cooperative training between Palestinian groups and European radicals started as early as 1970, and joint operations between the PFLP and the Japanese Red Army (JRA) began in 1974. Since then international terrorist cooperation in training, operations, and support has continued to grow, and continues to this day. Motives range from the ideological, such as the 1980s alliance of the Western European Marxist-oriented groups, to financial, as when the IRA exported its expertise in bomb making as far afield as Colombia. Current State of Terrorism The roots of todays terrorism began to grow in 1990s. The largest act of international terrorism occurred on September 11, 2001 in set of coordinated attacks on the United States of America where Islamic terrorists hijacked civilian airliners and used them to attack the World Trade Center towers in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, DC. After September 11, it is very easy to be nostalgic about the 1990s. In fact, the post Cold War decade was a very chaotic period. Americans were absorbed by domestic issues and lulled by the fact that the Cold War was over[10]. Summary There were two great forces at work through the 1990s. First, there were the forces of integration, including global economic growth, cross-border development, the communications revolution and the spreading of democracy. The power of these forces was captured in the popular phrase, The End of History. Thats what seemed to be happening after the fall of the Berlin Wall and all of the other great events that were affecting world history. But there was also a second set of equally powerful forces-the forces of disintegration-including religious and ethnic conflict, an ever-widening North-South gap, religious fundamentalism (Islamic and otherwise) and terrorism. The power of these forces was captured in the phrase, the Clash of Civilizations. While I disagree with the ultimate conclusion of Samuel Huntington, the author of that phrase, that the clash is inevitable, Huntingtons words nonetheless capture the import of the forces that were producing post-Cold War conflicts. CHAPTER IV CONCEPTUALISING TERRORISM A few terms that are important to the study of violence in Islam are: terrorism, religious terrorism and Islamic terrorism. A discussion of these terms will permit a comprehensive analysis on the way in which the use of violence sanctioned by the Quran and its interpretations amounts to Islamic terrorism. Terrorism Terrorism is a non-political act of aggression in which the extent of violence used is outside the realm of normative behavior[11]. Terrorists use or threaten to use this violence against combatants and non-combatants to achieve political, social, economical or religious change within a given community. These reforms appeal to the terrorists and do not represent popular opinion of the society from which terrorism arises and terrorists are no respecters of borders[12]. Thus Omar Abdullah, the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir says that there are no well defined or internationally accepted criteria to designate an organization as terrorist. However the UN Security Council has, on occasion, adopted resolutions putting in place specific sanctions and measures against individual countries orcertain terrorist organizations[13]. According to Kofi Annan the Ex Secretary General of the United Nations, the manifestations of terrorism are limitless. The only common denominator among different variants of terrorism is the calculated use of deadly violence against civilians[14]. Terrorists are those who violate the right to life, liberty and security[15] vested in each civilian by the UNs Universal Declaration of Human Rights Resolution: 217 A (III). Thus the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) of the United Kingdom defines terrorism as a movement in which terrorists directly challenge the authority of democratically elected governments to manage their countrys affairs peacefully, according to the rule of law and internationally accepted fundamentals of human rights[16], to satisfy their own liking. Religious Terrorism Religious terrorism occurs when the use of terrorism is systematized by an ideological and fanatical interpretation of a religious text. Religious terrorist groups functioning in the absence of this pretext, create junk terrorism[17]. According to Charles Kimball, religious terrorism functions on the basis of five essential principles. These are: means justify the end, holy war, blind obedience, absolute truth claims and the ideal times. Kimball explains that truth claims are essential points in a religion at which divergent interpretations arise[18]. Extreme interpretations of truth claims provoke the ideology upon which religious terrorism is based. However the authentic religious truth claims are never as inflexible and exclusive as zealous adherents insist[19]. The staunch truth claims professed by religious terrorists, allow them to use religious structures and doctrinesalmost like weapons[20] for their movement. In the process, religious convictions that become locked into absolute truths can easily lead people to see themselves as Gods agents. People so emboldened are capable of violent and destructive behaviour in the name of religion[21]. This conviction creates fanatical interpretations and ideologies that give rise to religious terrorism. Nancy Connors Biggos[22], states that foreign observers are unfamiliar with the extreme interpretations of religious terrorists. Thus scholars often dismiss the rhetoric of religious terrorism as one that is devoid of any strategic motivation. This creates a dearth of quantifiable data that can be used to assess religious terrorism. However Biggo explains that the lack of understanding or data cannot dismiss the fact that religious terrorism is systematized by extreme interpretations of a religious text. Therefore Wener Ruf, states, where God was pronounced dead all notions of morality have been turned into nihilism[23]. Islamic Terrorism Islamic terrorism is a movement in which the violence caused by terrorism is derived from and used to preserve extreme interpretations of the Quran, in an Islamic community. An in-depth discussion of the how Islamic terrorism is invoked from the Quran, will be discussed in a separate chapter. However, preliminarily speaking Islamic terrorism exists where there is a controversy over sacred space[24]or a Kuranic tenet has been violated. Participants of this movement call for unquestioned devotion and blind obedience[25] to the word of God in order to ameliorate un-Islamic conditions. Islamic terrorism is itself a controversial phrase, although its usage is widespread throughout the English-speaking world. Ordinary Muslims who have nothing to do with terrorism find it reprehensible because it forces upon them a label simply because they, too, are believers of Islam. In fact, the common Muslim believes that you are making him a racial hate target by using the word Islam with terrorism. Bernard Lewisbelieves that the phrase Islamic terrorism is apt, because although Islam, as a religion is not particularly conducive to terrorism or even tolerant of terrorism. In his own words: Islam has had an essentially political character from its very foundation to the present day. An intimate association between religion and politics, between power and cult, marks a principal distinction between Islam and other religions. In traditional Islam and therefore also in resurgent fundamentalist Islam, God is the sole source of sovereignty. God is the head of the state. The state is Gods state. The army is Gods army. The treasury is Gods treasury, and the enemy, of course, is Gods enemy. CHAPTER V RELIGION AS A MOTIVATOR FOR TERRORISM The overwhelming problem in the world today, everyone knows, is terrorism, where people in the name of religion kill each other, kill others just to go to heaven, and thinking only they will go to heaven. . Introduction. The dynamics whereby religion becomes a motivator for terrorism is complex but highly understandable. What terrorists groups using this dynamic have begun to understand is that most ordinary citizens are not highly interested in politics nor dedicated to working for social change. Many ordinary citizens are however interested in religion as it relates to their personal lives and morals and because of this they can be emotionally manipulated when they learn of social injustices particularly if they view them through the lens of religious rhetoric. This is specifically true in todays world of instantaneous news coverage where it is possible to whip up political and religious outrage over events that are seen to be bordering on religious threshold. This is certainly true in the case of al Qaeda and its loosely affiliated groups within what is now commonly referred to as the global salafi jihadist movement[26]. Religious Brainwash. Following the Afghan war in which Islamic peoples from many nations came together to successfully throw out the Russian infidel, Osama bin Laden and similar groups have successfully managed to continue to widen their global appeal by showcasing social injustices against Muslims. This helps to create within a wide group of otherwise less connected Muslim ethnic groups identification with the victims and with each other as a caring and responsive community for their Muslim brothers. Typically, these groups make use of the human rights abuses occurring within the Israeli/Palestinian and Russian/Chechen conflicts and now also include the occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The making of a Terrorist. While instantaneous and repetitive satellite coverage of worldwide events is enough to show injustices and to even create identification with victims sharing similar ethnic or religious backgrounds it is not sufficiently enough to fuel terrorism. However, with the addition of religious rhetoric it is transformed into a potent mix. This transformation is achieved via the following means:- Great Moral Wrong. First the event is presented as a great moral wrong, a threat to religious morality or purity and as one that must be corrected. The message, which is crafted for unhappy persons, social outcasts or those who are already suffering from religious guilt, is framed as one of good and evil and the listener is admonished to be on the side of good. Mind of God. The second tactic in which religion is used to motivate terrorism is convincing the person that it is possible to know the mind of God. For this purpose scriptures are used, and misused, to clearly identify the social wrongs as evil, immoral or impure. Once identified as threats to morality, this tactic is used to take it a step further with additional scriptures that are used to justify violence in order to destroy the evil. In this way religion is co-opted as the means to morally justify violence in the pursuit of social change. While the world debated about the first strike in the Iraq War (to be carried out by the U.S., Great Britain and their coalition forces), moralists all over the world debated about the doctrine of just wars, thereby holding forth about the mind of God on these matters. Overcoming Guilt. Thirdly, because nearly all religions hold human life as sacred and forbid murder the scriptures are used to break down these prohibitions against taking innocent human lives. Islamic rhetoric for example refers to the infidels, nonbelievers, defiled, impure, outsiders, and sinners. In this manner the intended terrorist act in ways that take innocent human lives without suffering guilt for having done so. Common Cause Fourthly, by using religion as a motivator the terrorist group creates a sense of cohesion and belonging to a higher cause. They prey upon individuals who are alienated and disenfranchised. When these individuals find a cause to belong to, especially when it espouses religious rhetoric of brotherhood, love and hope for the future life they can become powerfully motivated to act in behalf of the group simply for the sense of identity.[27] Heroic Martyrdom. The One of the ultimate uses of religion to motivate terrorism is to hold forth a view of the afterlife, promising rewards in the hereafter for sacrificing oneself in the here and now. This is a particularly potent tactic used with those who feel guilty about their actions in this life and uncertain of their standing with God, and with those marginal members of society who suddenly find themselves centered in a group with a purpose. The Muslim interpretation of afterlife while dying for jihad states that the Prophet will be waiting to welcome the martyr with thousands of virgins lined up for his pleasure. Referring to afterlife one martyr also states, I will have God welcome me with open arms. I will be a true hero in the sky.[28] Between the two recent wars in Chechnya (1994-96 and 1999) similar means were used to convince vulnerable Chechen individuals to sign on the new Chechen jihad which began making use of suicide terrorism in 2000. During this time period terrorist sponsored schools used were opened in the capital Grozny which recruited young boys and girls who lost their fathers in the Russian/Chechen conflicts promising their widowed mothers a good education for their sons and daughters. Unknown to their families these vulnerable young students were indoctrinated into militant Islamic ideas foreign to Chechen experiences of Sufi Islam and some became convinced that the price of belonging to higher glory is to be willing to sacrifice oneself for the group. In the words of a hostage who conversed with one of the Chechen terrorists :- He explained to me that while his greatest dream was to continue his education and go to university and that while he wished to live, even more important for him was to die a martyr. He had become totally convinced that martyrdom was his highest calling in life.[29] Conclusion. Religion has always been used as a means of constructing social justice, expiating wrongdoing or sins, and of modulating emotional states. These means however can also be used to manipulate vulnerable individuals into taking social actions that they might otherwise never have considered or consented to take part in. For instance a colleague in Chechnya reports that the children who attended terrorist based schools were taught to rock and chant repeating Koranic verses that invoke jihad, ideas that their masters consider important to instil. This practice can easily make use of inducing a suggestive hypnotic state; a light trance in which susceptible children who have already reason to want to avenge a murdered parent might be induced to do so. People interacting with such persons mentioned that these young terrorists were brainwashed, rocking, singing and praying often, and readily embracing death.[30] CHAPTER VI QURANIC INTERPRETATIONS AND TERRORISM Approximately fourteen hundred years ago, Prophet Muhammad, the last in the line of the prophets of Islam, received revelation from God known as the Quran, which is the Final Testament. He came with a message of peace and reconciliation, mercy and compassion. Yet, ever since the beginning of the call of Islam, its image and that of Muslims has been subject to distortion, misconceptions, and misinterpretations. This chapter aims at establishing the link between Quran and the distortions in its interpretation which has manifested itself in the form of jihad or the holy-war. Quran and Sanction of Violence The Quran permits violence as an act of defence waged to protect the Shariat in an Islamic community. The Shariat can be explained as a system of ordinances outlined in the Quran and Hadis[31] through which God lays down for mankind the rules of conduct[32]. The Shariat is the guidance for all walks of life individual and social, material and moral, economic and political, legal and cultural, national and international[33]. Muslims are advised to closely follow the Shariat to acquire the well being that God has envisioned for the Islamic community. Preservation of the Shariat is an obligation of every able-bodied individual[34]. Oppression, despotism, injustice and criminal abuse of power[35] of the Shariat by Muslims or non-Muslims[36], must be punished. Quran and Jihad The Quran identifies three main kinds of Jihad that can be used for the punishment of oppression and injustice. These are: internal[37], external[38] and inter-communal[39]. The Quran permits the use of violence as an optional method for all three forms of Jihad but it limits the use of violence in internal[40] and external Jihad. It expands on its doctrine of Jihad and violence, mainly in the context of inter-communal conflicts. In these cases, Muslims can individually determine the nature and extent of Jihad based on the freedom of interpretations, and the geopolitical conditions in which the conflict arises. However the most essential prerequisite in the Qurans discourse on violence is that, force should be used only when the Shariat has been violated and needs to be persevered as the very

Science in Shelleys Frankenstein :: Frankenstein Essays

Science in Shelley's Frankenstein    In Shelley's Frankenstein, it's interesting to use the text to ask the question, whose interest's lie at the heart of science?   Why is Victor Frankenstein motivated to plunge the questions that bringing life to inanimate matter can bring?   Victor Frankenstein's life was destroyed because of an obsession with the power to create life where none had been before.   The monster he created could be seen as a representation of all those who are wronged in the selfish name of science.   We can use Shelley's book to draw parallels in our modern society, and show that there is a danger in the impersonal relationship that science creates between the scientist and his work.   It seems to me that Shelley was saying that when science is done merely on the basis of discovery without thought to the affect that the experimentation can have, we risk endangering everything we hold dear.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When describing the monster he had created, Frankenstein says: No mortal could support the horror of that countenance.   A mummy again endued with animation could not be so hideous as that wretch.   I had gazed on him while unfinished; he was ugly then; but when those muscles and joints were rendered capable of motion, it became a thing such as even Dante could not have conceived. (Shelley, 235)    This was Victor's response to the reaching out of the monster towards Victor on the night of his creation.   Victor, who for months had worked on this creation, was suddenly confronted with the results of his scientific pursuit.   He had labored night and day in an effort to do something that had never been done by man before.   He had figured out the scientific way to bring life to that which was dead, so he blindly went forth and did it.   He never really stopped to think what the consequences of his action might be.   He knows that the creature he is making is ugly, but he never wonders what will happen to the creature after he is brought to life as a result of that ugliness.   The monster is made oversized so it's easier for Victor to work on him, yet no thought is taken about how the creature might feel about such a form.

Ghale Gaun

The marvelous village of the Ghales lies in the west of Nepal. Ghale gaon, known for its culture , natural beauty and hospitality is an old village resided only by the Ghale tribe. The village is one of the famous places under domestic tourism. It is situated in the cold mountains of Lumjunj. The weather is cold throughout the year. It observes heavy snow-fall during the winters and chilling winds in summers. Ghale gaon is endowed by one of Nepal’s pristine natural and cultural beauty. There are two ways by which you can reach Ghale gaon. The first one is via motorized road from Kathmandu to Besisahar and then 5-6 hours of laborious walk from Besisahar up to Ghale gaon. The second one has the same route as the previous up to Besisahar ,but instead of going by foot you can also go by 2-3 hours of ride in a jeep that are available there. As soon as you reach your destination, the scenic extravaganza of Himalayas – Manslu, Fishtail, Annapurna and Kanchenjunga catches your eyes as it reflects the sunlight making it look even more beautiful. City dwellers might feel that they have reached somewhere unreal as abundant green trees envelops the area. The old and traditional houses that are scattered throughout the village make the environment more welcoming. As you stand in front of the gate contemplating about the charisma of the village you are warmly welcomed by the oldest member of the village (usually women) in their traditional Ghale style – white rice tika and a spruce leaf. The reason Ghale gaon is known for its hospitality is because there are no hotels or lodges; instead there is a provision of living in the houses of the residents there. There are around 45 houses, each owned by a family, where they have a provision of making you a temporary member of their family. You are given the same food, support and love that the other member of the family gets. In fact you will get your own bedroom under their roof! The family members are so friendly that when you speak the very first time with them, you’ll feel that you have known them for ages. As you keep on exploring the hamlet, you’ll find out there are no motorized oads within the village, but small narrow paths that connects all the houses of the village. The most fascinating infrastructure of Ghale gaon is their small yet important auditorium. As Ghale gaon is genuinely known for its unique culture and tradition the auditorium is used to exhibit their traditions and culture with the visitors. One of their festival is called â€Å"Krishna Charitra Nach† where they dance in the celebration of their first born baby boy. This shows their biased attitud e towards males than females. Oher festivals include Loshar, Dashain and Buddha Jayanti. Unlike the people of other parts of Nepal who celebrate Dashain by putting on red rice tika(Akshyata) and jamara , the ghale put on white tika and a spruce leaf. This shows how exclusive their tradition is. In spite of being a successful domestic tourism center, it has failed to retain the youths of the hamlet to leave the village for out of country or out of village settlements. Those whose remain in the hamlet are usually old men and women and few underage children. If they were able to restrain the youths going outside, they might have undergone further development in tourism sector. It has been found that most of the youths have gone out in the name of education buy have not return. In my opinion, one can learn a lot by exploring the lifestyles, traditions and culture of the Ghale tribe. In spite of having few drawbacks, it has a very dominating effect on domestic tourism. If you don’t believe be just take a break from your office or school, collect some friends and be ready to call on the Ghales. Once you’re there, you fall in love with the gaon for sure.

L 18 - Presentation Skills (1) Essays - Attitude Change, Free Essays

L 18 - Presentation Skills (1) Essays - Attitude Change, Free Essays L 18 - Presentation Skills (1) In academic culture, you need to express your views clearly on different issues relating to your subject area. These views are often based on a critical reading and evaluation of written texts. It is also important that you develop the language skills that will enable you to express your ideas most effectively. Preparing and planning a presentation There are a number of different situations in which you will need to communicate orally in English in your academic courses. The main situations are presentations, seminars and discussions. In some cases, you will give a short presentation about a topic in order to lead into a discussion. In other cases, you will present information or a summary of a text. In future situations, you may be giving a presentation based on your own work or research. Below is a list of suggestions you may find helpful. Stage 1: Find out what you need to do Make sure you know exactly what the topic is or, if you are choosing your own topic, what is expected of you. Check how long you have for the presentation. Think about your audience. How much are they likely to know about the topic? How much will you need to explain? If the presentation is being assessed, make sure you know what the criteria are. 491241730416500 Stage 2: Brainstorm ideas Task 1 - Arrange the following sentences in the correct order. ________ ________ ________ ________ Explain your ideas to a friend - this will help you to clarify them. Look at your list of ideas - what connections can you see between them? Are there particular ideas you could develop that would be of interest to your audience? Decide which ideas to use. Can each one be summarized in one sentence? If not, perhaps your ideas are not dear and specific enough. Make a list of anything you can think of related to your topic; you will not use all of these ideas, but will choose from them later. Stage 3: Do any necessary research Determine if there are any ideas about which you need to get more information. Gather any evidence you need to support your ideas, e.g., statistics. Think about how much information you can realistically convey to your audience. Keep your audience in mind, especially in relation to their level of relevant expertise. Stage 4: Organize your ideas Decide which point you should begin with. Think about how you can link one idea to the next. Do not include too much information - you want your audience to understand your key points clearly. Decide how you will begin and end your presentation. In the introduction you want to get the attention of the audience. The conclusion is the last part of your presentation, and probably what the audience will most remember. Prepare your PowerPoint slides or other visual aids. Remember: less is more '. Think of the key words you will use and check your pronunciation - there is nothing worse than listening to a presentation in which the presenter pronounces the title of the presentation incorrectly! Task 2 You are going to watch a youtube video entitled " What is a good academic presentation? " by ELC, PolyU . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ze3IiHsHuIA Take notes while you are watching and then complete the following blanks. Academic presentations What is the main difference between academic and secondary school presentations? Academic presentations include r_______________, which means you need to cite r_______________. Academic Style In academic style, you need to show authority and to establish that what you are talking about is r_______________, c_______________ and v_______________. Reference List You should choose references that are r_______________ and that also s_______________ your arguments p_______________. What are the two ways to cite your references? provide the reference in the s_______________ cite it o_______________ / v_______________, e.g. as John Chan points out in his article in 2010 Structure A good structure enables the a_______________ to follow the c_______________ very c_______________. Make sure each section of your presentation is o_______________ properly. What is Signposting? it is the outline at the beginning. it gives direction to where the presentation is leading. it is the use of citations.

September 11 essays

September 11 essays One day in a persons life is not supposed to change anything, but on September 11, 2001, the whole world changed. Now, people dont look through just one eye, they open both eyes and look through both, not knowing when a horrific event like this will happen again. I know that I will never be the same person that I was now that something so terrible happened. I know, the world wont be the same after something like this happening, and the people who did this to us wont be the same either because there will be a lot of changes for them in the long run. There are a few reasons why this time affected me and bothered me; one reason is that I knew two people who were victims of this horrible event. One of the men I knew lived on my block and I will never forget the first Christmas that we spent on the block. He came to our front door in a Santa Claus outfit and gave us presents, and since that day we would become great friends with their family. My brother became very good friends with his son. Once we found out that the boys father was missing, I was in shock and my family was in shock. We just couldnt believe that something like this would happen to him or any of the people that were there and in those two buildings. We spoke with the wife a couple times and tried to help out as much as we could, but we couldnt help bring her husband back and our good friend. Mr. McGinley will be remembered for always having a smile on his face and for always trying to make you laugh when you were down. He was the true meaning of an Americ an. The second man I knew was a father of one of the kids on the Freshman Football Team. I knew the boy only from school and some classes that I had with him. He is a great kid with a great personality, and nothing like this should have ever affected him and his family. I only met his Dad a couple times but both of the times that I met him, he was a real gentleman ...

How to Analyze a File Line By Line With Python

How to Analyze a File Line By Line With Python One of the primary reasons people use Python is for analyzing and manipulating text. If your program needs to work through a file, it is usually best to read in the file one line at a time for reasons of memory space and processing speed. This is best done with a while loop. Code Sample for Analyzing Text Line by Line fileIN open(sys.argv[1], r) line fileIN.readline() while line: [some bit of analysis here] line fileIN.readline() This code takes the first command line argument as the name of the file to be processed. The first line opens it and initiates a file object, fileIN. The second line then reads the first line of that file object and assigns it to a string variable, line. The while loop executes based on the constancy of line. When line changes, the loop restarts. This continues until there are no more lines of the file to be read. The program then exits. Reading the file in this way, the program does not bite off more data than it is set to process. It  processes the data it does input faster, giving its output incrementally. In this way, the memory footprint of the program is kept low, and the processing speed of the computer does not take a hit. This can be important if you are  writing a CGI script that may see a few hundred instances of itself running at a time.   More About While in Python The while loop statement repeatedly executes a target statement as long as the condition is true. The syntax of the while loop in Python is:   while expression: statement(s) The statement may be a single statement or a block of statements. All the statements indented by the same amount are considered to be part of the same code block. Indentation is how Python indicates groups of statements.

The Changing Global Economy ( ECON401 ) Assignment

The Changing Global Economy ( ECON401 ) - Assignment Example The firms which had failed in UK allowed their businesses to overextend through risk taking and excessive leverage, over dependence on risky product streams like derivatives or buy-to-let mortgages, poor decisions of management in respect of acquisitions, over reliance on wholesale funding. Unprecedented innovation and growth have been seen in the financial sector over the past two decades as new products and higher returns have been sought by the investors in the era of low interest rates. Banks also had an obligation to understand the risks to which they are exposed. The complexity of certain financial instruments and the interconnected developed global market often did not provide well understanding of the dangers involved with the banks, its investors and boards, central banks and regulators (HM Treasury, 2009). The risk models of banks were proved as flawed which was based on incomplete application of principles of finance. It was believed that risks had been widely distributed throughout the financial system by the method of securitization but it proved as mistaken and risks posed by global increase in leverage were under-estimated. The remuneration policies of banks have contributed to the riskiness of financial system as they focused too much on short term prof it. Market discipline also proved as an ineffective constraint on risk taking in financial markets (Independent Commission on Banking, 2011).There were certain deficiencies in the corporate governance of banking institutions. The board of banks failed to understand this and they got prone to the risk management processes of their firms. The senior management also did not question on the sustainability and nature of achieved higher returns. Many institutional shareholders were not able to monitor the effectiveness of senior management of banks nor did they challenge the decisions of board of bank. Generally, the banks and investors rely on the assessments of credit rating agency but