Understanding Terrorism Essay Example for Free

Understanding Terrorism Essay The word terrorism is derived from the word terror which means to instill fear or cowardice in someone. It also means to carry out acts that are considered inhuman with an aim of punishing or making life difficult and unbearable for the recipient of the terrorist acts. Terrorism is broad in its scope and it is for this reason that there has not been a specific definition for it. Even though there is yet to be a universally agreed definition of terrorism, there seems to be a unanimous agreement on the key components of terrorism. Some of these components include coercion and violence. Many studies have been conducted to unearth what causes terrorism, the tactics used by terrorists and targets for terrorist attacks. This discussion seeks to delve even further to find out what aspects drive terrorism (Lockyer. 2003). Objectives of Terrorist attacks There are a number of objectives with which terrorist attacks are committed. The main aim as already mentioned is to instill fear in the target party. Acts of terrorism are meant to make one afraid so that they do not continue with a particular state of affairs that may not be favorable to the attackers. Terrorism therefore is used to ensure that there is widespread fear (Lockyer. 2003). Terrorist attacks are also meant to create attention especially in the media so that the group responsible for the terrorist attacks can be recognized. Acts of terrorism are also carried out as a way of weakening; embarrassing and harassing the government through its security agencies by making it appear powerless and repressive. As a result, the government ends up overreacting and is thus subjected to public ridicule (Gus. 2009). Thornton, in his book, Terror as Weapon of Political Agitation, argues that one of the main objectives for terrorist attacks is to build morale within the terrorist group. Whenever they carry out the deadly attacks, the terrorists feel that their impact in the society is felt and this makes them feel significant within their organization. Terrorism groups also engage in their dubious activities as a way of provoking some form of response or feedback especially from the government. It is thus sometimes used as a way of making known the grievances of a particular group to the government (Bernard. 2007). Tactics Terrorist groups have a number of tactics they use in carrying out their activities. Their tactics are such that they are not easily suspected by the law enforcement agencies. Terrorism mainly comes as a result of unresolved conflict especially between the terrorist group and the government in power. The terrorist group therefore attempts by all means to frustrate any efforts by the government. This they do in a number of ways. Some of these tactics include religion fanaticism where people are sort of brainwashed to join certain religious groups which tend to control the manner in which people think and make their decisions. They therefore brainwash people into thinking that the government in power do not have their best interests at heart and this leads to rebellion against the government by the people (Lockyer. 2003). At times, terrorist groups can declare open opposition to the government of the day, as a tactic of carrying out their motives. For example, the very recent attack on the capital city of Uganda, Kampala, is said to be linked to Al Shabab who are opposed to the provision of peace keeping troops in Somalia. Other tactics include depriving the population of their basic economic needs so as to lead to a public outcry. At times, the terrorist groups can impose that there should be only a certain form of government as opposed to the form of government that currently governs a certain country. For example, in Somalia, the Al Shabaab group has been very opposed to the government of Somali and they have made several attempts to take over the government (Gus. 2009). Targets There are various targets that a terrorist group may have depending on their motives. It also depends on the ideologies and beliefs held by the group. For example, a terrorist group that is opposed to a certain religion will always target areas that are frequently visited by that group. If it is a multinational company that is at the center of controversy, then top officials may be targeted by the terrorist groups (Bernard. 2007). New Terrorism This term was coined after the September 11 2001 attacks which resulted to death of at least 3,000 people. Although there is not much that has changed in terms of tactics and objectives with the coming of new terrorism, it is believed that this new concept is more destructive than the former. This is because, while old terrorism aimed at creating attention and making known to the society that the group exists with as little damage as possible, new terrorism aims at creating destruction that is devastating and they will go to any measure to achieve their motives. This means that they objectives of terrorism have changed with coming in of new terrorism (Gus. 2009). Something else to note is that new terrorism is quite organized unlike old terrorism. New terrorism has a hierarchy of command and there are various ranks which move horizontally rather than vertically. New terrorism is also bended on religion more while old terrorism was bended on political ideologies. With several recent attacks being linked to the Al Qaeda group, these distinctions seem quite true. However, looking at the two concepts from a critical point of view, we note that indeed there is not much difference especially in terms of tactics and target. The new terrorism may seem to have changed the manner in which the dubious activities are carried out, but the underlying principles still remain the same (James. 2010). Role of the Media in Terrorism The media is a powerful tool of communication especially to the public. This is so because it is able to reach multitudes of people which other forms of communication may not be able to. For this reason, the media has for along time been used by terrorists to advance their propaganda and other terrorism activities. A good example is that of Osama Bin Laden who has always used the media to communicate the threat and hate messages by the Al Qaeda group (Gus. 2009). Due to the number of people the media is able to reach at any given time, the role played by the media either in stopping or encouraging terrorism is quite tremendous. The language used by the media for instance, when they are reporting on terrorism matters greatly. The words they choose will depend on how the audience of the news will react. A couple of studies have been carried out to establish the relationship that exists between the media and acts of terrorism. On more than one instance, the relationship between the media and terrorism has been described as a symbiotic one. This means that they depend on each other either wholly or partly and that none of the two is considered complete without the indulgence of the other. The symbiotic relationship exists in this manner that terrorist groups usually use the media to pass their message across to the target groups. On the other hand, when the media receives information from the terrorist groups it is treated as exciting as it will catch the attention of the public hence the media becomes popular (Bernard. 2007). Janny de Graff, in his book Violence as Communication, asserts that more often than not journalists tend to adopt the language of their sources. This means that whenever a journalist interviews a terrorist, there is a high possibility that the journalist will unknowingly pick the language of the terrorist. If then the journalist will use the same language to report to the public, there are high chances that such a report will result into a public uproar (James. 2010). Terrorism has major impacts on any given country. It is therefore important that governments of all countries guard jealously against terrorism to ensure that all their citizens are protected. Terrorism has seen great countries especially in the Middle East tumble down. It is not possible to overemphasize the importance of guarding any country against terrorism. It is one of the main ways of ensuring that a country does not fall apart References Adam, Lockyer. (2003). The relationship between media and terrorism, New York: Routlegde. Martin, G. (2009). Understanding Terrorism: Challenges, Perspectives, and Issues, New York: SAGE. Phillips, B. (2007). Understanding terrorism: building on the sociological imagination, New York: Paradigm Publishers. Poland, J. (2010). Understanding Terrorism: Groups, Strategies, and Responses. Washington: Prentice Hall.

Natural Product and Metabolomics

Natural Product and Metabolomics Mass Spectrometry is often become very useful comes into the final confirmation stage of a chemical structure. This is because by noting the fragmentation pattern and the total molecular mass of compound, researchers will be able to confirm the compound’s chemical formula, followed by confirming the chemical structure proposed based on previous instrumental analyses. Nowadays, Gas Chromatography and Liquid Chromatography are coupled with mass spectrometry in order for researchers to obtain the molecular mass right after the compounds are separated chromatographically. However, GC-MS are more often being used to study natural product compared to LC-MS because LC-MS doesn’t have its database constructed like GC-MS due to the extensive range of secondary metabolites and it is hardly reproducible. (Lee Yoon et al., 2013) Researchers can confirm the compound by matching the molecular mass obtained from GC-MS with the established database, while LC-MS users will have to refe r to the data provided by previous researchers on that particular field of study. There are a lot of journals regarding the studies of primary and secondary metabolites being published and a lot of researches will insert their sample for GC-MS experiment and then compared their compound’s fragmentation pattern and also molecular weight to the National Institute of Standards and Technology libraries, which will tells researchers the structure of their compounds, even if there are no exact matching, researches will at least have a rough idea on their structure. In the early 1990s, Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) was introduced to extract compounds from samples without the use of solvent; this method is later applied on samples before undergoing GC-MS process. This technique enables researchers to extract compounds from sample in a much simpler and cheaper way since it doesn’t include the use of solvent. SPME works by adsorbing compounds into its fibre coated absorbing phase from the sample, and then inserted into GC for desorption of compound into it and then separated. (Dagostino Sanz et al., 2014) This technique is so convenient that researchers can even carry it along when going into a jungle to adsorb compounds from plant of interest and bringing it back to the lab to undergo GC-MS experiment, much more convenient than plucking a big bunch of plants sample to the lab for solvent soaking. Samples can be injected into GC-MS through either split of splitless injection; split injection system will direct most of the samples out to the atmosphere and only allow approximately 1% of it to enter the column while splitless injection system allows most of the samples to enter the column. Split/splitless system are designed to give reproducible chromatographic retention times and also to keep the chromatographic requirements of column in place, to use split of splitless, it is depending on the sensitivity required. Though splitless system allows more sample to be injected in however, metabolomics researches are better be carried out with split system because metabolites are present in wide range concentrations and it allows researchers to analyze volatile compounds eluting near the solvent peak. (Cyril Jousse, 2009) Besides plant’s metabolites, GC-MS is also very useful for bio-metabolics, some of the bio-metabolics researches are for example Chrysoula Christou et al. did a research on analysis of organic acids in human urine in clinical settings in order to develop a method for organic acid profiling in human urine, this can be useful to detect metabolics or other health disorders. Their sample was being separated by gas column and undergo quadrupole mass spectrometer in the electron ionization (EI) mode and as a result chromatogram and mass spectra shown 11 organic acids separated and identified by conducting similarity search on NIST library (3). A research was carried out by Ioannis Papoutsis and the team of research. where GC-MS method was used to determine amisulpride in blood. Amisulpride is an antipsychotic drugs which is prescribed to psychiatric patients, overdosing can cause arrhythmia, bradycardia and hypotension. (4) SPME was first used by them to extract compounds from the b lood samples and then separated by using gas chromatography and finally detected by mass spectrometer, results show that GC-MS can be used to monitor amisulpride in the blood and this can be used in pharmacokinetic studies and also forensic investigation. Archeology GC-MS is also used in assisting archaeology studies; it is especially useful when comes to determining the chemical constituents of the sample. In one of the recent archaeology research, M. Mà ©nager, C. Azà ©mard and C. Vieillescazes studied the mummification balms from the mummy skulls with FTIR and GC-MS. Twelve mummified heads were collected, the balms on the heads were extracted with organic solvent and water before introduced to GC-MS. Molecular components were eluted by using helium, and injected with split system. Samples were eluted by using helium as carrier gas with the flow of 1mL.min-1 and oven temperature was set to: 50  °C for 2 min, 50–250  °C at 8  °C ·min−1, 250–350  °C at 3  °C ·min−1, and 350  °C during 20 min. 1 ÃŽ ¼L of each sample was injected with a splitting system and the injection temperature was set at 250  °C. Mass spectra were generated by electron ionization mode with electron ionization energy of 70 eV, an ionization time of 25,000 ÃŽ ¼s and a mass range of 40–650 m/z. (5) As a result, those mummification balms were found to contain mixtures such as oils, fats, beeswax, resins, proteins, polysaccharides and minerals, these compounds are confirmed again by matching mass spectra with NIST library. With the use of only FTIR without confirmation by GC-MS, researchers will only be able to know the functional group in it without confirming the compounds. Cosmetic In cosmetic industries, chemical compounds in every cosmetic must be carefully studied as it’s applied onto human’s skin and body, therefore any mistake made will cause allergy or irritation to end users. Synthetic husk has been widely applied in cosmetic industry due ti its long-lasting odor, however, it was found that two groups of synthetic musk can cause many health disorders. Many countries have also set up regulations on the amount of synthetic musk in order to protect end users, this has become another parameter in quality control of cosmetic products. In Beijing, China, Haifeng Dong and his team of researchers conducted a research on 7 synthetic musk in cream by using SPME and then GC-MS, cream is chosen as it is the most common form of cosmetic product. (6) Cosmetic creams contains moisturizing, nutritional agent and also many lipophilic compounds. Synthethic musks have low polarity and it is also one of lipophilic compounds, which cause synthethic musks can be hardly be separated out from other liphophilic compounds. Cream samples must undergo extra cleanup steps such as by matrix solid phase dispersion method (MSPD) in order minimizes the matrix effect. Since water and isopropanol was used to separate synthetic musks from lipophilic compounds, supported liquid extraction will need to be used in order absorb water and remove interferences to give better purification. Tandem MS was used in this research in order to improve the selectivity and decrease the detection limit. This research which deals with dream shows slightly different in the preparation method compared to other GC-MS research, however, overall concept is still similar.

Pro Euthanasia in Steinbecks Of Mice and Men Essay -- essays research

The Ultimate Gift-Euthanasia Prompt: Defend or challenge the notion that George's act of killing Lennie was one of kindness In John Steinbeck's classic novella, Of Mice and Men, George makes the decision of killing Lennie because he knows it is in Lennie's best interest. His act of killing Lennie is not considered criminal. George has good intentions in killing his companion. George is trying to prevent Lennie from being tortured and from his constant desire to please George and not cause trouble. Additionally, Lennie repeatedly places himself in difficult situations, and as a result, brings George into the circumstances. There is a close friendship between George and Lennie, and George had carefully thought out whether or not he should destroy his life. George is faced with witnessing the death of Candy's beloved, old dog and Candy's reaction to his death, which helps George to finalize his resolution. After several years of looking after Lennie, George knows what is best for Lennie, as well as the people around him. George?s act of shooting Lennie can be looked upon as gracious. If Lennie had not left the world and his problems, a large amount of torture would fiercely come his way. The bloodthirsty mob, including the violent, disruptive Curley, has the mindset to demolish this ignoramus who killed Curley?s wife. Because of Lennie?s mental impairment and immaturity, he would not be able to handle such animosity. In saying that Lennie is not to blame for the death of Curley?s Wife, Lennie should not have to face the merciless people at the farm. George knows that Lennie is unable to survive in the world. As disappointing as it is for George to know that he and Lennie will never be able to fulfill their everlasting ... ... sheep dog and Lennie is an exceptional worker. Both Lennie and the dog are shot with Carlson?s gun at the back of their head. Carlson reasons with Candy in explaining that if he shot him in that location it would be painless. In knowing that Lennie was shot in the back of the head, George intentionally did this for him to have a more peaceful, pleasant death. By examining George?s notion to kill Lennie, it is valid to say that his act was one of thoughtfulness and benevolence. Due to Lennie?s retardation, it is difficult for him to be independent. Lennie is able to escape being tortured, taken advantage of, and being so hard on himself just for George?s acceptance. George learns from Candy?s mistake of not killing his dog himself, and George takes the initiative to do it the right way. Euthanasia was a gracious way of George letting Lennie go.

William Henry Harrison Essay -- essays research papers fc

William Henry Harrison, (1773-1841), was 9th President of the United States. The oldest president up until then, he was also the first to die in office, surviving only one month. With his known Indian fighting his was given the nickname â€Å"Old Tippecanoe† and â€Å"Old Tip.† He was the first presidential candidate to campaign actively for office. His election slogan was â€Å"Tippecanoe and Tyler Too!†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  William Henry Harrison was born on Feb. 9, 1773, on the James River in Charles City County, Virginia. He was the youngest of seven children, four girls and three boys. His parents, Benjamin and Elizabeth Bassett Harrison, were from prominent Virginia families. The Harrison’s father had served in both Continental Congresses and signed the Declaration of Independence. Harrison received his early education at home. He entered Hampden-Sydney College in 1787 and later enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania to study medicine. After his father died in 1791, Harrison dropped medicine and joined the Army. George Washington, a friend of his father, approved this decision. There he served for seven successful years. Harrison served as a soldier in early American wars. There he fought a battle on the Great Miami River and developed a plan which led to an American victory. In 1795, he witnessed and signed the Treaty of Greenville. Thereafter he was promoted to captain and given the command of Fort Washington, Ohio. While at Fort Washington he met his wife Anna Symmes....

The Great Change in Kafka’s The Metamorphosis Essay -- The Metamorphos

Although Gregor turned into a bug, the real Metamorphosis occurred before the change and with the whole family. Kafka’s novella The Metamorphosis reflects the ideals about industrialization and existentialism during the turn of the century. In the novella, Gregor turns into a bug, and the whole family has to deal with it in different ways. Many characters go through a metamorphosis in the novella. Although the changes may not be physical the changes occurred greatly in Gregor, Mr. Samsa, and Grete. Gregor’s major transformation occurred not when he turned into a bug, but through the changes in his life. Gregor’s life before the changed into some sort of bug was like a bumble bee. He would go through life doing as others told him. In the story Gregor said, â€Å"For the time being, however, I must get up because my train leaves at five† (Kafka 4), which explains how he was just someone going through life on a schedule, just like a worker bee. But even before his time as a traveling salesman, he was someone else, â€Å"On the wall just opposite hung a photograph of Gregor from the time of his military service† (16). He was a military man, so at this point; he has already changed from someone who was in the military, to a boring worker in a modern industrial world. The greatest change that happened to Gregor was of his appreciated for music. Before, Gregor hardly noted his sister’s violin playing, but at the end of the novella, he said, â€Å"W as he a beast if music could move him so? He felt as though the path to his unknown hungers was being cleared† (49). Gregor was never so appreciative towards music in his entire life, but the changes he went through, came out with a new lenience towards it. The obvious assumption about Gregor’s metamorp... ..., she felt strongly towards her brother, and she loved him, but at the end, the greatest change in to story happened. â€Å"It has to go†¦that’s the only way†¦we have no brother†¦it obviously wants to take over the whole apartment† (53). She wanted to kill her brother, because of the work and pain he has brought the family. She even went so far as to say, â€Å"We have to get rid of it† (52). In conclusion, the greatest change in the novella was of a kind and loving sister, to a murderous human, who has no brother anymore. Although Gregor may seem like the only one who went through a metamorphosis, his whole family was along for the ride. So what if everybody looked at their own lives this way, and instead of turning into a bug, just changed in a slight way. What effect would that have on your family if you woke up a different person? Works Cited Kafka- The Metamorphosis

Understanding Islam

Introduction The literal meaning of Islam is peace. Because of many current world events, Islam is a highly controversial and sensitive issue that has many misconceptions that need to be more fully addressed and understood. It is true that the events of 9/11 have separated the history of American relations with the Muslim world into before and after phases, negatively affecting the patterns of assimilation of immigrant Muslims into American culture and society (Simmons, 2008). This essay will begin to give factual details regarding the Islam faith, compare Islam with other Abrahamic religions and discuss common misconceptions and current events that have changed the way the world looks at Muslims and the Islam faith. Body It will be useful to begin with attempting to scratch the surface and try to understand the teachings of Islam. Islam is a monotheistic religion based on revelations received by the Prophet Muhammad in the 7th century. These revelations were recorded in the faith’s text, the Qur’an. The Islam faith has â€Å"Six Articles of Beliefs†. People of the Muslim faith must have great conviction in these most important six areas. They are: 1. Belief in God. 2. Belief in the Angels. 3. Belief in the Prophets and Messengers. 4. Belief in the Sacred Texts. 5. Belief in Life After Death. 6. Belief in the Divine Decree (Abdulsalam, 2006). The believers worship God directly without the intercession of priests or clergy. They also have five duties that are given as rules to follow. Those are the Five Pillars of Islam; Belief, Worship, Fasting, Almsgiving and Pilgrimage (Grupper, Prentice, & Roughton, 2000). The country with the most Muslims is Indonesia, with 120 million. In addition there are millions more in parts of Eastern and Western Europe and in the Americas. The Islam religion claims nearly 1 billion followers in countries throughout the world. Islam is also the youngest among major world religions but is still one of the largest (Ridenour, 2001). Islam belongs in a group of three religions called the â€Å"Abrahamic† religions. Those three religions are Christianity, Judaism and Islam. They are three sister religions that are monotheistic and that claim the prophet Abraham as their common forefather. To compare Islam and Christianity, in relation to God, Muslims believe there is no God but Allah; Christians believe that God is revealed in scripture as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three persons who are coeternally God (Ridenour, 2001). This sometimes causes Jews and Muslims to criticize the Christians as polytheistic. In all three religions, there is an ethical orientation. All three religions speak of a choice between good and evil, which is depended upon obedience or disobedience to God (Unkown, 2007). The three also have a linear concept of history with creation as the beginning and that God works through history. The believers of Islam are called Muslims which means â€Å"one who lives his life according to God’s will† (Langley, 1993). It would seem that this particular people and religion would be a people of peace, sincerity and love. Since 9/11, the world of the faithful in Muslim societies has been in turmoil because the living Islam, dominated by its traditional interpreters, the learned ulema, has not been able to guide the community at the most critical period of its existence (Sachedina, 2010). This current critical period of Islam existence has created many misconceptions. Only if it is assumed that the goal of Islam is to establish peace without resorting to aggression can one claim that that militant Islamists have hijacked their religion (van der Krogt, 2010). Islam is practiced all over the world and the way it is practiced is different in different locations. Islam does claim to be brotherhoods of â€Å"one religion†, but the Islam practiced in Indonesia is very different than the Islam practiced in Saudi Arabia, which is also different from that in Kazakhstan, or Iran, or Morocco. In researching for this essay, the author found many different â€Å"types† of Islamic groups all over the world. There are over 73 sub-sects that have emerged within Islam today (Venkatraman, 2007). Some peaceful and some more aggressive. A group called Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami (The Party of Islamic Liberation) began working in Central Asia in the mid-1990s and has developed a committed following inside Uzbekistan, and to a lesser extent in neighboring Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan. Estimates of its strength vary widely, but a rough figure is probably 15-20,000 throughout Central Asia. Its influence should not be exaggerated – it has little public support in a region where there is limited appetite for political Islam – but it has become by far the largest radical Islamist movement in the area (Unkown, Radical Islam in Central Asia: Responding to Hizb ut-Tahrir, 2003). The common misconceptions regarding Muslims did not begin with the terrorist attacks of 9/11, but that seems to be the current event that hits closest to home. 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. Participants of this movement call for an unquestioned devotion and blind obedience or a Quaranic tenet has been broken. A few of the Islamic terrorist groups are Al-jihad, AlQaeda (Afganistan), Hamas (Palestine), Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (Kashmir), and the Lashkar e-Toiba (Kashmir) (Venkatraman, 2007). The 9/11 terrorist attacks were performed by AlQaeda under the direction of Osama bin Laden, the founder of AlQaeda. The death of Osama bin Laden has also certainly not stopped Islamic violence, but according to the president of the Muslim Public Affairs Counsel, Salam Al-Marayati, the death of Osama bin Laden â€Å"represents the beginning of the end of a dark era in U. S. -Muslim relations. † He goes on to say that â€Å"hopefully this ushers a new era of hope and democracy in dealing with the grievances of Muslim people throughout the world without resorting to political violence. † (Lozano, 2011). The media and these current world events are a definite misconception of all Muslim people. To gratuitously insult law-abiding Muslims by conflating them with terrorists is not only wrong, it is dangerous to U. S. national security (Stern, 2011). An article written in the New York Times in October of 2010, spoke about local New York Islamics having open houses to invite non-Muslims in to attend prayers, discussions and tours of Islamic centers as a way to defuse hostility toward the Muslim population. The idea for the program, â€Å"A Week of Dialogue,† emerged from a summit of Islamic leaders as a response to the furor surrounding a plan to open a Muslim community center and mosque near ground zero (Semple, 2010). Muslims in America and around the world are trying to bring back the truth to the original Islamic meaning of peace. We now must look at how Muslims and non-Muslims communicate and live together in harmony. Historically, in countries where Islam has gained political power, people of all rival religions are either wiped out, or in the interest of â€Å"tolerance† or â€Å"open mindedness†, permitted to exist as second-class citizens. Christians and Jews are looked down upon and may not practice their religion openly or freely without serious consequence. But, Islam in the West is completely different from Islam in Muslim dominated countries. Muslims who live in the Western democratic countries enjoy all the benefits and privileges of freedom and democracy. They have secure civil liberties and may practice their religion freely and openly. The Qur’an specifically states that Islam is a religion of mercy, tolerance and moderation. Moderation being the key to Muslim and non-Muslim communication. It allows Muslims to have a good relationship with non-Muslims, but to a certain limit. One quote from the Qur’an says this: â€Å"Let not the believers (Muslims) take for friends Unbelievers (non-Muslims) rather than believers. And whoever does that has no relation with Allah whatsoever, except by way of precaution that you may guard yourselves from them. † (Surah Ali Imran, V: 28). Conclusion In summation, some of the misconceptions that people around the world have regarding Islam, are backed up by some current and past events. We must first begin to understand the Islamic faith, it’s diversity in people, areas of the world and political stances. This author does not begin to understand the depth of the Islam faith. After researching for this essay, the realization of the diversity of this faith as compared to Christianity or Judaism, is overwhelming. The peaceful people of Islam must not be judged by the terrorists and the acts they commit. We learned that Islam has political side and a religious side as well. The editor of the journal, American Libraries, Leonard Kniffel wrote an editorial about how libraries jumped at the chance to begin educating communities on the Islam faith shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Mr. Kniffel states that, â€Å"Knowing that an anti-Muslim backlash was inevitable, they created programs to help the patrons of their libraries understand the teachings of Islam, the history of American policy related to the conflict we now find ourselves in, and what it means to be Muslim in America† (Kniffel, 2002). The Muslim American Society (www. muslimamericansociety. org) has a campaign called â€Å"The Straight Path Initiative†. It’s goals are to equip and focus on Muslims in America ages 15-30. This initiative has a goal to initiate an honest open ialog about radicalization and extremism in Muslim American communities. They are targeting high schools and college campuses to provide programs and activities to involve young Muslim Americans in a proactive way that limits opportunities for radicalization (Unkown, The Straight Path Initiative, 2011). Much like any religion or people group, Islam has a group of terrorists and non-peaceful people amongst them . The misconceptions are actually very real and have information and current events to back them up. It would also be fair to say, that most religions and people groups have those kinds of people. Understanding one another is the most important thing we can do. By educating each other on beliefs, understandings and ways of life, we can only then begin to have peaceful dialog to bring us together. September 11, 2001 became a day for American’s to see the true colors of the terrorist sect of the Islam religion. As this is a day we will never forget, we must begin to heal by understanding and not judging the entire Islam faith for these terrible acts of terrorism. References Abdulsalam, M. (2006, January 30). The Religion of Islam. Retrieved June 12, 2011, from www. islamreligion. com: http://www. islamreligion. com/articles/6/. Grupper, J. , Prentice, P. , & Roughton, R. (2000). Islam: Empire of Faith. Retrieved June 13, 2011, from www. pbs. org: http://www. pbs. org/empires/islam/film. html. Kniffel, L. (2002, January). Getting to know Islam. American Libraries , 48. Langley, M. (1993). World Religions. Oxford: Lion Publishing. Lozano, C. (2011, May 1). Osama bin Laden Dead: End of a dark era in U. S. Muslim relations'. Retrieved June 15, 2011, from L. A. Times: http://latimesblogs. latimes. com/lanow/2011/05/osama-bin-laden-dead-end-dark-era-us- muslim-relations. html. Ridenour, F. (2001). So What's the Difference? Ventura, CA: Regal Books. Sachedina, A. (2010, September). Religion, Order and Peace: A Muslim Perspective. Cross Currents , 332-338. Semple, K. (2010, October 22). At Mosques, Inviting Non-Muslims Inside to Ease Hostility Toward Islam. Retrieved June 15, 2011, from New York Times: http://www. nytimes. com/2010/10/23/nyregion/23mosques. html? ef=reconstruction. Simmons, G. Z. (2008). From Muslims in America to American Muslims. Journal of Islamic Law and Culture , 10 (3), 254-280. Stern, J. (2011, May/June). Muslims in America. The National Interest (113), pp. 38-46. Unkown. (2007, September 16). Abrahamic Religion. Retrieved June 14, 2011, from New World Encyclopedia: http://www. newworldencyclopedia. org/entry/Abrahamic_religions. References (continued) Unkown. (2003, June 30). Radical Islam in Central Asia: Responding to Hizb ut-Tahrir. Retrieved June 15, 2011, from International Crisis Group: ttp://www. crisisgroup. org/en/regions/asia/central-asia/058-radical-islam-in-central-asia- responding-to-hizb-ut-tahrir. aspx. Unkown. (2011). The Straight Path Initiative. Retrieved June 17, 2011, from Muslim American Society: http://muslimamericansociety. org/main/content/straight-path-initiative. van der Krogt, C. (2010). Jihad without apologetics. Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations , 21 (2), 127-142. Venkatraman, A. (2007). Religious Basis for Islamic Terrorism: The Quran and it's Interpretations. Studies in Conflict and Terrorism , 30 (3), 229-248.

Cmlit Essay

Van's life is described as â€Å"most simple and ordinary and therefore most terrible† (Tolstoy 42). So what would happen when death befalls him? What would be with his material pursuits in life? Rather, what would be without a spiritual pursuit in life? As death loomed larger, Van's focus in life changed. He started to realize the flaws in his path of life. As time passed, he went from a being of self-concern to one of a spiritual concern. This concern eventually brought him to be gladdened by his death. Death is often said to be a reality.Many people fear it, but in reality it is not a bad thing. When one examines the lifestyle, one realizes that man is placed on this earth for a relatively short period of time, n relation to the existence of the world thus far and its projected existence. It would not be correct to say that one is looking forward to death, but as mortal creatures, we must contemplate death and be prepared for it, whether it be our own death, or the death of a relative or friend. One may go further to suggest that fear of death is a social construct. It may also be very dependent on on?s religious beliefs.I find it quite ironic that humans are so fixated on life which for many of us is a day to day struggle to survive â€Å"paycheck to paycheck†. When I was younger, I had a harsh lesson in death which taught me the meaning of life. Almost eleven years ago, my grandmother, who was very close with, passed away. She was very special to me because she lived very close to me and we saw each other at least twice a week. Most of my life she had lived about an hour away and only saw her once every few months, but during the last two years of her life, she lived five minutes away.She was a grandmother figure because she did anything for her children and grandchildren and hosted many family gatherings. About a year and a half before she passed away, she was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. As a nouns child, I wasn't told about this immed iately. I remember being on a train from New York, back to Long Island, when my mother told me. It was a sunny day, which suddenly turned dark and gloomy after I heard this horrific news. I was sitting across from my mother as she told me. I remember asking â€Å"she will be gone? . It didn't sink in immediately because I wasn't ready to accept it. Remember thinking that she is still here so maybe she won't die. What was even more striking was once I saw her after heard about this, nothing seem to have changed. She was still my grandmother, and acting like it also. I didn't get lost in my emotions because life was the same. Cancer is an invisible malady. She looked the same last week, why suddenly is she dying? I didn't fully accept it until the night when she passed away.The doctors were unable to treat her and she had decided to live out her remaining days surrounded by family, in her home. Saw as she moved from a state of consciousness to a state of unconsciousness. The situatio n in the family turned to one of seriousness and sadness. They knew what was coming. Went into the den around eight o'clock on a Friday night. I sat down on the couch and couldn't old back my emotions. I had seen my grandmother a minute before in the bedroom over and she was peacefully laying there. I remember wondering if she was aware of what was going on.My mother came in and sat down next to me. My mother was upset since this was her mother, but as an adult she understood the outcome months ago and had accepted it. Reality sank in for me that Friday night. Was destroyed. I realized that she had a matter Of hours left. She had done so much for our family and felt that I could have never treated her as well as she treated me. My mother calmed me down and assured me that is everything is fine. She told me about the wonderful life my grandmother lived and the impact she had on her family, friends and community.She assured me that if everyone would live such a life, the world would h ave no issues. I sat there and began to contemplate what I was being told. Realized that as she returns her soul to god, she will be greeted at the gates of heaven by angels welcoming her in. She will be back with her parents, brother and my grandfather who had passed away a year earlier. As reflect back on that train ride where I was told of her impending death, I ant remember how long this was before her death.I suppose that the shock caused me to be overcome by other thoughts that I didn't retain when I was told. Also don't remember what happened after that train ride or where we were on the train when I was told. Remember being saddened upon hearing that she was dying, but as a child, death is a foreign concept. The idea that something is final and irreversible is unfathomable by children. Children are used to seeing changes in the world without understanding why they are happening, but as time passes, these changes revert back to their original Tate in many circumstances.The ph enomenon of death, which is irreversible, may be difficult to grasp when everything else lacks finality. My grandmother taught me the importance of family and proportioning in life. I witnessed as my family literally cared for her until her death which taught me a lesson in the importance of family. She taught me the importance of being a spiritual person by praying every day and making herself available whether it be day or night to help anybody in need. She taught me the importance of balancing spirituality with physicality so I will be prepared for death.