Muslim Article

The New York Times article â€Å"Congressman Criticizes Election of Muslim† (Swarns 2006) reported on the criticism made by Virginia's Republican Congressman Virgil H. Goode Jr. on the recent election of Minnesota Representative Keith Ellison. According to Rep. Goode Jr., the election of Keith, a Democrat and the first-ever Muslim to sit in the United States Congress, is a grave threat to traditional American values. Goode's warning, contained in a letter addressed to his Virginia constituents dated Dec. 5, 2006, asked Americans to â€Å"wake up† or face the likelihood of more Muslim elected officials that would demand â€Å"use of the Koran†.He also called for the adoption of stringent immigration policies as a step towards the preservation both of this country's beliefs and values and resources. Ellison, a former criminal lawyer and a convert to Islam, has planned to use the Muslim bible in January during his private swearing-in. Goode's comments elicited criti cisms of bigotry and intolerance from some Democrats in Congress and from Muslim Americans as they pointed out that the official swearing in of officials, in contrast to private swearing in,   do not use religious texts. For his part, Ellison pointed out that he is no immigrant, saying that he's an African-American whose roots goes â€Å"back to 1742†. He also said he is a politician and not a religious scholar such that Goode has â€Å"nothing to fear†.This article of the New York Times gave a rather fair coverage as it observed the journalistic standard of presenting both sides of an issue. The article gave space to both Goode's and Ellison's statements and counter-statements, attempting to do so from an objective viewpoint. As for the issue of Islam or being Muslim depicted by the story itself, there are obviously two conflicting sides, two opposing viewpoints. The side of Rep. Goode adopts the position that Islam in the country, or at least the practices of Islam (as the use of Koran, instead of the Christian Bible in swearing-in), poses a considerable threat to traditional American culture. He even insinuated that Muslims, along with other immigrants, are a burden to the United States. On the other, the coverage of Ellison and his sympathizers show that Muslim Americans, who could be good citizens, are welcome in this country. U.S. Congressman Criticizes Election of Muslim By RACHEL L. SWARNSPublished: December 21, 2006WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 — In a letter sent to hundreds of voters this month, Representative Virgil H. Goode Jr., Republican of Virginia, warned that the recent election of the first Muslim to Congress posed a serious threat to the nation’s traditional values.Skip to next paragraphRepresentative Virgil H. Goode Jr., left, said Keith Ellison’s decision to use a Koran in a private swearing in for the House of Representatives was a mistake.Mr. Goode was referring to Keith Ellison, the Minnesota Democrat and criminal defense lawyer who converted to Islam as a college student and was elected to the House in November. Mr. Ellison’s plan to use the Koran during his private swearing-in ceremony in January had outraged some Virginia voters, prompting Mr. Goode to issue a written response to them, a spokesman for Mr. Goode said.In his letter, which was dated Dec. 5, Mr. Goode sa id that Americans needed to â€Å"wake up† or else there would â€Å"likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"I fear that in the next century we will have many more Muslims in the United States if we do not adopt the strict immigration policies that I believe are necessary to preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America and to prevent our resources from being swamped,† said Mr. Goode, who vowed to use the Bible when taking his own oath of office.Mr. Goode declined Wednesday to comment on his letter, which quickly stirred a furor among some Congressional Democrats and Muslim Americans, who accused him of bigotry and intolerance.They noted that the Constitution specifically bars any religious screening of members of Congress and that the actual swearing in of those lawmakers occurs without any religious texts. The use of the Bible or Koran occurs only in private ceremonial events that ta ke place after lawmakers have officially sworn to uphold the Constitution.Mr. Ellison dismissed Mr. Goode’s comments, saying they seemed ill informed about his personal origins as well as about Constitutional protections of religious freedom. â€Å"I’m not an immigrant,† added Mr. Ellison, who traces his American ancestors back to 1742. â€Å"I’m an African-American.†Since the November election, Mr. Ellison said, he has received hostile phone calls and e-mail messages along with some death threats. But in an interview on Wednesday, he emphasized that members of Congress and ordinary citizens had been overwhelmingly supportive and said he was focusing on setting up his Congressional office, getting phone lines hooked up and staff members hired, not on negative comments.â€Å"I’m not a religious scholar, I’m a politician, and I do what politicians do, which is hopefully pass legislation to help the nation,† said Mr. Ellison, who said he planned to focus on secular issues like increasing the federal minimum wage and getting health insurance for the uninsured.â€Å"I’m looking forward to making friends with Representative Goode, or at least getting to know him,† Mr. Ellison said, speaking by telephone from Minneapolis. â€Å"I want to let him know that there’s nothing to fear. The fact that there are many different faiths, many different colors and many different cultures in America is a great strength.†In Washington, Brendan Daly, a spokesman for the incoming House speaker, Nancy Pelosi of California, called Mr. Goode’s letter â€Å"offensive.† Corey Saylor, legislative director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, criticized what he described as Mr. Goode’s â€Å"message of intolerance.†Representative Bill Pascrell Jr., Democrat of New Jersey, urged Mr. Goode to reach out to Muslims in Virginia and learn â€Å"to dispel misconceptions instea d of promoting them.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Keith Ellison serves as a great example of Muslim Americans in our nation, and he does not have to answer to you, to me or anyone else in regards to questions about his faith,† said Mr. Pascrell, whose district includes many Arab-Americans.The fracas over Mr. Ellison’s decision to use the Koran during his personal swearing-in ceremony began last month when Dennis Prager, a conservative columnist and radio host, condemned the decision as one that would undermine American civilization.â€Å"Ellison’s doing so will embolden Islamic extremists and make new ones, as Islamists, rightly or wrongly, see the first sign of the realization of their greatest goal — the Islamicization of America,† said Mr. Prager, who said the Bible was the only relevant religious text in the United States.â€Å"If you are incapable of taking an oath on that book, don’t serve in Congress,† Mr. Prager said.In his letter, Mr. Goode e choed that view, saying that he did not â€Å"subscribe to using the Koran in any way.† He also called for ending illegal immigration and reducing legal immigration.Linwood Duncan, a spokesman for Mr. Goode, said the Virginia lawmaker had no intention of backing down, despite the furor.â€Å"He stands by the letter,† Mr. Duncan said. â€Å"He has no intention of apologizing.†

Significant Importance of E-Commerce Security Research Paper

Significant Importance of E-Commerce Security - Research Paper Example In today’s dynamic world companies spent heavily on their IT departments for the technical support to smoothly run their e-commerce activities. Companies even develop e-commerce strategies to reduce the  cost of the business, expand sales and increase customer services and satisfaction in the long run. (Ghosh, 2001; Khosrowpour, 2004; Smith, 2004) The introduction of e-commerce into businesses has widened the scope of all business activities. Due to increasing use of e-commerce by the businesses and customers, it is now essential to provide a secure structure of e-commerce. Unfortunately, the current internet security policies don’t support these needs. In order to gain a competitive edge in the market company needs to adopt a security policy which caters the needs of everyone involved in the e-commerce process. (Al-Slamy, 2008) The businesses operating widely over e-commerce don’t want to lose their customers due to risks involved in using online services. Sol id security measures are now needed to run the businesses effectively and safely. (Oswald, 2005) E-Commerce in Organizations: In most organizations e-commerce total security programs are installed to protect firm’s resources and e-commerce operations. Such programs are necessary for e-commerce survival and their effectiveness in the organization. Such programs are kept updated and management practices and latest technologies are incorporated from time to time. (Khosrowpour, 2004) E-commerce is widely used for many business purposes like product research, order entry; customer’s related matters like support, services, communication, inquiry, invoicing etc., outbound and inbound logistics. E-commerce has revolutionized not only businesses but every aspect of life - the world is now a click away. (Smith, 2004) E-commerce system and related threats: Developing an e-commerce system is a challenging and crucial step to any organization. The initial process would be to conduc t a research regarding the importance of e-commerce program to the organization and impact of e-commerce on the long-term profitability. Leadership and commitment to upper management in the implementation of the e-commerce is essential. The next step is developing a privacy policy for the organization that outlines privacy issues, the sensitivity of information and purchasing guidelines. The next step would be to assess risks imposed by the system regarding its security, both internally and externally. It is often seen that identifying internal threats is difficult compared to external ones. For the purpose, many software packages are available and are installed in order to ensure that the system is safeguarded against the internal and external threats. (Khosrowpour, 2004; Epstein, 2004) An organization can face many problems due to poor security in e-commerce systems. An e-commerce continuity plan is extremely important which provides the outline to deal and prevent any problems in the system. The basic security step is the use of anti-virus programs and firewalls installation. The risks usually faced by an e-commerce system include loss of data due to fire or explosion or any other accident, intentional destruction and theft of hardware and software or important documents, loss of key e-commerce security personnel, loss of communication, vendors and technology etc.  

Business Plan Implementation Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business Plan Implementation - Personal Statement Example Coral Reef Adventures will dive seven days each week and visit a variety of dive sites each day. With over 25 unique dive sites available off the coast of Palm Beach, divers will experience a truly remarkable diving experience. The Coral Reef will operate from a beautiful 38’ Canaveral Custom Boat or equivalent docked at the Riverian Beach Marina. The boat will be well equipped with a professional captain and crew to serve its guests. There will be a Certified Dive Masters on every trip, oxygen and Nitrox fills on board, complimentary soft drinks and snacks and a fresh water rinse area for all to enjoy. Coral Reef Adventures, Inc. will accommodate up to 25-30 customers at a time. The boat will be equipped with 9 well trained staff and state of the art equipment, to make each trip a safe and enjoyable adventure. The company’s mission will be to deliver a variety of programs and packages that appeal to all skill levels. It provides maximum frequencies and options to guests and demonstrates abilities to showcase best dive charter with the best service and safety conscience crew the Florida â€Å"Gold Coast† has to offer. Finally, it endeavors to provide extra value added amenities, the competition does not offer to all guests. My goal is to engender a business that performs at a consistent profitable level, and as my four Sons finish their educational careers, it is my intention to integrate each one into different functions of the business. I would like the company to have acquired 25 new boats from the current single boat in the next 10 years, and grow by an average of $ 2million per year in revenue. I will need to impart teamwork, good communication, reliability and responsiveness to my team. Besides, I will recruit those who have a passion for diving and have shown credible track record in doing honest and ethical business. I will also motivate my employees by reviewing their monthly paychecks upwards. The new technology and social

The Problem-Solution Speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Problem-Solution Speech - Essay Example It is true that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder but then again beauty is also dependent heavily on the person who is being looked at – as to how he or she presents his or her own self towards the appreciating individual (Author Unknown, 2011). Beauty surely is skin deep as the world has come to this notion after much thought and consideration. The problem here is how beauty has gained so much significance that it is seen as the most aspired characteristic of the personality that one talks about (Czarniawska, 2011). The problem thus seems to bother the best of us, and even you and me, which is nothing but a quagmire for all and sundry. Similarly, facial looks and sexiness of the body does not actually count towards what we know as beauty. My dear ladies and gentlemen I need to tell you that beauty is more within than being outside. It is comprised of thinking ideologies than facial cuts and dimples. This is indeed true because beauty within any person is difficult to judge since it is hidden deep down inside. I believe that beauty could be judged by this person’s actions, behaviors and talks (Holbrook, 2005). He or she could be written off as an ugly person if he or she does not know how to talk to people, how to interact with them and how to be considerate towards their issues. The solution is that beauty is just present because the beholder believes it so. There would be no beauty if he knows that the face of the body cuts are for a certain period of time, and would vanish away quickly. Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to suggest that beauty must not be looked inside people with an exterior eye alone. It needs to be based on past events, present understanding of matters and how things would shape up within the future. Beauty comprises of all these tangents to be called as beauty in essence (Anastasia, 2010). I would like to end my speech by making a point here. Beauty of face and body could vanish with

Emotional intelligence is an overlooked aspect of transformational Essay

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Art & Humanities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Art & Humanities - Essay Example Through a critical analysis of Nickelback's hit single, Rockstar,' this essay shall try to establish that while the behavior of rockstars and rock bands is often supportive of the most negative of the stereotypes surrounding the genre, the music and lyrics particular to rock often have a profound message to communicate, one which directly ties in to the dreams, aspirations and fears of the youth. Nickelback is a stereotypical bad, wild boy rock band. The Canadian band, which made its first appearance on the music scene in 1995, is comprised of Chad and Mike Kroeger and Ryan Vikedal. Over the past twelve years, the band has attained popular success, with global sales of approximately 25 million albums and several Juno, MTV, American Music and World Music awards (Jennings, 2002) but has repeatedly aroused criticisms and controversies regarding the behavior both on and off-stage. While in concert in Portugal in 2002, the band members fought with and insulted audience members before walking off stage, refusing to come back on again. They were subsequently criticized as unprofessional and unreliable, in addition to which they lost a significant percentage of the European fan base as a result (Jennings, 2002). Association with excessive drug and alcohol use has not helped the band's image (Rendon, 2005). Objectively speaking, Nickelback's on and off-stage antics and behavior has furnished additional support for rock music's critics and, indeed, appears to further evidence the popular conception of rock music and musicians as decadent and a corrupting influence. As this appears typical of most rockstars, Kizis (2001) theorizes a link between the genre and the behavior of its stars. The genre is, by definition, a declaration of rebellion against customs and traditions, and embraces a rejection of what is typically regarded as music. Singing becomes shouting, melody becomes dissonance and the identification of rhythm is an often daunting challenge. Rock music is a rebellion, an uprising against musical conventions and rockstars are, by the very virtue of their adherence to, and association with, the genre, rebels against traditional and conventions, against norms and mores. In other words, just like the genre itself, the behavior of rockstars is a cultural statement and a declaration of refusal to be bound by conventions. Nickelback is no exception. Apart from the statement of rebellion which Nickelback expresses through both behavior and chosen genre, the band has something to say and their name is evidence of this. As explained on the band's official website, the band members are all from very modest backgrounds but had hopes of succeeding through their music. From the outset, however, they were determined that their success, if they ever attained it, would not make them forget their roots and their reality. The band's name serves as that reminder because it recalls the members' origins as employees of a small coffee shop when their only words to customers were "here's your nickel back" (Nickelback.com). The band's name derives from this and, at one and the same time, expresses both its members' originality and determination to remember, even when at the peak, their origins and, thus, their reality. The band's name, in other words, signifies a connection with its members' roots. Just as the band's name functions as a

Cherokee Removal Essay Example for Free

Cherokee Removal Essay In the early nineteenth century, an infant America was increasing in population and expanding in the South until settlers were faced with the dilemma of the Native Americans. Anglo-Americans had two very distinct stances on how to deal with southern Indian tribes, particularly the Cherokee. One side was eager for land and developed the idea that Indians were both racially and culturally inferior and a hindrance to American progress, while on the other hand, some Americans believed that the Cherokee tribe was a sovereign, independent nation and that moral responsibility required the United States to protect them. Pro-removal Americans rallied behind leaders such as, Andrew Jackson and William Cass. Jacksons patronizing attitude toward Native Americans was, based on his ideology that Native Americans were children in need of guidance. Jackson also advocated that the removal policy was beneficial to the Indians. Cass believed the Native Americans were unsophisticated and white settlers were racially superior. In his essay, Removal of the Indians, Cass depicts, â€Å"We doubt there is, upon the face of the globe, a more wretched race than the Cherokees, as well as the other southern tribes, present†¦. The Cherokee Removal, pg. 117). † Cass alluded to the underlying racism that piloted the argument for expulsion of the Cherokee. Many white settlers concurred with the belief that Indians were racial inferior and therefore white settlers and Native Americans could not live together. Cass also asserted in the same essay â€Å"A barbarous people, depending for subsistence upon the sanctity and precarious supplies furnished by the chase, cannot live in contact with a civilized community (The Cherokee Removal, pg. 116). Some Americans supported this because they deemed anything different than them as wrong. The pro-removal argument was justified thru the belief that race determined character. For some Anglo-Americans race made Native Americans menial and disposable. Americans against removal united behind the idea that the Native Americans were born on this land and should be left in peace. Jeremiah Evarts under the pen name, William Penn, in A Brief View of the Present Relations between the Government and People of the United States and the Indians within Our  National Limits, said, â€Å"Those Indian tribes and nations, which have remained under their own form of government, upon their own soil, and have never submitted themselves to the government of the whites, have a perfect right to retain their original form of government, or to alter it, according to their own views of convenience and property(The Cherokee Removal, pg. 106). †Evarts’ opposition to removal was based on the fact the Indians were born on the land and therefore it was rightfully theirs. He also pointed out, â€Å"For one hundred and fifty years, innumerable treaties were made between the English colonists and the Indians, upon the basis of the Indians being independent nations, and having a perfect right to their country and their form of government (The Cherokee Removal, pg. 106). † Evarts’ argument was that white settlers legally could not disregard treaties made with Native Americans for hundreds of years. Some Anglo-Americans knew removal of the Cherokee was unconstitutional and to renege on agreements made throughout history was morally incompetent. Catherine Beecher also advocated against Indian removal, writing, â€Å"Nor are we to think of these people only as naked and wandering savages. The various grades of intellect and refinement exist among them as among as (The Cherokee Removal, pg. 112). † Beecher and other Americans opposed removal because they did not believe it was morally righteous to degrade Indians because of race, they considered them people too, and respected the differences in both race and culture. Evarts and Anglo-Americans against removal foresaw the inhumanity of removal, Evarts stated, â€Å"The removal of any nation of Indians from their country by force would be an instance of gross and cruel oppression. (The Cherokee Removal, pg. 107). † Both perspectives on Indian removal had a few commonalities. Some people such as John Knox believed that, â€Å"the central premise of which was that United States Indian policy should make expansion possible without detriment to the Indians (The Cherokee Removal pg. 10). The only consistent agreement however was that the white settlers’ culture and Native American cultures would never successfully co-inhabit. Americans realized that the differences in culture would only continue to cause problems. However the differences was some believed the Indians should be forced west and others believed they should be left in peace. There was an agreement that the Cherokee were uncivilized and to some, even worse not Christian. Again there was another divide on the solution for the primitivism of the Cherokee. Some sought assimilation and of course, removal. In my final analysis, the Cherokee removal argument never reached a consensus, and like most political matters, was won by the most power hungry side. Due to a burgeoning population, racial bigotry, and the lack of centralized government enforcement of the 18th century the Cherokee were forced to leave their homes. The consequence was a forced tumultuous, cross-country walk, where they faced disease, hunger, and fatigue now known as the Trail of Tears. Thousands died, and the removal of the Cherokee had permanent affects on them, as well as all Native Americans.