Jordanians and Palestinians in the West Bank Essay Example Essay Example

Jordanians and Palestinians in the West Bank Essay Example Paper Jordanians and Palestinians in the West Bank Essay Introduction This paper contains a discussion of the West Bank settlers paticularly, the Jordanians and Palestinians. The similarities and differences of the two cultures in terms of their practices and ideologies as well as their beliefs were delved into. An analysis on how the two cultures co-exist in the area despite its history of their fight for power over the West Bank is also provided. The paper also discusses on the conquest of the Israeli forces over the area and the effects of their occupation to the Palestinians and Jordan settlers in the West bank as well as their present economy. Jordanians and Palestinians Living the Test of Times at the West Bank West Bank, is a southwestern Asia territory that bound by the Jordan territory in its eatern portion and Israel on its north, south and western portions. It is geographically placed seen on the western bank of the Jordan river. This territory was once part of Palestine but was formally annexed by Jordan in 1950. Jordan ruled the area until 1967 and during its rule, it granted full citizenship to Palestinians who were then living in the area (Encarta online encyclopedia, 2007). Jordanians and Palestinians in the West Bank Essay Body Paragraphs The armies of Syria, Egypt and Jordan engaged into a six day war with Israel, in 1967. The Arab armies were defeated and Israel took control of several territories occupied by Syria, Egypt and Jordan and such included the West Bank. In 1988, Jordan ceded to the Palestine Liberation Organization all territorial claims to the West Bank, however, this did not do much because Israel also tried to establish its rule over the area. Israel imposed its laws in the West Bank governing the Palestinians in the process (Encarta online encyclopedia, 2007). The Israeli government introduced various reforms and improvement in the area, however, not all of these reforms benefitted the West Bank inhabitants. The Israeli built roads for their exclusive use only, the Palestinians were prohibited from utilizing it. The Palestinians also tried to establish their claim over the West Bank against the Israeli government. The clash on the establishment of power in the West Bank, led to bloody uprisings. It w as only through a peace convention in 2006 that Israeli government agreed to retreat its forces in the area (Encarta online encyclopedia, 2007). Majority of the population in the West Bank are Palestinian Arabs and 10 percent of the population in the area are Christian Arabs. Agriculture is the primary economic activity of the people because of the lack of more fruitful economic ventures in the area. Most of the job opportunities can be found on neighboring Arab countries like Israel. The currency that are ciculating in the area are the Israeli new sheqel and the Jordanian dinar. The dialects in the West Bank are similar to the Jordanian dialect (Encarta online encyclopedia, 2007). According to a Time magazine article, the Jordanian rule of the West Bank was more palatable for the Palestinians than the rule of the Israelis because they share the same culture. The Israelis were like robbers who took the Palestinian culture away from them. However, this does not mean that the Palestin ians accepted the Jordanian rule with open arms. The two groups also had their share of uprisngs in the quest of both parties to retain power over the West Bank area. The Jordanian government invested heavily on the West bank even if this was already under the Israeli control because it had the aim of recovery. The investment made by the Jordan government on the area somehow uplifted the economy in the West Bank, however, this positive standing in the economy did not last long as other wars and uprising ensued thus, crippling the area’s available resources (Encarta on line encyclopedia, 2007) The Palestinians in the West Bank are the original settlers of the area. They were the original heirs of the West Bank before it was occupied by various conquerors, among them were the Jordanians and the Israelis (Encarta on line encyclopedia, 2007). Based on culture and practices, the Palestinians and the Jordanians are almost similar. In terms of religion, both are attached to the Musl im faith. Majority of the Palestinians and Jordanians are Sunni Muslim, the largest sect in Islam. Others practice different religions such as Christianity, Jewish and the other Muslim sects (every culture, n.d.). For the Palestinians and the Jordanians, the role of women is basically to produce children and tend the household needs, they are not expected to work beyond the house and perform the duties of a man. Rarely is a woman perceived to be of equal rank as that of a man especially in the olden days. It is only recently that the women are allowed to perform other roles besides the tending the house needs and the children. Many women now are part of the workforce and are even doing men’s job. This shift of ideology was not because of cultural influence from the West but because of the dire need for women to take these roles. Life is economically difficult in the West Bank and all efforts must be contributed to find work and provide food for the family (every culture, n.d. ). Aside from these similarities, the two cultures also share the same belief in terms of courtship and marriage. They do not adhere to the Western style of dating and courtship. Their beliefs dictate that the man and the woman should have associated with each others families before they should enter into a romantic relationship. Courtship does not mean entering into a simple relationship–it means marriage (every culture, n.d.). Marriage is an important rite of passage for both cultures. They usually celebrate this with a feast catering 200 to 2,000 guests. A similar kind of celebration is also undertaken whenever a child is born, especially if the child is a baby boy. The Joradanian society has a higher regard for boys than girls. The Palestinians share the same ideology (every culture, n.d.). It is also the practice of the Jordanians to build houses that are several stories high; this is in preparation for the marriage of their sons. The sons who marry take their wives to t he family home and live on one story of the house. The women take charge of the cooking as well as the household chores while the men do not contribute any effort to the household works as they are prohibited by their culture from engaging in such activites. The Palestinian men also do not do houesehold chores. They have high regard for gender roles and distinction of the sexes (every culture, n.d.). People from both cultures are also very hospitable. They do not allow their visitors to bring anything, they provide for all the needs and the guests are expected to consume all that they serve. People from both cultures are also very formal and conservative, as compared to the Western people (every culture, n.d.). Most of the Jordanians and Palestinians also have a very good educational background. There is a great number of them who have attended school in universities and finished college degrees. However, those who are in the West Bank do not have very good jobs because there are on ly a few high paying jobs in the region. Most of the educated serve in Israel where there is a higher pay offered and in nearby Arab countries which have better economies. These Muslims, however, do not hold high positions in the countries that they work for because the priority are the local inhabitants. Aside from these they are not also given the same salary as to that of a local employee who hold the same position; they receive a lower salary. This practice can be attributed to the fact that the Israelis look lowly to the inhabitants of the West Bank, which happens to be a part of their conquered state until 2006 (every culture, n.d.). Among the dissimilarities in the culture of the Jordanians and the Palestinians is their heritage. The Jordanians have a country of their own—Jordan whereas the Palestines do not have a territory that they can call their own. The Palestinians are displaced and most of them are refugees in different Arab countries including Jordan. The Pales tinian territory in 1947 was divided by the United Nations into two—the Palestinian state and the Jewish state. The Palestinian Arabs who comprised sixty-five percent of the population then did not agree of the partition plan and as a result thereof, a war ensued. The Palestinian Arabs lost in the war while the Jewish state successfully established Israel in 1948. The Palestinians tried to establish their power in the area but they were not successful. This failure has led to poor stature of the Palestinians in the present day (Encarta online encyclopedia, 2007). The water scarcity in the area also contributes to its poor economic standing, it lacks better resources that could provide for the needs of the people. The various uprisings and the surge for power in the area is also a factor. Instead of concentrating on enriching their economy, the Palestines are busy fighting for their right to rule their land from the Israelis. The Israeli government played hard in giving up the West Bank leadership as compared to the Jordanian government which ceded its interests to the Palestine Liberation Organization. This cession of interests may have been a factor for the co-existence of the Jordanians and Palestinians in the area. Another factor may have been the fact that the Jordan government houses many of the Palestinian refugees in their country and their sharing of similar religious belief and culture. The fact that majority of both cultures adhere to the same Muslim sect is a great factor. They do not have a clash of ideologies as compared to Christians and Jews who have great disparities in their principles and the ideologies that bind them. In addition, the Palestinian culture in the West Bank also have a great influence from the Jordanian culture because of its conquest of the area for nearly seventeen years and the curriculum that the education system in the West Bank region follows is patterned after the Jordanian curriculum. This type of curriculum may have been a factor in building a smoother relationship between the two cultures because they get to have a deeper understanding of each other’s beliefs and background. However, it must be noted that not all those who have Jordanian citizenship in the West Bank are really Jordanians. Many of those who hold such citizenship are Palestinians who have been living in the West Bank before the Palestinian National Administration came to power (Encarta online encyclopedia, 2007). References Microsoft Encarta online encyclopedia (2007). â€Å"West Bank†. Retrieved April 22, 2008, from http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761557747/West_Bank.html Microsoft Encarta online encyclopedia (2007). â€Å"Modern Palestine†. Retrieved April 22, 2008, from http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_701844116/Palestine_Modern.html Every Culture (n.d.). â€Å"Jordanians†. Retrieved April 22, 2008, from =http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Japan-to-Mali/Jordanians.html data-wpel-link=ext ernal rel=nofollow>http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Japan-to-Mali/Jordanians.html Every Culture (n.d.). â€Å"Palestinians†. Retrieved April 22, 2008, from =http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Germany-to-Jamaica/Palestinians.html data-wpel-link=external rel=nofollow>http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Germany-to-Jamaica/Palestinians.html Every Culture (n.d.). â€Å"Culture of Palestine, West Bank and Gaza Strip†. Retrieved April 22, 2008, from http://www.everyculture.com/No-Sa/Palestine-West-Bank-and-Gaza- Strip.html Time magazine (1978, June 19). West Bank: The Cruelest Conflict. Retrieved April 22, 2008, from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,919757-1,00.html We will write a custom essay sample on Jordanians and Palestinians in the West Bank Essay Example specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Jordanians and Palestinians in the West Bank Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Jordanians and Palestinians in the West Bank Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Free Essays on Zora Neale Hurston

Summer Reading Assignment: Biography of Zora Neale Hurston The quotation on her tombstone, â€Å"A Genius of the South† is an understatement. (Dickenson) Zora Neale Hurston is more than a genius. She is an inspiration to all kind of people, but primarily African Americans. Her writings about everyday life help normal people get through all kinds of troubles. She was born on 7 January 1891 in Notasulga, Alabama, but soon after, she moved to Eatonville, Florida. Many people think that this was her place of birth, but it is not. Most of her ideas for her writings come from her struggles while living in Eatonville. (Dickenson) Hurston’s mother, Lucy Hurston, died in 1904, and she took a dislike to her stepmother. As a result, she left home and joined a traveling theatre company. This wasthe beginning of Hurston’s education and future writing career. (Dickenson) After leaving home, Hurston ended up at Morgan Academy where she finished high school. In 1920, she enrolled in Howard University. After about a year, Hurston’s first piece of work was published. In 1921, Howard University’s literary magazine published one of her stories. She received more recognition later when another story appeared in the New York Magazine Opportunity. Hurston won second place in the Opportunity contest and, after lots of encouragement, moved to New York. (Dickenson) One of Hurston’s earliest pieces of works was the play Mule Bone she â€Å"wrote with Langston Hughes.† (Dickenson) The two disagreed over ownership though and charged one another with plagiarism. (Byrd) In 1934, Hurston published â€Å"Jonah’s Gourd Vine†, her first novel, which was based on two people who were like her parents. In 1935, she published a book of collected tales entitled Mules and Men. In 1937, the most powerful novel Hurston has ever written,... Free Essays on Zora Neale Hurston Free Essays on Zora Neale Hurston Zora Neale Hurston was an African American writer. She grew up in an all black town of Eatonville, Florida. Zora was born January 7, 1903. When she was young her father, John Hurston, tried to crush her spirit. However, her mother urged all eight of her children to be ambitious. This encouragement made Zora continue her writing skills. Hurston’s writings reflect her immersion in â€Å"black folk† life. Racism played a relatively minor role in her fiction. Out of the many books she wrote, she was self possessed and self confident enough to deal with racism. Zora did not have to deal with the early abrasive contracts with racist whites that had deeply influenced almost all other â€Å"Afro-American† writers. Zora lost her mother at a young age and this caused her father to remarry quickly after her death. She despised her stepmother so much that she decided to leave her home. Zora later decided to drop out of school. For several years she wandered from house to house of family and friends. At the age of 16 she worked as a maid for a white singer. After about 18 months she moved to Baltimore. A while after she arrived, Zora was ready to renew her education. After she waited tables for a while she returned to night school. Hurston attended Morgan College in the high school department for two years. She also won a scholarship to Barnard College. She then continued school at Howard University in nearby Washington. She was influenced by Lorenzo D. Tuner of the Department of English. Alain Locke, a member of a campus literary group known as The Stylus, also encouraged her writing efforts. She was also the favorite pupil of the great Franz Boas. She wrote, â€Å"Drenched in Light† and it was soon published by Charles S. Johnson in December 1924. In New York, 1925, Zora won second prize in the opportunity competition for both short story and play. Zora graduated in 1928 and ready to write. After graduation, the next four years were spent ... Free Essays on Zora Neale Hurston Summer Reading Assignment: Biography of Zora Neale Hurston The quotation on her tombstone, â€Å"A Genius of the South† is an understatement. (Dickenson) Zora Neale Hurston is more than a genius. She is an inspiration to all kind of people, but primarily African Americans. Her writings about everyday life help normal people get through all kinds of troubles. She was born on 7 January 1891 in Notasulga, Alabama, but soon after, she moved to Eatonville, Florida. Many people think that this was her place of birth, but it is not. Most of her ideas for her writings come from her struggles while living in Eatonville. (Dickenson) Hurston’s mother, Lucy Hurston, died in 1904, and she took a dislike to her stepmother. As a result, she left home and joined a traveling theatre company. This wasthe beginning of Hurston’s education and future writing career. (Dickenson) After leaving home, Hurston ended up at Morgan Academy where she finished high school. In 1920, she enrolled in Howard University. After about a year, Hurston’s first piece of work was published. In 1921, Howard University’s literary magazine published one of her stories. She received more recognition later when another story appeared in the New York Magazine Opportunity. Hurston won second place in the Opportunity contest and, after lots of encouragement, moved to New York. (Dickenson) One of Hurston’s earliest pieces of works was the play Mule Bone she â€Å"wrote with Langston Hughes.† (Dickenson) The two disagreed over ownership though and charged one another with plagiarism. (Byrd) In 1934, Hurston published â€Å"Jonah’s Gourd Vine†, her first novel, which was based on two people who were like her parents. In 1935, she published a book of collected tales entitled Mules and Men. In 1937, the most powerful novel Hurston has ever written,... Free Essays on Zora Neale Hurston Zora Neale Hurston was born to John and Lucy Hurston. Her birthplace was Eatonville, FL. Zora came in the world on January 7, 1891, but she always claimed to have been born ten years later. As one of eight children, she felt disliked by her father. At the age of nine, Zora’s mother passed. She left home to live with one of her brother’s family, but soon also left there. (Their Eyes) Zora got her writing start at Howard Prep School in Washington, D.C. (Their Eyes 211) In 1920, Zora received her associate degree from Howard University. By 1921, Zora published her first short story, John Redding at the Sea. (Their Eyes 211) In 1924, she put out her first folk piece, Drenched in Light. A few years later, Hurston hooked up with fellow Renaissance writer, Langston Hughes. They collaborated on the magazine, Fire (1926), and in 1930 they co-wrote and produced Mule Bone, a play. (Their Eyes 212) Though many other great works would follow, Zora often failed at one thing. She was married several times and no children were born to these unions. When she was not writing or producing, she worked doing odd jobs. Once, she was a waitress in a black owned barbershop that only serviced whites. Then, she served as a librarian at Patrick Air Force Base. Another time, she was a substitute teacher at Lincoln Park Academy. Sadly, after all of her accomplishments and accolades, Zora died penniless and alone. She was buried in an unmarked grave. In the mid 1970’s, Alice Walker went â€Å"In Search of Zora Neale Hurston† and marked the folklorist grave. (Their Eyes 219) Plot Summary After being married off for Nanny’s peace and widowed twice, Janie returns to the town that Joe Starks built. Eatonville, FL was in no way a sanctuary for Janie, but it did house the center of her many beginnings. As Janie sat at the feet of her friend, Phoeby Watson, she begins to pour out her heart and soul. Janie was thrown into the car... Free Essays on Zora Neale Hurston The era in the 1920’s known as the Harlem Renaissance was a great change for African Americans. During the previous decade’s Great Migration millions of black Americans moved to the north, settling mostly in Harlem. The Renaissance coincided with the time Zora Neale Hurston, an African American writer, attended and graduated college and began writing. Hurston was an example of culture, diversity, and originality in the Harlem Renaissance. Zora Neale Hurston was born January 7, 1891 in Eatonville, Florida. Her parents, John and Lucy Ann Hurston, had three other children. Eatonville was one of the first all-black communities in the nation to be self-governed. Zora grew up surrounded by African Americans in all aspects of life. â€Å"Eatonville was a unique municipality, one where traditional black culture not only survived but flourished.† (Witcover 22) She was very inquisitive, adventurous, intelligent, sassy, and creative. She completed high school at Morgan Academy in Baltimore, where she first became interested in writing. She then went on to college at Howard University in 1919. She left Howard University and moved to New York in 1925, during the Harlem Renaissance. During her time in Harlem Hurston became a well-known and widely celebrated writer and personality. Her short stories, such as Spunk and Drenched in Light, told stories of life-like events. The African American characters were often based on real life and represented black American’s lives in America at the time of the Harlem Renaissance. â€Å"She not only developed a dynamic mature style; she had also demonstrated her ability to make sophisticated use of the folklore that had fascinated her all her life.† (Witcover 61) In 1936 Hurston wrote her most celebrated novel Their Eyes Were Watching God. The novel is an account of a girl’s search for herself and for self-expression. It is also a romantic love story, which is believed to have basis in Hurston’s lov...

Critical Issue Paper Three Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Critical Issue Paper Three - Essay Example Thus, Marshall's stance is on the brink of exaggeration or at the least overreaction. We may forgive him, considering that the victory may have pushed him to go overboard with excessive elation. But the truth of the matter is, the victory was far from being impossible. The basis for this contention is, first, Germany was practically smashed to smithereens as a result of World War I, which ended in 1919. The Treaty of Versailles in 1919 militarily, politically, and economically emasculated Germany, which was forced to limit its armed forces to a measly 100,000 troops with conscription absolutely prohibited1. Moreover, German naval forces were virtually crippled by a provision limiting it to a mere possession of 6 battleships, 6 cruisers, 12 torpedo boats and 12 destroyers plus a provision strictly banning the importation, exportation and manufacture of weapons and poison gas as well as the prohibition of submarines, military aircrafts, artillery and tanks. Thus, the Treaty of Versailles rendered Germany a political lameduck worthy of international pity. To add injury to all those insults, Germany was stripped of its territorial possessions notably West Prussia, Danzig, eastern Upper Silesia, Alsace-Lorraine, and Northern Schleswig2. In 1939, one year before the outbreak of World War II, Germany had barely revived itself from the catastrophic devastation. In 1939, the naval force of Germany was inconsequentially insignificant with a mere 8 cruisers, 18 submarines and 3 pocket battleships3. However, in direct contravention of the Treaty of Versailles, Hitler started to rearm Germany and conscripted Germans to the Nazi Wehrmacht. But still in 1939, the Allied forces were in the upper hand. The body count of those who participated in World War II in behalf of the Allied forces was overwhelming as the Allies were able to conscript not only British, French, Russians, Americans (6 million) and Poles but also Canadians (1.1 million), Mexicans, British Indians, Australians, New Zealanders, Nepalese, Greeks etc.4. The Allied manpower alone, gave them the edge. The AXIS manpower, on the other hand, was limited to the Germans, Italians and the Japanese as the conquered countries such as France, Poland, the Scandinavian and Balkan countries never willfully contributed manpower to the AXIS cause but instead fought against them via the underground resistance movements. 3 To say that the Allies were fighting an almost indefensible war is a ludicrous statement because although oftentimes they were caught with their backs on the wall yet the Allies had definite advantages. Prior to the war, Britain was one of the most prosperous nations in the world with

Protecting Intellectual Property Rights With Information Assurance Research Paper

Protecting Intellectual Property Rights With Information Assurance - Research Paper Example Thus, information assurance was given birth as a response to the threat of hacking and stealing vital information, especially data from particular high-profile government or institution. The definitions and practices pertaining to information assurance, on the other hand, are multifaceted and multifarious. Like the complicated Web and its laws, if there are any, the information assurance is an intricate field of human knowledge. This paper discusses the numerous and various definitions of the concept called information assurance (hereinafter IA). It also examines the security services prominent in the information assurance. Of Definitions There are numerous definitions or categorization to the concept of â€Å"information assurance.† Most of these definitions are defined or categorized by various U.S. government institutions such as the U.S. Air Force, the National Defense University, the Pentagon, among other institutions. The U.S. Air Force, for one, categorizes the term inf ormation assurance as a representation of â€Å"measures to protect friendly information systems by preserving the availability, integrity, and confidentiality of the systems and the information contained within the systems† (as cited in Curts & Campbell, 2002, pp. 1-2). What is peculiar in this definition of IA is the description of the information systems as something friendly. ... (The emphasis of Curts and Campbell’s IA is on the protection through preservation.) On the one hand, the Pentagon’s Office of the Secretary of Defense categorizes IA in this fashion: â€Å"Informational assurance is the component of information operations that assures the Department of Defense’s operational readiness by providing for the continuous availability and reliability of information systems and networks† (as cited in Curts & Campbell, 2002, p. 2). Here, the definition of the phrase â€Å"information assurance† centers on, as the phrase implies, the assurance of readiness via the provision of availability and reliability of information systems or networks. In contrast to the U.S. Air Force’s, the Pentagon views IA as an assurance -- not as a protection of authenticity -- for availability and reliability of the systems and/or networks. Further, Pentagon’s concept of information assurance is contextualized -- that is, the praxis of IA largely belongs to certain operational activities or transactions by its Department of Defense. The National Defense University (NDU), on the other hand, describes IA as â€Å"information operations (IO) that protect and defend information systems by ensuring their integrity, authentication, confidentiality, and non-repudiation† (as cited in Curts & Campbell, 2002, p. 2). Like the Pentagon’s IA, NDU’s information assurance is synonymous or attributed to the information operations. This similarity is grounded on the fact that both institutions, by nature of their office or function, are military in orientation. But unlike the Pentagon’s, IA as outlined by the National Defense University is perceived in terms of protecting and defending the systems or networks through ensuring or ascertaining not only their CIA but

Sleeping beauty and the enchanted Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sleeping beauty and the enchanted - Essay Example On the other hand, this paper posits that with regard to the way the two heroines faced life and their problems, in 'Sleeping Beauty' Aurora was more a passive character whose fate was decided by the protection of the people who love her and the contrasting evil intentions of the witch Maleficent, whereas in 'Enchanted' Giselle, though thrust into a modern world against her will and in a passive sense as well, was an active participant in the shaping of her future and destiny. The paper develops this latter comparison and contrast of the passive versus active engagement of the world as represented by Aurora and Giselle respectively (IMDb; IMDb (b)). II. Discussion There is a way to view 'Enchanted' as a modern version of 'Sleeping Beauty'. For one, both heroines in the two movies, Aurora and Giselle, were pursued by witches and both were the subject of assassination attempts by those witches. In 'Sleeping Beauty' the witch is Maleficent, who cursed Aurora to die on her 16th birthday by through a prick on the Princess' finger. In 'Enchanted' on the other hand Narissa wished to kill Giselle through the poisoned apples that she asked Nathaniel to give to the young princess. In the end the two witches would turn into dragons to try and slay the princes and prevent the heroines to be with the men that they love. Both are pure in heart and innocent too. In 'Enchanted' we see that Giselle had a pure heart, demonstrated by her total lack of concern for money, the purity of her belief in true love, the way she was able to command the rodents and the vermin of New York, and her genuine concern for the couple whose divorce Robert was overseeing. Her positive effect on the couples separating, as well as her positive effect on Morgan and Robert, also testify to Giselle's good vibes and pure spirit and intentions. Meanwhile, In 'Sleeping Beauty' we see Aurora also growing up under the shelter of the three good fairies who tried to protect her, and the purity of her person ca n be gleaned from the way he was able to identify the love of her life Phillip from just one meeting. Then too we see the purity of their persons and their hearts from the way they were awoken from their sleep and freed from the evil spells of the witches that pursued them, by the kiss of their true love. There is something pure and potent about this love, that corresponded with the love and the purity that was in the two heroines as well. Love was the lock that was required to wake up the love that was found in them as well. The correspondence spoke of what was in the hearts of the two heroines. Indeed, except for some minor changes in the plot, such as Giselle ending up in New York instead of the woods, and of having the father and daughter pair of Robert and Morgan for company instead of the three fairies of Aurora, one can say that the lives and the way the stories unfolded for the two heroines share many very similar threads, highlights and milestones. The two also would end up happily ever after in the end, with Aurora in the company of the love of his life and the person who saved her from the sleep, and Giselle in the company of Robert and Morgan (IMDb; IMDb (b)). On the other hand, there are differences too in the lives and the general nature of the

Hassan Al Banna And The Muslim Brotherhood

Hassan Al Banna And The Muslim Brotherhood For almost eight decades, the Society of Muslim Brothers, or Muslim Brotherhood, has been an integral part of the Egyptian political body. It was established in 1928, by Hassan al-Banna in the northeastern Egyptian city of Ismailia with the goal of restoring the Caliphate and implementing Sharia law. It quickly spread in Egypt and throughout the Islamic world at large. During this period, the Muslim Brothers acted as a political movement challenging the modern Egyptian state. Hassan al-Banna was born October 14, 1906 in Al Mahmoudeya, Al Behaira, Egypt to a traditional lower middle-class family. His father, Shaykh Ahmad al-Banna, a local imam and instructor of the Hanbali rite, was educated at Al-Azhar University. He wrote books on Muslim traditions and was a teacher at the local madrasah dÄ «niyyah where al-Banna received his first lessons in Islam. Shaykh Ahmad al-Banna also had a shop where he repaired watches and sold phonographs. Though Shaykh Ahmad al Banna and his wife owned some property, they were not wealthy and struggled to make ends meet, particularly after they moved to Cairo in 1924. Like many others, they found that Islamic learning and piety were no longer as highly valued in the capitol, and local craftsmanship could not compete with large-scale industry. Hassan al-Bannas religious proclivity, activism, charismatic appeal, and leadership potential were evident from an early age. When Hassan al-Banna was twelve years old, he became involved in a Sufi order. At thirteen he participated in demonstrations during the revolution of 1919, against British rule, and by the age of fourteen he memorized the Koran. From an early age Hassan al-Banna was attracted to the extremist and xenophobic aspects of Islam which were hostile to western secularism and its system of rights; particularly womens rights. While still in secondary school, he began to organize committees and societies stressing Islamic principles and morals. While still in his teens, al-Banna and his friends, or brethren, met frequently to discuss the situation throughout the Middle East. They argued about the problems of Arab society and expressed their grief at the decline of Islam. Their anguish was in large part a reaction to the collapse of the Ottoman Empire  [1]  , the end of the Muslim Caliphate  [2]  , the British occupation of Egypt  [3]  , and the resulting exposure of Arab society to western values. It was in Cairo during his years at Dar al-Ulum University that al-Banna joined religious societies involved in traditional Islamic education. He soon realized that this type of religious activity alone was insufficient to bring the Islamic faith back to its status in the public life of Egyptian people. He felt that more activism was needed, so he organized students from al-Azhar University and Dar al-Ulum University. He and his group started to preach in mosques and popular meeting places. During this period, al-Banna came to be influenced by the writings of Muhammad Abduh  [4]  and Rashid Rida  [5]  . When he graduated in 1927, he was appointed as a teacher of Arabic grammar in a primary school in Ismailia, a new small town in Egypt with a semi-European quality. It hosted the headquarters of the Suez Canal Company and a sizable foreign community. In Ismailia al-Banna started to preach his ideas to poor Muslim workers, local merchants, and civil servants, warning his listeners against the liberal way of life of the Europeans in town and the dangers of emulating it. It was here he won his first followers, who encouraged him to form the Society of the Muslim Brethren in 1928. For Hassan al-Banna, as for many other Muslims worldwide, the end of the Caliphate, although brought about by secular Muslim Turks, was a sacrilege against Islam for which they blamed the non-Muslim West. It was to strike back against these evils that in March 1928 along with a group of his Brothers, Hassan al-Banna created the Muslim Brotherhood. Similar to the groups that Al-Banna joined since he was twelve; the Brotherhood at first was only one of the numerous small Islamic associations that existed at the time where the members preached to anyone who would listen about the need for moral reform in the Arab world. These associations aimed to promote personal piety and engage in charitable activities. The Brotherhoods ideals were based on the notion that Islam was a comprehensive way of life, not simply a religious observance. In its infancy the Brotherhood was a religious, political, and social movement with the basic beliefs that, Allah is our objective; the Quran is our constitu tion, the Prophet is our leader; Jihad is our way; and death for the sake of Allah is the highest of our aspirations. (Ikhwanweb) Al-Banna called for the return to fundamental Islam because according to him, contemporary Islam had lost its social dominance, because most Muslims had been corrupted by Western influences. The Brotherhood saw itself both as a political and a social movement. The groups activities focused on the secular regimes in the Arab world, starting with its own local, Egyptian government. The Muslim Brotherhood also worked to protect workers against the oppression of foreign companies and monopolies. They established social institutions such as hospitals, pharmacies, and schools. Al-Bannas hatred towards Western modernity soon moved him to shape the Brotherhood into an organization seeking to check the secularist tendencies in Muslim society by asserting a return to ancient and traditional Islamic values. Al-Banna recruited followers from a vast cross-section of Egyptian society by addressing issues such as colonialism, public health, educational policy, natural resources management, social inequalities, Arab nationalism, the weakness of the Islamic world, and the growing conflict in Palestine. Among the perspectives he drew on to address these issues were the anti-capitalist doctrines of European Marxism and fascism. In 1936 the Brotherhood had about 800 members, but by 1938, just two years into the Arab revolt in Palestine, its membership had grown to almost 200,000, with fifty branches in Egypt. The organization established mosques, schools, sport clubs, factories and a welfare service network. By the end of the 1930s there were more than a half million active members registered, in more than two thousand branches across the Arab world. (Meir-Levi) Robin Hallett reports: By the late 1940s the Brotherhood was reckoned to have as many as (2) million members, while its strong Pan-Islamic  [6]  ideas had gained supporters in other Arab lands. (Hallett) Its headquarters in Cairo became a center and meeting place for representatives from the whole Muslim world, also recruiting among the foreign students. The Muslim Brotherhood spread internationally founding groups in Lebanon (1936), Syria (1937), and Transjordan (1946). As the Brotherhood grew through the 1930s and extended its activities beyond its original religious and social revivalism, al-Banna became more obsessed with the idea of the restoration of the Caliphate. He believed this could only become a reality through Jihad  [7]  . This idea helped grow a multitude of followers. Al-Banna described in inciting speeches the horrors of hell expected for heretics, and consequently, the need for Muslims to return to their purest religious roots, re-establish the Caliphate, and resume Jihad against the Kafir  [8]  , or non-Muslim world. Al-Banna spelled out his ideas in a dissertation entitled The Way of Jihad. Hassan al-Banna saw Jihad as a defensive strategy against the west, stating that Islamic scholars: Agree unanimously that Jihad is a communal defensive obligation imposed upon the Islamic ummah (Muslim community) in order to embrace Islam, and that it is an individual obligation to repulse the attack of unbelievers upon it. As a result of unbelievers ruling Muslim lands and degrading Muslim honor: It has become an individual obligation, which there is no evading, on every Muslim to prepare his equipment, to make up his mind to engage in Jihad, and to get ready for it until the opportunity is ripe and God decrees a matter which is sure to be accomplished. (al-Banna) Al-Bannas ideas on the rule of Jihad for the ummah in a citation of the Five Tracts of Hasan al-Banna in which he goes back to the Hanafi-rules: Jihad in its literal significance means to put forth ones maximal effort in word and deed; in the Sacred Law it is the slaying of the unbelievers, and related connotations such as beating them, plundering their wealth, destroying their shrines, and smashing their idols. It is obligatory on us to begin fighting with them after transmitting the invitation [to embrace Islam], even if they do not fight against us. (al-Banna) The first steps that al-Banna took towards the Jihad that he envisioned came in the form of terrorism during the Arab revolt in Palestine from 1936-1939. One of the Muslim Brotherhood leaders, Hajj Amin al-Husseini  [9]  , Grand Mufti (Supreme Muslim religious leader) of Jerusalem, incited his followers to a three-year war against the Jews in Palestine and against the British Mandate for Palestine.  [10]  Under al-Bannas stewardship, the Brotherhood developed a network of underground cells, stole weapons, trained fighters, formed secret assassination squads, and created sleeper cells of subversive supporters in the ranks of the army and police who waited for the order to go public with terrorism and assassinations. Underground links between the Nazis and the Brotherhood began during the 1930s and were close during the Second World War. Documents from the British, American, and Nazi German governmental archives, as well as, from personal accounts and memoirs of that period, confirm that in return for the Nazi aid the Brotherhood was involved in the agitation against the British, espionage and sabotage, as well as other terrorist activities. The common link between them was their hated of the Jews and the common goal of the destruction of the Jews. Both were explicitly anti-nationalist in the sense that they believed in the insolvency of the nation-state in favor of a non-national unifying community. For al-Banna and the Brotherhood this was the ummah; and for the Nazis it was dominance of the master race. The Nazis also offered great power connections to the Brotherhood. As the Brotherhoods political and military alliance with the Nazis developed, these parallels facilitated practical connections that created a formal alliance. Al-Bannas followers easily introduced into the Arab world a new Nazi form of Jewish hatred. This was accomplished with Arab translations of Hitlers autobiography and political ideology, Mein Kampf, (translated into Arabic as My Jihad) and other Nazi anti-Semitic works, including Der Sturmer,  [11]  and racist cartoons, modified to portray Jews as the demonic enemy of Allah. When the question of Palestine came before the United Nations  [12]  , al-Banna and Amin al-Husseini jointly urged the Arab world to unite in opposition to the creation of Israel. The two men saw in the UN resolution for the partition of Palestine, an example of the Jewish world conspiracy, even though the plan provided for an Arab state in Palestine alongside the Jewish one. But in al-Bannas estimation, the creation of a state for the Arabs of Palestine was less vital than the eradication of Zionism and the annihilation of the regions Jews. In November 1948, police seized an automobile containing documents and plans thought to belong to the Brotherhoods secret apparatus or military wing with the identity of its members. This find was succeeded by a series of bombings and attempted assassinations. Consequently thirty-two of the brotherhoods leaders were arrested and its offices raided. Growing concern over the Brotherhoods rising influence and popularity, as well as rumors that the organization was plotting a coup against the Egyptian government, Prime Minister Mahmoud an-Nukrashi Pasha outlawed the group in December 1948. The government seized the Brotherhoods assets and incarcerated many of its members. Less than three weeks later in what is thought to be retaliation for these acts, a member of the Brotherhood, veterinary student Abdel Meguid Ahmed Hassan, assassinated the Prime Minister Mahmoud an-Nukrashi Pasha on December 28, 1948. Following the assassination, al-Banna released a statement condemning the assassination, stating that terror is not an acceptable way in Islam. The Egyptian government was not convinced of al-Bannas and the Brotherhoods non involvement. On February 12, 1949, al-Banna was at the Brotherhood headquarters in Cairo with his brother-in-law to negotiate with a representative from the government, Minister Zaki Ali Basha. The Minister never arrived and by 5 oclock in the evening al-Banna decided to leave. As al-Banna and his brother-in-law stood waiting for the taxi, they were assassinated by two men. Al-Banna was shot seven times and was taken to a hospital where he died shortly thereafter. After Egypt imprisoned and executed many Muslim Brothers through the 1950s, many of its members fled the country and spread the brotherhoods attitudes and viewpoints throughout the Arab world. The groups main ideological voice became Sayyid Qutb, who detested Western values and believed that the Koran justified violence to overthrow any non-Islamic governments wherever Muslims lived. Qutb is credited for the ideology that has sparked many violent Islamic fundamental groups in existence today such as al Qaeda. He spent time in the United States in 1949 studying education and became a very vocal spokesperson about the evils within American Culture. On his return to Egypt Qutb became a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood and urged Muslims to take up arms against non Islamic governments. In 1964, Egyptian President Gamal Nasser granted amnesty to imprisoned Brothers which he was rewarded by the Brotherhood with three assassination attempts on his life. In 1966 the top leaders of the Brother hood in Egypt were executed to include Sayyid Qutb who was accused of plotting against the government. Many others that failed to escape the country were imprisoned. Nassers successor, Anwar-as-Sadat, promised the Brotherhood that sharia law would be implemented as Egyptian law. Like Nasser, Sadat released the members of the Brotherhood held in Egyptian prisons. The temporary peace between the Brotherhood and the Egyptian government lasted until Sadat signed a peace agreement with Israel in 1979. This enraged the Muslim Brotherhood who had deeply supported the Palestinians in their quest to take their homeland back since the 1922 British Mandate. On 06 October 1981 the Muslim Brotherhood assassinated Anwar Sadat during the annual victory parade held in Cairo to celebrate Egypts crossing of the Suez Canal. Al-Banna, as a first option did not propose violence as a means of creating an Islamic State but as the Muslim Brotherhood grew to an enormous size encompassing a large population with diverse and varying viewpoints many of its supporters in the did. Brothers, who broke away from al-Bannas Brotherhood usually connected to or formed Islamic extremist organizations characterized by the same ultimate goal through different methods. These societies openly recognize and practice their will to use violence against infidels in order to promote their brand of Islam. Although the Muslim Brotherhood denies involvement with off shoot organizations labeled as terrorist, many people in todays global security industry do consider the Brotherhood an underground terrorist group or at the very least a supporter of those organizations. However, the United States does not include the Muslim Brotherhood on their list of terrorist organizations. The United States does, however, regard many of the known off shoot groups such as the Islamic Jihad Group (IJG) and HAMAS (Islamic Resistance Movement) as terrorist organizations. (U.S. Department of State) Islamic Jihad and Hamas are only two of the groups whose founders and leaders broke away from the Muslim Brotherhood because they believed in committing immediate and extreme acts to foster an Islamic State. The events surrounding the 1976 Egyptian Parliamentary elections lead to the creation of Muslim Brotherhood splinter groups. Because Egyptian leader Anwar Sadat did not recognize the Brotherhood as a political party the members of the Brotherhood running for seats in the Parliament were forced to either run as independents or as members of the ruling Arab Socialist Union. The Brotherhood won 15 seats on parliament; six had won on the ruling partys ticket and nine won independently. Sadats success in co-opting several of the Brotherhood leaders into the political system angered many militant Brothers. The militant Brothers then disbanded from the Brotherhood in order to establish underground radical groups. These groups include Mukfirtiya (denouncers of the Infidel), Jund Allah (S oldiers of God), Munnazamat al Jihad (The Jihad Organization) and Al Takfir wa al Hijra (The Denunciation of Infidels and the Migration). The Islamic Jihad Group developed out of the Muslim Brotherhood whose members viewed the Egyptian Brotherhood leaders responses toward the occupation of Israeli as too moderate. (Moneeb) The Brotherhood favored the gradual development of a dominant Islamic State instead of seeking an immediate response through violence. This decision did not satisfy some of the members of the Brotherhood who were motivated to breakaway. These members, having been exposed to militant Islamic groups, such as the Jihad Group looked to satisfy their opinions in the formation of a new organization they titled the Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Hamas as well grew out of the Muslim Brotherhood in December 1987. Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, a Brotherhood spiritual leader, founded Hamas to be the Muslim Brotherhoods political arm in Palestine. Then in 1988 Hamas broke away from the Brotherhood when it published its official charter. Hamass winning of the January 2006 Palestinian Authoritys general legislative elections indicate Hamas is now the largest Palestinian militant movement. Hamas is well known for suicide bombings and other violent attacks with the goal to end Israel and to implement an Islamic state in its place. Throughout the history of the Muslim Brotherhood, members have been rounded up and arrested for their anti-government stances in Egypt. Members have fled to Europe, Africa, throughout the Middle East and to the United States. They have set up charities to assist the Palestinians and to convert non-Muslims and to aid the poor. The Brotherhood has began taking a more moderate stance in their approach to the governments of the world in an attempt to gain further acceptance and to distance itself from its violent past. The main problem within the Brotherhood is the clandestine cells and financial networks that act on behalf of the Brotherhood in arming and organizing militant fundamental Islamic groups to further the goal of a worldwide Islamic Caliphate. It is the secrecy and behind the scenes objectives that will forever link the group to the majority of Sunni Islamic terrorist organizations around the globe.

Essay --

Materials: †¢ Yarn (1.5 feet) †¢ Water †¢ Cup †¢ Tablespoon †¢ Small plate †¢ Granulated white sugar (4 cups and 4 tablespoons) †¢ Wax paper †¢ Screws †¢ Popsicle sticks †¢ Marker †¢ Ruler (cm) †¢ 2 mason jars †¢ Bowl †¢ Stove †¢ Measuring cup †¢ Wooden mixing spoon †¢ Pot holders †¢ Paper towels †¢ Notebook †¢ Pencil †¢ Masking tap Procedure: 1. Gather all materials listed. 2. Cut two strings the same lengths that are about 1 centimeter longer than the jar. 3. Fill a cup with water and place the strings in the cup so they can soak for about 5 minutes. 4. While the strings are soaking spread out 1 tablespoon of sugar out on a piece of wax paper and leave one piece of wax paper with nothing on it. 5. Remove the strings and place one string on the wax paper with sugar and roll the string around until it is completely covered with sugar. 6. Set both strings on the blank wax paper, not touching, and allow them to sit overnight. 7. After the sugarcoated string has soaked for twenty-four hours take a screw and tie it to one end of the string. Do the same with the non-sugar coated string. 8. With the other end of the string tie it to a Popsicle sticks. Indicate by using a marker as to which string has the sugar coating on it. 9. Make sure both stings will be long enough so that they can be placed approximately one centimeter from the bottom of the jar. Then set them to the side. 10. The glass jars will need to be preheated. Place them next to the eye of a hot stove. (That is so the glass jars don’t shatter) 11. Next boil water for both of the jars. Once that has boiled pour the water into the warm jars. 12. Now put a cup of water into a pot and bring that to a boil. Turn the heat back down to low. 13. Put three cups of sugar into the boiling water... ...e and organization to how these molecules are aligned. For this process the jar must be left in an undisturbed setting where there is no sunlight beating on it. It takes approximately a week for the sugar crystals to be able to completely grow. As the water molecules evaporate into the air the dissolved sugar molecules will be left behind. The molecules will cling to any solid around them including the sides of the jar and the nail and string placed in the solution. Through the process of nucleation the crystal will begin to form. In conclusion, the result of the experiment is the savory taste of a rock candy. The sugar molecules that are dissolved in the solution, stick together in a repetitive pattern, forming a crystalline solid. Through the process of nucleation students are able to enjoy the sweet taste of sugar molecules bonded together. Essay -- Materials: †¢ Yarn (1.5 feet) †¢ Water †¢ Cup †¢ Tablespoon †¢ Small plate †¢ Granulated white sugar (4 cups and 4 tablespoons) †¢ Wax paper †¢ Screws †¢ Popsicle sticks †¢ Marker †¢ Ruler (cm) †¢ 2 mason jars †¢ Bowl †¢ Stove †¢ Measuring cup †¢ Wooden mixing spoon †¢ Pot holders †¢ Paper towels †¢ Notebook †¢ Pencil †¢ Masking tap Procedure: 1. Gather all materials listed. 2. Cut two strings the same lengths that are about 1 centimeter longer than the jar. 3. Fill a cup with water and place the strings in the cup so they can soak for about 5 minutes. 4. While the strings are soaking spread out 1 tablespoon of sugar out on a piece of wax paper and leave one piece of wax paper with nothing on it. 5. Remove the strings and place one string on the wax paper with sugar and roll the string around until it is completely covered with sugar. 6. Set both strings on the blank wax paper, not touching, and allow them to sit overnight. 7. After the sugarcoated string has soaked for twenty-four hours take a screw and tie it to one end of the string. Do the same with the non-sugar coated string. 8. With the other end of the string tie it to a Popsicle sticks. Indicate by using a marker as to which string has the sugar coating on it. 9. Make sure both stings will be long enough so that they can be placed approximately one centimeter from the bottom of the jar. Then set them to the side. 10. The glass jars will need to be preheated. Place them next to the eye of a hot stove. (That is so the glass jars don’t shatter) 11. Next boil water for both of the jars. Once that has boiled pour the water into the warm jars. 12. Now put a cup of water into a pot and bring that to a boil. Turn the heat back down to low. 13. Put three cups of sugar into the boiling water... ...e and organization to how these molecules are aligned. For this process the jar must be left in an undisturbed setting where there is no sunlight beating on it. It takes approximately a week for the sugar crystals to be able to completely grow. As the water molecules evaporate into the air the dissolved sugar molecules will be left behind. The molecules will cling to any solid around them including the sides of the jar and the nail and string placed in the solution. Through the process of nucleation the crystal will begin to form. In conclusion, the result of the experiment is the savory taste of a rock candy. The sugar molecules that are dissolved in the solution, stick together in a repetitive pattern, forming a crystalline solid. Through the process of nucleation students are able to enjoy the sweet taste of sugar molecules bonded together.