Euthanasia Essay - Physician-Assisted Suicide :: Euthanasia Physician Assisted Suicide

Views on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide      Ã‚   This essay explores the views of doctors, of the general public, and of the original Hippocratic Oath on the practices of euthanasia and assisted suicide. Considerable reference material is employed - from professional sources.    Regarding the views of physicians on euthanasia and assisted suicide, it is difficult to get a true picture of physicians views from articles in newspapers or from journal review articles. Since euthanasia and assisted suicide are new and a challenge to established values, a report about a single physician practicing assisted suicide is more likely to get published than a report that members of a large physicians' organization reaffirms traditional values. Physicians that practice euthanasia and assisted suicide have been more outspoken and vociferous since many consider themselves as pioneers. Whereas many physicians who continue to practice with traditional ethics, see no need to advertise this fact. Even if one reads consensus statements from medical ethics groups one may get a biased idea of the mainstream views of physicians. These statements are usually written by a small group of physicians, many of whom are active in ethics groups because they want to see change. Several arti cles have been published that poll doctors' views on euthanasia and assisted suicide, and these are likely to get closer to the real views of doctors. In a survey of doctors on management of the persistent vegetative state, 35% of doctors would never withdraw feeding or nutrition and 28% would always treat an acute infection or other life-threatening condition (1).    In a survey of 355 oncologists, the majority found euthanasia or assisted suicide unacceptable. However one in seven oncologists had actually carried out euthanasia or assisted suicide (2). 37% of physicians who look after AIDS patients would be unlikely to assist a patient with established AIDS to commit suicide but 48% said they would be likely to do so (3). 48% of 1355 physicians in Washington state agree that euthanasia is never ethically justified but 33% said they would be willing to perform euthanasia (4). 40% of 1119 Michigan physicians involved in the care of terminally ill patients were in favor of legalization of assisted suicide and 17% favored prohibition of assisted suicide. 22% of physicians would participate in either assisted suicide or euthanasia (5).    Regarding the views of the general public toward these two practices, two-thirds of oncology patients and of the public consider euthanasia and assisted suicide acceptable for cancer patients with unremitting pain (6).

Maxine Hong Kingston and the Search for Identity :: Biography Biographies Essays

Maxine Hong Kingston and the Search for identity Maxine Hong Kingston is in search of herself. She tries to find herself as a woman in a man's world, as a Chinese in America, and, as a daughter instead of a son. In all her writings one can see her search for her identity. One can feel her rebellion to convention, her need to break the barriers of society, her desire to make a perfect world where everyone is treated as an equal. But most of all her writings depict her as a strong and proud woman who is willing to battle against convention and society to preserve her convictions Kingston is on a search to find her identity. She tries to find herself as a Chinese in American society. There is a struggle within herself to distinguish that which is Chinese from that which is American. Kingston tries to find herself and her voice in America. She says, "We American-Chinese had to whisper to make ourselves American feminine. Apparently we whispered even more softly than the Americans."(Kingston 714) Kingston tries to make herself fit into American society by "...invent(ing) an American-feminine speaking personality."(Kingston 714) She writes that she needed an "American-feminine" personality to have dates. A deep rooted insecurity can be sensed in Kingston. She does not believe in her own attractiveness. She feels a need to become another person to be accepted in American society. She's incapable of attracting dates but her invented personality can. Though Kingston is on a quest to find herself there seems to be a conflict in her mind between the person she really is and the person she wants to become. In "Silence" she talks of her desire to have an American sounding voice. In the essay "Woman Warrior" Kingston dreams of herself as a female avenger, taking revenge on the society that denied her family and herself happiness. She sees herself as a strong, capable, ruthless warrior--- almost a man. Kingston is unhappy with the person that she is. She seems to be unable to meet her expectations of herself. The writer struggles to deal with the person she is and the person she aspires to be. Though she tries to find herself , she cannot find her place, and her voice in America. Kingston searches for her voice in America yet she becomes almost mute. She writes that as a child she used to cover her pictures in black.

Assess the Impact of European Commecial Activities in the Atlantic Island and West Africa from 1415-1600

Assess the Impact of European commercial activities in the Atlantic Islands and West Africa from 1415 to 1600. When one queries the assessment of the European commercial activities and its impact in the Atlantic Islands and West Africa between the years 1415 and 1600, trickery, social violence, intrusion and the horrors of slavery comes to mind. There were many negative impacts such as population loss, loss of self worth and loyalty, the Europeans involved caused the demise of the European cloth industry. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to set foot in this area in the fifteenth century. During the history of Portugal (1415-1542), Portugal discovered an eastern route to India that rounded the Cape of Good Hope, established trading routes throughout most of southern Asia and they colonized selected areas of Africa. It was the genius of Prince Henry the Navigator(1) that coordinated all these quests of expansion. Prince Henry placed at the disposal of his captains a plethora of resources, of which he was the head, and the best information and most accurate instruments and maps that could be obtained. He sought to meet with the infamous Christian Empire of â€Å"Prester John†(2) by way of the â€Å"Western Nile† (the Senegal River), and, in alliance with that to crush the Turks and liberate the Holy Land. Slavery was practiced in Africa before the beginning of the European slave trade. Slavery and the slave trade were an integral part of African societies and the Arab world was supplied with African slaves for centuries before the arrival of the Europeans. The African slave trade provided a large number of slaves to Europeans and their African agents. Initially, the Portuguese started trading in copper, brass, European cloth, etc in exchange for gold, which was in high demand in Europe. Above all things, the most impact full commercial activity of all was the European Slave Trade and its economic and social effects it had on West Africa and the Atlantic Island. The Atlantic Islands which were involved with the European commercial activities were: The Azores, Madeira, Sao Tome & Principle, Cape Verde, and Goree Islands. The African countries that were involved in the Portuguese trade were the coast of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Liberia, Angola and Morocco. In order to assess the impact or extent to which West African and the Atlantic societies were affected by the European commercial activities, one must certainly look into the number of slaves that were either traded or raided from their homelands. Population loss is certainly a focal point when assessing the impact of the European Commercial activity. According to Walter Rodney in ‘How Europe Underdeveloped Africa’ he states that â€Å"One of the uncertainties concerns the basic question of how many Africans were imported. This has long been an object of speculation, with estimates ranging from a few millions to over one hundred million. A recent study has suggested a figure of about ten million Africans landed alive in the Americas, the Atlantic islands and Europe. † The actual number of slaves is certainly a very difficult figure to ascertain. However there is no doubt that it was an absolutely staggering number of natives that were taken from their homelands, sold and enslaved. Population loss is a very serious loss when it comes to the development of a people. The economy and the social fabric of the people are utterly destroyed, leaving Africans in a state of chaos. The impact of the population loss as it relates to commercial activity is so severe that at present more than a bicentenary Western Africa is still in shambles, with an economy barely able to stand. It was even more difficult during the years of the slave trade for West Africans to replenish their population simply because when trading the adult males were high in demand in opposed to that of the females, thus leaving the remaining ratio of men to women in West Africa in trouble. John Thornton, in his book ‘Africa and Africans in the Making of the Atlantic World’ says that ‘In addition to the net demographic drain, which began early in some areas (like Angola), the loss of adult males had potentially damaging impacts on sex ratios, dependency rates, and perhaps the sexual division of labor†. This goes to show the gravity of impact the population loss had or still has on West Africa. In Walter Rodney’s ‘How Europe Underdeveloped Africa’ he states that â€Å"The massive loss to the African labour force was made more critical because it was composed of able-bodied young men and young women. Slave buyers preferred their victims between the ages of 15 and 35, and preferably in the early twenties; the sex ratio being about two men to one woman. † The people, or lack thereof, of West Africa found it very difficult to replenish the population, not to mention the interruption of the family structure in his part of Africa. Like most cultures, in African culture the men are the head of the household and were the chiefs of the various villages. In the absence of these men, many women found it very difficult to survive having lived as housewives and depending on men as the bread winners of the household. As a result, thre was social chaos in the Western par t of Africa. Social Upheaval and Low Self Worth was another one of the major impacts of the European commercial activities on West Africa. As a result of the slave trade through raids and trade, there is no doubt concerning the social ills that plagued Western Africa. Many Africans were betrayed by their own political leaders who sold their African people to Europeans for items such as guns, horses and cowrie shells(3). As a result of this vicious betrayal there was social upheaval and chaos. Raids occurred and many villages were uprooted. Walter Rodney mentioned in his book How Europe Underdeveloped Africa that â€Å"The opportunity presented by European slave dealers became the major (though not the only) stimulus for a great deal of social violence between different African communities and within any given community. It took the form more of raiding and kidnapping than of regular warfare, and that fact increased the element of fear and uncertainty. † West African people tried to protect themselves and tried to fight back against the Europeans as they were all very unwilling to participate in the Slave Trade. This slave trade caused social disruption and increased inequality and intensified exploitation. In James Duffy â€Å"Portugal In Africa† he says that â€Å"On the Gold Coast Portuguese traders could not move with the freedom and security through the interior. They were obliged to use whatever force or methods of terror they had at their disposal, and when this failed they relied on intrigue and bribery†. The moral fabric and self worth of Africans were also tremendously damaged as a result of European influence. Lives were destroyed, and whole ethnic groups wiped out.. African Pride years and materialism was born into the African mentality and thought process. The African man, who was once concerned with skill, prowess, strength and knowledge had changed to intense materialism. African chiefs sold their own people for simple items such as cheap gin, gunpowder, pots and beads. These items were not coveted and demanded by the African chiefs and they continued to sell their people for their selfish gains. This created mistrust and bitterness between the African villagers and their leaders, thus causing internal conflict amongst West African societies. European commercial activities caused a stand still in technology and as a result in the economy of Western Africa. During the European Slave Trade there began a demand for cloth in Africa. There became a strong dependency on Europe in Africa. There was cloth made in Africa when the European Slave Trade began and there were also imports from Europe and Asia. Soon Europe and Asia were copying African cloth designs and materials and they were imported into Africa creating stiff competition with the local producers. European cloth was then imported in bulk thus having more supply and at cheaper rates. The local cloth industry was certainly in trouble. Europeans produced cloth on a large scale by using energy from wind, water and coal. Thus the local cloth manufacturers were forced to end their work leaving African cloth producing industry at a stand still and it eventually was shut down. In Walter Rodney’s book on â€Å"How Europe Underdeveloped Africa† he says that Therefore, there was what can be called ‘technological arrest’ or stagnation, and in some instances actual regression, since people forgot even the simple technique of their forefathers. The abandonment of traditional iron smelting in most parts of Africa is probably the most important instance of technological regression. European activity crippled the industrial life of many West African countries and caused West Africa to become completely dependant on Europe. The European Commercial activities did very little if any to contribute to the development of Western Africa. In fact the development of West Africa was retarded and was undoubtedly damaged and destroyed in many ways. Europeans did not just uproot the West Africans physically by ways of loss of population and death but socially because their pride was broken, they were said to be useless and inferior to the Europeans. Initially, the Europeans never set out to create suck havoc in Western Africa but within their exploration it turned out to be nothing but exploitation of the African people. There is no hiding the number of slaves that were taken form Western Africa and took to various islands to work and to be enslaved. Families were shattered, populations depleted and lives scattered for economic gain. Fear and inferiority was also driven into the hearts and minds of Africans. From the raiding Africans were left in a state of chaos and fear for their families and the estruction of homes and entire villages. There was bloodshed, deaths and killings as a result of these many raids that the Europeans carried out. It was through trickery and bribery that many of the trading occurred. Europeans brought useless items to the chiefs in the West Africa for them to trade for their own people. This bred mistrust and betrayal in the hearts of African people. Chiefs became materialistic and selfish and became very interested in riches and gain that they forgot their people. European commercial activities caused the African cloth industry to come to an end by their mass producing and heavy and stiff competition for the Africans. The cloth made Europeans, which copied African styles was created in bulk and was much cheaper thus running the African cloth makers out of business. In essence, the impact of the European commercial activities was very severe and hindered the development of Western Africa and its people it changed the mindset of the African man and crushed a thriving civilization and culture.

Orphans in the Literature of J.K. Rowling

Etta Priest 15 December 2009 Major Literary Figures Orphans in Rowling's Harry Potter Series An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of his or her parents through death. UNICEF reports that there are between one hundred and forty-three million and two hundred and ten million orphans worldwide and, furthermore, that five thousand seven-hundred and sixty minors become parentless daily. With the gargantuan quantity of bereft children, it is no surprise that literary protagonists are frequently orphaned. From Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien to Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, victims of parent loss have been molded into key characters. One of the most recent, and most famous, orphans in literature is J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter. However, in her seven book series, Rowling chose to bereave the antagonist of his parents as well, displaying an interesting line between the choices that are made that lead to good and evil. A common African proverb states that it takes a community to raise a child. The English term community originates from the Latin word communitatus, which can be divided into three essential features. Com-† is a Latin prefix that indicates togetherness. Public duties are associated with the root, â€Å"munis. † The suffix, â€Å"-tatus† refers to something little or residential. Localities in which people reside under one government with common interests are commonly known as communities. While the beings within these groups will posses differentiating qualities, a homogenous element that bonds the people toget her must exist. In the Harry Potter novels, the wizarding world is set apart from the common humans, muggles, through the ability to perform magic and the passion to understand its potential. Within the network of wizards, individual communities exist based on geographical locations, natural abilities, and a desire for improvement. Rowling emphasizes the necessity of community in order to mature repetitively. Within the school, Hogwarts, Potter experiences the bonds of brotherhood. Furthermore, he encounters relationships with fatherlike figures, as well as connections with the general public of the wizarding society. These associations are generally beneficial, especially for an orphan in adolescence; however, certain connections prove to be crooked and have ultimately negative results. She displays these negative results through Lord Voldemort and his failure to create connections with others, other than the mark he left on the one he tried to kill: â€Å" Displayed since infancy, Harry's personal sign is inscribed by the evil sorcerer Voldemort in a murderous rampage that leaves Harry's parents dead and the baby an orphan. Harry's mark permits a public sign of recognition not only of his virtuous (distinguished, abandoned) identity, but also of the burden imposed by being special† (Robertson 201). From the moment Rowling published Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone, it has been clear that Harry lived in miserable conditions. Being forced to live in a cupboard, eat minimal amounts of nasty food, and put up with a spoiled brat all became normal to the boy who lost his parents at the age of one. Rowling begins almost each of her series with a strong reminder of Harry's misery and how he is still suffering from the loss of his mother and father. Contrary to the development of Harry throughout his experiences at Hogwarts, Voldemort is portrayed an evil spirit, too weak to possess his own body. By the second book readers learn his true name is Tom Marvolo Riddle, humanizing him minimally. Knowing that he once had a name suggests that he did not always have intentions of being a dark lord. Lord Voldemort's birth origins are not unraveled until the sixth book, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. It is interesting that Rowling paves a way to understand that this man was a child once who has made his own decisions towards the end of the series, while the readers experienced Harry's growth during each year he spent at Hogwarts. While Harry never had to opportunity to know his parents, James and Lilly, very well, his unconditional love for them is show clearly, especially in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Rowling describes Harry as having anger he had never felt in all his life when Aunt Marge cruelly criticizes his parents. While he lashes out, accidentally performs magic in the presence of muggles, and leaves the Dursley's residence, these actions were truly courageous steps for a thirteen year old boy to take, which are followed by many more throughout the course of this particular novel. Showing his growing independence, Harry buys his on school supplies and finished his homework alone in Diagon Alley. While students such as Ron have parents that help them gather essential items and encourage them to study, the Potter boy knows he owes something to his parents and desires to be the best wizard he possible can. The protagonist's desire to succeed is not met with the easiest circumstances. When Harry learns that the claimed-to-be-killer of Lilly and James is Sirius Black, a seed is planted inside of him that seem to stem from his desire for revenge. This stem grows due to his chilling encounters with dementors. His vulnerability is displayed greatly when he was the only student on the Hogwarts Express to faint in the presence of these deathly creatures. However, during extended visits with Professor Lupin, a bond is formed that is more profound that a simple student-teacher relationship. Through this connection, Lupin is able to explain why Harry was the only person to pass out on the train. The explanation was that he had seen death . Furthermore, Harry learns how Lupin was a true friend to James. The mutual honesty between them resembles the candor that Harry could unfortunately never experience with his parents. While is in inarguable orphaned, lacking privileges that most students possess, this connection with his teacher is unlike anything he has felt with an adult before. As a parent would desire to protect his or her child, Lupin agrees to teach Harry how to fight off dementors and stay strong in the presence of emotionless creatures. As he practices the anti-dementor spell, he can actually hear the voices of his mother and father. Lupin helps him to cope with the face that they are truly deceased and â€Å"listening to echoes of them won't bring them back† (Azkaban 243). Thanks to his continued meetings with Lupin, Harry gains courage in his abilities, knowledge of the Patronus Charm, and admiration of a parent-like figure. Not all of Harry's decisions are marked with maturity as Rowling reveals when Severus Snape brutally criticizes James for being â€Å"exceedingly arrogant† and going â€Å"where he wants to, with no thought of consequences† (Azkaban 394). In response, the young boy burns with â€Å"rage such as he had not felt since his last night at Privet Drive† (394). As he continues to disrespectfully shout as his despised professor, Harry's outburst only seems to give more credit to Snape's accusations. Had he maintained a level-headed and humble disposition in the face of adversity, this mark of immaturity would not be so apparent. Lupin gives Harry the advice that takes transfers his life of vicarious resentment into the man his parents would hope to see on page fourteen, â€Å"Your parents gave their lives to keep you alive, Harry. A poor way to repay them—gambling their sacrifice. † As previously mentioned, the talk of Sirius Black's return has infiltrated Harry's mind and tempted him with revenge. At this point in the novel, he has bottled up his feelings of vengeance, but how he would use them would be a test of his maturity. The long awaited encounter with Black finally takes place, and while it seemed that Harry had every intention of taking his life, he made a very wise decision by listening to his elders. Lupin and Black's explanations resonate in Harry's mind and open up yet another window into the lives of Lilly and James. Without question, every word concerning the loyalty and abilities of James gave his son a sense of pride and deep love. When faced with an opportunity to see the indisputable killer of his parents be put to death, Harry thought of what his father would do. This killer is revealed to be Peter Pettigrew. Just as Lupin and Black raise their wands to condemn him, Harry interjects, â€Å"I don't reckon my dad would've wanted them to become killers† (Azkaban 275). Not only did he protect the memory of James Potter, but he upheld the integrity of his father's dearest friends, a remarkable trait in such a young wizard. The turning point of Harry's growth takes place at the end of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, when he and Hermione travel backwards in time and save innocent lives. In â€Å"real time: Harry and Sirius were attacked by a flurry of dementors, and a patronus in stag form had barely saved the boy. Most likely due to the fact that Harry wishes for visions of his parents, he believes that his very father had cast the charm to save him. However, when he arrives on the outskirts of this scene, a realization unlike any of his discoveries thus far overtakes him. Initiative, bravery, advanced skill, and discernment combine in Harry's body within a matter seconds. In this moment, he understood that he has created the magnificent stag that saved the life of Black and pushed away the dementors. While Lupin's wisdom poured into the protagonist's development during his third year, Harry's fifth year was influenced through the many aspects of community. As the new year at Hogwarts resumes in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, headmaster Albus Dumbledore is proud to announce â€Å"a friendly competition between the three largest European Schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang† which would be a â€Å"most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities† (Goblet 187). The Triwizard Tournament was an instrument with the capability of introducing three unique circles to each other, giving them an opportunity to reach out of their comfort zones and adopt a willingness to be accepting. Potter's close friend, Hermione Granger, was unsurprisingly excited about this event, arguing that the â€Å"tournament's supposed to be about getting to know foreign wizards and making friends with them† (Goblet 423). Her maturity contrasts Ron Weasley's point of view immensely as he looks down up the boys of Durmstrang, referring to a champion of the competition as an enemy. Because of Granger's status as an only child, readers may expect that she would be more inclined to scorn outsiders. Unfortunately, Weasley was trapped in his jealous world, and he ignored his best friends' tolerance of the other schools as well. He allowed the schools desire to host exchange students to pull apart his best friends. Ron Weasley's unfavorable treatment was not the only situation to put a damper on Potter's attitude. The knowledge that he had been so close to living with his godfather forever, then being stripped of this paternal affinity, was detrimental. Sirius Black, Potter learned at the age of fourteen, was the closest friend of his deceased parents. Growing up with cruel treatment from muggles, this would have been the boys first chance to live in one of the most intimate communities a child requires: family. As a result of Black's actions, his godson knows he is dearly loved; however, he must maintain secrecy for his own freedom and life. During most of the novel, Potter rarely communicates with his godfather through the Owl Post. As soon as Black learned of the pain in the boy's scar, he made immediate plans of paying a visit, a natural reaction any devoted parent would have. Potter displays his mutual feelings towards him in his attempt to retract his claim, hoping that this father figure would remain in hiding until they could live without being in fear of the Ministry of Magic and Lord Voldemort. Distance from loved ones breeds suffering, yet simultaneously elicits a sense of comfort. Potter had lacked this sense for almost fifteen years. Among various encounters with Cedric Diggory, Potter experienced new bonds of brotherhood, which provided him a new source of well-being. Although these two students lived in divergent houses at Hogwarts, they were coupled together as chosen participants in the Triwizard Tournament. Naturally, circumstances did not allow them to be the best of friends. The majority of their peers believed that Potter was a cheat who did not deserve to be titled a champion. Experiencing ill treatment, he still revealed insider information concerning the first task: â€Å"Cedric, the task is dragons† (Goblet 340). when Potter's intentions were questioned, he responded, â€Å"It's just fair†¦ isn't it? We all know now†¦ we're on even footing† (341). Later, Potter's morality is rewarded. Diggory returns the favor by offering his competition advice in order to proceed in the second task successfully. The younger competitor found it difficult to trust his opponent, not knowing if he would just make a further fool of himself. Potter realized that worrying about being foolish would not keep him alive. By the final and most dangerous challenge, the perspective of â€Å"every man for himself† would be expected from the contestants. This was absolutely not the case. They discovered that two people have the ability to exceed that which one person would be able to accomplish when they concurrently â€Å"stupefy† their spidery assailant. Potter proves that friendship is greater than winning by rescuing his opponent in the maze and even allowing him to simultaneously touch the trophy, which would have resulted in a tie. The outcome of this tie was nothing comparable to what Potter could have imagined. When the trophy turned out to be a magical method of transportation that hurled him into an oppressive graveyard, he witnessed the most negative form of any community, the death eaters. After Lord Voldemort's resurrection, he explained how he took the life of his own father, then summoned his â€Å"true family† (Goblet 646). ironically, his group of inconspicuous followers consisted of the very wizards who believed he vanished forever. Healthy unions do not ignore supposed love ones for years on end. Furthermore, Voldemort forces his death eaters to plead for his re-acceptance. The antagonist disregarded a â€Å"woman's foolish sacrifice† years before and ignored the greatest evidence of kinship. Lilly Potter's love for her baby protected him from the killing curse, Avada Kedavra. Without this relationship, his life would have been terminated (Goblet 297). From the beginning of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire to the end, the protagonist constantly uses discernment to learn from the various associations surrounding him. Instances exist in the first half of the novel in which Potter's immature reactions were a result of the cruelty encompassing him. For example, he cruelly mocked Mrs. Malfoy and even cursed Draco Malfoy for taunting Granger. Evidence proves that Potter developed patience and wisdom; He remained dedicated when thwarted with media claims of his â€Å"disturbed and dangerous† nature (Goblet 611). additionally, he purposely forfeited winning first place in the second task of the Triwizard Tournament in order to ensure the safety of other students. Had compassionate friendships and concerned leaders not poured into the life of the Potter boy he may never have understood the consequences of conceit and the benefits of generous ambition. Nothing could be successfully accomplished in solitary and awareness of community was imperative. Not until Rowling's sixth novel, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, is the true story of Tom Riddle, or Lord Voldemort, established. In multiple chapters, Dumbledore shows Harry a series of memories all pertaining to the history of Riddle. The pensieve explains that Merope Gaunt used her power to force the muggle Tom Riddle, Senior to fall in love with her. Sadly, he abandoned her prior to their son's birth. Gaunt dies soon after having the baby, who is sent to an orphanage where Dumbledore eventually invites him to Hogwarts. While Riddle proves to be a talented wizard, he used his acquired skills to hurt those around him. Even though Dumbledore reached out to him, his revenge was too much to handle and he murdered his own father. Perhaps because he was conceived under the influence of love potion, Voldemort never gained the ability to love or be loved. Maybe because Harry died for love, he was destined to be loved all along. However, Voldemort and Harry are more than mere consequences of fate. The role of free will in the Harry Potter series is analogous to the way human beings function according to their beliefs. Fundamentally, a higher power has knowledge of what is to come; however, it is the choices that people make that carry them to that conclusion. A specific example of this occurs when Dumbledore witnesses Trelawney's prophecy. This prediction only becomes reality because Voldemort believes the subject is Harry, causing the latter's life to be altered greatly. Voluntary decision also stems from this prophecy based on Harry's decision to fight back against his enemy. In, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, he discovers that â€Å"neither can live while the other survives† (501). Both the hero and his opponent choose to react to the prophesy based on their own beliefs and interpretation of one witch's world. The greatest difference between these two powerful orphans by the end of the series is the different applications of discernment. In a speech Rowling delivered at Harvard entitled â€Å"The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination,† she stated, â€Å"Unlike any other creature on this planet, humans can learn and understand, without having experienced. They can think themselves into other people's minds, imagine themselves into other people's places. Separated from any other creatures, humans have the capacity to discern. Harry exercise this ability frequently while Voldemort continued to do the opposite, causing his ultimate demise. Their difference in judgement is displayed through the unexpected irony that accompanies Severus Snape during the entire Potter series, and especially The Deathly Hallows. As the final novel commen ces, Snape is depicted as a ruthless Death Eater, revealing insider information to the despicable Lord Voldemort. Snape gives the Dark Lord the date that Harry Potter would be transported from the residence at Privet Drive. Rowling donates a few chapters that allow her readers to question the motives of Snape; however, in Chapter Five, this insider information is proved to be true. For the Death Eaters attack the brigade of Harry Potter look-a-likes and aurors, managing to sever hope, from the beginning, that Snape has a method to his madness. Due to this initial negative sensation that flows from this slimy character and further events throughout Rowling's seventh novel, not until after Snape's death does the irony that he represents come into the light. Throughout The Deathly Hallows, the glimpses the readers receive of Snape further display that he is a Death Eater. One moment occurs when it seems that Lord Voldemort has finally pervaded the one establishment that always upheld good: Hogwarts. Snape is becoming the school's headmaster which could only mean that it was doomed, for at this point he seems to be the right hand man of the Dark Lord. His cruelty is also displayed when he bumps into Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood in their dangerous excursion through their old school. From under the cloak of invisibility, Harry â€Å"had forgotten the details of Snape's appearance in the magnitude of his crimes, forgotten how his greasy black hair hung in curtains around his thin face, how his black eyes had a dead, cold look† (Hallows 597). His thoughts display that Snape is still as vile as he always has been with no hints of remorse or room for improvement. Ultimately, this results in the rushing of Professors Sprout and Flitwick to battle Snape, forcing him to flee. Why would he have cowardly run away from these wizards unless he was a true villain? In chapter thirty-two, â€Å"The Elder Wand,† Voldemort and Snape have their final encounter with one another. The Dark Lord concludes he must kill the latter to ensure the success of his plans of being the true master of the most powerful wand ever crafted. Therefore, Voldemort orders Nagini to bite Snape, leaving him alone to die by deadly venom. Neither of these men knew that Harry had witnessed this event from underneath his cloak of invisibility. Feeling urged to approach the dying wizard, Harry went up to Snape as he gargled out his last words, â€Å"Take †¦ it †¦ take †¦ it †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hallows 57). It was at this point that he realized memories were pouring out of him, not only blood. Once again the pensieve reveals new background information through the memories of other characters. In this instance, the old visions of Snape that Harry views change his perspective immediately. For the first time, the reader can understand the intricacy that Rowling crafted this character with. Therefore, â€Å"The Prince's Tale,† is a monumental turning point in the character development of not only Snape, but the protagonist and antagonist as well, for they are directly connected to this man. In this chapter, Harry visits multiple memories concerning the childhood of the deceased which all include his mother, Lilly. While Snape always seemed to have a shady persona, his attraction to Harry's mother was never cloaked. Even though he did become a Death Eater for a span of his life, it becomes apparent that the death of his childhood love leads him back into the light. â€Å"If you love Lilly Evans, if you truly loved her, then your way forward is clear† is Dumbledore's claim as Snape is suffering greatly when he learns that this childhood friend has been murdered by Voldemort (Hallows 678). More of these specific situations bring sense to everything that once seemed contradictory. It is clear that Snape had no purpose of severing George Weasley's ear, but he was truly saving Lupin's life. Also, even though he did divulge the date of Harry's departure, it was Snape's idea for his friends to drink polyjuice potion in order to divert the Death Eaters. Significantly, Harry learns that the silver doe Patronus belonged to Snape all along, therefore, it was he who led him to the Sword of Gryffindor in the Forest of Dean. The irony is that his actions all along were all caused by his love for Lily, not hatred of her son. Due to Voldemort's inability to feel love, he believed that Snape acted for the latter purpose, hatred. If Rowling's main character and his greatest rival had not been orphans, the significance of their lack of parents and influence from others would not have been as powerful. While both Potter and Voldemort gained the strength to produce such advanced magic that all fully grown wizards struggle with, they both dealt with this gift in different manners. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Albus Dumbledore suggests, â€Å"Curiosity is not a sin†¦ But we should exercise caution with our curiosity† (598). Through Harry, it is clear that following this advice is crucial; through Voldemort it is apparent that forsaking this advice is devastating. On the subject of orphans, Mother Teresa of Calcutta stated, â€Å" I have come to realize more and more that the greatest disease and the greatest suffering is to be unwanted, unloved, uncared for, to be shunned by everybody, to be just nobody (to no one)† (Frangsmyr 5). While the key orphans in the Potter series experienced all of these terrible feelings, their ultimate destiny lay in the way they chose to discern. Keep in mind that Harry endured with generous ambition. Works Cited â€Å"The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination | Harvard Magazine. † Harvard Alumni Magazine. N. p. , 5 June 2008. Web. 2 Dec. 2009. . Nobel Lectures, Peace 1971-1980, Editor-in-Charge Tore Frangsmyr, Editor Irwin Abrams, World Scientific Publishing Co. , Singapore, 1997. Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. New York: Scholastic Paperbacks, 2007. Print Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. New York: Scholastic Paperbacks, 2002. Print Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. New York: Scholastic Paperbacks, 2005. Print. Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. New York: Scholastic Paperbacks, 2001. Print. Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. New York: Scholastic Inc, 1997. Print. â€Å"Unite For Children. † UNICEF. N. p. , n. d. Web. 9 Dec. 2009. â€Å"What Happens to Our Wishes: Magical Thinking in Harry Potter. † Project Muse. Children's Literature Association Quarterly, n. d. Web. 14 Dec. 2009. .

Online Registration Reservation System

Chapter I INTRODUCTION Project Context The presence of Online Registration and Reservation system of Dalton Academy help the students as well as the school to fasten their system of enrollment as well as reservation. At present, the Dalton Academy has three sections of each year level. The enrollment and reservation process is done in a first come per serve basis, thus if you are early to enroll even you are belong in the first section however if you are late enrollee then you are place in the last section. This policy is there to all year level from first year to fourth year.There are certain problems also have been encountered such as the process of registration in which all year level are piled up in the registration booth. Conflict of date for the registration and reservation. The filing-up of information in the registration forms. In order to resolve this, we create an online registration. This will be indicate a registration procedure in the online registration and reservation system. It reserve in the section, create an account to register in the form in order to reserve in the section.Purpose and Description of the project Purpose This study covers the registration and reservation process of enrollment the respondents is easy to resolved enrollment process problem. It is not difficult for them even if how many students reserve from the online registration reservation but it also limited because three section every year level and per section consist of fifty students only and also much better easy to look if how many students are reserve for enrollment every day.This study will help the teacher’s with this enrolling period because they easy to see on the internet, even are they in other places. Anytime, anywhere they can easily to take a look at that online registration reservation system. Description The study covers the features in this room to show the Registered user under this covered the home, about us information, the administration, the ph oto gallery to show some features of the school, the registered students account. This register page here it show the sign up if you are willing to reserve for registration.The sign up contains the Fname, Mname, Lname, Address, Birthdate, Birthplace, Age, Gender, the username and the password, you can also browse picture if you have. And after that click the register personal information to complete the registration, after you register to sign up the registration form which has a step to be followed of your personal background, under the guest user you can update your profile, your personal information in enrollment and they recognized if what year level and school year you are in the enrollment registration, you can also post a comment on blog and of course the log out.The present of administrator side show the login user account and after that show the Dalton Academy list which is the Manage announcement, Gallery, Registered students, Join blog, School year, manage about us inform ation and the administration setup. Through this is easily to take a look with our system covers. Objectives of the Project This study aims to design, develop and implement an Online Reservation Registration System to be able to: 1. Registered User to: a. log in to connect and communicate with the system. . View the information about the Dalton Academy. c. Registration/ Reservation process. d. Open for slot for the students, first come first serve (Fifty students per section). e. Close no slot, limited only. 2. Guest User to: a. View information about Dalton Academy. 3. Administrator to: a. Update (Add, Edit and Delete) different information about Dalton Academy. b. Filter Registration of reserve students for this coming school year. c. Restrict guest users in accessing the different services of the system

Comparing Freedom of Expression in the Statutory Law and the Sharia Law Essay

Getting in touch with media law during the first semester of my Masters gave me a sense of the importance of law in general because it consists of acts and articles which organise most issues in the human’s life in a way that protects ethics and morals. Regardless of the hypocrisy and double-standards of the countries which raise high the slogan of Human Rights, I liked the Human Rights Conventions that were laid down by these countries. Therefore, I decided to research some points in these conventions that are related to my study in order to nurture my knowledge in this great field of the human sciences. Then, I thought deliberately about the benefit of exerting much effort to get such knowledge since it is existed, well-explained and well-organised, in handy books. But after looking by historical and religious study as far back as some centuries ago, I found that my own culture, Islam, had plenty of law provisions that helped its people not only to protect their ethics and morals, but also to spread them all over the world. Through deliberate and objective study, I found that many of the social reformers, whose thoughts led to the emergence of the modern criteria of human rights, were originally affected by the roots of the Islamic ulture. I also found a lot of those old and even modern reformers who praised the old provisions of the Sharia Law and they also praised the prosperity which was an outcome of implementing it. The Western writer Patricia Crone (2005: p. 218-219) said referring to how those old provisions of law were true bases of a moral society: â€Å"Medieval Muslims d id not write utopias in the sense of imaginary travel accounts or other descriptions of ideal societies which do not exist, †¦ they were not given to seeking ideals outside their own civilisation at all. But they did place a golden age right at the beginning of their own history, and their numerous accounts of this age add up to a detailed utopia of great emotive power†¦ It was a time when the Muslims had all the virtues of tribesmen and none of their vices, for thanks to Islam there was no feuding, no factionalism, and no disorder, just austerity, solidarity, and total devotion to the truth. Therefore, I decided to look for the provisions of that old law which are related to my study and compare them with their counterparts in the modern human rights’ conventions. In order to limit my research, I decided to take the articles related to my study, media law, in the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA) of the British Law to represent the leading international human rights conventions. Part one: Preface Main Argument In this dissertation I am going to explain how both the HRA and the Sharia Law deal with the concept of freedom of expression. As long as such argument is new and uncommon because of the lack of references that studied it, which resulted in an ambiguous perception in the minds of people towards the Sharia Law and its sources, there must be a kind of primary definition of the Sharia Law, its sources and how the Sharia scholars (Sharia Jurists) deal with these sources to regulate law items. Sharia Law This expression is going to be referred to as a theological-historical concept since the Sharia was revealed through a prophet, this makes it a theological subject matter, and it is 15 centuries old, this gives it a historical background. Sharia (sari? ah) is all religious rituals that Allah (SWT) has imposed on Muslims, via his Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) regarding beliefs, rules and day-to-day life among Muslims themselves, and between Muslims and non-Muslims. It is â€Å"designed to govern the relations of Muslims with non-Muslims, whether inside or outside the territory of Islam. † Mahmoud Kamali says that Sharia is â€Å"the Islamic law as contained in the divine guidance of the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Yet, the expression Sharia Law is modern if compared with the word Fiqh, which historically used to mean â€Å"the awareness of Islamic rules from its sources by true inference. † Kamali defined the word Fiqh: â€Å"Islamic law as developed by Muslim Jurists. The term is often used synonymously with Sharia. † Therefore, like other contemporary researchers of similar topics, I am going to use the expression Sharia Law to mean the old word: Fiqh. Sources of the Sharia Law There is no difference between any of the Muslim scholars that the main sources of all information, not only about the details of the life of mankind, but also about the details of the whole universe are the Holy Qur’an, then, the Holy Sunnah. In addition, it is a matter of a universal belief among Muslims and many of non-Muslims that the Holy Qur’an in the hands of people is the real book revealed by Allah (SWT) to his Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) fourteen centuries ago. The same is the 100% authenticity of certain books of Hadith, i. e. Saheeh Al-Bukhari and Saheeh Muslim. These references are not considered comprehensive works; however, I feel that they could draw raw guidelines for me in my research in two ways: * They give me hints about how this issue is being taken by researchers who are not specialists in Sharia studies, but they are lawyers or journalists; like me. * They draw raw guidelines of the comparative methodology of research between articles of the Sharia Law and those of the statutory law. Throughout this dissertation, I am going to take articles of the British Media Law and compare them with the related provisions of the Sharia Law, giving enough examples in order to be able to make clear-cut conclusions about the main question of this dissertation which is: (The question of the dissertation) Can the modern Islamic movements, who are apparently going to rule the Arab countries after the Arab Spring, implement the Sharia Law and achieve the absolute justice which they raise as a slogan for their revolutions and electoral campaigns? Or would they worsen the already worsened situation of media law? Of course, regarding the other part of this dissertation, which is the statutory law, libraries are full of texts of law articles starting from the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen in 1789, passing through the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, ending with daily huge volumes of books, journals and articles studying new amendments and proposing new laws regarding recent details of the life of people in general and the work of media specifically. Terminology In order to have a good understanding for the real meaning and connotation of the Sharia Law concepts and cases, they have to be denoted by their names. Therefore, it is necessary here to have a list of the original names of the Sharia concepts and their definitions. The Holy Qur’an: defined previously. Surah: one complete chapter from the Holy Qur’an. Sowar: the plural of Surah. Sowar are different in length. Some are 1/3 a page and others exceed 40 pages. Aya: one verse from the Holy Qur’an. Ayat: a plural of aya. The Holy Sunnah: defined previously. Hadith: a verified saying for the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). Ahadith: a plural of Hadith. Tafseer: the interpretation of the Holy Qur’an and the Holy Sunnah by professional credible Muslim scholars. Fatwa: a certain judgement on a certain case by a Sahaba, Tabe’een or confident Muslim scholars in a certain time or place. Plural is Fatawa. Ibada: the act of worshiping Allah (SWT) whether by heart or body. Any act of heart or body needs to start with intention of solely worship for Allah in order to be a true Ibada. Da’wah: the flow of activities Muslims do in illuminating the teachings of Islam. Dhimmi: the name of a non-Muslim citizen in the Islamic State. Ahludhimmah or Dhimmiyeen: plural of Dhimmi. Jezyah: the name of the religious tax for non-Muslims in the Islamic State. It is equivalent to the religious tax taken from Muslims, but Jezyah is a lesser amount of money that has many exceptions. Part Two: The Situation of Freedom of Expression Historical Background It is very important, before starting writing about the situation of freedom of expression in the statutory and the Sharia Law, to explore the general historical climates which preceded the emergence of both laws. That will give a kind of understanding of how much the improvements on the situation of freedom of expression both laws have achieved. * A Glimpse on Freedom of Expression in the West before the Renaissance The period which preceded what is known in Europe as the Renaissance was full of conflicts among the different castes of the European communities in general. That conflict took several forms. A prime one was the conflict between the Church and scientists and that between authority and people. Howard Turner describes a side of such conflicts: â€Å"The Middle Ages in Europe had long been dominated by an unending conflict between Church dogma and a kind of humanistic and individual quest for intellectual liberation. † Church and authority used to be allies and each institution worked for the protection of the other at the expense of people’s lives. They used to impose restriction on freedom of expression and there used to be no respect for people’s privacy. There was also a kind of blackout on external knowledge, fearing that it might undermine their power or alliance. The Thirteenth century was an â€Å"age in which kings and barons reacted to an insult by lopping off the offending tongue- or head†¦ The crime of ‘scandalum magnatum’ expressly protected ‘the great men of the realm’ from any statements that might arouse the people against them. † In France, for example, the king used to say â€Å"I am the state† and gave no space for people to have control in running their own or private life. The Church used to control science. Therefore, knowledge it saw as right, used to be spread, and that it saw as wrong, used to be damaged. A blockage was imposed on scientists and thinkers. In 1614, Galileo was accused of heresy  by the Church for his scientific theories. Eighteen years later, in 1632, he was sentenced to life imprisonment which was reduced to permanent house arrest after he had been obliged to withdraw his theories before the public by the Church. That time was the worst for women’s freedom. Women were inferior to men, troubled with Eve’s sin. They were subject to the authority of their fathers or their husbands. Violence in marriage did occur and was even encouraged. † The dark life of that age pushed people to seek a kind of salvation through knowledge, especially, after the appearance of new thinkers affected by the Muslims’ civilisation. According to Turner, the â€Å"Christian West† inherited the â€Å"scientific legacy from Islam. Thanks to increasing cultural traffic with Muslim lands via the busy Spanish and Sicilian gateways, the thriving routes of Mediterr anean and overland commerce, and the contacts left over from the Crusades. People sought to reinforce the principles of freedom and justice, which was clear in the slogan of the French revolution which was: liberty, equality and fraternity. The revolution in real freedom of expression has been from the Renaissance until today. However, there are still some issues which emerge from time to time that necessitate amendments of the existing laws or constituting new ones. * Freedom of Expression in Arabia before the Sharia Law In Arabia, there used to be kind of freedom of expression, but there was no justice. For example, men used to sit with each other and think about issues related to their tribes. But that right to give an idea or express an opinion was only for masters. Societies there used to consist of three castes: masters, subjects or alliances and slaves. In addition, that right among the masters was only for men. Women used to be suppressed and were not allowed to share opinions either in public affairs or even in family affairs. Women were used in the same way as goods. There used to be a diversity of religions. Arabia included pagans, Jews and Christians. But the most common was paganism. Surely, that kind of diversity hints at a kind of freedom of religion, but the opposite was the norm. Paganism, represented in worshiping idols, was the religion of the mainstream Arabs in Arabia and they used to keep an eye on those who converted to other religions. If they were young, they used to be fought; if they were old, they used to be left free since they could not affect others. Of course, chiefs and masters of tribes used to be happy with that kind of life because it helped them keep strong control over their subjects. However, suppressed castes needed any kind of powerful justice to liberate them from the chains of the different forms of slavery. From amongst that darkness, the message of the Sharia was revealed to the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) to spread the justice and freedom among people. It is widely known among historians that a reasonable number of the people who joined the Da’wah at the early stages were from the ordinary people or alliances and slaves. Some of the masters asked the Prophet (PBUH) to dismiss them from around him if he wanted them, the masters, to join the Da’wah. Of course, ordinary people always lead reforms. A group of Muslim emigrants fled the persecution of their relatives in Mecca to Abyssinia and there was a short dialogue in the court of Abyssinia’s king, who was a true Christian. Their representative described the situation of Arabs before the Sharia and what the Sharia came with: â€Å"O king! We were plunged in the depth of ignorance and barbarism; we adored idols; we lived in unchastity; we ate dead animals, and we spoke abomination. We disregarded every feeling of humanity, and the duties of hospitality and neighbourhood. We knew no law but that of the strong. At that time, God raised from among us a man of whose birth, truthfulness, honesty and purity we were aware, and he called us to the Unity of God and taught us not to associate anything with Him. He forbade us to worship idols and enjoined us to speak the truth, to be faithful to our trusts, to be merciful, and to regard the rights of neighbours. He forbade us to speak ill of women and to eat the substance of orphans. He ordered us to flee from vices, to abstain from evil, to offer prayers, to render alms, and to observe the fast. † Constituted Rights to Freedom of Expression * Freedom of Expression in British Media Law As I have mentioned from the beginning, I am going to take the British law as an exemplar to represent the statutory law in this research. Therefore; I see that I have to propose an overall look at the British law and to see the situation of freedom of expression through it. British Law Unlike other countries, Britain does not have a written constitution. Referring to Britain, Tom Baistow says: â€Å"This country is the only one in the EEC without a written constitution and the only one without the press laws that form one of the most important guarantees of freedom of expression. However, it has a good record regarding the respect of freedom of expression. It got this reputation throughout historical fights of the British nation to attain freedom and adopt democracy. And as an ideal example of the fight to reach this situation, journalism in Britain â€Å"went through a brave battle against constitutional restrictions on publishing in the 19th century and could extract the right t o comment and publish. † Freedom of expression became one of the most respected freedoms as a kind of a social norm among the British people. It is believed in Britain that free speech is a significant pillar of a free democracy. The Royal Commission on the Press in 1977 defined freedom of expression â€Å"as that degree of freedom from restraint which is essential to enable proprietors, editors and journalists to advance the public interest by publishing the facts and opinions without which a democratic electorate cannot make responsible judgement. † This definition shows how the British believe in the vital role that freedom of expression plays in educating the public to be able to take right decisions in elections. It means that it is the main guarantor of a free democracy which is the main principle of a free State. Therefore, Solaiman Saleh described the situation of freedom of expression in Britain, despite the lack of a written constitution, saying: â€Å"The principle of a free press is reinforced in the collective conscience of the British. That forms a better protection which outweighs any written constitution. † Saleh continued explaining that it became a part of the British understanding of freedom of speech that the government does not have the right to interfere in the workflow of mass media. It cannot issue warrants, for example, to close any news platform, have pre-publishing restrictions/instructions or suggest amendments in the administrative systems or editorial policy. This is how James Curran portrayed the British press after the Second World War: â€Å"The press became fully independent of political parties and hence government. † The independence of the press gave it a great deal of space for free speech as well as unlimited power against governments. This was clear when the best wartime leader, British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, demanded an immediate closure of the Daily Mirror over its coverage of the conduct of war. That decision was followed by rough debates in the House of Commons and huge popular protests in Trafalgar Square and London’s Central Hall that pushed Churchill’s government to withdraw the decision against the Daily Mirror and, even, lift a ban previously imposed on the Daily Worker. Mass media regulation is only the role of the Parliament and Judiciary. In reply to the argument that the parliamentarian majority which forms the government may adopt any law suggested by it, Saleh argues that people who believe in the concept of freedom of expression will protest against the parliament and oblige it to stop the new law or to dissolve. The incident of the Daily Mirror mentioned above is a very clear example of that. The main pressure was represented by ‘organised protests’ in Trafalgar Square and London’s Central Hall. In addition, Hanna and Banks say in McNae’s Essential Law for Journalists: â€Å"Section 19 of the Human Rights Act created a requirement that a Minister introducing a Bill into Parliament must declare that its provisions are compatible with the European Convention, including thereby a commitment to freedom of expression. † Despite all the facts mentioned about the battles towards the freedom of expression in the English society, a sufficient protection for that freedom, which keeps up with the public-interest journalism, â€Å"from attacks for discomfiting the government or the judiciary or the wealthy private litigants† was not completely guaranteed. It is guaranteed by the adoption of international treaties, in which English writers and lawyers took a big part in constituting them, into the British law. Since then, clear articles of these treaties have become legal codes in the British law that guarantee a better freedom of expression. Throughout these facts, I can come to a conclusion that freedom of expression in Britain has certain principles that are clear. The main three principles could be summed up as following: 1. Government has no power against mass media. Robertson and Nicol explain how a government official does not have any privilege over the public in this regard. They say that if any official wanted to stop a news story, he has to go to the court the same as the public do. It means that government cannot control or suppress the voice of any single person directed to the public via any medium. It is believed that this is a sign of a free democratic State, but not in an arbitrary sense. Therefore, mass media have to be credible, and offenders should not escape punishment. John Whale quoted Sir William Blackstone, the eighteenth-century jurist, saying: The liberty of the press is indeed essential to the nature of a free State; but this consists in laying no previous restraints upon publication, and not in freedom from censure for criminal matter when published. † 2. Mass media are owned by the private sector and, therefore, it represents citizens before the government. However, citizens are stronger than the government in the democratic regimes; it means that mass media can publish any kind of opposite opinions without fearing suppression or oppression of the government. 3. Mass media turn to the public to face censorship. Robertson and Nicol say: â€Å"The best antidote to censorship is publicity. † When the government wishes to practice a kind of censorship, journalists can publicise that practice and the government does not have any power to punish them. The incident of the Daily Mirror mentioned above is a clear example on the three points mentioned. It shows how mass media are stronger than governments, how mass media speak on behalf of the public and how the public exerted pressure through protests that pushed the government to retreat from the closure warrant against the newspaper. Freedom of Expression in the Sharia Law The most prominent characteristic of the Sharia Law is that it is a religious law. It means that it has more emphasis, in all branches, on religious and moral values than other laws. Mohmmad Kamali says: â€Å"This can, perhaps, be clearly seen in reference to the Sharia rules pertaining to blasphemy, heresy and disbelief , where the dominant concern is to defend the dogma and belief-structure of Islam. † Muslim scholars and thinkers believe that this characteristic of the Sharia Law gives it a spiritual power, which is effective to keep stability of societies. Based on his understanding of the Islamic beliefs and to confirm that defending the dogma and belief-structure of Islam achieves social stability, 20th century Muslim thinker and reformer Sayyed Qutb, who interpreted the Holy Qur’an, says: â€Å"Social, economic and religious organisation goes side by side with a true ethical code and dogmatic belief†¦ in a complete, comprehensive, balanced and precise way. † Regarding freedom of expression and to show how much positive effect religion has on it, the Western writer, Patricia Crone, shed light on the way Muslim thinkers understand the relationship between freedom and religion. Patricia Crone reported Al-Ghazali, a famous medieval Muslim philosopher and reformer, explaining freedom in the Sharia as â€Å"no humans had the right to impose obligations on other humans, whether they were rulers, masters, fathers or husbands, or for that matter prophets; only God could do so. † Of course, Al-Ghazali’s understanding of that concept of freedom was based on the Holy Qur’an and the Holy Sunnah. Allah (SWT) asked his Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), in the Holy Qur’an, to tell people that he is a human like them.

Microeconomics assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Microeconomics - Assignment Example Moreover, the possibility of allocative, distributive and productive inefficiencies in the manufacturing sector of the People’s Republic of China. The production possibility frontier is the maximum possible level of production that resources within an economy can produce successfully. It is like the boundary beyond which the same economy cannot sustain the production of any products (Jowsey, 2011). The curve bellow can best illustrate the concept of the production possibility frontier. The curve represents the boundary that this particular economy can produce the two commodities A and B. It is the limit at which if the available resources can produce the commodities without strain. Two locations stand out in the curve above. At position x, the resources that are available are not fully utilized. This is mainly because at this point in time, the economy is not operating at a full potential. At point Y, the economy cannot operate because the available resources cannot sustain the production of two products. The economy can be sustained at Y only if there is an economic growth. However, that would still be difficult since there are limited resources that cannot be stretched any further. According to Antonneli (2011, pp 145), the only possibility of this economic growth happening is through the advancement of technology. Efficiency, in this case, comes through technology and the labor cost reduced. However, this growth is nullified with the cost of introducing technology (Jowsey, 2011). This curve therefore is most likely the cap of what this entire economy can produce. Therefore tradeoffs have to be made on which resources to be distributed to which sectors in order to maximize their use. To explain the concept of productive efficiency, consider the graph above. Assuming that the two commodities are not in any way related but, the desire to grow the economy