Saturday, November 9, 2019
A Discussion on Islamic Militancy
Islam is an age old religion that espouses spirituality, and calls for a life of worship, faith work and submission to the will of a supreme being called Allah by following rules, set forth in the pillars of the Islamic faith, in the teaching found in the holy book the Koran and teachings of prophets of the faith. How then can a religion that professes such benevolence and deep spirituality and obedience be linked to acts of terrorism?Perhaps, the most common connection is found in the first pillar of Islam faith, which is; to bear witness that there is no entity worthy of worship except Allah alone, and that Muhammad was his messenger. Taken out of context and blown out of proportions perhaps, to this effect, is the concept of Jihad or a holy war (Pipes, 2002).There is no straight-out definition of what a jihad is, one holds it to be holy war waged against other Muslims who are said to be infidels due to a difference in their interpretation of the fait. On the other hand, another de finition of jihad is the call for Muslims to reject the legal armed conflict in order to attain deeper spiritual state of enlightenment. Why then does this ââ¬Å"militantâ⬠brand of Islam thrive?Warner (2001), an American writer, columnist who focuses on Islam posits that it is due to the victories that these militant groups have achieved, that is why this radical ideology thrives. He further said that in 2004, Muslims were on top of the heap, better off that most of their world contemporaries (Warner, 2001). He also said that some Muslims feel the need to be on top again; hence this implies hostile relations with the Western world, as this is seen as the source of their problems (Warner, 2001).While there are only 10 to 15 percent of the Muslim world currently espousing this belief, with approximately one billion Muslims in the world, there are easily 100 million to 150 million of them. Coupled with misinformation, and lack of understanding of the Islamic faith, this is the r eason for such ideology to thrive among Muslims or otherwise.REFERENCESArave, L. (n.d.). Militant Islam thrives on its success. Retrieved February 18, 2009, fromhttp://209.85.175.132/search?q=cache:RvCXXjWGddIJ:findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20040206 /ai_n11439530+why+does+militant+islam+thrive&hl=tl&ct=clnk&cd=6&gl=ph
Thursday, November 7, 2019
John Lennon`s Educational Tour Bus
John Lennon`s Educational Tour Bus John Lennon`s Educational Tour Bus John Lennon`s Educational Tour Bus John Lennon`s Educational Tour Bus The ââ¬Å"John Lennon Educational Tour Busâ⬠is an organization, which makes the dreams of young musical artists from the USA and Canada a reality. It was founded in New York City in 1998 by Brian Rothschild. Its mission aims at promotion music literacy among the talented students. A traveling bus, which is audio and video recording studio on wheels, helps this organization achieve all their aims. Students have the opportunity to produce, write, and record original songs, documentaries, and music videos just in one single day. They will be provided with such programs: Technology Expos, Essay Contests, Teacher Training, Assemblies, Documentaries, Concert Tours, 1 Day Music Video Production, Tours of the Bus, and High School Battle of the Bands. The best way to educate students about music The participants of this unusual program are extremely excited about it, as they are allowed to play music in their own way, using the high-quality equipment. Here you will be able to feel yourself like a real rock-and-roll superstar. Inside the big blue bus, you will have the drums, guitars, DJ station, keyboards, and basses ââ¬â everything at your disposal. The students will also find a separate studio for editing and recording videos and CDs. It is unbelievable, that some students from Anaheim, California, managed to compose a song and produce a music video in a mere six hours. The organization and realization of the Bus`s work process John Lennon Educational Tour Bus makes stops at universities, schools, music festivals, concerts, and trade shows. A group of the young people has the opportunity to try itself at recording an original video and song. Students write the music and lyrics to a song, record it, mix it, shoot video, and produce a music video of their work. Then, the stuff of the Bus organizes the community celebration in order to screen everything that was produced on the Bus. Students can also participate in a Battle of the Bands and enjoy themselves, competing in the interesting and friendly way. The band, which wins, definitely receives its deserved prizes. Of course, communities and schools can make a request for the Bus, but you should remember that not every request can be accommodated because of their amount. Nevertheless, the staff of the Bus does its best to make students educated in music. Get a taste of the professional media production and music composition John Lennon Educational Tour Bus inspires not only the youth, but also the principals and teachers. It provides also a course at several universities, which is called ââ¬ËCome Together: Music and Video Productionââ¬â¢. It was created in cooperation with the Digital Media Academy. Our young people need such kind of media education and music. Such original approach brings people together and shows students the power of themselves. The Bus is designed to provide schools, students, and communities with remote recordings, demonstrations, and performances. The studio sessions are customized for their interest, levels of experience, and needs. This Bus can produce live multicamera video productions. This organization partners different newspapers and magazines. You can see all its projects on Facebook, YouTube, and lennonbus.org. The Bus is divided into three studio environments, which can create one big studio. You can find here a Chromatte booth, an iso booth for acoustic recordings, a mixing and a recording booth. Apple computers, Yamaha keyboards, Yamaha Drums, Gibson and Epiphone guitars are available here. The Bus also deals with the professional recording industry, as many celebrities were inspired to record their songs on it.à Natasha Bedingfield, will.i.am and Justin Timberlake did it successfully. The Lennon Bus has also accompanied The Black Eyed Peas during their concert tours. The students` musical progress from the Bus` digital and instrumental resources is incredible. The experience of taking part in such wonderful program will be undoubtedly unforgettable for any student!
Monday, November 4, 2019
Policies and politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Policies and politics - Essay Example United States of America has developed the policy of social security in the year 1935 right after the Social Security Act was passed. (Rushefsky, 2002, p.100). It was the part of New Deal program initiated by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Previously this act included two social insurance programs including the unemployed people and the retired individuals. (ââ¬Å"Social security in USAâ⬠, N.d). The policy at the beginning also included providing federal grants to the organization who worked for child welfare, public health services, vocational rehabilitation etc. But with time the situation changed and the welfare policy now concentrates on few specific social sectors. The policy of Social Security was one of the largest federal programs in the year 1999 and the Social Security Administration had spent over US $ 387 billion that year. (Rushefsky, 2002, p.100) Though that year the spending proportion was huge depending on the social benefits the program actually generates the issue remains debatable. The basic suggestion of this report is to extend the branches of Social Security developments to many social sectors, rather than concentrating on few particular ones. Ascertaining the current financial condition of the country it would be advisable for the United States Government to address the basic social needs of the several deprived sections of the society. It is quite evident that the credit crunch, followed by the financial turmoil had affected the population and many people have lost their home as well as their job. The current social security program includes the retired individuals, disabled ones , survivors of the workers who have died and also the dependents of the beneficiaries. (Understanding the benefits, 2005). This report in particular gives emphasis on the inclusion of the homeless people and the people who have lost their job into the
Saturday, November 2, 2019
In a well-organized Essay, respond to two of the following questions Essay
In a well-organized , respond to two of the following questions - Essay Example The First World War was triggered by both long-term and short-term factors and some of the long-term causes include alliance system1 particularly the long-standing alliances between central powers including Germany and Austria Hungary versus Triple Entente that comprised of Britain, France and Russia. Secondly, World War 1 was caused by imperialism, that is, most European countries wanted to expand their territory and some historian have described this war as an imperialistic struggle.2 Another long-term cause of the First World War is nationalism whereby, there were rivalries between European countries resulting from colonialism. Finally, arms race is also another triggering factor of World War 1 because Britain and Germany had the best navies during that period and so naval rivalry between the two countries played a significant role in the emergence of World War 1. In addition, there were also short-term causes of the First World War and these include Austria-Hungaryââ¬â¢s attac k on Serbia among others. World War 1 had political, economic and social consequences, first, it led to the emergence of Versailles Treaty that stated that Germany had to pay reparations and disarm. More so, some countries started fighting for their independence. Economically, it led to worldwide depression, which lasted for years. Socially, it resulted to massive loss of lives, and left many individuals in Europe with home and food among others. The Second World War followed and it was the most widespread conflict that negatively affected the world. 3A number of factors including the Versailles Treaty that had imposed unfair conditions on Germany caused this war and this may have forced them to start the war. Secondly, the weakness of the League of Nations as it was not able to control aggressive actions of the axis powers when England and France embraced the policy of appeasement towards them.
Thursday, October 31, 2019
Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 6
Rhetorical Analysis - Essay Example Rhetoric Analysis of Martin Luther Kingââ¬â¢s Speech ââ¬ËI have a Dreamââ¬â¢ The dramatistic pentad was developed by Kenneth Burke and forms the foundation of dramatism and rhetoric analysis. The pentad requires one to use a metaliguistic approach in analyzing stories in order to carefully investigate the uses and roles of rhetoric elements (Burgchardt, 2010). The five rhetoric elements of act, scene, agent, agency and purpose are common to all narratives and are what forms the dramatistic pentad. Using the pentad, one can evaluate the emphasis that is given by the story teller on each of the five elements and get to understand the motive and the behavior of the characters in the story. One can also get the characterââ¬â¢s worldview by analyzing the issues they stress with regard to the five elements of rhetoric. In applying the pentad to analyze Kingââ¬â¢s speech, one can be able to determine that his world view is that of freedom and equality of all people regardless of their racial backgrounds (Burgchardt, 2010). The speech was issued as the centre of a civil rights movement march to Washington for freedom and jobs. Dr. King had been an ardent supporter of the civil rights movement in America and he used this speech to give the African Americans and other minority racial groups in America hope that they would no longer be discriminated against in the future. The speech was issued on August 28th, 1963 at the Lincoln memorial. The speech can be analyzed using the five elements of the pentad as shown below (Burgchardt, 2010). Act Several civil right movements had organized for a march of freedom in support of the bill that was due for discussion in congress seeking to treat African Americans and other minority races as equal members of the American society. The peaceful demonstration was attended by about 300000 people with African Americans estimated to be about 75-80% of those in attendance (Burgchardt, 2010). There were fascinating speeches fr om various leaders of the civil rights movement to address the mass but it was Martin Lutherââ¬â¢s speech, ââ¬Å"I have a Dreamâ⬠that had a big impact. The other speeches addressed several issues of the civil rights movement at the time but Dr. Kingââ¬â¢s speech came out as more appealing to the people as it dealt with issues of freedom and equality. The other people who gave their speeches include Wilkins, John Lewis, and Walter Reuther, all of whom were renowned civil rights activists (Burgchardt, 2010). Dr. Kingââ¬â¢s speech did not only address the equality and freedom issues, but was also looked at as a symbol of optimism that things would get better in future for everybody with regard to equality. Scene The day was colored by powerful speeches from the leaders present, several people who had turned out to support the civil rights movement, among them popular celebrities and singers. This day marked a turning point in the American civil rights movement by bringi ng together all the Americans to support equality as opposed to divided responses that the calls for equality had received before. The protestors were cheered by several people who were watching from their windows and on television. The police department in Washington had anticipated for violent scenes to occur during the protest and they had prepared for a full police escort (Burgchardt, 2010). Instead, the people maintained peace throughout the marching process. Some media reports had indicated that the turnout would be very small but to the
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
The Incest of the prime minister in China Essay Example for Free
The Incest of the prime minister in China Essay Cecilia Leung, 30, the lawyer who has won the case about The Incest of the prime minister in China. She lives in Hong Kong with her husband, Jerry, who is a policeman and their four-year old son Brandon. I dont like mornings ; I think that I even hate them, so I need to wake up by Jerry every single morning otherwise, I will sleep late until 1 oclock. Once I felt that I got to wake up, I will go to the bathroom, turn on the television inside it and have a nice bath. I usually stay in the toilet until the morning news has finished. Then I will go to prepared breakfast, I think that it is very important to have a good breakfast as it is the start of the day so I always try to do my best. However, my best do not satisfied my family as most of the time; Jerry will just have toast or milk while Brandon will ask for McDonald if they know that I have cook breakfast for them. So most of the time, I will just stay away from the kitchen. And leave it for my housekeeper to do it. I usually wake Brandon up when breakfast is ready. I find that being a mum is not an easy job especially when Brandon is about two months old, he cry all day and night, I cant imagine what I would do if my mum did not help me look after Brandon for the first two year after he is born, as Jerry and me have never look after a baby before that. Luckily, as time go on, things are getting better. Now I and jerry both enjoy watching our baby son growing up. After breakfast, I usually sit down on the table, planning what to do for the whole day. After that, it is time for Jerry to go to work. Me and Brandon will walk to the car park with Jerry, walk back to our house when he has left. I then leave Brandon with my housekeeper, telling her what to do for the rest of the day while I am working and set off to work. My job is like a non- stop clock as I am busy all the time. I am working in a big office with 40 people in it. I enjoy being a lawyer as I think that it is a shame to see people going into jail if they havent do things wrong as it may simply be just a mistake and my job can help to sort these silly mistakes. Thats why I love this job as it is like a challenge every time when I get a new case and my aim for the challenge each time is to win. However, I find out things dont always happen as what I wish as I have seen so many client who havent did any thing wrong but still end up in the jail or even death which make me get really crossed but I always try to do my best to help them and find out about the truth. Rumour which is created by the magazine is something that really makes me get on my nerve. Since I got famous with the incest case, I start to appear in the magazine! I get really happy when I first knew that I was on a magazine article. As soon as I read it, I screamed! They said I refused to do certain jobs because they didnt pay me enough money. Although it is true that I refuse to do a few jobs but it is because those clients who I refused to work for have all commit that they had did something wrong but they just want to use money to make them escape from the punishment. I find that absolutely ridiculous so I refused the job. The imagination of the journalist is so good that they can create those funny stories. So how do I cope with my stress? When I feel really stressful from my work I play with Brandon when I get back home or do Tai Ji. Through the movement, it helps me to stretch out my stress. Before I do this, one thing I must do is to check if the balcony door is lock properly otherwise Brandon will come and join me and I will never be able to continue. Jerry is generally back to home by 8 then we will drive to my parent house to have supper or sometimes I will be tempted to cook for them but Jerry will usually stop disaster from happening. I enjoy being with my family as it makes me feel good when I am with them as I am a person who believe that family is the most important part for my life I start to put Brandon into bed at about 10 oclock; I always read stories to him to help him go to sleep. Then it is the time for me and Jerry, we sit in the balcony, admire the view from the window and talk about our day or sometimes we will watch television together. Before I go to sleep, I try to finish off doing my work then I have my eight hour sleep which is the best part of my day.
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Islamic Ethics An Analysis
Islamic Ethics An Analysis This term paper was titled Ethics from Islamic Perspective which is including a morale and akhlaq. This paper was conducted because to give awareness about the important of ethics in Islamic perspective. Suitable with the papers aims whereas to give some of information and knowledge from an Islamic perspective about the ethics which is in moral and akhlaq aspect. The paper is sufficient to give the reader a feel for its potential to encourage further research in the area of resolving ethical issues, specifically for those who are calling for universal ethical theories to avoid moral imperialism. The Islamic perspective of the ethics concept should be refers based on the Holy Quran from the God and Ahadith of Prophet Muhammad. The ethics concept it must be generally and not too bias for others. The findings of this paper, it can be as a discussion, it is because the Islamic Work Ethics has economic as well as moral and akhlaq dimensions. Keyword: Islamic perspective, ethics, Islamic Work Ethics, moral and akhlaq INTRODUCTION This paper was discuss about the ethics concept from the Islamic perspective, so it should be construct an axiom system that faithfully reflects the Islamic view of ethics. The axiom system here is means by a proposition that either not proved or demonstrated but considered undeniable, or subject to a decision, so, the truth is assumed and became the starting point for concluded to the truth to another.This is an essential first step in determining the rules of economic behaviour in an Islamic society. The Islamic view of life processes is uniquenot only for its predominant emphasis on ethical norms, but also because of its being complete. However, to turn it into an operational tool of scientific analysis, an ethical philosophy must be reduced to a set of axioms, which is respect to Islamically valid rules of social and economic behaviour. 1.1 The Concept of Ethics, Moral and Akhlaq The concept of ethics, moral and akhlaq it can be in various point of view from many resources of our readings. Ethical behavior is an order based on a value system of a particular society. More ethics associated with science or philosophy, because it is the standard of good and bad it is human intellect. When compared with the morals, the ethics more theoretical while the moral is the practical. Moral more local or special nature and the ethical is more to general. There is many term that use by philosophers in order to give a meaning of akhlaq. But, we can conclude it, akhlaq is much related with the moral and ethics so much so have a opinion that stated akhlak is mean by moral and ethics. Put simply on that, Akhlaq is refers to the nature habits that owned on each individuals. It is includes behavior or nature owned by natural as feeling irritable, quick to laugh, irritability and so on. Also includes in this definition, a person belonging habits through training, education, discipline and fitness to be a flesh and blood character and good familiarity to someone. In addition, akhlaq is more refers to our natural habits. A while ago, in the western tradition, morals studies has long been exists and spread out before the birth of Islam and it known as ethics or moral knowledge. In aspect of etymology, the term of ethics and moral have a same meaning and also refers to the same field of study. In briefly, moral is derived from the Latin word, meanwhile the word ethics is derived from the Greek word. The both of term are related with the practical activities relating to behavior, customs, lifestyles, ways of thinking, freedom and the tendency of a person in engaging in an activity. On the other hand, the term of akhlaq was presented by the Muslim that based on the al-Quran and al-Sunah. On Islamic perspective, the ethics and moral was different from the point of conception, objectives and resources, it is called as Akhlaq. 1.2 Current related issues Ethics is usually defined by a written code of ethics. In the Middle East not many organizations and professions have written codes of ethics (Mudawanat Alsuluk) and violation is the norm rather than exception (AMAN, 2006). Behaviors that conform to those written codes of ethics are considered ethical and whatever violates the written standards is considered unethical. From that situation, it can be simply, people are not too concern about all this matter, when they talk about ethics, they usually do not remind about the moral and akhlaq. This is because, they are set their mind, the term of ethics just use in the business or information technology such as computer accessibility. As a Muslim, they should also think about that moral and akhlaq. In addition, the new code ethics was create, which is the Islamic Work Ethics (IWE). This philosophy was create to orientation that shapes and influences the involvement and participation of believers in the workplace. It implies that work is a virtue in light of a persons needs, and is a necessity for establishing equilibrium in ones individual and social life (Nasr, 1984). IWE views work as a means to further self-interest economically, socially and psychologically, to sustain social prestige, to advance societal welfare and reaffirm faith. The concept has its origin in the Quran and the sayings and practice of the Prophet Mohammed. METHODOLOGY In completing this term paper, the secondary literatures are used to enable in depth understanding of ethics from the Islamic perspective with the moral and akhlaq concept. The secondary resources which is from readings on a book and the web pages, so the major instrument that has been used is literature review. Based on the reading, this topic has many references in a Malay writing, but there is no problem on that, after read in Malay and understand the content, the term paper writing has been continued. By reviewing the literature, all the information will be paraphrased based on the understanding. The reference to literature review that has been used is article journal about the Islamic ethics that can be obtained from the online journal databases access. Another method applied for finishing this term paper is data collection from the web page and it is just for back up information if there any lack of data collection. Approach that had been used in completing this term paper is understands from the readings and reviewing from the materials obtained and understand it. DEFINITIONS AND CONCEPTS OF ETHICS FROM ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE: MORAL AND AKHLAQ There are various definitions of ethics, moral and akhlaq. The various definitions are produced from various reading materials, such as book and article journal, so there is many opinions from the philosophers. Ethich from Islamic perspective are more concern to the religion behavior, code and ethics. Islam is supposed to be a complete way of life. A Muslim is bound by Islamic rules and hence is obliged to follow the instructions as prescribed in the Quran and Hadiths. Islam is a religion based upon the surrender to God (Allah). The very name of the religion, al-Islam in Arabic, means submission and peace, for it is in submitting to Gods will that human beings gain peace in their lives in this world and in the hereafter. Islam is considered to be a comprehensive religion and its ethical system is considered to be one of the major ethical systems. Realize about the importance of establishing an ethical system in the all fields, especially at our present time which is witnessing an ever increasing ethical problems, several specialist organizations have prepared codes of ethics to be complied with by members of those organizations. By generally, in Islam, ethics have two dimensions; first ethics toward Allah, the creator. A Muslim has to believe in Allah and has to worship Him. The second is ethics toward others; a Muslim business person has to deal ethically with others by maintaining good treatment and good relationship. This paper is of vital importance because people do not know sometimes what is ethical unless they study ethics. Ethics provide an essential foundation for business transactions (Cherrington and Cherrington, 1995, p. 1). They are essential for organizational effectiveness and are necessary for interpersonal relations. 3.1 Definition and Concept of Ethics Ethics is defined as a branch of philosophy that deals withmoral behavior. Morality refers to whether something is right or wrong, good or bad. Although morality is a complex concept, it can be defined in terms of both means and ends. Means is the process which occurs, while Ends refers to the consequences (Cherrington and Cherrington, 1995, p. 2). Ethics may also be defined as: [. . .] a systematic inquiry into the beliefs we have and the management we make about what is morally right or wrong and morally good or evil. It is an inquiry that attempts to answer the following questions: What kinds of conduct are morally right or wrong? And what things are good and what things are evil? (Cherrington and Cherrington, 1995, p. 2) Ethics is also defined as the code of moral principles that sets standards of good or bad, or right or wrong behavior (Schemerhorn, 2008, p. 32). Ethical behavior is what is accepted as good and right as opposed to bad or wrong in the context of the governing moral code. Islamic ethics is defined as the code of moral principles that are prescribed by the Quran and Sunnah (Hadith or sayings of Prophet Mohammad). Islamic ethics is based on rational methods as well as revelation. Revelation provides the truth which rational methods lead to understanding and appreciation of truth. Hence, Islamic ethics is based on tawheed, or unity principle, which determines the unique relationship between God and man; man and man; and man and his environment (Alhabshi, 1993, p. 83). Within the Islamic culture, the term that is mostly associated with ethics is referred to in the Holy Quran as Khouloq (Beekun, 2004, p. 2). Allah in the Quran has described Prophet Mohammad as a Prophet of good ethics. 3.2 Definition and Concept of Moral According to Peter Baelz (1977), morals and ethics often have the same meaning. However, is very useful if we could distinguish between the both of them, even though we often failed to make such a difference. While the N. Capaldi, E. Kelly and L.E. Navia (1981) stated that. In form of etymology, the English words ethical and moral is exactly same. Because of that, the study of ethics and moral actually just one and it is a same. The moral issues are practical issues, but not all belong to the practical issues in the field of ethics. It is because, moral more specifically examine the good and bad, right wrong and how individual should act in a particular situation. Therefore, moral was refers to disciplines knowledge that investigate the various about the human behavioral. Such as the opinion that written by J.L. Mackie (1971): à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦moral and ethics can analyze the once action whether that is right or wrong; it is can provide a clear line of distinction about acts and of an internal disposition, whether good or bad; or at least, be able to develop a knowledge of ethics guidelines that can be adopted to make various moral of judgments. 3.2 Definition and Concept of Akhlaq According to Mohd. Nasir Omar, (2010) on his book, Akhlaq is refers to the nature, habits, customs, familiarity, values à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã¢â¬ ¹Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã¢â¬ ¹and lifestyle of the individual or group of individuals. In fact, belief system or religion by a person also often included under the definition of akhlaq by many researchers. It is because of religion greatly influenced the thinking and lifestyle of the individual (Ibn Manzur t.t II: 1244-1248 and Jamil Saliba 1971, I: 49). While according to Ibn Miskawayh (1966), akhlaq is refers to the situation that forms in a human and it is function as a executive power that was directed that individuals by doing all his habits. Many philosopher was agreed with that statement that akhlaq related with the disposition that create in a person (al-nafs/soul) of a human. Spiritual dimension of the situation is very important because it is the cause of all acts done by humans. Therefore, akhlaq is does not refer to the act of good or bad done by a person, but to someone spiritual dimension pressing to do an act, whether good or bad. Akhlaq is located in the interior of humans soul and in the meanwhile, the act are refers to the exterior is made à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã¢â¬ ¹Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã¢â¬ ¹from morality. Hence, a good moral will of course realize that good deeds and vice versa. PRINCIPLES OF ISLAMIC BUSINESS ETHICS According to Hanafy and Salam (1995), classified ethical principles of Islam into six categories, which is: truthfulness, trust, sincerity, brotherhood, science and knowledge and justice. Principles of Islamic Business Ethics Justice Science and knowledge Brotherhood Sincerity Trust Truthfulness In order to get a pleasure from the Almighty, as a Muslim, it is should be followed this six principle of Islamic ethics by doing all the business or activities in their daily life. TRUTHFULNESS: Truthfulness is a basic ethical value of Islam and the meaning of Islam itself is, in a way, the other name of truth. There is no scope for cheating, telling lies, swearing too much, and providing false advertising in the Islamic framework of business. TRUST: Trust is another fundamental ethical principle of Islam and the essence of the trust is the sense of acountability, which is the sense of having to appear before Allah S.W.T and to account for ones action. All the activities were conducted well in no case harm or damage the society or the environment. SINCERITY: Islam attaches great importance to the sincerity of intentions and actions in every walk of life. For example such as ethical code results in more efficiency as well as a high rate of productivity. Sincerity also discourages manipulation or exploitation of others for personal reasons. BROTHERHOOD: Islam declares all human beings are brothers to each other wihout the distinctions of race, colour, tribe, caste and language of an individual or group. Everyone is entitled to an ethically right behavior irrespective of distinctions of caste, creed, race, or territory. SCIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE: Islam makes it obligatory for Muslims to seek knowledge and obtain excellence in performance. Research and development is highly encouraged in Islam. It such concern about science and knowledge in the Islamic code of ethics has been highly fruitful for Islamic civilisation in the past. JUSTICE: Justice is undoubtedly a prerequisite of business and trade as it encompasses the entire whole series of human life. The whole universe is based on the concept of justice and balance.justice here means that every one should be treated as he or she deserves, without any undue pressure or discrimination. CHALLENGES IN ENCOURAGING ISLAMIC ETHICAL BEHAVIORS AMONG INFORMATION / INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PERSONNEL Muslims unethical behavior is influenced by several factors, such as stage of formal development, personal values and personality, family influence, peer influenceand so on. The challenges in Encouraging Islamic Ethical Behaviors Among Information / Information Technology Personnel CHALLENGES EXPLANATION Stage of moral development The lunatic, the sleeper and the child before puberty not responsible for their behavior. Personal value and personality One who stresses honesty will behave differently from those who do not respect others rights. The locus of control also affects individual ethical behavior (Robbins and Coulter, 2005, p. 112). Family influence The home is the place to start being a good Muslim. Children are likely to be ethical if they see their parents and other members of the family consistently adhere to high standards. In Islam, it is easier for a parent to teach his kids what is right (halal ) and what is wrong (haram) than to teach them rules and principles of good conduct and behavior. Peer influence Children are influenced by actions of their peers with whom they interact. Islam urges people to be very selective of peers as they have very big influence on companions. This coincides with the Arabic proverb Birds of a feather flock together or A person is known by the company he keeps. Life influence Key events like taking part in Alhajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) for example has a positive impact on Individual behavior. As the Quran states: Whoever goes to Hajj comes back from his journey innocent and pure and white as of the day of birth. Situational challenges It is the situation that sometimes makes one behave unethically, as the only way out. For example, a secretary may lie when answering a phone as the only way to turn away a client. She may simply lie by saying that the manager is not in the office while he is in fact in. On many occasions, the researcher has observed many Muslim secretaries quit their jobs simply to avoid being forced to tell such lies. However, lying is acceptable in Islam under three conditions: first, in wars; second, to solve conflicts between people; third, husband lying to his wife or vice versa for the sake of getting closer to each other and saving the marriage, e.g. saying I love you while it is the opposite (Hadith), or you are the most beautiful woman in the world. All this is meant to strengthen the ties between couples. Societal challenges People try to conceal unethical behavior and always justify their actions as being ethical in order to please members of society. In Muslim cultures, society places a heavy pressure on individuals to practice wasta, so a manager may have to deviate from the rules and regulations of the business in order to please a cousin, a friend or a neighbor. On one hand, wasta is considered as ethical and legal, e.g. in solving conflicts, while on the other hand, it can be viewed as illegal and unacceptable when it is used to override established laws and traditions, e.g. in obtaining favors like jobs. In Muslim cultures, a business person is more concerned about what others might think of his decision than what he thinks himself. Table 1: The challenges in Encouraging Islamic Ethical Behaviors Among Information / Information Technology Personnel (Source: Abuznaid, 1990) GUIDELINES TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES IN ENCOURAGING ISLAMIC ETHICAL BEHAVIORS AMONG INFORMATION / INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PERSONNEL In Islam, Allah emphasizes the following ethical guidelines as being outlined in the Holy Quran. These guidelines govern the Islamic code of ethics relating to a persons daily life and business dealings. Muslims are required at all times to behave islamically because Allah himself is watching their practices. In response to these challenges, several guidelines are proposed as follows: Be patient. Islamic business people should not get angry and should not be irritated (Holy Quran, XXV:63) and (Holy Quran, III:134). Be fair and just. A Muslim business person has to be fair and just in all his dealings. He has to be fair with his employees; he has to give fair wages and has to be fair and kind with animals when slaughtering them (Holy Quran, II:278-279). Be humble. Being humble is the opposite of being arrogant. Being humble is a great characteristic of Muslims. Business people should be humble and down to earth (Holy Quran, XXVI:215). Be complacent. Being complacent is another characteristic of a Muslim. Muslim business people should be satisfied with what Allah has allocated them. To Muslims complacency is not the enemy of progress as the West views it. Be generous. Being generous is the opposite of being stingy. Alkareem is in fact one of Allahs magnificent names meaning being generous. Alkaram (generosity) is another characteristic of the Muslim business people. They should be generous in giving money and goods to the needy. Islam urges people to give legal alms or obligatory charity (Az-Zakat). Az-Zakat is an ordinance prescribed by Islamic law. Social responsibility is another important principle in management practices. Sadaqat (donations), not obligatory, are very much urged in the Holy Quran (Holy Quran, LVI:77) and (Holy Quran, XLIV:17,26). Be dignified. A business person in Islam should not indulge in investments that are not Halal. Halal is the opposite of Haram. Halal is ethical while haram is unethical. Examples of haram earnings for a Muslim include trading in alcohol, Be trustful (Al Amaneh). Being trustful means giving rights to others. For example, if you borrow some money from someone, you are supposed to return it at the agreed time at no interest. A good loan with no interest is an example of Islamic financial dealings (Alkird Al hasan) (Holy Quran, XL32) and (Holy Quran, IV:58). Be friendly. Muslims should be friendly and united at all times. No discrimination exists among Muslims, regardless of nationality, gender or color. The only difference between Muslims should be on the basis of piety (Holy Quran, XLIX: 10, 13). Be equitable. Equity is the opposite of injustice. A Muslim manager should be equitable. In Islam people should be treated fairly and with equity. Do not be involved in fraud. A Muslim business person should treat others the same way he himself would like to be treated (Holy Quran, XVI: 90, IV: 58). Do not bribe. The practice of all kinds of bribes is forbidden in Islam (Holy Quran, II: 188). However, there should be differentiation between sadakat (donations), gifts, and bribes. Gifts are encouraged in Islam because they help gain friendship. The prophet encourages the use of gifts saying Give more gifts so you be better liked (Hadith). Bribes on the other hand are unethical. Bribes are used to influence decisions. There are two kinds of bribes: the lubrication bribe and the white mail bribe. The white mail bribe generally involves an elaborate system for concealing the use of large sums of corporate cash. This type of bribe is used to buy influence in high places (Abuznaid, 1990, p. 319). From these key guidelines principles of ethics, we can conclude that Islam is a religion of high-moral standards. Muslim business people are urged in Al Quran and Al Sunnah to follow certain principles and guidelines. (Source: Abuznaid, 2009) CONCLUSION As stated above, the main purpose of this term paper is to discuss the meaning of ethics from an Islamic perspective. The research has defined Islamic management ethics as those guidelines and principles that are prescribed by the Holy Quran and sunnah (hadith). The paper has give explanation on the major determinants of individual ethical behavior in Islam and pinpointed based on the moral and akhlaq. Besides that, the paper has outlined some of the ethical principles which is the principles of Islamic business ethics. This paper has also discussed the challenges in encouraging Islamic ethical behaviors among information / information technology personnel. It further helps non-Muslim people become more aware of management ethics in an Islamic environment by giving them a better understanding of the subject, thus making it easier for them to carry out all the activities in an Islamic culture. However, it must be stated that there is not one united form of applied Islamic teachings am ong different Muslim countries. It is widely known that Middle Eastern countries have become more active in the global market place by applied their ethics. Moreover, this paper has outlined major commonalities between Islam and other religions on the subject of ethics from the Islamic perspective. Although this paper has presented the concept of ethics from Islamic perspective, hope all the Muslim are together applied all the ethics that are based on the al-Quran and al-Sunah to be an excellent humans. Therefore, it is the duty of all researchers interested in this issue to develop this knowledge. May Allah gives guidance in this new endeavour. REFERENCES 8.1 Book Dr Muhammad Sharif Chaundry. (2006). Social and Moral Code of Islam. Batu Caves, Selangor: Masterpiece Publication Sdn. Bhd. Khaliq Ahmad. (2007). Management from Islamic Perspective: Principles and Practices. Kuala Lumpur: International Islamic University Malaysia Press. Mohd Nasir Omar. (2010). Falsafah Akhlak. Bangi, Selangor: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Syed Nawab Haider Naqvi. (1990). Etika dan Ekonomi: Satu Sintesis Islam. Kuala Lumpur: Berita Publishing Sdn. Bhd. 8.2 Article Journal Muhammad Arham. (2010). Islamic Perspective on Marketing. The Journal of Islamic Marketing, Vol. 1 Iss: 2 pp, 149-164. Salam Abdallah. (2010). Islamic Ethics: An Exposotion for Resolving ICT Ethical Dilemmas. The Journal of Information, Communication Ethics in Society, Vol. 8 Iss: 3 pp, 289-301. Samir Ahmad Abuznaid. (2009). Business Ethics in Islam: The Glaring Gap in Practice. The International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management, Vol. 2 Iss: 4 pp, 278-288.
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