Saturday, August 31, 2019

Problem of Historical Distortion – Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab

THE PROBLEM OF HISTORICAL DISTORTION: A Survey of Literature on Imam Mu? ammad ibn `Abd al-Wahhab as viewed through the Western slant of history By Kazi Zulkader Siddiqui The Problem of Historical DistortionOf the past fourteen centuries of the Islamic civilization, its thought, its institutions and the personalities who have contributed to its development and glory, stagnation and disintegration, the historical perspective painted by the Judaeo-Christian West has been markedly distinctive from the picture presented by the Muslim scholars, varying from outright hostile and distorted versions to the recent sympathetic (and sometimes empathetic) accounts.History is one of those branches of knowledge that can be used most effectively for the glorification and upliftment of one's own people at the expense of the traditions of others, leading eventually to a subversive imposition of one's own norms, values and way of life as the standard for others. Most, if not all of the people emanatin g from the Judaeo-Christian tradition who have penned their understanding of the Islamic civilization, have been prey to such underlying motives.This is not unique though since the subjective bias and assumptions of the historian in question are an integral part of the writing of history. What becomes remarkable in this case is the effective use of the historical perspective of other people for the exploitation of the same. This becomes manifest then, for example, in the notorious ‘Divide and Rule' policy of the post-renaissance British Empire. The Old Testament Hebraic heritage has a lot to offer in comprehending this attitude and mentality of the Western writer.The Old Testament (in the Bible) was written primarily to identify the ancestry and heritage of the Jews and thereby declare their superiority over all other nations. The other nations mentioned in the Old Testament are merely for the sake of justification of the crimes of the Children of Israel. Likewise, the modern Western writer is not concerned about the absolute and relative truths. He is more concerned about justifying or explaining away the phenomena of other civilizations. Through this he either hopes to dominate over the other civilizations, or to convert them to his own ways.We are well aware that our foregoing remarks are heavily loaded with our own assumptions; but there are certain assumptions, which are derived through the cognitive and perceptive processes using the facts of history as the starting point. Thus, in this case, the assumptions are elevated to the level of derived facts and axioms. To prove our point, we have chosen for this paper a survey of the literature in English produced by the West during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries on the famous and controversial imam Mu? ammad ibn `Abd al-Wahhab (1703-1789).As a prominent figure in Islamic history, loved by many and hated by many others of the Muslims, he has managed to attract the attention of the Western colonia lists, missionaries, and historians who were neither, right from his own lifetime to the present. Far greater than the Imam himself is the impact of his followers – the Muwa idun or the so-called Wahhabis – on the Western literature about Islam. The schismatic element in the nature of the controversy between the followers of the Imam and other Muslims has held great interest for the very reasons we have outlined above.The analysis will become far more categorical as we proceed with the survey itself. Besides, this analysis can be made much more precise, accurate and to the point if one were to attempt a similar exercise on the survey of the Western literature about the followers of the Imam. In this paper we shall limit ourselves to the Imam only. To begin with, it would be appropriate to narrate the salient features of the Imam's life briefly. Page 2 The Problem of Historical Distortion Mu? ammad ibn `Abd al-Wahhab: A Brief Biography: Coming from a learned family, 1 M u? mmad ibn `Abd al-Wahhab was born in 1115/1703 at `Uyaynah, a small town roughly 30 Km northwest of Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. His ancestors had been steeped in the ? anbali tradition, and so was young Mu? ammad's education. As a young man, he left `Uyaynah for further studies. His search for learning took him to Makkah, Madinah and Damascus. He acquired great admiration for Ibn Taymiyah (d. 728/1328) through the shaykh `Abd Allah ibn Ibrahim al-Najdi at Madinah. Madinah also offered him a chance to teach for quite some time. Subsequently, he continued this occupation at the Umayyad mosque of Damascus.His journeys took him east to Basrah as well, where, besides acquiring further knowledge of the traditional sciences, he got the chance of getting acquainted with Shi`i and Sufi circles, their ways and ideas. This period ascertained for him the formulation of a mission in his mind. According to the Lam` al-Shihab, 2 he stayed in Basrah for four years and then moved to Baghdad. There he married a wealthy lady and remained for five years. He next went to Hamadan and then to Isfahan in 1148/1736 to study philosophy and Sufism. His quest for knowledge led him to Cairo and Damascus as well.Upon the settlement of his father in Huraymilah near Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, Mu? ammad ibn `Abd al-Wahhab joined him, and it was here that the Imam composed his first work on taw? id, and also gathered disciples. After the death of his father in 1153/1740, he left Huraymilah for `Uyaynah where he spent four years. During his stay there, the governor `Uthman ibn Bishr of the Banu Mu`ammar became his follower. This became a cause for consternation among the powerful Banu Khalid. His preaching against shirk (associating partners with Allah) that was practiced by the masses, and against their moral laxity shook the roots of the society.As a result, the Imam was forced to leave `Uyaynah and seek refuge in Dir`iyah (which is around 10-15 Km from `Uyaynah in the direction of Riyadh), where he found followers among the amir Mu? ammad ibn Sa`ud's brothers and son. Eventually the Amir also supported him. The Amir and the Imam took a bay`ah (an oath of mutual loyalty), â€Å"to strive, by force if necessary, to make the kingdom of God's word prevail†. 3 This was the beginning of the religio-political reality that was to engulf the whole of Najd and its neighbouring territories during the decades to come, first under the amir Mu? mmad ibn Sa`ud (d. 1178/1765), then under his son `Abd al-`Aziz (d. 1218/1803) and his grandson Sa`ud (d. 1229/1814). We leave the story of the Al Sa`ud for other historians to narrate, and return to the man who called for the return to taw? id (God's unity) and a true practice of Islam. Mu? ammad ibn `Abd al-Wahhab continued his role as teacher in the mosque of Dir`iyah, as political counselor of the Amir, and as a preacher writing theological works and extending his da`wah to the neighbouring areas until his death in 1204/1789. 4 Bearing this brief picture of the Imam in mind, we ow turn to his Western biographers and their accounts. â€Å"His grandfather Sulayman b. Mu? ammad had been mufti of the Nadjd. His father `Abd al-Wahhab was kadi at `Uyayna during the emirate of `Abd Allah b. Mu? ammad b. Mu`ammar; he taught ? adith and fikh in the mosques of the town and left several works of ? anbali inspiration, which in part survive†. Laoust, EI2, III:677, col. 2. 2 Abu Hakima, Ahmad A. , ed. , Lam` al-Shihab fi ta’rikh Mu? ammad ibn `Abd al-Wahhab, Beirut, 1967 3 Laoust, EI2, III:678, col. 2. Most of the facts have been taken from this same source. Most historians give the year of death as 1206/1792. See Mu`inuddin A? mad Khan, â€Å"A Diplomat's Report on Wahhabism of Arabia†, Islamic Studies 7 (1968), p. 38, for the argument in favour of 1204/1789 as the correct date. Page 3 1 The Problem of Historical Distortion WESTERN ACCOUNTS ABOUT THE IM M: M. Carsten Niebuhr (1733-1815): The first European to mention the Imam in his writings was M. Carsten Niebuhr who visited the peninsula in 1761-1764, that is within four years of the bay`ah taken between the Imam and ibn Sa`ud. He published his reports in German in 1772 and 1778.An abridged English version of his writings appeared first in 1792 entitled Travels Through Arabia and Other Countries in the East. 5 Niebuhr and his companions had embarked upon an ecclesiastical mission to gather some information about this ancient land of Arabia, which had been the cradle of Christianity just as it had been for Judaism and Islam. Many people have noted the false and misleading remarks of Niebuhr with regards to the Imam. In the drama depicted by Niebuhr, there are two important characters in the founding of â€Å"the New Religion of a Part of Nedsjed†, 6 namely one â€Å"Abd ul Wahheb† and his son â€Å"Mahomet†. His description of ibn `Abd al-Wahhab's youth seems to tally with the facts of the Imam's life. Now this â€Å"Abd ul Wahheb†, having founded his religion, converts several Schiechs (i. e. shaykhs) to his faith, and virtually becomes their ruler. He reduces a great part of â€Å"El Ared†, thus seemingly also performing the role of ibn Sa`ud. After the father's death, the son â€Å"Mahomet† takes over the small empire built by his father, sustaining â€Å"the supreme ecclesiastical character in El Ared†. Among his beliefs cited are that â€Å"he considered Mahomet, Jesus Christ, Moses, and many others, respected by the Sunnites in the character of prophets, as merely great men, whose history might be read with improvement; denying that any book had ever been written by divine inspiration, or brought down from the heaven by the angel Gabriel. † 9 Against the beliefs of â€Å"Abd ul Wahheb†, he contrasts the Sunnites as a â€Å"superstitious sect† whose opinions are false, depending on â€Å"their own whimsies† to explain the â€Å" Alcoran†, acknowledging saints â€Å"to whom many absurd miracles are ascribed†, etc. 0 Finally, he concludes that ‘The new religion of Abd ul Wahheb deserves therefore to be regarded as a reformation of Mahometism, reducing it back to its original simplicity†. 11 The inaccuracies of Niebuhr's reporting continued in the Western understanding for many decades as we shall see. Sir Harford Jones Brydges: Far more accurate in his reporting was the civil servant of the colonialist British, Sir Harford Jones Brydges, who sent his first report on the Wahhabis from Baghdad to the British Foreign Office in C. M. Niebuhr, Travels Through Arabia and Other Countries in the East, trans. nto English by Robert Heron, vol. 2, Edinburgh, R. Morrison & Son, 1792. Cf. also Mu`inuddin A? mad Khan, op. cit. , p. 33 and a review of Niebuhr's life in Islamic Culture 7 (1933), pp. 502-505 by V. B. Mehta. 6 Niebuhr, II:130. Note that Nedsjed is Najd. 7 Ibid. , II:131-3. 8 Ibid. , II :133. 9 Ibid. , II:134. 10 Ibid. , II:135. 11 Ibid. , II:135. Page 4 5 The Problem of Historical Distortion 1799, that is within a decade of the death of the Imam. 12 The weakest part of his report is the following anecdote: â€Å"Shaik Ibn Mahamer 13 proud of possessing this new Sectuary gave Moolah Mohammed 14 his own Sister inMarriage and Moolah Mohammed sometime after, under pretense, that his Brother in Law Mahamer perverted Justice and oppressed the Tribe, murdered him with his own hands in the Mosque as he was at prayers meaning thereby, as he declared, to give to the People of Ayenah 15 a proof that his love for Justice was so great, that neither the obligations which he had to, nor alliance he had with Shaik Mahamer could withhold him from punishing even in him that he conceived to be a deviation from it. The People of Ayenah however appear to have had too much good Sense, to esteem as meritorious, so horrible a Transaction, and they obliged Moolah Mohammed, to abandon Aye nah, and he fled to Dereah 16 where he found an Asylum and Protector in Shaik Ibn Soud, the Governor of that place, who also embraced his Doctrines†. 17 Historically we know that `Uthman ibn Mu`ammar died a natural death after the Imam had left for Dir`iyah, and that his expulsion from `Uyaynah was due to the pressures from various parts of that area against his teachings.Other than this error, Brydges' report to his masters in London faithfully depicted the doctrines taught by the Imam. He says, â€Å"The Religion they possess is Mohammedan according to the literal meaning of the Koran, following the Interpretations of Hambelly†. 18 Thirty-five years later, in 1834, Sir Harford Jones Brydges produced a far greater authoritative account of the Muwa idun in his A Brief History of the Wahauby. 19 We shall return to this document after looking at other developments during these thirty-five years. e Sacy: In 1805, we find the Frenchman de Sacy writing in his paper Observati ons sur les Wahhabites that the Muwa idun are â€Å"enemies of Islam†. He considered them to be an offshoot of the Qarmatians. 20 Rousseau: Four years later in 1809, another Frenchman by the name of Rousseau produced two short treatises 21 in which â€Å"it was positively asserted, that the Wahabys have a new religion, and that Mu`inuddin A? mad Khan, op. cit. , pp. 33-46. i. e. `Uthman ibn Mu`ammar, the governor of `Uyaynah. 14 i. e. Mu? ammad ibn `Abd al-Wahhab 15 i. e. `Uyaynah. 16 i. e.Dir`iyah, the first Saudi capital in the eighteenth century. It is now a ruin, lying on the outskirts of present day Riyadh 17 Mu`inuddin A? mad Khan, op. cit. , p. 41. 18 Ibid. , p. 42. By â€Å"Hambelly† he means the ? anbali School of Fiqh. 19 Harford Jones Brydges, An Account of the Transactions of His Majesty's Mission to the Court of Persia in the years 1807-11, to which is appended A Brief History of the Wahauby: London, James Bohn, 1834. 20 M. A. Bari, â€Å"The early Wahha bis, some contemporary assessments†. Proceedings of the 27th International Congress of Orientalists: Ann Arbor, Mich. , 1967.It may be recalled here that the Qarmatians were a 9th – 12th century Isma`ili sect that sprang up in southern `Iraq and al-Hasa'. 21 J. B. L. J. Rousseau, Descriptions du pashalic de Baghdad suivie d'une notice historique sur les Wahabis, et de quelques autres pieces relatives l'histoire et la litterature de l'Orient, Paris, Trouttel et Wurtz, 1809, pp. 125-182. Idem. , â€Å"Notice sur la secte des Wahabis†, Fundgruben des Orients, Vol. I, Wien, 1809, pp. 191-198. 13 12 Page 5 The Problem of Historical Distortion although they acknowledge the Koran, yet they have entirely abolished the pilgrimage to Mekka†. 2 He claimed to derive part of his information from â€Å"le Chapelain de Saoud†. 23 Burckhardt, Brydges, 24 and other later Western writers reprimanded Rousseau for his obvious misinformation, the indignation arising over his claim to an authentic source of information. Corancez: The following year, i. e. in 1810, Corancez published his work in French. 25 Nashshabah says that after Burckhardt, â€Å"the next best Western account of the early history of the Wahhabis is Corancez's Histoire des Wahhabis, depuis leur origine jusqu'a la fin de 1809.Corancez, who was the French consul in Aleppo from 1800 to 1808, carefully checked the information he had been able to gather, and his informants were often first-hand observers; but his account of the life of the founder of the Wahhabi movement is inadequate. He ascribes Wahhabi expansion solely to the weakness and misrule of the Ottomans (whose authority in most of Arabia was at times merely nominal) and ignores the fervour stirred up by (ibn) `Abd al-Wahhab which, combined with the leadership of Mu? ammad ibn Sa`ud, must surely have been the main reason for their astonishing victories†. 6 Vincenzo Maurizi: During the following years, we find the writ ings of another Niebuhrian, 27 an Italian by the name of Vincenzo Maurizi alias Shaik Mansur. He amused his European audience with his History of Seyd Said, Sultan of Muscat in 1819, which also devoted a considerable section to the Muwa idun. Maurizi, in his zeal to discredit the movement, overstepped even the limits of Niebuhr and painted a completely erroneous picture. To give a full flavour of his deliberate misreporting, we quote part of his narrative below. â€Å"About the middle of the last century (i. e. ighteenth century), a man named Abdulwahab, or Abdulvaab, a native of Hellah, or Ellaa, 28 on the banks of the Euphrates, pretended to have a vision, in which a flame appeared to issue from his body and burn to ashes all the neighbouring country; he confided the extraordinary circumstances which had befallen him to a Mullah, or Mulla, and the interpreter of the will of heaven declared that this sign portended the birth of a son, who should become the founder of a new religio n, and perform extraordinary actions. Soon afterwards the wife of Abdulvaab really became pregnant, and bore him a son, who was named Maam? . 29 [footnote in the text reads: This happened about the year 1757. ]. â€Å"The tribe of Neshdee, or Nescede, 30 to which the family belonged, soon imbibed the doctrines which appeared to be sanctioned by divine authority, and Abdulvaab, as general of J. L. Burckhardt, Notes on the Bedouins and Wahabys, vol. 2: London, Henry Colburn & Richard Bentley, 1831, p. II:103. 23 Ibid. , p. 103. 24 cf. ibid. , and Brydges, The Wahauby, p. 109,112. 25 L. A. O. de Corancez, Histoire des Wahhabis, depuis leur origine jusqu' la fin de 1809, Paris, Grapelet, 1810. 26 Hisham A.Nashshabah, Islam and Nationalism in the Arab World: A Selected and Annotated Bibliography: Montreal, Institute of Islamic Studies, McGill University, 1955. Unpublished M. A. thesis. p. 11. 27 About Niebuhr, Maurizi remarks â€Å"where the accurate and indefatigable Niebuhr could aff ord me any assistance, I have not hesitated to avail myself of it, and on the other hand I have occasionally remarked any alterations which have taken place since his days†. 17th page of his â€Å"Preface† to the History of Seyd Said, Sultan of Muscat, 1819. 28 He probably means al-? illah in `Iraq. 29 i. e. Muhammad 30 i. e.Najdi. Page 6 22 The Problem of Historical Distortion an army and prophet of a rising sect, had an opportunity of spreading his political power, and the opinions of the new faith, which he considered himself commissioned to promulgate; while his son accompanied him, and was shown to all as the precious pledge of Almighty approbation towards the Vaabi religion. After Abdulvaabs death Maam? t succeeded in his command, but being blind, was obliged to employ, as his deputy, in all affairs of state except those relating to religion, a person named Abdullazis, 31 an adopted brother of his father's. This minister followed up the victories of the deceased p rophet with the greatest facility. As the first barriers of opposition had been already overthrown, it would be very difficult, and perhaps useless to name all the Seek 32 who resisted in arms the aggrandisement of the Vaabi, or the particular periods of their several conquests; but at the death of the chief last mentioned, 33 almost all the interior of the Arabian peninsula acknowledged their political and religious sway.Abdullazis succeeded to the supreme authority, and greatly extended the limits of their power, having sacked Mecca and Medina and destroyed the tomb of Mahomet, whom he declared to be a deceiver, and not a messenger of heaven; he also penetrated to the gates of Aleppo and Baghdad, massacred a caravan of Persian pilgrims on their route to visit the burial place of Alle, or Eli, 34 at Ellaa, 35 and plundered that depository of the accumulated wealth of ages†. 36 The historical errors are far too many to comment on in detail; but we shall make observations on so me salient distortions.The dichotomy between `Abd al-Wahhab and Mu? ammad ibn `Abd alWahhab is carried on from Niebuhr, but Maurizi goes a step further in proclaiming `Abd al-Wahhab to be a prophet, and giving Mu? ammad ibn `Abd al-Wahhab almost the position of a demi-god. Besides, he transfers the hometown of the family to al-? illah in `Iraq and moves the year of birth of Mu? ammad ibn `Abd al-Wahhab to 1757, the year when he contracted the bay`ah with ibn Sa`ud. The fallacy of a tribe called Najdi, of the existence of `Ali's tomb at al-? illah, of `Abd al-`Aziz being the adopted brother of the Imam's father, etc. eed hardly be commented upon. But the interesting development that must be noted is the so-called declaration by `Abd al-`Aziz of the Prophet Mu? ammad (p) being an impostor. Maurizi elaborates on this and other supposed beliefs of the â€Å"Vaabi† by quoting an answer which he claims to have been given to him by an envoy of Sa`ud ibn `Abd al-`Aziz. It reads: â₠¬Å"We do not differ from other Musaleems, or Muselims (Musselmen) 37 except in thinking that Mahomet arrogated to himself too much authority; and, that the Koran was sent to the earth by the hands of angels, nd not of that man, who has even dared to falsify many of its doctrines; we also consider that the prophets, and especially Maamet iben Abdulvaab were beings like ourselves; and, therefore, not worthy of being addressed in prayer, although deserving of admiration and imitation for their piety and moral conduct†¦ † 38 Obviously, Maurizi could not have known more than a few words or phrases in Arabic, or else he would have rendered the envoy's answer truthfully. Instead, he has imposed hearsay and his own 31 32 Presumably `Abd al-`Aziz ibn Mu? ammad ibn Sa`ud. . e. shaykhs. 33 i. e. Maamet, the son of Abdulva b. 34 i. e. `Ali ibn Abi Talib. 35 i. e. al-? illah in `Iraq. 36 Maurizi, , op. cit. , pp. 36-38. 37 i. e. Muslims. 38 Maurizi, op. cit. , p. 40. Page 7 The Proble m of Historical Distortion assumptions into the mouth of the envoy. His lack of knowledge of Arabic is reflected also in the fact that he misconstrues `Abd Allah ibn Sa`ud, the Sa`udi amir after Sa`ud ibn `Abd al-`Aziz as â€Å"Abdullahazis† (`Abd al-`Aziz). Similarly, in the last passage cited, the envoy must have said â€Å"the prophets, and especially Mu? mmad ibn `Abd Allah were beings like ourselves †¦ † which Maurizi took to mean Maamet iben Abdulvaab. Maurizi's account even disgraces fiction. J. L. Burckhardt: John Lewis Burckhardt was the first to bring a balanced view of the movement to the European audience. The epistle of Brydges in 1799 was not a public document. Thus Burckhardt's Notes on the Bedouins and Wahabys published in 1831 was a turning point in the Western understanding of the Imam and his followers. This work goes into fair amount of detail about the movement.Burckhardt dispelled many of the misunderstandings that had been current in the Wes t as a result of the earlier writings. The very first thing he set out to correct was that: â€Å"The doctrines of Abd el Wahab were not those of a new religion; his efforts were directed only to reform abuses in the followers of Islam, and to disseminate the pure faith among Bedouins; who although Muselmans, were equally ignorant of religion, as indifferent about all the duties which it prescribed†. 39 Comparing the Muwa idun to the Ottoman Turks, he says: â€Å"Not a single new precept was to be found in the Wahaby ode. Abd el Wahab took as his sole guide the Koran and the Sunne (or the laws formed upon the traditions of Mohammed); and the only difference between this sect and the orthodox Turks, however improperly so termed, is, that the Wahabys rigidly follow the same laws which the others neglect, or have ceased altogether to observe. To describe, therefore, the Wahaby religion, would be to recapitulate the Muselman faith; and to show in what points this sect differs fr om the Turks, would be to give a list of all the abuses of which the latter are guilty†. 0 One can quote Burckhardt at length to show his positive attitude which led him to a fairly objective analysis of the creed and practice of the Muwa idun, and the reasons why Mu? ammad ibn `Abd al-Wahhab â€Å"was misunderstood both by his friends and his enemies†. 41 The former took offense at his seeming attacks on the Prophet (p) and the latter saw a political threat in his preaching; thus leading to an intentional distortion of the facts. Despite this objectivity in Burckhardt, one cannot but comment on the Western slant of his perception.The usage of words often has a psychological effect on the reader. For instance, Burckhardt, writing about the Imam says that â€Å"being convinced by what he observed during his (b. `Abd al-Wahhab's) travels, that the primitive (emphasis ours) faith of Islam, or Mohammedanism, had become totally corrupted and obscured by abuses,†¦ †Å". 42 The value judgment involved in his use of the word â€Å"primitive† is apparent. The Western notion that the progression of thought and ideas essentially leads to the advancement of civilization is a result of their philosophical heritage.The Islamic notion, that the absolute is derived solely through the process of divine revelation in history and not through cognitive, intuitive or perceptive processes which are bound by the limitations of the human mind, stands markedly in contradistinction to the Western assumptions. Thus, while the 39 40 Burckhardt, op. cit. , II:99. Ibid. , II:112 41 Ibid. , II:99. 42 Ibid. , II:96. Page 8 The Problem of Historical Distortion Muslim (including Mu? ammad ibn `Abd al-Wahhab) would view the life of theProphet as a supreme achievement in the history of man, the Western thinker would regard it as a ‘primitive' stage in the life of man. However, it is remarkable that if one is to compare Burckhardt with the later Orientalists, he was far ahead of his own time in this respect. His value judgements are very limited. Hitti, a century later, echoes the same words that â€Å"he (b. `Abd al-Wahhab) himself determined to purge it (Islam) and restore it to its primitive strictness†. 43 Hitti goes further though in regarding the bay`ah of 1757 as â€Å"another case of marriage between religion and the sword†. 4 The subtle intrusion of value judgements are scattered profusely throughout the writings even of the socalled ‘sympathetic' Western Orientalists like Nicholson, 45 Wilfrid Cantwell Smith (d. 2000), 46 von Grunebaum (1909-1972), 47 and H. A. R. Gibb (d. 1971) 48 not to speak of the others. Andrew Crichton: The next stage in the history of the Western biographies of the Imam was set by Andrew Crichton with his publication of History of Arabia: Ancient and Modern in 1833. This is the first time that we see a Western writer composing a secondary work on the Muwa dun based solely on other Weste rn writings. Having noted Burckhardt's caution against the misconceptions floating around, Crichton relied primarily on Burckhardt, Corancez and Mengin in particular. 49 Since he has nothing original to offer, we turn to his usage of some of the material at hand. For example, after outlining the beliefs and practices of the Muwa idun, he states â€Å"They did not, however, so far outstrip themselves of all superstition as to abolish the ceremonies of ablution and the Meccan pilgrimage, or even those of kissing the black stone and throwing stones at the devil†. 0 To start with, this reveals the author's ignorance about Islam, it's beliefs, practices and rituals. Secondly, it is surprising that the author cannot even conceive of non-Christian rituals that reflect and lead to cleanliness, unity of man, and submission and commitment to God. By calling these rituals â€Å"superstition†, the author has obviously passed a normative judgment that is reflective of the Judaeo-Ch ristian tradition. Sir Harford Jones Brydges re-visited: Chronologically, this brings us once again to Sir Harford Jones Brydges.This worthy civil servant of the colonialist British Empire had little that was new to add to the known facts of the Imam's life as described by Burckhardt. He published his Brief History of the Wahauby, in 1834 after perusal of Burckhardt's work. The only point on which the two disagreed was whether Mu? ammad ibn alWahhab was the father-in-law or the son-in-law of Mu? ammad ibn Sa`ud. Regardless of this dispute, what Brydges has to offer as an interpretation of this relationship between the two is as follows: P. K. Hitti, History of the Arabs: Edinburgh, 1939, 1972, p. 40. Ibid. 45 R. A. Nicholson, Literary History of the Arabs, Cambridge, Cambridge Univ. Press, 1907, 1969, p. 466. 46 W. C. Smith, Islam in Modern History: N. Y. , Mentor, 1957, pp. 48-51. 47 G. von Grunebaum, â€Å"Attempts at Self-Interpretation in Contemporary Islam†, Islam: Essay s in the nature and growth of a cultural tradition, London, 1955, pp. 185-236. 48 H. A. R. Gibb, Modern Trends in Islam, Chicago, Univ. of Chicago Press, 1947, 1972, pp. 26-32. 49 Andrew Crichton, History of Arabia: Ancient and Modern, vol. 2: Edinburgh, Oliver & Boyd, 1833, p. II:190.See footnote. 50 Ibid. , II:290. 44 43 Page 9 The Problem of Historical Distortion â€Å"†¦ and that in consequence of this connexion, though Abdulwahaub remained the book, Mahommed Ibn Saoud became the sword of the sect†. 51 This is the prelude to what we have been hearing from Orientalists like Hitti and others mentioned earlier. The only difference is that while Brydges was a part of the colonialist establishment and had a political axe to grind, the Orientalists are a part of the neo-colonialist imperialism that breeds Orientalist research. In other respects, i. . those that cover other aspects of the history of the Muwa idun, their administration, etc. , Brydges' book complements the w ork of Burckhardt. W. G. Palgrave: Moving beyond the middle of the nineteenth century, we come to William Gifford Palgrave, a servant of the British crown in India, steeped in the Christian tradition. By his time, the facts of the movement were well known; it was now the time for the growth of interpretation of these facts. Palgrave published two works, namely Eastern and Central Arabia (1866) and Essays on Eastern Questions (1872).Wahhabism had by this time become a great threat to the British Empire in India and elsewhere, and the crown was out to discredit the movement not only in the British public eye, but also among the Muslims residing in the British colonies. The latter purpose was not difficult to achieve due to the existing propaganda against the Muwa idun by the Ottoman Turks. Thus, in true service of British colonialism and displaying his loyalty to the missionary cause, Palgrave tried to paint the movement as a reaction to the pressure of the Christian West.He says â₠¬Å"The great reactionary movement, the ‘Revival', originated where scarce a spark of life had been left, by the too-famous ‘Abd-el-Wahhab, in the land of Nejd, has gradually but surely extended itself over the entire surface and through all the length and depth of Islam; while the ever increasing pressures of the Christian, or, at least, non-Mahometan, West, has intensified the ‘fanatical' tendency, even where it has modified its special direction.For ‘Islam' is a political not less than a religious whole;†¦ † 52 This was a rejoinder to the alarm sounded by W. W. Hunter (who was in Her Majesty's Bengal Civil Service) in his book The Indian Musalmans. 53 By this time, the British had already successfully faced Sayyid A? mad Shahid (d. 1831), Titu Mir and the War of 1857. With these major setbacks, a wave of strong ‘Wahhabi' feelings had swept the Muslims of Bengal and Northern India, hoping to regain their lost position.Therefore, it was essen tial for the British cause to subvert this obvious threat. Apart from the political motivations for his analysis, his Christian missionary zeal and hatred for Islam drove Palgrave to write as follows: â€Å"The Wahhabee reformer formed the design of putting back the hour-hand of Islam to its starting-point; and so far he did well, for that hand was from the first meant to be fixed. Islam is in its essence stationary, and was framed thus to remain.Sterile like its God, lifeless like its first Principle and supreme Original in all that constitutes true life – for life is love, participation, and progress, and of these the Coranic Deity has none – it justly repudiates all change, all advance, all developement. To borrow the forcible words of Lord Houghton, the 51 52 Brydges, The Wahauby, p. 107. W. G. Palgrave, Essays on Eastern Questions: London, MacMillan & Co. , 1872, p. 115. 53 W. W. Hunter, The Indian Musalmans, 1871. Page 10 The Problem of Historical Distortion wri tten book† is there the â€Å"dead man's hand†, stiff and motionless; whatever savours of vitality is by that alone convicted of heresy and defection. â€Å"But Christianity with its living and loving God, Begetter and Begotten, Spirit and Movement, nay more, a Creator made creature, the Maker and the made existing in One, a Divinity communicating itself by uninterrupted gradation and degree from the most intimate union far off to the faintest irradiation, though all that It has made for love and governs in love;†¦ † 54 Mu? mmad ibn `Abd al-Wahhab is the example for him par excellence of the true image of Islam, stagnant against a dynamic Christianity, backward looking against the advancing Christianity, lifeless against the living Christianity, and with a Sterile God against a living and loving Christian God who begets his only begotten Son becoming the Creator and creature, the Maker and the made all in One. Palgrave combined the missionary and the colonia list mentality in a perfect blend that was to reflect in the Orientalist attitude during the century to follow. He becomes the precursor to the likes of Samuel Zwemer, 55 E. Calverley, C. M.Doughty (1843-1926), 56 T. E. Lawrence (1888-1935), 57 and others. We end our analysis with Palgrave. Doubtless, the approach of the Orientalist has improved vastly during this century, as we see in the writings of George Rentz, for example. 58 However, the Orientalists of the latter portion of the nineteenth century, and until recently, those of the twentieth century have faithfully followed the tradition of the likes of Palgrave. CONCLUSION: For the sake of betterment and advancement of the civilization of man, we go back to our opening remarks and question the Western Judaeo-Christian approach towards the civilizations of the East.Rejecting the self-centeredness and particularity practiced by the Judaeo-Christian West, and in order to approximate the Islamic universality, we must shed our feat hers and appreciate the traditions and civilizations of others within their own framework and assumptions. The plurality of this small world, shrunk by the advance of technology, necessitates a renunciation of selfishness and oppression of the weak, at least in intellectual exercises. In the present context, that is of our approach towards history, we are now bound to accept the facts as such and interpret them for the betterment of mankind.It is obvious that personal biases cannot be eliminated in their totality. The basic assumptions must remain. Regardless, this should not lead us to a distortion of facts. Mu? ammad ibn `Abd al-Wahhab served an important purpose to a significant population of mankind, and has also caused grievance to many. In light of this we cannot justify either veneration or denunciation of this man, who devoted his life for a simple cause. W. G. Palgrave, Narrative of a Year's Journey Through Eastern and Central Arabia (1862-63), 2 Vols. : London, MacMillan & Co. , 1866, p. I:372. 5 Samuel M. Zwemer, Arabia the Cradle of Islam and The Mohammedan World of Today: N. Y. , Fleming H. Revell Co. , 1906. 56 Charles Montagu Doughty, Travels in Arabia Deserta: London, N. Y. , 1906. 57 T. E. Lawrence, Seven Pillars of Wisdom: London, Jonathan Cape, 1926, 1935, 1940 Idem. , Revolt in the Desert: N. Y. , George H. Doran Co. , 1927 58 George Rentz, Mu? ammad ibn `Abd al-Wahhab and the Unitarian Movement in Arabia, Ph. D. Thesis, McGill University, Montreal, Canada. Cf. also Idem. , â€Å"Wahhabism and Saudi Arabia† in The Arabian Peninsula: Society and Politics, ed. y Derek Hopwood: London, George Allen Unwin, 1972, pp. 54-66. And Idem. , â€Å"The Wahhabis† in Religion in the Middle East ed. by A. J. Arberry: Cambridge, Cambridge Univ. Press, 1969, pp. 270- 284. Page 11 54 The Problem of Historical Distortion Instead, his contribution to the development of civilization must be appreciated in its true perspective. The most important c onclusion is the recognition of the distortion of facts, deliberate or otherwise, by the Western colonialists, their functionaries, their missionaries, and the Orientalists who were none of these.Their aims were multifarious. While the colonialists and their functionaries strove to maintain their political supremacy and to keep the Muslim population subdued within the colonies, the missionaries tried their utmost to distort Islam to the extent possible hoping to gain converts. It was often that the aims of the colonialists and the missionaries though seemingly different were in fact the same. Hence, they worked hand in glove throughout and distorted the facts of history to make their own ends meet. Page 12 The Problem of Historical DistortionBIBLIOGRAPHY Abu Hakima, Ahmad A. , ed. , Lam` al-Shihab fi ta’rikh Mu? ammad ibn `Abd al-Wahhab, Beirut, 1967 M. A. Bari, Harford Jones Brydges, â€Å"The early Wahhabis, some contemporary assessments†. Proceedings of the 27th Int ernational Congress of Orientalists: Ann Arbor, Mich. , 1967. An Account of the Transactions of His Majesty's Mission to the Court of Persia in the years 1807-11, to which is appended A Brief History of the Wahauby: London, James Bohn, 1834. Notes on the Bedouins and Wahabys, vol. 2: London, Henry Colburn & Richard Bentley, 1831, p.II:103. Histoire des Wahhabis, depuis leur origine jusqu'a la fin de 1809, Paris, Grapelet, 1810. History of Arabia: Ancient and Modern, vol. 2: Edinburgh, Oliver & Boyd, 1833 Travels in Arabia Deserta: London, N. Y. , 1906. An abridged version of this work was also published under the title Wanderings In Arabia, London, Duckworth, 1908, 1926 Modern Trends in Islam, Chicago, Univ. of Chicago Press, 1947, 1972 â€Å"Attempts at Self-Interpretation in Contemporary Islam†, Islam: Essays in the nature and growth of a cultural tradition, London, 1955, pp. 85-236 History of the Arabs: Edinburgh, 1939, 1972 The Indian Musalmans, 1871 â€Å"A Diplomat's R eport on Wahhabism of Arabia†, Islamic Studies 7 (1968), Encyclopedia of Islam, Second Edition, III:677, col. 2. Seven Pillars of Wisdom: London, Jonathan Cape, 1926, 1935, 1940 Revolt in the Desert: N. Y. , George H. Doran Co. , 1927 History of Seyd Said, Sultan of Muscat, 1819 A review of Niebuhr's life in Islamic Culture 7 (1933), pp. 502-505 Islam and Nationalism in the Arab World: A Selected and Annotated Bibliography: Montreal, Institute of Islamic Studies, McGill University, 1955.Unpublished M. A. thesis. Literary History of the Arabs, Cambridge, Cambridge Univ. Press, 1907, 1969 Travels Through Arabia and Other Countries in the East, trans. into English by Robert Heron, vol. 2, Edinburgh, R. Morrison & Son, 1792. Essays on Eastern Questions: London, MacMillan & Co. , 1872 Narrative of a Year's Journey Through Eastern and Central Arabia (1862-63), 2 Vols. : London, MacMillan & Co. , 1866 Mu? ammad ibn `Abd al-Wahhab and the Unitarian Movement in Arabia, Ph. D. Thesis, M cGill University, Montreal, Canada. â€Å"Wahhabism and SaudiArabia† in The Arabian Peninsula: Society and Politics, ed. by Derek Hopwood: London, George Allen Unwin, 1972, pp. 54-66 â€Å"The Wahhabis† in Religion in the Middle East ed. by A. J. Arberry: Cambridge, Cambridge Univ. Press, 1969, pp. 270- 284 Descriptions du pashalic de Baghdad suivie d'une notice historique sur les Wahabis, et de quelques autres pieces relatives a l'histoire et a la litterature de l'Orient, Paris, Trouttel et Wurtz, 1809, pp. 125-182. J. L. Burckhardt, L. A. O. de Corancez, Andrew Crichton, Charles Montagu Doughty, H. A. R. Gibb, G. von Grunebaum, P. K.Hitti, W. W. Hunter, Mu`inuddin A? mad Khan, Henri Laoust, T. E. Lawrence, Idem. , Vincenzo Maurizi, V. B. Mehta, Hisham A. Nashshabah, R. A. Nicholson, C. M. Niebuhr, W. G. Palgrave, W. G. Palgrave, George Rentz, Idem. , Idem. , J. B. L. J. Rousseau, Page 13 The Problem of Historical Distortion Idem. , W. C. Smith, Samuel M. Zwemer, â₠¬Å"Notice sur la secte des Wahabis†, Fundgruben des Orients, Vol. I, Wien, 1809, pp. 191198. Islam in Modern History: N. Y. , Mentor, 1957 Arabia the Cradle of Islam and The Mohammedan World of Today: N. Y. , Fleming H. Revell Co. , 1906 Page 14

Friday, August 30, 2019

Charles Dickens Essay

Even at this early stage in the story the reader can see something special in Pip. He was the only one out of six boys to survive birth and is now fending for himself. To the reader it is obvious that Pip is a loner and doesn’t stand up for himself very much, he’ll just get bossed around by his sister, by Miss Havisham, by Estella and Magwitch. In the third paragraph Dickens really wants the reader to understand just how alone and sad Pip is. He does this by describing Pip as a bundle of shivers rather than a little boy. â€Å"and that the small bundle of shivers growing afraid of it all and beginning to cry, was Pip. † This sentence gives the reader an image of Pip shaking, wanting somebody to protect him. Dickens uses his settings as a base for feelings. His choice of setting reflects the situation. In extract one Magwitch threatens Pip with death right in front of all his families’ graves, which is sort of ironic. The whole situation is a cause to give Pip sympathy. Dickens describes Magwitch with longer descriptions first and then short one-word descriptions after. This makes Magwitch’s faults seem to go on forever and it also makes him more frightening. â€Å"A fearful man, all in coarse grey, with a great iron on his leg. A man with no hat, and with broken shoes, and with an old rag tied round his head†¦ who limped, and shivered, and glared and growled. † The words Dickens uses to describe Pip are also very important. They are very emotive words such as, â€Å"Pleaded in terror† â€Å"trembling† â€Å"timidly explained† â€Å"to give me a greater sense of helplessness and danger† The way Pip’s speech is described is also a key point for sympathy. Pip is very polite to his elders, using â€Å"sir† even when Magwitch is threatening to kill him, â€Å"There, sir! † He is also shown to be nervous and scared by faltering and stammering his speech, â€Å"Goo-good-night, sir,† I faltered† This shows a very moral side of Pip, because even though he is terrified of this man he still says good-night to him. In extract one Dickens uses a repetitive technique to make the moment more tense. â€Å"You get me a file. † He tilted me again. â€Å"And you get me wittles. † He tilted me again. â€Å"You bring ’em both to me. † He tilted me again. â€Å"Or I’ll have your heart and liver out. † He tilted me again. † This emphasizes the situation Pip is in. Pip is being bullied by this man who is repeatedly putting Pip in places of danger. The main object of this extract is to show the fear that this man has put into Pip, and also to illuminate how trusting and accepting Pip is. In extract two, Pip is meeting Miss Havisham and Estella for the first time. He has been called for by Miss Havisham to entertain her. When he meets Estella she makes him feel common and poor. Extract two is written as Pip recollecting the meeting rather than Pip describing the meeting as its happening. Within the extract Dickens often writes what he thought at the time that it all happened, and what he would have thought knowing what would happen, â€Å"Sat the strangest lady I have ever seen, or shall ever see† By writing in this way, Dickens is emphasizing that even now Pip found that encounter very strange and odd. The reader also feels like they are being given snippets of Pip’s past. Extract two begins with Pips description of Miss Havisham’s house. The first descriptions are simple things, â€Å"And found myself in a pretty large room† And then they become more specific, as if it is taking Pip a long time for things to sink into his small child mind, â€Å"A draped table with a gilded looking-glass† The objects described in the scene set-up the image of a dull, scary house. Certainly not the place for a child to be. Pip gains sympathy because going to this house is something that his sister has made him do for the specific reason of claiming an inheritance, not something he has chosen to do. The dialogue between Pip and Miss Havisham is very important to the extract because it is the beginning of their relationship and it is also the first time Miss Havisham has been introduced to the reader. Miss Havisham’s voice is cold towards Pip, and she doesn’t show any emotion. This creates sympathy because of the predicament Pip is placed in. He wants to please Miss Havisham, which in turn will please his sister, yet he doesn’t understand just how to please Miss Havisham. â€Å"Look at me,† said Miss Havisham. â€Å"You are not afraid of a woman who has never seen the sun since you were born? † By asking this rhetorical question Miss Havisham is showing that she is of more power than Pip. The reader knows that Pip must be afraid of her but is not allowed to say so. In that sentence Miss Havisham is also giving away to the reader a clue as to why she is how she is. Pip is very confused in this extract. He does not understand when Miss Havisham is talking to him, or when she requires an answer. He has to be very wary of himself and as the reader knows how young Pip is, they feel sorry for him. â€Å"I stopped, fearing I might say too much, or already had said it† When Estella is brought into the scene she takes an instant dislike to Pip purely because he looks common, â€Å"With this boy! Why, he is a common labouring-boy! † She only refers to Pip as â€Å"boy† or â€Å"this boy† in the scene. This shows that Estella also thinks she is of higher importance than Pip. After a game of cards with Estella, Pip feels very ashamed. He looks at things he used to consider normal as things that he is doing wrong. This is when Pip begins to feel like he wants to be more than a â€Å"common labouring-boy†. He also feels that Estella is right about him, and begins to agree, â€Å"Her contempt for me was so strong, that it became infectious, and I caught it. † This is upsetting for the reader because they know that Pip will not stand up to Estella and that gains him sympathy. Pip’s use of language suggests that he is unsure of himself and what he wants to do, â€Å"I think I should like to go home now. † Although he is being given lots of responsibility this reminds the reader that he is still only a young boy. When Pip is given food the vocabulary used by Miss Havisham and Estella is very demeaning and degrading. â€Å"Estella, take him down. Let him have something to eat, and let him roam and look about him while he eats. Go, Pip. † Pip is referred to as â€Å"him† rather than by name even though he is in the room as they are having the conversation. The word â€Å"roam† also indicates something that an animal would do rather than a person. When Pip recognizes this fact, â€Å"As if I were a dog in disgrace. † We instantly feel sorry for him because he knows that he is disliked by Estella. The main object in this extract is to show to the readers how rich people looked down on lower-class people. Through-out this essay I have been looking at the ways in which Charles Dickens creates characters we can empathise with. I have found that the main ways he does this are by the descriptive language he uses to describe them, the use of language when his characters are interacting and also giving the reader a back-ground to his characters so they can feel more comfortable with the book. Dickens uses many techniques within these extracts such as rhetorical questions, repetition, listing descriptive language.

Determining Causes and Effects Essay

The majority of blood donors are middle aged due to advertising not being effective among youth donors. Young prospective first time donors, with their long-term donation potential, are especially attractive targets for blood agencies. Youth are often underrepresented in donor pools, however; persuading them to give blood may require specifically tailored marketing communication. The first cause of not being effective in advertising towards youth is marketing communication. Blood collection agencies often emphasize altruism. Altruism is the philosophical doctrine that right action is that which provides the greatest benefit to others. Specifically, research demonstrates that established donors who have given blood several times report altruism and awareness of the need for blood as their main reasons for giving (Glynn S.A. 417). In other words, a regular blood donor gives because they want to help others in need, and they act altruistically without expectation of reward. Altruistic ads focus on the altruistic message of a blood recipient thanking individuals for giving blood to save his/her life. An appeal to self-interest may be more effective in heightening blood donation intentions among youthful donors. The second cause of advertising not being effective is not appealing to individual self-interest. Collection agencies often use a communal message strategy that you should donate because someone close to you may need it. A communal ad features blood donors asking others to join them to help save lives. This communal approach, often receives less attention from donors because people value incentives. There has been little academic research conducted in blood recruitment to further these recommendations and actually test the effectiveness of specific message types in relation to the established profiles. Another contributing cause is the selectivity model, attributes sex differences in information processing to traditional gender roles. For instance, the male or agentic gender role is characterized by concern for the self (ex., what helps me or is of interest to me?). It is associated with personality traits such as independence and autonomy. Men, who already attend to self-relevant information because of their presumed agentic gender role, should respond even more favorably to a self-benefit message that also  invokes a higher degree of self-referencing (Hupfer, 1004). The communal female role, which encompasses concern for both self and others (ex., what interests or helps both me and others?). The personality traits associated with the female are independent and giving. The female role is typified by sympathy, understanding, and sensitivity to others’ needs. These traditional role distinctions lead to sex differences in response to information that is self-relevant or other relevant (Hupfer, 1004). Gender roles, therefore, should be an important determinant of reaction to blood campaigns. They should indicate that giving blood helps me which is the agentic benefit (Fig 3). Or giving blood helps someone else which is the communal benefit (Fig 4). When an advertising message elicits attention by reflecting on negative outcomes it appears to be more favorable. When advertising message elicits attention by focusing on the positive outcomes it appears to be less favorable. One effect on the economy is when agencies paid people to donate it decreased the blood supply. Economists were skeptical citing a lack of empirical evidence. Since then new data and models have prompted a sea change in how economists think about incentives. Economists have found that offering to pay women for donating blood decreased the number of donators by half. However, letting society contribute the payment to charity reversed the effect. This psychology here has eluded economists, but it was no surprise to business owners. Rewarding blood donations may backfire; because it suggests that donor is less interested on being altruistic than in making a buck. Incentives affect what our actions signal, whether we’re being self-interested or civic-minded, manipulated or trusted, and they can imply wrongly what motivates the U.S. (Bowles) An increase in unemployment may mean people have more time to give blood, but I doubt it would cause an increase in supply. First, many blood donations are arranged by firms who agree to give employers time off work during the day. Secondly, it is possible that if you are unemployed you are likely to be stressed and don’t feel inspired to give blood. Findings indicate that when donors are eligible to benefit from the day-off incentive (i.e., when they are in paid employment) they make, on average, one extra blood donation per year, a substantial effect that represents a 40% inc rease (Lacetera). The decrease in blood supply affects those who have diseases such as sickle cell. There are more than 80,000 people in the U.S. with Sickle Cell, who require blood  transfusions. It also affects those who have cancer because chemotherapy consists of needing blood; sometimes on a daily basis. Also car accident victims can require as much as 100 pints of blood (American Red Cross). So if there are shortages of blood, there are not enough lives being saved. Hospitals haven’t had enough blood supply to care for patients with leukemia. It also affects newborns that are faced with having open heart surgery. Most patients who are hospitalized for serious complications and require transplants suffer because of the lack of blood supply in the U.S. In conclusion, collection agencies should consider appealing to young non-donors by suggesting that they give blood to make it available for themselves. Those who are capable of donating should do so with no questions asked. You never know when you will have a life-threatening event in which you need a blood transfusion to save your life. Researchers should continue to find theories on advertising to appeal to self-interest so that the blood supply in the U.S. will increase; however, the best approach in advertising is appealing to people’s emotion. If everyone would come together as one as they do in elections for blood drives the outcome would be greater. Fig. 3. Agentic Version of accident scene Fig. 4. Communal version of accident scene. Works Cited American Red Cross (2012). Blood Facts. www. Redcross.org Bowles, Samuel (March 2009). The Magazine; Harvard Business Review Glynn, S.A., Kleinman, (2002). Motivations to donate blood:. Transfusion, 42, 216-225. Hupfer, M.E. (2006). Transfusion 46(6), 996-1005, Visuals, DOI: 10.1111/j.1537- 2995.2006.00834.x Lacetera, Nicola (n.d.), Icentative Research Foundation. Time for Blood Article.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Financial Re-Engineering with Respect to Funding of New Projects of Al Essay

Financial Re-Engineering with Respect to Funding of New Projects of Al Masaken - Essay Example Being a subsidiary and a group company of Aerated Concrete Industries Company K S C C (ACICO), Al Masaken Real Estate Company has created for itself a remarkable position in the booming real estate sector in the Gulf region.The company has so far executed various prestigious construction projects worth close to $ 300 million with a construction area extending up to 291,143 Square meters. Backed up by a good design and engineering team the company has crossed over the initial struggles and has reached the position to take up construction projects of high rise buildings on its own financial strength. As a strategic financial initiative, it was suggested that Al Masaken is promoted as an independent business entity and raise the additional funds required for its proposed high rise construction projects following the IPO route supported by the group image of ACICO. This case study details the circumstances which led to such a decision of providing the individual status to Al Masaken and the various other factors which contributed to the proposal.Specialized in Housing/Villa projects, Al Masaken was established in 1998 as a part of ACICO group with a 25% ownership from ACICO. Having sailed through the initial hiccups the company specialized in the new wave construction of vertical housing by the year 2003. Being one of the subsidiaries of the ACICO, the financial strategy was to obtain short-term loans to finance the purchase of the real estate properties and for the process of construction activity and repay the loan within a maximum period of one and a half years. Financing Strategy at the Holding company: ACICO adopted a financial policy of long-term borrowing for its other manufacturing activities and short-term borrowing for the construction activity.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Disagree that the underrepresentation of women in science and Research Paper

Disagree that the underrepresentation of women in science and engineering is the result of innate differences in aptitude and interests - Research Paper Example The explanations given have had implications on public policies. Additionally the conclusions made on such issues are likely to affect education, roles of males and females in the society, as well as the attitude of people towards education. This essay will argue that the underrepresentation of women in science and engineering is not the result of innate differences in aptitude and interests but due to other factors. Over the last half century, women have made tremendous progress in educational achievements. They have been able to venture in fields that were historically considered as male fields, which include law, business, and medicine. However, the number of women who have ventured in the fields of science and engineering remains low. This has led to several speculations regarding the reasons for sex differences in the aforementioned careers (Laursen and Bill 18-22). Some speculations are biased since they attempt to argue that males have certain talents and temperaments that enable them to succeed in science and engineering while women lack such talents. Another position used to explain the underrepresentation is the nurture position, which is based on the argument that males and females are biologically similar and the sex related difference, arise due to socialization and biasness. Other positions are intermediate and use both biological and socialization as well as biasness arguments to explain the sex differences in the fields of science and engineering (Trefil and Sarah 49-52; Bix 27-33) Several factors can be attributed to the underrepresentation of women in science and engineering careers. One of the major factors is the level of commitment required in the two fields. Pursuing courses in science and engineering and working in the related field requires a lot of commitment in terms of time and energy. Women especially

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Business to Business Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Business to Business Marketing - Essay Example This research will begin with the presentation of advantages and disadvantages of trading block. A trade block represents a group of countries who make an agreement among themselves that they will not trade with the countries except the member countries. It is an economic integration has some significant economic advantages. Some important advantages are the followings. ï‚ ¦ Being a member of trading bloc, a country will get the benefit of elimination of transaction cost between the member countries. ï‚ ¦ In a trading bloc, there is single market single currency across the union like Euro in all the countries in EU which make sense for the trade in the same medium of transaction. ï‚ ¦ Trade block is an effective inflation controller. Apart from having some beneficial areas, trade block has some painful difficulties. Some disadvantages are the followings. ï‚ ¦ If a country can produce or manufacture a good at a comparatively at a low cost as well as can sell at low price than the regional producer of a the neighbour country under trade block, then the retailer of that neighbour country cannot import that good from there at lower price so that it can sell in lower price in domestic market and can increase the demand. ï‚ ¦ The researcher believes a loss of sovereignty in the countries of EMU is there because of countries not having individual central bank run the domestic government of a country. ï‚ ¦ Some economies argued that cost advantages and trade benefit are grossly overestimate which does not reflects the real picture and recent Euro crisis is the result of long term overestimation of these. ... ighbour country under trade block, then the retailer of that neighbour country cannot import that good from there at lower price so that it can sell in lower price in domestic market and can increase the demand. I believe a loss of sovereignty in the countries of EMU is there because of countries not having individual central bank run the domestic government of a country. So, government are elected by different people of different countries but the economy is same and this is a dispute of sovereignty across the countries. I think overestimation of trade benefit results likely a wrong picture of the trade union. Some economies argued that cost advantages and trade benefit are grossly overestimate which does not reflects the real picture and recent Euro crisis is the result of long term overestimation of these (OECD, 2000, P.6). B) Influence of trading bloc in B2B business Some important benefits always positively influence the businesses within the trade block like the countries in EM U don’t have pay the tariff for doing business among all the countries of the union. This reduces a huge operational cost and products and services get the price benefit. Apart from this a huge currency liberal market is there for any product and services the market can be beneficial by saving a huge amount of transactional cost. Similarly the disadvantages of trading block have footprints into the union market. The retailers are likely forced to get supply of goods by from the producer in comparatively high price within the union. This is because the producer in the trade block gets a monopoly advantage due to the bloc of import by the retailers from outside countries. Answer2 A) Concept of added value in B2B market A restructuring of features and benefits or enhancement added to a

Monday, August 26, 2019

ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE PLAN Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE PLAN - Assignment Example In evaluating the implementation of a new project or delivery method in an organization, what would be the critical data sources you would use to measure the financial outcomes? In evaluating the implementation of a new project or delivery method in an organization, the best critical data sources one would use to measure the financial outcomes are the balance sheet and income statement, especially in the health care organization. Steven Berger (2007) theorizes the financial analyst can compare the variance between the financial statements indicated as prior to the implementation of the new project or delivery in an organization and the financial statemetns indicated as after the implementation of the new project or delivery in an organization. For example, the financial analyst will determine if the health care organisaton’s sales had increased after the implementation of a new project or delivery method by comparing such sales with the sales generated before the implementatio n of the new project or delivery method. An increase in the sales will indicate the change was beneficial to the health care organization.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

How german jews reacted to nazi persecution from 1933-1942 Essay

How german jews reacted to nazi persecution from 1933-1942 - Essay Example She deliberately and openly flouted this rule and continued to work until leaving the country several months later (Catts, p39). Perhaps her limited experiences of persecution and of the Nazis and Gestapo are what enabled her to defy the law that was intended to prevent her from working, in that she had not been made aware through experience of the possible consequences of her actions. Josef Stone and his family left Frankfurt and Germany just a few months after Gertrude Catts (Stone, p38), but those few months were enough to make his experiences of Nazi persecution quite different. Stone recalls how his family and neighbors began to feel insecure and mistrustful (Stone, p36), afraid to show friendliness towards one another in case it was noticed by the Nazis. He describes how he was arrested on Kristallnacht and subsequently released (perhaps because he was only sixteen years old), and how his father was arrested and imprisoned in Dachau two days later. Kristallnacht was a turning p oint for Jews living in Germany – after this point, says Stone, nobody felt comfortable living in Germany any more. Many of the documents describe similar experiences, and for most of the narrators, anti-Semitism was experienced on a day-to-day basis. For example, Catts and Weinberg say that they or their parents were forbidden to work in German companies or to work at all and Rosenthal describes how her father was forced to do various types of labor. Many of them describe further incidents of segregation of Jews and Germans and general anti-Semitism, some more pervasive than others. Herta Rosenthal, for example, mentions that because she did not â€Å"look Jewish† (Rosenthal, p67) she was able to escape some anti-Semitic behavior – she was served in German shops where her Jewish-looking mother was refused service. Most of the narrators describe incidents of jeering and name-calling at the hands of

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Distributed database development assignment Essay

Distributed database development assignment - Essay Example The client can access information by directly or indirectly connecting to the database server. For example, if a client connects to a server requests access to information from a database contained on that server a direct connection established. To elaborate further, if the client connects to the Head Quarter database and requests access to the data held in warehouse (inventory ) or retail stores (item, color ) tables, he can do so by a simple query – â€Å" select * from inventory;†. This is a direct query as the object, i.e., the inventory table is not located on the remote database. On the other hand if the client connects to a server and accesses information from a database contained in another server, then an indirect connection is established. For example, if the client connects to one the retail server and accesses information from the database contained in the Brisbane Warehouse server or Melbourne Warehouse server, then an indirect connection is established as the object being accessed is not on the server to which the client is directly connected. A Distributed Database System is not just a mere collection of files that can be stored individually at each node of a computer network. In order to for a proper Distributed Database System, all the relevant files need to be stored in a logical manner, i.e., the files should be logically related, with a proper structure that facilitates easy and convenient access to the databases via a common interface. In a distributed database system, the business information of a company is distributed over a network, hence it is practical and preferable to localize the data in such a way that the information relating to the Brisbane Warehouse is stored in Brisbane and those related to the Melbourne Warehouse will be stored in Melbourne. For example, any query related to the order_id, inventory, item_id, inventory_quantity etc related to a specific location is stroed in each partition at a

Friday, August 23, 2019

MBA in Marketing Admission Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MBA in Marketing Admission - Essay Example Advertising refers to the various media used to convey your message. Printed advertisement, radio air time, television commercials and the Internet are all part of advertising that conveys your business message to the public." Another definition, which lists more steps of marketing, is listed by bookzonepro.com (n.d.), "this is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas, goods and services to satisfy customers." Since marketing can give a company a competitive advantage, I feel that understanding and knowing the business angles as well as the production techniques for advertising will certainly help my career as a professional. Advertisers appeal to the lusts, desires, and wants of the target market or potential customer. "Target market is the market segment to which a particular product is marketed. It is often defined by age, gender and/or socio-economic grouping," states Wikipedia encyclopedia (2006).

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Public Policy Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Public Policy - Coursework Example Understanding public policy involves a series of individual values towards the realization of a greater goal. Therefore, unlike Science, public policy is an Art. It is, therefore, prudent for policymakers to adopt measures that put the interests of the entire society at heart. â€Å"The basic element of understanding public policy for a better society is communication† (McConnell, 2010 p.89). Policy maker ought to adopt a legal approach towards communicating with the members of the society in an attempt to enhance understanding of public policy. If policymakers created channels for communication, the policies implemented would be favorable to all and ensure that all the relevant factors considered. Policymakers ought to evaluate the effectiveness of policies implemented in terms of their effectiveness towards improving the society (McConnell, 2010). They should install internal control measures to ensure that the policies implemented achieve the objectives. In addition, policies are similar to projects; every project has a lifespan. The internal controls may include evaluations, audits, and reviews. A policy may not achieve its purpose if it is implemented then ignored. Just as an automobile requires servicing, public policies are reviewed to assess whether they achieve the intended purpose. Policymakers are entrusted with public resources, and ought to uphold the code of ethical conduct. They can perfect their craft for the betterment of society if they perform their roles in a manner that upholds and respects moral values and public office respectively (McConnell,

Sir Isaac Newton Essay Example for Free

Sir Isaac Newton Essay Sir Isaac Newton-one of the greatest minds in history. He was an all-around genius. He was a mathematician, a natural philosopher, an inventor, and an English physicist. Some of the phenomenal things he did include studying how light reacts to reflection, formulating laws of universal gravitation and motion, and built the first ever reflecting telescope. In 1642 Isaac Newton was born into a very poor farming family in Woolsthorpe, England. When he was very young, his grandma took over and raised him. During this time, he and his grandma lived with a man who took Newton under his wing. Newton then discovered his love for chemical operations. Even though Newton was terrible at grammar and school in general, (at his school in a nearby town) he excelled when it came to using his hands. He made sundials, model windmills, a water clock, a mechanical carriage, and flew kites with lanterns attached to their tails. At only 14, Newton’s mother had taken him out of school to continue the family farming. Since his father died before he was even born, Newton didn’t have much of a father figure to help teach him how to farm properly. Even though he was great with his hands, he was horrible at farming. The family was then persuaded to let him go to the University of Cambridge to study to become a preacher. He was accepted into Cambridge in the year of 1161. His studies included arithmetic, geometry, trigonometry, astronomy, and optics. One of Newton’s professors was Isaac Barrow. The two of them clicked. Barrow could see Newton’s desire for learning. He challenged him with great passion. When Newton was 23 he had already received his bachelor’s degree. Just that year, 1665, the very deadly Bubonic Plague (Black Death) had hit. Newton was forced to leave Cambridge. He had returned back to his home town of Woolsthorpe. He stayed there for two years to do independent studies. This is what started Newton to study the things he is known for by today. In some way, the Black Death could be considered a good thing. In the sense that if it had never happened, we wouldn’t have laws of gravity. While at home he made great progress in what we call â€Å"method of fluxions† (calculus) and this was also the time when Newton observed the apple falling from the tree. Newton continued to stay in contact with Isaac Barrow. He sent some of this  work to Barrow, Barrow then made sure Newton’s work was known to several of the leading mathematicians of Britain and Europe. Once he hit age 30, year 1675, Newton suffered a mental breakdown which continued well until 1684. During this time, he was trying to prove to a man named Hooke that particles would spiral into the center of the Earth, rather than form an ellipse. Halley, a man who was also interested in orbits; finally convinced Newton to publish his work. Newton devoted 2 years to work on the project. The result became one of the most important and influential works on physics of all times, ‘Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica’ (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy) often shortened to Principia Mathematica .The Principia didn’t show up until late summer 1687. When writing the book Newton tried especially hard to make it very difficult to read, so people wouldn’t attack his ideas. In the early 1690’s, possibly in response to the intellectual exertion of writing the Principia, Newton suffered a period of depression. He started his work on the moon’s motions. A few years later Newton published another great book called Optics which explained the theory of light and color as well as some of his mathematic ways. In 1725, Newton moved from London to Kensington for health reasons. Two years later Newton died from health issues. Newton really changed the ways of math. If it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t have such a high math level as we do today.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

How to approach a child with autism properly

How to approach a child with autism properly The idea of being polite or that which designate the point of politeness to others is a great virtue to begin with. In that essence, when dealing and attending to or with people or a child with autistic disorder, politeness and understanding their sentiments is also very important. Not all people are blessed or lucky to live a normal life. That is where we can derive the sentimental value of politeness to make its presence as far as approaching a child with autism in a proper way is concerned. What we can comprehend and understand from the general assimilation of the facts, especially when it concerns child with autistic is that people who behaves with them politely is often not only respected by autistic child, but also loved by them in great many ways. In that context again, a child with autism also in any given occasion responds to people who are polite and who understands them in the other way round. That is to say, a child with autisms most commonly is often known to be impaired by brain disorders or that which impaired the part of the brains, and are children with special needs and care. Thus, extra attentions have to be given to them to improve their way of living in a better way. This is where the question of being polite to them also come to fore, because it bring into the occasion the consideration for the feelings of others. When we look at these features in contention, a child with autisms we feel is characterized by certain aspects of impairment that prevent them to interact and communicate socially in the way a normal child does. Behavioral aspects of a child with autism also often prevent them due to repetitive behavior that a normal child does or is expected of. Hypothesis: Proposal and Issue in Contention Understanding autism is important in a sense that it can provide us a gist about the disease in general and what are the salient factors attached to it. Autism as one of the commonest diseases is spreading fast and affects millions of individuals, especially childrens. To have a clear and precise understanding of it is very beneficial for an informative understanding of the diseases. Emphasizing the valuable aspects attached to children that are affected by autism and understanding the significance of how to approach such children also can provide us with an idea about what should be and what should not be the factors while making a way to approach children with autism, because as we know children with autism have a general disorder to understand and view things as normal people does. As one aspects of human disability, autism as diseases is rather hard for general people to understand, especially when it matter to approach child with autism, given that their behavior at times are a sore for the sight. However, we should not make it look so bad. Given that childrens who are affected with autism also are humans, so does we. Hence, every notion to have a feeling for them and their needs is one significant point to build a society based on understanding, sharings, helping people in needs and most importantly contributing to limit the plight of those less fortunate. In that essence, we feel that to general the objective of this study is to view into the salient aspects encompassing factors of the subject matter that attempts to trace how to approach child with autism in order to do away with any misgivings and misunderstanding. As we know children with autism are childrens with special needs and care. Thus, every aspect to understand their behavior for example can be an ample foreground for us to feel for their plight or to make a contributing hand in helping such childrens and their cause. Thus, it should be clarified that in order to have a clear understanding of autism, a thorough understanding of a child with autism also readily calls for attention, which this projects attempts to address and exemplifies the crucial points. In doing so, a literature review of the subject matter that limits its analysis to factor on defining autism and how to approach child with autism is a necessity, which the following paragraph details. Literature Review: The idea and notion of Autism As we can derive from a general accumulation of the facts, autism is a general disorder that affects the behavior of person affected by it. Most often than not, people or a child with autisms is restricted by certain neural disorder that prevent them to behave and act normally in most occasions. It is heartening to experience in that capacity. However, point of it also should looked and extrapolated in which the salient and special characteristic of a child with autism also should be acknowledged. In that regard, experts are of the opinion that autism like all mental disorders are phenomenological based diagnosis. That is to say, autism is a form of mental disorders that is observable to predict through an experiment. Altogether, autism can directly be defined as a disease based on observable and reproducible behavioral phenomenon, and composed a complex biological system or that which medical experts calls end point in psychiatric illness. (Casanova, 2005, p. 198) Thus, when we begin to this comprehension of the facts and subject matter arguments again, we feel that medical experts opinion on the same also should be taken in a discourse. Although much of the definition of autism herein and as defined above is medically grounded, that is to say, all aspects of the features attached to autism are defined in medical and clinical sense. In that capacity and as sources can be derived from our study, the IDEA Act in US (Individual with Disability Education Act) defines the notion attached to autism as one of the developmental disability in a person that significantly affects the way of people behavior and their responses to certain social interaction process. That is to make it simple, autism has a direct affect upon an individual verbal and non-verbal communications processes. Together with it, individual who are affected with autism and its disorder also often find the social interaction to be close to impossible. What we can relate further is that autisms are generally evident in any given child affected by it before the age of three years. The effect of autisms also adversely affects a childs educational performance, given that as a neural disorder, the affect of learning disability also directly comes to fore. (Anonymous, 2008) Thus, when we interpret and accumulate to the notion that can be derived from the above definition in brief, it comes as a direct representation of the sociological aspects that can be emphasized again. That is to say, a close knot understanding in brief can be derived as to what composed the meaning of autism in general term; rather than the previous idea that is medically grounded. How to Approach Autistic Childrens? When we come to this part of the study, what we can cum up from the above definition, its terms and characteristics attached to autism also provided an avenue to understand the meaning of autism. In that regard, it is crucial to understand autism in a sense that it can further enable us to derive the salient aspects as and when it matter to dealing with autistic people. The question that arises also is how to approach children with autism? To begin with in this regard, we feel that a thorough understanding of the behavioral aspects and in particular the characteristic associated with autism is important as a measure to approach with them in day to day life and interaction process. Hence, experts feel that as far as approaching an autistic child goes it is to be sensible and vitreous enough to understand who they are, because autism is just one part of their characteristics. Yet a child with autism is also a unique creation of God and with unique character and gifts. (Wong, 2009) Thus, the best way to approach a child with autism is to give them enough space to be what they want and to express their humanness as to who they are, not by what we make think of otherwise. To put it in simple terms, approaching a child with autism is all based on the things that we can encounter, and how we response to each one of it in a cordial and virtues way. Secondly, autistic child and their characteristic of neural disorder prevent them from imaginative thinking. Hence, in that regard, expert opinion in that respect is to approach a child with autism with due care and attention to details. That is to say, identifying with them is the best way possible, because child with autism are hypersensitive to certain things that are beyond their imagination to grabs a thing or two being said or conversed. Thus, a cautious approach to the language used, and individual willingness to identify with them and their capabilities as well as doing thing to them in one sense give greater details and a good basis to approach a child with autism, (Wong, 2009) because as we can emphasize to the meaning of it, the fact is that that often actions speaks louder then word with children affected by autism. Together with it, and from a professional way on emphasizing to the notion of approaching a child with autism, that is to say, teaching a child with autism defines many foregrounds of the do and donts. As far as the subject topic goes in that regard, it is widely undertaken with due care and cautious approach. Expert opinion of the point to approach a child with autism and while teaching an autistic child is to give greater details and focus on two significant areas as far as it goes with the use of functional activities, and in particular an effort to make programs appropriate enough for student development level that also attends to their chronological age. (Raymond Le Blanc, 2007, p. 102) Hence, as we have related in the introductory note to the subject matter arguments, we feel that being polite to children with autism can be a great virtue indeed. That is why we see an extensive empathizing that is given attention toward children with autism. Altogether such move is also a good social cause, given that it gives the child that are affected with autism greater details to explore and experiment their life in a meaningful way, especially with people who understand them in a better way. Understanding the Characteristics of Autistic Childrens As far as autism goes, a prominent attribute or aspect of something that is related is also relevant to trace as a measure to understand in general the characteristic attached to the diseases and its symptoms in any. In that regard one of the common characteristics that are most often associated with autism can be exemplified towards the components attached to repetitive activities among autistic child. In that notion, autism and is characteristics as can be observed reflects the stereotyped movement of autistic individuals or a child. (Anonymous, 2008) Most importantly, autistic characteristic also are most often than not resistance to change. Hence, when autistic individual are subject to environmental change or change in daily course of life and routines to be precise, a direct instance of resistance also can be observed. Such characteristics as can be explained are unusual responses to sensory or neural experiences attached to autism and individual affected by it, (Anonymous, 2008) says experts in the fields of autistic study and child development welfares. Further down the line, we often feel that to define autism correctly is hard, because it all depends on interpreting the traits that are relevant to autistic individual or childrens. In that reasoning, and as far as expert opinion and their idea of autism goes, it directly relates to people who often have difficulty in three major areas, namely social interaction, communication, either can be (verbal or written) or both, and flexible and imaginative thinkings, which medical experts such as Lorna Wings have referred on the condition attached to autism and autistic behavior and characteristics. (Pittman, 2007, p. 4) In context of the above definition of the characteristic attached to autism, we can directly trace the features as to what composed imaginative thinking as well. Let say, autistic adversely affect the child learning capacity but it does not mean that a childs educational performance in such situation or occasion as such is adversely affected due to or primarily because of the child emotional disturbance, but it is a direct insistence of the disorder attached to neural or psychological diseases. (Anonymous, 2008) That is why; characteristic attached to children with autism is rather complicated to register readily with a layman. Once again, from the interpretation of this term, a concise meaning to autism and its spectrum also can be derived. What we can drive home the idea is that regard as well can be further stated that autism is rather a complex disorder as far as social interaction and cognition of term goes. In that capacity as well, we feel that autistic childs are individuals that calls for special attention and special care, wherein all the components and characteristics that posits a child with autism should not be taken for granted to accumulate who they are, since it is only one part of them and their disability. Conclusion Going back to the overall discussion, we are of the opinion that understanding autism and how to approach autistic child with such a disorder calls for extra measure and efforts to be made. Hence, to conclude in that regard and what we can drive home the idea that erupts from politeness with autistic child as well has some sentimental value, which we feels defines the notion that parts of it also comes readily, and registers with people who have been trained to handle or responds to children with autistic behavior in a better way. For a layman, understanding a child with autism can be close to impossible, because as some experts have maintained is the fact that autistic disorder in a child does not in a way explains or defines who the child is, which in a sense it only give a clear impression and natural accumulation of the fact that autism is one part of the character and being of childrens with autism. (Wong, 2009) Recommendations In the current state of affairs, extensive researches are being carried out to understand the many variables attached to autism and its characteristics in particular. As human and scientific knowledge increases, so does the awareness and attention that is given to certain fields of study as a measure to reaps the benefits in facilitating a better way of life to children with autism also automatically arises. There are many components that make it hard to define autism, which in any capacity is what we call a diseases. Measure initiated in the study and research thus is to bring into contention the idea to understanding and tracing the salient aspects of autism so that a progress can be channelized to treat the disorder in a better way, because it is one aspect of concerns that medical experts encounters. (Casanova, 2005, p. 198) Thus, when we relate to the above statement as well, and accumulating the overall discussions, we can derive as to where the idea in the medical fields that is interrelated to autism and its study can be emphasized for further research and study. After all, medical research initiated in context of autism is a measure that comes as a means to an end in enabling medical experts to find a befitting solution to treat the disorder and to facilitate the channel of life bearing examples. Such insistence and initiation is a good move and designate an attempt with great virtue and a great cause.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Gender representation in contemporary superhero films

Gender representation in contemporary superhero films RESEARCH PROPOSAL Gender representation in contemporary superhero films Research Question How gender representation is portrayed in the contemporary Marvel superhero films? Overview of the Study This project will be evaluating how gender representation portrayed in 21st century Marvel superhero films. This research will concentrate on using Marvel’s The Avenger (dir. Josh Whedon, 2012) which is the assemblage of all contemporary Marvels’ superhero made after Ironman since 2008. Thompson (1999) and Bordwell (2006) both argued that Hollywood films often emphasize on character traits. Contemporary Hollywood filmmaking tends to draw on certain gender representational pattern of superhero is first and foremost a man. Therefore textual analysis will be used to analyze how masculinity and femininity values are constructed among the main characters in the film. Aim Objectives The aim of this study is to evaluate how gender representation portrayed in 21st century Marvel superhero films. The objective of this study is to analyze how masculinity and femininity values are constructed among the main characters in 21st century Marvel superhero films. Literature Review In the past seven years, majority number of blockbuster superhero action adventure films such as Batman, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Spiderman, Hellboy 1 and 2, Hulk, Ironman, and a host of other â€Å"men† have flown, stomped, fallen, and swung across screens in these Hollywood blockbusters (Stabile, 2009). In fact, Gray Kaklamanidou (2011) describes superhero as someone usually possesses a combination of mental and physical strength more than ordinary human being that fight against evil who will succeeds against all odds. These superhero characters are basically adapted from comic books. The characters in the film are presented in stereotypical manner such as either present male heroes and female damsels such as Superman Returns (2006), the Spider-Man films (2002, 2004, 2007) or else allow for a few female superheroes as part of a male-run-crime-fighting collective, as in X-Men Films (2000, 2003, 2006), and the Fantastic Four franchise (2005, 2007). Gallagher (2006) described masculinity as a product in our culture; the action film has historically been a ‘male’ genre, dealing with stories of male heroism and women as peripheral princesses. However these attributes and behaviors tend to shift over time and are constantly under negotiation in the film. Furthermore as Benshoff Griffin (2009) argued that although there are slight variations can be found in countless Hollywood films, the way of cinematically telling stories is basically the same today as it was in the 1930s. Classical Hollywood style is always formulated to spoon-feed story information to the spectator, thus keeping everything clearly understood by the audience. For instance, Thompson (1999) and Bordwell (2006) both argued that Hollywood films often emphasize on character traits. Contemporary Hollywood filmmaking tends to draw on certain gender representational pattern of superhero is first and foremost a man. Besides, the superhero is an American crea tion, born on the eve of World War II (Gray Kaklamanidou, 2011). Therefore the role of superhero is always associated with typical masculinity traits while the characters in superhero film are portrayed in stereotypical manners. Interestingly, over the past few decades, various male-dominated Hollywood genres have been adapted for female leads. Benshoff Griffin (2009) explained that the science fiction action-adventure film has also produced some strong female leads, played most notably by Sigourney Weaver in the Alien Films (1979, 1986, 1992, 1997) as well as Jovovich’s Alice in the Resident Evil film franchise (2002, 2004, 2007) has become the most financially successful female action character of the era. However, mainstream Hollywood entertainment still negotiates gender in ways that uphold and maintain patriarchal privilege (Cohan Hark, 1993). The nostalgic Hollywood blockbuster formula, with its stalwart male heroes, continues to drive the industry. Another way of looking at the gender representation in superhero film is that, Hollywood filmmaking tends to exploit sexy male bodies in action while female action adventure heroes with objectified sex appeal. As Benshoff Griffin (2009) argued tha t although more and more women are entering the Hollywood industry, the sexual objectification of female bodies tends to surround on the female lead while men tend to dominate the main role in superhero film. Methodology Given the exploratory nature of this study is to evaluate gender representation portrayed in 21st century Marvel superhero films; it is proposed qualitative research method of textual analysis will be used to analyse the text in contemporary Marvel’s superhero films. Textual analysis in fact is research method of trying to learn something about people by examining the content, structure, and functions of the messages contained in texts (Frey et al., 1999). In other words, textual analysis may use to describe and interpret the characteristics such as behavioral patterns, values and attitudes of a recorded or visual message. Marvel’s The Avenger (dir. Josh Whedon, 2012) will be selected to evaluate how masculinity and femininity values are constructed among the main characters. In fact, Marvel’s The Avenger is the assemblage of all contemporary Marvels’ superhero made after Ironman since 2008 (Marvel, 2012). This film basically consists of four main characters of Marvel’s superhero that are Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk and Thor. Furthermore, the film also features with other existing S.H.I.E.L.D agent Hawkeye and Blackwidow. Likewise, analyzing the text in the Marvel’s The Avenger provides the researcher the opportunities to study a few series of contemporary superhero film simultaneously. Indeed, textual analysis consists of both strengths and weaknesses in analysing the gender representation in the film. According to Larsen (1991), textual analysis is able to bring out whole range of possible meaning in the film content. It is also a preferred method for identifying such latent meaning and a powerful tool for researchers who seek to produce theoretically valid interpretations of the targeted text. However, textual analysis required an extremely close reading on the specific text (Frey et al., 1999). It is time consuming and has high maintenance need which the researcher is requires to set up the rules, such as coding. In fact, content analysis according to Weare Lin (2000) is able to determine the presence written and spoken communication or concepts within texts. However, it is obtrusive and a purely descriptive method which it unable to reveal underlying motives for the observed pattern (what but not why). Therefore as the objective of this study is to analyse the gender representation and characters role played in the contemporary Marvel’s superhero films, the purpose of using textual analysis in this study is thus able to provide in-depth understanding on the text. Marvel’s The Avenger In fact, Marvel’s The Avengers is a 2012 American Hollywood film produced by Marvel studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. In fact, it is featuring with iconic Marvel super heroes Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. Marvel’s The Avenger has been ranked as the third highest grossing film in worldwide. However it is interesting that 7 out of 8 leading are male while the only female lead is Scarlett Johansson who plays the role as Black Widow. Marvel Studios has released nine films since 2008 within the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Iron Man (2008), The Incredible Hulk (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), Thor (2011), Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Marvels The Avengers (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013), Thor: The Dark World (2013) and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) (Marvel, 2014). Significant of study Superhero film is relatively one of the latest development trends in Hollywood film (Gray Kaklamanidou, 2011). However, there has been no much academic research made on superhero movie. It is believe that the increasing number of these films requires an in-depth academic study on the concept of superhero in this globalized society that is emphasize on gender equality. As Ryan Kellner (1990) argued that the representation of certain characters can work towards explaining the political social landscape the current time. It would be interesting to find out how men and women in these movies are represented: how different characters are portrayed, using typically feminine and masculine traits. Therefore this study will contribute to the future research and literature related to gender in action and superhero film. Timeline of research Conclusion This project will be evaluating how gender representation portrayed in 21st century Marvel superhero films by using Marvel’s The Avenger. Textual analysis is because it able to provide in-depth understanding and analysis on the gender representation and characters role played in the film. While the number of superhero is increase, this study serves as a fundamental literature thus able contributes to the future research on gender in action and superhero film. Bibliography References BENSHOFF, H. M, GRIFFIN, S. (2009) America on film: Representing race, class, gender and sexuality at the movies, Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. BORDWELL, Da. (2006) The way Hollywood tells it: Story and style in modern movies. Berkeley: University of California Press. CODELL, J. L. (2007) Genre, gender, race and world cinema: An anthology, Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. COHAN, S., HARK, I. R. (1993) Screening the male: Exploring masculinities in Hollywood cinema, London: Routledge. FREY, L., BOTAN, C., KREPS, G. (1999) Investigating communication: An introduction to research methods. (2nd eds.) Boston: Allyn Bacon. GALLAGHER, M. (2006) Action figures: Men, action films, and contemporary adventure narratives, New York: McMillan. GRAYLAND, R., KAKLAMANIDOU, B. (2011) The 21st Century Superhero: Essays on Gender, Genre and Globalization in Film. North Carolina: McFarland. KING, N. (2008) Generic womanhood: Gendered depictions in cop action cinema, Journal of Gender Society, 22, 238-258 [online] Available from: www.swetwise.com [Accessed 9 July, 2014] LARSEN, P. (1991) Textual analysis of  ¬Ã‚ ctional media content, In J. Vercshueren, J. O. Ostman, J. Blommaert (Eds.), A handbook of qualitative methodologies for mass communication research (pp. 121–134). New York, NY: Routledge. Painter, C. Ferucci, Patrik MARVEL’S THE AVENGER. (2012) [Film] Directed by Joss Whedon. California: Marvel Studios. MILLER, K. (2005) Communications theories: perspectives, processes, and contexts. New York: McGraw-Hill. STABILE, C. A. (2009) Sweetheart, This ain’t gender studies: Sexism and superheroes, Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies, 6:1, 86-92 [online] Available from: www.swetwise.com [Accessed 11 July, 2014] THOMPSON, K. (1999) Storytelling in the new Hollywood: Understanding classical narrative technique. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. WEARE, C., LIN, W. Y. (2000) Content analysis of the World Wide Web: Opportunities and challenges, Social Science Computer Review, 18:3, 272-292.