High school Essay

We could say that an educated person is like a piece of artwork, it is open to the interpretation of the viewer. Just like every art work critique has their own opinion about an artwork, everyone has their own different interpretations of what an educated person is. One thing is clear though, in order to be a successful person in life, you do not need money, as well as in order to be an educated person, you do not need a college diploma. What you are willing to give up in order to become your best person depends on how much you truly want to accomplish that goal. Not everyone knows right away what they have a passion for. One has to explore new activities and only then will they be able to decide for themselves. Everyone expresses their opinion, and in my thought an educated person is the willing to put in time like Gladwell explains, claims their learning rights like Rich exercises, applies critical thinking and reasoning to work towards a success like Wagner emphasizes and lastly does not fall victim to adversity like my father focuses attention on. An educated person should always be willing to put in time. This means that they are willing to give up what they want now, for what they want most. For example, in Gladwell, Schoenfeld the math professor experimented with a young girl Renee, which took her approximately twenty-two minutes to figure the slope of a vertical line. â€Å"This is eight-grade mathematics†¦ If I put the average eighth grader in the same position as Renee, I’m guessing that after the first few attempts, they would have said, ‘I don’t get it. I need you to explain it. ’ (Gladwell 2008, pp. 245). † What Schoenfeld proved with this experiment was the willingness of Renee to continue the math problem. Of course, compared to the eighth grader, Renee had more self-discipline and wanted to continue on going until she was able to solve it. An educated person should be willing to put in time and work towards their goal. It will not be easy or given to the person, there is a lot of time and energy put to having what one wants. Another idea Gladwell explains is the amount of time one is willing to put in and how that makes one an expert. â€Å"Researchers have settled on what they believe is the magic number for true expertise: 10,000 hours† (Gladwell 2008, pp.40). Gladwell’s idea of hard work and dedication to whatever it is that you want to become an expert at takes at least 10,000 hours. I agree with him, but only to a certain point. It is true that in order to become someone well knowledgeable on a certain activity or topic one must practice and put in time. I do not necessarily agree that 10,000 hours should be the exact number for â€Å"true expertise† as Gladwell calls it, but it definitely should not be a few hours. For example, ideally doctors should be one of the most specialized fields. They are ones performing their knowledge on people and I honestly would not want a doctor that has gotten a few hours of practice to do anything to me, because there is more of a chance that they are not as experienced as someone else that has been working for decades as a doctor. An educated person should be willing to put in time to practice which is what makes someone good at their specialization. Rich’s idea of â€Å"claiming an education† also applies within our pursuit to defining an educated person. Rich explains that a student should not think about education as â€Å"receiving it†, but to be thought of as â€Å"claiming it† (Rich 1979 pp.365). Rich explains that claiming an education is taking as if one were the owner. I agree with Rich, students should have the mentality of taking the education being given to them. There is a difference between claiming what is rightfully yours, and taking what if rightfully yours. One difference is that when you claim something, you are putting in effort to learning what is being taught. For example, a student that goes to class and learns whatever the lesson was for that day, would in my terms be called receiving. On the other hand, if that same student were to go to the instructor’s office hours and basically use the resources that there are around campus, that would be claiming. The mere difference of going one step above the other makes the difference between the two. Rich also backs this idea of claiming, with the simple act of participating in class, becoming more engaged in class and the teacher’s professional life. This idea of claiming an education is not limited to those in school, because not every educated person goes to college, or needs a college degree. It is helpful in order to have something to fall back upon. One way we can connect the idea of claiming an education without going to school, could be my father’s story. His decision of dropping out of high school did not stop him from doing what he wanted to do. He claimed his rights to learning about how to create his own company and becoming a successful entrepreneur, without having a business college degree. Claiming your rights as a human being over all is what counts. Anyone should be able to express their passion for something. In my father’s case, he first started by working at a small local shop as a cashier, but he found himself not doing what he loved, â€Å"I loved helping people, make their houses bigger or just fixing their house up for them. † (Gomez 2014). My father eventually stopped receiving, and started claiming. An educated person is one who does not receive, but one that claims and demands their ability to practice their passion. Give a child a list of three words with a definition to each, allow them to memorize it and few minutes later, they can regurgitate it back to you. As an education major, it is easy to go a whole year teaching children a certain vocabulary words, or teaching them how to solve a math problem, but explaining why the answer is the answer, is a lot more difficult. Wagner explains that many students lack â€Å"intellectual challenges† (Wagner 2008, pp. xxv). A class lacking intellectual challenge for students can cause a downfall in the future. Providing students with more rigorous work and questioning their solutions, prevents them from finding lessons uninteresting and eventually leading them to want to drop the course, or worse yet, want to drop out of school. For example in history class, one has to remember specific dates, but also know why several of these specific events happened or what lead to it. I was one of them. Rarely do students remember what lead to wars, or life historically changing events, like the great depression because they are just taught either to memorize the dates or they find it easier to only remember the dates and names of important historical figures. The same concept can be applied to mathematics, where one has to know how to solve the problem, but does not always know why a certain formula was used or why it only works with that certain problem. According to Wagner, knowing the answer is not sufficient, one must know and be able to critically think about the end result. Therefore, an educated person should be willing to not only claim their education, but also be able to apply more critical thinking and reasoning. Which by later exercising that through practicing and preparing, one can accomplish their goals. Lastly, I interviewed my father, because he is the first man I have ever admired. He was able to successfully carry out a career that he did not go to college for. Matter of fact, he never went to college, and only completed a few years of high school. Through my interview with him, he allowed me to truly appreciate and admire him a lot more. One main adversity he got through was coming in to the United States, he believes that without coming to the United States his success would not have been possible. â€Å"Coming from a huge family, having 8 brothers and 7 sisters you did not always get what you wanted† (Gomez 2014). My father further explained that he was always having to share his things and he never had the opportunities that I have today. â€Å"I had to run a whole mile in order to get to class, there were no buses, because we lived in the country, and I had to run to the city every morning to get to school† (Gomez 2014). My father continues with his story, â€Å"every morning we all had to do chores, mine were taking care of the farm animals. I would milk the cows every morning and since I had to do my morning chores before school, sometimes I ran late and I had to go to school smelling like farm animals and sweat† (Gomez 2014). The dedication put into working back then is not the same today. For everything there is always an excuse made up. I myself have made many excuses, but it takes an educated person to not make excuses. He could have easily said I am not walking a mile to go to school, but he was determined. My father did not drop out of school because he was failing his classes. At age 18 he became an innocent victim in a shooting, in which he was shot in the stomach and had missed a big portion of his senior year. He was months away from graduating, but he never was able to complete his missed classes due to the lack of support from his teachers, he explained. He after started his own family and came to the United States when I was born. â€Å"You are the luckiest one of everyone in the family† he told me, â€Å"your sisters do not have the opportunity that you have and an educated person is one who can make the best situation out of a tough one† (Gomez 2014). Without doubt, my father was able to create a self-made company. He was the only one of his 15 siblings to become an entrepreneur, and today in my eyes he is the most successful. An educated person would ideally be my own father, who was willing to put in time to learn about his passion, claim his rights as a United States resident and created his own business, and lastly he did fall victim to adversity. An educated person and a successful person go hand in hand, but the definitions are endless, and open to many interpretations, but what makes either person educated or successful, depends on what they are willing to give up in order to become their best person. An educated person is one who no matter what is willing to put in time in order to be called an expert at his passion. Someone who rightfully claims the ability to carry out their love for their passion and lastly, someone who does not fall victim to adversity. ? Bibliography Gladwell, Malcolm. â€Å"The 10,000-Hour Rule† in Outliers, 34-68. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2008. Gladwell, Malcolm. â€Å"Rice Paddies and Math Tests† in Outliers, 224-249. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2008. Gustavo Gomez, interview by Alondra Gomez, April 28, 2014. Rich, Adrienne. â€Å"Claiming and Education† in On Lies, Secrets and Silence, 365-369. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1979. Wagner, Tony. The Global Achievement Gap, intro xix-xxviii. New York: Basic Books, 2008.

Case Holt Renfrew Essay

Inactive suppliers: HR had approximately 3000 different suppliers, only about 1000 suppliers were used. Suppliers’ management was inefficient. The inactive resulted in waste of resources including human resources, files management, Information system overload, etc. Inactive SKUs: HR had approximately 500,000 SKUs, only about 50 per cent were active at any given time. Huge inventory carrying costs happened when almost 50% inactive SKUs stayed in the DC or warehouse. Dull and Repeating Work for Employees: staff spent a lot of time on the phone expediting shipments to stores, and confirming and adjusting previous orders with suppliers. Employees’ career development would be retarded by the dull job. It would made the high turnover rate and it would be costly to hire and train the new employees. Suppliers’ Mismanagement: Suppliers just delivered the products to the DC without prior notification. We were not able to anticipate what to expect daily. It would cost time and human resources to confirm and adjust the  orders with the suppliers. Lack of Communication with Merchandiser: staff did not get any information from merchandiser. They were constantly pushed by stores to follow up on orders delivery and transportation service providers. The unsmooth communication and unequal information increased the staff burden and made them involved in a vicious cycle. Unclear Purchasing Process: The receiving staff did not know what merchandises would arrive with quantity and quality. The unclear process made the staff confused what they were going to do, which lower their morale. They would be likely to shirk their responsibilities when ad-hoc happened. Disordered DC: Inventories were in everywhere in the DC – underneath the conveyers and scattered across aisles. It was hard to find rooms for unload trucks and process merchandise. Also it was difficult to find the right merchandise. The disorganized DC would decrease the productivity directly. It seemed overloaded and needed the overtime or temporary staff, which affected the morale of the employees. The misplacing inventories could have potential hazard to the employees. Stock outs at stores: Store managers constantly complained the stock outs was caused by the DC. Customers cannot get what they need on time and will most likely to lost sales and possibly lost customers. The fashionable products would be outdated and probably return to the secondary warehouse to increase the inventory cost. Problem Statement: How can HR redesign the DC layout and improve process flow to solve the congestion in two warehouses so as to reduce the warehouses costs and to make great profit? Analysis: SWOT Strengths – HR belongs to Wittington Group headed by Canadian business leader Galen Weston who is listed as the second wealthiest in Canada with an estimated net worth of $US 8.9 billion. The parent company can support HR to complete the improvement. Weaknesses – The problems of the business process, DC layout, warehouses congestion, human resources, stockouts caused high expenditures. Opportunities – The fashion demand would be increase as the increased tourisms would eager to purchase the luxury products in Canada. Threats – The competitors like Saks Fifth Avenue could threaten to HR within the following years. Qualitative For HR, how to work out some solutions to redesign the DC layout and improve process flow to solve the congestion in two warehouses had been put forward on agenda. We would consider the following factors. 1. Merchandising Process? (belongs to logistics?) Merchandising is a specialized management function within the fashion industry. It is the business that moves the world fashion from designers’ showroom to retail sales floor and into the hands of consumers. It is the internal planning that takes place within HR in order ensure adequate amount of merchandise are on hand to be sold at prices that the consumers are willing to pay to ensure a profitable operation. These processes involve in the followings: 1) Analysis: is required because HR needed to understand the needs and wants of our target audience. 2) Planning: It is necessary to plan since the merchandise to be sold in future must be bought in advance. It contains sales forecasts, merchandise budgets, and model stock plans. 3) Buying: Merchandise to be sold in HR, needs to be procured from others. It still needs the process like industrial procurement including supplier evaluation and selection, negotiation, and ordering. 4) Distribution: It is vital to determine where merchandise is needed and ensure that the merchandise reaches the required location at the right time and the right condition. It consists of transport, receiving, markings, and handling. 5) Control: As the function of retailing involves spending money for acquiring of products, it necessary to control the amount of money spent of buying. It comprises stock turnover, financial management, and operational control. 2. DC or warehouse Warehouses emphasize the storage of products and their primary purpose is to maximize the use of storage space. In contrast, distribution centers emphasize the rapid movement of products through a facility and thus attempt to maximize throughput (the amount of product entering and leaving a facility in a given time period). Since the incoming goods were to be immediately processed and shipped to the stores, DC was designed reasonable. HR’s secondary warehouse was designed to remain the merchandise until  shipped to Last Call. Merchandise was returned again to the secondary warehouse until satisfactory arrangements for disposition were made. Whether closing the secondary warehouse depended on the cost, space utilization in DC and so forth. 3. DC process flow Cross-docking can be defined as a process where a product is received in a facility, occasionally married with product going to the same destination, then shipped at the earliest opportunity, without going into long-term storage. The 80,000 square-foot DC was designed as a flow-through warehouse. If we combine DC and warehouse, the cross-docking could be designed to resemble a motor carrier terminal—rectangular, long, and as narrow as possible or could be on one wall or placed at 90 degrees to one another. 4. DC layout design Before we reconfigurae DC layout, merchandise should be studied in terms of its special properties. We also should pay more attention to the trade-offs. Many trade-offs are inevitable when designing the structure as well as the arrangement of the relevant storage and handling equipment. Some trades-offs could be considered according to HR’s situation. 1) Build out versus build up It is cheaper to build up than build out. Building out develops horizontally and requires more space. However, as one builds higher, building costs decrease, while warehousing equipment costs tend to increase. 2) Fixed and variable slot locations A fixed slot location refers to a situation where each SKU has one or more permanent slots assigned to it. We probably could store inactive SKUs or the merchandise from the secondary warehouse if we decided to combine DC and warehouse. Fixed slot systems may result in low space utilization and generally need to be larger than a variable slot facility. Whereas a variable slot location involves empty slots being assigned to products based on space availability. We could apply it to the merchandise in DC. 3) Conventional, narrow, or very narrow aisles Compared to conventional aisles, narrow aisles can store 20% to 25% more  products, while very narrow aisles can store 40% to 50% more products. Yet the handling equipment like forklift would be special designed. 4) Order-picking versus stock-replenishing functions. When order pickers and stock replenishers are allowed to work in the same area, fewer managerial personnel may be needed but it may also lead to congestion due to the number of workers in a relatively limited space. One suggestion is for the two sets of workers to use different aisles for their activities, but this requires a superior information system. 5. Human resources allocation We had 2 shifts in DC, and 2 supervisors and 10 hourly employees. The human resources strategies would be changed if closing the secondary warehouse. Dealing with the 12 employees should comply with the Contract Law and other regulations. 6. Stockouts and congestion The improved merchandising process and the resigned DC would solve the issues correspondingly.

Critical Thinking Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Critical Thinking Questions - Essay Example When a person starts to socialize with a select group of people, there is a greater chance that he starts understanding the viewpoint of the group and also second the opinion in a way as well. This indeed is brainwashing since he does not know that he is falling for a thinking mindset which was unknown to him in the past but as soon as he started to socialize with these people; his ideology began to change for more reasons than one. Management’s socialization program would also have an outlook of innovation and autonomy since management is being derived by its cultural objectives in entirety. The socialization program would be out-of-the-box and classy as it will entail more and more usage of technological regimes and thus look to cater the upper echelon of the society. Management would indeed be ready for such a magnanimous change and shift in the attitude of its stakeholders since the socialization program would be considered as useless if it lacks people and that too hailing from the required target clans. Thus the cultural undertakings would leave a clear mark on the manner in which the socialization program would be devised and this has a very essential meaning on the way the management carries out its cultural domains on a consistent basis. Thus the socialization program would be a likely cousin of the management regime which has been manifested in different mannerisms up till now and the socializa tion program has to wear the same attitude culturally and socially that the management has been preaching within its philosophy ever since it was instituted. I believe Webster University offers educational services in much the same manner as a top university in any part of the world would do. This means that the education and training for the students (locals and foreign) is state-of-the-art and top class, matching none other within the related

Special educational needs provision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Special educational needs provision - Essay Example The Education reform Act of 1988 marks an historic and radical revision of education in England and Wales based on an ideology starkly at odds with that which guided the system’s development in the previous four decades (Cor, 1996). The reliance on market forces as a mechanism of quality control and the unprecedented degree of centralized control of the curriculum, for instance, are principles calling for revolutionary changes in the way teachers operate. Their impact has been made more difficult to assimilate by the speed with which these policies are introduces and there political sponsors refusals to acknowledge what may educationists have argued are potentially dangerous implications. And also in this, special education is not only reflected as a broader educational concept but also as a broader social and political concept. (Len, 1988). Special educational needs are defined in the 1993 Education Act as learning difficulties that call for special provision besides that rou tinely provided in mainstream schools (1993 Act, para 156). If what is provided routinely does not meet the child’s learning needs then a statement of SEN, specifying additional resources will be required. The inexorable rise in the number of children with statements, combined with increasingly high levels of parental expectations concerning special educational needs provision, has led to demands on the founders, the Local Education Authorities (LEAs) which can no longer be met (Ann, 1997). met (Ann, 1997). Recognizing this, the 1993 Education Act proposed a Code of Practice to clarify what special educational needs provision should be made generally available in mainstream schools. Children with special educational needs form a substantial minority of the primary school population. The Warnock Report (DES, 1978) suggested that 20 percent of children will have special educational needs at some time during their school careers. This figure, derived from standardized test and survey data, has been criticized as arbitrary and self-fulfilling but is supported by a wide range of research evidence (e.g. Croll and Moses, 1985; Mortimore et al. 1988; Shorrocks et al, 1992). Thus children with a variety of special educational need form a significant group and one that may draw disproportionately on scarce educational resources. To be precise, in 2005 around 18% of all pupils in school in England were categorized as having some sort of special educational need (SEN) (1.5 million children) (Ann, 1997). Around 3% of all children (250,000) had a statement of SEN and around 1% of all children were in special schools (90,000) - which represents approximately one third of children with statements. With such a large number of children involved, it is important to recognize that many children are receiving the education they need in an appropriate setting. It is equally important, however, to highlight the difficulties faced by a large number of parents for whom the system is failing to meet the needs of their children. The influence of the Warnock Report was not restricted to a new conceptualization of special educational needs; it also made wide - ranging recommendations about the way in which special educational provision should be developed. The Committee argued that the provision should be seen as 'additional or supplementary" rather than 'separate or alternative' to regular education, and described a continuum of settings in which it might take place. For most children, their needs would be met in ordinary classrooms, with additional support as required. The Warnock Committee (DES, 1978) heralded a

DEFEATING THE LOGIC OF ISLAMIST TERRORISM Assignment

DEFEATING THE LOGIC OF ISLAMIST TERRORISM - Assignment Example The findings mentioned in the article actually highlights the overall weaknesses in the ideology of Islamic terrorist organizations and US can actually take efforts to help modern elements within Muslim countries to encourage such thinking. As discussed in the article, the overall battle is not only fought based upon the physical strength of the enemy but also upon the overall psychology, beliefs and ideas of the enemy too. US, due to its military and political power can subvert the governments however; the war on terror is relatively a different war. Islamic terrorist organizations are also making efforts to win it through ideas and raising general sentiments against West and US. Winning the battle of ideas therefore is of critical importance as it will not only allow US to reduce the number of supporters but can also help in future to actually allow more Modern Muslims to become the voice of Islamic world and not the

The home video game industry pong to xbox 360 online Case Study

The home video game industry pong to xbox 360 online - Case Study Example PlayStation by Sony and Xbox by Microsoft are bitter rivals. The market share of the two is divided and one can outdo the other should innovation kick in. The PlayStation has several features that Xbox does not have. The wireless joysticks are perhaps the best features, then there is Wi-Fi connectivity and a host of several other features. These added featured attract the potential buyers and this is how a market share is created. Genesis was launched in the year 1989, it was first launched in Japan and subsequently in America. Sega a video game company produced games for Genesis, the games were graphically violent. After a few years EA Sports which also produces the FIFA series jumped on the bandwagon, all these companies entered into the new market because all this was incredibly profitable. The FIFA series has become a must have for football fans and it is sold every year in millions. The new entrants were able to capture the market share from their predecessors because they made better games which were appreciated by the fans. They bought copies of the games and the word of mouth also spread this is how they were able to capture the market share. Market leaders lost market share when they failed to innovate and make games of the next level. It is always useful to make better games and keep the fans anticipating but this failed to happen after one point. The new players on the other hand made better games and managed to capture the market share. Developing and commercializing a technology-based product needs a lot of dedication, most importantly it needs innovation. Making something new and unique always helps when it comes to a technology-based product. The case study teaches us about the importance of innovation and knowing your rivals. One must be at least two steps ahead of their rivals all the time only then can one keep growing at a consistent

Automotive component Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Automotive component - Assignment Example It is part of the wheels of the machine which offer a lot of advantages in the automobile ensemble, as well as within the auto industry in general. The wheels make the automobiles run, and the tires are the coverings of the wheels to make the ride pleasant. They protect the total ensemble from crumbling into pieces when they are used. What are tires ? Tires are parts of automobile that provides the coverings for wheels that is used for the general locomotion of the whole machine. They are black donut like forms generally made up of rubber and other complex materials. Tires make the automobiles steer, brake and corner easily along the road. The presence of tires makes the ride comfortable and safe. Tires must be durable and they make the automobiles last for long time. What are Tires Made of? Tires are products of engineering technology mostly made up of rubber. Rubber compounds come from polymers such as Natural Rubber, Isoprene Rubber, Styrene Butadiene and others. They are mixed wi th softeners, reinforcement materials and other various chemicals. Mostly, natural rubber coming from rubber trees are the preferred materials used to manufacture tires. Rubbers are the most suitable materials for tires because they have high tear strength, wear resistance, impact resilience, and low heat generation. In order for the rubbers to achieve such characteristics, they are subjected to heat and pretreated with various chemicals. The rubber materials are enhanced with substances such as waxes and antioxidants. These substances protect the rubber from aging and wearing caused by heat, ozone and deflection. Tires are structured with steel cords to provide reinforcement and strong body. These steel cords have high level of carbon content to assure that the tires would have superior tensile strength with high modulus of elasticity in the entire length. The total performance of tires depends upon the construction of these cords to assure that tires are durable and would last a l ong period of time (Tire Materials, n.d). What are the design parameters of tires? Tires look simple from the outside, but they are actually mixtures of various materials processed and designed through sophisticated equipment and facilities. They are intricately formed and manufactured so as to make them durable, flexible, and make them last long. There are many parameters in the design of tires to consider them as those having high quality. Tires are designed with tread, beads and sidewalls. Treads are the patterned and molded surfaces that come in contact with the road surface. The body and sidewalls gives the shape of the tire and the rubber covered beads embedded with metals and wires holds the wheel tires. The tread depth is the parameter that shows the wear and tear of the tire. It can be measured through the difference of the top of the rubber tread with the bottom of the deepest grooves of the tire. The tread wear percentage is calculated for the remaining usability of the e ntire tire. Tires have maximum load. The load of the tire is related to the overall size and diameter of the tire. Tires with higher loads are considered to have stronger internal construction. Tires are also marked with their allowable inflation pressure for the general safe operation for tires with specific load ratings. Every tire has an allowable recommended inflation pressure

Coporate Accounting Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Coporate Accounting - Research Paper Example There are instances in which the subsidiary and the holding company prepare their financial statements using conflicting policies and principles. In these cases, the parent company has the responsibility of making the necessary adjustments in order to have the subsidiary statements restated to become uniform to that of the holding company. This has to be done before the line-by-line consolidation of summing the respective asset and liabilities are done to arrive at the consolidated figure (Deegan, 2010). A breach of this accounting requirement will mean that the financial statements are inconsistent with the set principles, hence making them unreliable and untrue. Consolidation of inventory will be used to show how the adjustments should be done. AASB 102 demands that inventory be measured using the lower of cost and net realizable value to ensure that the financial statements are not over or under valued. The cost here includes the purchase price, import costs and any cost incurred to bring the stock to its current state. Inventory should also be tested for impairment in order to avoid possible overstatement in the financial statement. In case the subsidiary accounts for stock by violating this requirement, the holding company will have to do the necessary adjustment to ensure that the value posted in the financial statements are uniform. ... The second financial statement asset that is susceptible to errors during consolidation is property, plant, and equipment. The property, plant, and equipment are the long-term assets of the business that are utilized in the production of goods or delivery of services in order to earn revenue to the business. Accounting standard requires that in reporting the value of this item in the balance sheet, depreciation be subtracted from the purchase price to arrive at the net value (Deegan, 2010). Similarly, companies should test the property for impairment and expense any impairment losses in the income statement. The impairment value will also be used to reduce the value of the asset in the statement of financial position. It must, however, be noted that in calculating the depreciation amount, the holding company and its subsidiary might use different measurement bases. Depreciation can either be calculated using the straight-line basis or the reducing balance method. The holding company will, therefore, have to make adjustment to have the depreciation value determined using same method. For example, if the holding company calculates its depreciation using the straight-line method while the subsidiary does the same by the use of reducing balance, the parent company will have to adjust the depreciation values according to the straight-line method. The final consolidated value will then be determined by summing the net values of the property, plant, and equipment. In summary, adding the asset values that are arrived at by use of different measurement bases is inappropriate and violates the accounting rules and standards. The preparers of the financial statements must, therefore, make the necessary measurement adjustments before summing the respective assets and

Muslim women do not receive equal treatment with men Essay Example for Free

Muslim women do not receive equal treatment with men Essay Some westerners think Muslim women do not receive equal treatment with men. In fact, the aim of Islam is quite the opposite. Examine and comment on this claim in the context of a multicultural society. Why is it that western consciousness perceives Islam in such deeply flawed terms? Why are negative images of Islam more prevalent than any others? Why is it still acceptable to say things about Muslims that would simply be deemed unacceptable of Jews, Christians, or Buddhists? That years of inter-faith dialogue have done little to advance a better understanding of the Islamic faith in the western world is an indication of how profoundly entrenched in the West misrepresentations and vulgar stereotypes of Islam are. The western society generally views itself as the source of womens liberation, and feminists seem to have an obligation to broaden their rights to the eastern oppressed women. West sees the veil as a stumbling block and feels if they were to remove it would it would gain freedom for these women. These views have misunderstood the status of women in Islam and have been publicized in the media. Britain regards itself as giving equal rights to men and women Although in Britain latest studies have shown that men are paid more than women to carry out the same task. Surveys have shown that employers would rather employ men than women with the same qualifications. There are hardly any women politicians in comparison to men but Muslim women like Khaleda Zia of Bangladesh, have ruled over 300 hundred million Muslims in the 1990s and now is currently being ruled by another women. Benazir Bhutto had been the president of Pakistan. There has essentially never been a female president in the United States till this present time. The extent of a religions efficiency depends on what resolution to controversial issues like that of women is presented. Islam has provided the most practical outline of social organization, according to the natural and physical capabilities of both men and women. However other civilisations and faiths prior to Islam dealt with this matter as well, Aristotle and many other Greek philosophers argued that women were not fully human and this view was accepted in the catholic churches. St Thomas Aquinas another philosopher later put forward his view of the earlier Greek philosopher proposing that women were the traps of Satan. Every evil caused in humanity was likely from them. This idea was accepted throughout the middle ages. Men were the only ones who had rights before the law they could buy, sell and own a property. Up to this present time male Jews still recite, Blessed art thou our lord, our God king of the universe that I was not born a female(Alan Unterman, Jews: their Religious beliefs and practices,1981, page 140). Also in Judaism, the Talmud states Woe to the man whose children are female (Ibid, Page 133) In pre Islamic Arabia women were treated like commodities, object desire that were bought and sold like cattle. Some of them were even made to dance naked in the vicinity of the Kaaba during annual festivals. In those times a man could have as many wives as he desired and women were inherited if widowed from father to son. Arabs used to bury their female children alive at birth, and treat women as mere chattels and objects of sexual pleasure possessing no rights or position whatsoever, these teachings of the Noble Quran were revolutionary. Unlike other religions, which regarded women as being possessed of inherent sin and wickedness and men as being possessed of inherent virtue and nobility, Islam regards men and women as being of the same essence created from a single soul. The Quran declares: O you who believe! You are forbidden to inherit women against their will. Nor should you treat them with harshness, that you may take away part of the dowry you have given them except when they have become guilty of open lewdness. On the contrary live with them on a footing of kindness and equity. If you take a dislike to them, it may be that you dislike something and Allah will bring about through it a great deal of good. (4:19) O mankind! Reverence your Guardian-Lord, who created you from a single person, created, of like nature, his mate, and from this pair scattered (like seeds) countless men and women. Reverence Allah, through whom you demand your mutual (rights), and reverence the wombs (that bore you); for Allah ever watches over you. (4:1) Spiritually men and women are equal. They are created out of identical spiritual material. (According to some old Christians thinkers) so therefore if women are sinful so are the men because they are identical. In Islam there is absolutely no difference between men and women as far as their relationship to Allah is concerned, as both are promised the same reward for good conduct and the same punishment for evil conduct. The Quran says: And for women are rights over men similar to those of men over women. (2:226) The Quran, in addressing the believers, often uses the expression, believing men and women to emphasize the equality of men and women in regard to their respective duties, rights, virtues and merits. It says: For Muslim men and women, for devout men and women, for true men and women, for men and women who are patient and constant, for men and women who humble themselves, for men and women who give in charity, for men and women who fast, for men and women who guard their chastity, and for men and women who engage much in Allahs praise, for them has Allah prepared forgiveness and great reward. (33:35) Enter into Paradise, you and your wives, with delight. (43:70) Who so does that which is right, and believes, whether male or female, him or her will We quicken to happy life. (16:97) The Quran admonishes those men who oppress or ill-treat women: The Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him) said, Women are the twin halves of men. The Quran emphasizes the essential unity of men and women in a most beautiful simile: They (your wives) are your garment and you are a garment for them. (2:187) the ideal relationship between husband and wife is graphically described in the above verse. Just as a garment hides our nakedness, so do husband and wife, by entering into the relationship of marriage, secure each others chastity. The garment gives comfort to the body; so does the husband find comfort in his wifes company and she in his. The garment is the grace, the beauty, the embellishment of the body, so too are wives to their husbands as their husbands are to them. Islam does not consider woman an instrument of the Devil, but rather the Quran calls her musanat a fortress against Satan because a good woman, by marrying a man, helps him keep to the path of rectitude in his life. It is for this reason that marriage was considered by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a most virtuous act. He said: When a man marries, he has completed one half of his religion. He enjoined matrimony on Muslims by saying: Marriage is part of my way and whoever keeps away from my way is not from me (i.e. is not my follower). The Quran has given the raison dà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½tre of marriage in the following words: And among His signs is this that He has created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquility with them; and He has put love and mercy between you. Verily in that are signs for those who reflect. (30:21) The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was full of praise for virtuous and chaste women. He said: The world and all things in the world are precious but the most precious thing in the world is a virtuous woman. He once told the future khalif, Umar: Shall I not inform you about the best treasure a man can hoard? It is a virtuous wife who pleases him whenever he looks towards her, and who guards herself when he is absent from her. On other occasions the Prophet said: The best property a man can have is a remembering tongue (about Allah), a grateful heart and a believing wife who helps him in his faith. And again: The world, the whole of it, is a commodity and the best of the commodities of the world is a virtuous wife. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was most emphatic in enjoining upon Muslims to be kind to their women when he delivered his famous khutba on the Mount of Mercy at Arafat in the presence of one hundred and twenty-four thousand of his Companions who had gathered there for the Hajj al-Wada (Farewell Pilgrimage). In it he ordered those present, and through them all those Muslims who were to come later, to be respectful and kind towards women. He said: Fear Allah regarding women. Verily you have married them with the trust of Allah, and made their bodies lawful with the word of Allah. You have got (rights) over them, and they have got (rights) over you in respect of their food and clothing according to your means. One who makes efforts (to help) the widow or a poor person is like a mujahid (warrior) in the path of Allah, or like one who stands up for prayers in the night and fasts in the day. These aspects were much emphasized by the Prophet (peace be upon him). He exhorted men to marry women of piety and women to be faithful to their husbands and kind to their children. He said: Among my followers the best of men are those who are best to their wives, and the best of women are those who are best to their husbands. To each of such women is set down a reward equivalent to the reward of a thousand martyrs. Among my followers, again, the best of women are those who assist their husbands in their work, and love them dearly for everything, Islam, as a religion recognizes mens and womens role as different but, however it certainly does not regard them as superior or inferior than one or the other. Both roles are as important as each other. Islam has been designed to be flexible enough to be interpreted in a variety of ways to cover a variety of cultures, times, contexts, individual personalities. both men and women should dress (in public) in a manner that will de-accentuate their sexuality1. The Surah an-Nur says: Tell the believing men to lower their eyes and guard their private parts Tell the believing women to lower their eyes, guard their private parts and not display their charms except what is apparent outwardly (an-Nur 24:30-31). O Prophet! Tell thy wives and thy daughters, as well as all (other) believing women, that they should draw over themselves some of their outer garments (when in public): this will be more conducive to their being recognized (as decent women) and not annoyed. But (withal,) God is indeed much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace! (al-Ahzab 33:59, Asad transl.) The spirit of this ayat is to dress in a manner that will signal unavailability. The reason why another ayat (an-Nur 24:60) is crucial in gaining a broad overview of the Quranic concept of appropriate dress is that it implies that women should wear in public more than what they would wear in private, in front of their intimates their families. So this leads to three basic points in considering how to dress: a) the universal idea of de-sexualized dress b) the time and context specific concept of being identifiable as a Muslim c) that before she reaches old age (and preferably after) a Muslim woman should wear more in public than she would privately in front of family. As long as these three injunctions are met, there is a wide range of options open to the Muslim woman depending on the context of the society in which she lives and moves in public. Today, Muslim womens dress has been politicized and carries with it many conflicting symbols and meanings; perhaps the most visible is the use of head covering as a confrontation against western colonialism. Muslim woman has to have the right and freedom to choose how she interprets her dress code. This fundamental acknowledgement of her instinctive ability to choose (or not) the path of Allah (swt) is more important than any type of specifics about what constitutes hijab (or appropriate covering of the body). Without this freedom to interpret Islam to the best of her ability (a part of which, of course, is seeking the informed opinions of knowledgeable Muslims in order to educate herself) she is not living up to her potential as a human being, and that is more fundamental than what clothes are being worn. As the Quran says: There is no compulsion in matter of faith. Distinct is the way of guidance now from error (Al-Baqarah 2:256, A.Ali translation) The queen of her house, is the position a true believer is expected to give his wife. In contrast to these enlightened teachings of Islam in respect of women, Western talk of womens liberation or emancipation is actually a disguised form of exploitation of her body, deprivation of her honor, and degradation of her soul! Islam has given the highest position to women on earth, while Europe and the west were wallowing in the dregs of degradation and savagery. Islam had accorded women a position of honour, respect, safety and love, which has not yet been matched to this day, let alone being superseded and excelled. When questioned about status one must consider Muslim womens rights in the field of finance. A Muslim woman has the right to full ownership and disposal of wealth at will. This right was granted to her about 1423 years ago whilst Britain, women didnt have this right untill1860s. Her father if she was unmarried must provide for a Muslim woman or by her husband if married; however rich she may be, she is not responsible for domestic expenses. This is one of many privileges given to women. The Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, The searching of knowledge is incumbent for every Muslim (male and female).Women should pursue their education as far as it is possible. One of the main aims of acquiring knowledge in Islam is to become Allah-conscious. In the history of Islam there were women who were narrators of Hadith, mystics, scholars, writers, poets and teachers, in their own right. They utilized their knowledge within certain precepts of Islam. The west has fabricated many myths that Muslim women are not allowed to work. These myths have no basis in Islamic law. It is natural in Islamic societies for there to be a female doctors and teachers. However, she is not required to participate in trade, vocation or professions unless necessary. A woman must receive her husbands approval in order to work, because he may feel that her work will cause her to neglect her matrimonial duties and care of the children Muslim women just like the men are prohibited from taking on jobs that sell her femininity to make money (dancing, prostitution, modeling etc) even if her husband doesnt mind. Apart from those jobs that are prohibited in Islam all others are lawful. A women is entitled to equal pay of equal work of equal value, this concept was established by Islam centuries ago. Although a woman can inherit from her father, children and husbands when before Islam she could not inherit at all, the rate of her inheritance is half that of a man. In order to requisite this apparent unfairness, Islam gives women many privileges e.g. dowry which is obligatory and is her own. Quran says: And give women their dowries as a free gift (4:4) A woman has the right to choose who she marries and shouldnt be forced to marry anyone with out her wish. She can even have her marriage annulled in a court of law if she can prove that her parents/guardians went ahead with it against her will. Yet there is a resounding silence when the issue being raised is Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), honor killings, forced marriages, the unequal application of hadd punishments on women, or the denial of education to girls and women. All of these wrongs are perpetrated on women in the name of Islam. Genital mutilation for females is not allowed in Islam? Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him clearly prohibited mutilation or maiming of the body. While it is true that many of these violations occur across cultural and religious boundaries, the only action often taken by conservative Muslims is a condemnation of the action because it is cultural and not Islamic. Meanwhile, women continue to be murdered and little girls continue to be mutilated. Polygamy is a misunderstood phenomenon that is more a remedial law in Islam than anything else, used only if necessary. Monotheism is a norm in Muslim societies past and present, and one must remember that prior to Islam, men could have as many wives as they desired. so much that many women were deserted for long periods of time. The verse in the quran that legitimates polygamy was revealed after the battle of uhud, when many widows and orphans were left without care. Hence at the time polygamy was the answer. Although in some extreme circumstances e.g.when the wife is a barren, seriously ill, and mentally unstable or has a bad character. In these cases a man can marry again if he feels the presence of the second wife will benefit the wife, the children or him. However Islam insist that the man treat both wives equally in every aspect possible.The quran says: If you fear that you will not be able to deal justly with orphans, marry women of your choice , two or three or four; but if you fear that you will not be able to deal justly with them, then only one (4:3) Islam recognizes that marriages are sacred and are a civil contract between husband and wife which should work or be dismantled if it ceases to do so. Although Islam permits divorce the prophet (pbuh) says: Of all the things that Islam has permitted, divorce is the most hated by Allah. This shows divorce shouldnt be taken lightly. Divorce is a right mainly available to men (although a woman can demand to have it in a marriage contract). As well When Islam discusses the deficiencies of women; it is neither insulting them nor belittling them. Some men, unfortunately, do precisely that when they quote the words of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that women have a deficiency in their intellect and their religion. They take these words out of context as a means of oppressing women and putting them down. The Prophet (peace be upon him) meant something quite different. He said: I have never seen among those who have a deficiency in their intellect and their religion anyone more capable than women of swaying the intellect of the most determined of men. He is actually asserting here the power of women to influence men and sway their opinion. This is one of the distinctions that women, in their natures, have. He then went on to define precisely what he meant by these deficiencies. In the remainder of the hadà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½th, some women asked him: O Messenger of Allah, what is this deficiency in our intelligence and religion? He replied: Isnt it that a womans testimony as a witness is half of the testimony of man? They said: Yes. He said: This, then, is the deficiency in her intelligence. Isnt it true that when she is in her menses, she leaves off prayers and fasting? They said: Yes. He said: This is the deficiency in her religion. Therefore to every male witness there need to be two female witnesses also because of their lack of knowledge and experience women are not preferred to be positioned as judges in Islam. There is no specific directive of the Shari`ah that prohibits a woman from leading prayers. Therefore, we cannot say that Islam prohibits a woman from leading prayers. The matter actually relates to the general practice of the Prophet (pbuh), which was subsequently followed by the Muslim leaders that followed the Prophet (pbuh). This practice of the Prophet (pbuh) as well as the Muslim leaders, who followed him, subsequently became a part of the social traditions of the Muslims. Thus, it is not a directive of the Shari`ah, but a part of the Muslim cultural tradition that men, rather than women should lead prayers. This gender-based distinction, it seems, has its basis on a few important facts. For instance, although the Prophet (pbuh) encouraged Muslim women to come to the mosques to offer their obligatory prayers with the congregation, yet it was not as strong a directive for them, as it was for the Muslim men. The nature and the variance of the Prophet (pbuh)s directive has generally resulted in a lower number of Muslim women being present in mosques, as compared to men. In many places, women are not even seen (even in lower numbers) in mosques. Thus, especially when the over whelming majority of people present in mosques consists of men, it was natural that a man was appointed as the Imam to lead the prayers. Moreover, because the Imam holds a central position in the mosque and naturally becomes the center of attention for all those who are present, it seemed a better decision that a man, rather than a woman, be appointed for this position. We obviously do not have any control over the thoughts and emotions of all those present in the mosque. Thus, to keep the minds clear of any sexual thoughts, especially in the mosques, it was felt more appropriate to appoint a man as the Imam. These are a few of the points that have played a role in the general acceptance of this socio-cultural tradition among the Muslims. The matter, as I have stated earlier does not pertain to any prohibition of the Shari`ah. Women are very capable of taking on any job previously monopolized by men, said Ms Hindi, a former English literature student at a college in Mecca, her home town. Women not allowed to drive cars in Saudi Arabia because of the ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia was made official only in 1990 after 47 women demonstrated against what was then a customary law by driving a convoy of cars in Riyadh. They were arrested and detained until male relatives signed undertakings that they would not violate the ban again. The ban was made official by a fatwa issued by the Council of Senior Ulama (religious scholars). Women driving leads too many evils . . . included among these is her mixing with men without her being on her guard, the fatwa said. O Messenger of Allah, who is the person who has the greatest right on me with regards to kindness and attention? He replied, Your mother. Then who? He replied, Your mother. Then who? He replied, Your mother. Then who? He replied, Your father. In another tradition, the Prophet advised a believer not to join the war against the Quraish in defense of Islam, but to look after his mother, saying that his service to his mother would be a cause of his salvation. Muawiyah, the son of Jahimah, reported that Jahimah came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said, Messenger of Allah! I want to join the fighting (in the path of Allah) and I have come to seek your advice. He said, Then remains in your mothers service, because Paradise is under her feet. The Prophets followers accepted his teachings and brought about a revolution in their social attitude towards women. They no longer considered women as mere chattels, but as an integral part of society. For the first time women were given the right to have a share in inheritance. In the new social climate, women rediscovered themselves and became highly active members of society rendering useful service during the wars which the pagan Arabs forced on the emerging Muslim umma. They carried provisions for the soldiers, nursed them, and even fought alongside them if it was necessary. It became a common sight to see women helping their husbands in the fields, carrying on trade and business independently, and going out of their homes to satisfy their needs. Among my followers the best of men are those who are best to their wives, and the best of women are those who are best to their husbands. To each of such women is set down a reward equivalent to the reward of a thousand martyrs. Among my followers, again, the best of women are those who assist their husbands in their work, and love them dearly for everything, save what is a transgression of Allahs laws. The Shariah regards women as the spiritual and intellectual equals of men. The Shariah requires a man, as head of the family, to consult with his family and then to have the final say in decisions concerning it. In doing so he must not abuse his prerogative to cause any injury to his wife. The word of the Prophet (peace be upon him), the queen of her house, and this is the position a true believer is expected to give his wife. In contrast to these enlightened teachings of Islam in respect of women, Western talk of womens liberation or emancipation is actually a disguised form of exploitation of her body, deprivation of her honour, and degradation of her soul! Manji is lesbian and has adamantly argued that the condemnation of homosexuality by most strains of traditional Islam is at odds with Quranic doctrine that Allah makes excellent everything which He creates. Her partner is Michelle Douglas, a Canadian activist. Manji has been a vocal critic of orthodox Islam, especially that treatment of women by some Muslims. She does not wear a headscarf or chador whereas most traditional Muslim women do observe the hijab. She has criticized the Palestinian leadership and the opinions of some Muslims about Israel. WOMEN IN THE QURAN AND THE SUNNAH Prof. Abdur Rahman I. Doi Professor and Director, Center for Islamic Legal Studies, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaira, Nigeria. In Islam there is absolutely no difference between men and women as far as their relationship to Allah is concerned, as both are promised the same reward for good conduct and the same punishment for evil conduct. The Quran says: And for women are rights over men similar to those of men over women. (2:226) The Quran, in addressing the believers, often uses the expression, believing men and women to emphasize the equality of men and women in regard to their respective duties, rights, virtues and merits. It says: For Muslim men and women, for believing men and women, for devout men and women, for true men and women, for men and women who are patient and constant, for men and women who humble themselves, for men and women who give in charity, for men and women who fast, for men and women who guard their chastity, and for men and women who engage much in Allahs praise, for them has Allah prepared forgiveness and great reward. (33:35) Enter into Paradise, you and your wives, with delight. (43:70) Who so does that which is right, and believes, whether male or female, him or her will We quicken to happy life. (16:97) The Quran admonishes those men who oppress or ill-treat women: The Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him) said, Women are the twin halves of men. The Quran emphasizes the essential unity of men and women in a most beautiful simile: They (your wives) are your garment and you are a garment for them. (2:187) Just as a garment hides our nakedness, so do husband and wife, by entering into the relationship of marriage, secure each others chastity. The garment gives comfort to the body; so does the husband find comfort in his wifes company and she in his. The garment is the grace, the beauty, the embellishment of the body, so too are wives to their husbands as their husbands are to them. Islam does not consider woman an instrument of the Devil, but rather the Quran calls her muhsana a fortress against Satan because a good woman, by marrying a man, helps him keep to the path of rectitude in his life. It is for this reason that marriage was considered by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a most virtuous act. He said: When a man marries, he has completed one half of his religion. He enjoined matrimony on Muslims by saying: Marriage is part of my way and whoever keeps away from my way is not from me (i.e. is not my follower). The Quran has given the raison dà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½tre of marriage in the following words: And among His signs is this that He has created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquility with them; and He has put love and mercy between you. Verily in that are signs for those who reflect. (30:21) The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was full of praise for virtuous and chaste women. He said: The world and all things in the world are precious but the most precious thing in the world is a virtuous woman. He once told the future khalif, Umar: Shall I not inform you about the best treasure a man can hoard? It is a virtuous wife who pleases him whenever he looks towards her, and who guards herself when he is absent from her. On other occasions the Prophet said: The best property a man can have is a remembering tongue (about Allah), a grateful heart and a believing wife who helps him in his faith. And again: The world, the whole of it, is a commodity and the best of the commodities of the world is a virtuous wife. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was most emphatic in enjoining upon Muslims to be kind to their women when he delivered his famous khutba on the Mount of Mercy at Arafat in the presence of one hundred and twenty-four thousand of his Companions who had gathered there for the Hajj al-Wada (Farewell Pilgrimage). In it he ordered those present, and through them all those Muslims who were to come later, to be respectful and kind towards women. He said: Fear Allah regarding women. Verily you have married them with the trust of Allah, and made their bodies lawful with the word of Allah. You have got (rights) over them, and they have got (rights) over you in respect of their food and clothing according to your means. One who makes efforts (to help) the widow or a poor person is like a mujahid (warrior) in the path of Allah, or like one who stands up for prayers in the night and fasts in the day. O Messenger of Allah, who is the person who has the greatest right on me with regards to kindness and attention? He replied, Your mother. Then who? He replied, Your mother. Then who? He replied, Your mother. Then who? He replied, Your father. In another tradition, the Prophet advised a believer not to join the war against the Quraish in defense of Islam, but to look after his mother, saying that his service to his mother would be a cause of his salvation. Muawiyah, the son of Jahimah, reported that Jahimah came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said, Messenger of Allah! I want to join the fighting (in the path of Allah) and I have come to seek your advice. He said, Then remain in your mothers service, because Paradise is under her feet. The Prophets followers accepted his teachings and brought about a revolution in their social attitude towards women. They no longer considered women as a mere chattels, but as an integral part of society. For the first time women were given the right to have a share in inheritance. In the new social climate, women rediscovered themselves and became highly active members of society rendering useful service during the wars which the pagan Arabs forced on the emerging Muslim umma. They carried provisions for the soldiers, nursed them, and even fought alongside them if it was necessary. It became a common sight to see women helping their husbands in the fields, carrying on trade and business independently, and going out of their homes to satisfy their needs. Among my followers the best of men are those who are best to their wives, and the best of women are those who are best to their husbands. To each of such women is set down a reward equivalent to the reward of a thousand martyrs. Among my followers, again, the best of women are those who assist their husbands in their work, and love them dearly for everything, save what is a transgression of Allahs laws. The Shariah regards women as the spiritual and intellectual equals of men. The Shariah requires a man, as head of the family, to consult with his family and then to have the final say in decisions concerning it. In doing so he must not abuse his prerogative to cause any injury to his wife. The words of the Prophet (peace be upon him), the queen of her house, and this is the position a true believer is expected to give his wife. In contrast to these enlightened teachings of Islam in respect of women, Western talk of womens liberation or emancipation is actually a disguised form of exploitation of her body, deprivation of her honour, and degradation of her soul! http://www.allaahuakbar.net/womens/rights_of_women_guaranteed_by_islam.htm A COLLECTION OF REFERENCES FROM THE QURAN AND HADEETH ABOUT THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN GUARANTEED BY ISLAM Spiritual Equality of Women and Men Allah has got ready forgiveness and tremendous rewards for the Muslim men and women; the believing men and women; the devout men and women; the truthful men and women; the patiently suffering men and women; the humble men and women; the almsgiving men and women; the fasting men and women, the men and women who guard their chastity; and the men and women who are exceedingly mindful of Allah. (Al-Ahzab 33:35) Attitudes towards women O ye who believe! Ye are forbidden to inherit women against their will. Nor should ye treat them with harshness, that ye may take away part of the dower ye have given them,-except where they have been guilty of open lewdness; on the contrary live with them on a footing of kindness and equity. If ye take a dislike to them it may be that ye dislike a thing, and Allah brings about through it a great deal of good. (An-Nisa 4:19) Collaboration and consultation The believing men and women, are associates and helpers of each other. They (collaborate) to promote all that is beneficial and discourage all that is evil; to establish prayers and give alms, and to obey Allah and his Messenger. Those are the people whom Allah would grant mercy. Indeed Allah is Mighty and Wise. (Al-Taubah 9:71) Womens Right to Attend Mosques Narrated Ibn Umar: The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, Allow women to go to the Mosques at night. (Bukhari Volume 2, Book 13, Number 22) Ibn Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Do not deprive women of their share of the mosques, when they seek permission from you. Bilal said: By Allah, we would certainly prevent them. Abdullah said: I say that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said it and you say: We would certainly prevent them! (Sahih Muslim Book 004, Number 0891) The Common Performance of Ablutions Narrated Ibn Umar: It used to be that men and women would perform ablutions together in the time of the Messenger of Allahs assembly. (Bukhari: 1: Ch. 45, Book of Ablution) Womens Right of Proposal Narrated Sahl: A woman came to the Prophet, and presented herself to him (for marriage). He said, I am not in need of women these days. Then a man said, O Allahs Apostle! Marry her to me. The Prophet asked him, What have you got? He said, I have got nothing. The Prophet said, Give her something, even an iron ring. He said, I have got nothing. The Prophet asked (him), How much of the Quran do you know (by heart)? He said, So much and so much. The Prophet said, I have married her to you for what you know of the Quran. (Bukhari Volume 7, Book 62, Number 72) Womens Right of Permission Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, A matron should not be given in marriage except after consulting her; and a virgin should not be given in marriage except after her permission. The people asked, O Allahs Apostle! How can we know her permission? He said, Her silence (indicates her permission). (Bukhari Volume 7, Book 62, Number 67) The Right of Women not to be Forced Narrated Ibn Abbas: Bariras husband was a slave called Mughith, as if I am seeing him now, going behind Barira and weeping with his tears flowing down his beard. The Prophet said to Abbas, O Abbas ! are you not astonished at the love of Mughith for Barira and the hatred of Barira for Mughith? The Prophet then said to Barira, Why dont you return to him? She said, O Allahs Apostle! Do you order me to do so? He said, No, I only intercede for him. She said, I am not in need of him. (Bukhari: Volume 7, Book 63, Number 206) The Characteristics of a Believing Man Narrated AbuHurayrah: Allahs Messenger (pbuh) said: a believing man should not hate a believing woman; if he dislikes one of her characteristics, he will be pleased with another. (Muslim Book 8, Number 3469) The Education of Women Narrated Abu Said: A woman came to Allahs Apostle and said, O Allahs Apostle! Men (only) benefit by your teachings, so please devote to us from (some of) your time, a day on which we may come to you so that you may teach us of what Allah has taught you. Allahs Apostle said, Gather on such-and-such a day at such-and-such a place. They gathered and Allahs Apostle came to them and taught them of what Allah had taught him. (Bukhari Volume 9, Book 92, Number 413) On the Treatment of Women Narrated Muawiyah al-Qushayri: I went to the Apostle of Allah (pbuh) and asked him: What do you say (command) about our wives? He replied: Give them food what you have for yourself, and clothe them by which you clothe yourself, and do not beat them, and do not revile them. (Sunan Abu Dawud: Book 11, Number 2139) The best of you is one who is best towards his family and I am best towards the family. (At-Tirmithy). None but a noble man treats women in an honourable manner. And none but an ignoble treats women disgracefully. (At-Tirmithy). A Husbands Attitude Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) said that a man came to his house to complain about his wife. On reaching the door of his house, he hears Umars wife shouting at him and reviling him. Seeing this, he was about to go back, thinking that Umar himself was in the same position and, therefore, could hardly suggest any solution for his problem. Umar (RA) saw the man turn back, so he called him and enquired about the purpose of his visit. He said that he had come with a complaint against his wife, but turned back on seeing the Caliph in the same position. Umar (RA) told him that he tolerated the excesses of his wife for she had certain rights against him. He said, Is it not true that she prepares food for me, washes clothes for me and suckles my children, thus saving me the expense of employing a cook, a washerman and a nurse, though she is not legally obliged in any way to do any of these things? Besides, I enjoy peace of mind because of her and am kept away from indecent acts on account of her. I therefore tolerate all her excesses on account of these benefits. It is right that you should also adopt the same attitude. quoted in Rahman, Role of Muslim Women page 149 The Prophets Disapproval of Women Beaters Patient behavior was the practice of the Prophet, even when his wife dared to address him harshly. Once his mother-in-law- saw her daughter strike him with her fist on his noble chest. When the enraged mother -in-law began to reproach her daughter, the Prophet smilingly said, Leave her alone; they do worse than that. And once Abu Bakr, his father-in-law, was invited to settle some misunderstanding between him and Aishah. The Prophet said to her, Will you speak, or shall I speak? Aisha said, You speak, but do not say except the truth. Abu Bakr was so outraged that he immediately struck her severely, forcing her to run and seek protection behind the back of the Prophet. Abu Bakr said, O you the enemy of herself! Does the Messenger of Allah say but the truth? The Prophet said, O Abu Bakr, we did not invite you for this [harsh dealing with Aishah], nor did we anticipate it. quoted in: Mutual Rights and Obligations http://www.allaahuakbar.net/womens/women_sharia_and_oppression.htm A lot of attention has been focused on the issue of Muslim women and human rights since September 11, almost all of it by non Muslims. Once again, images of women swathed in black veils or blue burqas are de rigeur, as the media soberly reminds us that Muslim women are not considered equals to men in Islam, and that they are oppressed even by the moderate regimes in the Muslim world. From the Muslims, we have one of two reactions. The first is the reaction of the liberal, reformist, secular Muslims. They believe that Sharia oppresses women, and that we need to completely overhaul it, or toss out sections of the Quran that are uncomfortable, or institute secular forms of government that separate the sacred from the legal all together. These are the same Muslims who equate Hijab with oppression, and who support the denial of free speech rights to Islamists (all the while, crying for their rights to free speech in countries where it is denied). They take their political thought not from Islamic sources, but from feminism, socialism, and capitalism. Naturally, it is to these Muslims that the Western media turns when it wants a Muslim perspective on Muslim issues. On the other side, we have the organizers of the mainstream conservative Muslims, the leaders of our civic societies, advocacy groups, and associations. When presented with instances of womens oppression in the Islamic world, these Muslims, almost always men, respond defensively. They cart out examples of womens oppression in the Western world, or worse, they address the issue by lecturing the questioner about the virtues of the Ideal Place of Women in Ideal Islam. In other words, they treat the ideal that we are all aspire to as the reality on the ground. Pressed into taking a stand on real life issues, they retreat in anger. Thats culture, not Islam, it has nothing to do with me as a Muslim, they sniff. Who speaks for them? Most often, it is the United Nations, human rights groups, and feminist organizations, led by people who have no foundations of knowledge in Islam, and who often have a real antipathy for Islam. While the Feminist Majority Fund was selling swatches of burqa and petitioning the government for action on behalf of Afghan women, the leaders of our Islamic societies stayed silent. Publicly, many Islamic leaders and organizations disassociated themselves from the Taliban, but other than denying them entry into the Organization of Islamic Conferences (OIC), they took no action to petition the Taliban for change from an Islamic view, or form any sort of Islamic opposition. Perhaps this is because when any Islamic organization or individual Muslim attempts to change or speak out about injustices towards Muslim women, the rest of the community circles the wagons. These lone souls are labeled radical feminists, and accused of attempting to undermine Islam. Strangely, when a Muslim womans Islamic rights are violated, many organizations are eager to speak out and petition. For example, when Merve Kavacki was denied her seat in the Turkish Parliament because of her headscarf (and later stripped of her citizenship), Muslim groups were quick to condemn the Turkish government, as they should have. In many Western Muslim circles, Merve has been elevated to a symbol of the struggle muhajabat women face in secular societies. Yet there is a resounding silence when the issue being raised is Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), honor killings, forced marriages, the unequal application of hadd punishments on women, or the denial of education to girls and women. All of these wrongs are perpetrated on women in the name of Islam. While it is true that many of these violations occur across cultural and religious boundaries, the only action often taken by conservative Muslims is a condemnation of the action because it is cultural and not Islamic. Meanwhile, women continue to be murdered and little girls continue to be mutilated. In Africa, conservative sheikhs teamed up with womens rights advocates to educate people about the harms of Female Genital Mutilation. These people get very little mention in the Western media, which, of course, paints the Islamists as the opponents of an enlightened, secular minority of liberal Muslims. About a year ago, a small band of conservative Muslim women, almost all of us from the West, came up with the idea of starting a Muslim womens human rights group, to petition and advocate for the rights of Muslim women as they are given in the Sharia of Islam. Although slow to start, we have managed to form a basis from which to work, and have taken up our first case. Right now, a Muslim woman in Nigeria is under a death sentence from the Sharia court for the crime of adultery. The situation came to the attention of the authorities when the man who impregnated her decided to confess his crime to the police, rather than pay the child support that her father asked of him. There are many glaring errors in the case, from a classical, Orthodox fiqh point of view. These errors (which would aid the woman) are not coming from a reformist reinterpretation of Sharia, these errors are so great that any of the qadis of the past would have thrown the case against her out. Prophet Mohammed, sallalahu aleyhi wa salaam, was mocked and assaulted because of his strong and courageous stance on the status of women. He came with a message that lifted women up and gave them dignity. Fourteen hundred years later, we have descended back into the dark pit of Jahiliya, and Muslim women around the world find themselves cast into the same slavery that the Prophet, sallalahu aleyhi wa salaam, was sent to liberate them from. It does not make you a radical feminist to decry honor killings and volunteer for peaceful campaigns to educate and change laws. Raising your voice against Female Genital Mutilation does not mean you want to undermine Islam. To the contrary, working against these injustices in the way of Allah is a manifestation of the desire to uplift Islam and the Muslim people. When the Taliban decided to deny education to any girl over a certain age, it is the conservative Muslims, the ones who profess adherence to Quran and Sunnah that should have spoken the loudest against this. The longer we stay silent, the more people, both Muslim and non Muslim, will begin to equate Sharia with the oppression of women.

Egyptian Mythology Essay Example for Free

Egyptian Mythology Essay Mythology is a collection of stories believed to be true by any culture, where these stories are used to interpret and explain natural and supernatural phenomenon. Myths play a prominent role in religion. The abstract concept of god that is dealt with by religion is made concrete through the development of myths. Earliest mythologies concerned themselves with the immense powers of nature which might have confounded the brain of the primitive human beings. Therefore they worshipped nature rain, sun, water, wind, animals, birds, and trees. The evolution of mythology started with a feeling of terror and awe when confronted with these forces of nature over which man had very little power (Conway, 1876). The brain of human beings is constructed in such a manner that it seeks explanations for events. It is wired to look for causes behind consequences. Human beings used myths to provide reasons for the manner in which nature functioned. For example, thunder was considered to be the anger of gods. Many temples were built in order to propitiate the gods of their myths. Some of the most famous temples of Ancient Egypt are Abu Simbel, Abydos, Karnak, Luxor, and Ramesseum. Myths of different characteristics are found in ancient Egypt †¢ origin myths, †¢ ritual myths, †¢ creation myths, †¢ social myths, and †¢ eschatological myths. Of these, the creation myths are most interesting from the point of view of Egyptian mythology as well as those of other mythologies. According to the Egyptian mythology, there are three different cosmogonies: first involves the emergence of land and life from primordial waters known as Neith, second involves the creation of Ra from the interaction of water, air, darkness and eternity, and the third one is similar to the Judeo-Christian creation myth whereby Ptah, the eternal god, spoke and all creation was manifested. Origin of life for the Egyptians begins with the creation of the nine primeval deities known as Pesedjet. Out of these deities the most important one is Atum, who is known to be the ‘complete one’ or the ‘one absolute’. He is created from the primordial soup known as Neith. His breath becomes dryness and semen becomes moisture. Through an interaction of dryness and moisture, emerge the earth and sky. They separated to form life and death, and desert and fertile land. The creation of earth and life from chaos is a theory central to the Hindu, Cherokee, Babylonian, Nordic and Germanic mythologies. The other important motifs of creation myths are the separation of the male (father) and female (mother) gods, emergence of land from water and the creation of everything from nothing. According to the Ancient Finns, the world is formed from a broken egg. In ancient Egyptian mythology, the sun god, Ra, opened in an egg. As life exists because of the energy derived from sunlight, it is easy to notice that the creation of life is linked to the creation of the sun. Origin myths are known as aetiologies. They are used to explain the causes of certain cult myths. They are related to the creation myths in the sense that they explain the causes of the creation myths. Many animals were considered sacred. Nowhere is this more evident than in Egyptian mythology. The Egyptian pantheon was essentially zoomorphic. Some of the common sacred animals of the ancient Egyptian pantheon are Anubis, the jackal or dog; Apis, the bull; Hathor, the cow; Horus, the falcon; Satis, the gazelle; Sekhmet, the lioness; and Selket, the scorpion. All these animals were attributed with divine powers but the god himself or herself (as the case may be) was anthropomorphic. Gods created good and evil. Thus there was no need for a devil in ancient Egypt (Conway, 1876). Propitiating the gods with rites and rituals bestowed men with good fortune. For the ancient Egyptians though, it was not life that was important. They placed immense import on the after-life. All of life was a preparation for life after death. All the Egyptian myths speak about the after-life at some point or the other. In order to explain what happened to human beings after death, they believed that the soul of a person goes into a judgement hall by Anubis. The heart of the dead person is weighed on a balancing scale against a single feather that symbolizes Ma’at, who stands of truth. If the heart is outweighed by the feather, the dead soul goes to ‘live’ in the presence of Osiris, who is the lord of the after-life. If the heart outweighs the feather, Ammit, who is part lion, part crocodile and part hippopotamus, eats the heart. The reason for this is that a heavy heart is one that is burdened by sin and guilt and a light heart is a pure one (Budge, 1991). One of the most prominent deities in the ancient Egyptian mythology is the sun. Many deities were associated with the sun such as Bast, Bat, Hathor, Menhit, Nut, Sekhmet and Wadjet. The sun’s god was known as Ra who was the creator of everything. He was represented by a man’s body and a hawk’s head and holding a sceptre and an ankh. Horus was another representative of the sun. The sun would travel across the sky every day in a barque and travel in the underworld during the night. Ra would fight a battle with Apep everyday during darkness in order to remerge during the day. After their death, the members of the royal household were believed to travel with the sun each day in the barque. The kings considered themselves to be the sons of the sun and therefore, a Pharaoh was born divine. The king was ‘Son of Amen’ and therefore a personification of the sun, the father (Bard, 1999). The concept lingers to this day in the form of Jesus Christ who is the son of God, the Father. Jesus is in absolute likeliness of the God, the Father. Sun has similar importance in the mythologies of other cultures too. The Aztecs worshipped the sun as Toniatiuh, ‘movement of the sun’ in Nahuatl. For them, sun was the leader of heaven. According to them, the present sun was the fifth sun with its own cosmological time span. There were four other suns before this one. According to the Chinese cosmology there were ten suns. Hou Yi was the hero who shot nine of the ten suns so that there would just enough light and heat to sustain the planet. Most Vedic hymns are dedicated to Surya, the sun god. Savita was the personification of the deity. There were twelve Adityas or solar deities. Ancient Egyptian mythology is rift with rituals. Rituals were central to the religion, state and culture of this great civilization. Many texts were used to assist in the rituals †¢ Books of Breathing, †¢ Book of the Earth, †¢ Book of the Dead, †¢ Book of the Netherworld, †¢ Book of the Gates, †¢ Book of Caverns and †¢ Amduat. Of these, the Book of the Dead is most famous. It contains many spells and incantations. It was buried along with the dead in order to help them pass through the underworld in a safe manner. The ancient Egyptian funerary rituals included mummification, casting of incantations and spells, and burial. The bodies of the dead were mummified because the ancient Egyptians believed that the soul needed to the body even after death. The mummified bodies were buried along with many grave goods such as tools, implements, jewels, clothes and weapons. Many mummies would be placed in funerary boats. Burial rituals were always accompanied by funerary literature. For a long time it was thought that mummification was unique to the ancient Egyptians until mummies began to be discovered by archaeologists in China and Latin America. The process of mummification also appears to have been similar and they also appear to have been accompanied by rituals and incantations. The presence of megalithic structures in ancient Egypt has interesting parallels in Crete, Ireland, and even Melanesia. These are a group of complex building built in a labyrinthine fashion near a lake. They associated essentially with animal sacrifice and funerary rituals (Campbell, 1959). Ancient Egyptian mythologies extend even to the trees. They considered that a spirit dwelled in a leafy-tree and that there was a well of water at the bottom of the tree. Some of the common sacred trees in Egypt were the sycamore, palm, and persea (Buhl, 1947). Hathor, the cow was also known as a tree-goddess in the Old Kingdom and many tree-goddess cults prevailed in that region. Hathor was also known as ‘The Mistress of the Southern Sycamore’. Not only females but even males were associated with tree divinity. â€Å"He who is under a moringa tree† was a common statement in tree cults and referred to various tree deities. Mythologies abound even today in many religious systems. Many Judeo-Christians believe that the Genesis is a literal account of creation. It has sparked many a controversy with the evolutionary theory of life. Comparative mythologists such as Joseph Campbell and Rollo May claim that the loss of connection with ancient myths is one of the causes of greatest concerns for the modern man. Myths act as guides. They are the signposts of the soul. The stories they tell are very similar to the lives we lead. The morals they provide are sure to help man in solving the problems of his own life. REFERENCES: http://www. solarnavigator. net/egyptian_solar_boat. htm Moncure D. Conway, â€Å"On Mythology†. The Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. 5, (1876), pp. 202-212. Budge, E. A. Wallis, â€Å"Egyptian Religion: Egyptian Ideas of the Future Life (Library of the Mystic Arts)†. Citadel Press. August 1, 1991. Kathryn Bard, â€Å"`Encyclopedia of the Archeology of Ancient Egypt†. Routledge. 1999. Joseph Campbell, â€Å"Primitive Mythologies†. Penguin Books. 1959. Marie-Louise Buhl, â€Å"The Goddesses of the Egyptian Tree Cult†. Journal of Near Eastern Studies, Vol. 6, No. 2 (Apr. , 1947), pp. 80-97

Ethical Hackers And Ethical Hacking Information Technology Essay

Ethical Hackers And Ethical Hacking Information Technology Essay The Internet and the other information systems are acting a vital role in organizations today. More and more organizations have become depend on network services completely of partially. So, a single failure of the network can cause severe losses to the organization. However, due to this huge demand of Internet and network services, computer security and the serious threats of computer criminals have comes to the foreground. Computers around the world are systematically being victimized by hacking attacks every day. Most of the attacks are very organized attacks and the attackers are very well understood about the general system vulnerabilities. So if they found any of those vulnerabilities in a system, they might be able to steal everything they want from the system and completely ease their tracks within even in less than 20 minutes. That might be a huge loss for the company in term of money and reputation. Thus to avoid these kind of attacks companies should have to employ a mechanism to Identify vulnerabilities in networks, applications and systems before they can be exploited. Generally, this is the job of an ethical hacker. Ethical Hacking and Phases Ethical Hackers and Ethical Hacking An ethical hacker is a security professional who helps organization to take defensive measures against malicious attacks and usually the process he doing to find those vulnerable point is called Ethical Hacking. Sometimes this is also known as Penetration Testing or Intuition Testing. In this case, the ethical hackers are getting into the minds of computer criminals; think like them to find about innovative ways the hackers may use to get into the systems. Then organizations can take required actions to avoid those vulnerabilities. It has identified that the almost all computer systems have vulnerabilities that can be exploited by a hacker to come to do damages. This can be due to an unpatched application, a misconfigured router or a rough network device and it will be not able to detect unless penetrate the networks and assess the security posture for vulnerabilities and exposures regular basis. As the hacking is a felony in most of the countries, ethical hackers should only operate having required permission and knowledge of the organization that they are trying to defend. In some cases, to check the effectiveness of their security teams, an organization will not inform their teams of the ethical hackers activities. This situation is referred to as operating in a double blind environment. To perform productive penetration testing, the ethical hackers who are going to conduct the testing must have to have variety of in-depth computer skills. They should know how to look for the weaknesses and vulnerabilities in target systems and need to have the knowledge of the tools a malicious hackers use on system hacking. However, because not everyone can be an expert in all the required fields that an organization uses, such as UNIX, Windows, Linux, and Macintosh systems; usually ethical hacking is conducted by teams whose members skills complement each other. Generally, there are three types of ethical hacker classes. This classification is done based on the hacking purpose of the hacker. Black-Hat Hackers Are the individuals who has the necessary computing expertise to carry out harmful attacks on information systems. They generally use their extraordinary knowledge and skills for personal gains. The black-hat hackers are also known as crackers. Gray-Hat Hackers Are the individuals with a split personality. At times, this individual will not break the law and, in fact, might help to defend a network. At other times, the gray hat hacker reverts to black hat activities. Thus we cannot predict their behaviour. White-Hat Hackers Are the individuals who usually have exceptional computer skills and use their abilities to increase the security posture of information systems and defend them from malicious attacks. These individuals probably are an information security consultant or security analyst. Why Ethical Hacking is need to perform Although many people know hacking as a horrible thing, most of them not think that they would not be hacked. But this is not the real situation. Almost every computer system has security breach that the haceks could come in and for security purposes these vulnerabilities need to avoid. One of the most important reasons for ethical hacking is to find those security leaks in an organization network. To do this, companies can hire security experts who have great knowledge on cyber security and trained as ethical hackers. So they can use their knowledge to hack into the systems to find insecure areas. Then the company can take necessary actions to secure their networks easily. There are two kinds of security leaks that an ethical hacker can identify. Hacking in to systems to steel data If a company compromised with this sort of attack they will lose not only the information or money, they will lose their reputation as well. So that might be cause to lose their customers as they not feel their personal information and data are completely safe. Leaks allows to compromise to Viruses If the company network compromised into viruses, it will allow shutting down entire network in just minutes. More than that, some viruses are able to perform harmful activities like data deletions. So the company may lost important data. Thus to improve overall security posture and avoid intellectual property thefts, regular ethical hacking practise is very critical in an IT company. More importantly, that will help save company money in millions and will build the reputation as well. Also as this system penetration is performing, thinking with a mindset of a hacker who tries to get in to the system, the companies can completely rely on professional ethical hackers reports to adjust the company security posture. Framework of Ethical Hacking In order to complete ethical hacking processes successfully, ethical hacking professionals have introduced several phases to follow up. In the there, they have break down the complete process in to several phases and generally both malicious and genuine users following that methodology. Following diagram illustrates those steps and it has described in detailed below. Anatomy of hacking Source: http://www.twincling.org/twincling/slides/ethicalhacking.pdf Reconnaissance This is the first step of any hacking attempt and generally the attacker tries to gather enough information as much a possible about the target system. This process also knows as foot-printing. In may gather information on areas such as determining the network range, identifying active machine, finding open ports, detecting operating systems. There are two ways reconnaissance is performing. Active reconnaissance: Is the process of live exploration of the system to find about the information such as running operating systems and services, open ports, routers and hosts. Passive reconnaissance: This involves monitoring and finding information or clues on the network using network sniffers or other mechanisms. The information can be domain names, locations, contact numbers etc. Sometimes this involves mechanisms such as searching through organizations or persons discarded materials. Following are some of clever ways or the tool, that reconnaissance can be perform against a target network. Using Google This is the most common and efficient way of finding information about a company. As the Google is the most common search engine using in the Internet, Google can be use to find publicly available information about target system. Sometimes, even though the company has removed the data from their web sites Google will be able to provide information from its caches. Thus Google can be use to begin the reconnaissance process. DNS Information tools The next best way to get information about a company is their domain name. If you know the domain of a company rest of the information such as their IP address, contact information and locations can be find easy using DNS tools. For this purpose, most common command line tools are whois and dig and they will show above DNS information in text. But the web sites like www.dnsstuff.com, www.samspade.org, www.geektools.com and www.easywhois.com will provide same information in more user friendly way. Those tools have various options and can provide information quarrying by the IP address or domain name. Also the command nslookup will map the domain name to the IP address or vice-versa. Arin Arin is a very well known web based tool to find network ranges which a company holding. Just entering a single IP address of the range ARIN can give the whole network range the company owns. Social Engineering After knowing the basic information about a company, the best way to get know more information about the company is performing social engineering. In here, hackers trick people into revel information by themselves. The common way is calling or meeting employees and tricks them to get more information. Scanning This is the second phase of hacking framework and involves acquiring more detailed information based on the data collected in early phase. This is very similar to the active reconnaissance and in this phase it tries to dig into little deep. Generally this phase includes activities such as indentifying live hosts, discovering running services and their ports, detecting the running OS. Main target in this phase is to build the blue print of the target network including the live host IP addresses, opened service ports. The hackers use various scanners in this case and few of their techniques listed below. Ping To identify the active hosts in a networks Ping is the best tool. It can provide the information such as status of the host, host name and their TTL details. It is a very simple utility uses ICMP packets to scanning. Ping send ICMP packets to a target host and if it receives the acknowledgment we can make out the system is active. There are few handy tools that can be used to automate this ping process to check the availability of range of IP address. Few examples of them are Hping, icmpenum, NetScan Tools. Traceroute Traceroute is a tool that can use to mapping the location of a targeted host. It uses same technology as Ping and shows the exact path to the target host. NMap NMap is the most popular port scanning tool and it is a free and open source utility. Both malicious and genuine users use to identify vulnerabilities on computer systems. It has many options and it is able to perform almost every type of scan like connect scan, half open scans, SYN scan etc on a targeted host. Also it is a very useful tool for task such as network inventory, managing service upgrade schedules, and monitoring host or service uptime. NMap can scan host in a network range straight away and it is able to detect the versions of the operating system that running on the targeted system too. WAR Dialling This is a tool widely used earlier time to detect active modems in the networks. This was a common hacking tool as there were many deal-in modems available in the network to enable their employees to login into the network. The program can automatically dials a defined range of phone numbers and logs the success full attempts in to its database. But as the modem technology is getting obsolete very fast this is not using very much. Banner grabbing Another useful technique to find about running service ports is called banner grabbing. In this case the hackers tries to connect to well know port such as 80, 8080, 25, 110, 23, 22 etc using telnet. So if the trying service is running on the target server it will display the service banner including the type of the software and running version. Thus the hackers can grab that information to their building blue-print. Enumeration (OS / Application Attacks) This is the hacking technique of convincing some target servers to provide them some information about the system which are vital to precede the attack. The information the attackers normally target are resources and shares available in the system, valid users and user groups and about running applications etc. The common way of enumeration is by use of the null sessions, the sessions which usually have no username or password. Once the hacker gets into the system the he starts enumeration by using some tools to find out the data he wants. There are several tools available that uses to do these queries. NBTscan and Netbios Auditing tools are few commonly using tools. Hackers also enumerate the systems using the SNMP protocol too. Enumerating the SNMP protocol hackers can get the information they want easily. This is an easy way than using null session. But as SNMP v3 sends data after encrypting it, that data need to be decrypt before use it. SNMPutils, IP Network Browser, SNMP Informant, Getif are some of tool use for SNMP enumeration. Gaining Access As all above phases are only hacking preparation phases, this is the phase the actual attack is executing. The hacker will use the blue-print he created during previous phases. During this phase the attacker tries to launch attacks targeting the applications, operating system and the network. To do that, hackers may launches DoS attack, buffer flow attacks, application attacks and even they may insert viruses and Trojan horses to get access to the network. Another goal of the hackers is to gain the highest level privileges he can get. If so, he will able to delete all the tracks and evidence of his activities without any issue. Also if the NetBIOS TCP 139 port is open and accessible the easistt way to login to the system is guessing the password. Thus the first attempt of the attacker will be guessing the system passwords to enter with the highest level of privileges to the system. Most of the times, this step will be an easy task, because most of the users keep their password to an easy-to-remember one. Also if any information available about the user like family members names, childrens name, birthday, there is a great potential to be the password one of them. Also there are lists of commonly using password and the hackers can try those passwords to login to the system. If they were unable to guess the password, the next step is to crack the password using an automated tool. There are several strategies used by the hackers to crack passwords. Social Engineering The easiest and the common method to crack password and the hacker calls or meet the user get the password from him tricking by some fraud. Dictionary cracking In here the cracking is performing using some collected words related to the user and list of commonly using password. The list is checking one by one and usually this is an automated process doing by a tool such as Legion. Brute force cracking This is an automated password cracking mechanism and this will just use combination different characters, letter and symbols to guess the password instead of dictionary words. Hybrid cracking This is a mixed mechanism of both dictionary and hybrid password guessing mechanisms. It will first try the dictionary passwords and then tries the letter combinations. Some automated password-guessing tools are Legion and NetBIOS Auditing Tool. However, the tools like L0phtCrack,ScoopLM, KerbCrack will allows the system administrators to audit there users password and let them know if anyone using such password which can be compromised to a password cracking tool. Other than above mentioned password cracking methods, hackers use keystroke loggers to intercept the uses key strokes to find their passwords. Those keystroke loggers are able to save into files or send all the user key stokes to a remote destination. There are two types of keystroke loggers. It can be either software based or hardware based. The hardware keystroke loggers must physically be installed into the system and the software keystroke loggers can be a action of a Trojan-horse. Few examples for keystroke loggers are ISpyNow , PC Activity Monitor , Remote Spy and following figure shows an example of a hardware keystroke logger. If the hackers could not able to track down the user password the hacker will try to get access to the systems using network attacks. There are several methods hackers will use to attack the networks. Following listed are few of them. Sniffing Attacks Sniffing id the process of capturing data from a network as they pass and storeing them to process offline. To this process hackers use various sniffing tools with different capabilities. Some sniffers can only work with TCP/IP while more sophisticated sniffers works with many other protocols including data link layer protocols. Also sniffing attacks can be use to grab user logins and passwords too. As the telnet, http, POP, SMB sends password data in plain text and travel around the network using sniffing attack they can be easily grabbed out. Sniffing can be either active or passive. Passive sniffing is performing at Hub networks and the speciality in there is that the all the machines in the networks sees all the traffic of the other machines. So the hackers can capture almost every data packet travels through the network. As the hub networks are not in real environments passive sniffing is very unlikely to happen. Active sniffing is takes place in switch networks and thus the hackers will not able to see other users traffics except the broadcast data. Thus the only possible attack is the man-in-the-middle attacks. In here an attacker is positioned in the middle of communications between two legitimate entities in order to capture data that passes between the two parties. As mentioned earlier, there are several sniffing tools available with different capabilities. The most popular sniffing tool is the Wireshark and it was formally known as Ethereal. It is a free network protocol analyzer and supports for both Windows and Linux operating systems. It is a very sophisticated tool and it is capable of capture traffic on the network and save it on disk, filter traffic according to the requirement and showing summery and detailed information for each packet. Few of other sniffing tools are Packetyzer, Dsniff, TCPDump, and Snort. Dos Attacks A DoS attack is a network attack that results in some sort of interruption of service to users, devices, or applications. Hackers use several mechanisms to generate a DoS attack. The simplest method is to generate large amounts data appearing as a valid network traffic. This type of network DoS attack saturates the network so that valid user traffic cannot get through. A DoS attack takes advantage of the fact that target systems such as servers must maintain state information. Applications may rely on expected buffer sizes and specific content of network packets. A DoS attack can exploit this by sending packet sizes or data values that are not expected by the receiving application. These attacks attempt to compromise the availability of a network, host, or application. They are considered a major risk because they can easily interrupt a business process and cause significant loss. These attacks are relatively simple to conduct, even by unskilled hackers. Maintaining Access By entering to this step the hacker has to be getting in to the system by any mean and this phase it is focus on to the established session maintaining. Thus the hacker is able to perform any file upload/download or any software tool inserting. In this stage hackers are trying to establish a hidden path to enter to the system next time easily. So to do that, they will insert some malicious software like Trojan-horses, sniffers keystroke loggers etc. Trojan-horses are malwares that carries out malicious operations under the appearance of a desired function. A virus or worm could carry a Trojan-horse. A Trojan-horse contains hidden, malicious code that exploits the privileges of the user that runs it. Games can often have a Trojan-horse attached to them. When running the game, the game works, but in the background, the Trojan-horse has been installed on the users system and continues running after the game has been closed. The Trojan-horse concept is flexible. It can cause immediate damage, provide a back door to a system, or perform actions, such as password capturing, keystroke capturing, executing DoS attacks. Some advance hackers writes custom Trojan-horses according to the requirement and those are very hard to detect. There are many examples of Trojan-horses like Tini, netcat, subseven, backoffice etc. Clearing Tracks This is the final step of the hacking framework and in here the hackers delete all the evidence and track of their access. Generally, in any operating system it keeps a record about the user logins, file deletes, file inserting, installing etc. So once hacker loges into a system his attempts and actions are logged in to operating system log files. So the hackers have to delete these logs. Although this is a very hard task to perform in reality, there are some tools do alternative actions such as disabling the operating system auditing, deleting all the log records, delete temporary log files etc. So executing tools like that they can delete their tracks, usually with all the other log files. There for system administrator may know that system has been compromised. The software tool auditpol.exe is a such tool that able to disable OS logging. Also attackers need to hide the files they uploaded in to the systems and to do this there are few techniques available call wrappers. These wrapper tools are able to hide the uploaded data as picture file. Design an Evidence Gathering Prototype Importance of a Evidence Gathering Prototype As shown above, the possibilities and opportunities are limitless a company can be targeted by a malicious attack. Although implementing correct firewall and security policies can minimize the exposure of many systems to the hackers, it is very unrealistic to completely avoid security breaches in a comport system. Therefore, it is very important to detect intrusion activities and limit as much as possible the damage they can produce. Installing well planed and configured Evidence Gathering Prototype with intrusion detection and honeypot capabilities will do that. In generally, intruder detection systems are able to record all the system activities on a given host or a network. Thus if the monitoring system is compromised or targeted to attack, all the useful information to track the attacker, are recording in the IDS system. Sometimes they can alert the system administrators about the attacks as well. One of another feature of such kind of system is that they are able recognize violations of an organisations security and acceptable use policies such as transfers of inappropriate material throughout the companys network, or downloads of authorizes data files, accessing restricted contents, use of unauthorized application, etc. Also, some systems are able to identify reconnaissance activities which may followed by hacking attacks. As these systems are able to keep log on every said incidence, the systems administrators can use those data in there ethical hacking exercises. Furthermore, they can get idea about the techniques attackers use, attack launching periods, times and frequencies, common types of attacks they get and about the locations of the attackers and etc. One of the side advantage can have installing a IDS system is that the deterring of hacking attempts, because being aware that their activities are being monitored the hacker might be less prone launch attacks. Thus installing a system in purpose of evidence gathering is very crucial and rest of this document will focus on designing a better prototype for that purpose. For example, a hacker can identify whether an IDS is present in the system if present that attacker may first attack the IDS to bring it offline. Architecture of the prototype The general idea of this prototype is to provide new defence mechanism to networks from huge varieties of behavioural network attacks. Especially rootkit attacks, buffer overflows, DOS / DDOS attacks, SQL injections and many other types of hacking in to a network. Keeping records of malicious behaviours and providing tracking down the intruders, this system will be a whole new protection concept for current networking intrusion threats. Techniques like Intrusion Prevention Systems, Honeypot and network Sniffers can be used as first line of defence to fights again unauthorized access to networks and network resources. But it is hard to use each of them separately in a network to prevent malicious attacks. So a good system should use all those techniques in a single system. Also only one technique will not suit either, as they may have some tribulations on it. Thus, the designing prototype uses all the techniques mentioned above. It will work as a choke point between the WAN and LAN so all the network traffic should flow through it and the traffic will inspect from there. About architecture, the prototype is consisting of three Intrusion Detection Systems, Honeypot and a monitoring console. Three IDSs will be Signature based, Anomaly based and Stateful-protocol analysis IDSs. All the incoming network traffic will be inspected by these IDSs before enter in to the LAN. If IDSs are detected any suspicious behaviours, they will send an alarm message to the Honeypot. Then the malicious traffic will start to circulate among the IDSs without the intruders knowledge. Therefore an intruder will not be able to perform continuous actions because the IP addresses of the traffic are keeping changing. The Honeypot monitor all the network traffic which will be forwarded by the IDSs and keep records of all behaviours. Allowing or denying the network traff ic to enter in to the LAN will be decided by monitoring the behaviour of the incoming traffic to the Honeypot. A separate monitoring console is connected to the Honeypot which also has an online monitoring and log making system so that the sources of any malicious traffic can be identified. Following figure show the overview of the system. Major components Signature based IDSs has a predefined database of attack signatures. It compares all the network packets against the attack signatures in the database. Anomaly based IDSs compares the network traffic against a profile build by previous trainings of network traffic behaviours and continually sampling all activities occurring within the system. Therefore it can react to new zero-day attacks. Stateful-protocol analysis IDs relies on vendor-developed universal profiles that specify how particular protocols should and should not be used, on decision taking. Core of the system is the Honeypot which will monitor all the network traffic flow through it. Monitoring console with a real time log making and tracking system implemented on it. This console provides a real time monitoring and online tracking system to track down and locate the intruders source. Network traffic database will store all the information about the traffic flow the Honeypot encountered, signature database and IP addresses of all the malicious / suspicious traffic flows. Capabilities of the prototype Signature based Intrusion Detection System Knowledge is accumulated by the IDS vendors about specific attacks and how they are carried out. Models of how the attacks are carried out are developed and called signatures. Each identified attack has a signature, which is used to detect an attack in progress or determine if one has occurred within the network. Any action that is not recognized as an attack is considered acceptable. Anomaly based Intrusion Detection System These are behavior based products that do not contain databases of attack signatures. They first go through a learning mode to build a profile of normal behaviour of a system or a network by continually sampling all activities occurring within the system. These IDSs will be configured to detect the Zero-day attacks which means configured to detect new and unknown threats. All anomaly based IDSs will be trained by using accepted penetration tools such as GFILanguard, Nesses, Nmap, Retina, NetCat and Enstealth. After the profile built all the activities are compared against it. If anything which does not match the profile occurs an alarm is triggered and packets will be tagged. Stateful-protocol analysis Intrusion Detection System This is little similar to anomaly-based detection technique. But it relies on profiles that provided by the device vendors. Those profiles enable IDPS to understand and track the state of network, transport and application protocols that have a notion of state. It can thus identify unexpected sequences of commands, such as issuing the same command repeatedly or issuing a command without first issuing another command upon which it is dependent. Honeypot Honeypot is an essentially decoy network-accessible resource, could be deployed in a network as surveillance and early-warning tools. Techniques used by the attackers that attempt to compromise these decoy resources are studied during and after an attack to keep an eye on new exploitation techniques. Such analysis could be used to further tighten security of the actual network being protected by the Honeypot. All traffic entering and leaving the Honeypot is logged. Honeypot can carry risks to a network, and must be handled with care. If they are not properly walled off, an attacker can use them to break into a system. Monitoring Console This machine is to examine the intrusion methods / traffic flow used by the intruder. This analyze will be done synchronizing with the Honeypot. Those details will be used to create complete reports about the encounters. The tracking system which is installed on the console will provide a complete track of the intruder. Other Features The prototype can analyze the behaviours of the incoming traffic since all the traffic should go through the system. Any intrusions which will match to the signatures, the Signature Based IDSs will alarm immediately to the Honeypot. By recording and tracking the traffic pattern, a decision can be taken whether to drop the identified traffic or track back the source of the intruder. The detected or suspicious traffic will be redirected to the Honeypot as the final action. Make use of the online tracking and log making system, the prototype can record all the behaviours in real time and provide a tracking system to catch the intruders. Commercially available Intrusion Detection Systems Snort Snort is a free and open-source network-based IDS system and it is the most commonly using intrusion detection system. It is a software-based NIDPS and able to perform both protocol analysing and content searching. Snort has intrusion prevent capabilities as well. So it is use to both actively block and passively detect a variety of attacks and probes. It uses signature, protocol and anomaly-based inspection to intruder detection. CISCO Secure IDS This