Madoffs Ponzi Scheme Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Madoffs Ponzi Scheme - Essay Example Still it took a long time to assess for the authorities to verify that it was a Ponzi scheme. It was one of the most cold-blooded, deliberately devised and implemented Ponzi scheme. This fraud had serious impact on people’s view about investment. All investors start viewing investment firms and charities with a lot of suspicion and firms faced a considerable fall in business. The only positive element was the fact that it acted as an eye-opener for both the authorities and the public. While public became aware about the need to be careful about the promises of unbelievably high returns, the authorities too understood the need for new statutes to prevent such frauds. Madoff’s intentions still remain a mystery It still remains a mystery why such a prominent figure who was well aware about the movements in the market and also about the implications of such a Ponzi scheme decided to implement such a devilish idea that caused irrevocable loss to many people. It is yet to be resolved as to why he went on paying the withdrawals if he wanted to cheat the investors. In addition, Madoff tried to hold back the firm’s imminent fall ten days before his arrest by receiving a huge sum of 250 million dollar from a close friend (Frank and Efrati). It seems closer to insanity that he admitted that his scheme was a Ponzi scheme and that he did not invest any money as had promised. However, it seems a calculated move that he managed to keep all his family members away from legal complexities by taking the responsibility of the fraud all to himself. One has to assume that seeing his irrational behavior, all other members managed to secure their position by avoiding any position in the company that involved the responsibility of money management. However, a man who could con the authorities and auditors for nearly two decades could easily devise a better plan than this Ponzi scheme if he wanted to. Thus, it still is to be ascertained as to why he chose a Ponzi s cheme, the outcome of which he knew pretty well. The best assumption possible is that his extreme wizardry might have turned him insane. I. What are the ethical issues involved in Madoff case? One has to admit the fact that the Madoff’s system was unethical in nature from head to toe as the scheme was a Ponzi scheme. While attracting the investors, Madoff was well aware of the imminent failure of the scheme. All financial experts and even common investors are well aware of the fact that Ponzi scheme always fail due to its own weight as such schemes require an ever-increasing flow of money to pay the retiring and withdrawing clients. Once the inflow of fund diminishes, the system collapses. 1) Misusing the office of trust The first element of unethical practice is in Madoff’s misusing his position of repute in the society. He was an educated and experienced person in a position of trust, respectability, responsibility and trust. The aura of authority he created in this field is evident from the list of his clients including influential people, big organizations and even banks. Some of them were The Fairfield Greenwich Group, Tremont Group Holdings and Westport National Bank. All his investors gave him money on the belief that there were many checks and balances to make his investment plan legitimate.  

Effects of Socioeconomic Influences on Health Assignment

Effects of Socioeconomic Influences on Health - Assignment Example Unemployed people do not have reliable sources of income. Therefore, the individual is not able to cater for his or her basic needs adequately. Healthcare is a basic need for all humanity but requires a certain level of monetary input. Rising levels of unemployment limit people’s access to medical services because they lack funds that would cover their medical expenses. As a result, sick people may not get the medical care they need due to the lack of a source of income. People have different lifestyles, norms, and practices that define them. Some of these lifestyle aspects have severe effects on health. For instance, drug abusers including smokers and alcoholics are at the risk of contracting fatal diseases. Liver cirrhosis is a killer disorder that results from excessive consumption of alcohol. Lung cancer results from excessive smoking. These are diseases that have fatal consequences especially when treatment is not sought early enough. People’s diets also determine their health status. Obesity is common among individuals who eat large quantities of unhealthy food, for example, excessive fatty food consumption. The environment is a crucial determinant of the health status of the societies we live in. Certain environmental settings are characterized by unhealthy factors like pollution. Polluted environments herb various health infections. Respiratory disorders that result from air pollution are common in areas that contain industries that emit harmful gaseous elements into the atmosphere. To avoid health problems, residential premises should be moved away from polluted areas and industries should limit the emission of pollutants into the environment. Healthcare facilities are vital for the provision of medical services. A society that has adequate access to healthcare services is guaranteed an efficient solution to health problems. However, individuals with limited access to healthcare facilities for  example due to scarcity, find it difficult to counter health problems.  

Organisational Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Organisational Behaviour - Essay Example This type of leadership employs the principle of "management by exception", which simply means that if something is operating to expectations, it needs no further attention. However, when expectations are exceeded, a citation is conferred; disciplinary or corrective sanctions are applied for performance below expectations. Transactional Leadership is therefore a contingency-based management style where reward or punishment is dependent on performance (Changing Minds.org, 2009). Transformational leadership on the other hand presupposes leadership by inspiration. Vision and passion are incumbent upon the leader in order to engage followers. Enthusiasm and energy are the fuel by which the leader-follower relationship thrives on. Transformative leaders create followers, by carefully building trust through personal integrity, which is a decisive element of the relationship. "Transformational leaders sell themselves as well as the vision." (Changing Minds.org, 2009) The great English statesman, orator and journalist Winston Churchill exhibited the dominant traits of a transformative leader. His fortitude and resolve helped propped the British nation and the Allied forces in the face of relentless and aggressive of the German-led Axis alliance during the Second World War.

Personal Leadership Philosophy and Practice Paper Thesis

Personal Leadership Philosophy and Practice Paper - Thesis Example What is leadership? Leadership can be broadly defined as unique approach of individuals or leaders who can bring about changes in other people. It is an integral part of human behaviour as it is linked to followers. Kouzes and Posner (2007) assert that leaders’ approach to tackling issues or promoting a cause is major factor that makes them popular amongst the followers. It becomes highly pertinent within the organizations as it helps to meet the challenges of work paradigms and inspires others to achieve a common goal. Leadership styles Chandler (1977) has explored the issues with reference to individual approach and says that strategies of managerial leadership become their major motivating factor for their success within the organizations. I believe that three major styles of leadership are popular within organizations: Transformational; situational; and participative. James Burns (1978) states that transforming leadership is based on a relationship of mutual inspiration an d elevation that converts followers into leaders and may convert leaders into moral agents. The political leaders are often endowed with traits of transformational leaders who take up social causes as major agenda to transform them into staunch followers. Situational leaders exploit situations to enhance performance. Sjostrand and Tyrstrup (2001) believe that managerial leadership is relational ongoing social construction which adapts to the changing equations. This is very important in the contemporary environment of fast changing technology and globalization. Such types of leaders are able to convince others to adopt changes and take them as opportunities for improving productive outcome. Participative leadership takes into consideration the views of others and promotes collectives decision making based on informed choice for common goals. Tannenbaum & Schmidt (1973) emphasize that organizational leaders increasingly prefer participative leadership as they can use effective commun ication to share organizational vision, mission and goals with the workforce. Leadership traits Leadership qualities and traits encourage participation of the workforce in the overall strategy of having collective goals through shared learning. Many scholars have conducted studies to find the traits and behaviour and leadership style that has transformed common man into effective leaders (Stogdill 1974; Yukl 2002). Few of the important traits that a leader must inculcate are: good communication; vision; adaptability towards change; positive attitude and commitment; creativity, initiative and belief; integrity and ethics; compassion and caring nature. Effective communication is one of the most crucial traits of the leaders which is used to disseminate information and inculcate a sense of responsibility amongst the various stakeholders of the organization. Visionary leaders empower their followers so that they can make decisions based on informed choices. It facilitates in adapting to the changes which occur due to transforming technologies and values and significantly impact organizational processes. Indeed, effective leadership influences cultural identity and helps adapt to the changing environment. The organizational le

The conflict between the Arabs and Jews Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The conflict between the Arabs and Jews - Essay Example The partition of Palestine resulted in the creation of the State of Israel, and of the Palestine refugee problem. The dispute has resulted in major regional wars and two Palestinian Intifadas with tragedies on both sides. Throughout, there have been repeated attempts to resolve the conflict, from Bernadotte in 1948 through to President George W. Bush's roadmap in 2003." (Book Description, 2007). Therefore, the Arab-Israeli conflict, which started almost a century ago, continues to be one of the most serious issues of international dispute. Investigating the roots of the conflict, it becomes lucid that the establishment of the Zionist movement has been a major reason for the Arab-Israeli conflict. Similarly, following the Zionist movement, the modern State of Israel was established in the region which was regarded by the Jews as their historical homeland. However, the Pan-Arab movement maintained that it was a territory belonging to the Palestinians. All these issues contributed to th e deepening of the conflict between the Arab and the Israelis and the religious dimension of the conflict is often emphasised. This paper makes a profound analysis of the background of the Arab-Israeli conflict, incorporating the history of the Arabs and the Jews, the religious dimension of the conflict, Judaism and Islam, and the history of the land of modern Israel, in order to determine the basic issues involved in the conflict. In a reflective exploration of the ancient history of Israel and Palestine, one comes to recognize that the ancient Jewish kingdoms of Israel and Judea were consecutively conquered and subjugated by several foreign empires and kings. One of the major empires to conquer the land was the great Roman Empire and there were several revolts against the foreign rule in the region. In 135 CE, the Roman Empire overpowered the third revolt against its rule in the region and consequently expelled the surviving Jews from Jerusalem and its surroundings. Many of these Jews were sold for slavery and the Roman province was then renamed'Palestine'. "After the Arab conquest of Palestine in the 7th century the remaining inhabitants were mostly assimilated into Arab culture and Muslim religion, though Palestine retained Christian and Jewish minorities, the latter especially living in Jerusalem. Apart from two brief periods in which the Crusaders conquered and ruled Palestine (and expelled the Jews and M uslims from Jerusalem), it was ruled by several Arab empires, and it became part of the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire in 1516." (The Arab-Israeli Conflict). Therefore, the land of the Palestine was occupied by people belonging to Arab culture and Muslim religion, although there were Christian and Jewish minorities. Represented by twenty one separate countries, the Arab nations today form a significant power in the region and there is only one Jewish nation with a tiny country in the region, i.e. Israel. To trace the history of the people of Israel (also called the 'Jewish People'), they trace their origin to Abraham of the Old Testament and they regard Abraham, his son Yitshak (Isaac), and grandson Jacob (Israel), as the patriarchs of the Israelites. It has been emphasised by several writers that the very embodiment of Jewish continuity is Israel which inherits all the

My School Essay Example for Free

My School Essay Today if there is any institution which exerts the greatest influence on us after the family, it is the school. The years that we spend in school are not merely time spent in learning and filling our minds with knowledge, but also time spent in moulding our character, acquiring various attitudes and imbibing basic principles of life. The basic traits of our personality are formed during our school days. The name of my school is Don Bosco Secondary School. It is situated in a town called Tura, W. Garo hills, Meghalaya. It is considered to be one of the finest schools in the state, highly acclaimed for its excellent HSLC results. The school building is an impressive structure. It consists of four floors and has about 25 classrooms. Classrooms are spacious and airy. see more:speech on my school Two staircases at both ends lead to the floors. The school has a well equipped library, a well- established science laboratory and an excellent computer room, all of which are situated on the third floor. The schools auditorium situated on the top-most floor is said to be the finest hall in the region. The Principal’s office, clerk’s room and the Staff Room are on the ground floor, close to the entrance. The school canteen is another important part of the school complex. It is situated on a separate wing close to the ground floor. Two cemented basketball courts stand in front of the Principal’s office, while the school’s football field lies at the far end of the compound. A small garden full of flower plants surrounds the school building adding to the charm and beauty of the entire complex. My school has over 1500 children studying from nursery to class X and a staff of over 45. Our headmaster is an experienced and a very efficient person, who has been at his job for the last 15 years and more. Under his able direction, the school has been obtaining cent percent HSLC results over the last 10 years. The teachers are well experienced and well versed in their subjects. My school has also made a name for itself in the field of cultural pursuits and  sports activities. The school band is considered to be one of the best bands in the whole region. The principal celebrations in my school are School Annual Sports Day, Parents’ Day, Teacher’s Day, Children’s Day, Anniversary Day, Founder’s Day, etc., which are celebrated in a grand manner. Co-curricular activities, such as, scouting, N.C.C., Eco- Club, School band, etc. have contributed in making my school an excellent educational institution of the region. What I like most in my school, is the discipline that exists there. The headmaster as well as the teachers are disciplined and men and women of character. They do not allow any untruly behaviour or any undisciplined activities by students. A lot of emphasis is given to character formation, moral education and acquiring good values of life. Although the school ambient is rather strict and time-table based, yet there is lot of fun and joy in the school. Matches, tournaments, cultural shows, competitions, outings, etc. make my school life lively, interesting and enjoyable. I am proud to be a student of Don Bosco Secondary School, Tura. As I glance back at the bygone school years, my heart swells up with gratitude and thanks giving for the twelve wonderful years that I spent in the school. My school has profoundly shaped and moulded me more than any other factors in my life. School is a temple of learning and a training ground for future citizens. The name of my school is JB High School. It was set up in 1943 by a land-lord in our area. He donated land and money for the school. The atmosphere in which our school is situated is very pleasant. It is surrounded by a play ground on one side and a garden with a small pond on the other. The school has two rows of big buildings. The name of the school is written on the front building. There are ten class rooms in the front building. Other ten rooms in the back building are used for different purposes such as the Head Masters Office, Library, the Clerks Office, the Science Laboratory, the Teachers Common-room, the N.C.C. and Scout Room, etc. There is also a hostel in our school campus. There are twenty teachers, a PET, a librarian, a clerk and two peons in our school. All the teachers are qualified and experienced. The Head Master is a learned man. He teaches Science and Geography. He also teaches English. The total number of students of our school is about five hundred. We go to school in uniform. The uniform for boys consists of blue half-pant and white half shirt. For girls it consists of blue skirt and white blouse. The school functions from 10.30 A.M. to 4 P.M. classes begin after a mass prayer. During the recess hour we go to play ground. Some students also go to library and read newspaper there. In games period we play football, volley ball, etc. Girl students play ring ball too. The library of our school is a big one. There are about two thousand books on different subjects; we have a library period in our weekly routine. We borrow books from our library and refund them after a week. We observe the Republic Day, the Independence Day, the Teachers Day in our school. We also celebrate the Ganesh Puja and the Saraswati Puja in our school. We also hold debate competitions and games and sports every year. The school magazine named the Shree is published every year. In annual examinations the students from our school show brilliant performance. Many students from this school have occupied glorious position in our state. The District Science Exhibition is also held in our school. Two years ago a classical teacher from our school won the Governors Award. The discipline, the study atmosphere and the brilliant academic result of our school attract many meritorious students from distant parts of our state. It is an ideal school in all respects.

Suicide Bombing Essay Example for Free

Suicide Bombing Essay Suicide terrorism is not mainly the product of Islamic fundamentalism or any other evil ideology independent of circumstance. The world leader in suicide terrorism is the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka theyre a Marxist group, a secular group, a Hindu group. The Tamil Tigers have committed more suicide terrorist attacks than Hamas or Islamic Jihad. Instead, what more than 95 percent of all suicide terrorist attacks since 1980 have in common are not religion, but a specific secular goal: to compel modern democracies to withdraw military forces from the territory the terrorists view as their homeland. From Lebanon to Chechnya to Kashmir to Sri Lanka to the West Bank, every suicide terrorist campaign since 1980 has had as its main objective to compel a democratic state to withdraw combat forces from territory that the terrorists prize. Mostly are organizational motivated and fanaticism and religiously motivation are two different angles of same picture. Religious rhetoric may help persuade attackers that their cause is either necessary or noble, and that glorifies or renames suicide as martyrdom, but it does not explain why suicide attackers choose that particular tactic. These can be explained by considering some other factors like individual, organizational, environmental and trauma-based motivations. Suicide Bombing is an act of violence that kills the attacker himself in addition to bystanders, but that also represents a tactic of terrorist organizations. The bomber perceives in his mind that by dehumanizing others he will be getting extra rewards like the extremists and fanatics of religious segments think; by giving their life they would be free to enter the heaven. Some other reasons which psychologically influence the mind of a terrorists are personal motivation, organizational, environmental, trauma- based motivations. Organizations provide the means, methods and group self-motivated fundamental suicide terrorism operations and often the ideology as well. They arise from a complex mix of social and political circumstances, psychological and religious context and interplay between the actions, sentiments and rhetoric of terror groups, their constituency and the perceived oppressor/enemy. When looking at the motivations on the organizational level we must acknowledge that terror-sponsoring organizations are largely political in their motivations and resort to terrorism when other political solutions have failed and to suicide terrorism when a specific set of circumstances exist. When one considers the suicide terror groups uses of religion to motivate individuals to sign up to die, it makes strategic sense. Any believer of any faith who is persuaded of the will act in extraordinary ways. Its history depicts that in south India, in the late 11th century, the local Kulasekhara kingdom had special suicidal squads to fight against their mighty neighbors, the Cholas. These Nair warriors were specially trained in so called Kalaris. These Nair race later transformed as the rulers of the region, and in war festivlas like Mamankam, they were still in use aganist the Zamorin rulers of Calicut. In the late 17th century, Qing official Yu Yonghe recorded that injured Dutch soldiers fighting against Koxingas forces for control of Taiwan in 1661 would use gunpowder to blow up both themselves and their opponents rather than be taken prisoner. However, the Chinese observer may have confused such suicidal tactics with the standard Dutch military practice of undermining and blowing up positions recently overrun by the enemy which almost cost Koxinga his life during the siege. During the Belgian Revolution, Dutch Lieutenant Jan van Speijk detonated his own ship in the harbour of Antwerp to prevent its capture by the Belgians. Another example was the Prussian soldier Karl Klinke on 18 April 1864 at the Battle of Dybbol, who died blowing a hole in a Danish fortification. In the 18th century John Paul Jones wrote about Ottoman sailors setting their own ships on fire and ramming the ships of their enemies, although they knew this meant certain death for them. Modern suicide bombing as a political tool can be traced back to the assassination of Tsar Alexander II of Russia in 1881. Alexander fell victim to a Nihilist plot. While driving on one of the central streets ofSaint Petersburg, near the Winter Palace, he was mortally wounded by the explosion of hand-made grenades and died a few hours afterwards. The Tsar was killed by a member of Narodnaya Volya,Ignacy Hryniewiecki, who died while intentionally exploding the bomb during the attack. Rudolf Christoph Freiherr von Gersdorff intended to assassinate Adolf Hitler by suicide bomb in 1943, but was unable to complete the attack. During the Battle for Berlin the Luftwaffe flew Selbstopfereinsatz against Soviet bridges over the Oderriver. These missions were flown by pilots of the Leonidas Squadron under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Heiner Lange. From 17 April until 20 April 1945, using any aircraft that were available, the Luftwaffe claimed that the squadron destroyed 17 bridges; however the military historian Antony Beevor when writing about the incident thinks that this was exaggerated and that only the railway bridge at Kustrin was definitely destroyed. He comments that thirty-five pilots and aircraft was a high price to pay for such a limited and temporary success. The missions were called off when the Soviet ground forces reached the vicinity of the squadrons airbase at Juterbog. Following World War II, Viet Minh death volunteers fought against the French Colonial Forces by using a long stick-like explosive to destroy French tanks. It has suddenly taken off like a wildfire spreading from Lebanon to Palestine, Sri Lanka, Chechnya, Morocco, Indonesia, Turkey, Afghanistan, and Iraq and now sadly even originating in Europe and European bred bombers now even targeting Europe itself. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) carries out its first suicide bombing at the Nelliady army camp killing 40 security force (SF) personnel. May 21st 1911 Former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and 18 persons are killed by a female suicide bomber in the town of Sriperumbudur, approximately 30 miles from Chennai, capital of the southern State of Tamil Nadu. This was the history of suicide bombing which shows that none of them were moved cause of Islam. The terrorist assumes he is in a extraterrestrial battle, involving apocalyptic forces which will wipe out either his side or the other, hence challenging a war of defense; He should dehumanize and his enemies by seeing them as the enemies of God; In joining the group and taking on its values and teachings, he has learned the mind of God is authorized to act in the battle by the will of God; The battle in which he is fighting is for sacred values and he must go to extraordinary means to eradicate and spot out those he sees as evildoers even innocent civilians who he believes are standing in the way of and offending God’s will. It may be noteworthy that suicide bombers mostly are rather young males between the ages of 18 and 27. This fact is momentous for a number of reasons. First, it is the age when testosterone soars. Studies significantly linked testosterone production to dominance orientation in males. When the desire to dominate is satisfied, high testosterone is not related to a rise in aggressiveness, however when such desire is frustrated it results in increased probability of aggressive response against oneself or others. The first motivational set is a trauma based and occurs within zones of active conflict. It is often: nationalistic; viewed in terms of self and community defense; expressive regarding meting out justice to the perceived enemy occupier; and includes acts of revenge. The individuals motivated within this set have witnessed firsthand and over the television their neighbors, family members and loved ones killed by what they view as an occupying force. Many have grown up witnessing countless acts of violence and as a result have not developed normally and often suffer from posttraumatic stress and dissociative disorders. Many have lost jobs, educational opportunities, been humiliated, and often struggle for basic daily needs and security. While the majority of traumatized individuals in conflict zones will not become suicide bombers even if invited to do so, an extremely small group will become vulnerable to terrorist ideologies that promote this tactic. Whereas suicide terrorism is planned and executed by individuals who are members of organizations, groups, or cells, these two levels are in turn influenced by broader environmental conditions that include the political, social, historical, cultural, economic, and religious context. Clearly, some of these sub-elements of the broader environment are more relevant in some cases than in others. Robert Pape, a political science professor at the University of Chicago and a renowned expert on suicide terrorism, argues in his new book Dying To Win that although Islamic fundamentalism seems to be the obvious central cause for suicide terrorism, at least half of the suicide terrorist attacks during the period 1980-2003 were not associated with Muslim fundamentalists. The belief for the strong link between Islamic fundamentalism and suicide terrorism, Pape says, has fueled the belief that to avoid future attacks like those of 11 September 2001, there is an urgent need for a radical transformation of Muslim societies. However, this presumed connection between suicide terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism is misleading and maybe encouraging domestic and foreign policies that are likely to worsen Americas situation. Between 1980 and the end of 2003 there were 315 suicide terrorist acts. The overall leader is the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, a secular group fighting to establish an independent state. According to some accounts, the Tamil Tigers have carried out at least five times more suicide attacks than other similar organizations put together. Tamil Tigers are said to be behind a very notorious suicide terrorist attack , the assassination of former Indian Prime Minster Rajiv Gandhi by a female bomber during an election rally in 1991. Cultural or religious worldviews enable people to feel that they are part of something larger, more meaningful, and, ultimately, longer lasting than themselves. Suicide bombing offers not only an identity, but also a place in community history life is exchanged for identity. Self-sacrificial behavior is present in many cultures, and is not exclusively linked with Islam. It is an assertion that you will survive as an identity even if you cannot survive in physical form. Individuals can attain symbolic immortality deciding to die for their country. But if offered other ways of achieving symbolic life, they may be encouraged to leave a legacy in a pro-social way, rather than through violence. Pro-social methods of extending identity beyond death include raising children, starting a company and the preservation of peaceful cultural or religious practices. Apart from one demographic attribute – that the majority of suicide bombers tend to be young males – the evidence has failed to find a stable set of demographic, psychological, socioeconomic and religious variables that can be causally linked to suicide bombers’ personality or socioeconomic origins. With the exception of a few cases, their life stories show no apparent connection between violent militant activity and personality disorders. Typically, most suicide bombers are psychologically normal and are deeply integrated into social networks and emotionally attached to their national communities. Randomly attached labels such as â€Å"mad† denote one’s inability to fathom the deeper reasons but don’t advance our understanding of the causes of the phenomenon of suicide bombing. Rather, they impede us from discovering its real nature, purpose and causes. The meaning and nature of suicide in a suicide bombing are strikingly different from ordinary suicide. Suicide bombing falls into the category of altruistic suicidal actions that involve valuing one’s life as less worthy than that of the group’s honor, religion, or some other collective interest. Religiously and nationalistically coded attitudes owards acceptance of death, stemming from long periods of collective suffering, humiliation and powerlessness enable political organizations to offer suicide bombings as an outlet for their people’s feelings of desperation, deprivation, hostility and injustice. Suicide is a major sin in Islam The Quran does tell Muslims, Do not kill yourselves and warns that those who disobey will be cast into the fire. The Prophet Mohammed is reported to have said that a suicide cannot go to paradise. If people do good to you, do good to them; and if they mistreat you, still refrain from being unjust. Another story tells of Mohammed ordering his soldiers not to mistreat women and children, even during a battle. Both the Quran and hadiths offer examples of respect given to Christians and Jews – both considered along with Muslims as people of the Book. But bin Laden and some other terrorists say the less militant parts of Muslim teachings simply dont apply to their war with the West. This belief can be traced to a few well-known figures of relatively recent Muslim history. Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab was a contemporary of George Washington. His supporters say he was a religious reformer who cleaned up a corrupted version of Islam practiced in his part of Arabia. Opponents call him a political opportunist who used religion as a weapon. In either case, he declared that Islam had been corrupted a generation or so after the death of Mohammed, and he condemned any theology, customs or practices developed after that. Islamic laws oppose the practice. This religious prohibition has had the intended effect. According to Franz Rosenthal a scholar of the subject suicide was of comparatively rare occurrence in traditional Muslim society. The most extreme ways that people can invest in their world view is to sacrifice their own life for it. Physical risks help to secure their own immortality this is self sacrifice as self-defense. Harming innocent bystanders, even in times of war, was forbidden by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). This includes women, children, noncombatant bystanders, and even trees and crops. Nothing is to be harmed unless the person or thing is actively engaged in an assault against Muslims. The predominant theme in the Quran is forgiveness and peace. Allah (God) is Merciful and Forgiving, and seeks that in His followers. Indeed, most people who spend time on a personal level with ordinary Muslims have found them to be peaceful, honest, hard-working, civic-minded people. In the fight against terrorism of all forms, it is important to understand who or what is our enemy. We can only fight against this horror if we understand its causes and motivations. The entire Quran, taken as a complete text, gives a message of hope, faith, and peace to a faith community of one billion people. The overwhelming message is that peace is to be found through faith in God, and justice among fellow human beings. At the time the Quran was revealed, there was no United Nations or Amnesty International to keep the peace or expose injustice. Inter-tribal violence and vengeance was commonplace. As a matter of survival, one must have been willing to defend against aggression from all sides. Nevertheless, the Quran repeatedly urges forgiveness and restraint, and warns believers not to transgress or become oppressors. If anyone slays a person- unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land it would be as if he slew all people. And if anyone saves a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all people. Quran 5:32Invite all to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching. And argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious And if you punish,let your punishment be proportional to the wrong that has been done to you. But if you show patience, that is indeed the best course. Be patient, for your patience is from God. And do not grieve over them, or distress yourself because of their plots. For God is with those who restrain themselves, and those who do good. Quran 16:125-128 The recompense for an injury is an injury equal thereto (in degree) but if a person forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is due from God, for God loves not those who do wrong. But indeed, if any do help and defend themselves after a wrong done to them, against such there is no cause of blame. The blame is only against those who oppress men with wrongdoing and insolently transgress beyond bounds through the land, defying right and justice. For such there will be a penalty grievous (in the Hereafter). But indeed, if any show patience and forgive, that would truly be an affair of great resolution. Quran 42:40-43. Goodness and evil are not equal. Repel evil with what is better. Then that person, with whom there was hatred, may become your intimate friend! And no one will be granted such goodness except those who exercise patience and self-restraint, none but people of the greatest good fortune. Quran 41:34-35 The key motivator for a violent actor who seeks to die like a martyr is a strong attachment to a community, usually a religious community. There are dozens of reasons for killing, but violent martyrdom is first and foremost about belonging. Strong emotional ties and strong feelings of mutual obligation often hold religious societies together. They act out of personal despair, rage, hatred, belief in paradise or having been brainwashed. We also assume that their actions are completely irrational and destructive. What we need to look at, in order to correct these misconceptions, is the martyrs discourse and the rituals that surround religiously sanctioned suicide terror. References http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_attack http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1066254.html http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1934101,00.html