Introduction to Islamic Law

Islamic Law

            Islamic law is a very complex, yet disciplined religion full of carefully thought out doctrines designed to bring a people closer to adhering to God’s will and building a society that shared this same belief.  Below will be discussed a sample comparison between early developing Islamic Law and the legal system of Western culture.  Next, the importance and emphasis of the Shari’a’s (i.e. Islamic Law) postmortem authenticity and interpretation once Muhammad was no longer available to lead and mentor his people and how these meanings have been formulated for today’s society.  Last, we will visit attempts to alter or adjust Islamic law in the Middle East currently.

            Once Muhammad was absent as Islam’s prophet, “Shi’ites looked to their Imams for guidance…Sunnis found it in the Shari’a” (Egger p 114).  As an example of complexity and discipline of Islamic law, we can inspect the tenets of the Mu’tazila patronized by caliph al-Ma’mun (Egger p 116).  “1) God is one…2) God is just,…3) God does not cause evil; 4) People, responsible for their own acts…5)…reason…guide people to know God; 6) …try to justify God’s ways to humanity; and 7) the Qur’an was created…” (Goldschmidt Jr., Davidson p 114).  With that in mind, the table below shows the implication that Western law is full of adjustments, updates and most importantly, they are not universally accepted.  Islamic law on the other hand is complete, created by Allah, who is perfect, “all knowing and all-powerful…and complete” (ITO table).  Equally important, Islamic law is “for Man, His creation…for all nations, all countries, and for all time…universal” (ITO table).

 

            Like most developments in accordance to law and reasoning, there will be skeptics and questions that challenge whether Man will be able to accept and follow law’s commandments.  Islamic law is a division of political, legal, theological and spiritual premises.  Going back to the Mu’tazila, Ahmad ibn Hanbal is founder of the Sunni legal system and influential for major theologian al-Ash’ari to conclude “that divine revelation was a better guide than reason for human action” (Goldschmidt Jr., Davidson p 116).  For example, where Mu’tazilites believed that the Qur’an was a “creation” of God, al-Ash’ari insisted the sacred word “was an attribute of God-“ (Goldschmidt Jr., Davidson p 116).  Another dissimilarity was interpreting God’s word as an allusion versus allegorically.  “If the Qur’an mentioned God’s had…[it] must be accepted as is-without specifying how”.  Mu’tazilites took the Qur’an’s divine acts or using God’s physical features as an account of a story, which represented symbols of other things.  Last, is accountability, questioning “does God ordain all human actions, or is each person accountable…” (Goldschmidt Jr., Davidson p 117).  In modern day Saudi Arabia, the Hanbali legal rite is still practiced. 

            During the eighth and ninth centuries, designated scholars, or ulama, collected reports called Hadith  that were incorporated with the Qur’an to keep Islamic law in its ‘primacy’ deemed the Sunna of the Prophet.    This, in turn, erected an “initiative to codigy God’s will…”, yet “multiplied the differences among the…ulama” (Eggers p117).  An example today is the “avowedly secular Turkey” that “doesn’t base its laws on the Qur’an, and some government-imposed rules-such as a ban on women’s veils-are contrary to practices often understood as Islamic (Radical Islam.org).  Another attempt to redefine Islamic law was in 1959 where Iraq “modified its Sharia-based family law system and became one of the Middle East’s least religious states (Radical Islam.org). 

            History has shown a most committed effort to keep Islamic law uniform and universal, yet there will always be some type of alteration of most laws within today’s society.  However, given the extensive debates concerning the genuine nature of the Qur’an applied with the Shari’a, it has extraordinarily kept the initial values intact and purpose mostly followed by the more devout of Muslims.

Works Cited:

Egger, Vernon (2004) A History of the Muslim World to 1405. The Making of a Civilization.  Pearson Education Inc., New York

Goldschmidt, Arthur, Jr. (2009) A Concise History of the Middle East. Westview Press, Boulder

Intellectual Take Out|Feed Your Mind. Comparison between Man-made Law and Shariah Law [table] http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/library/chart-graph/comparison-between-man-made-law-and-shariah-law (accessed 2/10/13)

Otterman, Sharon. Sharia Law. http://www.radicalislam.org/content/islam-governing-under-sharia Radical Islam.org (accessed

Expert Systems in the Car Rental Industry

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This report was an essay from my Management Information Systems class....

If not already doing so, I believe an expert system would be very beneficial in making the rental process run smoother and more efficiently.  There are several elements necessary before a car is even available for rental and the best service providers make sure that their customers never know this back office development. 

First rule is if the unit is truly ‘available’ not just on the lot.  Each department’s responsibility would be to make sure that their part of the knowledge base is accurate at all levels for the front line to issue a successful rental. 

For example, if Rule 1 was “Is the unit available” a YES answer would mean that maintenance had checked all points of vehicle safety and compliance, accounting would show no record of open claims on the vehicle, DMV section would verify that all plate and registration and proof of insurance issues were properly documented and fleet management would validate the vehicle’s cleanliness, visual appearance and available staffing of greeters and exit clerks were available for customer needs and inquiries. 

Any NO answer would mean that a particular section’s unfinished process should never leave a customer dissatisfied with at least one of the area’s represented prior.  Where the system goes wrong in an organization is when the greed factor kicks in and a vehicle that isn’t ready is ‘made’ ready. 

Another rule of fact that could be set up for the rental car industry is one that offers extras.  Renting the car is the main factor but so are upgrades, offering additional insurance coverage, including additional drivers to the contract and activating XM radio or GPS functions to aid in the overall experience for the trip.  An expert system may encounter rule topics like, “Is this customer new to this state or area?”, “Has the renter used our company before?” and “Is this trip for leisure or business?”   An expert system has the capability to diagnose and reason according to the scenarios necessary for building a working conclusion that would help give the renter what they need before leaving the rental agency. 

The future of expert systems does have its necessities and its negativities, however. For the consumer, “the possibility of selecting travel arrangements from information available on in-home video and direct reservations for hotel and travel facilities”. 

Where there will be advancements and increases in the leisure industry, expert systems will ultimately replace key figures in the organizational structure.  “Displacement of millions of skilled workers…middle managers involved in fact gathering…may be replaced by expert systems”. 

The future of expert systems in the rental car industry will expand only with companies that are preparing its knowledge workers into knowledge experts/specialists.  I would examine each level of the organization and begin this process now with the sole intention of contending with larger agencies that can purchase the luxury.

Works Cited:

Haag, S., Cummings, Maeve: Management Information Systems for the Information Age. 9^th ed., New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin 2013

Artificial Intelligence: Introduction. AI in the Future., http://www.oocities.org/wallstreet/7040/introf.html

The 30 Days Series and Muslim vs. Christian, Immigration and Working in a Coal Mine

The three excerpts below were studies that I analyzed in my Intercultural communications class.  If you ever get a chance to rent or purchase the 30 Days Series, you will definitely experience a more open-minded focus on "One World is Enough for All of Us~(1981)The Police"...

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Intercultural Communications COMM 303

September 15, 2011

                                         Muslims and America [Season 1]

“There’s a difference between condemnation and apology…” (30 Days Season 1)

            I chose the Religion concept between Islamic and Christianity faith systems under core assumptions and Religious Similarities with rituals.  The anxieties in this episode were very challenging for both sides especially since in 2011, our country just celebrated the 10 year anniversary of 9/11 and newly sensitive issues were still fresh in some of the situational conversations shown. 

Although the two religions profess a supreme deity, they differ in who is worthy of that worship and the coinciding doctrines [Quar’an vs. The Bible].  As far as fellowship goes, Christianity and Islamic religions follow popularity respectively.  However in reverse, stringent rituals are paramount in Islamic faith as opposed to Christianity’s more relaxed interpretation of traditional commitment. 

            Americans have sketched a picture of Muslims practicing the Islamic faith where women wear face coverings (Hijabs), the men carry AK-47’s and those practicing the belief also are or support terrorism (30 Days Season 1).  Participant David Stacy received plenty of discriminative stares while boarding his flight to Michigan simply by wearing an Islamic Salwar Kameez and Kufi.  As a practicing, Anglo-American Christian, this type of treatment was totally unknown to him.

The basic articles of faith for Muslims are defined as worshiping One God, known as Allah, Submission to God, Fatalism (in God’s will) and Final Judgment by God.  Where devout Christian’s may be disillusioned, many religion’s roots are connected to the concept of worshiping one God.  Christian core assumptions are based upon the Holy Trinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and that Jesus Christ died on the cross and was the physical son of God. 

David’s main frustration was during prayer time.  He felt that by praying with Muslims, in their language and ritual practices, by the Quar’an and in their house of worship, that he is professing their faith.  His assigned Imam stated as a suggestion towards his guidance, “You are here to learn, not to believe.”  David is also feeling the stress of having to defend himself trying to learn the true teachings of Islam as not to conspire to harm Americans or any other culture.  To society, he appeared to be taking sides and began feeling the discrimination displayed by his fellow Americans regarding his acceptance, of Muslim faith.  David began to realize the confirmation of “Islamaphobia”.  Racial-profiling by a culture is a common retaliation tactic that society can justify to not open up to a set of different beliefs where David was able to state in conversation about Muslim acceptance, “You’ve got extremists on both sides.” (30 Days Season 1).  It seemed that society wanted profession of “guilt by association” or a way for Muslims as a culture to claim responsibility of 9/11 before Americans would feel comfortable and change their views about the faith's disassociation from terrorist to conformist. 

Rituals are a large part of the Islamic faith where one of the main descriptors is the five daily prayer services, publicly audio broadcasted calls to worship and Muslims can be universally found to worship turning towards Mecca as they pray. (Samovar109).  More defined in the film were the more revered term of Jihad as not only a war cry but a term meaning self-control and surrender.  Having a “good time” to a Muslim meant socializing with the absence of alcohol and pork, strictly defined gender roles and eating only kosher foods.  In contrast, many Christian beliefs seem forgiven by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.  There also is more reference to the word of God [Bible] instead of actual displays of the Christian religion through ritual with the exception of being in the church service itself.  Another very important aspect about this section is that “ritual serves to relieve social tensions and reinforce a group’s collective bonds.” (Samovar 109)  For the Muslim and the Christian, excessive ritual or lack of may be a substantial enticement where collectivism [Arab culture] contrasts individualism [Western Culture].

                                                    Immigration [Season 2]

"There comes a time when you love people for who they are, all politics aside." (30 Days Season 2)

            This was a very emotional episode as a spectator but an extremely valid viewpoint is analyzed here, especially since my new home for the past 2 years has been Southern California.  Many of the topics covered by Frank George aka Francisco Jorge are familiar battles as he is a professed "Minuteman" and legal Cuban immigrant in opposition to illegal Mexican immigrants.  It is difficult to watch the disputes of two clashing cultures, fluently speaking their native Spanish language, where obviously exploitation is evident in Mexico, but those problems are inherited into America by the entry of thousands everyday as undocumented illegals (30 Days Episode 3).  Here I attempt to contrast Shifting Populations with immigration and Globalization and Families with migration.

            "The American dream is what this nation is known for..." as stated by young Armida.  This is what thousands of undocumented families of immigrants are dependent upon like the "Gonzalez'".  This assertion is stated accurately as, "immigrants are seen as a threat to the long-established traditional values of the native culture, which in some cases can become a form of racism." (Samovar 10)  Statistics show that the Latino population is the largest minority with projections that Hispanics will account for 29% of American society by 2050 (Samovar 10).   Frank's opposition is anxiously identical to many Americans that Mexican illegal immigration is a growing problem as a sign of revolution, overcrowding and takeover of a nation whose government isn't doing what it's supposed to (30 Days Season 2).  But for many illegal immigrants, amnesty and opportunity far outweigh the risks of hiding, calamity and scrutiny of irreconcilable differences when America may offer their only chance for freedom; and that's worth everything.

            Migration is usually not a distinction as the social status of illegal immigration; however the rationale is through a culture that wants more opportunity, refuge and vocation.  The impoverished and desecrated conditions in Mexico allow illegal immigrants "...to seek jobs or higher wages." (Samovar 58)  Migration also provides "...one way ...to try to escape poverty." (Samovar 58)  What probably makes migrants from Mexico more advantageous than from detached countries is being able to come to cross into America as collective of a unit as possible.  The extended family is very important to the Hispanic culture as is portrayed in the Immigration episode.  The "Gonzalez" family live in a one room apartment in East L.A. with less than 600 sq. ft. of living space.  But compared to the brick room left in Mexico, one could understand "the lure of jobs north of the ...U.S.-Mexican border..." and the divisions made when traditional families leave for a better life.  Seeing Patty and Rigoberto's extended family left in Mexico was a heartbreaking reality that "happens to the core family values as people leave their traditional families in search of employment" (Samovar 58).  Migration in the name of illegal immigration gives a false definition that border crossers are taking jobs away from Americans.  Consequently, America is a land of opportunity and if cheap labor can be hidden through deflection, migrant workers will find their chances for reuniting core family units will be a challenge. 

                                           Working in a Coal Mine [Season 3]

“All you need to be a coal miner is a weak mind and a strong back.” (30 Days Season 3). 

            I chose this episode to examine the concept of Person/Nature Orientation under The Kluckhohns and Strodtbeck’s Value Orientations and Regional Identity.  According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, coal mining is listed as one of the five most dangerous occupations performed in America (Bateman 371 ).  What I found baffling about the life of the coal miner is the appearance of cultures desiring this specific orientation with a false sense of prosperity where the mining industry is the foundation for 50% of our energy source.  However, there is an invisible control existing in the battle of refining resources in a community that could survive by no other means outside of poverty or meager incomes in comparison to the miner’s salary.

            When man tries to control nature, there is always an issue of safety for the people influencing the manipulation of nature and the environmental hazards that affect those same people.  Where mining has become safer since the 2006 International Coal Group (ICG) criticized explosion in Sago, WV (Bateman 371), it is inevitable the apparent dangers associated with mankind when resources are ravaged from the Earth’s surface for the convenience of fuel and electricity.  Lobbyists claiming there is no alternative for subjecting miners to the dangerous conditions of exposure to coal dust and methane discreetly disguises a cover-up in its most smoldered form.  Regardless, what humanizes the relationship between the person/nature orientation is an almost coercion or “rites of passage” to be able to support the family culture while comprehending clearly the dangers of not wearing respirators, rats in the mines and needing to pursue other resources for energy that are destroying the beautiful mountainous regions of West Virginia. 

As a region, surface mining is demolishing the Appalachian mountain’s ecological system and environmentalists, some who are ex-miners, are in a struggle because there is a definite trade off between nature, health and safety risks alongside the economics.  In Southern West Virginia, miners risk their lives to excavate coal with salary ceilings from $65,000 for workers up to $100,000 for managers, double any other industry in the state (30 Days Season 3).  These high salaries literally keep the society captive in order to produce a resource that would be unavailable if generations of West Virginians didn’t remain coal miners.  Another regional characteristic is the probability of black lung disease which is common in the community, as well as the occasional mining accident that brings these societies together to morn victimized, brave workers and family men.  Other aspects that link the identity of this culture are dialect, historical heritage, family structure, the abandonment of alternative opportunity in the name of coal mining and desperate attempts for current miners to work hard enough so that male offspring don’t become coal miners as well.  According to loved ones that have lost a miner within the region, the utility industry might sarcastically add culturally expendable and lacking in education to the list of attributes.    

Works Cited:

Samovar, L.A., Porter, Richard E., McDaniel, Edwin R., Communication Between Cultures., 7^th ed., Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning 2010

“30 Days The Complete Series”., Muslims and America, (Season 1). Dir. Morgan Spurlock. FX Networks, 2009. DVD. Virgil Films, 2010

“30 Days The Complete Series”., Immigration, (Season 2). Dir. Morgan Spurlock. FX Networks, 2009. DVD. Virgil Films, 2010 (pg 371)

“30 Days The Complete Series”., Working In A Coal Mine, (Season 3). Dir. Morgan Spurlock, FX Networks, 2009. DVD. Virgil Films, 2010

Bateman, T.S., Snell, Scott A., Management: Leading & Collaborating in a Competitive World. 9^th ed., New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin 2011

The Rise of Islam is Significant and Media’s Influence on Muslim Culture

In order to appreciate a doctrine, it is beneficial to understand the emergence of the creator and the history surrounding that time.  Here, we will discuss Islam’s rise to popularity beginning with its founder’s development of a new nation.  Then a similar comparable dogma will be examined briefly as well.  Finally, an examination will be suggested as to the liability the media plays in their portrayal of the Islamic culture with a hint of hypothetical figurativeness in their narrative. 

            Islam’s ascension is a recording of battles and struggles to maintain power since Arab history has been documented.  Although memorizing every triumph cannot be obtained in the span of a week’s study, there is a significance in which the building of a constitution; one that still exists today, began and became the foundation for a people’s fight to protect a doctrine in the Qur’an and that placed a following of disciples devout to the teachings of Muhammad. 

            The setting takes place prior to the prophet Muhammad’s birth as “Byzantines and the Sasanians began their titanic struggle for dominance in western Asia” (Egger p 20).   Mecca was the birthplace of Muhammad around the year 570 with the absence of spectacular scenery or an abundance in fruitfulness in this Hijazi city.  Mecca was ritual grounds for local tribes where the shrine Ka’ba, meaning ‘cube’ stood “fifty feet…its corners roughly correspond to the four points of the compass” (Egger p 20).  Considered by Meccans as the house of Allah, there are over 360 featured “idols, of gods, instead of just one” and “embedded in the eastern corner…one of which is the famous Black Stone…serve ritual rather than structural purposes” (Egger p 20).  The Quraysh at the time were the main caretakers of the shrine and Mecca was a large marketplace for traveling merchants.  Surrounding the area however were the southern districts of the Byzantine Empire and Meccans were well versed in their “dominant economic, political, and religious characteristics” (Egger p 22).

             Muhammad had lost both parents by the age of six, leaving him orphaned; with a sporadically uneventful youth, he met a wealthy widow whom he wed at the age of twenty-five, named Khadijah.  It was at this point that the prophet began his journey of charity, intervetion and meditation.  Later he would understand “the words of God” then “began experiencing visions and trances…” (Said p 22).  Allah is the monotheistic deity taught by Muhammad but not specific to Muslims (Said p 23) and the Qur’an was “the record of God’s revelations, via the Angel Gabriel, to Muhammad” (Goldschmidt Jr., Davidson p 41). 

            But Muhammad would find many enemies as he spread his teachings and after the death of his wife and uncle in 619, he lost his tribal protection and committed followers began experiencing a surge of persecution having to flee the confines of the Quraysh tribe in Mecca.  Refuge was found in Yathrib the following year and later became “The City (madina) of the Prophet, or Medina” (Egger p 25).

            Muhammad would become a polity of sorts in Medina attempting to spread his teachings “to build up the economic and military resources of his city” (Egger p 26).  After a series of battles, Muhammad would once again find himself a legend across the lands of Hijaz in his victory at “Battle of the Ditch”.

            In a similar rite, “Islam (like Judaism) is a religion of right actions, rules, and laws…symbolized by five obligatory acts: the five pillars of Islam” of 1) Witness, 2) Worship, 3) Fasting, 4) Tithing and 5) Pilgrimage (Goldschmidt Jr., Davidson p 43).  Early “concepts and symbols of Muhammad’s teaching bear a striking similarity to those of Judaism and Christianity” (Egger p 23).  A sixth pillar of Islam known as the jihad is a subject of debate even today through acts of terrorism associated with “Islam’s holy war against all other religions” and although an interpretation on non-Muslims, this duty is more truthfully equated with the “struggle in the way of God” (Goldschmidt Jr., Davidson p 45).

            So how can such a historically rich and compelled culture be so misunderstood by the general Western public?   There is a subliminal image painted by the media whose history in general puts you on edge.  The unfamiliar dress and customs, the wealth and oil industry mogul status but most of all, the violent tendencies of the most ruthless rulers have given the impression to the region as a whole. 

            An ancient paradigm dating back as early as the “…Middle Ages and during the early part of the Renaissance…Islam was believed to be a demonic religion of apostasy, blasphemy, and obscurity” (Said p 5).  The truth of the matter however, was that Muhammad was regarded as a prophet and Christians found this claim distasteful in several adjective insults. 

            A more recent example was the tyranny of the Ayatollah Khomeini where his exploits alone made his image represent “a new order which called itself Islamic…He, and Iran, embodied all that was objectionable about Islam, from terrorism and anti-Westernism…” (Said p 6-7).  In addition, it is rare to have Westerners with an expertise in Islamic custom and culture.   “Either the experts were so specialized…or their work was not distinguished enough intellectually…” (Said p 17)

            In conclusion, the birth and rise of Islam is in dedication to the teachings of the prophet Muhammad and his struggle to bring God’s word in the form of the Qur’an to his people.  As with most related emerging religions at the time, there was persecution and disagreement in doctrine but each found the tenacity of the Muslim faith a force to be reckoned with.  Although there are similarities with Judaism and Christianity, Muslims believed that there were “changed passages in the Torah”, rewritten Gospels in the Bible but yet the Qur’an is “God’s perfect revelation” (Goldschmidt Jr., Davidson p 41). 

            The media’s interpretation lacks “detail, the human density, the passion of Arab-Muslim life” with “instead…a limited series of crude, essentialized caricatures of the Islamic world presented…to make that world vulnerable to military aggression” (Said p 28).  In other words, without a true source of expertise with the exception of what the media wants you to see, emphasis on the types of images broadcast can bring about fears and anxieties that are unwarranted to the overall understanding to the Islamic stability and true nature of its culture.

Works Cited:

Egger, Vernon (2004) A History of the Muslim World to 1405. The Making of a Civilization.  Pearson Education Inc., New York

Said, Edward (1997) Covering Islam: How the Media and the Experts Determine How We See the Rest of the World. Vintage Books, New York

Goldschmidt, Arthur, Jr. (2009) A Concise History of the Middle East. Westview Press, Boulder