Exploring the Debate Surrounding The Investment of Solar Energy Develop

As part of the Kyoto Protocol international efforts to combat climate change have seen signatory nations commit to limit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through a variety of mechanisms (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 2008). The Australian government as part of its commitment to the Kyoto Protocol implemented the Renewable Energy Target (RET) scheme that would see a minimum 20 per cent of Australia’s electricity supply being delivered through renewable sources by the year 2020 (Australian Government: Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency 2012). In developing a renewable energy strategy a range of issues arise concerning the feasibility, reliability and policy in implementing solar as a source of renewable energy. Instead of examining the technical specifications of current solar technology efficiency this essay aims instead to provide a general overview to the current levels of investment by government in the Australian solar industry and explore the debate involved with the implementation of solar power as part of Australia’s energy landscape. Due to the world’s abundant supply of solar energy there is an additional recognition by developed countries that solar has tremendous potential in resolving the global dilemma of increasing energy consumption and climate change. Solar energy has obvious advantages compared to other energies in part to it having minimal environmental and ecological hazards associated with its production (Solangi, Islam, Saidur, Rahim, et al. 2011). Solar energy technologies have shown the highest growth in clean energy finance and investment, increasing 44 per cent to $128 billion in 2011 (The Pew Charitable Trusts 2012, p. 3). Recent price drops in solar module pric... ...direct.com/science/article/pii/S1364032111000220 [Accessed May 19, 2012]. The Pew Charitable Trusts 2012. Who’s Winning the Clean Energy Race? Report 2011 Edition. Available at: http://www.pewenvironment.org/uploadedFiles/PEG/Publications/Report/FINAL_forweb_WhoIsWinningTheCleanEnergyRace-REPORT-2012.pdf [Accessed May 19, 2012]. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 2008. Mechanisms under the Kyoto Protocol. Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Available at: http://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol/mechanisms/items/1673.php [Accessed April 30, 2012]. Wright, J. 2009. The contribution of renewables in Australia’s future energy mix. Australian Academy of Science. Public Lecture Series: Australia’s Renewable Energy Future. Available at: http://science.org.au/events/publiclectures/re/wright.html [Accessed May 20, 2012].

Essay --

Women in India, a crucial issue that most people do not have the knowledge of. When this issue is looked into in depth, it is a variety of things: unfair, brutal, repulsive, and more. Unfortunately, most women in India have been treated unfairly for longer than can be remembered. When it is boiled down, it comes down to one component: religion. To get a primary view of the problem, the following is an example of what goes on every day. A girl, probably in her twenties, was coming home from a movie on the bus. A group of six men then ganged up on her and brutally raped her (Singh, 2013). As stated, events such as these go on almost daily. There are many instances of gender inequality in the dominant religion of Hinduism (Srivastava, 2008). Husbands treat their wives like property, and that is pretty much the root of the issue. A major factor of this subject is the concept of dowry. This concept should be well known before the issue is further dissected. Dowry is an ancient tradition where the husband gains the riches of the wife immediately after they are married (Bedi, 2012). What tends to happen is that the woman’s dowry does not usually satisfy the man, and this leads to devastating violence. Women are then killed in various torturous ways, such as live burning. This also leads to another major element of the problem: female infanticide. This is the unlawful killing of baby girls (BBC, 2014). Women do not want to disappoint their husbands by having a daughter, so they get rid of their unborn or newborn babies. Also, daughters cause a financial burden to the family, so families would want to dispose of them ( BBC, 2014). Also, men are far more educated than women in India, and that leads to more problems. Yes, awfully tragic, bu... ...n. Additionally, it should be known that currently, there is no special law in India against sexual assault or harassment (Pidd, 2012). The attempted solution mentioned prior is very general, and it is geared towards many different countries. India needs a specific, well-enforced law against these sorts of entities; they are not to be taken lightly. Innumerable women suffer from all types of sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies because of this. Countries such as the United States could possibly help with this. Stringent procedures must be put into effect when this type of issue is reported. Unlike what is going on now, a law of this manner must be meticulously enforced at all times. If the proper steps are taken, eventually, the issue could subside. For now, the nation’s problems will most likely remain the same, tearing apart society even further.

The Holocaust Essay -- History German Jew Nazi Genocide Essays

The Holocaust †We are the children of the holocaust. We are both Germans and Jews. We are the children of the victims. We are the children of the oppressors. We started out on opposite sides but the memory of the holocaust will join us forever. We shall never let the victims be forgotten, for if we do, we will forget that the perpetrator can be in all of us.† This poem expresses quite well the sensation that most individuals feel when they hear the word â€Å"Holocaust.† Although they may not have been there, or known someone who was, they may still feel an underlying sadness or anger due to the events that took place during World War II. I myself am neither a Jew nor have German decent, and I too become emotional at just the thought of such a devastating occurrence. It is in this sense that I will discuss how the Holocaust has affected not only the Jewish world, but other peoples as well. In 1933, the Nazi party began their reign in Germany, under the malevolent dictator Adolf Hitler; his role as â€Å"prime minister† of the county lead to the temporary suspension of civil rights for communists and Jews. The first concentration camp, known as â€Å"Dachau† was erected, which contained over two hundred communists, and all books that included ideas and concepts contrary to Nazi belief were burned. Jewish newspapers were not allowed to be sold in the streets, and as Hitler’s power became more and more apparent, he gained the title of Fuhrer, or â€Å"Leader of Germany.† His charismatic ways charmed many people into believing that his ideas were conceptually sound, and within only a few years, the Jewish people were stripped of their liberties, including their right to vote. In 1938, on Kristallnacht the Nazi regime terrorized Jews throughout both Germany and Austria; over 30,000 Jews were arrested, having their licenses revoked, car registrati ons taken away, and securities and jewels stolen as well. Upon the acclimation of World War II in 1939, when France and Britain declared war on Germany, Hitler ordered that all Jews must wear a yellow Star of David, in 1940, he began the deportation of all German Jews to the country of Poland (Morretta). Once in Poland, the Jews were forced to reside in ghettos and concentration camps; in 1942, the â€Å"Final Solution† planning had begun by Hitler and his Nazis regime, and by 1943, eighty five percent of all of the Jewish people that ... ... the Holocaust itself, as devastating as it was, may have happened for the Jewish people to acquire a larger capacity than others for forgiveness and understanding. This idea rings true for every other human being in the world as well, because once again, â€Å"We shall never let the victims be forgotten, for if we do, we will forget that the perpetrator can be in all of us.† 1 This poem was written by Rudi Raab, and is from The Acts of Reconciliation Project, where Germans and Jews met to build a common ground. 2 â€Å"The Night of Broken Glass† 3 An elaborate plan of mass genocide in which the Nazi officials would annihilate all European Jews. 4 This poem was written by Rudi Raab, and is from The Acts of Reconciliation Project, where Germans and Jews met to build a common ground. Works Cited Feig, Konnilyn. Hitler’s Death Camps: The Sanity of Madness. New York, Holmes & Meier, 1979. Jacobs, Alan. â€Å"Auschwitz/Birkenau.† http://www.remember.org/jacobs/index.html. 1996. Morretta, Theresa. â€Å"History of the Holocaust: Timeline.† http://www.remember.org/educate/mtimeline.html. 1997. Watts, Franklin. "Auschwitz and the Allies." Voices of History 1942-43 .New York, 1943.

High School Sports Importance

High School Sports Most high schools have at least four sports they offer to their students. In many districts, there must be an equal amount of sports for boys and girls. Some even have co-ed sporting clubs. High school sports have been a vital part of the high school curriculum for many years. For years the school districts have realized the importance of sports. However, not all parents fully realize the importance. Some children are not even allowed to participate in school sports, because of the cost, the time commitment, or the possibility of injury.The truth is that high school sports are more than just fun. They are great tools to helpstudents learn about life. They can teach students who are involved many things. Teamwork, cooperation, and leadership are several things students can learn from school sports. They can take these things into their everyday lives as well. When they build confidence on the sporting field, they are also building confidence against the world. They will be able to work well with others in all other areas of life as well. High school sports are also the perfect way to keep teens away from drugs and other dangerous behaviors.Coaches are great role models that can often encourage players to be well behaved. Some schools even have limits on GPAs for their athletes. If a student athlete’s grades fall below a certain point, they cannot play. Students who love sports will do anything to play, including study more. They will also be less likely to try drugs or break the law in any other manner. So, allow your children to participate in school sports. Get involved and make friends with the parents of the other students as well. The whole family can have a great time and learn about sports together

Learning Team IRAC Brief Essay

Learning Team B was tasked to study the IRAC method of case study analysis, and select one legal case from a current event that has taken place within the past two years relevant to this week’s objectives. After selecting a current case, Learning Team B prepared a case brief using the IRAC method. Learning Team B selected the United States v. Jones case, which was decided January 23, 2012. Learning Team B was also tasked to provide an explanation of how the legal concepts in the United States v. Jones case could be applied within a business managerial setting. The government issued a warrant to place a Global Positioning System on the personal vehicle of Jones to track any unlawful behavior. For 28 days, the government monitored the vehicle and â€Å"it subsequently secured an indictment of Jones and others on drug trafficking conspiracy charges† (â€Å"United states v.,† 2012). The issue is that a violation of the Fourth Amendment may be in question. The questio n in this case is whether or not the vehicle that was fitted with the GPS is considered real or personal property. Also how is the vehicle subject to government surveillance only on public property? Could the vehicle be subject to the real or personal property laws protected under the Fourth Amendment? The question remains if the vehicle can be searched using the GPS only part of the time. The court’s ruling still does not clearly define what the fourth amendment covers as real or personal property. The definition of the Fourth Amendment is not completely clear on exactly what the real or personal property is defined as or if it is reasonable expectation of privacy as defined by society or a court of law. The law â€Å"protects reasonable expectations of privacy, but the Supreme Court has refused to provide a consistent explanation for what makes an expectation of privacy ‘reasonable’† (Kerr, 2007, p. 503). The Fourth Amendment can be applied to a business managerial setting by protecting workers rights to privacy somewhat. Any use of work property, including e-mail and Internet is subject to inspection by the company. There is a reasonable expectation of privacy in the workplace if an employee has an office. If the employee is in the  front of the work environment conversations or anything in plain view can be subject to police search. According to â€Å"Surveillance Self-Defense† (2013), â€Å"A big question in determining whether your expectation of privacy is ‘reasonable’ and protected by the Fourth Amendment arises when you have ‘knowingly exposed’ something to another person or to the public at large† (Reasonable Expectation of Privacy). If a person is exposes intended personal information or property to a third party that reasonable expectation of privacy is no longer valid. The â€Å"Fourth Amendment is part of the Bill of Rights,† and the â€Å"Bill of Rights is the first 10 amendments of the United States Constitution.† The â€Å"Fourth Amendment protects the rights of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures† (Gatewood, 2013, p. 1). The government can use â€Å"GPS to track an individual movement† if they believe a crime have been committed. If law enforcement wants to obtain a warrant for â€Å"a GPS device to be installed† on an individual car, he or she must be able to convince a judge that a crime has been committed. They must also provide the judge with information about the place that will â€Å"be searched, and the† individual â€Å"or thing to be seized† (Hughes & Burton, 2013, p. 1). In this court case, â€Å"the agents obtained a warrant, but they did not comply with two of the warrants restrictions. First, they did not install the GPS device within the 10-day period that was required by the provision of the warrant.† Second, the â€Å"GPS device supposed to be installed in the vehicle in the District of Columbia, as required by the condition of the warrant.† The â€Å"government installs the GPS device on the vehicle in a public parking space in Maryland† (McKenzie, 2002, p. 1). According to McKenzie (2002), â€Å"the vehicle is an effect as the term is used in the Amendment, and this is a violation of the Fourth Amendment.† An organization that use any form of GPS device on an individual vehicle would be violating the Fourth Amendment.† The â€Å"Fourth Amendment† was implemented to safeguard the rights of citizens, and to make sure that his or her â€Å"privacy is not violated† in any way (McKenzie, 2002, p. 1). A public management can â€Å"conduct a mixed-motive search of an employer’s workplace, seeking to discover evidence of worker misconduct, as well as evidence the worker has committed a crime.† For example, a â€Å"search of a computer of a worker who has been downloading child pornography implicates both personnel misconduct and criminal concern.† â€Å"Courts assessing whether to apply the O’Connor reasonableness standard or the more traditional Fourth Amendment probable cause and warrant requirements of these mix-motive searches have applied O’Connor, reasonableness standard.† Certainly, â€Å"as explained by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, O’Connor’s† objective of â€Å"ensuring that an efficient workplace should not be frustrated simply because the similar misconduct that violates a government management’s rule, and it is also illegal† (Koster, 2007, p. 1). A community employer can conduct searches related to the workplace â€Å"such as to find a missing file or to investigate workplace misconduct,† in compliance with the â€Å"Fourth Amendment without probable cause or a warrant.† A job-related search is â€Å"constitutionally† allowable â€Å"as long as they are reasonable expectation of privacy.† Furthermore, â€Å"even if the search does infringe on a worker’s reasonable expectation of privacy, the search will deemed reasonable in accordance with the Fourth Amendment it is justified as its inception and permissible in scope† (Koster, 2007, p. 1). In George Orwell’s 1984, the citizens of the dystopian, totalitarian country of Oceania are subjected to a grim reality of constant government surveillance. In difference, technology is necessary to fulfill Orwell’s nightmare is far closer to fact than fiction. For example, the smart phone while using its GPS function is an indispensable component for numerous road trips; this global device has many of the same capabilities as 1984 feared telescreen. In the United States v. Jones, the Supreme Court of the United States concluded that police violated the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution when they attached the GPS-enabled tracking device to the defendant’s vehicle and used it to monitor the car’s movements for 28 days (Maryland Law Review, pg. 998). Jones highlights two uniquely prescient  concerns: The impact of modern information-sharing technology on individual privacy, and what limits ought to be placed on Law enforcement from using such technology unrestricted by physical boundaries (Maryland Law Review, pg. 999). The U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the lower court and held that without a warrant, the installation of the GPS tracking device constituted an unlawful search under the Fourth Amendment (â€Å"United states v.,† 2012). The government had argued a person did not have a reasonable expectation of privacy on public streets but the U.S. Supreme court rejected this argument. The U.S. Supreme court ruled a person does have a reasonable expectation of privacy on public streets regardless of how the GPS tracking device is placed on the person’s vehicle. The U.S. Supreme Court also ruled that today’s surveillance technology is very advanced but still creates a physical intrusion into a person’s reasonable expectation of privacy protected under the Fourth Amendment (â€Å"United states v.,† 2012). This ruling is very important in today’s business world as technology rapidly advances. The current generation of workers is very comfortable with advanced technology but still have the basic expectations of privacy that workers had 20 years ago. Companies can track email conversations, locate company smart phones using GPS technology, locate, and monitor routes of company vehicles, and even video tape activity at their locations. It is important that an organization brief and ensure each employee acknowledges the reasonable expectation of privacy policies. If a company issues a smart phone to an employee and employ GPS tracking on the phone, the employee must be informed his or her smart phone will be monitored. If a company installs GPS tracking devices on their vehicles the driver of that vehicle must be informed his or her route and movement is subject to company monitoring at all times. If a company video monitors its employees, employees must sign an acknowledgment under standing their movement with the organization is monitored and recorded during the business day. Advanced technology is a tool to reduce fraud in the workplace but cannot violate an employee’s right to privacy under the Fourth Amendment. References Gatewood, J. (2013). It’s raining Katz and Jones: The implications of United States v. Jones- A case of sound and fury. Pace Law Review, 33(2), 683-715. Retrieved from http://Web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com George Orwell Nineteen Eighty-Four, 1988, The Evolving Fourth Amendment United States vs. Jones, The information cloud, and the right to exclude, Ber An Pan, 1993 Hughes, T. & Burton, C. (2013). Police GPS surveillance on vehicles and the warrant Requirement: â€Å"For a while I’ve been watching you steady†. American Journal Of Criminal Justice, 38(4), 535-550.doi:10.1007/s12103-012-9185-z. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com Kerr, O.S. (2007, November). Four Models of Fourth Amendment Protection. Stanford Law Review, 60(2), 503-551. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/224069628?accountid=35812 McKenzie, D. (2002). What were they smoking?: The Supreme Court’s latest step in a long Strange trip thro ugh the Fourth Amendment. Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology, 93(1), 153. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com Koster, P. R. (2007). Workplace searches by public employers and the Fourth Amendment. Urban Lawyer, 39(1). 75-84. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.comezproxy. Apollolibrary.com Surveillance Self-Defense. (2013). Retrieved from https://ssd.eff.org/your-computer/govt/privacy U.S. Supreme Court, (2012). United states v. jones (No. 10–1259). Retrieved from website: http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/11pdf/10-1259.pdf

To What Extent Had the Ussr Recovered from the Impact of the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) by the Time of Stalin’s Death in 1953

To what extent had the USSR recovered from the impact of the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) by the time of Stalin’s death in 1953? Although VE celebrations started on 24th June 1945, peace was declared on the 9th May in Moscow. There are differing opinions on the amount of deaths that were caused by the Great Patriotic War (for example, Kenez estimates 26-27 million, many of whom were prisoners of war, whereas Hoskings estimated 20-25 million, many of whom were killed indirectly by the war, by means such as famines).It could be suggested that the USSR simply returned to where it had been previously in the 1930s after the war, for example primary focus for industry was put on â€Å"heavy† goods such as oil and coal. But to what extent did life for the Russian improve once the war was over? Social conditions after the war were anything but favourable. 1,170 towns, 70,000 villages and 7 million homes had been destroyed leaving 25 million Russians homeless. This issue was not addressed or rectified and no housing schemes of building projects were started, instead the money was redirected to other areas. So Soviets were left restless as they had nowhere to go.The peasants were essentially bound to their land as they had no access to funds or passports to travel. The two types of farms faced disadvantages, for example the Kolkhozy farms (collective state farms) had to meet state obligations which were 60-70% of their output and only received trivial rewards in return (such as sacks of potatoes). Even though the war had caused so many deaths, the Politburo remained to see the peasants as disposable after the war. Also Stalin did not trust the peasants as he said they were â€Å"too individualistic to make good socialists† and therefore increased the taxes on them.So this is not recovery as the lifestyle, especially for peasants, got worse. The agricultural output in 1945 was only 60% of what it had been before the war, and as a result food shorta ges that had occurred previously (due to the farm workers going to the front, and with them taking machinery and horses) simply continued. There was a famine in 1946-47 and this caused widespread starvation, for example in Moldova alone 70,000 Russians died. Due to the famine, food rations were restricted and the numbers eligible for these were educed (21 million reduced to 4. 1 million). To make this even worse Stalin did not acknowledge the famine and banned private farming in 1946 as it was seen as anti-communist. This meant that the small amount of food the peasants may have been able to grow to feed their families was now taken away from them. As a result of this, the USSR could not recover because they had less resources and food. Also Stalin was ignorant, and made the any chance of recovery harder because peasants were not able to feed themselves, so they in turn could not recover.It was not only in the country where the people suffered, workers in the towns faced inflated ta rgets and reduced wages (further than this they were expected to subscribe to state bonds which totalled several weeks’ wages). So the people were not able to provide for themselves, meaning that they could not recover, as they couldn’t afford to. Consumer goods were very scarce, for example, although there were 341 million knitted garments by 1953, televisions and refrigerators were very rare even though they were now commodities in the west at this time.Although after the Second World War, life was certainly looking very bleak for the Russians; some fixed prices were reduced in the towns to ensure that the poorest workers could afford food such as bread (which cost half the amount in 1950 as it did in 1947). So recovery had been initiated, however, in general, living conditions did not improve. The Great Patriotic War affected Stalin very negatively, despite the Russian victory. He perceived his personal position and security in a different way to the Russians and sa w himself to be very vulnerable. Understandably this was partly due to the success and support that Zhukov faced after the war.Although it is not clear whether or not Stalin’s health deterioration was a result of the war, he never fully recovered from this experience. Due to his constant paranoia, Stalinism was re-asserted after the war. This had previously been used in the 1930s (involved the state making extensive use of propaganda to establish a personality cult around Stalin to maintain control over the population and to maintain political control for the Communist Party). During the period of fighting, there had been relaxations in censorship and other areas such as the church (who were allowed to openly practice religion again).This was to ensure support for the leadership of the country and unite the Russian people against the Axis powers. However, after the war, regulations of the Church were once again tightened, to stop it becoming too powerful. The cult of personal ity reached its peak on Stalin’s 70th birthday in 1949 and this was accompanied by a new programme of censorship (for example newspapers were censored once before publishing and once after) and propaganda. Intellectual life in Russia also suffered shut in order to eradicate opposition, for example archives were shut in the 1930s and original research was discounted.All areas were affected, including literature where writers who were seen to be non- ideological were purged (by expelling them from the Union of soviet writers). Whether or not this is a sign of â€Å"recovery† after the war depends on whose perspective taken – for the Russian people it was a tightening in society that had a negative effect whereas members of the communist party or Stalin’s supporters would see this as â€Å"recovery† from the loosening in control and a sign that Stalin’s power was being re-asserted.The results of Stalin’s paranoia had a negative effect fo r the Russians, even if they had not been directly aware of it at the time. Due to Stalin’s over cautious approach he refused to research new technologies and exploited new industries and trade with the west. If he had done this; Russia’s economy would have expanded and the economic problems the country faced may well have been solved, or at least improved. Science in the Soviet Union was also under strict ideological control by Stalin and his government, along with art and literature.There was significant progress in â€Å"ideologically safe† domains, owing to the free Soviet education system and state-financed research. However, the most notable legacy during Stalin's time was his public endorsement of the agronomist Trofim Lysenko, who rejected Mendelian genetics as â€Å"bourgeois pseudoscience† and instead supported hybridization theories that caused widespread agricultural destruction and major setbacks in Soviet knowledge in biology. Although many scientists opposed his views, those who publicly came out were imprisoned and denounced.This also made the prospects of recovery for the USSR very low. The fourth Five Year Plan was launched in 1946 (until 1950) by Voznesensky which aimed to restore production to pre-war levels. During the Great Patriotic War the Russians had effectively produced arms to keep their front well supplied. This obviously involved a shift in production focus and this now needed to be switched back to previous production. New factories were built where they had been located previous to the war but the relocated factories remained in use in the Urals.This meant that production capacity increased and Soviet gross national product (GNP) grew annually by 8. 9% between 1946 -1950 which shows obvious signs of recovery and is very significant (as in 1939 it was 8. 5%). However, rather than shifting the focus to consumer goods as one might expect, the focus remained on heavy industry. This means that the standard of living did not improve for the Russian people. Further than this, Stalin also failed to solve the agricultural production problems caused by the war (for example the grain harvest in 1952 was less than that of 1940).The Russians were therefore unable to improve the way they lived, and to add insult to injury many Russian’s savings were wiped out when the country underwent a currency reform in December 1947. Hoskings says that â€Å"the shape of the recovery thus froze the soviet economy back into the shape it had assumed in the thirties† which is due to the USSR failing to exploit any new techniques, even though it had UN economic advisors available to it. Due to a lack of interest, no new innovations (such as chemicals and plastics) were investigated.Instead the money was put to use funding causes such as â€Å"Stalin’s grand projects of communism† which built striking new buildings such as the Metro and Moscow University. This was obviously a showca se of communism but did not contribute to the recovery from the Great Patriotic War. During the war the Communist Party had taken a backseat and the focus had been primarily on nationalism rather than communism in order to ensure that patriotism and the general war effort were kept active.However, after the war, Stalin wanted to re-assert himself as the undisputed leader of the USSR (this was partly due to his paranoia and illness). Instead of re-asserting the Communist party itself, Stalin ruled through a small group of influential magnates (such as Beria and Molotov). From the wider communist parties point of view Russia may not have recovered well â€Å"ideologically† after the war, whereas Stalin would have felt that this was an improvement from the leadership previous to the war (and certainly during the war when he was forced to accept suggestions from more experienced military men such as General Zhukov).Stalin did ensure however, that the soldiers that joined the Comm unist party during the war were educated in Communist values through the new Central Committee Higher Party School that was set up. Stalin also delegated some areas of control to other groups due to the huge workload he faced, for example the economy was given to the USSR Council of Ministers. However, he also put a strict hierarchy of decision making into practice to ensure that he still essentially made all the decisions.It still appears however that the improvements made after the war fail to outweigh the negatives both in number and significance. The Great Patriotic War had left Russia severely weakened and the Russia nation crushed. Although the economy did appear to improve slightly after the war (increase of 8. 9% in the GNP) and Stalin re-asserted his control, Russia remained how it had been run in the 1930s previous to the war (no improvements or innovations within industrial production and living conditions remained poor) and therefore Soviet Union had not recovered well b y 1953.

My Experience in Islam Worship Essay

My first visit to Islam worship as I recall happened three years ago through a Muslim friend who invited me to observe their worship. Prior to my first visit, I often hear through a loud speaker something like an utterance but also seem like a song coming from a Mosque not so far from where I live. Of course, every religion has their own way of expressing their faith but I should say Islam is quite unique in a sense that worshippers demonstrate deep sense of respect and devotion to Allah. Islam was born in the City of Mecca around 570 A. D. through the prophet Mohammad. Esposito (2002) noted that in the sixth century, â€Å"Mecca was emerging as a new commercial center with vast new wealth but also with a growing division between rich and poor, challenging the traditional system of Arab tribal values and social security†(p. 7). According to Esposito, it was this time and social condition in which prophet Mohammad preached the message of Quran â€Å"which formed the basis for the religion we know as Islam calling all to return to the worship of the true God and a socially just society† (Esposito 2002, p.  7). Like Christianity, Islam religion has a fundamental claim of its origin from the Bible. Muslims also believe that God sent revelations first to Moses, then to Jesus. Esposito aptly stated that Muhammad is not considered the founder of the new religion of Islam but like the biblical prophets who came before him, he was a religious reformer (p. 7). Mohammad himself according to Esposito claim that he did not bring a new message from a new God but called people back to the one true God and to a new of life they had forgotten or deviated from. Islam’s claim for biblical origins can be traced from Quran’s abundant references to stories in the Old and New Testaments which included Adam and Eve, Abraham and Moses, David and Solomon, Jesus and Mary. Esposito pointed out that Islam and worship of Allah—the Arabic word for God was a return in the midst of a polytheistic society to the forgotten past, to the Abraham’s monotheist faith. During my first attendance to Islam worship, one thing that I noticed was that they bowed down with their face almost if not touching the ground. As far as I am concern, there is no religious organization doing the same, not even the Jews who had probably the most profound concept of worship. Though I am quite aware of this manner of worship, I was really intrigued how they had developed such way of expressing their faith and humiliation before God. I found that for Islam, the meaning of worship is more than just rendering sincere service, or showing reverence for Allah. Abdul-Rahman (2003) emphasized that worship â€Å"implies total submission and complete obedience to Allah’s commandments both in utterances and public actions, whether explicit or implicit and in private or public† (p.  331). As I observed the way Muslims conduct themselves in public worship, their manner proves they indeed a deep devotion and submission to Allah. According to the teachings of Quran, bowing down of heads during worship and during prayer is part of the distinction of the followers of Mohammad who is the messenger of Allah. The Quran teaches, Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. And those who are with him are severe against disbeliever, and merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and falling down prostrate, seeking bounty from Allah and his good pleasure. The mark of them is on their faces from the traces of prostration. This is their description in the Tawraat (Torah) [al-Ahzaab 33:40] (As cited by Abdul-Rahman, p. 177). On my visit at a Sunni Muslim Mosque, I noticed that contrary to other non-Sunni Muslims, the manner of prayer and worship of the Sunni Muslims are a little bit different as they would stand, kneel, or prostrate when worshipping or praying. However, what was intriguing in their manner of worship was that when they prostrate themselves in prayer and worship, they face in the direction of Mecca. Although the concept of this practice was not new as during Israel’s Babylonian captivity in 570 BC, Prophet Daniel was thrown into the lions den for praying three times a day â€Å"facing Jerusalem† (Daniel 6: 11). For Muslims both Sunni and non Sunni, praying facing Mecca is one way of showing devotion to Islam because Mecca is Muslims holy city. O’Brien (2007) noted that Muslims pray five times a day while facing Mecca (p. 135). Even in Muslims five pillars of faith, pilgrimage to Mecca is considered as one of the five pillars that a devout Muslim should experience. While this tradition may be viewed by non Muslims as naive yet apparently, it reflects their devotion and loyalty to their religion. It shows that Muslims are faithful to their beliefs and tradition and to the founder of Islamic religion and Mecca serves as the symbol of their spiritual unity. When somebody visits a mosque for the first time, what he would likely to see are people chatting quietly or napping on the carpets and are praying and reading the Quran. But what could be more surprising perhaps is the main prayer or worship area, which is just a large open space with no pews or benches. Most of us are used to see pews and benches and expensive as well as sophisticated church facilities such as organ, drum set, piano and all church equipments adorning the main worship hall once we are inside the church either Christian or Roman Catholic Church. In Islam, although mosque is the sacred space for individual and congregational worship and it serves as places for prayer, meditation and learning yet unlike most Christian churches, the space is devoid of any equipment as Muslims simply bow down or kneel when they come to pray or worship. The interior of the mosque is simple and austere. There is no altar and no sanctuary, and there is even no clergy to deliver sermons nor are there any seats. Visitors to Sunni mosque can observe worshippers may stand, bow, kneel, or prostrate themselves, but they do not sit in the House of God. The rational behind all this, according to Bernard Lewis and Buntzie Ellis Churchill (2008) is that â€Å"the act of worship includes prostrations, to the point where the worshipper’s forehead touches the ground† (p. 40). Lewis & Churchill (2008) described their observation of the Muslim prayer and worship in mosque as follows: To participate in the ritual prayers, Muslims must be ritually pure. This is accomplished by means of ablutions, the manner and sequence of which are specifically regulated. To preserve the purity of the floor on which the worshipper prostrates himself, it is forbidden to enter the mosque wearing shoes or boots. These must be left at the entrance, and the worshipper—or, fro the matter, visitor—must enter barefoot or with special slippers provided at the entrance. The need to for purity precludes the participation or even the presence, during the prayers, of non-Muslims (p. 41). Aside from empty space, first time visitor to Mosque could also observed that there were no liturgies, but all prayers and recitations of verses from Quran. However, conversing with any mature Muslim, one could learn that Muslims perform worship five times daily. Speaking of worship, Browen (993) observed, â€Å"The rituals begin with ablutions, after which the worshipper, either alone or in congregation, performs two, three, or four rak’a or worship cycles in the direction of Mecca. Each the worshipper executes a fix sequence of movements (Standing, Prostrating, kneeling, sitting), each accompanied by a fix Arabic recitation† (p. 291). The recitations according to Browen include praises of God, affirmations of his oneness, a general request for divine guidance, and, at the beginning of each cycle, two or more verses from Quran. I could affirm this observation because during my own visit to Sunni Muslim worship, I personally witness how they demonstrate their devotion to Allah. In comparison to worship perform in most Christian churches; I could say that Muslim worship is deeply grounded on loyalty, devotion and reverence to God. In Christian churches, we could not deny that most of us are looking for comfort and even for entertainment once inside the church. We cannot bear long hours of worship service particularly on listening to the preaching of the word of God. Most of us we enjoy the singing of joyful Christian music but felt board during most of the service hours. In Muslim worship, one can observe that everyone sincerely performs worship to Allah. Browen pointed out, â€Å"Worshippers may also add petitionary prayers to the recitations. Worship should be performed five times daily: at first light, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and night† (p. 291). The Friday noon worship consists of a sermon and two worship cycles, and should be performed in congregation. It also has a prayer leader and a sermon giver. But one of the most notable things for the first timer in mosque worship is that one will find that worshippers are either all men or all women. This is perhaps common in all mosque worship. The reasons for this were quite obvious. Not much about their customs but about the physical nature of the prayer in which worshippers stand shoulder to shoulder, foot to foot, and which require the position of prostration. Haddad, Smith & Moore (2006) noted the arguments on the separation of men and women during worship in Mosque. Citing statements from Muslim women, Haddad, Smith & Moore wrote, â€Å"Very few Muslim women say that they want to worship side by side with men† (p. 63). â€Å"I don’t want men to look at me like that and be distracted from their attention to God, nor do I wish to look directly at the rear parts of men during prayers† goes the arguments. In some sense, this separation of sexes is a little different from other religions that also practiced separation of sexes during worship. Most religions practicing the separation of sexes are concern merely about the setting arrangements and not entirely excluding women in the same area, whereas worship in mosque gives preference on men at the main worship area, thereby promoting men’s supremacy over women. Haddad, Smith, and Moore stated, â€Å"When space is severely limited, women may find themselves worshipping in less desirable areas such as hallways or basements† (p.  64). My visit in Sunni Muslim worship, although there might only be very slight if none at all, differences between Sunni and non-Sunni Muslims, greatly impressed me because I realized how zealous are the Muslims in their faith in God. I realized that their motives of worshipping God are plain and simple but the manner they worship demonstrates how deep their devotion to Allah is. Their effort to focus their attention to God is admirable as they cannot be perhaps equaled by today’s worship both by Catholics or Christian worship. Many will find Muslim women’s clothing for example as weird and burdensome, but most Muslim women prefer wearing their hijab in order to avoid seducing men by their physical form. For most Muslim women, styles of clothing made exactly what they are expected to be â€Å"a model for her gender and her faith. To sum up my observation, the worship I had seen was full of unfamiliar religious observance yet they all reflect profound expression of faith in God which is diminishing in many Christian worship today. Abdul-Rahman, M. (2003) Islam U. K. MSA Publicatin Bowen, R. J. (1993) Muslims Through Discourse USA: Princeton University Press Haddad, Y. , Smith, J. I. & Moore, K. M. (2006) Muslim Women in America USA: Oxford University Press Esposito, J. L. (2002) What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam New York: Oxford University Press Lewis, B. & Churchill, B. E. (2008) Islam USA: Wharton School Publishing O’Brien, M. E. (2007) Spirituality in Nursing USA: Jones & Barlett Publishers