Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Research report 8 Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Report 8 - Research Paper Example â€Å"Major consequences flow from having an immigration stream taht ignores education or skills. Immigrants are now more likely than native-born Americans to lack a high school education† (Buchanan 406). This quotation meant that America’s present immigration policy is skewed towards admitting immigrants who are less skilled and less educated whose level of skills and education are comparable to high school graduate native born Americans. As a result of this wrong immigration policy, there are more immigrants who are dependent on welfare compared before and this has negative effects on American society such as higher social expenditures and higher taxes. Further, this kind of immigration policy is skewed more on admitting immigrants which are less needed by American economy because it ignores skills, education, age and experience unlike in Canada and Australia whose immigration policy are point based depending on the immigrants skills, education and other attributes which could be beneficial to their host country. The audience of the source are Americans and policy makers. The essay (or mostlikely, a speech) was probably written for a president and delivered by a President (although we do not know who exactly) evident with these passages from the texts; â€Å"That is why I am proposing immigration reform to make it possible to fully assimilate the thirty million immigrants who have arrived in the last thirty years. As president, I will ask Congress to reduce new entry visas to 300,000 a year, which is enough to admit immediate family members of new

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Security and Vulnerabilities of Browser Applications

Security and Vulnerabilities of Browser Applications Hi friends, I would like to discuss the system vulnerabilities, relevant CVE identifiers, cyber security solution and some of common findings I encountered while using browser applications. System vulnerabilities are weaknesses benefits the attackers to introduce the malware and other threats to the system. These threats are harmful to softwares and internet applications and which are mitigated by various security mechanisms and procedures. Both hardware and software are vulnerable to various threats and appropriate security measures are needed to be addressed. Cross site scripting is vulnerability which may be initially designed in a legal way.ÂÂ   The attacker efficiently carries out something malicious mission in users browser while unexpectedly visiting of fake URL. For instance, the malicious script which possesses XSS bugs will be executed in the context of a website. In order to run malicious JavaScript code in users browser, the attacker manipulates a use to site the webpage with injected JavaScript play load. Common Vulnerabilities and Exposure (CVE): It is a dictionary of common names for cyber security vulnerabilities. The products and services well-suited with CVE provide better exposure, interoperability and improved protection. TheÂÂ   following are the list of recent vulnerabilities through cross site scripting in CVE database. eClinicalWorks Patient Portal 7.0 build 13 was designed on January 27, 2017. The common vulnerability identifier is 95835 and entry is CVE-2017-5599. This was encountered with cross site scripting vulnerability which affects the page within the patient portal. The socially manipulated play load executed within the patient portal javascript page without any authentication. This vulnerability pulls out important information or attacks users browser. The CVE entries are CVE-2016-4256, CVE-2016-4257, CVE-2016-4258, CVE-2016-4259, CVE-2016-4260, CVE-2016-4261, CVE-2016-4262, CVE-2016-4263, CVE-2016-6980. Cyber security measures and solutions for the above vulnerabilities: The security measures like add plug in antivirus or firewall software applications in the browser can scan incoming and outgoing data traffic, scanning analysis of suspicious files and malicious applications protect the personal information and online transactions and protection against the untrusted wifi. The vulnerabilities discovered in my system/common findings: When I opened the manipulated URL, the payload executed within my browser without any authentication. This lead to infection and entry Xs bugs into my system. The system vulnerabilities discovered are: a) Cross site scripting lead attack on browser applications and operating system b) Unauthentically accessed the personal/sensitive information c) Entry of malicious applications and bugs References: https://www.hq.nasa.gov/security/it_threats_vulnerabilities.htm https://www.symantec.com/connect/articles/five-common-web-application-vulnerabilities https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvekey.cgi?keyword=cross+site+scripting Response1 Hi I like extend the discussion of System Vulnerabilities-Adobe flash player and security concerns. Adobe flash player is an application used to generate graphics, animations, browser games, rich internet applications, desktop applications and mobile games. Till now, Adobe has more than 94 Vulnerabilities. I like to mention some of the cyber security solutions which improve the protection of adobe flash player such as periodical update of software and always using cyber security tools with multilayer protection. Mostly, the cyber criminal hack the default chrome plugins like Adobe flash player. The recent security improvements made by experts in Night watch cyber security team in AIR software development to help their customers and solve the issues. The Adobe AIR security facilitate controlled environment for the unfaithful websites and running other applications from various resources. Responses 2: Hello Avinash, I would like to mention the advanced versions of IBM Web sphere applications designed with security functions. These IBM WSA version7, V8, V 8.5 are prone to the attacker and prevent the gathering of sensitive information. SSLv3 vulnerability (CVE-2014-3566) is the reason for the loss of sensitive information IBM server. This can be appropriately mitigated by the IBM web server security versions with default security. Most valuable infrastructure based preventive measures integrated into to the web sphere application server. So the advance versions of the web application can counter the malware and leakage of sensitive information from a server. With regards

Friday, October 25, 2019

Good vs Evil in Beowulf Essay -- Epic Poems, Grendel, Anglo-Saxon

In Beowulf, the clash between good and evil is the poem's main and most significant focal point. Although the epic poem Beowulf utilizes many characteristics of Christian themes, the violence in the poem relates to paganism. By exploring the characteristics of â€Å"good vs. evil† such as Cain, Grendel and Beowulf, this paper will explore the elements of Beowulf in such a light. The Anglo-Saxon poem, Beowulf, was originally told orally then later was written down anonymously in the Old English language. It is not known who or whom wrote this poem down. What we do know is that Beowulf is the oldest surviving epic poem of the English language; the original has suffered irreparable damage in a fire. â€Å"The poem dates back to 1000 AD† (historyforkids.org). â€Å"The materials for the poem are derived mainly from Scandinavian history, folk tale, and mythology. Its narrative consists of two parts: The first relates Beowulf's successful fights with the water monster Grendel and with Grendel's mother; the second narrates the hero's victory in his old age over a dragon and his subsequent death and funeral at the end of a long life of honor† (encyclopedia.com). Both Christianity and Paganism elements were closely intertwined within the poem because there was a religion change in the early medieval Britain. Christian elements were added later in to the poem to connect further to the newly Christian audience. For example, the story of Cain and Abel is mentioned several times throughout the poem; this story is form the Christian Bible. In addition to the story of Cain and Able, God is also reference to several times as well by Beowulf himself. The main purpose of the poem Beowulf is to explain how good always conquers evil. In addition, the poem wa... ...in such as jealousy, which then lead both to act of murder. Of course, like almost every other story good vs. evil is main theme, even in The Bible. Good always defeats evil in the end as portrayed in the poem Beowulf. Works Cited Carr, Dr. Karen. http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/literature/beowulf.htm, 15 Jan. 2009, web 8 Nov. 2009 Wright, Latonya. http://www.gradesaver.com/beowulf/study-guide/short-summary/, 14 April 2000, web 8 Nov.2009 Genesis 4, http://www.childrenstory.info/biblestoryforchild/chdbblcainandabel.html?cPath=50 web 12 Nov. 2009 "Beowulf", The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Retrieved November 12, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Beowulf.html Lazzari, Marie. Epics for Students: presenting analysis, context, and criticism on commonly studied epics Raffel, Burton. From Beowulf

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Modernization of NTUC Income

Assignment On Modernization of NTUC Income Course code: MIS101 Section: 1 Submitted to: Md. Monzur Morshed Bhuiya Course Instructor Submission Date: 19-04-11 Acknowledgement At first we would like to thanks the Almighty Allah, who provided us this great opportunity to accomplish this project successfully with good health and sound mind. We would like to pay profound gratitude to our honorable sir Md. Monzur Morshed Bhuiya, without his guidance and help it was impossible for us to complete this term paper satisfactorily.We enjoyed the challenges of preparing this assignment as it provided us an opportunity to increase our understandings of various pertinent features of conducting a research. To continue this research we mainly take help from different websites, books etc. Finally, we would like to pay thanks to our parents from the depth of our heart for their endless support, encouragement and inspiration. Table of content 1. Abstract†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦1 2. Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 3. Question No. 1†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 3 4. Question No. 2†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4 5. Question No. 3†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦5 6. Question No. 4â₠¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6 7. Question No. 5†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 7 8. Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 8 9. Reference list†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 9 Abstract NTUC Income is a life and general insurance company. It is a co-operative insurance society formed in 1970, was initiated by Dr Goh Kang Swee.NTUC Income’s process star ted with various customer meeting and agent filling the paper form and many other steps which was very long and tedious but after migrating a fully digital system, it includes customer centric design barcode technology which minimize the downtime occurrence but it also face problems such as paper policies compromising data retrieving problem etc. But it also got benefits such as efficient retrieval data, high pace electronic mass storage system etc. Finally we can say that NTUC Income enriched their working system in such way that there is no possibility to create further problems in future.Introduction NTUC Income is a life and general insurance company based in Singapore. It is one of the â€Å"Big Three† insurers with a significant share of the local motor insurance market. It is an organization that was made different right from the start with an initial capital of $1. 2 million. It is a co-operative insurance society formed in 1970, was initiated by Dr Goh Kang Swee duri ng the â€Å"Modernization of the Labor Movement† seminar on 18 November 1969. Today, it has matured into a leading insurer and progressive organization with close to 2 million policyholders placing their trust in us and assets at $19. billion. Its insurance plans benefit large numbers of Singaporeans from all strata of society, and the company supports the community through financial contributions to the labor movement, charities and other worthy causes. The insurer employs about 3400 insurance advisors and 1200 office staff with the majority located across an eight branch network. On June 1, 2003, Income succeeded in the migration of its legacy insurance system. The Herculean task required not only the upgrading of hardware and applications, it also required Income to streamline its decade-old business processes and IT practices.Question No. 1. What were the problems faced by Income in this case? How were the problems resolved by the new digital system? In the past, NTUC In come, which has over a million insurance policy holders, processes were very tedious and paper-based. The entire insurance process started with customers meeting an agent, filling in forms and submitting documents. The agent would then submit the forms at branches, from where they were sent by couriers to the Office Services department. The collection schedule could introduce delays of two to three days.Office Services would log documents, sort them, and then send them to departments for underwriting. Proposals were allocated to underwriting staff, mostly randomly. Accepted proposals were sent for printing at the Computer Services department and then redistributed. For storage, all original documents were packed and sent to warehouses where, over two to three days, a total of seven staff would log and store the documents. In all, paper policies comprising 45 million documents were stored in over 16,000 cartons at three warehouses. Whenever a document needed to be retrieved, it would take about two days to locate and ship it by courier.Refilling would again take about two days. So the processes were complicated and the result was waste of space and time, which leads in waste of money. The digital system can solve both of these problems and it cost 1/3 of the â€Å"paper–based† cost. Question No. 2. What types of information systems and business processes were used by Income before migrating to the fully digital system? Until a few years ago NTUC Income insurance uses a very traditional business process. Their process was very tedious and paper based and it takes five steps to complete the process. The steps are- st-The process started with customers meeting an agent, filling the paper forms and submitting documents. 2nd-Then the agent would submit the forms at branches, from where they were sent by couriers to the office services department. 3rd-After two to three days the couriers were received by the services department. Then the services would log documents, sort them and then send them to the department for underwriting. Proposals were allocated to underwriting staff, mostly randomly. 4th-Accepted proposals were sent for printing at the computer services department and then redistributed. th-At the end of the process all original documents were packed and sent to ware houses. Where, over two to three days, total of seven staff would log and store the documents. After the process complete, whenever a document needed to be retrieved, it would take about two days to locate and ship it courier refilling again take about two days. NTUC Income use HP 3000 to host the core insurance application as well as the accounting and management information system. The HP 3000 is a line of midrange computers which Hewlett-Packard first released in 1972 and which has been constantly updated and sold since then.All HP 3000 computers run the proprietary MPE operating system and come with the rock solid Turbo IMAGE database. Question No. 3. D escribe the information systems and IT infrastructure at income after migrating to the fully digital system. It changed in June 2003, when income switched to the java based eBao lifestyle from eBao technology. The software comprised three subsystems- Policy Administration, Sales management and supplementary resources. This system had- 1. Customer Centric Design. 2. Seamless integration with Imaging. 3. Barcode Technology. 4.A product definition module that supports new products, new channels and changes in business processes. Implementation work started in September 2002 and the project was completed in nine months. By may 2003, All the customization, data migration of income’s individual and group life insurance businesses and training were completed. The new system was immediately operation on high availability platform. All applications resided on two or more servers, each connected by two or more communication lines. All of which were ‘loud balanced’. This ro bust architecture minimized downtime occurrence due to hardware on operating system failure.Question No. 4. What benefits did Income reap from the new system? After going through the whole case study, we have found a significant change in the IT infrastructure of NTUC Income and come to know some crucial benefits that Income has experienced. Firstly, the very long and tedious and paper-based processes were substituted by computer-based eBao Life System which reduced the total time for policy opening dramatically to a minimum level. Also the floor-based data storage system was replaced by high pace electronic mass storage system which has made the company a much better and faster performing concern.Secondly, moving from eBao Technology to eBao Life System was extremely lucrative for the firm. It facilitated so efficient retrieval of data that it was possible to access data of any time period in contrast to the previous system of access to only preceding day data by any of its authori zed employees. Again, the breakdown of software into three subsystems- Policy Administration, Sales Management and Supplementary Resources opened new product development possibilities, new channels and charges and new horizons for Income.Thirdly, the new system was immediately operational on high-availability platforms which were equipped by all up-to-date hardware components and internet connections among its workstations. Moreover, the implementation of disaster-recovery centre protected the organization from any accidental data loss. In addition, the implementation of eBao Life System ensured the access of about 500 office staff and 3400 insurance advisors to the system anytime and anywhere with faster access to information.This helped the company to monitor its management more efficiently and serve the customers individual priority and customized needs. Finally, the summary of the benefits of eBao Life System as commented by the former CEO of Income Mr. Tan Kin Lian is â€Å"eB ao Life System has the best straight through processing workflow and it is very flexible. It cuts our new product launch time from months to days. It also allows us to support agents, brokers, and customers to do online services easily. I got a fantastic deal: the best system with much lower cost and much shorter implementation time.I have to say that this is a revolution. † So, we can say that NTUC Income got quite a certain number of benefits from the new system, which made life even better and easier. Question No. 5. How well is income prepared for the future? Are the problems described in the case likely to be repeated? NTUC income has created powerful establishment for future . In spite of all drawbacks in past they overcome their weakness through the execution of eBao technology, which gives them a new dimension of system.Before the implementation of java based eBao life system, NTUC Income faced lots of troubles in core insurance applications, accounting, and management information system. Those troubles appeared as if the backup was not completed data would be lost, in case any hardware crashes reconciliation took several months to restore the data . It also experienced three major hardware failures it also took huge time to launch a product , it formed problem for the agents and advisors regarding to access information .All those problems came to an end when Income implemented eBay technology through the java based eBao life system , which they consider everything for them . this eBao system changed the way they worked . income restored its IT infrastructure by upgrading their system through increasing PC RAM size ,installing scanner and hardware etc which also helps them to store more data and to scan documents ,they also implemented hot back up disaster recovery center so that data cannot be lost easily and remain stored in the storage and they do not need to depend on restoration of previous day data . nder the new system , all document store d as well on â€Å"trusted† storage device , it crates easy way to access the information for the agents and advisors . Because of eBao technology Income enriched their working system and established it in such away, which has no possibilities to create further problems in future. Conclusion Trade union membership, especially for industrialized country, has been declining over the past years. This is largely due the structural changes caused by globalization and the rapid changes in technologies.Trade unions in Singapore also faced similar challenges. In order for trade unions to stay relevant, unions must continuously adapt to effectively meet the expectations of different types of workers, regardless of age, collar and race. NTUC and trade unions have a promising future ahead if they have a better understanding of the economy and the needs of the workers. Furthermore, unions must not only continue to do what they have been doing over the years but use various innovative str ategies and tactics to reach out to the new emerging generations.NTUC Income will continue to provide a better life for its policyholders and the community through innovative insurance plans and services. The co-operative will strive for excellent customer care through its staff and insurance advisers. By using technology effectively, we aim to reduce costs and pass the savings to policyholders through lower premiums. Reference List †¢ Kenneth C. Laudon & Jane P. Laudon, Management Information Systems Managing the Digital Firm 11th Edition, Pearson Education, Inc. †¢ http://www. icrosoft. com/singapore/mssg_docs/1703. aspx †¢ http://essaysforstudent. com/Business/Ntuc/21763. html †¢ http://www. income. com. sg/insurance/iTerm/index. asp †¢ http://www. papercamp. com/group/modernization-of-ntuc-income-case-study/page-690 †¢ http://www. income. com. sg/insurance/financialplanning. asp †¢ http://www. ebaotech. com/en/news/200306_en. shtml †¢ http ://www. income. com. sg/insurance/iTerm/index. asp †¢ http://www. income. com. sg/PSD/termsofuse. html †¢ http://www. income. com. sg/homepage. asp

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

The Koran

It is said that the Koran (or Quran) was delivered by Allah to Muhammad. Much like the Bible is to Christians; the Koran delivers to Muslims guidance on how to live a virtuous life, as well as being a historical text of events in the area, and those which occurred around the Prophet Muhammad. It is said that to understand the differences between the Muslim sects, it is relevant to delve into Islamic history. â€Å"Some basic issues within Islam today, such as the strife between Sunni and Shia Muslims began at this time and better understanding of how the disputes began is needed.† (Biedzynski, 2005). Theological scholars will often discuss the correlation of different religions within texts and history, but it is evident within the Suras of the Koran, that not only were Jews and Christians recognized, but many biblical names are also mentioned, including Jesus, Moses and Mary. In fact, the Koran recognizes many similar figures for the same reasons Christianity and Judaism does , which perhaps serves as a further example on the connection all three religions have in recounting historical events.The fundamentals of Islam are perhaps best explored through the principles governed by the Five Pillars of Islam. Essentially these are: a profession of faith, prayer, fasting, pilgrimage and charity. In order for a Muslim to be considered for heaven, and their place with Allah, it is vital for them to adhere to the Five Pillars. The first, Shahadah, or tenet of Islam, is often recited in prayer, and is an affirmation made that Mohammad is the Prophet of Allah, and there is only Allah. Arguably, this is an important pillar, and fundamentally the foundation of all Islamic practices.The second pillar, or Salat, is not only the act of praying five times a day, but is also regarded in death, and an act of purification of the spirit, as mentioned in Sura 87, â€Å"prosperous indeed is he who purifies himself recollects the name of his Lord and performs prayers† (l ines 14-15). There is no division in prayer, only unity:â€Å"The words of the prayer are, essentially, those of Surat Al-Fatihah and other parts of the Quran chosen by the devotee. Thus our prayers become Allah’s words. The prayers in the form of the Friday prayer are also a weekly lesson in human equality and community solidarity† (Ayoub, 116).Zakat, or almsgiving is the Third Pillar of Islam. It is the form of charity that is practiced not only during Ramadan, but annually. The concept is to ease economic stress on the less fortunate, and is considered as an act of the virtuous who â€Å"have faith in the unseen, observe regular worship, and give alms of that which we have bestowed upon them† (2:3). The concept begins with the notion that everything belongs to Allah, and people are merely looking after it – from this earth to financial success. As is often said of charity beginning at home, the concept of zakat also starts at home, and closest friends and relations, before branching out into the community, or as stated in the Koran, â€Å"they thus give food for love of Him to the destitute, orphan, and captive† (76:8).Whilst zakat and charity is made during Ramadan, the holy month is best observed through fasting. It is the forth Pillar of Islam, and is a similar notion in remembering those less fortunate around us. It is also a significant month, historically:â€Å"Fasting, however, has a crucial significance for Muslims. It was during the month of Ramadan that Allah granted victory to Muslims over the Makkan associators in the Battle of Badr† (p125).It was also during Ramadan, that the Koran was given to Muhammad, as noted in Sura 2. During Ramadan, it is significant that Muslims remain pure, and abstain from sexual intercourse, ill tempers or bad language. They also fast from sunrise to dusk, and offer charity to their community and family.The final Pillar of Islam is the Hajj, a pilgrimage which should be made at least once in a lifetime by every Muslim. The journey involves a pilgrimage to Mecca, and the Ka’ba built there. Historically, the pilgrimage reminds Muslims of Ibrahim, and retracing of the steps he made. Rituals within the Hajj also retrace Hajar’s search for water in the barren mountains. Sura 3 speaks of how it is an ‘obligation’ for people to perform the pilgrimage, and also details how Muhammad made his first Hajj. Pilgrims who complete the annual Hajj are considered to be ‘reborn’, and able to start anew. It is considered a cleansing, but is also historically poignant:â€Å"During the Hajj important religious and political movements were born, momentous decisions and ideas were taken and exchanged, and crucial calls to jihad in the way of Allah and against oppression, tyranny and wrong were proclaimed. The Hajj is our teacher, our social and political guide, and a source of blessing in our lives† (p129).There are many things w ithin Islam that are considered taboo, the consumption of pork and the act of suicide are two of them. Such things are called â€Å"haram†, and are labeled as forbidden acts that detract from the fundamentals of Islam. Pork is forbidden, quite simply because it is considered unclean. The Koran matter-of-factly states, â€Å"He has forbidden for you only carrion and blood and swine-flesh and that which has been immolated in the name of any other than Allah; but he who is driven thereto, neither craving nor transgressing† (16:114-115).As for suicide, Muhammad speaks of an eternity in what can be considered Hell. People, who committed suicide, would spend their days reliving the experience. â€Å"He who commits suicide by throttling shall keep on throttling himself in the Hell Fire (forever) and he who commits suicide by stabbing himself shall keep on stabbing himself in the Hell-Fire† (Sahih Bukhari 2.446). It is with this in mind, that the concept of Jihad should be explored.Jihad in itself is war (and defense) on the behalf of Islam. It is something that was often declared against those who cause ill towards a community, or as subtle as protecting a community against non-Muslims, or cleansing the soul of ill-thought and sin. In recent times, it has been extorted and abused by violence. The main aim of jihad in society is to eradicate wrongdoing and oppression (Ayoub, 191). Jihad is therefore an affirmation through action to Allah and Islam, as considered in Sura 47, â€Å"if you lend support to Allah, he shall grant you support and firmly strengthen your steps† (47:7). Jihads could involve absolving sin through study of the Koran, or sacred texts; and even through the act of the Hajj, to cleanse through action. Jihad, as it is portrayed today, is only one form, and often times not fully considered under Islamic Law.Islamic Law is what governs Muslim society, and understandably, it adheres to what appears in the Koran. Suras 4 and 5 outline measures that should be undertaken through accidental death, murder and stealing. Concepts such as compensation or blood-money, for example, are paid out to the family of one accidentally killed. Stealing, was dealt as a stark punishment, however, with a thief losing the hand they used to steal with: â€Å"And the male thief and the female thief, cut off their hand as a recompense for that which they committed, a punishment by way of example from Allah. And Allah is All-Powerful, All-Wise† (5:38).The Koran, and specifically Islam’s relationship with Christianity and Judaism, outlines the historical relevance to the connections the religion has with them. It does not dispute their existence, or indeed significant people within both religious texts, rather it is almost reliant on them:â€Å"The Qu’ran sees itself not only as depending on the Torah and Gospel for its own claim to authenticity, but also as ‘confirming’ the truth which they cont ain while at the same time superceding them. [..] We need to interpret our scriptures in ways that promote a meaningful dialogue which will lead to a true fellowship of faith† (98-99)Many Muslims today acknowledge resemblances in religious practices, or are often comforted to find similarities. The same can be said vice-versa, though as more people from Judaic and Muslim background learn that not only do their scriptures acknowledge each other, but have similarities in prayer: â€Å"Men and women sit separately. Services can be led by any male member of the community. In mosques, as in synagogues, Orthodox or not, there are no human symbols of God† (Hirschfield, 2006).It should also be considered, that many within Judaism and Islam need only look within their own verses to see the similarities- or as noted by a filmmaker keen to see open-dialogue, â€Å"educated by Muslims about the 99 names for God and the stories of Muhammad, Ms. Broyde-Sharone tries, in turn, to edu cate Jews about Islam. It is not a hateful monolith, she emphasizes. It is diverse just as Judaism is diverse† (Hirschfield, 2006).The same can be argued for the appearance of Jesus within the Koran, and the religious ‘divide’ between the Bible and the Koran. Many Suras speak of not only him, but of Mary as well. â€Å"A verse in the Quran says, â€Å"Behold! The angels said, ‘O Mary! God gives you glad tidings of a Word from Him. His name will be Jesus Christ, the son of Mary, held in honor in this world and the Hereafter and in (the company of) those nearest to God.'†Ã¢â‚¬ (Oakland Tribune, 2003).The foundation of Islam not only lies within the text of the Koran, but also within each individual Muslim and their interpretations of the text. Whilst Muslim countries and communities seem to have differing opinions on the taboo of suicide, or the overwhelming support of a ‘jihad’, the Pillars of Islam remain intact as a guiding frame of th e religion. Like Judaism and Christianity, Islam and practitioners are influenced by their own communities, history and political leaders, so it is perhaps no surprise that all three monolithic religions look to each other for validation.ReferencesMuslim musings on Jesus, Bible(s) and Dan BrownOakland Tribune. Jun 23, 2006. FindArticles.com. 25 Sep. 2007. (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4176/is_20060623/ai_n16507597 )Ayoub, M. M., Islam: Faith and PracticeThe Open Press, Islamic Book Trust 2001.Biedzynski, J. Historical Atlas of Islam.Journal of Third World Studies. Fall 2005.Hirschfield, R. God and Allah need to talk: L.A. filmmaker spearheads Jewish-Muslim dialogue.National Catholic Reporter. Oct 6, 2006. FindArticles.com. 25 Sep. 2007. (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1141/is_43_42/ai_n17093198 )