My research paper for my (1st) college English class. As you're walking to your next class on campus, you pass by some students standing in the front of a building smoking. You silently hold your breath as you pass them by. Not wanting to breathe in the awful smell lingering in the air, you fan the air in front of your face. If only the image of their damaged lungs could be seen on the outside! What a sight that would be, you think to yourself. Walking into the building, you hear one of the smokers cough up phlegm and spit it out. You cringe at the sound and hurry inside. It's a Friday night as you get ready for the party at your friend's house. You hear a honk from a car outside your house and race through the front door to meet your friends who are picking you up. As you get into the backseat of the car, you notice your two friends in the front with cigarettes in their mouths. The smoke is everywhere and you gag from the smell. You open the window on your side and wonder when your friends started to smoke. Since the first day of class when the three of you met, you never saw them smoking. They had even said they tried it before but hated it. These are just two of the everyday situations people go through with regards to smokers. We've all heard that smoking is bad for a person's health and body and we know the consequences of smoking, especially heavily and over a long period of time. While the choice of whether to smoke or not is a personal one, it becomes even more serious when it affects others, such as in secondhand smoking. Children as well as other family members, friends, neighbors, and even strangers can be negatively affected by an individual's decision to smoke. Convinced that smokers know that their decision isn't only affecting them, it is selfish of them to still smoke while non-smokers are around or will be in the same surroundings while the smell is still in the air. If a person wants to hurt themself that's their business, but they shouldn’t be harming others too. To prevent the negative consequences of hurting one's body and others, smoking should be stopped for good! Even though people know the risks of smoking, this is not enough for some people to never try it or stop completely. What might be a surprise for many is the substances that cigarettes contain. Did you know there are more than 4,000 ingredients in a cigarette other than tobacco? Some of the many ingredients are fungicides and pesticides (causes many types of cancers and birth defects, cadmium (used in batteries and linked to lung and prostate cancer), and benzene (linked to leukemia). If this isn't enough to convince a smoker to quit, how about these ingredients: ammonia(a household cleaner), arsenic (used in rat poisons), butane (gas used in lighter fluid), carbon monoxide (a poisonous gas), cyanide(a deadly poison), DDT (a banned insecticide), lead (poisonous in high doses), formaldehyde (used to preserve dead specimens), naphthalene(ingredient in mothballs), and polonium (cancer-causing radioactive element) (Kleinman). After knowing these dangerous and deadly substances are in cigarettes, is it smart to try or continue smoking? And tobacco industries could care less for its consumer's health, so its up to a person to make wise decisions for their own good! Afterall, as the tobacco industry's saying goes, "An addicted customer is a customer for life, no matter how short that life is" (Kleinman). So, how exactly does smoking harm a person's body and health? No matter how much a smoker may deny it, the fact is that "smoking harms nearly every organ of the body and causes many diseases and reduces the health of smokers in general" (Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking). Compared to a non-smoker, "smoking is estimated to increase the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke by 2 to 4 times, men developing lung cancer by 23 times and women developing lung cancer by 13 times, and of course, dying from chronic obstructive lung diseases (such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema) by 12 to 13 times" (Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking). Would you believe that "more deaths are caused each year by tobacco use than by all deaths from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined" (Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking). Even if a smoker manages to live a long life, is it worth living with cancers and diseases? What a waste of a life!Most importantly is how smoking puts non-smokers in danger. As previously mentioned, a person's choice to smoke shouldn’t put other lives in danger. Do smokers consider how their choice affects the people around them? Exposure from secondhand smoke is most common in homes and workplaces, but also in public restaurants, bars, and casinos and in private vehicles. Secondhand smoke is the combination of smoke from the burning end of a cigarette and the smoke breathed out by smokers. This smoke alone contains more than 7000 chemicals, hundreds of which are toxic and about 70 can cause cancer. "Secondhand smoke causes an estimated 3,400 lung cancer deaths among U.S.adult non-smokers each year" (Secondhand Smoke (SHS) Facts). Many of the victims of secondhand smoke are children who have to suffer (because of adults). In 2007-2008, 53.6% of young children (aged 3–11 years) were exposed to secondhand smoke. In children, secondhand smoke causes ear infections, asthma attacks, respiratory symptoms (ex. coughing, sneezing, shortness of breath), respiratory infections (i.e. bronchitis, pneumonia) and a greater risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). "In children aged 18 months or younger, secondhand smoke exposure is responsible for approximately 7,500–15,000 hospitalizations annually in the United States" (Secondhand Smoke Facts). Why are babies put to risk by adult decisions, especially by their parents? Back in May of 2010, the sight of a two year old smoking was unbeliebvable and disturbing for many people. Outraged by how someone as young as two could get their hands on cigarettes and not be stopped, was a discussion amongst child advocates. According to Seto Mulyadi, chairman of Indonesia's child protection commission, he blames the increase on aggressive advertising and parents who are smokers. In addition he said a law to protect children and passive smokers should be introduced immediately in their country. "A health law passed in 2009 formally recognizes that smoking is addictive, and an anti-smoking coalition is pushing for tighter restrictions on smoking in public places, advertising bans and bigger health warnings on cigarette packages" (Too). All in all, anyone can see how bad the problem is with smoking. Smoking doesn’t just affect one person, but many others too, whether it is a child, spouse, relative, neighbor, friend, classmate, or a stranger! With so many negative consequences not just to an individual but also to the people around a smoker, banning smoking should be a priority for everyones benefit. Works Cited"CDC - Fact Sheet - Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Web. 1 Dec. 2011. http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/."CDC - Fact Sheet - Secondhand Smoke Facts." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Web. 01 Dec. 2011. http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/secondhand_smoke/general_fact s/index.htm.Kleinman, Lowell, and Deborah M. Kleinman. "Have You Ever Wondered What's In a Cigarette?" Quit Smoking Help and Quit Smoking Information at QuitSmokingSupport.com. QuitSmokingSupport.com. Web. 06 Dec. 2011. http://www.quitsmokingsupport.com/whatsinit.htm."Too Unfit to Run: Two-year-old Who Smokes 40 Cigarettes a Day Puffs Away on a Toy Truck." Mail Online. Web. 06 Dec. 2011. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article- 1281538/Smoking-year-old-Ardi-Rizal-40-cigarettes-day.html.
A research paper I wrote for my English class back in my senior year in high school. Does God really exist? Do Christians and Muslim really believe in One God? What is the concept of the trinity in Christianity? Do Muslims believe in Jesus like Christians do? Is it fair for a righteous person to die for other people’s sins? Aisha scans through the list of questions that the audience came up with to ask the guest speaker at the university’s Muslim Student Association event. As she hands the paper over to the speaker, she looks at the audience. An auditorium full of people who are curious to know about Islam and what makes it the fastest growing religion in America, even after September 11, 2001. Former Christian preacher Yusuf Estes looks at the audience and smiles. Two of the world’s largest religions and ways of life, Christianity and Islam, are known to many as monotheistic religions, but the former religion contains a contradiction to the Oneness of God that was introduced not by Jesus, but by a man name Paul. Since the primary aspect of any religion is connected to God, the belief of God’s existence is crucial. Two fundamental aspects that any rational minded person would agree on is 1. the fact that the universe and world and everything in it is real ex. humans, air, sun, etc. and the way we understand our world and ourselves is through observation and using our mind to think and reason and 2. using common sense, we can all agree that part of something is less than the whole of the thing and we don’t find something coming from nothing (“Reasoning the Existence of God.” Peace TV). According to Abdur Raheem Green, when you look at the universe and the world in which you live in and at yourself, you will find things working according to laws, systems, and patterns that are amazing in their intricacy and details. For example, imagine the earth rotating very slowly where a day would be equal to years instead of rotating on its axis every twenty-four hours. One part of the earth’s surface would be in constant sunlight and the other side would be in darkness resulting in one half being super hot and the other being extremely cold. Life would be impossible! Another example that Green gives is, “If there was not an ozone layer protecting us from the harmful radiations of the sun, life on earth would not exist! This perfect combination of gases and movement cannot be a product of some random event, of chance and coincidence. There is nothing in human experience that tells us that you can get precise order from a random event. When something is working according to orders, laws, or patterns, we know someone or something is behind it and is making it work.” With regards to the idea of something coming from nothing, an occurrence of a random event, a product of chance and coincidence, Green uses the example of a cell phone. Cell phones are made of silicon (sand) and plastic (oil). Imagine a cell phone was “said” to be found in the dessert of Saudi Arabia where there is a lot of sand and oil. How about the human mind and all the organs? They are more complex than cell phones and computers. Would any rational minded person believe that these were a product of complete chance and coincidence, a random event? No! It’s ridiculous! Reasoning the facts that the universe didn’t come from nothing, we didn’t come from nothing, the universe didn’t create itself, and we didn’t create the universe or ourselves, all proves that there is something different outside and separate from this universe that created, organized, and sustains this universe in which we live (“Reasoning the Existence of God.” Peace TV). The only one who is capable of such a great task is God, the Creator of all! The Creator must be different and separate from His creation. After all, creation, such as humans, are temporary, in need of a sustainer, prone to making mistakes, do not have the knowledge or answers to everything, etc. If both Creator and creation were of the same nature, than “the Creator would need a creator who would need a creator and so on. Creators would be creating creators forever! If this was to have occurred infinitely, then nothing would have been created. But creation does exist, thus there has to be one creator who is different from creation. The Creator therefore is Eternal, Infinite, Self-sufficient, Powerful, Wise, etc.” (“Reasoning the Existence of God.” Peace TV). The original principle of God in Christianity and Islam was to acknowledge His existence, Him being the One True God with no partners, remembering Him alone through acts of worship, and obeying His commands in what is permissible and what is forbidden. In the red letter edition of the Bible, where the actual words of Jesus are printed in red ink, Jesus was asked by a scribe what the first commandment was. Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is, “Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is One Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment” (12:29-31: Bible (New)). Likewise, Jesus was acknowledged as “Good Master” and was asked what good thing shall one do to have an eternal life. And he [Jesus] said unto him, “Why callest thou me good? There is none good but One, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, which? Jesus said, “Thou shalt do no murder, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness, honor thy father and thy mother: and, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself (19:17-19: Bible (New)). While Jesus clearly pointed out that there is One God (which can be seen in the above verses and many more in the red letter Bible) he never explicitly said, “I am God, worship me,” or “I am part of God.” Yet Christians are told to believe in the trinity, that God is three different and separate divine beings. According to the doctrine of trinity, Jesus is one of the three persons of the Trinitarian God (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost). The only verse in the Bible that is used as evidence for this claim is, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one” (1 John 5:7: Bible (New)). “Biblical scholars of today however, have admitted that the [above] verse is definitely a “later addition” to the Biblical text, and it is not found in any of today’s versions of the Bible” (Brown). Furthermore, the trinity doctrine was never taught by Jesus (or his disciples), as mentioned in the previous verses from the red letter Bible where Jesus himself spoke of One God. Instead, Paul of Tarsus was the individual who deviated from Jesus’ pure monotheistic teachings, to worship One and only God. “Paul was the first person to make up the trinity doctrine and say to believe in it. Paul never saw Jesus or talked with Jesus. Paul claimed that he had a vision on the way to Damascus where he was actually going to persecute Christians. Paul was the first person to come up with the title of Christian, trinity, and the Godship of Jesus” (Top 10 Reasons). Paul could be considered as the true founder of Christianity, as he did come up with many of Christianity’s doctrines (such as original sin and atonement). Paul led the way for the trinity with his idea of Jesus being a “divine son” and it was the church people who later put the idea together (Brown). When controversy over the matter of the trinity blew up in 318 between two church men from Alexandria, Emperor Constantine stepped into the fray… after the first gathering at Nicea in 325, the doctrine of the trinity was hammered out. The God of the Christians was now seen as having three natures in the form of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It wasn’t until 451 at the council of Chalcedon that with the approval of the Pope, the Nicene/Constantinople creed was set as authoritative. Debate on the matter was no longer tolerated; to speak out against the trinity was blasphemy… (Brown). As explained earlier, God is naturly Self-sufficient; He does not need to eat, sleep, or pray. But, Jesus would pray when he had an issue. It is written in the Bible that Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder” (Matthew 26:36: Bible (New)). Reading further on is a verse about Jesus prostrating in prayer with his face on the ground (just as Muslims do in prayer) and saying, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Matthew 26:39: Bible (New)). The act of prayer done by anyone shows that one is in need of something greater than oneself. Jesus praying shows that he needs someone greater than himself. If Jesus was God, he wouldn’t need to pray. Instead, he would have told people to pray to him (Top 10 Reasons). Furthermore, Jesus was asked about the hour (Day of Judgment), and he replied that God’s knowledge was greater than his own. “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matthew 24:36: Bible (New)). If Jesus was God, or part of God as in the trinity, he would have known this information, since God is Wise and knows all. If God knows the hour, Jesus and the holy spirit should know the hour too if they are the same person (Top 10 Reasons). While it may be hard for some people to believe, the trinity does not follow the principle of believing and worshipping One God as Jesus taught. After all, “there is nothing on earth that can be described like the concept of three things in one that are physically separate things. Moreover, the word trinity is not even in the Bible” (Does the Trinity). According to Suzanne Haneef, "God is not like a pie or an apple which can be divided into three-thirds which form one whole; if God is three persons or possess three parts, He is assuredly not the Single, Unique, Indivisible Being which God is and which Christianity professes to believe in" (Brown). If Jesus was really the son of God and should be worshipped, he would have made it clear, not hint at it, especially if the belief in the trinity is linked to salvation in Christianity (Does the Trinity). In Islam, God is referred to with the unique Arabic name “Allah.” Unlike the word “God” which can be changed to Gods (plural) or Goddess (female God), Allah is singular and has no gender. There is no such thing as a male or female Allah (Naik 29). Unlike English, the Arabic language has words that are classified as being masculine or feminine. The Arabic word "huwa" is masculine and can be translated to "it" and "he" while "hiya" is feminine and can be translated to "it" and "she". In the Quran, the pronoun "huwa" is used to refer to Allah, so when translated to English, "He" is used instead of "It" out of respect to Allah (Estes). Additionally, (the Arabic word) Tawheed, is the basic foundation of Islam. It is usually translated as monotheism but it is literally known as asserting Oneness to Allah (in His Lordship, His Names and Attributes, and in His Worship/Obedience). Asserting Oneness to His Lordship means to affirm that Allah is One without any partners (ex. wife, son, helper, etc.). "This category is based on the fundamental concept that Allah alone caused all things to exist when there was nothing. Allah alone is the sole Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe and everything in it, without any need from it or for it" (Naik 38). Furthermore, maintaining Allah's 99 names and attributes, such as the: Creator, Protector, Provider, Transcendent, Eternal, All-Knower; the most: Powerful, Forgiving, Just, Wise, Loving, etc., involves describing Allah as He and His Prophet described Himself. In addition, Allah is only to be referred to without giving Him any new names or attributes including those of His creation. For instance, in the Bible (Exodus 32:14: Bible (Old)), Allah is mentioned as one who repented for His bad thoughts; similar to what humans do when they realize their errors. This is completely against the principle of Tawheed. Allah does not repent nor does He make mistakes (Naik 39). Allah's creation should also not be given His attributes. The name Rahman is permissible for a person while Ar-Rahman (the Most Compassionate and Merciful) is not, since Allah is the only one who is the Most Compassionate and Merciful. Finally, upholding the unity of servitude, worship, and obedience should only be done to Allah. Worship involves performing good deeds and abstaining from committing sins (Naik 40), the worst being associating partners to Allah such as the claim of Allah having a son (an attribute of His creation) or worshipping idols. Other examples of worship include the five "pillars" of Islam; the declaration of faith (Shahadah), five daily prayers during its proper time (Salat), fasting during the month of Ramadan (Saum), pilgrimage to Makkah, Saudi Arabia (Hajj), and distributing about 2.5% of one's extra wealth (ex. money, gold, business profits, etc.) to people such as the poor and orphans (Zakat). In the English translation of the Quran, Allah says, “Say (O, Muhammad): "He is Allâh, the One. Allâh, the Self-Sufficient Master, whom all creatures need, (He neither eats nor drinks). He begets not, nor was He begotten. And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him” (114:1-4: Interpretation of the Meanings of the Noble Quran (in the English Language)). Here, Allah describes Himself as independent unlike His creation, He does not need to eat or drink to survive, He does not give birth nor was He given birth to, and He is completely different and incomparable. Moreover, the Muslim declaration of faith (testimony or Shahadah in Arabic), which is the first of five “pillars” of Islam, is to testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah (He is One, Alone, He has no partners) and Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) is Allah’s servant and final Messenger. The belief in Allah and Prophet Muhammad are also two of the six “pillars of belief” (belief in Allah, His angels, His books/scriptures, His messengers (Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad being the most important ones), the last day, (Day of Judgment), and in divine predestination). As we can see, the Oneness and Uniqueness of Allah is part of both Islam and the original teachings of Jesus, but as time passed, people started to change and attribute false claims to Jesus and his teachings. While Muslims don’t believe that Jesus was God or part of God in any way, Muslims do believe in Jesus as one of the mightiest prophet and messenger of God’s who was sent to the children of Israel and one cannot be a Muslim without belief in Jesus. In fact, Islam is the only other religion where it is a tenant of faith to believe in Jesus and everything he did. With God’s permission, Jesus was able to perform miracles such as healing the sick and blind and giving life to the dead (Top 10 Reasons). Moreover, while Jesus followed and preached the Ten Commandments, so did the other prophets of God, such as Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). They were all sent with the same message of worshipping One God without partners, but Muhammad, God’s final messenger, was sent as a mercy to all of mankind, instead of just to a particular group of people like Jesus (Does the Trinity). Therefore, God’s existence can be proven by reflecting on His creation of the earth (which humans have destroyed from its natural form) and even oneself, and Christianity and Islam both believe in His existence. But, the two ways of life differ on who God is exactly and whether Jesus had anything to do with being God or part of Him. While Christianity claims conviction in One God, in Islam, the idea that God is physically manifested into His creation, such as in the trinity, is an invalid belief. To really come to a sound conclusion, one must investigate Christianity and Islam based on their religious scriptures, the Bible and the Quran, and authentic information. Work CitedBrown, Aisha. Who Invented The Trinity? Chicago: Institute of Islamic Information and Education. Print. Does the Trinity Make Any Sense? Perf. Kamal El-Mekki. The Deen Show. 18 Mar. 2010. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJvhVDTAIbk>. Estes, Yusuf. Concept of God in Islam. YouTube. 14 Mar. 2008. Web. 3 May 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDKgSrk1TfI>. Exodus. King James Version of the Bible. Web. 30 Apr. 2011. <http://kjvbible.net/cgi-bin/search.cgi>. Interpretation of the Meanings of the Noble Quran (in the English Language). Trans. Dr. Muhammad M. Khan and Dr. Muhammad T. Hilali. Print. 1 John. King James Version of the Bible. Web. 4 May 2011. <http://kjvbible.net/cgi-bin/search.cgi>. Mark. New Testament (Red Letter Edition) King James Version. Web. 23 Apr. 2011. <http://wn.elib.com/Library/Religious/KJV/NR/NewTrl_mark.html>. Matthew. New Testament (Red Letter Edition) King James Version. Web. 23 Apr. 2011. <http://wn.elib.com/Library/Religious/KJV/NR/NewTrl_mark.html>. Naik, Zakir. Concept of God in Major Religions. New Delhi: Adam Publishers and Distributors, 2008. Print. "Reasoning the Existence of God." Modern Challenges, Islamic Solutions. Peace TV. 14 Jan. 2010. http://www.peacetv.tv/. Web. 23 Feb. 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zz1gbBJ59JY> . Top 10 Reasons Why Jesus Is Not God. Perf. Joshua Evans. The Deen Show. 10 Sept. 2008. Web. 15 Mar. 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YW99U4JWNEc>.
“Mommy, why are there so many dead fish? What killed them all?” questioned 5 year-old Kevin. His mother bit her lip, wondering what to say to an innocent little child in terms he would understand. Mrs. Martini was taking her two children for a walk in the park in which a river cut through. Usually a place of splendor for families to stroll through on a beautiful spring day, the river now was practically littered with dead fish. Here and there lay a dead bird too, obviously from eating a contaminated fish. The pesticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, more commonly known as DDT, had worse results than many people had thought. The news of the affects of DDT had been all over the news for the past couple of days. Now Mrs. Martini saw the truth for herself. It was disgusting to see what humans were doing to the Earth. Killing oneself was one thing, but killing innocent plants and animals was a different story. How would the future look if this continued? She came back from her thoughts by the tug on her skirt by Kevin. He didn’t see the tears in his mother’s eyes.The American environmental movement surfaced in the 1960's and 1970's. It wasn't until 1962 that Americans were concerned about the environment. Thanks to Rachel Carson, an ecologist and writer, her book Silent Spring (1962) was about how pesticides were killing birds and the dangers of pesticides on foods that people ate. Overall, this book described the health and environmental hazards of the pesticide DDT, which was widely used at that time in the United States and around the world, which was eventually banned in the United States in 1972. Because of Carson's writing, "many Americans realized that industrialization and economic development had exploited and damaged the natural environment" (Miller, 16). This realization helped launch an environmental movement which grew in numbers of people and organizations that were concerned and wanted to help. Thus, the American dream in the 1970s was to save the environment! Primarily, people took advantage of raising awareness on April 22, 1970, the United State's first Earth Day! Action that took place on this special day included planting trees, cleaning up litter, holding parades, and attending rallies. "Still, others staged protests to dramatize the goals of environmentalism" (Sonneborn, 47). More serious attempts of awareness on this day included the event of 100 students riding horses in Tacoma, Washington to speak out against auto emissions that cause pollution. "In San Francisco, California, a group calling itself the Environmental Vigilantes poured oil into a reflecting pool outside the corporate offices of the Standard Oil Company to draw attention to destructive oil spills" (Sonneborn 47). Though many of the actions that took place may seem drastic, people wanted to let others know of the destruction the environment was going through before it was too late! What would become of the Earth, home to countless living organisms of people, plants, and animals, if something wasn't done soon to change the negative environment conditions? Furthermore, how would the later generations survive in a world that was neglected by past inhabitants? From that day forward, April 22 is known as Earth Day.
In addition to Earth Day, further action that took place for public awareness included the first major environmental law that was passed during the Nixon administration. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) was signed into law on January 11, 1970 on live television. NEPA later created a brand new federal agency called the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). EPA works to protect people and the natural world in the U.S. Some of EPA’s main goals include: clean air and clean and safe water, safe food, preventing pollution, reducing global risk, and better waste management. EPA’s successes consists of "lowering the amount of lead that children are exposed to by controlling lead-based paint and banning DDT, a very harmful pesticide that can hurt animals and cause cancer in people" (Binns, 8). EPA was also responsible for "cleaning up the Great Lakes, which were very polluted and also toxic waste sites such as Love Canal in New York in 1980" (Binns, 9). The Agency also "fines businesses that break the laws and pollute the environment. For example, Exxon, whose tanker Exxon Valdez spilled oil in Alaska in 1989. Many animals died as a result of the oil spill" (Binns, 9). These are just some of the many ways EPA is doing their part to make a difference. Similarly, animal and plant protection was also a concern for many people. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) began with a conference in Washington, D.C. in 1973. The conference led 80 nations to sign CITES. CITES "monitors and sometimes restricts international commerce in plant and animal species believed to be harmed by trade" (A History). Cites overall aim is “to make sure that international trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. Trade is diverse, ranging from live animals and plants to a vast supply of products derived from them including food products, leather goods, and medicines" (What is). Later in the year of 1973, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was passed by Congress.
The ESA's primary purpose is to protect and recover endangered species and the ecosystems in which they depend upon. It is administered by the Interior Department's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), which is responsible for land and freshwater creatures. ESA is also administered by the Commerce Department's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), which is responsible for marine wildlife such as whales and salmon. Species may be listed as either endangered or threatened under the ESA.
According to the ESA, "endangered species are ones considered to be in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range while threatened species are likely ESA). To the ESA, "all species of plants and animals except pest insects are eligible for listing as either endangered or threatened" (ESA). ESA's ways of protecting endangered and threatened species and their habitats include prohibiting harassment, pursuing, hunting, shooting, wounding, killing, trapping, capturing, collecting, or harming which can actually kill or injure wildlife by impairing behavioral patterns such as breeding, feeding, or sheltering.
Overall, the concern for the environment was so great in America in the 1970’s that it brought the attention of many people who wanted to change the negative environment conditions. Jeopardizing the health and well being of the present and future inhabitants was the leading factor for so much change. For better living for people, plants, and animals, much was done to assist in many areas that needed improvement. All the organizations and people, who put so much time and effort into their work to help everyone and the Earth, did an impressive job to make a difference. We can all help too!
WORKS CITED
"A History of the Endangered Species Act of 1973." U.S Fish and Wildlife Service: Endangered Species Program. April 2008. 6 April 2010. www.fws.gov/endangered/factsheets/history_ESA.pdf.
Binns, Tristin. The EPA: Environmental Protection Agency. Chicago: Heinemann Library. 2003.
"ESA Basics: More Than 30 years of Conserving Endangered Species." U.S Fish and Wildlife Service: Endangered Species Program. February 2009. 6 April 2010.
www.fws.gov/endangered/factsheets/ESA_basics.pdf.
Miller, Debra A. Conserving the Environment. Farmington Hills: Greenhaven Press. 2010.
Sonneborn, Liz. The Environmental Movement: Protecting Our Natural Resources. New York: Chelsea House Publishers. 2008.
"What is CITES." Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. 6 April 2010.
www.cites.org/eng/disc/what.shtml.
My first research paper I wrote (for my English class) in 2009. *Like most of my writing, revisions have been made to the online version, especially after I wrote the original. For this specific one, references to hadith, cutting off unnecessary material, works cited page, etc.
Walking out from your home, you notice your new neighbor, a Muslim woman, getting into her car to take her daughter to school. She is dressed in a black head and face covering and a gown-like outfit reaching her feet. You heard she even worked as a teacher. You stand there puzzled. Why do Muslim women cover their head, face, and body? Are they allowed to work and make money? Does Islam permit harsh treatment of women by men? Are they really oppressed or liberated? All of these ridiculous rumors you hear in the media spread negative beliefs about the life of a Muslim woman. In reality, Islam provides a positive way of life for Muslim women regarding self, social, economic, and support aspects that should be correctly known by the public.
Most importantly, the covering of a Muslim woman’s head, face, and body is the most misunderstood part of Islam among non-Muslims and even some Muslims. The media spreads ideas that are mostly false or true only within certain cultures or families, but really has nothing to do with Islam. Another way people with little or no understanding of Islam or Muslims get the wrong impression is by judging any Muslim and assuming Islam teaches what they are viewing or hearing. According to "Baba" Ali's video, That's Not Hijab, "Society uses a double standard when it comes to women covering their hair. Comparing a nun to a hijabi, they cover practically the same body parts, yet society labels the nun as one who is practicing her religion and as pious and a hijabi as oppressed."
The head covering (hijab in Arabic) identifies women as followers of the religion Islam, who are Muslims. By wearing hijab, a Muslim woman is saying, “Judge me by my faith, not my body” (Adam). Muslim women are seen as humans and not as objects as women are in today’s society or were before Islam.
“Hijab is worn by Muslim woman as a sign of faith, modesty, and chastity…” (Adam). Hijab is not just covering up of either just the head or body, but of both. Ones behavior, manners, speech, and appearance also plays a part. Wearing hijab properly means covering of all the hair, chest, neck, and ears, wearing loose clothes as to not show the body’s shape, and not wearing or putting on attractive items such as strong smelling perfume, jewelry that makes noise or might catch unwanted attention, and clothes/headscarf that makes one stand out because of color or material.
Putting up an earring fashion show displaying all the earrings owned (with hair still covered), wearing skin tight clothes that makes it look like the clothes are painted on, and “short sleeve hijab,” which means covering of the head until you get to the arms and realize short sleeves are being worn, are some hijab “attempts” made by some older Muslim women (That’s Not Hijab).
Many people think being forced to wear hijab or to please others such as their parents or wearing it for show is what hijab is about. “Popular belief to some Muslims and non-Muslims is that hijab is worn to keep men’s desire in check. It is not worn for that. Rather for themselves [women] and to follow God’s command” (Unveiling). Only God (Allah in Arabic) knows ones intention of why one does something and for whom. And say to the believing women that they lower their gaze and guard their modesty, and that they should not display their beauty and ornaments what must ordinarily appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands… (Quran 24:31).
How many times do people think of Muslim women as being uneducated because of how they appear? The idea of Muslim women being pushed away from society, which includes not getting a proper education, is something the media tries to make the public believe. In Islam, women are equal to men in the quest for knowledge. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “The seeking of knowledge is compulsory upon every (male and female) Muslim” (Ibn Maja). Nothing should stop one from learning what is beneficial for them in this life and the next. "Since it is also their obligation to promote good behavior and condemn bad behavior in all spheres of life, Muslim women must acquire the appropriate education to perform this duty in accordance with their own natural talents and interests" (Anjum). Education also plays a role in parenting because of the affects that it will have on the children. The way someone is raised impacts how they will be when they get older. "A woman having children must be educated and conscientious in order to be a skillful parent" (Anjum).
It is a privilege for a Muslim woman to be a wife and a mother. People assume being a wife or mother is not an important job as being a nurse, lawyer, teacher, etc. A wife and a mother are highly respected positions for a Muslim woman. A Muslim woman's rights before looking to get married include having a choice to approve or deny a proposal. Contrary to popular belief, Islam does not teach for its women to be forced to marry someone without them knowing and approving. A Muslim woman may only marry a Muslim man. "In Islam, the husband is the head of the house, so it would be hard for a woman if she was told to do something against Islam (Watson 58). As a wife, she also receives a marital gift (mahr) from the husband, which is part of the marriage contract.
When she finally does marry, she does not have to change her last name, she may keep her maiden name (Watson 56). Present and future income and properties even after marriage, are hers to keep. She also receives full financial support during marriage and the "waiting period" in case of divorce or widowhood (Malaekah). The wife also has the right to kind treatment. Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "The most perfect man in his faith among the believers is the one whose behavior is most excellent; and the best of you are those who are the best to their wives'' (At-Tirmidhi).In the news, we hear Muslim women are being abused, violated, and basically treated with disrespect mostly by their husband or by other men. Whether a man knows it or not, he is not allowed to act in any way which may cause harm to a woman. Such acts in marriage can lead to divorce. Islam allows divorce, but it is not encouraged to take place.
The Qu’ran tells us that our mothers went through hardships such as labor, feeding, and caring for us, so mothers come before fathers in importance.
A man came to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and said, "O messenger of God! Who among the people is the most worthy of my good companionship?" Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "Your mother." The man asked two more times and the answer was "your mother." When asked for the fourth time, the answer was "then your father" (Summarized Sahih Bukhari, 952).
Since both the mother and father took care of the children when they were young, they are both to be taken care of by their children when they are unable to do so by themselves.
Your Lord has commanded you that you worship none but Him, and that you be kind to your parents. If one of them or both of them reach old age with you, do not say to them a word of disrespect, or scold them, but say generous words to them and act humbly to them in mercy, and say, “My Lord, have mercy on them, since they cared for me when I was small” (Qu’ran17:23-24). In addition to rights of Muslim women, she has economic benefits. “She can work, be self supporting, and participate in handling the family duties as long as her integrity and honor are safeguarded” (Status). A Muslim woman can work outside her home if she chooses to as long as her family responsibilities are met (Anjum). This means if she can keep up with working outside her home and within her home for herself and family, no one can stop her against her will. Islam does not forbid a Muslim woman from seeking employment, especially in positions that fit her and where society needs her such as teaching children, nursing, and social and charitable work (Malaekah). With this said, the money she earns is rightfully hers. “Muslim women have the benefit to earn money. She can run her own business and no one has any claim over her earnings, including her husband” (Anjum). Finally, a female Muslim receives overall support throughout her life by men. Men are the maintainers of women because God has made some of them to excel others and because they spend of their wealth for the support of women (Qur’an 4:34). Although males may inherit more than females, males are financially responsible for their female relatives such as their mothers, sisters, wives, and daughters. Females inherit less but get to keep their share without any legal obligation to spend any part of it even on their own needs if they choose not to (Malaekah). “As a daughter or sister, she is entitled to security and provision by the father and brother respectively” (Status). Likewise, a husband is required to provide everything for his wife. "A husband is obligated to provide the wife with food, shelter, and clothing, despite her own personal spending. The husband is not forced to spend over his capability and the wife is not allowed to make unreasonable demands" (Anjum). As to a Muslim woman's relationship with others, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "None of you has faith (Emaan in Arabic) until he desires for his Muslim brother (or sister) that which he desires for himself (or herself)" (Bukhari and Muslim). Similar to the saying, “treat others the way you would like to be treated,” both Muslim men and women are to act upon the Prophet's sayings. Muslim women are to communicate and keep in touch with their sisters in Islam, visit the sick, respect neighbors, care for the young and old, congratulate upon the birth of a baby, and work along the needs of her family.
With all this said, one would be mistaken to say “Muslim women are oppressed, treated like slaves of men, or has no importance in life.” Islam is a complete way of life, with answers to everything. Allah mentions in the Qur'an how the life of both Muslim men and women should be properly lived. Overall, Islam provides a positive way of life for Muslim women regarding self, social, economic, and support aspects that should be correctly known by the public. SourcesThe Veil Unveiled: The True Status of Women in Islam (part 1, 2, and 3)http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/287/viewall/Women’s Liberation through Islam (part 1 and 2)http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/428/
Women in Islam (part 1 and 2)http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/2132/viewall/
Status of Woman in Islamhttp://www.whyislam.org/services/order-literature/#That's Not Hijabhttp://ummahfilms.blogspot.com/2006/11/thats-not-hijab-ummah-films-season-2.htmlThe Quran (Arabic text with corresponding English meanings) by Saheeh International Hijab - Unveiling the Mysteryhttp://www.whyislam.org/services/order-literature/#Veils of Dignity by Khadija Watson
