Impact Of Challenges Of Islamic Finance Example For Free - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2254 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Narrative essay Did you like this example? Many countries in the West are optimistic in the establishment of Islamic Banking and Financial institutions in their country. The laws, although a contributing obstacle, can be overcome through further product development of sharia compliant product. Germany, U.S. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Impact Of Challenges Of Islamic Finance Example For Free" essay for you Create order and France are cases depicting the challenges that will be met with the establishment of Islamic Banking. The German Case: According to Engels, there is a significant population of Muslims in Germany and a substantial amount of investment interactions with the Muslim world. With that in mind, Germany may be interested in establishing Islamic Banks within the country. The BaFin# have had talks over the last 15 years with Islamic banking representatives from the Muslim community in Germany as well as from foreign Islamic banks looking to establish in the country. However, there has been no real action in its development and establishment. This could be attributed to the following reasons. First, the BaFin is skeptical of the Islamic banking models commercial viability as it will be catering to 2 million Muslims (p.179). Second, Islamic banking methods conflict with German Banking Act. Third, in accordance with German Banking Act, the principal of an investment must be insured. As , the basis of Islamic banks is profit and loss sharing as per the pre-determined ratio in structures such as murabaha, this may cause some form of conflict with the banking laws of the nation. Finally, Islamic banks differ in the method of reporting and monitoring of its operations from the European standard. The risk and financial standing must be identified clearly in its reports to be clearly evaluated. Despite these concerns, there areas in which Islamic financial services can flourish (Engels, 2010). According to the German banking law, in accordance with the German Banking Act KWG, there are nine types of services in which a business can entitle itself a credit institution#. The following are the nine banking activities: Deposit business Credit business Securities business Safe-custody business Investment fund business Revolving credit business Guarantee business Giro business (Engels,2010, p.181) According to Engel, Islamic financial institut ions, taking into account the restrictions placed on it by the German Banking Laws, could participate in the offering of at least 5 out of the nine the services stated above that will term it as a credit institution. Five of which are, deposits, credit, securities, safe-custody and Giro business (Engels, 2010 ,p.181) . Deposit business: In Islamic financial services, there are multiple forms of deposits as listed below: Current Deposits Wadiah and Qard Savings Deposits-Wadiah and Mudaraba Investment Deposits-Mudaraba According to the KWG 1, a deposit business means the receipt of monies from others as deposits irrespective of the payment of interest. In addition, it has viewed these deposits made to the bank as a loan in which the full amount must be paid back to the lender, in this case the customer of the bank (Engels, 2010). Based on these restrictions, Islamic financial institutions can provide current deposit services and savings deposit services in the form of wadiah , qard hassan and mudaraba deposits. As the principle amount is guaranteed whenever the customer wishes to withdraw the principle. However, Sharia compliant investment deposits will not be acceptable under the German law as there is in no guarantee on the return on the full principle. The losses incurred are shared by the bank and the customer at a predetermined ratio. Credit Business: According to the German Banking Law defines the credit business as the granting of money loans and acceptance of credits.# Under these guidelines, Islamic banking institutions can provide loans as the law does not specify the mandatory inclusion of interest rate. In accordance with the BaFin, an exchange of a cheque for cash is considered a credit business. This service is provided by the bank at a set administrative fee. Islamic institution could provide this as a part of their services. Furthermore, Islamic institutions can participate in the provision of promissory notes as they can also charge a fixed administrative fee in return for the service. The challenge lies in the ability to provide this service as the liquidity of Islamic banks are limited. In addition, if we look at it from a broader view point, the EC Directive has included the following services under the same definition mortgage loa ns, factoring with or without recourse and trade financing, of which , are not permissible. However, murabaha and musharaka structures may be taken into consideration to categorize it under the EC Directives definition of lending (Engels, 2010, pp.183-184). Other Acceptable activities: Islamic banking and financing institutions can participate in the sale and purchase of securities for their clients as long as it is riba free. They can also participate in the managing of securities for their clients. Finally, they can participate in Giro business, the administration of deposit funds for customers , with the provision of services such as , transferring amounts and the provision of clearances for a set administrative fee((Engels,2010,p.181). Overall, the restrictions stated by the German Banking Act are not obstacles that cannot be overcome. However, the issue arises when wanting to adapt Islamic banking in the EU. It may be compliant in Germany however; in order to be compli ant in Germany it must also be compliant in the EU. The move towards uniformity may act as an additional obstacle in the face of establishment. The US constitution and Islamic banking and finance controversy: The basis of the Western banking models foundation lies in practices that defy the Muslims basis of acceptable financial banking activities. Gimigliano argues, the First Amendment of the US constitution#may partake in the assimilation of the Islamic banking and finance model into the US economy as an official domestic bank. There has been a move towards the establishment of Islamic domestic banks in the US. According to Thomas Baxter, General Council and Executive Vice President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, for the following reasons: (a) the growing Muslim population on US Territory, able to influence the West in market economies;(b) an increasing awareness of socially responsible finance, after the Enron scandal;(c) the free exercise of religion clause law makers will need to ascertain whether some practices can be changed to accommodate Muslims who try to practice their religion freely. (Gimigliano, p.149, 2010) Based on the above, The First Amendment is divided into two parts, the free exercise and the establishment clause (p.149). The first clause protects the individual freedom to practice their religion of choice, which enforces the need in the establishment of Muslim friendly banking institutions. However, the second clause, deals with the governments actions, and its incorporation, with this respect makes it controversial, together with this point in the constitution, separation of church and state,and the neutrality theory may act as a legal and ideological obstacle in the face of its integration and acceptance(Gimigliano, p.159, 2010). According the Gimigilano, the strict separation of government and religion restricts any form of government participation even if it is in the form of assistance, including the fir e, police and public health services.It would be in violation of the separation clause. In this affect, may prevent the safeguard of freedom of practice (Gimigliano, p.150, 2010). In addition, based on the clause of neutrality, government cannot be involved in the monitoring of the activities because it will tie government with an institution tied to religious foundations. In this case, brings up the question who is the reasonable observer? It has been suggested that an educated individual can be appointed as an observer of Islamic banking activities. However, he only reasonable observer that can regulate the activities of an Islamic bank is Sharia scholars (Gimigliano, p.151, 2010). . The US constitution is the driving force towards the accommodation of faith. However, it is the preference of the US law to maintain secularism in the countrys economic activities. In the face of authorization and the limits of US jurisdiction, the establishment of an Islamic bank still has many obstacles before it can attain authorization (Gimigliano, 2010). The French and the provision of Islamic banking: Similarly, according to Arnaud, the French too are encouraging the opening of Islamic Banking in France as it will cater to the Muslim population, as well as, to the well off GCC nationals seeking ethically responsible banking institutions. At this point, acceptance has been very flexible. To gain authorization and licensing to operate in France it must comply with the basic standard that is applied to all banking institutions by the CECEI#. In fact, it has been quite accepting of foreign banking institutions opening in France. Banks originating from Muslin countries have been present in France for over three decades. For example, six Lebanese banks, four Iranian banks, two Pakistani, two Qatari banks, an Egyptian bank, a bank originating from Abu Dhabi, a Kuwaiti bank and a Jordanian bank have established themselves in France. However, despite Frances openness towards the establishment of an Islamic Bank in France, there has been no approach by the already present Middle Eastern banks to provide Sharia compliant services, nor has the CECEI been approached to formally authorize the establishment of an Islamic Bank. This brings up another underlying concern. As there has been no outspoken demand for an Islamic bank, CECEI are unsure of the actual demand for an Islamic bank. Notably, if an Islamic Bank establishes itself in France, it must prove itself a viable banking and financing institution. First, as per the CECEI rules, it must have qualified bank mangers running the operations. As it would be a new concept in France, the ability to find ex perienced figures locally will be difficult. It would have to bring expertise from abroad. In addition, these individuals too will have to be knowledgeable in French law to insure the Banks activities are compliant to the local law let alone the sharia law (Arnaud, 2010). In terms of product development, it must comply with Frances customer security close without inhibiting the ease in the operation of the bank. Its main concern is money laundering and terrorism. The Islamic banking institutions must have systems in place, approved by the CECEI, which will inhibit fraud and the misuse of funds. As the banking systems in France are based on the Western conventional model, mechanisms for the regulation of funds may need to be developed to suite the models of sharia compliant banks (Arnaud, 2010). In addition, there must be internal systems to monitor the day to day operations of the bank. The products provided to the customers must be compliant with French law. As this product r equires special oversight by sharia scholars, to insure they are compliant with the Islamic guidelines, it is noteworthy to mention that the shariah committee must be limited to that of vetting and certifying products and should not extend beyond this to interfere with the banks governance and internal operating modes.This could be related to the similarity between the US and French constitution. France, like the US is secular in nature. The accommodation of an institution thats foundations are based on Islamic principles is contrary to its constitutional foundations. Religious representation of a faith may be frowned upon by strict secularists (Arnaud, 2010, p.170). Moreover,the Islamic banks must be able to convert Islamic financial products into a mode understandable in the conventional accounting system. This is to insure that the risk factor and the required liquidity of the bank to sustain these products is clearly apparent by overseers (Arnaud, 2010). Furthermore, the S haria scholars must play the role of auditors in the day to day running of the institutions. The challenge arises with regards to the capacity and knowledge of these scholars to effectively insure the quality of the service provided (Arnaud, 2010). In regards to issues related to retail Islamic products, there are a few issues that arise due to the French laws lacking in areas that relate to qard, mudaraba and ijara. First, the French law does not have an accounting infrastructure to support loans given as advances to the bank from a customer. In this case, the customers rights are not fully protected by law. Therefore, the French law must be updated to insure that the customer is insured a deposit guarantee fund for deposits in the form of wadiah , qard hasan and mudraba in savings deposits. Second, in relation to the first point, deposits for the purpose of investment, mudarba, can no longer be defined as deposit funds as they cannot fall under the qualified to be labeled under the deposit guarantee fund.Finally, the ijara contracts for home financing must be compliant with the French consumer protection codes (Arnaud, 2010, p.172). Islamic banking institution will not receive any exceptions ender the French law in keeping with its non-discriminatory clause. The products must be sustainable and adequately structured to the specification of the law. Furthermore, these guidelines is not a hindrance to its development but, an insurance to future customers that their rights are fully protected. In that regard, Sharia compliant banking institutions have a chance to grow in France as the foundations of its operations are based on ethical practices that insure the equity and controlled risk. The intricately weaved infrastructure of Islamic Finance (IF) has shown a definitive growth in recent years and, IF has been highlighted in global trade as a means of integrating Western and Eastern banking practices for a more optimal trade regimen. Namely, laws in We stern regions including Europe and North America have shown an ability to accommodate IF guidelines, despite a perceived public ethos of resistance to Islamic ideals.

Trends in Human Resource Management - 1143 Words

Trends in Human Resource Management Teaming across organizational boundaries appears to be a hallmark of companies in transformation. In fact, a number of companies these days have eliminated many of the traditional organizational boundaries entirely. Project teams instead of traditional managers organize work, and workers are even able to join teams based on their competencies and interest. These are just some of the changes being made as the United States quickly transforms from an industrial society to a service society. Instead of the boss being the CEO the boss is now becoming the customer. As our company structures change thus does the roles of our Humane Resource departments. In the following paragraphs we will discuss some of†¦show more content†¦According to chapter 2 of the Fundamentals of Human Resource Management, the 2006 workforce will be 72 percent white (and non-Hispanic), 11 percent black, 12 percent Hispanic, and 5 percent Asian and other minorities. This diversity in the U.S. labor forc e is a major challenge to employers to create HRM (Human Resource Management) practices that ensure they fully utilize the talents, skills, and values of all employees. Diverse work environments force organizations to make certain of cultures that value diversity ensuring that HRM systems are bias-free, encouraging career development for women and minorities, promoting knowledge and acceptance of cultural differences, ensuring involvement in education both within and outside the organization, and dealing with employees resistance to diversity (Trends page 34). The most common approaches to insuring a diverse workforce are recruiting with an effort to increase diversity and training programs to insure that current employees can deal with the new sundry labor force. Some employers are even adding benefits such as daycare, eldercare and flexible work schedules to attract diverse employees. 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Night World Spellbinder Chapter 14 Free Essays

string(44) " for the last three days inside the circle\." Every week passed more or less quietly. Grandma Harman came home, her cough better. She didn’t seem to notice anything different about Thea. We will write a custom essay sample on Night World : Spellbinder Chapter 14 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Night came earlier, and everyone at school talked about parties and costumes. The air got colder and there was an announcement that the old gym would be opened for Halloween. Thea heard that Randy Marik had been moved to a psychiatric hospital and was in intensive therapy. He was making some progress. Thea and Eric worked every day on their plan. The only real excitement came the night when Thea walked in, sat on Blaise’s bed, and said, â€Å"Bullets won’t stop him.† â€Å"What?† Blaise looked up from creaming her elbows. â€Å"I mean, spells won’t stop him. Eric. They just bounce off. I’m telling you this because you’re going to notice that he’s not with Mar.† Blaise snapped the tube of cream shut. She stared at Thea for a full minute before she said tightly, â€Å"What are you saying?† Thea’s humor drained away. She looked at the floor. â€Å"I’m saying we’re soulmates,† she said quietly. â€Å"And that I can’t help it. There is really, truly, nothing I can do about it.† â€Å"I can’t believe, after all that-† â€Å"Right. After all that work. And after me trying and trying to stop, because I’m scared to death. But there’s no way to fight it, Blaise. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. I’ve got to find some way to try to live with it.† She looked at her cousin. â€Å"Okay?† â€Å"You know it’s not okay. You know it’s completely not okay.† â€Å"I guess what I mean is, okay, will you please not kill him or turn us in? Because I can’t stand being in another fight with you. And I can’t stop breaking the law.† Blaise tossed the cream jar in the direction of the dresser. â€Å"Thea, are you all right?† she said, seriously. â€Å"Because you’re acting very†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Fatalistic?† â€Å"Fatalistic and generally scary.† â€Å"I’m okay. I just†¦ I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I am sort of†¦ calm. I’m going to do my best. Eric’s going to do his best. And beyond that, nothing’s guaranteed.† Blaise stared for another minute, her gray eyes searching Thea’s face. Then she shook her head. â€Å"I won’t turn you in. You know I would never turn you in. We’re sisters. And as for trying to kill him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She shrugged, looking grim. â€Å"It probably wouldn’t work. That guy is impossible.† â€Å"Thank you, Blaise.† Thea touched her cousin’s arm lightly. Blaise covered Thea’s hand with her own red-nailed fingers, just for a moment. Then she sat back and straightened her pillows with a little jerk. â€Å"Just don’t tell me anything, all right? I wash my hands of you two and I don’t want to know what’s going on. Besides, I’ve got worries of my own. I have to decide between a Maserati and a Karmann Ghia.† Halloween. Thea looked out the window at the darkened world. There weren’t any kids in the alley, but she knew they were flitting around the city. Goblins and ghosts and witches and vampires-all fakes. Real vampires were sitting inside at fireplaces, or maybe at exclusive parties, chuckling. And real witches were getting dressed for their Samhain Circles. Thea put on a white shift, sleeveless, made out of one piece of material. She pulled a soft white belt around her waist and made a loop pointing up with one side of the tie, then wrapped the other end around the base of the loop three times. A thet knot. Witches had used them for four thousand years. She took a breath and looked outside again. Enjoy the peace while you can, she told herself. It’s going to be a busy night. Eric’s jeep pulled into the alley. The horn honked once. Thea grabbed the backpack, which had been stuffed under her bed. It was full of materials. Oak, ash, quassia chips, blessed thistle, mandrake root. The hardened residue from the bronze bowl, which she had painstakingly scraped off with one of Blaise’s art knives. A wooden seal, also carved with Blaise’s tools. And an ounce vial with three precious drops of summoning potion stolen from the malachite bottle. She started for the stairs. â€Å"Hey, are you leaving already?† Blaise said, emerging from the bathroom. â€Å"You’ve got-what?-an hour and a half before Circle.† Blaise looked gorgeous, and more herself than at any other time of year. Her shift was black, also sleeveless, also made in one piece. Her hair hung loose to her hips, woven with little bells. Her arms were pale and beautiful against the darkness of hair and shift, and she was barefoot, wearing one ankle bracelet. â€Å"I’m going to run out and do something before Circle,† Thea said. â€Å"Don’t ask me what.† Blaise of course didn’t know what Thea and Eric were planning. Not even Dani knew. It was better that way. â€Å"Thea†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Blaise stood at the top of the stairs and looked down as Thea dashed out. â€Å"You be careful!† Thea waved at her cousin. The back of the jeep was full of wood. â€Å"I thought I’d better bring some more, just in case we need it,† Eric said, throwing her backpack in. Then he added in a different voice, â€Å"You look- amazing-like that.† She smiled at him. â€Å"Thanks. It’s traditional. You look nice, too.† He was wearing the costume of a seventeenth-century French soldier at Ronchain-or as close as they could get from looking at woodcuts in old books. They drove into the desert, past the huge bare cliffs, off the main road and far out among the Joshua trees, until they found the place. It was tiny, just a dip in the ground almost enclosed in red sandstone pillars. The pillars didn’t look like the monoliths at Stonehenge-they were knobby and squished sideways, like towers of Play-doh that some kid had smashed-but they served the same purpose. They’d found this place all by themselves, and Thea was very proud of it. â€Å"The fire’s still going,† she said. â€Å"That’s good.† It had been burning for the last three days inside the circle. You read "Night World : Spellbinder Chapter 14" in category "Essay examples" Thea’s hope had been that it would keep Suzanne interested-and away from the people setting up in the old gym. And it seemed to have worked. Not just the fire, of course. The three dummies lying on the ground tied to stakes were supposed to be interesting, too. â€Å"These guys all look okay,† Eric said. He picked up the smallest dummy and dusted it off. It looked something like a scarecrow when he thrust the stick into a hole in the ground, standing it up. A scarecrow dressed in a black shift tied with a thet knot. With a sign hanging around the neck: lucienne. The other small dummy had a sign that said clement. The big dummy’s sign said suzannb. â€Å"Okay,† Thea said when they had unloaded the wood, leaving her backpack in the jeep. â€Å"Now, remember, you don’t do anything until I get back, right? Not anything. And if I’m a few minutes late, you just wait.† He stopped nodding. â€Å"The Halloween party starts at nine. If you’re not here at nine exactly, I might-â€Å" â€Å"No. Don’t touch anything, don’t do anything.† â€Å"Thea, we might lose her. What if she decides that nothing’s happening here, so she might as well go to the party-â€Å" â€Å"I won’t be late,† Thea said flatly. It seemed the only way to win the argument. â€Å"But do not burn those witches before I’m here to cast the cirde. Okay?† â€Å"Good luck,† he said. He looked handsome and mysterious in his exotic clothes. Not like himself. They kissed under the half-full moon. â€Å"Be safe,† Thea whispered, making herself let go of him. â€Å"Come back safe,† he whispered. â€Å"I love you.† She drove the jeep back to the city, to the maidens’ Circle Twilight meeting. It was being held this year at a Night World dub on the southern edge of town. There was no sign on the door, but the doormat, between two grinning jack-o’-lanterns, had been painted with a black dahlia. Thea knocked and the door opened. â€Å"Dani You look great.† â€Å"So do you,† Dani said. She was dressed in white, in a pleated sheer gown that hung to her ankles and looked Egyptian. Black braids clasped with silver cascaded from a sort of crown at her head, falling over her shoulders and back and arms. She made a beautiful Queen Isis. â€Å"You didn’t wear a costume,† she said, making it a question. â€Å"Blaise and I are sort of going as Maya and Hell-wise,† Thea said. The truth was that she was most comfortable in her ordinary Circle clothes, and that Blaise knew she looked best in hers. â€Å"Well, come on down. You’re the last one,† Dani said, taking Thea’s hand. They went down a flight of stairs to an underground room. It had a makeshift, thrown-together look, with crates to sit on, and white fairy lights strung between concrete pillars. Metal chairs had been pushed to the periphery. â€Å"Thea! Hey, there! Merry meet!† people called. Thea turned around and around, smiling and getting hugs. â€Å"Good Samhain,† she kept saying. â€Å"Unity.† For those few minutes, she forgot about what was going to happen tonight. It was so good to see them all again, all her friends from summer Circles. Kishi Hirata, dressed as Amaterasu, the Japanese sun goddess, hi gold and orange. Alaric Breedlove- the sophomore from Lake Mead High-as Tammuz the shepherd, son of the mother goddess Ishtar. Claire Blessingway as the Navajo goddess Changing Woman, in a dress decorated with red flower petals and turquoise. Nathaniel Long as Herne, Celtic god of the hunt, in forest green, with stag’s antlers. Humans put on costumes to disguise themselves tonight. Witches put on costumes to try to reflect their inner selves-what they were inside, what they wanted to be. â€Å"Here, taste,† Claire said, handing Thea a paper cup. It was full of a thick red herb drink spiced with cinnamon and cloves. â€Å"It’s hibiscus-my dad’s recipe.† Someone else was passing around shortbread cakes in the shape of crescent moons. Thea took one. Everything here was so bright, so warm-and she would have been so happy if all she had to do tonight was enjoy it. Have a normal Samhain Circle. Celebrate†¦ But Eric was waiting out there in the dark and cold of the desert. And Thea was counting the minutes until she could leave. â€Å"Okay, people, it’s time to get started.† Lawai’a Dcua, a pretty, sturdy girl with hair like black nylon, was standing in the center of the room. She was wearing a red shift and lei-Pele, the Hawaiian fire goddess, Thea guessed. â€Å"Let’s get our circle, here. That’s good, come on. Chang Xi, you’re the youngest now.† A little girl with big almond-shaped eyes came shyly into the ring of people. Thea hadn’t seen her before- she must have turned seven since the last summer Circle. She was dressed in jade green as Kuan Yin, the Chinese goddess of compassion. Still shy, she took a sprig of broom-real broom, the plant-and swept the area inside the ring. â€Å"Thea, you do the salt.† Thea was surprised and pleased. She took the bowl of sea salt that Lawai’a offered, and walked slowly around the perimeter of the circle, sprinkling it â€Å"Alaric, you take the water-â€Å" Lawai’a broke oft looking toward the stairway, seeming startled. Thea saw other people look. She turned around. Two adults, mothers, were coming down the stairs. As the light shone on the first woman’s face, Thea felt a jolt. It was Aunt Ursula. In a gray suit, her expression as bleak as Thea had ever seen it. Nobody in the room made a noise. They all stood still as Joshua trees, watching until the women reached the bottom. Interrupting a Circle in the middle of casting was unheard of. â€Å"Good Samhain,† Lawai’a said faintly. â€Å"Good Samhain.† Aunt Ursula was polite, but she didn’t smile. like a displeased teacher. â€Å"I’m very sorry to bother you, but this will only take a minute.† Thea’s heart had begun to pound, slow and hard. It’s just guilty conscience, she tried to tell herself. This doesn’t have to be about you. But it did. And something inside her knew even before Aunt Ursula looked the Circle over and said, â€Å"Thea Sophia Harman.† As if she doesn’t know what I look like, Thea thought dazedly. She damped down hard on a wild impulse simply to brush past Aunt Ursula and head for the street. Now she knew why rabbits were so stupid as to leave a good hiding place and run blindly when a dog came near. Just panic, that’s all. She stepped away from a staring Kishi on her left and a dismayed Nat on her right. She could feel every pair of eyes in the place on her. â€Å"What is it?† she said, trying to look surprised. Aunt Ursula’s eyes met hers directly, as if to say, You know. But she didn’t say anything, which was almost as bad. â€Å"Dani Naete Mella Abforth.† Oh, Eileithyia. Not Dani, too†¦. Dani was stepping out of the circle. Her small head was held proudly, but Thea could see the fear in her eyes. She walked, linen swaying around her ankles, to stand beside Thea. Dani, I’m sorry†¦. â€Å"That’s all,† Aunt Ursula said. â€Å"The rest of you go on with your Circle. Good Samhain, everybody.† To Thea and Dani, she said, â€Å"You need to come outside.† They followed her silently. There was nothing else to do. When they were out in the cool night air, Dani said, â€Å"Is-something wrong?† She looked from Aunt Ursula to the other woman, who was short but had considerable presence. And seemed familiar to Thea†¦ and then she had it. It’s Nana Buruku. From the Inner Circle. This isn’t a Harman family matter. The Inner Circle itself is calling us. â€Å"There are some things we need to talk about. Come on and let’s get it all cleared up fast,† Nana Buruku said quietly, putting a cinnamon-colored hand on Thea’s arm. Gran’s ancient Lincoln Continental was sitting at the curb. Nana Buruku took the wheel herself. Dani and Thea held hands in the backseat. Dani’s fingers were icy cold. The car wound up and down streets lined with human trick-or-treaters, to a big ranch-style house with high block walls screening the backyard. Selene’s house, Thea realized, seeing the name Lucna on the mailbox. It must be where they’re having the maidens’ Circle Midnight meeting. Aunt Ursula got out. Thea and Dani sat in the car with Nana Buruku. In a few minutes, Aunt Ursula came back with Blaise. Selene, dressed in silver, and Vivienne in black, followed as far as the driveway. They looked sober and scared, not like wicked witches at all. Blaise did. Barefoot and apparently indifferent to the cold, little bells ringing, she looked flushed and angry and proud. She opened the door with a jerk and sat down hard beside Thea, who scooted over. â€Å"What’s going on?† she said, almost out loud. â€Å"I’m missing the moon cakes, I’m missing everything. What kind of Samhain is this?† Thea had never admired her more. â€Å"We’ll get back in time,† Dani said, and her voice was steady, even if her fingers were still cold. They’re both brave, Thea thought. And me? But however much she wanted to, she couldn’t get a word out through the tightness in her throat. She half expected Nana Buruku to get on the freeway and head out toward the desert, toward Thierry’s land. But instead the Lincoln headed down familiar streets and pulled up in the alley behind Grandma Harman’s store. Thea could feel Dani’s questioning eyes on her. But she had no idea what was going on, and she was afraid to look Dani in the face. â€Å"Come on,† Aunt Ursula said, and shepherded them through the back door, into the shop, through the bead curtain that led to the workshop. All the chairs for Gran’s students had been pushed into a rough circle. People were sitting in them, or standing and talking quietly, but when Thea stepped through the curtain behind Nana Buruku, they all stopped and looked. Thea’s eyes moved from face to face, seeing each in a sort of disconnected, dreamlike flash. Grandma Harman, looking so grim and tired. Mother Cybele, who was the Mother of the Inner Circle, just as Gran was the Crone, looking anxious. Aradia, the Maiden, her lovely face serious and sad. Others she recognized from two years ago, people who were so famous she knew them by their first names. Rhys, Belfana, Creon, Old Bob. Aunt Ursula and Nana Buruku made up the last two of the nine. They looked like ordinary people, working men and women and still-sharp-as-a-tack retired seniors, the kind you’d see any day on the street. They weren’t. This was the biggest concentration of magical talent anywhere in the world. These people were the witch geniuses, the prodigies and the sages, the far-seers. The teachers, the policy-makers. They were the Inner Circle. And they were all looking at Thea. â€Å"The girls are here,† Mother Cybele said softly to Aradia. â€Å"They’re standing in the middle.† Gran said, â€Å"All right, let’s get this thing started. Will everybody find themselves a seat.† It wasn’t a question, it was an order. Gran was senior to all these celebrities. But she wouldn’t look at Thea. And that was the most terrible, nightmarish thing of all. She acted as if Thea and Blaise were strangers. Everyone was sitting, nudging their chairs into a more evenly spaced circle. They were all wearing their ordinary clothes, Thea realized: business suits or uniforms or pants and tops. In Aradia’s case, jeans. In Old Bob’s case, dirty overalls. Which means they never even started their own ceremony tonight. This is important enough to skip Samhain over. This is a trial. Red-haired Belfana pushed Creon’s wheelchair to an empty spot. She was the last to sit down. I’m centered, Thea thought numbly. It was her worst fear, the very thing that had driven her away from Eric in the desert, the first time she’d felt the soulmate connection with him. And now it was true. She could hear Dani breathing irregularly, and the faint tinkle of bells as Blaise shifted from foot to foot. â€Å"All right,† Grandma Harman said, sounding tired but formal. â€Å"By Earth, by Air, by Water, and by Fire, I call this Circle to unity.† She went on, reciting the age-old formula for a meeting of deliberation. For Thea, the words blended into the pounding of blood in her ears. It was strange, how terrifying it could be to be surrounded in all directions by people. Everywhere she looked, another grave, unreadable face. She felt as trapped as if they had been humans. â€Å"Thea Sophia Harman,† Gran said, and suddenly Thea was listening again. â€Å"You stand accused†¦Ã¢â‚¬  There seemed to be an endless, empty pause, although Thea knew it was probably no time at all. â€Å"†¦ of working forbidden spells in direct disobedience to the laws of Hellewise and of this Circle†¦.† All Thea heard for a while was â€Å"working forbidden spells.† It seemed to hang in the air, echoing. Part of her kept waiting to hear the other, more terrible charges of betraying the secrets of the Night World and falling in love with a human. But they didn’t come. â€Å"†¦ summoning a spirit from the far places beyond the veil†¦ binding two humans with a forbidden love charm†¦Ã¢â‚¬  And then Gran was reading Blaise’s name. Blaise was charged with fashioning a necklace out of forbidden materials and binding humans with a forbidden charm. Dani was charged with aiding and abetting Thea in the summoning of a spirit from the far places-which was wrong, of course, Thea thought dizzily. Her whole body was tingling, from the soles of her feet, to her palms, to her scalp. With fear†¦ and with something like relief. They don’t know. They don’t know the worst part of it, or they would have said so-wouldn’t they? And if I just keep quiet, why should they ever know? Then she focused on Gran, who had finished reading the charges and was now talking in an ordinary voice again. â€Å"And I have to say that I’m disappointed in all three of you. Especially you, Thea. I’d expect this from her, of course†-she nodded at Blaise, speaking to the rest of the Circle-â€Å"that descendant of mine there who’s dressed up like Hecate’s bad daughter. But I honestly thought Thea had more sense.† She looked disappointed. And that-hurt. Thea had always been the good girl, the golden girl, youngest and most promising of the Hearth-Woman line. Now, as she looked from face to face, she saw disappointment everywhere. I’ve failed them; I’ve disgraced my heritage. I’m so ashamed†¦. She wanted to curl up and disappear. Just then, there was a silvery ripple of bells. Blaise was tossing her dark head. She looked defiant and scornful and very proud and a little bored. â€Å"What I want to know is who turned us in,† she said in an almost inaudible but definitely menacing whisper. â€Å"Whoever it is, they’re going to be sorry.† And suddenly, somehow, Thea was less frightened. The disappointment didn’t mean so much. It was possible to shock the Inner Circle and still be standing up. Blaise proved it. It was then that irony struck Thea. She’d spent her life getting in trouble because of Blaise, and now here they were, in the worst trouble imaginable-because of her. And Dani was in trouble, too. Her velvety eyes were filled with tears. When she saw that, Thea found the tightness in her throat easing. She could talk again. â€Å"Look-excuse me-but there’s something you need to know. Before this goes any further-â€Å" â€Å"You’ll have a chance to speak later,† Mother Cybele said, her voice soft and firm, like her little dumpling-shaped body. â€Å"No, I have to say it now.† Thea turned to Gran, speaking, for just these few seconds, to her grandmother rather than to the Crone of the Inner Circle. â€Å"Grandma, Dani shouldn’t be here. Really. Really. She didn’t know anything about the summoning; I did it all. I promise.† Gran’s expression gentled slightly, the creases on her face shifting. Then she was impassive again. â€Å"All right, all right, we’ll see about that later. The first thing is to find out just what you’ve been doing. Since you seem to be the instigator here.† It was when she said â€Å"later† that realization hit Thea like a tsunami. And everything changed. Later†¦ time†¦ what time is it? She looked frantically around for the clock. There-behind Old Bob’s gray head†¦ Ten minutes to ten. Eric. Somehow, in the stress she’d felt since Aunt Ursula came to get her, she had completely forgotten that he was waiting in the desert. But now she could see him, the vision in her mind’s eye as clear as if she were standing there with him. Eric watching the clock, minutes going by, and Thea still not arriving. Eric looking at the bonfire and at the three black-clothed dummies tied to their stakes. And the party. The Halloween party at school. Blistered metal doors being opened and people flooding in. Shoes walking across the scuffed wooden floor, costumed kids standing underneath the dangling witch figures. Kids shrieking with laughter, handing over goblin money, crowding into the torture booths. While something lurked around the exposed pipes on the ceiling. Maybe invisible, maybe looking like a white figure and feeling like a blast of arctic wind. Maybe like a woman with long mahogany hair. Lurking†¦ then suddenly sweeping down†¦ She’s going to kill them. They’re completely defenseless†¦. Fear tore into Thea like jagged metal. It was all happening right now, and she wasn’t doing anything to stop it. It had been happening for almost an hour, and she hadn’t even given it a thought. How to cite Night World : Spellbinder Chapter 14, Essay examples

Racism In The Past And Racism Today Essay Example For Students

Racism In The Past And Racism Today Essay Everybody jumped on him, beat the hell out of him Everybody was hitting him or kicking him. One guy was kicking at his spine. Another guy hitting on the side of the face He was unconscious. He was bleeding. Everybody had blood on their forearms. We ran back up the hill laughing He should have died He lost so much blood he turned white. He got what he deserved (Ridgeway 167.)The skinheads who performed this random act of racial violence in 1990, had no reason to brutally beat their victim other than the fact that he was Mexican (Ridgeway 167). Racism is objectively defined as any practice of ethnic discrimination or segregation. Fortunately, racial violence is steadily declining as the turn of the century approaches.Now a new form of racism, covert racism, has recently sprung from the pressures of political correctness. This new form of racism, although slowly declining, still shows signs of strong support (Piazza 86). Covert racism assumes a form of civil disobedience against politic ally correct thought and speech. Essentially, covert racism is a hidden racism, or a racism not easily detected (Piazza 78). Racism is still strongly prevalent in todays society (Gudorf 3). The three different basic forms of racism, open racism, violent racism, and covert racism all express forms of hatred towards distinct ethnic groups (Bender 47). These basic forms of racism, although different in form, all have the same main purpose, to promote racism. Open racism expresses freedom of racial thought and speech. Open racists promote their views through strictly persuasionary tactics. This form of racism is allowed in our society because of the First Amendment. Open racism is currently almost nonexistent and steadily declining, because it is considered politically incorrect and socially unacceptable. Violent racism promotes racism through violence, fear, and persuasionary tactics (Leone 49) This form of racism is not protected by the First Amendment because it promotes violence to express its ideas. Unfortunately many violent racial groups claim they do not promote violence, and therefore these groups are protected by the First Amendment because not enough sufficient e vidence exists to prove their violent intent (Ridgeway 123). Covert racism expresses ideas of racism in disguised forms; sometimes the covert racist is not even aware of the fact that he is racist. Racism, it is asserted, is no longer blatant: people nowadays are reluctant to express openly their dislike of and contempt for minorities, indeed are not prepared to express publicly a sentiment that could be interpretted as racist. Racism, it is said, is subtle: it is disguised, kept out of sight (Enrlich 73) The suggestion that there is a new racisma racism that has a new strength precisely because it doesnt appear to be racismdeserves serious consideration (Piazza 66). Avoiding minorities on the street and denial of a public benefit to a minority which would be awarded to a white are examples of covert racism. Since it is no longer politically correct to openly express ones racist views, people therefore favor disguised, indirect ways to express their bigotry (Piazza 68). Covert racism is the most abundant form of racism in our society today. What causes racism? Unfortunately, the answer is much longer and detailed than the question. The three main causes for racism are: racism has become part of our heritage, right-wing racial and political groups, and pride in ones own race. Practically since the dawn of mans existence man has undoubtedly noticed differences between races. Racisms presence throughout the formation of our culture is quite evident (Tucker 17). Frequently throughout history the ethnic group with the most power has assumed that its race and culture are superior to others. The same incident even occurred in America with the introduction of slaves. Throughout American history, racism has been strongly prevalent. Racisms roots lie deep within the foundation of our society (Tucker 19). These roots undoubtedly are the source for a great many of the racist groups and covert racism ideas found throughout our society. Extremist social and political groups, particularly those advocating right-wing policies of racial inequality, promote racism as well. These groups serve as the epitome of racial thought and speech (Ridgeway 10). The following represent various racist groups found throughout the United States: John Birch Society, Ku Klux Klan, Knights of the KKK, Invisible Empire, NAAWP, White Aryan Resistance, American Front, Nazi Skinheads, Posse Comitatus, Aryan Nations, The Order, and National Alliance (Ridgeway 15). All of these groups are given the freedom to express their ideas of racism because of the First Amendment (CIEQ 16). Although the First Amendment protects the speech of these groups, many none the less find it necessary to use violence to promote their cause. Racist groups now make extensive use of covert racism to extend their message of racism throughout our society. This form of racism has proven quite effective, in the past ten years, at persuading others to adopt racist ideas (Piazza 69). These groups serve as a symbol of racism itself to many in our society (Ridgeway 29). .u179ce592c621f4d60927fc7fb6348879 , .u179ce592c621f4d60927fc7fb6348879 .postImageUrl , .u179ce592c621f4d60927fc7fb6348879 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u179ce592c621f4d60927fc7fb6348879 , .u179ce592c621f4d60927fc7fb6348879:hover , .u179ce592c621f4d60927fc7fb6348879:visited , .u179ce592c621f4d60927fc7fb6348879:active { border:0!important; } .u179ce592c621f4d60927fc7fb6348879 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u179ce592c621f4d60927fc7fb6348879 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u179ce592c621f4d60927fc7fb6348879:active , .u179ce592c621f4d60927fc7fb6348879:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u179ce592c621f4d60927fc7fb6348879 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u179ce592c621f4d60927fc7fb6348879 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u179ce592c621f4d60927fc7fb6348879 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u179ce592c621f4d60927fc7fb6348879 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u179ce592c621f4d60927fc7fb6348879:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u179ce592c621f4d60927fc7fb6348879 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u179ce592c621f4d60927fc7fb6348879 .u179ce592c621f4d60927fc7fb6348879-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u179ce592c621f4d60927fc7fb6348879:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Music And Censorship (1899 words) EssayA large source of the racism present in our society stems from ones pride in his own race. Many people, especially those associated with racist groups, find it necessary to put down other ethnic groups in an attempt to strengthen their own (Bender 113). This mode of thought and reasoning usually results in extreme hatred of other races and an overall sense of bigotry. Reasoning in this manner equates to many associated with racist groups. Pride in ones race may eventually lead to covert racism thought (Piazza 87). Covert racism affects our society in a variety of different manners. Indeed it should be said that covert racism has permanently scarred our society, both politically and socially (Piazza 1). Racial politics have changed since the era of the civil rights movement, when the issue of race, at its heart, came down fundamentally to whether whites were prepared to accept other races as their equals (Bloom 29). Now, however, the issue of race has become more complex^?more complex because there are now multiple agendas including affirmative action, quotas, and set-asides (Piazza 34).The main agenda revolves around affirmative action, steps taken by an employer, school, or other institution to expand oppurtunities for blacks, hispanic people, women or other minority groups. The clear implications of the most recent Supreme Court decisions on affirmative action programs is that such programs will be upheld in certain circumstances to remedy past discrimination (Bloom 48). However, many whites view this special treatment of minorities for past discrimination as discrimination towards themselves. This reverse discrimination has lead to many debates and controversies concerning race and racial politics (Piazza 30). Unfortunately this sort of political environment encourages covert racism in many whites as a counterattack against affirmative action. Our political system must first become racially unbiased before our society may become more ethnically diverse. If all men are created equal, then why should differences in race matter? Unfortunately our society has not lived up to the standards set by its forefathers. Racism, especially covert racism, still affects our society socially. Covert racism is a form of civil disobedience for racists to spread ideas of racism throughout our society (Piazza 68).