Islamic Modes For Home Ownership Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Home is a basic necessity for human life. Everyone needs a shelter for rest, sleep, comfort and protection from sun and rain. It is a place to dwell in comfort with family. Therefore, owning a good home is an aspiration of everyone. People fulfill this need by building a home on their own, purchasing it or renting it from others. Indeed, payment for home mortgage normally takes a good chunk of ones monthly income. Conventional home mortgages are, of course, interest-based and forbidden in Islam. Accordingly, Islamic financial institutions have introduced a number of Shariah-compliant modes for home ownership, the dominant of which are the al-Bay Bithaman Ajil (BBA) and the Musharakah Mutanaqisah Partnership (MMP) contracts. The BBA is the popular concept in countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei whereas the MMP is widely practiced in the Middle East, United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia. The Middle Eastern Shariah scholars disapprove of the BBA contract, citing that it is similar to the conventional loans. Indeed, theory of finance predicts that the Islamic modes like BBA to converge to ties conventional counterpart due to the law- of-one-price. This convergence has caused Islamic finance to evolve greatly; from being a profit-and-loss banking to fixed-rate murabahah financing, and now towards a floating rate financing mode. The Central Bank of Malaysia, for example, has approved a floating-rate BBA where the customer pays a monthly installment amount that is on the higher end but thereafter gets a rebate based on the prevailing market interest rate. Indeed, many BBA customers have shown dissatisfaction over its implementation. Caught without much choice, the widespread application of the BBA in this part of the world, has however, put customers as well bankers in jeopardy particularly during volatile economic conditions. This is because BBA is similar to fixed rate debt financing. During the 1997 East Asian financial crisis, for example, when interest rates were soaring up, the Islamic banks were unable to react, thereby causing huge arbitrage opportunities. Additionally, this also caused liquidity and risk management problems. Accordingly Islamic banking and finance is being forced to change further; to be one that is Shariah-compliant and friendly to the customer while also bearing liquidity and other risks comparable to the conventional banking. The BBA is basically a sale contract which provides the buyer the benefit of a deferred payment, whereby the deferred price of the sale object carries and additional profit. It is an extension of the murabahah (cost plus) contract, whereby the commodity exchanged is delivered immediately but the sale price (with profit) is paid in installments, over a long period (the murabahah itself being generally for short period). While the BBA is widely used in Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and few other countries, it has been subjected to much controversy among the fuqaha worldwide with regards to its permissibility; where most of the Middle East scholars have rejected it. Even through some Shariah councils have agreed on its permissibility, a guideline from the Council of Islamic Ideology (Pakistan) in its report on the elimination of interest states that: However, although this mode of financing is understood to be permissible under the Shariah, it would not be advisable to use in widely or indiscriminately in view of the danger attached to it of opening a back door for dealing on the basis of interest. In the conventional system, home financing is, of course, usually interest-based and is forbidden in Islam. The current BBA home financing, however, does not alter much the above equation. Instead of charging the customer interest, financiers charge a profit derived through a buy-and-sell contract which is permitted in Islam, but regretfully, the profit rate is dependent on the market interest rate due to arbitrage activities. Therefore, while the BBA is practiced as Shariah compliant in some countries, it is, nonetheless converging to the conventional mode where the computation formulas are similar to the conventional and where the profit rate tracks the market interest rate. The current difference between the fixed-rate BBA and the conventional mode is that once the profit rate is fixed in the BBA, say 7% per annum, it will remain the same for the entire duration of financing. This, in fact, causes problems for the financiers as it is difficult to estimate accurately the cost of funds and hence the appropriate profit rate over long periods like 20 years, due to the volatility of economic conditions. This encourages customers to refinance their home from BBA to conventional during low interest periods and vice versa. 1.1 Al-Bay Bithaman Ajil Legal Documentation To further discuss the legal documentation of BBA and how the option of defect came into effect, it is important understand the nature of the BBA legal documentations. A BBA legal documentation must reflect the true nature of sale (al-bay) contract. The terms and conditions of al-bay such as the purchase and selling prices, the rights and duties of a seller and buyer, consideration, etc. must be included. Any uncertainties and ambiguities about the principles of a sale contract can tantamount to a contract to be rendered null and void. Likewise, the terminologies used in the sale contract must reflect the rules and principles governing it; such expression such as loan, fixed returns must be strictly avoided. Equally important is the issue of ownership. The main purpose of a sale contract is to transfer ownership from the seller to the buyer. As such, this is the basic consideration that the buyer is getting in return to the money he has paid to the seller. The ownership should be unq ualified/unconditional; any attempts to qualify it could make the sale contract invalid at the option of the buyer. In addition, the issue of liability is also paramount important in a sale contract. Both parties, seller and buyer should be liable to each other and they must comply with their respective rights and obligations. Under no circumstances that one party can transfer all the risks and liabilities to the other as this can cause hardship to the other party while leaving the other free from any risks and liabilities whatsoever. Shariah advocates the principle of equal bargaining power whereby all the contracting parties are deem to be equal at the eyes of Allah and the transaction they are involved in. As such, legal documentation should be able to translate all the principles of al-bay in conformity to Shariah. The rule of construing and interpreting the provision must be obvious and clear. If it is a BBA transaction, ipso facto it must be construed as one, thereby all the r ules and requirement of a sale contract will follow suit. Under no circumstances, that the provision allows that the contract to be construed otherwise. This next section attempts to elucidate how legal documentation of BBA has been formulated and to discuss whether such practice is acceptable by Shariah and if not, to offer some remedy to it in view of reform. 2.0 Al-Bay Bithaman Ajil (BBA) in Malaysia In our Malaysia context, the Islamic Banking and Finance growth in Malaysia is very encouraging. The central bank of Malaysia or Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has set a target of 20% of all deposits and financing in the banking industry to be under Islamic Banking by 2010. As of June 2006, the assets of Islamic banking in Malaysia were RM 143 billion or 12% of the total assets of the banking industry. Islamic banking deposit amounted to RM 107.5 billion while its share of financing was RM 81.5 billion (representing 12.8 % of the total banking deposits and 13.3 % of the total financing respectively as at 30th June 2006).1 The assets of Islamic banking continue to develop at a double digit growth of 18% in the recent five years. The Islamic sukuk market has now exceeded RM120 billion and represents the largest Islamic bond market in the world. The predominant concept for Islamic home financing currently in Malaysia is al-Bay Bithaman Ajil (BBA). It has been practiced by almost all financial institutions in this country since it was implemented by Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad (BIMB) in 1983. The BBA is a deferred installment sale whereby bank capitalizes its profit up front in the sale of the property to the customer who in turn is required to pay a fixed sum until the tenure ends. It is similar to debt financing, which results in high cost and poses a burden to ones family obligation. The BBA practiced in Malaysia is seen not to be in compliant with the Shariah principle as the bank does not take the risk of ownership and liability on the property Rosly (2005) Sanusi (2006) and thus not acceptable by international scholars. In addition, BBA is dependent on market interest rate as its bench mark. This causes problem in product pricing and marketing for Islamic home financing as when the market interest rate is low, the amount financed will be more expensive than the conventional loan. Thus, customers may withdraw from Islamic banks and transfer its facility to conventional loan. Consequently, when the market interest rate is higher than BBA profit rate, Islamic banks suffer losses as it cannot increase the profit rate in BBA due to its fixed selling price. Siddiqi (1983); Ahmad (1984); Siddiqui (2001); Rosly and Bakar(2003) and others argue that a financial system built dominantly around debt based modes of financing cannot be superior than the existing interest-based system on the basis of equity, efficiency, stability and growth. This is because these modes of financing are actually similar to the conventional banking modes and thus cannot remove the injustices of the interest based system. Profit making is not the sole objective of Islamic banks as it also has to incorporate social responsibility into their objectives (Ahmad 2000). Ahmads view is supported by many other scholars Chapra (1985); Siddiqi (1983, 1985); Ahmad (1984); Siddiqui (2001); Haron (1995, 2000); Rosly and Bakar (2003); Haron and Hashim (2003) and Naqvi (2003). They opined that Islamic banks must also take care of the society and promote Islamic norms and values as well. This reasoning is in line with the philosophy of Islam as way of life (Al-Din) and hence Islam ic banks should not limit their scope to financial activities only. Customers are apparently not happy with the current implementation of BBA home financing as many of its features mirror that of conventional mortgage financing. BBA is essentially structured as a long term debt obligation whereby the price is fixed based on the market interest rate. This makes the overall cost of financing higher compared to the conventional financing which is able to vary its price based on changes in the market interest rate. As such the product poses a financial burden to individual and affects ones family budget. Similarly when it comes to early redemption or in the event of default, the BBA contract always carries a higher financing balance compared to the conventional loan of similar annual percentage rate (APR). The recent Affin Bank vs. Zulkifli4 is a land mark case. When work in progress to construct a house is abandoned by the developer or due to calamity, the customer still has to pay monthly installment even though the property cease to exist. For the ban kers, the BBA mode of financing brings in liquidity management problems. This is because its cost of funds, particularly the deposit rate is based on floating rate while its income is predominantly based on fixed long term rate causing fund mismatch in the duration. The use of BBA is not limited to the Muslim customers as some Non-Muslim customers do engage in BBA to finance their home buying. Given the weaknesses associated with BBA, it is of interest to see if the views are shared by both Muslim and Non-Muslim customers. The knowledge of such information would have a direct impact onto the alternative financing mode that could be used to overcome the inherent weaknesses in BBA. With those objectives in mind, this paper attempts to analyze the perception of Muslim and Non-Muslim customers with regard to certain features of BBA notably those that are rather controversial in nature. 2.1 Example of al-Bay Bithaman Ajil (BBA) Financing There are several types of financing in al-Bay Bithaman Ajil (BBA). They are home financing, land financing, shop and shophouse financing, Umrah and Ziarah financing, tour package financing, Naqad overdraft facility, vehicle financing, golf financing, and education financing. But today we will focus on BBA home financing. For example, assume that a customer wishes to buy a houses priced at RM200,000. The customer puts a down payment of 10 percent, RM20,000 and finances the remaining 80 percent, RM180,000 using the BBA method. Also assume that the Annual profit Rate (APR) charged by the bank is 10 percent per annum and the duration of financing is for 20 years. The Islamic bank would first buy the house for RM180,000 and then sell the house to the customer at a profit, with deferred payment over the 20-year period. The monthly payment for the above financing is RM1,735.04, payable for 240 months which adds up to RM416,889.35 in total. The difference between this figure and the original financing of RM180,000 which equals RM236,889.35 is capitalized upfront in the BBA mode, unlike under the conventional mortgage is that of the balance of financing remaining before the expiry of the duration of financing. For our example, the BBA balance after 10 years is the total of the remaining 120 payments, RM208,444.80 whereas under conventional mortgage, this amount would represent the total interest paid for the early repayment, but the amount of rebate is determined at the discretion of the bank. Since the selling price is a price, indeed, Shariah prohibits the rebate to be stated as part of the contract. Note that even after ten years of repayment, the balance under the BBA mode can even exceed the original financing of RM180,000. Nevertheless, considering all the socio-economic effects of fiat money, w e regretfully assert that Islamic banking within the fractional reserve system can, indeed, be very damaging to the economy. While both the Islamic bank and the conventional bank create the original principal amounts through fractional reserve banking system, a customer owes more money in the Islamic mode than the conventional mode at any time thereafter until the loan is settled. This fact alone is very attractive for even the conventional bankers to provide Islamic mode financing. But, nonetheless, considering the serious negative socio-economic implications of fiat money-based fractional reserve banking, we regretfully conclude that Islamic banking under fractional reserve system is likely to accelerate the said effect-default rates, transfer of wealth and sovereignty. 2.2 Operational issues of BBA Home Financing BBA is a facility provided by the financier to assist the customer pay the cost of financing. For example a house, over the tenor of financing, 20 years at a fixed rate determined by the financier. The financier initially buys the house from the customer (cost of financing amount) and sells it back to the customer, plus of its profit margin. As the seller of the property, the Shariah requires the bank to hold ownership of the property and to hold all liabilities arising, including defects. But currently, BBA documentations show that the bank merely acts as a financier rather than a seller and excludes itself of all liabilities. This, of course, ignores the Shariah principle of al-Ghorm bil Ghonm (no reward without risk), Ikhtiar (value-addition or effort) and al-Kharaj bil Daman (any benefit must be accompanied with liability), thereby rendering the BBA profit to be implicated with riba. The issue of concern here is the availability of iwad (counter value) in BBA financing. According to Rosly (2005), the Quran uses trade (al-bay) because the profit generated from trading incorporates risk-taking, while the contractual profit from loan transactions (riba) is risk-free. It further asserts that al-bay implies the existence of iwad required by the Shariah to be a lawful profit in Islam. Three elements of iwad that should exist are risk (ghorm), work and effort (ikhtiar) and liability (daman). Iwad is the basic trait or the conditio sine quo non of a halal or lawful sale (al-bay), because a sale is necessarily an exchange of value against an equitable return and compensation for the goods or services exchanged. According to Ibn al-Arabi (d.543H/1148), every increase which is without an iwad or equal counter value, is riba. Iwad is the necessary requirement to be fulfilled in trading (al-bay) as it brings along a sense of equity and justice into a business that rendered it superior to an interest-bearing system. Rosly (2005) also opined that there is no risk taking in the current BBA financing, and, hence, does not merit the Quranic concept of al-bay. Daman (liability) should also exist in a trading transaction whereby the supplier provides guarantees on the goods sold. However in the current BBA home financing, the customer is forced to face the financial burden of paying for the house even before it is completed, as he has engaged in a debt contract with the bank at the outset. By ignoring the concept of iwad, the BBA contract is not seen as conforming to the maqasid al-Shariah that removes hardship (raf al-haraj) and preventing harm (daf al-darar) in the economic sphere, thereby leaving the welfare of people unprotected a possible crime when the transaction is done under an Islamic label. Another issue that arises from the long-term BBA financing is the mismatching of the BBA funds against its short-term deposit tenor. Whilst conventional financing has the ability to address this mismatch in the cost of funds through the variable interest rate (BLR + a spread), BBA financing cannot do this since customers are charged a fixed profit rate for the entire period of financing. 2.3 Different Interpretation between Malaysia and Middle East Rosly (2005) pointed out that bay al-nah generally involves two contracts of sale simultaneously which includes spot and credit sales such as al-Bay Bithaman Ajil notes. The secondary notes are contractual coupon profits, which is included in the repayments that are made by the issuance of Islamic bonds and can only be achieved by implementing the bay al-inah. This transaction is like a loan given by a creditor to a debtor. A company is more likely to obtain capital by issuing a bond rather than taking a loan directly from a bank because the coupon rate to be paid in bonds is cheaper than interest charge by banks. Rosly also stated that bay al-inah contract is a loan in the form of a sale. The sale is an appearance only to show the permissible transaction for debtor to get the money. To legalize the loan transaction under Islamic law point of view, the creditor use subterfuge technique by creating a fictitious object or asset and sells at higher price payable by installment in the fu ture. However, the parties who are involved do not have intention to use the object of sale for consumption purposes. Rosly (2005) cited from Rayner, such kind of transaction is considered valid in Malaysia but not in the Middle East countries. The possible reason behind this is that Malaysia and Middle East follows different schools of thought. The Malaysian shariah scholars follow the Shafie school of thought while the Middle East scholars follow the Hanafi, Hanbali and Maliki schools of thought as the basis for their opinion on certain rulings in the operations of Islamic banking. According to the Hanafis, Hanbalis and Malikis, bay al-inah is not permissible, thus Middle East investors consider it as unlawful practices. Indeed, the Hanafi, Hanbali and Maliki scholars agreed that the object of sale created to allow a loan with interest and the intention among the parties is dishonest because they do not utilize the object. Hanafi, Hanbali and Maliki put a niyyah (intention) as an important element in determining the validity of contract. Hanbali scholars emphasized that the nature of the sale and purchase contract is valid but when the contract results in riba, the contract is void. Furthermore, Hanbali gives priority on real intention (in heart) rather than declared intention (in the contract). Hanafi and Maliki scholars agreed that there is no difference between real and declared intention and dishonest motives depend on the particular persons act. This means that when they are involved in an illegal contract, it proves that their acts are also illegal and therefore, not allowed under Islamic law. This has been accepted by Middle East jurists for not allowing bay al-inah. Shafie scholars said the niyyah is an immaterial element and bay al-inah is acceptable. This opinion was taken up by Shariah scholars in Bank Negara Malaysia and Securities Commision, when they considered bay al-inah as a valid and permissible contract (Rosly and Sanusi; 1999). In addition, Shafie emphasized more on declared intention as included in the contract or agreement between the parties involved. This is because nobody knows what is contained in the hearts of others (Rosly; 2005). Rosly stated, Shafie regarded it as perfectly valid on the basis that one has the right to sell an object at a diminished price to that which he himself paid. Example, Mr X sells an object worth RM 1,000 for RM 800 cash to Mr. Y and buys it again from Mr. Y at RM 1,000 payable by installment. The different interpretation between these two schools of thought was taken from the marriage contract, where the real and declared intentions are an important element under Shariah. The marriage contract is known as muta. This contract is invalid, according to Shafie, when the parties declared their intention and agreed that their marital status is only for certain period of time. Hanbali, Hanafi and Maliki schools of thought considered this contract invalid even though the parties involved did not make any declaration about their intention of divorce after an agreed period of marital life. According to the Shafie school, real intention cannot be used as evidence in determining the validity of contract but the important element is the declared intention (written in the contract). However, Hanafi, Hanbali and Maliki schools of thought prohibit the immoral act as precedent over real intention. Thus, the bay al-inah was applied under same mechanism. The Islamic financial system employs the concept of participation in the enterprise, utilizing the funds at risk on a profit and loss sharing basis. Profit and loss sharing is a concept which encourages better resource management. Islamic banks are structured to retain a clearly differentiated status between shareholders capital and clients deposits in order to ensure correct profit sharing according to Islamic Law. Hence, musharakah mutanaqisah partnership is introduced to inspire the element of sharing in terms of capital and liability between financier and customer. Meera and Razak (2005) pointed out Musharakah Mutanaqisah Partnership (MMP) contract that consists of musharakah (partnership) and ijarah (lease) contracts is a better alternative to the BBA. It is purely based on rental payments of property and the redeeming of the financiers shares. Musharakah Mutanaqisah is based on a diminishing partnership concept. It has two portions of contracts. Firstly, the customer and the ba nk or financer enters a partnership under the concept of shirkah al-milk (joint ownership). Then, the customer will redeem the banks share gradually in predetermined time (at the beginning of an agreement) until the customer fully owns the asset such as a house. Secondly, in the procedure of redeeming the banks share, the bank leases the ownership of the house to the customer under the concept of ijarah by charging a rent. At the same time, the customer will pay periodic rentals to the bank for using the banks share of the asset. Consequently, the customers share ratio would increase after each rental payment until the asset is eventually fully owned. The MMP is widely practiced in the Middle East, United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia. Bendjilali and Khan (1995) and Taqi Usmani (2002) agreed that the product could help people to rely less on BBA. Moreover, the MMP can be implemented for housing financing and machinery financing whereby the assets can be leased out according to agreed rental payments (Taqi Usmani; 2002). Besides that, MMP is suited to be practiced by housing cooperatives, where the funds are provided by the members for benefit of the members themselves. This concept provides cheaper housing payments and it also provides returns from the rentals and the sale of asset Shariah scholars have compromised on the permissibility of MMP contract internationally. It can be implemented to avoid interest (riba) totally and reduce the cost of assets and the duration of financing. MMP is not like BBA where the balance of finance will not exceed the original price of asset. Furthermore, MMP is a fair instrument compared to the conventional loan and the BBA where no interest is charged in the contract (Meera and Razak; 2005). 2.4 The Differences between the BBA and the MMP Contracts In summary, the main differences between the joint ownership MMP and debt-type BBA financing are as follows: 1. There are two separate contracts under the MMP method. The first is a musharakah where the client is a partner and the second one is an ijarah which involves the leasing of the property. The BBA, on the contrary, follows the murabahah concept of buying and selling of property. 2. Under BBA, the selling price of the house does not reflect the market value since the mark-up for the deferred payment is quite substantial. On the contrary, the value of the house under MMP always reflects the market price and the rental is determined by the market rental values. 3. The return to the BBA is based on a fixed selling price (that uses the prevailing interest rate as the benchmark). But under MMP, the financer need not be tied to a fixed profit rate throughout the financing tenor. This is because the rental rate can be revised periodically to reflect current market conditions. Indeed, as argued earlier, the rental can be tied to some economic variables like Rental Index, House Price Index etc. 4. The financier can manage the liquidity risks better as rental payments can be adjusted at the end of each subcontract period. This is not possible under the current fixed-rate BBA as the profit rate is a constant throughout the entire tenor of financing. 5. Even compared with a floating-rate BBA, the MMP still differs in the balance of financing at any point in time before the end of the contract. Under MMP the balance can never be larger than the original price/finance of the house. Rebates for early redemption under BBA cannot be specifically stated in the contract. 6. The MMP is a more flexible financing structure than the BBA as the customer can own the property earlier by redeeming faster the principal sum of the financier, without the need to compute rebates as in BBA. 7. In the event of payment defaults, the penalty charges under BBA can be challenged, while under MMP, defaults will cause the equity of financier to remain constant and therefore entitled to higher rental portions when payments made later. 8. Currently many customers opine that the BBA is similar to the conventional loan with some disadvantages for the customer particularly for early redemptions. 9. The MMP is accepted internationally as Shariah-compliant whereas the BBA is recognized predominantly in the east, i.e. in Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei etc. 3.0 Conclusion Since the introduction of Islamic banking in Malaysia, BBA has enjoyed the privilege of being the most predominant concept of Islamic home financing. BBA is however, based on debt concept which results in high cost and poses a burden to ones family obligation. Besides, BBA as practiced in Malaysia is seen not to be in compliant with the Shariah principle as the bank does not take the risk of ownership and liability on the property (Saiful 2005) (Sanusi 2006) and thus not acceptable by international scholars. Given the controversial features of BBA home financing, there is high dissatisfaction among the present and potential customers of BBA. However, such evidence had been absent or had not been collected systematically to assess the acceptance level of BBA. This paper has filled the gap by examining the perception of Muslim and Non-Muslim customers toward BBA. The findings suggest a high level of dissatisfaction among the customers as evidenced by their low intention to use BBA in the future home financing choice. Muslim customers in general are concerned about the features of BBA notably its compliant with Shariah as well as its inability to fulfill the broad objective of justice, equality and societal well being. The Non-Muslim customers however seem to have greater beliefs in BBA and its ability to fulfill socially desirable objectives. BBA has certainly overstayed its welcome and there is a dire need to find an alternative to BBA. Bankers should be looking for a viable alternative especially one that could overcome the Shariah compliant issues well. Diminishing Partnership is one of the newly emerging concepts that fulfill the Shariah requirements and is fast gaining acceptance. Bankers should be reading the strong signal sent by findings of this study and consequently prepare for another level of battle in Islamic home financing. At the last part, comparative analysis between the al-Bay Bithaman Ajil (BBA) and Musharakah Mutanaqisah Partnership (MMP) contracts as means for home ownership. While a home is basic necessity, it consumes a large chunk of peoples income for long periods. In the present interest-based fiat monetary system, owning a home is increasingly becoming burdensome. Indeed, mortgages are one of the significant causes of bankruptcies. While price of homes keep rising, the mortgage duration also keep rising, till two-generation mortgages are even being talked about. In this regard, this paper attempted to argue in favour of the MMP as a better alternative to the conventional mortgage and the Islamic BBA. The BBA is a murabahah contract, that is based on a buy-and-sell principle while the MMP consists of a musharakah (partnership) contract and an ijarah (rental) contract where the equity of the financier follows a diminishing balance method. Shariah scholars are consensus on the permissibility of the MMP contract internationally, but only scholars in the east generally permit the BBA contract. The paper concludes that the MMP has several advantages over the BBA for the customer. Apart from being consensus Shariah-compliant, it can be made to avoid interest (riba) totally and can reduce the cost of homes and the duration of financing. The balance of finance, at any point in time, never exceeds the original price of the asset, unlike under the BBA where it can. When a home is purchased from a developer and financed using the present conventional or Islamic BBA, the customer would end up paying about four times the original cost (both the developer and the bank are assumed to make a gross 100 percent mark-up). This, undoubtedly, can burden particularly the low income group. But, Musharakah Mutanaqisah Partnership is in line with the objectives of Shariah as it allows people to own homes with limited initial capital. In doing so, it promotes the welfare of the people. Anything that protects or promotes these is considered as serving the maslahah and hence desirable. As al-Ghazzali remarked: The very objectives of the Shariah are to promote the welfare of the people, which lies in safeguarding their faith, their life, their intellect, their posterity and their wealth. Whatever ensures the safeguarding of these five serves public interest and is desirable Admittedly though, the MMP is less attractive to the banker compared to the BBA. For that matter, a viable avenue to implement the MMP is through a cooperative setting. When implemented through cooperatives, the MMP can also provide an investment avenue for members while substantially reducing the price of house and the duration of financing. The concept has a positive impact on the economy and reduces inflation as no additional money is created in the system compared to debt-financing, as currently done under the fractional reserve banking system. The MMP is just and fair compared to the conventional loan and the BBA as there is no interest charge or advanced profit involved in the Musharakah Mutanaqisah Partnership contract. It is purely based on rental payments of property and the redeeming of the financiers shares. As a benchmark, the paper suggested the use of a Rental Index or House Price Index in determining the rental to be charged for each specified ijarah contract period. The MMP concept is a viable alternative to the conventional floating rate financing since the rental rate can be adjusted if there are fluctuations in the economy. Hence, it is more flexible, wherein the Islamic bank will not be faced with too many uncertainties due to variations in economic conditions. As for the society, the MMP brings stability into the economy by promoting positive partnership instead of negative indebtedness thus assisting in the equitable distribution of societys wealth; minimizing the large number of debt defaults and bankruptcies that are observed in the current financial system.

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While this all sounds like fun and games, it can wind up being extremely dangerous. Gambling addictions can develop quickly and when they do, everyone suffers except for casino corporations. Whether it be physical, mental, marital, or financial, there are numerous problems that accompany gambling addictions. Most people are unaware of the health and psychological effects that gambling addictions can produce. Some outward health problems that stem from this include insomnia, high blood pressureRead MoreThe Effects Of Gambling Addiction On The Age1399 Words   |  6 PagesResearch Question How can the amounts gambled by young adults be reduced, and what is the path to overcoming instances of gambling addiction affecting this age group? Background Pathological gambling, also known as Ludomania, is an addiction and is clinically referred to as a disorder that can affect people of all ages. Young people between the ages of 18-24 spend more money to gamble than any other age group. This has become a growing problem over the years as our technology has advanced, causingRead MoreEssay on Gambling Addiction: Compulsive or Pathological Gambling1964 Words   |  8 Pagesam very interested in how a person could psychologically and physically feel the need to gamble. It interests me that a compulsion could turn into physical want and pain if the compulsion isn’t fulfilled. This could actually be classified as an addiction, which some people would also classify it as a disease. People gamble for many different reasons. Some people do it for the excitement in which it will make them feel a release of adrenaline. Another reason why some people do it is because they areRead MoreEssay about Gambling Addiction868 Words   |  4 Pag esGambling addiction has become very real, very quick, to me and my friends and family. My best friend’s mother, Beverly Roan, is currently incarcerated at Sandy Mush Correctional Facility in Merced, California after allegedly embezzling over $350,000.00 from her employer to fund her gambling addiction. Beverly is a 58 year old mother of three, and grandmother of eight; no one ever suspected this level of addiction or criminal activity based on our daily interactions with her. We were shockedRead MoreEssay on Gambling Addiction In Gen. Y1308 Words   |  6 PagesGambling Addiction In Gen. Y Gambling has become a growing issue concerning the generation y. According to a survey done by Ctcclearing.com1, 80% of teenagers claimed to have gambled in some form. With a percentage that large, is the problem simply that gambling is a right of passage or are teens more susceptible to the temptations that casinos have. The Addiction Compulsive gambling is a disease among many people. The American Psychiatric Association classifiesRead MoreEssay about Gambling Addiction2683 Words   |  11 PagesWhat is Gambling Addiction? While it may appear that addictions are solely pleasure-seeking behaviors, the roots of addiction can also be traced to a wish to suppress or avoid some kind of emotional pain. In the broadest sense, addictive or pathological gambling is gambling behavior which causes disruptions in any major area of life: psychological, physical, social or vocational. Addictive gambling is sometimes referred to as the hidden illness, because there are no visible physical symptoms

The Bible Study - 872 Words

Romans Chapter twelve 1. As a new lieutenant in the Bridgewater Corps, I have discovered the absence of a weekly bible study. My first order of distinction is to add Bible study to my weekly calendar, because without the studying of the word, there is no growth. It is also important for Christian to study the word of God regularly and fellowship together. 2. The importance of the Bible is for us to study God’s word daily and be accountable for each other. This Bible will bring to their attention the behavior and customs of this world and our identity in Christ. 3. The Bible study will be led by the new lieutenant. 4. The congregation and their family are invited to attend the Bible study. This Bible study is also acceptable for the new believer to attend because it is talking about Transformation. 5. This Bible study is for the local leader as well as new believers to encourage them in their walk of faith. 6. Upon conclusion of the lesson question and discussion is included. 7. The class will meet every Wednesday at 6:30 to 7:30pm in the Corps liberty lounge. Introduction: The book or Romans are written by Paul to emphasize the foundation of the Christian faith. It also gives clear, everyday instruction in what to believe and how to behave. Paul in addition, means taking personal responsibility in our action toward Christ. The mega theme is sin, which means rejecting to obey God’s will and declining to do all that God wants of us.Show MoreRelatedStudy the Bible!1551 Words   |  7 PagesStudy the bible! : The Use of Bible Allusions in Literature Biblical references are a technique used in literature by authors to alter readers perceptions. The readers beliefs are challenged by using biblical references in literature. In â€Å"The Gospel According to Mark† by Jorge Luis Borges, Borges uses many biblical references to give readers a different view of the main character. With the biblical references being used in â€Å"The Gospel According to Mark†, readers are able to portray the main characterRead MoreThe Study Bible And Bible Commentary Essay765 Words   |  4 PagesScriptural Response Four In this paper, I will write a scriptural response to the assigned reading of the NIV Study Bible and the Wiersbe Bible Commentary. I will write my response to the reading from Leviticus and Numbers in the NIV Study Bible and Wiersbe Bible Commentary. Holiness God stress the importance of holiness all through Leviticus. God stresses this in the way that the Israelites are to approach him and worship him. God gives expressive and specific details on who and how to bring sacrificesRead MoreBible Study Overview1017 Words   |  5 Pagesa short term thought stored in your mind, but instead it should be a permanent resource of revealing truth stored both in your spirit and long term memory. During the reading of this material or this study; it is important that you keep your Bible nearby. This will help make this study of the Word of God more comprehensible, further enlightening your mind as you follow along in the Holy Scriptures. The teachings contained within will reveal many profound truths regarding â€Å"dying the death†Read MoreA Study Guide On The Bible966 Words   |  4 Pagesread with understanding scriptures from the Holy Bible. I used this collection of books because of my religious background. If I had been of the Muslim faith, I would have probably used the Koran, or of the Judaism faith probably the Torah. However, I must tell you that I did not continue reading the Bible throughout this behavior change. I found that I needed an activity. I then remembered that I had purchased a workbook from the Women of Faith study guide series. This workbook is called â€Å"FindingRead MoreInductive Bible Study Essay3331 Words   |  14 PagesAddress: BIBL 350 – Inductive Bible Study Assignments for Submission #4 Assignment 19-4: Deuteronomy 22:8 â€Å"When you build a new house, make a parapet around your roof so that you may not bring the guilt of bloodshed on your house if someone falls from the roof.† (1) Study the text and make as many observations as you can. List the observations in the space provided. Be sure that you understand the meanings of all the words. Do background study and word studies as needed to understand eachRead MoreBible Studies: Paul of Tarsus963 Words   |  4 PagesEphesian 6:10-20 states Put on the whole armor of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on theRead MoreIsaiah 37 Bible Study2347 Words   |  10 Pages LIBERTY UNIVERSITY ISAIAH 37:1-38 A BIBLE STUDY SUBMITTED TO DR. ROBERT DIXON IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE COURSE OBST 661 LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY BY LYNDA L. DURRETT SEPTEMBER 22, 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..2 II. DAY OF TROUBLE†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..2 A. PLEA FROM HEZEKIAH†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.3 B. SENNACHERIB WILL RETURN AND PERISH..............................Read MoreBible Study in Public Education Essay1019 Words   |  5 PagesIt has long been debated whether teaching the Bible in public education would improve our educational system or just help the Christians enlist more members into their religion. Since 1962, the Supreme Court has continued to uphold the ban on all religious practices in public education, including teaching the Bible in classrooms. There are some who believe that this removal of a moral education has lead to a deterioration of the behavior among our students, while others use the protection of theRead MoreInterview Responses: Bible Studies949 Words   |  4 Pagesresponses to the questions I asked. Question: How long are the days in Genesis 1? Why? Alexs Response The days were ordinary-length days, i.e. they were basically 24-hour days. The Bible clearly states that God made both heaven and earth in six days. If the days were in any way longer than 24 hours, the Bible would have stated so explicitly. Graces Response The six days stated in Genesis 1 are most likely symbolic. Taking the term day literary in this context would be erroneous. This IRead MoreEssay On Character Sketch Bible Study1954 Words   |  8 PagesOLD TESTAMENT CHARACTER SKETCH BIBLE STUDY TEMPLATE Name: James Shannon Date: 12/01/2017 Section: BIBL 104 - Instructions: For this assignment, you will be studying the life of one of the characters from Courageous Faith. You will use a template developed from Chapter 36 of Everyday Bible Study in order to complete this character-sketch Bible study. You will seek to discover what can be learned from the character you have selected when we purposefully study his or her life using the technique

Nutrition Health And Wellness - 797 Words

Lark Group topic: Health and Wellness In today’s session, PO learned about how drugs and alcohol can disrupt the normal functioning of the body and how better nutrition can help diminish some of these biochemical and digestive problems. PO had moderately participated in the group activities and discussion by actively asking and answering questions that address â€Å"Balanced Nutrition†. PO seemed to gain an understanding about how poor diet choices and nutritional deficiencies plays role in his recovery. PO completed the weekly treatment progress report, stated that he did not attend any self-help meeting, and stated â€Å"I am going to inpatient treatment on 03-02-2016†. PO’s response to the treatment was appropriate. Watkins Group topic: Health and Wellness In today’s session, PO learned about how drugs and alcohol can disrupt the normal functioning of the body and how better nutrition can help diminish some of these biochemical and digestive problems. PO had moderately participated in the group activities and discussion by actively asking and answering questions that address â€Å"Balanced Nutrition†. PO seemed to gain an understanding about how poor diet choices and nutritional deficiencies plays role in his recovery. PO completed the weekly treatment progress report, which indicated attended two self-help meetings, and provided verification. PO’s response to the treatment was appropriate. Stamps Group topic: Health and Wellness PO was not present for IOP groupShow MoreRelatedBusiness Proposal for Health, Wellness, Exercise, and Nutrition Outreach Education708 Words   |  3 PagesBusiness Proposal for Health, Wellness, Exercise, and Nutrition Outreach Education Objective: Outreach Foundation, with the support of major sponsors including small business, corporate, and educational institutions, is on a mission to educate students about the importance of diet and exercise in their personal lives. To challenge our youth to visualize their future as fit, strong and healthy citizens that will allow them an expanded vista of enjoyable and healthy athletic activities. With theRead MoreNestle s Objectives Of Nutrition Health And Wellness, And The Industry Reference For Financial Performance Essay935 Words   |  4 Pagesprovide consumers with the best tasting, most nutritious choices in a wide range of food and beverage categories and eating occasions, from morning to night (Nestle, S.A., n.d.). 2. Objectives Nestle’s objective is to be the leader in Nutrition Health and Wellness, and the industry reference for financial performance, trusted by all stakeholders 3. Strategies †¢ Creating Shared Value – Identify what the consumers want and how they want them. Use innovative and sustainable ways to deliver them. Read MoreThe Risks Caused By Foreign Currency Derivatives On The Worlds Leading Nutrition, Health And Wellness Group1540 Words   |  7 PagesNestlà © S.A. is a Swiss company and owns a prestigious position being the world’s leading nutrition, health and wellness group (Nestlà ©, 2016). According to its annual report (2015), this company is exposed to many risks caused by movements in foreign currency exchange rates, interest rate and market prices. The foreign exchange risk comes from transactions and translations of foreign operations in Swiss Francs (CHF). The interest rate risk faces the borrowings at fixed and variable rates. The marketRead MoreHealth and Wellness Education841 Words   |  4 Pages*Health And* Wellness Education HWE 100 HUMAN NUTRITION 3 CREDITS Introduces basic principles of nutrition with emphasis on personal nutrition. Satisfies nutrition requirement of students entering healthcare professions. HWE 108 WEIGHT LOSS 1 CREDIT Focuses on combining a healthy diet and exercise to shed unwanted pounds and inches. The course will include online sessions that will focus on personal habits including diet that lead to weight gain and exercise session appropriateRead MoreIs School Nutrition A Contributor? Childhood Obesity?1619 Words   |  7 Pages Methods Question: Is school nutrition a major contributor to childhood obesity? Date of Literature Review: October 2014 Inclusion Criteria †¢ Age: school aged children (4-18 years old) †¢ Setting: Public and private school systems in the US. †¢ Health Status: Any †¢ Nutrition-Related Problem or Condition: Obese or overweight and consuming at least lunch in a school setting. †¢ Study Design Preference: Cross-sectional studies, large randomized observational studies, time series studies. †¢ Size of StudyRead MoreDevelopmentally Appropriate Practices and The Preschool Child1112 Words   |  5 PagesWellness is imperative to a healthy life. Sometimes, people do not really consider what makes up wellness, they simply think of it as being â€Å"well†. Wellness may be a state of being â€Å"well†, however, it incorporates different areas such as nutrition, health, safety, nurturing, and emotional stability. People must be healthy in all of these areas in order to achieve wellness. This is not an easy task for an adult but definitely not for children. In order for children to achieve wellness, they are completelyRead MoreThe Food Service Position At Missouri State University ( Msu )937 Words   |  4 Pagesundergraduate studies, my interest in dietetics began with the culinary side of food, and then grew to a fascination of how nutrition impacts health. This fascination evolved from collecting recipes and looking for peanut allergy alternatives, to tra nsitioning into vegetarianism and experimenting in the kitchen to meet my nutrition needs, and finally watching changes in health impact the nutrition of my parents – my mother after having her gallbladder removed and my father with a diabetes diagnosis. LeadingRead MoreThe Nu You Youth Initiative ( Nyi ), An Enrichment Program Sponsor859 Words   |  4 PagesThe Nu-You Youth Initiative (NYI), an enrichment program sponsor by Nu-You Wellness, has recognized that sedentary lifestyle and lack of healthy eating in today’s youth is contributing to the obesity pandemic in the Western world. This program is determined to create a long term change in attitudes of youth 10-18 in regards to maintaining an overall healthy lifestyle in hopes to bring an end to this epidemic. Nu-You Wellness has created a comprehensive program that seeks to educate youth about healthyRead MoreThe Third Standard : Sixth Grade Section880 Words   |  4 PagesDepartment of Education, 2016). The thi rd concept focuses on physical activity knowledge, fitness knowledge, assessment/program planning, and nutrition (Arizona Department of Education, 2016). The fourth standard emphasizes personal responsibility, accepting feedback, working with others, rules/fair play, and safety. Lastly, the fifth standard highlights health, challenge, self-expression/enjoyment, and social interaction (Arizona Department of Education, 2016). For the sixth grade through eighth gradeRead MoreThe Popularity Of Healthy Food And Poor Nutrition777 Words   |  4 PagesAs the popularity of healthy eating and wellness increase, so does poorer nutrition in the consumer. â€Å"Over thirty-five percent of adults and almost seventeen percent of children and adolescents are obese in the United States alone.† (Pomeranz, 2013) With the increasing importance placed on healthy living and nutrition in America it raises the question, Why do so many people face diseases related to poor nutrition? Several factors are thought to be attributes to the correlation of the consumer’s perception

Social Inquiry And Social Transformation - 1616 Words

powerment of blacks. Simply stated, there is a correlation between social inquiry and social transformation. The purpose of black discourse is more than the renaissance of identity and self-esteem; it is to use history and culture as tools through which people analyze their collective experiences, but for the aim of reconstructing their current living conditions and everything in the society around them. Critical Review of Scholarship: I will be referring to a handful of documents to aid in my discussion of the development of black studies. Firstly, the document What Black Studies is Not by Dr. Carr really dives in to the true purpose of black studies, and as the name suggests, clarifies misconceptions about what black studies is often assumed to be. Moreover, the article on Dr. Nathan Hare is crucial because he is seen as the Father of Black Studies, and he was actually fired from his position in the name of lobbying for black studies programs to be properly enforced in colleges. I also utilized the Introduction and Development of Black Studies which was generally about the entire process to impose black studies programs in universities. Discussion: Although there was a common acceptance of the general social purpose of intellectual work, this did not mean that black scholarship must be some type of compressed promotion with no true level of factual information. Black scholars did in fact place great detail on their procedures and created meticulous approaches to theShow MoreRelatedWho Is A Leader?892 Words   |  4 Pagesthrough the process of skilled, intellectual inquiry that leaders are able to guide their teams to success. Inquiry is essential to leadership and should be utilized to foster growth in self, others, and the field in which the leader is involved. The role of a leader can be extremely complex. Leaders must play many roles simultaneously to hold everyone accountable for their duties, responsibilities, and ensure the success of the program. Reflective inquiry like will cause a leader to grow in theirRead MoreAside From The Approach Taken By Elaine Tyler1475 Words   |  6 Pages Alan Petigny argues in his book The Permissive Society: America, 1941-1965 against the traditional narrative of the 1950s being the years of conservative values, religious resurgence, and family orientation. Instead, Peking argues that American social norms remained conservative during the 1950s, however, personal values and behavior underwent a significant process of liberalization between 1941 and 1965. This is a similar view shared by Jessica Weiss. In making the case for the â€Å"dramatic liberationRead MoreDoctrinal and Non doctrinal Research1420 Words   |  6 Pagespurposive and effective. 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In an attempt to provide a response to the aforementioned questions, David Baranov’s ‘Conceptual Foundations of Social Research Methods’, with special focus on Chapter 2 entitled â€Å"Logical Positivism† will be utilized to not only bring a concise episode of the book, but al so a critical inquiry of the concept of logical positivism and to explore howRead MoreNorth Korea and Human Rights Abuses1692 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction In the wake of the inquiry into North Korea’s Human Rights Abuses published in February 2014 by the United Nations Human Rights Council, there has been a large global focus on the abuses of human rights by the rogue state. The inquiry, which compares the North Korean regime to that of Nazi Germany (Kirby, Darusman, and Biserko, 2014), has generated widespread global discussion about the conditions within the totalitarian state, and for the international community it is difficult to dismissRead MoreThe Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde And Guy De Maupassant s The Necklace1219 Words   |  5 Pagespowerful assets employed in any genre of literature, transformation serves as one of the most important devices in uncovering the underlying significance of a story. Although transformation is a frequently used element, its versatile function creates a unique point of inquiry for each different story. In the case of both Robert Louis Stevenson’s â€Å"The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll Mr. Hyde† and Guy de Maupassant’s â€Å"The Necklace,† transformation centers the story providing unique insight into nineteenthRead MoreEssay about Bad Influences of the Internet879 Words   |  4 PagesOF THE INTERNET The ‘Internet’ is one of the most used search tool on the earth, used by majority of the world’s population for research, communication, conveniences, entertainment and much more. Over the years, cases in relation to negative transformation of human behaviors, where people are becoming emotionally depress, horrified, vulnerable, addicted through the internet has become a serious problem for many people around the world, including us. Internet gaming is one of the most common problemRead MoreThe Internet: Facts and Figures925 Words   |  4 PagesThe Internet has revolutionized a wide range of institutional processes, communications functions, and social norms. The process of information dissemination and retrieval has changed dramatically because of the way the Internet is structured. Commerce, even outside the realm of technology, has also changed because of the Internet. The Internet has had more direct effects on the economy, too, by creating whole new sectors of business from Google to Facebook. However, the Internet also stimulatesRead MoreMiddle School Curriculum Map Essay1323 Words   |  6 Pagesliteracy strategies On the need to integrate literacy in the science content, Singletary (2010) says: Science education depends on literacy. Hands-on, inquiry-based science is at the center of science education; however, without the ability to read critically and write clearly, students lose out on opportunities to apply what they have learned through inquiry. Students’ performance on standardized science testing depends in large part on their ability to read and understand what is being asked (p.56).Read MoreBackground Of Problem Of Teacher Preparation Programs778 Words   |  4 Pages2006, p. 16) or to give students what they did not receive as students (Wright Tuska, 1968). However, they are unaware of how their educational experiences have shaped their beliefs about teaching and learning and how these beliefs contribute to social reproduction in schools which is counterproductive to the goal of most preservice teachers (Holt-Reynolds, 1992; Joram, 1997; Manuel Hughes, 2006; Kagan, 1992; Zichner Gore, 1990). Thus, when these preservice teachers are taught theories, meth ods

Community Health Assessment free essay sample

Covering a broad area of north and central St. Louis is the Grande Prairie Area, which is bounded by St. Louis and Grand Avenue, Delmar and Kingshighway Boulevards. From a beginning as a sparsely settled countryside in the 1860s, the Grande Prairie area experienced a gradual urbanization. This build-up followed a westward trend across Grand Avenue; among many people moving into the area were significant numbers of German and Irish immigrants as well as a few blacks. Prior to 1900, the population of the area was generally white. The nucleus of its present extensive black population began in the Elleardsville section. Elleardsville (The Ville) is situated just northwest of downtown St. Louis, and covers a roughly nine-by-five-block area. This area is bounded by Taylor Avenue on the West, St. Louis Avenue on the North, Sarah Street on the East, and Martin Luther King Drive on the South, located in the City’s 4th ward, 57th precinct, Alderman Samuel L. Moore. The area is governed by the laws of the City of Saint Louis and the State of Missouri. This section, now known simply as The Ville, became increasingly black in the initial decades of this century, because of racial segregation and convenience. Separate, but so called equal, facilities, especially schools, were required by law. As a by-product of this, it became a matter of convenience for blacks and their institutions to concentrate in a definite area. Black visitors to the 1904 Worlds Fair found themselves directed toward an established black community such as the Ville, because they were forced by exclusion from white hotels and boarding houses, to seek quarters among people of their own race. Another major cause of the concentration of blacks into certain parts of the city was residentially restrictive statutory covenants. After the first such segregative law was passed in Baltimore in 1910, the practice spread and reached St. Louis by 1916. Here, white neighborhood groups on the edge of black communities furnished much of the impetus for these local restrictions. A city-wide organization, called the United Welfare Association, was formed to promote segregation as a preventive against black incursions into white neighborhoods, on the premise that this would be detrimental to property values. Despite heroic efforts by the NAACP and support by some of the press, the covenant statute was approved by the voters, 52,210 to 17,877, on February 29, 1916. However, an injunction was soon obtained to counteract the law and in the next year such statutes were declared to be unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court. The segregation practice was still carried on through individual property covenants, which were not outlawed until 1949. These practices had the effect of funneling more blacks into the vicinity of the Ville, and the Negro population spread out in whatever direction was possible. During the Depression of the 1930s and again during World War II, an influx of southern blacks came to St. Louis seeking employment. This, along with the removal of all restrictions after the War, caused an upsurge in the black population throughout the Grande Prairie area, so that today it is practically all black. Since 1950, when St. Louis reached its all-time population peak, there has been a considerable out-migration of blacks, as well as whites, from the City and consequently from the Grande Prairie area. As a result, the areas population is now only about one half of what it was in 1950, this fact being evidenced by the amount of demolition which is visible in residential sections. Summary population data for (The Ville) neighborhood 1990 Population3,579 2000 Population2,695 Number Change-884 Percent Change-24. 70 Total Population: 2,695 There are various institutions that serve the community civic life and recreation. One such place is the Tandy Community Center and park. The center is a meeting forum for neighborhood watch programs and improvement associations. The Park includes a basketball court, a tennis court, a playground, and a large field. In comparison to other urban settings Grande Prairie Area is rather deficient in public park facilities. The oldest public open space is Fountain Park at Euclid and Fountain Avenues; it covers an area of one and a half acres. Tandy Playground occupies the block bounded by Cottage, Goode, Kennerly and Pendleton Avenues with an area of 5. 6 acres. A community center building was erected on the eastern end of the block in 1938. These facilities are named in honor of Captain Charlton H. Tandy, a Civil War military figure and a pioneer in the black education effort in Missouri. An extensive playground area is located west of Turner School, between Pendleton and Newstead. Beckett Playground is located at Page Boulevard and Taylor Avenues. It was developed in the late 1950s. Residential sections of the Grande Prairie Area are situated in its interior away from bordering major streets containing the commercial strips. Single family dwellings are found primarily in its western portion, where it is intermixed with two or four family flats. These structures are generally built of brick and were erected between 1900 and 1920. Owner occupancy is relatively low except in the northwestern sector of the area, where property maintenance is higher. Some demolition has occurred in the area, with most of it in the eastern portions, where deterioration is more advanced. Multiple family buildings are scattered throughout the area with more concentrated in the southeastern section. Dwelling structures in the eastern part of the area are generally older and less well maintained than in the western section. Age-wise, some of these date back to the 1880s and 1890s. A number of former single family dwellings have been converted into rooming houses. Frame houses are found in poorer sections of the area where more demolition has occurred. The Ville suffers from incredibly low real estate value in comparison to St. Louis’ other seventy-eight neighborhoods. The neighborhood ranks second lowest in the value of single family residences and ninth in the value of its two- and four-family structures, which together represent 95 percent of the neighborhood’s housing options. Principal commercial streets are Delmar, Kingshighway, Grand and Martin Luther King Drive. Minor commercial strips are on Taylor, Sarah, Vandeventer and St. Louis Avenue. The most active area for stores is centered around the former Sears store on Kingshighway. Elsewhere, generally, commercial uses are in poor physical condition; with many vacant or vandalized. Considerable demolition has occurred and on major streets some older stores have been replaced by drive-ins or service stations. Competition from outlying shopping centers and a lack of adequate parking have taken their toll on neighborhood stores and shops. The major grocery facilities are Schnucks Market, Aldi and Food for Less which are located on major streets and accessible by public transit or motor vehicle. The community members will express their concern with health disparities. They will understand that education concerning hypertension, obesity and their relating factors must take precedence before a change will occur. They will understand that screenings must be consistent and the regimen prescribed by the healthcare professional must be followed. Consequently, the community will experience an improved health status. Healthy Community 2010: Goal: Provide a safe and secure community that supports mutual respect for all residents and property and contributes to improving the quality of everyone’s life. (This essential component includes: public safety infrastructure, law enforcement, fire safety, crime reduction, intentional injury prevention). The neighborhood was not easy to assess, there was distrust among the community for anyone considered an outsider. None of the residents were willing to discuss the issues in the community. The lack of police presence and involvement in community activity was markedly noted. . The fire department does have a more positive image and provides educational services than the police and public safety works department. Therefore it is recommended an increase involvement and presences from the police, public safety and fire departments community activities and daily living.

Dobson Farm Products System Analysis Report free essay sample

A report presented to a farm products company which analyzes their information systems. The paper is presented as a report to the company, Dobson Farm Products, which retained Computer Systems Analysts, Inc. to analyze their current information systems and to design a system that would meet both the immediate and future projected needs of the growing company. The report summarizes the findings and recommendations of the analysis team, including the companys security needs. Security measures will involve setting up a separate server called a Proxy Server. This offers better protection than a firewall, but works in basically the same manner. The Proxy server uses a set of data validation techniques and protocols, which can be custom configured to either allow or disallow information to be sent or received. A proxy server will be set up for the entire system as a type of gatekeeper. Only authorized personnel will be able to gain access to this system or transmit information. We will write a custom essay sample on Dobson Farm Products System Analysis Report or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page