• Countrywide accused in a lawsuit of forging documents
• Countrywide fined after destroying customer checks resulting in increased rates and additional charges for legal costs
• Insurance companies finding evidence of forged collateral's
• Rating agencies not managing conflicts of interests
• Banks falsely presenting auction rate products as save and easy to cash
• Mortgage selling practices that have little to do with serving customers
• Hedge funds advising customers while acting themselves contradictorily

These are just a few examples to illustrate how easy it should be identify improper business practices. All you have to do is track lawsuits, actively invite customers and investors to file complaints or check product information. Who will investigate the regulators and evaluate their contribution to the current crisis. What steps will be taken to improve their performance?

FFXI - RMT , a history:

Starting in 2004, shortly before I quit playing my original character on FFXI, entire groups of people with similar names showed up and would be together 24/7. One group that I remember from this period on the Caitsith server was the Angel team, they all had names like Angelone, Angeltow, Angeltree; i think they were counting and just didn't know English very well. This group eventually came to virtually monopolize certain notorious monsters on the game. Since most monsters on FFXI drop pure shit and take too long to kill, a notorious monster is a rare spawn that has a chance of dropping a unique item. Notorious monsters or NMs can take anywhere from 15 minutes to 1500 hours to spawn. Since most of the crafted or store bought items on FFXI are also pure shit and you want to be best to inflate your epeen, most players are going to want a notorious monster(NM) drop in every slot. So therefore, since only one monster drops one item every player wants then if you control the supply you can demand whatever price you want for it. It is simple economics. The angelteam i mentioned above has long been banned and is remembered mostly for monopolizing the stroper chymes in Ordelle's Caves which used to drop Archer's Rings that were crafted into Sniper's Rings, at item that was essential for actually hitting any monster in the game.

Real Money Transfer, or traders, also known as Gilsellers (gil being FFXI's virtual currency) and some other variations of that theme, were not real players but people intent on making a living by controlling a virtual economy. RMTs were generally neither Japanese or North American but thought to be E-sweatshops in developing countries where one guy being paid $2/per was running bot programs on 50 computers at once.The would sell virtual currency to a third party website where dishonest players would then buy said virtual money to buy the virtual items the RMT were farming that they needed. So RMTs had the market on ultimate lockdown, they would sell essential items that only they could get for jacked up prices then sell the virtual money to websites such as IGE and others. Real players had but a few choices : be gimp, kill millions of monsters for chump change and get needed item months from now or cave in and buy gil.

It wasn't long until everything went to pure shit. There was way too much money in the economy, lvl 30 shit items were millions of gil; inflation had gone batshit insane. I started my second character during the end of this period. Things were fucked but sort of ok, you could sell pure shit, easy to get items for lots of gil that couldn't buy much but having alot of gil felt good. Everywhere you would go to level you would see entire parties of people with names like Hjwjreke in starting lvl 1 gear slowly killing or wiping to standard leveling mobs. The RMT had sucessfully conquered FFXI.

Given enough complaints, SQUARE ENIX (SE) decided to take matters into their own hands and start deleting RMT accounts. Taking a cue from George Bush's Department of Homeland Security, SE started a thing called the 'Special Task Force' designed to hunt down and destroy everything RMT. The Special Task Force sucked for a while, the RMT conspiracy was too strong and not unlike the Hindu goddess Vishnu with 100's of arms. Whenever one RMT would get shut down, 10 more RMT sleeper cells would awaken. It would take more drastic measures than this to get Vana'diel unfucked.

Earlier this year the Special Task Force took those more drastic measures and started wholesale deletion of RMTs and their customers. Things were going great there for a little while but the RMT would not go silently into the night. Using flash player exploits on popular FFXI resource sites the RMT started just straight up jacking legitimate player accounts and then stripping them of their auctionable possessions and selling the proceeds to 3rd party gilselling sites. This brings us back to the top where this post started, people scared as shit of the RMT's revenge. Paranoia was everywhere.

Conclusion -

This also brings me to the reason I wrote this. I have an overactive imagination. I speculate and read into things very deeply. I had long used a really long password that I never typed, a few months ago I changed it and made it incredibly fucking long/complicated and then last night there was some update. I am assuming that SE instated a new limit to password length of which my password is in excess of so therefore I can't log in now.

Epilogue -

About 2 hours later, SE released another update fixing the password issue. All is fine and good once again, I hope you enjoyed my history of FFXI RMT.

As with etiquette and good manners, the element of good will found in Rotary’s Four Way Test is also found in etiquette on a national and international level.  There is so much to learn from one another and about one another.  We need to embrace international good will by embracing, first, each country’s own ‘Good Will Bill of Rights’ as well as their proclaimed code of ethics.

Cultural etiquette stands just as tall and sings the same praises as Rotary’s Four Way test.  In one hand we have cultural etiquette which opens its vast numbers of books and pages to anyone who would venture to learn.  In the other hand we hold Rotary’s Four Way Test that teaches us, in a heart beat, the important of good will which equates to better friendships.  Etiquette also teaches the importance of good will and how it embraces friendship.  Rotary and etiquette teach compatibility that begins between our two eyes and travels to the center of our heart.  One depends upon the other; think ‘four way’ and see ‘good will.’

As we travel the world let us first study the humanitarian efforts of the world to see if the net truly spreads across the vastness of the world and encompasses one and all.  How wonderful that Rotary includes all and forever thinks that there is no limit to what we may do.  It is just as etiquette knows that with civility we will all matter, we will all be counted, and we will all – together – signal the next decade of excellence and good will.  Rotary and etiquette remain forces that go hand-in-hand.

Rotary International remains limitless in what each Rotarians may do.  As with etiquette, ‘may’ indicates permission and ‘can’ continues to bring to mind the ‘can-do’ spirit.  All who know Rotarians know Rotarians equate to the ‘can-do’ spirit.  Only a person without an active imagination falls by the wayside and is left wondering what happened to the window of opportunity marked ‘good will.’   Show what you are made of by projecting your civility and your can-do spirit.  You may step up to the plate; you have my permission.

by: Miss Etiquette
www.missetiquette.com

I have been having a most fascinating extended conversation with a few of my "Deep Thinking," philosophically oriented friends about the whole "ethical / moral / spiritual" ramifications of leaving any sort of noticeable, detectable impact on the world, once we are officially done doing our time and have finished passing through this particular physical manifestation amidst our Pilgrim's Progress?

One side says that we are to be as thoughtful, considerate, conscientious, careful and graceful as humanly possible to ensure that, just like when you go camping or hiking in nature, you end the experience by meticulously "policing" the area to ensure that you left behind absolutely no evidence that you were ever there.

Now I'm an ex Cub Scout - Boy Scout and was raised by my parents to be a very devout nature enthusiast and protector of the realm, so I quite instinctively totally understand and agree with this theory, at least as far as it applies to our effects on nature when sojourning out into the pure and pristine beauty of the woods and wilderness.

The other side seems to say something well along the lines of: "Every individual that comes to planet earth should do everything in their power to make sure that they leave something behind for their posterity."

We owe it to this wondrous opportunity to even exist in this time and place to gift the world with something of positive value for the future inhabitants when we leave,, be that information, literature, art, music, stories, film, buildings, statues, whatever."

I think that's a very powerful and positive point of view. I am ever so grateful for those who went before me and left behind a trail of insightful books, inspirational poetry, engaging art, reflective and stimulating music, and lots and lots of time tested, valuable information on how to do everything from build a boat and grow tomatoes, to how to write the perfect press release or compelling website copy.

Is it the natural, inherent, "bridge-building" peace-maker in me that sees that these two concepts are not really at odds with one another at all, but in fact work in a perfect symbiotic cooperative manner with one another?

My view on this is that one can simply apply both strategies to one's life and not only be very happy, satisfied, popular and well liked, but at the very same time,  avoid a bunch of additional bad karma / sin / negative energy or whatever you call it in your personal cosmological world view or spiritual path, predilection or predisposition.

I say, always consistently strive to make as powerfully positive an impact and impression on the rest of the world as possible, while being equally conscientious to avoid leaving even the slightest / lightest parcel of negativity or damage behind for others to have to carefully maneuver around and effectively side-track without stepping in it.

That seems to be the path that works best for me, what are your thoughts and insights on the subject?

Larry       ;-)

"On Words And Up Words"

Larry L. Nichols
www.WordandWebWiz.com
www.OnWordsAndUpwords.blogspot.com
www.LarryLNichols.wordpress.com
www.Biz-e-Life.com

Words are my paints - Minds are my canvases.

events_admin said somethin about him announcing he was dead.

I found it, back in March he died...then deleted the post as he decided he wasn't dead after all.

Disclosure (1994)

The movie about sexual harrasment of a man by a woman boss challenges the audience to think. As one of Sanders' colleagues tells him "Who has ever heard of a women sexually harrasing a man!" (my paraphrasing). Sexual harrasment was once considered a problem that involved a male boss asking his female subordinate for sexual favors. However, as an increasing number of women move up in the corporate hierarchy the nature of sexual harrasment is changing. If sexual harrasment is about power and control as many believe, anybody (regardless of sex) may perpetuate it and victimize another person. However, as the movie demonstrates so well, social beliefs about a 'man-on-woman' model of sexual harrasment are so pervasive that a man who complains about being sexually harrased by a female boss is likely to have a difficult time proving his innocence and the other person's guilt!

The movie is recommended for human resource management, organizational behavior, and business law classes. It is entertaining and thought-provoking!

Meanwhile, back in Kampala, the news is that the EU has done the opposite, and is encouraging the use of DDT officially, not blocking its use at all. If DDT is used to fight malaria and not in uncontrolled agricultural use simply to keep products blemish-free, in carefully-controlled sprayings, EU has no complaints.

Is there any western news agency with a stringer in Kampala who could chase this story down? Beck and Reynolds still offer no evidence to back their odd claims, but the story could sure benefit from a solid chunk of reporting from BBC, or Reuters, or Agence France Presse, or someone who could talk with the EU and Uganda officials.

Other resources:

• GlobalHealthReporting.org, Uganda/Malaria site
• Uganda Ministry of Health, malaria facts
• CDC - Malaria control in Uganda

Full text of report, below the fold.

Uganda allowed to spray DDT

New Vision, Thursday, 10th July, 2008

Mutagamba (right) chatting with to Kooki MP Mugumya Magulumaali at the seminar

THE World Health Organisation and the European Union have allowed Uganda to spray the DDT chemical, the water and environment minister has said.

Ali Mambule reports that Maria Mutagamba said the Government would use the chemical, to kill mosquitoes that spread malaria.

The union had expressed reservations about the safety of Uganda’s agricultural products due to the spraying of the chemical, which was piloted in Apac and Oyam districts.

“You should now have no fear about the use of DDT concerning the market for our products,” Mutagamba said in Masaka town on Tuesday.

The minister, who was closing a seminar on the National Agricultural Advisory Services at Hotel Brovad, wondered why Ugandans feared the effects of DDT when they consumed products from countries where the chemical was used.

My IIFT EMIB CGPA was 3.63/4 and I was in the top 10% of my class of practicing managers across the country, with an average class work experience of over 10 years.

What is the value of this figure is what I was trying to analyze.

We all know that theoretical knowledge is of no use so where does this 3.63 fit in? What is the significance of letter grades?

First off, it gives companies and the person evaluating you a metric to compare your performance with others in comparable fields. We all have performance appraisals and this is a kind of a performance appraisal system.

Moreover, it does indeed bring to the fore the committment and dedication put in by the students vis-a-vis their counterparts who pass through without significant effort because the MBA grading system is done well with emphasis given on continuous evaluation on assignments/quizzes as opposed to older traditional forms where final exminations are like a final hit (you score well there and you are done and you mess up there and you are history!)

In most intelligent MBA curriculums, assignments and quizzes carry a 60% weightage which is good. I believe it reflects the true performance and committment of the students on the entire duration of the course as opposed to the last minute hitters who strike gold in other primitive forms of education.

Coming back to the all important number, 3.63. Three point something.

I believe it is an important metric and I would go more by the practical experience of the person having a three point something out of the theoretical maximum 4.

Grades are letter grades from A to F with a 0.33 spread for A+ or A- and so on.

Look at the practical takeaway the candidates have when they have such glamorous letter grades. Don't go blindly by the numbers. Look at their usage of that course to their advantage in career advancement or learning. What value have they added to themselves over the course of time they have acquired the degree and become "freshly minted MBA's".

Value them for what they bring to the table and not for what their grades say but at the same time be rest assured that a person wih a high CGPA or consistent letter grade has been more systematic/committed (if you are looking for those qualities in that person) in one's course duration than a person who has been a low scorer and it does not mean a thing more than that. But, then you need to ask the candidate questions such as:

- What made you score low/high?

- Why the inconsistency in grades?

- Why do your grades vary significantly over the average (high levels of variance)? Remember Jack Welch's adage - in people differentation is everything, in manufacturing, we try to stamp out variance.

- What was the class profile?

- What was the type of course?

- What were the rigours of the course?

- How were the professors coaching?

and the list goes on. But you know, you need to be reading into more than just the numbers or letter grades. Those numbers can sometimes tell you valuable things about a person's committment when you dig deeper so don't be blindly impressed by a Harvard MBA, look at what skills one brings to the table and if the person has indeed earned that degree with dedication/committment.

Business Ethics in Islam - Part IV

By: Prof. Raymond A. Klesc

In our last installment we focused on how Islamic business ethics permeate every aspect of a Muslim’s life and how his life in Islam shapes the practices of Islamic ethics in the business world. We also touched on what is lawful and unlawful behavior from the standpoint of being halal or haram.
In this current issue we will discuss halal and haram business practices and demonstrate that what is haram may be presumed to correlate with business areas that are themselves haram and hence – unethical. Similarly, what is halal may be presumed to correlate with business areas that are themselves halal and therefore ethical.

Halal Earnings

Islam, through the example of the Holy Prophet and the rightly guided caliphs, demonstrates the importance of trade or business. Abu Bakr ran a cloth business, ‘Umar had a corn trading business, and ‘Uthman also ran a cloth business. The Ansar among the Companions of the Prophet engaged in farming. In fact, except for the trades that have been prohibited (see table 1 below), Islam actively encourages Muslims to get involved in business and commerce.
Allah’s Messenger was asked what type of earning was best and replied, “A man’s work with his hand and every business transaction which is approved.” (Rafi ibn Khadij, Mishkat al Masabih, Hadith no. 2783)

Table 1
Islamic Principals Pertaining Halal and Haram
1. The basic principal is the permissibility of things;
2. To make lawful and to prohibit is the right of Allah alone;
3. Prohibiting the halal and permitting the haram is similar to committing shirk;
4. The prohibition of things is due to their impurity and harmfulness;
5. What is halal is sufficient, while what is haram is superfluous;
6. Whatever is conducive to the haram is itself haram;
7. Falsely representing the haram as halal is prohibited;
8. Good intentions do not make the haram acceptable;
9. Doubtful things are to be avoided;
10. The haram is prohibited to everyone alike; and
11. Necessity dictates exceptions.
Source: Al Qaradawi, p.11.

Earning money through halal trade, therefore, is vastly preferred over begging. This principal is emphasized in the following hadith:

A man of the Ansar came to the Prophet and begged from him. The Prophet asked, “Have you nothing in your house?” He replied, “Yes, a piece of cloth, a part of which we wear and a part of which we spread (on the ground), and a wooden bowl from which we drink water.”
He said, “Bring them to me.” He then brought these articles to him and the Prophet took them in his hands and asked, “Who will buy these?” A man said, “I shall buy them for one dirham.” He said twice or thrice, “Who will offer more than one dirham?” A man said, “I shall buy them for two dirhams.”
He gave these to him and took the two dirhams and, giving them to the Ansari, he said, “Buy food with one of them and hand it to your family, and buy an ax and bring it to me.” He then brought it to him. The Apostle of Allah fixed a handle on it with his own hands and said, “Go gather firewood and sell it, and do not let me see you for a fortnight.” The man went away and gathered firewood and sold it. When he had earned ten dirhams, he came to him and bought a garment with some of them and food with the others.

The Apostle of Allah then said, “This is better for you than that begging should come as a spot on your face on the Day of Judgement. Begging is right only for three people: one who is in grinding poverty, one who is seriously in debt, or one who is responsible for compensation and finds it difficult to pay.” (Anas ibn Malik, Abu Dawud, hadith no. 1637)

Halal Forms of Work

Allah describes in the Qur’an (55:10-13) the process underlying agriculture and farming. How He sends rain down and how it flows throughout the earth making it fertile and ready for cultivation and how the winds play a role in scattering seeds, and how crops grow. This Qur’anic verse and many others (71:19-20; 80:24-28; 15:19-22) provide motivation for agricultural work.

Besides agriculture, Muslims are encouraged to develop proficiency in industries, crafts and professions that are instrumental to the survival and betterment of the community. In fact, development of these skills represent a fard kifayah. Imam al Ghazzali stresses this point, “Sciences whose knowledge is deemed fard kifayah comprise every area which is indispensable for the welfare of this world.” (Anas ibn Malik, Sahih al Bukhari, 3.513)

Many professions that are ordinarily looked down upon have been given dignity by Islam. For example, Moses worked as a hired hand for eight years to gain the hand of his future wife. The Prophet also worked as a Shepard for several years. In general, then, Islam looks on work which fills a halal need in society as good provided that the person performs it in an Islamic Manner.

Haram Earnings

A partial list of businesses that Muslims should stay away from are as follows:1. Trading in Alcohol – Alcohol consumption and trade is strictly prohibited.
2. Drug dealing and trading – ‘Umar ibn al Khattab defined the criteria for defining khamr as, “Khamr is what befogs the mind.”
3. Sculptors and artists – If they are engaged in producing pictures, statues, etc, as objects of worship or as objects to be likened to Allah’s creations are clearly forbidden in Islam.
4. Production and sale of haram goods – trading in goods for committing sins is haram such as pornography, hashish and the like, and idol manufacturing.
5. Prostitution – Islam prohibits this practice and the senseless exploitation of women.
6. Al Gharar – futures speculation in crops or animals not yet harvested or in your possession.
7. Some prohibited forms of sharecropping – where the sharecropping is considered mukhabarah, that is where the sharecropper stands the chance of not receiving his share of the crop if the crop fails to produce a specified weight.

The prohibition of the inequitable form of sharecropping mentioned above illustrates Islam’s preoccupation with the axioms of balance and benevolence. Both the land owner and the cultivator must behave equitably. Both parties must share in the gain or loss of crops. This is clearly fairer than leasing where the landlord collects rent no matter what, and the tenant may or may not harvest any produce.

For businesses not mentioned above, it is imperative that the reader consults with Muslims that are qualified jurists.

Developing an Ethical Organizational Climate

Ethical or unethical behavior does not take place in a void. They usually take place within an organizational context that facilitates their occurrence. The actions of other organizational participants as well as the norms and values embodied within the firm’s culture may add to the ethical climate within the organization or facilitate its moral and ethical decline. The English proverb “birds of a feather flock together” is applicable here. The Milken, Levine and Boesky scandals are all incidents where organizational participants flouted ethics because supervision was either too lax or they believed that the law would never catch them. In Indonesia, the Bank Bali scandal is yet another example of individuals in an organization thinking themselves above the law and allowing their greed to overcome their sense of right and fairness. For his misdeeds, Michael Milken had to pay a fine of $500 million and spend time in jail, we can only pray that the individuals responsible for the Bank Bali scandal will suffer the same prescription.

In examining the ethical climate in an organization, one needs to start with the individual’s own ethical stance. Some are committed to ethical behavior, and will not engage in doubtful practices. Others are influenced by the unethical standards of their peers or boss or by external environmental pressures. For example, employees in hyper-competitive industries may feel compelled to excel by whatever mean possible and may resort to unethical behavior, such as Boesky’s insider trading activities, in order to obtain competitive advantage. Should a manger become cognizant of unethical behavior and do nothing about it, he or she is in fact signaling that such practices are tolerated. At other times, organizations may unintentionally encourage unethical behavior by their reward system. For example, Eastern Airlines gave a bonus to their mechanics to encourage them to get airplanes back into circulation as fast as possible. Thus, airplanes that did not receive adequate maintenance were flying when they should have been kept on the ground.
The rash of recent scandals on Wall Street, in the savings and loan industry in the United States and in other countries’ business sectors has incited many firms to re-examine their ethical standards. This renewed concern with ethics can be more clearly understood by discussing organization’s social responsibility with respect to their multiple stakeholders.

An Islamic perspective of the Social Responsibility of Organizations

Social responsibility refers to the “obligations that an organization has to protect and contribute to the society in which it functions.” An organization exercises social responsibility in three domains: its stakeholders, the natural environment and the general social welfare.
Organizational stakeholders refer to the organizations relationships – namely:

· Relationship of the firm to its employees – hiring, promotion related employee decisions, fair wages, respect for employee’s beliefs, accountability, rights to privacy and finally benevolence.
· Relationship of employees to the firm – cheating, embezzlement, fraud and not returning a fair days work for a fair days pay.
· Relationship of the firm to other stakeholders – firm’s suppliers, vendors, buyers/consumers, debtors, the general public, shareholders, owners partners, needy and competitors.

Another key domain is the natural environment and the firms attitude toward its environment and the environment of others. As Muslims we are taught that we are vicegerent of this earth and that we are instructed to be aware of our surroundings – the rain, clouds, mountains and animals. This can be characterized as follows:
· Treatment of animals – Muslims must be careful how we treat them, butcher them and care for them.
· Environmental pollution and ownership rights – Although Islam honors ownership rights, it does not consider these rights to be absolute especially if they may lead to environmental pollution and threaten public safety. (Al Hisbah and the Islamic Economy)
· Environmental pollution and free resources (air, water, etc.) – The general principal with respect to resources that are free, e.g., air, ocean water, etc is that any person may make use of any thing that is free provided that in doing so no injury is inflicted upon any person (Al Majallah, serial no.2486, paragraph 1254). The guilty party is responsible to clean up any damage and make restitution.

Besides the above, Muslims are expected to care about the general welfare of the society they live in. As part of the community, Muslim businessmen need to watch over the welfare of its weak and destitute members. “And why should you not fight in the cause of Allah and of those who, being weak, are ill treated (and oppressed)? – men, women and children, …” (Qur’an 4:75)
The reward for taking care of the destitute and the weak is stressed in many hadith. If a person spends the night hungry, the blame is shared by the community because it did not attempt to take care of him. It is therefore the responsibility of any Muslim organization to contribute to charities, and support philanthropic causes.

In Closing…
To close this series let me state that it is the responsibility of every Muslim to be ethical in their daily business practices and to act responsibly toward the community in which it serves. To review its business practices and remove from its organization any haram activities and devote themselves to productive and halal activities that benefit mankind and the Islamic Community. It is everyone’s responsibility to take a long and serious look at their organization and implement policies and procedures that are conducive to ethical behavior and remove from its organization anything that may be a disincentive to function so. As a general guide to Muslims in business we should all adopt the following overriding principals:

·

Be honest and truthful
· Keep your word
· Love Allah more than your trade or business
· Deal with Muslims before dealing with non-Muslims
· Be humble in how you conduct your life
· Use mutual consultation in your affairs
· Do not deal in fraud
· Do not bribe
· Deal justly

We trust that you have enjoyed this series and, as always, should you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact us.
Be honest and truthful
· Keep your word
· Love Allah more than your trade or business
· Deal with Muslims before dealing with non-Muslims
· Be humble in how you conduct your life
· Use mutual consultation in your affairs
· Do not deal in fraud
· Do not bribe
· Deal justly

We trust that you have enjoyed this series and, as always, should you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact us.

By: Prof. Raymond A. Klesc

In previous articles I have tried to lay the foundation for Islamic ethical business practices. In so doing I pray that I have been able to demonstrate how Islamic ethics differ from western methodology.

In this third installment I will demonstrate how Islamic business ethics permeate every aspect of a Muslim’s life and how his life in Islam shapes the practices of Islamic ethics in the business world.
Based upon the previous articles, some key parameters of the Islamic ethical system have been uncovered, and can be summarized as follows:

· Actions and decisions are judged to be ethical depending on the intention of the individual. Allah is omniscient, and knows our intention completely and perfectly.
· Good intentions followed by good actions are considered as acts of worship. Halal (good) intentions cannot make haram (bad) actions halal (good).
· Islam allows an individual the freedom to believe and act however he/she desires, but not at the expense of accountability and justice.
· Belief in Allah endows the individual with complete freedom from anything or anybody except Allah.
· Decisions that benefit the majority or a minority are not necessarily ethical in themselves. Ethics is not a numbers game.
· Islam uses an open system approach to ethics, not a closed, self-oriented system. Egoism has no place in Islam.
· Ethical decisions are based on a simultaneous reading of the Qur’an and the natural universe.
· Unlike the ethical systems advocated by many other religions, Islam encourages humankind to experience tazkiyah through active participation in this life. By behaving ethically in the midst of the tests of this dunya, Muslims prove their worth to Allah.

In contrast to all the approaches summarized in Part II of this series, the Islamic ethical system is neither fragmented nor one-dimensional. It is part of the Islamic view of life and therefore complete. There is internal consistency, or ‘adl, or equilibrium, within an individual’s code of conduct. This axiom of equilibrium is at the heart of the following Qur’anic ayat:

“And thus have We willed you to be a community of the middle way, so that [with your lives] you might bear witness to the truth before all mankind, and that the Apostle might bear witness to it before you.” (Qur’an 2:143)

“…community of the middle way…” can also be interpreted as ‘middlemost community’, i.e., a community that keeps an equitable balance between extremes and is realistic in its appreciation of man’s nature and possibilities, rejecting both licentiousness and exaggerated asceticism. This balanced attitude, peculiar to Islam, flows directly from the concept of God’s oneness and, hence, of the unity of purpose underlying all His creation. 

Axioms of Islamic Ethical Philosophy

Unity – Related to the concept of Tawhid and is the political, economic, social, and religious aspects of man’s life from a homogenous whole, which is consistent from within, as well as integrated with the vast universe without. This is the vertical dimension of Islam. The most important aspect (la ilaha illa Allah), being that a Muslim will obey and observe God’s law. As such no Muslim should discriminate against his employees, suppliers, buyers, or any other stakeholder on the basis of race, color, sex, or religion. "O men! Behold! We have created you all out of a male and a female, and have made you into nations and tribes, so that you may know one another. (Qur’an 49:13) In essence the implication is that this equality of biological origin is reflected in the equality of the human dignity common to all.Also, the Muslim should not be coerced into unethical practices, since he has Allah to fear and love.

“Wealth and children are an adornment of this world’s life; but good deeds, the fruit whereof endures forever, are of a greater merit in thy Sustainer’s sight, and a far better source of hope”. (Qur’an 18:13)

Equilibrium – Related to the concept of ‘adl and is a sense of balance of the various aspects of a man’s life mentioned above in order to produce the best social order. This sense of balance is achieved through conscious purposes and is the horizontal dimension of Islam and relates to the all-embracing harmony in the universe. As Allah says; “Behold, everything We have created in due measure and proportion" (Qur’an 54:49).

The property of equilibrium is more than a characteristic of nature; it is a dynamic characteristic that each Muslim must strive for in his or her life. Allah stresses the need for balance and equilibrium when He labels the Muslim ummah as ummatun wasatun. To maintain a sense of balance between those who have and those who have not, Allah stresses the importance of giving and condemns the practice of conspicuous consumption: “And spend freely in God’s cause, and let not your own hands throw you into destruction; and persevere in doing good: behold, God loves the doers of good" (Qur’an 2:195).

The principal of equilibrium or balance applies both figuratively and literally in business. For example, Allah admonishes Muslim businessmen to; “And give full measure whenever you measure, and weigh with a balance that is true: this will be [for your own] good, and best in the end" (Qur’an 17:35). It is interesting that another meaning of the term ‘adl is justice and equity. As can be seen in the above ayat, a balanced transaction is also equitable and just.Free Will – To a certain degree man has been given the free will to steer his own life as Allah’s vicegerent on earth. Notwithstanding the fact that he is completely regulated by the law governing Allah’s creation, he has been endowed with the ability to think and form judgments, to adopt whatever course of life he wishes, and, most importantly, to act in accordance with whatever code of conduct he chooses. Unlike other creatures in Allah’s universe, he can choose how ethically or unethically he will behave.

Based on the axiom of free will, man has the freedom to make a contract and either honor it or break it. A Muslim who has submitted to the will of Allah, will honor all contracts. As Allah tells us; “O you who have attained to faith! Be true to your covenants!” (Qur’an 5:1) In other words, be true to your contracts and honor your contracts and commitments.

It is important to note that Allah is directing the above verse explicitly to Muslims. As Yusuf ‘Ali suggests, the word ‘uqud is a multidimensional construct. It implies the following:
1. The divine obligations that spring fro our spiritual; nature and our relationship to Allah;
2. Our social obligations such as a marriage contract;
3. Our political obligations such as a treaty; and
4. Our business obligations such as a formal contract to perform certain tasks or a tacit contract to treat our employees decently.
The Muslim must, therefore, manage his free will to act according to the moral code laid out by Allah.
Responsibility – Unlimited freedom is absurd since it implies no responsibility or accountability. To meet the dictates of ‘adl and unity that we see in Allah’s creation, man needs to be accountable for his actions. Allah stresses this concept of moral responsibility for one’s actions:

“…[that] he who does evil shall be requited for it, and shall find none to protect him from God, and none to bring him succor, whereas anyone – be it man or woman – who does [whatever he can] of good deeds and is a believer withal, [sic] shall enter paradise, and shall not be wronged by as much as [would fill] the groove of a date-stone.” (Qur’an 4:123-124).

Islam is fair, as previously discussed; people are not responsible for their actions if:
· They have not reached the age of puberty;
· They are insane; or
· They are acting during sleep.Should a Muslim businessperson behave unethically, he cannot blame his actions on the pressures of business or on the fact that everyone else is behaving unethically. He bears the ultimate responsibility for his own actions. According to Allah;

“[On the Day of Judgment,] every human being will be held in pledge for whatever [evil] he has wrought – save only those that have attained to righteousness:” (Qur’an 74:38-39).

Hence this axiom ties in with the other axioms of unity, equilibrium and free will. All obligations must be honored unless morally wrong. For example, Abraham (saaw) rejected his filial obligations because his father wanted him to engage in shirk or idolatry. On the other hand, the Prophet (saaw) observed the conditions of the treaty of Hudhaybiyah although it meant that Abu Jandal, a new Muslim, had to be returned to Quraysh envoys. Once a Muslim has given his word or engaged in a legitimate contract, he must see it though. “The Prophet, may peace be upon him, said,
“The signs of a hypocrite are three:
(1) whenever he speaks, he tells a lie,
(2) whenever he promises, he always breaks it, and
(3) if you trust him, he proves to be dishonest (if you keep something as a trust with him, he will not return it).” (Sahih al-Bukhari no. 1.32).

Benevolence – Benevolence (ihsan) or kindness to others is defined as “an act that benefits persons other than those from whom the act proceeds without any obligation. Kindness is encouraged in Islam. The Prophet (saaw) is reported to have said:
“The inmates of Paradise are three types:
(1) one who wields authority and is just and fair;
(2) one who is truthful and has been endowed with power to do good deeds; and
(3) the person who is merciful and kind-hearted toward his relatives and to every pious Muslim, and who does not stretch out his hand in spite of having a large family to support.” (Sahih Muslim, Hadith no. 6853).

According to Ghazzali there are six kinds of benevolence:
1. If a person needs a thing, one should give it to him making as little profit as possible;
2. If a man purchases anything from a poor person, it will be more graceful on his part to suffer a loss by paying more than what is considered a fair price;
3. In realizing one’s dues and loans one must act benevolently by giving the debtors more time to pay than is due and making reductions in loans to provide relief to debtors;
4. It is proper that people who want to return goods they have purchased should be permitted to do so as a matter of benevolence;
5. It is a graceful act on the part of a debtor if he pays his debts without being asked to do so; and
6. When selling things on credit one should be generous enough not to press for payment when people are not able to pay on the stipulated terms.
Although the above axioms guide us in our daily life, they are more descriptive of the ethical philosophy of Islam. The Qur’an and the Sunnah complement these axioms by specifying the degree of lawfulness of key types of behaviors as well as the hiram and halal business areas for Muslim businessmen.Lawful and Unlawful Behavior

In describing the moral code of Islam, it is important for us to understand that actions can be categorized according to their degree of lawfulness and unlawfulness. In fiqh, five such classes have been determined:

1. Fard – represents the class of actions that are mandatory on every person claiming to be a Muslim; such as salah. swam, and zakah.

2. Mustahabb – describes the class of actions that are not obligatory but highly recommended of Muslims, such as supererogatory fasting beyond Ramadan, praying nawafil, etc.

3. Muhab – these actions are not permissible in the sense they are not mandatory nor forbidden; such as having a personal preference for one type of halal food over another, or a Muslim may like to garden.

4. Makruh – these actions are not absolutely forbidden, but are detested. The mukruh is less in degree than haram, and the punishment for mukruh is less than for those acts which are haram, except when done in excess. For example, smoking is not expressly forbidden like drinking alcohol, it is in itself an action that is makruh. It should be noted, however, that there are many Ulema that regard smoking as haram.

5. Haram – actions are unlawful and prohibited and committing them is a major sin, e.g., murder, adultery, drinking alcohol.

Interestingly, relatively few things fall into the area of haram or halal. The boundaries between the five above-mentioned categories are not absolute. For example, what is haram under one set of circumstances may become permissible under others. Thus, a Muslim is not allowed to eat pork. However, should he fear death from starvation, and nothing but pork is available, he is allowed to eat pork in that specific situation.

Based upon the above categorization and principals, a first rule to be observed is: that which is lawful is wholesome and pure and what is unlawful is harmful or can hurt us. For example, Islam has long discouraged Muslims from drinking alcohol. It is only recently that childbirth studies have revealed that any amount of alcohol consumed during pregnancy may harm the unborn fetus. Implicitly, what is lawful is also moral, and what is unlawful is immoral. For example, adultery is both unlawful and immoral. A second rule is that what leads to an unlawful action is also unlawful. Hence, pornography is unlawful and immoral because it may lead to adultery.

In mapping out one’s ethical behavior, it is important for Muslims both to avoid the unlawful and to avoid making the unlawful as lawful. Allah Himself says, “Say: “Have you ever considered all the means of sustenance which God has bestowed upon you from on high – and which you thereupon divide into ‘things forbidden’ and ‘things lawful’?” Say: “Has God given you leave [to do this] – or do you, perchance, attribute your own guesswork to God?” (Qur’an 10:59)

The reverse is also true, as Allah says,

“O you who have attained to faith! Do not deprive yourselves of the good things of life which [sic] God has made lawful to you, but do not transgress the bounds of what is right: verily, God does not love those who transgress the bounds of what is right. Thus, partake of the lawful, good things which God grants you as sustenance, and be conscious of God, in whom you believe.” (Qur’an 5:87-88).

Muslims should not make unlawful what Allah has labeled lawful. For example, a buffalo may be an endangered species. One may stop hunting it in order to allow its herds to grow back, but one cannot say that it is forbidden to eat buffalo meat or to trade in buffalo skins.The fourth and final part of this series, to be published in the next issue of Muslim Executive and Expatriate, on Islamic business ethics will focus on halal and haram business practices. In it I will demonstrate that what is haram may be presumed to correlate with business areas that are themselves haram and hence unethical. Similarly, what is halal may be presumed to correlate with business areas that are themselves halal and ethical.

We invite all of our readers to submit their questions or comments regarding this series. And, Insha Allah, we will be pleased to respond in either this forum or by mail. Thank you for your readership and we pray that you are finding this series of articles of interest and of use to you in your daily life. Thank you.

By:   Prof. Raymond A. Klesc

“O you who have attained to faith! Do not devour one another’s possessions wrongfully – not even by way of trade based on mutual agreement – and do not destroy one another: for behold, God is indeed a dispenser of grace unto thee!“And as for him who does this with malicious intent and a will to do wrong – him shall We, in time, cause to endure [suffering through] fire: for this is indeed easy for God.” (Qur’an 4:29-30)

In order to understand the Islamic ethical system one must first understand the differences between the secular and moral models of other ethical systems. The secular ethical model assumed moral codes that were transient in nature and narrow in perspective. They were created by the secular establishment and willingly modified or compromised to suit evolving secular social interests. The moral ethical models imposed by other religions have often stressed values that de-emphasized our existence in this world. For example, Christianity by its overemphasis on monasticism encourages its adherents to retire from the real world and “escape” to the religious order thereby convoluting the relationship between ethical behavior and manipulated behavior.

The Islamic ethical model, on the other hand, places its emphasis on the Creator. Because God is perfect and Omniscient, Muslims have a code that is neither time bound or biased by human intervention. To explain this further we must examine other ethical models and identify their differences.

In general there are six major ethical systems that now dominate ethical thinking. These can be summarized as follows:
1. Relativism – Ethical decisions are made on the basis of self-interest and needs.
2. Utilitarianism – Ethical decisions are made on the basis of the outcome resulting from these decisions (Calculation of costs and benefits). An action is ethical if it results in the greatest benefit for the largest number of people.
3. Universalism – Ethical decisions stress the intention of the decision or action (Duty). Everyone under similar circumstances should reach similar decisions.
4. Rights – Ethical decisions stress a single value; liberty, and are based on individual rights (Individual Entitlement) ensuring freedom of choice.
5. Distributive Justice – Ethical decisions stress a single value; justice, and ensure an equitable distribution of wealth and benefits (Fairness and Equality).
6. Eternal Law – Ethical decisions are made on the basis of eternal law –which is revealed in scripture.

Relativism since it stresses the individual’s self-interests, excludes any interaction with or input from the outside. It also implies a certain laziness in the decision-maker since he or she can justify their actions by simply referring to their own self-interests. Islam takes a different approach on both counts. First, Islam stresses that the individual’s ethical behavior and values should be based on criteria enunciated in the Qur’an and Sunnah. Second, Islam stays away from decisions based only on one’s perception of a situation. The concept of consultation or shura with others is an intrinsic part of the Muslim businessman’s decision-making apparatus. Egoism has no place in Islam.

The Qur’an (45:23) says, “Hast thou ever considered [the kind of man] who makes his own desires (ego) his deity, and whom God has [thereupon] let go astray, knowing [that his mind is closed to all guidance],…”

Utilitarianism is generally considered outcome oriented. What ever is good for the majority is considered ethical. The problems with this system are many. First, who is to decide what is ‘good’ for the majority? Second, what happens to the minority interests? Third, how are costs and benefits to be assessed when nonquantifiable issues such as health are to be dealt with? Fourth, individual rights are ignored in favor of the collective rights of the majority. And fifth, it determines the ethical nature of future actions through weighing their costs against their benefits, and can easily be carried to extremes. This can best be seen in the American business world where the bottom line dictates decisions in the boardroom despite their “ethical” consequences.

Contrary to the microeconomics approach to business ethics, profit maximization should not be the ultimate goal or the only ethical outcome of trade in Islam. Allah directs us in the Qur’an (18:46); “Wealth and children are an adornment of this world’s life: but good deeds, the fruit whereof endures forever, are of a far better merit in thy Sustainer’s sight, and a far better source of hope.” It should be noted that the expression "...good deeds, the fruit whereof endures forever...”, occurs twice in the Qur’an – in the above verse and 19:76.

Universalism, in contrast with Utilitarianism, focuses on the intention of the decision or action. In essence Kant’s principal of the categorical imperative spawned this system, which is in two parts. First, a person should choose to act only if they are willing to let everyone else on earth act the same way. Second, others should be treated as ends, worthy of dignity and respect, and not just a means toward an end. Consequently this system focuses on the duty that an individual owes toward other individuals and humanity.

However, good intentions alone do not make an unethical act ethical. As pointed out by Yusuf al Qaradawi, “good intentions do not make the haram acceptable.” Whenever a Muslim follows up a good intention with a permissible action, his action becomes an act of worship.

Moreover, if an act is haram, then Islam does not allow this haram act to be used as a means to achieve a good deed. In other words, the end does not justify the means. If someone acquires wealth through haram means and then gives charity from it, he will not benefit from it and the burden of sin still remains. Said another way, if a government official accepts money illegally then uses the money to make his Hajj, Islam would not recognize his pilgrimage.

Rights is a system of business ethics stressing a single value: liberty. To be considered ethical all decisions and actions must be based on individual rights ensuring freedom of choice. This approach suggests that each individual have moral rights that are not negotiable. An employee should expect a decent wage and clean working environment while the employer should expect his trade secrets to be safeguarded.

The rights approach to ethics can be abused. Some individuals may insist that their rights take priority over others, such as the problem in America with gun control laws where the rights to bare arms is conflicting with societies desire for safe streets.

Contrary to western perspective Islam is for freedom. For example God tells us in the Qur’an (2:256); “There shall be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that never breaks. And Allah hears and knows all things.”

Islam, however, is for balance and rejects the notion of liberty without accountability. Man bears responsibility for his actions. Therefore, the greatest freedom is attained by submission. Indeed, once a person believes in Allah, he attains a different kind of freedom. Islam frees the Muslim from servitude to anyone or anything except Allah.

Distributive Justice is a system that revolves around a single value: justice. To be considered ethical, decisions and actions should ensure an equitable distribution of wealth and benefits and burdens. There are five principals that may be used to ensure this proper distribution of benefits and burdens:
To each an equal share,
To each according to individual need,
To each according to individual effort,
To each according to social contribution, and
To each according to merit.

Islam is in favor of justice. According to the Qur’an, the role of the messages delivered by all of His Prophets has been to establish justice, to wit (57:25): “Indeed, [even aforetime] did We send forth Our apostles with all evidence of [this] truth; and through them We bestowed revelation from on high, and [thus gave you] a balance [whereupon to weigh right and wrong], so that men might behave with equity; …”

Islamic principals of distributive justice include the following:
1.Every person is entitled to own property. T
2.he poor have a claim on part of the wealth accumulated by the rich to the extent that the basic needs of everyone in the society are met.
3.Human exploitation at any level, in any shape and under any circumstances is anti-Islamic and must be ended.

In general Islam agrees with all of the principals of the Distributive Justice approach to ethics, but in a balanced manner. Also, Islamic justice can not be modified nor suppressed by invoking rank and/or privilege.

Eternal Law decisions is made on the basis of eternal laws that are revealed in scripture and in the state of nature. Many writers, including Thomas Acquinas, believed that by studying either the scripture or nature, man would become ethically aware.

Islam takes a differing path. Basing himself on the Qur’anic passages 96:1-5; 68:1-2; and 55:1-3, Taha Jabir al Alwani concludes that humankind has been enjoined by Allah to perform two different kinds of readings simultaneously: a reading of Allah’s revelation (the Qur’an) and a reading of the natural universe. Those who undertake the first become ascetics. Sometimes, such a reading makes them become imbalanced and incapable of independent thinking. Those who stress the second reading are powerless to answer the ‘ultimate’ questions and generally dismiss everything beyond their abilities to perceive by means of the senses as supernatural.

As a result of these two readings, the Islamic code is unlike the moral code advocated by other religions. Islam does not advocate withdrawal from the world by stressing piety and meditation, but stresses active participation in the world through the struggle of this life.

While participating in this life, a Muslim must remember to be consistent both in acts of worship and in his daily life. Observing the five pillars of Islam is not enough for a Muslim; he also needs to conform to the Islamic code of ethics.

According to Abu Hurayrah (Sahih Muslim, Hadith number 6251): “Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him) said, “Do you know who is poor?” They (the companions of the Prophet) said, “A poor man amongst us is one who has neither dirham with him nor wealth.” He (the Prophet) said, “The poor of my ummah would be he who would come on the Day of Resurrection with prayers and fasts and zakat but (he would find himself bankrupt on that day as he would have exhausted his funds of virtues) since he hurled abuses upon others, brought calumny against others and unlawfully consumed the wealth of others and shed the blood of others and beat others, and his virtues would be credited to the account of one (who suffered at his hands). And if his good deeds fall short to clear the account, then his sins would be entered in (his account) and he would be thrown in the Hell-Fire.”

The eternal law of Islam is not limited to matters of religion; it permeates all aspects of a Muslim’s life.

In part three of this series I will address the Islamic ethical system and how unity, equilibrium, free will, responsibility and benevolence come into play.

Business Ethics in Islam - Part I
By: Raymond A. Klesc

When I was asked to prepare a series of articles on Islamic business ethics, I stopped to consider how someone would view my behavior in light of philosophical purity. As I am normally a harsh judge, particularly of myself, I felt that although I was a reasonably good person there was certainly room for improvement. I therefore found it difficult to set myself as an example, and I am by no means implying that I am any better than anyone else or that my example should be followed. Therefore, I present this series for enlightenment, primarily my own, and if you can gain but a simple insight into your own behavior, then it will have proved its worth.

Defining ethics is relatively simple. Ethic may be defined as a set of principles of right conduct or a theory or a system of moral values. Ethics may be defined as the study of the general nature of morals and of the specific moral choices to be made by a person (moral philosophy), or as the rules or standards governing the conduct of a person or the members of a profession (medical ethics).

From an Islamic point of view, there is no direct translation or meaning of ethic or ethical behavior. The term most closely related to ethics in the Qur’an is khuluq. Depending on the translation this could be interpreted as “character” (A. Yusūf ‘Al). The Quran mentions khuluq in 68:4, which Ali translates as, “And thou (standest) on an exalted standard of character.”

However, the Qur’an uses many terms to describe the concept of goodness or good behavior all of which contribute to the formation of character: Khayr (goodness), birr (righteousness), qist (equity), ‘adl (equilibrium and justice), haqq (truth and right), ma’rūf (known and approved), and taqwā (piety). Allah describes people who attain felicity or success in life as those who are “…inviting to all that is good, enjoining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong.” (Qur’an 3:104). I will address this Qur’anic verse in more detail in a subsequent article. Suffice to say Allah enjoins all Muslims to “learn” the difference between right and wrong, good and bad, righteousness and loathsomeness and to do good works through our lives.

Implementing or analyzing these definitions, particularly as it relates to other people or cultures, however, is often much more difficult. Perhaps the best way to illustrate this would be through an example.

Let us assume that you are driving down a well-lit major street late at night. There are no other cars on the road and the traffic light in front of you has just turned too red. You have worked late at the office, you are hungry and all you want to do is get home, eat and go to bed. As you approach the traffic light, you notice there is no traffic or cross traffic, there are no pedestrians, there appears to be no danger and it appears that you would not be caught if you decided to go through the red light. What do you do?
1. Slowly approach the red light, look cautiously in all directions then proceed through the red light after determining there is no danger; or
2. Stop at the red light, determine there is no danger, then proceed through the red light; or
3. Stop at the red light and wait for the green light, then proceed.
From a purely idealistic point of view there would be but one answer. However, all of us are products of our past. We approach life with different values and were shaped by differing principals, experiences and social norms.

Some people may be quite comfortable with answers ‘a’ or ‘b’ and perhaps ridicule anyone selecting ‘c’ as naïve. While others would immediately answer ‘c’ without hesitation and perhaps look askance at anyone who would respond otherwise.

What one would consider ethical behavior, therefore, depends on many factors that define or affect that person’s life experiences and education. Some factors affecting one’s definitions of ethical behavior are legal interpretations, organizational factors, and individual factors (life experiences and social norms).

Legal Interpretations: The legal structure of the West is often based on contemporary opinions and ever changing social norms. This often leads to confused legal opinions and frustration by the law abiding, particularly when obvious transgressions are treated with current liberal thinking. Islamic societies, on the other hand, are guided by the Shari’ah and a collection of Fiqh judgements handed down from a string of great Islamic jurist of the past starting with Imam Ibu Hanifa (see his personality profile in this issue).

Organizational Factors: The organization in which one works plays a major part in determining the ethical behavior of an individual. How can a low-level manager be expected to operate ethically and honestly when he sees his superior acting in a less than acceptable manner. We merely have to look at the state of this nation with regard to the breakdown in ethical behavior as it permeated every aspect of governance from the top to the bottom. One cannot expect to rid itself of bad ethics from the bottom. It must start at the top. The example set by management determines the behavior and attitude of the staff.

Individual Factors: We are all individuals – and thanks are to God for this wonderful diversity. Any two of us are not the same; for we all reached are present stage in life through different life experiences. Our moral development as children differed, and the values imparted upon us by our parents, just as our parents moral development was shaped through their childhood and their own approach to life was shaped within the context of an ever changing social and cultural dynamic. Our personal values are again determined through our childhood and our environment. We may have respect for other people’s property but our neighbor may not. Our family influences are yet another important factor in determining our development. Being nurtured in a loving and God fearing home yields one set of values while being raised in an atmosphere of hate or fear yields a totally different set of values. Peer influences are a very critical part of a child’s development and therefore an important part of determining their ethical attitudes. If your friend commits vandalism, then it stands to reason that you will come under pressure by him to do the same.

I have mentioned life experiences several times; and these can be both positive and negative influences upon your future behavior. Witnessing the violent death of a parent could cause emotional problems that could surface many years later in withdrawal, anxiety or violent behavior. Lastly, situational factors may lead an ordinarily honest individual to steal or depart from an otherwise normal ethical behavioral background. For instance, a mountain of debt may cause someone to falsify documents or sales receipts pay off his debts, while believing that he could “make good” the difference at a later date.

As you can see from the above, the utopian ideal of a universal ethic would be impossible to achieve. The rich diversity of mankind precludes a simple unified standard of ethical behavior. However, basic principals offered by Islam can, at least, put forth a fundamental understanding between the Muslim brotherhood of this world. The Qur’an spells out what we must do. It is our job to implement them.
In part two of this series I will discuss the specifics of an Islamic ethical system. I would hope to impart a sense of honor and duty for all believers, but more importantly, establish a sense of respect in our beliefs handed down to us from Allah.

In closing I would merely like to stress that ethical behavior in the management of a household, enterprise or nation comes from the example set at the top. As Muslims, we only have to look to the example set by our Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as the means and method to garner respect and don the robes of leadership. He led by example and his people followed out of respect for the man, first and foremost, and respect for the message he was chosen to deliver. Without that respect, he surely would have had difficulty convincing his fellow Arabs to follow. He was respected for many qualities but most importantly for his integrity and honesty. Integrity and honesty is the cornerstone of ethical behavior. For in this state, one stands in the “exalted standard of character” – the exalted character of Muhammad; may Allah deliver His blessings upon him.

 

 

Judgment awaited on withdrawal of newspaper advertising
A Grahamstown court will soon decide if a body of government may legitimately withdraw advertising from a newspaper simply because the authorities do not like the coverage. This is the nub of a case filed by Grocott's Mail against the Grahamstown City Council, which instituted a boycott of the twice-weekly publication a year ago. ‘The case has far-reaching repercussions, because a victory for the paper will send out a wider signal that public advertising is not available for use as a political weapon,’ writes Professor Guy Berger, chair of the board of Grocott's Mail, in an article on the Mail & Guardian Online site. He says the issue impacts on public resources being used to skew media houses towards avoiding critical coverage – or, conversely, to sustain and reward those companies that
spec ialise in safe or sweetheart journalism.
Full Mail & Guardian Online article

Certainly BHP Billiton thought nothing of retaliating against Standard Bank for suggesting its Richards Bay aluminium smelter could be shut down during the energy crisis of January/February 2008; and motoring manufacturers think nothing of witholding advertising spend from a motoring publication that prints something unflattering about one of their vehicles.  But that's all private money and I suppose the companies involved are entitled to vote with their money if that's what they want to do - although I suspect those companies mentioned would be the first to demand a free press as long as it doesn't say something negative about them.  But within the realm of public money - well now that's another thing entirely particularly when the objectionable editorial relates to service delivery or the misbehaviour of public servants.  The Weekly Mail and Gaurdian does a fantastic job though of investigative reporting and listening to its Editor Ferial Hafferjee I can see why.  Guy Berger is another person who understands the need for principle based leadership which is why his clearly articulated position is deserving of recognition.  Be inspired.

I've been chatting to real nice guy I met on the ish event website about esfan08 and his site and we decided to make our own site about him!

This may seem stupid and it is, but I think the guy needs to loosen up.

So this was the post he made today:

"It is surprising to see International Student House (ISH) actually understand the term “shame” and “binge drinking”. Below are just a few words they entered the search engines to see if they unethical charity (international student house - known as ISH ) comes up and they were successful to find their destination - the blog which informed Westminster Fair Trade Office and made ISH to reposition their cigarette vending machines and hopefully NOT letting under age girls get into their ISH-BAR

 lot of sex at halls of residences uk

david chapman ish

house of shame tanya hyde

ish international house image

david chapman ish

truth is courage -------------------> has been used quite a lot to reach other articles published on this blog (I assume by accident :P )

ish international student house london

marketing ethics

truth is courage matter

david chapman international students hou

sex

truth is courage

Good luck to Tanya and David ;) in their non-sense so called management and suing this effective Blog - which informed many universities andinstitutions and importantly Westminster Fair Trade Office to save the public and encourage the "charity", International Student House (ISH) to consider ethics and cultural values - you are just telling your real names and your IP addresses mach those threatening and abusive comments you made couple months ago with "misleading names".

We can see you are still learning and God knows when you want to take care of your so called charity which actually take inappropriate directions for survival.

To see it for yourselves that International Student House (ISH) is not compiled with the Charity Commission set of rules (because of promoting alcohol and placing cigarette vending machines in areas which are easy to access by youths and importantly under age individuals - vulnerable members of public - as well as offensive pictures and text used by the charity (ISH) for "promotion" purposes which indeed mis-educate and mislead the youths society), please visit the charity-commission website and summary of public benefit. International Student House (ISH) is harming the society and through its irresponsible marketing and management strategies. Their lack of ethical and CSR awareness is costing our youths and their future; therefore appropriate actions should be taken to save lives of thousands... Not caring about what ISH is doing allow further misconduct from youths for which they wrongly been criticised by many. Youths are in a sense are victims of vultures alike International Student House (ISH).

NOTE: WE NEED TO SAVE OUR YOUTHS AND STOP UNETHICAL ORGANISATIONS SUCH AS INTERNATIONAL STUDENT HOUSE (ISH) TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM AND MISLEAD AND MISEDUCATE THEM.

John McCain is interested in creating lots of industry in AMERICA. This is the best thing about him. He cares about US! And he wants to foster tremendous innovation here, in terms of how we produce ENERGY. He is aware that we need both short and long term plans for this, and so he offers actual SOLUTIONS for right now!

I feel that John McCain is thinking "America First" when I look at this ad. He is a maverick who won't play along the pork barrel party line, like others have and are. We need a President we can TRUST. McCain's stance is solid, balanced, and he brings fresh ideas in a time when American's need a joyful burst of cultural Nationalism. This makes him a rogue, but also, VISIONARY!

One thing I loved in this ad above, was the honeycomb motif. I think all the time about the "colony collapse" disorder facing our bees, globally. To see this in the ad, shows me that the Republican Party is also aware of this. McCain has to manage the "old grid" while building "the new grid." His nature is PROGRESSIVE, BALANCED, INTEGRATED and PLANNED.

Here is what he had to say over at the The Wall Street Journal right before the Fourth of July:

“...To get our economy back on track, we must enact a jobs-first economic plan that supports job creation, provide immediate tax relief for families, enact a plan to help those facing foreclosure, lower health care costs, invest in innovation, move toward strategic energy independence and open more foreign markets to our goods,” McCain said in a statement..."

When I read this next part of the article it was music to my ears, and I bet, music to a lot of Green Progressives' ears as well! He believes in Green Ideas for the long run in our country. Since we have such VAST resources available in terms of solar (the sun in our deserts) wind, (our deserts, mountains and passes) and water (the sea, and our rivers) McCain will COMMAND all of these natural forces to produce the energy AMERICA needs.

"...He acknowledged the challenges facing the U.S. economy, and reiterated his plan to use energy alternatives to boost the economy. “I believe the green technologies in the United States of America will create millions of jobs, if not hundreds of thousands. I believe that green technologies — whether it be nuclear power or hybrid cars, or battery-driven cars, or wind and solar or tide – are directly the factor that will improve America’s economy and get us on our feet again,” McCain said..."

Using the power of the sea and tides is a very positive step to a green future. I was thinking of the time McCain was at sea in the Navy, from his book "Faith of my Fathers" and so I wondered about how the Navy under John McCain's expert command, might take a look at this video, to see what is being done already to harness the immense power of the sea. This could be a part of McCain's extraordinary LEXINGTON PROJECT in the future, perhaps... (we already have such an incredible Navy!)...

Another look at this from "GreenPeace".... Progressives... and how it looks in action...

The place with Green Spirit, and renewables is here at "The National Renewable Energy Laboratory"

We already have the technologies available! McCain could harness all of this!

hat tip to: THE BLUE PLANET (Dynamics of the Oceans)

Things Bill Moyers had to say off "Grist" are here... it's a good piece for Greens, and new Green Republicans...

Now Hear This

an excerpt:

"...Meanwhile, over a billion people have no safe drinking water. We're dumping 500 million tons of hazardous waste into the Earth every year. In the last hundred years alone we've lost over 2 billion hectares of forest, our fisheries are collapsing, our coral reefs are dying because of human activity. These are facts. So what are the administration and Congress doing? They're attacking the cornerstones of environmental law: the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, NEPA [the National Environmental Policy Act]. They are allowing l7,000 power plants to create more pollution. They are opening public lands to exploitation..."

My sense is that McCain is both practical and a PROGRESSIVE at heart. Hence THE LEXINGTON PROJECT!

Coming from the same time Moyers did, Progressive Republicans would want the same reforms as Greens I bet. It's just that we all are aware of what faces our planet, right now. How to emerge from an "old grid" to a "new grid" is what McCain will be best at shepherding. It's on his web page, for all of us to see...

I think a lot of us feel very scared about nuclear, because of the waste. Could that industry make the shift, using all its engineers to a different model? Here is more on the power of the Ocean from "The Ocean Energy Council."

"...The waters off the Pacific Northwest are ideal for tapping into an ocean of power using newly developed undersea turbines. The tides along the Northwest coast fluctuate dramatically, as much as 12 feet a day. The coasts of Alaska, British Columbia and Washington, in particular, have exceptional energy-producing potential. On the Atlantic seaboard, Maine is also an excellent candidate. The undersea environment is hostile so the machinery will have to be robust.

Currently, although the technology required to harness tidal energy is well established, tidal power is expensive, and there is only one major tidal generating station in operation. This is a 240 megawatt (1 megawatt = 1 MW = 1 million watts) at the mouth of the La Rance river estuary on the northern coast of France (a large coal or nuclear power plant generates about 1,000 MW of electricity). The La Rance generating station has been in operation since 1966 and has been a very reliable source of electricity for France. La Rance was supposed to be one of many tidal power plants in France, until their nuclear program was greatly expanded in the late 1960's. Elsewhere there is a 20 MW experimental facility at Annapolis Royal in Nova Scotia, and a 0.4 MW tidal power plant near Murmansk in Russia. UK has several proposals underway..."

John McCain has already proven that he is concerned about conserving our natural resources, and he cares about the BEAUTY we in the WEST care so deeply about. Here is his take on that, from his own web page!

Stewards of Our Nation's Rich Natural Heritage

"...John McCain has a proud record of common sense stewardship. Along with his commitment to clean air and water, and to conserving open space, he has been a leader on the issue of global warming with the courage to call the nation to action on an issue we can no longer afford to ignore.

America has been blessed with a rich and diverse natural heritage. In the tradition of his hero, Theodore Roosevelt, John McCain believes that we are vested with a sacred duty to be proper stewards of the resources upon which the quality of American life depends. Ensuring clean air, safe and healthy water, sustainable land use, ample greenspace - and the faithful care and management of our natural treasures, including our proud National Park System - is a patriotic responsibility. One that must be met not only for the benefit of our generation, but for our children and those to whom we will pass the American legacy..."

Click on that link above and you can watch him speak in a video, right on the page!

They don't call John McCain "The Straight Talk Express" for nothing. This is why people LOVE him, especially reporters. He isn't going to doublespeak. He isn't going to waffle around, hoodwink, baffle or bamboozle AMERICA.

He's a WESTERNER. HE HAS ETHICS! He has CHARACTER! He is going to be honest with Americans, and straight with his plans. Don't miss his video! And read about how he feels about the earth!

A WESTERNER IS ALWAYS GOING TO GIVE YOU STRAIGHT TALK! ALWAYS!

That's why I place my trust in John McCain, why I have left the Democratic Party, and have decided to devote my energy and ideas to the GREEN REPUBLICANS from now on! I have seen the absolute corruption within the Democratic Party and its Dirty Politics. I don't want any part of that, EVER AGAIN.

As far as I am concerned Hillary and Bill Clinton were the last decent Democrats. And the Democratic Party tried to ruin Hillary, before my very eyes in 2008.

I'm picking a PRESIDENT who understands just what we need in America. John McCain!

This is a platform I can believe in!

"REFORM, PROSPERITY, PEACE"

]]> http://timpanogos.wordpress.com/?p=1936 Sun, 06 Jul 2008 02:16:09 +0000 Ed Darrell http://timpanogos.wordpress.com/?p=1936 Instapundit loves to roil waters, but he's low on content, and everytime I see it, low on accuracy, too.

This is the entirety of Glenn Beck'sReynolds's post linking to the rabidly anti-Rachel Carson, RWDB with a rant about DDT that lacks several key points of accuracy:

THE HIGH COST OF fighting malaria.

Six words and he's wrong already. That's quite a skill to be dead wrong in six words.

Our friend, Mr. Beck, at RWDB, has a news report from Uganda, and rather than note it and check for accuracy, he uses it as a tee for numerous shots and mulligans against science, scientists, environmentalists, health care workers, the EU, and anyone else who inhabited his latest delerium.

The story out of Africa is that a buyer of organic cotton refused to buy Ugandan cotton due to DDT contamination. True to the line of recent events, it's not environmentalists who do anything , though the news story finds a way to blame them in the last paragraph. Instead, it's a businessman.

But here are problems with the story:

• There is no indication EU has anything to do with this failed purchase.
• There is no indication that any environmentalist ever played a role -- this is a Dutch purchasing company, shopping for organic cotton.
• There is no indication that Uganda farmers can't sell their cotton to other buyers.
• There is no reason to presume that the cotton must be sold as "organic."
• There appears to be no indication of any DDT contamination.
• It's illegal to spray DDT on cotton in Uganda, as I understand it -- if this cotton is contaminated, the problem is that DDT was diverted from malaria control. That's not a problem for environmentalists -- and, according to the PAN story cited above, farmers have incentives to keep it from happening.

Are we to believe that marauding anti-insect people roam Uganda, forcing farmers to steal DDT from health authorities and spray it on their cotton instead, against the farmer's better interests?

Neither Glenn Beck at Instapundit nor the other Beck at RWDB bothered to check the facts, nor even to see whether the first face story passes the smell test. Where would DDT contamination come from? Why would a buyer refuse cotton if there's no DDT contaminant? Why wouldn't there be tests? Where are the test results? If EU is so down on DDT on cotton, where is the document that says so?

The company in the news story, ineptly named as it is, Bo-Weevil, does exist, it appears, either there or in the Netherlands. That surely is not the only cotton buyer for the EU. The first BoWeevil isn't an EU company, since it's headquartered in Tennessee. From their website:

Welcome to Bo-Weevil Eco Sportswear Mfg. LLC., nestled in the hills of Tazewell, Tennessee.

Producers of the most earth friendly clothing on the planet.

Bo-Weevil Eco started manufacturing and supplying clothing with one main vision: “Provide our customers with the highest quality clothing that integrates current fashions with timeless style, to create lifestyle clothing that brings awareness to care what you wear.”

We are a company that practices to restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony. Doing so by being at the forefront of U.S.A. factories producing a line of women’s, men’s, kids and k-9 apparel made by pre-consumer recycled fibres. We are working to create change in the textile industry; to offer one step on the path to more sensible and sustainable use of resources in the production of basic commodities.

So, how does the EU get into this story at all? The second company, I can find listed only through a post at Pesticide Action Network, a source that is not always reliable on such issues.

Smell test: Does this sound accurate to you? When was the last time you saw anyone at Wal-Mart demand organic cotton?

The use of DDT has now affected cotton prices in the region. Patrick Oryang from Lango Cooperative told All Africa, “We are buying cotton at sh500 per kilogram instead of sh750. The country will lose about US$20 million because EUREP-GAP, an EU exporters body, has suspended buying products from the region because the consumers in Europe and America want purely organic products.”

What's the real story?

Neither Beck seems to care. They get a dig at environmentalists, so what if Ugandans get malaria?

Update, sorta: News from Uganda, in New Vision, seems to indicate that the EU has okayed the wise use of DDT in Uganda, contrary to claims of an EU ban (July 10 story). You can't help but wish there were some good, clear reporting of this issue, from BBC or Reuters, or someone in Kampala besides these few, shallow news dailies.

    

There are many proofs of my aim, i.e by selling cigarette and alcohol to youths and

under aged (i.e. the 17 year olds in the ISH Bar couple months ago ;) ). Wow!!!

I have more in the pipeline to ruin dignity this is the ultimate aim at gone off-ISH.

Take a further look at inside the gone off-ISH:

P.S. first readers of this post were right after having this posted from International Student House (ISH) offices - thanks to Google Alert ;) but you better learn about management and strategy development first and second and third and last.

Imagine walking up to a restaurant for an early morning breakfast and before going in, you make a decision to buy a newspaper from one of the various vending machines. However, before you can deposit your coinage, you observed the following:

Two small business owners or possibly businessmen walked up to another newspaper vending machine. One deposited the proper coins and opens the door to take his paid for newspaper. Then he asks his companion if he would like one as well? A second newspaper is removed without payment. The companion then jokes about receiving 2 newspapers for the price of one.

I personally witnessed this scenario. What I did was to take the necessary coins from my own pocketbook and deposit them into the machine. I opened the door and then closed the door without taking a newspaper. The two small business owners or executives now stared at me in disbelief.

As I approached the restaurant door, one of the businessmen open