Punishment in Islamic Law

The Islamic penal system is but a branch of Shari’ah which is absolutely necessary in securing inherent human rights. Non Muslim countries picture the Islamic law as one that punishes criminals by stoning, mutilating and slashing.  Islamic law is not simply a system of law but the Shari’ah is more of a code of conduct.  It is said to have a broader application than any system of law.  It embraces all aspects of man’s existence, his relations with God and his neighbors. 

Stoning is virtually the most grievous punishment under the Islamic law and is inflicted to those who commit the most pernicious of all social crimes.  Stoning to death is the penalty imposed on adultery. The law requires four reliable witnesses who must have seen all the acts of penetration and that their testimony must be unanimous in every phase of the crime including minor details. If one is found to be contradictory, the four will receive 80 slashes each for slander.

Islamic law aspires to secure the stability of the cornerstone of society, the family.  It is the family that generates the foundation of values of the societal order binding together the various institutions of the government.  In this regard, Islam encourages the continuity of the family through the sanctity of marriage. 

Sexual morality is highly regarded as a supreme virtue which in other advancedcountries is but a part of life.  Sexual adventure is just an ordinary thing in the West where immorality is unrestrained and oftentimes results to the disintegration of the institution of marriage and consequently disintegration of society’s other institutions.

The root cause is extramarital sex or unlawful sexual union.  To prevent the adverse effect of this in society, it has to be uprooted by blocking the way to it.  This is the reason why men and women are segregated and women are ordered to wear hijab (headscarf) to hide the hair and neck and usually has a face veil that covers the face.

Lashing is whipping or flogging, which connotes savagery, a punishment usually inflicted for conviction of an offense, like drunkenness.  At least two witnesses are required to prove acts of drinking.Islamic law not only prohibits drinking of intoxicating liquor but all acts connected with alcohol, such as buying, selling, etc. 

Shari’ah is not only concerned about the evil effects on the body but the consequences of it which are detrimental to morality and society.  It is aimed at preventing commission of crimes by removing the root cause, thus eliminating or reducing criminality.  It is true that the major cause of violence is intoxication. 

Restrictions are imposed such as: flogging should not be done under severe heat or cold weather; it must not be inflicted on the naked body, on the head, face and private parts and should not cause wound and must not be confined on a particular part of the body. The whip must be of medium size and the intensity level of beating must be average. 

It is said the lashing is done with control and in accord with justice not according to the whims of capricious guards. Flogging according to the President of the International Court of Justice is not a severe, inhuman punishment. 

Depriving a person of any part of his body is mutilation.  This is a punishment for theft or armed robbery where there is cutting off of hand or amputation.  This is practiced to protect rightful ownership of property. Accordingly, it is said that this kind of punishment must be seen in the context of social security. The aim of the law is to create a society where nobody is forced by circumstances to steal.
 Inasmuch as rights and duties are reciprocal in Islam, it cannot impose a duty without granting a corresponding right.  If the State failed to provide its people of the basic necessities in life, such as, food, clothing and shelter, it has no right to impose the penalty for theft.  It was in this construct when the cutting off of hand was waived during times of hunger and starvation. 
 
The elements of the crime include two reliable witnesses and that the property stolen is sufficiently secured and the accused is mature and sane person and not forced by circumstances to commit the crime.  The evidence that only 6 times the punishment was executed in 400 years proves that it was meant to prevent crime.  Again, it is confessed that the punishment is carried out in humanely manner.

Muslim people consider Islamic law as the only perfect system of justice capable of solving all problems including criminality because it is believed to have been ordained by God.  Muslims believe that punishment generates attitudes of disdain for crime and get rid of all the root causes of crime thus creating a crime-free society. You can bend the necks but you can’t change the heart, as the saying goes, which means that punishment alone is insufficient to guarantee abidance with the law. 

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This chopped board joins with the poke under the concluded fountain.

Nay, we are Seven, What a Style!

“Nay, we are seven!” a famous last line in William Wordsworth poem, We Are Seven”. Wordsworth, known for his works about nature, “We Are Seven” is centered on the supernatural. Its theme is about innocence and how it regresses because humanity destroys it. The supernatural beliefs of the main character in the poem that her dead siblings still exist, subjected the poem to ridicule. Several revisions were made but the theme remains despite its initial criticisms. The poem has gained popularity since its release.

“We Are Seven” is about a little girl insisting on the narrator that there are seven boys and girls in the family contrary to her statement that some were already dead. Despite efforts of the narrator to make the child understand that deceased brothers and sisters cannot be counted anymore as they are no longer alive, the girl insisted, they are seven.

Without realizing, the narrator is forcing his beliefs on the child and trying insistently to change her conceptions instead of learning from the child. “We are Seven” is the embodiment of Wordsworth’s childhood’s innocence that he misses and gone forever.

Who would not appreciate the spectacular elegance of the language, simple and candid? The poet used a wide range of metaphors in his poems, from architectural to maritime, like the mind to “a mansion of memory”, and memory to “the anchor” of the poet’s “purest thought”.

In another poem, he describes himself as a “lonely cloud” and the daffodils to “a crowd of dancing people”. When reading the poem, “I wandered Lonely as a Cloud,” anyone can feel the gracefulness of the dancing daffodils and the cool breeze of the countryside.

In “We Are Seven”, the reader is left in an uncertain cognitive state, waiting for what will happen next, apprehensive to know in the end that the siblings are not really seven. The answer however, remains unanswered. Who could forget then the firm stand of a child who cannot in her innocence denies the presence of her siblings though they are gone forever?

Those who have read the poems of William Wordsworth will appreciate the style used in the poems, metaphoric phrases are laudable, the slow rhythmic movements of his verses are soul-penetrating and touching, simple and very natural.

Thematic concepts used impart divine influence on the mind and soul, be it natural or supernatural. He writes with passion and most of his poems are from his experiences, the reason why it is from the heart, full of feelings and emotions. The lyrics are magnificent, very descriptive of the images, places, events, pleasure and emotion, Wordsworth wants to convey to his readers.

Readers would feel as if they were transcended into another dimension, spirits fleeting like clouds traveling with the writer, feeling what the writer feels. In “We Are Seven,” the reader is left expectant of what will happen next, expecting mostly for the highlights or climax that never comes, what a style!

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A Spiritual Reality

How do you feel when you see flowers growing on the roadside?  To the author, William Wordsworth, in his immortal lyric poem, “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”, flowers and all of nature’s richness is a spiritual reality, bearing witness to the beauty and goodness of God.  The poem expresses the writer’s personal feelings and emotions.

The poet used an apt comparison of the speaker to a lonely cloud willing to be carried anywhere without direction, just floating away anywhere, wherever. The simile used is a kind where the quality is inferred, comparing a person to a cloud, without naming the quality similar to the compared objects. 

Although the stanzas were written in six lines, the poem follows a rhyme of four verses with each stanza consisting of two successive lines of verse; usually rhymed having four metrical feet.

While in his lonely mood, the speaker in the poem sees a crowd. A crowd of flowers, personified as human beings, golden daffodils all over the lake, under the trees flapping up and down as if dancing in the cooled wind and snatches away the solitary mood of the speaker in the poem, and  joyfully found himself not all alone but at peace in the company of  God’s other beautiful creations.  What an “identity-switching technique” with its simple plot about nature, memory and musical eloquence!        

While revisiting the banks of the Wye, “Tintern Abbey” was written in l798 and like Wordsworth’s other famous poems, its theme is focused on the beauty of nature and memory.  

The poem was written in blank verse; unrhymed verses having five metrical feet like a piece of prose, flowing, very natural and read easily. Similar to “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”, “Tintern Abbey” is a monologue where the speaker talks to himself, addressing others at times. 

Flushing in the scene in the idea of an abbey is a faint breed of religious thought although the actual form of the structure is not contained in the poem. Wordsworth uses romanticism by describing the pleasure brought by nature. This poem is all about past memories as he tries to bring back those lost memories.

In the few lines of the poem, the poet experiences emotional pain in reminiscing his childhood, his communion with nature.  In his last paragraph, Wordsworth wished that her sister Dorothy survived his death to share and continue his memories so that his love for nature will live on.  But one thing is definite that Wordsworth will be remembered for his poems and his memories will live on.

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Dubai’s Criminal Justice System

"It's no different than we were in America a hundred years ago, right after or during the end of the Victorian era, said Hamden.”Even though we are seeing globalization, in the city that has defined globalization; we are still seeing a value system that still looks like new Victorians” (qtd. in “They destroyed me”, 2008). Victorian era is the period from 1837 to 1901. This is how Dr. Raymond Hamden, a Lebanese-American psychiatrist who works in the Dubai courts describes Dubai’s criminal justice system. He further said that although it has embraced modernization with high rise buildings and very rich economy, its criminal justice system is still an evolving one.

In criminal court, the equal protection before the law does not usually extend to foreigners. The amazing economic growth of Dubai is wholly dependent on millions of expatriates engaging actively from corporate financial executives down to construction and domestic jobs. Emiratis, representing only 10% of the total residents are not enough to meet the demands of a “double-digit economic growth” goaded by foreign investments, so even the court personnel and lawyers are foreigners.

Dubai boasts of its corporate legal system as fair and protective of foreign investors. Lawyers, however deny this fact. In Dubai, the crime of rape is termed “forced homosexuality” as UAE law does not acknowledge assault and rape of males. HIV and homosuality are taboos and held in secret in this bustling financial center. These, result in rampant harassment of gays and foreigners. Those found to be homosexuals and infected with HIV are denied health care benefits, quarantined and subjected to deportation proceedings.

According to a Western Diplomat who is familiar with the judicial system, equality exists only in theory, not in practice. It may have strived very hard to earn a good reputation in delivering fair and speedy dispositions of commercials claims, however, it is still struggling to balance a penal code deeply rooted in conventional Islamic and Arabic culture to the damage and prejudice of overwhelming foreign residents who are largely noncitizens.

In Dubai, flogging is not a practice. Generally the government observes the Constitutional prohibition on arbitrary arrest and detention. However, in sensitive criminal cases, incommunicado detention is allowed in order not to imperil the investigation. There were complaints from diplomatic missions that they were not notified when their citizens were arrested and detained.

Accused can be questioned for days or even weeks without the assistance of legal counsel because a defendant can only avail of the services of a lawyer after police investigation has been terminated. Acquittal is based on “without the slightest doubt of guilt” In other jurisdiction, conviction is based on “guilt beyond reasonable doubt.”

In cases involving killings, bails are allowed after payment of compensation called “blood money” to the family of the victim. There is no formal system of bail. Temporary release of detainees are made only upon deposit of money or passport or through personal guarantee of a person signed in a statement.

It cannot be denied that the Criminal Justice System in Dubai and other United Arab Emirates cannot or may not cope up with the changing times. Dubai’s legal system remains a precarious challenged when it comes to homosexuality and legal protection of foreigners despite its status as the Arab world's perfection of modernism and riches.


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Is Same-Sex Marriage a Political Issue?

The issue of same-sex marriage is a constitutional question that could create a fundamental social and legal change in the interpretation and understanding of marriage.  It is a political issue which under the Constitution is to be decided by the people in their sovereign capacity to make or amend the fundamental law hence, politically relevant. 

It is a universal practice of constitutional governments that the validity of a Constitution is fundamentally dependent on its acceptance by the majority of the people in a national plebiscite called for the purpose.  Without the imprimatur of the people in whom sovereignty resides, a Constitution is deemed not reflective of the people’s will.

Sovereignty resides in the people and all authority emanates from them. The powers of the three branches of government proceed from the Constitution whereas, the people in amending the Constitution, does not get their authority from the Constitution for they are the very source of all governmental powers including the Constitution itself.

Those who advocate same-sex marriage believe that denying the gays and lesbians of their rights to marry denies them their fundamental rights to equality before and under the law. They argue that statutes enacted to accord them protection are discriminatory, still distinguish homosexual relationship from heterosexual relationship.

It is an established principle in Constitutional law that the guaranty of the equal protection of the laws is not violated by a legislation based on reasonable classification, provided such classification is based on substantial distinction, must apply equally to all the members of the same class, appropriate or closely related to the purpose of the law and not limited to present condition only. 

Definitely there is a substantial distinction between heterosexual and homosexual relationships.  Natural differences exist; the first group is capable of procreation while the latter cannot. 

Fundamental rights are not absolute; equality regardless of sex is not inexpugnable.  The equal protection clause tolerates inequalities arising from a reasonable singling out of one particular class.  Moreover, the rule of uniformity does not call for perfect uniformity or perfect equality, because this is hardly attainable.     

Society still treasure the time-honored understanding of marriage, that of a union between a man and a woman. Sex is a vague term, not precisely limited, determined or distinguished in the Constitution.  It is left for the people to interpret it.

The Constitution does not expressly guarantee equality for same-sex marriages. Positive laws are founded on natural law, a true law.  Indeed there is a true law, agreeing with nature, the right law, unchanging, everlasting, cannot be altered, derogated or repealed. 

Law is the result of unconscious development and evolves by slow process in the same manner as language develops.  It is a growth, and finds its roots in the instinctive sense of right of the people.

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The Wall that Separates Democracy and Autocracy is thin and flimsy

A government may be constitutional, but not democratic. Authoritarian government is democratic but non-constitutional, sometimes also referred to as “simple unchecked democracy.”

Absolute democracy has been extremely precarious and cannot survive in the modern era. Such kind of regimes has rapidly failed resulting to chaos, civil wars, widespread lawlessness and violence. Absolute democracy has been buried into oblivion now that diverse authoritarian fills have been consented.

Democracy exists where the principal leaders of a political system are selected by competitive elections in which the bulk of the population has the opportunity to participate. Democracy however, must not be defined in terms of election alone, neither it be bounded on election that must be contested in order to be democratic.

Authoritarian regimes have become generic, where there is no contested election or in the absence of pluralistic democracy, all other political systems are authoritarian.

The existence of authoritarian ideology is not without justification. It is believed that authoritarianism exists as an indictment of democracy, the alleged incompetence of democracy and the average man. Authoritarianism filled in society where democracy is not unfeigned, where there is inequality, and poverty.

In a modern day autocracy, the state is governed by a leader of a political party or a dictator. Iraq formerly under Saddam Hussein, Italy under Mussolini, Syria under, Hafez al-Assad and Korea under Kim IL Sung, are other totalitarian governments.

Under this system, the economy is centrally controlled by the dictator, including mass communication and weapons of destruction. Total subjection of the individual to the purpose of the party and the state, characterized the nature and existence of the system.

Time and again, more authoritarian forms of government will come and fail. However those that endure the test of times with patterns toward narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor, then and only then that there is true democracy.

A government may be democratic but where there is corruption, injustices, poverty, is not democratic at all. In form, maybe it is, as there is the existence of competitive election, but in reality it is autocracy.

Autocracy may be democratic as when the leaders are genuinely committed to their avowed objectives indicative of the democratic character of a regime, in whatever form it may be. A narrowing of the gap between rich and poor is identified as the most authentic indicator of the democratic character of a regime.

A true democracy is one in which the working men are assured of their right to work and know that nobody can kick them out into the gutter to starve to death! Indeed, it is not the form of government that matters; what counts is the essence of its existence.

Whether it is democracy, dictatorship, fascism, totalitarianism, it is always the leaders of the country that determine policy of a state and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along. The people can always be brought to the conjuring of the leaders. It operates the same way in any form of government. Clearly, the wall that separates democracy and autocracy is thin and flimsy.

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How to Prepare Bank Reconciliation

The procedures in preparing bank reconciliation are concisely presented as follows:

a. Determine the balance per book and the balance per bank.
b. Trace the cash receipts to the bank statement to ascertain whether there are
deposits not yet acknowledged by the bank.
c. Trace the checks issued to the bank statement to ascertain whether there are checks
not yet presented for payment.
d. The bank statement should be examined to determine whether there are bank credits
or bank debits not yet recorded by the depositor.
e. Watch out for errors. Errors are reconciling items of party who committed them.

Now when all the reconciling items have already been determined, a formal reconciliation may be prepared.

There are several methods in reconciling the book balance and the bank balance. The adjusted balance method is preferred over book to bank method and bank to book method.

Under the adjusted balance method, the book balance and the bank balance are brought to a correct cash balance that must appear on the balance sheet. The credit memos are always added to the book balance and the debit memos are always deducted from the book balance.

Deposits in transit are always added to the bank balance and the outstanding checks are always deducted from the bank balance.

These procedures are explainable due to the fact that under this method, the objective is bringing both balances to the correct amount as would appear in the balance sheet. The adjusted book balance and adjusted bank balance must balance or must arrive at the same amount.

Credit memos have already increased the cash balance per bank but have no effect on the book balance for they are not recorded yet by the depositor. Consequently, the book balance is understated hence credit memos are added to the book balance.

Conversely, debit memos have already decreased the cash balance per bank but have not been taken up in the books of the depositor. As a result, the book balance is overstated in relation to the correct cash balance. It is but logical to deduct debit memos from the book balance.

Deposits in transit have already increased the book balance but have no effect on the bank balance because the deposits are not yet taken up by the bank. The bank balance therefore is understated. To adjust it to the correct cash balance, deposits in transit are added to the bank balance.

Outstanding checks having been released already decreased the book balance however, not yet presented for payment, hence not taken up by the bank. The cash balance per bank is naturally overstated. They must therefore be deducted from the bank balance.

At this point, you can now present a schedule that accounts for the differences between an enterprise’s cash balance as shown on its bank statement and the cash balance shown in its general ledger.

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Unconscious Childhood Sexuality

In classical Freudian theory the unconscious wishes were almost exclusively sexual. Basic but unacceptable wishes of childhood get driven out of awareness.  They become part of the active unconscious where, while out of awareness, they remain influential. 

The active unconscious presses to find the expression in dreams, slips of speech, unconscious mannerisms, as well as socially approved behavior as artistic, literary, or scientific activity. One may say that it is difficult to treat Freud’s influence because it is far-reaching in effect and extremely complex. 

Freud believed that the sexual desire could be developed in individuals by sublimation. That pleasure could be derived from any object that, as humans develop become fixated on different and specific objects through their stages of personality development.

First in the oral stage, illustrated by an infant's pleasure in nursing, the mother’s breast is the first object. Consistently, the first love object is the mother, a displacement of the earlier object of desire which is the breast. 

Then in the anal stage by a toddler's pleasure in discharging bowels, the object is the rectal orifice. Then in the phallic stage, where children then passed through a stage in which they settled on the mother as a sexual object, known as the Oedipus complex, but that the child eventually overcame and repressed this desire because of its forbidden nature.

The repressive latency stage of psychosexual development comes before the final stage of psychosexual development when sexual urges are once again aroused. Adolescents direct their sexual urges to the opposite sex with the genitals as the primary focus of pleasure (Felluga, D. 2003).

Freud’ theory of personality is the basis of psychoanalysis, which is one of the most important psychotherapeutic methods. Intensive sessions between the psychoanalyst and the patient are held an hour a day, four or five times a week, or more often depending on the nature and scope of the problem. If possible the psychoanalyst should spend more than enough time with the patient.

The psychoanalyst attempts to help the client reveal and resolve his emotional problems and conflicts and to determine his motives for repressing them. The psychoanalyst utilizes the person’s refusal (resistance) and reveals foolish or embarrassing thoughts so that the basic unconscious feeling that underlies his problem may be uncovered.

Through dream analysis, the latent content of a dream (unpleasant or painful unconscious thoughts) based on knowledge of its manifest content (remembered portion of the dream as recalled by the person after awakening) may be uncovered by the psychoanalyst. 

The object of psychoanalytic treatment is self-understanding of the conflict. The psychotherapist must facilitate the patient himself to be aware of the unresolved conflict entombed in the cryptical niches of the unconscious mind to face and pursue with them to effect healing. Therapists must learn and experience the techniques themselves as clients. The patient needs empathy that is discernment and getting into the feelings of the patient.

  

Suppression of the formerly repressed drives is another possibility to cure the patient.  It means that, after the unconscious mind have been uncovered and understood by the patient; the conscious mind must exclude the unacceptable thoughts or desires and channel this repressed energy into sublimation which is achieving social, artistic, and other interests in life. What is important is the discharge of the repressed psychic energy, the coarctation of which was the primary reason of the neurotic indications.

  

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Dependence on Great Power Unity

The United Nations (UN), as an agency for peace, was born in the throes of a great conflict which had brought untold sorrow and destruction to millions all over the world. Under Chapter VII of the Charter, enforcement action may be taken against any State, whether a Member or not, which has been found guilty of an act of aggression or breach of the peace.  While it was recognized under international law, that it would not ordinarily be possible to provide rules on non-members, it was felt that in the interest of peace, the performance of the members should not be hindered by obligations assumed to non-members.  The Charter thus assumes the character of basic law of the international community, and non-member States are expected to recognize it as one of the facts of international life and adapt themselves to it.

The maintenance of international peace and security is the most important and paramount objective of the United Nations.  The Charter places reliance first of all on the parties themselves to settle their dispute by peaceful means of their own choice, such as by negotiation, mediation or enquiry.  If they fail in their efforts to settle the dispute, they are referred to the Security Council.  In no case is resort to threat or use of force permitted in the settlement of international disputes. The Security Council was intended to be capable of acting with swiftness and vigor in order to keep the peace.  It was given the authority to order Member States to undertake certain enforcement actions for the maintenance or restoration of peace in the form of complete or partial interruption of economic relations or embargo and other means of communications, or severance of diplomatic relations.  If these measures should be inadequate, the Council may take such action by air, sea or land forces as may be necessary to maintain or restore the peace.

Generally, the UN is an effective force in reducing violent confrontations either within or between States. However, the effectiveness of the Security Council’s role as principal peace-making organ is made to depend on Great Power Unity.  The requirement that decisions of the council on substantive matters must be concurred in by all the permanent members, places in the hands of any one of them the power to “veto” or block action by the Council.  Thus without the Great Power unity, the council becomes an impotent body.

The first occasion for collective UN military intervention on a massive scale arose in the Korean War of l950 when the North Korean forces invaded South Korea.  Determined that the armed attack was a breach of the peace, the Security Council on June 25, l950, called for immediate cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of troops. It requested Members of the UN to render assistance in carrying out its resolution.  Responding to its appeal, several members sent troops to help repel the North Korean aggression.  These States made available their military units to a unified command under the US.  In here, it is the UN which determined the purpose of the action and was effective of its primary objective in punishing the law-breaker. The UN forces behaved in a manner consistent with the purposes and ideals of the Organization.                                                            

In the Iraqi war in March 2003, the Security Council for lack of sufficient ground, the alleged presence of biological weapons in Iraq, refused to support the war and occupation of the United States and United Kingdom. US-UK ignored the UN and operated with a free hand, without a mandate.  However, due to the strong Iraqi resistance and continuing criticism of the alleged illegal war and invasion, the two powers were forced to seek the assistance of the UN and other international partners. The Security Council later adopted Resolution 1483 to legitimize the invasion but assumed small responsibilities.

In this occasion, the UN failed in its role to maintain peace in the region, which in effect led to massive bombing of UN headquarters in Baghdad, killing several UN personnel.

The deaths and displacements of Iraqi civilians, plights of refugees and deteriorating conditions in Iraq are of humanitarian concern which only the UN can resolve. According to some critics, the role of the UN can only be substantial and politically workable if the US occupation in Iraq ends. “The UN role too closely aligned with Washington’s agenda will only discredit the organization (Laurenti, J. 2007).”  The author admonishes that without a complete US withdrawal from Iraq, the UN will likely be ineffective in resolving the crisis.

Clearly, the US-UK invasion in Iraq is an aggression, a breach of the peace without a sanction. The UN may not have a direct participation in the war; nevertheless, failure to appropriately enforce the Charter is more than of a direct involvement. A total disregard of the Organization itself!


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Court Proceeding On Camera

Electronic media coverage is a noteworthy development accessible to all judicial systems. Other international courts allow court proceeding to be on camera while other jurisdictions are still experimenting on the phenomenon.

The degree of tolerance on media cameras differs from state to state.  Other states are liberal while others are strictly regulatory.   The possibility of court distraction is controlled by appropriate rules and guidelines and television coverage has shown to have conjured the dignity of judicial proceedings.

Technology has decimated the hazard of disruption of trial processes. With the proper regulation of media presence in courtroom, the concern for psychological effect on the participants has been dispelled. Evidences prove that the perceptions of those who have personally experience electronic media coverage are more positive than those who have not experienced the same.

It has been argued that electronic media coverage violates other constitutionally protected rights of party-litigants.  It could be prejudicial to the interest of defendants under the due process clause and results in unwarranted intrusion into the privacy of other participants.  To televise the jury while in the performance of duty could expose them to possible risk.

However, under the principle of open justice; the right to privacy must give way to effect a fair administration of justice.  Under the balancing of interest rule, public interest carries weight greater than right to privacy. Recent development has resolved the issue of importance among rights through the imposition of restrictions and prohibitions.

It has become discretionary on the court whether to prohibited media coverage during jury selection process. The objective in allowing media coverage with cameras is to educate the people and acquaint the public to judicial proceedings.  Unfortunately however, such goal is far from realization.  Electronic coverage only sensationalizes cases and distorts the orderly administration of justice.  The cost outweighs the benefit.

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Why Are There So Many Different Gods and Goddesses?

Hinduism is believed to exist as a consequence of unification of different religious beliefs and philosophical thoughts. Archeological findings revealed evidences of Vedic rituals. It was the impression that Indian religion was highly influenced by Vedism, a religion brought by the invasion of nomadic “Aryans” from Indo-European tribes.

The recent theory, however, was that there was no invasion and that recent archeological findings have shown that Indian cities had a degree of development to that of the Indus culture and later, as brought down by the Greek, to an extremely evolved civilization.

Hinduism as regarded in the west is one which reveres multiple divinities; however, like other religions, Hinduism is one which recognizes only a single god. The belief that Indians worship different gods and goddesses is not precisely true.

Worshipers of these gods and goddesses consider them only as representations of the appearances and views or aspects or different manifestations of the existence or nature of one supreme deity (“Hinduism”).

Hindus believe that since God has no perceptual structure, God can be looked at in many different ways. To pray for knowledge, one can focus his prayer to the goddess of knowledge. One can pray to the earth or village goddess for disease and fertility.

Some art works picture a god with many arms which manifest god’s power to do many things. Sometimes, God is depicted with an elephant head with big ears and covered mouth. These features remind the Hindus that God is very wise as elephants are very wise animals that do not talk a lot but listen. An elephant’s head is a simple admonisher of their only God.

Each god’s or goddesses’ image provides the Hindus the incarnation of one aspect of their God. These images are considered instrumentalities or structures of spiritual energy that allow them direct communion with God (“Puja”, l997).

PureComfortLinens.com, the ecommerce outlet of Vicera Enterprises, Inc., a duly registered corporation, offers a wide variety of high quality bedding and accessories for every bedroom in your house. It carries simple and colorful linens, stylish bedspreads, conventional comforters with self corded edge finish, etc., balmy pillows, beautiful pillow cases and other bed accouterments. We have been providing consumers with durability and comfort at reasonable prices.

Our Silent Witness Reveals Who We Are

Our bedroom is our haven, an oasis, a sanctuary, and our silent witness. The bedroom is sometimes the only witness to our intimate feelings, conflicts, fears, desires and misfortunes.  When grappling with difficulties and trying to overcome them, we want to be alone and as always our bedroom is our refuge.

As a refuge, we want our room to be a place where we can be at peace with ourselves.  We want it to be comforting and dazzling, free from distractions and unnecessary clutters. So we dress it according to our desires and passion.

The way we decorate our room reveals our personality and character.  It is an expression of oneself.  Howard Unruh, a World War II veteran and considered the first single-episode mass murderer in the U.S. history, decorated his room with military items. It truly reflected his personality and passion. 

Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s Masque of the Red Death, a person I know decorated his room in black and illuminated it with blood-red lights.  Our room really can tell who we are and what we are. 

What does your bedroom say about you? Did you decorate it with a retro revival theme?  If you did then maybe you are longing for the comforts of the past.  You can add an earlier 20^th century pistol or a decorative frame to accentuate your room.

Eyelet soft canopy tops and dust ruffles hearken back to a simpler time and add more tranquility and classic style to your bed.  Luxury bed linens online are pragmatic at the same time embellish your room. Best set bed in a bag with retro designs is another option to be economical but adds nostalgia into your room.

A nature loving person provides space to tigers, zebras and lions through his unique pillow cases and beautiful bedspread.  He also welcomes the beauty of nature through wall prints of leaves and delicate plants or flowers

Where a person decorates his room in white, accented with contrasting color of nectarine, and on his bed a velvet golden brown down throw comforter, reveals his passion for magnificence. Indeed, our bedroom is our dumb witness but says who we are!

PureComfortLinens.com, the ecommerce outlet of Vicera Enterprises, Inc., a duly registered corporation, offers a wide variety of high quality bedding and accessories for every bedroom in your house. It carries simple and colorful linens, stylish bedspreads, conventional comforters with self corded edge finish, etc., balmy pillows, beautiful pillow cases and other bed accouterments. We have been providing consumers with durability and comfort at reasonable prices.