Do you think that advertisers have a moral duty to avoid stereotyping people?
Advertising is an open source technique used to market products and entice others to buy them. Therefore it is somewhat accessible by everyone and anyone, depending upon the text type used to portray the advertisement, and should not be aimed negatively towards a race, culture or ethnicity. Marketing directors and advertising sectors of companies need to be aware of this fact as ads are not optional for the consumer to watch and should be monitored to suitable for all viewers (in correlation to the location of the Ad). Advertisements, unlike movies or other mass media, are not implemented to deduce a viewer based on uncontrollable variables (like societies, cultures etc.) they represent or contribute to. Their central aim is to promote a good or service and not ridicule a stereotype. Several advertising laws and regulations in various nations such as the UAE state clear boundaries on such acts, for example Al Tamim and Co state in their Advertising standards "instill respect for the local religious, cultural and social values which prevail in the UAE". or the Government of the UK say "The code specifies standards for accuracy and honesty that businesses must stick to, including causing offence". Thus, personally, I don't see why there is a need to mislead, instill fear or hurt individuals through the use of such stereotypes as, at the end of the day, the purpose of a TV commercial or Print Ad is to sell an item, not encourage a false, yet widely held belief or perspective.
This blog is associated with the IB Diploma Language and Literature course provided at Raha International School.
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Sunday, November 20, 2016
Print Advertisement
What
does the ad reveal about the cultural/ social/ or historical context of its production?
According to the ad, what values or characteristics are the most important?
There are various important methods of persuasion as well as visual language techniques present within this advertisement. Tone, lighting and color are key factors implemented within this advertisement, as all eyes are centered towards the woman with brightly lit shining skin, developing a sense of encouragement towards younger women to buy and use Nivea beauty products to their advantage, exhibiting fair skin which is a wide form of attraction in the modern era. The presence of similar light blue colors on the product’s bottling is repeated elsewhere in the advertisement, such as on the woman’s and man’s clothing, as well as on the header and footer of the poster. This color provides a somewhat soothing and comfortable feeling to the mind, which is a factor of association Nivea wants customers to have towards this product. The texture is smooth, highlighting major details about the good, as its main goal is to provide a soft and natural look, as most of her skin is revealed to represent this and some light makeup is used to enhance the effect.
Who is empowered in this commercial?
The male actor included within the advertisement is somewhat cropped out of the photo and is displayed with no real lighting or makeup, depicting great ignorance towards the figure. He seems like a prop portrayed within the advertisement as a sign that Nivea beauty products attract men, as he has his hands wrapped around the woman, yet has no sense of great significance simply due to the fact that the product being promoted is not for men. He doesn’t even seem to have any connection with the viewers either, as he is positioned side onwards, gazing upon the woman only.
The advertisement is a modern day commercial
exhibiting Nivea beauty products and enticing the audience to buy their
products. It seems to have aimed towards regions in South Asia, mainly
highlighting India as it consists of current day popular Indian celebrities but
could also relate to a general or international audience who could perceive the
individuals as beautiful, yet plain folk.
According to the ad, what values or characteristics are the most important?
There are various important methods of persuasion as well as visual language techniques present within this advertisement. Tone, lighting and color are key factors implemented within this advertisement, as all eyes are centered towards the woman with brightly lit shining skin, developing a sense of encouragement towards younger women to buy and use Nivea beauty products to their advantage, exhibiting fair skin which is a wide form of attraction in the modern era. The presence of similar light blue colors on the product’s bottling is repeated elsewhere in the advertisement, such as on the woman’s and man’s clothing, as well as on the header and footer of the poster. This color provides a somewhat soothing and comfortable feeling to the mind, which is a factor of association Nivea wants customers to have towards this product. The texture is smooth, highlighting major details about the good, as its main goal is to provide a soft and natural look, as most of her skin is revealed to represent this and some light makeup is used to enhance the effect.
Who is empowered in this commercial?
It is very evident that the woman
herself is the most dominant figure in the advertisement, as Nivea beauty
products are centrally manufactured for and targeted towards women. She is also
facing the spectators, proving that this advertisement is targeted towards
them, as well as providing a sense of presence to them, ensuring to seek their
attention. The product itself, placed on the bottom-right of the commercial is
added to the scene to allow the audience to be able to identify the product
before buying, instigating some logos alongside it which says that it repairs
dryness in 24 hours and that Nivea celebrates 100 years of success.
Who is
ignored or marginalized? For what reason?The male actor included within the advertisement is somewhat cropped out of the photo and is displayed with no real lighting or makeup, depicting great ignorance towards the figure. He seems like a prop portrayed within the advertisement as a sign that Nivea beauty products attract men, as he has his hands wrapped around the woman, yet has no sense of great significance simply due to the fact that the product being promoted is not for men. He doesn’t even seem to have any connection with the viewers either, as he is positioned side onwards, gazing upon the woman only.
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
The Pitch Practice FOA
What main appeals did you use in your pitch? Why did you decide they would be the most effective?
The central appeals included within the presentation were to clearly identify and explain the target audience of this product, and with examples related to our main location (Suburban New Zealand), we could effectively display that. The second was not only to highlight the specific ways to exhibit this commercial, but what scenario to introduce to the people and what text-type it must be present in. The importance of visuals in our PowerPoint played a great role in this aspect.
What were some specific persuasive techniques you used (include examples) why did you believe these would be effective?
We implemented certain rhetorical questions, such as "Why buy the Phantom 4?" or "Have you heard of the Phantom 4" in order to engage the audience as well as attract them towards the content. Implicit claims were a key feature within this pitch as the product itself was a technological good, and specification details and updates on the new version of this product is perhaps the best way to promote such a good within the market. There were also glimpses of the use of New, along with promotional offers, to entice the customers to, not only come and visit the store or test the product, but to also guarantee that sales will take place for this item.
How did an awareness of audience and context influence your overall approach to this activity?
Presentations aren't one of my specialties. I usually don't enjoy speaking to an audience and find it one of my greatest weaknesses. However, through experiencing this practice session, I've got a fair taste of what is required of me during this unit to achieve my goals, and, through watching my other peers present, I am now able to see how the emphasis on the persuasive techniques have been put to play. Analyzing and acting out various actions and tones presently seen in a number of advertisement can be somewhat enjoyable and also demands some use of creativity.
If you were to complete this presentation again, what would you do differently in terms of content and preparation?
The central appeals included within the presentation were to clearly identify and explain the target audience of this product, and with examples related to our main location (Suburban New Zealand), we could effectively display that. The second was not only to highlight the specific ways to exhibit this commercial, but what scenario to introduce to the people and what text-type it must be present in. The importance of visuals in our PowerPoint played a great role in this aspect.
What were some specific persuasive techniques you used (include examples) why did you believe these would be effective?
We implemented certain rhetorical questions, such as "Why buy the Phantom 4?" or "Have you heard of the Phantom 4" in order to engage the audience as well as attract them towards the content. Implicit claims were a key feature within this pitch as the product itself was a technological good, and specification details and updates on the new version of this product is perhaps the best way to promote such a good within the market. There were also glimpses of the use of New, along with promotional offers, to entice the customers to, not only come and visit the store or test the product, but to also guarantee that sales will take place for this item.
How did an awareness of audience and context influence your overall approach to this activity?
Presentations aren't one of my specialties. I usually don't enjoy speaking to an audience and find it one of my greatest weaknesses. However, through experiencing this practice session, I've got a fair taste of what is required of me during this unit to achieve my goals, and, through watching my other peers present, I am now able to see how the emphasis on the persuasive techniques have been put to play. Analyzing and acting out various actions and tones presently seen in a number of advertisement can be somewhat enjoyable and also demands some use of creativity.
If you were to complete this presentation again, what would you do differently in terms of content and preparation?
In the future, I will mainly focus towards and spend more time on practicing the presentation itself, as mentioned earlier, this is not one of my strengths and therefore I feel as if I need to invest greater time and effort on it. Creativity is another component I lacked, as significance towards persuading the audience to select our advertisement through adding prominence in tone and actions were not completely extant in my performance, unlike my partner's, and therefore with the collaboration in our group, I was able to learn from my peers as well as acquire several ideas from them to enhance our execution. Nonetheless, group work can be frustrating at times, especially when a clear form of communication with our group members outside of school is missing. This can lead to misjudgment of ideas and mislead one another, leading to a downfall in the final exhibition.
Friday, November 11, 2016
WIX Advertisement Analysis
The advertisement centrally targets an audience with little or no experience within the sector of web development. It portrays great visuals and convinces the members of how simple it is to craft a website to promote their businesses or household firms, providing a small sided tutorial of a jewelry designer using their product. The audience will be of a mixed group of ages, usually between 25-45 years of age looking to build startup companies worldwide. The software only requires its customers to have a basic exposure with computers, knowing how to drag and drop, scroll, click and carry out other such commands.
The ethos included within this advertisement is mainly seen through the implementation of the example website, displaying a stunning site designed by a Jewelry designer Yama. It can therefore be seen as a trusted source as the ad exhibits a person with no web design experience, creating her own website for her business through simple instructions and on a ready-made template specifically for her ease of use.
The strong visuals used to show the features available on Wix are a great example of the pathos used within this commercial. They provide the user with a snapshot lesson on how to use the product through easy orders being carried out in the ad from the dragging of various background pages to the selection of the online store option. Lines at the initial part of the video "You need a Website" is used as a command to draw the audiences attention towards the commercial. Following the sentence "Why not do it yourself?" is a rhetorical question, giving a quick summary of what this advertisement is about. It also depicts the fact that there is no need to depend upon and pay professionals to make your website when you can do it at Wix, which is repeated at the end in the form "Create your stunning website today.", making the audience's presence significant, allowing them to participate in the ad.
The artificial intelligence feature can be grouped into logos as it draws clear evidence that Wix can use your personal details to search for the website design that fits within your category. The lines "Its Easy and Free!" portray the great burden Wx saves us from learning a programming language, coding our website and then publishing it or going and paying a web designer for it. The free section of the phrase is a great technique used to seek attention and gain popularity.
Friday, October 14, 2016
Letter to the Editor
Laura Clark Daily
Mail HQ,
Daily Mail Sheikh Zayed Rd
PO
Box 112323
14th
October 2016
Dear Editor
After reading your article on the negative influences of
“text speak” on younger generation’s language skills, posted on Daily Mail at
on the 24th of March, it has come to my mind that, although you have
a very solid argument, this viewpoint is not exclusively true.
Throughout history, the English language has been thoroughly
developing, as each generation has molded the tongue to suit their own wants
and needs, therefore “text speak” may be the most straightforward style of
speech that suits the modern day era. In addition, the influence on abbreviations
and misspelled words are strongly emphasized in your article. On the other
hand, there are only about 10% of words in most text messages or social media
posts that have grammatical errors or spelling mistakes, therefore highlighting
the fact that many children are aware of the normal conventions present in
English, along with the idea that in order to change a word, they must know its
original definition or spelling, as well as having the ability to use the word
in practical terms. Abbreviations originally came to mind in the early 1900’s,
and have been greatly used since then, even being put to play in educational
and formal terms, such as PPC for Production Possibilities Curve, or AAVE for
African American Vernacular English. Another point is that texting is mostly
carried out by adults by about 80% in contrast to children or teenagers. Social
media is another huge topic you have discussed, and I don’t see how it can limit
one’s vocabulary. Of the 78% of teens that have a smartphone, 98% of them use
social media, most of which are very likely to run into some sort of news
report, update or article based on a topic of their interest from any fan base
or page they’re following. Many of them will also use social media as a terms
of expressing their feelings or perspectives on a specific topic of debate,
improving their communicational skills through written command. As you can see
this, in turn, increases daily practice of reading and writing, which is a very
significant practice when attempting to blossom linguistic abilities.
In conclusion, I hope you can revamp your approach towards
this somewhat overstressed subject, which is singlehandedly blamed for the degradation
of the English language within the youth, and perhaps look at it as more of a
blessing in disguise.
Yours sincerely
Ali Awan
Friday, October 7, 2016
Language and Community: Diary Entry
Salman Ahmed is a Pakistani musician, composer, rock
guitarist, as well as a physician and Professor at City University of New York.
He is popular for writing and performing two patriotic pieces of music, “Dil
Dil Pakistan” and “Jazba-e-Junoon” which are widely renowned throughout the
country, and even globally.
25th April 1996
A month after releasing our new and perhaps first hit single
“Jazba-e-Junoon”, I was looking at the music charts and found out that our
audience reacted to this song with triumph, hearing rumors that it may become
the new national song of Pakistan and is competing with other pieces as the
signature song for the upcoming Cricket World Cup this year. Wow! I haven’t
seen this much success since the release of “Dil Dil Pakistan” back in 1987,
when I was part of Vital Signs. After joining “Junoon” (my new band), I couldn’t
see much to relish, but now I guess we’re able to kick start our opening album
with what seems to be a truly admired track from the people’s perspectives. The
song itself focuses towards the independence of Pakistan, highlighting the
great accomplishments of those who risked their lives in the past to provide us
with our own land, easing our way of living. We wanted to address the fact
that, even though this was quite some time ago (in fact 48 years ago), we
should never lose our passion for our country and always look towards it in a
positive manner, emphasizing the consequence of this freedom and liberty with
lines like “Mehnat apni ho gi, Pehchan kabhi na bhoolo” (Our Hard work will be
ours, and our identity, never forget this), and “Apna ghar, Apni sar zameen,
Sab kuch hai, Bas yaheen” (Our home, our own land, everything we need is here.).
Jazba-e-Junoon (with lyrics)
14th Dec 2002
Dear Diary, as I rose from my bed in the morning, I was enlightened
with some pleasing news in the form of an invitation from the BBC, as it called
upon me and my former band, Vital Signs, to come and celebrate the top ten
songs of the world, which included our hit single “Dil Dil Pakistan”. I couldn’t
be much more proud of our contribution to this milestone, as I look back on the
first few days of development of “Dil Dil Pakistan”. It was a warm morning in the
busy city of Islamabad, where I sat with the rest of the gang, as we pondered onwards,
after weeks of planning and searching for inspiration, our main goal being to
create some sort of love song to add to our only album Vital Signs 1, when it
hit me. I said “Why not forget about love and look towards a more patriotic theme?”,
and Junaid replied “that’s a good idea, since we haven’t had any luck with love…”,
which is how the song came in. That night I sat with my keyboard, writing what
ended up to be the 3rd most known song worldwide, according to BBC.
It just took a couple of practice sessions and we were ready for our first
music video shooting in the outskirts of Islamabad, at the gorgeous Murree Hills.
It was from that day forward that we became one of the most well-known bands in
region, yet I never knew we were this good… We mainly wanted to express our
love and passion for our home country during the time, as the words “Dil Dil
Pakistan” (literally meaning Heart Heart Pakistan) were able to depict this. Another
significant reason for the upbringing of the title was the centered rivalry
between president Zia and musicians at the time. He looked to remove all
instances of music and dance from the country as he thought Pakistan was influencing
too much material from the western world, without realizing that this situation
was present worldwide! Anyways, I’m really pumped up after hearing about this
achievement and can’t wait to regroup with the guys after some time now. I’m
sure they’d be astonished at how we progressed from 15th place, back
in 1995, 8 years after the song released, to 3rd. What a day its
truly been…
Dil Dil Pakistan (with lyrics)
Saturday, October 1, 2016
Creative Consolidation of Language and Identity
I was always reminded of how tough and demanding education
was like back home, but never really came to believe it, nor had I ever
experienced it back then. As a 12-year-old, middle school wasn’t really the
greatest factor of excitement on my schedule, especially when it came to the dreadful
and weary mornings, on days where you just can’t cope with waking up early, or
walking down the stairs for breakfast, as you ponder at your timetable, only to
reveal that the first period of the day is the one you detest the most. Although
I’d always attempted to avoid these regular hurdles during this era, they soon
became the least of my concerns after my family decided to relocate back to
Pakistan.
Initially, I wasn’t expecting any disturbances in my
academic progress, after spending all my life in the UAE (approximately 9 years),
I had grown accustomed to their approach to learning, studying most content in English
and enjoying the additional languages we explored, mainly consisting of Arabic and
French. Once we had settled in Lahore, where most of my paternal and maternal family
was situated, and the summer break had concluded, school was in sight, and unlike
most years, I was astonished as well as uneased by the rigorousness of learning,
through events like having to study and learn pages from textbooks or preparing
for weekly timed assessments which occurred for each and every subjects four
times in a year, between a span of every two months. Occasionally, all subjects
were lectured and studied in English, nevertheless, the requirement of having
to learn Urdu (my native language) as a separate subject at an advanced level, was
perhaps the greatest variable that affected, not only my academic result at the
time, but also the way I was perceived by others. Fortunately, my parents always
spoke (and still speak) the language with me at home, which allowed me to be
capable of understanding the tongue in terms of spoken reference, however in
situations where I had to speak, read or write in Urdu, I was unable to do so.
Relating back to my first session of Urdu, after a brief 10-minute introduction, we were presented with our new textbooks, which contained a variety of texts, comprehension questions, vocabulary building activities, written and oral tasks. We were asked to open up to the first page and read certain lines from the text aloud one at a time. Sitting at the end of the classroom, I began to panic, aimlessly staring upon the different words, that seemed as if they were derived from Arabic, yet had different pronunciation to them. “If only it was Arabic, then I’d be able to read it…”, I thought, as the voices rapidly shifted, with each change increasing my already tense heartbeat, I looked at my surroundings for any sight of hope, as the clock had suddenly come to my attention. Unwrapping my timetable, I found the lesson we were at, discovering that it would end in around ten minutes (as period only lasted for 40 minutes there), nonetheless now I gazed upon the current reader, who was just one row ahead of me, as a little sweat poured down from the side of my face. I struggled, once again, inflicting myself to read the words, being unable to, until… I was summoned to read. At first I depicted myself as if I was not conscious that my turn had come, up till the point when the teacher said “yes, Ali please read”, in Urdu, then I knew I was in a difficult condition, as the whole class looked back at me, I finally began to utter the words in front of me, “میں ایسا نہیں کروں گا”, with an irregular, very high pitched tone produced by the nervousness, along with the uncertainty of what I spoke. The students burst out with laughter, as the bell rang, marking the beginning of lunch.
Once all the students left, the teacher approached me, this time speaking in English, “I see you are weak in reading Urdu, why is that?”. “I have never learnt the language” I replied, “I have lived all my life overseas and recently moved to Lahore. I can understand most of it but am unable to read, write or even speak clearly”. “I see”, she handed me a blue textbook, which seemed like a simple beginner’s guide to the language, covering its basics. “Tomorrow we shall start with this, come to class like normal and I’ll teach you from the start, now go, enjoy your lunch”. “Thank you”, I said while walking out the door. The next day I was greeted with some more harassment and laughter by the class, as one boy had seen the blue textbook I carefully hid behind my writing copy, in my hand, and shouted “My younger brother reads that book, and he’s only in grade 1!”. I silently sank into a seat, feeling unsettled once more.
Relating back to my first session of Urdu, after a brief 10-minute introduction, we were presented with our new textbooks, which contained a variety of texts, comprehension questions, vocabulary building activities, written and oral tasks. We were asked to open up to the first page and read certain lines from the text aloud one at a time. Sitting at the end of the classroom, I began to panic, aimlessly staring upon the different words, that seemed as if they were derived from Arabic, yet had different pronunciation to them. “If only it was Arabic, then I’d be able to read it…”, I thought, as the voices rapidly shifted, with each change increasing my already tense heartbeat, I looked at my surroundings for any sight of hope, as the clock had suddenly come to my attention. Unwrapping my timetable, I found the lesson we were at, discovering that it would end in around ten minutes (as period only lasted for 40 minutes there), nonetheless now I gazed upon the current reader, who was just one row ahead of me, as a little sweat poured down from the side of my face. I struggled, once again, inflicting myself to read the words, being unable to, until… I was summoned to read. At first I depicted myself as if I was not conscious that my turn had come, up till the point when the teacher said “yes, Ali please read”, in Urdu, then I knew I was in a difficult condition, as the whole class looked back at me, I finally began to utter the words in front of me, “میں ایسا نہیں کروں گا”, with an irregular, very high pitched tone produced by the nervousness, along with the uncertainty of what I spoke. The students burst out with laughter, as the bell rang, marking the beginning of lunch.
Once all the students left, the teacher approached me, this time speaking in English, “I see you are weak in reading Urdu, why is that?”. “I have never learnt the language” I replied, “I have lived all my life overseas and recently moved to Lahore. I can understand most of it but am unable to read, write or even speak clearly”. “I see”, she handed me a blue textbook, which seemed like a simple beginner’s guide to the language, covering its basics. “Tomorrow we shall start with this, come to class like normal and I’ll teach you from the start, now go, enjoy your lunch”. “Thank you”, I said while walking out the door. The next day I was greeted with some more harassment and laughter by the class, as one boy had seen the blue textbook I carefully hid behind my writing copy, in my hand, and shouted “My younger brother reads that book, and he’s only in grade 1!”. I silently sank into a seat, feeling unsettled once more.
Saturday, September 24, 2016
The Importance of one's Home Language
Native language is a simple, yet formidable and effective tool utilized in our daily lives. It is a critical variable that labels our nationality, a factor part of our master identity, demonstrating who we are, what cultural heritage we are from and how we fit in to our local civilization. Although, in the present day world, most nations, mainly consisting of developing countries, regard English above their home language, emphasizing it as a medium of instruction and enforcing it into modern day education as a tongue that is universally significant, notwithstanding the fact that every individual introduced to their stage of early education may not be completely suitable or comfortable with studying a language completely alien to them.
To begin with, children usually find it tough in the initial phase of schooling, after they are placed in an unknown environment with a group they are not familiar with, they require time to adjust to the situation and native language, in my point of view, can play a great role towards that development. As we all know, learning initially commences at home, before any schooling is carried out, as children are familiarized with basic concepts like eating, walking and some speaking, mostly carried out through their native language. At school, speaking in a language that is common to most children allows them to become more interactive, engaging and participating thoroughly and openly sharing thoughts, answers, suggestions and question in class. The use of native language can bring home experiences to school and I believe it can create an adequate base for a child to progress well academically as well as socially, with more content being understood at a greater meaning. Learners are also able to expand their reading and writing skills at a much faster pace when their own language is used, expressing considerable excitement and motivation towards the subject as they are able to make connections in written texts with those orally spoken to them in their tongue and research shows that pupils who are able to acquire reading and writing at an early stage already have a head-start in education. In terms of teaching, greater value towards home language can also release the burden of having to adapt to a new language for local instructors, who are a majority in most schools around the world, providing them with an already known form of speaking, and permit them to display more freedom, creativity and innovation when presenting educational materials to students (as they already know the language and its rules).
I think learning in one's own language can be much less stressful as it is already naturally spoken to and from them, and, once its fully matured, learning other languages comparatively require much less effort as, for example, we already know the basis that grammar exists and letters are used to make sounds for communication. All we need to do is to absorb and assimilate as well as reinforce the new sounds and grammatical rules, while slowly enhancing our vocabulary through reading and writing. For instance, if the scientific process of photosynthesis is taught to pupils in their own language, translating this data into English will not be a very harsh process if students have a vast block of vocabulary for the language, thus exhibiting the idea that languages are transferrable. Maintaining our native languages will also extend our chances of finding jobs in our own country, along with conserving links and relationships with our family and native community, instead of feeling neglected by our own people. Overall, students who balance English with their own home language tend to have higher academic achievements and larger intellectual level, with the capabilities to spread and promote their cultural heritage globally.
Monday, September 19, 2016
Language Identity: A Good Name
The name Ali, which consists of two meanings, is usually known as a Muslim boy's name. The name in Arabic literally means "elevated" or "noble/excellent", and is historically significant as one of the nephews of Prophet Muhammad(P.B.U.H) is named Ali(R.A). Ali(R.A) was the first child to accept Islam (at the age of 12) during the Prophet's(P.B.U.H) first few years of preaching, he was also Muhammad's(P.B.U.H) son in law (as well as his nephew) and one of the four caliphs of Makkah, being known as one of the greatest warriors during his time and in history.
In the Quran, the name Ali is present in the following ayats:
[And they will be told:] “This [has befallen you] because, whenever the One God was invoked, you denied this truth; whereas, when divinity was ascribed to aught beside Him, you believed [in it]! But all judgment rests with God, the Exalted, the Great!” (Quran 40:12)
We raised him to a high position. (Quran 19:57)
Furthermore, the second meaning of Ali, in American definition, is known as a best friend, or someone that can be relied upon through anything and everything. According to a number of resources, people with the name Ali are usually seen as independent, resourceful, practical and patient. They have general interests in sciences or technical lines, yet lack musical or artistic talents (but can acquire these skills on proficient lines). They are usually critical with small details and work best independently, being somewhat loyal to their friends. Personally, I attempt to be slightly self reliant at times, looking towards how I can decrease my dependence upon my parents and close relatives or friends. I would usually consider sciences above arts, finding them much more intriguing with a greater scope towards mathematical, physical and computer sciences. I can be somewhat particular about insignificant details, yet usually ignore them, and maintain a decent relationship with friends, peers and colleagues.
Overall, I feel as if my name mostly fits my personality well and is a marginally a mirroring image of myself.
In the Quran, the name Ali is present in the following ayats:
[And they will be told:] “This [has befallen you] because, whenever the One God was invoked, you denied this truth; whereas, when divinity was ascribed to aught beside Him, you believed [in it]! But all judgment rests with God, the Exalted, the Great!” (Quran 40:12)
We raised him to a high position. (Quran 19:57)
Furthermore, the second meaning of Ali, in American definition, is known as a best friend, or someone that can be relied upon through anything and everything. According to a number of resources, people with the name Ali are usually seen as independent, resourceful, practical and patient. They have general interests in sciences or technical lines, yet lack musical or artistic talents (but can acquire these skills on proficient lines). They are usually critical with small details and work best independently, being somewhat loyal to their friends. Personally, I attempt to be slightly self reliant at times, looking towards how I can decrease my dependence upon my parents and close relatives or friends. I would usually consider sciences above arts, finding them much more intriguing with a greater scope towards mathematical, physical and computer sciences. I can be somewhat particular about insignificant details, yet usually ignore them, and maintain a decent relationship with friends, peers and colleagues.
Overall, I feel as if my name mostly fits my personality well and is a marginally a mirroring image of myself.
Saturday, September 17, 2016
Misinterpretation of Islam through Media
Media is one of the most significant aspects in the modern day
era, enlightening us about key events or happenings around the world and
keeping us updated with the latest discoveries and advances in
our society. It provides a great variety of trends to entertain all ages as
well as inform the general public and has rapidly developed into a
common asset in our daily lives. Nevertheless, as a profit seeking
industry, certain details provided are not always highlighted as accurate and
are majorly present to magnetize a greater audience, luring them towards false
misconceptions and biases, dictating their perspectives.
Throughout history, western media, or media in general, has always targeted specific groups or topics that have come to their attention, whether it was the communists thirty years ago, the Jews eighty years ago, or the blacks even before that. Currently, one of these greatly misrepresented themes is Islam. Although the religion is one of the fastest growing in the west, it is displayed by the media with misleading stereotypes and distort which are not part of Islamic belief. Muslims are characterized with words such as "terrorist", "extremist", "Islamist" and "suicide bomber" by the western media, and Islam is depicted with negativity, being identified as a faith of violence and cruelty, which are completely contradictory terms used to describe this peaceful religion. In fact, according to faithrehearsed.wordpress.com, 64% of British population acquire knowledge about Islam from the media, out of which 91% of the coverage produces pessimistic claims, notifying the fact that a large proportion of people are provided with false information.
Many reporters who cover the Muslim world usually possess none or very little knowledge or background on Islamic history, creating numerous costly mistakes, such as the typical misconstruction towards the idea of Jihad as being used as an excuse for carrying out ferocious acts to gain power and control or inflict Islamic teachings upon others. However, in Islam Jihad means “the struggle in the path of God” or “holy war” and there are two types of Jihad. There is the greater Jihad which is the struggle within oneself to gain righteousness and purity in Islam, yet this concept has been corrupted by the media and used by terrorist groups to gain power over others. The second type of Jihad, being the lesser Jihad, is equivalent to the Christian doctrine of Just war. Nonetheless, an important factor usually forgotten is that this type of Jihad only relates to situations where an individual or group is enduring aggression or oppression, therefore it is seen as a rule of self-defense, and self-defense only, as every Muslim should be allowed to defend themselves or their possession. On the other hand, through errors in interpretation the media sees it as an act of aggression, which is the complete opposite of its actual meaning, as Allah dislikes those who cause aggression.
Western Media also argues that women are not provided equal rights within Islam and are, for example, forced to wear a veil. In contrast to this Islam allows women to have the right to be educated as well as participate in political, economic and social activities, creating upwards mobility within their community. They are also authorized the right to inherit property, take charge of their belongings and even vote, something which was discounted in the US until 1919. An example of this can be the fact that the Prophet’s (PBUH) first wife Khadija (May Allah (swt) have mercy on her) was a businesswoman to whom the Prophet was a worker for, yet he never objected to this. The veil is used to help protect women and let them remain in chastity, it is not an obligation, but a choice, and if a woman decides not to wear it, that is between her and Allah. Unfortunately, many cultural beliefs are regarded above Islamic teachings, such as in Saudi Arabia, where it is compulsory for women to wear abbayyas (floor length veils), though this is ignored by the western media, who aim the blame at the Muslim Community as a whole, instead of analyzing specific customs followed by certain countries that ignore the religion’s principles.
Lastly, extremism is a vast topic touched upon by the western media as they centrally focus on a small scale (about 0.1% of all Muslims) of extremists in Islam, disregarding the remaining population and result in naming all Muslims as “extremists”. Individuals like Anjem Choudary are looked upon and disappointingly demote the name of Islam. This ignorance by the media is greatly underlined as Islam strictly prohibits any form of extremism, as the Prophet (PBUH) said "Those persons who go to extremes (in practicing their religion) were cursed (by God)".
Overall, the media creates countless statements or conclusions, most of which are biased or based on incorrect facts, revealing many wrong perceptions about Islam to the public, consisting of, not only the non-Muslim population, but also Muslims who are not greatly aware of the concepts of the faith. Thus we should question the credibility of media along with the various insights and opinions it conveys. In addition to this, as I mentioned previously, Islam is rapidly growing in the western community, and as it progresses, the misunderstandings throughout the region may gradually decrease as a considerable number of people may come to learn about the religion and a more positive approach will be looked upon its true beliefs.
Throughout history, western media, or media in general, has always targeted specific groups or topics that have come to their attention, whether it was the communists thirty years ago, the Jews eighty years ago, or the blacks even before that. Currently, one of these greatly misrepresented themes is Islam. Although the religion is one of the fastest growing in the west, it is displayed by the media with misleading stereotypes and distort which are not part of Islamic belief. Muslims are characterized with words such as "terrorist", "extremist", "Islamist" and "suicide bomber" by the western media, and Islam is depicted with negativity, being identified as a faith of violence and cruelty, which are completely contradictory terms used to describe this peaceful religion. In fact, according to faithrehearsed.wordpress.com, 64% of British population acquire knowledge about Islam from the media, out of which 91% of the coverage produces pessimistic claims, notifying the fact that a large proportion of people are provided with false information.
Many reporters who cover the Muslim world usually possess none or very little knowledge or background on Islamic history, creating numerous costly mistakes, such as the typical misconstruction towards the idea of Jihad as being used as an excuse for carrying out ferocious acts to gain power and control or inflict Islamic teachings upon others. However, in Islam Jihad means “the struggle in the path of God” or “holy war” and there are two types of Jihad. There is the greater Jihad which is the struggle within oneself to gain righteousness and purity in Islam, yet this concept has been corrupted by the media and used by terrorist groups to gain power over others. The second type of Jihad, being the lesser Jihad, is equivalent to the Christian doctrine of Just war. Nonetheless, an important factor usually forgotten is that this type of Jihad only relates to situations where an individual or group is enduring aggression or oppression, therefore it is seen as a rule of self-defense, and self-defense only, as every Muslim should be allowed to defend themselves or their possession. On the other hand, through errors in interpretation the media sees it as an act of aggression, which is the complete opposite of its actual meaning, as Allah dislikes those who cause aggression.
Western Media also argues that women are not provided equal rights within Islam and are, for example, forced to wear a veil. In contrast to this Islam allows women to have the right to be educated as well as participate in political, economic and social activities, creating upwards mobility within their community. They are also authorized the right to inherit property, take charge of their belongings and even vote, something which was discounted in the US until 1919. An example of this can be the fact that the Prophet’s (PBUH) first wife Khadija (May Allah (swt) have mercy on her) was a businesswoman to whom the Prophet was a worker for, yet he never objected to this. The veil is used to help protect women and let them remain in chastity, it is not an obligation, but a choice, and if a woman decides not to wear it, that is between her and Allah. Unfortunately, many cultural beliefs are regarded above Islamic teachings, such as in Saudi Arabia, where it is compulsory for women to wear abbayyas (floor length veils), though this is ignored by the western media, who aim the blame at the Muslim Community as a whole, instead of analyzing specific customs followed by certain countries that ignore the religion’s principles.
Lastly, extremism is a vast topic touched upon by the western media as they centrally focus on a small scale (about 0.1% of all Muslims) of extremists in Islam, disregarding the remaining population and result in naming all Muslims as “extremists”. Individuals like Anjem Choudary are looked upon and disappointingly demote the name of Islam. This ignorance by the media is greatly underlined as Islam strictly prohibits any form of extremism, as the Prophet (PBUH) said "Those persons who go to extremes (in practicing their religion) were cursed (by God)".
Overall, the media creates countless statements or conclusions, most of which are biased or based on incorrect facts, revealing many wrong perceptions about Islam to the public, consisting of, not only the non-Muslim population, but also Muslims who are not greatly aware of the concepts of the faith. Thus we should question the credibility of media along with the various insights and opinions it conveys. In addition to this, as I mentioned previously, Islam is rapidly growing in the western community, and as it progresses, the misunderstandings throughout the region may gradually decrease as a considerable number of people may come to learn about the religion and a more positive approach will be looked upon its true beliefs.
Saturday, September 3, 2016
About the Author
Hello, and welcome to the English Language and Literature Blog. I am Ali Awan, a Language and Literature student part of the English community of the IB and writer of this blog. Language is spoken and utilized around the world for various reasons, and it is important to learn to analyze and understand the different ways in which language is represented in our daily lives. This is just a snapshot of why I decided to enroll myself within this course as well as the purpose behind the creation of this blog, although before I carry on, I should provide some background details about myself.
Born on the 13th of August 2000, I was brought up in the city of Karachi, Pakistan for the first 4-5 years of my life. I soon moved to the UAE with my parents, which is where I currently stand, and throughout these 11 years (in the UAE), I have found some great individuals, including friends, peers, teachers and family who have had a significant effect on my development up till this point. Personally, I enjoy following and taking part in the game of cricket, which is cherished as a popular sport within our nation, and have found computer programming, which is a very recent interest, to my liking, thus looking forward to blossom this hobby into a future career. As for this year, I look forward to the exciting, yet rigorous framework of the IB Diploma, aiming to score the highest points and produce the best of outcomes I am capable of, for each of my subjects, keeping intentions close to the core of the Diploma, which is a requirement, presenting 3 vital points to the overall score. In future terms, I would consider the acceptance to a top tier university, and work upwards to a competitive position in job circumstances, as a programmer.
A programming quote that inflicts emphasis upon well
structured planning and the amount of work and effort
it saves later on during the actual process.
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