What Is Syariah Law By Meaning Philosophy Essay

What Is Syariah Law By Meaning Philosophy Essay The term Sharia itself derives from the verb sharaa, which according to Abdul Mannan Omars Dictionary of the Holy Quran connects to the idea of spiritual law and system ofdivine law; way of belief and practice (45:18) in the Quran. Definition of Sharia law. Sharia (Arabic: Ø ©ÃƒËœÃ‚ ¹Ãƒâ„¢Ã…  ÃƒËœÃ‚ ±ÃƒËœÃ‚ ´ ; also SharÄ «ah, Sharia, Shariahor Syariah) is the Arabic word for Islamic law, also known as the Law of Allah. The word sharia mean the right path, refers to traditional Islamic law. The Sharia comes from the Koran, the sacred book of Islam, which Muslims consider  the actual word of God.  The Sharia also stems from the Prophet Muhammads teachings and interpretations of those teachings by certain Muslim legal scholars. Muslims believe that Allah (God) revealed his true will to Muhammad, who then passed on Allahs commands to humans in the Koran. Islam classically draws no distinction between religious, and secular life. Hence Sharia covers not only religious rituals, but many aspects ofday-to-day life, politics, economics, banking, business or contract law, social issues and legal rules, is more than legal system, strictly speaking. Islam is al-deen which is the way of life. Sources of sharia law. Basically the primary sources of sharia law are the Quran, Hadiths or Sunnah which is the sayings, practices, and teachings of the Prophet Mohammed. The secondary sources are ijma, qiyas, ijtihad and istihsan. School of Sharia law No. Schools of sharia law Explanation 1. Hanbali Most conservative school of Shari`a. Used in Saudia Arabia . 2. Maliki Based on the practices of the people of Medina during Muhammads lifetime. 3. Shafii Emphasizes on opinions, companions of the Prophet Muhammad 4. Hanifi Most liberal school, relatively open to some limited modern ideas. WHAT IS HUDUD LAW BY MEANING? Etymology. It means limits, or forbidden and also as  definition. The root word is derived from the Arabic hadd. Literally hudud  (Arabic, also transliterated  hadud,  hudood; singular  hadd,  ÃƒËœÃ‚ ­ÃƒËœÃ‚ ¯, literal meaning limit, or restriction) is the word often used in  Islamic  literature for the bounds of acceptable behaviour and the punishments for serious crimes. Definition of hudud. In Islamic law or  Sharia, hudud usually refers to the class of punishments that are fixed for certain crimes that are considered to be claims of God. They include theft, fornication and adultery (zina), consumption of alcohol or other intoxicants (khamr), and apostasy. According to Islamic dictionary hudu law is define as muslim law: divine punishments; the category of crimes most egregious and therefore most severely punished. Sharia is an Arabic word meaning the right path. Crimes in Islam Crimes under Islamic Law can be broken down into 3 major categories. Each will be discussed in greater detail with some common law analogies. The three major crime categories in Islamic Law are: Hadd Crimes [plural Hudud] (most serious), Tazir Crimes (least serious), Qisas Crimes (revenge crimes restitution). Hudud crimes. Hadd crimes are those which are punishable by a pre-established punishment found in the Quran. These most serious of all crimes are found by an exact reference in the Quran to a specific act and a specific punishment for that act. There is no reducing the punishment for a Hadd crime. Hadd crimes have no minimum or maximum punishments attached to them. The punishment system is comparable to the determinate sentence imposed by some judges in the United States. If you commit a crime, you know what your punishment will be. No judge can change or reduce the punishment for these serious crimes. The Hadd crimes are: Murder, Apostasy from Islam (Making war upon Allah and His messengers), Theft, Adultery, Defamation (False accusation of adultery or fornication), Robbery, Alcohol-drinking (any intoxicants) The first four Hadd crimes have a specific punishment in the Quran. The last three crimes are mentioned but no specific punishment is found. Thus the last three crimes, the punishment falls into taazir crimes which the punishment is declared by the government. Punishments under hudud law. Hudud  punishments are the severe  penalities prescribed by  sharia  for offenses defined as being against God himself. The punishments for these crimes are seen as divinely ordained and cannot be changed by humans. Methods of Execution HOW SYARIAH AND HUDUD LAW APPLIED IN MALAYSIA? According to Islam, a state which use holy quran and prophets tradition as its state constitution and the law that govern the people is an Islamic law is an Islamic state. The rulers also must be elected from muslim members in their community. Article 3 of the Federal Constitution stated that Islam is the religion of the Federation. But as such stated in Article 11 of the Federal Constitution is that every person have the right to profess and practice their own religion and subject to Clause 4, to propagate it. Article 3 merely declares that Islam is the official religion of the federation. It does not declare as does Constitution of Pakistan that the federation is an Islamic state. In Malaysia, although sharia law is applicable to all Muslim, but it only deals with family law and the division of property. Not all chambers of sharia law is applied in Malaysia. Basically for crime, the punishment is laid down in Penal Code. Recently, the government of Kelantan express their intention to impose hudud law in Malaysia while the other opposition side refuse to, especially DAP which their members all are non-muslim and Parti Keadilan Rakyat. Taking into consideration how you wanted to govern the people which are not muslim and didnt have faith in it, to follow its rules? As rational human beings, naturally we understand that in life there is such a thing as limits to whatever we can do or experience in all that takes place upon ourselves or others for the matter. No matter what particular matter or issue that we want to dwell upon or commit, we know that the law of nature always prevails over us or any circumstances. How much can we eat? How much can we drink? How much can we carry? How fast can we go? How long do we want to live? There are just so many things that we can keep asking each and everyone of you reading this and almost always you will agree with me that there is only a certain amount of things or eventualities that can take place. History is the best teacher of us all where it concerns matters that mankind are so desperately after? Power, strength, youth, beauty, libido, masculinity, femininity, authority, wealth, all the spoils of this earthly life that one can imagine and crave for? Reflect back to our coming into being. From a embryo after being conceived by our mother as a result of the physical union of our parents, we develop from stage to stage and eventually become a fully formed human baby in our mothers womb and at the appropriate time and moment decided by Allah the Almighty, we are born and delivered into this earthly realm. If we had stayed any longer in our mothers womb, there might be a danger both to our mother and to us as an infant ready to come out into this world. There is a certain limit to pregnancy. Thats a form of hadd or limit. Coming back to the main gist of this posting, we now have to understand what the Hudud in Islam means? As stated above, the ulama of Fiqh define hudud to be a Code of Punishments to be implemented by the authorities in an Islamic nation upon criminal acts carried out by the offenders who are proven without a doubt to be guilty of such crimes and upon conviction be punished as decreed by the Almighty. It is tosaid that if hudud law will be enacted in Malaysia, some of the execution must be recheck and change to suit the society now. As such, there is no provision for any punishments decreed by Allah SWT to be reduced, added on or altered by Mankind. The Hudud is Allahs Rights upon us Mankind. Criminal punishments upon those found to be guilty according to the Hudud Laws can not be dropped against the criminal or criminals by any individual or society as a whole. The Hudud Laws are meant to be a safeguard from the Almighty to protect human society from all forms of crime and to preserve peace, social orderliness and to ensure the safety of the general public. Any form of wrongdoing committed by any individual or group is to be judged according to what has been laid down in the Supreme Constitution of Allah SWT in the form of the Holy Al Quran Al Karim and as per the Hadiths of His Greatest and Final Messenger to all Mankind, the Blessed Prophet Muhammad S.W.T. Part A ( Chart Research ) SUGGESTION TO IMPLEMENT THESE LAWS ONTO NON-MUSLIMS. There is suggestion to implement these laws onto non-muslims, but, question arise whether this is workable? Our group had divided into three categories during our research and analysis on this suggestion where we suggested to divide the opinion to the basic of 3 findings, which consist most general(society Malaysia), less general(MMU student), and specific(lecturer and legal expertise). First category is on the views given by society in Malaysia. CHART 1 : MALAYSIAN CITIZENS VOTES ( Based on Poll Opinion on Internet ) The second category is according to the societies votes in Malaysia included those non-Malaysians who lived in Malaysia. Chart 2 : MMU Votes According the chart above, which derived from the poll, survey and interviews that made by our group. There were 30% of Muslims in Malaysia totally disagreed to implement these laws in Malaysia, and, 10% of them agreed to implement it in Malaysia, 2% of them were neutral positions. While, for the votes given by non-Muslims in Malaysia, there were 35% disagreed and none of them vote for agree or neutral. On the other hand, Muslims but not citizens of Malaysian gave 5% agreed and 5% disagreed towards the suggestion but none of them give votes for neutral. Lastly, the non-Muslims for those who are not the citizens of Malaysia, totally disagreed by giving 15% of the votes. It can be conclude that 85% of the Malaysian citizens totally disagreed on the suggestion to implement these laws onto non-Muslims. Some of them said that there will be no equality and justice to those who has no beliefs in the religions. Not only that, there is also some sayings that the law is too excessive and strict to adapt in current society. There will be difficulties and challenges that government and society will face if they impose the law. LECTURER`S VIEW CHART 1 : Lecturer view`s and opinion`s In this chart, we can see that among 9 lecturers that had been interviewed, there were 5 lecturers that totally disagreed of the suggestion to implement these laws onto non-Muslims. One of them is Miss Nur Fazini Asro Binti Ramizi Sulaiman, which in her opinion, she said that As for me, the suggestion to implement hudud law to non -Muslims is unreasonable. This is because if it is to be look upon the legal perspectives itself, the Syariah law only has the jurisdiction within the matter of MUSLIMS only. The interpretation in the statute itself has define, who are to be governed within this kind of law. For an example, a non-Muslim cannot become a syariee law, only a Muslim can be a syariee law, same goes to the syariah law (implementation only to Muslim). Thus it may be seem to complicated if arguments, suggesting hudud law are to be implement to non-Muslims. Not only that, Dr. Mohamed Ishak Bin Abdul Hamid also stated in his opinion that Hudud law ,is created only to govern the one who are professing the religion of Islam, and as for non-Muslims , it shall be unfair for them, for hudud law to be impose on them , due to their lack of knowledge, pertaining on Hudud law. On the other hand, the other 4 lecturers were in neutral opinions. Neither agreed nor disagreed. According to Sir Gary Ng Kit Min, If it to be look upon to in this matter, it may be divided into 2 aspect which is, in religion perspectives and the legal system perspectives. If in religion perspectives, the syariah law, should be apply to muslim only, not to non-muslim ,but if in legal perspectives, if the parliament passed a law, that which provides that the syariah law shall be the supremacy law in the country, thus the citizens (Muslim and non) cannot do anything except to accept it as the law of the country. As for Sir Jeong CP, have a different view pertaining on this matter, the religion is not wrong, if the question to be arose, such issues. Every religion have its own way in culturing of the individual who professing the religion itself, It its to be look in more liberal way, the religion is never wrong, it is one who are professing the religion are to be blamed for not giving the detail reason for his or her act. For an example, if it`s to be look in one principle of a car and a driver, the driver drive a car later caught into accident, who`s to be blame? The car or the driver.? The car is never to be blamed, as it had given, its fullest performance, well as for the driver? it may be the driver fault, maybe he was negligence when driving the car . Same goes to the religion, if there`s any defect, mischief or any mistake occurs to the society due to action done by an individual who professing such religion, it for them ( the individual ) to be blamed, as he or she has been negligence. The Al-Quran had put such many various way, to protect the maslahah (life in word and hereafter ) of individual, and any action done by an individual must have the sebabasbab ( reason ) .The society have been much liberal nowdays, any action done, must come with justifications and reason. Then the society may somehow be much open minded to receive any law to govern them, to develop a better society. Part B ( Articles and Newspaper Reviews ) ARTICLES SUMMARY [Hudud Law being applied in Terengganu, Malaysia]  [1]   As being shown in the article itself, Hudud Bill was being drafted by the Terengganu State Government and it constitutes a gross violation of the principles of justice and equality in Islam. Its being said that under this Hudud Bill, women who reported to been raped if being unable to provide evidence for the said statement, will be charged for slanderous accusation and 80 lashes; an unmarried woman who gets pregnant is assumed to have committed zina,  [2]  even if she has been raped; also a women cannot be taken as a witness for a case. The question arise here would be, how is this constitutional in the eyes of the law? In Malaysia we have a supreme law which is the Federal Constitution (FC) and under the FC, it provides equality section which made all persons equal before the law and entitle to an equal protection of law. The Hudud however, contradicts with the provision of the FC as it mentioned no discrimination shall occur in favor of any person under Art.8 of the FC  [3]à ‚  . It is important to note that all criticisms of Islam and its defense mainly rotate around its approach to women rights. Theres many criticism as to why Hudud shouldnt be applied in Malaysia, but the criticism is primarily focused on the stringent requirements of four reputable witnesses for offences such as adultery and qazaf  [4]  which according to them makes conviction for the abovecrime almost impossible.The evidence that could support the charge of adultery are the confession of either orboth the accused persons and/or eyewitness testimony made by four males, who are of justifiable and credible character. Anything else is merely circumstantial evidence and not admissible in a hadd prosecution.  [5]  Going back to the article itself again, question to be asked would be whether it would be unjust for the law to come out with a punishment of flogging 80 lashes if a clear proof of the rape committed couldnt be shown? The answer itself, lies under Art.8 of the FC as in the ca se of PP v DatukHarun bin Haji Idris  [6]  , where Suffian LP laid down the principle stating that if a law itself is discriminatory, one should see whether it falls within the exceptions allowed by the FC and if its not, it cant be said as a good law. As the situation laid down here, if we insist to apply Hudud into the Malaysian Legal System, even to the non-Muslim, it would definitely be unjust and contradicts with our Constitution as it is not obeying the provisions laid under Art.8 of the FC, which the equality of all before the law. Tun Dr. Mahathir, our ex-PM commented at the Hududs condition on rape offence, whereby four witnesses are required to convict a perpetrator, that today we have the modern equivalent tool of DNA. You can collect evidence of rape through collecting DNA samples and compare them with the offender.In Islam, the most important thing is justice. When you judge, you must make sure justice has been served. If you judge knowing clearly that this is unjust, then I think it is un-Islamic, he said.  [7]  And not to forget, Art.11 of the FC is interpreted itself to mean freedom of religion and therefore it is supposed to be a guarantee against prosecution on the basis of choice of religion thats being propagated. As for the effect of the Hudud on the gender relations if its being applied in Malaysia, there are many provisions in the Hudud discriminate against women. Women will not be accepted as witnesses and women are also most likely to be prosecuted for slander if they are not able to prove rape, which contradicts which our current provision of the Constitution. While in cases of adultery women which becomes pregnant will immediately be charged for the offence while it will be impossible to charge the male partner because of the requirement of four male Muslim witnesses. Evidence for rape is ocular evidence of four adult male witnesses or confession of the accused. The victims own statement has no testimonial value. Even if medical examination is taken and a sexual act has been proved to have taken place, the accused can still be acquitted. The woman is then convicted of zina. The onus is upon the victim to prove that she was not a consenting party to her rape. Even minors can be convicted of zina, unlike what is provided in the existing penal code, where consent of a minor is immaterial and statutory rape is applicable. All of these will then be causing gender discrimination in our country and the equality provision under the Constitution will therefore become unreliable under the provision of the Hudud if being applied here, in our country. ARTICLES SUMMARY [Hudud Law being applied in Saudi Arabia] Traditional Islamic law has become the basis for criminal law systems in Islamic countries. The most notable example of this is Saudi Arabia, where the Quran and Sunnah form the basis for the government and the legal system. Political Background Article 1 of the Constitution states that: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a sovereign Arab Islamic state with Islam as its religion; Gods Book and the Sunnah of His Prophet, Gods prayers and peace be upon him, are its constitution, Arabic is its language and Riyadh is its capital  [8]   The legal system is, therefore, based on the divine revelation, rather than judicial decisions or written law. Article 38 of the Saudi Constitution sets forth that : (i)There shall be no crime or penalty except in accordance with a Shariah or organizational law. (ii)There shall be no punishment except for acts committed subsequent to the coming into force of the organizational law. This indicates that crimes and their penalties must be specifically set forth before punishments may be imposed. The Saudi Constitution also provides that the state protects human rights in accordance with the Islamic Shariah  [9]  . Legal System Saudi Arabian courts follow the Hanbali school. A judge in Saudi Arabia is called a qadi and must be trained as a scholar and a great follower of Islam  [10]  . There are three levels of courts. Mustajalah courts are the local courts and do not have jurisdiction over any case that could result in death. The High Courts of Sharia Law, or kubra, have jurisdiction over hudud and qisas crimes. Although usually only one qadi sits on each court, the hearing of a crime that would result in execution is heard by a panel of three judges. The three qadi conduct the investigation, examine witnesses, and issue a verdict. A defendant sentenced to death in a kubra court has a right of appeal to the Court of Cassation, and the case is heard by a five-qadi panel. During this review, the court does not examine the law or facts, but merely ensures that the judge has paid sufficient attention to the point of objection  [11]  . The Supreme Judicial Council reviews all death penalty cases. The Ki ng has final review. For death penalty cases for hudud crimes, the only review is of guilt; the penalty cannot be changed  [12]  . Population Saudi Arabia is the largest Muslim country of the world. It has an estimated population of 28 million. Saudi Arabia is a Kingdom and about 8 million people are migrants from different countries of the world. Saudi Arabia is the center of Muslims as the mousoleum of Holy Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) is in this country. According to The Future of the Global Muslim Population by Pew Research Center  [13]  , Saudi Arabia have about 25,493,000 estimated number of muslims population in 2010, which brings to approximately 97.1% of its citizen is a muslim. Thats about 1.6% of the muslim population as a whole. Educational System According to Robert Sedgwick  [14]  , education in Saudi Arabia is segregated by sex and divided into three separately administered systems: general education for boys, education for girls and traditional Islamic education (for boys). The religious secondary school curriculum includes the general academic secondary school curriculum but focuses primarily on Islamic and Arabic studies. Where memorization of the Quran, interpretation and understanding of the Quran (Tafsir) are stressed. Newspaper review ANALYSIS BETWEEN MALAYSIA AND SAUDI ARABIA Well it come to our understanding, on the paper based on its facts, analysis and others, we might able to implement this kind of law to both in Malaysia. But the question arose, whether when the government tries to implement this kind of law to both, would It be a total satisfaction to all who professing other religions? Indeed based on the analysis in Saudi Arabia country, it much obvious to see, hudud and syariah law, have well indeed, governed its government and society, whether in education, society, politics and legal system. But it come to much argument though, well if it is to be look upon the society of Saudi Arabia itself, Saudi Arabia is the largest Muslim country of the world. It has an estimated population of 28 millionapproximately 97.1% of its citizen, is a muslim. Thats about 1.6% of the muslims population as a whole. Differently in Malaysia which consist a multi-race society, which professing other religion instead of Islam itself. It would be easy to implement to Saudi Arabia, where its citizens, almost 97% professing the religion of Islam, while in Malaysia at least 30% of its citizens, professing the religion of Islam. Further to be illustrated that, as to be seen in respect of Education matters in Saudi Arabia, the government itself have well emphasized the society with primarily on Islamic and Arabic studies where the government of Saudi Arabia divided the system of education, into three parts which is education for boys, education for girls and traditional Islamic education (for boys), since their childhood. Differently, in Malaysia, it seems that the government itself does not really emphasizes the teaching of Islam (like fardhu ain) to the citizens, where the general education are ought to be champ. To be concluded, if one argument arose that the hudud law are ought to be implemented in Malaysia, first aspect to be considered is, the government of Malaysia itself may need to take a reconsideration to send a few people of ulama to have an emphasize knowledge of hudud and syariah law in any other Islamic country for example Saudi Arabia. As far to be concern, Malaysia have none who is really have such a perfect detail knowledge of any arguments pertaining to hudud law itself. Differently in Saudi Arabia, it would be easy to implement hududlaw there, as to the reason, there is many ulama who are far concerned, well learned of the syariah and hudud law themselves. THE DIFFICULTIES AND CHALLENGES ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE HUDUD LAW IN MALAYSIA. Crux of hudud controversy, is the fact that both sides do not understand democracy and do not respect the democratic right of someone to support or oppose what they feel they want to support or oppose. Being a citizen of a democratic country, every citizen has a democratic right to drea about the Hudud and to support it, also to have nightmares about Hudud and oppose it. The implementation of hudud law (or any law for that matter) in Malaysia remains a possibility under democracy. It is not yet implemented because the majority of Malaysians including the Muslims themselves for some reason do not want it. They are simply practicing their democratic right by not giving it their consent.  [15]   Seen from a broader perspective hudud is not actually the real problem. It is just a form of punishment for a number of crimes mentioned in the Quran. Only criminals and criminals want-to-be, we might say, should be afraid of it. A proper Muslim would never reject hudud per se because he knows that it is a part of Islamic Law and it is a part of Islam. But a proper Muslim also would not allow people who are incompetent to use hudud as their rhetoric just to get into power because they are going to create bigger disaster. Hudud and Islamic law will not appear good and convincing in the hands of those who do not possess adequate moral and intellectual integrity. Hence, this is a matter of giving the trust to the rightful people. Implementing hudud is a big trust and it should not be given to just anybody. If the ability is not yet there, the real responsibility of the Muslims is to get themselves equipped with what it takes to carry out that responsibility.  [16]   So the real problem is the Muslims themselves who are, as a whole, no longer good Muslims in term of their understanding and practice of Islam so that they are not capable of carrying out their duties and responsibilities as it should be. As such, and as a matter of priority, what they really need today is a proper education that will make them be a good Muslims morally and intellectually. It is true that the criminals among them need to be punished according to Islamic law but that is not going to happen anyway if the majority do not believe in Islamic law or have no confidence in those who want to implement it. So now, the crux of the matter is actually education, only a properly educated human being will be able to use his democratic right wisely. When we talk about the education, the emphasis is on the individuals, not the society, and what matters most is ethics and morality instead of politics and law. Islamic law and political system cannot be conceived nor practiced outside the framework of Islamic ethics and morality because justice actually begins with the self. Even divine law cannot bring justice to the society if it is left in the hand of incompetent and corrupt individuals. A corrupt government can be brought down through the ballot box but it does not guarantee that the new government will be better that the previous one. True reform must ultimately come from a gradual process of education that is properly conceived and implemented. Our politicians, unfortunately, are not really interested in education. Perhaps, due to being poorly educated themselves, they do not see anything greater and more important than power. They think only with power and kind of reform can be done, hence their first concern over anything else is to get into power.  [17]   Besides that, the Malaysian Bar, stated that the Hudud cannot be implemented within the current constitutional and legislative framework. This is because, the law, as it stands, does not allow for the implementation of hudud by the States.   The Federal Constitution only allows the States to enact laws creating offences by persons professing the religion of Islam, against the precepts of Islam, and the respective punishments for such offences. With respect to the nature of such offences, these offences cannot include matters within the legislative powers of the Federal Government.   Therefore, there can be no replication of any of the offences within any Federal law with a different degree of punishment only for Muslims. Further, these laws, if enacted, must themselves be consistent with fundamental liberties guaranteed to all citizens, including Muslims, under Part II of the Federal Constitution. As to the scope of the punishments for offences against the precepts of Islam, the extent must be conferred by Federal law. The Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 provides that the Syariah Courts in all States shall not exercise jurisdiction in respect of any offence punishable with imprisonment for a term exceeding six strokes or with any fine exceeding five thousands ringgit or with whipping exceeding six strokes or with any combination thereof. Hence, the penalties that Syariah Courts can mete out are clearly circumscribed, and do not inclu

What I Think Of The New Beetle :: essays research papers

â€Å"What's there to dislike about the New Beetle?† It's a car that makes people smile wherever it goes. It stands out like an orange life raft in a grey sea of auto-anonymity. Even if they don't immediately recognise the Beetle connection - and not everyone does - expressions of affectionate interest are instant and heartfelt. What's there to dislike about the New Beetle? Almost everything. Its cartoonish design perhaps, which compromises its practicality in a way that the original's designer would surely never have countenanced. Or maybe the fact that it's a profoundly ordinary car to drive. But let's begin at the beginning... When Ferdinand Porsche sketched the outline of the Beetle in the 1930s he ignored existing conventions of small car engineering in an attempt to create something better than anyone had hitherto managed. He proceeded logically, step by step. So successful was the car that it became the foundation of a company that is now one of the world's five largest car-makers. Now comes the New Beetle, a retro design draped over parts that belong to the fourth generation Golf. This isn't design Ferdinand Porsche-style. The Golf, as ever, has an in-line four cylinder engine at the front, driving the front wheels. It's not an easy fit with the shape of the original Beetle, a car with a flat-four engine at the rear, driving the rear wheels. The exterior style of the New Beetle makes its interior an odd environment. The base of the windscreen is so distant and the dash so deep that it feels like driving a people mover. Except, of course, that there's a distinct absence of roomy accommodation aft. Many adults will find the New Beetle's two-place rear seat unbearable. Head room is tight for those of average height, impossible for anyone taller. The front seats, unlike those in the rear, are very comfortable. Firmly supportive and generously proportioned, both are equipped with lever-operated height adjustment. The quality of the materials used in the New Beetle's cabin is very impressive. So, too, is the way they fit together. Like the Golf on which it's based, the interior furnishings are one of the most impressive things about the car. Visibility from the driver's position isn't brilliant - the A-pillars are very thick. Because they sweep so far forward they create - with the aid of the external mirrors - a sizeable blind spot. Luggage space in the New Beetle is meagre.

Night World : Huntress Chapter 8

I can't lose this fight. Suddenly that was the only thought in Jez's mind. She couldn't afford to be hurt or scared-or stupid. There was too much riding on it. And since Morgead had the advantages of telepathy and strength on her at the moment, she was going to have to come up with some clever way to beat him. It only took a moment to come up with a plan. And then Jez was carrying it out, every ounce of her concentration focused on tricking him. She stopped backing up and took a step sideways, deliberately putting herself in a position where she could make only a clumsy block. Then she gave him an opening, holding her stick awkwardly, its tip toward him but drooping too far down. You see-it's my elbow, she thought to him, knowing he couldn't hear her, but willing him to take the bait. My elbow hurts too much; I'm distracted; the stick is no longer an extension of me. My right side is unprotected. She was as good at it as any mother bird who pretends to have a broken wing to lure a predator away from her nest. And she could see the flash of triumph in Morgead's eyes. That's it; don't waste time injuring me anymore †¦ come in for the kill. He was doing it. He'd stopped trying to get her into a corner. With his handsome face intent, his eyes narrowed in concentration, he was maneuvering for a single decisive strike; a takedown to end the combat. But as he raised his fighting stick to make it, Jez pulled her own stick back as if she were afraid to block, afraid of the jarring contact. This was the moment. If he caught on now, if he realized why she was positioning her stick this way, he'd never make the move she wanted him to. He'd go back to disarming her. I'm too hurt to block properly; my arm's too weak to raise, she thought, letting her shoulders droop and her body sway tiredly. It wasn't hard to pretend. The pain in various parts of her body was real enough, and if she let herself feel it, it was very nearly disabling. Morgead fell for it. He made the strike she wanted; straight down. At that instant Jez slid her leading foot back, shifting just out of range. His stick whistled by her nose-missing. And then, before he could raise it again, while he was unguarded, Jez lunged. She put all the power of her body behind it, all her strength, slipping in between Morgead's arms and driving the stick to his midsection. The air in his lungs exploded out in a harsh gasp and he doubled over. Jez didn't hesitate. She had to finish him instantly, because in a second he would be fully recovered. By the time he was completely bent over she was already whipping her stick out and around to strike him behind the knee. Again, she put her whole weight behind the blow, following through to scoop him onto his back. Morgead landed with a thud. Before he could move, Jez snap-kicked hard, catching his wrist and knocking his stick away. It clattered across the floor, oak on oak. Then she held the pointed end of her own stick to his throat â€Å"Yield or die,† she said breathlessly, and smiled. Morgead glared up at her. He was even more breathless than she was, but there was nothing like surrender in those green eyes. He was mad. â€Å"You tricked me!† â€Å"All's fair.† He just looked at her balefully from under the disordered hair that fell across his forehead. He was sprawled flat, long legs stretched out, arms flung to either side, with the tip of the snakewood fighting stick resting snugly in the pale hollow of his throat. He was completely at her mercy-or at least that was how it seemed. Jez knew him better. She knew that he never gave up, and that when he wasn't too mad to think, he was as smart as she was. And as sneaky. Right now the helpless act was about as sincere as her wounded bird routine. So she was ready when he threw another blast of Power at her. She saw his pupils dilate like a cat's about to pounce, and she braced herself, shifting the stick minutely to push into his collarbone as she leaned forward. The energy smashed into her. She could almost see it now, with the sixth sense that was part of her vampire heritage. It was like the downrush of a nuclear cloud, the part that went flowing along the ground, destroying everything in its path, spreading in a circle from the point of impact. It seemed to be faintly green, the color of Morgead's eyes. And it packed quite a punch. Jez gritted her teeth and hung on to the fighting stick, keeping it in place, letting the Power wash through her. It blew her hair back to stream in a hot wind and it seemed to last forever. But finally it was over, and she was tingling with pain, with a metallic feeling in her teeth. And Morgead was still trapped. He hissed at her, an amazingly reptilian sound. â€Å"Got anything else?† Jez said, grinning down at him with narrowed eyes. Every bruise on her body hurt afresh in the aftermath of the blast-but she wasn't going to let him see that. â€Å"No? I didn't think so.† Morgead's upper lip lifted. â€Å"Drop dead, Jezebel.† Nobody was allowed to use her full name. â€Å"You first, Morgy,† she suggested, and leaned harder on the stick. The green eyes were beautifully luminous now, with sheer anger and hatred. â€Å"So kill me,† he said nastily. â€Å"Morgead-â€Å" â€Å"It's the only way you're going to win. Otherwise I'm just going to lie here and wait to recharge. And when I've got enough Power I'll hit you again.† â€Å"You never know when it's over, do you?† ‘It's never over.† Jez bit down on a rush of fury and exasperation. ‘I didn't want to have to do this,† she snarled, â€Å"but I will.† She didn't kill him. Instead, she hurt him. She grabbed his wrist and locked it, with her hand holding his and her stick on top of his wrist. She could use leverage here to cause severe pain- or to break the bone. â€Å"Give up, Morgead.† â€Å"Bite me.† â€Å"I'm going to break your wrist.† ‘Tine. I hope you enjoy it.† He kept glaring. Like a little kid threatening to play on the freeway, Jez thought, and suddenly, inexplicably she was almost overcome by laughter. She choked it back. She didn't want to break his wrist. But she knew she had to. And she had to do it soon, before he regenerated enough Power to hit her again. She couldn't take another of those blasts. â€Å"Morgead, give!† She put enough pressure on his wrist that it really hurt. He gave her the evil eye through dark lashes. â€Å"You're so stubborn!† Jez put on more pressure. She could tell it was hurting him. It was hurting her to keep the steady pressure up. Shooting stars of pain were zinging in her elbow. Jez's heart was beating hard and her muscles were beginning to tremble with fatigue. This was much more difficult for both of them than a clean break would have been. And he was a vampire- his wrist would heal in a few days. She wouldn't be injuring him permanently. I have to do it, she told herself. She tensed her muscles- And Morgead took a little quick breath, an indrawn hiss of pain. For just an instant his green eyes lost their gemlike clarity, unfocusing a bit as he winced. Jez let go of his wrist and collapsed to sit beside him, breathing hard. You are so stupid, her mind told her. She shook her hair out and shut her eyes, trying to deal with the fury. Beside her, Morgead sat up. â€Å"What are you doing?† â€Å"I don't know!† Jez snarled without opening her eyes. Being weak and idiotic, she answered herself. She didn't even know why she couldn't go through with it. She killed vampires-and less obnoxious ones than Morgead-all the time. â€Å"I didn't yield,† Morgead said. His voice was flat and dangerous. â€Å"So it's not over.† ‘Tine, blast me.† Tm going to.† â€Å"So do it.† â€Å"What, you like it so much?† Jez snapped. She grabbed her stick off the ground and turned to look at him for the first time since she'd sat down. â€Å"Yeah, I love it, Morgead! I'm crazy about pain! So do it, and then I'm going to hit you over your thick head so hard you won't wake up until next week!† She might have said more, but the look in his eyes stopped her. He was staring at her intently, not simply belligerently as she'd imagined. His green eyes were narrow and searching. â€Å"You're just crazy period,† he said, sitting back, his gaze still probing. In a different tone he said softly, â€Å"So why didn't you do it?† Jez lifted her shoulders and dropped them. There was a pit of anger and misery in her stomach. ‘I suppose because then I'd have to break every bone in your body, you jerk. You'd never give up, not with that new power you've got.† â€Å"I could teach it to you. The others aren't strong enough to learn it, but you are.† That forced a short laugh out of Jez. â€Å"Yeah, right.† She shut her eyes briefly, wondering what Morgead would say if she were to tell him why she could never learn it. He'd squash me like a bug, she thought, and laughed again. â€Å"You laugh weird, Jez.† â€Å"I have a twisted sense of humor.† She looked at him, blinking wetness out of her lashes. Where had that come from? There must be something in her eye. â€Å"So. Want to start this fight again?† He was staring at her hand gripping the snakewood stick. Jez tried to keep that hand steady, but she could feel the fine tremors in the muscles. She took a deep breath and clenched her teeth, making her gaze challenging. I can fight again. I can do it because I have to, and this time I won't let any stupid sympathy get in the way of beating him. I have to win. Everything depends on it. Morgead looked back at her face. â€Å"No,† he said abruptly. â€Å"We don't have to do it again. I yield.† Jez bunked in shock. It was the last thing she'd expected. Morgead's expression was cold and unreadable. Jez got mad. â€Å"Why?† she blazed at him. â€Å"Because I'm tired? Because you don't think I can take you?† She whipped the stick up, ready to split his stupid skull. â€Å"Because you're crazy!† Morgead yelled. â€Å"And because-† He stopped dead, looked furious. Then he said curtly, â€Å"Because you won fair the first time.† Jez stared at him. Slowly she lowered the stick. Morgead's expression was still distinctly unfriendly. But he'd just made an almost unbelievable admission. â€Å"You just don't want me to whop you anymore,† she said. He gave her a sideways look that would kill pigeons in midair. Jez let out her breath. Her heart was just beginning to settle down and relief was spreading through her. I did it I really did it. I'm not going to die today. â€Å"So it's over,† she said. â€Å"I'm back in.† â€Å"You're leader,† Morgead said sourly. â€Å"Enjoy it, because I'm going to be right behind you every step, just waiting for my chance.† â€Å"I wouldn't expect anything else,† Jez said. Then she blinked. â€Å"What are you doing?† â€Å"What do you think?† His face set, his eyes on the far wall, Morgead was tugging his shirt away from his neck, and leaning his head back. â€Å"I have no idea-† Then Jez realized. She went cold to the tips of her fingers. I didn't think. I should have remembered, but I didn't, and I didn't plan for this†¦. â€Å"Blood in, blood out,† Morgead said shortly. Why didn't I remember? Panic was stirring inside Jez. She couldn't see any way to get out of it. For human gangs â€Å"blood in, blood out† meant you got beat up when you were jumped in, and you didn't leave until you were dead. But for vampire gangs†¦ I can't bite him. The most frightening thing was that something inside her wanted to do it. Her entire skin was tingling, and it suddenly seemed as if it was only yesterday that she'd had her last blood meal. She could remember exactly how it felt, sinking her teeth into smooth skin, piercing it easily, feeling the warm flow start. And Morgead's blood would be dark and sweet and powerful. Vampire blood wasn't life-sustaining like human blood, but it was rich with the hidden promise of the Night World. And Morgead was one of the strongest vampires she'd ever met. His blood would be full of the mastery of that new attack, full of raw, vital young energy. But I don't drink blood. I'm not a vampire! Not anymore. Jez was trembling in shock. In the entire year since she'd stopped drinking blood, she'd never been so tempted. She had no idea why it had come on like this now, but it was almost out of her control. She pressed her tongue against one sharpening canine, trying to restrain it, trying to get some relief from the stress. Her upper and lower jaws were aching fiercely. I can't. It's unthinkable. If I do it once, I'll never be able to stop. I'll become-what I was back then. I'll be lost I can't-but I have to. I need to get back in the gang. Morgead was staring at her. â€Å"Now what's wrong with you?† â€Å"I. . .† Jez was dizzy with fear and longing and the sense of danger. She couldn't see any way out†¦. And then she saw it. â€Å"Here,† she said, unbuttoning the collar of her shirt. â€Å"You bite me.† â€Å"What?† ‘It satisfies the requirement. Blood has to be spilled. And it's the leader who does it† ‘You're the leader, idiot.† â€Å"Not until I'm back in the gang. And I'm not back in the gang until blood is spilled.† He was staring at her, his eyes hard and demanding and not amused at all. â€Å"Jez†¦ that's ridiculous. Why?† He was too smart. She didn't dare let him keep thinking about it. â€Å"Because I think it's the proper procedure. And because-I overfed last night. I don't want anymore.† She stared straight into his eyes, not allowing a muscle to quiver. Trying to force her version of the truth into his brain. Morgead blinked and looked away. Jez allowed herself to relax minutely. She had one advantage over Morgead; there was no way he could even imagine her real motives. She just hoped he wouldn't discern the human flavor to her blood. ‘If you won't tell me, I give up.† He shrugged. â€Å"So, fine. If that's the way you want it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It is.† â€Å"Whatever.† He turned back to her and reached for her shoulders. A new shock rocked Jez. Morgead never hesitated once he made up his mind, but this was a little unnerving. His grip was a bit too firm and authoritative; Jez felt out of control. And how am I going to shield myself? she thought wildly, clamping down on a new wave of fear. He's already a powerful telepath and sharing blood increases rapport How am I supposed to block that-? Everything was happening too fast; she didn't have time to plan or think. All she could do was try not to panic as Morgead drew her close. Jerk†¦ he's had too much experience at this, part of her thought furiously. At subduing any kind of prey. At gentling scared girls-human girls. He was holding her lightly and precisely; he was tilting her chin back. Jez shut her eyes and tried to blank her mind. And now she could feel the warmth of his face near her skin; she could feel his breath on her throat. She knew his canine teeth were extending, lengthening, thinning to needle points. She tried to control her breathing. She felt a swathe of warmth as he licked her throat once, and then a pain that made her own teeth ache. His teeth had pierced her skin, sharp as obsidian. Then the release of blood flowing. Her life, spilling out The instinctive twinge of fear Jez felt had nothing to do with him invading her mind. No vampire liked to make this kind of submission. Letting someone drink your blood meant you were weaker, it meant you were willingly making yourself prey. Everything inside Jez protested at just relaxing and letting Morgead do this. And maybe that was the answer, she thought suddenly. A wall of turmoil to cover her thoughts. Pretend to be too agitated to let him make contact. †¦ But his lips were surprisingly soft on her throat, and the pain was gone, and he was holding her more like a lover than like a predator. She could feel his mind all around her, strong, demanding. He wasn't trying to hurt her. He was trying to make it not-terrible for her. But I want it to be terrible. I don't want to feel like this†¦. It didn't matter. She felt as if she were being pulled by a swift current, dragged and tumbled into some place she had never been before. Sparkling lights danced behind her closed eyelids. Electricity crackled through her body. And then she felt his mouth moving gently on her throat, and the world fell away†¦.

Milk A Biographical Film - 841 Words

Second Analytic Film Assignment Milk is a biographical film based on the life of gay activist and politician Harvey Milk. He was the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in California. He was a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Dan White, a city supervisor, assassinated Milk along with the mayor at the time George Moscone. Harvey Milk’s journey to become a member of the board was a difficult one. It took him several attempts before he was elected. However, he persevered and overcame the hatred pitted towards the gay community so that he could make a difference in ways society viewed gays. Harvey Milk changed the world because he had the passion and drive to make a better place for the gay community†¦show more content†¦In the film, someone asked Harvey to help boycott the beer company Coors from the bars and they were successfully because other people trusted Harvey and were willing to help him. In the end Harvey knows they would re turn the favor if he ever needed it. Its political tactics like these that helped Harvey successfully start a movement for gay and lesbian rights. Another bigger tactic was towards the end of the movie Milk was discussing with Mayor George Moscone of the issue of reinstating Dan White as city supervisor and Harvey threatened Moscone by telling him that he would lose the gay community’s’ support in his next election. It goes to show that Harvey Milk has a great amount of power. He was able to persuade the Mayor Moscone’s decision because he know that the support of the gay community and Harvey’s influence was huge so losing that would mean he would potentially lose the election. However, being gay and being the first to challenge the social norms of what society views as the right way created many problems for Harvey Milk and the gay community. One consequence he faced as a politician is the threats he received on his life. In the film he received a dra wing of his genitals being cut off but he used that drawing as a motivation to keep up his work. Despite the threats, he knew other gay people were in harsher conditions and did not want young gays to go through what he experienced. Another consequence he faced as a politician was he had toShow MoreRelatedSocial and Political Themes in the Movie Milk Essay721 Words   |  3 PagesExtra Credit Assignment MILK   1. What are the main themes, politically and socially, that are portrayed in the film? Milk is a biographical film based on the triumphs and struggles of Harvey Milk. He was a gay rights activist and the first openly gay elected official in California. 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