Sufism Mysticism in Islamic Religion Essay

Sufism Mysticism in Islamic Religion Essay Islamic Mysticism Essay Example Islamic Mysticism Essay Example The term Islamic Mysticism can be defined as the consciousness that is in harmony with the reality. Islamic mysticism is commonly referred to as Sufism in the Islamic world (Nicholson, 1963). The origin of the term Sufism can be derived from the Arabic word Sufi, which means wool. The word sufi was applied to Muslim mystics and ascetics because they wore clothes that were made out of wool (Ahmed, 2008). Sufism also referred to as the Islamic mysticism deals the unique and special powers that are contained in the Holy Book of Qur’an. Sufism can be described as a philosophical approach that strives to portray a condition in which a person unifies with the nature and feels accordant with God. It is vital to understand that a Sufi strives to unite his personal will with God (Weismann, 2011). The term Sufism represents a new dimension in the Islamic religious way of life. Various Muslim clerics, lawyers, and theologians have viewed this particular aspect with much skepticism and suspicion in the recent past (Ahmed, 2008). Their key concern is that some of the Sufism characteristics and statements occasionally appear or feel blasphemous. The source of this skepticism is that Sufism propels a person into feeling completely close with God such that they at one point in time lose their personal identity and ultimately act as God in the process. Also importantly, the goal of Sufi is to absorb completely an individual into God through following a series of religious practices that lead to higher levels of the ecstatic state. It is every Sufi’s aspiration to elevate to such conditions in which they have a direct communication with God. The Sufi History The fundamental scope of this particular essay is to evaluate the Sufism dimension critically in the Muslim religion. The essay will assess the origin of Sufism mysticism and the spread of the Islam religion. Also importantly, the paper will confer with the Sufi teaching, making a comparison with those of Muhammad Ghazi Arabi ideas and concepts. Islamic mysticism can be traced as early as the eighth century. The three principal regions that were associated directly with the Islamic mysticism were central Asia, Mesopotamia, and North Africa. The fundamental orders that emerged from these particular areas were rifa ‘yeah, kbrawiyyah, suhrawardiyyah, and qadiriyyah. All these Sufi orders were founded in the twelfth century and spread beyond the three principal regions (Ohlander, 2010). Sufism was spread to Egypt, Syria, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, and part of the sub- Saharan region in West Africa. Later on, the Islamic mysticism was spread to Turkey and the central Asia region. It happened in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The Characteristics of Sufism or Islamic Mysticism The al-basri, al-adawiyaa, and other orders attracted various followers who shared some of the common ideas that they had learned from those particular cultures and regions. These individuals, in turn, attracted new students or disciples of their own. Through this, the ideas of absolute devotion and asceticism to God spread through the Islamic community, culture, as well as faith. One of the fundamental characteristics of the Islamic mysticism is that there is nothing more vital than the Gods Presence in the world. The Sufis saw that the life they led was a journey in which they had to seek continuously and consistently the direct relation and experience with God. Most of them fundamentally believed that the best way to see God’s experience and attract Him into one’s life was to read consistently and continuously the Koran and Hadith. In addition to that, most of them practiced praying as often as possible. In short, the best way to experience God was to live the simple and disciplined life of a staunch and devout Muslim. However, other orders of Sufis disagreed with this particular position. They felt that, despite always praying, studying the Koran, and performing other regular Muslim duties were of the essence to lead a religious life, and these particular things were not enough. The second characteristic of the Islamic mysticism is that all Muslims should seek direct and emotional experience from God. The Sufis developed fundamental ideas and rituals, which they practiced in informal study groups in homes and mosques. As early as the tenth century, most Sufi centers had been established. A Sufi master was put in charge and acted as a teacher and leader. Later on, some of the students and followers would go on to become teachers and leaders in the Sufi centers. By the end of the twelfth century, Sufi centers would be found in almost all major cities and rural towns throughout the North and West Africa regions as well as the Middle East and Central Asia regions. These centers included schools, hostels and mosques, where most students would find a place to eat and sleep. Arabi’s Teaching and Concepts Ibn Arabi is considered an enigmatic figure in the medieval Sufi culture and tradition. In addition to that, he is considered a controversial exponent of the Islamic mysticism teaching that is also referred to as the unity of being. Ibn Arabi perception and beliefs of the Sufism requires a careful analysis of the concept of Islamic mysticism. Ibn Arabi thinking and teaching area encompassed with God, the human kind and cosmos. All these dimensions are incorporated together through a set of viewpoints. Ibn Arabi work comprises of various types of upward, outward, downward and inward immensity until there is a broad comprehension of all the three realities (Knysh, 1999). Ibn Arabi words are fluid and constantly changing. His world can be defined in literal terms as imaginary. Everything that he discusses is more of an illusion or image that is vague in the eyes of a new reader. In addition to that, Ibn Arabi’s sensibility and resonances portray shamanic viewpoint. For an individual who seeks to understand the concepts and teachings of Ibn Arabi, he or she will be faced with immense mystery and miracles. In addition, they will meet shape-shifting and shamanic teachings that go back and forth across doors where the world does not touch. I will focus here on Ibn Arabi mystical ideas, concepts and teachings as discussed in his book and include the following: The Divine Reality Concept Ibn Arabi teaching is concerned with what is referred to as the divine reality and the individual experience of it. Ibn Arabi communicates to his students that an individual is a part of the system that strives to be in accordance with the Lord and that all people should translate to definitive works that glorify the Lord. The Concept of Origination of the World from Mercy Ibn Arabi teaches that the world originated from the absolute mercy and one day to mercy shall the world return. He emphasizes that any wretchedness and pain is temporary. Ibn Arabi mentions in various places that the Throne of God has four fundamental pillars and that it is held aloft by four bearers in this world and that as the world progresses they shall become eight bearers. Each of these bearers supports the throne, which is indeed the entire universe or what is defined as the kingdom of Allah. The throne bearers are known as the archangels, and some of the prophets are in human forms. The throne bearing is considered part of the honorable jobs. Ibn Arabi declares that he has been honored by Allah to be one of the supreme bearers of a pillar. The pillar he holds is the pillar of treasury and mercy. Ibn Arabi declares that Allah has made him merciful despite all his knowledge of suffering and hardship. Due to this factor, Ibn Arabi teaches that the world originated from mercy and pity the world shall return (Arberry, 1950). The Unification or Tawhid Concept Ibn Arabi teaches the basis of universality, the oneness of the self-existing one and unique essence and the one and only infinite existence. Ibn Arabi introduces the concept of tawhid. Arabi teaches that there is only one being and that that there is no other being other than the one and only being that is self-subsistent. Ibn Arabi and his followers believe that tawhid is not just a matter of understanding the meaning of the term. He emphasizes on following the act and progressing towards the fulfillment of such actions and knowledge to a state of union. Tawhid teaches individuals the concept of unique or absolute existent (Baldick, 1989). The Realms of Responsibility in Ibn Arabia’s Teaching Arabi teaches the concept of taklif that is a term that is used to denote all the total of all the religious duties and obligations that an individual has towards God. God has willingly imposed upon his servants. Throughout his teaching, Ibn Arabi refers to his fellow believers as Mukallafun, which, when translated, means those who have been burdened with the command. Arabi teaches his students that the divine command comes to an end when the believer dies or when all his veils have been lifted or have turned out to be true (Baldick, 1989). The Concept of Tuliba Arabi teaches his followers that the world is held responsible by God for his strict observance of what he refers to as his due. Arabi teaches his followers that God acts as the great governor who is responsible to his superiors for the proper behaviors, morals and well-being of all his subjects. He teaches that all the human beings are answerable to God for their actions. He also states that God plays a fundamental role in keeping all his members from committing acts that might contradict the divine law. He teaches that if any true believer of God fails to restrain himself or herself from committing illegal acts, then God shall abandon him and forfeit his position as a believer (Schimmel, 1975). Therefore, people should always seek to follow the will of God at all times. In addition, Arabi states that believers should carefully weigh their actions on a given scale of divine law in order to achieve certain aspects of divine equilibrium. Arabi teaches his followers that their lives are continuous tests of their ability to remain faithful to God. He emphasizes that the believers can always rely on the guidance of the divine law in order to achieve the salutary equilibrium between the personal dispositions and the divine commands given to the followers by God. Arabi believes that it is the duty of each follower to carry the burden of taklif (Baldick, 1989). The Concept of Haqq Arabi translates the concept of truth to his followers. He reveals that all created things have their truth and that this particular truth has a normative dimension. This particular nature makes various demands for each and expects that we should treat appropriately every created being. The creation as a whole makes what is known as a claim to each, establishing duties and obligations to each. Through this particular arena, God tests each by giving them various tasks to accomplish (Schimmel, 1975). The concept of Sufism and Islamic mysticism is at the core of the Muslim religion. However, there exists so many fundamental inconsistencies with the teachings of Ibn Arabi such that an individual may not get a clear understanding of the teaching. Arabi teaching stands in one particular tradition while at the same time strives to offer other differing perspectives of a number of other valid and invalid religious concepts. The work of Ibn Arabi does not have the unqualified approval of all Sufis. Many Sufi masters hinder their students from studying the works of Ibn Arabi for the fear of misuse and misunderstanding. Moreover, people should understand that just like any other religious teachings, Sufism strives to unite people but not cause conflicts and misunderstanding. Lastly, Sufism focuses on the heart, mind and the body, developing an infinite capacity to plumb the world consciousness and guide individuals towards self-understanding of God because most people are ignorant of the existence of God. Some do not believe that God exists, hence Sufism should be encouraged to aid people understand who God is to them.

New product idea Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

New product idea - Essay Example he possibility to easily consume your daily dose of fresh fruit juice at work, at school, †¦ Fruitness offers a small assortment of orange-based fruit juices to match everyone’s taste and it makes for the perfect refreshment during a break from working. The exclusivity of our business model lies in the concept of delivering fresh juices directly to companies. Fruitness will be established as a B.V.B.A. to limit liabilities for the owners. The money that has to be raised to start the business is â‚ ¬ 60.000, financed by five managers. Dividends will not be paid during the first 7 years. Profit will be re-invested in the company to finance internal growth. Some of our major direct competitors are Minute Maid (Coca Cola Co.) and Tropicana (Pepsi Co.). Their main advantages are their size and expertise. Their weakness is their disability to deliver a fresh juice to the market. â€Å"Fruitness provides a solution to increased awareness towards health and better-for-you products. All Fruitness juices are daily made with fresh fruit and delivered within 24 hours. Fruitness’ innovative business model ensures that Fruitness is available at the places where people spend most of their time and energy; at work or at school!† Fruitness produces fresh orange juice, squeezed the first day and directly delivered to the customer the second day. It is made of 100% fresh fruit, without addition of sugar, concentrate, preservatives or use of heat. The packaging consists of a white HDPE (high density polyethylene) bottle that helps maintain high Vitamin C levels (extra 15% retention rate over clear bottles). It is a high quality product aimed at health-conscious consumers. The juice is delivered to companies that want to provide their employees with a fresh, healthy and tasty alternative to the usual soft-drinks. To meet customer demand and taste, Fruitness produces different flavours. It focuses on citrus juices, all with an orange basis: Orange ² (100% orange), Orange & Lime

Why is the trafficking of naive lymphocytes important Outline the Essay

Why is the trafficking of naive lymphocytes important Outline the stages in the development of the specific immune respons - Essay Example Our bodies are both fragile and resilient at the same time; being so soft and easily broken, yet keeping us alive even during the worst of conditions, always adapting and always surviving. One of the important factors that keep us alive is our immune system and its ability to adapt to the environment and the pathogens it contains. According to Gene Mayer, PhD, there are two ways wherein the body can protect itself from infection: Innate or nonspecific immune system, and Adaptive or specific immune system. ‘The innate immune system is the first line of defense’ which provides immediate, but nonspecific responses to infection (e.g. skin, mucus, tears, sneezing, etc.). The adaptive immune system is slower and responds only to specific antigens with cells called lymphocytes. Once the adaptive immune system responds to a specific antigen, the body will remember it and will produce antibodies to combat the antigen more effectively every time it comes back.1 There are two main types of lymphocytes involved in adaptive immunity--B lymphocytes (B cells) and T lymphocytes (T cells). These cells are produced in the bone marrow. One of the differences between the two is that the T cells have to migrate to the thymus gland to mature. Stein and Nombela-Arrieta (2005, pp.1-12) state that these lymphocytes that have just matured and have yet to encounter an antigen, are called naive lymphocytes. From the bone marrow and the thymus, the lymphocytes are then trafficked through the bloodstream to the secondary lymphoid organs (SLO), which are the peripheral and mesenteric lymph nodes, spleen and gut-associated lymphoid tissues called the Peyer's patches. In the SLO, once the naive cells encounter antigens and become activated, they will undergo changes and will eventually leave to combat the infection.2 Kuby wrote that when a pathogen enters the body, it enters the bloodstream and is transported to the lymph nodes and lymphatic organs where antigen presenting cells ( APCs) break it down into antigen compounds to be bound to Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules. The naive helper T cells become activated once they encounter the antigen bound to the MHC molecules. It then becomes an effector cell (Th) that produces cytokines which activate B cells, T cells, macrophages and other cells included in the specific immune response. Once the Th cells are released into the bloodstream, when they find the antigen, they secrete their cytokines. T cytotoxic cells (Tc) become another effector cell called the cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL). This kind of effector cell does not produce cytokines but is designed to destroy infected cells. Once the B cells encounter the antigen, they proliferate and differentiate into antibody-secreting plasma cells whose antibodies attach to the antigen, effectively neutralizing it. Other B cells turn into memory B cells that allow for a faster response to illness once the same pathogen enters the body again.3 Mayer and Nyland (2010) pointed out that ‘since there are relatively few T or B lymphocytes with a receptor for any particular antigen (1/10,000 – 1/100,000), the chances for a successful encounter between an antigen and the appropriate lymphocyte are slim.’4 The chances of encountering the right antigen with the right antibody are maximized with recirculation to the SLOs. The lymphocytes constantly circulate from the lymph organs to the blood via lymphatics if there is no antigen present. ‘It is estimated that 1-2% of lymphocytes recirculate every hour’ (Mayer & Nyland, 2010).5 If it does encounter an antigen, the cells differentiate into the effector cells (B, Th, or Tc) to combat the infection. After the infection, it can go back to the blood stream

African Americans in the Civil War Essay Example for Free

African Americans in the Civil War Essay The role African Americans played in the outcome, and the road to the outcome of the Civil War was immense. The fact that the south had slaves and the north did not played an enormous role in the issues. The north wanted to abolish slavery, and the south did not and after the war started this became one of the main reasons for the Civil War. Since most African Americans could not read or write, this made them an easy target, for slavery, against the dominant white man. Once the slaves got to America they started to realize how much trouble they were actually in. The north and the south had a problem brewing, and that was due to the slave uprisings and the run a ways. African Americans played an enormous role in the outcome of the Civil War because of the part they took in it. The civil war, which took place from 1861 to the 1920s, the African American community made tremendous strides toward them becoming apart of America and equals in America. Since they had been controlled by the power of the whites for so long, their independence was extremely unfamiliar to them, with their new emancipation. Since they were so uncertain, they debated about the most effect way to go about actually receiving the rights they deserved. They did not just want to be inferior Negros. Some African Americans thought the actual approach would be to go along with the submissive status the whites held them to, so they could earn their respect until fairness pervaded. Others were more wishful with their thinking and thought the military would make whites surrender and give blacks their basic rights. Those who were still they are thought that no progress would ever come. These blacks decided that it was essential to escape the shackles and cruel attitudes toward blacks. The civil war initially began to save the Union. At the start of the war slave masters were terribly scared that the slaves would run to join the Union and help the war efforts. To subsidize the problem, most owner enforced harsh restrictions on their slaves. Some owners even moved their whole plantations inland to avoid any contact with the outside northerners. This did not stop the slaves one bit though, this just caused more slave to flee to the north. The slaves that did decide to stay just demanded more freedom from their masters. Some would say the ones that stayed even gained more power; this forced their masters to give them offerings in exchange for work. The issues of emancipation and military service were intertwined from almost the beginning of the war. News from Fort Sumter made African Americans rush to enlist in military units. They were all turned away since there was a law dating from 1792 that kept African Americans from joining the U. S. army. In Boston disappointed African Americans met and passed a resolution that requested the Government to modify its laws to permit them to enlist. Then Lincoln’s Second Confiscation Act was passed. The act stated that, Confederates who did not surrender with in sixty days of the acts passage were to be punished by having their slaves freed. The Militia Act was also passed. This act stated African Americans were allowed to fight in the war. These two acts together thoroughly punished rebel slaveholders. The African Americans that enlisted both fought in the front lines and worked behind the scenes labor jobs. All these rights that the African Americans were receiving inspired them to return home and free their families and friends. Some of them even started living in the plantations that they used to be slaves of. They took them over and began their own cropping. Some of the other plantations had been left to older disabled white woman, when the men had left for the Confederate army. All of this led to the separation of slave labor in the south After trying terribly hard to keep the issue of slavery out of the war, the North decided to start enlisting African Americans to help them fight in the war. The Fifty-Fourth regiment was created by the Union Army, and was the only all black unit. This Union in particular contributed to the war efforts of the North and showed a new found power among blacks. The regiment started when John Andrew sent a request to the secretary of war, Edwin Stanton, to create a volunteer regiment of African Americans (3). African Americans from all over the country joined. To help recruit even further they called for help from African American leaders like, Frederick Douglas and William Wells Brown. In just two months over one thousand African Americans, one from at least every state, had enlisted in the regiment. The leader of the regiment would not be black though, they wanted the superior officer to have some certain credentials. The job description posted read: â€Å"Young Man of Military Experience Of firm antislavery principles, ambitious, Superior to the vulgar contempt of color Having Faith in the capacity of colored men for military purpose† (2) The man picked for the job was Robert Shaw. The African American regiment and their captain set off for Beaufort, South Carolina on May 28, 1863 (1). They were to attack Fort Wagner, which was a vital key to Charleston. They only way to storm the fort was to go through loads and loads of Confederates. The sheer size of the Confederates to the Fifty- Fourth regiment was an obstacle in itself. The regiment knew the amount of obstacles they would have to overcome to achieve a victory and yet they kept marching. Shaw and a few men marched to the top of the parapet, and there Shaw was shot and killed. Though this was almost a complete disaster for the regiment they had set a path for future African American soldiers. Frederick Douglas said, Once let the black man get upon his person the brass letter, U. S. , let him get an eagle on his button, and a musket on his shoulder and bullets in his pocket, there is no power on earth that can deny that he has earned the right to citizenship. One thousand seventy-nine African Americans had served in the Civil War. They served in both the U. S. Army and about two thousand served in the Navy. By the time the war was over, forty thousand had died in battle and thirty thousand had died of disease and infection. African American soldiers performed all the jobs needed to run an army. They also served as carpenters, chaplains, cooks, guards, laborers, nurses, scouts, spies, steamboat pilots, surgeons, and teamsters (4). There were nearly 80 black commissioned officers (4). Harriet Tubman was the most famous spy; she served for the 2nd South Carolina Volunteers. Tubman decided to help the Union Army because she wanted freedom for all of the people who were forced into slavery, not just the few she could help by herself. And she convinced many other brave African Americans to join her as spies, even at the risk of being hanged if they were caught (4). Among Harriet Tubman were many other African American women who served as nurses, spies and scouts. Although, no women were allowed to formally join the army. When black troops were captured by the confederate soldiers, they faced harsher punishments than the white troops. In 1863 the Confederate Congress threatened to punish officers of African American troops and enslave the African Americans, if they were captured. As a result of this, President Lincoln issued General Order 233, which threatened payback on Confederate prisoners of war, if they mistreated African American troops. This order did scare the Confederates a little, but African American soldiers were still treated harsher than whites. In one of the worst examples of this abuse, Confederate soldiers shot to death black Union soldiers, captures at Fort Pillow, TN, in 1864(). Confederate General Nathan B. Forrest witnessed it all and did nothing to stop it. The President, Abraham Lincoln, issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. This proclamation eventually led to the freedom of all slaves. The document officially made free all bondsmen in the areas of the Confederacy that were still in rebellion. Slavery although was not abolished in the Border States, Tennessee, or the Union occupied areas of Louisiana and Virginia. The proclamation only affected the states in rebellion, so after the efforts it didn’t actually free any slaves. On the other hand, it did strengthen the Northern war efforts, because they knew they were fighting for a cause. Over five hundred thousand slaves had escaped to the North by the end of the civil war. Many of the escapees joined the Union Army, which tremendously increased its power. As a result of the Emancipation Proclamation, the thirteenth Amendment was created. The Amendment created on December 18, 1865, legally freed all slaves still in bondage. The final step the Emancipation Proclamation was to depress England and France from arriving to the war on the side of the South. England and France wanted to enter the war on the South side, because the South had supplied them both with cotton and tobacco. England and Frances stance changed when they heard that the war had changed to a fight over slavery. Both nations were opposed to slavery, so ended up giving their support to the Union. That led to the winning of the fight for freedom. Juneteenth was the day created to celebrate the emancipation, when the slaves heard about it that midsummer. The holiday is still celebrated today. Abraham Lincoln said, A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half-slave and half-free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved. I do not expect the house to fall, but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other. (3) African Americans along with the rest of the Union were fighting for this freedom and equality that Abraham Lincoln, was talking about. African American contributions were not limited to the role of working the fields in the south or supplying labor for industry in the north. Many African Americans in both south and north participated in either direct or supporting roles in the military. The War Between the States proved to be a war fought for democracy. The liberation that the slaves had been waiting for, recovered the ideas that founded the United States of America. All men were equal under the law. Since, the African Americans made such a persistent effort the changes were made more quickly. Africans pushed for their own emancipation by resisting their masters and other labor tasks. Although a formal Emancipation Proclamation and Thirteenth Amendment freed blacks in America, it would be a long time before they received all the rights they deserved. The minds of Americans had been so engrained with racism only decades of hard work would lessen this. Works Cited 1) Freeman, Elsie, Wynell Burroughs Schamel, and Jean West. The Fight for Equal Rights: A Recruiting Poster for Black Soldiers in the Civil War. Social Education 56, 2 (February 1992): 118-120. 2) Blacks in the Civil War. †. Colorado College. Web. 3 Mar 2013. http://www2. coloradocollege. edu/Dept/HY/Hy243Ruiz/Research/civilwar. html.

On the Way - Fiction :: Papers

On the Way - Fiction It was a cold windy night in the mid December of 1941. The snow was falling slowly down the footpath while George was walking home. He was wearing a his big brown coat and a brown hat. George lived in a small wooden house which be built by himself in the forest. George lived alone by himself since his parents left him. He was living away from the world and he didn't know what was happening around him, and he had no idea about the fascism which was in the grip of the world. He was a grown man and he could care for himself, but the loneliness was his problem. His only friends, Mr and Mrs Muller were living a few miles away from him. One day when George was in the forest hunting for food, he heard a women's scream and horses coming to him. George jumped into the bush next to him and waited. He pointed his gun to the direction where the noise was coming from. They were getting closer. Suddenly a Jewish women passed by being chased by two military men in horses. The woman was frightened to death for her life. One of the men in horses pointed his shotgun at her and shot her in the leg. "Should I leave her die here?", said the horseman. "No, she might come back to the city again. Lets finish her here and now!", answered the other horseman and pointed his gun into her head. George was frightened and terrified, he couldn't watch a woman being murdered in front of him. He fired to one of the evil person that was aiming to the poor woman and killed him. The other horseman ran, he was afraid for loosing his life. The girl was dressed like a tramp, with long brown dirty trousers, a sweater with ripped sleeves and old dirty shoes. George went out of the bush and asked the woman: "Who are you, why are they running after you?" The woman answered, "My name is Isabel.

Arsenal Holding PLC Essay

This composition is a SWOT analysis of the company Arsenal Holding PLC; whose main product is the Famous English football club ARSENAL FC which is based in Holloway, London and is one of the most successful clubs in English football with thirteen first division titles and ten FA cups and also a record of the longest uninterrupted period in the English top flight.( Wikipedia) What is SWOT? SWOT represents the output of a marketing audit analysis and is essentially the analysis of the environmental factors and the internal appraisal part of the marketing audit. It stands for Strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats. Assessment of this SWOT factors together with an evaluation of its implications is a key part of objective marketing planning.(G.Lanchester and L. Massingham (1996) It is also important to note that SWOT ANALYSIS should be ranked in other to emphasis the importance of each point. The company Arsenal holding plc is the parent company of Arsenal FC and operates as a non-quoted public limited company a variation from other clubs. Only 62,217 Arsenal shares have been issued and they aren’t traded on any public exchange apart from rather infrequently on Plus market ;a specialist market.A single share in Arsenal had a mid share price of  £10,250,which set the companies capitalisation value at approximately  £637.74m.(wikipedia). Its Business Most of its business activities evolve around the Arsenal FC brand which is globally known as a top football club which performs consistently at the highest level in England and Europe. Football being an internationally accepted sport with Europe being the center piece of this affection, it has been suggested that the English Premiership is arguably the most colourful and entertaining League in the world with a viewer following that could be estimated into hundreds of millions weekly and Arsenal would also arguably be elected as its most entertaining team with millions of fans world wide. This Financial wise interprets into a massive brand image and which would  brings cash flow from; image rights of its players and the club, income and earnings from trophy wins and participation in the league and European competitions, Sale of players, television rights, sales of club merchandise and collecting gate for home games. Strengths 1. A very strong globally known brand 2. Large global fan base 3. Large stadium 4. Lot of large corporations interest in brand 5. Location in England and London 6. A few big and expensive players 7. Great history 8. Interesting records and achievements 9. Loyal fans 10. Colourful football and brand colour 11. Effective management Weaknesses 1. Inability to win trophy 2. Inability to compete financially with the best in Europe 3. Inability to keep its best players 4. Inability to convince fans of interest in football success 5. To many inexperienced players in squad 6. Small football squad Opportunities 1. A lot of young potential talents in the squad 2. Recent penetration into Asian market 3. Emergence of FIFA fair play rule 4. Emergence of very defensive teams playing unattractive football 5. Growing English national’s membership in the squad 6. Increasing interest in the English premiership and the European champions league globally Threats 1. European crises 2. Emergence of clubs funded by oil barons 3. Increasing wage structures in the premiership 4. Increasing player valuation 5. Increasing cases of player disloyalty 6. Unhappy fans 7. Resurgence of Tottenham their London rivals 8. Chelsea’s champions league win Evaluation and analysis The SWOT analysis as seen above, appears to be highly invested in the activities of Arsenal FC, this is because the club is a business institution which has an annual financial statement and is run by its parent company Arsenal holdings, which makes the activities of the club and its environment worthy of note. The analysis evolves around the clubs past and present positions and performances; its strengths revolves around the brand and how established it is, pointing out the colourfulness of both the clubs chosen colours and style of football it represents. It also points at the size of its stadium which is regularly filled up and which amounts to large amount of tickets sold. Its weaknesses evolve around its current inability to win trophies and also current financial restrictions as opposed to its main competitors who have a lot more to spend Opportunities looks at its youth policy; a system where by they buy a player most times cheaply and groom him after a few years into an inter national star with the club as his stage. The result of this is that the player’s value increases immensely and with the current state of transfer developments, beyond proportion. It also looks at the fair play rule which if put into effect by UEFA,the body that governs football in Europe will stifle the current dominance of some of its competitors. The threats point at the current crisis in Europe as its most important highlight, as if there is no money there will no body to buy tickets or purchase the goods that the club brands. It also considers its competitors as a major threat, because of the seeming limitless wealth some of them posses. *Note Players leaving the club on the short term is not a danger as it brings about healthier balance sheets and bigger profits, as the players are sold for huge fees, but in the long term it affects the clubs image and reputation and cause an increase in fan disloyalty, so it should be seen as both a weakness and a threat. Conclusion From the SWOT you can conclude that the company has a high amount of strengths compared to the other categories, its weaknesses are quite a few but the man danger lies in its threats, with the key one of note being the crisis in Europe which is affecting all businesses in general, the other threats appear manageable when compared more of the same is advised to sustain the club. REFRENCE G.Lanchester and L. Massingham., Strategic Marketing planning and evaluation, (1996) www.wikepedia.com

The Story Of Yoongi - 789 Words

Yoongi groaned as a popup box, which had popped up at least twice in the last hour, once again politely asked if Yoongi was ready to upload his files. He sighed and closed his eyes, allowing himself to sink further into his desk chair, muttering something along the lines of just fucking do it already. Sure, his files were ready, they’d been ready for a few weeks now (aside from minor tweaks), but was he ready? Was Yoongi, or anyone for that matter, ever really ready to upload pieces of their life’s story to the internet, where upon which it could be viewed (or in this case, heard) and critiqued by potentially billions? Yes, this had been in the making for a while (four years to be exact, Yoongi was counting). But was he sure, was he†¦show more content†¦Besides, the fans were waiting. The fans- A.R.M.Y. -, how would they receive it? Would they shower him with praises? Sympathize with him? Slander him? (Probably not, but when in the embrace of overwhelming anxie ty, one considers all outcomes, regardless of probability.) After all, he talks about some pretty serious stuff. Stuff people don’t really talk about; especially in Korea (he loved his home, but everywhere had its faults). So, that was one reason, and pretty good one at that, to just abandon the whole thing and move on. But, come on, who gives to shits about social norms? (Answer: Everybody. At least on a subconscious level, just a little bit. Don’t try arguing.) On the other hand, though, there are other people, some of them fans, experiencing the same thoughts and feelings he himself was consumed by not so long ago (maybe not exactly, but still), and they needed to know it was okay. Maybe not normal, but okay. And, of course, there was A.R.M.Y., they should know. Well, maybe they shouldn’t, but Yoongi was going to tell them, because he’d been working on this for too goddamn long to just drop it (and, of course, he was in a generally, though not always, much better mental state). Yoongi’s phone sounded and the popup returned. This time though, instead of hovering over the ‘YES’ button for a few seconds before hurriedly clicking ‘NO’ (or sometimes closing the window all together), he paused and picked up his phone. He had a