Corporate greed has to be taught

Since starting at this university some years ago, I have noticed something that rings very true.

I’m not sure why this seems to be the case in most institutions of higher learning, but there is a lot of “liberalism” in the system. Corporate greed seems to be a recurring issue. I will be the first to admit that many corporations are in fact greedy and at times treacherous.

And yet, I wonder where most of these CEOs get their business tactics; I would assume the universities they got their degrees from.

So let’s play the devil’s advocate and assume they learned it from the same professors who complain about the greed and treachery.

I have also heard many comments about the environment, suggesting Bush isn’t doing enough. But as no surprise, these same people give no solutions to the problem.

A smart man once said, “If you are not a part of the solution, you are a part of the problem.”

That is the thought that runs through my head when I see them pull away in their sports utility vehicles that get 13 miles to the gallon.

Liberalism or hypocrisy. It all seems the same now.

I will vote Republican. And there are more of us out there.

Ryan Smith is a junior majoring in fine arts.

Judgment will be final in the next world

This is in reply to Chris Ricketts’ Tuesday column, “Give new mom a break.”

Perhaps the issue at hand is the separation of state and religion, for if it was a totally Islamic country, then the government would be following Islamic Shari’ah (law) without any buts and ifs.

Moreover, culture and religion are two separate things that unfortunately tend to get – incorrectly – intertwined. I agree with you about the man standing by idly. Nonetheless, those who aren’t judged in this life will be in the next by the best of judges.

Excommunication is not a part of Islam. Muslims need not rely on a middle man, such as a priest, to follow the teachings of Islam. Thus they can and do directly worship Allah, without needing any connecting link. How can you stop someone from worshipping God?

The Torah of the Jews supported stoning. Some Jews had approached Prophet Muhammad to seek his advice on how to deal with a Jew and Jewess who had committed illegal sexual intercourse.

The prophet asked them what they normally did, and they replied that they’d blacken their faces with coal and beat them, so he asked them if they had found the order of Al Rajam (stoning to death) in the Torah, and they replied with a negative.

Abdullah bin Salam, a companion of the prophet, told them to bring the Torah, and surely the divine verse of Al Rajam was there. Thus, the prophet ordered them to stone the two sinners, and they did just that.

Apart from Judaism, everyone is familiar with the Christian commandment, “Thou shalt not commit adultery.”

A religion is not simply something that followers can pick and choose what they want to abide by; once a person finds a religion that encompasses many aspects they are comfortable with, they accept it, and it becomes a way of life for them.

People start messing with God’s word, and it becomes a man-made religion. So, out-of-wedlock sex becomes a question of morality only when viewed without a sense of responsibility, discipline and religion (which encompasses the former traits).

You are entitled to your opinion. However, yes, I will say that many people tend to take the standards of the West as a generalized, completely flawless measuring tool with which they feel can be globally applied to other countries to judge them by.

There is a lot more I can bring up, but it is beyond the scope of a letter to the editor.

In closing, any mistakes are my own, and God knows best.

Ahmad Mageed is a junior double majoring in computer engineering and computer science.

Guilt and apologies not necessary

I was thrilled to see that not all the students at this school were in support of this constant attempt by the Muslim community to make us feel guilty for our anger after what happened on Sept. 11.

I agree with the writer of Thursday’s letter to the editor about not focusing on apologies. The American people have a right to feel angry and deserve the right to grieve. Yes, there were isolated incidents of Americans doing stupid things, but let’s not take things out of context and act as if all Americans are out doing these things.

The student who wrote the letter that appeared Tuesday saying that we, as Americans, need to educate ourselves about Islam so that we are not ignorant and uninformed, needs to understand that it is not Americans who are driving airplanes into buildings nor blowing themselves up with bombs.

It is people who are of the Muslim religion. I believe, as the student wrote Thursday said, if the Taliban or Islamic Jihad educated themselves about America and the American culture they would not be doing what they do.

I, nor any American I know, is out training to attack some Islamic country and kill innocent people. I know only that there is no country in the Middle East that is of the Islamic faith that is free and democratic.

The lslam as practiced in the Middle East, is not tolerant of other religions nor is it tolerant of their own citizens going against the teachings of the Qu’ran. Torture, jail time and even death come to those who disagree with it.

The Muslims in the United States, especially American Muslims born and raised in this country, have only the American Muslim view of Islam. They see things through the eyes of an American with American views, freedoms and values. They do not see Islam as practiced in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the other countries of the Middle East.

The Islam practiced in those countries is for the most part, oppressive and intolerant. Those countries are hotbeds for fundamental groups to spring up, and when that happens, terrorism is soon to follow.

As an American, I am fed up with it. It is time to say to the world that we, as a nation, are not going to put up with it anymore.

We, for the most part, are a peace-loving people. We are a nation that helps out the world when it comes to humanitarian efforts and when nations need our help in other ways.

No other nation on this planet can do what we can do as far as helping out the world. Americans have died all over the world defending the freedoms of others. There are only a small handful of nations that would come to our aid if we needed it and die for us.

Why is it then the responsibility of Americans to educate ourselves about other people and their cultures all the time?

Isn’t it about time that other nations take the responsibility to learn about America and our culture?

We are at war, and people should get that in their heads.

Gary Stanley is a senior majoring in secondary education.