How managemnet team cam have agood fight Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

How managemnet team cam have agood fight - Essay Example From this perspective it was argued that from these disagreements comes a better range of opinions which as necessary to effectively operate in todays business environment. However, this conflict often becomes unproductive and it is the task of managers to keep the healthy disagreements from evolving into dysfunctional conflict. The paper highlighted that in the past, a case study was conducted on top management teams in technology based companies. Conflict was not really observed in four of the twelve companies and of the remaining companies four had effectively managed to avoid interpersonal conflict and the other four had been unsuccessful in this endeavour. The authors of the study had identified that the successful companies (That we able to separate substantive issues from interpersonal issues) had exemplified six tactics which were that they worked with more information and debated on the basis of facts, they developed multiple alternatives, they shared commonly agreed upon goals, they maintained a balanced power structure, and they were able to resolve issues without having to force consensus. As such the focus of the paper was based on delineating the strengths of these aforementioned characteristics. In regards to basing discussion on current, factual information, it is a common belief that generating more information and working with too much data is likely to increase the likelihood of conflict by providing more issues for debate. However the opposite generally held true insofar as having good data encourages people to focus on issues and not personalities. Several examples were given to highlight how this tactic held true but for a contrary argument it was postulated by the authors that in scenarios where there is a absence of quality information people tend to argue over issues of opinion (Which is a foundation to interpersonal conflict). By avoiding scenarios where management is forced

Customer Awareness Toward Islamic Accounting Theory

Customer Awareness Toward Islamic Accounting Theory CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Islamic banks considered as an active player in the world economies over two decades ago (Ahmed S., 2009). The principles accounting upon which Islamic banking is based have been universally accepted for centuries rather than decades. The fundamental principle of Islamic financial institutions is the prohibition of Riba (interest). It is manifest that Islamic accounting theory were practiced mainly in the Islamic country throughout the middle ages, development trade and business activities. In order to understand what services that Islamic banks offer, it is essential to maintain an acceptable level of information of the basis behind it. It has been argued that the Islamic banks have not introduced any new services since their first existence in the 1970s, in fact they have tried to comply with the rules of the Islamic religion specified for these types of actions. High requests to assess Muslim customers perception and attitude toward Islamic bank services. Islamic banks understand that its paramount important to measure the degree of its customers awareness as well as to improve services. The financial institution follows the rules that Holy Quran and hadith have set to guide the Muslims in their financial matters. The Islamic financial system employs the idea of participation in the project, utilizing the funds at threat on a profit-and- loss-distribution basis (Ahmed, S., 2009). 1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM During the last three decades, Islamic finance institutions have been rising significantly, both nationally and internationally (Ahmed, S., 2009; Iqbal Abbas, 2007). These firms were recognized in the emerging market of the Middle East to meet the order of investors and borrowers who are motivated by income maximization derived from the Islamic law (Sharia). Islamic finance institutions offer an extensive range of Islamic financial innovations from the simple agreement of profit-sharing agreement (Mudaraba) that is parallel to time deposit in conservative banks, to issue Islamic bonds (Sukuk) and derivatives. In gulf countries, the state of Kuwait banking industry considered on of the leaders in Islamic financial market. The growth of Islamic finance institutions in Kuwait has attracted some of the conventional financial firms (e.g., NBK IFIH, and Citibank) to add the service of Islamic windows to their clients. In spite of the advantages that are fixed in Islamic finance system and management, Islamic finance institutions encounter numerous primary challenges to the prospect of being recognized internationally. The challenges exist in local as well as global markets. On of these challenges is to assess the degree of awareness in Islamic accounting theories. In their study, Gerrard and Cunningham (1997) reported that Muslim respondents, though aware of basic conditions in Islam, were almost wholly ignorant of the sense of specific Islamic financial conditions like Mudaraba, Musharaka and Ijara. As result, many Islamic financial providers seek to assess the level of social awareness of their tools that incorporate with Sharia. The understanding of customer degree of awareness are paramount important to determine firms endowment to promote Islamic accounting theories. Bankers also seek to explore the reasons behind dealing with Islamic banks to better understand and improve services provided. Another challenge that faces Islamic financial institutions is that, as service provided they have to understand customers perceptions and attitude toward the services provided to better understand customers need, want, and improve their services. With no understanding to customer perceptions and attitude Islamic banks may have no means to better develop their services and improve customer satisfaction and compete in the local as well as the international market. The current study seeks to assess the level of customers awareness of Islamic accounting theories and to explore their perceptions and attitude toward these tools that incorporate with Sharia. 1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY Islamic financing is an important area of contemporary academic and policy interest. Opposing views in the area are analyzed in the light of empirical evidence. Measuring the degree of customer awareness toward Islamic accounting theory and their perception and attitude toward Islamic tools will shape the future of Islamic financing. The current study attempts to reveals the degree of customers awareness toward Islamic and efforts bestows to improve their awareness in order to assist Islamic financial institution to determine the efforts needed to raise this awareness and improve their attitude and perceptions. Another objective of this study is to explore customers perceptive and perception toward Islamic transactions thus Islamic financial institutions can better understand their customers and improve services provided. 1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY Islamic banks provide many financial services and are competing heavily in the Middle East with conventional banks. Customers nowadays go for Islamic bank loans for buying home, cars and even business setup, as the conditions are very clear and there are no rising interest piling up. To overcome the fierce competition, Islamic bank need to bestow efforts in rising the degree of awareness toward Islamic accounting and finical tools and improve customers perception and attitude. The study is of general theoretical importance as well as of particular practical significance for policy makers who intend to conform their existing financial systems to Islamic rules. Furthermore, at the practical level, the study aims to assist Islamic bank manager in providing empirically evidence how of Kuwaiti customers aware toward Islamic accounting theory and Islamic financial services. The study also provide framework for bank managers in measuring customers perception and attitude toward Islamic services and their usage of various products and services offered. At the theoretical level, the current study aims to develop the literature of Islamic accounting theory and explain how these theories are to be implemented in the Islamic financial institution who adapts Sharia. 1.5 THE SETTING OF THE STUDY In the Gulf Co-operation Council there are growing number of Islamic banks are also taking steps towards greater clearness and stronger authority structures. The state of Kuwait for example, has been taking a number of steps to reinforce its local Sharia-obedient institutions, including slowly moving in the direction of a latest regulatory framework for sukuk. In conversations with OBG, manufacturing insiders explained that due to a lack of suitable legal mechanisms, Islamic finance companies are not allowed to issue sukuk in Kuwait, which forces Kuwaiti companies to work through other markets, such as Bahrain. Given the massive increase in sukuk issuance worldwide, pegged at nearly $17 billion (in the Gulf alone, the growth rate since 2001 has been nearly 45%), Kuwaits financiers are keenly aware of the need for proper rules regulating sukuk. Sheikh Salem Abdulaziz Al Sabah, the governor of the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK), said earlier of 2008 that regulations are wanted, saying that the CBK is keen to provide a legal system to regulate Islamic investment tools such as the issuance of sukuk, especially in light of growing demand. We are optimistic a solution will soon be found. In state of Kuwait, the Islamic financial sector and its sharia-compliant companies are the increasingly global. Kuwait Finance house Bank (KFH), as an example, in addition to its Turkey, Malaysia and Bahrain ventures, newly established a subsidiary with a pair of Chinese firms to discover real estate investments in the Chongqing region of a middle China. In a more high-profile move, Investment Dar, one of Kuwaits biggest Islamic investment companies, recently funded a takeover of British luxury carmaker Aston Martin to the tune of $925 million. To achieve the purpose of the current study, the study focuses on a specific Islamic bank that located in the state of Kuwait. KFH has usually been one of the main engines behind the growth of Kuwaits sharia-acquiescent financial market; however, its enlargement and development indicates a growing maturity in Kuwaits sharia-compliant services zone, established by the push toward the regulation of Islamic bonds (sukuk) and the emergence of ever-stronger Islamic investment firms. KFH was the first Islamic bank in Kuwait and one of the pioneers toward adapting of Islamic accounting and financial theory in the gulf region. Beside the convenience, the research believe that exploring the degree of Islamic accounting theories of this bank may reveals highly reliable evidence of generalizing the finding in the state of Kuwait. KFH considered the main Islamic bank in Kuwait and the second-main bank of any kind in the country. Also to the huge injection of capital, KFH lately unveiled plans to set up its own subsidiary in Amman. The expansion of Islamic banks operations at home and overseas underlines the growing development of Kuwaits Islamic financial sector. Thus the study believe that investigating the customers awareness of Islamic banks toward Islamic accounting theory are justified and understanding their perception and attitude toward KFH is paramount important in attempting to improve service quality of Islamic firms. 1.6 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY This study is concerns with Islamic banking that located in the state of Kuwait as its difficult to include all Islamic banks related to resource limitation and time restriction. The study also does not analyze all Islamic accounting theory as it is very vast subject to control, rather than focusing on basic Islamic accounting theory that adopted by Islamic financial institutions and banks. Other limitation could be found related to: Sample size: The sample size for the bank customer is very large. Therefore, the collection of customer feedback will be costly in term of time and money. The study aims to attain around (150) survey for the purpose of analysis, which may considered one of the study limitation. Data collection: It may be difficult to distribute and collect all data and forms since the study is targeting to collect feedback from the entire bank customers. 1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS The current study includes many Islamic terms and concepts that will be stated as in Arabic meaning, some of these concepts are: Halal: The actions or items that Muslims can have access to. Haram: The actions or items that Muslims are banned from Riba: What is known in the west as the interest. Maysir: It means Games of chance such as lottery, gambling and it is usually referred to as Haram. Takaful: It is a form of insurance in the Islamic religion which will be explained in the essay. Gharar: Deception, hazard, speculation, uncertainty, risk (literally, peril or hazard) Mudaraba: Is a trustee financing contract, where one party, the financier, entrusts funds to the other party, the entrepreneur, for undertaking an activity Mushakara: It is an equity participation contract, whereby two or more partners contribute with funds to carry out an investment Muqarada: Loan Participation Qard Hassan: It is a benevolent loan (interest free) Sharia: It is Islamic religious law derived from the Holy Quran and the Sunnah 1.8 THESIS STRUCTURE The current study includes five chapters: chapter one described the background of this study, and consisted of the introduction, objectives and significance of the research. Chapter two reviewed the literatures on Islamic banking and theories. Chapter three explained the research methodology. The data analysis techniques and research findings were demonstrated and discussions in chapter four. Finally, chapter five exhibited conclusions and future recommendation. CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW Its necessary to explore the literature of Islamic accounting theory in details in this chapter. This chapter attempts to review previous literatures on the topic of Islamic Accounting Theory and provides recent finding related to the degree of awareness of customers toward Islamic financial services. This chapter attempts provide recent study and articles about Islamic accounting theory that explain the nature of Islamic banks system. Previous literatures and studies have revealed that the first recent research in Islamic banking filed was conducted in Egypt under cover, without projecting an Islamic picture, for fear of being seen as a demonstration of Islamic fundamentalism, which was abhorrence to the political government (Siddiqi l988). These studies remain until l967 where nine Islamic banks open in the country (Ready l98l). These banks was neither charging nor paying interest, investing mainly by participating in trade and industry, directly or in partnership with others, and shared the profits with their depositors (Siddiqi l988). For that reason, Islamic banks functioned basically as saving-investment firms rather than as commercial banks that based on charging interests. The Nasir Social Bank, established in Egypt in l97l, was declared an interest-free commercial bank, although its charter did not refer to Islam or Shariah (Islamic law). Islamic banks appeared on the earth scene as dynamic players over the past two decades. Nevertheless, a lot of the values that based on Islamic banking usually accepted all over the world, for centuries more willingly than decades. The essential principle of Islamic banking is the ban of Riba (interest), while the essential occupant of Islamic banking the prohibition of riba, a word that encompasses not only the perception of usury, but also that of interest has rarely been recognized as appropriate beyond the Islamic world, a lot of its guiding values have. The majority of these values are rooted in simple ethics and general sense, which form the bases of numerous religions, including Islam. Interest or â€Å"Usury† was forbidden in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, whereas Shakespeare and many other writers, mainly those writing in the 19th century, have attacked the barbarity of the carry out. Much of the ethics championed by Victorian writers such as Dickens ranging from the fair division of wealth through to mans elementary right to work is obviously present in contemporary Islamic society. Although the western media oftenrecommend that Islamic banking in its current form is a recent occurrence, in fact, the essential practices and principles date back to the early part of the seventh century. (Islamic Finance: A Euromoney Publication, 1997) It is obvious that Islamic finance was accomplished predominantly in the Muslim world during the Middle Ages, encouragement trade and business behavior. In Spain and the Mediterranean and Baltic States, Islamic trades became vital middlemen for trading actions. It is claimed that several concepts, techniques, and tools of Islamic finance were later adopted by European financiers and businessmen. As Islamic finance is intertwined within its religion, the basis of the religion affects the finance in two important ways: Islam aims at building a socio-economic order based on justice and considers economic activity as a means to an end and not an end in itself. It enjoins Muslims to harness natural resources, which are a trust from Allah SWT, for carrying out rightful activities; but abhors exploitation and man-made inequalities of income and wealth (Al-Harran, 1993). Islam is extremely concerned with the problem of financial growth, but treats this as an significant part of a wider problem, that of total human progress. The crucial function of Islam is to lead human growth on right lines and in the right direction. Islamic principle deals with all sides of economic development in the framework of total human development (Al-Harran, 1993). The reinforcement of Islamic banking coincided with the world-wide festivity of the advent of the 15th Century of Islamic calendar (Hijra) in 1976. At the same time financial assets of Muslims mostly those of the oil producing countries, expected a boost due to validation of the oil prices, which had up till now been under the power of foreign oil Corporations. These proceedings led Muslims to struggle to model their lives in agreement with the principles and philosophy of Islam (Abbas Valadkhani, 2004). Islam not only prohibits trade in interest but also in liquor, pork, gambling, pornography and anything else, which the Shariah (Islamic Law) deems Haram (unlawful). Islamic banking is an tool for the progress of an Islamic financial order. Some of the salient features of this order may be summed up as: Islam urges individuals to seek their economic well-being. Islam presents a clear difference between what is Halal (lawful) and what is haram (forbidden) in pursuit of such economic activity. In broad terms, Islam forbids all forms of economic activity, which are morally or socially injurious. This God rule can be considered as a way to systemize the citizens. Islam makes it obligatory on people to spend their wealth judiciously and not to hoard it, keep it idle or to squander it while acknowledging them their right to ownership of wealth legitimately acquired. This can be compared with the communism principles that look for the welfare of the whole members of the society. While allowing an individual to retain any extra capital, Islam look for reducing the edge of the extra for the well-being of the society as a whole, especially the poor and underprivileged sections of society by contribution in the procedure of Zakat. It is the way the Islamic government intervenes to ensure that poor people can have a formal financial source. While making payment for the ways of human nature and yet not yielding to the penalty of its worst propensities, Islam seeks to stop the amassing of wealth in a few hands to the damage of society as a whole, by its laws of inheritance. Viewed as a total, the financial system, which visualized by Islam aims at social justice without inhibiting people project beyond the point where it becomes not only jointly harmful but also individually self-destructive. The Islamic economic system employs the perception of contribution in the enterprise, utilizing the funds at threat on a profit-and- loss-distribution basis. This by no means implies that investments with economic institutions are necessarily tentative. This can be barred by careful investment strategy, diversification of risk and sensible management by Islamic economic institutions. This system supports people to invest their money in those financial institutions to exploit their utilities by making profits under the guidelines of the Shariah. The concept of profit-and-loss sharing, as a basis of financial transactions is a progressive one as it distinguishes good performance from the bad and minimize the players in the market to be the people who know how to invest and when they inter the market to catch the goal. The main goals of an Islamic Banking and Financial system are to: Implement the value system of the Quran and the Sunnah (tradition or practice of Prophet MuhammadSAW) in the realm of the Muslim socio-economic system. Ibn Taymiyahr.a. (n.d.), a distinguished scholar of Islam, explicates this as follows: â€Å"In muamalat (business transactions) all activities are permissible unless forbidden by revelation (Quran) or the practice of Prophet Muhammad SAW†. The examples of prohibited business activities would include dealing in gambling, liquor, pork etc. The financial contracts of Islamic banks need to be clearly documented, equitable and avoid the elements of Riba, Gharar and Maysir as explained in the following section. Foster the growth of the economy of Muslim nations by developing financial markets, institutions and instruments. A well-developed capital market, with efficient institutions offering diverse financial facilities, can reduce the overall cost of capital. It can enhance social welfare by facilitating the acceptance of projects whose; present value of all relevant cash in-flows (benefits) after tax is greater than the present value of all cash out-flows (cost) of the project; or the expected internal rate of return is greater than a minimum threshold rate (or cost of capital). Furthermore, these necessary conditions should also be satisfied for each party financing the project to alleviate agency effects. This entails economic development, which is promoted in Islam, as Prophet Muhammad SAW exhorted Muslims to undertake business ventures (tijarah) as described in the following hadith Nuaym ibn Abd Al-Rahman has quoted the (narration). ProphetSAW as saying: â€Å"Nine tenths of earnings (Rizq) is in bai (business ventures), and tenth in cattle†. This was reported by Ibrahim Al-Harbi (Al-Iraqi, 1992) and by Said ibn Mansur (Al-Suyuti, 1990). Dampen the shocks of extreme economic output by promoting risk-sharing instruments whose payoffs are strictly contingent on the profitability of a firm or project at a micro level. Financial facilities with fixed costs can severely strain the resources of borrowers during a slowdown, which lead to bankruptcies and structural impairment of the economy. The gist of Islamic financial securitization is summarized by the following well-known hadith quoted by Kahf and Khan (1992), â€Å"Al-kharaj bi al daman.† This implies that entitlement of return from assets vests in the one bearing the risk of it. 2.1 CONVENTIONAL BANKING The main job for most of non-Muslim or conventional banks is preserved money and valuables and give loans, credit, and imbursement services, for example checking accounts, money orders, and cashiers checks. These banks furthermore may propose investment and insurance products, which they were once banned from selling. As a diversity of models for collaboration and integration amongst finance industries have appeared, some of the conventional distinctions among banks, insurance companies, and securities firms have reduced. Regardless of these changes, banks continue to preserve and carry out their main role—allowing deposits and lending funds from these deposits. There are several kinds of banks, which vary in the number of services they offer and the customers they serve. Although some of the distinctions among these kinds of banks have tapering as they begin to enlarge the vary of products and services they propose, there are still key distinctive behaviors. Commercial banks, which control this industry, provide a full variety of services for customers, enterprise, and governments. These banks come in a broad range of sizes, from large international banks to local and community banks. International banks are involved in global lending and foreign cash trading, additionally to the more typical banking services. However, a lot of commercial banks have also extended to present online banking, and some previously Internet-only banks are opting to release branches. Savings banks and savings and loan associations, occasionally called thrift institutions, are the second biggest group of depository institutions. They were first recognized as community-based firms to finance mortgages for people to purchase homes and still cater mostly to the savings and lending requirements of individuals. Credit unions are another type of depository institution. Most credit unions are created by people with a familiar bond, for instance those who work for the similar company or be a member of the same labor union or church. Members pond their savings and, when they require money, they may borrow from the credit union, frequently at a minor interest rate than that demanded by other financial institutions. Federal preserve banks are Government agencies that achieve numerous financial services for the Government. Their chief tasks are to control the banking industry and to aid implement our Nations financial policy so our economy can run more proficiently by directing the Nations money provide—the total amount of money in the country, including cash and bank deposits. Interest on loans is the main source of income for most banks, making their diverse lending departments critical to their achievement. The commercial lending department loans money to companies to start or enlarge a business or to buy inventory and capital tools. The customer lending department handles student loans, credit cards, and loans for home developments, debt consolidation, and automobile purchases. Finally, the mortgage lending department loans money to individuals and businesses to buy real estate. The money to loan comes mainly from deposits in checking and reserving accounts, certificates of deposit, money market accounts, and other deposit accounts that clients and businesses arrangement with the bank. These deposits often make interest for the owner, and accounts that offer checking supply an easy technique for creation payments safely without using cash. Technology is having a main impact on the banking industry. such as, many usual bank services that once needed a teller, for example making a withdrawal or deposit, are now existing through ATMs that let people to right of entry their accounts 24 hours a day. In addition, direct deposit permits companies and governments to electronically transfer payments into different accounts. Also, debit cards, which may also apply as ATM cards, immediately deduct money from an account when the card is swiped across a machine at a stores cash register. Electronic banking by phone or computer permits consumers to pay invoices and shift money from one account to another. Through these channels, bank customers can too admission information such as account balances and statement history. Some banks have started offering online account aggregation, which makes accessible in one place detailed and up-to date information on a clients accounts held at diverse institutions. Progressions in technology have also led to upgrading in the ways in which banks process information. Use of check imaging, which lets banks to store photographed checks on the computer, is one such example that has been applied by some banks. Other kinds of technology have deeply impacted the lending side of banking. such as, the availability and increasing use of credit scoring software lets loans to be accepted in minutes, rather than days, making lending departments more competent. Other basic changes are taking place in the industry as banks vary their services to become more competitive. A lot of banks at the present offer their clients financial planning and asset management services, as well as brokerage and insurance services, frequently throughout a subsidiary or third party. Others are starting to offer investment banking services that assist companies and governments increase money during the issuance of stocks and bonds, also usually during a subsidiary. As banks reply to deregulation and as competition in this sector raises, the nature of the banking industry will continue to undertake considerable change. 2.2 COMPETITIVENESS OF THE ISLAMIC BANKING INDUSTRY The crucial feature of Islamic banking is that it is interest-free. Although it is frequently claimed that there is more to Islamic banking, for example contributions towards a more fair distribution of income and wealth, and improved equity contribution in the economy (Chapra l982), it nevertheless obtains its specific rationale from the fact that there is no place for the institution of interest in the Islamic order. Islam forbids Muslims from taking or giving interest (riba) in spite of of the reason for which such loans are made and despite of the rates at which interest is exciting. To be certain, there have been efforts to differentiate between usury and interest and between loans for consumption and for production. It has also been argued that riba refers to usury accomplished by minor money-lenders and not to interest charged by contemporary banks and that no riba is occupied when interest is compulsory on productive loans, but these arguments have not won approval. Apart from a few disagreeing opinions, he general agreement among Muslim scholars obviously is that there is no variation between riba and interest. In what follows, these two terms are used interchangeably. The forbidden of riba is mentioned in four different revelations in the Quran. The first revelation highlights that interest removes wealth of Gods blessings. The second revelation condemns it, placing interest in combination with illegal appropriation of property belonging to others. The third revelation enjoins Muslims to keep on clear of interest for the sake of their own welfare. The fourth revelation set up a clear difference between interest and trade, influencing Muslims to take only the principal sum and to forgo even this sum if the borrower is not capable to repay. It is further declared in the Quran that those who ignored the forbidden of interest are at war with God and His Prophet. The forbidden of interest is furthermore cited in no unsure terms in the Hadith (sayings of the Prophet). The Prophet warned not only those who take interest but also those who offer interest and those who record or witness the operation, saying that they are all similar in guilt. It may be mentioned in passing that similar prohibition are to be found in the pre-Quranic scriptures, although the People of the Book, as the Quran refers to them, had chosen to rationalize them. It is remarkable that Islam has successfully warded off various subsequent rationalization efforts aimed at legitimizing the institution of interest. Some scholars relays on economic reasons to explain the reasons on why interest is prohibited in Islam. scholars argued that interest is a pre- determined cost of production, which avoid full employment (Khan l968; Ahmad n.d.; Mannan l970). In the same tone, it has been challenged that international monetary crises are largely due to the institution of interest (Khan, n.d), and that trade cycles are in no small measure attributable to the phenomenon of interest (Ahmad l952; Suud n.d.). None of these studies, however, has really succeeded in creating a causal link between interest, on the one hand, and employment and trade cycles, on the other. Others, anxious to maintain the Islamic position on interest, have argued that interest is not very effective as a monetary policy instrument even in capitalist economies and have questioned the efficiency of the rate of interest as a determinant of saving and investment (Ariff l982). A general line running through all these negotiations is the exploitative character of the institution of interest, although some have pointed out that profit (which is legalized in Islam) can also be exploitative. One response to this is that one must differentiate between profit and profiteering, and Islam has prohibited the latter as well. It began as a theological dream, but Islamic banking has become a practical reality across the Middle East. The question now is, how far will Sharia boards and western regulators let it spread? (Josh Martin, Middle East, Jun2005 Issue 357, p50, 6p) The Islamic prohibition on interest does not imply that capital is costless in an Islamic system. Islam realizes that money is a factor of production however; it does not permit the factor to pre-determined claim on the productive surplus in the form of interest. This has leaded to the question as to what will then substitute the interest rate mechanism in an Islamic framework. There have been propositions that profit sharing can be a viable alternative (Ka Customer Awareness Toward Islamic Accounting Theory Customer Awareness Toward Islamic Accounting Theory CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Islamic banks considered as an active player in the world economies over two decades ago (Ahmed S., 2009). The principles accounting upon which Islamic banking is based have been universally accepted for centuries rather than decades. The fundamental principle of Islamic financial institutions is the prohibition of Riba (interest). It is manifest that Islamic accounting theory were practiced mainly in the Islamic country throughout the middle ages, development trade and business activities. In order to understand what services that Islamic banks offer, it is essential to maintain an acceptable level of information of the basis behind it. It has been argued that the Islamic banks have not introduced any new services since their first existence in the 1970s, in fact they have tried to comply with the rules of the Islamic religion specified for these types of actions. High requests to assess Muslim customers perception and attitude toward Islamic bank services. Islamic banks understand that its paramount important to measure the degree of its customers awareness as well as to improve services. The financial institution follows the rules that Holy Quran and hadith have set to guide the Muslims in their financial matters. The Islamic financial system employs the idea of participation in the project, utilizing the funds at threat on a profit-and- loss-distribution basis (Ahmed, S., 2009). 1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM During the last three decades, Islamic finance institutions have been rising significantly, both nationally and internationally (Ahmed, S., 2009; Iqbal Abbas, 2007). These firms were recognized in the emerging market of the Middle East to meet the order of investors and borrowers who are motivated by income maximization derived from the Islamic law (Sharia). Islamic finance institutions offer an extensive range of Islamic financial innovations from the simple agreement of profit-sharing agreement (Mudaraba) that is parallel to time deposit in conservative banks, to issue Islamic bonds (Sukuk) and derivatives. In gulf countries, the state of Kuwait banking industry considered on of the leaders in Islamic financial market. The growth of Islamic finance institutions in Kuwait has attracted some of the conventional financial firms (e.g., NBK IFIH, and Citibank) to add the service of Islamic windows to their clients. In spite of the advantages that are fixed in Islamic finance system and management, Islamic finance institutions encounter numerous primary challenges to the prospect of being recognized internationally. The challenges exist in local as well as global markets. On of these challenges is to assess the degree of awareness in Islamic accounting theories. In their study, Gerrard and Cunningham (1997) reported that Muslim respondents, though aware of basic conditions in Islam, were almost wholly ignorant of the sense of specific Islamic financial conditions like Mudaraba, Musharaka and Ijara. As result, many Islamic financial providers seek to assess the level of social awareness of their tools that incorporate with Sharia. The understanding of customer degree of awareness are paramount important to determine firms endowment to promote Islamic accounting theories. Bankers also seek to explore the reasons behind dealing with Islamic banks to better understand and improve services provided. Another challenge that faces Islamic financial institutions is that, as service provided they have to understand customers perceptions and attitude toward the services provided to better understand customers need, want, and improve their services. With no understanding to customer perceptions and attitude Islamic banks may have no means to better develop their services and improve customer satisfaction and compete in the local as well as the international market. The current study seeks to assess the level of customers awareness of Islamic accounting theories and to explore their perceptions and attitude toward these tools that incorporate with Sharia. 1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY Islamic financing is an important area of contemporary academic and policy interest. Opposing views in the area are analyzed in the light of empirical evidence. Measuring the degree of customer awareness toward Islamic accounting theory and their perception and attitude toward Islamic tools will shape the future of Islamic financing. The current study attempts to reveals the degree of customers awareness toward Islamic and efforts bestows to improve their awareness in order to assist Islamic financial institution to determine the efforts needed to raise this awareness and improve their attitude and perceptions. Another objective of this study is to explore customers perceptive and perception toward Islamic transactions thus Islamic financial institutions can better understand their customers and improve services provided. 1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY Islamic banks provide many financial services and are competing heavily in the Middle East with conventional banks. Customers nowadays go for Islamic bank loans for buying home, cars and even business setup, as the conditions are very clear and there are no rising interest piling up. To overcome the fierce competition, Islamic bank need to bestow efforts in rising the degree of awareness toward Islamic accounting and finical tools and improve customers perception and attitude. The study is of general theoretical importance as well as of particular practical significance for policy makers who intend to conform their existing financial systems to Islamic rules. Furthermore, at the practical level, the study aims to assist Islamic bank manager in providing empirically evidence how of Kuwaiti customers aware toward Islamic accounting theory and Islamic financial services. The study also provide framework for bank managers in measuring customers perception and attitude toward Islamic services and their usage of various products and services offered. At the theoretical level, the current study aims to develop the literature of Islamic accounting theory and explain how these theories are to be implemented in the Islamic financial institution who adapts Sharia. 1.5 THE SETTING OF THE STUDY In the Gulf Co-operation Council there are growing number of Islamic banks are also taking steps towards greater clearness and stronger authority structures. The state of Kuwait for example, has been taking a number of steps to reinforce its local Sharia-obedient institutions, including slowly moving in the direction of a latest regulatory framework for sukuk. In conversations with OBG, manufacturing insiders explained that due to a lack of suitable legal mechanisms, Islamic finance companies are not allowed to issue sukuk in Kuwait, which forces Kuwaiti companies to work through other markets, such as Bahrain. Given the massive increase in sukuk issuance worldwide, pegged at nearly $17 billion (in the Gulf alone, the growth rate since 2001 has been nearly 45%), Kuwaits financiers are keenly aware of the need for proper rules regulating sukuk. Sheikh Salem Abdulaziz Al Sabah, the governor of the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK), said earlier of 2008 that regulations are wanted, saying that the CBK is keen to provide a legal system to regulate Islamic investment tools such as the issuance of sukuk, especially in light of growing demand. We are optimistic a solution will soon be found. In state of Kuwait, the Islamic financial sector and its sharia-compliant companies are the increasingly global. Kuwait Finance house Bank (KFH), as an example, in addition to its Turkey, Malaysia and Bahrain ventures, newly established a subsidiary with a pair of Chinese firms to discover real estate investments in the Chongqing region of a middle China. In a more high-profile move, Investment Dar, one of Kuwaits biggest Islamic investment companies, recently funded a takeover of British luxury carmaker Aston Martin to the tune of $925 million. To achieve the purpose of the current study, the study focuses on a specific Islamic bank that located in the state of Kuwait. KFH has usually been one of the main engines behind the growth of Kuwaits sharia-acquiescent financial market; however, its enlargement and development indicates a growing maturity in Kuwaits sharia-compliant services zone, established by the push toward the regulation of Islamic bonds (sukuk) and the emergence of ever-stronger Islamic investment firms. KFH was the first Islamic bank in Kuwait and one of the pioneers toward adapting of Islamic accounting and financial theory in the gulf region. Beside the convenience, the research believe that exploring the degree of Islamic accounting theories of this bank may reveals highly reliable evidence of generalizing the finding in the state of Kuwait. KFH considered the main Islamic bank in Kuwait and the second-main bank of any kind in the country. Also to the huge injection of capital, KFH lately unveiled plans to set up its own subsidiary in Amman. The expansion of Islamic banks operations at home and overseas underlines the growing development of Kuwaits Islamic financial sector. Thus the study believe that investigating the customers awareness of Islamic banks toward Islamic accounting theory are justified and understanding their perception and attitude toward KFH is paramount important in attempting to improve service quality of Islamic firms. 1.6 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY This study is concerns with Islamic banking that located in the state of Kuwait as its difficult to include all Islamic banks related to resource limitation and time restriction. The study also does not analyze all Islamic accounting theory as it is very vast subject to control, rather than focusing on basic Islamic accounting theory that adopted by Islamic financial institutions and banks. Other limitation could be found related to: Sample size: The sample size for the bank customer is very large. Therefore, the collection of customer feedback will be costly in term of time and money. The study aims to attain around (150) survey for the purpose of analysis, which may considered one of the study limitation. Data collection: It may be difficult to distribute and collect all data and forms since the study is targeting to collect feedback from the entire bank customers. 1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS The current study includes many Islamic terms and concepts that will be stated as in Arabic meaning, some of these concepts are: Halal: The actions or items that Muslims can have access to. Haram: The actions or items that Muslims are banned from Riba: What is known in the west as the interest. Maysir: It means Games of chance such as lottery, gambling and it is usually referred to as Haram. Takaful: It is a form of insurance in the Islamic religion which will be explained in the essay. Gharar: Deception, hazard, speculation, uncertainty, risk (literally, peril or hazard) Mudaraba: Is a trustee financing contract, where one party, the financier, entrusts funds to the other party, the entrepreneur, for undertaking an activity Mushakara: It is an equity participation contract, whereby two or more partners contribute with funds to carry out an investment Muqarada: Loan Participation Qard Hassan: It is a benevolent loan (interest free) Sharia: It is Islamic religious law derived from the Holy Quran and the Sunnah 1.8 THESIS STRUCTURE The current study includes five chapters: chapter one described the background of this study, and consisted of the introduction, objectives and significance of the research. Chapter two reviewed the literatures on Islamic banking and theories. Chapter three explained the research methodology. The data analysis techniques and research findings were demonstrated and discussions in chapter four. Finally, chapter five exhibited conclusions and future recommendation. CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW Its necessary to explore the literature of Islamic accounting theory in details in this chapter. This chapter attempts to review previous literatures on the topic of Islamic Accounting Theory and provides recent finding related to the degree of awareness of customers toward Islamic financial services. This chapter attempts provide recent study and articles about Islamic accounting theory that explain the nature of Islamic banks system. Previous literatures and studies have revealed that the first recent research in Islamic banking filed was conducted in Egypt under cover, without projecting an Islamic picture, for fear of being seen as a demonstration of Islamic fundamentalism, which was abhorrence to the political government (Siddiqi l988). These studies remain until l967 where nine Islamic banks open in the country (Ready l98l). These banks was neither charging nor paying interest, investing mainly by participating in trade and industry, directly or in partnership with others, and shared the profits with their depositors (Siddiqi l988). For that reason, Islamic banks functioned basically as saving-investment firms rather than as commercial banks that based on charging interests. The Nasir Social Bank, established in Egypt in l97l, was declared an interest-free commercial bank, although its charter did not refer to Islam or Shariah (Islamic law). Islamic banks appeared on the earth scene as dynamic players over the past two decades. Nevertheless, a lot of the values that based on Islamic banking usually accepted all over the world, for centuries more willingly than decades. The essential principle of Islamic banking is the ban of Riba (interest), while the essential occupant of Islamic banking the prohibition of riba, a word that encompasses not only the perception of usury, but also that of interest has rarely been recognized as appropriate beyond the Islamic world, a lot of its guiding values have. The majority of these values are rooted in simple ethics and general sense, which form the bases of numerous religions, including Islam. Interest or â€Å"Usury† was forbidden in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, whereas Shakespeare and many other writers, mainly those writing in the 19th century, have attacked the barbarity of the carry out. Much of the ethics championed by Victorian writers such as Dickens ranging from the fair division of wealth through to mans elementary right to work is obviously present in contemporary Islamic society. Although the western media oftenrecommend that Islamic banking in its current form is a recent occurrence, in fact, the essential practices and principles date back to the early part of the seventh century. (Islamic Finance: A Euromoney Publication, 1997) It is obvious that Islamic finance was accomplished predominantly in the Muslim world during the Middle Ages, encouragement trade and business behavior. In Spain and the Mediterranean and Baltic States, Islamic trades became vital middlemen for trading actions. It is claimed that several concepts, techniques, and tools of Islamic finance were later adopted by European financiers and businessmen. As Islamic finance is intertwined within its religion, the basis of the religion affects the finance in two important ways: Islam aims at building a socio-economic order based on justice and considers economic activity as a means to an end and not an end in itself. It enjoins Muslims to harness natural resources, which are a trust from Allah SWT, for carrying out rightful activities; but abhors exploitation and man-made inequalities of income and wealth (Al-Harran, 1993). Islam is extremely concerned with the problem of financial growth, but treats this as an significant part of a wider problem, that of total human progress. The crucial function of Islam is to lead human growth on right lines and in the right direction. Islamic principle deals with all sides of economic development in the framework of total human development (Al-Harran, 1993). The reinforcement of Islamic banking coincided with the world-wide festivity of the advent of the 15th Century of Islamic calendar (Hijra) in 1976. At the same time financial assets of Muslims mostly those of the oil producing countries, expected a boost due to validation of the oil prices, which had up till now been under the power of foreign oil Corporations. These proceedings led Muslims to struggle to model their lives in agreement with the principles and philosophy of Islam (Abbas Valadkhani, 2004). Islam not only prohibits trade in interest but also in liquor, pork, gambling, pornography and anything else, which the Shariah (Islamic Law) deems Haram (unlawful). Islamic banking is an tool for the progress of an Islamic financial order. Some of the salient features of this order may be summed up as: Islam urges individuals to seek their economic well-being. Islam presents a clear difference between what is Halal (lawful) and what is haram (forbidden) in pursuit of such economic activity. In broad terms, Islam forbids all forms of economic activity, which are morally or socially injurious. This God rule can be considered as a way to systemize the citizens. Islam makes it obligatory on people to spend their wealth judiciously and not to hoard it, keep it idle or to squander it while acknowledging them their right to ownership of wealth legitimately acquired. This can be compared with the communism principles that look for the welfare of the whole members of the society. While allowing an individual to retain any extra capital, Islam look for reducing the edge of the extra for the well-being of the society as a whole, especially the poor and underprivileged sections of society by contribution in the procedure of Zakat. It is the way the Islamic government intervenes to ensure that poor people can have a formal financial source. While making payment for the ways of human nature and yet not yielding to the penalty of its worst propensities, Islam seeks to stop the amassing of wealth in a few hands to the damage of society as a whole, by its laws of inheritance. Viewed as a total, the financial system, which visualized by Islam aims at social justice without inhibiting people project beyond the point where it becomes not only jointly harmful but also individually self-destructive. The Islamic economic system employs the perception of contribution in the enterprise, utilizing the funds at threat on a profit-and- loss-distribution basis. This by no means implies that investments with economic institutions are necessarily tentative. This can be barred by careful investment strategy, diversification of risk and sensible management by Islamic economic institutions. This system supports people to invest their money in those financial institutions to exploit their utilities by making profits under the guidelines of the Shariah. The concept of profit-and-loss sharing, as a basis of financial transactions is a progressive one as it distinguishes good performance from the bad and minimize the players in the market to be the people who know how to invest and when they inter the market to catch the goal. The main goals of an Islamic Banking and Financial system are to: Implement the value system of the Quran and the Sunnah (tradition or practice of Prophet MuhammadSAW) in the realm of the Muslim socio-economic system. Ibn Taymiyahr.a. (n.d.), a distinguished scholar of Islam, explicates this as follows: â€Å"In muamalat (business transactions) all activities are permissible unless forbidden by revelation (Quran) or the practice of Prophet Muhammad SAW†. The examples of prohibited business activities would include dealing in gambling, liquor, pork etc. The financial contracts of Islamic banks need to be clearly documented, equitable and avoid the elements of Riba, Gharar and Maysir as explained in the following section. Foster the growth of the economy of Muslim nations by developing financial markets, institutions and instruments. A well-developed capital market, with efficient institutions offering diverse financial facilities, can reduce the overall cost of capital. It can enhance social welfare by facilitating the acceptance of projects whose; present value of all relevant cash in-flows (benefits) after tax is greater than the present value of all cash out-flows (cost) of the project; or the expected internal rate of return is greater than a minimum threshold rate (or cost of capital). Furthermore, these necessary conditions should also be satisfied for each party financing the project to alleviate agency effects. This entails economic development, which is promoted in Islam, as Prophet Muhammad SAW exhorted Muslims to undertake business ventures (tijarah) as described in the following hadith Nuaym ibn Abd Al-Rahman has quoted the (narration). ProphetSAW as saying: â€Å"Nine tenths of earnings (Rizq) is in bai (business ventures), and tenth in cattle†. This was reported by Ibrahim Al-Harbi (Al-Iraqi, 1992) and by Said ibn Mansur (Al-Suyuti, 1990). Dampen the shocks of extreme economic output by promoting risk-sharing instruments whose payoffs are strictly contingent on the profitability of a firm or project at a micro level. Financial facilities with fixed costs can severely strain the resources of borrowers during a slowdown, which lead to bankruptcies and structural impairment of the economy. The gist of Islamic financial securitization is summarized by the following well-known hadith quoted by Kahf and Khan (1992), â€Å"Al-kharaj bi al daman.† This implies that entitlement of return from assets vests in the one bearing the risk of it. 2.1 CONVENTIONAL BANKING The main job for most of non-Muslim or conventional banks is preserved money and valuables and give loans, credit, and imbursement services, for example checking accounts, money orders, and cashiers checks. These banks furthermore may propose investment and insurance products, which they were once banned from selling. As a diversity of models for collaboration and integration amongst finance industries have appeared, some of the conventional distinctions among banks, insurance companies, and securities firms have reduced. Regardless of these changes, banks continue to preserve and carry out their main role—allowing deposits and lending funds from these deposits. There are several kinds of banks, which vary in the number of services they offer and the customers they serve. Although some of the distinctions among these kinds of banks have tapering as they begin to enlarge the vary of products and services they propose, there are still key distinctive behaviors. Commercial banks, which control this industry, provide a full variety of services for customers, enterprise, and governments. These banks come in a broad range of sizes, from large international banks to local and community banks. International banks are involved in global lending and foreign cash trading, additionally to the more typical banking services. However, a lot of commercial banks have also extended to present online banking, and some previously Internet-only banks are opting to release branches. Savings banks and savings and loan associations, occasionally called thrift institutions, are the second biggest group of depository institutions. They were first recognized as community-based firms to finance mortgages for people to purchase homes and still cater mostly to the savings and lending requirements of individuals. Credit unions are another type of depository institution. Most credit unions are created by people with a familiar bond, for instance those who work for the similar company or be a member of the same labor union or church. Members pond their savings and, when they require money, they may borrow from the credit union, frequently at a minor interest rate than that demanded by other financial institutions. Federal preserve banks are Government agencies that achieve numerous financial services for the Government. Their chief tasks are to control the banking industry and to aid implement our Nations financial policy so our economy can run more proficiently by directing the Nations money provide—the total amount of money in the country, including cash and bank deposits. Interest on loans is the main source of income for most banks, making their diverse lending departments critical to their achievement. The commercial lending department loans money to companies to start or enlarge a business or to buy inventory and capital tools. The customer lending department handles student loans, credit cards, and loans for home developments, debt consolidation, and automobile purchases. Finally, the mortgage lending department loans money to individuals and businesses to buy real estate. The money to loan comes mainly from deposits in checking and reserving accounts, certificates of deposit, money market accounts, and other deposit accounts that clients and businesses arrangement with the bank. These deposits often make interest for the owner, and accounts that offer checking supply an easy technique for creation payments safely without using cash. Technology is having a main impact on the banking industry. such as, many usual bank services that once needed a teller, for example making a withdrawal or deposit, are now existing through ATMs that let people to right of entry their accounts 24 hours a day. In addition, direct deposit permits companies and governments to electronically transfer payments into different accounts. Also, debit cards, which may also apply as ATM cards, immediately deduct money from an account when the card is swiped across a machine at a stores cash register. Electronic banking by phone or computer permits consumers to pay invoices and shift money from one account to another. Through these channels, bank customers can too admission information such as account balances and statement history. Some banks have started offering online account aggregation, which makes accessible in one place detailed and up-to date information on a clients accounts held at diverse institutions. Progressions in technology have also led to upgrading in the ways in which banks process information. Use of check imaging, which lets banks to store photographed checks on the computer, is one such example that has been applied by some banks. Other kinds of technology have deeply impacted the lending side of banking. such as, the availability and increasing use of credit scoring software lets loans to be accepted in minutes, rather than days, making lending departments more competent. Other basic changes are taking place in the industry as banks vary their services to become more competitive. A lot of banks at the present offer their clients financial planning and asset management services, as well as brokerage and insurance services, frequently throughout a subsidiary or third party. Others are starting to offer investment banking services that assist companies and governments increase money during the issuance of stocks and bonds, also usually during a subsidiary. As banks reply to deregulation and as competition in this sector raises, the nature of the banking industry will continue to undertake considerable change. 2.2 COMPETITIVENESS OF THE ISLAMIC BANKING INDUSTRY The crucial feature of Islamic banking is that it is interest-free. Although it is frequently claimed that there is more to Islamic banking, for example contributions towards a more fair distribution of income and wealth, and improved equity contribution in the economy (Chapra l982), it nevertheless obtains its specific rationale from the fact that there is no place for the institution of interest in the Islamic order. Islam forbids Muslims from taking or giving interest (riba) in spite of of the reason for which such loans are made and despite of the rates at which interest is exciting. To be certain, there have been efforts to differentiate between usury and interest and between loans for consumption and for production. It has also been argued that riba refers to usury accomplished by minor money-lenders and not to interest charged by contemporary banks and that no riba is occupied when interest is compulsory on productive loans, but these arguments have not won approval. Apart from a few disagreeing opinions, he general agreement among Muslim scholars obviously is that there is no variation between riba and interest. In what follows, these two terms are used interchangeably. The forbidden of riba is mentioned in four different revelations in the Quran. The first revelation highlights that interest removes wealth of Gods blessings. The second revelation condemns it, placing interest in combination with illegal appropriation of property belonging to others. The third revelation enjoins Muslims to keep on clear of interest for the sake of their own welfare. The fourth revelation set up a clear difference between interest and trade, influencing Muslims to take only the principal sum and to forgo even this sum if the borrower is not capable to repay. It is further declared in the Quran that those who ignored the forbidden of interest are at war with God and His Prophet. The forbidden of interest is furthermore cited in no unsure terms in the Hadith (sayings of the Prophet). The Prophet warned not only those who take interest but also those who offer interest and those who record or witness the operation, saying that they are all similar in guilt. It may be mentioned in passing that similar prohibition are to be found in the pre-Quranic scriptures, although the People of the Book, as the Quran refers to them, had chosen to rationalize them. It is remarkable that Islam has successfully warded off various subsequent rationalization efforts aimed at legitimizing the institution of interest. Some scholars relays on economic reasons to explain the reasons on why interest is prohibited in Islam. scholars argued that interest is a pre- determined cost of production, which avoid full employment (Khan l968; Ahmad n.d.; Mannan l970). In the same tone, it has been challenged that international monetary crises are largely due to the institution of interest (Khan, n.d), and that trade cycles are in no small measure attributable to the phenomenon of interest (Ahmad l952; Suud n.d.). None of these studies, however, has really succeeded in creating a causal link between interest, on the one hand, and employment and trade cycles, on the other. Others, anxious to maintain the Islamic position on interest, have argued that interest is not very effective as a monetary policy instrument even in capitalist economies and have questioned the efficiency of the rate of interest as a determinant of saving and investment (Ariff l982). A general line running through all these negotiations is the exploitative character of the institution of interest, although some have pointed out that profit (which is legalized in Islam) can also be exploitative. One response to this is that one must differentiate between profit and profiteering, and Islam has prohibited the latter as well. It began as a theological dream, but Islamic banking has become a practical reality across the Middle East. The question now is, how far will Sharia boards and western regulators let it spread? (Josh Martin, Middle East, Jun2005 Issue 357, p50, 6p) The Islamic prohibition on interest does not imply that capital is costless in an Islamic system. Islam realizes that money is a factor of production however; it does not permit the factor to pre-determined claim on the productive surplus in the form of interest. This has leaded to the question as to what will then substitute the interest rate mechanism in an Islamic framework. There have been propositions that profit sharing can be a viable alternative (Ka

Study Proposal for a Social Studies and Premedical (Premed) Student Ess

Study Proposal for a Social Studies and Premedical (Premed) Student As a Social Studies and premedical student, I aspire to lead an international health and development non-governmental organization (NGO). Combining my skills as a physician and practitioner of development, I plan to enhance the health of marginalized, persecuted, and exiled populations. Through direct interaction with government bodies and humanitarian NGOs, I hope to highlight and curb the medical and psychological burdens stemming from human rights violations. Building on my skills as a humanitarian law and refugee tracing instructor, I also wish to train international and indigenous relief personnel to ensure the sanitary, nutritional, and health standards of uprooted populations. Aspiring to bring holistic leadership to the health and humanitarian sector, I must thoroughly understand and know to confront the social, political, and cultural factors linked with poor health. I therefore propose to pursue and academically focussed MPhil in Development Studies preferably from Oxford U niversity or from the Univers...

Should the government have a say in what we eat?

Some may say that we need more guidance from the government in what we eat but I disagree. The control our government has is already overwhelming most of o our lives so we as citizens should not have to be forced into eating anything because the govern meet says so. We are taught from an early age on what has proper nutrition and what is he althea. We also have the food pyramid to show us what we need in our body system to f unction throughout the day.If people see that and do not follow them, it is their choice e and the decisions that they are making. If you decide to eat something that is unhealthy why and gain weight, it is your responsibility to lose that weight again. If you decide to eat healthy, which can benefit you later on in your life, again it is your responsibility to keep eat Eng healthy and staying healthy. You are the person who make the choices in your life and YOU U should be the one responsible for your actions; not anybody else.There are so many things that the g overnment limits us to do; if they decide to limit what kind of food we eat, the tats one more step towards them limiting us to do things around in this country. Although s mom guidance in what we eat can be helpful to those who are uneducated, most people learn a ND know what is healthy and what is not. In America alone, more than % of adults are obese.

The Twilight Saga 5: Midnight Sun 25. Battle Worn

Plink. Plink. Plink. Beep. Beep. Beep. The many noises of the machines were slowly making their way down the hallway towards room four-oh-eight. Emotions were flooding me, my body not knowing which ones to recognize. Alice was eyeing me with apprehension, the future obvious in her mind. You're not going to like this. Alice stood up and paced back and forth, becoming impatient with the slowness of the nurse pushing Bella down the hall. I was still standing, my hand resolutely on the door, afraid to open it, afraid of what I'll see. I dove into her mind for only a fraction of a second to see that Bella was hooked up to so many machines it almost made her look like she was some sort of mechanical apparatus or contrivance. My many threads of thought were lost when I caught a scent that was unfamiliar to me, yet I knew it all the same. I finally yanked on the door, flinging it open to see Carlisle walking quietly behind the nurse, a despondent look upon his face. My eyes ignored him and everything else that was going on around the busy nurses' station. The only room I had in my brain right now, in my heart, was for the precious soul laying in the bed, beaten and battle worn. Taking in a deep breath, I tried to find the scent that would reassure me that she was still Bella, still okay†¦still mine. But, the scent was off, wrong†¦possibly vulgar. For a moment I thought there was something wrong with me, that maybe my brain was fooling me†¦tricking me, a mere product of my own mental invention. Possibly a fantastic notion ?C like her blood finally was unappealing to me. Shaking my head, I realized the only scent in the world I wished for right now was her scent, her very human, very Bella scent. My eyes followed a red tube from her arm up to a blood red bag. Blood. Not any blood, but human blood. Sitting there ?C for the taking. But the aroma was off, offensive†¦extremely unpleasant. Ignoring the now erroneous smell wafting off of her, I concentrated on her face, her bandages†¦her wrist. My teeth automatically clenched so hard that if steel were to meet them it would be ripped in half. James. Pushing my angry thoughts aside, I brought myself back to the angel, the beauty that was lying in this bed, unconscious and broken. At the sight of her my extremities felt like they were going numb. She was broken. I broke her. The nurse had finally made sure she was hooked up to all the appropriate machines, that everything was working correctly before checking her pulse and her temperature. Carlisle and Bella's doctor were standing outside the door talking. I was barely paying attention to the conversation, choosing to pick key words from their minds. She'll be fine. Probably another pint of blood. Temporary medically induced coma until she heals more. My head snapped up. Coma? †¦ Coma? What? I reached for Bella's hand, bringing it to my lips, kissing her lightly, caressing her face. Automatically I began to try and probe her mind, even though I knew the effort was useless. Maybe I could reach into her brain, pull out her thoughts. Did she forgive me? Was she okay? How was the pain? Silence. Fear bubbled like acid in my stomach. The only thing that slightly soothed my frenzied nerves was her warmth†¦her pulse in the air, on my skin. I was seeing double, watching Bella from two different views, mine and Alice's. How revolting. She didn't care much for the blood being forced into Bella's veins either. We both continued to watch Bella's check's lightly turn a tinge of pink as the blood swirled under her clear skin. Every second the pain at her broken body lashed at me. I tried to form some kind of enchantment, to make it so we could magically change places; that I could feel the pain, that it was me lying there unconscious. To think how this could have happened, how she was almost reduced to ash†¦to a cold and fiery death. The picture of a fleshless Bella entered my mind and the feeling of disgust was present on my tongue. Each second I felt like I was becoming emotional deranged. I needed an outlet, some way to focus my thoughts. Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. I whipped around to see Alice flipping a tiny video in her hands. Resentment began bubbling to the surface. Without thinking I rounded on her. â€Å"What happened? How did you let this happen? Bella†¦Ã¢â‚¬  my voice was overly accusatory. My hostility began swelling in the air, slowly consuming me. Alice stepped back two steps before sitting down. She placed her head in her tiny hands and very quiet sobs escaped her lips. The afternoon's events were finally catching up to her. â€Å"After you boarded the plane†¦I saw it. Bella, in the ballet studio. I saw it all†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She looked up at me as her eyes sparkled with unshed tears, tears that would never come. â€Å"I†¦I didn't realize it was because she planned to meet him.† â€Å"You left her alone with Jasper? Seriously†¦Jasper? Come on Alice!† I kept my voice low, not wanting to upset anyone outside this room. â€Å"Jasper can handle himself,† she cut across me. â€Å"Maybe she hadn't completely made up her mind, but when she did, she was already on her feet, running towards the exit. By the time this future presented itself to me I knew I'd be too late.† She breathed in a quick breath, trying to calm her nerves. â€Å"She wrote a letter to her mom. It was still in my hand. On a hunch I opened it. That's when I very nearly ran into you. Edward†¦ I'm†¦I'm so sorry.† â€Å"Not as sorry as I am,† I barely muttered. My anger had left as quickly as it had come on. Sorry†¦ â€Å"It's not your fault, it's mine.† I whispered. I turned to bring myself back to Bella. My eyes followed every bruise, every bump and every blackened spot. Each second little quiet explosions of pain were erupting through my body. Now, more than ever, I was vividly aware of her fragile, breakable body. How is this your fault? Alice challenged. â€Å"If it wasn't for me, she would never be in this hospital. She would be safely in Forks, probably having a nice dinner with her father. Instead†¦she's here, broken†¦comatose.† Her arm wrapped around my shoulder. â€Å"No, this is his fault.† She waved the tape in front of me. â€Å"Do you want to see what Bella was talking about?† I looked at Bella and then looked at Alice, giving her a pleading look. â€Å"Carlisle,† Alice called over her shoulder. â€Å"Excuse me, Dr. Jones.† Carlisle said politely. â€Å"Yes, of course. I'll check on Ms. Swan later,† Dr. Jones responded. Carlisle strode into the room. â€Å"Alice?† â€Å"Carlisle, will you please stay with Bella while Edward and I watch this tape?† He looked over her to see my face. I wasn't looking, my face was resolutely focused on Bella, my focal point, the one I cherished, loved and adored above all others. No, I wasn't leaving this room. â€Å"You guys go ahead,† I waved them away. Alice huffed lightly. â€Å"I'll watch it outside the hospital.† You can just watch it through my mind. â€Å"Okay,† I answered blandly. They both left me, not another thought in their minds about my decision. Carlisle had already known that I wouldn't leave her side. Not now, not when she needed me more than ever. Fear fluttered in my chest at the thought of what she might think when she does wake. Would this be the thing that finally makes her snap? Another sharp stab of pain prickled my insides. Bella continued to lay there, silent and still†¦unmoving except her tiny chest movements. There was a light rapt on the door before the Doctor walked in with his clipboard in hand. I rose, hand out. â€Å"I'm Edward Cullen. Thank you for taking care of her.† I spoke reverently, more thankful than he will ever know or understand. Love. â€Å"Yes, of course. You're welcome. Dr. Cullen wanted me to stop in and explain what will happen with her next.† â€Å"Yes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I pressed. Eager chap, isn't he? â€Å"She has many injuries. Her skull is fractured, she has several broken ribs and her leg was badly mangled, but we were able to fix that with surgery. A few pins will hold her bone in place until it heals,† he answered while taking her vitals. â€Å"Why isn't she waking up?† I coaxed, trying to get him to get to the coma part. â€Å"Yes, well, because of the extensive damage I have purposefully had her placed in a comatose state to help her heal. I'm not sure how long she will need to be in a coma. It could be a day, it could be several. Don't worry, she'll be okay.† Clumsy girl. You ain't kidding, I thought. â€Å"Well, thank you, Dr. Jones.† He nodded once and exited the door. He had good timing, because as soon as he shut the door a thought burst through my mind. Edward! Pay attention! I'm about to watch this video. Alice shouted from her head. They found a cord to plug into one of their laptops and were sitting outside in our car that Jasper brought back for us to use. This is going to be hard to watch, son. Please keep your cool. Carlisle warned. Sitting, I pulled Bella's hand back into mine. To watch this video, I knew I would have to feel her warmth to remind me she was still alive, that she was still with me†¦even if she was unconscious. Watching her actions like they were my own, Alice's finger slowly appeared in my vision as she pressed the play button. I felt a pang of unease. Accompanying my thoughts were Alice's and Carlisle's. A face appeared on the screen. James. I took in a heavy breath, preparing myself for the onslaught of pain†¦torture that watching this will cause me. Deep down, I probably deserve to watch this, to make me see what I did to her. â€Å"Edward, I'm so sorry we couldn't meet today, but I have a prior appointment with your Bella.† A sick laugh. â€Å"I hope you enjoy the show. Hope to†¦see you very soon.† I could hear the thoughts of revulsion radiating off of Carlisle. The screen shook, as I could imagine James placing it upon the stereo. His face was now facing the camera again. â€Å"I just got off the phone with Bella. Looks like she will be here shortly. You shouldn't have let her out of your sight. She's all mine now.† He licked his lips. My stomach jolted, I felt sickened at the thought. The screen no longer showed what he was doing, but I heard him fiddling with something. My fault, Alice thought again. Another minute had passed. I focused on Bella, reminding myself once more that she was here, safe. I heard the door crack open slowly in the video as the air conditioner thrummed quietly in the background. â€Å"Bella? Bella?† I heard a voice call out. Suddenly Bella was running through the studio, looking around in alarm. â€Å"Bella, you scared me! Don't you ever do that to me again! â€Å" There was a trill of a laugh and Bella whirled around, looking for the noise. I watched as Bella slowly walked towards something out of the camera lens' vision. There was a sudden blue light and she backed away, the light reflecting off her perfect face and her white shirt. She turned around slowly, anxiety obvious in her deep depths. Oh no, Alice thought weakly. My heart ached to watch her panic. She must have been terrified. My desire to throttle James had reached such a pitch, but there was no vampire left to kill, to rip apart and burn. Bella's eyes focused on something past the camera. â€Å"Sorry about that, Bella, but isn't it better that your mother didn't really have to be involved in all this?† His voice was mellow. He really is a cruel creature, Carlisle added to my already angry thoughts. Poison rippled through my veins. He had no right to even talk to her, to even look in her direction. I wanted to reach out and bring death to him. A sudden surge of jealousy hit me as I realized I didn't get this opportunity and never will. â€Å"Yes,† Bella answered as relief broke across her face. She was†¦relieved? My teeth met with an audible snap as I realized she was being selfless, sacrificing herself for her mother. A trait I loved in Bella, yet hated all at the same time. And she truly is a magnificent creature, Carlisle added to his previous thought. â€Å"You don't sound angry that I tricked you.† A light laugh. â€Å"I'm not.† She actually sounded brave. Brave little Bella, Alice sniffled. â€Å"How odd. You really mean it† James appeared in the picture now. He was slowly walking towards Bella. â€Å"I will give your strange coven this much, you humans can be quite interesting. I guess I can see the draw of observing you. It's amazing — some of you seem to have no sense of your own self-interest at all.† He had no idea how selfless she actually was. He also had no idea how she was absolutely unique, different, not like any human he would have encountered before. He was standing a few feet away from her now, arms folded, looking at her curiously. â€Å"I suppose you're going to tell me that your boyfriend will avenge you?† James asked. Avenge? If only I were so lucky! The thought of bringing my teeth to his neck to rip him to pieces, slowly†¦ the satisfaction was almost overwhelming in my sick fantasy. My wish was for him to suffer my retribution and it pained me more to not be able to rip him to shreds with my bare hands. â€Å"No, I don't think so. At least, I asked him not to.† Bella's voice trembled. My heart plummeted while a sick feeling swept over me. â€Å"And what was his reply to that?† James looked hopeful at the prospect. â€Å"I don't know. I left him a letter.† I could feel it slowly burning in my pocket, I placed my free hand over the letter. It would be a keepsake, a reminder of how close this angel got to death. I should have known†¦Alice tormented. â€Å"How romantic, a last letter. And do you think he will honor it?† His voice was dripping with sarcasm marring his polite tone. â€Å"I hope so.† Bell was a fool to think I would honor that letter. Of course I would kill him. I would probably play golf with his appendages just for fun. The surge of savage pleasure rippled through me. Sometimes she is so blind, Alice stifled a small laugh, understanding exactly what I was thinking without reading my mind. â€Å"Hmmm. Well, our hopes differ then. You see, this was all just a little too easy, too quick. To be quite honest, I'm disappointed. I expected a much greater challenge. And, after all, I only needed a little luck.† Silence. â€Å"When Victoria couldn't get to your father, I had her find out more about you. There was no sense in running all over the planet chasing you down when I could comfortably wait for you in a place of my choosing. So, after I talked to Victoria, I decided to come to Phoenix to pay your mother a visit. I'd heard you say you were going home. At first, I never dreamed you meant it. But then I wondered. Humans can be very predictable; they like to be somewhere familiar, somewhere safe. And wouldn't it be the perfect ploy, to go to the last place you should be when you're hiding — the place that you said you'd be. â€Å"But of course I wasn't sure, it was just a hunch. I usually get a feeling about the prey that I'm hunting, a sixth sense, if you will. I listened to your message when I got to your mother's house, but of course I couldn't be sure where you'd called from. It was very useful to have your number, but you could have been in Antarctica for all I knew, and the game wouldn't work unless you were close by.† Oh course, Carlisle practically shouted in his head. Realization hitting him like a ton of bricks. â€Å"Then your boyfriend got on a plane to Phoenix.† I wanted to hit myself for my stupidity! â€Å"Victoria was monitoring them for me, naturally; in a game with this many players, I couldn't be working alone. And so they told me what I'd hoped, that you were here after all. I was prepared; I'd already been through your charming home movies. And then it was simply a matter of the bluff. â€Å"Very easy, you know, not really up to my standards. So, you see, I'm hoping you're wrong about your boyfriend. Edward, isn't it?† Memories flooded me as I remembered our pointless and rambling journey to Canada, Victoria's odd behavior. Each second she was searching†¦looking. I became instantly angry at myself. Why didn't I see this? I should have known. I read his mind. He never failed†¦his special gift was tracking. Bella stayed silent. Secretly I wished she would have taunted him, called him names†¦at least argued with him. Put up a fight, even if it were a feeble attempt. â€Å"Would you mind, very much, if I left a little letter of my own for your Edward?† Sick, Alice thought angrily. His hand reached out to grab the camera. He was going to gloat†¦to show her that he was doing this to get to me. I didn't want to murder him anymore, I wanted to slice him into pieces and cook them one at a time. Feed it to the furry creatures of the forest. He readjusted the camera a few times. â€Å"I'm sorry, but I just don't think he'll be able to resist hunting me after he watches this. And I wouldn't want him to miss anything. It was all for him, of course. You're simply a human, who unfortunately was in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and indisputably running with the wrong crowd, I might add.† The camera moved closer to Bella†¦he moved closer to Bella. â€Å"Before we begin†¦I would just like to rub it in, just a little bit. The answer was there all along, and I was so afraid Edward would see that and ruin my fun. It happened once, oh, ages ago. The one and only time my prey escaped me. â€Å"You see, the vampire who was so stupidly fond of this little victim made the choice that your Edward was too weak to make. When the old one knew I was after his little friend, he stole her from the asylum where he worked — I never will understand the obsession some vampires seem to form with you humans — and as soon as he freed her he made her safe. She didn't even seem to notice the pain, poor little creature.† There was an audible gasp from Alice, as she realized he was talking about her. â€Å"She'd been stuck in that black hole of a cell for so long. A hundred years earlier and she would have been burned at the stake for her visions. In the nineteen-twenties it was the asylum and the shock treatments. When she opened her eyes, strong with her fresh youth, it was like she'd never seen the sun before. The old vampire made her a strong new vampire, and there was no reason for me to touch her then.† He sighed. â€Å"I destroyed the old one in vengeance.† Alice's thoughts were running wild. Her mind trying to reach back into her old memories to try to find her human times. There was nothing but velvety blackness. It all makes sense now, why she was left alone. Her creator was killed before she awoke! Carlisle was fitting the puzzle pieces together in his mind. â€Å"Alice,† Bella gasped, sadness in her tone. A rush of affection came flooding out of Alice as she realized how much Bella loved her, too. â€Å"Yes, your little friend. I was surprised to see her in the clearing. So I guess her coven ought to be able to derive some comfort from this experience. I get you, but they get her. The one victim who escaped me, quite an honor, actually.† A growl ripped up Alice's throat at his comment. Mine wasn't far behind. Honor, scoffed Carlisle. â€Å"And she did smell so delicious. I still regret that I never got to taste†¦ She smelled even better than you do. Sorry — I don't mean to be offensive. You have a very nice smell. Floral, somehow†¦Ã¢â‚¬  To think of him even being close enough to smell her about drove me mad. I could slowly feel the savagery creeping into my veins. Many violent brutal acts flashed through my mind. The camera moved so close to Bella's perfect features that he was probably only inches away from her. Violence was struggling to break free of my body, but there was no one to fight, no one to beat. His hand reached out and grabbed a strand of her hair; he sniffed it and patted it back in place. At this, I stood, letting go of Bella's hand. Fury was bursting out of me. I wanted to inflict a punishment so brutal, so horribly unthinkable that he would have to suffer for years in horrid pain. He reached up to stroke her cheek once quickly with his thumb. The hospital cup that was lying next to Bella's bed was suddenly in my grasp, crunched like it was a soda can and slowly crumbled into little pieces. Choice swear words came shooting out of my mouth. â€Å"No,† he murmured to himself as he dropped his hand, â€Å"I don't understand.† He sighed. â€Å"Well, I suppose we should get on with it. And then I can call your friends and tell them where to find you, and my little message.† Absolutely revolting, Carlisle's thoughts were almost incoherent with disgust. Slowly I could see the camera backing away from her face. Her body was quavering in fear. I brought my hand out in mid air, like I could soothe her; tell her everything would be okay, though I knew any minute that the pain would be inflicted, that she would be violently hurt and bitten by a vicious and cruel vampire. Every particle of my body was screaming in protest. The camera was circling around her†¦he was circling around her. The movement of the camera was almost like I could tell he had just crouched, preparing to spring. Her pupils dilated in terror. She bolted. In all my anger I almost laughed at the comical move. It was humorous for two reasons. One, trying to outrun a vampire? She knew better. Two, she actually feared a creature she should be afraid of. So, her braveness did have a limit. I sat back down, holding Bella's hand again. I closed my eyes, knowing the next little bit was going to be rough. I might not even make it through it all. He flew in front of Bella, where there was then a loud thud and the camera whipped around to show Bella almost slowly sliding down the glass mirror as it rippled and broke, falling to the floor. Anger throbbed through me as did sadness, pain. I wanted to make him†¦suffer. The fury that was pounding through my body was so violent it was shocking me like a jolt of electricity, each time burning me. James walked slowly towards her; the camera bringing Bella's dazed expression into view. What kind of creature†¦Carlisle was full of despair. A growl ripped up my throat, long and feral. â€Å"That's a very nice effect. I thought this room would be visually dramatic for my little film. That's why I picked this place to meet you. It's perfect, isn't it?† Bella began crawling on the floor. Without thinking I slowly propped myself up on her bed, lightly tracing the features of her face which was now only inches from mine. How could I ever let her out of my sight? What happened next burned me so much that I begged that we could trade places, or that I could suddenly go back in time. The camera lowered, to show what his next move would be. He lifted his foot, and stomped on her leg. There was a sickening snap as Bella's scream came flying out of her mouth. I could feel an exertion of force or power slowly brewing inside me as violence pulsed through me. â€Å"Would you like to rethink your last request?† A smile obviously in his voice. With a light flick on his foot he nudged her leg while another piercing scream echoed through my brain. A cry echoed through all our thoughts at once. â€Å"Wouldn't you rather have Edward try to find me?† I would have found you, James. If I would have just arrived a little earlier I would have pulled his eyes out of his sockets and chewed them, spit them out and stomped them into the dirt. â€Å"No!† Bella barely croaked. â€Å"No, Edward, don't–â€Å" Before Bella could finish her plea she was being thrown into the broken mirrors. Through Alice's vision I could tell she had flinched, and suddenly her hand went up to cover her eyes. Not Bella†¦ Alice sighed a lament as her hand slowly slid back down her face. Each torture continued to hit me relentlessly. When my vision was restored I watched as each second the darkness ran down her face and flooded her white shirt, staining it red. Blood. Beads of blood were trickling at an alarming rate through her hair. I could remember the outrageous flavor floating on the air around her when I arrived at the studio. It was easy to ignore the thought as explosions of agony possessed me, like I was bursting with the pain of it all. I brushed my fingers lightly over her face again, a reminder she was still here, safe†¦protected. â€Å"It's entirely my fault,† I whispered to Bella. In the video her eyes began to close as James dropped the camera. The angle was not good, so the view was distorted, but that was a good thing. Bella slowly melted onto the floor, bringing her hand up to her face as protection. There was a guttural noise, the sound of flesh breaking. That's when he bit her. Seeing this, knowing how close she was to death felt like I was being pierced with scalding hot knives. This video just made it that much more horribly vivid. Each blow felt like I had been fatally wounded. As if it were my own hand, Alice reached out and pressed the stop button. I was thankful, I didn't think I could watch those painful moments when I thought she was possibly dead or dying, the memory was clear enough, no need to add to the agony†¦though I deserved it. Alice and Carlisle began talking with each other about what they just saw. I pushed their thoughts and their conversation from my mind. I couldn't think about it anymore. It was bad enough she was lying here, broken, mangled†¦bruised†¦unconscious. Grief began weighing on my heart. I wished, prayed, even that this was all just a horrible nightmare; that I could sleep so I could wake from this. My stance around Bella was a continuance of looking like a body guard in hostile territory, even though she was safe in this hospital. I felt the ripping of my heart, slowly being shredded. Halfway curling myself up on her bed, I kept my face close to hers. Kissing her every minute, just to feel the warmth on my lips. A reminder of how precious the life was that was laying here in front of me. My love†¦my existence. Each second realizing that she was my life, without her I would die. Not only would I die, I would beg for it, embrace it. Other thoughts swam through my already troubled mind. I couldn't keep her. To have her be in my life would be like keeping her in the line of danger. She deserved more than me†¦she deserved marriage, kids, a family†¦college. Each thought lashed at me, leaving angry lacerations. I couldn't leave her now, but one day I will have to leave her. It pained me to think it, to know it had to be that way, but that is the only way it could be. I loved her too much to damn her to this existence, to take away her soul. Hadn't I already been selfish enough? Hadn't Bella proven how unselfish, brave, and trusting she is already? I kissed her forehead once more as hopelessness threatened to engulf me. Hey, bro, it's me. Can I come in? I sat up. Emmett? â€Å"Come in.† He came bursting through the door with a smile on his face, which slid away quickly once he saw Bella. He noticed the blood hanging down and held his breath quickly, though it didn't bother him like it would Jasper. â€Å"Here ya go!† Emmett threw a bag towards me. Man, he looks bad. â€Å"Wash up. You look how I do when I get done fighting a grizzly.† He chuckled. â€Å"Thanks,† I rummaged through the bag, glad to see clean clothes. â€Å"Alice told me that Rene will be here in half an hour and it would probably be prudent if you didn't look like a train wreck.† Another chuckle. â€Å"Yes, I guess it would be best if I wasn't covered in her daughter's blood.† I looked back at Bella. I'll stay here with her if you want me too, Emmett added, coaxing me to clean myself. â€Å"Okay, yeah. I'll just be right in here. There's a shower†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yeah, yeah,† he interrupted. When I was in the bathroom I could feel the contacts slowly dissolving in my eyes. Having red eyes would probably scare her mother. I dug through my bag, hoping Alice would have predicted this. Bingo. Contacts. Thank you, Alice! Before I put my new contacts in, I threw all of my dirty clothes away, making sure I kept the letter she wrote me. I turned the water on hot, hoping it might actually ease some of the tension and strain I was under. At the same time, I was looking through Emmett's eyes as he watched over Bella. Though he barely knew her, he was slowly learning to love her, to appreciate who she was. It was so easy to be in Emmett's mind sometimes. I let the warm water trickle over my body, cleaning any remaining blood off of my skin. The water tinged pink for a few moments and then the luscious scent swirled down the drain. I could still feel a heavy weight on my chest, as if there was something constricting my heart from healing from the lashes that were constantly being engraved on my tethered and worn body. She was so close to death, so close to not living. Her heart†¦my heart was on the verge of never beating again. Searching for her face, I found it instantly in Emmett's view. I sighed, turned off the water and began toweling off. Rene would be here shortly and I needed to look my best. Quickly dressing, I placed the contacts in my eyes, letting them obstruct my vision once again before I exited, relieving Emmett of his duty. â€Å"Thanks,† I put my hand on his shoulder. â€Å"Oh, it's no problem,† he smiled, winked and then strode from the room. Again, I waited by her bedside, holding her hand gently, caressing her face lightly. The blood that was slowly dripping in her veins had started to mix with her blood, the scent finally beginning to smell more like Bella. The luxurious, the delicious, the palatable aroma progressively growing stronger. Then, there was a sudden awareness as I heard thoughts that were so overwhelmed with fear that they were producing nothing but hysterical ramblings. It had to be Rene. No one else in this whole hospital knew what it was like to love someone like Bella. She was different, amazing†¦wonderful. The door flew open and I stood, the doctor hurriedly following behind Rene's ever impatient noises. Rene, completely ignoring my presence, flew towards Bella, though her touch was gentle, her sobs loving. Her panicking seemed to clear my thoughts. â€Å"Oh, Bella. Bella!† she turned to face the doctor. â€Å"When will she be awake?† â€Å"I'm keeping her in a medically induced coma until I feel she has healed some.† He stated. She turned away from the doctor, her eyes finally meeting my presence. â€Å"And you must be†¦Edward?† He sure is handsome. I didn't realize Bella†¦ Oh, well, maybe I'm wrong. I tried not to smile at her thoughts. â€Å"Yes,† I held out my hand. She gripped my hand for a second before plopping down next to Bella. â€Å"My baby, please get better. I love you,† she murmured. Went through a window! I just can't believe Charlie let her leave like that. So irresponsible. I'm just going to have to take her home†¦back to Florida. And I would let her.