bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of the MODIS above-cloud aerosol retrieval algorithm using MCARS
Authors: Wind Galina , da Silva Arlindo M. , Meyer Kerry G. , Platnick Steven , Norris Peter M.
Published: January 2022

Abstract. The Multi-sensor Cloud and Aerosol Retrieval Simulator (MCARS) presently
produces synthetic radiance data from Goddard Earth Observing System version
5 (GEOS-5) model output as if the Moderate Resolution Imaging
Spectroradiometer (MODIS) were viewing a combination of atmospheric column
inclusive of clouds, aerosols, and a variety of gases and land–ocean surface
at a specific location. In this paper we use MCARS to study the MODIS
Above-Cloud AEROsol retrieval algorithm (MOD06ACAERO). MOD06ACAERO is
presently a regional research algorithm able to retrieve aerosol optical
thickness over clouds, in particular absorbing biomass-burning aerosols
overlying marine boundary layer clouds in the southeastern Atlantic Ocean.
The algorithm's ability to provide aerosol information in cloudy conditions
makes it a valuable source of information for modeling and climate studies
in an area where current clear-sky-only operational MODIS aerosol retrievals
effectively have a data gap between the months of June and October. We use
MCARS for a verification and closure study of the MOD06ACAERO algorithm. The
purpose of this study is to develop a set of constraints a model developer
might use during assimilation of MOD06ACAERO data. Our simulations indicate that the MOD06ACAERO algorithm performs well for
marine boundary layer clouds in the SE Atlantic provided some specific
screening rules are observed. For the present study, a combination of five
simulated MODIS data granules were used for a dataset of 13.5 million samples
with known input conditions. When pixel retrieval uncertainty was less than
30 %, optical thickness of the underlying cloud layer was greater than 4,
and scattering angle range within the cloud bow was excluded, MOD06ACAERO
retrievals agreed with the underlying ground truth (GEOS-5 cloud and aerosol
profiles used to generate the synthetic radiances) with a slope of 0.913,
offset of 0.06, and RMSE=0.107. When only near-nadir pixels were
considered (view zenith angle within ±20∘) the agreement with
source data further improved (0.977, 0.051, and 0.096 respectively).
Algorithm closure was examined using a single case out of the five used for
verification. For closure, the MOD06ACAERO code was modified to use GEOS-5
temperature and moisture profiles as an ancillary. Agreement of MOD06ACAERO
retrievals with source data for the closure study had a slope of 0.996 with
an offset of −0.007 and RMSE of 0.097 at a pixel uncertainty level of less than
40 %, illustrating the benefits of high-quality ancillary atmospheric data
for such retrievals.
Seasonal forecasting of lake water quality and algal bloom risk using a continuous Gaussian Bayesian network
Authors: Jackson-Blake Leah , Clayer François , Haande Sigrid , Sample James , Moe Jannicke
Published: January 2022

Abstract. Freshwater management is challenging, and advance warning that poor water quality was likely, a season ahead, could allow for preventative measures to be put in place. To this end, we developed a Bayesian network (BN) for seasonal lake water quality prediction. BNs have become popular in recent years, but the vast majority are discrete. Here we developed a Gaussian Bayesian network (GBN), a simple class of continuous BN. The aim was to forecast, in spring, total phosphorus (TP), chlorophyll-a (chl-a), cyanobacteria biovolume and water colour for the coming growing season (May–October) in lake Vansjø in southeast Norway. To develop the model, we first identified controls on inter-annual variability in water quality using correlations, scatterplots, regression tree based feature importance analysis and process knowledge. Key predictors identified were lake conditions the previous summer, a TP control on algal variables, a colour-cyanobacteria relationship, and weaker relationships between precipitation and colour and between wind and chl-a. These variables were then included in the GBN and conditional probability densities were fitted using observations (≤ 39 years). GBN predictions had R2 values of 0.37 (cyanobacteria) to 0.75 (colour) and classification errors of 32 % (TP) to 13 % (cyanobacteria). For all but lake colour, including weather nodes did not improve predictive performance (assessed through cross validation). Overall, we found the GBN approach to be well-suited to seasonal water quality forecasting. It was straightforward to produce probabilistic predictions, including the probability of exceeding management-relevant thresholds. The GBN could be purely parameterised using observed data, despite the small dataset. This wasn’t possible using a discrete BN, highlighting a particular advantage of using GBNs when sample sizes are small. Although low interannual variability and high temporal autocorrelation in the study lake meant the GBN performed similarly to a seasonal naïve forecast, we believe the forecasting approach presented could be useful in areas with higher sensitivity to catchment nutrient delivery and seasonal climate, and for forecasting at shorter time scales (e.g. daily to monthly). Despite the parametric constraints of GBNs, their simplicity, together with the relative accessibility of BN software with GBN handling, means they are a good first choice for BN development, particularly when datasets for model training are small.
A morpho-tectonic approach to the study of earthquakes in Rome
Authors: Marra Fabrizio , Frepoli Alberto , Gioia Dario , Schiattarella Marcello , Tertulliani Andrea , Bini Monica , De Luca Gaetano , Luppichini Marco
Published: January 2022

Abstract. Rome has the world’s longest historical record of felt earthquakes, with more than 100 events during the last 2,600 years. However, no destructive earthquake has been reported in the sources and all of the greatest damage suffered in the past has been attributed to far-field events. While this fact suggests that a moderate seismotectonic regime characterizes the Rome area, no study has provided a comprehensive explanation for the lack of strong earthquakes in the region. Through the analysis of the focal mechanism and the morphostructural setting of the epicentral area of a "typical" moderate earthquake (ML = 3.3) that recently occurred in the northern urban area of Rome, we demonstrate that this event reactivated a buried segment of an ancient fault generated under both a different and a stronger tectonic regime than that which is presently active. We also show that the evident structural control over the drainage network in this area reflects an extreme degree of fragmentation of a set of buried faults generated under two competing stress fields throughout the Pleistocene. Small faults and a present-day weaker tectonic regime with respect to that acting during the Pleistocene explain the lack of strong seismicity and imply that a large earthquake could not reasonably occur.
Regional mantle viscosity constraints for North America reveal upper mantle strength differences across the continent
Authors: Osei Tutu Anthony , Harig Christopher
Published: January 2022

Abstract. We present regional constraints of mantle viscosity for North America using a local Bayesian joint inversion of mantle flow and glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) models. Our localized mantle flow model uses new local geoid kernels created via spatio-spectral localization using Slepain basis functions, convolved with seismically derived mantle density to calculate and constrain against the regional free-air gravity field. The joint inversion with GIA uses two deglaciation of ice sheet models (GLAC1D-NA and ICE-6G-NA) and surface relative sea level data. We solve for the local 1D mantle viscosity structure for the entire North America (NA) region, the eastern region including Hudson Bay, and the western region of North America extending into the Pacific plate. Our results for the entire NA region show one order of magnitude viscosity jump at the 670 km boundary using a high seismic density scaling parameter (e.g., δlnp/δlnvs = 0.3). Seismic scaling parameter demonstrates significant influence on the resulting viscosity profile. However, when the NA region is further localized into eastern and western parts, the scaling factor becomes much less important for dictating the resulting upper mantle viscosity characteristics. Rather the respective local mantle density heterogeneities provide the dominate control on the upper mantle viscosity. We infer local 1D viscosity profiles that reflect the respective tectonic settings of each region's upper mantle, including a weak and shallow asthenosphere layer in the west, and deep sharp viscosity jumps in the eastern transition zone, below the suggested/proposed depth range of the eastern continental root.
Evaluating Simplifications of Subsurface Process Representations for Field-scale Permafrost Hydrology Models
Authors: Gao Bo , Coon Ethan T.
Published: January 2022

Abstract. Permafrost degradation within a warming climate poses a significant environmental threat through both the permafrost carbon feedback and damage to human communities and infrastructure. Understanding this threat relies on better understanding and numerical representation of thermo-hydrological permafrost processes, and the subsequent accurate prediction of permafrost dynamics. All models include simplified assumptions, implying a tradeoff between model complexity and prediction accuracy. The main purpose of this work is to investigate this tradeoff when applying the following commonly made assumptions: (1) assuming equal density of ice and liquid water in frozen soil; (2) neglecting the effect of cryosuction in unsaturated freezing soil; and (3) neglecting advective heat transport during soil freezing and thaw. This study designed a set of 62 numerical experiments using the Advanced Terrestrial Simulator (ATS v1.2) to evaluate the effects of these choices on permafrost hydrological outputs, including both integrated and pointwise quantities. Simulations were conducted under different climate conditions and soil properties from three different sites in both column- and hillslope-scale configurations. Results showed that amongst the three physical assumptions, soil cryosuction is the most crucial yet commonly ignored process. Neglecting cryosuction, on average, can cause 10 % ~ 20 % error in predicting evaporation, 50 % ~ 60 % error in discharge, 10 % ~ 30 % error in thaw depth, and 10 % ~ 30 % error in soil temperature at 1 m beneath surface. The prediction error for subsurface temperature and water saturation is more obvious at hillslope scales due to the presence of lateral flux. By comparison, using equal ice-liquid density has a minor impact on most hydrological variables, but significantly affects soil water saturation with an averaged 5 % ~ 15 % error. Neglecting advective heat transport presents the least error, 5 % or even much lower, in most variables for a general Arctic tundra system, and can decrease the simulation time at hillslope scales by 40 % ~ 80 %. By challenging these commonly made assumptions, this work provides permafrost hydrology modelers important context for better choosing the appropriate process representation for a given modeling experiment.
Meridional energy transport extremes and the general circulation of NH mid-latitudes: dominant weather regimes and preferred zonal wavenumbers
Authors: Lembo Valerio , Fabiano Federico , Galfi Vera Melinda , Graversen Rune , Lucarini Valerio , Messori Gabriele
Published: January 2022

Abstract. The extratropical meridional energy transport in the atmosphere is fundamentally intermittent in nature, having extremes large enough to affect the net seasonal transport. Here, we investigate how these extreme transports are associated with the dynamics of the atmosphere at multiple scales, from planetary to synoptic. We use ERA5 reanalysis data to perform a wavenumber decomposition of meridional energy transport in the Northern Hemisphere mid-latitudes during winter and summer. We then relate extreme transport events to atmospheric circulation anomalies and dominant weather regimes, identified by clustering 500 hPa geopotential height fields. In general, planetary-scale waves determine the strength and meridional position of the synoptic-scale baroclinic activity with their phase and amplitude, but important differences emerge between seasons. During winter, large wavenumbers (k = 2 − 3) are key drivers of the meridional energy transport extremes, and planetary and synoptic-scale transport extremes virtually never co-occur. In summer, extremes are associated with higher wavenumbers (k = 4 − 6), identified as synoptic-scale motions. We link these waves and the transport extremes to recent results on exceptionally strong and persistent co-occurring summertime heat waves across the Northern Hemisphere mid-latitudes. We show that these events are typical, in terms of dominant regime patterns associated with extremely strong meridional energy transports.
Exploration Of Knowledge And Attitudes Of Remang Fish Skin Cracker Producers Related To Food Labeling In Indramayu Cracker Industry Area
Authors: Najdain Mia Aunillah , Sufyan Dian Luthfiana , Maryusman Taufik , Puspareni Luh Desi
Published: January 2022

As many as 20 out of 30 producers who sell remang fish skin crackers with incomplete food labels and consumers still pay less attention to the food labels on the product packaging. This study aims to explore the knowledge and attitudes of remang fish skin cracker producers on food labels in the Indramayu Cracker Industrial Area. In-depth interviews with 16 producers were conducted using a case study approach with 5 (five) domains, namely knowledge of food labels, attitudes towards food labels, skills to making food labels,  perceptions of food labels (images), and marketing strategies. The results showed that based on the knowledge, attitudes, and skills of remang fish skin cracker producers on food labels, it was stated that the producers were able to make food labels.
Determinant of Obesity Among Women From Low Income Family In RW 05 Area Sub-district Cibubur 2021
Authors: Hajar Ichlasul Antari , Maryusman Taufik , Puspareni Luh Desi
Published: January 2022

Obesity is one of the nutrition problems that the prevalence increases continuously. People from low socioeconomic status significantly increase. Likewise, obesity in a woman is more prone than man. This study aims to explore the causes of obesity in adult women who come from middle and lower families. The research was conducted using qualitative principles, which research method in-depth interviews and observations. The primary informants involved ten adult women who have obese nutritional status and the key informants were community leader and family members. Results showed the influence perception of body shape on the intention and willingness to lose weight. Wrong eating patterns are excess food intake and consumption of food and beverages, which lead to obesity along with less exercise and passive activity. Its behavior is affected by individual perceptions, social support, and the environment..
All great art is theft: remixing creative content in teaching digital media at university
Authors: Barrass Stephen
Published: January 2022

The IP policy in Australian Universities is build on patenting and copyright. However,

these legal frameworks are being swamped by the rising tide of social media and the

associated practises of remixing and mashing up of digital assets that are now

fundamental in media production. Recently, I explored Creative Commons (CC)

licensing as an alternative approach to managing intellectual property in creative

practice with students in Sound Design and Production at the University of Canberra.

The students shared their own recordings with each other, and combined them with

material from the internet, all under CC licensing on the ABC Pool online site

http://www.pool.org.au for social media remixing. Together they collaboratively

produced four Audio-only films of short stories by indigenous writer Barry Cooper that

have been mixed with other CC licensed podcasts on the issue, and a recording of an

initial presentation on this topic made to the Practice-led research symposium at

University of Canberra in September 2009.
“Dispirited, often ineffectual, and in some respects corrupt”?: Re-assessing ‘the invisible hand’ of peer review
Authors: Jen Webb Donna Lee Brien, Sandra Burr,
Published: January 2022

In an international academic research environment of ever-increasing scrutiny, a

plethora of regulatory and evaluative frameworks permeates all aspects of universitybased

research publication and funding. Peer review is at the centre of the quality

control of scholarly publication. Yet while peer review has been under scrutiny in the

sciences for decades, and especially in individual disciplines such as medicine and

mathematics, in the creative arts and humanities there has been less recognition that

peer review is only one, relatively recent system of evaluation, with strengths and

weaknesses, and one to which refinements can be made. This article reviews the

recent literature on peer review to interrogate peer review and its variations, with the

intention of beginning a conversation on possible alternatives that might be employed

in the creative arts.
Aesthetic tensions: evaluating outcomes for practice-led research and industry
Authors: Stock Cheryl
Published: January 2022

This paper explores principles of contemporary aesthetics to suggest a basis for

determining qualitative outcomes of artistic works in two contexts: the arts industry and

the academy setting of practice-led research. Commonly articulated measures of

quality—creativity and innovation—are questioned as mere rhetoric if not framed in

specific ways in the two discrete settings. The paper also interrogates generally held

assumptions that a longer time to develop work and greater periods of self-reflexivity

will produce higher calibre artistic outcomes. The unease produced by apparent

differences in qualitative outcomes between art works created in an industry setting and

those created through practice-led research is analysed through three interconnected

framing devices: intention, contextual parameters and criteria for evaluation, in

conjunction with the relationships between the art work, the artist and the

audience/viewer/listener. Common and differentiated criteria in the two contexts are

explored, leading to the conclusion that innovation is more likely to be revealed in the

end product in an industry context whereas in practice-led research it may be in the

methodological processes of creating the work. While identifying and acknowledging

that the two contexts encourage and produce distinctive qualitative artistic outcomes,

both of value to the arts and the academy, the paper recommends ways in which closer

formal liaison between industry artists and practice-led artists and supervisors might

occur in order to ensure ongoing mutual influence and relevance.
What’s on (or off) the menu in school?
Authors: Leahy Deana
Published: January 2022

This paper takes as its starting point an autobiographical account of food and schooling.

It then questions the ramifications of recent policy imperatives and socio-political

discourse that intervene in children’s food choices at school. The paper moves on to

question the social, ethical and personal implications of the ‘war on obesity’ and how

its contradictory aims both warn of the dangers of obesity as well as promoting the

notion of children and young people having a ‘healthy body image’. The way in which

this schizophrenic ‘war on obesity’ is waged at a political level is examined as well as

the way in which the ‘war’ is fought within schools at the micro level. I deploy a post-

Foucauldian understanding of governmentality and, specifically, utilise the concept of

‘biopedagogy’ to examine the work that is being done in the name of obesity

prevention education in schools. The paper concludes by illustrating the urgent need for

further work in this area and argues that this can be evidenced by the disjuncture

between the way in which food is framed within schools and the media trends for

‘gluttony promotion’ reflected in shows like Masterchef Australia.
Writing a menu: the politics of food choice
Authors: Webb Jen
Published: January 2022

This paper explores the cultural frameworks for the choices we make about

what we eat, drawing on a range of contemporary theories including Pierre

Bourdieu’s work on distinction, Claude Lévi-Strauss’ on the constitutive

nature of food choices, and Michel Foucault’s notion that food and its

selection is a matter of the care of the self, and hence carries an ethical

imperative. Reading writers on food and our relationship to food—from

Socrates to Princess Diana—I discuss the processes of selection involved

in the production of a menu that, albeit unconsciously, operates as a system

of distinction and individuation.
Best practice? The problem of peer reviewed creative practice research
Authors: Nelson Camilla
Published: January 2022

One of the key differences between creative writing and almost every other discipline in the humanities is that it lacks a scholarly apparatus that assigns value to published works through the process of peer review. In 2008, the Creative Practices Area at the University of Technology, Sydney conducted a double-blind review of an extended work of fiction in order to assess the impact of the peer review process on writers’ work. This study, and the problems it highlights, is timely in light of the Rudd government’s ERA (Excellence in Research for Australia) system for the quantification and evaluation of academic research - in particular, the planned introduction of a peer review process for creative works to be conducted and monitored by the ARC (Australian Research Council).
Physical and thermo-chemical characterization of agricultural residues and municipal waste
Authors: Lahre Jyoti
Published: January 2022

Characteristics of crop residues such as size, angle of repose, colour and density, calorific value, percentage of moisture content and chemical composition affect the production of bio-fuels. These properties also affect drying and handling of biomass and the design of thermal conversion systems. These characteristics can vary noticeably from waste to waste. In this study, four local varieties of rice straw (Nabina, Tamapasara, Swarnaand NuaAchharmati), sugarcane bagasse, coconut coir and vegetable waste were characterized. Study revealed that the sugarcane bagasse has the darker color, higher particle density (384.66 kg.m-3) compared to others tested biomass. Sugarcane bagasse contained highest percentage 82.7% of volatile matter followed by coconut coir, vegetable waste and rice straw. Rice straw variety Nabina has shown the highest calorific value 22.98 MJ/kg compared to Tamapasara, Swarna and NuaAchharmati and can be utilized for biofuel production.
Seaweeds – a potential source of food, feed and fertiliser
Authors: Dhingra Devinder
Published: January 2022

Many communities in the world consume naturally growing and cultivated/ farmed seaweeds as food. Currently, commercial cultivation/farming produces more than 96% of seaweeds in the world and only around 3-4% is obtained from wild harvest (noncultivated). Naturally occurring and cultivated seaweeds are categorized into green, brown and red seaweeds, based on their pigmentation. More than 200 species of seaweeds are of commercial value, but only around 10 species of seaweeds are popularly cultivated. China, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea and the Philippines are the leading producers of cultured/ farmed species (viz. Eucheuma, Japanese kelp, Gracilaria, Unndaria pinnatifid); and Chile, China and Norway for wild species (mainly brown and red) and Chilean kelp. Seaweeds are rich in dietary fiber (polysaccharides), essential amino acids, major and micronutrients (minerals), vitamins etc. It has been reported that some species are a good source of plant growth regulators. Mainly, the people in China, Japan and Korea relish the soups, stews, flakes, coatings, snacks, etc., made from seaweeds. The use of seaweeds as human food in India is not very common. The second major use of seaweeds after food is the extraction of three important hydrocolloids (Agar, Alginate and Carrageenan). These are used as food additives and in many other industrial applications. A small portion of seaweed is used as an ingredient as livestock feed and fish feed. Seaweed meal and liquid extract of seaweed have been tried in conjunction with inorganic fertilizers with beneficial effects on crop yield, quality produce and soil health. Seaweed is an important marine resource and the coastline in India can be utilized to commercially cultivate seaweed species beneficial for human health and plants. Research is required in developing functional foods, health foods and nutraceuticals from seaweeds to improve the health and nutritional status of the human population. This paper briefly describes the status of production and utilization of seaweeds in different parts of the world.
The Global Financial Crisis: Can Islamic Finance Help Minimise the Severity and Frequency of Such a Crisis in Future
Authors: Chapra Muhammad Umer
Published: January 2022

The article tries to determine the primary cause or causes of the financial crises that have plagued almost every country around the world over the last three decades. Of particular significance are the 1998 Long-Term Capital Management (LTCM) breakdown and the prevailing subprime mortgage crisis in the United States which is more severe than any in the past and has had devastating spill-over effects worldwide. It argues that one of the major causes of these crises is the lack of adequate market discipline in the financial system. This leads to excessive lending, high leverage and, ultimately, the crisis. Unwinding gives rise to a vicious cycle of selling that feeds on itself and leads to a steep decline in asset prices accompanied by bank failures and economic slowdown. Risk-sharing along with the availability of credit for primarily the purchase of real goods and services and restrictions on the sale of debt, short sales, excessive uncertainty (gharar), and gambling (qimar), which Islamic finance stands for, can help inject greater discipline into the system and, thereby, substantially reduce financial instability.
Sedat Laciner, Mehmet Ozcan and Ihsan Bal: European Union with Turkey: The Possible Impact of Turkey’s Membership on the European Union
Authors: Marcinkowski Christoph
Published: January 2022

Turkey’s 22 July 2007 parliamentary elections resulted in a clear victory for the ruling Justice and Development Party, in Turkish known as Adaket ve Kalkinma Partisi or AKP. AKP is part of the right-wing, conservative spectrum of the Turkish political arena. In the West (with the post 9/11 scenario of distrust of anything smacking of ‘Muslim revivalism’) as well as among Turkey’s secular-minded elites and many citizens, the AKP is often perceived as ‘Islamist’ and thus as a danger and detriment to Turkey’s EU membership, regardless of the fact that it had been the AKP government which carried out drastic reforms of its legal and economic, and institutional system. Based on what it views as merely lukewarm support for its accession to the EU and alleged double standards in its negotiations, the Turkish public has become increasingly ‘eurosceptic’ in recent times, as revealed by several surveys. Ankara has been trying desperately to comply with EU legislation and standards, but Brussels has so far refused to back 2013 as a deadline for Turkey’s EU membership. It is believed that the accession process will take at least 15 years, if not longer. In spite of Turkey’s impressive record in terms of moving towards regional integration, the issue of the country’s future EU accession constitutes to date the central controversy of the ongoing enlargement of the EU. Among the Turkish public as well as the present Turkish government (both of which had been rather enthusiastically supportive of the bid for EU membership in the past) significant changes of ‘mood’ in this regard are noticeable.
Ismail Noor - Najib Razak: A Sense of Mission, with Foreword by Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim
Authors: Abdullah (Leslie Terebessy) Abdul Karim
Published: January 2022

“The purpose of this book is to depict Dato’ Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak as the natural successor of Tun Abdul Razak Hussein in terms of the son extending the legacy of his father […]”, writes Ismail Noor in his Najib Razak: A Sense of Mission (p. xxi). Information, Communications and Culture Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim contributed the foreword. The book, at 186 pages, spans 33 years of public life - at both state and federal level - of Dato’ Seri Mohd Najib, the current Prime Minister of Malaysia, and highlights his roles as leader, administrator, manager and politician.

Each of the book’s ten chapters - illustrated with photographs - highlights a particular stage of the Prime Minister’s career. Recollections of the past mingle with glimpses of the present. The chapters conclude with a wise saying by a sage from a different civilisation, reflecting Malaysia’s multi-cultural makeup. The book contains an extensive bibliography and index.
Strengthening Critical Thinking Skills Among Muslims Students
Authors: Abdullah (Leslie Terebessy) Abdul Karim
Published: January 2022

The intention of this article is to reflect on how critical thinking among Muslim students could be enhanced. After a survey of key qur’anic verses related to thinking, a review of literature follows. Thinking and critical thinking, as well as their relationship to one another are explored next. Various activities in which critical thinking plays a key role are highlighted. Reasons for the weakness in critical thinking are examined in the following section. The conclusion contains recommendations for the improvement of critical thinking skills among Muslim students.
Islam and the Three Waves of Globalisation: The Southeast Asian Experience
Authors: Bakar Osman
Published: January 2022

This article is intended to comment on the civilisational history of Islam in Southeast Asia. The history is explained and accounted for in terms of the three major waves of globalisation that have impacted the region since the arrival of Islam as early as the eleventh century. The first wave, itself initiated and dominated by Islam, was responsible for the introduction and establishment of Islam in the region to the point of becoming its most dominant civilisation. The expansion of Islam and its civilisation was in progress when the second wave hit the shores of the Malay-Indonesian Archipelago with the arrival of the Portuguese and other Western powers resulting in the colonisation of the region. The third wave, an American-dominated one, manifests itself in the post-colonial period which witnesses Southeast Asian Islam reasserting itself in various domains of public life. The author sees Southeast Asian Islam as the historical product of centuries-long civilisational encounters with the pre-Islamic indigenous cultures and civilisations and later between ‘Malay-Indonesian Islam’ and the newly arriving religions and cultures brought by both the colonial and post-colonial West, arguing that Islam in the region has been significantly impacted by each of the three waves.
The Rule of Law and Legal Pluralism in Malaysia
Authors: Chevallier-Govers Constance
Published: January 2022

In Malaysia, Islam is the religion of the state, although other religions may be practised in peace and harmony. Having inherited the English common law tradition at its independence in 1957, Malaysia is neither a secular state nor an Islamic theocracy. As a matter of fact, the Malaysian Constitution has brought Islamic law under the legislative powers of the federal States. Historical developments have thus led to the existence of two sets of law: common law and shari'ah law. Legal pluralism in Malaysia applies foremost to personal status, but also to some aspects of criminal law. The shari'ah as well as legal pluralism seem to question the rule of law in Malaysia. This two-fold aspect of the rule of law will be analysed in this article. The formal definition of the ‘rule of law’ implies the respect for the hierarchical principle and the Constitution’s supremacy. It will be explained to what extent legal pluralism in Malaysia is challenging the supremacy of the Constitution. Nevertheless, the hierarchical principle is not a goal in itself, and the material definition of the ‘rule of law’ will also be discussed. The second part of this article will focus on potential human rights issues that are implied by the notion of legal pluralism and by shari'ah law in Malaysia.
Uniquely Singapore: The Management of Islam in a Small Island Republic
Authors: Kadir Suzaina
Published: January 2022

This article explores the dynamics of Singapore’s administration and management of its minority Muslim population. Singapore has developed a reputation of being highly interventionist in all aspects of its citizens’ lives, including the private domain. Not surprisingly, there is a slew of legislation governing the religious beliefs and practices of its citizens, aimed primarily at maintaining religious and racial harmony. Islam and the Muslim minority, it can be argued, have been at the receiving end of tighter state management as compared to the other religious communities. This article traces the evolution of the state’s administration of Islam in Singapore and explores the historical and contemporary reasoning behind such careful management of its Muslim citizens. It lays out the evolution of a Singapore model of accommodating and administering a religious/Muslim minority, and questions the sustainability and exportability of such a governance model.
The Place and Role of Maqasid al-Shari'ah in the Ummah's 21st Century Civilisational Renewal
Authors: Bakar Osman
Published: January 2022

The author of this article argues that - from the point of view of the ideals of human civilisation as set forth by the Qur'an - modern civilisation, which is largely of Western inspiration and making, has undergone a progressive inner decay while displaying marvels of scientific and technological achievements unmatched in human history. He sees this decay as referring to human degradation or dehumanisation. In order to address his concern, he argues for a restoration of a previously lost unity, balance and equilibrium to contemporary civilisation. He argues that Islam’s main contribution to a possible solution would be an approach based on maqasid al-shari'ah. He concludes by stating that an Islamic agenda of civilisational renewal (al-tajdid al-hadari) is ultimately congruent with civilisational renewal for humanity as a whole.
The Framework of Maqasid al-Shari'ah and its Implication for Islamic Finance
Authors: Dusuki Ayraf Wajdi , Bouheraoua Said
Published: January 2022

This article aims at examining the concept of maqasid al-shari'ah of Islamic jurisprudence in order to appreciate its contribution toward more comprehensive, rational and realistic answers to contemporary financial issues and thereby to increase the awareness of the maqasid approach in structuring and developing Islamic finance products. For this purpose, the authors examine the literal and conceptual meaning of maqasid al-shari'ah and scrutinise its position in Islamic law. They also highlight the essential elements of maqasid al-shari'ah and explain how this approach may contribute to better solutions for various Islamic finance issues and challenges.
Three Relationship (Continued)
Authors: Winkel Eric
Published: January 2022

We continue from this feature in the previous issue of ICR, which posited three relationships, human beings to human beings, human beings to the rest of the creation, and finally to the Creator. The first relationship is one of contract, the second of taskhir (to be defined below), and the third of covenant.

For the second relationship, the description is no longer ‘contract’ but taskhir. The term ‘subjugation’ in English is more accurately the antonym of taskhir. This shows us how far we have strayed. We think we own a house, but the house owns us. We forget that the word ‘mortgage’ means ‘gripped until death’. The American author and leading transcendentalist of his time, Henry David Thoreau (d. 1862), saw a contrast between those who had been subjugated to their possessions and those who were unencumbered.
Islam, Democracy, and the Question of Coexistence
Authors: Jahan Kabir Shah M. Nister
Published: January 2022

Islam and Islamic culture are the subjects of discussions and debates around the world. Often these discussions have been connected to immigration in general and the policies of assimilation and integration and, by extension, to the co-existence of different religious and ethnic groups and the practice of racism and racial segregation in particular. Thus these issues have now become prominent in the fields of cultural, religious and migration studies and in studies on race relations and socio-economic inequalities. For instance, people inside and outside of academia are questioning Islamic politics, the place of democracy and human rights in Islam, and crucially whether Islam can coexist with other (i.e. Western) cultures. Against this background, it is important to understand the Islamic cultural system, Islamic society and politics, including democracy, in Islam, the Muslims’ views on migration, and some other phenomena associated with Islam. This article will discuss Islamic norms and values regarding current questions and search for the place of political Islam, democracy in Islam and whether Islam can coexist with other cultures.
Contemporary Fiqh in Singapore: Some Observations
Authors: Hassan Muhammad Haniff , S.A. Alhabshi Sharifah Thuraiya
Published: January 2022

This article offers the authors’ observation on the current state and the development of contemporary Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) in the Republic of Singapore. It begins by providing the theological basis for a fiqh that is contemporary and contextual to the changing time and place. The observation concludes that the state of a contemporary fiqh development is slow, if not stagnated. It then identifies the challenges that need to be overcome in order to change the current state of contemporary fiqh. Finally, the article presents some recommendations for overcoming the challenges and an improvement of the current state.
Identifying the Islam-Policies of the Predecessors of the Najib Administration: Has He Abandoned Tradition?
Authors: Bakar Osman
Published: January 2022

Since its political independence Malaysia has seen six Prime Ministers, including the present one, Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib, who is himself a son of the second Prime Minister, Tun Abdul Razak. For a post-colonial Muslim state with a huge non-Muslim population (about 45 per cent) and an uninterrupted run of Westminster-style parliamentary democracy, six Prime Ministers in a total period of 54 years and, moreover, with a smooth line of succession, indicate a kind of political stability rarely found in the Islamic world. Malaysia is also noted for its relative success in managing its ethnic and religious plurality and diversity, especially when considering the fact that in its cultural makeup and setting ethnicity and religiosity are intricately linked.
Christopher G. Weeramantry, Tread Lightly on the Earth: Religion, the Environment, and the Human Future
Authors: Nalla Zarina
Published: January 2022

Most religions tell us that nature is the beautiful and perfect handiwork of God worthy of respect and protection. These principles should be integrated into international law if we are to address the current crisis facing humanity. Christopher Gregory Weeramantry discusses these ideas comprehensively in his book. The work received support from the World Future Council (WFC), an independent think-tank founded in 2007 in Hamburg, Germany, whose members are active in governmental bodies, civil society, business, science and the arts. The WFC’s primary focus has been on the issue of climate change by promoting laws such as the renewable energy Feed-in Tariff.
The Dilemma of Abandoned Babies Needs a Unified Approach
Authors: Nalla Zarina
Published: January 2022

The abandoning of babies has reached new heights in Malaysia. According to the police in Kuala Lumpur, in January 2011 alone 19 babies were abandoned nationwide of which, fortunately, 13 survived. Since 2005, the total figure is 517, of which 287 babies did not survive. During this period, 37 people have been apprehended for this crime and the police have charged 22 women and five men. Lack of information is the greatest hurdle faced by the police.
Christoph Marcinkowski (ed., in collaboration with Constance Chevallier-Govers and Ruhanas Harun), Malaysia and the European Union: Perspectives for the Twenty-First Century
Authors: Winkel Eric
Published: January 2022

This collaborative work – edited by IAIS Principal Research Fellow and Co-Chair (Publications) Dr. Christoph Marcinkowski of Germany - is a treasure trove of economic and political data across many different areas. The contributors organise data that generally is not found in one place, and their assessment of the  data illuminates the Malaysia-EU connection.
Exploring Facets of Islam on Security and Peace: Amnesty and Pardon in Islamic Law
Authors: Kamali Mohammad Hashim
Published: January 2022

Amnesty, pardon, and forgiveness are the means, in Islamic theology and law, as in most other world traditions, of relieving someone from punishment, blame, civil liability or religious obligation. The same result is often achievable by recourse to certain other methods such as reconciliation, arbitration, and judicial order. The fiqh positions explored here derive from the Quran, normative teaching or Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad and general consensus (ijma) of scholars for generations.
Unpublished Mamluk Blazons and Mottos on Glazed pottery at the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada
Authors: Moain Sadeq
Published: January 2022

The Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt lasted from the overthrow of the Ayyubids until the Ottoman conquest of Egypt in 1517. The sultanate’s ruling caste was composed of Mamluks, Arabised soldiers of predominantly Kipchak Turk and Circassian slave origin. Though it declined towards the end of its existence, at its height the sultanate represented the zenith of Egyptian and Levantine political, economic, and cultural glory in the Islamic era. Its quasi multicultural character is thus also of relevance when considering the renewal of contemporary Islamic culture and civilisation.

This communication is focusing on sultans’ and emir’s blazons and mottos decorating some objects of the unpublished ROM collection and examining them as a line evidence for dating in their historic, art historic and hierarchal contexts.
Ethics and Finance: Perspectives of the Shari'ah and its Higher Objectives (Maqasid)
Authors: Kamali Mohammad Hashim
Published: January 2022

This article begins with the ethical foundations of Islam that are relevant to commercial transactions – much of which strikes a common chord of objectives and values with other major traditions. This is followed by an exposition of the ethical substance of Islam in the applied fiqh provisions pertaining to contracts, and the relevance also of the higher goals and purposes of the shariah (maqasid al-shariah) to the ethical integrity of contracts. This is followed by a discussion of the shariah prohibition and damaging effects of riba. The three remaining sections address the salient characteristics of Islamic commercial law and finance: 1) Islamic finance is characteristically asset-based; 2) it is averse to reliance on debt; and 3) it is also risk-averse. This last segment explains the shariah prohibition of gharar, uncertainty and risk-taking in financial transactions. The author concludes with reflections by prominent commentators on the urgency of taking new measures to contain graft and greed and minimise the yawning gap that has developed between ethics and finance. Many have supported the view that the prevailing financial architecture no longer serves the interests even of only the privileged classes but of all strata of society.
Views of Science and Their Implications for Muslims Higher Education
Authors: Winkel Eric
Published: January 2022

In this article, the author argues against the story of modernity as inevitable, irreversible, and teleological. He challenges this view by attempting to demonstrate the integrity of sciences and technologies. According to his view, perhaps unexpected, the pre-modern notion that the human being is the centre of the universe is inextricable from universal humility and a complete dependence on the divine. He concludes by stating that Muslim educators and administrators of higher education especially would do well to bear this perspective in mind when designing curricula for science courses. In order to achieve this, they would be well advised to aim at a re-reading of relevant qur'anic passages and other sources of the classical Islamic heritage through the lens of its great exponents.
Afghanistan's Peace Talks Stalling for Lack of Initiative
Authors: Kamali Mohammad Hashim
Published: January 2022

In recent months Kabul, Washington and the Taliban have made overtures to work out a negotiated settlement for Afghanistan and plan the impending exit of foreign troops from the country. Yet those gestures have not been followed through and the prospects are not getting any better - as the spate of recent violent episodes and perverted behaviour of some US soldiers over the war dead have shown. Time is running out and any further episodes will exacerbate the tension that flared up with the Qur’an burning, the March 2012 massacre of 17 civilians, and the most daring Taliban attack on 15 April 2012 of five locations in as many provinces. Washington wants to plan an orderly exit from Afghanistan, secure agreements to curb terrorism further escalating, and plan for an orderly election. All three parties seem to share these objectives.
Mohd Kamal Hassan, Voice of Islamic Moderation from the Malay World
Authors: Crow Karim Douglas
Published: January 2022

This volume collects eleven essays produced over the past decade by ‘Distinguished Professor’ (the highest academic distinction in Malaysia - in Malay: Professor Ulung) Mohd Kamal Hassan, who took his doctorate in Contemporary Islamic Thought from Columbia University (1976). Professor Hassan’s intended audience is non-Muslims worldwide as well as in Malaysia. He states in his introduction: “We purposely chose to address and converse with the Western-educated and middle class non-Muslims who read and communicate in English, because they have been exposed the most to Western thought and the biased Western perspectives on Islam and Muslims.
Al-Ghazali and the Foundations of an Islamic Humanism
Authors: Johns Anthony H.
Published: January 2022

While the famed Muslim jurist–theologian Abu Hamid al-Ghazali is widely acclaimed for his reconciliation of Islamic mysticism (tasawwuf) with the Law, he also exemplified the centrality of a Humanist tradition in Islam. His work Kitab adab al-sama wa l-wajd [Protocols for Spiritual-Audition and Ecstasy] presents a view of humanity existing at diverse spiritual levels and portrays the wonder of divine love, the humanity of the Prophet, and the legitimacy of human joys and pleasures - in particular poetry, music and dance. Ghazali established the basis for a God-centred Humanism that values secular activities for their potential to advance spiritual life, while according full respect to the Law. His pioneering thought distils important principles that are of great relevance for Muslim thinkers and planners today, including the importance of freeing Muslims from legal constraints as far as possible within the sanctity and authority of the Law, and the need to continually refresh the Islamic legacy and advance spiritual life through finding value in worldly activity. His investigation of ‘spiritual audition’ opens the door onto a world of spirituality and dialectic arising from a loving awareness of mundane human experience.