How To Write Awesome Headlines That Your Audience Will Love

How To Write Awesome Headlines That Your Audience Will Love Pop quiz: Whats the first thing you read when you look at a piece of content on social media? Think you know it? The answer is the headline. The headline is the first thing you will read on any piece of content, and it will be the deciding factor whether or not you continue reading. In this post, Ill teach you techniques to writing memorable headlines your audience cannot  resist. Are you ready!? Lets take a look. How To Write Awesome Social Media Headlines That Your Audience Will LoveWhy Spend Time Writing Good Headlines? No matter how fantastic, informative, and downright awesome the content you wrote is, none of that will matter if you dont have a good headline. You know that saying Dont judge a book by its cover? Lets be honest, we all look at the book cover to decide if we want to read it or not. The same goes for headlines. Recommended Reading: How to Write Emotional Headlines That Get More Shares If you dont have a headline that gives an overview or benefit of the content, no one is going to click on it. When writing a headline you have to ask yourself, Whats in it for my readers? Would you click on a piece of content with that headline? If the answer is no, then you need to spend some time crafting a better one. Need a Few Tools for Writing Better Social Media Headlines? Start writing better headlines, optimized for social media. Download these three free templates: A tear sheet of emotional power words that encourage clicks and shares. A Social Media Headline A/B Test Template to help you optimize your headlines using our Headline Analyzer. A Catchy Blog Title sheet with 500 power + emotion words, plus 100 headline writing templates to hone your craft. How To Write An Effective Headline That Connects With Your Audience The headline accounts for up to 50% of your blog post’s effectiveness. You're overall goal for writing a headline is to get someone to click on it. In order for someone to click on it, they have to connect with the headline in someway. There are several different headline categories, such as: Question Benefit How-To List Post Generic Let's take a deeper look into these 5 types of headlines. Take a look into five types of #social #media #headlines:1. Question A question headline is exactly how it sounds; it asks a question. This question has to relate to the content it's linked to. If you wrote about Facebook engagement, then your question headline would sound something like "Are You Struggling To Engage With Your Facebook Audience?" The person reading this will make the connection that they need help with Facebook engagement and click on the link to find the answer. The goal of a question headline is to leave the reading wondering the answer.  Be careful when using question headlines. At least tease the answer to the question in your introduction to keep readers interested. 2. Benefit A benefit headline offers a quick snippet of what the reader will obtain after reading the content. The benefit headline has to give the reader (you guessed it) a benefit. If you wrote about email marketing, then your benefit headline would sound something like "15 Tactics For Increasing Your Email Subscribers by 137%." The person reading this will know that after reading this post they can increase their email subscribers. Studies have shown that headlines with numbers tend to generate 73% more social shares and engagement.  The higher the number, the higher the engagement. Would you rather read a post that has 5 ways to increase Facebook engagement, or 21 ways? Studies also found that using odd numbers have a higher chance of engagement compared to even numbers. Do your headlines convey clear benefits to your readers?3. How To A how-to headline offers the reader actionable steps to do something better. The how-to headline has to provide insights to what the 'how to' is. If you wrote a post about Instagram followers, then your how to headline would sound something like "How To Skyrocket Your Instagram Followers With These 15 Tactics." The person reading this can connect that they need more Instagram followers, and this post will help skyrocket that. You’ve probably seen a lot of â€Å"how to† headlines. That’s because†¦ well, they work. When your audience searches for information, it could be because they want to know how to do something better. That’s where you can step in and provide helpful content to position your business as a source of relevant and useful information. 4. List Post A list post headline  provides a round-up of content or information around a given topic. The list post headline has to include a piece from the content it's linked to. If you wrote a post about marketing calendars, then your headline would sound something like "10  Steps To Fill Your Marketing Calendar With Brilliant Ideas." There are different ways to write a list post: 10 Ways ... 10 Things ... 10 Steps ... 10 Tips ... Top 10 Most ... Top 10 Reasons ... The #1 Reason ... List posts work and the possibilities are endless.  BuzzSumo teamed up with OkDork to share data that basically says list posts get the most social shares after infographics. These headlines give your readers the chance to skim your subheads to see if they’d like to dive in further. 5. Generic A generic headline is well ... generic. This is something you  don't want. You don't want to have a headline that's already been written by 10 other people. Even if you are covering the same topic, your headline should be unique and provide an emotional connection with your audience. Don't write a headline that's already been done by 10 other people.A generic headline looks something like "Write Better Headlines Today." How are you going to write better headlines? This approach offers no inside look at what the reader can expect by clicking. Avoid generic headlines whenever you can. List post, how to, benefit and question headlines have a better opportunity to get social shares, traffic, and overall SEO value. Recommended Reading: Here are the 101 Catchy Blog Title Formulas That Will Boost Traffic By 438% Good vs. Bad Headlines for Social Media Now that we know what kind of headlines work, you're ready to start writing headlines! Okay...not quite yet. Keep in mind the headline you're writing  is something that  you  would be interested in. If you won't click it, no one else will. Here's some examples of good vs. bad headlines: How To Write Good Headlines. (Bad! Provides no benefit or inside look.) How To Write Headlines That Drive Traffic, Shares, And Search Results. (Good! Provides the reader with a benefit.) Do You Know How To Write Good Headlines? (Bad! Very vague, close-ended question.) Are You Struggling To Write Memorable Headlines? (Good!  Connects with the audience.) This headline from Social Media Examiner tells the reader exactly what to expect when clicking on the post. A perfect example of a "how to" headline. Remember to always provide the  best  benefit and  ask the  right  question! Avoid boring, vague headlines. This headline below is vague and doesn't tell the reader what they will be reading about. Is a "how to" guide? Is it going to show examples of user-friendly design? Do I connect with this headline? A generic and vague headline is something to avoid along with clickbait headlines. Clickbait headlines are manipulative and deceiving. You want to write a headline to connect with your audience, not just to increase your page views. A clickbait headline looks something like "When You Read These 19 Shocking Food Facts, You'll Never Want To Eat Again." I know that headline sounds ridiculous, but it's really out there. Bottom line, avoid clickbait and generic headlines at all costs. Instead, opt for a headline that will connect with your audience on an emotional level. The best way to do this, is to choose your words wisely.

Liquid and Other Types of Lunch

Liquid and Other Types of Lunch Liquid and Other Types of Lunch Liquid and Other Types of Lunch By Maeve Maddox Until recently, I’d assumed that lunch was a clipping of luncheon. Come to find out, the words originated separately. According to the OED, luncheon is of uncertain origin, but lunch is thought to have come from Spanish lonja, â€Å"a slice.† Both luncheon and lunch first referred to a thick piece of something, such as â€Å"a hunk of bread.† In time, both words came to mean â€Å"a light repast between mealtimes.† On the Ngram Viewer, lunch and luncheon cruise along in tandem until about 1880, when lunch pulls ahead. Luncheon peaks in the 1920s and then declines. By then, some middle class speakers had come to believe that lunch was a slang word derived from luncheon and complained about its use by the younger generation. Both words still refer to a meal lighter than dinner, but now have markedly different connotations. A Google search shows 625,000,000 results for lunch compared to 43,200,000 for luncheon. The latter has acquired connotations of formality and a kind of prissiness that do not attach to lunch. One â€Å"has lunch† but â€Å"attends a luncheon.† A Web search suggests a certain gender bias: â€Å"ladies’ luncheon† brings 374,000 results compared to 34,900 for â€Å"men’s luncheon.† The word lunch has found its way into several idioms. out to lunch A person who is â€Å"out to lunch† is unaware of what is going on around him: One [presidential] candidate is simply out to lunch, unaware until recently that there was even such a thing as Common Core. to lose one’s lunch â€Å"To lose one’s lunch† is â€Å"to throw up or vomit†: Once  the sight  would have  made me lose my lunch, but it didnt anymore. Was it a bad sign that I didnt throw up on the corpses anymore? to eat your lunch To have someone â€Å"eat your lunch† is â€Å"to be soundly defeated in some competition†: If you don’t develop a marketing strategy, your competitors will eat your lunch. no such thing as a free lunch All services, gifts, and ostensibly generous gestures will have hidden costs that the recipient must pay in the end: On the Internet, as elsewhere in life, there is  no such thing as a free lunch. [Free or low-cost online services need to be paid for somehow.] liquid lunch A â€Å"liquid lunch† is a â€Å"midday meal that leads to drunkenness.† An alarming 76 per cent of employees are coming back to work drunk after taking a â€Å"liquid lunch,† according to a new survey. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Arrive To vs. Arrive AtFor Sale vs. On Sale40 Words Beginning with "Para-"

Molecular Therapeutics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Molecular Therapeutics - Essay Example Later in 1970, the mechanism of prostaglandin biosynthesis was demonstrated to involve the formation of bicyclic peroxides or endoperoxides as the initial product of polyunsaturated fatty acid oxygenation. Prostaglandin endoperoxides were successfully isolated and the name 'cyclooxygenase' came into existence as a term that describes the enzyme that is responsible for this complex biochemical transformation (Lawrence et al 1999; Hamberg and Samuelson 1973). According to Lawrence and his colleagues (1999), the chemical process catalysed by cyclooxygenase; the conversion of arachidonic acid, (which is known to be the precursor to prostaglandins), to Prostaglandin G2 (PGG2) involves the enzymatic removal of the 13-pro-S-hydrogen, giving rise to a Pentadienyl radical with maximal electron density at C-11 and C-15. Trapping of the carbon radical at C-11 with Oxygen produces a peroxyl radical, which when added to C-9 generates a cyclic peroxide and a carbon-centred radical at C-8. The double bond at C-12 become re-inforced by the C-8 radical, generating the bicyclic peroxide and an allylic radical with maximal electron density at C-13 and C-15. The carbon radical at C-15 is trapped with oxygen to form a peroxyl radical, which is reduced to prostaglandin G2. Cyclooxygenase came t... Prostaglandins were shown to be involved in a wide array of physiological and pathophysiological responses such as pain, inflammation, homeostasis, regulation of renal function and maintenance of the mucosal integrity of the stomach wall (Remmel et al 2003), their inhibition therefore spells the anti-inflammatory and analgesic utility of NSAIDs and also their adverse effects, such as gastrointestinal toxicity and bleeding. However, Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs happen to be the most widely used drugs in the treatment of pain and inflammation, their therapeutic effects was seen to stem from their ability to inhibit cyclooxygenase induced prostaglandin synthesis, which was also their major source of adverse side effects. The dilemma that ensued was how to separate the pharmacologic value of these drugs from the adverse effects. In the course of the search for a specific inhibitor of the negative effects of prostaglandins, which could spare the positive effects while reducing the adverse effects, it was discovered that depending on the structure of the cyclooxygenase enzyme involved in their synthesis, prostaglandins could be separated into two groups (Green 2001). This led to the discovery of two different cyclooxygenase isozymens encoded by two genes with different protein pattern and distribution (Remmel, 2003; Lawrence et a 1999; Ouellet, 2001) with Cyclooxygenase 1 (COX-1) constitutively expressed in most cell types, including platelets while COX-2, though not found in healthy tissues of the body, was induced in response to proinflammatory and proliferative stimuli (Ouellet et al 2001) essentially in response to cytokines, endotoxins, mitogens and at times growth factor (Herschman, 1996) . Available body of evidence, therefore showed that the

Bio-remediation Advantages and Disadvantages assessment Case Study

Bio-remediation Advantages and Disadvantages assessment - Case Study Example Micro-organisms cannot break down metal particles. There are several bioremediation approaches that may be undertaken depending on the nature of the contaminant and the extent of contamination. QUESTION ONE There are several bioremediation methods that the company can adopt to avoid the disastrous effects of the oil spill accidents (Elweis 38). Bioremediation is necessary as it will reduce the effects of the oil spill in both environments – land and water. In the first accident, the oil spill will spread in the soil of the bed as well as in water. The methods that are to be used for the tanker that runs aground should be able to take care of the oil that gets absorbed by the bed while as the for the second ship, the method should focus on the elimination of oil that is found on top. The method of biodegradation that can be used to degrade petroleum in the second oil spill accident is nutrient enrichment. The research indicates that the major factor that hinders the biodegradat ion of petroleum that results from oil spills due to tanker accidents is the lack of an adequate nutrient supply to the marine micro-organisms that decompose oil. The process involves the addition of a carefully formulated fertilizer to the water contaminated by oil. This fertilizer contains specific nutrients that promote the growth of indigenous marine micro-organisms that are responsible for degrading petroleum. The fertilizers must be carefully selected to ensure only nutrients that are vital to the growth of the specific bacteria are present. The major nutrients that are required for optimum growth of the marine micro-organisms that degrade petroleum are nitrogen and phosphorus. The fertilizer selected should be that which provides the slow release of nutrients. This is very important as it ensures that the nutrients are available to the micro-organisms throughout the biodegradation period. The fertilizers used are usually present in two forms, either as granules or in a liquid form. The fertilizer in a liquid form is applied to the surface of water by the use of sprinklers. The use of nutrient enrichment method to combat the effects of oil spill has advantages as well as shortcomings as indicated in the table 1 below. Table 1 Advantages and Disadvantages of the Nutrient Enrichment Method Disadvantages Advantages Addition of nutrients could cause eutrophication leading to depletion of oxygen. No formation of algal blooms occurs. Some components of the fertilizer may be harmful to other marine organisms. Cases of adverse ecological effects are rare. Some of the products of bioremediation using nutrient enrichment may be harmful. The method is safer in comparison to other methods of conventional degradation. The increased growth and multiplication of the micro-organisms may cause an ecological imbalance in the marine environment. The other method that can be used by the company to reduce the effects of the oil spill is the slurry phase bioremediation that i s suitable for contaminated soil (Elweis 292). It involves the excavation of the contaminated material and its transfer to the slurry where the contaminating agent is removed. The contaminated material is suspended in an aqueous solution, and the treatment process is conducted under saturated conditions. In this case, the contaminated

Kids Vs Kids :: essays research papers

KIDS VS. KIDS The average child witnesses eight thousand murders and one hundred thousand acts of violence by the time he or she finishes elementary school. In the past fifteen years school violence has become a clear but present danger. It used to be children were involved in fistfights, or other types of squabbles. They may have received a black eye or bloody nose. Now they are armed with not fists but sawed off shotguns and malice. This is a serious issue that needs to be observed and resolved. These need to be taken in to consideration, home environment, society, and school policy. These are the key issues that are causing children to act out so violently. In the early eighties we were not having the problems with school shootings that are happening now. Home environment is the big factor that’s been children are for most of their life; the influences that come from here are powerful. Hopefully parents are teaching their children to be good people, to have compassion for others, but in some cases this is not happening. Society has evolved in the past fifteen years. Things are a little different. More mothers were at home raising their children and not out in the workplace. The Internet was not available to the population until 1989-1990. With out this being monitored for students it could be very harmful. The Internet is full of wonderful information, but also potentially dangerous material. School policy was different because they were not having such violent problems. There were problems in schools in the eighties but not so many, so often. From nineteen eighty eight to nineteen ninety-two the homicide rate increased by fifty percent, assault by forty eight percent, robbery, forty nine percent and rape fifteen percent. At these rapid increasements they crept into schools with a bang. The average home in the nineties is, both parents working forty hours a week, tired and might not be so observant to what their children are doing and learning. The home environment is so important and vital to the solving of this problem. The Internet is available at home, or in most libraries. This needs to monitored especially for younger users. In hope to help eliminate the shootings most schools in the U.S. have adopted the zero tolerance policy. The zero tolerance policy is helpful in keeping order and does not tolerate much else.

Ethno Religious Crisis in Nigeria: Causes and Remedy.

ETHNO RELIGIOUS CRISIS IN NIGERIA: CAUSES AND REMEDY. BY MUHAMMAD GAMBO ISGOGO HASSAN ADAMU MAKUKU UMAR HAMIDU ALIYU ABSTRACT Introduction Nigeria is no doubt a populous nation of over 88 million (1991 population census) but as at now Nigeria’s population is estimated to be above 120 million people of diverse ethnic groups and many religions. Its people are differently distributed in the 36 states that made up the nation. In addition to this, the nation is blessed with many economic potentialities which help in the movement of the various peoples through the process of economic inter-dependence. Though abounds with human and natural resources, the country has since independence witnessed a number of inter and intra ethnic and religious crisis which continue to be an impediment to its overall development. The causes of conflicts between and within ethnic and religious groups could be seen in a number of factors, such as ways of propagating the religions, mistrust and suspicion between the followers of the various religious and ethnic groups, selfishness ignorance and intolerance amongst the two groups. References are made in the holy books, such as the Glorious Qu’ran and the Holy Bible on their teachings showing how if fully adhered to, the nation will be in peace. In this respect, the prevailing crisis might not be un- connected with the deviation of the teachings of these religions by their followers. In the paper, causes of these crises are discussed and some suggestions are provided which if properly implemented will serve as remedies to both ethnic and religious crisis in the nation. Ethnic Crisis In Nigeria. In the words of Eleazu â€Å"the people of Nigeria are many and varied†1. Actually, a nation with a population of over 120 million people now and about 391 different ethnic groups2 with divergent socio-political, economic, cultural and religious backgrounds could be termed a nation of many and varied peoples. With this heterogametic nature. Nigeria has thus, become a melting pot where social conflicts and especially of ethnic nature are bound to occur. Causes of ethnic crisis in Nigeria are many comprising of both long and short term factors. There had been in the past for example, serious inter-ethnic rivalry to secure slaves for both domestic use and trans-Atlantic slave trade and secondly, there were wars of expanding the territories of the various states, kingdoms and empires that made up what is today Nigeria. These wars were the predominant activities of the various ethnic groups which became a factor of bitter relationship amongst them in the past. This situation of enmity between the various ethnic groups was according to Ryder From the 18th century onwards when the slave trade supplied weapons that made these conflicts more destructive. Internally, a sharpening of divisions within societies is well attested3. These wars caused serious insecurity so that many old towns were relocated in mountainous areas or mass defensive walls were constructed to avoid the intrusion of enemies. It is worth noting that these earlier conflicts were sponsored by the European slavers. In this way one could say, the seed for such conflicts was planted right in the period before colonial rule. Slave trade on its own was an inhuman act and therefore a terrorist act. In the colonial period, the colonial system of dividing what is today Nigeria into three administrative units had contributed greatly in shaping the present day relationship of suspicion, fear and mistrust among the divergent ethnic groups in the country. The administrative units were:-Lagos colony, Southern Protectorate and Northern protectorate, in this arrangement, the north was excluded from the central administration. This exclusion was to later have a serious implication on the relationship between the people of the north and those of the South, (East and West). The implication became more pronounced when in 1914, the three administrative units were amalgamated. This action was marked by mutual suspicion and sometimes open conflict between the diversed ethnic groups. One could say at this juncture that, this suspicion and fear still shapes the relationship between the peoples of these various corners of the country. This is also the genesis of the subsequent crisis of ethnic nature in Nigeria. Today, Nigerians feel insecure in the regions other than their own. The sectional feeling further manifests itself clearly in the unhealthy competition in all aspects of the government between the peoples of the North, West and East. Tensions between these peoples become more and more intensified with each trying to protect its sectional interest. On this note, Awolowo, cited in Ekeh, P. P. and Osaghae, E. E. eds blamed the British: For dividing the North from the South so thoroughly and effectively that the two were divergently and almost irreconcilably oriented4 With Federalism which was instituted to primarily to avoid one ethnic group dominating others and also protecting the interests of the minorities, the nation was once again split into regions, each with its autonomous power. In this political arrangement also, it was observed that: The colonial administrators have passed on to the Nigerian wards the prejudices which had enabled them think and act in the belief that this informal federation was a marriage of convenience between incompatibles 5. With this impression in the minds of Nigerian peoples, it becomes very difficult for them to work harmoniously together without such tribal conflicts. Each of the tribes of the country today works only for the interest of its people and not the nation, thus in these blind competitions of each trying to dominate the other, conflicts of ethnic nature always occur. Clear testimony to this was that the political parties of the first Republic were regionally organized; Northern Peoples’ Congress (NPC), was for the North, Action Group (AG) was for the West (Yoruba) while National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC) was for the East (Igbo). Equally the major parties of the second republic were only the reincarnation of those of the first republic, National Party of Nigeria (NPN) for example replicated the NPC, United Party of Nigeria (UPN) was the AG incarnate while the National Peoples Party (NPP) replicated the NCNC. Each of these worked tirelessly to protect the interest of its geopolitical zone, and in so doing, conflicts occur. A case to mention here was the coup and counter coup of January and July 1966 which came about as a result of the heedless pride, greed, selfishness and shortcomings of the members of these three regions. The wound inflicted by the Nigerian civil war did not heal properly as there are still moves for secession in the country. Minority issues in Nigeria are also seen as one important phenomenon which causes ethnic conflicts in the country. These minority tribes were once neglected in the socio-political and economic affairs of the country. Nigeria was seen and regarded as the home of only three tribes; Hausa/Fulani, Igbo and Yoruba. But later even Arthur Richard cited in Ekeh, P. P and Osaghae, E. E confirmed that: It is only accident of British suzerainty which has made Nigeria one country or one nation socially, economically and even politically, there are deep differences between the major ethnic groups. They do not speak the same language and they have highly divergent customs and ways of life and they represent stages of culture. 6 From the 1950s till date, the reality of Nigerian problem started to unfold. Many minority ethnic groups began to feature in the sharp competitions in the entire aspects of government. This is done through the formation of their own political parties and associations in order to out do the activities of major ethnic groups whom they regard and see as threats to their economic and political aspirations. This suspicion and fear by the minority tribes over the major tribes remain a prominent feature in the Nigerian socio-political and economic activities and have in no small measure helped in intensifying ethnic crisis in the country. The desire to harness and utilize the God given economic potentials distributed in all parts of the country made the movements and permanent settlement of different tribes in different regions of the country inevitable. Socio-political and economic relations that follow, crisis of leadership result in serious clashes between many tribes. In 2002 for example, there was a serious conflict between the Yoruba and Hausa over the leadership of a cattle market in Bodija, Ibadan and in Jos, the conflict is still on between the Hausa and some tribes over who has the legal right of chieftaincy. Cases of this nature are numerous and too many to be mentioned here. One can also still see the traces of the British administration in Nigeria on the issue of sectionalism. It is worth mentioning that after forty four (44) years of independence and despite several calls for national unity, associations of purely tribal interest are established in the country. In the West, there is the Ooduwa Peoples’ Congress (OPC) for purely Yoruba people, in the East, there is the Ohaneze (Ndi Igbo) purely for Igbo people, while in the North, there is Arewa Consultative Forum for the northern peoples. It should be noted that all these associations have been established to directly and openly protect the interests of their respective peoples. Where their interests clash, it results to conflicts. Many ethnic crises in Nigeria are as a result of the activities of these associations. It is very disheartening to add that these tribal associations and other purely tribally motivated movements are directly supported and sponsored by top serving and retired government personalities. These supports only help in fueling crisis of ethnic nature in the country. Worst still, is that security and law enforcement agents always take sides when performing any national assignment of peace keeping. These agents openly support their people even if they are the offenders. This issue is no doubt causing further ethnic crisis and even escalating the existing ones. One cannot also delink this problem of ethnic crisis with the activities of the â€Å"area boys† who emerge suddenly as the result of the growing unemployment in the country. These groups of unemployed, misguided, disgruntled and unpatriotic teenagers unnecessarily cause commotions and misunderstanding under the pretext of tribal issues to enable them loot and steal private and public property. Area boyism is therefore a force to reckon with in causing tribal conflicts in the country. But it is worth mentioning here that some of the activities of these area boys are mostly engineered and sponsored by the selfish, greedy and unpatriotic politicians who by all means and at all cost wan to win election or cause unnecessary commotions. Under the pretext of tribalism, they therefore incite such crises in the country. Wrong and exaggerated information by the press and the media houses sometimes form the background for tribal conflicts in the country. Such exaggerated news will only spark up some ethnic groups to avenge on some innocent victims. Almizan of 16th Zulkida 1420 for example reported that over 2000 Hausa people were killed by the Igbo in the East to avenge the killings of Igbo in Kaduna7. The Igbo took this action because the nation was erroneously informed of the Kaduna crisis by the Today Newspaper of 21/2/2000. ollowing this, other major towns in the country started brewing with tension. No one can quantify the extent of damages caused by these ethnic crises in Nigeria. Hundreds of thousands of lives were lost leaving behind them so many orphans and widows, many were maimed and wounded, private and public property worth millions of naira were damaged. Also the tribes of Nigeria are left in a terrible sta te of perpetual psychological insecurity and fear especially those settling in a region other than their own. In this way, the spirit of national cohesion which is the bedrock of peace and stability still remain a dream, Nigerians therefore remain in either cold war or open war with one another. Religious Crisis In Nigeria (Causes) The causes of religious crisis in Nigeria seem to have been an event that occurs as a surprise to all concerned citizens of the nation. The crisis are mostly centered on religion though with some hidden motives. Religion which is often used as cover up is considered as one of the major causes of the crisis in Nigeria. Definition of Religion. Religion according to the Oxford Dictionary is defined as â€Å"one of the systems of faith that are based on the belief in the existence of a particular God or gods: Jewish religion, Christian Religion, Islamic religion and other world religions8. It is also defined as, a particular interest or influence that is very important in one’s life 9. Christianity is the belief in Christ, the man that Christians believe is the son of God and on those teachings the Christian religion is based. The prayer book 1998 states: the Christian faith is based on the belief in one God summarized in what is popularly known as Nicene Creed thus reads: We believe in one God, the father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten not made, of one being with the father, through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary and was made man†¦. 0 Islam as a religion is an Arabic word and connotes submission, surrender and obedience to the laws of Allah. Islam is to enter into peace and Muslim is one who makes his peace wit Allah and man’s peace wit Allah implies complete submission to his will and peace wit man is not only to refrain from evil, injury to another man but also o do good to him. Christianity and Islam as religions of peace pre ach peace and co existence among their adherents. The Bible says in the Book of Prophet Isaiah 9:6 Proclaimed Jesus Christ as â€Å"the prince of peace†12. It will be absurd to see the followers of this prince of peace breaching the peace that was announced. Based on Islamic peace teaching, Al-Ezzati observed, that: The task of guiding the misled to virtuous behavior and persuading them to stop doing wrong (Al-amir bil-al-ma-rouf wa-al-nahy anil-munkar) is laid on every Muslim and this is why every Muslim is supposed to preach righteousness and decency13 . Religious crisis in Nigeria seems to be as a result of digression from the teachings of both religions. Prophet Isa (Jesus) (AS) displayed a good model and requested all his followers to emulate. In the New Testament, the apostle Paul in his admonition to the Romans in chapter 12:9, 10 & 18 charged them: Let love be without dissimulation, abhor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectionate one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another. If it is possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men14. In Galatians 5:22 peaceful co-existence is described as one of the Christian virtues. The teachings of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) have shown in theory and practice too, the right of neighbours both Muslims and non-Muslims, in a Hadith which states: Whosoever happens to be such that his (or her) neighbours do not feel secured of being afflicted from his evils, will not be admitted into paradise15. Another Hadith states : By Allah he has not acquired Iman (faith) and by Allah he has not acquired Iman. So it was said â€Å"who is that person O ye messenger of Allah: He said, that one whose neighbours do not feel safe from the evil in him or (her). Bukhari narrated 16. The above traditions teach harmonious relationship that is to be encouraged by both followers of the two faiths especially the Muslims. To buttress further from the Christian side, the Holy Bible, in Peter 3:11 says: Let him eschew evil, and do good, let him seek peace and ensue it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers. But the face of the Lord is against them that do evil 17. If such teachings are emulated by both Muslims and non-Muslims of the world, and Nigeria in particular, there will be no religious crisis. Most if not all of the crisis occurred out of ignorance. The present society tends to neglect all the above teachings and behave recklessly as explained above. Umar Ibn Khattab the second caliph said when sending troops to the battle field. Destroy not fruit trees, nor fertile fields in your path, be just and spare the feelings of the vanquished, respect all religious persons who live in hermitage or convents, and spare their edifice18. Ezzati further explains how caliph Umar protected the people of the Book. The killings, destructions being done in the process of fighting each other is not religious. In one of Jesus’ last sermons to his disciples in John 14:27, He said: Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you19. As mentioned above, the religious crisis in Nigeria are mostly manifested out of none adherence to the teachings of all the religions, since all the Holy books like the Qur’an and the Bible teaches peaceful co-existence of the people. The Qur’an openly states in chapter 2: verse 190 Fight for the sake of those that fight against you, but do not attack them first. Allah does not love aggressors20. It is therefore not true to say that the Muslim leaders or Christians of Nigeria are ignorant of such verses and the relationship that existed at the early state, which is supposed to be emulated by the present society. Qur’an 2:256 states: There should be no compulsion in religion21. Another verse states 109:6 Unto you your religion and unto me my religion22. The above verses shows that many religions could co-exist in harmony without conflict since followers of every religion are enjoined to stick to their religions. For example, in the time of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), some religions existed side by side with Islam, and the prophet himself accorded much respect to the followers of these religions. The Qur’an is full of teachings in which no doubt about it, a guidance to those who are pious, who fear Allah and very much abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which Allah has forbidden, and performance of good deeds which He has ordained. Several crises occurred in many parts of Nigeria from the initial stage as tribal and later turned to religious crisis. But the question is, were all these actually religious crisis, if they were, were the forerunners of these crises ignorant of such teachings of the glorious Qur’an and The Bible? One may likely say that such crisis were not religious as such, since the holy prophet states in one of his traditions that the blood of a brother Muslim is only lawful in three ways: 1. When a Muslim kills a Muslim brother, he will be killed. 2. When he commits apostasy (Ridda) and warned to repent, if he refused, he will be killed. 3. When a married man or married woman commits adultery he or she will be killed. Again the messenger of Allah (P. B. U. H) said: A thief will not commit theft at the time he/she commits it while he is still a Mumin and drunkard will no drink at the time he/she drinks while he/she is still a mumin, and the armed robber will not commit robbery of the precious thing, with people watching him at the time he commits robbery while he is still a mumin23. The above Hadith illustrated the situation in Nigeria about those who call themselves religious and yet engage in such irreligious crisis. As pointed out above, the immediate causes of which can therefore be attributed to: A. Pretensious ignorance of followers of the dominant religions in their religious tenets coupled with lack of proper adherence to the teachings of their religions. B. Due to Lack of Allah’s consciousness ethno – religious crisis arising from economic consideration from the leaders of Nigeria, many of the crisis are economically ignited, e. g. with all Nigeria’s oil wealth, what has been done to alleviate the sufferings of the majority masses. In such a case, uprisings occur in the name of religious crisis where the frustrated Nigerians will take laws into their hands in the name of protecting the interest of their various religions. Though Muslims cite example of a hadith which says: If one sees an abomination he should correct it with his hand and if that is not possible, he should correct it with his tongue and if that is not possible he should hate it in his heart, the later being the weakest degree of faith24. The above Hadith shows the level of correction to be embarked upon by any good Muslim, not the correction through destruction as it is done in Nigeria. This is the correction that is done, not with the loss of lives or destruction of public property C. Although Nigeria is a secular state, yet some top government officials   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  take biased decisions in favour of their religions, especially on   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  employment and other government affairs. This action always provokes   the followers of other religions which consequently result to crisis in the name of religion. An example is that of complains by Christians about the Arabic inscriptions in the Nigerian currency, while on the other hand the Muslims too complain about Friday not being work-free day just like their Christian  counterparts enjoy Sundays as work free day. D. Misunderstanding of the concept of shariah: Some Muslims and non Muslims in the country are ignorant of the entire   concept of shariah and therefore, see it as an instrument of oppression   and abuse of human rights. With this erroneous conception of shariah,   some Muslims and non Muslims oppose its implementation openly and   in so doing conflicts of religious nature occur. To this end, remedy to these problems must be sought in order to      create a peaceful social environment for the overall development of our   country, Nigeria. Suggestions As Remedies For Ethno-Religious Crisis In Nigeria. We have seen that the socio-political history of Nigeria has been bedeviled with series of conflicts especially of ethnic and religious nature. These conflicts are also varied, sometimes within a given religion or between religions, so also is the case with ethnic crisis. These crisis are seriously hindering the nation towards achieving one of its desired objectives of unity and stability which is the basic pre-requisite for any meaningful development. Below are a number of suggestions which would serve as remedies to the frequent ethnic and religious crisis in the country. 1. The method of imparting to the Nigerian citizenry the spirit of patriotism should be revisited. Nigerians should be fully acquainted with the ethics of patriotism. They should be made to take the nation first before any sectional interest. 2. Followers of both religions should value and adhere strictly to the teachings of their faiths since all religions are peace-loving, the spirit of tolerance ad cooperation will be developed so that Nigerians can work with one another peacefully. . The basic aim of the Federal Character Commission should be observed with all sense of seriousness. The aim is : â€Å"to give every citizen of Nigeria a sense of belonging to the nation notwithstanding the diversities of ethnic origin, culture, language or religion which may exist and which it is their desireto nourish, harness to the enrichment of the federal Republic of Nige ria†. If this aim is fully implemented, all Nigerians irrespective of language, religions or sex will have a sense of belonging and fuller participation in all government affairs without discrimination. In this way the feeling of one tribe or religion dominating the other will be discarded. 4. Formation of associations of purely tribal nature should be out rightly discouraged. 5. Inter-faiths Mediation Centers should be developed at all levels of government. 6. Law enforcement and security agents should be re-oriented on the importance of being neutral when putting down crisis of any nature in the country. 7. Standards should be set for preaching on all religions. In this way rampant preaching by the scholars of various religions could be controlled. 8. The supreme bodies of various religions in the country should enforce the law guiding the adherence of their belief system. Muslims for example should be made to apply Shari’ah. In the same vein application of ecclesial law should be encourage . In this way conflicts within and between religions would be reduced. 9. Media houses and the press should always be fair in their reports, especially when it involves crisis of ethnic and religious nature. 10. As some of the crisis are caused deliberately by area boys and certain movements, this is actually reflecting the economic situation of the country. Effort should be done to reduce the activities of area boyism through employment and equitable distribution of the nation’s wealth. 11. There should be total war against the debilitating problems of ignorance, poverty and disease, therefore promoting the well being of the individuals that make up the nation. Notes And References 1. Eleazu, U. â€Å"History and Geography of Nigeria† in Eleazu U. Ed. Nigeria: The first 25 years, Lagos Heinemann. 1985 -p3 2. Abdul Basir, A. A. & Bala, U. K, â€Å"In search of Lingua Franca/National Language Towards Sustainable Democracy for Nation Building†. A seminar paper presented at the 1st national Conference organized by School of Arts & Social Sciences, F. C. E. Kontagora. From 26th – 30th April. 2004, p- 1 3. Ryder, A. F. C. â€Å"The Trans-Atlantic slave Trade† in Obaro, I. Ed. Groundwork of Nigerian History, Ibadan, Heinemann. 1980. p150 4. Ekeh, P. P. and Osaghae, E. E. (eds) Federal Character and Federalism in Nigeria, Ibadan, Heinemann. 1989;   p 337 5. Ibid, p337 6. Ibid, p340 7. Al-mizan of 16th Zulkida, 1420; Similarly see all the publications of Almizan and other Kaduna based Newspapers published within the period of the Kaduna crisis, I. . from 20th February, 2000. 8. Hornby, A. S. Oxford Advanced Learners’ Dictionary of Current English, 6th Ed. New York. 2000. p 900 9. Ibid pp. 900 10. The Holy Bible: Authorized King James Version, U. S. A. World Publishing. Ioma falls Ioma 50126 p. 165 11. Edmund, P. Christianity in Northern Nigeria. 2nd Ed. Zaria, Gaskiya Corporation. 1976, p131. 12. Ibid,p. 13 1. 13. Ezzati, A. An introduction to the History of the spread of Islam, Lagos, Islamic Publication Bureau. 1979. p 4. 14. Ibid, p 116 15. Idris, I. G. The need of a Muslim (Bugyatul-Muslimina) English translation, Kauran Wali Islamic Publishers, Kaduna. 1979. p 49. 16. Ibid pp 49 17. Ibid in Peter 3:11 18. Ezzati, A. 1979 p. 5. 19. Authorized King James Version, John 14:27 pp. 78 20. King Fahd Complex The noble Qur’an, English Translation of the meanings and commentary. (1419 A. H). 2:190 21 Ibid, 2:256 22Ibid, 109: 6 23. Abdur Rahman, I. Doi. Shariah: The Islamic Law, Ta Ha Publications, London, 1984 p 355/6 24Idris, I. G. 1979. p. 50.

Rock n Roll 20th Century Culture Essay - 1465 Words

Rock ‘n’ roll and 20th Century Culture nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;According to Philip Ennis, rock ‘n’ roll emerged from the convergence of social transformations which resulted from World War II (Ryan 927). Despite its pop culture origins, rock music is arguably one of the strongest cultural factors to develop in this century. Artists such as Lennon, McCartney and Dylan defined the emotions of a generation and, in the last decade, it as even been acknowledged by members of the establishment which it hoped to change as a major influence in the country. In order to understand how rock went from a sign of rebellion to a cultural icon, it is necessary to understand where it came from. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;According to Albert†¦show more content†¦nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Rock ‘n’ roll music came of age in the sixties which was a period in the nation’s history when a young generation expressed their anguish and sense of alienation to the country’s social establishments by searching for new answers to the age-old questions concerning the meaning of life, the value of the individual, and the nature of truth and spirituality (Harris 306). The classic rock music which was created during this period gave form and substance to this search. Songs such as â€Å"My Generation† by the Who re corded the keen sense of alienation that young people felt from the past and the â€Å"Establishment† and it also showed the keen sense of community they felt among themselves. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Classic albums such as the Beatles’ â€Å"White Album,† the Who’s â€Å"Who’s Next,† Dylan’s â€Å"Highway 61 Revisited, and Pink Floyd’s â€Å"Dark Side of the Moon† capture what was essential about the time because they were both a result of that time and because they helped to produce it by reinforcing the younger generation’s feelings of alienation and separation. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Although the distinction is somewhat fuzzy, rock music is not exactly the same as rock and roll. Rock ‘n’ roll brings up memories of two-minute, Top 40 â€Å"singles† of the fifties era. DrawnShow MoreRelatedThe Beginning Of Rock Music1088 Words   |  5 Pagesfirst rock musicians, once said, The blues had an illegitimate baby and we named it rock n roll. 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