#icm world

[john-van-schilt]

Creels / Nasas

[writing-is-a-sin]

my best wip idea has a blind woman as the mc. my favorite wip idea has a half deaf woman as the mc. i don't have any of these disabilities therefore i live in fear of ever exposing these stories to the world

[queen-beefcake-sqx]

Color Associations in Disco Elysium (part 1)

I already can tell I’m going to be posting…. a lot about this.

so I was exploring the usage of the color blue in Disco Elysium using the Fayde dialogue viewer and I stumbled down a whole rabbit hole because there’s so much this game does with color association.

See, there’s a lot of REALLY oblivious references to the color blue in DE. The game outright says blue is for mystery. It’s also explicitly the color of moralism. The game hands us those associations.

But it’s also so much more complicated than that. Blue is also a color of sadness and horror (Harry refering to himself as a sea monster who sees the world all in blue when he puts on a pair of shades, the blue lining being the defining feature to identify Billie Mejean’s husband, Insulinde’s reputation as “The Blue Immensity”). It’s also a color Kim is DOUSED in, between the pen and the notebook and the handkerchief, giving us a solid positive connection to latch onto and possibly helping emphasize his connection to the RCM. (More on Kim’s blue in a second.)

But then. BUT THEN. There’s the color combos, and there’s where things get really interesting. Blue’s combined with white to indicate the RCM (possibly pointing at its history coming from the ICM and the communards’ white star), with red to tie back to Evrart’s corruption (only the shipping crates and The Pig’s lights use this combo), and with green to reference Dora (the ocean is also referred to often in blue-green, which I think fits — both are symbols of both serenity and oblivion and horror for Harry).

But as I was looking through Fayde, there was one combo that suddenly stood out as unusual:

While inspecting the royalist soldiers, I was struck suddenly by this description. The game doubles down on the association between the royalists and blue-orange (and gold) — René’s medal, the one for combat veterans who worked to stomp out the revolution, is described as a blue star against an orange sun.

We have a single character who is glaringly associated with orange — Kim. He’s the only one regularly referred to with the color, including these references post-tribunal:

Kim isn’t a royalist or a fascist, though, but the combo still makes sense. All of his blue things are things he doesn’t wear overtly, things he keeps hidden until needed. They’re things he can give away when he needs to. They’re disposable, to an extent (although I’m sure he’d be in misery if his notebook got ruined). Blue is also just…. not present in his portrait at all, and I have a strong theory that the colors used for the portraits aren’t 100% just aesthetics. His blue things add an air of mystery, but they’re never paired with a reference to his orange.

But you know what Kim is paired with? Black. And white, his white halo, but orange and black are his signature combo — when you get his black jacket, those two colors are swapped on his portrait even though the white halo remains. They’re connected.

There is a grand total of TWO places in game that I can find where orange and black are mentioned together outside of Kim’s ensemble. The first is from the Superstar Cop thought:

The moment of accepting your “superstardom” puts you as black-on-orange — another thing that’s easy to connect back to Kim. He’s cool. He’s admirable. He’s a superstar himself to the point Precinct 41 is tripping over themselves when he suggests he might come work for them.

With the connection to Kim becoming loudly apparent, the second instance gut punched me:

If you alight the message in the plaza, it lights up orange-black. You know, the message about returning to somebody’s side, as you rapidly approach the end of your time in Martinaise and your time with Kim. You can yell at me for shipping goggles but unless you’re just a COMPLETE asshole to Kim we cannot deny any of the respect and fondness Harry has for Kim from minute fucking ONE. “He’d take a bullet for you.” Come on.

One other interesting thing about orange… If you’re drunk while trying to come up with a name, apparently you get this interesting conceptualization check:

Orange and gold, like the royalists? I tried hunting down other references and found…. well…. this:

If you imprison Klaasje, the Moralintern come for her and this haunting Shivers line happens. The most notable references to the water are almost always blue or blue-green, although I haven’t combed thoroughly. Still, this PARTICULAR moment being gold-orange …. like the Royalist soldiers, like Harry at his worst (Tequila Sunset) …. gold-orange isn’t a very positive combo in universe. Not at all, and I wonder if the Shivers line is referring back to Harry and what a horrible decision it is to imprison her….

——

EDIT: WAIT I FORGOT there’s one other place where blue-orange shows up. Not simultaneously, but intechangibly, yet again in a place attached to Kim:

This one probably doesn’t mean anything but….interesting choice, DE….

[photosworthseeing]

“walked along the lake” / Zicksee / Austria / ©julialametta​

Blog Recommendation of the month

December 2022 - @julialametta

Introduction

On Julia's blog you can find landscapes, streetphotography and abstracts. I like her experimental photos and how she often shows a different perspective of things or sceneries. Like with her puddle photos, they are like a window into another world, and often have a surreal feeling. I especially love her longtime exposure photos, they are intriguing and show a nice playfulness, the longtime exposure portraits and streetphotography are fantastic and through the motion blur they give a feeling of movement and abstraction. Julia's ICM photography are a great play with colours, forms and textures. I always find her photography very inspiring. This is a blog really worth seeing.

PWS - Stephi

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Jimmy Bangash

In Muslim communities, homosexuality is intrinsically linked to anxiety, intimidation, violence, and, in some cases, death. For many, it involves living a closeted existence for fear of being ostracised or disowned. Islamic theological teachings, disseminated by religious institutions and espoused by community leaders, range from preaching for our execution to advising us to live a life of celibacy. Yet voices on the left, historically a stronghold of LGBT support, do not sufficiently decry the abysmal treatment of gay and bi people of Muslim heritage, nor do they adequately mobilize against this specific and brutal form of homophobia.

This piece will scrutinize homophobia in the Muslim community and explore the left’s reluctance to criticize it in a consistent and productive manner. It will not explore the growth of the LGBT Muslim movement which champions equality and representation of LGBT individuals; rather it will focus on the dominant, wider Muslim community’s response to homosexuality.

Homophobia in the Muslim World

It is not a spurious exaggeration to claim homophobia is more widespread among Muslims than within other religious communities. Rather, statistically relevant polls of social attitudes consistently support the truth of these claims. This evidence provides a bleak picture, particularly when assessing attitudes in Muslim-Majority countries from which western diaspora communities originate.

A 2017 American poll found that 51% of Muslim respondents expressed support for marriage equality, an increased figure over previous years – yet 34% still opposed it. Media outlets disingenuously hailed this 51% as some type of success over Christianity, citing the figure to justify headlines such as “Majority of U.S. Muslims Now Support Gay Marriage, While white Evangelical Christians Remain Opposed.” Noteworthy in this attempt at obfuscation is the comparison between a conservative faction of Christians against a combined figure of liberal and conservative Muslims. In a more honest comparison between conservative Christians and Muslims, the data shows a far more damning portrayal of the conservative Muslim community.

Within Britain, where Muslims are more conservative than their US counterparts, the 2009 Gallup Coexist Index poll asked 500 Muslims if they believed homosexual acts were morally acceptable. 100% agreed that they were not, uniformly presenting homosexual acts as immoral. In the years since, there has been some positive traction around UK Muslims’ attitudes toward homosexuality; however, the picture remains oppressive. Most notably, a 2015 ICM poll found that 52% of British Muslims felt homosexuality should be illegal, with only 18% stating it should be legal. Equally damning was that 47% felt it was unacceptable for gay people to be allowed to work as teachers.

At an international level, the data around Islamic Homophobia is even more alarming. A 2013 PEW global study on Muslim Attitudes reported an almost unilateral condemnation of homosexuality in Muslim communities around the world. Countries expressing the highest acceptance of homosexuality among their Muslim population were Uganda (12%), Mozambique (11%), and Bangladesh (10%), with the other 37 countries, all Muslim-majority, polled showing less than 10%.

All 8 states or territories that mandate the death penalty for homosexuality are Muslim-majority. Among those that do not, many imprison people for being LGBT instead. All of these punishments are derived from mainstream interpretations of Sharia Law and Islamic Jurisprudence, which positions homosexuality as a major sin often equated to Sodomy and adultery. Where people are executed for the crime of being LGBT, the preferred methods of execution are public hanging or public stoning. Unsurprisingly, this international climate of execution and imprisonment encourages mob violence towards LGBT people.

In Brunei, where existing laws already made homosexuality punishable by imprisonment for up to 10 years, an attempt was made in 2019 to introduce the death penalty (by stoning) for convicted offenders despite a long-standing moratorium on executions for any crime. Justified by a new penal code that reflected a strict interpretation of Sharia Law, the policy led to a significant global outcry, which included boycotts and celebrity protests. The government of Brunei subsequently conceded to the international pressure, backtracking its position to clarify that the moratorium on the death penalty would extend to those convicted of “crimes” covered under the new legislation.

Pew Research picture:

Impact: Private Sphere

While an international contextualization of Islamic Homophobia is important, it would be erroneous to assume that its detrimental impact on LGBT individuals takes place exclusively in faraway places such as Afghanistan and Iran. In the West, honor culture – a community mechanism of social control in which coercive tactics such as shunning, loss of community status, and shaming are utilized to pressure family members to take corrective action against those who do not conform to Islamic rules – often thrives within Muslim communities.

In 2017, Jahed Choudhury, a UK Muslim of Bangladeshi heritage, married his white partner in what was called “the first Muslim Gay wedding.” He was featured in the press with his husband and interviewed on national television. Some weeks later, he told a BBC interviewer that members of the Muslim community spat at him in the street. He also revealed that he was receiving hate comments on social media and described a specific message from someone in the community threatening to throw acid on him the next time they saw him. Choudhury then apologized to the Muslim community on national television for the offense of having married his same-sex partner so publicly. In other words, the threats of violence and intimidation were successful.

In 2017, Mahad Olad, a gay American ex-Muslim, was invited to travel to Kenya by his family, who are part of the Somali diaspora community. When they arrived, his mother confiscated Olad’s passport, and informed him that she was aware he was gay and that he had left Islam. In order to “save” him, she had decided to send him to Somali Sheikhs who would bring him back to Islam and make him straight. Only with the assistance of Ex-Muslims of North America was Olad able to escape his kidnappers and return to the USA.

In another 2017 incident, Siddika Reza, who was Secretary General of the Islamic faith organization NASIMCO (the Organization of North American Shia Ithna-Asheri Muslim Communities), attended the public, same-sex marriage of her son to his fiancé. After she shared pictures of the wedding on her social media account, more than 1000 members of the Shia Muslim community signed a petition calling for her to resign, on the grounds that her endorsement of her son’s marriage “goes against the legitimate majoritarian interpretations of Jaffari fiqh, which NASIMCO must uphold” – essentially, claiming that public endorsement of her son’s wedding was endorsement of sin and was therefore un-Islamic.

The result? Reza resigned from her post. The Muslim community’s social coercion was successful in censuring a member for being too accepting; in this case, it ensured that a mother’s acceptance of her son was suitably punished.

In 2019, Seran M (full name undisclosed), a Swiss 17-year-old of Iraqi heritage, awoke in bed with his father standing over him holding a knife and shouting, “Are you gay? Are you gay?” The father then proceeded to slit Seran’s throat. Fortunately, the teen was able to scramble over a balcony and obtain aid from his neighbours; he was put into an induced coma at a hospital and managed to survive.

While these overt displays of Islamic homophobia are reported by the media, it is imperative to understand how much remains hidden. Many LGBT people of Muslim heritage are forced to live closeted lifestyles to avoid facing these kinds of consequences, with some going as far as to have sham marriages in order to avoid detection. The controlling mechanism of honor culture often causes relatives to buckle under community pressure and disown their kin, tearing families apart and causing traumatic psychological repercussions for the victims.

Impact: Public Sphere

The influence of Islamic homophobia is not limited to the private domestic sphere. Its adherents’ ambitions are to ensure that LGBT rights do not achieve acceptance and that homosexuality is not normalized within wider society, driving them to take their charge into the public arena.

In 2019, Anderton Park School in Brimingham, UK, was the target of protest from members of the Birmingham Muslim community over a primary school education program named “No Outsiders,” as well as other material which they claimed furthered the “gay agenda.” Prior to a court injunction forcing relocation, the protest was held immediately outside the school gates, creating a frightening and intimidating environment for students inside. Videos can be found online of adults from the Birmingham Muslim community shouting “Shame! Shame! Shame!” through megaphones at the school gates, with children in their midst encouraged to chant along. Such deplorable conduct must have had a detrimental impact on any adolescent present who was coming to terms with their sexuality. These protests continued for approximately nine months and included the display of banners which read, “Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.”

In an effort to show support with a head teacher who had refused to cave to the pressure, LGBT individuals from Birmingham decided to go to the school and hang signs of solidarity, such as pictures of hearts and rainbows, on the school gates. They decided to do this at night so that they would not encounter the protesters and risk direct conflict. Unfortunately, they had not considered that it was Ramadan, and that the Muslim community would be awake late at night, eating before fasting again the next day. In video footage of the resulting confrontation, male members of the Muslim community can be seen creating a climate of fear and intimidation, shouting at LGBT people for coming into “our community.”

Eventually, some Muslim men began throwing eggs at the LGBT people, who then departed, shaken by the entire episode. Their symbols of support on the school gates were subsequently vandalized.

The protests, eventually, were permanently banned by the courts, but it is noteworthy that Anderton Park school suspended the teaching of the “No Outsiders” program for a significant period of time – a definite win for the forces that perpetuate Islamic Homophobia.

Betrayal by the Left

Given the data and visible detrimental impact, one would expect the left, which generally sees itself as a bastion of support for LGBT rights, to champion the challenge against Islamic homophobia. Regrettably, this is not the case. Consider the outcry we see when cake-baking Christians refuse business services to LGBT people; the widespread vocal condemnation from the left reaches across continents. Similarly, there is leftist public outcry around Christian conversion therapy, galvanizing an entire movement for its legislative prohibition. Such action is mobilized by LGBT organizations, political commentators, activists, human rights organizations and even celebrities, who use rhetoric in which the Christian faith is often lambasted, ridiculed, and positioned as archaic and irrelevant – yet no such outcry is forthcoming when Islamic homophobia rears its head. The left remains silent when, for example, Muslim clerics attempt to exorcize gay demons from members of the Muslim community.

As if the left’s silence was not detrimental enough to LGBT rights, its accusations of racism and Islamophobia towards those who seek to criticize Islamic homophobia are a blatant betrayal.

At the Birmingham school protests referenced above, the LGBT community decided to hold a counter protest after the courts had forced the Muslim protesters to move away from the school gates to a more distant location. A small contingent of people, predominantly white, and armed with guitars and rainbow flags, stood across the road from the Muslim protesters, strumming and singing along to love songs. Days later, in a national newspaper, Saima Razzaq, a local Muslim activist who describes herself as “queer,” stated that the actions of white LGBT counter protesters “reek[ed] of a colonial mindset.” Razzaq had been instrumental in the Birmingham community’s response to the homophobic protests, but instead of welcoming the support of white allies, she characterized them as “white saviours” and declared that “the answers have to come from within our community.”

The message was clear: you cannot champion LGBT rights in the UK if you are white and your homophobic opposition is non-white, and to do so renders you racist and neo-colonialist. It did not matter that those Muslims who were protesting LGBT education had made it clear that they wanted it stopped on a nationwide level in a white majority country. Only people of the same color and faith were permitted to lead this challenge. Universal human rights could no longer be fought for universally.

At the 2017 London Pride march, the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain (CEMB) marched to challenge Islamic Homophobia – with particular focus on Chechnya, where reports of LGBT persecution and gay concentration camps had outraged the community. They carried banners listing the countries that mandated the death penalty for homosexuality, and held witty, provocative placards and signs poking fun at Islam. Near them, a separate contingent of Pride marchers held signs poking fun at Christianity. Pride, after all, had always been a safe place to criticize homophobia whether it was religious, political or cultural.

During the march, police descended on CEMB to tell them that their signs were offensive and requested they be put away. However, they did not accost the holders of signs mocking Christianity. CEMB declined the request and continued to march with their banners and signs.

Days later, the East London Mosque wrote a formal complaint to the Pride organization citing its objection to being named as a mosque which “incited murder and hatred of LGBT.” Imaan, a Muslim LGBT organization, issued a press release condemning the protest. Both organizations claimed the placards within the protest were Islamophobic and caused harm to Muslim people. Pride issued a statement to a national newspaper in which they said they would not tolerate Islamophobia, then suspended CEMB from marching in subsequent Pride marches pending an investigation. The investigation took 8 months, but in the end CEMB was cleared of the charges and eventually able to participate in the following year’s march without any restrictions.

Nevertheless, a message was communicated to the wider public that criticism of Islamic Homophobia is unacceptable. In this case it did not matter that some of the critics were Muslim and others Ex-Muslim. It did not matter that almost all the protesters were diaspora and refugees, individuals who had grown up and lived under Islam and were from Muslim families. It did not matter that many of them had fled countries and communities where imprisonment or death were the penalty for their sexuality. Any criticism of Islamic Homophobia was deemed Islamophobic (anti-Muslim) and racist.

In 2020, the iconic reality show “RuPaul’s Drag Race” invited actor Jeff Goldblum to appear as a guest judge. The drag queen competitors walked a runway with the American “Stars and Stripes” as the theme. Iranian-Canadian contestant Jackie Cox wore a red-striped kaftan and a blue hijab outlined with 50 silver stars; she stated, “You can be Middle-Eastern, you can be Muslim, and you can still be American.”

Goldblum, prompted by the drag artist’s outfit, queried, “Is there something in this religion that is anti-homosexuality and anti-woman? Does that complicate the issue? I'm just raising it and thinking out loud and maybe being stupid.” RuPaul responded that the presentation was complex, and that Drag had “always shaken the tree.”

Social and mainstream media erupted with condemnations of Goldblum’s comment, accusing him of racism and Islamophobia. His comments were labelled as dangerous. The Muslim Advocates organization issued a statement urging Goldblum to apologize; they claimed, “To not apologize for these comments is a silent endorsement of anti-Muslim bigotry.” In other words, yet another message of condemnation for those who seek to question Islamic Homophobia (as well as Islamic sexism in this case), and such questioning was characterized as being anti-Muslim.

There is a painful irony that cannot be missed in a gay man of Iranian heritage (Jackie Cox) wearing a hijab to symbolize Muslim women. Muslim women in Iran have long struggled against mandatory hijab and forced veiling laws. As movements such as white Wednesday have gained momentum in recent years, Iranian women are increasingly resisting and defying the hijab. Theocratic and misogynistic laws allow women to be punished for appearing in public with their hair showing. The BBC reports that 35 women have been arrested since 2017 in the capital city of Tehran alone. Some of these women reported being tortured and beaten.

While this betrayal by the left is abysmal, its attempt to police an audience’s response to Jackie’s art is nothing short of an Orwellian dystopia. Through his art, a drag performer was able to express his “misgivings” about the way LGBT people are treated in Muslim communities and provoke questions about the subject from his audience. Yet, the response from the left was to throw accusations of racism at that audience and eschew any useful dialogue around the real issue at hand. The message was again clear: even when presented with art by and about queer people of Muslim heritage, one may not scrutinize or question Islamic Homophobia. All dialogue around the subject must place Islam in a positive light; to do otherwise is anti-Muslim, Islamophobic, and racist.

Fortunately, Goldblum did not issue an apology – but neither has the Iranian government apologized for its Islamic- and Sharia- inspired execution of LGBT people. Iran still applies the death penalty for the “crime” of two people of the same sex loving each other. Muslim Advocacy group is quick to outrage over a scene on RuPaul’s Drag Race, but it does not appear to have written to the Iranian government to request an apology for state-sanctioned murder, nor has it declared the murder of gay and bi Muslim people in Iran to be anti-Muslim.

Islam is not a Race

The word Islamophobia is a deliberate conflation that blends criticism of an ideology (Islam) with criticism of a people (Muslims). This allows the silencing of any critics of Islam through the accusation of Islamophobia, which carries an inferred accusation of hatred against Muslims – something which would be far better described as Muslimophobia or anti-Muslim bigotry. Due to this conflation, the fear of being accused of Islamophobia makes individuals hesitant to highlight the abhorrent nature of Islamic homophobia, its theological roots, and the corresponding Islamic jurisprudence that results in the ongoing persecution of LGBT people.

Islam is a set of ideas in exactly the same way that Christianity, Capitalism, Communism and Hinduism are all sets of ideas. Ideas must be open to scrutiny, assessment and criticism. They must be open to satire and ridicule. Criticism of ideas leads to societal advancement, as can be seen in the widespread replacement of superstition with reason and the scientific method. Stifling criticism of Islam ultimately hurts Muslims and individuals of Muslim heritage; such censorship enables regressive and harmful practices (such as gay Islamic exorcisms in the UK) to continue, rather than to be scrutinized and stopped.

A majority of adherents to an ideology may be part of a particular racial demographic, whether in reality or in popular imagination. Criticism of that ideology is not, by default, a criticism of the racial demographic. If it were, one could argue that criticism of Capitalism is anti-white, criticism of Communism is anti-Chinese, and criticism of Hinduism is anti-South Asian/Indian. And it’s important to remember that in any case, Muslims are a very racially and ethnically diverse group.

Muslims are people and as such must be protected from bigotry. While all bigotry is unacceptable, we must acknowledge that using facts to highlight problematic beliefs and attitudes within the Muslim community is not bigotry – particularly when the facts themselves highlight rampant discrimination towards a sexual minority that is often in need of protection. Highlighting homophobic aggression and persecution is a responsibility that falls upon civil society, and that responsibility includes Islamic homophobia.

It is hypocritical of the left to allow consistent highlighting and condemnation of Christian homophobia and to position Christians (and, by presumed extension, white people) as robust, rational, critical thinkers able to withstand that criticism while characterizing Muslims as fragile “brown people” in need of protection from cognitive dissonance and critical thinking. This adherence to “Islamic fragility” is racist, paternalistic and patronizing.

Any focus on Islamic homophobia is inevitably challenged by the left with the question, “What about Christians?” It is perfectly acceptable to focus on one specific form of homophobia. In fact, it is essential that this be done, and in so doing it is appropriate to focus on the worst forms of homophobia. Attempting to address Islamic homophobia using an approach tailored to Christian homophobia, or a model designed for tackling homophobia in China, will miss many of the nuances particular to the Islamic faith. It will also be rendered meaningless for a Muslim audience who, by and large, consider Christianity or atheism to be erroneous or even heresy.

A specific focus on Islamic Homophobia allows focused compilation and assessment of data, theology, history, and attitudes. This then leads to specific suggestions for solutions, resource allocation, accountability and timelines for improvement. In order to plan specific remedial measures, we must look at the specific issue.

We must not be silenced by accusations of Islamophobia or racism in our efforts to eradicate the most pernicious form of homophobia that currently persecutes LGBT people across the globe. Rather, we must stand resolute and increase our scrutiny of Islamic homophobia, holding it and the Muslim community to the same standards to which we hold the rest of society. To do anything less is the bigotry of low expectations, and a racist double standard.

==

Notice that at no point does anyone actually refute the - completely, unambiguously true - fact of Islam being explicitly anti-gay.

https://quranx.com/4.16

If two men among you are guilty of lewdness, punish them both. If they repent and amend, Leave them alone; for Allah is Oft-returning, Most Merciful.

https://quranx.com/7.80-83

We also (sent) Lut: He said to his people: "Do ye commit lewdness such as no people in creation (ever) committed before you? "For ye practise your lusts on men in preference to women: ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds." And his people gave no answer but this: they said, "Drive them out of your city: these are indeed men who want to be clean and pure!" But we saved him and his family, except his wife: she was of those who legged behind.

https://quranx.com/27.54-58

(We also sent) Lut (as a messenger): behold, He said to his people, "Do ye do what is shameful though ye see (its iniquity)? Would ye really approach men in your lusts rather than women? Nay, ye are a people (grossly) ignorant! But his people gave no other answer but this: they said, "Drive out the followers of Lut from your city: these are indeed men who want to be clean and pure!" But We saved him and his family, except his wife; her We destined to be of those who lagged behind. And We rained down on them a shower (of brimstone): and evil was the shower on those who were admonished (but heeded not)!

https://quranx.com/Hadith/Bukhari/USC-MSA/Volume-7/Book-72/Hadith-774/

Narrated Ibn `Abbas: The Prophet (ﷺ) cursed effeminate men (those men who are in the similitude (assume the manners of women) and those women who assume the manners of men, and he said, "Turn them out of your houses." The Prophet (ﷺ) turned out such-and-such man, and `Umar turned out such-and-such woman.

https://quranx.com/Hadith/AbuDawud/USC-MSA/Book-31/Hadith-4007/

Narrated AbuSa'id al-Khudri: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: A man should not look at the private parts of another man, and a woman should not look at the private parts of another woman. A man should not lie with another man without wearing lower garment under one cover; and a woman should not be lie with another woman without wearing lower garment under one cover.

https://quranx.com/Hadith/AbuDawud/USC-MSA/Book-38/Hadith-4447/

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If you find anyone doing as Lot's people did, kill the one who does it, and the one to whom it is done.

Stop defending an ideology that hates you or the people you care about.

[palms-upturned]

Same anon! Your reply was great and it makes me think more so - another wall of text! Again, apologies I hope I’m not clogging up your inbox. Kim is just,, incredibly interesting because he’s a mess of contradictions. Him admiring your low kill count and saying more officers should be less trigger happy vs. his first instinct in any situation to be going for his gun. His whole appearance mimicking revolutionary attire while explicitly being an arm of the police state. How he holds onto the notion that the RCM is descended from the ICM. I remember you can ask him if he’s a moralist in front of another moralist and he gives you a vaguely affirmative answer but one of your skills pops up and goes something like (he doesn’t want to appear to be anything but in front of people because it might do damage to the RCM) It’s implied that he might’ve had more revolutionary thoughts in his youth. But it’s as you’ve said, he’s resigned himself to the idea that this word isn’t going to change and so he devotes himself fully to the RCM because it’s the only thing he’s sure of. It’s the only way to feel like he’s in some semblance of control over his life. If something doesn’t seem explicitly related to the case he’s pursuing he doesn’t think it’s worth going after. He’s really good at turning a blind eye to stuff, and has very intentionally stopped letting himself care. (Again, to varying levels of success) Which is why it’s so interesting that we can see that start to crack over the course of the game. He still tries to feign the same exterior, but it’s clear that the city has affected him. (Nothing demonstrates this quite as well as the Phasmid scene, where a thought he was so sure of, something he held as infallible, is proven to be false and it causes him to falter and reconsider everything) I don’t think it’s enough to shake him from his resigned state in and of itself, but it can definitely lay a foundation like you said. I think it’s pretty accurate to say he’s probably never going to stop being on the fence until there is no fence anymore. Until the idea he has built in his head that the RCM is unchanging and eternal (insofar as it relates to his lifespan) is demonstrably proven to be untrue. I also agree completely with your notion of what exactly the fragile optimism is in this game. One of the ideas it plays around with that I like so much is that you can always choose to be a better person, it’s never too late for that. It won’t undo the damage you’ve done, and it might be too late for you to see the world change, but that doesn’t mean that any change you create in yourself isn’t worth it.

AAAAAAUUUUUU EXACTLY YEAH YEAH YEAH you put it all so succinctly I don’t even have much to add HDKSHDH but god yeah… [collapses into the family guy death pose] Kim…

The other thing that always gets me is his one cig a day rule and the psyche check (I forget which skill, probably empathy) that reveals that Kim probably likes that sense of control over his addiction and GOD THATS SO. ITS SO. YOU KNOW. One cig a day, but you’re still addicted to the nicotine. Good cop, but still a cop addicted to the small sense of power and control that being a cop gives u to distract from how powerless u really are… YOU KNOW???

BUT YEAH GOD JUST LIKE YOU SAID… it’s never too late to try to do better so long as ur seeking to do something more than just atone or make urself feel better for what you did… you can still change just for the sake of being better… sunrise, parabellum… it’ll always be a battle but you can do it…

[itinerarium-hic]

Kalamazoo ICMS 2023 CFP

The Game Cultures Society invites abstracts for three sessions at ICMS 2023! The GCS showcases the importance of games —and their various manifestations — in medieval culture. Importantly, the theoretical implications of games extends beyond the temporal and spatial borders of the game space itself into larger aesthetic, ethical, cultural, and social arenas. The GCS serves to highlight the importance and multivalent purpose of games in medieval culture as a way to understand better their function in society both then and now.

Any questions should be directed to Sarah J. Sprouse at: ssprouse@wtamu.edu

Medieval Gaming II: Playing with Pedagogy (Roundtable):

Games and gamification are buzzwords in education and pedagogy. In addition to popular curricular games such as Reacting to the Past, many teachers are incorporating games, the idea of game-play, and the study of medieval texts as games and play into the classroom. This roundtable session seeks proposals that discuss ways in which we can use the appeal of games/game-play in the classroom to make medieval literature and culture more accessible to the digital generation.

Abstract length: 250 words

Deadline: September 15, 2022

Submit abstracts here: https://wmich.edu/medievalcongress/submissions

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Games and Medievalism I: The Middle Ages on the Board

There have been excellent studies of the ways the Middle Ages is presented, represented and misrepresented in modern video games, but critical study of analog games lags behind. And yet, medieval-themed board and card games are wildly popular, covering topics from Vikings (Feast of Odin) to art (Sagrada) and literature (Beowulf), the Isamic world (Merv), and even Plague (Rattus Cartus), let alone the current popularity of fantasy role-play like D&D. In what ways do board and card games reflect and reinforce contemporary misconceptions about the Middle Ages, and how can games inform or even disrupt these tropes?

Per Patrick Rael, analog games should be analyzed in terms of game play, aesthetics, narrative, and how they engage with history. It is hoped that contributors will analyze a game or set of related games, addressing as applicable themes such as modern medievalisms (Umberto Eco), participatory medievalisms (Dan Kline), participatory stories (Janet Murray), Orientalism (Edward Said), and analog game studies (the journal of the same name). We invite proposals that explore analog games and their medieval tropes.

Abstract length: 250 words

Deadline: September 15, 2022

Submit abstracts here: https://wmich.edu/medievalcongress/submissions

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Games and Medievalism II: Reading Games in Medieval

Cultural game theorists have analyzed texts as games or how games are a fruitful analogical lens for examining literature, suggesting that storytellers and audiences play with or against each other within textual game spaces. Medieval manuscripts likewise highlight text as game, with marginalia left by scribes, readers, and illuminators indicating that texts were often understood as interactive games. Texts were also frequently performed, and audiences actively engaged with them by adopting theatrical, playful roles. We invite proposals that explore the gaming relationships between texts, audiences, and storytellers to better understand how literary games served people of the Middle Ages.

Abstract length: 250 words

Deadline: September 15, 2022

Submit abstracts here: https://wmich.edu/medievalcongress/submissions

[zdmotion]

VIRTUES

A sea of vibrant colors waves. Imagine a world without boundaries. Imagine your reality in your fantasies to stretch your imagination. Benefits and virtues of abstract art.

~zd

ICM - challenge 59 - June Challenge Abstract Challenge - @stephiramona

zdspOtted the other zdmOtiOn blog zdspOtted a new look on the photo zdspOtted experimental photography.

[nikproxima]

Horizon WIP Post 13

The Story of Enceladus

Enceladus is known as the Second World, the second system liberated from PSSA control in 2223. As the nascent ICM would wrap Titan in their grasp, their attention would soon turn to the icy moon, eager to exploit the strategic position that the subsurface ocean provided. The PSSA, sensing that the Saturn system had begun to slip from their grasp, would dispatch well over 30 ships to help secure it, landing thousands of troops to ensure a strong presence at spaceports and industrial facilities. The ICM, acting as a unified Navy for the first time, would see this not as a deterrent, but a call to arms. For the very first time, they would make themselves known, launching long range volleys at the assets in orbit, using 21 extensively modified Behemoth class cruisers. The PSSA, initially, was skeptical of their ability to engage, but soon found that ICM tactics were unlike anything they had ever seen. Shot after shot was fired from the ICM position, staged just inside the terminator. The line held, for now, but all would change when a bold crew, the crew of the ICM Destroyer Gargantua, would make a break for it, charging headfirst at the central grouping of vessels, taking shell after shell. Their crew were most likely dead before they made it to the line, but they were, in the eyes of the ICM, a necessary sacrifice. Their fusion reactor, primed to explode in proximity to the PSSA forces, would rupture in a cloud of plasma, disabling at least 7 PSSA ships, enabling ICM forces to charge towards a now confused and weakened enemy. It was the shot that the ICM needed, and the remaining 20 ICM ships would scatter the PSSA Navy, destroying 19 of the 30 ships in orbit - sparing no one. Transports, clearly trying to make a run from the fighting, were captured by slower boarding craft rising from Titan’s surface, and all of those in uniform would be taken back to the ICM capital for incarceration. The moon would fall quickly, and landing teams would soon secure the capital city, capturing and executing those who occupied her. With PSSA forces in retreat to Mimas, the ICM flag flew over Diyar Planitia for the first time. 

Growth on Enceladus would be rapid, and almost chaotic. New shipyards, water refineries, and soil production facilities would spring to life, and geothermal vents would be tapped for power. Construction crews would face a harsh radiation and cryogeological environment, with losses mounting in the first years after the invasion. The Great Dying was most felt here, in the harsh outer fringes of ICM territory, but the message from the State was clear - the work must go on, the factories must churn out machine after machine. It was a matter of survival. The great grooves of Enceladus would be carved into channels for cargo, and a robotic spiderweb of industry would begin to occupy the surface. Anyone with a powerful enough telescope could see the surface of the world changing before their very eyes. Tycho Drive Yards became the centerpiece of ICM construction on Enceladus, a monument to industry and military might. It would be here that the first indigenous ICM ships would be built, great behemoths that would hope to one day rival the might of the PSSA’s ever growing military complex.  Soldiers would report to this icy world to train, and its ferocity and might would become something of legend throughout ICM culture. It was a harsh and cruel world, but it was a necessary world. An ever vigilant reminder of their power. 

[damgaardgoode]

Sap Foundation Hana Administration

Michael Management Corporation is an award-winning provider of hands-on SAP coaching simulations for global enterprises, government companies and medium-sized companies. MMC enables organizations to maximise business performance and decrease financial reporting errors via a combination of SAP eLearning content and SAP sandbox methods. Recognized manufacturers around the globe depend on MMC’s SAP training portal to extend consumer productivity, decrease system errors and drive down coaching prices.

The reply is determined by the SAP HANA 2.zero cockpit hardware and on exercise levels of your databases, but a single SAP HANA 2.0 cockpit instance can manage as much as 100 resources in its initial release (SAP HANA 2.zero SPS 00).

Upon successful completion of SAP Basis course at HKR trainings in Hyderabad, you will learn the next things.

SAP HANA Extended Edition – It incorporates information provisioning options greater than Platform and Enterprises edition.

This instructor-led, reside training is aimed at data analysts who want to use SAP HANA to capture data from various knowledge sources for quick processing and evaluation.

The ICM isn't a work process however a service of the SAP Net Weaver Application Server; similarly, the gateway.

We have at all times strived to stay updated with the most recent SAP updates, information globally and have tailored to the fashionable methods of coaching to supply world-class SAP Training. By data profiling, implementation cycle of major projects could also be shorten. Understand information challenge early in the project, discovering knowledge downside late within the project can result in delay and cost excess. sap basis administrator training can be a saved process that automatically executes when an event happens on a given table or view. Any Data/Source- SAP HANA can entry numerous information supply including Structured and Un-Structured data from SAP or Non-SAP data supply. SAP Training Shop is not presently supported on Internet Explorer.

Cloud Storagedatabaseelementary5 Minute Read

If you may have any questions or need help finding the right course for you, do not hesitate to contact us now. Whether you're trying to prepare a large group, or to simply brush up in your data of your company's SAP solution, you've come to the right place. ExitCertified provides Solution Overview, Technical Overview, and SAP HANA Appliance coaching. Click on the hyperlinks beneath for an in depth course define and scheduled course dates. SAP programs use a Citrix plugin to access distant labs or the brand new OneClick platform that is browser-based (about 60% of all courses now use this method).

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After finishing the training we'll assign a consulting company for help. We do our greatest to our trainees who ever reaching us for placement help. Trainees they themselves get placed and market themselves through the training itself. Most of the trainees will not give probability to us to market them. Because they don’t need to sign a contract and work on ratio basis. We have this company coverage of charging UPFRONT for the training.

Similar Programs [newline]sap S4 Hana On-line Training And Certification Course

Enroll now at HKR trainings to take on new challenges and get the most out of our SAP Basis coaching course in Hyderabad. All the main points, important concepts & approaches are demonstrated and practiced on reside surroundings. CloudLearn ERP one of many Best SAP Training in Mumbai, SAP Training in Mumbai. In-Class training is a standard concept where you walk into the authorized training middle and attend the sap hana admin course in classroom. A transformation maven with the abilities to help shoppers meet the challenges of digitization. Using your know-how, creativity, and analytical powers to resolve clients’ most complicated enterprise issues to help their companies do more.

[john-van-schilt]

Vigo Bay (Galicia-Spain)

[davidsscalemodels]

The 1/48 ICM Do-17Z-2 World War II German light bomber is now completed.

The 1/48 ICM Do-17Z-2 World War II German light bomber is now completed.

The build of the D0-17Z-2 is now finished. The decals worked very well and the clear parts fit perfectly. This was a fun build of the German light bomber nicknamed the “Pencil Bomber”. The kit offers some very nice details and went together well with only some extra work required to fit the wings to the fuselage. Thank you for following along. You can see all the details of this build from the…

[naturallyinquistive]

A Wish Before Midnight . . . . . Across an amethystine night sky, the fleeting arcs of shooting stars form incandescent traces. Their distorted echoes mirrored by our thoughts, influence our desire to make a wish. [] The Doomsday Clock was originally intended to show how close we are to nuclear catastrophe. Nowadays it is also used to show how close we are to a climate catastrophe. It is currently set at one hundred seconds before midnight. Many believe we’ve already past that point. [] Biodiversity is essential for the processes that support all life on Earth. However, in a list of threats to biodiversity, climate change ranks fifth. The change in our use of land and the oceans is ranked number one. It is followed by species overexploitation, the global spread of invasive species and disease, and pollution. These threats are a consequence of how we treat the world. Their impact can be reduced by changing how we consume resources, produce food, by genuinly restricting urban sprawl, and improving how we interact with Nature [] Each and every one of us can make a difference by confronting complacency, acting locally, and going beyond good intentions and wishes. [] Borrowing from the Dalai Lama “We can't help the planet just by making a wish, to do so we have to take action.” [] Another digitally metamorphosed ICM image. [] No rocks were harmed in the creation of this image. Well, some were indirectly [] Poem and photo created by Andy Abraham [] #abstractlovers #abstract photography #affinitybyserif #camerapainting #creativephotography #digitalart #earthinspiredart #ecopoetry #environmental #environmentalart #environmentaljustice #environmentalpoetry #geologymeetsart #geopoetics #icm_community #nature #naturephotography #photooftheday #poetry #rocks #southgeorgianbay #science #structuralgeology #sustainability #unique [] Discover your connectivity with the natural world around you [] @artisticrocktextures [] Visualizing our affinity with nature [] ©️ArtisticRockTextures [] Andy Abraham2022 [] Toronto, Canada [] All rights reserved [] DM for repost permissions (at Toronto, Canada) https://www.instagram.com/p/CdyGTEKOlLj/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[aditiwaikar]

Harnessing Growth: Exploring the Revenue Growth Calculator in Sales | Kennect

Unleashing the Power of the Revenue Growth Calculator and ICM Software

In the fast-paced world of sales, where every decision can make or break a company's success, leveraging the right tools is crucial. Among these tools, the Revenue Growth Calculator and Incentive Compensation Management (ICM) software stand out as indispensable assets. In this comprehensive guide, we delve into the depths of these tools, exploring their significance, functionality, and the transformative impact they can have on sales organizations.

Understanding the Revenue Growth Calculator

At the heart of any successful sales strategy lies the pursuit of revenue growth. The Revenue Growth Calculator emerges as a beacon in this pursuit, offering a systematic approach to analyzing, projecting, and optimizing revenue streams. This tool empowers sales teams to make informed decisions by providing insights into various factors influencing revenue generation.

Features and Functionality

The Revenue Growth Calculator operates on a multifaceted framework, encompassing a range of features tailored to address the diverse needs of sales professionals. Some key functionalities include:

Data Analysis: By consolidating historical sales data and market trends, the calculator provides a comprehensive overview of past performance and potential areas for improvement.

Scenario Modeling: Through advanced algorithms, sales teams can simulate various scenarios to forecast revenue outcomes under different conditions, enabling proactive strategizing.

Performance Metrics: Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) such as conversion rates, customer acquisition costs, and sales velocity, the calculator facilitates real-time performance monitoring and evaluation.

Customization: Tailoring the tool to specific industry verticals or organizational requirements ensures relevance and accuracy in revenue projections.

Benefits of Utilizing the Revenue Growth Calculator

The adoption of the Revenue Growth Calculator offers a myriad of benefits for sales organizations:

Strategic Planning: By providing actionable insights, the calculator aids in the formulation of data-driven sales strategies aligned with organizational objectives.

Risk Mitigation: Through scenario analysis, sales teams can anticipate potential risks and devise contingency plans to mitigate adverse impacts on revenue.

Resource Optimization: Optimizing resource allocation based on revenue forecasts helps in maximizing efficiency and minimizing wastage.

Performance Enhancement: Continuous monitoring and analysis enable iterative improvements, fostering a culture of innovation and excellence within the sales team.

Empowering Sales with ICM Software

In addition to the Revenue Growth Calculator, ICM software emerges as a game-changer in the realm of sales management. Designed to streamline incentive compensation processes, this software automates complex calculations and ensures fair and transparent reward systems, motivating sales representatives to achieve their targets consistently.

Key Features of ICM Software

Automated Compensation Calculations: By integrating with CRM systems and other data sources, ICM software automates the calculation of commissions, bonuses, and incentives, reducing errors and improving efficiency.

Compliance Management: Ensuring adherence to regulatory requirements and company policies, the software mitigates the risk of compliance-related issues, such as errors in commission payouts or disputes.

Transparent Reporting: Providing stakeholders with access to detailed compensation reports and analytics, ICM software fosters transparency and trust, enhancing communication and collaboration within the sales organization.

Flexibility and Scalability: Scalable architecture allows for seamless expansion and adaptation to evolving business needs, accommodating changes in sales structures or incentive models.

Transformative Impact of ICM Software

The implementation of ICM software revolutionizes the way sales compensation is managed, resulting in significant benefits:

Increased Motivation: Transparent and accurate compensation calculations incentivize sales representatives to perform at their best, driving productivity and revenue growth.

Reduced Administrative Burden: Automation of compensation processes frees up valuable time and resources, enabling sales managers to focus on strategic initiatives and employee development.

Improved Retention: Fair and timely compensation fosters a sense of loyalty and satisfaction among sales professionals, reducing turnover rates and retaining top talent.

Enhanced Performance Visibility: Real-time reporting and analytics provide insights into individual and team performance, facilitating informed decision-making and performance management.

Integration for Synergistic Growth

While both the Revenue Growth Calculator and ICM software offer immense value independently, their true potential is realized when integrated seamlessly. By combining revenue forecasting with incentive optimization, sales organizations can achieve synergistic growth, aligning financial objectives with sales performance effectively.

Integrated Approach Benefits

Holistic Insights: Integrating revenue projections with compensation data enables a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between sales efforts and financial outcomes.

Aligned Incentives: By aligning compensation structures with revenue targets, sales teams are incentivized to focus on activities that drive sustainable growth and profitability.

Agile Decision-making: Access to real-time data and analytics empowers sales leaders to make agile decisions, adapting strategies in response to changing market dynamics or performance trends.

Continuous Improvement: Leveraging insights from integrated systems facilitates iterative improvements, optimizing both revenue generation and incentive effectiveness over time.

Conclusion: Embracing a Culture of Growth

In the dynamic landscape of sales, where competition is fierce and opportunities abound, harnessing growth requires a strategic blend of innovation, analytics, and incentive alignment. The Revenue Growth Calculator and ICM software represent pillars of support in this journey, offering tools that empower sales organizations to optimize performance, drive revenue growth, and foster a culture of continuous improvement. By embracing these technologies and integrating them into their operations, companies can position themselves for success in an ever-evolving marketplace.

[inclusiveuniversity]

Inciting Change Makers in an Online Community Engaged Learning Environment During Pandemic Restrictions: Lessons from a Disability Studies and Community Rehabilitation Program

https://doi.org/10.5130/ijcre.v16i1.8695

This practice-based article presents strategies employed in the shifting of the Community Engaged Learning (CEL) components of an undergraduate program in community rehabilitation and disability studies (CRDS) to an online modality during the 2020-2021 Covid-19 restrictions. The CRDS program, based in Calgary, Canada places high importance on CEL with a focus on critical engagement, mentorship, and community action for social justice. The Inciting Change Makers (ICM) framework, which we present here, is foundational to our teaching and learning in this field. During the pandemic restrictions, we found the framework not only supported us to engage learners in our focus areas for inciting change, but also provided the opportunity to consider ways that the online learning environment enhanced the CEL practica experience.

Using vignettes, we demonstrate the successful use of the ICM framework in an online CEL context to develop a more authentic, engaged and inclusive community of learners. Three vignettes illustrate specific approaches used to carry out meaningful, impactful CEL opportunities in a mandated online environment. Lessons from these strategies may assist similar programs in adapting their own Community Engaged Learning programs in an increasingly online world.

Keywords:

Online Learning, Disability Studies, Pandemic Restrictions, Community Engaged Learning, Community of Learners, Critical Engagement

[michelledavis8324]

Power Your Portfolio with ICM's Energy Futures - Crude Oil Trading Experts

Partner with ICM, the leading oil trading company, and elevate your investments in crude oil. Explore the dynamic world of crude oil futures trading with confidence. Trade with us today.