Islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Islam - Essay Example Polytheism mostly in the form of animism was rampant among the Bedouin tribes in the pre-Islamic Arabia (â€Å"Culture and Religion†). Their tribes or families sold women in pre-Islamic Arabia to their husbands in exchange for dowry. Pre-Islamic Arabia had unlimited polygamy. Divorce among the Arabs of the pre-Islamic peninsula was a totally unregulated male prerogative. Women were granted no rights with respect to divorce. Women were not given anything from inheritance. People would bury their daughters alive. Despite the gender discrimination, forces of cultural unity in the tribal structure existed in the pre-Islamic Arabia. Qasidah was a special style of Arabic poetry that celebrated the ethos of honor and bravery of the Bedouins. It is the very existence of Qasidah, recited at tribal gatherings and market fairs that â€Å"has convinced historians that the Arabs of the seventh century possessed a common poetic language that could be understood in different regions of the peninsula† (Cleveland and Bunton

Hong Kong Land Holdings Limited Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Hong Kong Land Holdings Limited - Case Study Example Even though HKL gave the least bid, HKL lost MPFA to Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited because the tenant had certain technological and modern standards which Landmark did not fulfill. As a result HKL lost HK$ 900,201 per month from rental income. Threat of takeovers: Competitors believed that HKL was not fully utilizing its commercial properties. Subsequently so as to unlock the shareholder value the leading tycoons of Hong Kong tried to take over HKL. HKL sold some of its valuable holdings in order to fight of the take over. Even so two competitors, Cheung Kong (Holdings) Limited and Hutchison Whampoa Limited, managed to secure a 4.7% interest in HKL. Location: Of the 11 estates it owns in Hong Kong, 8 of them are located in Central District (Exhibit 3). In addition the 11 Charter Road Development property is expected to be completed in 2002 which will further increase the market dominance in Central District (Exhibit 4). It is said that Central is the 'Financial Heart' of Hong Kong. So HKL's portfolio of Commercial Assets is concentrated in a promising market. Convenience: The buildings in HKL's holdings have ease of access to every from of public transportation-the railway, airport and subway. In addition the buildings are all linked by a Central Pedestrian Bridge System which eases the movement of those who work or shop in the buildings regardless of the weather. For instance Alexandra House & Prince Buildings are linked by pedestrian walkways that run across Ice House Street. There is also a walkway that links Jardine House to Swire house and One Exchange Square (Exhibit 15) Customer Groups: HKL has managed to attract leading brand retailers. Ermenegilo, Zegna, Prada, Ralph Lauren, and Gucci are some of the international brand retailers that are entering the Hong Kong market. These companies are beginning to see Hong Kong as a good market for their files. The presence of these clients increases the marketability of its retail properties particularly in Central District. Besides the brand retailers, HKL has also managed to create a portfolio of food and beverage shops in its shopping centers. This has improved the marketability of HKL's Holdings. Brand Name: Through its promotional activities HKL has managed to redefine its role as the leading landlord. It was also successful in building up a commercial image for Central District through its partners. Its long experience in the business has enabled it to become business partners with its tenants especially in Central which it has been working since 1889 Weaknesses Age of its properties: Most of HKL's buildings are more than 20 years old (Exhibit 14). With changing modern buildings and improved technologies, most tenants are willing to pay more for new buildings. Equity Fund Raising: Although HKL is working in Hong Kong, it is not listed in the stock market of Hong Kong because of political fears. Therefore cannot fund its needs locally by issuing shares. Nature of Leases: Most of HKL's lease terms were short term. In 1999 alone, 25% of leases were due for renewal. With short renewal cycles HKL is forced to reduce its rental prices in order to retain its existing customers. Threats Economic Problems: The Asian Economic Crisis and the handling