This book discusses mysticism and its possible contributions to a positive common human future. It is organized into three parts - “Studies of Mystical Traditions,� “Comparative Studies of Mystical Traditions,� and “Social and Ethical Implications." The approach is philosophical and critical. The contributors differ on whether or not mystical traditions would restore peaceful living and peaceful coexistence. However, the problem before this manuscript is the growing pain and suffering caused by greed in the world, greed causing economic disequilibrium, racism and divisiveness causing social unrest resulting in mass migration and refugees’ crisis.   Through the lens of “mystical traditions," the manuscript proposes a balance approach between material and spiritual needs of people. To strengthen human spiritualty, the manuscript emphasizes practicing meditation, music, prayers, zikr, yoga, mindfulness, fasting and other methods of spiritual revival for peace within self and with others. 

This book provides a multidisciplinary commentary on a wide range of religious traditions and their relationship to acts of violence. Hate and violence occur at every level of human interaction, as do peace and compassion. Scholars of religion have a particular obligation to make sense out of this situation, tracing its history and variables, and drawing lessons for the future. From the formative periods of the religious traditions to their application in the contemporary world, the essays in this volume interrogate the views on violence found within the traditions and provide examples of religious practices that exacerbate or ameliorate situations of conflict.

This book provides a multidisciplinary commentary on a wide range of religious traditions and their relationship to acts of violence. Hate and violence occur at every level of human interaction, as do peace and compassion. Scholars of religion have a particular obligation to make sense out of this situation, tracing its history and variables, and drawing lessons for the future. From the formative periods of the religious traditions to their application in the contemporary world, the essays in this volume interrogate the views on violence found within the traditions and provide examples of religious practices that exacerbate or ameliorate situations of conflict.

This book gathers scholars from the three major monotheistic religions to discuss the issue of poverty and wealth from the varied perspectives of each tradition. It provides a cadre of values inherent to the sacred texts of Jews, Christians, and Muslims and illustrates how these values may be used to deal with current economic inequalities. Contributors use the methodologies of religious studies to provide descriptions and comparisons of perspectives from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam on poverty and wealth. The book presents citations from the sacred texts of all three religions. The contributors discuss the interpretations of these texts and the necessary contexts, both past and present, for deciphering the stances found there. Poverty and Wealth in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam identifies and details a foundation of common values upon which individual and institutional decisions may be made.

This book gathers scholars from the three major monotheistic religions to discuss the issue of poverty and wealth from the varied perspectives of each tradition. It provides a cadre of values inherent to the sacred texts of Jews, Christians, and Muslims and illustrates how these values may be used to deal with current economic inequalities. Contributors use the methodologies of religious studies to provide descriptions and comparisons of perspectives from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam on poverty and wealth. The book presents citations from the sacred texts of all three religions. The contributors discuss the interpretations of these texts and the necessary contexts, both past and present, for deciphering the stances found there. Poverty and Wealth in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam identifies and details a foundation of common values upon which individual and institutional decisions may be made.

It is important new text book, sharply focous on begomoviruses. It is first report from Pakistan. The sequences obtained in this study were compared with reported sequence in NCBI database using BLAST analysis and preliminary results showed that clone FQ-1 is a strain of MeYVMV and FQ-2, FQ-3 and FQ-4 are isolates of AEV. Sequence FQ-1 were downloaded and used for sequence comparison in MegAlign by Clustal V method. MegAlign results showed that clone FQ-1 has between 89.9 and 91.9% identity to MeYVMV. It encodes six ORF typical of Old World begomoviruses. The complete sequence of FQ-1 is submitted to NCBI databank under accession no. HE578897. Phylogenetic analysis showed that sequence of obtained in this study has a distinct position in the phylogenetic tree and it appears to be among the ancestors of already reportd MeYVMV. In multiple alignment the comparison of the IR sequence of MeYVMV (DNA-A) with that of other isolates of the species showed that it has a stem-loop structure (with a nonanucleotide TAATATTAC) and TATA box forming part of Rep promoter like other begomoviruses. There are three iterons (ACCGA/CT), F1 and F2 on virion-sense strand and R1 on complementary strand.

Air pollution in the cities can be attributed to incomplete combustion of fuel and use of badly and not properly maintained vehicles. Plants growing in such polluted environment or close to busy roads are found highly affected due to vehicular exhaust emission. The phenology, periodicity and productivity of plants growing close to the busy roads are highly affected. The problematic areas of toxic effects of hydrocarbon, oxides of nitrogen & sulfur, CO, particulate matter, heavy metals and specially lead and cadmium are highly toxic for normal growth of plants reported. The toxicity and tolerance to some heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, copper, zinc, nickel and iron in plants are commonly reported by researchers. The accumulation and use of plant as a bioindicator of pollutant can help in understanding the current level of pollutants in the environment. n attempt has been made to Information embodied in this book can be helpful for people working for the betterment of the immediate environment.

The cosmopolitan whitefly species, Bemisia tabaci has always been regarded as pests to a large range of worldwide crops. They are capable of transmitting plant viruses of different groups. Well-studied B. tabaci populations that have been differentiated are referred to as races or biotypes. Some of the commonly reported biotypes are B, Q, M, B2, L, H, A, C, N, K, R, P, E, S, J and AN. An analysis of genetic diversity of whitefly across Pakistan was conducted. It was based upon phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequence of mitochondrial gene Cytochrom Oxidase I. All sequences of mtCOI genes of whitefly samples from eight different geographical areas (Arif wala, Multan, Lodhran, Shujaabad, Bahawalnagar, Kabir wala, Tiba Sultanpur and Khanewal) were grouped in B. tabaci (Asia II). Sequencing results showed that clones obtained in this study were less diverse as they had between 98.3% and 99.6% identity among themselves and between 98.7% and 100% identity with the reported sequences available in databases. This study emphasizes more focus on molecular analysis of whiteflies and it provides relatively widely distributed data regarding the molecular characterization of whitefly from Pakistan.

This doctoral thesis reports analytical and numerical results for the electrostatic response of a dusty plasma to a moving test charge. Two important physical aspects of dusty plasmas, namely grain size distribution and grain charging dynamics were taken into account. It appears that the dynamical charging of the grains in a dusty plasma enhances the shielding of a test charge. To clarify the physics, a separate study is made where the charging is approximated by using a time delay. The resulting potential shows the delayed shielding effect explicitly. was observed that the grain charging dynamics leads to a spatial damping and a phase shift in the potential response. Finally, combining these two physical aspects, generalized results for the electrostatic potential were found incorporating the terms from both grain size distribution and grain charging dynamics. The generalized results contain the previous work where these two effects were studied separately and which can now be found as special limiting cases. This kind of work has relevance both in space and astrophysical plasmas.

This collection of essays challenges the traditional patriarchal approach to sacred literature by highlighting gender parity in sacred texts and envisioning the rise of the matriarchy in the future. The authors redefine Biblical Greek words like malakoi and arsenokoitai used in condemnation of homosexuality, and Qur'anic words like darajah and qawwamun, used for establishing patriarchy. One author reexamines the role of the Nepalese Teej festival of fasting and worship of the god Shiva in promoting male hegemony in Hinduism. Other papers examine passages like Proverbs 31:1-31, the stories of Sarah and Rahab in the Bible, the role of Mary in the Qur'an, and the Dharmic conversion in chapter 27 of the Lotus Sutra. This book makes it clear that sacred literature is subject to human understanding as it evolves through space and time. Today, as more women are educated and actively engaged in political, economic, and social life, religions are challenged to redefine gender roles and norms.