Free Essays on Muslims

â€Å"Muslim society had a sophistication matched at that time only by the Tang Empire of China.† (Mcdougal Littell, 242) The Muslim society was very advanced in many ways compared to the societies of other major civilizations. They made great advancements in the blending of cultures, math and science, and arts and literature. All this made possible the a semblance of the House of Wisdom, a combination library academy, and translation center. Muslim culture was centered around its four social classes. It included the born Muslims at the top. Converts were in the next class and had to pay higher taxes than the born Muslims. Next came the non-Muslim people who paid the most taxes of them all. The lowest class were the slaves, all of whom were non-Muslim. Muslims believed that math was the basis of all knowledge. A Muslim first described â€Å"al-jabr†, which we still use today as Algebra. Many of the Muslim’s researched of math lead to scientific discoveries. Astronomy and Optics were two fields in which the Muslims greatly excelled in. Ibn Haytham was the person to discover that rays pass from object to eyes. Literature was a strong tradition to the culture All literature stemmed from things such as bravery, love, generosity, and hospitality. All the culture’s literature was based on the sacred Qur’an. Muslims also had a deep interest in art, though they had to come up with inter esting ways to do it. Islam forbid the painting of humans. So artist came up with creative ways to do it, for example using calligraphy. But the most beautiful thing from their culture was the architecture. Though Muslims are now regarded as back-wards in their ways of women. In this particular time period Muslim women had more rights than most women. Poor women could work along side their husbands and the rich ones overlooked servants and could even get an education.... Free Essays on Muslims Free Essays on Muslims â€Å"Muslim society had a sophistication matched at that time only by the Tang Empire of China.† (Mcdougal Littell, 242) The Muslim society was very advanced in many ways compared to the societies of other major civilizations. They made great advancements in the blending of cultures, math and science, and arts and literature. All this made possible the a semblance of the House of Wisdom, a combination library academy, and translation center. Muslim culture was centered around its four social classes. It included the born Muslims at the top. Converts were in the next class and had to pay higher taxes than the born Muslims. Next came the non-Muslim people who paid the most taxes of them all. The lowest class were the slaves, all of whom were non-Muslim. Muslims believed that math was the basis of all knowledge. A Muslim first described â€Å"al-jabr†, which we still use today as Algebra. Many of the Muslim’s researched of math lead to scientific discoveries. Astronomy and Optics were two fields in which the Muslims greatly excelled in. Ibn Haytham was the person to discover that rays pass from object to eyes. Literature was a strong tradition to the culture All literature stemmed from things such as bravery, love, generosity, and hospitality. All the culture’s literature was based on the sacred Qur’an. Muslims also had a deep interest in art, though they had to come up with inter esting ways to do it. Islam forbid the painting of humans. So artist came up with creative ways to do it, for example using calligraphy. But the most beautiful thing from their culture was the architecture. Though Muslims are now regarded as back-wards in their ways of women. In this particular time period Muslim women had more rights than most women. Poor women could work along side their husbands and the rich ones overlooked servants and could even get an education....

Shopping Online and Shipping to Canada

Shopping Online and Shipping to Canada If youre on the Canadian side of the border and shopping online on American sites, hidden costs may catch you by surprise. There are things you should check before you give out your credit card number. First, ensure that the shopping site offers international shipping or at least shipping to Canada. Theres little more irritating than going through an online store, filling your shopping cart, and then discovering that the vendor doesnt ship outside the United States. Shipping Charges to Canada Good sites will list their shipping policies and procedures upfront, usually in the customer service or help sections. Shipping charges are determined by weight, size, distance, speed, and number of items. Read the details carefully. Dont forget to factor in the exchange rate for the shipping charges as well as for the cost of the merchandise. Even if the exchange rate is in your favor, your credit card company will likely add a charge for currency conversion. The shipping charges and methods of shipment, usually mail or courier, arent the total cost youll have to pay to get that package across the border. Youll also have to pay Canadian customs duties, taxes, and customs brokerage fees. Canadian Customs Duties Because of the North American Free Trade Agreement, Canadians dont have to pay duties on most American and Mexican manufactured items. But just because you buy an item from a U.S. store doesnt mean it was made in the United States; its possible it was imported into the United States first. If so, you may be charged duty when it comes into Canada. So check before you buy and if possible get something in writing from the online store in case the Canada Customs people decide to be particular. Duties on goods vary widely, depending on the product and the country where it was manufactured. In general, on goods ordered from a foreign retailer, there is no assessment unless Canada Customs can collect at least $1 in duties and taxes. If you have questions about Canada customs and duties, contact the Border Information Service during business hours and speak to an officer. Canadian Taxes Just about everything individuals import into Canada is subject to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 5 percent. The GST is calculated after customs duties have been applied. Youll also have to pay the applicable Canadian Provincial Sales Tax (PST) or Quebec Sales Tax (QST). The provincial retail sales tax rates vary between provinces, as do the goods and services to which the tax is applied and how the tax is applied. In Canadian provinces with a Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, and Prince Edward Island), youll be charged the HST rather than the separate GST and provincial sales tax. Customs Brokers Fees Fees for customs brokers services can really surprise you. Courier companies and postal services use customs brokers to get packages processed through Canada Customs at the Canadian border. Fees for that service will be passed along to you. Canada Post is authorized to charge the recipient a handling fee of $5 for mail items and $8 for express mail items for collecting duties and taxes assessed by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). If there is no duty or tax owed, they dont charge a fee. Customs brokers fees for courier companies vary but are usually much higher than the Canada Post fee. Some courier companies include the custom brokers fees in the courier service price, depending on the level of courier service you select. Others will add the customs brokers fees on top and youll have to pay those before you can get your parcel. If you select a courier service for shipping to Canada, check whether the level of service includes customs brokers fees. If it isnt mentioned on the online shopping site youre using, you can check the service guide on the individual courier company website or call the local number of the courier company to find out their policies on international shopping.