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The Impact of Islam in the History of Catholic Evangelization in Northwest Nigeria
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Today, Nigeria is home for both Christians and Muslims. Before the arrival of Christianity and Islam in Nigeria, there was the indigenous African Traditional Religion (ATR). The different cultures, tribes, or ethnic groups in Nigeria had different modes of worship and religious practices in the light of this African Traditional Religion. Today, many Nigerians are either Muslims or Christians. Christianity and Islam have now dominated African Traditional Religion. Trade played a significant role in the transportation and establishment of Islam and Christianity in Nigeria. Northern Nigeria began to have contact with Islam between the ninth and eleventh centuries, while southern Nigeria began to have contact with Christianity around the fifteenth century.
Christianity and Islam are missionary religions by nature, and they are oriented toward evangelization for new converts. The quest for new converts was integral to both religions. Islam and Christianity had a common goal in Nigeria: to convert African Traditionalists, members of the African Traditional Religion. This led to a clash of interest between Christianity and Islam that has created tension, suspicion, and doubt among Christians and Muslims in Nigeria leading to religious violence and crises, even to present day. It seems that the gap between Christians and Muslims today is getting wider. The question is: What can Muslims and Christians do to decrease the tension between them? The clarion call for synergy among Christians and Muslims for peaceful coexistence in Nigeria is pertinent
Preparation and Characterization of Phthalocyanine Photocatalysts Supported on Mixed Metal Oxides
Get PDFThis research explores the development of hybrid photocatalysts by combining GeO₂ doping of metal oxides with phthalocyanine functionalization to enhance the degradation of Methyl Orange (MO) dye under visible light. Four metal oxide supports, TiO₂, Al₂O₃, SiO₂, and ZrO₂, were tested in their pristine form, then modified with GeO₂ and further functionalized by solution adsorption using two types of zinc phthalocyanines: F₁₆PcZn and F₆₄PcZn.
The degradation of MO was monitored using UV-Vis spectroscopy, and kinetic models were applied to evaluate the reaction rates. The results showed that the bare oxides exhibited little to no photocatalytic performance. GeO₂ doping improved activity modestly. The greatest enhancement was observed after they were functionalized with phthalocyanines, particularly F₆₄PcZn.
Among all tested systems, TiO₂/GeO₂/F₆₄PcZn and Al₂O₃/GeO₂/F₆₄PcZn demonstrated the fastest degradation, with half-life values of 20 and 18 minutes, respectively, marking a dramatic improvement compared to over 2000 minutes for bare TiO₂. These findings highlight the synergistic effects of oxide doping and molecular sensitization in designing efficient photocatalysts for potential environmental applications
“The Atmosphere that Supports Life on Earth”: An Ecocritical Approach to Tolkien’s Arda
Get PDFEcocriticism speaks to the relationship between the environment and literature, a progressively vital topic of discussion. What is often overlooked, however, is the necessity of the theory’s applicability to stories of speculative fiction; that is, ones existing outside the realm of the real world or, as is the case with the father of modern-day fantasy J.R.R. Tolkien, a mythology set in the ancient days of our world (“Arda”). At first, it may seem contradictory to learn about our surroundings through fictionalized ones seemingly irrelevant to Earth’s own; this apparent contradiction is not valid, though, as the relationship between humans and nature remains a central discourse within literature, regardless of the setting’s inclusion or exclusion of realistic qualities. The application of ecocriticism to the works within Tolkien’s expansive legendarium is a relatively new and emerging academic area of interest, despite his being at the forefront of speculative fiction. With the current limited availability of these secondary sources, it is undoubtable that there exist blatant gaps in the field. This becomes especially true when observing Tolkien’s mountain motif and emblematic usage of trees. In fact, the interplay between mountains, trees, and humanity within Arda has yet to be explored. This thesis, then, seeks to rectify this lack by coining a new term—the ecocritical trinity, based in medievalism, Catholicism, and slow violence—and applying this complex theory to the foundational novels of his legendarium: The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings, which itself consists of three identifiable parts: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. When analyzed in connection with one another, these texts begin to piece together an overarching chronicle of the fundamental battle between good versus evil that resides at the heart of Tolkien’s Arda, in which the mountains and trees consistently and effectively predict and reflect the mythical world’s increasingly disturbed cultural, social, and political climates vi throughout. By uncovering this ecological pattern, a nuanced perspective of Arda’s environment unfolds, emphasizing its inimitable role in defining and enhancing Tolkien’s legendarium’s narrative
Banning Congressional Stock Trading: Will Congress Vote for a Bill That Prevents Them From Profiting Off Industries They Regulate to Help Restore the Country’s Faith in the Political Process?
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