Religion and Cyberspace
Abedin Siyahat Esfandiari (Iran); Dr. Mohammad Ali Heidari (Iran); Dr. Ahmad Reza Tavakoli (Iran)
Abstract
SUBJECT AND OBJECTIVES: The main question of this research is, “what is the status and use of the expedience institute in the media?” The research hypothesis is that expedience is the most important rule governing the media and its activities, which used the documentary method to investigate ...
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SUBJECT AND OBJECTIVES: The main question of this research is, “what is the status and use of the expedience institute in the media?” The research hypothesis is that expedience is the most important rule governing the media and its activities, which used the documentary method to investigate this hypothesis. Therefore, this article is organized to explain the concept of religious jurisprudential expedience in the media and to study the motivations and introduce the expedience determining reference in the media.METHOD AND FINDING: The findings of this research are that the element of expedience in the media determines the propagation of news and information. It was also found that maintaining the country's livelihood and political system, justice and security are among the most important incentives, which are the most important materials that should govern media activities in order not to harm one of them.CONCLUSION: In the present day, the media is one of the most important and influential means of social communication from the viewpoint of Shi'a religious jurisprudence. On the other hand, one of the sciences that can set norms for the media considering its universality is the science of “Religious jurisprudence”. Among the religious jurisprudential propositions, the “expedience” rule can have the most impact on setting the norm for the media.
Religion and Cyberspace
AbbasAli Barati
Abstract
SUBJECT AND OBJECTIVES: Regarding the functions of the religion in contemporary world, the cyberspace can play a decisive role in teaching, research and call for the religion.METHOD AND FINDING: Also in regard of practice of the religion and serving the humanity, this technology could be utilized ...
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SUBJECT AND OBJECTIVES: Regarding the functions of the religion in contemporary world, the cyberspace can play a decisive role in teaching, research and call for the religion.METHOD AND FINDING: Also in regard of practice of the religion and serving the humanity, this technology could be utilized and used as a very helpful instrument, but it depends on how to understand the religion and how to implement it. Ethics and Etiquette is needed for usage of this instrument.CONCLUSION: While we find that some of the extremists and terrorists are using it against the humanity and even against the fame and image of the religion, this makes a duty for the higher experts in the field of the ICT and cyberspace and also religious leaders to protect the younger generation and the future of the mankind.
Inter-Religious Dialogue
Farideh Amirfarhangi; Ahmad Ramezani
Abstract
SUBJECT AND OBJECTIVES: Aided by technology lots of people nowadays use online media many hours per day; regardless a mere access, online media is mainly used to surf net, get directions, do e-shopping, chat with friends and share messages among its many other applications.METHOD AND FINDING: while the ...
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SUBJECT AND OBJECTIVES: Aided by technology lots of people nowadays use online media many hours per day; regardless a mere access, online media is mainly used to surf net, get directions, do e-shopping, chat with friends and share messages among its many other applications.METHOD AND FINDING: while the present research tries to answer how social media as a part of online life could be used in religion field to be familiar with different religions, exchange religious ideas and in general for interfaith dialogue for peacemaking purposes such as decreasing the extent of violence, massacres, genocides and wars human beings witness these days due to faith differences. Even scholars work in religion sciences encourage people from all over the world to read about and get familiar with other religions. So far many papers have been written on the issue and it is believed that this is the duty of the elites to discuss about the problem and lead the people to the right way.CONCLUSION: The present paper however suggests that social media users can apply it to discuss about faiths and exchange their relevant religious ideas if of course they know how to analyze, evaluate and synthesize contents without bias. The authors of the present paper believe that so far the skills for dealing with media products have not been publicized in many countries. Thus, following Potter’s media skills pattern, they refer to three skills of analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of media messages.
Religion and Cyberspace
Haroon Aziz
Abstract
SUBJECT AND OBJECTIVES: The paper identifies the major spiritual problem created by imperialism and the opportunities it has unintentionally created for religious education through its own aerial platform, viz big-data cyberspace. Imperialism in its greed for materialistic power rapidly expanded globalization ...
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SUBJECT AND OBJECTIVES: The paper identifies the major spiritual problem created by imperialism and the opportunities it has unintentionally created for religious education through its own aerial platform, viz big-data cyberspace. Imperialism in its greed for materialistic power rapidly expanded globalization to the extent that the global migration of skills, expertise, cultures, languages, and religions defy their control by imperialism. In its western centres, imperialism has neglected the mental and spiritual health of its populations and has replaced spirituality with hedonism, egotism, and consumer culture, which it exports even to its periphery as cultural imperialism. In pursuit of rabid capital accumulation it has placed hardware devices in civilian hands to sell software applications as social media, which has become the social power of people, beyond its control.METHOD AND FINDING: This newfound social power of the people presents opportunities for the promotion of religious education to people who are starving for spiritual fulfilment in the midst of the oversupply of worldly goods. The technological devices, with possibilities of real-time and simultaneous communications across international boundaries, compel the development of new methodologies, new quality assurances, and new contents, which are unique and original. As knowledge is the social property of all of humanity and not the private property of individuals, states and religious organizations have to collaborate in the transfer of beneficial knowledge, skills, expertise, cultures, languages, and religions – with tolerance and understanding. It is a world where the walls of universities are metaphorically falling down and the world has become a global campus. This demands the creation of new adaptive education models in which the distinction between learners and educators is blurred.CONCLUSION: In spite of the intimidating edifice of globalization, education needs to maintain the basics of cognition, viz., language, learning, memory, intelligence, and thinking as well as the positive emoting abilities of learners/educators. Spirituality needs to be redefined, in modern scientific terms, as the natural realm of ideas, cognition, sensory inputs, emotions, perceptions, and beliefs. It is culture-specific and interpenetrated in the cortico-thalamic processes of the brain.
Inter-Religious Dialogue
Josef Kraus
Abstract
SUBJECT AND OBJECTIVES: The article is focused on Czech Muslim community and its efforts to educate, to raise public awareness and to create a dialog with Czech majority population using the internet, social networks and other modern cybernetic ways and tools. Special attention is put on Shia community ...
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SUBJECT AND OBJECTIVES: The article is focused on Czech Muslim community and its efforts to educate, to raise public awareness and to create a dialog with Czech majority population using the internet, social networks and other modern cybernetic ways and tools. Special attention is put on Shia community in South Moravia region of Czech Republic and its recently opened Muslim Cultural Center Ahlulbayt followed by Facebook campaign and electronic media coverage.METHOD AND FINDING: In the background of current so called migration crisis in Europe there is a huge impact of cyberspace on public opinion formed by anti-Islamic movements on one side and pro-refugees activists on the other. In Czech Republic, a state almost untouched by migration wave and with small Muslim community, the issue of Islam in Europe and its coexistence with Christian / atheist domestic population has become an important political topic. Islamic organizations face much pressure and responsibility for introducing their religious and political orientation.CONCLUSION: Cyberspace, the internet and social networks are highly effective option to distribute information and statements or to communicate with outside world with low costs and high impact. Analyzing these channels and their effectivity within Czech environment is one of the main aim of the article.
Inter-Religious Dialogue
Karina Arroyo
Abstract
SUBJECT AND OBJECTIVES: In this work, the objective is to analyze through an empirical research the function of the social networks used by the Mosques and Cultural Centers shi'as in Brazil for the promotion of peace and coexistence among the diferent religious groups.METHOD ...
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SUBJECT AND OBJECTIVES: In this work, the objective is to analyze through an empirical research the function of the social networks used by the Mosques and Cultural Centers shi'as in Brazil for the promotion of peace and coexistence among the diferent religious groups.METHOD AND FINDING: Shiite Muslims in Brazil participate Shiite Muslims in Brazil actively participate in government political instances in Committees to Combat Religious Intolerance (CCIR) and use social media to convene, disseminate and strengthen the community and the Islamic speech of peace. Two main examples will also be presented: Imam Hussein Cultural Center (CCIH) and The Shiite Human Rights Observatory (OXDIH), both in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.CONCLUSION: The discourse and actions developed also support the pretension of educating and informing the Brazilian population about the true mission of Islam to promote peace and peaceful coexistence.
Interpretation, Quranic Knowledge and Hadith
Hasan Alimi Baktash; Mohammad Hussein Amiri
Abstract
SUBJECT AND OBJECTIVES: This study demonstrate the impact of cyberspace and its facilities, such as Google Translate, on the boundless realm of English translations. Particularly English translations of the most sophisticated text like a chapter (Al-Falaq) of Quran has been targeted to analyze cyberspace ...
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SUBJECT AND OBJECTIVES: This study demonstrate the impact of cyberspace and its facilities, such as Google Translate, on the boundless realm of English translations. Particularly English translations of the most sophisticated text like a chapter (Al-Falaq) of Quran has been targeted to analyze cyberspace role in this regard.METHOD AND FINDING: In form of tables, 57 translation of Quran including the one offered by Google Translate has been gathered. These translations were being compared in tables with four section: Translasion, Translators, Number of translations, Percent of frequency. Then section 2 eliminated and delivered to the references. Considering the numbers and percentages after each table a discussion about the meaning and regulations of words in Arabic language is appeared and offered the best equivalence for each word. In comparison with the Google Translate suggestions these discussions indicate how much it is efficient, reliable and qualified to use Google translate as a tool of cyberspace for convey the meanings.CONCLUSION: Based on findings of the article and comparable tables, the preferred translation for Chapter Al-Falaq is as following:In the name of Allah, the All- merciful, the Gracious.1. Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak.2. and from the evil of whatever He has created.3. and from the darkness when it falls.4. and from those who blow in the knots.5. and from the envier when he envies.In conclusion according to preferred translation above and its analogy with Google Translate suggested words it seems that Google translate is yet to be a perfect machine capable of giving the suitable translations and a translator with a reasonable sense of distinction between similar conditions and parts of speech cannot yet be replaced by a translation machine with no senses.
Religion and Life
Ali Hasanain Khan Khichi (Pakistan)
Abstract
We will review in this spiritual journey One of the greatest personalities in sacrifice and redemption, he is Hussein bin Ali (Abu Shuhadaa) May Allah be pleased with him, My heart rejoiced and my pen because I have received that honor to write about an honorable person Son of the Master Ali ibn Abi ...
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We will review in this spiritual journey One of the greatest personalities in sacrifice and redemption, he is Hussein bin Ali (Abu Shuhadaa) May Allah be pleased with him, My heart rejoiced and my pen because I have received that honor to write about an honorable person Son of the Master Ali ibn Abi Talib, a pure seed with deep roots in faith. Imam Hussein derives his glory from of the Messenger of Allah Muhammad Peace be upon him. In fact, I do not find much trouble in a flow of ideas which follows one idea after the other about the wonderful example in steadfastness on the right and I am thirsty for the moment when the article will be finished to start reading it again. When I started in my writing, I did not know much about the subject, but when I read the references and resources and studied the details of Imam's life, I was surprised with many meanings that added a lot to my personality. When we talk about this great person we must mention the environment in which he grew up and the family from which he descended. They are a family of the Prophet Muhammad (Ahl Albeit), who are distinguished by good deeds, redemption and sacrifice, the reason for their preference was their commitment to the method of God and they paid precious cost to become the word of God is the highest.
Religion and Cyberspace
Dr. Ali Mohmad Rather (Singapore)
Abstract
The coming of Internet and computer has revolutionised the communication field globally. The information is at one tip of a person. It is very easy for any person to be aware about different branches of knowledge and same can be applied to world of religion. The Islam which is a global religion has been ...
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The coming of Internet and computer has revolutionised the communication field globally. The information is at one tip of a person. It is very easy for any person to be aware about different branches of knowledge and same can be applied to world of religion. The Islam which is a global religion has been greatly influenced positively as well as negatively by the new technology. The use of cyber sites of Islamic knowledge is approved and million can benefit from it within time and space benefit. However, along with tremendous advantages of has great many abuses as well.
Inter-Religious Dialogue
Mohammed Kabir Umar (Iraq)
Abstract
Interfaith dialogue in the contemporary world is one of the mostly advocated issues by moderate religious people. Ecumenical activities are being carried out worldwide either between people of the same faith; like Muslim to Muslim or Christian to Christian dialogue; or among people of different faith; ...
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Interfaith dialogue in the contemporary world is one of the mostly advocated issues by moderate religious people. Ecumenical activities are being carried out worldwide either between people of the same faith; like Muslim to Muslim or Christian to Christian dialogue; or among people of different faith; like Muslim to Christian to Jewish dialogue. To achieve this goal, various mediums are being employed by different people at suitable time and place. Mediums such as conferences, workshops, debates and exchange of messages and letters are good examples employed for interfaith dialogue. Currently, the cyberspace is another medium employed and viewed by some people as the best for interfaith dialogue. The cyberspace on its own is used in different ways in this regard. It is an all-encompassing medium which can be used for conferences, workshops, debates and exchange of letters. This brief survey looks at the role of cyberspace in interfaith dialogue.
Religion and Cyberspace
Dr. Supratman Supratman (Indonesia)
Abstract
According to data from the Association of Indonesian Internet Service Providers that the Indonesian people are the highest internet users in the world. It means that the people of Indonesia are well informed today, including regarding their religious knowledge mostly obtained via the internet. The problem ...
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According to data from the Association of Indonesian Internet Service Providers that the Indonesian people are the highest internet users in the world. It means that the people of Indonesia are well informed today, including regarding their religious knowledge mostly obtained via the internet. The problem are: Many groups of takfiri and terrorists spread their propaganda through cyberspace. Debating on social media has generally more negative effects. Most of those who argue are mutually disparaging, insulting and disbelieving. This paper will examine the role and function of the state as well as religious organizations in spreading religious teachings and values. The state functions are: State is as cyberspace controller and supervisor. State is as donors for religious organizations. Meanwhile the religious organizations have roles and functions that are: To introduce the true teachings and values of Islam. To resist the teachings of takfiri and acts of terrorism that are spread and popularized by an extremist group which their actions are named as teachings and Islamic values. To cooperate with online media from other Islamic countries. As for the object of study of this paper are the conditions in the state of Indonesia both the role of government and Islamic organizations which are representations of Indonesian Muslim society, namely: Nahdatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah. In addition, the organization of a minority group of Muslim in Indonesia is Shia with the name of the organization; Ahlul Bayt of Indonesia.
Religion and Cyberspace
Sartaj Ahmad Sofi (India)
Abstract
The 21st century, no doubt, witnessed a rapid transformation generally and particularly in Information and Communication Technology (ICT). This has resulted in the emancipation of globalization in the entire world. The primitive ways of disseminating Information and Communication attitudes have been ...
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The 21st century, no doubt, witnessed a rapid transformation generally and particularly in Information and Communication Technology (ICT). This has resulted in the emancipation of globalization in the entire world. The primitive ways of disseminating Information and Communication attitudes have been enhanced to a greater extent. Acquiring information has gone electronic whereby one can reach every part of the world to source information from his local point. Teachers and books are no longer the only sources of information. Educational accessibility is now vast the most students are seemingly more informed than their teachers. Currently, education or learnedness has no boundary and as such no apex, all for in the impact of ICT. The present study is meant to deal with the concept of information and communication Technologies (ITC) and sought to examine the important role of it in promotion of religious education. It will also analyze the advantages and disadvantages of ICT and provide some suggestive measures to make better use of ICT for the promotion of Religious Education (RE).
Religion and Cyberspace
Jeanne Francoise (Indonesia); Wayan Midhio (Indonesia); Triyoga Budi Prasetyo (Indonesia)
Abstract
This paper, that will be presented in the First International Conference of Capacity and Impact of Cyberspace in Promoting Religious Education, October 19-20, 2017 in Al-Mustafa Open University, Iran, has an hypotesis that Islam is the great religion that could give the solid foundation for human being ...
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This paper, that will be presented in the First International Conference of Capacity and Impact of Cyberspace in Promoting Religious Education, October 19-20, 2017 in Al-Mustafa Open University, Iran, has an hypotesis that Islam is the great religion that could give the solid foundation for human being among modernism ideas and to describe the local wisdom that is always giving a good benefit to the moslem life and their surroundings in the digital or Internet time. This view had been analyzed on the ideas of Syeikh Muhammad Abduh, a great muslim scholar, revolutionary fatwa maker and also a great ulama in Egypt. To analyze his ideas and local wisdom, this paper use qualitative method with the combination of sources from academic journals, books and news about how moslem people nowadays can absorb the highlight ideas of Islam and local wisdom based on Abduh’s thougts. On the analysis part, this paper will write the short biography and the ideas of Abduh, especially his concept of “one ummah”, the definition of local wisdom based on Al-Quran and Hadist and the concept of modernism related to current islamic fatwa concerning local wisdom. Besides, this paper will relate those thoughts of Abduh with the condition of Indonesian moslems nowadays, based on current statistics and surveys, to value how much is Indonesian moslems think about the modern islamic political issues in the digital or Internet time. This paper is hoped to spread ideas that Islam is a good religion that can maintain local wisdom, eventhough at the same time, moslem people have to do jihad to defend their tauhid. Besides, this paper is also hoped to be a new perspective to the concept of local wisdom in the mind of western philosophy based on UN SDGs Agenda to preserve local wisdom, so that in the UN General Assembly, the honorable delegations could think about Islamic values within their policies about local wisdom in the digital or Internet time.
Religion and Cyberspace
Syed Mohammad Hossein Sadat Chavoshiyan (Iran)
Abstract
Compared to traditional media, an important characteristic of modern media is that it taps on electric and electronic means and it has extensive coverage. The most important characteristic of traditional media is that it creates a face-to-face communication between addresser and addressees. Modern media ...
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Compared to traditional media, an important characteristic of modern media is that it taps on electric and electronic means and it has extensive coverage. The most important characteristic of traditional media is that it creates a face-to-face communication between addresser and addressees. Modern media has its roots in modernism and is a direct consequence of modern societies. Modern media especially visual media represent the dominant values in the society and has altered the function of family toward more individualism, and individual behavioral patterns. Under the influence of modern media, families are losing their traditional function and are experiencing new functions. A function geared toward more individualism and catering for the individual needs of family members, a function that challenged the traditional dominant values of the family. Among all the contributing factors, modern media in their various forms and comprehensive advertisements, have played a pivotal role in internalizing characteristics of modern world and specially individualism among family members. The current study aims to investigate the new functions of family in accordance with the role played by visual media in the modern society.
Religion and Cyberspace
Sally Kawtharany (Lebanon)
Abstract
A Quranic researcher's personality should be identified by the scientific characters because his/her efforts should be based on evidence and truth to acquire knowledge, And without any doubt, the basic role here is to transform the Quranic givens to realistic values that shapes the society into a better ...
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A Quranic researcher's personality should be identified by the scientific characters because his/her efforts should be based on evidence and truth to acquire knowledge, And without any doubt, the basic role here is to transform the Quranic givens to realistic values that shapes the society into a better place, by trying to provide solutions for the problems and crises that our society is passing through, and develop our society's issues based on the Quranic visions. Moreover, based on our belief that it is necessary to start the development from the needs of the society, and in order for the Quranic researcher to complete this role in the perfect and most delightful way, this paper represents a new flame that will surely help in strengthening the researcher's ability, and in providing new technological techniques and tools of “Data Science” and specifically “Big Data”, in order to provide Quranic students and institutions a huge power that will lead to analyze the new era's situations and needs. Data Science is the process of extracting data from different sources to detect the directions and visions that represents it. This whole process leads us to produce and come up with the right techniques and decisions in any issue that is tackled. However, when such science is putting in the hands of a Quranic sciences researcher, we will be investing a productive mentality, and getting a step closer to treat the polarity that the Muslim lives trying to connect between theories and the practical reality. This paper studies the greatest profit that can be produced by the Data Science in understanding and analyzing the Islamic reality. This paper can also be a dependable research that a researcher can rely on through his/her Quranic studies so he/she can start with eliminating the society's worries through knowing the major issues to be handled, detecting the most popular Quranic-understanding misconceptions, analyzing the cultural and social backgrounds that affects the Islamic area, and studying the correlation for different phenomenon. We emphasize in this paper the new role that the Quranic mentalities of students and institutions should play on account the digital civilization that we are facing, through getting the help from the Quranic culture and education first, and the technological revolution second, specifically the Data Science.
Religion and Cyberspace
Amber Zehra (Pakistan)
Abstract
A detailed analysis of current trends in virtual learning that can be applied for future studies of religious education and sharing results of introducing a new concept of virtual E-learning in Shia Islamic Education. A detailed study and analysis of latest trends in virtual Learning being applied in ...
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A detailed analysis of current trends in virtual learning that can be applied for future studies of religious education and sharing results of introducing a new concept of virtual E-learning in Shia Islamic Education. A detailed study and analysis of latest trends in virtual Learning being applied in different educational sectors that is yielding great benefits for educating young generation. Also share the outcome of applying these new virtual learning trends and techniques used in introducing a new concept of E-learning in Shia Islamic Education Platform by the name of ‘KAZ Online School’. The results will be based on quantitative statistical analysis based on behaviours and adaptive trends of more than 200 subscribers/learner’s of KAZ Online School. Virtual learning can help us to propagate the Islamic education across the globe to even remote areas and unlock new arenas for both preaching the true Islamic concepts within Islamic community and inter-faith dialogue. For this we need to understand the reaping benefits of latest developments and technologies being used in virtual learning space by different educational sectors. And then apply this to our current Islamic Education methodologies. This detail study and analysis will help to understand the future trends that are required to be adapted to attract and inspire future generations towards great treasure of Islamic education and values through virtual learning.
Religion and Cyberspace
Ionut Cristian Baru (Romania)
Abstract
Even before modern technological era, there was a close relationship between religious education and technology. Religion has helped many people to understand new technologies and technologies have led to new understandings of religion, and even new forms of religion. Religious education can focus on ...
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Even before modern technological era, there was a close relationship between religious education and technology. Religion has helped many people to understand new technologies and technologies have led to new understandings of religion, and even new forms of religion. Religious education can focus on a variety of sacred concerns including myth, ritual, symbol, scripture, doctrine and experience, and furthermore as Jeff Astley (Astley, 1994) says in a context can and does ecompass indoctrination, personal formation, reasons and emotions. However these concerns tend to fall into two general categories the ethical one (or relational) and transcendental one. Nowadays a variety of video games explicitly aim toward religion. Video games researchers note that within video games, religion tends to suffer from a narrative and procedural incongruity. For example Michael Walthemathe suggests that video games provide a narrative and procedural platform for playful identity formation and ethical reflection, Ian Bogost (Bogost, 2007, p. 288) observes that religious video games are undermining their religious aims by adopting the conventions of mainstream video games genres without regard for their implicit procedural rhetoric. Also Harry J. Brown (Brown, 2008, pp. 104 – 107) notes that along with the promotion of an ethical concern for the weak, video games promote a reactive ethic of vigilantism and violence against all members of a given social class or oppositional alignement. So if video games once struggled for legitimacy as a cultural product, today the business of video games is booming, and increasingly the art of video games is turning to religious themes as not just inspiration but as central plot elements. We find moral decisions, invented religions, the power to create and experience virtual religious spaces and much more outcomes like these. Through a consideration of a list of popular video games this article proposes to show how video games teach their players the new gospel of cyberspace, where they can be what they want without effort and major consequences for the real life.
