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As the topic of Trade has been explained, Free Trade is a system of trade policy that allows traders to act and transact without interference from government. According to the law of comparative advantage the policy permits trading partners mutual gains from trade of goods and services.

Under a free trade policy, prices are a reflection of true supply and demand, and are the sole

determinant of resource allocation. Free trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services amongst trading countries are determined by artificial prices that may or may not reflect the true nature of supply and demand. These artificial prices are the result of protectionist trade policies, whereby governments intervene in the market through price adjustments and supply restrictions. Such government interventions can increase as well as decrease the cost of goods and services to both consumers and producers.

Here we review some guidelines to Islamic Trade laws gathered in a research done by the Shirazi Foundation. We have extracted this research from the books written by the experts in Shia Law and theological teachers which state;

“Ayatollah Sayid Sadiq Shirazi believes in order to prosper in a society; a governing system needs to be free of any affiliation to any government  party in which he believes that, “freedom is innate and fundamental to mankind. Liberation is the tangible material form of this originality. But where does the evidence of freedom lie? More precisely: where do we find liberation? To this very delicate and testing question, H.E Shirazi elaborates by giving examples including and not limited to:  freedom legislated by Islam including the freedom of establishing trade unions, the freedom, of selling, or buying, mortgage, security, invention,giving bonds, reconciliation, insurance, companies,transaction,agriculture,land ownership,deposits, property leases,renting and letting, or opening a shop , of taking a profession,  of creating industries and many more…. .”

Resources:

Sayed Mohammad. Shirazi, “The Way to Muslim Revival”, pp 344-346

Free Trade, American Policy Source: Presidentialelection.com

Gathered by:

Research Department of Shirazi Foundation

Washington D.C

 

The Shirazi Foundation attended an event hosted by the Cato Institute  titled The Evolution of Everything: How New Ideas Emerge Cato Institute. A panel of experts  discussed many  points including  the evolution of religion and its effects. Experts  also noted that throughout history governmental evolution started from  a monopoly of violence but evolved into something quite different. The speaker made an analogy of the evolution and the emergence of the english language and how its rules evolved from it vs. Ideas such as the light bulb and how that invention was claimed by more than just Thomas Edison, some  claim that the credit  should go to the inventor Joseph Swan. A point was made by a panelist that humans may have the ability to change history through their actions

 

 

The  Shirazi Foundation attended an event hosted by the Atlantic Council titled National Security And The Cyber Threat Landscape​ – A Conversation With The Hon. John P. Carlin, Assistant Attorney General For National Security Atlantic Council. The Keynote speaker spoke on the subject matter of cyber security and  it’s international negative effects. An expert in the field of cyber security stated that the strategy has changed from a large scale cyber attacks to long term crowd sourcing strategies used by terrorist.

The speaker suggested that it is best that individuals who are caught hacking should be pursued and charged through the abuse act. Hackers have recently been known to travel to different countries in order to launch cyber attacks on the United States. it was also stated that it is the fundamental and governmental responsibility to stop hackers and thieves from stealing private information. Experts are also seeking to find out weather information was stolen through cyber attacks for economic use. 

 

As it is an essential part of any growing economy, the tax topic remains one of few topics where the Democratic party and the Republican party have major differences in.  Both parties favor tax cuts, but each party takes a different view on where those tax cuts should be applied. The Democrats believe there should only be cuts for middle and low income families, but believe they should be higher on corporations and wealthy individuals. The Republicans believe there should be tax cuts for everyone, both corporations and people of all income levels.

Islam is the  fourth-largest faith in the United States, after Christianity, Judaism and Buddhism.[1] It was followed by 0.9% of the population in 2010, compared to 78.3% who follow Christianity, 16.4% unaffiliated, 1.8% Judaism and 1.2% Buddhism.

American Muslims come from various backgrounds and, according to a 2009 Gallup poll, are one of the most racially diverse religious groups in the United States. American Shia Muslims not only have the responsibility to pay the obligational Tax set by their country, all responsible Shia Muslim adults are held accountable to pay an Islamic Tax often referred to as Khums (Religious Tax).

 In the following paragraphs, we explain the Islamic Tax System, according to the expert in  Islamic Law, and extracted from Islamic Fighh (Law) books.

Islamic Tax System. These taxes are obligational to all adults capable of paying them and heads of households.  In the book Islamic Law by Sayid Sadiq Shirazi  these are the rules in which govern the individual who must pay these taxes that are based in religious doctrine outlined by the Grand Ayatollah. In regards to Islamic tax and Monetary Duties first and foremost It is not permissible to levy any kind of monetary taxes other than the mandatory individual Tax  duties which are the Khums, the Zakah, the Jizyah, and the Khiraj. Also In regards to Islamic tax and Monetary Duties

First and foremost It is not permissible to levy any kind of monetary taxes other than the “mandatory individual Tax”  duties which are the Khums, the Zakah, the Jizyah, and the Khira.  in further understanding the difference between the colossal statutory taxes we have today and the Islamic Monetary System, As Sayed Sadiq point out in his book, the Islamic Law (710-711):   “there are many differences some of which are that the Islamic Monetary System secures all the needs – with far greater and better freedoms – to the extent that it observes to the debts of the debtors and the deceased, contrary to the system of the statutory taxes today. A comparison between the history of religious law  , and the world economic system today, as well as other matters between the two, reveals this truth clearly.

Islam devised a developing economy that develops according to the expansion and increase in the needs and requirements of society, for it has the principles that address fundamental issues and others that tackle the changing requirements.

Islam has it’s own approach towards the taxing system and it is neither Republican nor Democratic, instead it focuses on rights of people, and increasing the ability of government serving people and providing and supporting those who cannot support themselves anymore or have one way or another lost the ability to become financially stable.

Gathered by:

Research Department of Shirazi Foundation

Washington D.C

 

The Shirazi Foundation attended an event hosted by the Elliott School of International Affairs titled Expanding Cities and Transforming Religions in Contemporary China. A keynote speaker addressed experts in various fields about his research into China’s many religions  and how the belief system of ghost and spirits  affects the country and the practices that are associated with being apart of one of the many new age religions that have been formed. Experts also discussed rituals that take place on the new year in some religions and made mention that some individuals have changed the beliefs of the old religion that existed before being modernized. By his observation some of the things that has been  added to the new religion  include  chinese religious leaders who conduct a pilgrimage of roughly twelve hundred people that was not practice beforehand. Experts also mentioned that some of the new religious leaders have profited from these current changes. 

 

The Shirazi Foundation attended an event hosted by the Elliott School of International Affairs, titled Young Islam– A Conversation with Avi Spiege. The keynote speaker went in depth on topics such as Islamic movements in the middle east and the  dynamics of  different styles of recruitment  that takes place within these movements. The experts also analyzed how his research has lead him to a conclusion that every participant in these movements does not always listen to those who have been placed in command. Experts also further expressed that Islamist activistism  in some arab countries has become an  “Urbanized Phenomenon”.

 

The Shirazi Foundation attended an event hosted by the Atlantic Council titled A Conversation with Tunisian Nobel Prize Laureate Hussein Abassi Atlantic Council.  The panel of experts and keynote speakers mentioned that social stability is the best way forward toward achieving  security. Experts also stated that they believe the best pathway is to find the link between economic, social and security. A panelist added that Tunisia is a country in transition looking for ways to reach social reform.

 

The Shirazi Foundation attended an event titled Beyond Tolerance  A Call to Religious Freedom and Hopeful Action hosted by Shoulder-to-Shoulder in the National Cathedral.

many speakers from different faiths and backgrounds spoke of the importance in many faiths  that the value of neighbors are all inclusive. Religious leaders called for religious freedoms and hopeful action  during the event, religious leaders called upon elected officials to sign a  pledge against bigotry, discrimination, harassment, and violence based on religion or belief.

 

The Shirazi Foundation attended an event hosted by the Heritage Foundation titted Resolved: The Supreme Court Should Revisit the Privileges or Immunities Clause. Experts discussed the various ramifications that took place due to the  Slaughter House cases in history which resulted in the  freedom of the slaves , The Slaughter-House Cases, 83 U.S. 36  (1873), was the first  United states Supreme Court interpretation  of the recently-enacted Fourteenth Amendment to the constitution of the United States. Experts also briefly went over  the pros and cons of supporting  the privilege and immunity clauses. The panel concluded by analytically reviewing whether the South of the United States attempted to reintroduce slavery by a different name through various laws amendments and Black codes.

 

The Shirazi Foundation attended an event hosted by Brookings Institution titled,  Lessons from renewable energy transitions in Germany and Japan. A panel of experts further explained how both countries are moving forward in terms of energy transition and energy  transformation. Experts also stated that  Germany has recently  embarked on phasing  out  its Nuclear plants by 2020 and is taking  steps toward  tapping into new energy sources such as wind and solar power. Experts pointed to  fluctuation and high capital cost and explained how it makes the energy transition to the new power system challenging.  Before concluding it was mentioned that Japan has a vast renewable energy program and flexibility is the key paradigm of the future in terms of transitioning from electricity to solar and wind power.