Signified Deviations in Federer’s What Every American Needs to Know About the Qur’an: A Saussurean Analysis of Islamic Themes

Physicians, Patients, Sex and Chaperones: Rethinking Medical Regulation

Despite federal and state laws and policies aimed at preventing sexual misconduct by school employees, one in ten American students will experience sexual abuse or misconduct at the hands of a K-12 school employee. To explore why such sexual misconduct continues to occur, this study examined the effectiveness of education policies by investigating whether and how school employees understand these policies, how they are implemented, and how loopholes may undermine their intent. This qualitative case study was conducted in three Virginia school districts and included 46 semi-structured interviews with school district employees and county, state, and federal government employees associated with cases of school employee sexual misconduct, and extensive document analysis of school policies and procedures, laws, and court records. Analyses revealed an absence of policy implementation, demonstrated most seriously by a lack of awareness and understanding of policies among school employees, underreporting, and ineffective data collection. The study also identified a number of loopholes in the implementation of policies, resulting from a mismanaged intergovernmental system. The analysis suggests that understanding and implementation of policies meant to prevent sexual misconduct by school employees are fragmented; this fragmentation may be contributing to the continued prevalence of sexual misconduct by school employees.


 The study aims to describe the process and learning achievement through scrabble media to stimulate the students in knowing the history of Islam to kindergarten students age 5-6 years old. The research was an action reseach on group B at TK Nurul Hidayah West Sumatera. The method of the study was Kemmis and Tagart method by applying some steps including planning, action, observation, and reflection. The techniques to collect the data were observation, interview, field noting, instruments of action observer and documentation. The data were analyzed through quantitative and qualitative method. The results in quantitative showed that the students ability at knowing the history of Islam was improved after treated by scrabble. It can be proved by the average of the percentage before treatment was 50.27%. After some treatments in cycle I, it was improved to 69% and it was also improved in cycle II for 85.95%. Based on the result, it can be concluded that scrabble can improve kindergarten students ability at knowing the history of Islam.
 Krewords: The history of Islam, Scrabble Media

Semiotics refers to an analytical discipline concerned with understanding the mechanisms through which signs function and generate meaning. This study examines Roland Barthes’ semiotic framework, which expands upon the fundamental concepts introduced by Ferdinand de Saussure, aiming to extend the application of sign analysis to broader cultural and communicative contexts. This semiotic research seeks to analyze the symbolic meanings within the anime One-Piece among Indonesia’s Generation Z, focusing on their critical stance toward governmental arbitrariness. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach and a constructivist paradigm through Roland Barthes’ semiotic analysis, this study explores symbols such as the Straw Hat, Jolly Roger, Will of D, and Grand Line. The findings reveal that these symbols are not merely fictional elements but serve as representations of solidarity, courage, and resistance against corruption, parliamentary allowance increases, mass layoffs, and unjust tax burdens. Generation Z uses One-Piece symbols as expressions of political resistance, both in public demonstrations and through digital culture, establishing a new resistance narrative that reaffirms their role as agents of socio-political change. Keywords: One Piece, Generation Z, Semiotics, Roland Barthes, Solidarity, Political Resistance

Shirin Neshat's early photographs have received wide acclaim ever since they made their debut on the European and American art scenes, and contributed to making Neshat a popular name in Western art circles in a matter of a few years. This paper focuses on the images of veiled women in these photographs, and offers a discussion of the stereotypes of Muslim women, and their Orientalist dimension, through a reading of the various means employed by Neshat to represent women, in particular Iranian female revolutionaries. From a historical perspective, this paper situates veiled women in the traditional visual context of representation. A second section is structured on two themes: 1) revisiting the representation of veiled Muslim women under the gaze of early Orientalism, most notably in the photographs of late nineteenth-and early twentieth-century colonial postcards; and 2) examining the presentation of Muslim women in Western media in an attempt to understand the genealogy of Neshat's work. In a third section, I endeavour to disentangle the various meanings of veiled women in different phases of Islamic history. At the juncture between Orientalist discourse and Islamic history, I argue that under Neshat's lens Muslim women do in fact possess agency. By using poetry (Persian inscriptions unknown to Westerners), by insinuating a potential for action, by showing her subjects deliberately gazing straight back at the spectator, or defying Western viewers by holding guns in their hands, Neshat succeeds in attributing subjectivity to the female protagonist, thus abolishing her traditional status as objectified spectacle. The veiled women in Neshat's work are not merely rendered as the seen or the seeing, but they demand that the spectator looks at them from a new horizon and with new eyes.

The interval between the world wars was pivotal for the history of Islam in America because it marked a period in which American Muslims' institutions and community building efforts took root and thus helped shape future developments in the history of Islam in America. Among these American Muslim institutions were local mosques and benevolent societies and a number of prophetic movements, mainly: the Ahmadiyya missionary movement, founded by the Indian reformer Mirza Ghulam Ahmad; the Moorish Science Temple, founded by the African American religious leader Noble Drew Ali; and the Nation of Islam, founded by Fard Muhammad whose identity is shrouded in mystery. As the Muslim population in the United States became more diverse, particularly after the reformation of immigration and civil rights laws in the 1950s and 1960s, understanding of Islam and the character of Muslim institutions also changed and became more diverse. So, while the communities and institutions formed in the interwar period set roots for Islam in America and thus helped shape consequent developments in the history of Islam in America, they did not circumscribe the future practice of Islam nor the subsequent character of Islamic institutions in this country. From Sojourners to Settlers In the first stage of Muslim's voluntary immigration to the United States, which took place between the Civil War and World War I, the practice of Islam was generally ad hoc and improvisational.

The film Sore: Istri dari Masa Depan tells the story of a woman named Sore, the wife of a man named Jo, who travels back into Jo’s past with the intention of improving his life. This study seeks to analyze the contradictions in marital relationships as represented in the film through Ferdinand de Saussure’s semiotic analysis and Baxter and Montgomery’s relational dialectics theory. The research focuses on how Sore’s efforts to transform Jo into a “better” person create tensions with Jo’s desire to preserve his personal freedom. The novelty of this study lies in combining Saussure’s semiotic framework with relational dialectics theory, providing a more comprehensive understanding of relational dynamics as represented in film. The findings reveal that semiotic analysis uncovers signs and meanings in several key scenes, including the imposition of lifestyle changes, negotiations over smoking and alcohol consumption, and the eventual realization of acceptance within the relationship. Furthermore, the resolution of relational tensions is achieved through segmentation and integration strategies, which serve as the main approaches to managing contradictions via neutralization, reframing, and disqualification.

family conflict is portrayed in the film Uang Panai Maha(R)l 2 using Roland Barthes' semiotic framework. The film reflects the social reality of the Bugis-Makassar community, which highly upholds cultural values, particularly regarding arranged marriage, family honor, and the significant role of parents in their children's lives. The main objective of this research is to understand how family conflict is represented through visible and spoken symbols within the film’s narrative. This research employs a descriptive qualitative method by analyzing semiotic elements in several scenes that depict conflict, such as forced marriage, intergenerational differences, and the pressure of tradition against personal desires. The analysis is conducted through the three levels of meaning proposed by Barthes: denotation, connotation, and myth. The results show that Uang Panai Maha(R)l 2 illustrates the tension between traditional values and modern realities, which still occur within family life in Indonesia.

The purpose of this study is to understand the comprehensiveness and effectiveness of current education in sport related degree programs and the impact that has on future and current sport leaders to confront and report sexual misconduct in sport. A total of 15 participants were selected to participate in this study. The participants for this study include current graduate students pursuing degree programs in either coaching studies or sport management, and graduates of these two programs (within the last five years) who are currently in the workforce in their respective fields. Most participants were white, female, and currently served a role in athletics. Qualitative methodology and semi-structured interviews were used to examine the educational and in-field experiences of participants surrounding the topic of sexual misconduct in sport. Following data collection, thematic analysis was employed to evaluate the responses of each participant with a critical feminist approach. The findings from this investigation demonstrate a lack of formal, instructor-led education within a classroom setting within the master’s programs considered. Additionally, in-field training and education have an impact on participants’ abilities to recall and apply institutional policy as well as their confidence to identify and report sexual misconduct. Power was a key factor that impacted barriers to reporting. Professional position and staff hierarchies as well as gendered differences found within sport were significant factors that limited participants abilities to address sexual misconduct.

Caliph Abū Bakr is the most crucial figure in the history of Islam during and after the Prophet's era. He was the first caliph in the history of Islam. He performed essential services in Islam's invitation, notification, and guidance. He ensured peace in society by successfully managing the problematic process that emerged after the death of the Prophet. The subject of this communiqué is the letters of invitation to Islam written during the reign of Abū Bakr. While most of these letters were written by Abū Bakr, some were by Khalid b. Walid, was the most important commander of this period. There are more than fifty such political, military, and diplomatic letters. Abu Bakr had a significant role in forming the Islamic society and establishing Islam in the community, starting from the Prophet's era. Among the first Muslims, there are dozens of personalities whom he was instrumental in converting to Islam. After the Prophet's death, his efforts like invitation, communiqué, and guidance, especially in establishing peace in the society and initiating the conquest movements, express the value of his efforts like invitation, communiqué, and guidance. Addressing the role of Abū Bakr's period in preaching Islam will contribute to a better evaluation and understanding of this period in Islamic history. This study focuses on the letters of invitation to Islam written during the reign of Abū Bakr. To shed light on our study, the subject has been investigated through qualitative research and literature review method by examining the early Islamic history sources, including the period of Abū Bakr, especially the work entitled Jamharat al-Rasail al-Arab and Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī, in which these letters were compiled, as well as research books, articles, and theses written on the subject today. During his caliphate, Abū Bakr was a man of preaching and enlightenment. His personal life, his stance as a statesman, the effective methods he applied for the Islamic invitation, notification, and guidance, and his decisions made it possible for Islam to be recognized and spread in the right way and for the peace of the people. Abū Bakr used different methods related to the invitation to Islam in his activities. As one of these methods, he invited people to the truth through letters, warned them about their mistakes, and tried to preserve the line of Prophet Muhammad by reminding them of forgotten facts. Sometimes he achieved his goal by paving the way for more efficient communication through mutual correspondence. In the letters he sent to the commanders during his caliphate, he guided them in terms of military strategy and advised them to be spiritually strong. He first communicated Islam to the apostate tribes, and those who turned away from Islam were informed that they would be dealt with accordingly. He also sent letters to his governors and zakat officials, reminding them of their duties and advising them to preserve Islamic sensitivities. With these efforts, he calmed the chaotic environment that emerged after the Prophet, ensured the unity of Muslims, and eliminated the obstacles to the spread of Islam.

Guest Editors’ Introduction

This study aims to analyze the concept of religious freedom in the 1945 Constitution of Indonesia and the Medina Charter from the perspective of Siyasah Dusturiyah (Islamic Constitutional Law). Using a comparative, normative, and juridical approach, this research examines the similarities and differences in the principles of religious freedom between these two constitutional documents. The findings reveal that both the Medina Charter and the 1945 Constitution guarantee religious freedom within the framework of national unity and integrity. The Medina Charter, as the first written political document in Islamic history, recognizes non-Muslims as part of the ummah (nation) and guarantees their right to practice their religion freely, as stated in Articles 1 and 25. Similarly, the 1945 Constitution affirms religious freedom in Article 29 paragraph (2) and Chapter XA Article 28E paragraph (1). From the perspective of Siyasah Dusturiyah, both documents reflect the principles of shura (consultation), justice ('adl), and maslahah (public interest) in regulating religious freedom. The study concludes that the principles of religious freedom in Islam, as manifested in the Medina Charter, are highly relevant to and compatible with the constitutional framework of modern Indonesia. This research contributes to the theoretical development of Islamic constitutional law and provides practical insights for strengthening religious freedom policies in Indonesia.

Film posters as visual media have a very important role. Apart from being a promotional medium that aims to attract the attention of the audience or potential audience, film posters are also very important in conveying the content of the message or meaning contained in the content of the film. This study aims to analyze the meaning contained in the movie poster "Home Sweet Loan" with Ferdinand de Saussure's semiotic approach which emphasizes the relationship between signifier and signified in the process of forming meaning. This study uses a qualitative descriptive research method to describe the visual elements contained in the film poster. The data collection techniques in this study include visual documentation in digital form and visual communication theory. The data analysis technique to be used is Ferdinand de Saussure's semiotics. The results of the study show that Ferdinand de Saussure's semiotic theory can be used to show the meaning contained in the movie poster "Home Sweet Loan".

The study of Islamic educational history, vital for intellectual society’s development, is often reduced to rote memorization, placing a cognitive burden on students and diminishing its contemporary relevance. This qualitative case study explored the potential of the Nearpod application to promote creative and active learning of Islamic educational history among Malaysian trainee teachers. Thematic analysis of reflections from 93 first-year trainee teachers revealed four key findings: Nearpod enhanced concentration and comprehension through engaging and interactive experiences; fostered a deeper emotional connection to Islamic history, making learning more meaningful; inspired trainee teachers to develop innovative approaches for teaching Islamic history; and presented challenges due to internet connectivity issues. Nearpod’s multimedia features - audio, video, and interactive questions—created an immersive learning environment, significantly improving understanding, motivation, and enthusiasm for continuous learning. Despite technological challenges, the integration of Nearpod transformed the teaching of Islamic history, addressing the urgent need for engaging and relevant pedagogical methods. These findings highlighted the potential of Nearpod to make Islamic educational history more accessible and impactful. The study’s results carried significant implications for teacher training programs and Islamic education, suggesting that technology-driven approaches could modernize traditional subjects effectively.

This article aims to analyze the needs to develop history of Islamic culture teaching materials in Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Teacher Education (PGMI) study program based on learning independence. The research was carried out using descriptive and qualitative methods. Data was collected through the distribution of questionnaires and in-depth interviews with lecturers and students, and analyzed using interactive models. Based on the research conducted, it was found that the teaching materials used in Islamic History and Culture Madrasah Ibtidaiyah lectures were teaching materials that were not written by lecturers and were considered unable to increase student interest, motivation, and independence in learning. Both lecturers and students agree to develop teaching materials related to learning independence. In addition, the teaching materials to be developed are expected to focus on the material in the curriculum, which covers four main topics: 1) The condition of Arab society before Islam; 2) History of Prophet Muhammad, Da'wah, and personality of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him); 3) The event of the Prophet Muhammad's Hijra to Medina and the event of Fathul Mecca; 4) Civilization at the time of Khulafausrrasyidin. Another result of this study is that the Islamic History and Culture Madrasah Ibtidaiyah teaching materials to be developed should refer to the principles of teaching material development, especially teaching materials with instructions for use and materials that follow the lecture syllabus.