The Situation in Syria

The Written Word is hosting its first ever guest post! This article appeared in the Fall 2012 issue Pearls Magazine. Pearls magazine is a seasonal, online magazine dedicated to Muslim teens in the West. You can find this piece and more at: http://pearlsmagazine.ca/. This article was written by its Canadian Editor, Aisha Hollyer. Aisha is a 16 year old home-schooled Muslimah. She loves creative writing, volunteering with the local community, researching social issues and of course learning and talking about Islam. Check it out and enjoy!!    

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What would happen if you and I were to spray-paint anti-Harper slogans on the local library, school, or other public building?

We'd probably end up getting a strict telling-off from our parents and teachers. Our privileges would most likely be suspended, and, worst-case scenario, we'd have to find some way of removing the paint.

We would have had it ridiculously easy, considering what happened to the schoolchildren who did the same thing in the beginning of last year in Syria. In our case, no police, jail cells, physical pain, or traumatic torture would be involved. Unfortunately, in the Syrian childrens' case, their lives were destroyed when they did the same thing. For a few, their lives actually ended, as they were murdered by the Al-Assad regime.

In January 2011, a group of schoolchildren from a school in Giza, Daraa, spray-painted some of the slogans and chants they'd heard on the Tunisian and Egyptian uprising broadcasts onto a wall of their school. At 1 AM in the morning, the Secret Police broke into the houses of, and arrested, twenty-five of the students from the school. The boys who were apparently the leaders, Hamza Elkhateeb and Tamer  Alsharee, who were both thirteen years old, were detained for a month, after which their dead bodies were returned to their families. The bodies of both the boys were discovered to have several gruesome injuries caused by inhumane torture, any of which they could have died from. In other words, Hamza and Tamer suffered an atrocious fate, which no sane person would condemn an adult to, never mind a thirteen year old. (I do know exactly what injuries they sustained, but they're too sick to write here. Check out http://english.the-syrian.com if you want to know. I'll tell you this, though: I will NEVER, EVER, for the rest of my life, play one of those virtual shooting or fighting games like Call of Duty. On this side of the world, we play and get a “Game Over” when we 'die'. Over there, they actually die. If they're lucky.)

And so began the Syrian revolution.

As for the other 23 children who were arrested in Giza, they were kept in prison for varying lengths of time. They were beaten, burned by cigarettes, and their fingernails were pulled out. I can never look at a bottle of nail polish the same way again. The officials who were in charge did not allow the parents to visit their children, even shouting at them to forget their children existed. Can you imagine? It's hard to believe that anyone would do that to a child who wrote on a wall. But they did. What else are they doing, right this minute?

And the children from Giza aren't the only ones. What makes the Syrian Revolution stand out from the other uprisings of the Arab Spring is the extraordinary amount of children involved. According to the Syrian Revolution Martyrs Database, 691 children were killed by the regime's forces from March 15, 2011, to February 27, 2012. They were all under the age of sixteen, and 151 of them were females. There have been confirmed reports of children as young as one year of age, being killed by sniper guns and by other means. There are also 437 child detainees. When one considers the fate of Hamza, Tamer, and the other children from Giza, these childrens' future looks very bleak. And remember, these are only the documented cases. Considering how reporters and other people trying to get the word out have been murdered by the regime, these could be only half of the actual numbers.

And if these are only the children under sixteen years of age, what is the total number of people who have lost their lives, been tortured, raped, and imprisoned, since the beginning of the uprising?

Thousands doesn't even begin to cover it.

The President of Syria, Bashar Al-Assad, has been stubbornly denying that these crimes have been carried out under his orders, saying that it's all the work of 'gangs'. Gangs don't collectively attack people peacefully protesting the rule of the Al-Assad regime. They don't keep it up for over a year and a half, and they don't wear army fatigues and carry sniper’s guns.

Now, people often ask, isn't Syria a democracy? The answer is, “That's what they want you to think.” It's true Bashar Al-Assad is called the 'President', and he is assisted by two vice presidents, a prime minister, and a cabinet of ministers. But 'President' Bashar Al-Assad himself appoints people to these positions, they're not elected to them. Also, Bashar's father, Hafez Al-Assad, ruled for twenty-nine years. When he died in 2000, his son Bashar ran unopposed for the position. Strangest of all, the Syrian constitution was amended to allow him to run for presidency. It's hard to believe that, in a country with so much potential, with a population of over 17,500,000, they couldn't find even one another candidate to run for the presidential election.

Now, do you remember the revolution in Libya, last year? Do you remember how quick the Canadian government was to send some military planes to assist the Libyans? So, why did it take the UN over a year to even deliver a warning to Bashar Al-Assad?

The answer is simple. Libya sells oil to the Western world. During wars, the prices of a country's exports go up. If the Libyan revolution had continued for as long as the Syrian one is, the economies of Canada and the US would have suffered significantly as gas and oil prices skyrocketed. This is not to say that the ideal solution is to bomb Damascus and Aleppo and and Homs, but it shows you how a country's values and moral standards can be flexible when dealing with the gold and green.

If the Western, Russian, and other governments that trade with Syria create sanctions, the Syrian regime would have to at least think twice about the consequences of their actions. Right now, Hillary Clinton is discussing government plans with Egypt. Russia just stopped providing the Syrian regime with weapons in mid-July, while it should have started 18 months ago. And how often do you hear about the situation in Syria when you watch or listen to any news station?

How many people have to die, how many families have to be broken apart, how many lives have to be shattered, while the world looks on and does nothing?

Finding your Muslim Identity - How? When? Why?

Your Muslim Identity.

    What do these words mean??? Is it referring to how you dress and act or is it in relation to something more?? And how do we manage our Muslim identity? How does it define who we are?

     Being a Muslim can sometimes be tough, especially whilst living in a western society where Haraam acts are the norm and in many cases considered ‘cool’. Many kids see being Muslim as a curse, a constant sign over their head declaring them as lame and no fun. Some Muslim kids and even Muslim adults will put on a disguise of sorts around non-Muslims; acting more like the people with which they are interacting.

   So how can we feel comfortable around all people, of all faiths, as a Muslim? How can we pull on our Muslim ’skin’ and keep it on with no disguises? How can we be the Muslim we ought to be but still be the person we want to be?

     So many kids nowadays will look at others and think, ’I wish I could do that’ or ’I  wish I could wear those clothes’ and maybe even more commonly, I wish I looked pretty like that; sometimes thinking this without realising that whatever they are missing out on isn’t actually that great a deal and that they look stunning just the way they are, even in their ‘Muslim wraps.’

     How many times have you looked out at the world and wished yourself someone else? How many times have you lain awake at night day-dreaming about being a stranger? However, why would you want to be a stranger, someone who is as strange to you as living on the bottom of the sea is? What is the popular saying? Grass is always greener on the other side of the fence? But it’s not really. Everything seems better as something else, someone else, someday else; it’s human nature to never be satisfied.

     Yet it is our obligation to be satisfied. Allah (swt) has given us so much and yet we are always ungrateful, trying to get more. Why? What is the purpose? Sure, we should always try our best in life but we should try for the sake of Allah, for the sake of ourselves. How will indulging ourselves in the Dunya serve us? How will shedding our Muslim skins help us in the Hereafter?

     So it’s time to take off the masks and put on the shining shroud of Islam. No more hanging around people who just don’t want to know about the truth. No more acting like a Western delinquent. It’s time to embrace the inner Muslim and show it to the world.

     How though? It can be scary to fully show yourself to the world. How can we be a Muslim without cutting ourselves off from everything? Easy!

* Keep a reminder with you, either mental or written down and whenever you find yourself longing over things from the Dunya, things which are anti-Islam or just some small thing which isn't necessary, take your reminder and cleanse your heart.

* Read a lot. Islamic books are extremely useful for expanding knowledge and growing inside. With knowledge comes wisdom and with wisdom comes faith. But don't stop with just Islamic books! There are many, many books out there which are beneficial, you just need to find them and keep an open mind.   

* Be yourself. Most importantly you need to be yourself. Don’t do something drastically Islamic as such if you yourself don’t feel it in your heart. Life is short, yet it is full of time. Use your time to grow, to learn and to embrace the inner Muslim that is there in everyone of us. 

Because then, you’ll be ready to show yourself to the world.

19th Century vs. 21st Century ~ Injustices of the world around us.

Now, in the modern era the world is very different from how it was in the 19th century. We have technology which, in the 1800's, people wouldn't have even dreamt about. We have no need to grow our own food or go hunting for game. All we need to do is drive down to the local supermarket or butcher. Now, in the 21st century people like to believe that we live in a just, free society. They like to consider themselves more civilised than the people of previous times. They like to believe that we live in a fair community; a community where everyone is treated the same, with no exceptions. However, as many find out, this is not 100% true. Yes, we live in a different world than the people of the 19th century, by far, but if you look closely and compare the modern day with the 1800's you will find that although things have changed spectacularly, some things haven't changed at all.

   Take the treatment of other cultures for example. In the 18th century the British were conquering the world, exploring distant lands and meeting new civilisations. By the 19th century the British empire practically had control over the majority of the world. But, as they settled throughout there newly claimed land they paid no respect nor consideration for it's native people. In India the Indians were being forced to follow British laws and to fight in British wars, many of which were on foreign shores. On top of that Indian palaces and temples were being demolished to make way for British factories and railroads.

   In Australia and New Zealand the Aborigines and Maori were suffering a similar fate. The British were swiftly moving through their land, destroying the native wildlife to make room for their settlements. This land was sacred to the Aborigines and Maori, and it was being destroyed without a second thought. If this wasn't bad enough the native people of this land could not fight back and defend their sacred land, and therefore their beliefs. Any rebellion they manged to mount was crushed by the might of the British empire. The Aborigines and Maori could only stand by and watch as their shrines were destroyed and their villages ripped apart.

  Now the people of other countries and cultures are better protected by anti-racist rules. But still some cultures are targeted with contempt and utter disrespect. For example, a few years ago many Indians who had come to Australia to study in the universities were beaten and insulted. Some were so badly hurt they were forced to attend hospital for several days. Another example is the treatment of Muslims. Many Western countries oppose Islamic dress calling it 'oppressive' and 'a burden'. Some, such as France have actually gone as far as to ban the Burqa, or the face covering. Many Muslims are verbally, or in some cases physically assaulted. Many cultures are not respected for their ways of life, yet they are expected to respect and follow Western customs.

  

   Another problem during the 19th century was that the rich treated the poor like tools of trade. The poor were made to work long, hard hours with little support or wages. Many people died working at jobs which were evidently too harsh for them to manage. Meanwhile the rich soaked up the profits and lived lives of luxury. The people who worked to gain them these enjoyments often went hungry. Also, when a worker got sick, or injured, even for a few days, s/he was sacked and replaced in a matter of hours. And because of the long hours and no leave people missed out on family occasions such as weddings, funerals and birthdays.
   Nowadays people in the workforce are protected somewhat from harsh, cruel working conditions. Also sick days and holidays are allowed. But still, in other parts of the world, work conditions are unforgiving and life-threatening. Many people die from fatigue because of over-working. Others die in accidents caused by unsafe machinery which should not be in use. Also in many cases family is ripped apart because of finacial stress while in other families single parents often have to work overtime or take on more than one job, just to support his or her dependents.

   As stated before there were many social issues in the 19th century, as with all the centuries before them. Some problems spanned back decades, even hundreds of years while other problems were new and directly affected the lifestyles of the people who lived then. Although the world has changed a lot since the 1800's, such as child labour or lifestyles, many things such as discrimination towards other races and cultures are still around today and may as well still exist at the end of time. Everyday things change; people are born, people die, yet everyone goes on woth their day to day lives, practically oblivious to the problems around them. Some people try to change things but they, while passionate, are few in number and in order to fix these problems everyone around the world needs to participate. But this will never happen, people are too obsessed with their differences and that is why these problems will continue to affect people lives. because frankly no one cares about the problems of others.    

The Big Bang Theory

Our universe is made up of over 100 billion galaxies, and every one of those galaxies is made up of billions of stars. Revolving around these stars are countless planets, with at least one of these harbouring life. A question often asked is how this vast and majestic universe came into being. Some say that it was the will of God. Others believe that the creation of the universe was a complete fluke, and that it had nothing to do with a higher being. Personally, I believe that nothing is ever a chance occurrence, and that everything has been written down exactly how it was meant to be. This following essay will explain the Big Bang Theory and the ever-going debate about our creation.

     According to the Big Bang Theory, around 14 billion years ago our universe was a single point. That single point had zero volume and infinite density. When that point exploded it created the universe. But why would this certain explosion create and not destroy? All explosions we know of destroy.

“The Big Bang Theory holds that the universe began with a simple explosion. Yet, as can be seen, an explosion merely throws matter apart, while the Big Bang has mysteriously produced the opposite effect with matter clumping together in the form of galaxies.” - Fred Hoyle

     Many early scientists were stumped with the origins of our universe. Those in the 19^th century believed that the universe had existed for eternity and will continue on for eternity. It wasn’t until the early 20^th century that the Big Bang Theory was put forward. Straight away many scientists found compelling proof that corresponded with the Big Bang Theory. A few examples are: 

•    Edward Hubble discovered that galaxies and their stars are moving away from us. He discovered this when he observed some galaxies’ stars were purple while others were red. As the stars moved away they took on a reddish hue. The stars were turning red rather than purple; therefore the galaxies were moving away from us.
•    In 1948, a scientist by the name of George Gamow came up with another idea supporting the Big Bang. He stated that after the explosion forming the universe, a radiation surplus should have existed. This radiation surplus should have spread evenly across the universe.
• George Gamow was right. In 1965 two scientists by the names of Robert Wilson and Arno Penzias accidentally found certain radiation waves. This radiation, called cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR), didn’t radiate from a single source, but rather came from all around. It was evenly distributed around the universe.

     These examples are a few points discovered by specific scientists. Another point is:

• The hydrogen/helium concentrations in space. If indeed the universe was eternal the hydrogen levels should have been completely converted into helium. However the hydrogen/helium concentrations in space comply with the calculations of the hydrogen/helium concentrations of the Big Bang.

     

     Even though modern scientists now accept the Big Bang Theory, it wasn’t like that to begin with. Certain scientists detested the principle behind the Big Bang. And it was for one main reason. If the Big Bang Theory is correct it would mean that someone had to make it happen in the first place. By accepting the Big Bang Theory is correct they were therefore accepting the presence of a God. Something many scientists didn’t want to do.

“Philosophically, the notion of an abrupt beginning to the present order of Nature is repugnant to me” - A. S. Eddington

     Although the scientists didn’t like the idea of a God, they couldn’t get away from it. Every piece of evidence pointed toward a creator.

“As we survey all the evidence, the thought instantly arises that some supernatural agency must be involved.” - George Greenstein

     Many scientists conceded that they had no choice but to accept the Big Bang Theory. But a few were adamant that the universe was eternal and that there was no god.

     One specific scientist by the name of Fred Hoyle even invented an entire new theory called the continuous theory. This theory stated that the universe wasn’t created but had existed for eternity and will exist forever more. Fred Hoyle put forward this theory because he despised the Big Bang Theory. He didn’t want to believe that there was a god. He believed that everything man did they did for themselves without the help of a higher being. And even though he had human supporters on his side the facts and the science itself, wasn’t. Everything his theory stood for had no hard scientific proof whatsoever to back it up. Fred Hoyle’s’ theory was what the people wanted to believe, not what the science proved. But eventually the scientific fact was too much. Fred Hoyle was forced to accept the Big Bang Theory.

     But even though Fred Hoyle accepted defeat, many of his supporters didn’t. One in particular was Dennis Sciama. He defended the continuous theory even when everyone else had accepted the Big Bang Theory. He supported the continuous theory not because he believed it was true but because he wished it was. But eventually he too had to admit that the evidence was too much and the continuous theory was dismissed. Now all of the modern scientists had accepted the Big Bang Theory.

     Although the scientists had accepted that the universe had been created by an explosion they still couldn’t figure out what had started the explosion in the first place. These scientists had the greatest scientific minds of their time, and they couldn’t figure out that in order to have a body of any substance of such magnitude put together with such precision, required something or someone to control it. The calculations and formulas required to form something of such size and style as the universe, is unimaginably complex.

     The laws of physics, which appeared in the Big Bang, have not changed in over 14 billion years. The calculations are so precise that if they were off by the smallest amount the entire universe would fail spectacularly. The very matter would have lost its stability and collapse in on itself.

“If the rate of expansion one second after the Big Bang had been smaller by even one part in a hundred thousand million million, the universe would have recollapsed before it ever reached its present size - Stephen Hawking

“Careful measurement puts the rate of expansion very close to a critical value which the universe will just escape its own gravity and expand forever. A little slower and the cosmos would collapse, a little faster and the cosmic material would have long ago completely dispersed. The Big Bang was not, evidently, any old bang, but an explosion of exquisitely arranged magnitude. - Paul Davies

     The Big Bang Theory proves that not only was the universe created out of nothing, but it was also created in a very planned, systematic and controlled manner. Also science proves that the creator of the universe must have created both matter and time but is entirely independent of both.

“If times’ beginning is concurrent with the beginning of the universe, as the space theorem says, then the cause of the universe must be some entity operating in a time dimension completely independent of and pre-existent to the time dimension of the cosmos. This conclusion tells us that God is not the universe itself, nor is God contained within the universe. - Hugh Ross

“With power did We construct the heaven. Verily, We are able to extend (the vastness of space thereof). And We have spread out the earth: how Excellent Spreader are We!” - The Holy Quran: Surah Adh-Dhariyat, Verses 47-48

     Nowadays, all modern scientists have accepted the Big Bang Theory. But although they have accepted the Big Bang Theory as more than a theory they still deny the presence of a god. Even when it’s obvious there is one. Even in the Quran, revealed in the 6^th century, it says,

            “Have not those who disbelieve known that the heavens and the earth were joined together as one united piece, then We parted them? And we have

made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?”

- The Holy Qur’an: Surah Al-Anbiya, Ayat 30 

     In this single ayat revealed around 1500 years ago, it explains a scientific mystery; man has only recently discovered and yet still cannot understand. While man was still using horses and camels for transport, Allah was answering one of modern man’s greatest scientific problems, even before it was even asked. Allah stated very clearly that it was Him who had caused the Big Bang, even going as far to describe it for us.

“Known that the heavens and the earth was joined together

as one united piece, then We parted them?”

           

     This part very clearly describes the Big Bang. To Muslims it is very clear about the origins of the universe, and if the scientists of today would just open their eyes and minds to something other than their own fancies then they would see the answer they’ve been looking for is in plain sight, even if they don’t like it. The answer is very clear; for our universe to be in its current state, even for it to exist at all is plain proof that there is a god, always has been and always will be.  

Henry Ford - American Mastermind

Henry Ford was an American inventor and innovator. He is credited with the invention of the assembly line and he changed the way people of his time viewed not only the automobile, but planes and other modes of transport.

     Henry Ford was born on a farm in Greenfield Township near Detroit, Michigan on the 30^th of July, 1863. He had two brothers and two sisters. In his early teens Henry was given a pocket watch by his father and by fifteen he had taken apart and reassembled his friends and families watches dozens of times, earning the title - watch repairman. In 1876, Henry’s mother died and when his father started pressuring Henry to take over the family farm he replied, "I never had any particular love for the farm—it was the mother on the farm I loved." Two years later Henry left the family farm for an apprenticeship in machinery.

     In 1888 at the age of twenty-five Henry married Clara Ala Bryant. At the time he was running a sawmill as well as a small farm. They had one son together in 1893, which they named Edsel Bryant Ford.

     In 1891 Henry became an Engineer with the Edison Illuminating Company. After he was promoted to Chief Engineer in 1893 he began his own personal experiments with gasoline engines. He completed his first vehicle in 1896 which he called the Quadricycle. In that same year Henry met Thomas Edison and they formed a strong friendship. In fact, Henry was so fond of Thomas Edison that later on, he ordered Edison’s son to capture his father’s last breath in a test tube for him to keep. This test tube is still around, on display in the Henry Ford Museum. Thomas Edison approved of Henry’s experiments in the industry of mechanics and spurred on by his close friend Henry completed his second automobile in 1898.
     Now that Henry had started nothing could hold him back. With the backing of Detroit’s lumber baron, William H. Murphy, Henry started his own company, the Detroit Automobile Company. However, this company failed soon after, in January, 1901.
     Later on, in October 1901, Henry designed and successfully raced a 26-horsepowered automobile. On November the 30^th 1901, Murphy and other stockholders started the Henry Ford Company, with Henry Ford as Chief Engineer. However, with the introduction of a new consultant Henry left the company which was promptly renamed the Cadillac Automobile Company.

     In October 1902 Barney Oldfield drove Henry Ford’s 80+ horsepowered racer, the “999”, to victory. Soon after this Henry formed a partnership, Ford & Malcomson Ltd, with his old friend Alexander Y. Malcomson, who was a Detroit-area coal dealer. With more partners joining the company was renamed as the Ford Motor Company on June 16^th 1903. Shortly after, in a brand-new vehicle, Henry set a new land speed record of 147 km/h, covering 1.6 kilometers of ice of the Lake St. Clair.

     On October 1^st 1908, Henry introduced the world to the Model T. It had the steering wheel on the left, a design other automobile manufacturers quickly copied and a fully enclosed 4-cylinder engine. Also, its suspension system used two semi-elliptic springs. The vehicle was easy to drive and cheap to repair and as the starting price was so cheap many Americans learnt how to drive the Model T.

     Henry announced the $5 per day program on January 5^th 1914. This program raised the minimum pay from $2.34 up to $5 per day for qualified workers. He also set a new, shorter workweek. It started as six 8-hour days (48 hours) but in 1926 it changed to a five 8-hour day (40 hours) plan. Ford Motor Co.’s employee turnover reduced by so great a margin, they stopped recording it.

     By paying a minimum wage and giving regular day’s off Henry Ford gave ordinary people the time and money to expand their lives. More employees began buying Ford Motor Co.’s automobiles which stimulated the economy.    
     In 1915, Henry introduced the assembly line which enabled an amazing increase in production. By 1918, half of the automobiles in America were Model T’s. However every single one of the vehicles produced after 1915 were black, as this colour dried quicker on the production lines.

     Also, in 1918, Henry was asked by President Woodrow Wilson to run as a democrat for the United States Senate from Michigan. Although the country was at war Henry agreed and ran for a Michigan seat in the parliament. He lost by 4500 votes, out of 400, 000 votes state wide.

     In the December of 1918 Henry turned over the company’s presidency to his son, Edsel. As part of a ruse Henry started another company, taking the majority of Ford Motor Co.’s best engineers. The idea was to scare the remaining shareholders into selling up, as to not lose too much money when Ford Motor Company failed. The con worked and 16 years after it was formed, Ford Motor Co. was 100% Ford family owned.

     By the mid-20’s, sales of the Model T had started to decline due to rising competition which offered payment plans through which customers could buy their vehicles. These companies’ vehicles had more modern mechanical features and new stylish bodies. However, despite continuous urging by his son, Henry refused to add new features to the Model T, or form a customer credit plan.

     Eventually, by 1926, the sales of the Model T had dropped so low Henry began to design a new model. Henry busied himself configuring the engine, chassis and other mechanical necessities, leaving Edsel to design the bodywork. Henry also included a sliding-shift transmission in the new project.
     A year later, Ford Motor Co. released the Model A. It was an immediate success, selling all the way through to 1931, with a total of over 4 million vehicles sold. Shortly after the release of the new model, the Ford Motor Co. introduced the annual model change system. Later that decade, Henry reluctantly put in place a customer credit plan, the Universal Credit Corporation; it soon became a major vehicle-financing company.

     Henry disagreed greatly with labour unions. He believed they were too heavily influenced and despite their good motives they would end up doing more harm than good for the workforce. Henry promoted former Navy boxer Harry Bennett to head the Service Department. Bennett employed various tactics to squash union organizations. The most famous incident was in 1937; a bloody run-in between company security-men and union organizers. It became known as the Battle of the Overpass.

     During World War I, Ford Motor Co. entered the aviation industry by building Liberty engines. After the war the company returned to the automobiles but Henry purchased the Stout Metal Aeroplane Company. His first plane built was the Ford 4AT Trimotor, nicknamed the “Tin Goose” because of its corrugated metal construction. It used a new alloy called ‘Alclad’ that had the strength of duralumin but with the corrosion resistance of aluminium. The Trimotor first flew on June 11^th 1926, and it was the first successful U.S. passenger airliner, accommodating 12 passengers; barely. Henry was honoured by the Smithsonian Institution for changing the aviation industry. 200 Trimotors were built up to 1933, when the Ford Aeroplane Division was shut down due to economic stress during the Great Depression.

     Although Henry was greatly opposed to wars, believing them to be a terrible waste, the Ford Motor Co. played a pivotal role in the Allied victory during World Wars I and II. Henry developed mass production lines for the B-24 Liberator Bombers, producing one an hour, at a peak of 600 per month in 24-hour shifts. Before Ford Motor Co. it took plane production factories a day to finish one plane, and that was under the best possible circumstances. At the time Ford Motor Co.’s ‘Willow Run’ factory was the largest assembly plant in the world with over 330, 000 m².           

     The Ford Motor Co. was the last automobile company to recognize the United Auto Workers Union (UAW). Henry did threaten to break up the company rather than cooperate but his wife told him that she would leave him if he did so. She wanted to see her grandchildren run the business on into the future. Practically overnight Ford Motor Co. went from one of the most stubborn holdouts in the automobile industry to one of the most favourable UAW contractors. The contract was signed in June 1941.

     In 1943 Edsel Bryant Ford died from stomach cancer and although he was suffering from dementia, had developed a suspicious character and was mentally unstable Henry took on the company’s presidency. By this point he had suffered from several cardiovascular attacks (variously reported as heart attacks or strokes) and was no longer fit to run the company; Ford Motor Co. began to lose more than $10 million a month. The co-owners took control, using Henry as a figurehead. Eventually Henry’s daughter-in-law with the help of his wife removed him from the presidency and put his grand-son, Henry Ford II, in his place.

     Forced into retirement Henry retreated to his Dearborn estate where he died on the 7^th April, 1947. A public viewing was held in his hometown, Greenfield Village. Up to 5000 people, per hour, filed past his casket. His funeral service was held in Detroit’s Cathedral Church of St. Paul and he was buried in the Ford Cemetery.

     Henry Ford changed the way the world perceived automobiles. He changed them from a heavy, expensive, unreliable vehicle of the wealthy into a light, common, dependable mode of transport for the enjoyment of the lower classes.
     He showed the world the efficiency of the production line and he was honoured by several institutions. Henry Ford made a great impact on the world of transport and the adaptations of his work can be seen not only in the past, but also in the world today.