Cultural Reflection : Cultural Continued Reflection

Growing up as a first generation Pakistani American Muslim not only came with the benefits of being exposed to different cultures, but it also came with a continuing challenge to incorporate the two cultures and my religion into the society we lived in. There was always a need to be more American, more Pakistani, while respecting the boundaries of religion. When we went to school, we weren’t American enough, when visiting Pakistan we were often labeled with the acronym ABCD- American Born Confused Desi. We were neither here, nor there. No matter how hard we tried to assimilate into the two societies, we could feel the absence of understanding and acceptance. This search for an identity not only allowed me to easily interact with people facing similar dilemmas, but it allowed me to embrace culture, religion, and people that were different.

Modern day Pakistan’s land has traditionally been Muslim for many years. In the early nineteenth century it was ruled by Britain and considered part of the British Indian Empire. In 1947, a partition was granted from the British, and Pakistan and India were created as their own countries. As the previous British Empire divided,

Being a Muslim-American in post 9/11 America has been turbulent. Like most children, I longed to fit in and be accepted, but I also wanted to preserve my native cultural roots. The odds were against me as I struggled to find balance in a place that could barely tolerate me as a child, and would hold deep seated fear of me as an adult. In an attempt to combat this growing reality, I tried looking to the mosques. However, the local mosques were, instead of religious areas, cultural centers, and when the Afghan community in Chicago is non-existent, I remained confused as a Muslim in and out of the mosque.

My country the United Arab Emirates, is slightly different than other Muslim countries in that our constitution upholds “freedom of religion” for its citizens. Although Islam is the official and national religion, people are free to express themselves spiritually. This differs than other countries in the Middle East such as Saudi Arabia where conversion about another religion is punishable by death. Therefore, I feel more open-minded toward other cultures and religions which help me assimilate to the U.S. culture which is very

It does not take a Bible scholar to understand that one of the most significant people groups throughout history has been the Israelites. According to Biblical narrative, Israel is significant. An understanding of who the Israelites are and where they came from is necessary to understand the Bibles redemptive narrative. This paper will seek to provide insight as to how the Israelites came about and who they are.

Through Race and Crime, Shaun Gabbidon and Helen Greene enlighten scholars about the unique and interesting relationship between race and various aspects of crime. Shaun Gabbidon obtained a Ph.D. in Criminology at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania and has also acted as a fellow at Harvard University. He has not only received an exceptional education from his prolonged work and experience but he has also written an extensive amount of scholarly publications, including roughly sixty articles as well as eleven books. Moreover, he has also earned several awards for his contributions, including the Julius Debro Award in 2015 and the Outstanding Teaching Award in 2016. Helen Greene received a Ph.D. in Criminology

For this Unit’s Core Assessment Writing Assignment, I have chosen the topic above about The Jews and what does the word the “chosen people” mean to them. On this Assignment, I will explain my own opinion on this topic based on my readings and research. After doing my research and reading various websites and from the book Experiencing the World’s Religion by Michael Molloy. I now have a little bit more understanding on what does the word “chosen people” mean to the Jews and why is Israel the chosen land also known as God’s promise land. and how does the word “chosen people” is seen by other religion and countries across the world.

Every human being has within him an ideal man, just as every piece of marble contains in a rough state a statue as beautiful as the one that Praxiteles the Greek made of the god Apollo.Greek myth is comprised of many Gods and Goddesses and the stories of how they came to be and of their life stories. And this is the story of the God apollo One God that caught my eye was Apollo, was associated with many aspects of life in the time of the Greek gods. Apollo’s father was Zeus, the king of the gods. Zeus, though married to Hera, had some problems with fidelity. He impregnated Leto, the daughter of a Titan.When he was four days old, he asked Hephaestus to make him silver bows and arrows. Hephaestus created them for him. Apollo was

Three characteristics formulated the identity and then community of God’s people, known as Israelites, throughout the Hebrew Bible. Although not a complete picture, these three ideas heavily influenced Israelite distinctiveness both in how the Ancient Near East interacted with them and how they lived together. Israelite identity wrapped itself in “chosen-ness” of God. God’s individual interactions with Abraham & Sarah, Isaac & Rebekah, and Jacob birthed the original knowledge of being chosen. God chose them, they worshipped only God, they did what God said, and God protected them.

After Pakistan came into existence, Islamic laws did not get much attention. Furthermore, it was only restricted to the personal status issues, for example, marriage, inheritance and divorce. General Zia-ul-Haq was the one who started the Islamization of legal system of Pakistan. The legal system of Islamic Republic of Pakistan was started to be Islamized under General Zia-ul-Haq (1977-1988). He introduced many changes in Pakistan’s criminal justice system. Through a series of presidential decrees, the criminal justice system was started to regulate by the Pakistan Penal Code of 1860 and the Code of Criminal Procedure (1898). A comparable court system was established by him. These courts contained Sharia courts, and amended the laws that were deprived of the Islamic laws. The most of the Islamic laws instituted by him are still on the statute. Recently, the parliament of Pakistan has introduced many laws in order to improve the status of women in the private and public

These past seven years have been like no other. It has been just me and my love Odysseus. He may not like me, but I surely do like him. He has a wife and kids, but I have him captive right by my side. I don’t know if he likes being captive. I have have never really asked him because I am pretty sure he hates it. Oh well, I am fine with it which is all that matters. After caring for Odysseus for a few hours, I heard Zeus yelling for me to come talk to him. I walked to his throne and he said, “ Don’t you think it is time to let poor Odysseus go Calypso? He has been here long enough”. I thought about his question for a second. To me, it has only felt like Odysseus has been here for a day. I guess Zeus is right, I should let Odysseus go.

Coming from the Middle East, many people assume that I am either Muslim or Coptic Christian; however, I am and was baptized to be a Roman Catholic Christian. Many people would not assume so, since I was born and raised in Egypt. And when people think of Egypt or anywhere in the Middle East there is an understanding or a stereotype of that person being Muslim. I went to a British school for middle school and then to an American school for high school, and in each I was required not only to take a Christian religion class in Arabic, but also to study Islam as part of the Arabic class’ syllabus. As a young child, I always surrounded by Muslim friends and saw them practice their own religion. So, I did not understand why I would practice another religion not similar to the one almost everyone around me practices.

Census data from post 1945 to 2011 details the change in religious landscape. From the data presented, we are able to observe and further predict adherence trends. The data includes Semitic, Eastern and no religion. A variety of reasons account for the change in religious identification. These include instances of migration, conversion and population growth. These changes are reflected in the census data and have occurred due to the following reasons.

The cultural assignment allowed me to gain a new perspective on the differences of others. I have grown up in a household of dissimilar belief systems. My mom is a dedicated Christian while my dad is unassociated with any religious beliefs. Though, he grew up as a Jehovah’s Witness. There differing belief systems have been the cause of various conflicts within their relationship. I often wondered if people with contradicting beliefs could effectively and peacefully discuss their belief systems. This cultural experience showed me that a peaceful discussion is possible between individuals of dissimilar beliefs.

1. Culture is perceived as a way of thinking that influences the behaviors of a group of people.