The region of the Middle East and its inhabitants have always been a wonder to the Europeans, dating back to the years before the advent of Islam and the years following the Arab conquest. Today, the Islamic world spreads from the corners of the Philippines to the far edges of Spain and Central Africa. Various cultures have adopted the Islamic faith, and this blending of many different cultures has strengthened the universal Islamic culture. The religion of Islam has provided a new meaning to the lives of many people around the world. In the Islamic world, the religion defines and enriches culture and as a result the culture gives meaning to the individual. Islam is not only a religion, it is in its own way a culture. It may be this very …show more content…
Thus, the extended family becomes unified functional unit which contributes to the much larger community. The tribal villages settled in Iraq still rely on these traditional concepts for a living. The family structure in Syria is quite different from that in the tribal villages in Iraq. There are two major reasons for this difference. First of all, most of the settled tribes belong to the Shiite sect of Islam. The Shiite believe themselves to be pure Muslims and therefore are very conservative towards religious obligations. Secondly, if we look back at the Arab conquest, The Arab army itself never introduced a new culture in the region, it was actually the fusion of the religion (Islam) and the local cultures of the conquered people which in the time developed into a universal Islamic culture. So, it is understandable that now all the Muslim countries will have the exact same way of life, yet their fundamental family beliefs will , no doubt, stem from the sources of the Islamic law. The conservative outlook of the Shiite is somewhat misleading, for it may seem that family life is very monotonous, but on the contrary it is rather very complex. Women in this society are rarely seen in the public, but it does not mean they don’t have a public life. For them, the private life, in the sanctuary of their houses, is their public life. It is there that a woman can do anything she pleases. If she does decide to come out into the public she
Edmund Burke once said “Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it.” Unfortunately, it seems that many people who have impacted the world have had a bad history teacher, as history continues to repeat itself to this day. One of the most prime examples of this is seen in the Middle East; where the Palestinian people are fighting against the Israelis over territory in which they both believe belongs to them. It has been a dispute which has resulted in loss of homes, loss of life and loss of money. However, this is nothing new. Eugene O’Neill’s statement, “There is no present and no future, only the past happening over and over again, now” applies strongly to the situation of the past 70 years in the
In recent years, the Iraqi nation has endured a crisis that will forever remain in the hearts and minds of the Middle Eastern culture. However, the outcomes of the War on Iraq will not change the long-lasting and passionate traditions and memories that have been held in the country for decades. One major event that happened in Iraq’s history is that on October 3, 1932 Iraq was established as an independent nation. Iraq has always been a country in which respect and generosity have been highly valued and play an important cultural role in everyday life. Additionally, approximately ninety-five percent of Iraqis are Muslim, and therefore Islam is the official religion of this nation (Gutierrez 1). Furthermore, Iraq is a
Islam, a religion of people submitting to one God, seeking peace and a way of life without sin, is always misunderstood throughout the world. What some consider act of bigotry, others believe it to be the lack of education and wrong portrayal of events in media; however, one cannot not justify the so little knowledge that America and Americans have about Islam and Muslims. Historically there are have been myths, many attacks on Islam and much confusion between Islam as a religion and Middle Easter culture that is always associated with it. This paper is meant to dispel, or rather educate about the big issues that plague people’s minds with false ideas and this will only be touching the surface.
were chosen by God to set up a state of Israel where they could not be
The objective of this work is to examine Islam, a highly controversial sensitive issue in today's world and specifically to examine the misconceptions, beliefs, and values of those of the Islamic faith. Most people think that the majority of Muslims live in the Middle East, while in reality there are more people of the Islamic faith living in Indonesia. Islam, just as Judaism and Christianity, is practiced in various cultures, serves to shape, and is shaped by those cultures. This study examines the perceptions of those of the three faiths in various countries and how they view one another and seek to answer how a level of threat is felt by those belonging to these three religious groups in various countries. Countries examined in this study include those of the United States, Great Britain, India, Pakistan, and the Middle East. The depth of understanding or the teachings of Islam among the various religious groups in these various countries will also be examined in terms of how these understandings impact the ways that Muslims and non-Muslims interact and communicate with one another.
This is how I feel when trying to understand art from nothing. The codes of communication, the means by which we understand language are not clear. Art is a language, but a symbolic one. I am trying to understand the reasons and the culture that produces this language. My learning plan, written a few months before we departed for our program, was focused in trying to understand the relationship between culture and art in the Islamic countries. An Islamic art definition that I have repeated before and as presented by Eva Baer is the following: "Islamic arts refers not only to the art made for Islamic practices and settings but also to the art made by and for the people who lived or live in lands where most-or
Relationships between Western and Middle Eastern countries have always be tainted by ugly truths and misdeeds from both sides. The political relationship between the United States and Iran is not exempt from that, and is one that has a history of tension. Much of this tension can be traced to the 1953 Coup d 'Etat in which Mohammad Mossadegh, Iran’s first democratically elected prime minister, was removed and an American support system for despotic leaders was established. This unfortunate chapter in history has resulted in a culture of mistrust and betrayal deeply felt by the Iranian people, and has led to reactions and overreactions from both sides, culminating in the animosity and mistrust between the two countries that persists to this day.
Historians, specifically American historians of the 21st century have demonstrated an interest in the Middle East in Islam, due to Americans frequent contact with the Middle East in the early 1960s. Islam and the Middle East have played a remarkable role in Americans discussion and reaction to the events that took place on September 11th, 2001. During this time Americans were beginning to regard the Middle East, Muslims, and Islam as one entity. Americans and the world regarded the Middle East as Islam and Islam as the Middle East. Thus, this correlation between the two made Muslims say Muslim Americans and Muslims in America as less western and more of another, but they were also seen as untrustworthy individuals. Additionally, prior to the September 11th, attacks and an after effect of September 11, was that Muslim men were violent and Muslim women as oppressed individuals. Thus, the perception of Islamophobia and the threat it brings to western society has impacted the discussion of Islamophobia in America.
In Araby, by James Joyce, the story is told by a young boy who has his heart on a girl. The boy’s name is never mentioned in the story and neither is the girls’. Since the narrator is the young boy, his name is never mentioned. In the story, the girl is only mentioned as Mangan’s sister. The point of view, plot, and setting all help make up this story. The narrator in this story is the young boy and he tells the story through his point of view.
Arab is not a race, but is a group of individuals that are united by their culture and history (ADC, 2014). There are many different variations commonly based on a particular individual’s country of origin such as Arab Americans. Other variations are based on their social class, the level of their education, if they live urbanely or rurally, or the time they have spent in the United States (Lipson & Dubble, 2007). Most Arabs also practice Islamic religion and are Muslim. When working with an Arab or Muslim client, nurses should ask what the client wishes to be referred to so as not to offend them in any way (Lipson & Dubble, 2007).
Islam is more than a religion, it’s a culture, and as such has an effect on political, social, and economic aspects of life—this is especially true outside of the Western world. Followers of Islam believe in full submission to God and this submission is practiced in the secular realm (Taha, 114). Of the five pillars of Islam, one (the zakat) has a direct affect on economic policy and ethics. The culture of Islam has shaped economic and business guidelines In the Islamic World and continues to do so. Cultural ideals attributed to the Qur’an or the Prophet Muhammad, have been a vital source for economic and business practices that have helped to shape the history of many Islamic nations, and are guiding the creation of policies
Cold, air-conditioned air that I once took for granted blows throughout my garnished bedroom as I write this essay. The new Ariana Grande song plays on full blast as the usual scents and aromas of my mom’s Iranian cooking sneaks under the crevice of my tightly shut door to entice and remind me of my childhood memories. This modest, humble house where I have grown accustomed to the bizarre Kurdish culture of my parents is home to the language skills, artistic vision, and most importantly the influence of my Middle Eastern heritage.
The lifestyle or way of life of the Syrian-Christians of Kerala or St Thomas Christians or Nasranis (as they are popularly known as) is best described by the word, “Margavasis,” which translates to “Followers of Margam or Path.” Their identity is one of the most unique and distinct community of Christians.
Muslims have a faith that Islam revealed in Mecca (Arabia) about 1400 years ago. Islamic culture is a resource academia for the illustration of cultures and traditions of Islamic people. Arabs were the first to depict and demonstrate Muslim culture to the world. Islam originated in Arabia in the seventh century. Islamic empires have been expanded and Muslims got assimilation from different cultures like Indonesian, Berber, Malay, Indian, Pakistani, Turkic and Persian (Kirabaev, 2000).
In his book What is Islam?, Shahab Ahmed seeks to explain how one should conceptualize Islam in order to provide better understanding of Islam in regards to the human experience. He feels that our definition of Islam is a very narrow and limited view that is not coherent with the idea of Islam being a theoretical object yet also as real historical phenomenon. Ahmed conceptualizes Islam by posing six questions, analyzing others’ conceptualizations, and offering his own conceptualization.