Introduction 385 million people. 13 million square kilometers. 22 Countries. Significant numbers that represent the population, the surface area, and the number of countries of the Arab world respectively, and yet they all speak one language. The aforementioned surprisingly does not imply that all Arabs are the same. Lebanon and the UAE are two countries belonging to the Arab world, they both share one language which is Arabic with some differences in the accent. Lebanon is known for its relaxed laws, extensive history, and corrupt government. UAE is known for its wealth, development, and traditions. In spite of the fact that these two countries speak one language, they have their similarities and differences when it comes to culture, law, …show more content…
While similar in some ways, many differences can be identified between Lebanon and the UAE in terms of legislation, especially when one examines crime and punishment, the structure of the government, gender equality, and working conditions in both countries. One way they are similar is that there are few laws that protect women against rape and sexual harassment with light consequences for offenders, but they differ when it comes to the UAE’s strict laws against extramarital sex and public displays of affection, which are acceptable practices under Lebanese law. Both governments have municipalities and ministries that govern local areas, however Lebanon is a democracy with power split among the three dominant powers whereas the UAE is a unified monarchy with one ruler that governs the laws. Women in Lebanon and the UAE enjoy the same freedoms as men do in society with laws that empower them. The main difference is that Emirati women are paid more than men while in Lebanon it’s the opposite. What UAE and Lebanon share in common is that western expats receive higher salaries and better work benefits compared to their counterparts from less developed nations. That being said, UAE law contains additional provisions that ensure that their citizens are guaranteed a job with higher minimum wages, while Lebanon
Saudi Arabia is commonly known for its strict moral values and customs regarding religion and women. Gender discrimination is a global conflict but it is prevalently seen in Saudi Arabia. Gender discrimination is so poignant in Saudi Arabia because there are strict sets of moral guidelines and ideologies that Saudi Arabian culture implements on its people. Although Saudi Arabian men impose restrictions on women for the sake of upholding their cultural beliefs and family’s honor, there is no doubt that Saudi Arabian culture is male dominated and holds misogynistic views on women, but progress is being made.
In the United States in 2016, women were paid 80 percent of what men were paid (Kevin Miller, The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap). Women are still treated as second hand to men to this day, but we have come a far way since the sixteenth century European women. Women can go to school, work, and have lives in the United States. In other countries and cultures, however, women still have a long fight ahead of them. In Saudi Arabia, women were just recently granted the ability to drive (Nicole Gaouette and Elise Labott, CNN). This is a huge stepping stone for women in Saudi Arabia and many more countries. The guardianship rule in Saudi Arabia is still ongoing, stating that women cannot make any decision without a man or young boy telling her yes or no. Women have no freedom for making their own choices, but their chains will soon be loosened through newly imprinted laws. Just like in the home, European women and Native American women vary greatly in societal structure and cultures.
The men in Saudi Arabia have more rights and power than the women. Men are the ones who have the most influence and the women are the ones who must listen to what the man says. Of course, this is different from man to man but mostly they are all like that.
Accustomed to stereotypical depictions, Westerners are told that Middle Eastern women are passive, weak, and always veiled. It is often assumed that the severe conditions in Saudi Arabia—where women are not even allowed to drive cars—represent the norm for women throughout the Middle East and in the larger Muslim world. In reality, Saudi Arabia’s versions of both Islam and sexism are rather unique in their severities, although the rule of the Taliban in Afghanistan is now emulating the sexist Saudi model. Women enjoy political and social rights in many Muslim countries, and Egypt has recently granted women the right to divorce their husbands. In Tunisia, abortion is legal, and polygamy is prohibited. Women have served as ministers in the Syrian, Jordanian, Egyptian, Iraqi, and Tunisian governments, and as Vice President in Iran.
In middle eastern society Many may claim that the women in the middle east are being oppressed but the same may be said about women living in the west. Until quite recently in time women here in the United States received an equal status to men. Whereas these traditions and
Men and women in the US have equal rights in terms of driving and taking cases to court. As for education, in the US, colleges have a higher enrollment of females than males, this is far from Saudi Arabia where many women remain with minimal levels of education as result of their male dominated society. The one area where the two countries have a slight similarity is in the work force. Women in Saudi Arabia are limited to positions that are suitable to their nature. In the United States women and men generally pursue undergraduate degrees in different fields which results in the majority of men a women commonly working in different professions and fields. This is one of the explanations for the supposed “wage gap” in the United States. Another example gender stratification in the US workforce comes from the “CEO Power Gap” and the “glass ceiling”. Both of these concepts indicate that women have historically had difficulties obtaining the highest levels of management within the corporate world. In spite of all of this, it is clear the conditions for women in the United States are significantly better than those for women in Saudi Arabia. The concept of femininity in Saudi Arabia is one of independence and inferiority to the superior and dominant idea of masculinity within the nation. This is simply not the case, especially to that degree, in the United
If you were to go to the Middle Eastern North African region (MENA), you most likely won’t see females with education or equality. According to the MENA-OECD, the literacy
are citizens (Aaiusaorg, 2016). Arab Americans origins can be traced back to several continents. Essentially, they descended from twenty different countries (Sue & Sue, 2015, p. 575). Their main language is Arabic with a variance of regional or colloquial Arabic, which is spoken in different areas. To be more specific, even though the main language is Arabic, with the dialect there is a change of several forms within the language: vocabulary can be completely different from region to region, grammar also, and of course the change of accent dealing with vocalization and pronunciation parameters. A Moroccan could understand a Syrian; on the other hand the reversal of a Syrian trying to listen to a Moroccan’s long story would be impossible. The following are the different dialects: Egyptian, North African, Khalijji or Gulf and Levantine. The Levantine dialect comprises Jordan, Syria, Palestine, Lebanon and Israel. Some dialects are better known and understood for their popular use in films (Egyptian) and songs (Levantine) (Lingualy, 2015). There is a formal standardized Arabic language called Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) used for literary writing of books, newspapers and formal letters. There is an older version of Arabic, Classical Arabic known as Quranic Arabic is still being spoken today; it is also used for literary writing and
| There are 22 Arab countries, including Palestine, which are members of the Arab League and share a common history, language and culture. Arab Americans maintains contact with their extended family and member of their town of origin who may be located
oppressive nature of the societal pressures for women to remain inside the house and have solely
To be considered Arab, you or your ancestors live or lived in the Arab world and speak Arabic. The “Arab world” is made up of 22 states and territories whom are part of the Arab League. However many people in these states do not consider themselves Arab, thus the Arabic language is the unifying factor among the Arabic people. A lot of the individuals who speak Arabic today are very diverse. There is a myriad of dialects of Arabic and over 150 million people speak it. Twenty-five countries consider Arabic an official language (even if few are fluent in it). They vary from African to West Asian countries, however Arabs also live as minorities in many other nations. For example, the United States (Banks, 2009).
The diversities within North Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia (cultural, religious, political, etc.) play a crucial part in the status of women and the key features of gender roles in these particular geographic regions. The Middle East and North Africa share commonalities through Arabic and Islamic culture. Establishing equalities for women amongst the current social and political changes of Middle Eastern and North African societies stands as a difficult obstacle to overcome, but in spite of this, women’s rights efforts are still being made. While Islamic culture is dominant in Southeast Asia, the culture of Southeast Asian nations is diverse. Islam and gender in Southeast Asia have contributed to the continuing debate over Islam, feminism, and gender rights in the region. The cultures of North Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia are male dominated, but this cultural dominance might not sustain in the future. This essay will compare and contrast the current status of women and the key features of gender roles in North Africa and the Middle East with those of Southwest Asia. Examples will also be provided to justify any arguments that are made.
First of all, it is impossible to talk about groups of people without generalizing. At this point it must be emphasized that there is not just “one” Arab culture or society. The Arab world is full of rich and diverse communities, groups and cultures. Each of the Arab countries has different perspectives. That’s why differences exist not only among coun- tries, but within countries as well. With 22 countries formed, the Arab region has in some parts the same religious, politics and
The United Arab Emirates (U.A.E) is a federation of seven Emirates that was formed on December 2 1971. It is located between the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman and it is bordered by Saudi Arabia and Oman. The country has a total population of 3,740,000 as of 2004. Approximately 85% of those resideing the in UAE are not native to the country. Arabic is the official language,
Lebanon is a Middle Eastern country that is delimitated to the west by the Mediterranean and to the east by the Syro-African Depression. Lebanon borders Syria to the north and to the east, and Israel in the south.