Why I Love Saudi Arabia

The pilgrimage is indeed an amazing phenomenon, which brings people together at a common goal, which is believed to be the essence or starting point of life and the ‘door’ to the afterlife. As we will discover, pilgrimages require great sacrifice, both financially and physically. Pilgrimages may give the impression of an act that is traditional and not ‘fit’ for our modern world. However, one who has not walked the pilgrimage may never see the insight that the pilgrims themselves see. One fact is certain and striking. The numbers of pilgrims at the world’s major shrines are still increasing.

What's more, Saudi Arabia political system is very conservative when compared to the United States. For Muslim countries our freedoms can be seen as threatening by those who value that structure. For that reason, not all countries share the same philosophy in regards to their citizens’ right. For example, Saudi Arabia has been criticized for its implementation of Islamic law and its poor human rights record. In the same way the United States has been criticized for being too liberal. Civil liberties safeguard individual liberty and therefore, are valuable to every human being. More importantly, prevent the government from misusing power. Without a doubt, the highest law in the United States is the U.S. Constitution and such is fabricated by some amendments that are known as the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights guarantees that the government can never deprive people in the U.S. of certain fundamental rights. As a result, American citizens are protected by the First Amendment which, reads the following “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peacefully assemble and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances” (“First Amendment").

form, a pilgrim is a believer in a faith or the follower of a religion

I flew from Las Vegas to an airport close to the Caribbean rainforest, this was my first time on a plane, I never would have imagined it would be to start my dream job and go to an exotic place. I mean, who could ever get so lucky on their first assignment. I was expecting to get sent to the middle of a hot desert or a humid rain forest infested with flying and biting bugs. I knew it was time to start my adventure when I got off that plane, but it was also time to start my adult life as well. The plane ride was full of me asking myself questions about this trip that I really could not answer. I kept asking myself what would I encounter when I reached the tribe, would they be accepting of me, would things be hostile or friendly, will I be able to adapt well enough to their style of living to be able to complete my assignment. I could not stop thinking of all the ways this trip could play

The traditional pilgrim is someone who surrenders the life they once knew to make a journey of devotion to a sacred site. It’s not necessarily the destination, but their growing faith along their journey that they seek. They set off with hands empty, free of expectation, carrying only a willingness to be guided, to bear

The essential parts are still there, such as: performing the act of Hajj or Umrah itself, making sure that every Muslim (if physically and financially able) makes this pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime, visiting all of the proclaimed holy sites, and finally having a hajj or Umrah certificate made up to document and display that the individual did in fact partake in the pilgrimage. This paper discussed what exactly an Umrah or Hajj certificate is, and looked at when, where, who, and why this particular scroll was made. Overall, these documents are incredibly important, which is fairly clear given that these certificates are still being made to this very day for individuals who have partaken in Hajj or

All I smelled were the burning bodies of people who were once my neighbors. Pain I no longer felt. During the night, everything went numb, and during the day, the heat would cook me. Day after day, hot then cold, hot then cold. I had been separated from my family, my wife and children going a separate path, to a separate fate. My oldest son, Ari, just under the age of five, had to go with my wife. That made memories of days before Dachau, in our quiet and small cottage near a city out in the open. Eating dinner during the early summer months as the fire blazed close by, warming everything. But now, all that mattered were

If it weren’t for the friends that helped them on their journey they wouldn’t have made it to their disorientated family ““This is for you.” He reached down, picked up a blanket and gave it to me.” (pg 78). Even Jata’s carefree spirit made it easier to talk to anyone she met ““I asked her for a place and she was telling me where we could go.”” (pg 262).

Some people view the outside world as a dangerous place full of disparity and misery, others like to embrace that unknown and try to use it as a catalyst for inner growth. I like to see myself as the latter, the individual who lives for the rush of the unknown. I looked down to see what I could only describe as a dream come true. It was a ticket for a six month tour around Asia that would lead to the complete immersion of native culture and tradition- Vietnamese Pho, the mountain folk of Nepal, the Muay Thai martial arts of Thailand, Chinese Architecture and the beaches of Laos are some of the places that we got to experience first-hand. As a participant I was expected to live with 15 other individuals from around the world that I had never

An experience is a personal involvement or observation of an occurrence by a person. Every day, various people experience different events of their lives and learn from these numerous undertakings. People however, cannot experience everything, but rather only experience what they undergo. For others to distinguish different accomplishments that they cannot be apart of, people must learn from other’s experiences. In the book A Thousand Splendid Suns, written by Khaled Hosseini, various events are exposed to the characters that affect themselves and the ones around them. In the text, the characters help readers in becoming familiar with experiences that they are not accustomed to as it demonstrates the affection people have for one another, the effects of poverty on others’ lives, and the experiences of domestic abuse.

Life in paradise is fine; I like the ever-present sun and strong sense of community. Yet for as long as I can remember, I’ve felt restless in Hawaii. I’ve daydreamed of far-away, fairytale kingdoms in kindergarten and chased after passing airplanes during recess. I was beyond excited when I visited my relatives in seventh grade, traveling nearly six thousand miles to their homes in China. Everything in the foreign land fascinated me; my head twisting every which way to marvel at the sizzling street food or the flash of red on a passing student’s uniform. Everyone was buzzing with a frantic energy that contrasted the laid-back lifestyle of Hawaii and I loved the change of pace. I had to learn about a new culture: how to hustle instead of simply

For my religious site visit, I decided to go to the Tibetan Yungdrung Bon Institute in Miami. For the first time ever, I would experience the practices and culture of another religion outside of my own. The Tibetan Yungdrung Bon Institute was not a temple like I expected, but instead, the prayers and rituals were performed in an apartment. Even though it was not a temple, the close attention to authentic decorations was very interesting. After leaving all my anxiety and shyness behind, I entered the building and waited until one of the instructors came down to take me to the room.

I have been able to use my travel as the synapse to what I have learned in school, watched in movies, read in books or experienced from the news. I find myself reminiscing upon the real places on which was reported, the same places I have been. Seeing the diary of Anne Frank in real life and standing in the same place she hid in secret as a teenager was the nexus for understanding the important role travel has played in the balanced perspective of different cultures I have, the similar perspective Anne Frank embraced without regards to her particular circumstance. From this event I also embrace; we are more alike, my friends, than we are

On February 12th, 2015 I left America for the holy land. After we got on the plane I felt excited, I had not been to Israel in many years. I was thinking wow I’m about to have a great experience and make some great friends. After the long flight we arrived and the first thing I felt was the warm Israel breeze on my face. After waiting for one of the other kids to find their luggage which got lost we rode to Jerusalem. The views I saw outside the window were truly magnificent, from wild animals to construction workers to plants of crazy color. After finally getting to the Youth hostel we enjoyed dinner rice and potatoes. Then we walked to the kotel and took a late night tour of the Jewish, Armenian, and Muslim quarter. When I walked up to the wall I started

     In the heart of the Middle East is a country known by many Westerners for its oil production and, often, extremist beliefs of groups within the country. The country is Saudi Arabia, and though it is thought of by many as a rather backward country, Saudi Arabia has a rich history and culture, and it is a country that revolves around Islam and the worship of Allah as the one true God.