Middle Eastern Culture

Islam & Muslims

• Islam is as diverse as Christianity • It is experienced differently depending on the

culture

What is Islam?

• Islam means seeking peace by submitting to the divine will

• Islam is an Arabic word derived from the word peace, which also means submitting to a higher will

Who Are Muslims?

• Individuals to completely and peacefully submits to the will of God, believe in the Articles of Faith and practice the Five Pillars of Islam

• Muslims make up 1/5 of the World’s Population, about 1.4 billion people

Who is God & His Prophet?

• Islamic God is Allah• The Prophet is Muhammad– Born in Mecca– Received his 1st revelation from Allah at the age of

40, through the Archangel Gabriel (Holy Spirit)– Revelations continued for 23 years, and are

recorded in the Qur`an

What is the Qur`an?

• The primary source of Islamic guidance• The Qur`an is the record of the words of God

revealed to the prophet Muhammad through the Archangel Gabriel

The Five Pillars

• Declaration of Faith (Shahadah)• Prayer (Salah)• Obligatory Charity (Zakah)• Fasting (Siyam)• Pilgrimage (Hajj)

The Crusades…

• This was a series of 4 crusades between 1096 and 1270 urged by the Pope to reclaim Jerusalem from the Turks

• Jerusalem is the Holy city for 3 major religions (Christianity, Islam, & Judaism)

• Muslim Turks defeated the Byzantine Empire and cut off Christian access to Jerusalem

Society

• Most tension comes from modernity and tradition

• Islam is viewed by many not only as a religion but as a cultural identity and heritage

Society

• Many Middle Eastern qualities are shared– Honor (self respect & self pride) and the

expectation of equal treatment– Fierce sense of independence and resentment of

imposed rules or decisions not sanctioned by social norms & customs

– Loyalty to extended family and friends– Hospitality to guests and visitors

Family Role

• Family loyalty and obligation is paramount• Family is seen as a person’s ultimate refuge

and support system• Children are taught profound respect for

adults

Men & Women

• P.D.A. is considered offensive• The maintenance of family honor is one of the

highest values• Promiscuous behavior can be extremely

damaging to family honor• Most Middle Easterners prefer arranged

marriages, family plays a huge role in the decision to wed

Islam & Modernity

• The shock of Modernity– Colonialism and the loss of independence– Westernization that the loss of tradition– Fragmentation and the loss of Unity

• Islamic Reassertion – Rejection: Radical Islam– Reconciliation: Reform Islam– Dualism: Traditional Islam

Middle Eastern Women

• Women’s status is society depends on the country– Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt: Women

are educated and are active in levels of society– In Persian Gulf States Women do not work, unless in

an all female setting– Traditional Women wear a Hijab

• Traditional Men and Women do not see the customs as restriction, but as protection

Middle Eastern Women• Women in many Muslim countries are not considered equal

to men. Beyond that, they are often subjected to unimaginable injustices.

• Fathers have killed their own daughters for marrying outside of the Muslim faith. Such murders, or "honor killings" have even been recorded in growing numbers in the United States.

• Women are expected to be covered in excessively modest clothing from nearly head to toe. In many countries operating under Islamic Sharia law—such as Iran and Saudi Arabia—women are subject to the ruling of undercover dress code police. Officers can arrest women who are deemed to be dressed too liberally.

Women and the Hijab

• Syria’s government placed a ban the Hijab in the 1980’s

• Turkey and Tunisia persecute women who wear the Hijab since the 1990’s

• Iran & Saudi Arabia enforce the Hijab• France outlawed the Hijab in 2003

Sharia Law• This is Radical Islam

• Under Muslim Sharia law, the clothes you wear, the music you listen to, and the television you watch would all be censored. Behavior in public is legally restricted and controlled.

• Radical Muslim societies ruled by Sharia law provide men with a clear advantage. According to Radical Islam, women are considered subservient, second-class citizens expected to conform to specific moral codes.

Sharia Law• intolerant system that threatens the Western ideals of

“liberty and justice for all”.

• views non-Muslims as second class citizens, sanctions inequality between men and women, prescribes cruel and unusual punishments for crimes, and promotes a restrictive business environment that strangles the freedoms of capitalism.