Middle Eastern Culture ● Attention getter: Today, there are terrorist attacks and acts of violence against women that are defended with Islam. ● Speaker Credibility: I don’t believe this is the true Islam and many Muslims don’t condone this stuff. I know this because I’m Muslim and I’m from the Middle East. I hope to give you a more complex and accurate image of Islam and Middle Eastern culture. ● Islam literally means “surrender” and is related to the word for “peace.” It teaches peace, social progress, and caring for the vulnerable (Armstrong, 2001), but that is not the popular image of Islam today. ● Thesis: I will make the points that Middle Eastern people are kind and polite. Then, I will talk a little about politics and our culture before telling you more about what you can expect as if you ever happen to visit. Body First Main Point: ● People in the Middle East are kind and welcome strangers, this is part of Middle Eastern culture. Now, I’ll explain a few aspects of Middle Eastern culture and social graces: ○ We make a big deal of greetings. You should always ask about your friend’s family. ○ We say “Insha Allah” which means “God-willing.” We say this when talking about our plans because it is rude to ignore god (Al-Ammar, 2015). ○ We are mindful of good etiquette and there is always time for tea. ○ We take leisure and comfort seriously and we like to make other people feel comfortable. ○ However, bargaining and negotiation are a sticking point. If you don’t bargain, people may think you are wasteful. Middle Eastern people respect frugality. ○ Arab people are very curious, and they gossip. Gossip is like a parttime job for some people. The governments are also nosey. So to review: Middle Eastern people are generally friendly and easygoing, but a little strict about it. We like good etiquette, good bargaining and good gossip. Transition to second main point: Now, I’d like to say a word about our demographics. The People of the Middle East are: ● “The People of the Book”: Islam recognizes validity of Christianity & Judaism & it claims a legacy to them (PBS, no date). ● We have a lot of ethnic & religious diversity. We also have major social conflicts. ● There is Shia versus Sunni, which is kind of like Catholic versus Protestant in Ireland, except on a regional scale. ● There is also conflict between moderates and extremists, where the moderates are often defeated and drowned out. ● Male vs. Female, there is gender inequality in the eyes of the state and family. Violence against women often goes unpunished. ● In the Middle East we also have a conflict between people and government, as you saw during the Arab Spring. ● Young people also disagree with older people. We want progress! They hold on to old traditions. ● These disagreements and grievances are the result of the intersection of religion and politics, often amplified by propaganda and exploited with selective readings of Islam. ● Islam is like a tool in the service of the achievement of other political goals. ● However, most people are nice. As a foreigner, the conflicts often don’t apply to you. Transition to third main point: However, I’d like to say a few words about Middle Eastern Government. ● We have weak democracies, failed states, “modernizing dictatorships” and conservative monarchies. ● We also have regional instability, so... ● Government has a lot of crises and scandals. ● People also don’t trust the government, which apply to Americans- because Middle Eastern people will often not blame the Westerners they meet for grievances they may feel towards the U.S. government or the West. Transition: However, we love to have fun. Fourth main point: There is a lot of entertainment you can enjoy as a tourist: ● It is very cheap to go scuba-diving, sailing, and visit the desert ● There are a lot of dance clubs, cafes and bars= where you can have tasty cheap food, hookah, tea, and alcohol ● There are great vacation spots on the coast (Sinai- not now!), major cities like Tel Aviv, Cairo, and Dubai. ● Also, you can find many festivals, raves, parades, rituals, weddings, special performances. ● It’s literally impossible not to make friends. Enjoy! Conclusion 1. In the Middle East, people take leisure, negotiation, and personal privacy very seriously but like to gossip about others. 2. We are very diverse and disagree about how society should be, which sometimes causes conflicts, but Islam is fundamentally a peaceful religion and the people are kind and welcoming. 3. If you visit the Middle East, you may experience a certain thrill and humor that comes from being there as a visitor who is experiencing the culture and the landscape for the first time. Also, and perhaps most importantly, you can have a lot of fun and make life-long friends. Sources Al-Ammar, Ibrahim (March 9, 2015). “‘Insha Allah’ - please don’t fear this phrase!” Arab News. Retrieved from http://www.arabnews.com/columns/news/715716 Armstrong, Karen (September 23, 2001). “The True, Peaceful Face of Islam.” Time.com. Retrieved from http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,175987,00.html Esposito, John L. (July 31, 2015). “Islam and Political Violence.” Religions, No. 6. Hazleton, Lesley (December 5, 2012). “Seeing Muhammad - and each other whole.” TEDxRainier. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aC7bUTBKv0&feature=youtu.be PBS. “People of the Book.” Islam Empire of Faith. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/empires/islam/faithpeople.html