Middle east (Arab culture)

Algeria Bahrain The Comoros island Djibouti Egypt Iraq Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Libya Morocco Mauritania Oman Palestine Qatar Saudi Arabia Somalia Sudan Syria Tunisia United Arab emirates Yemen

Countries in the middle east

The Arabs have a rich and beautiful culture. Arab culture places a great deal of importance on the family and on the community. Arab art, music, and philosophy convey the rich perspective of Arab life and culture. Arab customs and traditions in all of their various forms express the beauty of the Arab people.

The fields of medicine, mathematics, astronomy, language, architecture, agriculture, navigation, and geography have all benefited from Arab industry and genius. The Arab culture is one of the most hospitable cultures in all of the world. Kindness, friendliness, graciousness, and thoughtfulness are all hallmark characteristics of the Arab people.

Arab means ?
"deserts and barren lands without water and vegetation".

The ARAB world includes Muslim, Christian and Jews.

Deep belief in God. Arabs usually believe that many, if not all, things in life are controlled by the will of God rather than by human beings.

In Arab countries most are Muslim, some are Christian and a few are from other religions. The name of the religion is Islam, which means "peace" and "submission." Islam teaches that one can only find peace in one's life by submitting to Almighty God (Allah) in heart, soul and deed.

While praying in a mosque, clothing should be plain.The Quran tells men that they should not wear silk or gold jewelry to show off their wealth. Clothing should not attract attention or be worn to show off. In addition, it is recommended that Muslim men wear a beard, no longer than a fist length and keep their hair managed and neat, When praying they should cover their heads with a kufi (mens hat) or a turban. It is recommended that a Tunic or Long Shirt be worn.

If youve ever heard Muslims greet each other, youve probably heard the standard Muslim greeting. One person says: Asalaam Alaykum Peace be upon you. And the other person responds with: WaAlaykum Asalaam which means And peace be upon you also.

Arabic people do wear turbans. The traditional head gear (Keffiyeh) of Arab men is considered a turban because it is a piece of cloth tied to their head. They are worn in Kuwait, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Palestine. Arab men sometimes wear the Amamah, which is similar to a Sikh turban but they are not as peaked. They are worn in Oman, Yemen, Sudan, Iraqi Kurdistan, and the rural areas of Egypt.

Muslim men also have a dress code. In Islam both men and women are told by Allah to dress modestly. Clothing restrictions are not only for Muslim women. Men should be as modest in their appearance as women. All Muslims, whether they be male or female should try to blend in and not draw attention to themselves. Additionally Muslim men should also wear clothing that is loose fitting enough that all parts of the body are concealed and show the bare minimum of their skin. Neither Muslim men nor women wear shorts as many people in the western world do. It is forbidden in their religion as they must conceal themselves.

Fabric restrictions are also in place for Islamic men. Wearing of Silk and saffron colored clothing is forbidden for men only. Where women can wear gold or silver jewelry, Gold jewelry is not permitted for Islamic men; they may however wear silver rings. Islam does not restrict only women in their dress, men are restricted also. It is in place for the self protection of all Muslims so they are respected and not seen as sex symbols and may therefore be taken seriously in society.

Egypt(country of pyramids)
Egypt is one of the most populous country in the Middle East, and the 15th most populated in the world.

Here people are very close to each other, family ties are far stronger than in the west. Most of the Muslims in Egypt do not drink alcohol they don't object to others drinking, but doing it in reasonable amounts.

More than 40% of its men are illiterate. It is over populated and poor. people do not like foreign photographers poking their cameras into their everyday life. Unless photographed at their best or in situations they are proud of, Egyptians are more comfortable away from the cameras. Egyptians are very religious. They ask for Gods mercy when they get desperate, using the expression Rahmetak Ya Rabb (Your Mercy, O Lord). Many parts in Egypt are so poor and people here are color blind too.

Capital punishment in Saudi Arabia

The use of capital punishment in Saudi Arabia is based on Sharia (or Islamic law) and is usually carried out by publically beheading by sword. Saudi Arabia performs public executions in central Riyadh, instead of privately executing criminals in prisons. It is one of the last five countries to still carry out public executions, the other four being Iran, Syria, North Korea, and Yemen. The death penalty can be imposed for a wide range of offences including murder, rape, false prophecy, armed robbery, repeated drug use, apostasy, adultery, witchcraft and sorcery and can be carried out by beheading with a sword, or more rarely by firing squad, and sometimes by stoning. Sometimes criminals hang publically till their death.

Mecca(makkah)
A city in western Saudi Arabia, considered by Muslims to be the holiest city of Islam.

For Muslims, Mecca is a very important and sacred place.It is the house of Allah and has the Kaaba (a cuboid structure covered with cloth) in the centre where Muslims go around it anticlockwise for pilgrimage all the year around for Um-rah and once every year during HAJ. It was built originally by Prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael. It has the Black stone which was originally white but has now turned black from sins of mankind. It has another structure close by which is Moqaam-e Ibrahim, which has the foot prints and stone where Prophet Abraham stood up to build the Kaaba. The rest of the building is an open building for prayers.

Madina
This is the second Holiest place in Islam, called "City of the Prophet," is in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia.

It is the place where the Prophet Mohammad lived when he arrived in Madina City after leaving Makkah. He built the Masjid and used to conduct prayers, preach and meet the people who came to visit him. It now has the grave of the Prophet where he was buried, along with two of his Companions who are laid next to him. The green dome on the building is where the Prophet is buried. The rest of the building is used for daily prayers.

Next to the Masjid is the graveyard called Jannat ul Baqi, where the Prophets, family and companions are buried.

language
The language in which people communicate with each other is Arabic and it ranks sixth in the world's league table of languages, with an estimated 186 million native speakers. It is written from right to left, in a cursive style, and includes 28 letters.

Festivals/holidays
There are three main holidays in the middle east: -Eid Al-Fitr -Ramadan -Eid Al-Adha.

Eid al-Fitr
In the tenth month of the Islamic calendar, Eid al-Fitr (the Festival of Fast Breaking) is celebrated. While celebrations may be different from region to region, it is usually a three-day period that begins on the first day of the month Shawwal. On the day of Eid people will get together in the morning, either in a nice outdoor location or at a mosque, for the Eid prayer. After that they will head off to meet with family and friends for some wonderful meals and some gift-giving.

Ramadan
Ramadan directly precedes Eid al-Fitr with a month of fasting and spiritual reflection. If a person is physically able they are required to fast from sunup to sundown every day of the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Evening meals are usually held with the family or the community where you can also share prayers and spiritual reflection, and many cities decorate their streets with lights or other ornaments to celebrate the month.

The fasting during Ramadan is about more than just going without food and water, though. It is about purifying both body and soul. This is also a great chance to do charitable acts for others, and go out of your way to help people in need.

Eid al-Adha

The Festival of Sacrifice is a religious holiday that commemorates Abraham and Ishmaels trial of obedience. It is held on the tenth day of the last month of the year, just after the end of the Hajj. This is also generally a three-day celebration that starts with the Eid prayer in the morning. During the holiday people will visit friends and family, but mostly it is a time to show that you are also willing to make sacrifices.

Arab etiquitte differs from country to country and from social class to social class. However, there are various rules which apply to all Arabs.

When greeting Arab men, it is customary to shake hands. If you are a freind of the person (or if that person is very outgoing), you may engage in the "Kiss-both-cheeks" ritual. It should be noted that you won't actually be kissing each other's cheeks, but rather, placing your cheek near or on the other guy's cheeks and making a swift kiss forward without touching his skin.

Greeting women is slightly more complex than greeting men. In general, never shake a woman's hand unless she offers it first. If she doesn't, take your right hand and place it above your heart for about one second. It is also considered disrespectful to make direct eyecontact with women. In addition, it is customary in many Arab social circles for men and women to sit separately. In addition, to the Arabs, honor is everything. Never insult someone, insults are rarely forgotten. - Don't walk into a mosque with your shoes on, Don't praise or give support to Israel, The holy water in churches is not for drinking, etc.

Marriage traditions
In many parts of the Middle East it is not customary for men and women to select their own spouse and it is common for five different parties to be thrown for the wedding ceremony.

It starts with the engagement party. The bride and groom invite family and friends and a festive party is thrown, with special foods and much dancing and singing and happy music. Engagement parties can go on late into the night. During the party the bride often changes her dress up to five times.

The second party takes place on the day the bride and groom go to the courthouse and sign their marriage contract. Again family and friends are invited and there is much celebration, much music and dancing and song. Once again, it is customary for the bride to change her dress as often as five times during the party.

The third party takes place one day before the wedding. This third party is named the Hena party. The word Hena might sound familiar; Its a dye that is used to make special tattoos to the hands and feet of the bride, especially, to ward off evil spirits. This is also the party at which the grinding takes place. In many parts of the Middle East the bride and groom are seated while several unmarried girls hold a white cloth on their heads. The grinding girl then grinds together two lumps of sugar above the couples heads while asking God (Allah) to repel all evil spirits from the young couples life. It is traditional for the bride to wear a green dress at the Hena party and the party traditionally continues until dawn on the day of the wedding.

Following the wedding itself, at which the bride and groom exchange wedding rings it is thought, by the way, that the wedding ring originated in the Middle East there is the biggest party of them all. This wedding party is very similar to the receptions following U.S. and European weddings, with speeches, and much dancing and singing and traditional Middle Eastern music. Very often each guest is given five almond pieces, each almond piece symbolizing one of the five sacred wedding wishes: health, happiness, wealth, fertility and longevity.

The final party takes place 7 days after the marriage. In Arabic it is called Sabaa, which means Seven. The Sabaa is held at the home of the brides mother and only women attend. Here brides mother traditionally gives her daughter gold or diamonds.

The reason for the bride price or wedding dowry seems to be that it is used as a compensation to the parents of the bride for the loss of her labor after leaving their home. In Arab it is important to the economy of the home to have everyone work, whether in household jobs (making tents, weaving, etc.) or other jobs (tending sheep, camels, or wage labor). When a girl leaves her father's home and is married, the father loses part of his labor force. Therefore, to compensate for the loss, the bridegroom side pays a bride price. Another reason for the bride price is to compensate for the taking of the girl from the parents home and building up a "strangers" home. The amount of the bride price and the means (money, animals, land labor, etc.) by which it is to be paid varies from place to place. It is decided upon by the fathers of both the bride and the bridegroom.

In some areas of the Middle East, after the engagement ceremonies have been performed, the bride and the bridegroom are not permitted to see each other until the wedding. Any communication that goes on between the two is carried out by the friend of the bridegroom

khuda haafiz