An Arab from Qatar in the Middle East - Assignment Example

I am an Arab originally from Qatar in the Middle East. The ancestry of my family including both paternal and maternal lineage is Arab. My family speak Arabic language and both men and women in Qatar adorn the hijab Arabic head garb. The family bond and sense of history has been well guarded and is deeply rooted as both are have been deemed vital to the survival of self. The family history can be traced back several generations on both the paternal and maternal sides of the family. The family tree branches off to aunts and uncles and we are able to trace the roots of their forebears for generations as well. A great abundance of my family reside in the metro Detroit, MI area. My family came from Qatar in the 1970s and have been relatively successful in the small business sector. My family owns an variety of small businesses spanning from liquor stores to restaurants. One of the fundamental successes of my family is the continuous reinforcement of unity and our strong family bond. Although my family in the metro Detroit area still adhere to fundamental beliefs of our culture, there are notable differences and the impact of western culture can be measured. My family from both the Qatar and America strongly believe in the sanctity of marriage and the strength of family unity. It is heavily believed that marriage is meant to be entered into for life duration and that the man is the head of the family. It is my familys belief that a big family should be sought as an abundance of children ensures perpetual family strength. Sons are heavily desired as the son will carry on the familys name and take of the elders in their ripe age. The religion of Islam which is learned and studied from the holy book Quran is practiced by the entire family in both Qatar and the United States. We strongly believe in Allah and his faithful messenger the prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) and his divine revelation of Gods word. It is the desire of my family in both Qatar and the United States to make the pilgrimage of Hajj and visit the holy lands of Mecca and Medina at least once in our lifetime. The men in Qatar adorn the flowing robes and some opt to wear casual attire. Those who do choose to wear the adorning robes typically accompany them with hijab head garb. Most of the men from my family in the United States have adapted to the western culture of clothing. They choose to wear casual attire such as blue jeans and tee shirts, however the overall belief system is still strong. The women in both Qatar and the United States wear the traditional clothing of an Arab woman. The long flowing dresses known as abayah, jilbob or chador is their normal attire. These beautiful dresses are worn to conceal the privacy of the womans anatomy as it is sanctified for her spouse only. The head garb of hijab accompanies the dresses and some of the elder women choose to wear entire face veils to show their devotion to our religion and God we serve. However, in the western culture of the United States, things have slightly changed. The younger generation has swayed slightly from traditional attire. As they still conceal their entire body by wearing clothing that covers all skin, the contour of their bodies are now being revealed. The younger generation in the United States have adapted to western culture and now may adorn the hijab traditional head garb with blue jeans and long tee shirts, however they have made available the form of the shape of their body. In Qatar this is not acceptable as the younger generation adhere to traditional dress attire. This is a revelation of the difference and impact western culture has had on Islam. The family in both Qatar and the United States preserves the sanctity of our native Arabic language. However, living in a diverse world, the importance of understanding different languages is understood. Especially in the United States of America as English is the native language of the land. Also, with the interconnectedness of the business world, it is imperative to be able to communicate on a global scale. My family attempts to preserve our native language by speaking our native language of Arabic among each other. It is common practice to speak Arabic when communicating with someone with the capabilities to speak the Arabic language. This practice preserves our language and allows Arabs to communicate out of sense of entitlement. In Qatar, Arabic is the official language of the land therefore it is utilized in the school system. This is not the case in America. Since English is the language of the land, it is imperative that the American Arab understands the English language as this is the language that is utilized in the school system. To counteract the excessive use of the English language, it is common tradition that the native language of Arabic be the only language spoken in the home to preserve the usage of the language. Also, the young children that are not of school age must be taught to speak in the Arabic language as the primary language, while also being taught English as a secondary language. Since family from both Qatar and United States of America practice the religion of Islam, we adhere to the holidays and observances of the religion. We celebrate the Islamic new year known as Muharram relatively quietly with prayers and readings. Another holiday we observe is the prophet Muhammads (peace be upon him) birthday known as Mawlid al-Nabi. This holiday is commemorated by recollecting the life of the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his divine impact on the Islam religion. Finally, we acknowledge Ramadan. During Ramadan, the entire Muslim community fast for 1 month and give special attention to the enjoyment of family and friends. Its my belief that the older American Muslim generation is acculturated while the younger generation is assimilated. The older generation still adhere to fundamental beliefs that were taught in our original country of Qadar. In order to thrive in the United States, the older generation acculturated with their surroundings to gain understanding of western culture. However, after being supplanted in western culture, then by nature one becomes a product of their environment. Although the elders in American western culture try to reinforce traditional values and beliefs, they tend to become more diluted with each generation. The younger generation has become assimilated as know they are reared in the midst of the western culture and their value and belief system. Read More