Analysis of Arabic Culture - Essay Example

(school) Arabic Culture Introduction The Arab culture is a rich and dynamic culture, borne out of an engrossing history, language, and traditions. It is a culture which particularly refers to the culture of Arab nations in West Asia and North Africa, including the region from Morocco to the Persian Gulf. This paper would include a discussion on their language, traditions, politics, as well as literature. This paper shall discuss the historical background of the Arab peoples, including their language varieties, literary traditions, and representative social institutions. This study is meant to present a rich and an educated experience in the promotion of analytical skills and insights into another culture and its complexities. Body History The Semitic people are said to have originated from the Arab peninsula, gaining the bulk of the people of Mesopotamia from the Jazirat al-Arab or the island of the Arabs which is the place between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf (Goodspeed, p. 54). The Hadramawt forms in the southern border reaching northward to the east of the Dead Sea (Craig, p. 13). The non-Arab Semitic settlers were Arameans, Akkadians, Amorites, Israelites, Eblaites, and Canaanites; and they established their communities in Mesopotamia and the Levant. These people gradually came to intermix and intermarry with each other (Hammer, et.al., p. 6769). They gradually lost their domination of the near east due to internal issues. The first time that the label “Arab” came into being was in an Assyrian inscription of 853 BCE where King Gindibu was defeated in the Battle of Karkar. At this time accounts of these defeated groups include Assyrian texts which later translated to “Arab”. These people were considered desert-dwelling Semitic groups (History World, p. 3). War would later break out between the Assyrians and the Arabs during Ashurbanipal’s time. The medieval genealogists divided the Arab people into three groups: first are the ancient Arabs who vanished; second are the pure Arabs of South Arabia; and last are the Arabized Arabs from North Arabia who were considered descendants of Ishmael, son of Abraham (Nydell, p. 53). There are various terms used to define the Arabs, and some of them define Muslims to be nomadic Arabs, formerly nomadic Arabs (Egyptians and Yemenis), and the Saracens as defined by the Christians (Goodspeed, p. 56). The Qur’an does not have the term Arab, instead it uses the term ‘arabiy,’. After the 8th century Islamic conquest, Arabic language was defined as the pure and uncontaminated language of the Arabs (Goodspeed, p. 57). The Ghassanids, Lakhmids, and the Kindites represented the final dregs of migration of non-Muslims out of Yemen. They mostly settled in the Hauran area and later to move towards Lebanon, Palestine, and East Jordan (Nydell, p. 57). In the years that would follow, Islam would slowly emerge among the Arab people. The Rashidun troops set out to conquer various areas in the Arabia, forming the Caliphates or the Islamic Empire. Various caliphates would follow, expanding territories in Asia and Europe (Nydell, p. 56). The Abbasid Caliphate followed the Umayyads after the latter were defeated in the Battle of Zab. The Ottoman caliphate then followed the Abbasids and they ruled Arabia from 1513 to 1918 (Nydell, p. 56). After the First World War, the Ottoman Empire was defeated by the British Empire, and the colonies were divided between Britain and France (Nydell, p. 54). Now, the Arab region is composed of 22 countries, distinctly making and marking their history independent of each other. Language The Arab script is based on the Nabataean Aramaic script and it has been in existence since 4th century AD (Ager). The Aramaic language does not have as many consonants as compared to the Arabic language and in order to resolve this problem, Arabic letters were then created using additional dots on existing. The two main kinds of Arabic language are the classical Arabic language and the Modern Standard Arabic (Ager). Classical Arabic is different from Modern Arabic in terms of vocabulary; the classical Arabic language is mostly archaic. For which reason, it is the language of their classical literature and their Qur’an. Most Muslims are familiar with classical Arabic because they are all required to recite the Qur’an in its original language (Ager). The modern standard Arabic is the universal language used by the Arab people and is easily understood and relatable to them. It is mostly heard and used in their everyday activities, their TV shows, social interactions, as well as academic activities. The different Arab countries have various colloquial spoken Arabic languages and these variations are often seen in their poems, cartoons, comics, as well as their plays. Particular descriptions of the language also include abjad as the type of writing system used (Ager). The direction of the writing is horizontal from right to the left with their numbers written from left to right. There are 28 Arabic letters and some of these letters often change forms based on whether or not they are used at the beginning, the middle, or the end of the word (Ager). The Arabic language is considered as a Semitic language composed of 221 million speakers in Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Chad, Egypt, Kenya, Kuwait, and Lebanon, among others (Ager). There are 30 varieties of the language which include Egyptian, used by 50 million Egyptians; Algerian, used by 22 million Algerians; Moroccan, used in Morocco by about 20 million Moroccans; Sudanese, used in Sudan by 19 million people; Saidi, used by 19 million citizens in Egypt; North Levantine, used in Lebanon and Syria by close to 15 million people; Mesopotamian, spoken by 14 million individuals in Iraq, Iran, and Syrian, and Najdi, heard in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, and Syrian by 10 million individuals (Ager). Literature The way Arab language is structured is appropriate to their harmonious lyrical patterns, as well as rhymes and rhythms (Columbia University). The first known literature came from northern Arabia from about 500 AD and it later served as poetry, spoken aloud, memorized and then passed on to other generations. It soon was written down by the end of the seventh century (Columbia University). The most well-known poems came from the pre-Islamic era and were labeled as the mu’allaqat or ‘the suspended.’ These were hailed as outstanding work, worthy of being displayed on the walls of the ka’ba in Makkah (Columbia University). The usual poem of this era was the qasidah or the ode which was made up of 70-80 pairs of half-lines. These poems depicted nomadic habits, often starting off with a lament due to the departure of a romantic interest. The second part goes on to praise the poet’s horse or camel, specifying the journey and the hardships of the travel. The last part includes the main theme of the poem which usually praises the poet’s group, and condemning his enemies (Columbia University). Arabic prose was first seen from the Persian secretarial class serving under the Abbasid caliphs (Columbia University). Ibn al-Muqaffa was converted to Islam and was known to have translated Persian literature to the Arabic language. He became well known for his works Kalila and Dimna, which are didactic fables where two jackals provided practical cues and moral advice (Columbia University). Al-Jahiz was known to have further developed Arabic prose, making it elegant and precise. He was well-known for his intelligence and this made him one of Baghdad’s intellectuals during the Abbasid caliphate. His works include the Kitab al-Hayawan or Book of Animals which was filled with animal anecdotes; Kitab al-Bayan wa al-Tabyin or the Book of Elucidation and Exposition which were writings about history and science; and the Kitab al-Bukhala or the Book of Misers which was made up of humorous observations on psychology (Columbia University). Kitab al-Aghani or the Book of Songs was written by Abu al-Faraj al Isfashani (Columbia University, 2009). This book provides a clear view of the Arab culture and society and it includes songs and poems in Baghdad during the reign of Caliph Harun al-Rashid. The genre known to be maqamah was laid out by al-Hamadhani and this genre is narrated by an unscrupulous rogue who was predisposed to make fun of various people in society (Columbia University). It is inscribed in rhyming prose and meant to take advantage of the unique qualities of the Arabic language. Of the 400 original maqamah, only 52 have survived. Due to the growth of linguistic finesse, form over content became dominant in Arab literature. Al-Hariri explored the maqamah and launched it into new extremes. This exploration was considered as a means of illustrating his expertise in word-play, including his rich vocabulary. In one of his works, he utilized only the letters in the alphabet which had dots on them or those which do not join the following letter in the word (Columbia University). For about 700 years, his maqamah after the Qur’an, were considered as the most acclaimed Arab literary work. Arab and their worldview Their worldview is founded on six concepts – atomism, faith, wish versus reality, justice and equality, paranoia, and the importance of family over self (Higgins Counterterrorism Research Center). With atomism, Arabs perceive the world and circumstances to be isolated events. While Westerners would usually seek unifying elements, the Arabs highlight parts of the bigger whole. Cause and effect is not part of their culture and they often do not see links between the events and incidents happening around them (Higgins Counterterrorism Research Center). However, they do have a long memory of events, which they usually put a premium to more than their history. Arabs also have a deep belief in God and they believe that most of the things happening in their life are willed by God, not by ordinary humans. Hence, their actions often revolve around this deep belief and perception of the divine. Arabs also tend to express their feelings forcefully and in an exaggerated manner and they are often deeply conflicted by the fact that they want to adapt modern ways, but their traditions contradict such desire (Higgins Center). This dilemma highlights one of their struggles which relate to ‘wish versus reality.’ Moreover, the Western ideals represent modernity which they cannot embrace amidst their traditional beliefs and faith. Arabs also have a deep value for justice and equality and the actions of the US and other Westerners would always be evaluated based on their religious and traditional standards (Higgins Center). Without religious basis for Westerners actions, they would consider these as unjust and against their basic beliefs. In a major way, this would explain the actions of the Muslim extremists in launching terrorist attacks against the US and other Western territories based on their view that the US and its allies are unjustly encroaching on their territories and are non-believers or ‘infidel.’ Arabs also have a basic paranoia of Western standards. They have a deep-seated suspicion of US motives in their country (Higgins Center). They also believe that the US troops are spies in their country and they do not trust their actions while they are in their territory. Family Family over self is also a strong belief among the Arabs. They are tight-knit families and often value their families more than any other thing in their life (Higgins Center). The Arab families are also usually large and include an extended family set-up. Moreover, the decisions and influence of their family have a major bearing on their decisions. Status is also usually gained based on what family a person is born into. Regardless of economic status and prestige however, Arab families are patriarchal with the fathers considered as the head and the decision makers in the family (Higgins Center). Not many women are allowed to work for their living and live lives independent of their families. In the current age of modernization, the number of working and educated Arab women has increased. A person’s gender also determines one’s social grouping; interactions with the opposite sex are often usually carried out in the homes. Activities are also based on family life and a person’s achievement often reflects on one’s family (Higgins Center). One’s reputation, social status, and economic achievements are also based on one’s family standing. Moreover, much loyalty to one’s family is required among Arabs. Honoring one’s family is also an important requirement among Arabs, and any misbehavior or unfavorable actions which may reflect negatively on the family can also bring dishonor to the family. Honor is a virtue and quality which has a significant value among the Arabs. It is something that Arabs protect above anything else; as a result, criticizing them, even constructively can be seen as insults on their honor (Higgins Center). Arabs therefore tend to protect their honor against any criticisms and when confronted with these, they often react by interpreting facts based on their understanding or by simply refusing to confront such facts. Other nationalities would often get better headway in giving criticisms by using other tools, especially tools which would still deliver praise while affording corrective measures for improvement (Higgins Center). Making flat-out refusals are therefore not supported by the Arab culture. Saying no to a question, even if that answer would represent the truth of their beliefs would be unheard of among Arabs. Instead, they would likely say ‘yes’ to everything asked of them (Higgins Center). It is therefore important to verify if they are actually representing what they are feeling about something. Somehow, getting them to answer in a definitive way would help improve communication with them. Women Women under the traditional Arab setting are considered as subordinate to men and the extent of such subordination is different for each Arab country (Higgins Center). Areas highly restrictive of women are found in the Arabian Peninsula and the least restrictive are seen in Egypt, Syrian, and Lebanon. In Iraq, the women are expected to adopt dress codes based on conservative traditions. They are expected to wear headscarves while in public. Their dresses are usually expected to be at lengths below their knees with their blouses covering their shoulders and most of their arm (Barakat, p. 103). Women in Iraq are also not allowed managerial positions and their opinions on business matters are usually not given much credit. Photographing these women, staring or speaking with them is not allowed and asking a male family member about his wife or about a female family member is also disallowed. Men are also expected to stand when a woman enters the room and public displays of attention, even with foreigners, are also frowned upon (Barakat, p. 103). Due to these innate beliefs, Western women are often viewed dishonorably; they are seen as immoral and loose and they warn their women against emulating such immoral women. Arab men are expected to respect and protect Arab women and they are not allowed to flirt, hug, touch, or talk in private with Arab women (Barakat, p. 102). Talking with these women can only be allowed after formal introductions are carried out. Staring at them or maintaining eye contact with them is also against the Arab culture. Talking privately with these Arab women, as well as non-Arab women is also prohibited, except on matters of business. Kissing or touching any women (both Arab and non-Arabs) is also considered a dishonorable act (Barakat, p. 102). Arab men shake hands and often greet with a kiss on each cheek. As a sign of respect, they may also place their right hand to their heart. Not shaking hands with them when it is extended is interpreted as rudeness. Between a Western man and an Arab woman, the latter must be the ones to initiate the handshake, and only with their fingertips. As was mentioned, Arab women must not be kissed, even in greeting because these women may later be branded as immoral for allowing such liberties taken on their person (Barakat, p. 102). Politics The Arab world has a diverse political set-up with parliamentary republics seen in Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Tunisia, Syria, Libya, and Yemen; traditional monarchies are seen in Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia; constitutional monarchies are applied by Jordan and Morocco (Federation of American Scientists, p. 5). Religion has a significant role in their governmental activities. In Lebanon for example, parliamentary representation is based on religious affiliation (Muslim, Christian, and Druze); and in Jordan and Morocco, the King’s power is based on the endowment of the Prophet Mohammed, however, this their King is not considered a religious leader (FAS, p. 5). Arabs also have political disagreements with each other mostly due to their diverse culture and traditions. Their relations with Israel are very much fractured and most of them disagree with the policies of Israel. Among the Sunnis and the Schi’as, violence has often broken out and it has further divided Islam into two sects with the Shi’a minority mostly being victims of violence (FAS, p. 5). Oil is also a major source of conflict among these nations, with some countries having been made rich by oil, including the Gulf States. Other Arab states like Jordan, Syria, and Egypt are not enjoying the same benefits, causing them much resentment against their other oil-rich counterparts. Conclusion Based on the above discussion, the Arab culture is one which traces its history back to the pre-Islamic and the Islamic period. At some point, they were known to be a nomadic people, but have since settled themselves in the Arabic Peninsula and adjoining areas. They have a literature based on unique traditions and stories. Their language is Arabic, one of the more ancient and lyrical scripts and sounds in literary history. They are largely patriarchal and expect their women to be under their protection and care, dressing conservatively in public. Their traditions in greeting are also very different from Western traditions and other people would have to note such traditions in order to avoid insulting or dishonoring Arabs. The Arabs are now made up of 22 independent states that have their own unique history and social expectations, as well as cultures and traditions. Their politics is also diverse, and is highly based on their religion Islam. All in all, based on this evaluation of the Arab culture, they may be considered a culture steep in traditions, one which is often highly removed from the Western traditions. Works Cited Ager, S. ‘Arabic’. Omniglot. 2011. 03 December 2011 from Barakat, H. ‘The Arab World: Society, Culture, and State’. Los Angeles, University of California Press, 1993. Columbia University. ‘Arabic literature’. Al-bab. 2011. 03 December 2011 from Federation of American Scientists. ‘Arab Cultural Awareness: 58 Factsheets’. FAS. 2006. 03 December 2011 from Goodspeed, S. ‘A history of the Babylonians and Assyrians’. New York, Gorgas Press, 2007. Hammer, M., Redd, A., Wood, E., Bonner, M., Karafet, T., & Jobling, M. ‘Jewish and Middle Eastern non-Jewish populations share a common pool of Y-chromosome biallelic haplotypes’. PNAS, 2000, 97(12), pp. 6769-6774. Higgins Counterterrorism Research Center. ‘Arab Customs and Culture’. Higgins CTC. 2011. 03 December 2011 from History World. ‘History of the Arabs’. 2011. 03 December 2011 from Nydell, M. ‘Understanding Arabs: a guide for modern times, Intercultural Press’, New York, Routledge Press, 2006. Read More