I created this page to share some basic information about Arab culture. During my time here, I have gotten very upset at how little Americans like myself truly understand about Middle Easterners. Virtually all of my Jordanian friends have such well-rounded knowledge of topics such as world religion, western history and global politics that it sheds light on how abysmal the American educational system is by comparison. Though our American students today are still taught a lot about the Civil War, they learn very little about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In my opinion, the general knowledge about the Middle East that comes from the American system looks something like this:
So, I want to give a more accurate account of life in the Middle East, share some information about the culture here and tell you some really interesting things you might not know about Islam. Before going further, it is important that you understand the difference between Arabs and Muslims:
ABOUT JORDAN
The Hashemite Kingdom is an Arab nation with a population that is 92% Sunni Muslim and 6% Christian according to National Geographic. It has been ruled by His Majesty King Abdullah II since 1999, produces no oil, and is the fourth most water-scarce country in the world.
For me, the primary difference in the way people act here just comes down to family. Arabs are very close with their brothers and sisters and are crazy protective about them. From what I have heard, a significant reason that Jordanians are so protective of their family is because the culture here tends to center around each persons reputation. One wrong move can ruin that reputation and deeply affect the social life of a person. Because of this, Jordanians are passionate to make sure their siblings don't make a mistake that could damage their name.
I notice many, many differences between the older generation and my own here. Like I've mentioned before, the students my age are the same as the ones in the States, however, their parents still have remnants of the older, more conservative traditions. And you should know that I don't think this is a result of Islam, I simply believe that Arab society is structured this way (even my Arab Christian friends are more conservative than my American Christian friends back home). Still, the younger generation values and respects the influence that their parents have on their lives. I have friends in my university who are from other parts of the Middle East but still try to talk on the phone with their parents every day. This is a huge contrast to myself, and even though I would say that I am very close to my parents I have only Skyped them a few times a month since I have been in Jordan. The American attitude is simply different in my opinion. As an introverted individual I generally prefer the value that Americans place on being an independent person, though I now see the benefits that Arabs find in being so connected as well.
THE FOOD!
LEARN SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT ISLAM:
-The Quran which was revealed in 610-630 AD, is the only scripture to still exist in its original language and form
-The word "Muslim" means anyone or anything that submits itself to the will of God
-Thomas Jefferson taught himself Arabic using his own copy of the Quran
-In 1777, Sultan Mohammad ben Abdallah of Morocco was the first world figure to recognize the independence of the U.S. from Great Britain
-John Adams called the Prophet Muhammed one of the great "inquirers after truth"
-George Washington personally asked Muslims to work for him at Mount Vernon
-The word "jihad" does not mean "holy war"
-Of the top 5 Muslim nations, four of them have elected female heads of state
-The Quran specifically promotes the protection of temples, churches, synagogues and mosques... in other words, universal religious freedom
-The Prophet Muhammad issued a "distinct code of conduct among Islamic warriors" which was followed during wartime:
-There are more Muslims in India alone than the combined population of the whole Arabian Peninsula
-The Muslim population of Russia is over 50 million
-Indonesia has the largest concentration of Muslims in the world with over 120 million
-Arranged marriages are permitted in Islam but are not required
-Islam allows a fair and just divorce when there are irreconcilable differences in a marriage
1400 years ago, a man named Muhammad became the one of the greatest religious and political figures of all time. His mother and father died when he was a child so he was sent to live with his grandfather who also died when Muhammad was eight years old. He grew up with his uncle and trained to be a merchant, though never learned to read or write. He was 40 years old when he received his first revelations. It is said that he was deeply distressed by them. Muhammad feared that no one would believe his claims and dismiss him as being possessed, as a result he was resolved to commit suicide.
During Muhammad's lifetime (570-632) the world had many primitive scientific beliefs. For example, it was commonly thought that the earth stood on the horns of an ox or on a fish, and that the sky was held up by two mountains on either side of the earth. Even hundreds of years after Muhammad's time, books were still being written about the flatness of earth.The statements made in the Quran are considered proof of the book's holiness by many scholars of Islam, since they contain remarkable scientific notions way ahead of Muhammad's generation. Many of these ideas are so sophisticated, in fact, that they have only recently been discovered through the use of extremely advanced modern technology. Scholars all over the world hail Muhammad's revelations as miraculous by showing that there is no way the statements proclaimed in the Quran could have been discovered from the scientific understanding of the day, and they are far too specific and accurate for them to be fabricated. Some of the predictions made in the Quran include...
-All celestial bodies (including the sun, earth and moon) move in orbits- they follow a specific path which can be calculated
-The Big Bang Theory
-The universe is expanding
-The existence of black holes
-Atoms are found in pairs
-Atoms form molecules
-Mountains have roots- also, all geologic formations are not permanent, they are subject to erosion over time
-Fingerprints can be used for identification
-Aquifers of fresh water exist underground
AMAZING MATHEMATICS OF THE QURAN
In 1968, the words of the Quran was analyzed using computer decoding. Many mathematical patterns were discovered, particularly famous being the recurrence of the number 19. Many Islamic scholars say that it is more than coincidence that for such mathematical perfection to have been created without the use of supercomputers. In addition to the mathematical balance of the Quran, there are many words that scholars noticed were used the exact same number of times which many believe emphasize important points in Islamic thought. For example:
-"man" and "woman" (23 times)
-"paradise" and "hell" (77 times)
-"Satan" and angels (88 times)
-"trouble" and "peace" (13 times)
-"mind" and "light" (49 times)
-"tongue" and "sermon" (25 times)
-"benefit" and "corrupt" (50 times)
-"reward" and "action" (107 times)
-"love" and "obedience" (83 times)
-"plant" and "tree" (26 times)
-"wine" and "intoxication" (6 times)
-The statement of "seven heavens" is repeated seven times, and "the creation of the heavens" is also repeated seven times
-The word for "day" is used 365 times, its plural form "days" is used 30 times, and the word "month" is used 12 times
So, I want to give a more accurate account of life in the Middle East, share some information about the culture here and tell you some really interesting things you might not know about Islam. Before going further, it is important that you understand the difference between Arabs and Muslims:
Arab: (Refers to a region)
- An ethnicity that describes the people living in one of the Arab nations, which include countries in both the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, etc.) and in North Africa (Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia).
- Can be Christian, Jewish, Muslim, any faith
- These people primarily speak Arabic
- Does NOT include Turks (who speak Turkish, not Arabic), Iranians (who are Persians that speak Farsi), Pakistanis, Afghans, or Israelis
Muslim: (Refers to a religion)
- A person who follows Islam
- Come from all over the world
- May speak any language
- The vast majority of Muslims are NOT Arabs
ABOUT JORDAN
For me, the primary difference in the way people act here just comes down to family. Arabs are very close with their brothers and sisters and are crazy protective about them. From what I have heard, a significant reason that Jordanians are so protective of their family is because the culture here tends to center around each persons reputation. One wrong move can ruin that reputation and deeply affect the social life of a person. Because of this, Jordanians are passionate to make sure their siblings don't make a mistake that could damage their name.
I notice many, many differences between the older generation and my own here. Like I've mentioned before, the students my age are the same as the ones in the States, however, their parents still have remnants of the older, more conservative traditions. And you should know that I don't think this is a result of Islam, I simply believe that Arab society is structured this way (even my Arab Christian friends are more conservative than my American Christian friends back home). Still, the younger generation values and respects the influence that their parents have on their lives. I have friends in my university who are from other parts of the Middle East but still try to talk on the phone with their parents every day. This is a huge contrast to myself, and even though I would say that I am very close to my parents I have only Skyped them a few times a month since I have been in Jordan. The American attitude is simply different in my opinion. As an introverted individual I generally prefer the value that Americans place on being an independent person, though I now see the benefits that Arabs find in being so connected as well.
THE FOOD!
 |
| Lebaneh |
 |
| Cocktails |
 |
| I <3 fruit |
 |
| Felafel and hummus |
 |
| Jordanian breakfast |
 |
| Chicken spleen and pickles- DELICIOUS! |
 |
| Dinner at a Lebanese restaurant |
 |
| Preparing kibab |
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| Mansaf- the traditional Jordanian food |
 | |||
| Scottish dish- "haggis, neeps and tatties!" | |||
| (Sheep intestines, turnips and potatoes) |
LEARN SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT ISLAM:
-The Quran which was revealed in 610-630 AD, is the only scripture to still exist in its original language and form
-The word "Muslim" means anyone or anything that submits itself to the will of God
-Thomas Jefferson taught himself Arabic using his own copy of the Quran
-In 1777, Sultan Mohammad ben Abdallah of Morocco was the first world figure to recognize the independence of the U.S. from Great Britain
-John Adams called the Prophet Muhammed one of the great "inquirers after truth"
-George Washington personally asked Muslims to work for him at Mount Vernon
-The word "jihad" does not mean "holy war"
-Of the top 5 Muslim nations, four of them have elected female heads of state
-The Quran specifically promotes the protection of temples, churches, synagogues and mosques... in other words, universal religious freedom
-The Prophet Muhammad issued a "distinct code of conduct among Islamic warriors" which was followed during wartime:
-The Quran has no contradictions- the original Arabic scriptures have never been changed or tampered with- actual seventh century Qurans, complete and intact, are on display in museums around the world-No killing of women, children, innocents, or other noncombatants-No unnecessary killing of livestock/animals-No burning or destruction of trees/orchards-No destruction of wells
-There are more Muslims in India alone than the combined population of the whole Arabian Peninsula
-The Muslim population of Russia is over 50 million
-Indonesia has the largest concentration of Muslims in the world with over 120 million
-Arranged marriages are permitted in Islam but are not required
-Islam allows a fair and just divorce when there are irreconcilable differences in a marriage
AMAZING SCIENTIFIC PREDICTIONS IN THE QURAN:
1400 years ago, a man named Muhammad became the one of the greatest religious and political figures of all time. His mother and father died when he was a child so he was sent to live with his grandfather who also died when Muhammad was eight years old. He grew up with his uncle and trained to be a merchant, though never learned to read or write. He was 40 years old when he received his first revelations. It is said that he was deeply distressed by them. Muhammad feared that no one would believe his claims and dismiss him as being possessed, as a result he was resolved to commit suicide.
During Muhammad's lifetime (570-632) the world had many primitive scientific beliefs. For example, it was commonly thought that the earth stood on the horns of an ox or on a fish, and that the sky was held up by two mountains on either side of the earth. Even hundreds of years after Muhammad's time, books were still being written about the flatness of earth.The statements made in the Quran are considered proof of the book's holiness by many scholars of Islam, since they contain remarkable scientific notions way ahead of Muhammad's generation. Many of these ideas are so sophisticated, in fact, that they have only recently been discovered through the use of extremely advanced modern technology. Scholars all over the world hail Muhammad's revelations as miraculous by showing that there is no way the statements proclaimed in the Quran could have been discovered from the scientific understanding of the day, and they are far too specific and accurate for them to be fabricated. Some of the predictions made in the Quran include...
-All celestial bodies (including the sun, earth and moon) move in orbits- they follow a specific path which can be calculated
-The Big Bang Theory
-The universe is expanding
-The existence of black holes
-Atoms are found in pairs
-Atoms form molecules
-Mountains have roots- also, all geologic formations are not permanent, they are subject to erosion over time
-Fingerprints can be used for identification
-Aquifers of fresh water exist underground
-There are seven layers in our atmosphere
-Polluting the environment will cause problems for mankind
AMAZING MATHEMATICS OF THE QURAN
In 1968, the words of the Quran was analyzed using computer decoding. Many mathematical patterns were discovered, particularly famous being the recurrence of the number 19. Many Islamic scholars say that it is more than coincidence that for such mathematical perfection to have been created without the use of supercomputers. In addition to the mathematical balance of the Quran, there are many words that scholars noticed were used the exact same number of times which many believe emphasize important points in Islamic thought. For example:
-"man" and "woman" (23 times)
-"paradise" and "hell" (77 times)
-"Satan" and angels (88 times)
-"trouble" and "peace" (13 times)
-"mind" and "light" (49 times)
-"tongue" and "sermon" (25 times)
-"benefit" and "corrupt" (50 times)
-"reward" and "action" (107 times)
-"love" and "obedience" (83 times)
-"plant" and "tree" (26 times)
-"wine" and "intoxication" (6 times)
-The statement of "seven heavens" is repeated seven times, and "the creation of the heavens" is also repeated seven times
-The word for "day" is used 365 times, its plural form "days" is used 30 times, and the word "month" is used 12 times
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