If you had to choose one item to be a metaphor for all of humanity, what would it be? A strange request, I know. But, think about it. What might you choose? A piece of fruit, to represent Eve’s forbidden act in the Garden of Eden? Facebook, to show off your 7 billion friends? Water, a substance we can’t live without? A Big Mac sandwich from McDonald’s, because “we’re loving it”?

The item that I would choose is . . . a fingerprint. Why? Because no two fingerprints are exactly the same. Just like us. We are all unique. And while we sometimes try to deny it by dressing the same, listening to the same music, liking the same movies, or using the same slang words, the fact remains that human-beings, the creators of mass-civilization, are also individualists.

So, if we accept the premise that humans are fundamentally differentiated from one another, the next step is identifying the bases for that differentiation. What really separates us? And why?

There are a few broad categories of differentiation with which we are all familiar, like nationality, religion, or language, as well as more specific ones, like shoe size, eye color, or boxers or briefs. There is nothing wrong with categorization. It’s instinctual. It’s how we make sense out of our environment, and the people in it, to best enable our chances for success. When we hear an accent in speech it’s sometimes compulsory to ask, “Where are you from?” This way, if we hear a similar accent later on then we can make an assumption with increased precision. What is the purpose of this? I don’t know. Perhaps identifying the accent’s origin simply means we better understand our environment, which makes us more comfortable, and increases our chances for success. Or something like that?

So, what’s the problem? Well, when we categorize too often, it sometimes leads us to focus on differences, or similarities, a little too much.

This is the purpose of America Explained. This will be a series of articles that will attempt to explain American culture, history, politics, lifestyle, etc. from an American point of view, but intended for non-American readers, especially from the Muslim world. Each article will focus on a different theme from America that is in some way misrepresented, misunderstood, or just missed.

Here’s why I think I can do this: I am an American. I am an aspiring cultural anthropologist, which means I believe in cultural relativism, or the idea that every society is equal, and that no one culture, civilization, ethnicity, etc. is better or worse than any other. I have lived in many different areas of the United States. I have a college degree in area studies of the Muslim world, so I have dedicated lots of time to learning about many different aspects of many different places there. I am married to a Muslim from the Muslim world. I also live with a non-Muslim from the Muslim world. I have visited the Muslim world. And, when I say “Muslim world,” I don’t mean any specific place or people. It is a term, just like “the West.” Europeans and Americans are very different, but both are from the West. Uzbeks are very different from Egyptians, but both are from the Muslim world. (Check out my past article Religion: We are all Right)

I humbly acknowledge that even though it is my fascination, I know very little about the Muslim world. When I am choosing themes for my articles, it will be based on questions, comments, or concerns that I have either heard raised from someone or someplace related to the Muslim world or that I personally estimate to be relevant in that regard. And I especially hope for international comments that include similarities, differences, and impressions. I’m ultimately doing this to listen, not to talk.

So please look for America Explained in the title of future posts. It will be fun, educational, and reading it will make you more handsome (results may vary). But in all seriousness, my sincere hope is to start the dialogues that I feel are lacking with regard to cross-regional relations between the West and the Muslim world, especially at the human level with respect to differences and similarities.

I want to eliminate our presumptions, while reminding us that we all drink water to survive. But, what type of vessel do you use, a cup, a mug, a ladle, your hands?

We’ll get to all of that shortly. Stay tuned . . .

 

About the author

Ethan Lazuk

Born in Montana in 1989, I attended high school in Phoenix, Arizona, and college at Northern Arizona University and The University of Connecticut, before finally coming to The University of Montana, from which I recently earned a Bachelor's degree in Central and Southwest Asian Studies. I currently live in Washington D.C.


Although American English is my first language, I also have an intermediate/advanced knowledge of Modern Standard Arabic, with some Lebanese and Gulf vocabulary, as well as a basic knowledge of Farsi-Persian. My academic areas of interest include Cultural Anthropology, Islamic Studies, and Environmental and Human Geography. While my research interests include pre-Islamic religions and socio-political structures from the Middle Eastern and Central Asian regions; the formative years of Islam and the subsequent developments of alternative interpretations, or madhabs; intra-communal and inter-religious relationships in a pre-colonial context; the effects of colonial encounters on indigenous community structures and socio-religious ideologies; Orientalist versus indigenous historical narratives and interpretations; and political Islam and modern-day social movements, especially in response to Western foreign policy. In 2010, I was a summer intern with the Department of Defense, working on Ft. McNair Army Base in the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, and I have traveled in Istanbul, Turkey and lived for three months in Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia.


I am a third-generation American of Polish descent. My great-grandparents fled Eastern Europe during the Bolshevik Revolution and entered the United States through Ellis Island. Today, my parents and sister live in Colorado, where they are surrounded by the beautiful Rocky Mountains. I am also happily married to the love of my life named Dania. Originally from al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia, she came to the United States two years ago as an exchange student. She is a practicing Muslim. But I am a searcher who finds beauty in all religions, and therefore I do not belong to any one religion in particular. But her and I having different religious beliefs has not negatively affected our marriage. In fact, it has brought us closer together. We respectfully embrace our differences, while cherishing our infinite similarities. If being in an inter-faith marriage has taught me one thing, it is that religious differences are not a cause for division, but for collaboration.

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Islam is a unique religion, and Muslims are the followers of this religion. In Islam, there is no distinction between the status of men and women. The Holy Qur’an and Hades show a clear picture of women’s rights in Islam. Islam teaches every man to respect the rights of Muslim women in the forms of Daughter, Wife and Mother.

Rights of Muslim Women as Wives

A wife has many rights over her husband. The first basic right that Islam provides to the wife is the amount of ‘’Maher’’ at the time of marriage. The amount of the “Maher”, or dowry, is obligatory for every man to pay his wife at the time of “Nikah”, the wedding. In ancient days, the amount of ‘’Maher’’ was not given to the wives, but the father of the wife. Islam stressed the issue that the amount of ‘’Maher’’ must be given to the wives through her husband at the time of marriage. The amount of ‘’Maher’’ is not fixed; it is adjusted according to the status of the husband.

Rights of Muslim Women as Daughters

Islam gives some basic rights to Muslim daughters. As a daughter, women have more rights than the son. Before Islam, there was no concept of a daughter’s rights in any religion. The parents buried their newborn daughters alive. Islam gives rights to the women as a daughter. According to Islam, the daughter is the symbol of ”Rehmat”, or blessing from ALLAH ALMIGHTY. Islam also gives daughters the right to receive 1/3 of the parent’s property.

Rights of Muslim Women as Mothers

There are many rights regarding mothers in Islam. Motherhood is the most precious gift that ALLAH ALMIGHTY  can give. Motherhood is the best blessing of Allah. In Islam, motherhood is considered the shape of God on the Earth. It is the duty of every Muslim man and woman to treat their parents well. Disrespect is especially prohibited towards mothers.

Hades of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) shows a clear picture of the mother’s rights.

‘’Paradise lies under the feet of Mother’’.

This Hades quote shows the important of the mother. It is the duty of everyone to treat their mothers in the best way possible according to the teaching of Islam. In childhood it is the mother that teach how to stand, how to walk, how to speak and how to eat. It is the mother that protects her children from harm. In return, it is the duty of everyone to keep their parents happy and provide them protection regarding any matter.

Above, the rights of Muslim women are listed according to the teachings of Islam, which provides firm guidelines for good treatment of women.

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Egypt is the land of both ancient wonders and modern excitement. You can really learn a lot and gain a new perspective by visiting it. You should learn as much as you can about Egyptian society and customs before going there. Overall the society there is interesting and the people are generally very friendly. As Egyptians would say, “Masr ummi dunya! (Egypt is the mother of the world).”

Egypt the 15th most populous country of the world is the most populous country of the Middle East. Not only this it is the second largest populous country of the African continent. Egypt has a population of around 79 million (July 2006.estimate), which is mostly concentrated around the banks of Nile River, in the Delta and near the Suez Canal.

Egypt is the most popular tourist destination in the Middle East. Almost everybody who hasn’t been there at least wants to go see the pyramids.Most Egyptians are friendly and welcoming to tourists. Tourism aids Egypt’s economy greatly, and for Westerners the exchange rate is pretty good.

The Egyptian people are comprised mainly of Muslims. The acceptable behaviors and customs are different from in Europe or the U.S.

Egypt is comprised of about 90% Muslims and 10% Coptic Christians. Overall the people are conservative in their religious beliefs. The old adage of being like a Roman in Rome is especially true in countries of the Middle East,so read about Egyptian Etiquette.

Clothing is expected to be modest and cover most of your body. For men, the recommended dress is similar to what you would find acceptable in an academic setting. Men should wear pants or long shorts, along with a standard shirt(t-shirt is fine). For ladies, they should dress conservatively – think 1940s American style to be safe – long skirts or regular pants that are loose fitting, along with shirt that is preferably long sleeved and also loose-fitting. Men and women should avoid revealing a lot of skin. Also avoid shirts or clothing with people or anything possibly controversial or indecent in Egyptian Etiquette.

In Egypt, along with countries in the vicinity, public displays of affection should be kept to a minimum. It is fine, In Egypt, for a couple to hold hands or talk close to each other while sitting on the Nile. However it is not accepted for a couple to be kissing or amorously touching in public.

You need to be careful with taking pictures in Egypt. Always ask if it’s OK to take pictures of someone/something before doing so. People in rural areas will naturally be suspicious of foreigners taking pictures of them, so it’s best to ask and be friendly first. At museums signs will guide you. Do not take pictures of military people, soldiers or government-looking places.

Always remove your shoes before entering a mosque. You will see shoe racks at the entrance to mosques. Locals who invite you into their homes may also expect you to remove your shoes as in Egyptian Etiquette - ask or follow what the locals do.

If you are invited to an Egyptians dwelling for dinner, be gracious and compliment the food when you are finished. Accept a host’s offer for seconds if possible. You should eat with your right hand as this is required for Muslims and in Egyptian Etiquette. Do not ask for condiments or negatively react to any food you eat – be grateful no matter what. Say “Shukran gazeelan” after the meal (this means “thank you very much”). In fact, whenever you are in a doubtful situation you can probably say smile, say “Shukran gazeelan”, and the recipient will probably warm up to you. They may look at you in a puzzled way, but at least they’ll be lightly amused.

When you go to the bazaars to buy goods, it is OK to bargain, but do so in a cheerful and light manner. Be mindful of the fact that these people need that money more than you – after all, you’re the one buying souvenirs and artwork. Some items, like gold and other jewelry, don’t allow for much bargaining.

Be generous with taxi drivers if you are in doubt – it is best, however, to either have a local or a guide with you to deal with this or to ask the price beforehand.

Avoid talking too much about politics, and especially avoid talking about Egypt’s government in public. Focus instead of less polarizing issues and general fun events like the Egyptian soccer team or attractions in Cairo. It’s better not to talk sensitive issues. In fact it’s probably better to talk less and enjoy the scenery and sounds more, unless you’re talking to your spouse.

Beside of this division, population of Egypt can also be divided into according to basis of its religion. 85% of the total population of Egypt is the followers of Islam while the second major adherents are of Christianity.

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