American Perception of the Middle East

Frank Weber

Intro to Modern Middle East 

Section 1

How much do American's actually know about the Middle East and its culture? The answer to that question is not much at all, and whatever they do know, is most likely heavily influenced by the media and other factors. When most people are asked to describe Middle Eastern culture, the most common answers include everyone that lives there is Muslim, all women in the region are oppressed, and Islam advocates violence. But none of those answers are true. These stereotypes and misconceptions are often due to the society we live it. Everyday, Americans are constantly reminded by politicians, advertisements, and even TV shows and movies about the horrors that go on in the Middle East and the dangers of Isis. Its tough to truly appreciate Middle Eastern culture when the media is constantly portraying them as our enemies. These are some of the most common misconceptions that American's believe regarding this region.

Anti-Muslim billboard in Toledo, Michigan (2008)

Myth #1

The Islamic religious is oppressive towards women and forces them to wear a hijab

Most women in the Middle East live a happy, productive lifestyle. In most countries in this region, women are allowed to choose their marriage partner, vote in elections, receive an education, and work outside the house. In more than half of Middle Eastern countries, there are more women that attend universities then men. The stereotype that all muslim women must stay home and watch over the children is not true anymore. In most families, both the husband and wife work full time jobs. This is often misinterpreted with those who follow strict islamic beliefs, but with every religion, it is often not seen as oppressive or degrading among its followers, but instead thought of as showing support and commitment towards their faith. This also corresponds with why many women choose to wear a veil. A common misconception among Americans is that a women's husband forces her to wear it, forbidding other men from seeing her. Contrary to this idea, many muslim women wear a hijab for their own beliefs and values. The use of a veil also depends on social status and region. Middle Eastern women do not need to be freed, and nearly every idea that society has about them is false and degrading against their culture.

Americans often misinterpret Islamic practices

Myth #2

Islam advocates violence

Most followers of Islam are completely against violence and look for peaceful solutions. People often associate Islamic culture with ISIS and Al- Qaeda, and seem to believe that Muslims believe in violence against non-believers. As a matter of fact, the average Muslim followers are just as afraid of islamic extremest as the rest of the world is. They realize it creates a harmful, false reputation for themselves and often seek to find resolutions among the community and these terrorist groups. Muslims are just as much of a victim to terrorist groups as everyone else. In addition, people often point to the constant wars in the middle east as proof of violence. These conflicts were not started because of Islamic beliefs, but instead due to many other underlying factors. Although there has been decades of war in the Middle East, most people simply want peace and to be safe. 

Protests against ISIS in Bhubaneswar, India, 2015

Myth #3

Islam forces a lifestyle among its followers

Like every religion, some people are stronger believers than others. Although it may seem restrictive from the outside, it's not that much different from every other religion. Every religion has it's own morals and values, some just may be stronger than others. Christians are not allowed to eat meat on Good Friday, but they will not be arrested if they do eat it. The same goes from Islam. There is nobody forcing Muslims to not eat pork or to not drink alcohol, it is just part of being a devoted Muslim follower. If anything, Islam makes individuals more peaceful and generally good people. By advocating prayer and fasting, while prohibiting alcohol, it prevents many acts of violence and instills valuable morals that create better members of society. In every religion, there are some people that may have a stricter interpretation of their beliefs. Islam is no different.

Many people think that all Muslims wear a hijab, which is not true at all

Myth #4

Everyone that lives in the Middle East is Muslim

There are many communities of Christianity and Judaism in the Middle East. Israel is composed of over 80% of Jewish people, and Christianity is heavily practiced in Lebanon. Although a majority of people follow Islam, there is still a large portion of people that practice other religions. Within the Islamic religion, the are many distinctions and types of Islam. This includes the Sunni and Shiite, which typically vary depending on the country they live in. Shiite's have been historically known to live in Iran, Lebanon, Iraq, and Kuwait. Other than those countries, most Islamic people are Sunni throughout the Middle East.

Religious composition in the Middle East, 2016

Myth #5

The Middle East is only deserts and oil

The Middle East is just as diverse as any other place, consisting of forests, mountain ranges, plains, and deserts. The stereotype that all Muslims travel by camels over long periods of time depicted in many American movies and films is largely untrue, with only a small portion of people living in the desert. Over 60% of the population lives in major cities and urbanized areas such as Cairo and Istanbul. The same goes for oil, while there are some countries that are massive oil producers, other countries don't produce oil at all. As a matter of fact, the preferred industry of employment is Banking and Finance. Jobs and ecoregions vary greatly across the Middle East 

Pine forest in Lebanon

Downtown Cairo, Egypt

Iran

Saudi Arabia

Hopefully this blog helped debunk a few of the most common misconceptions about the Middle East. It is important for Americans to know the truth about these countries and to not let the media control the knowledge they may have about it. Learning about the Middle East and its cultures' is the first step towards stopping racism and injustices that people of Middle Eastern decent must deal with on a daily basis. Not every Middle Eastern supports ISIS. Not every muslim wears a hijab. Not every women is oppressed. With knowledge comes solutions. The more American's know, the closer we get towards ending the unfair treatment and stereotypes that these people endure just because of the culture they belong too. 

Sources: 

https://www.jihadwatch.org/2008/11/billboard-sharia-threatens-america

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/Muslim-Scholars-Groups-Against-ISIS-Speal-Out-361309791.html

http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnmauldin/2016/02/23/7-maps-that-explain-the-middle-east/#44f181593c4f

http://www.go-gulf.ae/blog/employment-in-middle-east/

https://365daysoflebanon.com/2016/07/06/the-never-ending-pine-trees/

http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/middleeast/melnd.htm

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Middle-Eastern-religion