This blog is all about the West and the Middle East. I have received many comments about not having known enough about the Middle Eastern society to talk about it. People felt offended. Well, I can't blame them because anyone will feel offended if faced with the truth that we are people living in shells and we still have closed minded mentalities and limited thinking horizons.Let me start by listing what countries I mean every time I mention the Middle East:
- Turkey
- Lebanon
- Syria
- Iraq
- Jordan
- Egypt
- Saudi Arabia
- Kuwait
- Bahrain
- Qatar
- United Arab Emirates
- Oman
- Yemen
- Iran
Very recently people in the Middle East region are opening up to accepting major changes that our parents hardly approved of. Such as, dating in public, holding hands in public, public display of affection, women driving, internet exposure, later curfew, cellphones for young kids etc. So basically, all that changed because we are now more exposed to the world like never before. This change is the best in years. The best thing about it is that although people have become more open minded, they kept their morals, cultures and beliefs intact.
When I mention something about how different we are from the West, I proudly mention it because this is who were are and that is who they are. We are different people with different mentalities and this can never change. As much as Middle Easterns try to make it seem normal that they are open minded, still something inside them will be a constant reminder that we are Arabs. We are closed minded people with great pride. I have my culture and my beliefs that I will never get rid of because they define me as a Middle Eastern and as an Arab. The blogs main topic is to view the West from a Middle Eastern point of view and not the opposite. Also I state facts about the West and the Middle Eastern society based on where I have lived, based on research and based on the society and the people I know.
I will mention the best things I have learned about the different cultures I lived through. Jordan and Syria almost have the same mentality and the same people, it amazes me how they both don't like each other. They are both newly exposed, same living standards, same social issues with only one difference, their political beliefs. Lebanon is a very nice place to live in, people are very social, open minded and accepting to almost everything. They love life and enjoy it to the max, what fascinates me about Lebanese people is that they are willing to spend their last dime on having a good image, they love to look good and be educated. It's not a bad thing at all because almost all other Arab countries look up to Lebanese people even if they don't say it. People all over the Middle East go to Lebanon for vacations because it's the best place to spend a wild vacation in. But Lebanon's one and only problem is politics and sectarianism. Saudi Arabia represents the Gulf in general, but still there are exceptions. The Gulf area is a very religious sector in the Middle East, almost everything is controlled by religion, politics, society and culture. It's not a bad thing though because it keeps the people under control. Saudis are very educated people who travel alot and enjoy life in other countries as there is not much to do in their own country. The architecture there and the cities' infrastructures are incredible. Everything is organized and they have the best highways in the Middle East. In Egypt, the people are the funniest people you will ever meet. I think the most part I loved in Egypt the the people. It's the number 1 social country I have ever been to.
I breafly mentioned the things I liked about the countries in general. I don't want to blabber much about each country. All I can say for now is that the Middle East is a very nice region that has a great variety of people, religions, beliefs, cultures, politics and social standards.
