Verified Document

Americans In Muslim Countries American Thesis

A recent artifact that came as a product of this intercultural relationship is an article concerning an American woman's imprisonment -- which included beatings from the police and forcing her to sign false confessions -- simply for being seen eating in public with her male business partner. Even though the woman (who allowed her name to be printed only as "Yara," fearing retribution for telling her story) was wearing the traditional full-length gown and headscarf required of women when in public or in the company of men in Saudi Arabia,

she was approached by several men "with very long beards and white dresses" and told that what she was doing was "a great sin," a statement that reflects the disparity between the two cultures (Dhimmi Watch 2008). Ironically, the event took place at a Starbuck's, a place that has come to be a symbol of America's capitalism, freedom, and to many its economic imperialism.

The article also details the woman's desire to find justice -- by which she means some sort of retribution or at least an apology -- for the conduct she received (Dhimmi Watch 2008). Of course, to the Saudi Arabians who arrested her, and the many others that allow such strict observance of sharia to be the political law of the land as well, what happened to Yara was justice. It is in this way that this artifact outlines the basic and underlying oppositions between the two cultures involved. The article was actually produced by Fox...

Though it deals with only one specific incident, it illustrates the basic incompatibility of the American concept of freedom and certain Islamic interpretations of moral and legal requirements.
Non-Muslims have lived in the Muslim-controlled areas of the world since the religion's formation, with varying degrees of tolerance and integration. The modern Western concepts of political liberalism and individual freedom have changed the nature of the relationship between Muslim countries and "outsiders' living amongst them; issues of simple religious tolerance are overshadowed by growing social concerns, and this article represents the historic shift that has taken -- or is taking -- place. Because the woman is actively seeking for some sort of reparation from the Saudi Arabian government, and because the United States Embassy in the country has agreed to file a claim on her behalf, the incident described in the article could be a catalyst for change in the nation, but it will most likely be slow in coming (Dhimmi Watch 2008).

Reference

Dhimmi Watch. (2008). "American woman jailed in Saudi Arabia for sitting with men at Satrbuck's." Reprinted from Fox News. Accessed 10 May 2009. http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/019844.php

Sources used in this document:
Reference

Dhimmi Watch. (2008). "American woman jailed in Saudi Arabia for sitting with men at Satrbuck's." Reprinted from Fox News. Accessed 10 May 2009. http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/019844.php
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Americans in Muslim Countries Minority
Words: 2361 Length: 8 Document Type: Thesis

Turkey is one of the most diverse countries in the Middle East; its boundary with Europe and the ancient trade routes that run through -- not to mention the centuries it spent as one of the world's largest empires, incorporating many diverse groups of people and drawing many individuals into its cities -- have kept it essentially varied in ethnicity, religion, and even nationalistic tendencies (Arnett 2006). Though there are

Muslim Slaves Used As Soldiers
Words: 2528 Length: 8 Document Type: Term Paper

Muslim Slaves Used as Soldiers Slavery is based on dominance and submission of one over another for labor and services. It dates back beyond recorded history. Reference to slavery can be found in the ancient Babylonian code of Hammurabi. Slavery was common in Tigris-Euphrates civilizations and in ancient Persia. The ancient Egyptians used slave labor to build temples and pyramids. It was also a familiar custom to the ancient Hebrews (Slavery

American Media Representation of Islam
Words: 3949 Length: 8 Document Type: Term Paper

" (Iyengar, 2001) Lastly, the manner of presentation of a news story "significantly affects its ability to set the public agenda." (Behr and Iyengark 1985; Dearing and Rogers, 1996) Concluded is that: "In the current regime, American politics is almost exclusively a mediated experience. The role of the citizen ahs evolved from occasional foot soldier and activist to spectators. Those who seek public office invest heavily in efforts to shape

Country of Sudan Dependency Theory
Words: 3574 Length: 10 Document Type: Term Paper

However, in the case of Sudan, it may be said that none of the above theories applies. This is largely due to the fact that there are specific internal factors which determine the orientation of the economy in a certain direction. These are most of the times related to the historical evolution of the country under discussion. In the Sudanese case, the end of the war and the independence from

American Foreign Security Policies What
Words: 1788 Length: 5 Document Type: Research Paper

But the U.S. must also set an example to the world on human rights, and that begins with a rejection of the kind of abuses that were carried out at Abu Ghraib in Iraq during the U.S. occupation of that sovereign nation. Works Cited Biden, Joseph. (2009). Biden Lays Out U.S. Foreign Policy Goals, Approaches. America.gov. Retrieved Dec. 16, 2010, from http://www.america.gov. Blanton, Shannon Lindsey. (2005). Foreign Policy in Transition? Human Rights, Democracy, and

Muslim Women and American Women
Words: 1616 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

American women have faced many hurdles and problems in the society and on their way to equality and freedom, but still they have managed to perform better than they were expected to and thus they have managed to become an important part of the American society and especially its workforce. (Harris, 2001) US Newswire (2002) publishes a report that presented the precise negative and positive changes in the status of

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now