Muslims are a family oriented people with religious centered traditions and government. They follow the law of Sharia based the Koran or Qur'an. The women experience a range of individual rights from dressing more liberally with colors and headscarves, to being unable to drive or dance in public. Although Westerners often paint a negative picture of Muslim culture, there are many wonderful and beautiful things to be learned of the Muslim faith and Muslim culture. In recent times, many Muslims have adopted new ways of living, providing outsiders' access to their pursuits. From female racecar drivers to singing competitions, Muslims have grown and expanded their culture to embrace modernity and variety. The best example of this is Dubai. Dubai houses ultramodern skyscrapers and the latest in cars and fashions. Although separation of genders remains prevalent even in a more modern city like Dubai, that does not keep Muslims from enjoying life and experiencing new things.

Modern Muslim societies have grown and expanded in recent years as seen in places like Dubai. Sometimes tourists coming to these cities are amazed at the level of beauty and modern elegance they witness. The buildings emerge past the clouds and show the brilliance of Muslim wealth and culture. The food is flavorful and presents a pleasurable eating experience for those not accustomed to regional and local Muslim cuisine. Each Muslim country is different from Iran to Saudi Arabia; they all have their variations on cuisines.

Those that practice Islam, they cannot eat pork or drink alcohol. So they tend to create beef and lamb dishes with spices like Fenugreek. They have pulled teas that utilize the milk and tealeaves grown or exported into region. Depending on where one goes, for instance in Saudi Arabia, they have fruit from all over the world, Muslim food can be varied or simple.

Women in Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia can drive, they do not need to be covered fully, and retain more rights than Muslim Islamic women in Afghanistan where they cannot drive, dance, or go outside without being fully covered. Although this only happens in some regions of Afghanistan, it is very important for Muslim women to be covered well in all Muslim countries. This tends to be a main component of Muslim society.

One of the reasons separation of gender for instance, and dress code are instilled in Muslim society is because of their adherence to Sharia or Islamic law in the Koran. "The separation of genders, marriage and divorce law, and even some of the customs related to weddings are dictated by the rules and guidelines established by Islamic law. The preferred source of all Islamic law (Sharia) is the Koran" (Pohl, 2010, p. 38). Muslims in other countries where Sharia law is not enforced are less adherent to the laws of the Koran and instead form their own version dictated by morality and level of religious belief.

Muslim faith is one of the main components of being Muslim. Islam is a well-known religion and over one billion people follow the ways of Islam. Most Islamists are Muslim with some new converts being black, white or other. Much of Islam centers on God or Allah, prayers, the Ka'bah, the Qur'an or Koran, and the life of the Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet Muhammad is a revered religious figure to Islamists. The Charlie Hebdo attacks came from Islamic Fundamentalists that felt the artists insulted or put the Prophet Muhammad in a negative light. Islam united Muslims and especially the core of Muslim, faith family, and provides them with roots to spring for their own identities.

Islamists pray in a mosque and have a month of fasting called Ramadan, which begins June 17, and ends July 17. Here they (Knight, 2006). This is when Muslims fast during the day and eat at night. Although some may find Ramadan difficult to endure, it is in important way for Islamists to strengthen their faith and respect tradition.

Besides Ramadan, there is all the Hajj month where Islamists embark on a pilgrimage. "Every year in the Hajj month, Muslims from all over the world travel to Makkah. The men and boys wear special white clothes. When our family gets together, my dad often tells us about his journey to Makkah" (Knight, 2006, p. 24-25). These special events are used a way to explore the Islamic faith and feel connected to Allah. Much like praying and fasting, a pilgrimage strengthens the faith and connection for many Islamists. The Muslims community embraces Islam and its customs and tradition in order to feel close and connected with their families and Allah.

In terms of Muslim interacting with other...

Like with anyone that ever experienced difficulty assimilating to another culture, Muslims that move to Western countries like the United States and England, encounter hardships. This could be due to stereotypes others may have of being Muslim and some of the recent news of terrorist attacks. Still, some people have welcomed and accepted Muslims and even when facing difficulties, Muslim communities spring up in all parts of the world, to offer a sense of belonging and connection.
In that sense, Muslims still adhere to their cultural and individual identity in order to preserve a sense of self. "We should never deny that we are Pakistanis (Later this became Asian, and then Muslim) in order to join a social circle, to get a job, or even to avoid a skinhead's taunts. This identity-composite and shifting but ultimately settling on Muslim- should be accepted with pride" (Modood, 2005, p. 4). Muslims, have issues with identity at times. Many of them exist in Asia and Africa, but put they are white in terms of race. They are not regarded as white-by-white people and face discrimination because of the actions of a few extremist groups.

These Muslim/Asian communities provide a form of refuge for Muslims in order to develop a stronger identity to counter some of the negativity witnessed out of their community. "Some children will grow up in communities that are if not all Asians. Some children will grow up in communities that culturally very Asian. Most of these children will develop feelings of family, neighborhood, community, and discourses to counter anti-Asian discourses" (Modood, 2005, p. 9). That is not to say that everyone rejects Muslims, however the sentiment for Muslims leans towards negative when news and media highlight Islamic extremists bombing and killing innocent people. Even if a Muslim is non-religious, they are still seen as these extremists and sometimes are treated as such.

Muslims outside of Muslim countries understand what kind of sacrifices they have to make in order to assimilate and grow accustomed to a new culture and country. However, because of these communities and their dedication to family, they remain strong in developing a sense of self and identity. Muslim parents are some of the most dedicated parents. The mother and father both raise their children and teach them the ways of the Qur'an.

Although Muslims sometimes appear overzealous with the religious pursuits, religion is so ingrained into their identity, it is important for some to keep with traditions. Nonreligious Muslims, although in the minority, still have some respect for traditions and culture. When Muslim women who are nonreligious wear regular clothing and hang out with friends clubbing, they still respect their family and especially their family when it comes to certain things, like marriage and even dating.

Muslim culture, like many Asian cultures, believe in arranged marriages. Arranged marriages help young people find suitable partners and the family has a say in who their kids marry. Sometimes in less developed Muslim countries, Muslim families sell or give their young girls to older men for marriage; normally the woman has some say in who she wants to marry. It is true that many Muslim women face stoning, rape, and abuse because of seemingly small offenses like dancing and being outside alone, but that should not represent the entirety of the Muslim image.

In conclusion, Muslims possess a beautiful and evolving culture. They care for their families and their community. At times they may have trouble integrating into other cultures, but they care and show respect for others. Islamic fundamentalists have ruined the image of Muslim through their terrorist attacks, killings, and bombings. However, some Muslim groups and Muslim people in general, are showing the various and different sides of what it means to a Muslim.

Muslims center heavily on religion and Islam is their main faith. The Qur'an and the Prophet are sacred to them. The words of the Qur'an are often converted into law in most Muslim countries and in turn may cause problems for foreigners and women in Muslim society. Places like Dubai are evolving past old traditions and Muslim women there are experiencing a new level of freedom they never experienced before. Those in Western countries may not even be religious and do not participate in religious customs of dress and holidays.

References

Knight, K. (2006). My Muslim faith. North Mankato, MN: Cherrytree Books.

Modood, T. (2005).…