8. Intercultural Communication: The Middle East

From Bahrain to Beirut, the Middle East spans from Asia to Africa, consists of 22 countries (who are also part of the Arab League), is also the historical origin of three of the world’s major religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and represents a myriad of cultures, languages, history, art and architecture. Though always considered strategically, economically, geopolitically, culturally, religiously and historically significant, the Middle East exploded into mainstream news media (and also into our vernacular) after the September 11 attacks in 2001, and the invasion of Afghanistan shortly after, and Iraq in 2003. With all these political developments and attention being paid to the region (kudos also to the oil industry), the Middle East has become a "hot" topic of discussion, and unfortunately, the people too are not spared.

Though on good terms with the West, do their differences reflect a "clash of civilizations"? In this blog entry, I will be doing a case study of the Middle East and intend to debunk stereotypes of the their people, culture, values and religion, as I feel that these stereotypes act as attitudinal barriers to intercultural communication, and do not promote proper dialogue and cross-cultural understanding.

Since September 11, people from the Middle East have been stereotyped in the mass media (specifically in the West), and this has exacerbated the prevalence of negative social attitudes
towards Arabs and people of Middle Eastern origin. Here are some common stereotypes:

Stereotype #1: The Middle East is one big sandy desert with lots of camels, populated by men in turbans and long white robes, women in black with their faces covered, men waving long curved swords, etc.

Debunked: Air-conditioned super-malls, designer labels, shiny new Hummers, valet parking and trendy nightclubs are part of living in countries like the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Kuwait and Israel. Though, deserts are common due to the arid weather, areas with inhabitants are equipped with the necessary living essentials.

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Stereotype #2: "Arab" and "Muslim" refer to the same people.

Debunked: Arabs are people who speak Arabic as a native language and identify themselves as Arabs; Muslims are those who practice the religion of Islam.
Many Arabs are not Muslims, and not all Muslims are Arabs. More than a billion people in the world are Muslims, but fewer than 15 percent of Muslims are Arabs. The Middle East is very diverse in terms of religion, as close to half of Lebanon's population includes Christian Maronites, Greek Orthodox, Catholics and Protestants and large Christian communities also exist in Egypt, Syria, and Israel. Judaism (Israel) and Zoroastrianism (Iran) are also practiced in the region.

The women of the Middle East

Popular Lebanese Singer, Haifa Wehbe

Benazir Bhutto

Stereotype #3:

Women are oppressed and all of them have to wear the veil.

Debunked:

In Amman (Jordan), women hold important government jobs, drive, vote, and study. In many Middle Eastern countries, laws allow women to vote, work outside the home, and even run for office. Though, in some countries, custom and practice may not always be as liberal as the law allows. It all depends on the role and interpretation of religion in society and government, and to what extent theocracy plays a role in day to day life. In countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iran, the veil (burqa or hijab) is enforced, though not in countries such as Lebanon, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, and Israel.

Queen Rania of Jordan (Pictured above and below)

These stereotypes have been perpetuated by the media, and can be seen in Hollywood films, and also in a lot of Western news media. Coupled with 9/11 tensions, Arabs and others who hail from the Middle East (or those who look Middle Eastern, but are not of Middle Eastern descent, in terms of ethnicity or nationality) have been targeted, harassed and discriminated against in the United States and other parts of the world. This has led to poorer relations between the United States and countries in the Middle East, and with little cultural knowledge and understanding of the Arab region, it is hard to avoid miscommunication. Furthermore, in the highly collectivist Middle East, cultural norms and values differ from country to country.