Why do people take the whole entire Middle East for granted? Is it so wrong to have a place populated by ---?

Question

(continued question) Arabs that some laws (Most in other places) have to do with Arabic religon?

I've seen countless of people saying that the entire Middle East's laws are based on Islam -- Or at least most parts of it.

I understand Saudia Rabia and Iran are deeply religious but people seem to enjoy critisizing Muslims' deep love (Not Terrorists) for their religon.

I'm not talking about terrorists-- I'd appreciate it if you didn't bring that up.

I'm a Muslim woman in the Middle East. In the past few years some parts of the Middle are beginning to give woman rights. In fact, not many woman even mind not being able to vote -- Things are diffrent here (Not as modern I admit), but its early ways is what makes the Middle East what it is (Not talking about the war).

Answer 1

It all depends who you're talking to.
American culture tends to be insular. The average American shows little interest for cinema that is not American, news sources that are not American, or other cultural icons that don't originate in the United States.
This has lead a lot of Americans to have a skewed vision of the world. Major news networks in the United States do a poor job of informing the American public about what goes on in the world and a lot of people seem to have an overly simplistic, and often one-sided view of world affairs.
I believe few people understand what Islam really is, and would be amazed to learn a number of people in the Middle East don't want to be freed from religious rule. They would also be amazed to learn just how complex the Middle East is, and how many different opinions actually flourish there, and that the Islamic world is not as monolithic as it is portrayed on the news. They would also be amazed to learn how complex the politics of the Middle East can be, and how much democratic progress is actually taking place with little or no western intervention (Take Lebanon, for example, or even Iran, or the more westernized Jordan).
I think it's unfortunate, but a lot of people have a caricatural view of the world, and the Middle East. And Islam is often portrayed as anti-freedom, anti-democracy and anti-American, when it doesn't have to be any of these things.

Answer 2

Governments that truly look out for their citizens wouldn't push a state religion on them. That goes for any government and any religion.

When Mid Eastern nations force Christians, Jews, smaller sects of Muslims to live under laws made by the ruling Muslim sect's religious based laws, it'd wouldn't be any different than Western Nations forcing Muslims to live under Christian law. Or for that matter, Israel putting Christians and Muslims under Jewish laws.

In Iraq, the split between the Sunnis, Shii'as, and Kurds bears fair resemblance in the split between Catholics and Protestants during the Reformation era. If they'd had access to the weapons we do today, Europe could have easily looked like Iraq in the century following Martin Luther. You've heard of the inquisitions, right.

No matter where its at, and what religion is in power, religious rule is going to cause problems. Most places, those problems are going to boil over eventually.

Answer 3

First of all I will respectively say that you are not being truthful. I have dealt with many Muslim women while attending classes at CSU for my MBA. I was attending classes before 9/11 and some after. Muslim women (most from SA, none from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Jordan etc.) tend to be very fearful of people not of their belief but will open up a little after they have spent some time in the US. I have had many tell me that not only would they not communicate to a Western Christian while in their own country but that they need permission to communicate to anybody. So I again, have to respectively call BS on your identification of yourself as a Muslim woman now living in the Middle East.

The problem that I have with the Middle East is that the countries are either Theocracies or kingdoms. In either case the people of that country have little or no control over their own life. We got rid of our King in 1776 and I believe Americans have a natural aversion to this form of government. The theocracy is absolutely the worst form of government ever conceived. It amazes me how a Muslim living under ether type of rule and experiencing almost no personal freedoms can find fault with our democratic (ok, republic) type of government. That is as invalid as having a mass murderer criticizing the hunter for killing the rabbit as being cruel and unfeeling.

Islam may be a good religion but if it is, why are the leaders terrified to let their followers learn about other religions and governments and make up their own minds? I for one truly hate what Islam has become, at least in my eyes, a cry for fanatical egomaniacs that want to force the rest of the world to worship them as “God”. What was that old Star Trek episoid, the Borg, we will assimilate you or kill you?

Answer 4

It is impossible for me to answer this question without bringing up terrorists - if not for terrorists and their tactics - you would not be asking this question, would you?

I wait patiently for the so called vast majority of Muslims to openly condemn the actions of the Islamic radicals - to stop rioting over the Pope's remarks and published cartoons and channel some of that fanatical anger toward the Islamic radicals that have indiscriminately slaughtered thousands of innocent men, women and children.

In other words, demonstrate to me with actions, not more rhetoric, that Islam is a peaceful and tolerant religion.
Perhaps then, I will not feel so intimidated by a religion that seems to passively accept the actions of the radicals and I will be less suspicious of governments that are literally based on fundamental religious beliefs - to an extent that I believe to be fanatical.

Answer 5

It is not at all wrong for any nation to govern itself according to the tenets of the majority religion. In fact, show me any modern nation that doesn't base its laws on some religious background.

The only reason non-Muslims have a problem with nations governed according to Muslim tradition is that most non-Muslims have no idea what those traditions are. Its far easier to criticize them than try to understand them.

As for Muslim women suffering at the hands of Muslim men, has anyone ever considered that a Muslim woman truly believes that she is being treated according to tenets set forth in the Koran and is therefore not a victim of human rights violations? We (Westerners) may not think she knows any better, but maybe she really does.

Answer 6

Israel grants freedoms to all its citizens, including Muslims, that they would never dream of achieving in neighboring Arab countries.

This week, it was announced that Israel is arranging for a Muslim prayer room at the new terminal at Ben Gurion International Airport.

Just another in a series of activities to make Israeli Arab citizens feel more at home. An Arab language web site has already been unveiled and guide books and signs at the airport are already available in Arabic.

Answer 7

Well the problem is that the left always criticizes Christians who "try to legislate morality" here in America, as if its something unconstitutional (constitutionally the states are given the state police power over the public health, safety and morals).

So when the left is saying that Christianity is so bad and yet Muslims should be tolerated pushing their laws on people (such as preventing any form of women's rights or academic freedom or freedom of the press [especially when it boils down to basic human rights violations]) it becomes painfully hypocritical.

Why should the left always push for all sorts of freedoms here in America, to the point of persecuting Christianity, and yet ignore the human rights violations going on in the Middle East? Women over there, and everyone living over there, deserve better than what they are getting.

Answer 8

Personally I don't care what they do, just stop blowing my country up