Why The Middle East Is In The Middle Ages
57What do you think of when you think middle east
When you think of the middle east what comes to mind? Is it artistic achievement? Natural beauty? An open and free society with rights for all?
Unfortunately in this day and age the middle east is associated with troubled politics, ethnic disparity, discrimination, and injustice.
Injustice
Despite having billions in oil revenue, Saudi Arabia is a country plagued with illness. For example women are still not given equal rights because they are felt to be inferior. Did you know that women are not allowed to drive? They are not allowed to leave their homes unless accompanied by a male relative or their husband. Even in a court of law, a woman's testimony is only 1/3 as valid as a male's because she is considered to be less reliable.
Other injustices occur to minorities of different religions. Migrant workers (like doctors and engineers) from countries like India, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines are treated as inferior despite working in jobs that Saudis cannot fill.
Recently in Dubai, human rights organizations came to the aid of dozens of foreign workers who claimed they were being treated as slaves. These workers are brought in from poor countries with promises of high paying jobs yet they are forced to live in squalor and are not permitted to leave until their contract is complete. If one of these workers happens to be injured or killed while working in one of these jobs (usually construction) their life is considered to be worth less than a Muslim who may be working a similar job for the same company. The payment made to the family of the injured or killed is often a fraction of what a Muslim worker would be paid. Is this just?
Unfortunately this is the reality throughout most of the countries in the middle east. Why is this the case?
Reasons For the Middle Age Conditions
Very few people dare to mention the cause of the horrid lifestyle and conditions in the middle east yet it is something more simple than most would think. Many simply equate the conditions to a particular religion and this simply is not the case. Indonesia and Malaysia are also dominated by the same religion yet they are much better off in terms of rights and living conditions.... so what gives?
The problem is that religion and politics have mixed in these countries.
Separation of Church and State
Religion is a very personal and significant experience in a person's life yet it is something that our forefather's wisely concluded should be kept apart from politics.
In countries like Iran, you simply cannot live your life unless you live your life following the rules of the dominant religion. Religion entwines with politics and the politicians all claim to be on a high horse and functioning under the guidance of God. When someone tries to challenge the hegemony they are labelled a blasphemizer or simply as a non-believer and they would never be allowed to achieve a part in the political process
In America, we have always been taught that everyone has the freedom to practice or not to practice their religion. Religion is not deeply entwined in our political system and thus our laws are not bound to the laws dictated by one religion which may interfere with the rights of another. Our thinking and our laws are constantly changing and evolving without the chains of religion binding them to a particular ideology.
This is not to say that we are not One Nation Under God... but rather we are not a nation ruled by any particular person's thoughts of God (also known as religion).
America Becoming Another Iran?
Despite the success of our model government, there are many individuals that are trying to stray from our country's ideals and merge religion into politics. There are many "crusaders" who would vote for a candidate simply because of his religion and no other quality. No matter if their candidate is corrupt, or bad for the country. In the last election, there were reports of several churches banning certain members because they refused to vote for George Bush. Is this the same America to which our forefather's fled to escape religious pressure and persecution?
I hope that God gives us the insight to realize that all humans are imperfect and we should vote for a person based on his political thoughts and deeds and not on his or her claimed relationship with the Almighty. Lest we all wish to model ourselves on the countries of the Middle East.
CommentsLoading...
Sweetiepie,
Thank you for your comments.
I agree that Iran was probably one of the most "progressive" in terms of the public's mindset but the fact still remained that their goverment was about as hardcore as the Taliban.... the only difference was the implementation.. though even that is changing for the worse nowadays.
Islam does not allow for a Muslim to convert to any other religion... that is a crime punishable by death... and even in Iran this death penalty is carried out routinely. Though there are Jews and Christians in Iran... they do not lead lives with the same rights as their Muslim Countrymen. They definitely live a life of fear and if they are ever accused by a Muslim (for any crime) they will not stand a chance.
I have known many Iranians and they all love their religion but they feel that the problems in Iran are because their country is run on religious principles and not necessarily what is good for their country. We are lucky that our forefathers wisely decided to separate religion from our constitution but unfortunately there are many that wish to change this. It will not be an overnight change but we are already sliding down a slippery slope. I just hope you are right and education will change this!!
Thanks again and have a great day!
No it will not happen over night, it may even take hundreds of years to get to a good place. However, I do believe one day Iran will see a turn around. I also know Iranians who left their country because the extremism there. Actually I have wrote several hubs about the mistreatment of women in Iran, so I do see where you are coming from. Iran would not be the ideal place to raise a family. Some Muslims have converted to Christianity despite the restrictions and some Iranian women get tattoos, but sometimes they do not inform the government about these acts.
Sweetiepie,
I am actually more concerned that we are following the lead of Iran in letting religious extremists take over our country. There are many people who vote based on a candidates religious views and not their political views (as we see in the case of Sarah Paulin and her fans).
Iran fell when the extremists overthrew the government and instituted their hardline religious rules. The moderate and and non-religious folks suffered and were forced to abide by the hardline viewpoints of their religious leaders. Imagine if our country continues falling down the path of religion and politics entwining!
As for tatoos.... Islam does not forbid them (at least according to a few Muslims I know) but women who get them are considered scandalous. Of course if the woman's husband doesn't mind then there is no problem because with the burkha covering 95% of your body there is little chance anyone else is going to see it!!
As for Muslims converting to Christianity... it happens in the U.S. but I can assure you that it is rare in Iran. A friend of mine told me of a person who was found with a bible in his posession. That person was treated very harshly the first time and a few months later that person disappeared. My friend believes the person was probably murdered. I have also known Christians from Pakistan and they all tell me that life in Pakistan is a living hell for them. They are forced to live like Muslims and even name their kids Muslim names so that they are not discriminated against (or worse). It is not as simple as merely not telling the government about your religion because in nearly every official government document they make note of yoru religion and even on identity cards your religion is stated! A very scary thing indeed!
Here in the U.S. we have not resorted to such extremes (yet) but I believe we have entered that slippery slope with the patriot act allowing for Muslims (and muslim "looking") people to be monitored without need of a warrant. The next step will be to identify folks on official government documents. Maybe I am a pessimist but it seems we are already heading down the path towards becoming a Christian version of Iran!!
SweetiePie Level 6 Commenter 3 years ago
Even though Iran dictates Islam is the state religion, not everyone in Iran follows this religion. The Jewish community has remained strong there for over a thousand years. Many people are Christians and have converted to Christianity, and many young people wear modern looks and challenge the authorities over their attire in the streets. Sometimes this gets ugly in confrontations between women and the "morality police," but the majority of people in Iran are younger and do not appreciate the current state of affairs. Eventually Iran will have a leader that allows more freedom of expression, it is only a matter of time. I do not see the US going down the road of Iran because we are different countries with very different histories. However, we need to educate voters about how churches cannot dictate their votes, and a true Christian church would not do that anyway. It is all about education and informing people about their choices, but I feel things will improve worldwide in time, so long as positive people keep fighting the good fight.