Cultural Handbook For The YES Program

Cultural Handbook
For The YES Program
A Collection of Articles,
Excerpts and Web Links
Edited by the AFS-USA YES Team
This publication is made possible through support from the United States
Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
http://exchanges.state.gov
Table of Contents
Content
Page
Preface
Religion Section
7
Timeline of Origins of Hindu and Buddhist Religions
9
Introduction to Buddhism
10
Introduction to Hinduism
11
Common Genealogy in Abrahamic Religions
14
Introduction to Abrahamic Religions
15
Introduction to Judaism
16
Introduction to Christianity
17
Introduction to the Baha'i Faith
18
Introduction to Islam
19
Islam in the United States
25
Some Common Misconceptions about Islam or Muslims
28
Cultural and Behavioral Explanation
31
Table of Common Themes in Religious Practice
34
YES Countries Profiles
37
Map of Yes Countries
38
Egypt
39
Ghana
45
India
53
Indonesia
62
Kenya
69
Malaysia
77
Mozambique
84
Philippines
90
Saudi Arabia
95
South Africa
101
Thailand
111
Turkey
Appendix
An Introduction to the Practice of Islam
by Imam Mohamad Bashar Arafat
124
Preface
The Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program is an innovative high school
exchange pro gram funded by the U .S. D epartment o f S tate’s B ureau o f
Educational and C ultural A ffairs. T he Y ES P rogram s eeks to p resent a po sitive
response to tragic world events by bringing communities together through links of
close pe rsonal t ies. Its go als are to increase p ublic d iplomacy e fforts, w idely
perceived as having been neglected and thus contributing to the broadly
unsympathetic view of the U.S. held in some countries around the world today.
The YES program provides full scholarships for an academic year or semester of
living and s tudying in the U .S. to a s elect g roup o f te enagers i n c ountries with
significant Muslim populations. Students live with host families, attend high school
and engage in school and community activities. They learn about American society
and values wh ile he lping to e ducate Americans about the customs and culture o f
their homelands.
The Y ES pro gram s elects s tudents who e xhibit leadership potential and ha ve
demonstrated potential to be a successful exchange participant.
Local
coordinators work with these students during the school year to develop
leadership skills, knowledge of the U.S. system of government, an und erstanding
of cultural and ethnic diversity in the U.S. and an awareness of civil society and
volunteerism. W hen s tudents re turn h ome, the y wi ll d raw up on the ir U .S.
experiences to increase intercultural awareness and an understanding of the real
America in their own families, schools and communities.
This Cultural Handbook is designed to assist host families and cluster coordinators
in becoming acquainted with their YES student’s culture, by providing some
general bac kground notes, re sources an d an o verview o f t he v arious m ajor
religions practiced in the countries included in the initiative. There is a focus on
Islam, as it is the re ligion o f the m ajority in E gypt, T urkey, S audi A rabia,
Indonesia and M alaysia. I t includes a re view o f d ietary issues, s pecial ho lidays
and basic facts about each country. Throughout the handbook, you will notice gray
boxes entitled “Host families might want to note” which provide some focus upon
issues which host families might find particularly relevant to the hosting
experience. It should be looked upon as a resource that might help raise
questions that wi ll lead to f urther d ialogue b etween h ost f amilies and the ir ho st
sons and daughters.
The YES program involves students from many countries. The students hosted in
2009-10 by AFS-USA and its partners ACES, AIFS, CIEE and PAX come from
Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Mozambique, the
Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Turkey.
YES scholarships are
provided to students from countries like Morocco, Afghanistan, Nigeria and Jordan
through other consortia and are hosted across the U.S.
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RELIGION SECTION
It important to note before reading this section that each description is an
introduction.
These introductions are not all inclusive.
They are attempts to
summarize the history, major beliefs and practices of each religion. It is important to
recognize that each religion described is dynamic and often opinions change regarding
proper practice.
There are differences in how cultures as well as individuals
experience and choose to follow the religion into which they were born. Some
individuals see their religion as defining their faith and how to live their lives, while
others define themselves as members of a religious group primarily through their
heritage and culture. Members of a religious faith vary in their level of practice - from
following all the prescribed rituals to practicing none.
Examples of some of these
variances can be found in the grey boxes entitled “host families might want to note,”
in the preceding section.
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Timeline of Origins of Hindu and Buddhist Religions
2500 BCE (Before Common Era)
- Indus River Valley civilization develops and flourishes. Civilization dominates for
700 years.
1600 BCE
- Aryan Warrior culture conquers the Indian River Valley, introducing Sanskrit
language and major influences in the development of Hinduism including Brahma,
caste system, priesthood and ritual offering.
1500 BCE
- Vedic age i n wh ich the V edic literature i s wr itten. V edic te xts re flect the
influence of the Aryan and Indus River Valley cultures.
1000 - 300 BCE
- Brahmanas and Upanishads are written and added to the original Vedas.
624 - 560 BCE
- Birth of Siddhartha Gautama - founder of Buddhism
600 - 500 BCE
- Jainism and Buddhism emerge as two different religions.
589 - 525BCE
- Enlightenment o f the B uddha i n B odhgaya –Buddha d elivers hi s first d iscourse
near Varanasi, introducing the world to the four noble truths and commencing a
45 year career of teaching the religion he called “Dhamma-vinaya”.
400 - 500BCE
- The Hindu response to Buddhism and Jainism results in further changes to the
main teaching of Hinduism; Upanishads increase in influence.
327BCE
- Alexander the Great invades Northwest region of India influencing Greek
civilization in the region.
297–236BCE
- King Ashoka (274-236 BCE) converted to Buddhism and emperor of the Mauryan
dynasty. He made Buddhism the religion of India. Buddha is accepted as the
incarnation of Vishnu.
- After death of Asoka, Pusyamitra Sunga reclaims Hinduism as official religion of
India and b egins p ersecuting B uddhists. Many B uddhists f lee to ne ighboring
countries.
Sources: http://buddhism.kalachakranet.org/time-line.html
http://www.askasia.org/image/maps/timeind.htm
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An Introduction to Buddhism
Sacred Texts The Tripitaka, a collection of the Buddha’s teachings, monastic
rules, philosophical commentaries on the teaching, as well as a vast body of sutras
(scriptural narrative traditionally regarded as a discourse of the Buddha).
Origins Buddhism originated in northern India under the leadership of Siddhartha
Gautama (sid-HAHR-tah GOW-tuh-muh, 566 - 486 B.C.), known as the first
Buddha. By the seventh century, M onks had spread Buddhism to Southeast Asia,
China, Korea, Japan and Tibet. Within the p ast two centuries, Europe and North
America have increasingly felt the influence of the Buddhist tradition. Over half of
the wo rld's p opulation live in a reas whe re B uddhism has b een, o r is no w, the
dominant practice. Theravada, Mahayana, Nara and Amidi are the four major
Buddhist schools of thought which evolved and are practiced in different parts of
Asia.
Buddha
Many names identify the historical Buddha. Sakyamuni refers to
Buddha's clan (his being a "sage of the Sakya clan"). Gautama is his family name,
Siddhartha (sid-HAHR-tah) his first name. Tathagata (tuh-TAH-guh-tuh), "thus
come one”, is a title Gautama gave himself. It suggests the Buddha practiced what
he pre ached. B orn to the warri or ( kshatriya, K SHAT-ree-uh) c lass, in w hat is
present d ay no rthwest I ndia, B uddha po ssessed wi sdom f ar b eyond hi s age an d
experience.
Four Sights. While a young man, Buddha saw four sights—an old man, a sick man,
a corpse and a wandering ascetic--which prompted Gautama to retire from the
world, undergo the great struggle, and attain enlightenment. The title "Buddha,"
meaning "e nlightened, awak ened o ne," re fers to tho se who attai n the
enlightenment goal of Buddhist religious life.
Belief The Middle Path accentuates the humanity of the Buddhist ethic. Avoiding
extremes, either an overt pursuit of passionate world desire, or an austere
discipline practiced by ascetics, e nables individuals throughout the culture to
exhibit moderation and grace.
At the center of the religion are the Four Noble Truths: (1) All life is suffering; (2)
this suffering is the result of selfish desire; (3) this desire can be destroyed; (4)
specifically, it can be destroyed by following the Eightfold Path.
Eightfold Path. The Eightfold path is the right understanding, right thought, right
speech, ri ght c onduct, r ight livelihood, r ight e ffort, r ight m indfulness and ri ght
concentration. T hese all f it into the simpler threefold path, consisting of morality,
meditation and wisdom- all of which are to be adhered to simultaneously. People
who follow the eightfold path will eventually acquire wisdom, understanding that
everything is in constant flux and, most important, that because of this, there is
no p ermanent unc hanging “s oul” i n a p erson. At thi s po int, t hey bre ak thro ugh
the desires and attachment to the world. They can move beyond this earthly life of
suffering and into the desire-free life, nirvana.
Source: Petras, The Handbook for Citizens of the Earth World Access. New Y ork:
Fireside, 1996.
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An Introduction to Hinduism
Sacred Texts The Vedas including the Brahmanas and Upanishads constitute the
major texts of Hinduism. The Vedas are the primary sacred text. The Brahmanas
are c ommentaries o n e ach V eda explaining ho w to c onduct c ertain s acrificial
actions and pr imarily f unctions as a te aching m anual. T he U panishads are
commentaries and philosophical treaties, which summarize the philosophy and
ethical code of the V edas and traditional Hinduism. Some literatures of Classical
Hinduism are revered but not considered holy like the Vedas. They are of human
origin and include the Epics, The Mahabharata and B hagavad Gita. The Bhagavad
Gita is a philosophical d ialogue be tween t he go d Krishna and the warri or A rjuna
discussing themes on selflessness, duty, devotion, and meditation, integrating
many different threads of Hindu philosophy.
Themes The following are the six underlying themes that can describe the Hindu
world view:
Diversity Within Hinduism, there are different paths to emancipation, many
schools of thought, and an assortment of classes and sub-classes within society at
large. T his vast c ollection o f p eoples, ideas and prac tices al l makeup the H indu
worldview.
Time Time is cyclical and of unimaginable duration. One kalpa (KAL-pah) or cycle
of time from creation to dissolution (day of Brahma),lasts 4.3 million years. These
cycles continue on for the life of Brahma (100 years of 360 Brahma days and
nights). The process then, with variations, repeats itself. Time, in this sense,
ultimately d iminishes hi story to insignificance. W e l ive c urrently in a K ali Y uga
(KAH-lee Y OO-gah) a ge, whe rein a s teady de cline tak es p lace. O ur c hildren w ill
not necessarily have a better life than the one we enjoy. Rather, we are all
involved in the downward spiral of time.
Tension Hinduism has an additive logic. Over time, rather than discarding old
ideas and practices, Hinduism, has tended to put the new alongside the old,
discounting neither. This creates a framework for tensions, contradictions and
seeming ambiguities. An aesthetic/ascetic, sensual/Spartan, indulgent/austere,
mystical/logical tension surfaces throughout the entire tradition. A love of
extremes, and the tendency to press everything to its ultimate limit, promotes a
tension-filled perspective.
Tolerance Hinduism embraces diversity, seeing it as a tool to unite people. A
genuine sense of acceptance stems from the tradition's ability to admit variety and
debate into the core of its religious culture.
Monism Hindu thought is monistic. That is, it sees reality as consisting of only one
basic substance, principle or reality. Whereas dualistic world views see society in
good/evil, self/other, I/world, terms, Hindu thought identifies a single notion which
ties all reality together. One single principle or ground of existence operates within
the universe. The Upanishadic narrative between Aruni and his newly educated son
Shvetaketu points to this sense of universal oneness. Aruni asks his son to put salt
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in a c up of water and leave it overnight. T he next day, after discussing the salt’s
dissolving in the water--its being present but unseen--Aruni says to his son:
"Verily, my dear, you do not [see] Being in this world; but it is, indeed, here only:
That which is the subtle essence--this whole world has that essence for its Self.
That is the Real. That is the Self.”
Religious Integration The Hindu world view knows no sacred/secular dichotomy.
There is no area of belief or custom alien to religious influence. Thus, one's social
life, politics, and homemaking activities receive distinct spiritual attention along
with wo rship, pra yer and pri vate de votion. T he wo rld, as gro unded i n Go d, is a
just wo rld. I ndividuals g et what the y deserve. T his l ife b ecomes th e s oul's
gymnasium, school and training field. All of living becomes an extension of the
spiritual dimension.
Five Obligations of all Hindus
Worship, upasana Young Hindus are taught daily worship in the family shrine
room--rituals, disciplines, chants, yogas and religious study. They learn to be
secure through devotion in home and temple, wearing traditional dress, bringing
forth love of the Divine and
preparing the m ind for s erene meditation.
Holy days, utsava Young Hindus are taught to participate in Hindu festivals and
holy days in the home and temple. They learn to be happy through sweet
communion with God at s uch auspicious celebrations. Utsava includes fasting and
attending the temple on Monday or Friday and other holy days.
Virtuous living, dharma Young Hindus are taught to live a life of duty and good
conduct. T hey l earn t o be s elfless by thi nking o f o thers f irst, be ing re spectful o f
parents, elders and swamis, following divine law, especially ahimsa, mental,
emotional and physical no injury to all beings. Thus they resolve karmas.
Pilgrimage, tirthayatra Young H indus are taught the value of p ilgrimage and are
taken at l east once a year for darnana of holy persons, temples and places, near
or far. They learn to be detached by setting aside worldly affairs and making God,
Gods
and
gurus
life's
singular
focus
during
these
journeys.
Rites of passage, samskara Young Hindus are taught to observe the m any
sacraments which mark and s anctify their passages through life. They learn to be
traditional by c elebrating the r ites o f bi rth, nam e-giving, h ead-shaving, f irst
feeding, ear-piercing, first learning, coming of age, marriage and death.
Dietary Requirements Hindus are f orbidden f rom c onsuming any thing ga ined at
the expense of an animal's suffering: e.g. meat, eggs, animal by products such as
rennet and gelatin (including g elatin c apsules) and ho ney. T he m ilk o f c ows,
buffalo and g oats a s we ll as dairy products (other than cheese containing
rennet) are acceptable, as milk is given willingly.
(Note: The orthodox Hindu diet also excludes alcohol, as well as "overlystimulating" foods such as onions and garlic.)
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Host families might want to note: Your host child may follow more or less strict
dietary ru les. H e/she m ay b e c ompletely v egetarian o r o nly r efrain from e ating
Beef. He/she may not always be aware that certain American foods contain
gelatin, and he/she will appreciate you letting him/her know ahead of time.
Source(s)
Petras, The Handbook for Citizens of the Earth World Access. New York: Fireside,
1996.
Hinduism Today. Nine beliefs of Hinduism. [cited 2003] Available from
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/26/story_2656_1.html
Available from http://www.sciencedaily.com/encyclopedia/Vegetarianism
Available from http://www.sciencedaily.com/encyclopedia/Vegetarianism
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Common Genealogy in Abrahamic Religions
We added this genealogy to the handbook to show the commonality between
Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Islam recognized the genealogy of Christianity,
which in turn recognized the genealogy of Judaism.
* Koranic names indicated in parenthesis.
Sources: Adapted from http://www-personal.umd.umich.edu/~sdkjr/casa/link.html
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Introduction to Abrahamic Religions
The Abrahamic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, are all descendants
from the re ligious tr adition o f Abraham, the bi blical patr iarch. T he te rm desert
monotheism offers an alternative descriptive c ategorization. The standard Muslim
term for the other two monotheistic religions is, “people of the book.”
Abraham believed in one God. Both Jews, Christians and Muslims can each trace
their c ultural o rigins to A braham who ac cording to the ir re spective re ligions was
the first human being directly spoken to by God. Jews trace their ancestral
lineage to Issac, Abraham’s second born son by his first wife Sarah. His son Jacob,
changed his name to Israel, and was the first of the Israelites who would later be
referred to as Jews. Christians, who believe in Jesus, can trace Jesus’ roots to
David who was from the tribe of Judah. Muslims trace their ancestry to Abraham’s
first bo rn s on I shmael, by h is s econd wi fe H agar ( an E gyptian). I shmael’s S on
Kedar is said to b e the f ounder of the Arab tribes. The Prophet Mohammed was
the most notable descendent from this tribe. Ishmael and Isaac are sometimes
referred to as the ancestors of the Arab and Jewish tribes.
Adam, Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Issac, J acob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, Lo t, J onah,
David, Solomon, Elias, Zachariah, John the Baptist are all important religious
figures (prophets) mentioned in the Torah, Bible, and Koran.
Sources:
LexicOrient Encyclopedia. Judaism. [copyright 1996-2004]
Available from http://www.lexicorient.com/e.o/judaism.htm
Nationmaster. Encyclopedia: Abrahamic Faiths. [updated 04/04/2003; cited 2003]
Available from http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Abrahamicfaiths
Zahoor, Dr. and Z. Haq, Dr. Prophets, Messengers and Holy scriptures. [updated
1997; cited 1991] Available from http://www.cyberistan.org/islamic/nabi.html
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An Introduction to Judaism
Sacred texts The Torah, consisted originally of the five books of Moses but has
come to include the whole of the Hebrew Scriptures. By the end of the fifth and
sixth centuries, the Torah became synonymous with anything which is
authoritative as God’s will for Israel. Supplements to the Torah are oral traditions
Mishnah ( meesh-NAH) the wri tten T almud ( tahl-MOOD), and autho ritative
interpretations of the scriptures known as the Midrash (mee-DRAHSH). Torah thus
encompasses particular rituals, universal ethical statutes, and ultimately includes
knowledge of redemption/salvation.
Beliefs Judaism possesses a history going back over forty centuries. As the oldest
of the 'religions of the book', it is the cradle, the forerunner from which
Christianity and Islam began. Basic tenets of Judaism state that there is one God,
the Creator, who is absolute ruler of the Universe. H e created humans and gives
them the option of choosing between good and evil. God has given humankind the
divine law in the form of the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, and,
because he revealed the Torah to Moses, he has chosen the Jewish people t o be
his p eople. B y following the law as set in the T orah, people can hasten the time
when God sets up hi s kingdom on earth after a hum an messiah, descended from
the house of David, has come to spread the word. Judaism focuses on life today:
the crucial task of a believer is to live a moral life, following the commandments in
the Torah instead of waiting for salvation in the afterlife.
One c annot separate J udaism f rom i ts h istory be cause, f rom the b eginning, the
religion de fined the people. A nd in tur n, the c ulture and h istory of t he p eople
influenced the development of the religion. It is during the first Diaspora, when the
temple of Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE and the Jewish people
driven from the land that much of the basis for modern Judaism emerged. The
local place of worship, the synagogue, became the focal point of worship.
Knowledge be came more i mportant than l ineage; m embers o f the pr iestly c lass
were no l onger the o nly re ligious leaders. A nd the s acrificial system o f wo rship
that revolved around the temple was replaced by rabbinical teachings stressing
charity and ethics as the way to worship. Jews believe that God’s eternal
covenant m ade wi th Abraham s poke o f the s ignificance o f the promised land o f
Palestine. T oday, many J ewish people c losely identify w ith Jer usalem a nd t he
present day land of Israel, attesting to the enduring importance of this country to
their thought and practice.
Language Hebrew i s the pri mary liturgical language o f J udaism. F rom ro ughly
400 B.C. to 1881, it was used only as a literary language of religious, liturgical and
official u se. I n b iblical t imes a nd s ince 1 881 it h as f unctioned a s a s poken
language of everyday usage. 1881 is the date for the Jewish revival movement in
pre-state Palestine.
Source: Petras, The Handbook for Citizens of the Earth World Access. New York:
Fireside, 1996.
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An Introduction to Christianity
Sacred Texts The Holy Bible is the primary sacred text used in the Christian
religion. The Bible (consisting of the Old Testament and the New Testament,
Gospels and R evelations), was wri tten o ver a s pan o f ti me f rom ro ughly 1 000
B.C.E.; the canonical form was set in 325 C.E. at the Council of Nicea. These texts
were written in Hebrew and first translated into Greek. From Greek, The Bible was
translated into Lat in. T he Lat in translation o f the B ible was the d ominant te xt
used until the Reformation period which resulted in the Protestant Church a huge
schism i n the C atholic C hurch. A ccess t o the Bible was l imited to c lerics and
aristocrats. The Reformation emphasized that the bible should be more accessible
to al l people and no t limited to the ar istocracy and clergy. In 1611 King James I
sanctioned f or a s ingle b ible trans lated into und erstandable E nglish. T his b ible,
known as the King James Bible is commonly used in many Christian
denominations. Eastern Orthodox Churches and the Roman Catholic Church each
have their own Bible.
Beliefs Christianity evolved out of Judaism and holds the same belief in one god,
the go d o f the J ewish T orah and o f the C hristian O ld T estament, who s poke to
Moses and declared himself the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. There are many
denominations and interpretations in the C hristian f aith. A ll C hristians be lieve
Jesus is the Messiah which distinguishes Christianity from Judaism. In Judaism,
the Messiah is yet to appear. One traditional Christian belief holds that since Adam
and Eve’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden, humankind inherited inborn sin. I t
is Christ who serves as the means of reconciling humankind, which has fallen into
sin, with t he holiness of God. The Holy Trinity, another universal Christian
concept, is the belief in God the father, the son and th e Holy Spirit. A lthough all
Christians believe in the Trinity, there are different interpretations.
Evangelism has always been a key mission of the Christian church. Christians are
charged with letting others know they can be saved through Christ; which lead to
the spread of Christianity throughout the world. Christianity is the dominant
religion in the world.
Although the dogma of Christ as both divine and human in nature is a central
tenet o f the C hristian b elief, it has led t o di fferences in the Christian church.
Today the re are m any C hristian de nominations the m ajor ones be ing: R oman
Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, Pentecostal,
Presbyterian, Mormon and Congregationalist.
Language Religious services are performed in various languages. There is no
mandated language f or c onducting re ligious s ervices. T he B ible has be en
translated into over 2000 languages and dialects.
Source(s):
Burke, David. “Evolution of the Christian Bible.” USA Today, March 26, 2002,
http://www.usatoday.com/news/science/2002-03-27-bible-timeline.htm
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An Introduction to the Baha’I Faith
Sacred text The B aha’i s criptures c onsist o f the wr itings o f Baha’u’llah ( Mirza
Husayn Ali, 1817-1892), the Founder of the Baha’i Faith, and his forerunner the
Bab (Siyyid Ali-Muhammad, 1819-1850). Baha’u’llah's principal works include the
Kitab-i-Aqdas (The Most Holy Book) and the Kitab-i-Iqan (The Book of Certitude).
The Baha’i Faith has no clergy, rituals o r sacraments. The af fairs of the faith are
administered thro ugh a s ystem o f e lected l ay c ouncils a t the local, nat ional and
international levels. Baha’is pray daily and hold regular community gatherings and
devotional services.
Historical roots The Baha’i Faith is an independent, monotheistic religion born in
mid-19th century Persia (present-day Iran). In 1844, the Bab, a 25-year-old
merchant in the city of Shiraz, Persia, announced that He was sent by God to
prepare hum anity for a ne w age and t he i mminent app earance o f ano ther
Messenger e ven g reater than H imself. I n 1 863, B aha'u'llah a nnounced that H e
was the Messenger of God promised by the Bab.
http://ads.beliefnet.com/choosead.asp?plid=1;508;5Main tenets The central theme of
Baha'u'llah's message is that humanity is one single race and that the day has
come for its unification in one global society. Baha’i teachings for a world
civilization include abandonment of all forms of prejudice, recognition of the
common s ource and e ssential o neness of the wo rld’s gre at r eligions, e quality
between the sexes, elimination of the extremes of poverty and we alth, universal
compulsory education, independent investigation of truth, the harmony of science
and religion, and the e stablishment o f a wo rld f ederal s ystem, based o n the
principles of international collective security.
Founder The Founder of the Baha’i Faith was Baha’u’llah (born Mirza Husayn Ali,
1817-1892), a P ersian no bleman who c laimed to re ceive a ne w re velation f rom
God that f ulfilled the prophetic expectations of all the major religions while laying
the foundation for a world civilization. Baha’is consider him the most recent in a
line of M essengers of Go d that includes A braham, M oses, K rishna, B uddha,
Zoroaster, Christ, Mohammed and the Bab.
Numbers The Baha’i community has more than five million members from more
than 2000 ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Baha’i communities are established in
more than 2 30 c ountries and de pendent te rritories, wi th e lected nati onal
administrative institutions in 181 countries.
Headquarters The elected, international governing body of the Baha’i Faith, the
Universal House of Justice, has its permanent seat at the Baha’i World Centre in
Haifa, Israel, in close proximity to the Faith’s most sacred shrines, the resting
places of Baha'u'llah and the Bab.
Source: Office of Communications, U.S. Baha’i National Center
www.us.bahai.org
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An Introduction to Islam
Sacred Texts The Koran is the primary religious text of Islam. The K oran was
revealed to the prophet Mohammad by the angel Gabriel. The second written
source of guidance is called Hadith, the ‘report’ of the deeds and sayings of
Mohammed. Hadiths constitute an important guide to Muslims, but they do not
have the status of the Koran.
Ten Basic Points of Islam
1.
Islam is a Monotheistic religion, like Christianity and Judaism.
2.
Among al l M uslims, only 2 0% are A rabs. I ndonesia, B angladesh, P akistan
and Iran make up the majority of the Muslim population.
3.
Mohammed is not the focus of the religion, or even its ‘founder’.
4.
The focus of the religion is God, not a god named Allah. Allah is the Arabic
word f or Go d. Li terally, ‘ The Go d’ i s a s hortened f orm o f ‘The G od of
Abraham.’
5.
For Muslims, God is not a being; God has no gender.
6.
Islam’s Holy Book is called the Koran, or Qu’ran. It means ‘The Recitations’.
It is a collection of the revelations that Mohammed received from God
during the period of his mission, which lasted from age 40 t o 63. Some of
the re velations ad dress uni versal pr inciples, s ome ad dress parti cular
situations facing the first Muslim community, some are retellings of familiar
Biblical stories, sometimes with a slightly different twist. Some stories are
metaphors, others are literal, but there is nothing to say which are which; it
is up to each believer to decide.
7.
The other two sources of guidance are 1) the consensus of the community,
and 2) independent reason. There is no central ecclesiastical authority in
Islam. Islam asks all believers to use their own minds, to learn, to ‘read’.
The first Muslim community stressed literacy.
8.
Islam is a religion, not a political ideology.
9.
Islam is a religion of practice, of outwardly visible acts, such as dress,
prayer, and social conduct.
10.
Similar to Judaism and Christianity, Islam has many different
interpretations. T here are 2 m ain s ects i n I slam; S unni and Shi’a. E ach
sect has different denominations.
Five pillars of Islamic Practice
1. Shahadah - Public declaration o f belief that there is only one God, the God of
Abraham, and that Mohammed is one of God’s messengers.
2. Salat - Ritual Prayer, 5 times each day.
3. Sawm - Month of Fasting (Ramadan).
4. Zakat - Annual Payment of 2.5% of total wealth for the benefit of the poor.
5. Hajj - Pilgrimage to Mecca once in a lifetime, if physically and financially able.
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Mohammed Mohammed was born in Mecca in the year 570, at a time when
Christianity was not yet fully established in Europe. Since his father died before his
birth, and h is m other s hortly af terwards, he was ra ised by h is unc le f rom the
respected tribe of Quraysh. As he grew up, he became known for his truthfulness,
generosity and sincerity, so that he was sought after for his ability to arbitrate in
disputes. The historians describe him as calm and meditative.
Mohammed was of a deeply religious nature, and had long detested the decadence
of his society. It became his habit to meditate from time to time in the Cave of
Hira near the summit of Jabal al-Nur, the ‘Mountain of Light’ near Mecca.
Muslim beliefs Muslims believe in One, Unique, Incomparable God; in the Angels
created by H im; in the pro phets thro ugh who m H is revelations we re bro ught to
mankind; in the Day of Judgment and individual accountability for actions; in
God’s c omplete authority o ver hum an de stiny and in life after de ath. M uslims
believe in a chain of prophets starting with Adam and including Noah, Abraham,
Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon, Elias, Jonah,
John the Baptist, and Jesus, peace be upon them. But God’s final message to man,
a reconfirmation of eternal message and a summing-up of all that has gone before
was revealed to the Prophet Mohammad through (the angel) Gabriel.
Prayer Salat is the name for the obligatory prayers which are performed five
times a day, and are a direct link between the worshipper and God. There is no
hierarchical authority in Islam, and no priests, so the prayers are led by an Imam,
a learned person who knows the Koran and is chosen by the congregation. These
five prayers contain verses from the Koran, and are said in Arabic, the language of
the revelation, but personal supplication can be offered in one's own language.
Prayers are said at dawn (around 5:40 AM), around mid-day (around 1 PM), in the
afternoon (around 5:00 PM), at sundown (around 8:30 PM) and in the evening
(around 9:30 PM ), and thus determine th e rhythm of the entire day. The time of
prayer varies with seasons and geographic location and is ideally measured with
the position of the sun. Although it is preferable to worship together in a mosque,
a Muslim may pray almost anywhere, such as in fields, offices, factories and
universities.
Prior to prayers, Muslims perform ablutions or wudu, which include performing the
following gestures in the order described below three times:
1. washing one’s hands up to the wrists;
2. rinsing out one’s mouth with water;
3. cleansing one’s nostrils by sniffing water;
4. washing one’s face with both hands from the top of the forehead to the
bottom of the chin and from one ear to the other;
5. washing one’s right then left arm up to the end of the elbow;
6. wiping one’s head with wet hands (only one time);
7. wiping the inner sides of one’s ears with wet forefingers and outer sides
with wet thumbs;
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8. wiping around one’s neck with wet hands;
9. washing ones feet up to the ankles starting with the right foot.
Host families might want to note: To h elp y our h ost child l ocate a ne arby
mosque and determine prayer times, a good source of information is
www.islamicfinder.com.
Host families might want to note: At least one of the prayer times is during the
school day. Schools are not required to make a place available for the student to
pray. Should a Muslim student wish to pray, it should be requested that he or she
be allowed to go to a quiet, clean place to pray during the school day. Islam puts a
high value on cleanliness, especially during prayer, therefore locations such as the
gym changing rooms or the bathroom although offering privacy, are not ideal
spots for praying. A staff room, guidance counselor or teacher’s office or unused
classroom or library room would be suitable locations for praying. Some schools
have special rooms for meditation, and Muslim students should be able to offer
prayers there. To ensure that they have a clean place to kneel and put their
foreheads on during the prayers, some Muslim students might choose to carry
their prayer rugs with them. During prayer- ten minutes or so- students should
not be disturbed and will not answer if spoken to.
Host families might want to note: Although many of the YES students who are
practicing Muslims w ill probably no t choose to g o to a mosque f or their daily
prayers, on certain days (Fridays, religious holidays such as Eid al-Fitr, etc.) they
might app reciate the o pportunity to pray with o ther m embers o f the ir f aith in a
nearby m osque. E ven i f y our ho st s on o r daug hter d oes n ot v isit a m osque
regularly, they are likely to wish to go to mosque on religious holidays such as Eid
al-Fitr. A s a pare nt, y ou w ill pro bably w ish to c ontact the imam at the ne arest
mosque to get a sense of the environment your host child will be in.
Host families might want to note: While your host child is praying, he/she will
not answer your questions, it is best at that time to leave the student alone. Your
host c hild w ill wan t a c lean an d pr ivate space whe re no d og has s tepped, m ost
likely his/her bedroom to perform daily prayers at home. A friendly gesture would
be to determine the direction of Mecca for your host child. This information could
be obtained from an Imam at a nearby mosque or on islamicfinder.com. Another
friendly gesture would be to purchase an inexpensive compass that will help the
student determine the direction of Mecca.
Host families might want to note: Muslims are very conscious of matters
pertaining to bo dily f unctions and hy giene. A blutions ( cleansing) p rior to p rayer
are essential. You may notice that after your host child has been in the bathroom,
the f loor is we t. T his wo uld be a c onsequence o f the s tudent us ing wa ter f or
ablutions. I n m any c ountries f rom wh ich the s tudents are c oming, leaving t he
bathroom floor wet is not unusual, so you might want to talk to your host son or
daughter about drying the floor, if it is not usual to leave a wet floor in your
bathroom. You might also note that many students will wish to use water to wash
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themselves af ter using the toilet as might be ac customed to having b idets at
home. A b ucket of fresh wate r that th ey c ould k eep be side the to ilet f or the
purpose of dipping out some water would be another friendly gesture.
Dietary Requirements Islam requires that Muslims do not eat pork or its
by-products nor drink alcohol. Some Muslims eat meat that is ‘halal’ – very
similar to the concept of kosher meat for Jews. Others will eat meat found
in regular grocery stores or restaurants. Halal meat can usually be found in
major urban areas throughout the United States, sold in small Muslimowned gro cery s tores. M uslims wi ll generally no t e at m eat th at has al so
come i n c ontact wi th p ork. M uslims w ill not, f or e xample, e at p izza w ith
pepperoni tak en o ff t he to p, no r wi ll the y e at any k ind o f meal w ith ham
taken out of it or cooked with wine. They will also avoid animal shortening
in breads, puddings, cookies, cakes etc. and gelatin products such as Jell-O
and marshmallows. Certain food items that contain alcohol such as vanilla
extract and Dijon mustard will also be avoided.
Host families might want to note: Your Muslim student may not always be
aware that certain American foods contain pork, and they will appreciate you
letting them know ahead of time. It is always a good idea to have a talk with your
host s on or daug hter abo ut i ssues o f d iet and what foods the y are c omfortable
eating. As with people practicing Jewish or Hindu traditions for instance, there is a
wide spectrum of how strictly individuals or families adhere to or interpret dietary
requirements.
Muslim Calendar and Holidays The Islamic year is based on a lunar year, as
opposed to th e Gre gorian c alendar, wh ich i s bas ed o n a s olar year. T he I slamic
year and months begin at the first sighting of the New Moon (thus, dates given in
Gregorian trans lation, m ay te chnically be considered e stimates o f whe n the ne w
moon wi ll ap pear). I slamic day s b egin and e nd at s undown. I n c alculating the
beginning of the year and the months, some Muslims use the sighting of the New
Moon at the ir o wn l ocation; o ther M uslims us e the s ighting o f the N ew Moon i n
Mecca, Saudi Arabia. If the months are calculated using the expected first sighting
of the New Moon in North America then adjustments should be made for use in the
Middle East, which is about eight hours ahead
The Muslim o r H ijrah c alendar is m ade up o f 1 2 lunar m onths o f 2 9 o r 3 0 d ays
each. The Hijrah year is therefore 354 days long. The months of the year are:
1. Muharram
5. Jumada-ul awwal I
2. Safar
6. Jumada-ul thani II
3. Rabi-ul awwal I
7. Rajab
4. Rabi-ul thani II
8. Shaaban
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9. Ramadan
11.Dhul Qa’da
10.Shawwal
12.Dhul Hijja
Holidays Holidays are c elebrated i n a family s etting and b ecome community
affairs whe re s pecial p rayers are o ffered f or be ing b lessed wi th the j oyous
occasions. T here i s a l ot o f m errymaking and re joicing including a pplication o f
henna, decorating houses and s treets with lights and decorations, cooking special
dinners and s weets, which are d istributed to e veryone pre sent. E veryone we ars
new c lothes and c hildren re ceive m oney and g ifts. T he c elebrations include o ral
renditions of the Koran. B eautiful poetry is also recited in the praise of Allah and
the Prophet Mohammed.
Ramadan August 11 to September 9, 2010 (approximately) Ramadan is the
ninth m onth o f t he Muslim lunar year. D uring t his s pecial m onth, t he m onth in
which the K oran was re vealed to P rophet M ohammed, al l ab le-bodied, p ost
pubescent Muslims are required to fast (no food or drink) from sun up to sun
down.
Those who are sick, elderly, or on a journey, and women who are menstruating,
pregnant, or nursing are permitted to break the fast, but m ust make up an e qual
number of days later in the year. If physically una ble to do so, they must feed a
needy person for each day missed. Children begin to fast (and to observe the
prayers) from puberty. Although fasting is considered beneficial to the health, it is
regarded pr incipally as a m ethod o f s elf-purification. B y c utting o neself o ff f rom
worldly p leasures and c omforts, e ven f or a s hort t ime, the f asting p erson ga ins
true sympathy for those who go hungry regularly, and achieve growth in his
spiritual life, learning d iscipline, self-restraint, patience and flexibility. I n this
sense, the s ignificance o f f asting in I slam could b e c ompared to that o f the
Christian fast during Lent.
In add ition to the f ast, M uslims are e ncouraged to re ad the e ntire K oran d uring
Ramadan. Special night prayers, called Tarawih, are held in the mosque every
night o f the month, d uring which a whole s ection of the Koran is recited, so that
by the e nd o f the m onth the e ntire K oran has be en c ompleted. T his is do ne i n
memory o f the re velation o f the K oran to M ohammed, w hich began dur ing
Ramadan.
Host families might want to note: Religious M uslim s tudents wi ll a lso m ost
likely o bserve the M uslim ho ly m onth o f R amadan and keep f ast. M uslims are
required to get up early in the morning (4:00-5:00AM) to eat and drink. With the
sunrise the fasting starts; it ends at sunset when Muslims break the fast, ideally
with d ates, and the n e at. Y ou m ay no te t hat e ven i f y our ho st c hild is no t v ery
religious, R amadan is ge nerally a m onth dur ing wh ich he /she wi ll e xperience
homesickness as it is generally a v ery active social time in his/her home country:
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families get together often, friends visit one another, the streets are filled with
activity in the evenings.
Eid al-Fitr (end of Ramadan, expected to fall September 9, 2010) At the
conclusion o f the m onth o f R amadan, o n the f irst day o f the 10th m onth o f the
Islamic lunar calendar, Muslims all over the world celebrate Eid al Fitr- also known
as Seker Bayram in Turkey and Hari Raya Puasa in some parts of South East Asia.
This
is
one
of
the two
main
festivals
of
Islam.
The ceremony of Eid al Fitr starts early in the morning with a worship service at
the mosque. After prayer, a short sermon is delivered and then people greet each
other. Festivities can last up to three days during which time fasting is forbidden.
To celebrate the occasion, Muslims feast and visit friends and family.
Host families might want to note: The month of Ramadan and Eid at Fitr (as
well as the ho liday o f E id a l A dha, s ee b elow) are ti mes duri ng whi ch y our ho st
child may experience intensified homesickness. He/she may also express wishes to
attend p rayer s ervices at the m osque o n E id a l F itr and E id a l A dha. I f at a ll
possible, attendance on these significant holy days should be arranged.
Eid al-Adha (Expected to fall on November 16, 2010) Eid a l A dha, a lso
known at K urban B ayram in T urkey and Hari R aya H ajj i n s ome parts o f S outh
East Asia, is a holiday commemorating Abraham’s readiness to sacrifice his son to
God and the sacrifice o f a lamb presented by A ngel Gabriel tha t resulted. Eid a l
Adha takes place 40 days after Eid al Fitr, during the month of Dhu al Hijja –
month of Hajj or pilgrimage for Muslims who can afford to go to Mecca, Saudi
Arabia. E id al Adha takes place the day following the ending of the Hajj. On this
day, just like the celebrations that take place on Eid al Fitr, festivities begin with a
prayer s ervice at t he m osque i n the m orning. S ince thi s f estival o ccurs
immediately after the Day of Pilgrimage, those who go to make pilgrimage
celebrate it in Mina, near Mecca. Other Muslims around the world also join with the
pilgrims in their joy and thanksgiving.
On E id A l A dha, M uslims s acrifice an an imal –usually a lamb-or g ive an am ount
equal to the c ost o f a l amb to the po or. For tho se who s acrifice an ani mal, the
meat i s g iven to ne edy pe ople and a po rtion is k ept f or the ho use’s o wn
consumption. People usually organize a big feast on that day.
Source:
http://www.connecting-cultures.net/
Lexicon Orient. Muhammad [copyright 1996-2004]
Available from http://www.lexicorient.com/e.o/muhammad.htm
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Islam in the United States
Muslims have been part of the American landscape since pre-Columbus times.
Indeed, early explorers used maps that were derived from the work of Muslims,
with their advanced geographical and navigational information of the time.
Today, the number of Muslims in the United States is estimated to be between 5-8
million, and it is re cognized as the f astest-growing f aith in t his c ountry.
The
Muslim po pulation has i ncreased 5 0 pe rcent i n the l ast 1 0 y ears. M uslim
populations are concentrated in California, New York, Michigan, Illinois, and New
Jersey. A ccording to a s urvey c ommissioned l ast y ear by the A merican M uslim
Council, A frican-Americans m ake up ab out 2 4% o f the M uslim population o f the
U.S. (other estimates are as high as 42%). Islam is already the world's second
largest religion, with 900 million members--about one sixth of the world's
population--living in geographic re gions that i nclude, but e xtend f ar be yond, the
Middle East. Islam is either the major religion or has large populations in such
diverse c ultural e nvironments as m uch of A frica, M alaysia, and I ndonesia, m any
countries of the former Soviet Union, Turkey, India and Pakistan, northwestern
China and Europe.
Survey of American Muslims
Source: http://islam.about.com/library/weekly/aa012601c.htm
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The Three Waves of Muslim Immigrants About two thirds of all Muslims in the
United States are immigrants and their descendants. Muslim immigrants arrived in
waves be ginning in t he l ate 1800s, the f irst gro ups c oming f rom what are no w
Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine. Communities began to form in the
industrial centers of the Midwest-Toledo, Cedar Rapids, Detroit, Michigan City, and
Chicago. M ost o f the se i mmigrants we re une ducated and uns killed wo rkers who
sought economic opportunities in the United States. The extended families of
these i mmigrants be came the f ounders of the f irst m osques i n N orth A merica.
These f irst m osque c ommunities f unctioned pr imarily to m aintain s ocial bo nds,
offer solidarity in this new land, and provide community space for rites of passage.
Another wave of immigrants arrived between 1947 and 1960 and included Muslims
from the Middle East as well as from India, Pakistan, Eastern Europe, and the
Soviet U nion. S ome w ere c hildren of r uling el ites; s ome w ere r efugees; m any
came solely for higher education. T he individuals comprising the last wave, from
1967 to the pre sent, hav e c ome f or bo th political and e conomic re asons. M any,
especially Pakistanis and Arabs, are educated professionals. Substantial numbers
of Iranians came prior to and after their country's revolution. A number of other
countries are represented in thi s wave: Yemen, Le banon, Egypt, Jordan,
Turkistan-Turkey, K uwait, S audi A rabia, I raq, and A fghanistan. T he m ost r ecent
arrivals are from the Sudan, Uganda, Guyana, Bermuda, and the former
Yugoslavia.
Nation of Islam African American M uslims make up the largest ethnic group of
Muslims i n A merica. M ost African A mericans p ractice m ainstream I slam but the
conversion to m ainstream S unni I slam is i n part due to a rad ical, s ocio-political
movement n ow k nown a s t he Na tion of I slam. T he Na tion of Islam ideology is
centered on t he i dea of e mancipation o f African A mericans in A merican s ociety.
Elijah Mohammad, founder of this political, social, and religious movement,
believed Islam was the true religion of the Africans, who were brought over from
Africa d uring the s lave trade . A ccording to E lijah M ohammad, A frican A mericans
were, “ tricked i nto s lavery, s ubsequently adopting a c ounterfeit i dentity, a f alse
religion, and a Go d which was no t the ir o wn.” T his o rganization gre w into a
separatist, militant, political movement during the height of the civil rights
movement.
One of the reasons why Islam became so popular in the African American
communities was the universal idea that all men are created equal; by the late
1970’s members of the Nation of Islam, split off from the group, and practiced
mainstream Sunni Islam. Malcolm X was a member of the Nation of Islam but
later “converted” to practicing mainstream Sunni Islam after he returned from
pilgrimage in Mecca. When he returned to the United States, he continued his civil
rights campaign and founded the Organization of Afro-American Unity, which
preached Black Nationalism but not black separatism. After Elijah Muhammad's
death in 1975, his son Warith Deen Muhammad radically transformed the Black
Muslim movement, opening it to whites and like Malcolm X, turned to practicing
mainstream Sunni Islam, renaming the organization the American Muslim Mission.
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In 1979, Louis Farrakhan broke away from the Mission, and is the current chief
spiritual and political advisor for the Nation of Islam.
Source:
Nydell (Omar), Margaret K. Understanding Arabs: A Guide For Westerners
3rd ed. Yarmouth, Intercultural Press Inc, 2002.
Webb, Gisella “Expressions of Islam in America.” America’s Alternative Religions, 1995
http://www.islamfortoday.com/america11.htm
Haddad, Yazbeck; Esposito, John Muslims on the Americanization Path. New York: Oxford
University Press, 2000.
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Some Common Misconceptions about Islam or Muslims
Islam Has Little in Common with Christianity and Judaism Even though the
three religions worship the same God, Muslims are sometimes portrayed as if they
worship a God, "Allah," who is different from the God of Judaism and Christianity.
It is important to be aware that "Allah" is simply the Arabic word for "God," in the
same way that "Dieu" is the French word for God. Christian Arabs, like Muslim
Arabs, pray to "Allah."
Islam ac knowledges m any o f the pro phets o f J udaism an d C hristianity, and
regards Jesus Christ as a prophet. The doctrines of Islam treat Christians and Jews
as "People of the Book," requiring that their beliefs be accorded respect because of
what the y s hare w ith I slam, e ven tho ugh C hristians an d J ews re ject the c entral
Muslim belief in Muhammad as the Prophet of God.
Violence and the Nature of Jihad Some radi cal I slamic m ovements hav e
engaged i n s pectacular c ampaigns o f violence. T he m ere f act that the se gro ups
are violent should not be taken to mean that most Muslims either endorse the
violence o r b elieve that i t is re ligiously acceptable. M ost go vernments i n the
Muslim world are adamantly opposed to violent Islamic rad ical movements. M any
of t hese g overnments a re, i n f act, t argets of s uch m ovements. L ikewise, m ost
Muslims are no t interested i n v iolent p olitics and ne ver j oin o r s upport s uch
movements.
It is also a serious error to treat terrorism as if it were some kind of problem that
can be specifically linked to the Islamic world. Terrorism is a p henomenon that i s
associated with radical politics of many kinds, religious and non-religious, in many
different regions of the world. It can be found in places as diverse as Central and
South America, Northern Ireland and other parts of Europe, Africa, and nonMuslim regions of Asia.
Although there have been highly publicized acts of violence by radical M uslims, it
is incongruous to presume that the acts of extremist groups somehow reflect on all
Muslims. We would consider it unacceptable if foreigners judged the United States
to be a society of criminals because it has a high crime rate.
In m edia ac counts, ho wever, I slam i s f requently re duced to an i dea that a ll
Muslims are militant "fundamentalists," and that all o f these Islamic
fundamentalists are "holy warriors." A common stereotype is that all Muslims
engage in acts of "jihad," often described as a "holy war" against infidels, a
military struggle in which death is an acceptable, even desirable result. During the
Persian Gulf War, calls made by Iraq's Saddam Hussein for all Muslims to join in a
"jihad" against the West only contributed to this negative image.
In Arabic, the word "jihad" literally means "struggle," "striving," or "effort." It is
different l inguistically f rom the A rabic w ords f or e ither "ho ly" o r "war. " I t is
commonly translated as "holy war," because that was the closest equivalent in
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English that we stern trans lators c ould f ind f or o ne o f the m eanings o f "j ihad,"
which is a military struggle justified on religious grounds.
"Jihad," however, also has a much broader meaning, which includes non-military
struggle f or any go od c ause ( e.g., the pe rsonal s truggle o f a go od i ndividual to
overcome temptation). Like most societies, Muslims tend to see wars they fight as
having been imposed on them by others, so that typically when Muslims describe a
war as a "jihad," they are thinking of a struggle in defense of Islam or a Muslim
community rather than an aggressive war.
Marriage and Islam Muslim men are sometimes portrayed as possessing a
harem of wives who follow obediently behind their husbands, with children in tow.
This commonly reinforced imagery of Muslim women conjures up the idea of
heavily veiled women living in virtual subjugation to the males in their lives. This
interpretation o f the situation o f m arried Muslims is e xtremely e thnocentric and
one-dimensional.
Islam can be interpreted to allow polygamy. The Prophet Mohammed had many
wives. Some interpret, that because the prophet had many wives, they can have
up to f our wi ves. Another i nterpretation i s that the pro phet was abo ve the
common m an and th at o nly a pro phet c an p ossess the qual ities to tre at al l h is
wives equally.
Contrary to the stereotype, however, polygamy is widely
disapproved by educated Muslims, and monogamy is increasingly the rule in most
Muslim c ountries. I n I slam, the institution o f m arriage c onstitutes a re ligious as
well as a c ivil c ontract. D ivorce, tho ugh d isliked and d iscouraged, i s pe rmissible
when all other attempts at reconciliation are exhausted.
In discussing issues of women's status, as well as other issues of life-style, it is
important to take into account the enormous diversity of the Islamic world.
Different M uslim c ountries d iffer g reatly in e ducational and e
conomic
development; within Muslim countries, there are great differences in the way
people live and think, depending on their class and region, and on whether they
live in a major metropolis or a tiny village. A middle-class Muslim woman in
Istanbul or Beirut lives a life that is closer to that of a woman in the West than to
that of a rural woman in South East Asia. A realistic examination of Muslim women
in the world will portray them in the cultural context or country in which they
reside. F or e xample, al though m any wo men i n M uslim c ountries c hoose to we ar
the veil or the head covering (hijab), many Muslim women in North America
choose not to wear these.
Muslim Dress
The Koran says that a woman should cover her hair, neck and chest areas. Many
Muslim women wear a head c overing c alled “hi jab.” F emale d ress v aries and is
impacted by the local customs, c ulture and individual pre ference. Wearing the
hijab is a personal choice for most women but some governments oblige women to
cover. S audi women have to wear an A baya covering the entire body except for
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the face. Iranian women are obligated to wear a c hador (hijab) in public spaces.
Countries like Turkey prohibit women from wearing hijab in government
institutions including state owned schools. D ress codes are not limited to Muslim
women. M en hav e a dress code as well. T he Koran says that m en are no t
permitted to wear silk and gold and that they should cover themselves between
the bellybutton and ankles. Remember that not all Muslims follow these dress
codes. Observant and devout Muslims like, devout Hindus, Jews, Christians and
people o f v arious f aiths te nd to s trictly f ollow the dre ss c odes the y i nterpret as
being prescribed by their religion.
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Behavior
Greetings between
genders and across
genders
Male
Female
Limited interaction with
non-family members of
opposite sex
Excessive need for
guidance/support
especially from natural
parents
Passivity
Perceived Laziness,
disobedience (mainly for
males)
A perceived limited sense
of personal responsibility
Difficulty managing money
Spends too much or saves
all
High expectation of host
family
2010-2011
Cultural and Behavioral Explanation
Result of a more gender segregated life style.
A male student might not feel comfortable touching
members o f the o pposite s ex and wi sh to s alute ano ther
person by br inging his r ight hand to h is l eft s houlder.
Holding a male friend’s hand as a sign of friendship is also
widely accepted at home.
On the other hand, females might be expansive in their
greetings and hug and k iss you on each cheek a re peated
number o f t imes. H olding a g irl friend’s h and in s ign o f
friendship is also widely accepted for females.
Result of a more gender segregated life style. This can
result in the s tudent f eeling unc omfortable looking at
someone from the opposite sex in the eyes and talking to
them directly.
In general, decision making in the countries the students
come from are traditionally made by a father figure. Your
host child might therefore find it particularly difficult, when
personal issues ari se, no t to c onsult wi th hi s/her natura l
family. He/she will want to be a good child and act as
his/her f ather o r m other wo uld want h im/her to , e ven i f
the context is not the same.
Your student might expect to be asked/invited to do things
rather than being proactive.
Accepted trad itional ge nder ro le; bo ys are do ted
on/indulged. Your male s tudent might be reluctant to d o
house choirs.
Accustomed to gr oup pro blem s haring. C hildren are no t
expected to make decisions.
Young pe ople trad itionally do no t hav e a way o f e arning
money; Allowances are not common. Lack of experience
with managing money.
Natural family may pressure student to bring money
home.
If s tudent pe rceives hi m/herself as a gue st, e xpectation
may be that the host family would pay.
Sense of entitlement due to the perceived wealth of the
U.S. Or, a misperception that student is a guest and
should be treated as one. A guest in their country is
treated as an honored person.
31
Repeated, direct or blunt
requests; perceived as
demanding—“I want…”
Repeated
requests/badgering
Clothing modesty
(females)
Invasion of personal space
Aversion to dogs
Purification ritual
Toilet use- wet floor
Toilet use- running water
needed
2010-2011
It i s a c ultural appro ach to p roblem s olving as we ll as a
different unde rstanding o f barri ers and limits. I n hi s/her
culture, the student might be used to a b ack and f orth in
offerings and polite refusals prior to accepting an item
(food, invitation, …). Your student might politely refuse
your offer at first when he/she is interested as he/she
expects to accept your repeated offer. If no offer is
reiterated, the student might feel unhappy. You should
clearly explain that in your family offers are made once in
order to avoid this confusion.
Women ar e as ked to d ress m odestly i n I slam. H owever
modesty i n clothing can b e interpreted in an array o f
manners to m ean full cover with a veil to no short skirts.
Modest coverage is needed in the presence of the opposite
sex only.
Personal space does not hold the same significance in the
students’ ho me c ountries as i t do es i n the U .S. Y our
student might come very close to you without noticing
your backing up for space.
Dogs are generally viewed as unclean animals in Islam. In
many countries, there are a number of street dogs that
are dang erous and s hould be av oided, th erefore c hildren
are more likely to be told by their parents to be very
careful if not fearful of dogs. I f you have a do g and y our
student is uncomfortable w ith it, you may wish to discuss
ways o f addre ssing t he i ssue wi th h im/her. S olutions in
the pas t hav e be en t o k eep the d og o ut of the s tudent’s
room, unde rstand th at the student w ill n ot p et y our do g
and would prefer not to be assigned chores associated to
dog care.
Rituals that help Muslims cleanse themselves of certain
actions.
A student might seek an Imam (religious
leader)’s i nput o n ho w to c leanse h im or h er s elf. A
variety of actions might lead the student to wish to purify
him/her s elf am ong tho se are to uching a do g’s s aliva,
having a wet dream, or touching a menstruating woman.
Prior to prayer Muslims are required to cleanse their body
in a certain fashion, this is called ablutions or wudu (see
prayer section p 18-19 for more details).
It is not unusual for people to leave the bathroom floor
wet after this process.
Preferred cleansing method after toilet use.
Some
32
students may be used to bidets or faucets with running
water by the toilet, others may be used to toilet paper.
Your student may ask for a b ucket of fresh water to keep
beside the toilet.
[Remember: Your YES student may exhibit NONE of these behaviors!]
Host families might want to note: All participants in the YES program serve as
cultural ambassadors for their countries and are prepared to teach their American
host family and friends about their countries, culture, and religion. In general,
students should be willing to talk about their religion and cultural traditions to
their hosts and friends, but all sides should be careful not to let such conversations
escalate into hot debates touching on politics and current affairs, or proselytizing
one’s religion to others. Muslim students coming to the U.S. are especially wary
about this, and are probably warned by their parents and communities at home
beforehand. Conversations that would make them feel that their faith and culture
is suspect would certainly undermine their cultural experience and their views of
the United States and its people.
Host families might want to note: Another important thing to keep in mind is
that religion often overlaps with culture in many Islamic countries. Cultural norms
have been adapted to fit the religion and the religion has adapted to fit the
countries’ cultural norms. Sometimes it is difficult to say whether a practice has
any religious grounds at all. Some of our non-Muslim YES students might exhibit
such “cultural remnants” of Islam in their daily practices and interaction with
others that have little or nothing to do with whether a student is Muslim or not,
but are none the less an important part of their cultural identity. For instance,
dogs are considered unclean in some countries and are not allowed inside the
home. Also, even though Islam encourages respect for women, male students
coming from some countries might initially not have an easy time interacting with
females and vice versa. This is another cultural aspect of some countries that has
over time become identified with Islam. Similarly, sometimes a reticence can be
seen on the part of the girls in particular to look directly at elders or men.
2010-2011
33
* The religions described in this cultural handbook may seem very different,
but they all share common features and rites that are required of believers.
The table below illustrates how each religion approaches certain common
beliefs. It is important, however, to note that although those religions offer
behavior guidelines, believers’ lifestyles are affected by those guidelines
depending on their level of religiosity and practice.
Judaism
Fasting
Dietary
Requirements
2010-2011
When: Yom
Kippur, the
Jewish
calendar also
has six other
major fast
days eating
and drinking
are forbidden
Christianity
Catholic
When: Ash
Wednesday
and Good
Friday;
Fridays in
Lent
How: Ash
Wednesday
and Good
How: a 25Friday: two
hour period,
small meals
from sundown and one
to sundown
regular
meal;
Why:
Fridays in
Atonement
Lent: no
for sins,
meat
special
requests to
Why:
God , and
Teaches
remembrance control of
fleshly
desires,
penance for
sins, and
solidarity
with the
poor
Must keep
none
"kosher": no
pork or
shellfish;
other meat to
be killed by
kosher
method;
separation of
Islam
Hinduism
Buddhism
When:
Ramadan:
one month
When: New
Moon days
and certain
festivals
When: on fullmoon days
and other
holidays
How: 24
hours of
complete
abstinence
from food or
drink, or
some food
but
avoidance of
milk or water
How: no solid
food, with
some liquids
permitted
How: no
food or
drink from
before
dawn to
sunset;
abstain
from
smoking
and sexual
intercours
e the
entire
month
Why: selfpurificatio
n and
solidarity
with the
poor
No pork;
other meat
should be
prepared
by the
halal
method.
No alcohol.
Why: A
method of
purification
Why: A way
to enhance
concentratio
n during
meditation or
worship;
purification
for the
system;
sometimes
considered a
sacrifice
No animal
by-products
No animal
meat and/or
intoxicants
34
Charity
meat and
dairy.
Tzedakah: 10
percent of
income.
Dress Code
Men wear
yarmulkes.
Women hide
their hair with
a wig or a hat
Pilgrimage
To Jerusalem
2010-2011
Tithe: 10
percent of
income.
Zakat: 2.5
percent of
total
wealth
each year.
1/6 of
income
Wealth is
expressed in
donations to
monks and
nuns, upkeep
of pagodas
and shrines,
and
purchasing
animals from
slaughter--is
necessary.
Some
Catholic
nuns cover
their hair
with a habit.
Amish
women use
a cap to
cover their
hair
To
JerusalemSome
Catholics
also go to
Lourdes in
France
among
other
pilgrimage
locations.
Men wear
skullcaps
Women
cover their
hair, cheek
and dress
modestly
Women
cover their
hair when
praying at
home or at
temple
Only required
of monks
To Mecca
Pilgrimage,
tirthayatra:
Young
Hindus are
taught the
value of
pilgrimage
and are
taken at
least once a
year for
darnana of
holy persons,
temples and
places, near
or far. They
learn to be
detached by
setting aside
worldly
affairs.
There are
between four
and sixteen
principal
Buddhist
pilgrimage
sites, with the
most
important
located
primarily in
the Ganges
Valley of India
35
2010-2011
36
YES COUNTRY PROFILES
2010-2011
37
Map of the AFS YES Consortium Countries 2010-11
2010-2011
38
Egypt
Alexandria
Ismailia
Source: http://www.maps.com
Flag
Background Nominally independent f rom the UK in 1922, Egypt acquired f ull
sovereignty following World War II. The completion of the Aswan High Dam in
1971 and the re sultant Lak e N asser hav e a ltered the t ime-honored pl ace o f the
Nile R iver in the ag riculture and e cology o f E gypt. A rapi dly gro wing po pulation
(the largest in the Arab world) will continue to stress Egyptian society and overtax
resources as the country enters the new millennium.
2010-2011
39
Area total: 1,001,450 sq km
land: 995,450 sq km
water: 6,000 sq km
Area - comparative slightly more than three times the size of New Mexico
Climate desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters
Terrain vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta
Natural resources petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese,
limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, zinc
Land use arable land: 2.85%
permanent crops: 0.47%
other: 96.68% (1998 EST.)
Natural hazards periodic dro ughts; f requent e arthquakes, f lash f loods,
landslides, volcanic activity; hot, driving windstorm called khamsin occurs in
spring; dust storms, sandstorms
Current environmental issues agricultural land being lost to urbanization and
windblown sands; increasing soil salination below Aswan High Dam;
desertification; oil pollution threatening coral reefs, beaches, and marine habitats;
other water p ollution from agricultural pesticides, raw sewage, and industrial
effluents; limited natural fresh water resources away from the Nile, which is the
only perennial water source; rapid growth in population overstraining the Nile and
natural resources
Geography controls Sinai Peninsula, only land bridge between Africa and
remainder of Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal, shortest sea link between
Indian O cean and M editerranean S ea; s ize, and j uxtaposition t o I srael, e stablish
its major role in Middle Eastern geopolitics.
Population 80,471,869 (July 2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth total population: 72.4 years male: 69.82 years
female: 75.1 years (2010 EST.)
Total fertility rate 3.01 children born/woman (2010 EST.)
Ethnic groups Eastern Hamitic stock (Egyptians, Bedouins, and Berbers) 99%,
Greek, Nubian, Armenian, other European (primarily Italian and French) 1%
2010-2011
40
Religions Muslim (mostly Sunni) 94%, Coptic Christian and other 6%
Languages Arabic (official), English and French widely understood by educated
classes
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 71.4% male: 83% female: 59.4% (2005 est.)
Capital Cairo
Administrative Divisions 26 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah);
Ad Daqahliyah, Al Bahr al Ahmar, Al Buhayrah, Al Fayyum, Al Gharbiyah, Al
Iskandariyah, Al Isma'iliyah, Al Jizah, Al Minufiyah, Al Minya, Al Qahirah, Al
Qalyubiyah, Al Wadi al Jadid, Ash Sharqiyah, As Suways, Aswan, Asyut, Bani
Suwayf, Bur Sa'id, D umyat, Janub Sina', Kafr ash S haykh, Matruh, Qina, Shamal
Sina', Suhaj
Culture of Egypt For m ost E gyptians life and l ifestyle hav e c hanged l ittle f or
hundreds of years. The 20th century has certainly made impressions in the form of
brand-name soda pop, Levis and TV. However, for the majority fellahin (peasant
farmers) population, things today are much the s ame as they have always b een.
There's a prevailing attitude amongst most Egyptians that whatever will be will be.
An almost fatalistic outlook prevails, born out of thousands of years of plague,
famine, invasion and f lood. L ife f or m ost E gyptians i s pre scribed by the s ame
circumstances that existed for the generations before them.
Painting has be en pa rt o f E gyptian life s ince the f irst daubs we re ap plied to the
Pyramid of Unas at Saqqara in 24th century BC. But it was the Pharaohs of the
New Kingdom who were especially keen on adorning the interiors of their tombs
with v ivid images o f the af terworld and re surrection. P opular m usic in Eg ypt
meant, until recently, the ubiquitous voice of Om Kolthum, the 'mother of Egypt'.
She died in 1975 b ut her music and her legend o utlive her. Her songs, based on
poetry and o perettas, are the be st-known E gyptian m usic to we stern e ars.
Although Egypt is famous for belly dancing, wiggling the body around is generally
regarded as vulgar and a sign of promiscuity. Many of the dancers at belly-dancing
shows at the resorts and tourist hotels are in fact European or American, because
it's considered improper for Arab women to behave so provocatively.
Education in Egypt Historically, religious authorities provided basic e ducation in
local mosque schools. Egyptian modern education started in the first half of the
19th c entury whe n the E gyptian V iceroy M uhammad A li e stablished s tate-run
professional, technical, and foreign-language schools for boys. A network of staterun schools for boys was established in 1867. The first state school for girls
opened in 1873. Since 1923, primary and intermediate education has been free,
2010-2011
41
and it is now compulsory for children between the ages of 6 and 14. Public
secondary and university education is also free but is not compulsory.
Compulsory e ducation l asts f or e ight grad es and i s k nown a s " basic e ducation",
split into two s tages, pr imary s chool ( Grades 1 - 5) and preparatory s chool
(Grades 6 - 8). It leads to the award of the Basic Education Completion Certificate
or graduation. Following the eight-year basic education, pupils have the choice of
entering a general secondary school (academic option) or a technical option
including three- and five-year technical schools as well as experimental schools
teaching languages, education and physical education. Only general secondary
school graduates (academic option) may be admitted to university after obtaining
their General Secondary Education Certificate (GSEC) or an Advanced Technical
Diploma with scores above 75%. However, since 1991, some graduates from
technical schools have been allowed to enter higher education.
Economy of Egypt Since 1991, Egypt has followed a number of economic reforms
that have resulted in relaxed price controls, reduced subsidies, and partially
liberalized trade and investment. Today, among Arab countries, Egypt's GDP is
second only to Saudi Arabia's. The Egyptian economy is largely based on
agriculture w ith o ne-third o f E gyptian labor e ngaged d irectly in the f arming o f
cotton, rice, wheat, corn, sugarcane, sugar beets, onions, fruits, vegetables,
flowers and beans, and many others working in the processing or trading of
agricultural products. I n addition to its agricultural capacity, Egypt has important
natural resources which include petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, and iron ore.
Over the last 20 years, more than 2 17 oil exploration agreements were signed as
multinational oil companies found about 18 crude oil fields and 16 natural gas
fields. Egypt has additionally had a place of choice as cultural and informational
capital of the Arab world. Cairo is the region's largest publishing (with eight daily
newspapers with a total circulation of more than 2 million, and a number of
monthly newspapers, magazines, and journals) and broadcasting center (Egyptian
ground-broadcast television sells its specially produced programs and soap operas
to the entire Arab world). An additional large source of revenue for Egypt is its
tourism which has unfortunately suffered tremendously following a terrorist attack
on tourists in Luxor in October 1997, the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks
against the United States and the hostilities in Iraq.
Islam in Egypt Egypt's po pulation is f ast appro aching 7 0 m illion, and w ith a
growth rate of just under two percent annually, overpopulation is a very real
problem. Cairo has one of the highest population densities on the planet, and the
rest of Egypt's minimal amount of arab le land is qu ickly becoming saturated with
people and unchecked growth. The government subsidizes food and housing,
which is a small blessing, but jobs are scarce, early mortality looms and the
international economy seems to be passing Egypt by.
2010-2011
42
In this context, Islam is a balm and a salve. The hour-and-a-half drive from Cairo
to the industrial port city of Suez is dusty and ugly, festooned with debris and
billboards. But it is at least broken up by the names of God lining the median. In
Islam, God is said to have 99 names, which include "The Compassionate" and "The
Merciful", and they are posted every hundred yards all the way from Cairo to Suez.
For most Egyptians, Islam is intensely personal. Like many American Protestants,
Muslims tend to emphasize the relationship between each individual and God,
without intermediaries. In a wo rld of sprawling prefab concrete housing projects,
with high unemployment, an indifferent and occasionally brutal government, Islam
is part o f the warp a nd wo of that m aintains c ommunity and gi ves p eople s ome
sense that life has meaning.
Christianity in Egypt Approximately 85 percent of all Catholics in Egypt belonged
to the Coptic Catholic Church. Other Catholics include followers of the Armenian,
Chaldean, Greek, Latin, Maronite, and Syrian rites.
The term "Coptic" finds its origins "Ha-ka-Ptah" or "the house of the spirit Ptah,"
one of the names of Memphis, the first capital of Ancient Egypt. The Coptic church
is based on the teachings of St Mark, who brought Christianity to Egypt around 50
AD. St. Mark was one of the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and the
gospel of St Mark is the oldest canonical gospel. Although fully integrated into the
body of the modern Egyptian nation, the Copts have survived periods of protection
and pe rsecutions. C opts we re pro tected and a llowed to p ractice the ir re ligion
freely given they paid a special protection tax called Gezya. The weight of the tax
varied throughout history as the leadership’s feelings towards Copts changed. In
1855, under the Muhammad Ali's dynasty, the "Gezya" tax was lifted, and shortly
thereafter Copts started to serve in the Egyptian arm y. T he 1919 A.D. revolution
in Egypt, the first grassroots display of Egyptian identity in centuries, stands as a
witness to the ho mogeneity o f E gypt's m odern s ociety w ith b oth i ts M uslim an d
Coptic sects.
Copts observe seven canonical sacraments: Baptism, Christmation (Confirmation),
Eucharist, Confession (Penance), O rders, Matrimony, and Unction o f t he si ck.
Baptism is performed a few weeks after birth by immersing the whole body of the
newborn into specially consecrated water three times. C onfirmation is performed
immediately af ter B aptism. R egular c onfession wi th a pe rsonal pri est, c alled the
father o f c onfession, i s ne cessary to re ceive the E ucharist. I t is c ustomary f or a
whole family to pick the same priest as a father of confession, thus, making of that
priest a family counselor. Of all seven sacraments, only Matrimony cannot be
performed during a fasting season. Polygamy is illegal, e ven if recognized by the
civil law o f the l and. D ivorce i s no t a llowed e xcept i n the c ase o f adul tery,
annulment due to b igamy, o r o ther e xtreme c ircumstances, wh ich m ust be
reviewed by a special council of Bishops. Divorce can be requested by either
2010-2011
43
husband o r wi fe. C ivil d ivorce i s no t re cognized by the C hurch. T he C optic
Orthodox Church does not have and does not mind any civil law of the land as long
as it does not interfere with the Church's sacraments. The Church d oes not have
(and actually refuses to canonize) an o fficial position v is-à-vis some controversial
issues ( e.g. abo rtion). W hile the c hurch h as c lear te achings ab out s uch m atters
(e.g. abortion interferes with God's will), it is the position of the Church that such
matters are better resolved on a case-by-case basis by the father of confession, as
opposed to having a blanket canon that makes a sin of such practices.
Holidays in Egypt
Ras as-Sana is the celebration of the new Islamic year
Moulid a n-Nabi c elebrates the pro phet M ohammed's b irthday. T his c elebration
includes parades in the city streets with lights, feasts, drummers and special
sweets.
Ramadan (For more information see Muslim calendar and Holidays, pages: 11 and
12).
Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adhah
Sources:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/eg.html
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/africa/egypt/culture.htm
http://learnlink.aed.org/Publications/Country_Papers/cp_egypt_girl/egypt_girl1.ht
m
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/eg.html
http://www.islamfortoday.com/trueface.htm
http://www.coptic.net/
http://wrc.lingnet.org/
2010-2011
44
Ghana
Flag
Background
Formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the Togoland
trust territory, Ghana in 1957 became the first sub-Saharan country in colonial
Africa to gain its independence. A long series of coups resulted in the suspension
of the c onstitution in 1 981 and a b an o n po litical par ties. A ne w c onstitution,
restoring multiparty politics, was approved in 1 992. Lt . Jerry RAWLINGS, head of
state since 1981, won presidential elections in 1992 and 1996, but was
constitutionally p revented f rom runn ing f or a th ird te rm in 2 000. J ohn K UFUOR,
who d efeated f ormer V ice P resident A tta M ILLS i n a free and f air e lection,
succeeded him.
2010-2011
45
Location Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and
Togo
Area total: 239,460 sq km land: 230,940 sq km water: 8,520 sq km
Area – comparative slightly smaller than Oregon
Climate tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and
humid in southwest; hot and dry in north
Terrain mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area
Natural Resources gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish,
rubber, hydropower, petroleum, silver, salt, limestone
Land Use arable land: 17.54% permanent crops: 9.22% other: 73.24% (2005)
Natural Hazards dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds occur from January to
March; droughts
Current Environmental issues recurrent drought in north severely affects
agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching and
habitat destruction threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; inadequate
supplies of potable water
Geography Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake
Population 24,339,838 note: estimates explicitly take into account the effects of
excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant
mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the
distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2010 est.)
Life expectancy at Birth total population: 60.55 ye ars
female: 61.78 years (2010 est.)
male: 59.36 years
Total Fertility Rate 3.57 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Ethnic groups Akan 45.3%, Mole-Dagbon 15.2%, Ewe 11.7%, Ga-Dangme 7.3%,
Guan 4%, Gurma 3.6%, Grusi 2.6%, Mande-Busanga 1%, other tribes 1.4%,
other 7.8% (2000 census)
Religions Christian 68.8%, Muslim 15.9%, traditional 8.5%, none 6.1% (2000
census)
2010-2011
46
Languages English (official), African languages (including Akan, Moshi-Dagomba,
Ewe, and Ga)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 74.8%
male: 82.7% female: 67.1% (2003 est.)
Capital Accra
Economy of Ghana Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana has roughly
twice the per capita output of the poorer countries in West Africa. Even so, Ghana
remains he avily de pendent o n i nternational f inancial and te chnical as sistance.
Gold, t imber, and c ocoa pro duction are major s ources o f f oreign e xchange. T he
domestic e conomy c ontinues to re volve aro und s ubsistence agriculture, wh ich
accounts for 34% of GDP and employs 60% of the work force, mainly small
landholders. Ghana o pted for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Country
(HIPC) pro gram i n 2 002, b ut was included i n a G -8 de bt re lief pro gram de cided
upon at the Gleneagles Summit in July 2005. Priorities under its current $38
million Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) include tighter monetary and
fiscal policies, accelerated privatization, and improvement of social services.
Receipts from the gold sector helped sustain GDP growth in 2005 along with
record high prices for Ghana's largest cocoa crop to date. Inflation should ease but
remains a m ajor i nternal pro blem. Ghan a al so re mains a c andidate c ountry to
benefit from M illennium C hallenge Corporation (MCC) funding that could as sist in
transforming Ghana' s agricultural export s ector. A final decision on its M CC bid is
expected in spring 2006.
Cultural Diversity Ghana has over fifty ethnic groups spread over her ten
regions. The various Ghanaian Ethnic Groups speak over ninety languages and
dialects. Some of the languages are Akan, Moshi-Dagbani, Ewe and Ga. Inspite of
the e thnic d iversity, Ghanaians s ee the mselves a s o ne p eople wi th a c ommon
destiny.
Governance
Ghana has a de mocratically e lected p residential s ystem o f
governance based on universal adult suffrage. Ghana is a very safe country, stable
and has very a low crime rate.
Religious Diversity Ghanaians by natu re are v ery re ligious, whe ther the y are
Muslims or Christians. There are three main religious groups: Christianity, Islam,
and African Traditional Religion. Practitioners of these religions have a high level of
tolerance for each other. Out of a population of 18.9 million, 68.8% are Christians,
2010-2011
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15.9% are Muslims and 8.5% practice African Traditional Religion, 0.7% practice
other religions and 6.1% have no religious affiliation.
Islam in Ghana About 30% of Ghanaians are Muslims. The spread of Islam into
West Af rica, beginning w ith anc ient Ghana in the n inth c entury, was mainly the
result of the commercial activities of North African Muslims. The empires of both
Mali and Songhai that followed ancient Ghana in the Western Sudan ado pted the
religion. I slam m ade i ts e ntry into the no rthern te rritories o f m odern Ghana
around the f ifteenth century. Mande (or as the y're k nown i n G hana " Wangara")
traders and clerics carried the religion into the area. The northeastern sector of the
country was also influenced by Muslims who escaped the Hausa jihads of northern
Nigeria in the early nineteenth century.
Most Ghanai an M uslims are S unni, f ollowing the Maliki version o f I slamic law.
Sufism, involving the organization of mystical brotherhoods (tariqa) for the
purification and s pread o f I slam, is no t wi despread in Ghana. The Tijaniyah and
the Q adiriyah b rotherhoods, ho wever, are re presented. T he Ahmadiyya, a se ct
originating in nineteenth-century India, is the only non-Sunni sect present in the
country.
Despite the spread of Islamism in the Middle East, North Africa, and even in
Nigeria since the mid-1970s, Ghanaian Muslims and Christians have had excellent
relations. Guided by the authority of the Muslim Representative Council, religious,
social, and economic matters affecting Muslims have often been redressed through
negotiations. T he M uslim C ouncil has
also be en re sponsible f or a rranging
pilgrimages to Mecca for b elievers who c an af ford the j ourney. I n s pite o f the se
achievements, the council has not succeeded in taking initiatives for the upgrading
of Islamic schools beyond the provision of basic Qur'anic instruction. This may
explain the economic and technological gap between Muslims and non-Muslims.
The Ghanaian A hmadiyyah M ovement, wh ich has established a number o f
vocational tra ining centers, ho spitals, and s ome s econdary s chools, is an
exception.
Educational System The system comprises of two years of nursery, one or two
years of kindergarten followed by primary school of six years(i.e. from class one to
class s ix).This is the n f ollowed b y s ix y ears o f s econdary s chool c omprising o f
three years of Junior secondary and three years of senior secondary or technical
school.
One can then go to the university, the polytechnic or the training college
depending on ones particular area of interest or chosen career.
There are f our c ore subjects that are c ompulsory to al l s tudents i n the s enior
secondary s chools. T hese ar e E nglish language, m athematics, i ntegrated s cience
and social studies.
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In addition, students can choose a c ombination of other subjects from a g roup of
academic programs which are listed below:
ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
BREAKDOWN/SUBJECTS
GENERAL ARTS
A combination of three or four of the
following courses: Literature in English,
Religious Studies, French/Ghanaian
Language, History, Geography, Elective
Mathematics, Government.
GENERAL SCIENCE
A combination of three or four of the
following courses: Mathematics, Chemistry,
Physics, Geography, Biology.
AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE
Crop and Animal Science, Biology,
Chemistry and physics.
HOME ECONOMICS
A combination of three or four of the
following courses: Management in Living,
General Knowledge in Art, Clothing and
Textiles, Food and Nutrition.
VISUAL ARTS
BUSINESS
A combination of three or four of the
following courses: General Knowledge in
Art, Textiles, Graphic Designing, Picture
Making, Photography.
A combination of three or four of the
following courses: Accounting, Costing,
Business Management, Typing, French.
School uniform
All public primary and junior secondary schools have
government pre scribed uni forms. H owever p rivate s chools i n the s ame category
have their own designed uniform varying from one school to the other. All senior
secondary schools, be it public or private, have their own prescribed school
uniform. In most schools the boys wear short sleeved shirts and a p air of shorts,
and the girls wear calf length dresses or skirt and blouse.
Boarding Schools Boarding s enior s econdary s chools are c ommon i n Ghana .
Most students in Ghana attend boarding schools. The boarding school system was
developed as a c onvenient way o f ge tting s tudents no t o nly organized to learn,
accept new ideas and s kills devoid of societal and family interferences but al so in
an af fordable f ashion. A re cent study b y the uni versity o f C ape C oast i n Ghana
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shows that it is far cheaper to send a child to a boarding school that has a
government subsidy than to a day school. Further, when Western education was
introduced there were few homes with adequate furniture, lighting and
atmosphere to facilitate home study. This has not changed much for the 70 per
cent rural population. Furthermore, the boarding schools are far better established
than day s chools an d p arents are as sured to pro vide the ir c hildren wi th a we llrounded, hi gh quality e ducation if s ent to b oarding s chools. E ven the Ghanai an
elite m ake use of boarding f acilities to offer the ir c hildren a higher qua lity o f
education. S tudents l ive in bo arding s chools and re turn to visit the ir f amilies
during school holidays around Christmas and Easter (breaks are between three
weeks and a month) as well as during the summer months from July to
September.
Extra Classes
Due to the high competition for few available places in good
secondary schools, students whose parents can afford would let them attend extra
classes after school.
Ghanaian Families The s ize of t he h ousehold m ight d epend on w hether t he
family is a polygamous one or not and also if they live in an urban or rural
community. M embers o f a f amily m ay include f ather, m other, children, c ousins,
nephews, uncles, aunties, and grandparents.
With large families, the extended family system, the sociable nature of Ghanaians,
privacy in the home is negligible. There is always someone to talk and relate to.
In most families, household chores are gender specific. Girls tend to work in the
kitchen and help take care of younger siblings, while the boys do other chores that
are less demanding. In the rural communities, children of both sexes are expected
to help in the family business, be it farming, fishing, trading, etc.
Elders are considered to be wise people and are highly respected. Parents and
older siblings are expected to be respected.
Teen Life Teenagers in Ghana are m uch influenced both by the Ghana ian
traditions, wh ich are v ery a live in the c ountry, and by we stern c ulture, wh ich
comes thro ugh T V, m ovies, an d qu ite re cently the internet. After school a nd on
weekends, teenagers are expected to help at home with siblings, cooking, cleaning
work the house, washing clothes and p articipating in every social family life, with
extended family members or the whole community. They are also expected to use
some of their time to learn from their books.
Young people in Ghana are not as independent as their western counterparts.
They are usually respectful and are used to being instructed on what to do.
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Dating and sex are frown upon by society so young people of opposite sex are not
expected to date each other.
Ghanaian Society Ghanaians eat and greet with the right hand only. Also giving
and receiving items is done only with the right hand. If one must use the left
hand, an apo logy must be rendered before the left hand is used. The left hand is
considered as dirty and its use is considered disrespectful.
Most Ghanaians eat with the right fingers and not with cutlery.
Greetings are important in Ghanaian society. It is a sign of respect and concern for
another person. To fail to greet is considered an insult. Time is always made for
greeting and it is not seen as an interference or waste of time.
Showing your affection in public between men and women is not acceptable.
Women m ust b e re ady to pl ay a submissive r ole in e verything, e specially in
northern Ghana. T hey are e xpected to b e q uiet, s upportive an d re spectful at a ll
times.
Washing m achines a re no t c ommon. H and was hing o f c lothes i s the no rm.
Underwear are c onsidered to be v ery pri vate and as s uch s hould be was hed b y
oneself. The practice for students to hand wash their clothes and iron them over
the weekend.
Symbolism and pro verbs are us ed b y v arious e thnic g roups and i ndividuals to
express feelings, traditions and state of affairs. The designs on traditional clothing
and proverbs like: “ you do not have to speak many words to a wise person” “ sea
never dry” and “ no one shows the child God” tell more about the Ghanaian.
Gye Nyame
Symbol of the Supremacy & Omnipotence of God
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Obi Nka Bi
“ No One Should Bite The Other”
Adinkra Symbol of Peace & Harmony
Mpatapo
“Knot of pacification/reconciliation”
Symbol of reconciliation, peacemaking and pacification
Holidays in Ghana
In addition to Christian holidays, Ghana celebrates
Independence Day (March 6) and Republic Day (July 1). Another important holiday
observed i n Ghana is the F armers' D ay. I ntroduced b y M inistry o f F ood and
Agriculture, the N ational F armers' D ay was o rganised as a day ’s ac tivity f or the
nation to honour its hard working farmers who excelled in their contribution to
improve the Agricultural sector with certificates and prizes. In 1988, the first
Friday of every December was set aside by the Government as Farmers' Day. Till
today it is c elebrated as s tatutory P ublic H oliday. Ghana a lso c elebrates two
Islamic holidays on 2 February Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) and 3
November-5 E id al -Fitr ( End o f R amadan). T he date s are n ot static as the y are
based on the appearance of the moon.
Sources:
https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/gh.html
www.ghana.gov.gh
www.myjoyonline.com
http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/ghana
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India
Flag
Background: The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world, dates
back at least 5 ,000 years. A ryan tr ibes f rom the no rthwest i nvaded abo ut 1 500
B.C.; their merger with the earlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical
Indian culture. Arab incursions starting in the 8th century and Turkish in the 12th
were followed by those of European traders, beginning in the late 15th century. By
the 19th century, Britain had assumed political control of virtually all Indian lands.
In 1 947 I ndia gained i ndependence t hrough n onviolent re sistance to B ritish
colonialism led by Mohandas Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. The sub-continent was
then di vided into th e s ecular s tate o f I ndia and the s maller M uslim s tate o f
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Pakistan. W hen the d ividing line was ann ounced, the gre atest e xodus i n h uman
history to ok place as Muslims moved to Pakistan and Hindus a nd Sikhs relocated
to I ndia. O ver 1 0 m illion pe ople c hanged s ides and e ven the m ost c onservative
estimates calculate that 250,000 people were killed. A third war between the two
countries in 1971 r esulted in E ast P akistan b ecoming the separate nati on o f
Bangladesh. India and Pakistan are still at odds primarily due to the ongoing
dispute over Kashmir. Today India is the world’s largest secular democracy.
Area total: 3,287,590 sq km land: 2,973,190 sq km water: 314,400 sq km
Climate varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north
Terrain upland p lain ( Deccan P lateau) i n s outh, f lat to rolling p lain a long the
Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north
Natural Resources coal (f ourth-largest re serves i n the
world), iron o re,
manganese, mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds,
petroleum, limestone, arable land
Land use arable land: 48.83% permanent crops: 2.8% other: 48.37% (2005)
Current environmental issues deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing;
desertification; air pollution from industrial effluents and vehicle emissions; water
pollution f rom raw s ewage and runo ff o f a gricultural pe sticides; tap wate r i s no t
potable throughout the country; huge and growing population is overstraining
natural resources
Population 1,173,108,018 (July 2010 est.)
Life Expectancy at birth total population: 66.46 years male: 65.46 years
female: 67.57 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate 2.65 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Ethnic groups Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3% (2000)
Religions Hindu 8 1.3%, M uslim 1 2%, C hristian 2.3%, S ikh 1.9%, o ther g roups
including Buddhist, Jain, Parsi 2.5% (2000)
Languages English enjoys associate status but is the most important language for
national, political, and c ommercial communication; H indi is the national language
and primary tongue of 30% of the people; there are 14 other official languages:
Bengali, T elugu, M arathi, T amil, U rdu, Gujarati, M alayalam, K annada, O riya,
Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit; Hindustani is a popular variant
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of H indi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India b ut is not an
language
official
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 61% male: 73.4% female: 47.8% (2001 census)
Capital New Delhi
Administrative Divisions 28 states and 7 union territories*; Andaman and
Nicobar Islands*, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh*,
Chhattisgarh, D adra and N agar H aveli*, Daman and D iu*, D elhi*, Go a, Guj arat,
Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala,
Lakshadweep*, M adhya P radesh, M aharashtra, M anipur, M eghalaya, M izoram,
Nagaland, Orissa, Pondicherry*, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura,
Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal
Culture of India It has been said that India is less a country than a continent,
and it holds as many variations in religion, language, customs, art and cuisine as it
does in topography. India has a rich and unique cultural heritage, having striven to
preserve i ts e stablished tradi tions thro ughout h istory; its d ynamic nature is
manifest in its willingness to respect and tolerate foreign ways and practices.
Indian art is basically religious in its themes and developments, and its
appreciation requires at least some background knowledge of the country's faiths.
The hi ghlights include c lassical I ndian dance, H indu te mple arc hitecture and
sculpture ( where o ne be gins and the o ther e nds is o ften hard to define), the
military and urban architecture of the Mughals, miniature painting, and m esmeric
Indian music. Indian music is represented by a wide variety of forms. The two
main ones in terms of classical music are Carnatic from South India and
Hindustani from the north. Popular f orms of music a lso prevail, the most no table
being F ilm m usic. M any danc e f orms exist in I ndia—they o ften hav e a narrat ive
form ( based o n the Indian e pics) and are us ually i nfused with devotional and
spiritual elements. India's creativity continues to thrive, its most lively
contemporary expression being film culture. India produces the world's highest
number of films annually. The most recognizable face is that of Bollywood, based
in Mumbai, which produces mainly commercial Hindi films.
Education in India: A uniform structure of school education, the 10+2 system
has been adopted by all the States and U nion T erritories (UT) of India. However,
within the States and the U Ts, there remains variations in the number of classes
constituting the P rimary, U pper P rimary, H igh and H igher S econdary s chool
stages, age for admission to class I, medium of instruction, public examinations,
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teaching of Hindi and English, number of working days in a year, ac ademic
session, vacation periods, fee structure, compulsory education etc.
The Primary Stage consists of Classes I-IV or I-V, i.e., four or five years duration,
depending upon the state. The Middle Stage of education comprises Classes VIVIII, VI -VII or V -VIII. T he Se condary St age co nsists o f C lasses I X-X o r VI II-X.
Finally, the Higher Secondary/Senior Secondary stage of school comprises classes
XI-XII ( 10+2 patte rn) i n a ll the S tates tho ugh i n s ome S tates the se c lasses ar e
attached to Universities/Colleges.
The minimum age for admission to class I of the Primary School stage is generally
5+ or 6+ years. Mother tongue or regional language is the medium of instruction
at the primary stage of education in most of the States. Apart from Hindi speaking
States, teaching of Hindi is compulsory in most of the non-Hindi speaking States.
Teaching o f E nglish is c ompulsory i n a ll the S tates except B ihar. I n ge neral,
English is compulsory in Classes VI-X.
Economy of India India’s e conomy trans formed f rom primarily agr iculture,
forestry, f ishing, an d te xtile m anufacturing in 1947 to m ajor he avy industry,
transportation, and te lecommunications i ndustries by
late 1 970s. C entral
government planning 1950 through late 1970s gave way to economic reforms and
more private-sector i nitiatives i n 1 980s and 1 990s. M ajor trad e p artners i nclude
the United States, Japan, European U nion, and nations belonging to Organization
of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). The main export commodities are
agricultural and a llied p roducts, ge ms an d j ewelry, and re ady-made garm ents.
Iron ore, minerals, and leather and leather products also important. Oil from the
Middle East is India’s most major import, encompassing 28 percent of the total.
A nation in rapid development, India has an economy ranked as the twelfth largest
in the world. While many Indians live in poverty, a large middle class has emerged
along w ith the gro wth o f a pr omising I T industry. I n re cent y ears, I ndia has
emerged the global leader in software and b usiness process outsourcing services,
raking in revenues of US$12.5 billion in the year that ended March 2004.
The e conomy has po sted an e xcellent av erage gro wth rate o f 6 .8% s ince 1 994,
reducing poverty by about 10 percentage points. India is capitalizing on its large
numbers of well-educated people skilled in the English language to become a
major exporter of software services and software workers. Despite strong growth,
the combined state and federal budget deficit runs at approximately 9% of GDP.
The h uge a nd g rowing po pulation is th e f undamental s ocial, e conomic, and
environmental problem.
Hinduism in India
India’s major religion, Hinduism, is practiced by
approximately 8 0% o f the p opulation i .e. around 7 50 m illion people. It i s the
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largest religion in Asia. It is one of the oldest extant religions. Arguably, its roots
extend as f ar bac k as 4 ,500 c oming from the re ligion o f the I ndus V alley
Civilization. This religion bore a close relationship to Hinduism and came down to
India primarily in the form of religious texts. Later, this religion influenced by the
combined religious practices of the southern Dravidians and the Aryan invaders
who arrived in the north India around 1500 BC. Around this time, the Vedic
scriptures were introduced, providing the first loose framework for Hinduism.
Hinduism’s artistic heritage, as well as intellectual and philosophical contributions,
has al ways o wed m uch to re ligious tho ught and s ymbolism. Contacts be tween
India and other cultures have led to the spread of Indian religions throughout the
world, re sulting in t he e xtensive influence o f I ndian tho ught and prac tice o n
Southeast and E ast A sia in anc ient t imes and, more re cently, in the d iffusion o f
Indian religions to Europe and North America. Within India, on a day-to-day basis,
a large majority of people engage in ritual actions that are motivated by religious
systems that owe much to the past but are continuously evolving.
Religion is a very important facet of Indian history and contemporary life. India is
covered with holy sites associated with the exploits of the gods, the waters of a
sacred river, or the presence of holy men, to which many Indians perform
pilgrimage. With the expansion of public transportation in the twentieth century,
there has been a vast increase in the numbers of people who visit these spots. In
fact, for many Indians pilgrimage is the preferred form of tourism, involving family
and community groups. There are a number of Hindu religious festivals that are
officially recognized by the government as "closed holidays" o n which wo rk stops
throughout the country, and "restricted holidays" c elebrated by the vast majority
of the population and resulting in closures of business establishments. A separate
series of restricted holidays allow regional cultures to celebrate their own feasts.
The Caste System The caste system reflects Indian occupational and socially
defined hierarchies. Sanskrit sources refer to four social categories, priests
(Brahmin), warriors (kshatriya), traders (vayisha) and farmers (shudra). Although
these categories are understood throughout India, they describe reality only in the
most general terms. They omit, for example, the tribes and low castes once known
as ‘ untouchables.’ In re ality, s ociety in I ndia is d ivided into thousands o f j atis,
local, endogamous groups, organized h ierarchically according to complex ideas of
purity and po llution. D espite e conomic m odernization and
laws c ountering
discrimination against the lower end of the class structure, the caste system
remains an i mportant source of social identification for most Hindus and a po tent
factor in the political life of the country.
Islam in India Islam spread from the West throughout South Asia, from the
early eighth century, to become the largest minority religion in India. In fact, with
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57
approximately 112 million Muslims (12.1 percent of the population), India has at
least the fourth largest Muslim population in the world. As a faith with its roots
outside South Asia, Islam offers some striking contrasts to those religions that
originated in India.
A significant aspect of Islam in India is the importance of shrines attached to the
memory of great Sufi saints. Orders of Sufis became important in India during the
thirteenth century and have attracted large numbers of converts to Islam. In the
case of many teachers (pir), the memory of their holiness has been so intense that
they are still viewed as active intercessors with God, and their tombs have become
the s ite o f r ites and pray ers by d isciples and l ay pe ople alike. T he annual
celebration of t he pir’s death i s a m ajor e vent at i mportant s hrines, attrac ting
hundreds of thousands of devotees for celebrations that m ay last for days. Every
region of India can boast of at least one major Sufi shrine that attracts expressive
devotion, which remains important, especially for Muslim women.
The l eadership o f the M uslim c ommunity has purs ued v arious d irections i n the
evolution o f I ndian I slam dur ing the twe ntieth c entury. T he most c onservative
wing has typically re sted o n the e ducation s ystem pro vided b y the hundre ds o f
religious tra ining institutes ( madrasa), wh ich hav e te nded to stress the s tudy o f
the Koran and Islamic texts in Arabic and Persian. The Tablighi Jamaat (Outreach
Society) became active after the 1940s as a movement stressing personal
renewal, prayer, a missionary and cooperative spirit, and attention to orthodoxy.
It has be en hi ghly c ritical o f the k ind o f a ctivities that o ccur i n and aro und S ufi
shrines. A powerful secularizing drive led to the founding of Aligarh Muslim
University (founded in 1875 as the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College)--with its
modern curriculum--and other major Muslim universities.
Monastic Traditions in India Buddhism and Jainism, along with the Pasrsi
community, r epresent 2 .5% o f I ndia’s po pulation. T hese anc ient m onastic
traditions have had a major influence on Indian art, philosophy, and society and
remain important minority religions in the late twentieth century.
By about 500 B.C., some teachers had moved so far down the path of liberation
that they no longer viewed the standard perception of life in the social world as
valid for the dedicated spiritual devotee. They formed communities of religious
renunciants (shramanas) who withdrew from the world and evolved a full-time
monastic discipline. The most successful of these early communities, the Jains (or,
in Sanskrit, Jaina) and the Buddhists, rejected the value of the Vedas and created
independent textual traditions based on the words and examples of their early
teachers, e ventually evolving e ntirely n ew way s f or interacting w ith the lay
community.
Buddhism in India Buddhism is derived from Hinduism and it is the primary
religion of the Far East. Buddhist monks learned the martial arts from Hindus to
protect themselves as they traveled to the eastern countries. Two of the greatest
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58
gifts India has given to the Far East, the martial arts and Buddhism, have shaped
eastern culture for centuries. Many Buddhist tourists come to India on a regular
basis to visit the numerous sacred shrines dedicated to the Buddha.
For centuries Indian royalty and merchants patronized Buddhist monasteries and
raised beautiful, hemispherical stone structures called stupas over the relics of the
Buddha i n re verence to hi s m emory. S ince the 1 840s, arc haeology has re vealed
the huge impact of Buddhist art, iconography, and architecture in India. The
monastery c omplex at Nalanda in Bihar, in ruins in 1993, was a world center for
Buddhist philosophy and religion until the thirteenth century. But by the thirteenth
century, when Turkic invaders destroyed the remaining monasteries on the plains,
Buddhism as an organized religion had practically disappeared from India.
Buddhism began a steady and dramatic comeback in India during the early
twentieth century, spurred on originally by a combination of European antiquarian
and ph ilosophical interest and the d edicated ac tivities o f a f ew I ndian d evotees.
The foundation of the Mahabodhi Society (Society of Great Enlightenment) in
1891, originally as a force to wrest control of the Buddhist shrine at Gaya from the
hands of Hindu managers, gave a large stimulus to the popularization of Buddhist
philosophy and the importance of the religion in India's past.
Jainism in India The oldest continuous monastic tradition in India is Jainism, the
path of the Jinas, or victors. The Jain laity engage in a num ber of ritual activities
that resemble those of the Hindus around them. S pecial shrines in residences or
in public temples include images of the Tirthankaras, who are not worshiped but
remembered and re vered; other s hrines h ouse the go ds wh o a re m ore pro perly
invoked to intercede with worldly problems. Jains may also worship local gods and
participate i n local Hindu o r M uslim c elebrations w ithout c ompromising the ir
fundamental devotion to the path of the Jinas.
At a number of pilgrimage sites associated with great teachers of Jainism, the gifts
of wealthy donors made possible the building of architectural wonders.
Shatrunjaya Hills (Siddhagiri) in Gujarat is a major Svetambara site, an entire city
of about 3,500 temples. Mount Abu in Rajasthan, with one Digambara and five
Svetambara te mples, i s the s ite o f s ome of I ndia's gre atest arc hitecture, d ating
from the e leventh th rough th irteenth c enturies A .D. I n K arnataka, o n the h ill o f
Sravana Belgola, stands the monolithic seventeen-meter-high statue of the naked
Bhagwan Bahubali (Gomateshvara). In addition to its lavish patronage of shrines,
the Jain community, with its long scriptural tradition and wealth gained from trade,
has al ways b een k nown f or i ts ph ilanthropy and e specially f or i ts s upport o f
education and learning. Prestigious Jain schools are located in most major cities.
The largest concentrations of Jains are in Maharashtra (more than 965,000) and
Rajasthan ( nearly 5 63,000), w ith s izable num bers al so i n Guj arat and M adhya
Pradesh.
Holidays/Observances in India
Dussehra (Determined by the Shaka calendar, India's official calendar)
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This is a “ closed holiday," on which work stops throughout the country and comes at the
end of the ten-day festival of Dussehra, late in the month of Asvina. This festival
commemorates Ram's victory over Ravana and the rescue of his wife. On the ninth
day of Dusshera, people bless with sandalwood paste the "weapons" of their
business l ife, in cluding everything f rom p lows to c omputers. O n the f inal day o f
Dussehra, in North India celebrating crowds set fire to huge paper effigies of
Ravana.
Dipavali (Diwali)
Several we eks after Dussehra, comes D ipavali or Festival of Lights, in the month
of Kartika (October-November). This is officially a one-day “closed holiday,” but in
reality it becomes a week-long event when many people take vacations. One
tradition links this festival to the victory of Krishna over the demon Naraka, but for
most devotees the holiday is a recreation of Ram's triumphant return with Sita, his
wife, f rom h is adv entures. P eople light r ows o f l amps and p lace the m o n s ills
around the ir ho uses, s et o ff g igantic am ounts o f f ireworks, pr ay f or we alth and
good fortune, distribute sweets, and send greeting cards to friends and business
associates.
Mahashivaratri
Also a closed holiday and referred to as the great night of Shiva, during the month
of Magha (January-February) celebrates Shiva's emanation of the universe
through hi s c osmic d ance. I t i s a d ay o f f asting, v isiting te mples, and in m any
places staying up all night to sing devotional songs.
Festival of Ganesh Chaturthi
A “c losed ho liday,” c omes o n the f ourth day in the m onth o f B hadra ( AugustSeptember). F amilies and bus inesses pre pare f or th is f estival by p urchasing
brightly painted images of Ganesh and worshiping them for a number of days. On
the festival itself, with great celebration, participants bathe the images (and in
most cases permanently dump them) in nearby rivers, lakes, or seas.
Holi
Celebrated at the e nd o f the m onth o f P halguna ( February-March), whe n pe ople
engage i n c ross-dressing, p lay tr icks o n e ach o ther, and s quirt c olored wate r o r
powder on each other. This is primarily a northern festival, which receives varying
amounts of attention in other parts of the country.
Other Indian holidays
• Republic Day (26 January)
• Independence Day (15 August)
• Mahatma Gandhi's Birthday (2 October)
• Eid al Adha (See Muslim Holidays for more detail)
• Eid al Fitr (See Muslim Holidays for more detail)
• New Year’s Day (1 January)
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Sources
http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/india
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/in.html
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/indian_subcontinent/india/
http://www.education.nic.in/htmlweb/natpol.htm
http://www.state.gov/p/sa/ci/in/
http://www.4to40.com/discoverindia/religions/
http://countrystudies.us/india/38.htm
http://www.indiausa-sc.org/bu.htm
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Indonesia
Makassar
Banten
Tangerang
Jawa Tengah
Malang
Source: http://www.maps.com
Flag
Background The world's largest arc hipelago, Indonesia ac hieved i ndependence
from the Netherlands in 1949. Current issues include: implementing IMFmandated reforms of the banking sector, effecting a transition to a popularly
elected government after years of rule by dictators, addressing charges of
cronyism and c orruption am ong the C hinese-dominated business cl ass, dealing
with a lleged hum an r ights v iolations b y the m ilitary, an d re solving growing
pressures for some form of autonomy or independence in certain regions such as
Aceh and Irian Jaya. On 30 August 1999 a provincial referendum for independence
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was overwhelmingly approved by the people of Timor Timur. Concurrence followed
by I ndonesia's nati onal legislature, and the nam e E ast T imor was p rovisionally
adopted. The independent status of East Timor has yet to be formally established.
Area total: 1,919,440 sq km; land: 1,826,440 sq km; water: 93,000 sq km
Area - comparative slightly less than three times the size of Texas
Climate tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
Terrain mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior mountains
Natural resources petroleum, tin, natural gas, nickel, timber, bauxite, copper,
fertile soils, coal, gold, silver
Land use arable land: 11.03% permanent crops: 7.04% other: 81.93% (2005)
Natural hazards occasional floods, severe droughts, tsunamis, earthquakes,
volcanoes
Current environmental issues deforestation; wate r p ollution f rom i ndustrial
wastes, sewage; air pollution in urban areas; smoke and haze from forest fires.
Geography archipelago of 17,000 islands (6,000 inhabited); straddles Equator;
strategic location astride or along major sea-lanes from the Indian Ocean to the
Pacific Ocean.
Population 242,968,342 (July 2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth total population: 71.05 years male: 68.53 years
female: 73.69 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate 2.28 children born/woman (2010 EST.)
Ethnic groups Javanese 45%, Sundanese 14%, Madurese 7.5%, coastal Malays
7.5%, other 26%
Religions Muslim 88%, Protestant 5%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 2%, Buddhist
1%, other 1% (1998)
Languages Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of Malay), English, Dutch,
local dialects, the most widely spoken of which is Javanese
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90.4% male: 94% female: 86.8% (2004 est.)
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Capital Jakarta
Administrative Divisions 27 provinces (propinsi-propinsi, s ingular - propinsi), 2
special regions* (daerah-daerah istimewa, singular - daerah istimewa), and 1
special capital city district** (daerah khusus ibukota); Aceh*, Bali, Banten,
Bengkulu, Go rontalo, J akarta R aya**, J ambi, J awa B arat, J awa T engah, J awa
Timur, K alimantan B arat, K alimantan S elatan, K alimantan T engah, K alimantan
Timur, Kepulauan Bangka Belitung, Lampung, Maluku, Maluku Utara, Nusa
Tenggara B arat, N usa T enggara T imur, P apua, R iau, S ulawesi S elatan, S ulawesi
Tengah, Sulawesi Tenggara, Sulawesi Utara, Sumatera Barat, Sumatera Selatan,
Sumatera Utara, Y ogyakarta*; note - with the implementation of decentralization
on 1 J anuary 2 001, t he 3 57 d istricts ( regencies) h ave b ecome t he k ey
administrative units responsible for providing most government services
Culture of Indonesia Over 3 00 l anguages are s poken i n the arc hipelago and
most belong to the Malay-Polynesian group. Within this group, many regional
languages and dialects are spoken. The lingua franca of the archipelago is Bahasa
Indonesia, wh ich is a lmost identical to M alay. B atik, the art o f ap plying wax to
cloth and then t ie-dying in colorful and dr amatic designs, is produced throughout
Indonesia, and the centre of this activity is Yogyakarta in Java. Other craft forms
include: ikat, which is a type of weaving with tie-dyed threads; songket, a silk
cloth with gold or silver threads woven into it; and kris, artwork often decorated
with j ewels. J avanese wayang (puppet) p lays and gamelan (hypnotic m usic
composed mostly of percussive instruments) are also popular artistic forms.
Many I ndonesian d ishes are C hinese-influenced, but s ome, s uch as P adang f ood
from Sumatra, are distinctly home-grown. Wherever you travel in Indonesia you'll
see vendors selling s nacks such as potatoes, s weet nuts, biscuits or fruit. R ice is
the basis of each meal, eaten as a soup or with an assortment of hot and spicy
side dishes, salad and pickles.
Education in Indonesia National education is rooted in I ndonesian culture and
is based on Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution. It a ims to enhance the people's
intellectual life, d ignity and values, create the Indonesian man and c ommunity to
be faithful and devoted to the One and Only God, qualified and self-sufficient so
that the y c an de velop the mselves and the ir ne ighborhood, and b e abl e to f ulfill
national development needs and be responsible for the national development. In
the efforts to surmount the impact of the current economic crisis, the Government
has distributed e ducational aid through th e main programs especially in the form
of scholarships to assist students who come from low-income families to prevent
dropouts. School children are even allowed to attend school without wearing their
uniforms, as p reviously required. T o p romote e ven di stribution o f s tudy
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opportunities, senior high schools and vocational schools are provided with
textbooks, reading material, laboratory equipment, art and sports equipment.
Economy of Indonesia Indonesia has a market-based economy i n whi ch the
government plays a significant role. It owns 160 state-owned enterprises and
administers prices on several basic goods, including fuel, rice, and electricity. The
government has made some progress on privatization and removal of fuel
subsidies, bu t change has been po litically controversial, so has proceeded slowly.
In the aftermath of the 1997-98 financial crisis, the government took custody of a
significant p ortion o f private s ector as sets thro ugh ac quisition of no n-performing
bank loans and c orporate as sets thro ugh the de bt re structuring process, but
subsequently d isposed of most of the assets averaging 29% return on the assets
received. Indonesia, the only Asian member of the Organization of Petroleum
Exporting Countries (OPEC), ranks 17th among world oil producers, with about
1.8% of world production. The state owns all oil and mineral rights. Foreign firms
participate thro ugh p roduction s haring and wo rk c ontracts. O il and gas
contractors are re quired to f inance all e xploration, pro duction, and de velopment
costs in their contract areas; they are entitled to recover operating, exploration,
and d evelopment c osts o ut o f the o il and gas pro duced. Although m inerals
production traditionally centered on bauxite, silver, and tin production, Indonesia
is expanding its copper, nickel, gold, and coal output for export markets.
Islam in Indonesia Islam was brought to Indonesia by Muslim traders from
India, Persia, and by some Chinese Muslims. It first arrived in Aceh, North
Sumatra and e stablished the f irst I slamic k ingdom in I ndonesia the re. H owever,
when i t arr ived i n J ava, I slam was confronted wi th H induism, which had
permeated the society v ery we ll. Therefore, I slam was forced to adapt itself w ith
the strong Hindu society there, by accepting many Hindu practices and other local
beliefs. F or example, Indonesian Muslims accept paying homage to the dead and
pilgrimage to holy sites (keramat) as part of their system. In Minangkabau, where
Islam was faced w ith a m atriarchal s ociety, it was f orced to put wo men in a
position of authority.
Other than that, meditation, fasting on Mondays-Thursdays, or other special days,
and other forms of self-renunciation are widely practiced by Indonesian Muslims.
Sufism, the mystical form of Islam, is very much part of the life of many Muslims.
All these reflect the Indonesian Muslims’ close ties with the practices of their Hindu
ancestors, thus c reating a very d ifferent kind o f I slam in I ndonesia. U ntil a f ew
years ago, it was still common in Indonesia to find different members of a f amily
embracing different religions because of personal conversions and inter-marriages.
Buddhism in Indonesia Indonesian B uddhism in the e arly 1 990s was the
unstable pro duct o f c omplex ac commodations am ong re ligious i deology, C hinese
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ethnic identification, and political policy. Traditionally, Chinese Taoism,
Confucianism, and B uddhism, as well as the more nativist Buddhist Perbuddhi, all
had adherents in the ethnic Chinese community. Following the attempted coup of
1965, any hint o f d eviation from the m onotheistic te nets o f the P ancasila was
regarded as tre ason, and the f ounder of P erbuddhi, B hikku Ashin J inarakkhita,
proposed that the re was a s ingle s upreme d eity, S ang H yang A di B uddha. H e
sought c onfirmation f or th is un iquely I ndonesian v ersion o f B uddhism in ancient
Javanese texts, and even the shape of the Buddhist temple complex at Borobudur
in Jawa Tengah Province. In the years following the 1965 abortive coup, when all
citizens were required to register with a specific religious denomination or be
suspected o f c ommunist s ympathies, the number o f B uddhists s welled; s ome
ninety new monasteries were built. In 1987 there were seven schools of Buddhism
affiliated w ith the P erwalian U mat B uddha I ndonesia . A ccording to a 1 987
estimate, there were roughly 2.5 million followers of Buddhism, with 1 million of
these affiliated with Theravada Buddhism and roughly 0.5 million belonging to the
Buddhayana sect founded by Jinarakkhita. Other estimates placed Buddhists at
around only 1 percent of the population, or less than 2 million.
Hinduism in Indonesia Like Islam and Buddhism, Hinduism was greatly modified
when adapted to Indonesian society. The caste system, although present in form,
was ne ver ri gidly ap plied. T he H indu re ligious e pics, the M ahabharata ( ma-hahBHAR-at- tah, Gre at B attle o f the D escendants o f B harata) a nd the R amayana
(rahm-ah-YAHN-ah, The Travels of Rama), became enduring traditions among
Indonesian believers, expressed in shadow puppet and dance performances.
Christianity in Indonesia Christianity had a l ong h istory i n the i slands, with
Portuguese Jesuits and Dominicans operating in the Malukus, southern Sulawesi,
and T imor in the s ixteenth c entury. W hen the D utch de feated Portugal in 1 605,
however, Catholic missionaries were expelled and the Calvinist Dutch Reformed
Church was virtually the only Christian influence in the region for 300 years. This
primarily s ecular b ut aus tere c hurch a dvanced little in I ndonesia unt il the
nineteenth century. Only a few small communities endured in Java, Maluku,
northern S ulawesi, a nd N usa T enggara ( primarily R oti and T imor). A fter its
dissolution in 1799, the Dutch permitted the spread of evangelism by the German
Lutherans among the Batak of Sumatra in 1861, and by the Dutch Rhenish Mission
in central Kalimantan and central Sulawesi. In addition, Jesuits established
successful missions, schools, and hospitals throughout the islands of Flores, Timor,
and Alor. The twentieth century witnessed the influx of many new Protestant
missionary groups, as well as the continued growth of Catholicism and of large
regional and reformed Lutheran churches. Following the 1965 coup attempt, all
nonreligious pe rsons we re l abeled athe ists and he nce we re v ulnerable to
accusations of harboring communist sympathies. At that time, Christian c hurches
of al l v arieties e xperienced e xplosive gro wth in m embership, particularly am ong
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those people who felt uncomfortable with the political aspirations of Islamic
parties.
In the 1 990s, the majority o f C hristians i n I ndonesia were P rotestants o f one
affiliation or another, with p articularly large concentrations found in S umatra
Utara, I rian J aya, M aluku, K alimantan T engah, S ulawesi T engah, and S ulawesi
Utara. C atholic c ongregations g rew l ess r apidly in the 1 980s, i n part be cause o f
the church's heavy reliance on European personnel. These Europeans experienced
increasing re strictions o n the ir m issionary ac tivities imposed by the M uslimdominated Department of Religious Affairs. Large concentrations of Roman
Catholics were located in Kalimantan Barat, Irian Jaya (IHR-ee-yahn JAI-yah),
Nusa Tenggara T imur ( noo-sah t ehn-GAR-ah te e-mur), and T imor T imur
provinces.
Holidays/Observances in Indonesia
Galungan (gah-LOO-gahn, determined by Wuku Calendar)
• Ten day religious festival celebrated throughout Bali.
•
Hindu festival which includes Bali’s own supreme being, Sanghyang Widi (or
Widhi). Gods are thought to come to Earth during the festival.
•
Festival includes rituals in the temples; cock-fights, a combination of sport
and gambling; offering foods, fruit, and flowers to the temple by the women; and
card games, music, and dancing.
Kartini Day (KAHR-tee-nee, 2 1 A pril): N ational ho liday c ommemorating b irth i n
1879, o f R aden A jeng K artini, a p ioneer i n t he e mancipation o f Indonesian
women. Women wear nat ional dress to symbolize their un ity; the nation enjoys
parades, lectures, and various school activities.
Nyepi (nep-PEE, 21 March) Bali inhabitants celebrate the New Year by driving
devils out of villages and o bserving a day of stillness, known as Nyepi. With the
arrival of spring, the Lord o f Hell, Y ama, sweeps devils out o f Hades, who f all on
Bali, making necessary purification of the entire island.
Other Indonesian holidays
• Easter
• Independence Day (17 August)
• Eid al Adha (See Muslim Holidays for more detail)
• Eid al Fitr (See Muslim Holidays for more detail)
• Muslim New Year
• New Year’s Day (1 January)
2010-2011
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Sources:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/id.html
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/south_east_asia/indonesia/culture.htm
http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/indonesia/pro-education.htm
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2748.htm
http://www.pcusa.org/globaled/suleeman.htm
http://wrc.lingnet.org/
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Kenya
Source: www.maps.com
Flag
Background
Area:
total: 582,650 sq km
land: 569,250 sq km
water: 13,400 sq km
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Area - comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Nevada
Climate: varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior
Terrain: low plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great Rift Valley; fertile
plateau in west
Natural resources: limestone, soda ash, salt, gemstones, fluorspar, zinc,
diatomite, gypsum, wildlife, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 8.01%
permanent crops: 0.97% other: 91.02% (2005)
Natural hazards: recurring drought; flooding during rainy seasons
Environment - current issues: water pollution from urban and industrial wastes;
degradation of water quality from increased use of pesticides and fertilizers; water
hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification;
poaching
Geography:
the K enyan Highlands comprise o ne o f the m ost su ccessful
agricultural pro duction re gions i n A frica; g laciers are f ound o n M ount K enya,
Africa's second highest peak; unique physiography supports abundant and varied
wildlife of scientific and economic value
Population: 40,046,566
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess
mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant
mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the
distribution of population by age and s ex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 58.82 years male: 58.33 years
female: 59.32 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.38 children born/woman (2010 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 6.7% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 1.2 million (2003 est.)
Ethnic groups: Kikuyu 22%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, Kalenjin 12%, Kamba 11%,
Kisii 6%, Meru 6%, other African 15%, non-African (Asian, European, and Arab)
1%
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Religions:Protestant 45%, Roman Catholic 33%, Muslim 10%, indigenous beliefs
10%, other 2%
note: a large majority of Kenyans are Christian, but estimates for the percentage
of the population that adheres to Islam or indigenous beliefs vary widely
Languages: English (official), Kiswahili (official), numerous indigenous languages
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 85.1%
male: 90.6%
female: 79.7% (2003 est.)
Capital Nairobi
Administrative Divisions 7 pro vinces and 1 are a*; C entral, C oast, E astern,
Nairobi Area*, North Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Western
Culture of Kenya Kenya has a s trong oral tradition. M any folktales c oncern
animals or the intervention of the spirits in everyday life; others are war stories
detailing soldiers' bravery. The stories are passed f rom generation to g eneration,
often i n t he form o f s ongs. C ontemporary K enyan l iterature draws e xtensively
from thi s o ral he ritage, as we ll as f rom W estern l iterary tr adition. N gugi wa
Thiong'o, a K ikuyu, is K enya's m ost pro minent wr iter. H is f irst no vels, including
Weep Not, Child (1964) a nd Petals of Blood (1977) we re wri tten i n E nglish.
Though they were strong messages of social protest, it was not until he began to
write exclusively in Swahili and Kikuyu that Ngugi became the victim of
censorship. H e was j ailed f or o ne y ear, and later e xiled to England. O ther
contemporary Kenyan writers, such as Sam Kahiga, Meja Mwangi and Marjorie
Oludhe Macgoye, are less explicitly political in their work.
Kenya is known for its sculpture and wood-carving, which often has religious
significance. F igures of anc estors are be lieved to app ease the i nhabitants o f the
spirit world, as are the elaborately carved amulets that Kenyans wear around their
necks. In addition to wood, sculptors also work in ivory and gold. Contemporary
sculptors often blend traditional styles with more modern ones. Artists also create
the colorful masks and headdresses that are worn during traditional dances, often
fashioned to represent birds or other animals. Jewelry is another Kenyan art form,
and includes elaborate silver and gold bracelets and various forms of colorful
beadwork.
Dancing is an i mportant part o f K enyan culture. M en and wo men us ually d ance
separately. Men perform line dances, some of which involve competing to see who
can jump the highest. Dance is often an e lement of religious ceremonies, such as
marriage, child na ming, and initiation. Costume is an important element of many
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traditional dances, as are props: dancers often don masks and carry shields,
swords, and other objects.
The music of Kenya is polyrhythmic, incorporating several different beats
simultaneously. T he pri mary instruments are drum s but l utes, wo odwinds, and
thumb pianos are also used. Singing often follows a call-and-response pattern, and
singers chant rhythms that di verge from those played on the instruments. Kikuyu
music is relatively simple; the main instrument is the gicandi, a rattle made from a
gourd. Other groups, such as the Luhya, have more complex music and dance
traditions, incorporating a variety of instruments.
Education in Kenya The system of education was introduced by British colonists.
After Kenya's independence on December 12, 1963, the Ominde Commission was
set up to m ake c hanges i n the e ducational s ystem. T his c ommission f ocused o n
national identity and unity. Changes in the subject content of history and
geography were made to reflect the building of a nat ional identity. Between 1964
to 1985, the 7-4-2-3-system was adopted – seven years of primary, four years of
lower secondary, two years of upper secondary, and thre e years of university. All
schools had a common curriculum. The language of instruction is English.
In 1 981, the P residential W orking P arty o n the S econd U niversity was
commissioned to look at b oth the possibilities of setting up a s econd university in
Kenya. They were also responsible for reforming the entire education system. The
committee recommended that the 7-4-2-3 system be changed to an 8-4-4 system
(eight years in primary, four years in secondary, and four years in university
education).
The 8 -4-4 s ystem was l aunched in J anuary 1 985 and e mphasized v ocational
subjects. It was assumed that this new structure would enable school dropouts at
all levels to be either self-employed or to get employment in the non-formal
sector.
In January 2003, the Government of Kenya announced the introduction of free
primary education. As a result, primary school enrolment increased by about 70%.
However, s econdary and te rtiary e ducation e nrollment h as no t i ncreased
proportionally due to the fact that payment is still required for attendance.
In class eight of primary school the Kenya Certificate of Primary Examination
(K.C.P.E.) is written. The result of this examination is needed for placement at
secondary school. In form four of secondary schools the Kenya Certificate of
Secondary Examination (K.C.S.E.) is written. Students sit examinations in eight
subjects.
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Economy of Kenya
Kenya's economy has suffered from inefficiency and
government c orruption. T he to urist industry has a lso b een harm ed by po litical
violence in the late 1990s. Seventy-five to 80 percent of the workforce is in
agriculture. Most of these workers are subsistence farmers, whose main crops are
corn, millet, sweet potatoes, and such fruits as bananas, oranges, and mangoes.
The main cash crops are tea and coffee, which are grown on large plantations. The
international m arket f or the se pro ducts t ends to f luctuate wi dely f rom y ear to
year, c ontributing to Kenya's economic instability. Many Kenyans wo rk in what is
called the jua kali sector, doing day labor in such fields as mechanics, small crafts,
and construction. Others are employed in industry, services, and government, but
the country has an extremely high unemployment rate, estimated at 50 percent.
Nairobi, the capital, continues to be the primary communication and f inancial hub
of East Africa. It enjoys the region's best transportation linkages, communications
infrastructure, and
trained personnel, although these advantages are less
prominent than in pas t y ears. A wi de ra nge o f f oreign f irms m aintain re gional
branches or representative offices in the city. In March 1996, the Presidents of
Kenya, T anzania, and U ganda re -established the E ast A frican C ommunity ( EAC).
The EAC's objectives include harmonizing tariffs and customs regimes, free
movement of people, and improving regional infrastructures. In March 2004, the
three E ast A frican c ountries s igned a C ustoms U nion A greement pav ing the way
for a common market. The Customs Union and a Common External Tariff were
established o n J anuary 1 , 2 005, but th e E AC c ountries are s till wo rking o ut
exceptions to the tariff. Rwanda and Burundi have since joined the community. In
May 2007, duri ng a C ommon Market f or Eastern and S outhern A frica ( COMESA)
Summit, 13 heads of state endorsed a move to adopt a COMESA customs union
and set December 8, 2008 as the target date for its adoption.
Recent Politics of Kenya
On D ecember 27, 2007, Kenya held local,
parliamentary, and presidential elections. Though voting day itself was largely
peaceful and orderly, serious irregularities occurred in the tabulation of results for
the tightly contested presidential election, which pitted incumbent president Mwai
Kibaki, leading the P arty o f N ational U nity ( PNU) ti cket, aga inst c hallenger R aila
Odinga, of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). Delays in the announcement
of results provoked some protests, and when Kibaki was proclaimed the winner on
December 3 0, the se violent de monstrations m ultiplied, s ending the c ountry into
turmoil. Because Kenyan politics appeal to ethnic identity, outrage over a political
issue quickly took on an o vertly ethnic character. Over one thousand people have
died and over three hundred thousand have been displaced in the resulting
violence (some believe the number of internally displaced persons could exceed six
hundred thousand). The Kenyan police force, long viewed with skepticism by many
Kenyans, has in some cases been accused of ethnic bias and of the inappropriate
use of force in its att empts to control the unrest. In addition to the humanitarian
toll and the damage done to the integrity of Kenya’s political institutions, the crisis
has resulted in serious economic setbacks for Kenya and the surrounding region.
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Kenyan civil society and much of the business community responded quickly to the
mayhem, c alling f or re conciliation and a po litical s olution to the s tandoff de spite
exposing themselves to significant personal risk. The international community has
generally followed th eir lead, and a s eries of international efforts to help mediate
between the Kibaki and Odinga camps eventually culminated in broad support for
the work of former UN secretary-general Kofi A. Annan, who spent over a month in
Kenya as the head of a panel of eminent African experts. Annan laid out a fourpoint agenda for the negotiations, consisting of (1) measures to bring an
immediate halt to th e v iolence and to re store the rights and f reedoms of the
Kenyan people; (2) measures to address the humanitarian crisis and to promote
reconciliation; (3) a political solution to the Kibaki-Odinga standoff in the form of
some transitional government that incorporates both factions; and (4)
fundamental institutional reforms to address und erlying grievances in Kenyan
society. Annan has acknowledged that this last point, which is understood to
include issues relating to judicial independence, parliamentary oversight authority,
electoral re forms, an d land p olicies, w ill be p ursued ov er t he c ourse of t he n ext
year, whereas more immediate progress is expected on the first three items.
Annan has stated publicly that he does not support holding new elections within
the ne xt y ear, and re ports emerging f rom K enya suggest that t he re cently
achieved power-sharing arrangement is expected to last for two years or more
before the next round of elections.
The Annan mediation process succeeded in quelling most of the violence, but
tensions re main h igh and m ilitia f orces o n bo th s ides of the pri mary e thnic and
political divides can be reactivated extremely quickly. Both sides have agreed to
the creation of an independent commission to review the December 2007 electoral
process, a bo dy to i nvestigate po st-election v iolence, a truth, j ustice, a nd
reconciliation commission, and to a fairly vague constitutional reform effort.
On February 28, the Annan effort met with success on the critical issue of political
power-sharing. A ided by T anzanian pre sident J akaya K ikwete, A nnan c oaxed
Kibaki and Odinga to sign an “Agreement on the Principles of Partnership of the
Coalition Government.” In doing so, both leaders committed to establishing a
governing coalition of the PNU and ODM, changing the constitution to create the
position of prime minister for the head of the largest party in the National
Assembly (Odinga), and e ndowing that position “with authority to coordinate and
supervise the execution of the functions and affairs of the Government of Kenya.”
The prime m inister and the two deputy prime ministers (one for each party) also
created in the agreement can be removed only by a m ajority vote in the National
Assembly. The signatories further agreed to divide cabinet positions based on
parliamentary s trength, with no m inister s ubject to removal unless bo th party
leaders approve. F inally, the a greement states that the coalition w ill be d issolved
should the parliament be dissolved, should one party withdraw, or should both
parties agree to the dissolution. The Kenyan parliament is expected to adopt
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legislation reflecting this agreement shortly. Annan has now left Kenya, and
former Nigerian foreign minister Oluyemi Adeniji has taken his place as chief
mediator.
This deal was hard-won. For weeks, President Kibaki and his supporters appear to
have been operating on the premise that time was on their side, and that the
longer they continued to govern a relatively stable Kenya, the fewer concessions
they would ultimately be required to make. But as international pressure rose, the
PNU position shifted. First the president’s team abandoned its initial suggestion
that the O DM s imply purs ue the ir c oncerns thro ugh the c ourts ( a l ikely f ruitless
exercise g iven t he lack of j udicial independence i n t he c ountry), t hen t hey w ere
forced to c oncede th at grant ing the O DM a handf ul o f to ken c abinet po sitions
would not suffice. Conversely, Odinga and his supporters believed that the y must
make progress on an urgent basis o r risk losing leverage, and they threatened a
return to m ass ac tion whe n the pro cess appe ared to s tall. T he O DM f action
abandoned its initial demand that Kibaki step down, but then held firm in insisting
on a new, constitutionally created prime minister’s post for Odinga. The struggle
over executive power may not be over, as text of the power-sharing agreement is
rather vague regarding the scope of the prime minister’s powers.
The United States, like others in the international community, has since thrown its
weight behind the A nnan e ffort. T he ad ministration has ann ounced that i t w ill
review its roughly $500 million per year foreign assistance program for Kenya in
light of the government’s questionable legitimacy, but has also provided over $5
million in emergency humanitarian support since the crisis began and s ignaled its
intent to do uble de mocracy and g overnance as sistance f rom $ 5 m illion to $ 10
million for the f iscal y ear. T he U nited S tates j oined o ther m embers o f the U N
Security Council in supporting a presidential statement on February 6 that
expressed support for Annan, called on Kenyan political leaders to “engage fully in
finding a sustainable p olitical solution,” and urge d that those re sponsible for
violence be brought to justice. Secretary Rice also emphasized U.S. willingness to
provide incentives for peaceful progress, particularly singling out support for civil
society, infrastructure repair, and resettlement of displaced persons as are as
where the United States would be willing to help once a viable political
arrangement is in place.
Islam in Kenya The Sunni sect of Islam is the religion of approximately 10% of
the Kenyan population. The North Eastern Province is predominantly ethnic Somali
and Muslim. The Coast Province also has a significant Muslim population. Nairobi
has several mosques and a notable Muslim population. Although in the minority,
the Muslim population receives economic and moral support from the Arab-Muslim
world. However, s ignificant re ligious and po litical c leavages among the M uslim
communities weaken their political position in Kenya. The historical division
between bl ack A frican M uslims and M uslims o f A rab o rigin presents a m ajor
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obstacle to united action; indeed, coastal and Somali Muslims have agitated to
"secede from independent Kenya" (Arye Oded). Despite these ethnic and racial
divisions, Kenyan Muslims often unite when they feel their religion is "denigrated"
by the local Christians or foreigners.
Christianity in Kenya
Among the denominations of Christianity practiced in Kenya, Roman Catholicism
and Protestantism are predominant. The population is 38 percent Protestant and
28 percent Roman Catholic. Kenya has its own Anglican Church that is headed
by a bishop. Benjamin M. Nzimbi is the current Archbishop of Kenya. Christianity
also plays a role in contemporary Kenyan politics.
Holidays/ Observances in Kenya
Jamhuri Day, December 12. A celebration of independence since 1963. If it falls on
a weekend, there may be a day off on the following Monday.
Kenyatta Day, October 20. This day in honor of all the heroes who died fighting for
independence is named for the county's founding president, Jomo Kenyatta.
Madaraka Day, June 1. Celebrates the anniversary of self-government.
Public holidays
New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labor Day (May 1), Madaraka Day,
Id al-Fitr, Kenyatta Day, Jamhuri Day, Christmas, and Boxing Day.
Sources:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ke.html
http://www.infoplease.com/country/profiles/kenya.html
http://www.africaspeaks.com/kenya/27092006.html
http://www.shagtown.com/days/kenya.html
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4106/is_200309/ai_n9241291
http://www.everyculture.com/Ja-Ma/Kenya.html
http://www.mapsofworld.com/kenya/religion/christianity.html
http://www.cfr.org/publication/15727/policy_options_paperkenya.html?breadcrum
b=%2Fregion%2F180%2Fkenya
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Malaysia
Source: http://www.maps.com
Flag
Background Malaysia was c reated in 1963 thro ugh the merging o f M alaya
(independent in 1957) and the former British Singapore, both of which formed
West Malaysia, and Sabah and Sarawak in north Borneo, which composed East
Malaysia. The first three years of independence were marred by hostilities with
Indonesia. Singapore seceded from the union in 1965.
Area total 329,750 sq km
land:328,550 sq km
water:1,200 sq km
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77
Area - comparative slightly larger than New Mexico
Climate tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to
February) monsoons
Terrain coastal plains rising to hills and mountains
Natural resources tin, petroleum, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxite
Land use arable land: 5.46% permanent crops: 17.54% other: 77% (2005)
Natural hazards flooding, landslides
Current Environmental issues
air po llution f rom industrial and vehicular
emissions; wate r po llution f rom raw s ewage; d eforestation; smoke/haze f rom
Indonesian forest fires
Population 26,160,256 (July 2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth total population: 73.55 years male: 70.81 years
female: 76.48 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate 2.92 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Ethnic groups Malaysia is a m ulticultural s ociety w ith M alays ( 58%), C hinese
(26%), Indians (7%) and others (9%) living side by side.
Religions Malays are ty pically M uslims; the C hinese are B uddhists, T aoists and
Christian and the I ndians are mainly H indu T amils from southern India. T here is
also a s izeable I ndian S ikh c ommunity. N ote – in a ddition, S hamanism is
practiced in East Malaysia
Languages Bahasa Malaysia ( official), E nglish ( language o f instruction in h igher
education), Chinese dialects (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan,
Foochow), T amil, T elugu, M alayalam, Panjabi, T hai; no te - in a ddition, in E ast
Malaysia several indigenous languages are spoken, the largest of which are Iban
and Kadazan
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 88.9%
male: 92.4%
female: 85.4% (2003 EST.)
Capital Kuala Lumpur
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Administrative Governance
13 s tates ( negeri-negeri, s ingular - negeri) and 3 f ederal te rritories* ( wilayahwilayah pe rsekutuan, s ingular - wilayah persekutuan); J ohor, K edah, K elantan,
Labuan*, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Pulau Pinang,
Putrajaya*, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Terengganu, Wilayah Persekutuan* note:
the city of Kuala Lumpur is within the federal territory of Wilayah Persekutuan; the
terms therefore are not interchangeable.
Culture of Malaysia An example of Malaysia's extraordinary cultural exchange is
the Malay wedding ceremony, which incorporates elements of the Hindu traditions
of southern India; the bride and groom dress in gorgeous brocades, sit in state,
and f eed e ach o ther y ellow r ice w ith ha nds pai nted w ith he nna. M uslims ha ve
adapted the Chinese custom of giving little red packets of money (ang pau) at
festivals to their own needs; the packets given on Muslim holidays are green and
have A rab wri ting o n the m. S hadow p uppet s hows are r ecognized as o ne o f
Malaysia's m ost tradi tional f orms o f the ater. D espite the f act that the aud ience
cannot see the actual puppets, the y are finely cut and p ainted, often g ilded, and
are beautiful art works. They are made from buffalo hide, mounted on bamboo
sticks, and placed behind a sheet so that the audience only sees the shadow cast
by the p uppet. Leather puppets in the f orm of large ho rses are used in the k uda
kepang, wh ich is a d ance f rom the s outhern s tate o f J ohor. Another i mportant
component of Malaysian culture and life are games. Traditional games are not only
for amusement, but are believed to enhance one's mental and physical
development. P atience, m aintaining r apport, and ac
cepting defeat and
disappointment are all learned from playing games b y the rules. There are many
traditional gam es an d c ompetitions, su ch a s b ird-singing, t op- spinning, d rumplaying, and kite-flying.
Education in Malaysia Education is a primary concern of the Malaysian
Government, and annually, the biggest amount of the national budget is allocated
for education p urposes. Primary and s econdary school education is free for
students between the ages of 7 to 17 (a total of 11 years of universal education).
The s chooling s ystem i s d ivided m ainly into 5 s tages: P re-School, K indergarten,
Primary School (Elementary School in the States), Secondary/Middle School
(which c orresponds to the A merican no tion o f J unior H igh and H igh S chool
combined), a nd U niversities. T here a re a lso p rivate s chools, V ocational S chools,
Commercial Colleges and Teachers Training Colleges. The national curriculum at
primary and s econdary levels (taught in Bahasa Malaysia with compulsory English
language) prepare students for the common public examinations at the end of
primary (7 year olds), lower secondary (16 years olds) and upper secondary levels
(18 ye ar o lds). S tudents hav e to pas s the Malaysian C ertificate o f H igher
Education to enter Malaysian public universities where they obtain a bachelor
degree by age 22.
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Note: E xcept f or th e P re-School and U niversity s tages, a lmost al l s chools at the
other s tages h ave m andatory S chool U niforms, wh ich m ust be wo rn by a ll
students.
Economy of Malaysia Malaysia successfully developed from a post-independence
commodity-based economy (rubber and tin) to one focused on manufacturing
(Malaysia is one of the world's largest exporters of semiconductor devices-electrical goods, and appliances). Since the early 1970’s, one of the government’s
focus for development has been improving social ills (working towards the
eradication of poverty and ending the identification of economic function with
ethnicity) through the creation of Malaysia's New Economic Policy (NEP). From the
early 1980s through the mid-1990s, Malaysia’s economy experienced a broad
diversification and s ustained rap id growth (8% annually) as foreign and domestic
investments abounded. However, the East Asian economic crisis led to a sharp
recession in 1998 when real GDP contracted by 7.4% in 1998. Since, the economy
has regained strength (6.1% growth in 1999, 8.3% in 2000), but was dramatically
affected by the slow down of the U.S. economy, its principal trade and investment
partner. I n April 2001, the government released a ne w plan, the "National V ision
Policy," to guide development over the period 2001-10. The National Vision Policy
targets e ducation for budget increases and seeks to refocus the economy toward
higher-technology production.
Islam in Malaysia Islam was introduced in Peninsular Malaysia in 878 and spread
by local Muslim scholars or ulama' from one district to another through religious
training c enters c alled " pondok." Graduat es re turned to the ir homeland, to o pen
other pondok schools and acted as ulama, which involved not only teaching (in the
same e xact same s ystem o f i nstruction) but also adv ising village f amilies and
communities. Islam mainly spread throughout the Malay world during the Malacca
sultanate o f the f ifteenth c entury. A dapting to and b eing m odified by its local
environment, indigenous b eliefs and the e arlier influence o f H induism s haped its
structure and evolution in Malaysia. Under the Constitution the ruler of each state
(with certain exceptions) is the highest ranking Islamic authority in that state.
Religious questions pertaining to the entire country are decided by the Conference
of Rulers.
Today, Islam is the official religion. Religious minorities are generally permitted to
worship freely but are subject to some restrictions. Adherence to Islam is
considered i ntrinsic t o M alay e thnic identity, and the refore I slamic re ligious laws
administered b y state authorities through Islamic courts bind all ethnic Malays in
some civil matters, such as family relations and diet. Government funds support
an Islamic religious establishment, and it is official policy to ‘infuse Islamic values’
into the administration of the country. At the same time, the Constitution provides
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80
for freedom of religion, and the Government has refused to accede to pressures to
impose Islamic religious law beyond the Muslim community.
Buddhism in Malaysia The religious life of most Malaysian Buddhist Chinese is
likely to embrace elements of not only Buddhism but also Confucianism, Taoism.
The emphasis on one or the other is likely to depend in part on the area of China
from whi ch the f amily o riginally c ame. C onfucianism s trengthens and s anctifies
family life. Taoism seeks freedom from social constraints and personal power
through the use of ritual exercises and potions Buddhism preaches a doctrine of
reincarnation, promising salvation for all beings.
An ancestral tablet (or a substitute, such as a photograph) is still kept in a special
shrine or on a shelf, which may also house certain deities and is the object of ritual
attention in domestic worship. As an expression of filial piety for deceased parents,
children pay their respects and provide for their welfare in the afterlife through the
medium of ritual. The Chinese Malaysians express their piety by a quiet adherence
to the positive virtues sanctioned by the spirit world. More overt manifestations of
religious f eeling app ear i n the d omestic ri tes be fore the ho usehold g ods and
ancestors. Traditionally, ceremonies take place before the tablets on the first and
fifteenth day s o f the l unar c alendar month, d uring wh ich incense i s burne d o r
candles lit. Special rites are observed at certain times of the year-- New Year,
Feast o f Tombs, D ragon B oat F estival, M onth o f Go od Brothers, B irthday o f the
Kitchen Go d, W inter Festival, and the t imes o f d eath o r m arriage. S ome o f the
calendar observations such as the Dragon Boat Festival, are occasions for largescale public celebrations, but these are not of primary importance from a religious
viewpoint. Chinese ritual is essentially family centered, and the family or
household rites have the greatest significance. This is true even in the death
ceremonies al though the c ommunity o ffers s upport to the b ereaved f amily in its
attempt to carry out the duties of filial piety."
Hinduism in Malaysia The Indians who migrated to Malaysia brought a religion
connected with the cultivation of the land, the welfare of the family and kin group,
and the deification of the place of family or kin group residence. Migration
somewhat altered this pattern as people adapted to local work conditions in large
rubber e states. H indus bui lt o n e very e state at l east o ne te mple d edicated to a
god, us ually derived f rom the H indu pantheon—who serves as a guardian f or the
estate workers. Hindus regard the temple not as a place for communal worship but
as the abode of a de ity. T he worshippers take no part in the te mple ceremonies;
rather, they enter the temple to attain spiritual uplift and blessing and to give
offerings to the gods through its priests.
Christianity in Malaysia Early C hristian pre sence m ay be trac ed to N estorians
and to traders in Malacca prior to the Portuguese conquest in 1511. Many missions
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of different denominations were established in Malaysia in the 17th, 18th and 19th
centuries and e xpended thro ugh m igration. I n S abah, the B asle M ission b egan
work among migrant Hakka Chinese in 1882, many of whom were Christian. Tamil
migrants to Malaya included Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, and Methodists.
Migration increased af ter the B oxer R ebellion, p articularly to S itiawan and S ibu,
still strong Chinese Methodist centers. Mar Thoma and Syrian Orthodox Churches
were established in the 1930s following migration from the Kerela Coast of India.
In Sarawak the rule of Rajah Brooke included support for an Anglican ministry
from 1847 and Catholics were later admitted. In 1928 the Australian Borneo
Evangelical M ission, b egan wo rk w ith modest re sources w hich ne vertheless
resulted in the largest indigenous church in Malaysia today, the SIB
World War II saw the removal of expatriate leadership and a path towards an
indigenous c hurch was m ore c learly s et. T he M alayan C hristian C ouncil ( MCC),
founded i n 1 948, c oordinated m ission g roups duri ng the M alayan E mergency.
Chinese relocated into "New Villages" were served by missionaries, sometimes exChina, who worked alongside local Christians in social and medical work. However
after independence in 1957, many churches were over dependent on expatriates.
In the 1970s churches developed structures independent of Singapore as well as
of overseas support. Recent growth in independent churches is another sign of a
desire to establish a Malaysian Christian identity.
Holidays in Malaysia
Dewali (deh-WAHL-ee, first half of November)
• "A ro w o r c luster of l ights"--week-long festivities illuminated b y l amps,
fireworks, and bonfires.
• Malaysian families clean and wh itewash homes and draw e laborate designs on
floors with c olored powder to welcome Lakshmi, Hindu goddess o f wealth an d
prosperity.
Birthday of the Goddess of Mercy (19th day of the third moon and 19th day of
the tenth moon)
• Celebration of Kuan Yin (gwahn-yin), the Bodhisattva ‘Buddha-to-be’ of infinite
compassion and mercy.
• Devotees bearing joss sticks, fresh fruits, flowers, and sweet cakes gather
twice a year at temples
• dedicated to K uan Y in i n K uala Lum pur and P anang to p ray f or he r
benevolence.
Hari Raya Puasa (hahr-ee RYE-yah POO-ah-sah, first day of Shawwal)
• Another name for Eid al-Fitr, the three day feast marking the end of Ramadan.
Muslim Malaysians hold open houses, inviting non-Muslim friends, fostering
more understanding.
• Muslims in turn visit the Chinese during Lunar New Year, the Hindus during
Dewali, and the Christians during Christmas.
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Mandi Safar (mahn-dee SAH-fahr, Safar, the second Moslem month)
• Muslim bathing festival unique to Malaysia. Originally believed to commemorate
the last time Mohammed was able to bathe before his death.
Participants wear bright colors, visit beaches, and clean body and soul with
water. Many orthodox Muslims consider day as little more than a picnic.
Meenakshi Kalyanam (mee-nahk-shee k ahl-yah-NAHM, A pril; f ull m oon of
Phalguna) Also called Panguni Uttiram.
• Celebrates the marriage of Subramanya to Theivani, adopted daughter of
Indra. Food is free to anyone all day.
Merdeka Day (mehr-DAY-kah, 31 August)
National ho liday to c ommemorate Malaysian m erdeka, o r "i ndependence", f rom
British sovereignty in 1957.
• Parts of Malaysia were under various foreign powers for centuries. By the
1920s all the states were ruled by Britain.
• Federation of Malaya founded in 1957 and Malaysia in 1963.
Padi Harvest Festival (pah-dee, 3 0-31 May) Holiday in Labuan Territory and
state of Sabah.
• Celebrated by the K adazan pe ople ( also k nown as Dusun), the l argest
indigenous e thnic g roup i n S abah. H arvest i s a ri tual d edicated to th e
Bambaazon, or rice spirit.
Thaipusam (tai-POO-sahm, 3-12 days; January-February)
• Hindu f estival marking the birthday and victory of the Hindu god Lord
Subramaniam, also known as Lord Murugar, over the demons.
• Public holiday in Malaysian states of Perak, Penang, and Selangor.
Other Malaysian holidays:
Birthday of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (first Wednesday in June)
Christmas Day (25 December)
International New Year’s Day (1 January)
Labor Day (1 May)
National Day (31 August)
Sources: http://wrc.lingnet.org/
http://roxborogh.com/Area%20Studies/Malaysia%20www.htm
http://www.studymalaysia.com/is/education11.shtml
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/my.html
http://www.asiantigerstranspomalaysia.com/livinginmalaysia/orien
tationtoM.htm
2010-2011
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Mozambique
Edirne
Zonguldak
Istanbul
Haciosman
Izmir
Source: http://www.maps.com
Flag
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Mozambique
Background Almost five c enturies a s a P ortuguese colony c ame t o a c lose w ith
independence in 1975. Large-scale emigration by whites, economic dependence on
South Africa, a severe drought, and a prolonged civil war hindered the country's
development until the mid 1990's. The ruling Front for the Liberation of
Mozambique (FRELIMO) party formally abandoned Marxism in 1989, and a new
constitution the following year provided for multiparty elections and a free market
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84
economy. A UN-negotiated peace agre ement between FRELIMO and r ebel
Mozambique National R esistance (RENAMO) forces e nded the f ighting in 1992. I n
December 2004, Mozambique underwent a delicate transition as Joaquim
CHISSANO stepped down after 18 years in office. His elected successor, Armando
Emilio G UEBUZA, pr omised t o continue t he s ound economic p olicies t hat have
encouraged f oreign investment. M ozambique has s een v ery s trong e conomic
growth since the end of the civil war largely due to post-conflict reconstruction.
Area total: 801,590 sq km
land: 784,090 sq km
water: 17,500 sq km
Area – comparative slightly less than twice the size of California
Climate tropical to subtropical
Terrain mostly c oastal lowlands, up lands i n c enter, hi gh p lateaus i n no rthwest,
mountains in west
Natural resources coal, titanium, natural gas, hydropower, tantalum, graphite
Land use arable land: 5.43% permanent crops: 0.29% other: 94.28% (2005)
Current environmental issues a l ong c ivil war and re current dro ught in the
hinterlands hav e re sulted in increased m igration o f the po pulation to u rban and
coastal areas w ith ad verse environmental consequences; desertification; pollution
of surface and coastal waters; elephant poaching for ivory is a problem
Population 21,669,278
note: estimates explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to
AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death
rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population
by age and sex than would otherwise be expected; the 1997 Mozambican census
reported a population of 16,099,246 (July 2009 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate 12.5% (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth total population: 41.18 years
male: 41.83 years female: 40.53 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate 5.18 children born/woman (2009 est.)
Ethnic groups African 9 9.66% ( Makhuwa, T songa, Lo mwe, Sena, and o thers),
Europeans 0.06%, Euro-Africans 0.2%, Indians 0.08%
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85
Religions Catholic 23.8%, M uslim 17.8%, Z ionist Christian 1 7.5%, o ther 17.8%,
none 23.1% (1997 census)
Languages Turkish Emakhuwa 26.1%, Xichangana 11.3%, Portuguese 8.8%
(official; s poken b y 27% of p opulation as a second l anguage), E lomwe 7 .6%,
Cisena 6 .8%, E chuwabo 5 .8%, o ther M ozambican languages 3 2%, o ther f oreign
languages 0.3%, unspecified 1.3% (1997 census)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 47.8% male: 63.5% female: 32.7% (2003 est.)
Exchange rates meticais (MZM) per US dollar - 24.125 (2008 est.)
Capital Maputo
Administrative Divisions 10 p rovinces ( provincias, s ingular - provincia), 1 c ity
(cidade)*; Cabo Delgado, Gaza, Inhambane, Manica, Maputo, Cidade de Maputo*,
Nampula, Niassa, Sofala, Tete, Zambezia
Culture of Mozambique There i s a s trong o ral tr adition o f s torytelling, and
many of the country's contemporary writers draw on that tradition. Literary writing
has historically been tied to resistance to Portuguese colonialism and for this
reason was l argely censored b efore i ndependence. V irtually al l the p oets and
writers use the colonial Portuguese language as their medium. The poet Jose
Craveirinha sees Portuguese, particularly with the infusion of local African words,
as an i mportant part o f the nati on's c ultural he ritage an d is a pro ponent o f
retaining it as the national language.
Mozambique is known for the traditional sculpture and wo od carving produced by
the Makonde people in the north. Using hardwoods (primarily mahogany, ebony,
and i ronwood), the M akonde f ashion masks and s culptures known as "f amily
trees," large d epictions o f v arious figures that tell stories of generations. T wo
contemporary sculptors are Nkatunga and Chissano.
The country has a l ong musical tradition. Song serves several purposes, including
religious expression, the relating of current events, and m aking fun of neighbors.
It is customary for musicians to make their own instruments. Drums have wooden
bases covered with s tretched animal skins. W ind instruments known as lupembe,
used b y the Makonde tri be, are m ade f rom ani mal ho rns, wo od, o r go urds. T he
marimba, a kind of xylophone that has been adopted in Western music, originated
in Mozambique, where it is popular with the Chopi in the south. Chopi musicians
also use the mbira, strips of metal attached to a ho llow box and pl ucked with the
fingers. T he m usical s tyle is s imilar to W est I ndian c alypso and re ggae. A
contemporary form of music called marrabenta has developed in the cities and
draws on traditional complex rhythms.
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There are e laborate, we ll-developed trad itions o f d ance thro ughout the c ountry.
Dances often have religious significance. The Chopi perform a hunting dance in
which they dress in lion skins and monkey tails, carry spears and swords, and act
out battles. Makua men in the north dance on two-foot-tall stilts, hopping around
the village for hours, bedecked in colorful outfits and masks. On Moçambique
Island, a form of dance practiced by women combines complex steps and rope
jumping.
Storytelling is another traditional art form. The national culture is rich in tales,
proverbs, m yths, an d j okes that hav e b een p assed do wn f rom g eneration to
generation.
Education in Mozambique Mozambique is a fairly diverse country which, upo n
independence from Portugal in 1975, retained many aspects of Portuguese culture
and education, including the language. Because there are many languages spoken
within the current boundaries of the country, the Portuguese language is used as
the lingua franca in f ormal and informal communication across the country. T his
also transfers into the school system which uses the language as the medium of
education beginning from Grade 1, and many young people today even grow up
speaking Portuguese in the home. As a result, however, there is little attention
paid to o ther f oreign l anguages, as the y are no t v ery necessary wi thin
Mozambique. Ge nerally, the nat ional c urriculum introduces E nglish as a f oreign
language i n 8 th g rade ( see be low f or s chool s tructure), whi ch i s C ycle 1 o f
Secondary school. G enerally, the level of English known by teachers at s chool is
quite low.
Primary Education, Cycle 1 (Grades 1-5)—EP1
Primary Education, Cycle 2 (Grades
6-7)—EP2
Technical and Vocational Ed
(Elementary)
Secondary Education, Cycle 1
(Grades 8-10)—ESG1
Technical and Vocational Ed
(Basic)
Secondary Education, Cycle 2
(Grades 11-12)—ESG2
Technical and vocational Ed
(Intermediate)
Higher Education Institutions
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Economy of Mozambique At independence in 1975, Mozambique was one of the
world's poorest countries. Socialist mismanagement and a brutal civil war from
1977-92 e xacerbated the s ituation. I n 1 987, the g overnment e mbarked o n a
series of macroeconomic reforms designed to stabilize the economy. These steps,
combined with donor assistance and with political stability since the multi-party
elections in 1994, have led to dramatic improvements in the country's growth rate.
Inflation was re duced to s ingle d igits d uring the late 1 990s, and al though i t
returned to do uble di gits in 2 000-06, in 2 007 inflation h ad s lowed t o 8 %, w hile
GDP growth reached 7.5%. Fiscal reforms, including the introduction of a valueadded tax and re form o f the c ustoms s ervice, have i mproved the go vernment's
revenue c ollection abilities. I n s pite o f the se g ains, M ozambique re mains
dependent upon foreign assistance for much of its annual budget, and the majority
of the population remains below the poverty line. Subsistence agriculture
continues to e mploy the v ast m ajority o f the c ountry's wo rk f orce. A substantial
trade imbalance persists although the opening of the Mozal aluminum smelter, the
country's largest foreign investment project to date, has increased export
earnings. At the end of 2007, and after years of negotiations, the government took
over P ortugal's majority s hare of the Cahora Bassa H ydroelectricity ( HCB)
company, a dam th at was no t trans ferred to M ozambique at independence
because of the ensuing c ivil war and un paid de bts. M ore po wer i s ne eded f or
additional investment projects in t itanium extraction and processing an d garment
manufacturing that c ould further close the import/export gap. Mozambique's once
substantial f oreign d ebt has be en re duced thro ugh f orgiveness and re scheduling
under the IMF's H eavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) and E nhanced H IPC
initiatives, and is no w at a m anageable l evel. I n J uly 2 007 the M illennium
Challenge Corporation (MCC) signed a Compact with Mozambique; the
Mozambican government moved rapidly to ratify the Compact and propose a p lan
for funding.
Religion in Mozambique The native religion is animism. Arab traders brought
Islam to the area, and the Portuguese brought Christianity. Historically, the
introduction of Christianity by both Catholic and Protestant missionaries was a
mixed blessing. While their teachings conflicted with the traditional way of life,
they offered Mozambicans access to health care and an education, as the colonial
Portuguese government did not provide those things.
Today the constitution ensures religious freedom and separation of church and
state. Many people who adhere to Christianity or Islam still practice traditional
religion. About two thirds of the population follows animist rituals and customs.
The traditional belief system places a high importance on a connection with one's
ancestors as well as with the spirit world. Sorcerers, wise men and women, and
witch doctors or traditional healers, are believed to communicate with spirits and
act as go-betweens for the rest of the people. The healers are well versed in the
medicinal uses of local plants as well as spiritual healing.
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Islam in Mozambique Approximately four million Mozambicans, or about 17.8%
to 20% of the total population are muslim. The vast majority of Mozambican
Muslims are Sunni, a lthough some Ismaili Shiite Muslims are a lso registered. The
Muslims consists primarily of indigenous Mozambicans, citizens of South Asian
(Indian and Pakistani) descent,and a very small number of North African and
Middle E astern immigrants. M ozambique has historic ties with the Muslim world,
mostly by way of coastal trading cities, which served as the most southern part of
the Indian Ocean trade. The former port city of Sofala, once famous for its trade in
gold (by way of Great Zimbabwe) with the Islamic Middle East and India, was one
such c enter o f c ultural e xchange. I slam f aced s erious c hallenges i n M ozambique
during the c olonial era. D uring the Estado Novo period ( 1926-1974), Roman
Catholicism became the dominant religion following a formal alliance (Concordat)
between the C hurch and the g overnment. O nly w ith the s tart o f the War o f
Liberation did the state lower its opposition to Islam and try to coopt the religion,
in order to avoid an alliance between Muslims and the dissident liberation
movement. S ince t he en d of t he s ocialist period (1 989 o nwards), M uslims h ave
been able to proselytise freely and build new mosques. Muslims have also made
their way into par liament. S everal South A frican, Kuwaiti and o ther M uslim
agencies are active in Mozambique, with one important one being the African
Muslim Agency. An Islamic University has been set up i n Nampula, with a branch
in Inhambane.
Holidays/Observances in Mozambique
• New Year's Day, January 1
• Heroes' Day, February 3
• Women's Day, April 7
• Workers' Day, May 1
• Independence Day, 25 June (1975)
• Victory Day: Anniversary of the End of Armed Struggle, September 7
• Revolution Day: Anniversary of the Opening of Armed Struggle, September 25
• Day of Peace and Reconciliation, October 4
• Family Day, December 25
Sources:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mz.html
http://www.everyculture.com/Ma-Ni/Mozambique.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_Mozambique
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_Mozambique
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The Philippines
Flag
Location Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Philippine Sea and the
South China Sea, east of Vietnam
Background The Philippines were ceded by Spain to the US in 1898 following the
Spanish-American W ar. T hey atta ined th eir independence i n 1 946 af ter being
occupied by the Japanese in World War II. The 21-year rule of Ferdinand MARCOS
ended in 1986 when a widespread popular rebellion forced him into exile. In 1992,
the U S c losed d own its last m ilitary bas es o n the i slands. A quarte r-century-old
guerrilla war with Muslim separatists on the island of Mindanao, which had claimed
120,000 lives, ended with a treaty in 1996. The government continues to struggle
with Muslim insurgencies in the south.
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90
Population 99,900,177 (July 2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth total population: 71.38 years
male: 68.45 years female: 74.45 years (2010 est.)
Total Fertility Rate 3.23 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Ethnic Groups Christian M alay 9 1.5%, M uslim M alay 4 %, C hinese 1 .5%, o ther
3%
Religions Roman Catholic 83%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 5%, Buddhist and other
3%
Languages Two official languages - Filipino (based on Tagalog) and English; eight
major dialects - Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocan, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray,
Pampango, and P angasinense. A ll eight belong to the Malay-Polynesian language
family and are related to Indonesian and Malay, but no two are mutually
comprehensible.
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.9%
male: 96%
female: 95.8% (2003 EST.)
Land Use arable land: 18.45%
permanent crops: 14.76%
other: 66.79% (1998 EST.)
Current Environmental Issues Uncontrolled de forestation in wate rshed are as;
soil er osion; a ir and wate r p ollution in Manila; i ncreasing p ollution o f c oastal
mangrove swamps that are important fish breeding grounds
Capital Manila
Administrative Divisions 73 p rovinces and 6 1 c hartered c ities*; A bra, A gusan
del N orte, A gusan d el S ur, A klan, A lbay, Angeles*, A ntique, Aurora, B acolod*,
Bago*, Baguio*, Bais*, Basilan, Basilan City*, Bataan, Batanes, Batangas,
Batangas City*, Benguet, Bohol, Bukidnon, Bulacan, Butuan*, Cabanatuan*,
Cadiz*, C agayan, C agayan d e O ro*, C albayog*, C aloocan*, Camarines N orte,
Camarines S ur, C amiguin, C anlaon*, C apiz, C atanduanes, C avite, C avite C ity*,
Cebu, Cebu City*, Cotabato*, Dagupan*, Danao*, Dapitan*, Davao City*, Davao
del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Dipolog*, Dumaguete*, Eastern Samar,
General Santos*, Gingoog*, Ifugao, Iligan*, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Iloilo, Iloilo
City*, I riga*, I sabela, K alinga-Apayao, L a C arlota*, Lag una, Lanao de l N orte,
Lanao de l S ur, Lao ag*, Lapu -Lapu*, La Union, Le gaspi*, Le yte, L ipa*, Luc ena*,
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Maguindanao, Mandaue*, Manila*, Marawi*, Marinduque, Masbate, Mindoro
Occidental, Mindoro Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Mountain,
Naga*, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, N orth C otabato, Northern Samar,
Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Olongapo*, Ormoc*, Oroquieta*, Ozamis*,
Pagadian*, Palawan, Palayan*, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Pasay*, Puerto Princesa*,
Quezon, Quezon City*, Quirino, Rizal, Romblon, Roxas*, Samar, San Carlos* (in
Negros Occidental), San Carlos* (in Pangasinan), San Jose*, San Pablo*, Silay*,
Siquijor, Sorsogon, S outh Cotabato, Southern Leyte, Sultan Kudarat, Sulu,
Surigao*, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Tacloban*, Tagaytay*, Tagbilaran*,
Tangub*, T arlac, T awi-Tawi, T oledo*, T rece Martires*, Z ambales, Z amboanga*,
Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur
Culture of the Philippines Filipino c ulture i s no t m onogamous b ut a f usion o f
various e thnic g roups and f oreign influences. “I t i s a m ixture bas ed o n anc ient
aboriginal tribes, 500 years of Spanish colonization and 50's America”. Language,
food, and enjoyment of singing and dancing reflect a strong Latin influence. In the
1950's the Americans introduced English language which is now one of the most
widely spoken languages. They also influenced the form of government,
constitution and human rights and further instilled a familiarity with the Western
way of life.
Through c enturies o f i ntermarriage, F ilipinos hav e b ecome a uni que b lend o f
Malay, C hinese, Spanish, Negrito, and American. Filipino culture is divided along
religious and ethnics lines. Respect for authority, and high regard for amor proprio
(self-esteem) and smooth interpersonal relationships are all highly regarded
among the various identities of the Filipino people.
Education in the Philippines The current system of education resulted from the
ongoing official language debate. Under Spanish and American rule, children were
taught in the respective languages. Because of the linguistic diversity of the
country, there is an ongoing debate as to which languages should be taught and in
what regions. C urrently, s tudents are taug ht i n E nglish and Filipino b ut s ome
ethnic groups like the Chinese have set up their own independent schools which
teach the F ilipino c urriculum in the m orning and C hinese c urriculum in the
afternoon. Students start school at age 6 and do 4 years primary, 2 years
intermediate and 4 years secondary.
Economy of the Philippines The P hilippines was less s everely af fected b y the
Asian financial crisis than its neighbors, aided in part by remittances of more than
$7 billion annually from overseas workers. In 2001 in the context of a global
economic slowdown, export slump, and domestic as well as global political and
security concerns, year-on-year GDP growth accelerated to 4.2% in 2002 --
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92
reflecting the continued resilience of the service sector, gains in industrial sector
output, and recovering exports. Nonetheless, it will take a higher, sustained
economic-growth path to m ake more app reciable pro gress in poverty a lleviation
given the Philippines' high annual population growth rate of 2.36%--one of the
highest in Asia.
Notwithstanding favorable trends, the Philippine economy continues to juggle
extremely limited f inancial re sources whi le atte mpting to m eet the ne eds o f a
rapidly e xpanding po pulation and addre ss i ntensifying de mands f or the current
administration to deliver on its anti-poverty promises.
Christianity in the Philippines More than 86 percent of the population is Roman
Catholic, 6 p ercent be long to v arious nat ionalized C hristian c ults, and ano ther 2
percent belong to well over 100 Protestant denominations. The remaining 2
percent follow non-Western, indigenous animist beliefs and practices. The Chinese
minority, although statistically insignificant, has been culturally influential in
coloring Filipino Catholicism with many of the beliefs and practices of Buddhism,
Taoism, and Confucianism.
Islam in the Philippines Before the Spanish invasion, Islam had been spreading
northward from Indonesia into the Philippine archipelago. By the time the Spanish
arrived in the 1 6th c entury, I slam was f irmly e stablished o n M indanao and S ulu
and had outposts on Cebu and Luzon. Although Muslims only make up 4% of the
total Filipino population, Muslims have a strong presence in Filipino society. Since
independence, particularly in the last decade, there has been resistance by large
segments of the Muslim population to national integration. Many feel, with just
cause, that i ntegration am ounts to c ultural and p sychological g enocide. F or o ver
ten years the M oro National L iberation Front has been waging a war o f secession
against the Marcos government.
Holidays/observances in the Philippines
Bataan Day (9 April): Commemorates fall of Bataan in 1942 and 37,000 U.S.
and Filipino soldiers captured. Thousands died in the infamous "death march."
Feast of Exaltation of the Cross (14 Sep): N ine day p ageants re membering
the discovery of the cross by St. Helena Flores de Mayo (FLOHR-ehs day MI-oh,
31 May)
• Festival, celebrated in some cities as the grandest of the year, where floral
offerings are brought to the churches
Misa de Gallo (mee-sah day gahl-yoh, 16-24 Dec): Start o f the C hristmas
season, blending Christian and ancient harvest thanksgiving rites Dawn of 16 Dec
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(cock’s crow), church bells ring, parades begin, and people awaken for the Cock’s
Mass. A fter m idnight M ass o n 2 4 D ec., people c elebrate w ith r ice c akes and
ginger tea/cocoa
Rizal Day (RHEE-zahl. 30 Dec): A National holiday remembering execution of
national he ro, D r. J ose R izal, k illed in 1896. D r. R izal d enounced c orrupt
leadership o f S panish f riars, f ounding a nonviolent r eform m ovement i n 1 892,
which led to his deportation to Mindanao where he established a school and
hospital. He was eventually executed by a firing squad.
Other holidays
New Year’s Day
Labor Day (1 May)
National Heroes Day (6 May)
All Saints’ Day (1 Nov)
Bonifacio Day (30 Nov)
Source:
http://wrc.lingnet.org/
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2794.htm
http://www.reference.allrefer.com
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/rp.html
http://www.askasia.com
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Saudi Arabia
Flag
Background: The modern Saudi state was founded by the late King Abdul Aziz AlSaud (known internationally as I bn Saud). Ibn Saud belonged to the Saud family
(the Al Saud), who had controlled most of Arabia during the nineteenth century.
By the time of Abd al Aziz, however, the rival Al Rashid family forced the Al Saud
into exile in Kuwait. Thus, it was from Kuwait that Abd al Aziz began the campaign
to restore his family to political power. First, he recaptured Najd, a m ostly desert
region in the approximate center of the peninsula and the traditional homeland of
the Al Saud. During the mid-1920s, Abd al Aziz's armies had captured the Islamic
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shrine cities of Mecca and Medina. In 1932, he declared that the area under Saudi
Arabia was a desert kingdom with few known natural resources. There were few
cities and virtually no industry. Although the shrines at M ecca and Medina earned
income from the Muslim pilgrims who visited them every year, this revenue was
insufficient to lift the rest of the kingdom out of its near subsistence level.
All this changed, however, when geologists discovered oil in the kingdom during
the 1930s. Saudi Arabia's exploitation of its oil resources transformed the country
into a nation synonymous with great wealth.
Source - http://www.abacci.com/atlas/history3.asp?countryID=314
Capitol Riyadh
Population 29,207,277 note: includes 5,576,076 non-nationals (July 2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth total population: 76.51 years
male: 74.41 years female: 78.71 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate 3.77 children born/woman (2010 EST.)
Ethnic groups Arab 90%(Saudi, Yemeni, Iraqi, Egyptian) , Afro-Asian 10%
Religions Muslim 100%
Languages Arabic
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 78.8% male: 84.7% female: 70.8% (2003 est.)
Area total: 1,960,582 sq km land: 1,960,582 sq km water: 0 sq km
Natural resources petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper
Land use arable land: 1.67% permanent crops: 0.09% other: 98.24% (2005)
Natural Hazards frequent sand and dust storms
Source http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/sa.html
Culture of Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabian culture revolves, in large part, around
Islam - two of Islam's holiest sites are in the country, and it considers itself the
birthplace of the religion. The Qur'an is Saudi Arabia's constitution, and Shari'ah
(Islamic law) is the foundation of its legal system. Muslim dietary laws and
prohibition against alcohol are strongly enforced. One gripping aspect of culture in
Saudi Arabia is folk r itual, and the Ardha, the country's national dance, is among
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the most compelling. This sword dance is based on ancient Bedouin traditions:
drummers beat out a rhythm and a po et chants verses while sword-carrying men
dance s houlder to s houlder. I n M ecca, M edina and J edda, d ance and s ong
incorporate the sound of the al-mizmar, an oboe-like woodwind instrument. Saudi
Arabian dress is also very connected to its people’s history and daily practice. The
predominantly loose, flowing garments reflect the practicalities of life in a desert
country, as well as some of the Quranic prescriptions regarding modesty of dress.
Traditionally, men usually wear an ankle-length shirt woven from wool or cotton
(known as a thawb), wi th a ghutra (a large s quare o f c otton he ld in p lace by a
cord c oil) worn on the head. Women's clothes, when with the ir f amily’s at ho me,
are de corated wi th tri bal m otifs, c oins, s equins, m etallic thre ad and ap pliques.
Alternately, in public, Saudi women are required to wear a long black coat (abaya)
and veil (niqab).
Education in Saudi Arabia The Saudi government has devoted vast resources
to a program c overing p rimary, s econdary and hi gher levels o f e ducation,
providing free education to all. Boys and girls are taught in same sex schools. In
1960 K ing Faisal granted public education to boys and g irls (boys received public
education only in 1952). Students do 6 years primary, 3 years intermediate and 3
years of secondary. They can continue to c ollege once they pass the Tawjihiyah
(High School exit exam). Currently, more women are graduating from universities
than men. According to the government's education figures for 2000, women
made up 58 percent of the nearly 32,000 students in higher education institutions.
Saudi’s are training in specialized skills such as information technology, and
engineering in order to reduce dependency on ex-patriot workers in the future.
Almost half of the c ountry’s population is under the age of 18. O il is an o bsolete
natural re source an d rapi d po pulation g rowth and v arious f actors m ake i t
impossible for the government to solely rely on oil revenues to sustain the
country’s economy.
Economy of Saudi Arabia Before the discovery of oil reserves in the Desert
kingdom, Saudi was mainly inhabited by tribes of nomadic Bedouins. Life in Saudi
was relatively simple and laid back. This once sheltered society has now become
an international commodity.
The discovery of oil in 1938 came at the dawn of the Second World War. Oil soon
became an important fuel resource for both the Allied and Axis forces. World War
II was not just fought in Europe and Japan. The Middle East played a small but
important role as well. The Axis and Allied powers needed oil to fuel their artillery
and o nce o il w as d iscovered bo th po wers tri ed to ga in c omplete ac cess t o
countries with oil. There was an existing American company that had a monopoly
of Saudi oil reserves. T his company which was known as the Californian Arabian
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Standard O il C ompany was re -named t he A rabian A merican O il C ompany Aramco. The oil we alth didn’t re ally hit until the 1 950’s; the k ingdom's ro yalties
were running at about US$1 m illion a week. By 1960, 80% of the government's
revenues came from oil. The Arab oil embargo, in 1973-74, increased the price of
oil f ourfold and S audi A rabia be came s omething o f a wo rld po wer. T his i nflux in
revenue sparked a c onstruction boom; cities that we re once a desert waste land,
now host some of the most ornately designed buildings in the world.
Increased o il re venue m ade i t p ossible for the go vernment to pro vide p ublic
assistance f or al l c itizens. F ree h ousing and he althcare was provided f or a ll but
now public assistance can no longer fulfill the increasing population (increasing at
3.2% a y ear). The Saudi government re alizes that it can not live on o il re venue
alone and has made great strides in diversifying their economic markets. Saudi
Arabia is o ne o f the richest c ountries in t he W orld. I t has ac cumulated a large
amount of wealth in a very short period of time. B edouin tents are now replaced
with large houses with satellite TV’s. Saudi Arabia is grappling with how to
continue in the modern age and still maintain the status quo of Saudi culture.
Islam in Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia is the current geographical place of the
origins of Islam. The prophet Mohammad was born in Mecca, forced out, and
established the Islamic religion in Medina. The two holiest Islamic sites, the
Haram and the Kablah are located in Mecca and are host to hundreds of thousands
of pilgrims every year. Pilgrimage to Mecca is one of the 5 pillars of Islam. These
cities are regarded as the holiest sites and are accessible to Muslims only. It is
almost impossible for non-Muslims to get into these cities. Saudi Arabia is a
completely I slamic s tate. U nlike o ther A rab c ountries that hav e hi storically had
Christian and Jewish populations, all Saudi citizens are Muslim. Ex-patriot workers
are the only non Muslims living within the country.
Hence, no churches,
synagogues, temples or shrines of other religions exist. No proselytizing by other
faiths is allowed.
To und erstand the hi story o f the K ingdom an d i ts po litical, e conomic and s ocial
development, it is necessary to realize that Islam, permeates every aspect of the
Saudi Arabian state. Most Muslims in Saudi Arabia are of the Wahhabi, Sunni
order. In the early 18th century, Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab, the
founder o f wahhabi sm was pe rturbed by c ontemporary de viations f rom I slamic
teachings and believed in reviving Islam in its simplest and original form.
Underlying I slamic j udicial s tructure are f our s chools o f tho ught i n I slamic law
(Shari’ah). They are: the Hanbali school; the Shafii school; the Hanafi school; and,
Maliki s chool. T he S audi j udicial f ollow th e H anbali s chool bas ed o n the he ho ly
texts of the Qu’ran and Sunna. There is a council of religious experts called the
Ulema. T he Ulema decides what is best for society. T hey oversee many aspects
of life including but not limited to: the judicial system, handling of legal cases in
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courts according to Islamic law, supervision of girl’s education, and the
implementation of the rules of the Islamic Shari’ah.
Role of Women in Saudi Society From a Westerner’s ou tside view, women in
Saudi society are seen as submissive and subservient to men. Saudi society is a
very tradi tional o ne. W ith the i nflux o f o il m oney, m odernization has pl ayed a
fundamental role in changing the time–honored customs of Saudi society. Islam
does not forbid women to work. The Koran says that a wo man is allowed to work
as long as it does not interfere with family life. Women have always been seen as
the backbone of the f amily, a concept that is central to S audi society. Ch anging
times call for modifications to traditional gender roles and wo men in Saudi Arabia
are playing an increasing role in Saudi Society.
Education is the key component to this change. W omen are now given the same
educational opportunities as men. The government is trying to increase university
level participation b y developing various women’s colleges. Although women are
still not allowed to drive, that does not prevent them from working. Most working
women work in a single sex environment except for medical professionals. M any
women who h old m asters and P hDs are C EOs, pro fessors, d octors, and l awyers.
Contrary to W estern pe rceptions, women are i ntegrating m ore v isibly in S audi
Society.
Saudi Holidays
Eid al-fitr and Eid al-adha
There are two official holiday periods each year. The first is the Eid Al-Fitr holiday,
which is customarily a ten-day holiday that begins on the 25th day of the month of
Ramadan and ends on the 5th day of the month of Shawal. During this holiday,
government offices are closed and businesses take a shorter vacation. Eid Al-Adha
(Feast of Sacrifice) is the second major holiday and lasts from the 5th to the 15th of
the t welfth m onth, T hul-Hijja. I t i s o bserved by the go vernment and the pri vate
sector for the performance of the Hajj (the Islamic religious pilgrimage to the holy
city of Makkah). Business activity ceases for approximately one week during these
holidays.
Other Saudi Holidays
• New Years Day (Islamic Calendar)
• Ramadan
• Unification of the Kingdom (23 September,1932)
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Source(s):
http://www.abacci.com/atlas/history3.asp
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/sa.html
http://countrystudies.us/saudi-arabia/21.htm
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/middle_east/saudi_arabia/culture.htm
Bowers, Faye “Saudi Women, Long Silent, Gain a Quiet Voice.” Christian Science
Monitor, January,13,2004, Available from
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0113/p07s01-wome.html
Center for Global Education. Background on System of Higher Education.
Copyright 1998-2002 Available from
http://www.usc.edu/dept/education/globaled/wwcu/saudi_arabia.html
Saudi Arabian Infoset - http://www.saudinf.com/main/000.htm
Bowers, Faye “Saudi Women, Long Silent, Gain a Quiet Voice.” Christian Science
Monitor, January,13,2004,
Available from http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0113/p07s01-wome.html
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Republic of South Africa
Source: http://www.maps.com
Flag
Background Dutch traders landed at the southern tip of modern day South Africa
in 1652 and established a stopover point on the spice route between the
Netherlands and the Far East, founding the city of Cape Town. After the British
seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, many of the Dutch settlers (the
Boers) trekked north to found their own republics. The discovery of diamonds
(1867) and gold (1886) spurred wealth and immigration and intensified the
subjugation of the native inhabitants. The Boers resisted British encroachments
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but were defeated in the Boer War (1899-1902); however, the British and the
Afrikaners, as the Boers became known, ruled together beginning in 1910 under
the Union of South Africa, which became a republic in 1961 after a whites-only
referendum. In 1948, the National Party was voted into power and instituted a
policy of apartheid - the separate development of the races - which favored the
white minority at the expense of the black majority. The African National Congress
(ANC) led the opposition to apartheid and many top ANC leaders, such as Nelson
MANDELA, spent decades in South Africa's prisons. Internal protests and
insurgency, as well as boycotts by some Western nations and institutions, led to
the regime's eventual willingness to negotiate a peaceful transition to majority
rule. The first multi-racial elections in 1994 brought an end to apartheid and
ushered in majority rule under an ANC-led government. South Africa since then
has struggled to address apartheid-era imbalances in decent housing, education,
and health care. ANC infighting, which has grown in recent years, came to a head
in September 2008 when President Thabo MBEKI resigned, and Kgalema
MOTLANTHE, the party's General-Secretary, succeeded him as interim president.
Jacob ZUMA became president after the ANC won general elections in April 2009.
Area 1,219,090 sq km
land: 1,214,470 sq km
water: 4,620 sq km
Area - comparative slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Climate mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights
Terrain vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain
Natural resources gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel,
phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt,
natural gas
Land use arable land: 12.1% permanent crops: 0.79% other: 87.11% (2005)
Natural hazards prolonged droughts
Current environmental issues lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires
extensive water conservation and control measures; growth in water usage
outpacing supply; pollution of rivers from agricultural runoff and urban discharge;
air pollution resulting in acid rain; soil erosion; desertification
Geography South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely
surrounds Swaziland
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Population 49,109,107
Life expectancy at birth total population: 49.2 years
male: 50.08 years female: 48.29 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate 2.33 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Ethnic groups black African 79%, white 9.6%, colored 8.9%, Indian/Asian 2.5%
(2001 census)
Religions Zion Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%, Catholic 7.1%,
Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican 3.8%, Muslim 1.5%, other
Christian 36%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, none 15.1% (2001 census)
Languages IsiZulu 23.8%, IsiXhosa 17.6%, Afrikaans 13.3%, Sepedi 9.4%,
English 8.2%, Setswana 8.2%, Sesotho 7.9%, Xitsonga 4.4%, other 7.2% (2001
census)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.4% male: 87% female: 85.7% (2003 est.)
Capital Pretoria
Administrative Divisions 9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng,
KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North-West, Western Cape
Culture of South Africa Perhaps one o f the m ost o utstanding th ings about
South African culture is that it is not one single culture, but rather a range of
different cultures representing every level of a very stratified community. Hybrid
mixtures o f the se d ifferent c ultures al so exist, m aking S outh Africa o ne o f th e
most culturally diverse countries in the world.
While South Africa was isolated by the cultural boycott in the 1980s, there are now
many well-known South African performing artists and writers. They include Nobel
Prize for Literature winners Nadine Gordimer and J. M. Coetzee, playwright Athol
Fugard, and satirist Pieter Dirk Uys, actors like Anthony Sher, Hollywood stars like
Oscar-winner Charlize Theron, and The Mummy Returns co-star Arnold Vosloo.
Also, the creator of the popular children's show Thomas and Friends, Britt Allcroft,
was born in Johannesburg.
Education in South Africa In South Africa students attend 13 years of schooling
from grade 0 also known as the “reception year” all the way to 12th grade or
“matric” y ear. E ducation is c ompulsory, under the S outh A frican Sch ools Act o f
1996, for all South Africans from age 7 (grade 1) to age 15, or to completion of
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grade 9 . P reprimary e ducation f or c hildren up to ag e s ix i s o ptional in S outh
Africa. N ine y ears o f go vernment-paid, bas ic e ducation i s p rovided to s tudents
ages 6 to 15. During those nine years, students age 6 to 12 attend primary school
(though m any o lder s tudents al so are e nrolled at th is level), students 1 2 to 1 5
attend junior secondary school. The last two years of junior secondary school take
place in a senior secondary school.
Senior secondary school provides either academic training or vocational and
technical education and training. In senior secondary school students participating
in the general education program are enrolled for about three years while those
attending vocational and technical training programs are enrolled in 2, 3, or 4 year
programs. Students recruited for the YES program follow the general education
program which requires them to follow a set curriculum. Schools provide students
with various educational tracks which include a minimum amount of 6 subjects
(among which the following three basic subjects: English, Afrikaans (or any other
official South African Language) and Mathematics). In 9th grade students take a
written exam that helps determine the track of study the student will follow. Of
course the decision on what track to follow is also based on students chosen
careen interest. Then in grade 12 students take a final exam covering content
from all the materials studied since 10th grade. The results of that exam
determine if students pass and if they are allowed into University.
The official language of instruction is English but students can be taught in any of
the 11 official languages, and the South African constitution states that students
must have the option to be taught in the language of their choice.
In public schools, the academic year consists of four terms: March-April, June-July,
September-October, December-January; in private and independent schools there
are three terms with schools closing in April, August and December. Typically a
school day starts at 7:45 AM and ends at 15H00 with one short break (15
minutes) and one 30minute break. The academic school year starts around the
25th of January and ends around December 10th. The school grading system is
similar to the US with letter grades A, B, C, D, E and F.
See below chart for a quick look at the South African levels of education:
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Economy of South Africa South Africa is a middle-income, emerging market
with an abundant supply of natural resources; well-developed financial, legal,
communications, e nergy, and trans port s ectors; a stock e xchange that i s 1 8th
largest in the world; and modern infrastructure supporting an efficient distribution
of goods to major urban centers throughout the region. At the end of 2007, South
Africa b egan to e xperience an e lectricity c risis. S tate po wer s upplier E skom
encountered p roblems wi th age d p lants, ne cessitating " load-shedding" c uts to
residents and bus inesses in the m ajor c ities. Gro wth was ro bust f rom 2 004 to
2008 as South Africa reaped the benefits of macroeconomic stability and a global
commodities boom, but began to slow in the second half of 2008 due to the global
financial c risis' impact o n c ommodity p rices and de mand. GD P f ell ne arly 2 % i n
2009. Unemployment remains high and outdated infrastructure has constrained
growth. D aunting e conomic p roblems re main f rom the aparthe id e ra - especially
poverty, lack of economic empowerment among the disadvantaged groups, and a
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shortage of public transportation. South Africa's former economic policy was
fiscally conservative, focusing on controlling inflation, and attaining a budget
surplus. The current government largely follows the same prudent policies, but
must contend with the impact of the global crisis and is facing growing pressure
from special interest groups to use state-owned enterprises to deliver basic
services to low-income areas and to increase job growth. More than one-quarter of
South Africa's population currently receives social grants.
Religion break down in South Africa (2006 Census) – source the Pew Forum
Islam in South Africa Islam was introduced to South Africa via contact with Arab
and East Africa traders. Many South African Muslims are described as “Coloureds”,
notably in the Western Cape, including those whose ancestors came as slaves from
the I ndonesian arc hipelago ( the Cape M alays). Others are de scribed as Indians,
notably in Kwazulu-Natal, including those whose ancestors came as traders from
South Asia; they have been joined by others from other parts of Africa as well as
white or black South African converts.
The current Muslim tradition i n the c ountry date s f rom the arri val o f S heikh
Abdurahman Matebe Shah, a Malay sheikh from Sumatra, in 1668. During the late
seventeenth and e arly e ighteenth c entury the D utch e xiled M uslim leaders like
Sheikh Yusuf of Bantam or Said Alochie of Mocha in Yemen, from Batavia to the
Cape. In 1767 Prince Abdullah Kadi Abu Salaam of Tidore was exiled to the Cape.
He wrote a c opy of the Quran from memory, and the volume is still preserved in
Cape Town; Abdullah assumed leadership of the community in Cape Town.
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Since South Africa became a democracy in 1994, there has been a growing
number of Muslim migrants from South Asia and North Africa; however, their
numbers are fairly low. Most of the Muslims are urban dwellers and thus live in or
near Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, East London, Kimberley, Pretoria or
Johannesburg. Most South African Muslims are sunni.
The first mosque in Natal, Juma Masjid, was built in Grey Street in Durban in
1884. It is now the largest mosque in the Southern Hemisphere.
Traditional spiritualities in South Africa: The Khoisan peoples’ beliefs and
practices were substantially eroded by contacts with Europeans. Many Khoisan
peoples believe in a supreme being who presides over daily life and controls
elements of the environment. In some Khoisan belief systems, this god is
worshiped through rituals or small sacrifices. A second, evil deity brings illness and
misfortune to earth. This dualism between good and evil pervades other areas of
Khoisan thought about the nature of the universe. Some Khoisan belief systems
maintain that a person should never attempt to communicate with the beneficent
deity, for fear of provoking his evil counterpart, and some believe that spiritual
beings simply ignore humanity most of the time.
Traditional Khoisan religion also included numerous mythic tales of gods and
ancestor-heroes, whose lives provided examples of ways to cope with social
conflicts and personal problems. Also important was the use of dance and altered
states of consciousness to gain knowledge for healing an individual or remedying a
social evil. Healing dances are still among the most widely practiced religious
rituals in South Africa, even in the 1990s, and are used in some African
Independent churches to heal the sick or eradicate evil.
Bantu-speaking peoples brought an array of new religious practices and beliefs
when they arrived in the first millennium A.D. Most believed in a supreme being,
or high god, who could bestow blessings or bring misfortune to humans. More
influential in their spiritual life, however, was a group of ancestral spirits--a
different pantheon of spiritual beings in each community. These spirits could
communicate with and influence the lives of the living, and they could sometimes
be influenced by human entreaties. The male head of a homestead was usually the
ritual leader, responsible for performing rituals, giving thanks, seeking a blessing,
or healing the sick on behalf of his homestead. Rites of passage, or rituals marking
major life-cycle changes such as birth, initiation, marriage, and death, were also
important religious observances, and rituals were used for rainmaking,
strengthening fertility, and enhancing military might.
Zulu and Xhosa religions generally sought to placate male ancestral spirits, often
with libations of beer or offerings of meat, and to seek their guidance or
intercession. Ancestral spirits were almost uniformly benevolent; evil was
generally attributed to witches or sorcerers, who might overpower or bypass a
spiritual protector or ancestor. Ancestral spirits occasionally caused minor
illnesses, primarily as a warning against religious neglect or misdeeds.
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Scholars have reported that during the rapid acculturation of the nineteenth
century in southern Africa, new myths and legends arose, attributing greater and
greater power to traditional gods. In this way, new events and displays of power
were incorporated into existing belief systems. Others have suggested that the
upheaval of the nineteenth century provided fertile ground for Christian and
Muslim missionaries, whose teachings of a Supreme Being presiding over the
entire world provided reassurance of a divine order in a changing environment. In
this view, the new world religions drew converts based on their appeal as an
explanation of changing circumstances.
Christianity in South Africa: A bit o ver 80 pe rcent of al l South A fricans ar e
Christians, and m ost are P rotestants. More than 8 m illion S outh A fricans are
members o f A frican I ndependent c hurches, whi ch hav e at
least 4,000
congregations. The denomination generally holds a combination of traditional
African and P rotestant be liefs. Another i mportant Protestant de nomination is the
Dutch Reformed Church.
Holidays in South Africa:
Human Rights Day (21 March): On March 21 1960, 69 civilians protesting the
pass laws were killed by the police at Sharpeville. The carnage made world
headlines. Four days later the government banned black political organizations,
many leaders were arrested or went into exile. During the Apartheid era there
were human rights abuses by all sides; Human Rights Day is but one step to
ensure that the people of South Africa are aware of their human rights and to
ensure that such abuses never again occur.
Freedom Day (27 April): Day the first democratic election was held in South
Africa in 1994 (, i.e. an election when all adults could vote irrespective of their
race), and the day in 1997 when the new constitution took effect.
Youth Day (16 June): On June 1976 students in Soweto rioted in protest against
the introduction of Afrikaans as the language of instruction of half their school
curriculum, sparking eight months of violent uprisings across the country. Youth
Day is a national holiday in honour of all the young people who lost their lives in
the struggle against Apartheid and Bantu Education.
Mandela Day (18 July): Public holiday introduced by President Jacob Zuma in
2009 to celebrate South Africa's most famous son -- Nelson Mandela. "
National Women's Day (9 August): On this day in 1956 some 20,000 women
marched to the Union [government] Buildings in Pretoria to protest against a law
requiring black women to carry passes. This day is celebrated as a reminder of the
contribution made by women to society, the achievements that have been made
for women's rights, and to acknowledge the difficulties and prejudices many
women still face.
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Heritage Day (24 September): Nelson Mandela coined the phrase "rainbow
nation" to describe South Africa's diverse cultures, customs, traditions, histories,
and languages. This day is a celebration of that diversity.
Day of Reconciliation(16 December): Afrikaners traditionally celebrated 16
December as the Day of the Vow, remembering the day in 1838 when a group of
Voortrekkers defeated a Zulu army at the Battle of Blood River, while ANC activists
commemorated it as the day in 1961 when the ANC started to arm its soldiers to
overthrow Apartheid. In the new South Africa's it's a day of reconciliation, a day to
focus on overcoming the conflicts of the past and building a new nation.
Other holidays:
Worker's Day (1 May)
New Year's Day (January 1)
Good Friday The Friday before Easter Sunday
Family Day The Monday following Easter Sunday
Christmas Day (December 25)
Day of Goodwill (December 26)
Looking for more information? Check out the following recommended by
AFS South Africa:
Movies:
• "Jerusalema"
"White Wedding"
• "Yesterday"
"Tsotsi"
• "Vytjie sien sy gat"
"Cry the beloved country"
• "Panic Machanic" (comedy) "Poena is Koening"
• "White Pipes and Dollars"
"Ribbon in the sky" (documentary)
• "Hansie"
"There's a Zulu on my stoep" (comedy)
• "Oh Schucks" (comedy)
"3rd Degree" (TV Investigative Journalism)
• "Sarafina"
Special Assignment" (TV Investigative Journalism)
Music:
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Freshlyground (Pop)
Lucky Dube (Reggae)
Hip Hop Royalty (Hip-Hop)
Jamali (RNB)
Malaika (African pop)
Heinz Winkler (soul)
Johny Clegg (Traditional)
Soweto Gospel Choir (Traditional & Religious)
Lira (New Age Soul, "India Ari type")
Cybil Nyte (Hip-Hop)
Garth Taylor (Jazz)
Abdullah Ibrahim/Cat Stephens (Jazz)
DJ Reddy D and DJ Fresh (Club DJs music)
Drakensberg Boys Choir (choral, classic,
traditional)
Psycho (RnB and Hip Hop) Bianca LeGrange (a bit of everything)
•Brasse vannie Kaap (Rap) Jody Williams (hip hop, RNB, love songs)
Quotert (Classic-Traditional) Ishmael (Hip hop, traditional, kwaito)
Watershed (Rock)
Ladysmith Black Mambazo (Traditional-Acappela)
HHP (Hip-Hop, lyrics mix an African language, English & local lingua franca)
Books:
"Jock of the bushveld" - Sir Percy Fitzpatrick
"The Story of an Africa Farm" - Olive Schreiner
"Cry the beloved country" – Alan Paton
"The life and times of Michael K" – JM Coetzee
"Long walk to freedom" – Nelson Mandela
"No future without forgiveness" – Desmond Tutu
"Majestic South Africa" - Wilf Nussey
"Portrait with Keys: The City of Johannesburg Unlocked" - Ivan Vladislavic
"Of Warriors, Lovers and Prophets: Unusual Stories from South Africa's Past" Max du Preez
"The Number"- Jonny Stein Burgh
Weblinks:
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_africa
• www.mweb.co.za
• www.lovelife.co.za
hip to be square - Mark Shuttleworths' Website
Sources:
From: http://www.southafrica.com/culture/
From: http://africanhistory.about.com/od/apartheid/a/SAHolidays.htm
http://countrystudies.us/south-africa/52.htm
http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1201/south-africa-religion
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sf.html
http://www.southafrica.info/about/education/education.htm
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Thailand
Source: http://www.maps.com
Flag
Thailand’s national flag, ceremoniously raised each morning at 08:00 and lowered
in the evening at 18:00 in every town and village is composed of five horizontal
bands of red, white, and blue. Outer bands of red representing the nation enclose
equal inner bands of white evoking religion. The blue band, occupying the central
one-third of the total area, symbolizes the monarch. The harmony of the design
expresses the complementary nature of these three pillars of the Thai nation.
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This tr icoloured f lag, f irst introduced b y K ing V ajiravudh ( Rama V I) i n 1 917,
replaced an earlier design in which a white elephant was placed against a red
background.
Historical Background There are conflicting opinions as to the origins of the
Thai. Only a f ew decades ago, it could be said w ith presumed certainty tha t they
originated in northwestern Szechuan in China about 4,500 years ago and later
migrated down to their present homeland. However, this theory has been altered
by the discovery of remarkable prehistoric artifacts in the village of Ban Chiang, in
the northern province of Udon Thani. These include evidence of bronze metallurgy
going back 3 ,500 y ears, as we ll as o ther indications o f a far more s ophisticated
culture than any previously suspected. It now appears that the Thais might have
originated here in Thailand and later scattered to various parts of Asia, including
some parts of China, though as yet the matter is far from settled.
“Siam” is the name b y which the country was known to the world unt il 1949. On
11 May 1949, an official proclamation changed the name of the country to “Prathet
Thai”, or Thailand. The word “Thai” means “free”, and therefore “Thailand” Land of
the Free”.
Location
Southeastern A sia, bordering the A ndaman S ea and the
Thailand, southeast of Burma
Gu lf o f
Area total total: 514,000 sq km land: 511,770 sq km water: 2,230 sq km
Comparative Area slightly more than twice the size of Wyoming
Geography Situated in the heart of the S outheast Asian mainland and covering
an area o f 513,115 s q.km., from N orth 5̊ 30˝ to 21˚ and from East 97˚ 30˝ to
105˚, Thailand borders the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Myanmar to the
north, C ambodia and the Gul f o f T hailand to the e ast, M yanmar and the I ndian
Ocean to the west, and Malaysia to the south. Thailand has maximum dimensions
of about 2,500 km. north to south and 1,250 km. east to west, with a coastline of
approximately 1 ,840 km. o n the Gul f o f T hailand and 865 km . a long t he I ndian
Ocean.
Climate Thailand is a warm and rather humid tropical country. The climate is
monsoonal, marked by a pronounced rainy season lasting from about May to
September and a relatively dry season for the remainder of the year.
Temperatures are highest in March and April and lowest in December and January.
The average temperature is 23.7˚C to 37.5˚C.
Terrain central plain; Khorat Plateau in the east; mountains elsewhere
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Natural Resources tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead,
fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite, arable land
Land Use arable land: 27.54% permanent crops: 6.93% other: 65.53% (2005)
Natural Hazards land subsidence in Bangkok area resulting from the depletion of
the water table; droughts
Current Environmental Issues party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Marine Li fe C onservation, O zone Lay er P rotection, T ropical T imber 8 3, Tropical
Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography Situated in the heart of the S outheast Asian mainland and covering
an area o f 513,115 s q.km., from N orth 5̊ 30˝ to 21˚ and from East 97˚ 30˝ to
105˚, Thailand borders the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Myanmar to the
north, C ambodia and the Gul f o f T hailand to the e ast, M yanmar and the I ndian
Ocean to the west, and Malaysia to the south. Thailand has maximum dimensions
of about 2,500 km. north to south and 1,250 km. east to west, with a coastline of
approximately 1 ,840 km. o n the Gul f o f T hailand and 865 km . a long t he I ndian
Ocean.
Life Expectancy total population: 73.36 years
male: 71.02 years female: 75.82 years (2010 est.)
Total Fertility Rate 1.65 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Ethnic groups Thai 75%, Chinese 14%, other 11%
Religion Buddhist 94.6%, M uslim 4 .6%, C hristian 0 .7%, o ther 0 .1% ( 2000
census)
Population 66,404,688 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into
account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life
expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth
rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would
otherwise be expected (July 2010 est.)
The population includes descendants of ethnic Chinese, Malays, Khmer, Lao,
Vietnamese, Indians, and others.
Language The o fficial nat ional language, s poken by a lmost 1 00 pe rcent o f the
population, is T hai. I t is a to nal language, un inflected, a nd pre dominantly
monosyllabic. M ost po lysyllabic wo rds i n the v ocabulary hav e be en b orrowed,
mainly from Khmer, Pali, or Sanskrit. Dialects are spoken in rural areas. Other
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languages are Chinese and Malay. English, a m andatory subject in public schools,
is widely spoken and understood, particularly in Bangkok and other major cities.
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 92.6%
male: 94.9% female: 90.5% (2002)
Capital Bangkok
Government in Thailand Thailand is g overned by a c onstitutional m onarchy
with a b icameral parliamentarian form of government. The country is divided into
76 pro vinces, e ach a dministered b y an a ppointed go vernor, a nd s ubdivided into
districts, sub-district, tambons (groups of villages), and villages. The Bangkok
Metropolitan Administration is administered by an elected governor and divided
into 38 districts.
Economy in Thailand GNP ( 1999) at current p rices was ap proximately 4 ,500
billion baht or US$ 120.50 billion. Total merchandise exports for 1999 amounted to
approximately 56.8 billion baht or US$ 1.50 billion and merchandise imports were
approximately 47.8 billion baht or US$ 1.26 billion.
Social Values in Thailand Buddhist teachings are at the root of the typical Thai
villager’s s incere c onsideration f or o thers, e mbodied i n the v irtue k nown as
namchai, “water of the heart,” a c oncept encompassing spontaneous warmth and
compassion that allows families to make anonymous sacrifices for friends and to
extend ho spitality to s trangers. F or e xample, a s tranger e ntering a v illage w ill
rarely be seen as an intruder and a subject for suspicion and distrust. Much more
likely, the villagers will have the namchai to take him in, feed him, offer him a bed
in one of their homes, and generally treat him as a friend. Buddhism also lies
behind such common expressions as mai pen rai (“never mind, it doesn’t matter”)
when s omething unf ortunate happ ens, re flecting the f eeling that o ne m ust
gracefully s ubmit to e xternal f orces be yond o ne’s c ontrol, s uch as the effects of
past karma.
Although highly individualistic and resisting regimentation, Thais nevertheless
believe that inner freedom is best preserved in an emotionally and physically
stable e nvironment. T herefore, the y b elieve that s ocial harm ony i s be st
maintained by avoiding any unnecessary friction in their contacts with others.
From this has grown the strong Thai feeling of krengchai, which means an extreme
reluctance t o i mpose on anyone o r d isturb hi s pe rsonal e quilibrium b y d irect
criticism, challenge, or confrontation. In general, people will do their utmost to
avoid personal conflict.
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Outward expressions of anger are also regarded as dangerous to social harmony
and as b eing obvious s igns o f ignorance a nd i mmaturity. I ndeed, dur ing no rmal
social intercourse, strong public displays of emotion are rare, sometimes leading to
misunderstanding among outsiders from other cultures.
Within s uch a be havioural f ramework, T hais s hare v ery d efinite v iews o n what
constitutes friendship and enjoyment. Sincere friendship among Thais is extremely
intense; the l anguage i s ri ch in e xpressions whi ch re flect the d egree o f
involvement and willing self-sacrifice. Such relationship are found particularly
among men. A phuan tai, literally “death friend,” is a companion for whom it would
be an ho nour to die. Should a f riend be involved in difficulties, his friend feels an
obligation to he lp h im, re gardless o f the dange r to h imself, because tong chuai
phuan – “one m ust h elp on e’s f riends.” This r equirement i s a s ensitive p oint of
honour and e xplains many c ircumstances that o ften baf fle o utsiders. D isplays o f
dismay, despair, displeasure, disapproval, or enthusiasm are frowned upon.
Accordingly, a person who is, or appears to be, serenely indifferent (choei choei) is
respected for having what is considered an important virtue.
On the level of acquaintanceship, politeness predominates. When greeting people,
Thais will usually show their concern for others’ health by remarking how “thin” or
“fat” he or she has become. The remark is intended as a gesture of friendship.
Religion
History of Buddhism Buddhism, especially Theravada Buddhism, is the state
religion and the majority of Thai people are Buddhists. However, the freedom of
worship has b een e nshrined in e very c onstitution o f the K ingdom s ince 1 932. I t
has provided that a person shall have complete freedom to profess any religion,
denomination or doctrine, and shall have freedom to practice any religious rites in
accordance with his belief except in so far as they are inconsistent with his duties
as a citizen or incompatible with public order and good morals. Besides, the
constitution affirms that the state shall not deprive a person of any right or benefit
to whi ch he is e ntitled by re ason o f the f act that he pro fesses o r prac tices a
religion d ifferent f rom that o f o thers. In prac tice, the T hai go vernment ha s
accorded people not only religious freedom but also full support to their faiths. The
state de ems the patr onage o f re ligion as o ne o f i ts af fairs. M oreover, unde r the
constitution the king is obliged to be a Buddhist and the Upholder of Religion.
Buddhism teaches that one’s life does not begin with birth and end with death but
is a link in a chain of lives, each conditioned by volitional acts (karma) committed
in previous existences. The concept of karma, the law of
cause and effect, suggests that selfishness and craving result in suffering.
Conversely, compassion and love bring happiness and we ll-being. Therefore, only
by eliminating desire can one fine peace of mind. The ideal Buddhist aspiration is
to attain perfection through Nirvana (Nibbhana), an indescribable, immutable state
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unconditioned by desire, suffering, or further rebirth, in which a person simply is,
yet is completely at one with his surroundings.
After its introduction into Thailand, Buddhism gained wide acceptance because its
emphasis on tolerance and individual initiative complemented the Thais’ cherished
sense of inner freedom. Fundamentally, Buddhism is an empirical way of life. Free
of dogma, it is a flexible moral, ethical, and philosophical framework within which
people find room to fashion their own salvation.
While Thailand has encountered several crises through the centuries, Buddhism
has never even once suffered any ill fate in this country. On the contrary, it has
flourished here from the earliest times. It has had a profound influence over the
Thai arts, culture, tradition, and learning; more important still, it has dominated
the character of the vast majority of the Thai people.
Buddhist way o f life is an integral part o f nat ional life. T oday 94 pe rcent o f the
whole population ar e B uddhists, abo ut 4 pe rcent are M uslims, 1 p ercent are
Christians, and the remainder are Brahmins, Hindus, Sikhs, and others.
Islam in Thailand Muslims comprise Thailand’s largest religious minority and are
concentrated m ainly in the s outhernmost p rovinces o f N arathiwat, P attani, Y ala,
and Satun. I slam is said to have been introduced to the Malay Peninsula by Arab
traders and adventurers during the 13th century. Most Thai Muslims are of Malay
descent, re flecting the c ommon c ultural he ritage T hailand’s s outhernmost
provinces share with Malaysia
Ninety-nine percent Sunni and one percent Shi’ite, Thai Muslims enjoy
inspirational and financial support from His Majesty the King, who provided funds
for translating the Koran into Thai. Each year the King or his representative also
presides over celebrations commemorating the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday.
Moreover, H is M ajesty ap points a re spected Muslim re ligious l eader as
Chularajamontri, o r State C ounsellor f or all I slamic a ffairs. T he go vernment also
provides funds for building and renovating mosques.
There are app roximately 3,102 m osques in T hailand, abo ut 1 64 o f wh ich are in
Bangkok. Some 200 Muslim schools offer secular as well as religious instruction.
All in a ll, M uslims i n Thailand enjoy f ull s tate s upport and are free to t each an d
practise their religion according to their own tenets.
Muslim Education There are two kinds of schools: namely, religious schools and
private religious schools with general education curricula approved by the Ministry
of Education. Formal education starts at the age o f s even. R eligious s chools are
held at the Musjids, teaching the basics of Islam.
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Hinduism and Sikhism The approximately 20,000 Indians residing in Thailand
are almost equally divided between Hindus and Sikhs. The Hindu community is
mostly c oncentrated in B angkok, whe re i t wo rships at f our m ain H indu te mples.
There are also several Brahman shrines at which Hindus and Buddhists alike
worship. T he H indus operate the ir o wn s chool whe re the c urriculum is b ased o n
the Thai e ducation system, though in addition to Thai, it teaches Hindi, S anskrit,
and English.
Education
The structure of the Thai education system is composed of three years of preprimary education, six years of primary education, three years of lower-secondary
education, and three years of upper-secondary education (in the fields of both
general and vocational education) as shown in the following chart:
Structure of School System
Formal Education The first formal comprehensive education plan was introduced
in 1 932. T his pl an highlighted f our y ears o f e lementary and e ight y ears o f
secondary education. This system was further refined in 1936, when five levels of
education were featured; pre-primary or kindergarten, primary, secondary, preuniversity, and h igher education. The educational plan of 1951 was noteworthy in
that it facilitated special and adult education.
Holidays/Obersevances in Thailand
1 January
New Year's Day
6 April
Chakri Day
1 May
National Labour Day (Banks only)
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5 May
Coronation Day (1950)
1 July
Mid Year Day (Banks only)
12 August
H.M. the Queen's Birthday (also Mothers' Day)
23 October
Chulalongkorn Day
5 December
H.M. the King's Birthday (also Father's Day)
10 December
Constitution Day
31 December
New Year's Eve
Sources
https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/th.html
National Identity Board Office of the Prime Minister Kingdom of Thailand, 2000:
Thailand into the 2000’s: Amarin Printing and Publishing Public Co.,Ltd.
http://krabidir.com/info/holidays.htm
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Turkey
Edirne
Zonguldak
Istanbul
Haciosman
Izmir
Source: http://www.maps.com
Flag
Background The T urkish Republic was established in 1923, following the demise
of the Ottoman Empire in the First World War, in which the Ottoman Empire took
part on the losing side. As the Ottoman Empire crumbled, its Turkish nucleus rose
up in a War of Liberation against the invading powers and the Sultan’s
government. It was successful and a R epublic was declared on 2 9 O ctober 1923.
Turkey i mmediately embarked o n a course of m odernization and re form i n a ll
walks o f life. S oon the reafter the c ountry i nstituted s ecular l aws to re place
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traditional and religious fiats. Despite the fact that the liberation struggle had
been wage d agai nst m ajor E uropean po wers, s he pro ceeded to e stablish go od
relations and cooperation with the West, and based her political and legal systems
on modern, secular models. For example, Turkey became a member of NATO. The
goal, as e xpressed by M ustafa K emal Atatürk, the leader of the nati onalist
movement and first President of the Republic, was "to reach the level of
contemporary civilization". This has not been an easy task given the history and
geographical location of Turkey. She lies at a strategic "crossroads" where two
continents, Europe and Asia meet, and also where cultures and c ivilizations come
together. T his un ique position g ives her European, Balkan, M editerranean, M iddle
Eastern, Caucasian and Asian identities all at the same time.
Area total: 780,580 sq km
land: 770,760 sq km water: 9,820 sq km
Climate temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior
Terrain mostly mountains; narrow coastal plain; high central plateau (Anatolia)
Natural resources antimony, coal, chromium, mercury, copper, borate, sulfur,
iron ore, arable land, hydropower
Land use arable land: 29.81% permanent crops: 3.39% other: 66.8% (2005)
Current environmental issues water po llution f rom du mping o f c hemicals and
detergents; air pollution, particularly in urban areas; deforestation; concern for oil
spills from increasing Bosporus ship traffic
Population 77,804,122 (July 2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth total population: 72.23 years
male: 70.37 years female: 74.19 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate 2.18 children born/woman (2010 EST.)
Ethnic groups Turkish 70-75%, Kurdish 18%, other minorities 7-12% (2008 est.)
Religions Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (Christian and Jews)
Languages Turkish (official), Kurdish, Arabic, Armenian, Greek
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 87.4% male: 95.3% female: 79.6% (2004 est.)
Capital Ankara
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Administrative Divisions 81 provinces (iller, singular - il); Adana, Adiyaman,
Afyon, Agri, Aksaray, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya, Ardahan, Artvin, Aydin, Balikesir,
Bartin, Batman, Bayburt, Bilecik, Bingol, Bitlis, Bolu, Burdur, Bursa, Canakkale,
Cankiri, Corum, Denizli, Diyarbakir, Duzce, Edirne, Elazig, Erzincan, Erzurum,
Eskisehir, Ga ziantep, G iresun, Gum ushane, H akkari, H atay, I gdir, I sparta,
Istanbul, Izmir, Kahramanmaras, Karabuk, Karaman, Kars, Kastamonu, Kayseri,
Kilis, Kirikkale, Kirklareli, Kirsehir, Kocaeli, Konya, Kutahya, Malatya, Manisa,
Mardin, Mersin, Mugla, Mus, Nevsehir, Nigde, Ordu, Osmaniye, Rize, Sakarya,
Samsun, Sanliurfa, Siirt, Sinop, Sirnak, Sivas, Tekirdag, Tokat, Trabzon, Tunceli,
Usak, Van, Yalova, Yozgat, Zonguldak
Culture of Turkey Ottoman l iterature and court m usic we re m ostly re ligious.
Visual arts adhered to the Muslim dictum that forbids representation of any being
'with an immortal soul', so Islamic artists tended to the non-representative arts.
Turkish museums are full of delicate colored tiles, graceful glass vases, carved
wooden m osque d oors, gl ittering illuminated K orans, i ntricate j ewelry and
sumptuous costumes. Recently, Ottoman arts such as paper marbling and shadowpuppet plays have been enjoying a resurgence. Carpet-weaving is still a Turkish
passion. Folk music was (and still is) sprightly. Türkü music, of which y ou'll hear
lots o n the rad io, is trad itional folk m usic wi th a m odern ur ban s lant. T urkish
cinema is characterized by honesty, naturalism and dry humor. Turkish is an
elegantly simple language, but the rules of word order and verb formation are very
different from Indo-European languages, making it somewhat difficult to learn.
Education in Turkey The educational s ystem o f T urkey consists o f two m ain
divisions, namely "formal" and "non-formal" education. Formal education covers
the institutions of "pre-school education", "primary education", "secondary
education", and "higher education". "Non-formal education" covers all other
educational p rovision s ponsored by the M inistry that o ccurs o utside f ormal
education.
High s chool e ducation i s di vided i nto two s tages wi th e ach s tage l asting thre e
years, for a total of six years. The high school programs are not different than the
programs in the United States. T he main distinction in the c lassroom structure is
that the teachers, instead of students, go from class to class. In order to provide
further opportunities for the children with limited finances, there are high schools
with bo arding f acilities. T hese schools are f ree of c harge and the s tudents are
placed according to the results of an examination. In addition to normal middlehigh schools, there are also evening middle-high schools, which usually operate in
the same buildings. These are designed to allow those who take up employment
after primary (or middle school) to continue their formal education. Evening
schools are one y ear longer than day schools, b ut they provide exactly the s ame
right of access to secondary/higher education.
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Economy of Turkey Turkey began a series of reforms in the 1980s designed to
shift the e conomy f rom a s tatist, insulated s ystem to a m ore p rivate-sector,
market-based model. The reforms spurred solid growth, but growth that has been
punctuated by s harp re cessions and f inancial c rises i n 1 994, 1 999, a nd 2 001.
Turkey's failure to pursue additional reforms, combined with large and growing
public s ector de ficits, re sulted in h igh i nflation, increasing m acroeconomic
volatility, and a weak banking sector.
Oil p rovides abo ut 4 3% o f T urkey’s t otal e nergy re quirements; aro und 9 0% i s
imported. Domestic production is mostly from small fields in the southeast. New
exploration is taking place in the eastern Black Sea. In 2004, the Parliament
approved a petroleum market reform bill that will liberalize consumer prices and
lead to the privatization o f the state refining c ompany T UPRAS. T urkey has a
refining capacity of 719,275 barrels/day.
Turkey acts as an important link in the East-West Energy Corridor bringing the
Caspian energy to Europe and world markets. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline to
be begin operation in 2005 will deliver 1 million b/d of petroleum, and in 2006, the
Shah Deniz pipeline will bring natural gas from Azerbaijan to Turkey. Turkey
recently reached agreement with Greece to build an interconnector pipeline, an
important step in bringing Caspian natural gas to Europe via Turkey.
Islam in Turkey Islam in T urkey is moderate and ad apted to modern life. M any
Turks v alue the m oral and s piritual bas es o f Islam, and re vere i t as a guide to
right living and ethical conduct. Non-Muslims are welcome as visitors in all Turkish
mosques whi ch i s no t be the c ase i n a ll Muslim c ountries. T he v ast m ajority o f
Turkish Muslims was horrified at the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and
condemned the perpetrators as fanatics.
Most Turks are Sunni Muslims; that is, they are among the majority of Islamic
believers. T here are Shiite and A levi m inorities as we ll. A bout 2 0% o f T urkish
Muslims look upon themselves as Muslims first and citizens of the Turkish Republic
second; t he ot her 8 0% s ee t hemselves a s c itizens f irst, a nd c ount r eligion a s
second, third or fourth; some are secular, and pay little attention to religion at all.
During the Ottoman centuries, Istanbul was the center of the Islamic world, and
its ru ler, the O ttoman s ultan, was a lso wi dely ac knowledged as the C aliph, o r
spiritual leader o f I slam. T he O ttomans, and the ir p recursors, the S eljuk T urks,
made s ignificant c ontributions to I slamic life and the ology. T he O ttoman E mpire
was a the ocracy. The law of the land for Muslims was shari'a, the holy law of the
Kur'an-i Kerim (Holy Koran). Christian and Jewish minorities were governed by
their own laws, based on their own Scriptures, subject to the ultimate rule of the
sultan. Religious law had governed, or at least significantly influenced government,
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in m ost c ountries unti l the 1 8th c entury. When the P ilgrims landed at P lymouth
Rock i n 1 620, f or e xample, the ir go verning law was b ased o n the ir re ligious
beliefs.
Holidays/Observances in Turkey
• New Years Day, 1 January
• National Sovereignty Day, 23 April
• Ataturk’s Memorial Day and Youth Day, 19 May
• Victory D ay, 3 0 A ugust ( 29 O ct 1 923 is R epublic D ay wh ich f ollowed the
Ottoman rule
• Constitution Day, 7 November
• On 10 November, silence is held at 09:05 A.M. to remember the
exact moment of Kemal Ataturk’s death in 1938.
Sources:
http://education.yahoo.com/reference/factbook/index.html
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/middle_east/turkey/culture.htm
http://www.columbia.edu/~sss31/Turkiye/edu.html
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3432.htm
http://www.infoexchange.com/Turkey/Religion/Islam.html http://wrc.lingnet.org/
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Civilizations Exchange &
Cooperation Foundation
An Introduction to the Practice of Islam
Imam Mohamad Bashar Arafat
A guide developed for the AFS consortium to assist U.S. families
hosting Muslim students.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE PRACTICE OF ISLAM
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I. Introduction
a. Introduction to Islam and Muslims
i. What is Islam?
ii. Allah
iii. Prophet Mohammed, The Son of Abdullah
iv. What is the Qur’an?
v. What is the Sunnah?
vi. 5 Pillars of Islam
1. Shahadah or (Testimony of Faith)
2. Salah or (Testimony of Faith)
3. Zakah or (Almsgiving)
4. Sawm or (Fasting)
5. Hajj or (Pilgrimage)
II. Islam in America
III. 9/11: Turning Point
IV. The Need for Cultural Exchange Programs
V. The Influence of Religion on Culture
IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT MAY ARISE WITH YOUR STUDENTS
I. Student’s First Experience in the U.S.
a. Welcoming the Students
II. Interacting with Parents, Elders and the Opposite Sex
a. Manners and Behavior
i. Respect
ii. Shyness
iii. Eye Contact
iv. Open Communication/Expressing Likes and Dislikes
III. Helping with Household Chores
IV. Interaction with People of the Book
a. Who are “People of the Book”
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b. Visiting a Church, Synagogue or Temple
V. Dietary Laws and Prohibitions
a. What is “halal” meat?
b. Different approaches by students
c. How to find the nearest “halal” meat store
VI. Cleanliness and Religious Purification or “Wudu”
a. Water conservation/accommodations
b. Pets and Dogs
VII. Mosques
a. The significance of a mosque and its place in society
b. How to find the nearest mosque
VIII. The Role of the Imam/Authority Figure
IX. Ramadan & Issues Related to Fasting
a. Suhoor – Early morning meal before beginning to fast
b. Iftar – Evening meal to break the fast
c. Lailat-ul Qadr or (The Night of Honor)
X. Holidays/Celebrations in Islam
a. Eid-ul-Fitr or (The Feast of Breaking the Fast)
b. Eid-ul-Adha or (The Feast of Sacrifice)
c. The Birthday of Prophet Mohammed (p.b.u.h.)
d. Ashur’a
XI. Interest (Usury or Riba) & Bank Accounts
XII. Saving Accounts and Interests
An Introduction to the Practice of Islam
The purpose of this manual is to help host families, students and organizations in
the United States better understand many of the students coming from countries
that hav e s ignificant M uslim po pulations and why the y m ay pl ace s o m uch
importance o n c ertain issues.
T o a l arge e xtent, the c ultural be havior is
influenced by the religious teachings, which differ from one region to another
based on the cultural practices and interpretations of the religion.
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This booklet will begin to introduce the reader to the basic principles of Islam,
practices of Muslims, a brief history of Islam in America, and then touch upon
some of the more sensitive issues that are raised as the exchange students begin
their adventure in the United States and the host families open their homes and
welcome a child into their lives.
Introduction to Islam and Muslims
What is Islam?
Islam literally means peace and submission to the will of Almighty Go d (Allah),
the Creator of the universe, the heavens, the earth and everything in between. It
provides a c onstant balance be tween the s piritual and the m aterial life o f the
individual, as we ll as the c ommunity. I slam is no t a ne w re ligion, but the f inal
culmination and fulfillment of the same basic truths that God revealed to humanity
through all of His Prophets from Adam to Mohammed, the last prophet after Jesus.
Islam is not only a “religion,” but it is a way of life symbolized b y mercy,
forgiveness and peace - with God, with oneself, and with the creations of God
through submission and commitment to the guidance provided by God. A Muslim
is the one who practices and adheres to Islam.
Islam shares with Judaism and Christianity many similarities due to the fact that
Moses, Jesus and Mohammed (peace and blessings be upon all of them) are the
descendents of Prophet and Patriarch Abraham through his two sons, Ishmael and
Isaac. A braham b uilt the K a’ba; the f irst m osque o n earth, whi ch later be came
the center of the sacred city of Mekka toward which all Muslims face when they
pray.
1.2 billion Muslims stem from all races, nationalities, colors and cultures across the
globe from A sia to Africa and f rom Europe to A merica. O nly o ne out o f f ive
Muslims is Arab. Sunni and Shi’a are the two main denominations/sects within
Islam. Sunni compose about 90% of all Muslims and Shi’a compose about 10%
of al l Muslims. T he m ajor issue about whi ch the y d isagree relates to who i s
eligible to become a successor of Prophet Mohammed. Sunni consider any
righteous, pi ous and k nowledgeable M uslim e ligible to as sume l eadership o f the
community. S hi’a b elieve that o nly de scendants o f the P rophet’s ho usehold are
the rightful heirs to the spiritual leadership. The information in this guide touches
upon issues that relate to Muslim students in general.
Allah:
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Allah is the Arabic word for God and used by Arab Muslims and Christians alike.
Among His many attributes are the Creator, Most Gracious, Most Merciful, Lord of
the worlds, All-seeing, All-hearing, All-knowing, All-forgiving, and the Wise. A llah
is re ferred to i n the Q ur’an be fore e ach c hapter as A llah, M ost B eneficent, M ost
Merciful.
Prophet Mohammed, the Son of Abdullah (570 – 623 AD):
Prophet Mohammed was born 570 A.D. in Mecca, now known as Saudi Arabia, at a
time whe n C hristianity was no t y et f ully e stablished in E urope. S ince h is f ather
died before his birth and his mother shortly afterward, he was raised by his uncle
from the re spected tri be o f Quraysh. A s he gre w up , h e b ecame k nown f or h is
truthfulness, ge nerosity and s incerity, wh ich i mpressed K hadjiah, the wo man f or
whom he worked, so much that she proposed marriage to him when he was 20
years old and she was a widow of 40. He is described by historians as calm, kind,
and meditative. He detested his society, which was steeped in ignorance and idolworship. At the age of 40, after a long contemplation at the “Mountain of
Light” ne ar Mekka, he received the first revelation of the Qur’an from Allah
through Archangel Gabriel. The angel instructed him that he had been chosen by
Almighty Allah (God) to be His prophet and messenger and to deliver His message
to mankind. The next 13 years of preaching the Qur’an in Mekka was met by
rejection and resistance by the Mekkans. During that time, only a few believed in
him as a pro phet an d m essenger. H e m igrated w ith h is f ollowers and lived the
next 10 years in Medina, which became the nucleus state of Islam.
At the time of his death in 623 A.D. the greater part of Arabia was Muslim.
What is the Qur’an?
The Qur’an is the complete record of the exact
words revealed by God through the Archangel
Gabriel to Prophet Mohammed. The 114
chapters were dictated by the Prophet to his
companions as they were revealed within a
span of 23 years. The Qur’an has been
preserved orally and in a written format until this day.
The Qur’an is the principle source of guidance for Muslims’ faith and everyday
practices. I t deals with all subjects including wisdom, doctrine, worship, and law.
It pro vides gui dance f or a j ust s ociety, pro per hum an c onduct and e quitable
economic pri nciples. I ts bas ic the me is the re lation b etween Go d and H is
creatures. The Arabic language, as a medium of the Qur’an and the prayer liturgy,
became a unifying factor among Muslims today. It is recited and chanted the
same way in all parts of the world.
What is the Sunnah?
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The term “sunnah” normally refers to the life of Prophet Mohammed, i.e. his
sayings, actions or his approval of things that happened in his presence. It is the
second source of guidance and Islamic law or “Shar’iah” after the Qur’an. Muslims
are re commended t o f ollow the ac tions, behavior and the m anners o f P rophet
Mohammed in his private and public life.
The 5 Pillars of Islam:
The following 5 pillars are the framework of the Muslim life.
1 – Shahadah (Testimony of Faith)
There is no god worthy of worship except God and Mohammed is the
messenger of God. This simple formula is pronounced by all the faithful
and emphasizes that the only purpose of life is to serve and o bey God and
that this is achieved through the teachings and practices of the last Prophet,
Mohammed.
2 – Salah (Prayer)
Salah is the name of the obligatory prayers, which are performed 5 times a
day and are a direct link between the worshipper and God. The prayers are
performed individually or in a congregation. T hey contain verses f rom the
Qur’an, as well as personal supplications. They are performed at dawn,
noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and nightfall and thus determine the rhythm of
the entire day.
3 – Zakah (Almsgiving)
In I slam, a ll th ings b elong to Go d and we alth is the refore he ld by hum an
beings in trust. The word Zakah has two meaning: “purification” and
“growth.”
Setting aside a proportion for those in need, purifies our
possessions and l ike the pruni ng o f p lants, th is c utting b ack b alances and
encourages n ew gro wth. I t i s c alculated as 2 1 /2 % o f y our to tal annua l
income.
4 – Sawm (Fasting)
The obligatory fasting takes place during the month of Ramadan, the 9th
month of the lunar calendar. All able Muslims fast from dawn to s unset abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations with their spouses. Fasting
has a physical and spiritual benefit of self-purification and self-restraint. By
restraining oneself from indulging in worldly comforts, even for a short time,
a fasting person focuses on his/her purpose in life and remembers the
countless bounties of Almighty God. S ome people are exempt from fasting
during the month of Ramadan. You fall into this category if you are ill,
pregnant and/or nursing, traveling, on your menstrual cycle or under a
doctor’s care and may be harmed by fasting.
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5 – Hajj (Pilgrimage)
The annual Hajj is an obligation at
least once in a lifetime for those who
are physically and financially capable.
More than 3 million people perform it
annually coming from every corner of
the world. The rite of Hajj, which
originated at the time of the Patriarch,
Prophet Abraham, takes place in “Zul Hijjah,” the 12th month of the lunar
calendar and lasts 4 days. Pilgrims
wear a simple garment made of
special white cloth that strips away distinctions of class and culture, so that
all stand equal before God.
This act of worship provides a unique opportunity for people of different
nations to meet one another. An example of the impact of this can be
clearly seen in the life changes of Malcolm X upon his return from making
Hajj and experiencing the brotherhood of all people worshipping Allah.
It is through this annual event, which began over 1400 years ago, that
Muslims have an opportunity to exchange ideas, inventions and knowledge
either before or after fulfilling the religious acts of worship.
Islam in America
Some h istorians d ocument t he p resence of M uslims on t he A merican c ontinent
even before the arrival of Christopher Columbus. Many of the African slaves, who
were brought to North America, were Muslims.
At the e nd o f the 1 9th century M uslims m igrated f rom S yria, which at tha t t ime
consisted o f the are as c urrently k nown as Le banon, J ordan, P alestine and S yria,
due to the p ersecution o f the O ttomans. T he f irst v isibly o rganized p resence o f
Muslims i n A merica was wi th the m ovement o f th e “N ation o f I slam.” T his was
actually more of a national movement than a truly Islamic movement.
In the late 60s, Muslims in America started to organize themselves and build their
mosques, schools and c ivic organizations. S tatistics show that to day the number
of M uslims in A merica i s b etween 8 and 1 0 million, and the y are part o f the
American fabric. It is rare to visit a hospital in America without finding at least
one, and m ore o ften than no t, m any M uslim d octors. T he A merican M uslim
community today is becoming a bridge between America and the rest of the
Muslim World.
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9/11: A Turning Point
The tragic events of 9/11 created a new reality on the ground in three aspects:
1. Fanaticism and extremism of any religion should be addressed. It has the
potential to m ake hum an be ings m ore dange rous than nuc lear we apons,
which are protected by the country which owns them.
2. The necessity emerged for additional programs striving to develop better
understanding b etween the E ast and th e W est, whi ch i nvolve s cholars,
clergy, students and active members of the interfaith and business
communities. S ome ex changes of s cholars a nd c lergy are al ready
underway. These efforts to provide opportunities for face to face dialogue
and exchanges of ideas between diverse groups of participants are he lping
to eliminate stereotypes and reduce the misunderstandings that have
existed for quite some time.
3. People in the U.S. with diverse backgrounds and religious affiliations are
joining f orces more than e ver be fore to work to ward c ommon goals, to
better educate the people of their society, and to create better
understanding of the world today as it grows into a global village.
The Need for Cultural Exchange Programs
There is no substitute for the wonderful results of the exchange programs and the
benefits they produce in the short and l ong-term future. H osting students, which
is more common in
America than in any other nation, is becoming a sacred act of kindness. The sense
of openness and generosity in the 21st century is more common in America than in
other nations for many reasons, and the impact that i t has on the students when
they return to their home countries is far reaching.
For non-Muslim families, hosting students from the Islamic faith in particular, has
been a rewarding act for many host families and their communities. It brings with
it an introduction to a new culture and religion, which is in many instances, foreign
to A mericans. S ince e xchanges are a two -way s treet, the be nefit is s hared and
the students, their natural families and also their countries come to a better
understanding about the United States and its people that was previously unknown
or misunderstood.
The Influence of Religion on Culture
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The cultural behavior of many Muslims is influenced greatly by religion. Some
Muslims realize it and some do not. The Qur’an (the Holy Book - word of God)
and the Sunnah, (the sayings or actions of the Prophet) are t he s ources o f the
Islamic Shari’ah (Law) and provide guidance for Muslims’ everyday activities.
Both guide the individual spiritually, morally and socially. It is important for
people o f o ther f aith trad itions to be come ac quainted wi th s ome o f the se i ssues
when living or interacting closely with a Muslim student.
Please keep in mind, just as in other religions, not all students have a good grasp
of the religious requirements, practices, or wisdom.
The level of religious
education and practice varies from family to family and region to region. You
might ask a s tudent to explain why he/she does things a c ertain way. T hey may
not b e abl e to an swer y our que stion o r the ir ans wer m ay s eem confusing.
Listening to them without appearing to judge or cause them discomfort, will go a
long way as they strive to feel accepted.
IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT MAY ARISE WITH YOUR STUDENTS
Students’ First Experience in the U.S.
The Qur’an encouraged Muslims to travel throughout the land for the purpose of
learning and to see the signs and greatness of God in His creation.
Chapter 29, “The Spider”, Verse 20:
“Say Mohammed to them:” Travel thro ughout the earth and see how Allah
did originate creation; then Allah creates the later creation; surely Allah has
power over all things.”
Chapter 22, “The Pilgrimage”, Verse 46:
“Have the y no t trav eled in the l and s o th at the y s hould hav e he arts wi th
which to understand, or ears with which to hear? For surely it is not the
eyes that are blind, but blind are the hearts, which are in the breasts.”
Chapter 49, “The Dwellings”, Verse 13:
“O mankind! W e created you from a s ingle (pair) of a m ale an d a f emale,
and made you into nations and tribes that you may know one another (not
that ye may despise each other). Very the most honored of you in the sight
of A llah is the most righteous o f you. A nd Allah has full knowledge and is
well acquainted (with all things).”
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Interacting with Parents, Elders, and the Opposite Sex:
Parents
The teachings of Islam emphasize treating people with respect. You will find that
the respect given to parents falls just below that given to God and they are held in
very high esteem.
Chapter 31, “Luqman”, Verse 14:
“And We have enjoined on man to be dutiful and good to his parents. H is
mother bore him in weakness and hardship upon weakness and hardship
and his weaning is in two years – give thanks to Me and y our parents until
Me is the final destination.”
Chapter 17, “The Sons of Israel/The Night Journey”, Verses 23-24:
“And your Lord has decreed that y ou worship none but Him. A nd that y ou
behave kindly to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old
age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them,
but address them in terms of honor.
And, out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility through mercy and
say: “My Lord! Bestow on them your mercy as they cherished me in
childhood.”
The mother is particularly venerated:
Prophet Mohammed said: “Heaven lies under the feet of mothers.”
Prophet Mohammed was asked: “Who is the most important one in my
life? He replied: Your mother. The man said: Who is next? The Prophet
replied: Your mother. The man asked: Who is next? The Prophet replied:
Your m other. T he m an a sked: W ho i s n ext? T he P rophet replied: Y our
father.”
Special attention may need to be given to the comfort level of your student even
though h e/she h as b een w elcomed i nto y our h ousehold a s on e of y our c hildren.
There is still a certain sense of modesty and shared respect that will provide them
with a sense of well-being:
•
•
•
Avoid wa lking thro ugh the ho use i n pa rticularly re vealing c lothes o r
pajamas
Knock on the door before entering bedrooms
Allow the ho st mother to we lcome/engage i n phy sical c ontact w ith the
female students.
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Elders
After the parents, the elders are also treated with the utmost respect. It is not the
norm to find a young person calling someone older by his first name without using
the title of “Uncle or Aunt.” You may notice cultural exchange students, who just
arrived, lowering their glances out of respect when talking with the host mother or
host father. They have been taught not to stare at their faces. The students
might address them as Mr. Bill and Mrs. Joan. The same is true when addressing
teachers in school. They will adjust to U.S. standards with a little time.
Prophet Mohammed said: “He is not one of us, who does not respect his
elders, have mercy on those who are young, and g ive scholars their rights
and due respect.”
People of the Opposite Sex
The relation between the man and the woman in Islam is based on mutual respect
and considering people as your brothers and sisters. Some Muslim societies differ
in the level of interaction socially between men and women, but it is primarily
based on what the Qur’an teaches:
Chapter 24 “The Light”, Verses 30 and 31:
“Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their
modesty; that wi ll make f or gre ater p urity f or the m: and Allah is we ll
acquainted with all you conceal.
And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard
their m odesty; that the y s hould no t d isplay their b eauty e xcept to the ir
husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons, their husbands’
sons, the ir b rothers or the ir bro thers’ s ons, o r the ir s isters’ s ons, o r the ir
women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male attendants
free of sexual desires, or small children who have no carnal knowledge of
women; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention
to the ir h idden o rnaments. A nd O B elievers! T urn al l o f y ou to gether
towards Allah in repentance that you may be successful.”
Men and women appear in public dressed modestly as they interact. T he women
cover their bodies, as well as their hair. T he men dress in loose clothes to avoid
drawing unnecessary attention to them. Some of the actions/cultural practices
that may vary from cultural p ractices in your area as f ar as interactions b etween
men and women are:
•
Handshakes: Some do no t s hake hand s wi th the o pposite s ex, wh ile
others will shake hands if one extends their hand toward them.
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•
Hugs: Normally only exchanged between two women or two men.
•
Kisses: The religious greeting for men toward men is a handshake and
hug, if traveling. I n the Middle Eastern countries, the cultural tradition
is for men to kiss one another on the cheek and women to do the same
with wo men. I t is not ne cessarily like that in o ther c ountries wi th
significant Muslim populations.
•
Dress: Women’s dress is described in the Qur’an as loose and covering
the entire body. Religiously covering becomes mandated from the age
of p uberty. Cultures today have different tastes/styles, which can be a
telltale sign when trying to identify the region from which the person
comes.
•
Dating: In most of the Muslim countries, dating does not exist in the
same manner as in the USA. Even though there is a shift in the cultural
practices to day in m any
o f the M uslim c ountries, I slamic re ligion
prohibits premarital sex.
In most of the practicing societies,
engagement i s t he only t ime w hen t he c ouple c an g o out t ogether
publicly, and intimate relation is only after the wedding.
Within Schools
The dress code is very important and students will need to speak with the teacher
or principal to request a modified gym uniform.
Sweatpants will be fine
particularly if the class has both boys and girls together.
It is also not part of the cultural or religious practices to have a shower with other
students following Gym Class or organized sports unless there are private shower
stalls. It might be suggested that they can shower with their pants on if there are
no other options.
Manners and Behavior
Due to the respect given to elders, a student may feel shy to express their feelings
about what the y like and dislike. T hey may even agree out of respect. Y ou may
need to encourage your student to speak their minds and share their opinions
when asked to do so. You may also find the opposite true since the students may
go a b it o verboard a s the y b egin e xpressing the mselves in s ituations the y m ay
never have encountered before.
Helping with Household Chores
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Religious teachings always show the prophet as someone who took part in the
household c hores. The c ulture i n s ome of t he countries of ten en courages t he
practice in wealthy families of males being served by maids. It is important for
them to understand that it is part of the culture of this society, as well as Islamic
culture, for them to help around the house. If the host parent makes it clear that
they need to share in the responsibility, they will gladly do it.
Interaction with People of the Book
The Qur’an refers to the Christians and Jews as “People of the Book”. Chapters
and verses talk repeatedly about Abraham, Moses Jesus, prophets from the sons
of Israel and their stories.
The Torah and the Bible are mentioned throughout the Qur’an as divinely revealed
texts. The
Qur’an mentions that what differs with previously revealed texts and the Qur’an is
the interpretations made by Christians and Jews years later, but not the actual and
original biblical texts revealed to both Moses and Jesus.
Despite theological differences, the Qur’an instructed the Muslims that there would
be no c ompulsion in religion and that the y s hould no t us e the di fferences as an
excuse to prevent them from reaching out, living as one community, and aspiring
to build a tolerant, respectful and peaceful world.
The Islamic teachings clearly instruct the believers to let God be the Judge of who
is right and who is wrong. The Qur’an allows Muslims to co-exist with People of
the Book, eat their food (as long as it does not contain pork or alcohol), and even
marry from them. The past centuries of co-existence between Muslims, Christians
and Jews in the M iddle E ast, the pro tection o f the places o f wo rship an d the
religious f reedom in the M uslim c ountries are te stimonials th at I slam recognized
Christianity and Judaism as part of the monotheistic family and calls for the house
of Abraham to be a house of peace, love, mercy and a competition in doing what is
good and righteous….
Chapter 5, “The Table”, Verse 5:
“This day (All) things good and pure are made lawful unto you, and the food
of the people of the book is lawful for you and your food is lawful for them.
Lawful unto you in marriage are not only chaste women who are believers,
but chaste women from among those who have been given the book before
you; when you have given them their dowries, taking them in marriage, not
fornicating nor taking them for lovers in secret; and whoever denies faith,
his work indeed is of no account, and in the hereafter he shall be one of the
losers.”
Chapter 5 “The Table”, Verses 82-85:
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“…And you will find the nearest of them in affection to those who believe are
those who s ay: ‘ Lo! W e are C hristians,’ b ecause the re are among the m
priests and monks, and because they are not given to arrogance.
And when they listen to that whi ch has been revealed unto the Messenger,
you see their eyes overflow with tears, because of their recognition of the
truth. They say: ’Our Lord, we believe, inscribe us as among the witnesses.’
What c ause c an we hav e no t to be lieve in A llah and the trut h whi ch h as
come to us, seeing that we long for our Lord to admit us to the company of
the righteous?
And for this prayer hath God has rewarded them for their saying with
gardens underneath which r ivers flow, wherein they ab ide forever. T hat is
the reward of the good.”
Prophet Mohammed and People of the Book:
The p rophet’s l egacy o f te aching to lerance and re spect was th e no rm. H e lived
among the Jewish community when he migrated to Madina from Mecca. He
received the Christian Bishops of Njran a nd hosted them. T hey e stablished their
prayers in his holy mosque.
Prophet Mohammed says: “Whoever hurts a Christian or a Jew, I will be
his opponent on the Day of Judgment.”
There are communities in some countries that are predominately Muslim and they
do not have Christian or Jewish neighbors, nor are they used to interacting with
them on a regular basis. You may find some Muslims who have negative feelings
about the information that has been circulated in their communities due to the
colonization in 1 9th and 2 0th century and the c urrent po litical s ituations b etween
the “Christian West” and the “Muslim East.” You will find that it just takes time
and patience for views to change once interaction begins.
Some of the students, who never lived in another family’s house, might feel
uncomfortable regarding a variety of issues and that will vary based on prior
experiences and also how practicing and observant they are.
Visiting a Church, Synagogue, or Temple
Many cultural exchange s tudents are n ot us ed to interfaith activities and m ay
never hav e v isited a c hurch, s ynagogue, o r te mple be fore. It i s p art o f the ir
experience in the U.S. to be introduced to the values and ethics of other religions,
which helps to dispel the misconceptions they may have.
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Some host families, eager to share their lives with the new addition to the family,
might inadvertently make the student feel pressured to participate in the service
at their “place of worship.” It is important to help the student feel comfortable to
visit and observe some of the activities without interpreting it as proselytizing.
Places of worship in America have a variety of activities, including social and civic
programs. I n many Muslim countries going to church means to worship, it is not
necessarily like that i n A merica whe re the re m ight be y outh ac tivities o r o thers
events sponsored by the church, synagogue or temple.
At the same time, m any families go together to the service and the student may
find this uncomfortable. There hav e b een incidents whe re the students have felt
pressured to attend the services often and the situation became very delicate.
These misunderstandings can be avoided by allowing the students to participate in
other activities like volunteering in the nursery while the family is in the sanctuary.
Dietary Laws and Prohibitions
The word HALAL means “lawful.” It is often mentioned when discussing what you
eat and dr ink. S ince what y ou e at af fects bo th the b ody and the s pirit, the
teachings of Islam prohibited substances that harm e ither. The Qur’an considers
all f ood and be verages l awful un less a pr ohibition is m entioned. T here are tw o
types of prohibitions: 1) the food itself and 2) theological reasons.
1 - Prohibition of the food consists of: pork, blood, dead animals of any
kind k illed by strangling, v iolent b lows, he ad long falls, goring t o death, or
partly eaten by a predator.
Chapter 5, “The Table”, Verse 3:
“Forbidden to you for food are dead meat, blood, the f lesh of s wine,
and that on which any other name than Allah has been invoked (at
the time of slaughtering); that which has been killed by strangling, or
by a violent blow, or by a head long fall, or by being gored to death;
that whi ch has b een p artly e aten b y a wi ld an imal; un less y ou are
able to slaughter it in due form; and that which is sacrificed on stones
set up f or i dols; …… B ut wh oever i s c ompelled by hunge r, no t
inclining w illfully to s in, the n s urely A llah is O ft-forgiving, M ost
Merciful.”
2 - Theological Prohibitions consist of certain acts in the Qur’an, which
require pronouncing the name of God on it in order to become “lawful.”
Taking the life of the animal requires the pronouncement also as a blessing.
It shows gratitude to God, the Creator of this animal, who allowed the
human to take the life of the animal for our consumption.
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Chapter 6, “The Cattle”, Verse 121:
“And do no t e at f rom that o n whi ch A llah’s nam e has n ot be en
pronounced, and that is most surely a transgression…..”
Examples of prohibited foods:
•
Pork
The Qur’an outlines clearly the prohibition of the “Pig” in several chapters
and states that it was also forbidden in the previous revelations (like the
Torah on the Israelites.) Reasons given by scholars vary from issues
surrounding the c leanliness o f th e ani mal to the m eat itself. M uslim
students will appreciate being told what types of food contain pork.
•
Alcohol
Alcohol is forbidden as a beverage, as well as being used as an
ingredient in food. It is interesting to mention here that intoxicant
beverages were prohibited in Islam gradually within the first 14 -15
years of revelation of the Qur’an.
The f irst verse addre ssing a lcohol as ked p eople to thank Go d f or what he
blessed them
with.
Chapter 16, “The Bee”, Verse 67:
“And of the fruits of the palms and the grapes, you obtain from them
intoxication and who lesome f oods. B ehold i n th is is a lso a s ign f or
those who are wise.”
The second stage was the verse which explained to the believers that there
is both harm and benefit in alcohol, but the harm outweighs the benefits.
Chapter 2, “The Cow”, Verse 219:
“They ask you (O Mohammed) concerning wine and gam bling, say in
both of them there is great sin and some benefits for mankind, but
the sin is greater than the benefit…….”
The thi rd s tage i nstructed the m n ot to a pproach p rayer whi le the y we re
drunk in o rder for t hem to th ink c learly wh ile c ommunicating w ith the ir
Lord.
Chapter 4, “The Woman”, Verse 43:
“O you who believe do not approach your prayers while you are
drunk, until you fully understand what you say……….”
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The fourth and final stage abrogated the previous instructions and replaced
them with a permanent prohibition of alcohol and warned of its personal and
social affects.
Chapter 5, “The Table”, Verses 90-91:
“O y ou who be lieve, i ntoxicants and g ambling, s acrificing to s tones
and division by arrows are an abomination of Satan’s handiwork –
shun it in order for you to be successful.
Satan’s plan is but to excite enmity and hatred between you, with
intoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of
Allah and from prayer: will you not then abstain?”
Different Approaches by Students
The word “halal” is equivalent to the term “kosher” in Judaism. W hen a Muslim
student asks for halal food, essentially it means that the food contains no pork or
alcohol and tha t the m eat has be en s laughtered ac cording to the S unnah of
Prophet Mohammed and the name of Allah has been mentioned at the time of
slaughtering.
Other types of food are left to the taste of the people. For instance, not all people
are comfortable eating various kinds of seafood.
Chapter 5, “The Table”, Verse 5:
“This day (all) things good and pure are made lawful unto you, and
the food of the
people of t he b ook i s l awful f or y ou a nd y our f ood i s
lawful for them.”
In case halal meat is not available, Muslims are instructed to utter, “In the name
of God,” (Bismillah) on the food before they eat. S ome students might insist to
eat only halal meat, while others may prefer to be vegetarian. In this respect, the
Islamic teachings are flexible and leave this to the discretion of the individual. You
can also check locally for halal food markets.
How to Find the Nearest “Halal” Meat Store
There are several ways to locate stores that sell halal meat. Some of them are as
follows:
•
•
Contact a local mosque to obtain the addresses or phone numbers of
local stores.
Using the internet, type in local.com and enter your city and state. You
will re ceive a l isting o f l ocal s tores.
(The i nternet i s a wo nderful
resource that may provide you with more options.)
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•
Some grocery stores such as Giant Food and Shoppers Food Warehouse
stock frozen halal chicken nuggets and other products from Al Safa Halal
Inc.
Special Plate/Utensils
Some students might request a special plate and utensils set aside so that they do
not mix with plates on which pork has been served.
Cleanliness and Religious Washing “Wudu”
The 5 times daily prayers (Salat) require a state of cleanliness. Wudu or
“ceremonial wash” is required before each of the 5 daily prayers. It involves
washing the hands, face, arms, wiping over the head and washing the feet.
The individual may pray more than one time after making wudu as long as they
did not “break their wudu” by using the bathroom, sleeping, etc...
Chapter 5, “The Table Spread”, Verse 6:
“O you who believe, when you prepare for prayer
wash your faces and your hands as far as the elbows,
and wipe your heads (with water); and (wash) your
feet to the ankles…...”
Since cleanliness is a must before the prayer, you will see Muslims use water, in
addition to using the toilet paper in the bathrooms. It is a religious practice and
students might keep a small bucket/cup or plastic squeeze bottle, similar to those
given by hospitals to women who have just given birth, in the bathroom.
Water Conservation/Accommodations
In countries with significant Muslim populations, making wudu is performed either
in a s pecial ro om o r o ver the bas in. S ince m any bathro oms in A merica hav e
carpet, it needs to be explained to the students to place a small hand towel under
their feet to minimize making the carpet wet, as well as to use the water
conservatively. Please be patient with your student as they make this adjustment.
Pets and Dogs
There are a lot of misunderstandings about the issue of “Dogs” in Islam. The dog
itself is mentioned in the Qur’an as a loyal and honest companion and mentions
the miraculous story of the young Christians in the early era of persecution. They
ran and hid in a cave with their dog, slept for 309 years and woke up again. Verse
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18 mentioned that the dog slept with them and even touched upon the position of
his sleep.
Chapter 18 “The Cave”, Verse 18:
“You wo uld hav e tho ught the m awak e, whi le the y we re asleep, and W e
turned them on their right and on their left sides: their dog stretching forth
his fore-legs on the threshold: i f you had looked at them, you would have
certainly turned back from them in flight, and would certainly have been
filled with terror of them.”
The dog, in most o f the Muslim c ommunities, is acquired f or the purp oses o f
protection as a watch dog or for special use with hunters or police. T hey are not
commonly s een as do mestic pe ts, wh ile c ats, bi rds and o ther pe ts are qui te
common. Religiously, the dog is not to be in the house for the simple fact that the
saliva is considered unclean or “Najis” and should not touch any piece of cloth or
part of the body. If that happens, it becomes unclean and needs to be washed
thoroughly and in s ome s ayings o f the prophet, 7 t imes – one of t he s even b y
dust.
To shed some light on that issue, it’s helpful if you realize that at the time of the
prophet in the desert of Arabia, dogs did not have the attention and care of the
modern veterinarians today in Europe and America. Dogs, in some instances, bite
and may have rabies, which could be dangerous and possibly deadly. Despite the
fact that s hots are becoming m ore av ailable to day, do gs are s till no t us ed as
domestic p ets in M uslim so cieties. T hat e xplains why m any c ultural e xchange
students are v ery un comfortable w ith o r s cared o f d ogs i n the house. S tudents
might request that the dog not be permitted to enter their rooms where they pray.
By the ti me the s tudent pre pares to re turn to the ir
home country, their comfort level and perception of
the dog changes.
Mosques
Mosques are the houses of worship for Muslims.
Normally the 5 daily congregational prayers take
place in the mosque. T he most important prayer is
Friday Prayer just after noon. Its importance i s
similar to that o f the we ekly S unday s ervice i n
Christianity or Saturday service in Judaism.
In
America, not all the students are able to attend the
Friday service. Some students, who regularly attend
back home, like to go periodically, especially in
Ramadan. To find a mosque close to you, go to this
website www.islamicfinder.com and enter your zip code.
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All people are welcome to visit. Some non-Muslims call in advance to schedule an
appointment for themselves or for a group tour and Q&A session. Since the
prayer includes prostration on the ground, the prayer hall is kept clean and visitors
also take off their shoes. Women are asked to dress modestly and bring a scarf to
cover their hair.
Islamic Cultural Center Tempe, AZ
In addition to being a house of worship, the mosque is the center of educational,
social, and recreational activities for the community. Mosques differ from place to
place. I t is s imple in s tructure whe re th e ni tch in the f ront wall faces M ecca
located in what is now Saudi Arabia. S ome of the mosques are built traditionally
from s cratch with minarets and domes and some are buildings or p rivate homes,
which hav e be en c onverted i nto m osques. T he arc hitecture and s ervices di ffer
from place to place depending upon the community. Some are used only for the 5
daily prayers, while others include an e ducational institution, as well as areas for
the social activities of the community.
Since the mosque is considered to be the “house of God,” whoever visits it is
considered the guest of God. This explains why some students request to go to
the mosque. It may help them as they work through issues, feel connected to the
community, or satisfy their need to experience the sanctity.
The Role of the Imam /Authority Figure
Some s tudents f eel an e xtra s ense o f c omfort to hav e c ontact w ith an I mam to
answer s ome of the ir re ligious que stions e specially whe n the y f irst arr ive.
Sometimes students are asked certain religious questions by their host families, or
someone in their host community and they do not feel their English helps them to
answer properly from the Qur’an. It is helpful for them to know that there is a
way to contact the Imam for assistance.
Ramadan & Issues Related to Fasting
Ramadan is the m onth o f f asting and h as a s pecial p lace in the he arts o f a ll
Muslims. I t is the ninth month of the lunar calendar. I n addition to fasting from
dawn to sunset, it is the time when M uslims put f orth extra effort to read Qur’an
each day , o ffer add itional p rayers and p erform ac ts o f c harity. T he m ain two
meals in Ramadan are:
•
“Suhoor” - the meal eaten before beginning the fast at dawn. Students
wake up before dawn to eat their “Suhoor” meal. (This meal can be
prepared at night so it is ready for the student at dawn for convenience.
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They should also be encouraged to drink plenty of fluids during these
meals, particularly water to avoid any hydration issues.)
•
“Iftar” – begins at sunset and is the time of eating to break the fast.
Traditionally date s, “ a natura l s weet” and wate r are us ed to bre ak the
fast. Sunset prayer is then offered, followed by a nutritious, high-protein
meal. (In many countries lentil, bean and other types of soups and
dishes that can be prepared in advance are offered as part of the meal.)
During R amadan e xtra pray ers are p erformed e ach e vening c alled “T araweeh
prayers.” They
can be pray ed i n c ongregation at the m osque or al one at h ome. During th is
month many Muslims read the entire Qur’an at least one time from cover to cover.
This month is a time for reflection, meditation, feeding the needy and poor, and
strengthening the family ties. (You may notice the student spending more time in
his/her room performing prayers during this month.)
Chapter 2, “The Cow”, Verse 183:
“O you who believe, fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to
those before you that you may learn self-restraint.”
The “Night of Honor” is the night when the Qur’an was revealed. It takes place
during the odd nights of the last 10 days of Ramadan. It is generally expected to
be the night of the 27th. The Qur’an equates the value of this night with the
worship of a tho usand months. M uslims t ry to spend this n ight performing extra
worship including offering prayers for most of the night and reading Qur’an.
Holidays and Celebrations in Islam
The two main Eids “celebrations” in Islam are:
1. Eid-ul-Fitr: “The Feast of Breaking the Fast” is the most spiritually fulfilling
holiday for the Muslims around the world. They feel a tremendous sense of
accomplishment and joy for completing the commandments of God during
this intensive month of worship. These moments of happiness begin with
the news o f th e “ sighting o f the m oon” d uring the l ast n ight o f R amadan,
which announces the beginning of the new month of Shawwal. The Eid
starts wi th pe rforming an ac t o f c harity o n be half o f e ach m ember o f the
household c alled “Zakat- ul-Fitr.” The “ Eid p rayer,” a c ongregational
prayer f or the e ntire c ommunity, is he ld in the m osque o r ano ther
designated location large enough to accommodate the entire community.
Following the prayer in the morning, people visit one another and exchange
gifts. Each country has a special type of food and sweets that are served
during the E id. T he joy i s s imilar to C hristmas i n A merica. I t i s a 3 d ay
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celebration and includes ne w c lothes f or e veryone, gi fts f or the c hildren
from the parents, relatives and close friends, as well as plays, games,
puppet s hows and tr ips to am usement p arks. T here are a lso community
members, who visit hospitals and other centers to distribute gift bags and
Qur’ans to those who are ill or unable to celebrate with the community.
2. Eid-ul-Adha: “The Feast of Sacrifice” takes place on the 10th of month of
Zul Hijjah and it is part of the rites of Hajj. Pilgrims and others sacrifice an
animal in c ommemoration o f ang el Gabr iel’s s ubstitution o f a l amb at the
time when Prophet Abraham passed the test of his readiness to sacrifice his
son, Isma’il, in obedience to God. I t is a 4 day celebration, in much of the
same way as Eid-ul-Fitr, starting with prayer, sharing meals, visiting friends
and family, exchanging gifts, providing games and other activities in which
the children participate.
Cultural E xchange s tudents wi ll appreciate k nowing the t ime and location o f the
Eid prayers and perhaps doing something special to celebrate them.
Other Holidays
1. The Birthday of Prophet Mohammed: This occasion takes place on the
12th day of Rabi-ul-Awwal, “the 3rd month of the lunar Islamic calendar.”
2. Ashur’a: This celebration is generally observed by the Shi’a community
and commemorates the death of the prophet’s grandson.
These two events are observed by some but not by every Muslim.
Interest (Usury or Riba) & Bank Accounts
Since the "I slamic F inancial S ystem" f orbids interest, s tudents m ight feel
uncomfortable to have a saving account, which accumulates interest. This subject
has been one of the sensitive issues for Muslim communities living in the West and
conducting transactions within the “Western Financial System," which depends
upon interest.
Although scholarly opinions have emerged in recent times that vary regarding the
definition of the "interest" given or received by various financial institutions,
it might be easier for the host family to establish an interest free checking account
for students rather than a savings account.
Recently, s ome s tates hav e und ergone modifications in t he list o f id entification /
information needed to establish a bank account or in the policies of their
institutions. Host families in these states set up an account in their name with the
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student as a co-signor and the account is managed /maintained by the
student under the supervision of their host families.
Saving Accounts and Interests
Some students may choose to have a "Savings Account." In many instances,
Muslims in the West, who have a savings account, normally disburse the
generated interest on phone bills, gas, and things of that nature, but not on food.
For more information on specific s ituations, p lease feel free to communicate with
CECF.
For More Information
If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact CECF.
410-944-6077
cecf1@aol.com
www.cecf-net.org
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