Cultural Comparison Paper
Cultural Comparisons Paper #1
I decided to research Saudi Arabia because Saudi Arabia has been in the news a lot lately and I wanted to have a better understanding of the culture. There are a lot of stereotypes associated with Saudi Arabia and the Islam religion and I think that the best way to overlook these stereotypes is to learn more about the culture and gain an insider’s perspective. It is all too easy to judge a culture from the outside, but by becoming educated on the culture it may be easier to differentiate the good from the bad and the assumed from reality. For this essay, I researched the geographic and natural environment of Saudi Arabia, the economic and political systems, and the religion in Saudi Arabia as well as the impact it has on the culture. Saudi Arabia is located in Southwest Asia and borders the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. Surrounding countries include Yemen, Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. Most of Saudi Arabia is desert and one of the world’s largest sand desert, Rub’al Khali, resides in
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southern Saudi Arabia. The climate in Saudi Arabia is mostly hot and dry with cool nights. The capital, Riyadh, is located in Najd, a central plateau. The holy cities Mecca and Medina are located in the Hijaz which runs along the Red Sea from the Gulf of Aqaba to Asir. The region of Asir, a fertile coastal plain, reaches south to the Yemen border and there are more mountainous regions inland. The primary oil-producing region of the country is the Eastern Province which runs along the Persian Gulf. Saudi Arabia “is the leading exporter of petroleum in the world market,” hence it’s economy largely relies on oil (György Simon, Jr., 2016). The Saudi Ministry of Economy and Planning and the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency reports “The petroleum sector accounts for 55% of the country’s GDP, 90% of export earnings, and nearly 75% of government revenues” (György Simon, Jr., 2016). The employed workforce is dominated by foreign workers, especially in the oil and service sectors. In order to decrease dependence on oil, and increase the number of jobs for Saudi Arabia’s growing population, the government is “encouraging private sector growth” (György Simon, Jr., 2016). The private sector mostly consists of big companies in construction and real estate who depend on government spending to stay in business. Saudi Arabia also has a small agricultural sector that makes up about five percent of the country’s GDP. Saudization is the replacement of the Saudi Arabian people in the workforce with foreign workers, specifically in the private sector. The Saudi government has taken action to reduce the unemployment of Saudis by implementing regulations within the private sector (György Simon, Jr., 2016). Although employment among native Saudis has improved, many Saudis are simply not interested in working a manual labor job. Culturally, Saudis find it offensive to work a lowly job such as a janitor, garbage collector, any type of cleaning, and construction. Saudi Arabia is a monarchy ruled by the Al Saud family. The current head of state and prime minister is King Salman bin Abdelaziz al-Saud. The government sets law based on its interpretation of Sharia (Islamic Law) and the 1992 Basic Law which was a newly implemented constitution. The Basic Law lays out the rights of the citizens and the powers and duties exercised by the government as well as the system of governance. The Qur’an and the Traditions (Sunna) of the Prophet Muhammad also serve as the country’s constitution (Niblock & Malik, 2007). The Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, also known as the “religious police,” is a government agency whose purpose is to enforce Sharia Law. A few examples of the CPVPV enforcing Sharia law include arresting anyone practicing a religion different than Islam in Saudi Arabia, enforcing dress-codes, and closing stores during prayer time (Niblock & Malik, 2007). In order to be a citizen of Saudi Arabia, an individual must be a Muslim, or convert to Islam; Freedom of religion does not exist in Saudi Arabia. Islam was founded by the Prophet Muhammad and revolves around the fundamental idea of Islam which is for the believer to accept surrender to the will of Allah. There are four main principles or sources that Islamic doctrinal and social views are based on: the Qur’an, the Sunnah (traditions), consensus, and individual thought (Abu & Ibrahim, 2012). Five pillars make up the fundamental practices and institutions of Islam. The profession of faith is the first pillar. One has to speak aloud their faith that there is only one God and that Muhammed is the messenger of God. The second pillar is prayer. Five daily prayers take place throughout the day: one before sunrise, the second after noon, the third prayer in late afternoon, the fourth right after sunset, and the fifth before going to bed. The zakāt is the third pillar. The zakāt is an obligatory tax that is paid annually on cash, food, and cattle. The fourth pillar of faith is fasting. Fasting takes place during the month of Ramadan and begins when the sun rises and ends at sunset during which no smoking, eating, or drinking is allowed. The fifth pillar is the hajj, or the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, a journey every Muslim must take once in their lifetime (Abu & Ibrahim, 2012). Due to the strict interpretation of Sunni Islam known as Wahhabism, there are a lot of conservative views concerning women in Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, women do not have many rights and are restricted from activities such as driving to competing freely in sports. Every woman in Saudi Arabia, regardless of age, is required to have a male guardian. This male guardianship system prevents women in Saudi Arabia from making any decision or doing anything on their own without permission from a male. A woman’s whole life, from birth to death, is controlled by a man. She cannot marry, travel abroad, or even open a bank account by herself (Doumato, 1992). As for work, women in Saudi Arabia have become increasingly more educated yet cultural and legal constraints prevent them from certain employment opportunities. One of the biggest constraints is the cultural and religious rule that unrelated men and women can not socialize or interact with one another, meaning that women cannot be in the same room as males at work (Eleanor, 1999). The largest employer for women in Saudi Arabia is the public-sector, which includes sex-segregated jobs such as teachers or health care professionals. The culture in Saudi Arabia is very different from my American culture. One particular aspect that stands out to me is the restrictions on women in Saudi Arabia. Although inequalities between men and women still exist in America, I still have a lot more rights and opportunities than women do in Saudi Arabia. I can drive a car, travel abroad, and open my own bank account without getting permission from a man. It is too easy to take for granted the rights and freedoms I already have and it is good to be reminded that many countries in this world still have vast inequalities between men and women. Another aspect that stood out to me and is closely related to women’s rights in Saudi Arabia, is the close link between religion and government. Women aren’t allowed to walk outside without being completely covered and they aren’t allowed to socialize with males unrelated to them without being punished. In America, I am free to practice any religion I please, and I won’t be persecuted for socializing with males or walking around in public in shorts and a t-shirt.
Bibliography
Abu, Ibrahim, and Ibrahim Abu Bakar.
"Islam and Political Reform in Saudi Arabia: The Quest for Political Change and Reform - by Mansoor Jassem Alshamsi." Reviews in Religion and Theology, 19 (2012): 405.
Doumato, Eleanor A. "Gender, Monarchy, and National Identity in Saudi Arabia." British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, 19.1 (1992): 31-47.
Eleanor, Abdella D. "Women and Work in Saudi Arabia: How Flexible are Islamic Margins?" The Middle East Journal, vol. 53, no. 4, 1999, pp. 568-583 ABI/INFORM Collection; Research Library, http://libproxy.sdsu.edu/login?url=http:// search.proquest.com.libproxy.sdsu.edu/docview/218488382?accountid=13758.
Niblock, Tim, and Monica Malik. The Political Economy of Saudi Arabia. Routledge, 2007.
Simon, György, Factors of Growth in the Resource-Intensive Economy of Saudi Arabia (October 30, 2016). Available at SSRN:
https://ssrn.com/abstract=2863049
southern Saudi Arabia. The climate in Saudi Arabia is mostly hot and dry with cool nights. The capital, Riyadh, is located in Najd, a central plateau. The holy cities Mecca and Medina are located in the Hijaz which runs along the Red Sea from the Gulf of Aqaba to Asir. The region of Asir, a fertile coastal plain, reaches south to the Yemen border and there are more mountainous regions inland. The primary oil-producing region of the country is the Eastern Province which runs along the Persian Gulf. Saudi Arabia “is the leading exporter of petroleum in the world market,” hence it’s economy largely relies on oil (György Simon, Jr., 2016). The Saudi Ministry of Economy and Planning and the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency reports “The petroleum sector accounts for 55% of the country’s GDP, 90% of export earnings, and nearly 75% of government revenues” (György Simon, Jr., 2016). The employed workforce is dominated by foreign workers, especially in the oil and service sectors. In order to decrease dependence on oil, and increase the number of jobs for Saudi Arabia’s growing population, the government is “encouraging private sector growth” (György Simon, Jr., 2016). The private sector mostly consists of big companies in construction and real estate who depend on government spending to stay in business. Saudi Arabia also has a small agricultural sector that makes up about five percent of the country’s GDP. Saudization is the replacement of the Saudi Arabian people in the workforce with foreign workers, specifically in the private sector. The Saudi government has taken action to reduce the unemployment of Saudis by implementing regulations within the private sector (György Simon, Jr., 2016). Although employment among native Saudis has improved, many Saudis are simply not interested in working a manual labor job. Culturally, Saudis find it offensive to work a lowly job such as a janitor, garbage collector, any type of cleaning, and construction. Saudi Arabia is a monarchy ruled by the Al Saud family. The current head of state and prime minister is King Salman bin Abdelaziz al-Saud. The government sets law based on its interpretation of Sharia (Islamic Law) and the 1992 Basic Law which was a newly implemented constitution. The Basic Law lays out the rights of the citizens and the powers and duties exercised by the government as well as the system of governance. The Qur’an and the Traditions (Sunna) of the Prophet Muhammad also serve as the country’s constitution (Niblock & Malik, 2007). The Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, also known as the “religious police,” is a government agency whose purpose is to enforce Sharia Law. A few examples of the CPVPV enforcing Sharia law include arresting anyone practicing a religion different than Islam in Saudi Arabia, enforcing dress-codes, and closing stores during prayer time (Niblock & Malik, 2007). In order to be a citizen of Saudi Arabia, an individual must be a Muslim, or convert to Islam; Freedom of religion does not exist in Saudi Arabia. Islam was founded by the Prophet Muhammad and revolves around the fundamental idea of Islam which is for the believer to accept surrender to the will of Allah. There are four main principles or sources that Islamic doctrinal and social views are based on: the Qur’an, the Sunnah (traditions), consensus, and individual thought (Abu & Ibrahim, 2012). Five pillars make up the fundamental practices and institutions of Islam. The profession of faith is the first pillar. One has to speak aloud their faith that there is only one God and that Muhammed is the messenger of God. The second pillar is prayer. Five daily prayers take place throughout the day: one before sunrise, the second after noon, the third prayer in late afternoon, the fourth right after sunset, and the fifth before going to bed. The zakāt is the third pillar. The zakāt is an obligatory tax that is paid annually on cash, food, and cattle. The fourth pillar of faith is fasting. Fasting takes place during the month of Ramadan and begins when the sun rises and ends at sunset during which no smoking, eating, or drinking is allowed. The fifth pillar is the hajj, or the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, a journey every Muslim must take once in their lifetime (Abu & Ibrahim, 2012). Due to the strict interpretation of Sunni Islam known as Wahhabism, there are a lot of conservative views concerning women in Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, women do not have many rights and are restricted from activities such as driving to competing freely in sports. Every woman in Saudi Arabia, regardless of age, is required to have a male guardian. This male guardianship system prevents women in Saudi Arabia from making any decision or doing anything on their own without permission from a male. A woman’s whole life, from birth to death, is controlled by a man. She cannot marry, travel abroad, or even open a bank account by herself (Doumato, 1992). As for work, women in Saudi Arabia have become increasingly more educated yet cultural and legal constraints prevent them from certain employment opportunities. One of the biggest constraints is the cultural and religious rule that unrelated men and women can not socialize or interact with one another, meaning that women cannot be in the same room as males at work (Eleanor, 1999). The largest employer for women in Saudi Arabia is the public-sector, which includes sex-segregated jobs such as teachers or health care professionals. The culture in Saudi Arabia is very different from my American culture. One particular aspect that stands out to me is the restrictions on women in Saudi Arabia. Although inequalities between men and women still exist in America, I still have a lot more rights and opportunities than women do in Saudi Arabia. I can drive a car, travel abroad, and open my own bank account without getting permission from a man. It is too easy to take for granted the rights and freedoms I already have and it is good to be reminded that many countries in this world still have vast inequalities between men and women. Another aspect that stood out to me and is closely related to women’s rights in Saudi Arabia, is the close link between religion and government. Women aren’t allowed to walk outside without being completely covered and they aren’t allowed to socialize with males unrelated to them without being punished. In America, I am free to practice any religion I please, and I won’t be persecuted for socializing with males or walking around in public in shorts and a t-shirt.
Bibliography
Abu, Ibrahim, and Ibrahim Abu Bakar.
"Islam and Political Reform in Saudi Arabia: The Quest for Political Change and Reform - by Mansoor Jassem Alshamsi." Reviews in Religion and Theology, 19 (2012): 405.
Doumato, Eleanor A. "Gender, Monarchy, and National Identity in Saudi Arabia." British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, 19.1 (1992): 31-47.
Eleanor, Abdella D. "Women and Work in Saudi Arabia: How Flexible are Islamic Margins?" The Middle East Journal, vol. 53, no. 4, 1999, pp. 568-583 ABI/INFORM Collection; Research Library, http://libproxy.sdsu.edu/login?url=http:// search.proquest.com.libproxy.sdsu.edu/docview/218488382?accountid=13758.
Niblock, Tim, and Monica Malik. The Political Economy of Saudi Arabia. Routledge, 2007.
Simon, György, Factors of Growth in the Resource-Intensive Economy of Saudi Arabia (October 30, 2016). Available at SSRN:
https://ssrn.com/abstract=2863049