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respect in different societies
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Imagine getting off the plane for the very first time after living the majority of your life in a Muslim country. The first sight you see is a couple being publicly affectionate. This is my grandmother’s very first encounter on Canadian soil. To any Western this is a social norm, but to an Arab woman it is a cultural shock, which is perceived as uncomfortable at the least. Although she is closed minded, it partially is not her fault, as I have lived with her in Tehran and Dubai –two Muslim cities located in the Persian Gulf and the Middle East. (PDA) Public display of affection is forbidden in these two countries. To me public affection is not just “…people making out and touching each other inappropriately…” it is the respect you have for your self and the people around you that is brought about through your identity. (Davis).
In Dubai PDA is legal, however as it is a Muslin city, the only legal activity is holding hands. According to BBC News, a young British man and women were “sentenced to a month in prison” followed by deportation and fines for PDA. If this were any Western country, then such problems would not arise from being publicly affectionate with a partner. It seems that the phrase PDA has a different definition within each society. For the Iranian culture, PDA is not only illegal –it is forbidden. No man or women can be affectionate in public, whether it is holding hands or making eye contact. Research claims, “Islam has determined that any sex-oriented pursuit of happiness and enjoyment in public is to be avoided” (Motahari 19). Therefore such actions will not get you a fine and deportation, but a death sentence. This punishment illustrates the major difference in each society, for example a simple ‘thumbs up’ h...
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...gious paradigm, being exposed to PDA causes a shift in her perception of individual respect within Western society. This experience formulates a new insight into a Western reality that she needs to learn to familiarize to. Although laws play a sufficient part towards PDA, the respect you have for yourself and your surroundings should always be considered, as you are part of a multi-cultural society.
Works Cited
Berrada, Khalid. “Metaphors of Light and Darkness in the Holy Quran:
A Conceptual Approach.” n.d. Web. 2 Feb. 2014.
“Jailed Dubai Kissing Pair Lose Appeal Over Conviction.” BBC News. 4 April. 2010. Web. 25 Jan. 2014.
Motahari, Ayatollah Morteza. Sexual Ethics in Islam and in the Western World. Iran: Foreign Department of Bethat Foundation. Web. 25 Jan. 2014
Mackenzie, Davis. “Public Displays of Affection Gross Out Other Students.” Artesian Herald.
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Lila Abu-Lughod’s article titled, “Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving?” takes a closer look at the problematic ethnocentric approach many have when trying to gain an understanding of another culture that may be foreign to that individual. In this analytical paper, Lughod looks at women in Islam, specifically the treatment of women and how it might be utilized as a justification for invading into a country and liberating its people. The country Lughod refers to in her article is Afghanistan, and Lughod points out the misunderstanding from the people to the Bush administration like First Lady Laura Bush who believed that intervention was necessary to free women from the captivity of their own homes. It is important to consider the role that different lenses play into all of this, especially when one’s lenses are being shaped by the media. Depictions of covered women secluded from society leave a permanent image in the minds of many, who would then later support the idea of liberation. This paper will discuss that the practice of using propaganda when referring to the lifestyle in the Middle East is not exclusive to the U.S; rather it has been utilized throughout history. Additionally, we will take a closer look on the importance of symbols, such as veils in this case; help to further emphasize the cause to liberate. Finally, we will analyze Lughod’s plea towards cultural relativism and away from liberal imperialism.
She makes the case that Western feminists have radically misinterpreted the veil. For many Muslim women, the veil acts as a divide between the public and private. The veil may actually liberate women from “the intrusive, commodifying, basely sexualizing Western gaze”. The veil frees women from the oppressive hyper-sexualization of found in Western culture. Reducing the veil to a symbol of oppression disregards the possibility of female agency outside a Western feminist paradigm. The veil has the potential to liberate women in the public space. Projecting our Western notions of sexuality and gender roles denies the possibility of different forms of sexual
“No PDA!” I will continue to hear through out my day when I went from class to class at the midst of passing period during high school and middle school. I never knew what teachers meant by saying that until they would start to get on my case about showing some affection to the girlfriend I had at that time. That was when I learned that “PDA” abbreviates Public Display of Affection and one of the first times I learned an American display rule. At the same time, I believe some manners may contribute to the display rules. Then, the topic of it is “unmanly” for a man to show their emotions. The other discussion about holding in anger opposed to expressing it. I believe there are limitations to how men show their emotions, but I do believe that men should be able to show their emotions. Also, anyone should be able express his or her emotions instead of holding it and letting it all come out all at once.
Fijian relationships between men and women have undergone many changes since the introduction of Western influences. These changes are due to the desire to become more "Westernized" and therefore, incorporating the ideals that they perceive are important within Western society to their culture. This has caused relationships based upon an idealized version of "love". These Western influences, such as movies, magazines, and books make it seem as if many people have casual sex, and that they are all in "love" relationships. They portray love as this necessary aspect in a relationship and do not focus upon the amount of time that the majority of people feel is necessary in order to fall in love.
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As highlighted in this song, American society feels the need to police women’s sexual desires and silence them, only until they are associated with fulfilling a man’s libido. Throughout adolescence, the social construction of desire molds a woman’s expected behavior. This normalized behavior is then carried into adulthood. A woman who seeks out to focus her attention and energy into her own sexual desire, is considered a taboo within this western notion. The chains placed on women’s desire is due to the heteronormative environment that we live in. This idea of policing women is not only viewed within western society but, transnationally as well. Women are open to criticism due to the expression of their sexuality (Shah). Women are influenced to believe that complying to a man in any shape or form is the societal norm, even when we are talking about something as intimate as their own erotic
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