...means” (Ronald Regan). The Middle East is full of mixed cultures and many religions, but unlike the United States the Middle East’s melting pot never made it to the stove. As a result the Middle East is full of strife. Christianity flourished peacefully in the Middle East until the Muslim conquest, which brought persecution. Now in the Middle East many Christians don’t have the freedom of speech, the freedom of religion, nor the pursuit of happiness. Christians in the Middle East do not have the freedom of religion. “Six Coptic Christians and a security official have been killed in a drive-by shooting outside a church in southern Egypt” (BBC). These people...
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...The Middle East had numerous religions that persisted and changed during the time period of 600 C.E. to 1450. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are some of the main religions that continued during that time period. Many of the Middle Eastern people’s beliefs in religion have not changed since 600 C.E. to 1450. The religion that is still continued and the majority of people practice is Islam. In early 600 C.E. the religion of Islam originated in the city of Mecca. Mecca was chosen as the holy city because of the Ka’ba, which is a holy shrine dedicated to Allah and Muhammad. Islam follows the teachings out of the holy book, called the Qur’an. The followers of Islam include the believed that there was a prophet and he was named was Muhammad. They believed in an afterlife and that angels are real. Islam was and continues to be a monotheistic religion, that worships one god, Allah. There are the Five Pillars of Islam which are rules that the practicing people must follow. The religion is based on the Five Pillars are testimony of faith, praying five times a day, giving a zakat, fasting during the month of Ramadan, and making a pilgrimage to Mecca. The beliefs of the Islamic society did not change drastically between 600 C.E. to 1450. The Islamic world has changed over time as it has expanded beyond its cultural territories. The expanded Islamic world also improved their trade system and education system. The changes and continuities are largely due to its religion, trade system...
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...years developed a reputation for its ability to provide localized content without diluting what MTV stood for. However, the company faced the most challenging test in late 2007 with its launch of MTV Arabia in the Middle East, which some experts considered as the biggest launch in the channel’s history. While the market in the Middle East offered MTVN with huge opportunities due to its huge youth populace, MTV’s controversial content that was known for angering religious, political, and conservative communities could easily backfire in the conservative environment prevalent in the region. On the other hand, too much localization to suit the tastes of the region could dilute MTV’s global brand. The case discusses in detail the strategy adopted by MTVN to enter and expand in the Middle East and also the challenges faced by the channel. TEACHING OBJECTIVES & TARGET AUDIENCE The case will help the students to: • Understand the issues and challenges in entering and expanding operations in new markets which were culturally different from the organizations home/traditional/existing markets. • Understand the pros and cons of entering a new market with a standardized/adapted product to suit local preferences. • Analyze MTVN’s strategy in the Middle East, identify challenges and explore strategies that the channel could adopt in the future This case is meant for students of the MBA/MS level programs in the Business Strategy curriculum. The case is also suitable...
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...Pennsylvania vs. Pakistan Pakistan vs. Pennsylvania? Are the two places comparable at all? Pennsylvania, a state of the United States, and Pakistan, a country of the Middle East, may be very diverse and similar in many ways statistically speaking. The people that reside there; the terrain and climate; and the religions and languages practiced. Pennsylvania is a state located in the United States; it’s about 45,308 square miles. The capital of Pennsylvania is Harrisburg home to 49,528 people. The total population of the state is 12,335,091 residents. The states that border Pennsylvania are New York on the North; New Jersey and Delaware on the East; Maryland and West Virginia on the South and Ohio on the West; Lake Erie is a border in the Northwest. Pakistan is a country located in South Asia. 310,527 square miles this is about seven times the size of Pennsylvania or twice the size of California. The capital of Pakistan is Islamabad, home to 800,000 residences. The total population of the country is 167,762,040 people which is 13.5 times the amount of people in Pennsylvania. The country’s bordering Pakistan is: Afghanistan on the West; China is to the North; India to the East and Iran to the West; the Arabian Sea also borders Pakistan to the west. Pakistan is enormous compared to Pennsylvania and has more people residing in the country than the state. Pennsylvania’s terrain varies from each part of the state. The Southeast is a coastal plain with lower sea levels. The Southwest...
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...Contemporary world power, and the shift from the East to the West during what historian’s term, Medieval/Renaissance Europe, shifted the roles of two vastly different empires – the Ming and Ottoman. Both empires had different types of leadership and core goals – military and social. The Ming Empire was led by brilliant philosophical scholars, concerned not only with the external world but the development of the internal consciousness; the Ottoman based on a new monotheistic religion that stratified society, but also allowed numerous mathematical, scientific, and medical advances, copied by the Europeans after the Crusades. Islam began about 700 AD in the Saudi Peninsula, which at the time, was composed mostly of nomadic tribes, a few trade cities, and a disparate population. Through religion, the Arab peoples were united, so that by the years of 900-1200 AD, the Ottoman Empire could be called a state unto itself. It quickly proved to be a military strength and threat to its neighbors, at its height growing from the Iberian Peninsula through India and into Southeast Asia. The Turks expanded their empire through brilliant military tactics, horse archery, and new technologies in battle. Coupled with this more practical sense, the idea of spreading Islam, and the uniting of cultures through culture and religion, proved to be equally as powerful (Goodwin, 2003). The Ming Empire, on the other hand, had no central religion or cultural basis, unless one considers the philosophies...
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...There is currently a ban on several countries in the Middle East that is keeping these citizens from entering the United States. This is wrong in so many ways. Every day Middle Eastern civilians are waking up to the sounds of oncoming war machinery and fatal bombs. In certain areas people fear for their lives every single second until the day of their deaths. This is mostly because they are being overrun by a terrorist group called ISIS. The people in this group believe strongly in their religion and one of these beliefs is that people from any other religion should be put to death. Even the people that follow this religion get severely punished for doing something the wrong way. Michael Jansen from the Irish Times explains how the Islamic State is fighting back with suicide and car bombings targeting mainly “Shia Muslims” because of their territorial losses in Syria and Iraq (13)....
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...Discuss the possible reasons that the United States has become the "Great Satan" in many Middle Eastern countries. Are there valid reasons for looking negatively on the United States? If so, how strong are these reasons? What should the U.S. do about it? The United States has become the “Great Satan” for a few reasons. One major reason is the Islamic religion belief; Islam is the predominant religion in the Middle East. The value of Islamic is very conservative. Islam religion had become effective in political power, national identity and economic prosperity. After WWII, U.S become powerful and strongest country in the world, The U.S. seemed greedy interested in oil resource and a making a profit rather than respecting the values of the Islamic culture. Middle Eastern countries were toward antagonism to the United Sates that has become the “Great Satan”. The U.S has shown the good will to Middle Eastern nations by providing military supplies, goods, etc. Many Middle Eastern nations have been helped by the U.S. and also Middle Eastern nations have given great advantages to the U.S such as oil. However, the U.S. should consider the value of Islamic culture deeply to become more friendly relation. After watching the video on the Suez Crisis, what are your thoughts? Specifically, how important do you think that this crisis was? Is there a legacy from it? Was the U.S. justified in convincing the British to leave? There are those who state that Eisenhower regretted not backing...
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...and pave the way for future generations to come. It would take women decades just to get their issue recognized! Though the rights of women have vastly improved, there are still many countries or people who refuse to treat women as equals or with any respect at all. “The Stoning of Soraya” is an example of the challenges women face on a daily basis in the Middle East alone -beatings, rape, or even death under unfair circumstances. Whether it is due to religious code or a wrongful upbringing, women are still at war with injustice today. But can either of these reasons truly justify the many injustices that women face? The ways women are abused or mistreated are similar in each case. In most cases, such as that of Soraya, women are verbally abused, beaten, and raped by the men they call their husbands or lovers. They are made into mere objects for sex or forms of labor for the man. The victims are shown no compassion at all and are blamed for any accidents or unpleasant occurrences in the relationship. At any moment a normal day can become a terrifying, life threatening beating session in front of others. Women in the Middle East are subjected to these injustices and more brutal conditions: under Islamic law, their husbands can have complete dominance over them, can replace theme completely by marrying another woman, and can confine them completely in at home without food or water. These injustices not only effect the woman, but her children may be badly emotionally as well as mentally...
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...stand alone by itself. It must forge partnerships and alliances with other countries in order to survive. It is interesting to note that the article presents the Japanese as a single civilization by itself, but how are the Japanese different? Aren’t Japanese Asians too? Japan found it convenient to compete not with arms but with money. Thru investments and business dealings the Japanese were able to go head to head with western countries. Civilization and Religion are closely related but vary greatly among civilizations. Each civilization has a different view on God and other values. The Catholic Church as well as Islam and other religions have been fighting for their beliefs for centuries. Just goes to show that discrimination of any kind, be it ideology, religion or skin color is very much alive today. The idea of the US being the world’s main superpower is now being seriously challenged, not only by European countries but by Middle East and Asian Countries as well. The Middle East, especially the Muslim nations have a somewhat different view of the US, some even going to the point of armed conflict. With their vast reserves of oil- or black gold-these countries can...
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...day misconceptions and the forced involvement with geopolitics. Islam struggles with the western world’s perception of the religion and cultural understanding. The current religious struggle between the Middle East and the West derives from thousands of years of bloodshed and conflict between the worlds three major religions; Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Blood that was shed during a period of holy wars and the ever expanding ruling powers such as Greece and Rome. The candle of hatred burns in modern times with the presences of radical extremist groups like the Taliban and Al-Qaeda that continue to ignite hatred towards the West by manipulating the Qur’an and preaching concepts that conflict with the laws of Islam. Many scholars throughout the world have expressed their differences in events that occurred in the Qur’an. Like in Christianity and Judaism, one person’s interpretation of the scriptures can spawn radicals and extremist that prays on the weak to fuel their fire. Many Muslims believe that Muhammad was the only prophet of God and that Jesus was only a practitioner of Christian faith. They are also believing that Jesus was not the son of God nor ordained like Christians do but only Muhammad. In the United States and most of Europe, women have reached equality to men. There are significant differences between the Western World, Middle East, and North Africa. The modern stakes in the role of sexuality in Islam are high and currently affect its social role in the...
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...The artifact I will be dealing with are Middle Eastern born students and how well they assimilate to American culture. The culture of the Middle East is very different from American customs to say the least, many countries follow a political system of Islamic fundamentalism and some go far enough to be described as a theocracy(Giger, 2002). Here the pillars of Islam and Islamic conservative values reign supreme, this includes patriarchy style government and social customs, limited and diminished role of women, and of course low to no tolerance of competing ideologies and religions, with most families adhering to the the muslim idea of a traditional family. Islamic law in middle eastern countries touched on almost every aspect of life here,...
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...factor that will divide the world of politics, because of what we believe, religion, language and traditions. This is the reason why countries look for allies in different nations with the same beliefs. Religion is the biggest factor that will cause division and it is already proven between Christianity and Islam. From the ancient times until this very day religion and our beliefs is the cause of war, because we fight for what we believe. Rise of civilization against the other started in the ancient times. And until today, the conflict continues. It will never be solved because we have differences and those differences are what make us unique as a person and as a nation. You may hate someone because of the type of civilization, and you may also like someone because of it. Civilization is the identity of a nation. The Next Pattern of Conflict The source of conflict is not merely ideological or economical, cultural tradition is the greatest reason for division in our world. The western countries had conflicts between princes, their armies, even constitutional is because of their economic stand and the land that they ruled. During the ancient times, the Americans fought for their land because of the British Empire that wants to colonize their land. The Founding Fathers stood against them and later on made a move to make a constitution for their protection. The western civil war is not because of their religion but because of the borders that they can conquer, they want to own more...
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...Women in the Middle East 1. Introduction 2. Before Islam 3. After Islam 4. Marriage 5. Education 6. Modern Day -Examples from different Arab countries -Arab Spring 7. What’s next? 8. Citations 1. Introduction Over the course of history, women in the Middle East, not so much different than around the world, haven’t been attaining all their full rights and haven’t been quite satisfied with the status of gender equality that the world continues to lack. The Middle East has its more than enough share with this ever-continuing phenomenon. The situation changes with every passing day, as it is affected by our effervescently changing political and social status. Religion has played an enormous role in the matter, as did politics, economy, and social standards. Women’s rights have increased and decreased soon before it was satisfactory enough. This continues and will continue to happen until women find themselves satisfied in our men-driven society. In order for one to judge the current and possible future status, we must understand the past and how women’s rights evolved to become where it is right now. 2. Before Islam Women before the dawn of Islam had practically no legal status in opposition to the traditional and standard tribal laws. Their own fathers sold them to their husbands or legal guardians; they had no choice in the matter and could be left at anytime according to the spouse’s will. They had no private property or...
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...western states by Arabic countries (modern imperialism, e.g. Iraq war, Afghanistan, Libya). However, it seems too simplistic to confuse a religion with interest of all its participants and countries with an immutable kinship of its historical confederates. Furthermore, Huntington does not offer any explanation on how to define civilizations, but instead proposes broad generalizations what current civilizations might be, and does not acknowledge the interdependence between multi-religious and cultural countries, such as the USA is one. With regards to Bin-Laden’s letter, it is worth while reflecting upon its message and the historical evidence he provides to justify Al-Qaida’s actions. It is true, that many of the conflicts of the middle-east are related to US-interventions, but for me his hypocritical assessment of Islam does not differ from IS-propaganda to recruit young, frustrated Europeans. IS-leaders are exploiting their religion to gain earthly interests (territory, army expansion etc.), which makes it a rather geopolitics related conflict, than a cultural dispute. -------------------------------------------- [ 1 ]. Chomsky, N. (2008): Modern-Day American Imperialism: Middle East and beyond [ 2 ]. Cronin, A.K. (2008): Ending Terrorism: Lessons for defeating al-Qaeda, p. 20 [ 3 ]. Iganatius, D. (2015): How Isis spread in the middle east, The Atantic Magazine, URL: http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/10/how-isis-started-syria-iraq/412042/ retrieved 23...
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...Sniper, which was made in 2014, had more stereotypes than one can count and was the inspiration for this paper because so many people had a reaction to it, good and bad, Why was there such a reaction? From a societal standpoint, what in our culture allowed so many people to praise it or be outraged by it. There is evidence to show that its roots go back some 30 years and has only grown to what could be argued full blown Islamophobia by large portion of the American population, and a lot of that comes from a lack of education and fear. The goal of this paper is to point out and disprove the stereotypes and show just how distorted they are. Also to show how misunderstood the Muslim people are and how a political agenda has effectively turned a religion into most hated group of people in the...
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