In reading a novel involving Isreal and Palestinian identity, a set of ideas emerged into consciousness.
One such idea stands out. That idea posits that the conflict in Isreal has a number of cultural components. The cultural componant although parallel to religion, originate in Israli and Arab culture. The cultural aspect can stand apart from the religious aspect.
A look at several elemts and how they differ bwtween the two cultures will suffice.
Take the attitude toward women. Traditional Arab culture limits a woman's role in the tribe. She seldom appears in public without a male family member. She often appears veiled. Her role consists first and foremost in bearing children.
Israli cultre, by contrast , allows women the same freedom of action as one might find ibn Europe and the United States. The woman's role has many diverse and optional elements. She chooses the ones which she wants to live with. Sub-groups such as the ultrea orthodox groups have more conservative approaches to a woman's life style. But, these conservative groups lack the rigor found in Arab applications of life style.
Land use serves as another mark by which to differentiate between the Israli and Arab cultures. Many of the Palestinian Arab groups, whether displaced or otherwise, restrict land use to something close to subsistance farming. Olive trees and sheep form the foundation of the economy in places. This approach infuses the attitudes of many Arabs regardless of what the individual or family group actually does.
Israli farming practices relay on a broader range of crops. The Israli settlers have made the desert bloom in many places.
Palestinian Arab culture has a long history rooted in the same reghion. It , also, like many old cultures, has a fatalistic character. This character fosters a much stronger resistance to change than the israli culture. Although, Judaism and it's practice has existed for some five thousand years, the people who practice it have experienced uprooting and dispersal. Thus, have Jews had to reinvent themselves time and again over the ages. Their religious has afforded them a consistant identity. But, at the same time, Jewish culture has not had the opportunity to grow fatalistic as Arab culte has.
The differences between the two cultures covers every aspect of life. Israeli culture appears more flexable or open to change While at the same time maintaining an identity through religeous identity.
Although, Islam has spread through out the world and has vast populations adhering to it's tenants, the current trend of fundamentalist rigidity among Palestinians and Persians appears to come from the age of the culture and not just the religeoun. Radical elements using this rigidity have sparked the resistance to the state of isreal.,
This writing does not attempt to cover everything. Laziness stalks all existence and wins. The goal points at a broader perspective in the analysis of the Israli Plestinia conflict. It purposes to redirect the question from religeon to a broader frame of culture. The writing does not find any value in violence, terror, or persoanl self-destruction
The hope lies in the possibility of choosing to look at the perspective and life of another.
No comments:
Post a Comment