Middle Eastern

Return to Cultures.

Historical and Cultural Background
The term "Arab" originally described anyone from the Arabian peninsula. In 1946 it became a term to describe anyone whose langue was Arabic and could relate tot he aspirations of the Arabic people. Today, it genrally describes anyone whose primary language is Arabic. Geographically, Arabians can extend from the Persian Gulf to the Atlantic Ocean, from Iraq and the Gulf states in the east to Morocco's Atlantic cost in the west. From north to south, the Arab world extends from Syria to Sudan.

An overwhelming majority of Arabs are Muslim, members of the faith founded by the Prophet Muhammad in the seventh century. There are also Arab-speaking Jews and Christians throughout the Middle East. However, though Arab history is closely intertwined with Muslim history, there are significant non-Muslim communities in the Arab world. Also, many Muslims are from non-Arab countries such as Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia and many Sub-Saharan African countries. There are also large Arab and non-Arab Muslim communities in North America.

The Arab people came into prominence between the 7th and 10th centuries under the leadership of the Prophet Muhammad. Due to the spread of Islam, the Arabic language became more widespread. However, after Israel separated from Palestine in 1948, Arabs embraced the idea of nationalism. Egypt, Syria, and Jordan invaded Israel in 1967, but were swiftly defeated. The Arab countries became more dependent on the United States and Russia for support. Since then, Arabs have continued to have conflict with the Western World.

Communication Patterns
Arabs stand much closer to each other than Westerners do when talking. It can be offensive if an American tries to step back to make space between them during a conversation. They tend to talk very elaborately and tend to speak indirectly in order to be courteous.

Unlike mainstream American culture, Arabs do not value punctuality. Building relationships is more important than keeping schedules.

Family
The family is the fundamental unit that serves as the foundation of all Arab societies. The family has an impact on the political, economic, social, and religious status of the nations. People are often identified and given value by the families that they come from. The family also serves as the primary source of support and individuals often rely on family members for financial assistance since government assistance is scarce. Family members will often work together.

The family is highly patriarchal where females are taught to respect their male family members. A new couple will typically live near the man's family of origin and there is a cultural preference to marry within the father's kin group.

Marriage
A marriage contract must be signed before marriage can take place. The contract specifies what the bridegroom will contribute, what the bride will contribute, and what happens in the case of divorce. The bridegroom will provide housing, sometimes pay a bride price to the father of the bride, give a dowry to the bride, and if divorce is to be pursued there is a divorce price (usually ranging from $4,230 - $7,050) which is set by the wife. The bride is expected to bring personal homemaking skills into the marriage by contributing to soft furnishing. However, she can draw a list of her property which always remains hers.

The wives take care of the household duties and serve their husbands at home. Men will take care of the wife outside the home since it is not customary for a woman to travel alone. Men can put restrictions on his wife's clothing or her ability to leave the house without him. However, this has become less common for more Westernized families.

Marriage is viewed as an act of worship towards Allah. Sexual relations are encouraged as a means to strengthen the relationship between a husband and wife. In fact, celibacy is forbidden for scholars or religious leaders.

Divorce
Islam does provide provision for divorce by either the husband or the wife. If the husband initiates the divorce there must be a waiting period of three months where no sexual relations can occur. If the wife is pregnant, the waiting period lengthens until she delivers. The couple may decide to resume their relationship at any time, which ends the divorce. The Quran states that men have more authority in the case of divorce, but it is unspecific how much. In the case that the wife initiates the divorce, she must repay her dowry.

Counseling Methods and Considerations
Arabs are not usually motivated to seek therapy. Even if one does come, a therapist should be prepared to counsel for only one session and know that additional family members may be hesitant to attend.

The Christian counselor must assess his or her own biases towards Muslims and not allow personal beliefs to impact the relationship. Assess the level of dedication to the Muslim faith in the client, including differences between parents and children. Develop a personal relationship before asking about deeply personal matters and enter therapy with the mindset of a learner. The counselor should also note that psychological testing procedures are typically ineffective.

The therapists should not underestimate the importance of the father in the family and the concept of gender role equality does not always translate. In fact, the therapist may not even be allowed to be alone with a person of the opposite sex.

Since more formalized aspects of therapy may be ineffective, try unconventional approaches. Being flexible with time is a must and show appreciation for gifts if they were to come. However, structured therapies such as CBT and solution-focused can be effective.

Effective Witnessing
Know Scripture well and be prepared to explain how the Lord has positively influenced your life. Obtain a copy of the Qur’an and have a general understanding of it. Share what Christ has done in your life and ask if you can share what Christ says about eternal life in the gospels. Present Christ as the final sacrifice, but do not attack Islam or the Qur’an.

Additional Resources
http://www.mwlusa.org/topics/marriage&divorce/divorce.html

www.jordanjubilee.com/meetfolk/marriage.htm