Arabia Culture is a term used by people of Middle Eastern descent to collectively describe their cultural beliefs and customs. However, this definition can be highly subjective due to the fact that everyone who claims to speak for this “belief” probably isn’t completely familiar with the true meaning of the term. Many people who claim to speak for Arabia Culture might not even know how to correctly pronounce the name, let alone understand its meaning. So how do we differentiate one from the next? In order to answer that question we must begin by looking closer at this term and all of the various definitions put forth as the basis for the belief in its cultural superiority.
First off, one should make sure to look beyond the dictionary and approach it from a much more subjective and academic level. We are dealing here with a group of individuals and cultural groups that each have their own history and heritage, which has been compiled into a cohesive whole through generations. The terminology used is only one small aspect of this rich tapestry. And while the terminology of Arabia Culture may not be important to all, it is of paramount importance to those who know it. It is used to describe something specific – a religious ideology or a basic moral code or, more importantly, as a blueprint of social interaction and behavior in the face of societal pressures.
In short, the term is used to describe and critique the prevailing cultural norms in a given region. And while the definition varies from group to group, one thing is common in all of them: Every society has a set of values, traditions and beliefs that bind them together. These values often transcend all other aspects of their life. When we speak of a “People’s Culture”, we are referring to the shared values, traditions and beliefs of the people within a certain area.
Therefore, we can say that the Arabia Culture includes a set of beliefs and thoughts that all people living in the same region share. It is also used to describe a certain way of life, which is essential to the survival of all human civilizations. A key aspect of the Culture is ritual. Rituals unite individuals in what we all do for a common cause communal activities that serve some useful purpose. If these common activities are repeated day in and day out, a sense of community develops and a sense of belonging is created. This is the essence of the Culture.
The same can be said about values. Traditions and beliefs that we observe and follow, even unconsciously, contribute to the quality of our lives and, at the same time, prevent us from looking outside our own societies for guidance or for answers to pressing questions. They create a certain framework within which we view the world and ourselves. Traditions and beliefs are based on fact, rather than on faith or on opinions, which are subjective. They help us to understand our world and to think about our place in it.
When you walk into an airport in the Middle East, whether you are planning to fly in a commercial aircraft or an aircraft leased by the government, you will find a sign advertising “Mecca flights”. What does this mean? That sign implies that while the people of the Middle East have different beliefs and practices regarding religious matters (such as who gets to marry the youngest child, the maximum amount of time a person should spend in prayer), they have essentially the same beliefs and practices regarding their daily lives. Their similarities, then, lie more in similarities of experiences rather than in differences of principles.