Who are The Arabs?

by: Motasem Mansi

“Arab” is a name given to about 400 million persons who live in a group of independent nation-states in northern Africa and the Middle East.  Arabs have a common linguistic and cultural heritage.  Islam has shaped this heritage, although about one-tenth of Arabs are not Muslims.  The Arabs occupy about 4,500,000 square miles of land (an area approximately 50% larger than the continental United States.)  On the basis of physical characteristics, the Arab people are regarded as Mediterranean: moderate to short in stature, slight in build and dark in complexion.  There are, however, wide physical difference among them, and this characterization is far from tenable within the geographical borders of the Arab world. 

The Arabs were originally people of the Arabian Desert.  Converted to Islam in the 7th century A.D. Arabs conquered the Middle East from the Sassanian and Byzantine Empires and established a succession of Arab-Islamic Middle Eastern empires, from Spain to central Asia and from the Caucasus to India.  Islam, its laws and doctrines, and the culture associated with it, became the accepted religion of the peoples in these areas as well as Arabs.  Islam gave Middle Eastern civilization a unity never before achieved.

Arabia was the cradle of Islam and of Arabic civilization.  In the 6th century, there was some sedentary agricultural and commercial activity centered in Yemen and on the borders of Syria and Iraq, but camel-raising Bedouin nomads dominated the interior.  They lived in small clans that migrated and fought for water, land, and the leadership of the clan.  Yet at the same time, the highly developed Byzantine and Sassanian empires that surrounded it were influencing the politically and culturally backward peninsula.  The most advanced Arab communities were at the oasis of Mecca and Medina (Saudi Arabia).  Mecca was a sanctuary settled in the 5th century A.D by the tribesmen called Quraish.  Its shrine, Kaaba, became a center for Arabian pilgrimage and trade, and thus the traditional sanctity of family ties and tribal values were undermined by commercial and political ambitions.  Medina was an agricultural oasis, divided by bitter feuds between Arab pagans and the pagan and Jewish clans of the oasis.

Arabic is the basis of Arab cultural unity and of Arab efforts to achieve political unity.  The Arabic language, which is one of the Semitic languages, is the principal cultural characteristic shared by all Arabs.  As the language of the Koran (Muslims’ holy book), it is the Arabs’ link with the Islamic tradition.  It is a vehicle of cultural and political expression among a people who, according to their beliefs, readily respond to the evocative power it affords them.  Because of the expansion of Islam, the Arabic alphabet spread and developed rapidly all around the Islamic Empire.  It probably originated in the 300’s A.D. and before 50 A.D. the shapes of all of the Arabic letters had changed completely.  In the 7th century A.D. there were two main styles of Arabic lettering KUFI and NASHI.  NASHI was a round, bold stylized but beautiful and elegant character.  NASHI became the parent of a great number of styles, used in many countries and at the courts of various sultans.  Eventually it developed into the modern Arabic script used in both printing and handwriting.  Classical Arabic has always been understood by the highly educated.  In modern times, despite the extents of regional dialects, the media of mass communication has helped to develop a standard form of Arabic that is increasingly understood by all Arabs.

The Ancient Capital of Ukraine

by: Vladimir Farbman

Kiev is one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe.  It is the historical, political, and cultural citadel of Ukraine.  The legendary Slavic prince Kiy and his two younger brothers and sister founded the city.  For centuries, Kiev was a merchant city that was gradually becoming dominant among many Slavic tribes.  Due to its strategic geographical location, it served as the gate from both Western Europe into Asia.  Askold and Dier were the last princes of Kiev in the Kiy dynasty.  Both fell victim to fierce battles between the Viking and Slavs.  A warrior named Oleh was the key player in victorious Viking battles.  In the mid-8th century Oleh became the first of the Rurick dynasty to be prince of Kiev.  Using Viking troops, Oleh conquered and assimilated the rest of the Eastern Slavs, and exerted his power over them.  Oleh implemented an expansive military operation against the Khozzars, Bysantium and other nations.  He established a new empire, the Kiev Rus.

For centuries, princes of the Rurick dynasty ruled over Kiev.  Eventually Oleh’s successors accepted Christianity and thus establish friendly relations with the Eastern Roman Empire.  Kiev has been called the “Mother of Russian Cities.”  In the 11th century, the Kiev Rus ceased to operate as a controlling political force, and Kiev came to be only a religious center.  In 1240 the city was completely destroyed by the Tartars of the Golden Hordes.  Following more than century-long tartar domination, Kiev became a part of Lithuania and Poland in 1362.  In the century it was absorbed into Russia.  During World War II, the central area of the city was destroyed; it was fully restored after the war ended.

Kiev is located along the Dneiper River, well known for its majestic scenery and unique bridges.  As the capital of Ukraine it has major administrative functions.  It is also an important industrial center, and a production site for a wide range of goods.  The ancient Upper Town towers over the Dneiper.  Its central area contains most of Kiev’s surviving historical and architectural monuments, such as the 11th century Cathedral of St. Sophia, the Golden Gate, the 18th century Church of St. Andrew, and the Desyatynna Church.  Other relics that have survived historical torment include the Zaborovskiy Gate and the Pecherskaya Lavra.  The social center of the city is Kreshchatyk, the main shopping center.  Many of the city’s museums and theaters are located within the former Old Town.

As Kiev enters the new millennium, it is establishing diplomatic and economic ties with many Western nations, including the United States.  Such improvement in exchanges with other countries many be the main cause of recent technological advances and modern architecture in Kiev.  Many people expect Kiev to reach the heights of today’s social and economic standards, with its history serving as nourishment in the hearts of those who cherish its ancient beauty.

The Traditional Vietnamese Family

by: Hoang Lan

The family is the basic foundation of the Vietnamese society.  The Vietnamese try hard to be considered as belonging to a “good family.”  They place great emphasis on the duties of each member of the family.

Whether their backgrounds are Buddhist, Confucianist, Christian, Muslim or Taoist, Vietnamese share many common characteristics, they tend to adhere to the concept of filial piety and see achievement as a way to honor their families.  Hence their devotion to such traditional virtues as hard work, discipline, respect of the authority, and a willingness to defer instant gratification for the sake of future goals.  Above all, they make enormous sacrifices to educate their children – a commitment that reflects their esteem for education, which is believed to lead to success and also raise their own social status.  The sacrifice, diligence and determination of Vietnamese parents produce extraordinary results in the accomplishments of their children, who are performing at high standards of excellence.

Vietnamese have a strong sense of family.  For them, the family is something more than a father, a mother, and one to perhaps ten children.  One of the maintained traditions in the “extended family,” in which people related by blood or marriage live together in the same household.  In many cases, three or four generations may live in the same household, even though the children may have already grown up, got married, and had children or even grandchildren.

The principle of lineality governs the Vietnamese extended family, and is manifested in such institutions as the family graveyard, common house for ancestors’ worship, respect for the elderly, solidary responsibility, and mutual help.  The center for the family is its house that does not necessarily accommodate everybody of its lineage.  When the extended family grows too big, it can be subdivided into smaller ones living under  more than one roof.  For them, one large house is sufficient for a large family.  They do not need much to feed their families.  One large bowl of rice and some boiled vegetables can be served as a meal for the whole family.  Living together, working together, sharing together is a successful formula for the Vietnamese to move upward.  For them, living apart from their relatives is not only a costly but also an unhappy way of life.

But what makes the Vietnamese strong is rooted in the traditional principles of loyalty and solidarity that bind their families together.  Since all members of the family bring back their earned incomes to be placed in a family communal fund.  They resist buying anything on credit.  In case they do not have enough savings, they can always count on their relatives for financial assistance.  Loans between relatives charge no interest.  No need of written agreement, no paper work to be done, just a promise to repay.

Bosnian “Home”

by: Amela Lalovic

There is just one place in the whole world that I can call “Home.”  I call home the country in which I was born.  Bosnia is a small country in the Balkan region, a part of the former Yugoslavia and also a part of Europe in the recent past.  Before war broke out we were so close to being one of the stars in the European Community.  I am afraid that now we have dropped on the waiting list.  Almost over 50% of Bosnian citizens became Bosnian refugees living all over the world.  We cannot even travel without a VISA for every single country we enter.  At international borders, customs officials always look at Bosnians as potential assailants or as homeless people.  Other Bosnians who are still in Bosnia are on long waiting lists of those waiting to get their home back, to get their January pension in July, to get employed someday, and to grow up with freedom in Europe in the 21st century.

Then I remember myself in Bosnia before the war.  Almost eight years ago I was an ambitious student, I had plans for my future, I had my friends, and above all I had my family home.  In just one day, reality became a bad dream.  I woke up as a refugee in my own country and later in Europe, and now in the United States.  And Bosnia was trying to build up a new democratic society.  Fine, but I wanted to know why it had to happen then, when I was twenty-one years old?  It was so hard to face reality.  I was very fortunate to work at something useful in my country, which had collapsed.  Being an interpreter for the American humanitarian organization and meeting with people from all sides was not easy.  I learned my English through songs by U2, Elton John, The Beatles, and so on.  I never expected that it would save my family and I from starving during the war.  I made my living as a humanitarian worker.  As just on of all homeless Bosnian refugee.  When Germans decided to send all refugees home I ended up with an American embassy, and a couple of months later I came here to the United States.  I now have choice and freedom, two of the most important things that we all need.  When people have them, they do not realize how important these things are.  There are still problems remaining that need to be faced.  I will probably live the rest of my life being unable to express myself in the way that I once could.  I sound different.  Sometimes I speak weirdly, saying “I am bored,” instead of, “I am boring.” I am probably boring sometimes but most of the time I am bored telling this story over and over again, trying to convince people of how difficult it is to be part of a culture that is completely new to me.  I must peak proper English, understanding philosophy, read books and the news, learn history an dhow the whole system after living in this country for only two years.

When I decided to write this story about Bosnian culture I could rarely remember anything except war.  Or what is more truthful is that I built a big wall between myself and Bosnia, because it is the only way for me to live happily ever after in any other country. Top