This powerpoint is designed to assist school administrators, teachers and school personnel in creating a culturally diverse academic environment. This is intended to be an aid with the growing demographic of Middle Eastern and Muslim Students attending public schools.

1. Educator’s
Guide to Middle
Eastern Culture
Wafa Hozien, Ph.D
whozien@vsu.edu

2. What You Know
• Make a list of what you know about the Middle
East.
• Share your list with the person next to you and
compare your lists.
• Then:
• Read out loud one item on the List to share with
Everyone.

3. Geography and
Importance
• 24 Countries make up
the Middle East
• Multitude of ethnic and
linguistic groups.
• Close to 60% of Earth’s
oil reserves are at or
near the Arabian
Peninsula.
• Saudi Arabia possesses
the world’s largest
reserves of oil.

4. Who?
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Hana, Isra and Mahmoud are
Middle Eastern Children growing up
in the United States of America.
Over 200 million Middle
Easterners worldwide.
To be a Middle Easterner, is
not to come from a particular
race or lineage.
To be a Middle Easterner, like
an American, is a cultural trait
rather than racial.
The Middle East includes
Muslims, Christians and Jews.
Any person who adopts the
Arabic language is typically
called an Arab.
Arabic is the official and the
original language of the
Qur’an, the Islamic holy book.

5. Common Misconceptions
• All Middle Easterners are
Muslims, and all Muslims
are Middle Easterners .
• The Middle East is
backwards and
uncivilized.
• The Middle East is one big
desert.
• Stereotypes of Arab
males: Angry Terrorists
• Stereotypes of Arab
women: Veiled and
Uneducated
Hana studying at school.

6. U.S. Legal Protection of
Religious Rights
• Prayer, fasting, pilgrimage,
religious celebrations, as
well as dietary and clothing
requirements are practices
of the Muslim faith. Such
religious expressions are
protected by the First
Amendment to the
Constitution, which protects
the free exercise of religion.
Moreover, the Equal
• Access Act of 1984 (upheld
by the Supreme Court in
1990) affirmed the right of
student-initiated religious
activities in public schools.

7. Middle Eastern
Western
Family – Center of everything.
(Father has first and last word.)
Friends – Periphery, but courteous
to all.
Honor – Very Important. Honor will
be protected and defended at all
costs.
Shame (especially against family) –
avoided at all costs, insults and
criticism taken very seriously.
Time – less rigid. Approach to time
is much more relaxed and slower
than that in Western cultures.
Religion – Central to all things.
Society – Family / tribe is most
important
Government – Most governments
are secular, but still emphasize
religion.
Age and Wisdom honored.
Wealth honored in both cultures.
Family – Important but not as central
to individual.
Friends – Core to some, important to
most.
Honor – Typically not as important.
Shame – Typically not as important.
Time- Very structured, deadlines must
be met.
Religion – Varies by individual, very
personal, not
discussed in polite conversation.
Society – Individual rights.
Government – Purpose is to protect
rights and improve
standard of living.
Youth and Beauty praised.
Wealth honored in both cultures.

8. Middle Eastern Dress
Men
• Ranges from the
traditional flowing robes
to blue jeans, T-shirts and
western business suits.
• The robes allow for
maximum circulation of
air around the body to
help keep it cool, and the
head dress provides
protection from the sun.
• At times, the traditional
garb is mixed with
Western clothes.
• Always covered:
• Naval to the Knee
Ismail is Ready to go to the Mosque here in the US.
Modern Muslim Men shown here.

9. Middle Eastern Women:
Dress
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Hana at a Women's Conference.
Adherence to traditional dress
varies across societies. (More
traditional—Saudi Arabia Less
traditional – Egypt)
Traditional Arab dress features
the full length body cover
(abayah, jilbob, or chador) and
veil (hijab or chador).
Concerns of modesty are the
reason for the dress.
The most devoted women cover
their faces as well as the bodies
in veils/robes.
Rural women, who typically work
in the fields, may wear less
restrictive garments lighter in
color and weight.
Everything except FACE and
HANDS

10. Modesty
• Men and women
should behave and
dress modestly.
• Emphasis on modesty
encourages society to
value individuals for
their wisdom, skills and
contribution to the
community, rather than
for physical
attractiveness.
Middle Eastern girls look up to
images such as these in the media.

11. Scarf at School
• The wearing of a head
covering may lead to
teasing by other
students.
• Teachers should
prevent classmates
from pulling on or
removing a Muslim
student's scarf.
Hana Hamdi in front of Statue of Liberty.
Virgin Mary wearing head covering

12. Physical Education
• School administrators may
discuss with students
alternative clothing in
physical education classes.
• Alternatives could include
knee-length shorts for boys
and full track suits for girls.
• Muslim boys and girls may
not take same-sex
communal after-sport
showers
• Without wearing
appropriate covering of
their bodies.
Do you own one of these Fully Covered Bathing Suits?

13. To Eat or Not to Eat
• The Qur'an (Islam's scripture)
prohibits consumption of
alcohol, pork, and any pork
by-products or derivatives.
Therefore, practicing
Muslims are careful about
the food they consume and
how it is prepared.
• Muslims follow certain
standards— called Halal
(permissible by Islamic
law)—in slaughter and
preparation of meat and
poultry. Some objectionable
food items include:

14. No Pork / Alcohol
Products
• Pepperoni, sausage, and
hot dogs containing pork.
• Pork Bacon—alone or in
soups, salad, quiche, etc.
• Animal shortening—in
breads, puddings, cookies,
cakes, donuts, etc.
• Vegetable shortening is
acceptable.
• Gelatin—in Jello, desserts,
candies, marshmallows,
chocolates, etc.
• Lard—in any product.
• Food ingredients containing
alcohol
These Marshmallows are Kosher and can be eaten
by Muslims, Skittles and Starburst have gelatin in
them and cannot be eaten by Muslims.

15. Cafeteria Etiquette
• School lunch items
containing ingredients
derived from pork must be
highlighted clearly,
especially in elementary
schools.
• For preschool and
elementary food programs,
many school cafeterias
have been particularly
helpful to
• Muslim parents and students
by labeling such foods with
a prominent visual marker,
such as a red dot or a
picture of a pig, for
beginning readers.

16. Muslim Holidays
• Eid ul Fitr:
• August 7, 2013
• End of 30 Day Fasting
Month Called
Ramadan
• Fasting: Sunrise to
Sunset
• For all we are able
• Eid Ul Udha: (Holiday of
Abraham’s Sacrifice)
Pilgrimage to Mecca
• October 14, 2013
Kaaba, in Mecca Saudi Arabia is
Islam's Holiest Site.

17. Accommodations 101
• This is my son,
Mahmoud.
• What types of
Accommodations will
be present in your ES,
MS, or high school for
Mahmoud?
• Holidays
• Ramadan Fast
• Curricular
• Social Etiquette
• Food
Mahmoud in DC in front of MLK Statue.

18. Holidays
• Schedule exams and
other major events
around holidays.
• Do not mark students
absent.
• They will visit family.
Dr. Hozien at Dome of Rock, Jerusalem

19. Accommodations
• Fasting: Allow students
to study in the library or
elsewhere during lunch.
• Do not extend hand
first for handshake with
opposite sex.
• Avoid touching when
comforting students
and parents of
opposite sex.
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Prayer
Friday Prayer for Boys
Curriculum
Textbook Bias
Sex Education

20. Questions? Comments?
• Contact me at:
• whozien@vsu.edu
Isra, Mahmoud with two Virginia State University
Graduate Students.