A recent artifact that came as a product of this intercultural relationship is an article concerning an American woman's imprisonment -- which included beatings from the police and forcing her to sign false confessions -- simply for being seen eating in public with her male business partner. Even though the woman (who allowed her name to be printed only as "Yara," fearing retribution for telling her story) was wearing the traditional full-length gown and headscarf required of women when in public or in the company of men in Saudi Arabia,
she was approached by several men "with very long beards and white dresses" and told that what she was doing was "a great sin," a statement that reflects the disparity between the two cultures (Dhimmi Watch 2008). Ironically, the event took place at a Starbuck's, a place that has come to be a symbol of America's capitalism, freedom, and to many its economic imperialism.
The article also details the woman's desire to find justice -- by which she means some sort of retribution or at least an apology -- for the conduct she received (Dhimmi Watch 2008). Of course, to the Saudi Arabians who arrested her, and the many others that allow such strict observance of sharia to be the political law of the land as well, what happened to Yara was justice. It is in this way that this artifact outlines the basic and underlying oppositions between the two cultures involved. The article was actually produced by Fox...
Though it deals with only one specific incident, it illustrates the basic incompatibility of the American concept of freedom and certain Islamic interpretations of moral and legal requirements.
Non-Muslims have lived in the Muslim-controlled areas of the world since the religion's formation, with varying degrees of tolerance and integration. The modern Western concepts of political liberalism and individual freedom have changed the nature of the relationship between Muslim countries and "outsiders' living amongst them; issues of simple religious tolerance are overshadowed by growing social concerns, and this article represents the historic shift that has taken -- or is taking -- place. Because the woman is actively seeking for some sort of reparation from the Saudi Arabian government, and because the United States Embassy in the country has agreed to file a claim on her behalf, the incident described in the article could be a catalyst for change in the nation, but it will most likely be slow in coming (Dhimmi Watch 2008).
Reference
Dhimmi Watch. (2008). "American woman jailed in Saudi Arabia for sitting with men at Satrbuck's." Reprinted from Fox News. Accessed 10 May 2009. http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/019844.php
