Cultural differences have been the most influential sources of conflict in world history. These cultural differences arise due to the lack of understanding between the parties involved (Gumperz, 1998). However, deliberately acquired cultural awareness is the biggest weapon in overcoming the negative factors that arise because of differences in culture (Wunderle, 2006). The objective of this assignment is to contrast the cultural difference between India and Pakistan. Next, to show how these differences cause conflict. Finally, to describe a volatile situation that is between the two countries and how it might have been resolved peacefully.
A closer look at both India and Pakistan reveals several similarities between the two countries such as their facial and skin features and attributes. However, one of the most defining cultural differences between both countries is that they house two very different ethnicities. Arabs and Indians are two very different kinds of people with different cultures and different perspectives concerning life. The Arab community adheres to a very demanding form of life while the Indian community’s values vary according to personal preferences (Mohmand, 2009). According to Wunderle (2006), the awareness and pride among Arabs in regards to the historical ranking of Arabian influence over the world has been a major drive towards some risky attitudes that the Arab community displays toward other ethnic groups. In fact, a closer look at history shows that the Arab community has been established since the Middle Ages and has lasted for over 700 years (Mohmand, 2009).
Religion is another huge cultural difference between India and Pakistan. India is a country that is very religiously tolerant as it houses ma...
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...ndia and Pakistan are different ethnically, religiously, and both have different thoughts on governing. Peaceful intervention in their current border struggles has proven very difficult because the situation has been heavily marked with bloodshed. Therefore, forceful military intervention from the outside is the only means to make both parties humble themselves.
Works Cited
Gumperz, John J. (1998). The conversational analysis of interethnic communication. Interethnic communication, p. 13-31.
Mohmand, M. I, (2009). Relations in 21st century/ Latest Interventions. Pakistan’s Cultural Diplomacy With India, p. 9-11.
Werbner, Pnina. (2012): Introducing South Asia. Social Analysis, p. 23-40.
Wunderle, W. (2006). The Arab World. Through the lens of Cultural Awareness: A Primer for US Armed Forces Deploying to Arab and Middle Eastern Countries, p. 26-31.
...ng religion and foreign to the people of India, yet there is a defied truth that Islam’s spread peacefully throughout India with the alliances formed between the Indian people, the Turks, and the Mongols. The encounters that the ancient Indian people had to endure with the Turks, Mongols, and Islam have had the most memorable impact and impression on Indian culture and other societies throughout the east. Ancient Indian history is often overlooked within our society, but perhaps there should be a second look at how the Indian people have became who they are today, what attributes that have given society, and what pandemonium they have overcame as a civilization to stay in existence and stand against the test of time.
The world is not perfect and is full of people who have differences with people. The differences may be the different type of religion, culture, or even the different skin color. People have morals and values of what they believe in and this will most likely be different than everyone else's. Differences will always remain the same whether it’s in another nation or here in America. Racism is a worldwide issue not just an issue in America or some other country. Similarly, cultural and religious differences is a worldwide issue too. In this case the cultural and religious differences between people of India, West Pakistan, and East Pakistan doesn’t just take place in those nations, rather takes place anywhere and everywhere depending on people
The Partition of India led to millions of people displaced and marked as one of the largest mass migration ever over the world. August 15, 1947 was a very significant day for Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and many others. It marked the day of the British partition of India, and India won its freedom from colonial rule, ending nearly 200 years of British rule. This successful attainment of independence from colonial rule defined a narrative of religious nationalism, but also has led to displacement and violence between the two nation states of India and Pakistan. Once a peaceful union of Muslims and Hindus had become separated, whereas Muslims got Pakistan and Hindus got an independent India (Best et al, 2008). “The Other Side of Silence” (Butalia, 2000, pp.264-300) the oral testimony of a Punjabi woman Maya Rani, who was a child living in Pakistan during the Partition. Her testimony was crucial to understand the historiography of the event, because she was a witness of the impact of the Partition, but she was not directly involved in the violence that the emergence and independence of India that has brought.
The people of India and Pakistan hate each other with a burning passion that goes back thousands of years. Because of the constant border wars you had to be stealthy when talking to people. For example if we were both on India's land and were both Indians we could be buddies; on the flip side if you spoke Sindhi, a derived form of Hindi, and I spoke Hindi I can assume you were Pakistani and we would have to fight it out.
While analyzing past interactions between Hinduism and Islam, we can see some outstanding tensions that arise from territorial conflict between India, a predominantly Hindu country, and Pakistan, a predominantly Muslim country.
Hourani, Albert. A History of the Arab Peoples. Cambridge, MA: Belknap of Harvard UP, 1991. Print.
The concept of Orientalism is one in which Edward Said, a renowned intellectual with a solid background in the field of Arab study, is particularly knowledgeable. If the concepts surrounding Orientalism are broken down into specific elemental degrees, then Said portrays the American conception of Arabic entities and their inhabitants with a plethora of stereotypes that generate a false depiction of the Arabic culture. This, of course, is only an extremely small portion of the grandiose Orientalist dilemma that is currently quite prevalent in modern day society. Yet, for this paper’s ultimate purpose, this sector will be the sole focus. As Said intimates, the lens that the Americans utilize in order to acquire information about Arabs is one that reflects perceptions falsely. This lens is skewed in order to protect and support certain interests, whether they be American or western based. Movies, particularly when generated through the Hollywood action- based genre, have an false generalization of the way in which an Arabic people are. In some respects, the Hollywood produced movie, Three Kings, is a pertinent acknowledgment of the former. In many portions of the film, the enumerated antics may cause for a feeling of disdain toward the Arab nation. Yet, compared to the majority of the typical Hollywood action-based films, Three Kings manages to break away from these abhorrent stereotypes and provide a more than average acknowledgment of the sheer complexity of the Arab people as individual, separate from Saddam Hussein. Therefore, Said’s primary proposed conception of Orientalism is challenged and the Arab is depicted as a person trying to fight Hussein.
Facts about Arabs and the Arab World. (2014). American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. Retrieved April 19, 2014, from http://www.adc.org/education/facts-about-arabs-and-the-arab-world/
According to Said (1978) the entire concept of ‘orientalism’ is compromised, in the eyes of most Arabic and Asian peoples because it appears to them to be filled with archaic prejudices against Eastern cultures. Moreover, the word ‘orientalism’ is also used to refer to the definitions of Middle Eastern cultures by scholars who hold more pro-Eastern attitudes. Another common complaint is that Western historians and scholars’ definitions of orientalism do not seek to make distinctions between the different tribes and cultures that make up the Middle East (Varisco 2013). Their definition of ‘orientalism’ is based on similar constructs to those in the West where, even though different nations may have different ethnic groups, they all embrace a progressive culture based on Judeo-Christian co...
The Arab world consists of twenty-two countries encompassing all of North Africa and much of the Middle East. The Arab people number over 360 million and while they share a common language, there is a surprising degree of diversity among them, whether in terms of nationality, culture, religion, economics, or politics. (McCaffrey, 3) Most inhabitants of the Ar...
To this day there is still rivalry between Hindus and Muslims because of the efforts to bring Kashmiri independence from India. Hindu’s today are receiving 10,000 ashams. (Fisher 116)
During the Cold War, many regional conflicts occurred and were noted as the significant battles which later led to decolonization. One of the regional conflicts were India and Pakistan fighting for their independence. In 1947, India was released under Great Britain’s control and gained its independence. However, the country was divided between Muslims and Hindus, which share different religions. Muslims wanted church and state to become unified while Hindus wanted a separation of these two establishments. Since these two ethnic groups disagreed, it was difficult to create a new government. Therefore, India was divided into two nations: India for the Hindus and Pakistan for the Muslims. Hindus and Muslims were racing to the border in order to get to their nation state which led to killing 500,000 people due to rioting. Although, Mohandas Gandhi, an Indian National Congressman, wanted to obtain peace between these two religions. Pakistan refused the H...
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India is the center of a very serious problem in the world today. It’s a very diverse place with people from many different religious backgrounds, who speak many different languages and come from many different regions. They are also separated economically. Two of the country’s religious sects, Muslims and Hindus, have been in conflict for hundreds of years. Their feelings of mistrust and hatred for each other are embedded in all those years and will not leave easily. What’s most disturbing is that there seems to be no plan for reconciliation available. There are numerous reasons for this conflict.
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