However, some of them do not benefit from this experience; as they reflect a negative image of our culture and religion by justifying the reasons for their cultural isolation from the communities they live in on the grounds of being religious.
For example, an Italian friend called "Elisabeth" once asked me, "Is it true that Islam forbids art, music, theater, cinema, philosophy and logic? Do men have no respect for women whatsoever!?"
I was confused by her questions as I confidently said, “Absolutely not, on the contrary, Islam has very much encouraged the arts in its full spectrum, and the Muslim culture in Spain is a great illustration of that. As for philosophy and logic, Muslim scholars preserved books by teachers such as Aristotle and Socrates while Romans tried to destroy them. In addition, the Muslim man must respect and appreciate the Muslim woman by all means. But why do you ask?”
Her answer shocked me, as I expected her questions were prompted due to some stories she had heard or picked up from here and there about our society and Islam. However, she said that the number of Saudis who have been studying with her in the same institute, do not go to theaters or to the cinema or to art museums because Islam has forbidden them! As for her deduction that Muslim men do not respect women, she said the actions of some of them in dealing with her and her colleagues was disrespectful. She added: "One of them looks down at us with disgust, and another requested his female colleagues not to join his group, because his religion demands it!"
I tried hard to convince her by telling her that these people are responsible for their own actions and beliefs and do not represent all Muslims.
But, the question here is, "If people refuse to deal with others’ culture in a respectful way, why travel to those lands?” This narrow-mindedness that still exists in the minds of some Saudis with regard to foreigners, such as having no contact with their neighbors in the foreign lands, or preventing their children from playing with children from other countries for the fear of acquiring Western habits.
In all honesty, these kinds of actions do not reflect the reality of Islam and do not represent the policy of a forward-thinking country open to the world. In fact, Islam teaches us that we should respect other cultures without offending them or necessarily following them in their way of life.
Even though we as Muslim women understand these behaviors that are based on traditions and habits non-Muslims or non-Arabs, who have different cultural practices, would not understand and will interpret our actions according to their own beliefs! And still look down on us as a country that lives in tents rather than in big-developed cities unless we explain to them our differences.
