Do you want to have new friends from the Arab-Muslim community in New Brunswick, but lack knowledge about their culture and traditions? Do you want to break the ice with Arab-Muslim colleagues? Then this course is for you.
Over four weeks, we will talk about cultural practices common to Arab-Muslims and you will develop an understanding of their attitudes, values and morals. We'll also talk about what is socially accepted and what is considered cultural taboos and why. We will discuss the wide array of influences making up the remarkably rich and diverse Arab culture (language, history, religion).
You will learn about famous Arab food, novels, songs, cinema and holidays. We will discuss the Western images of the Arab world, what is correct and what is not (women/gender, freedom, sociopolitical critique). You will learn simple Arabic sentences that will help you in greetings and saying thank you.
Thursdays, March 20 to April 10 (4 weeks)
6 - 8 p.m.
$115 (+ HST)
Rawia Mokhtar was born in Egypt and spent her childhood in Saudi Arabia with her parents. She completed her high school and university years in Cairo, Egypt and is now a postdoctoral fellow in Economics at UNB.
Rawia was exposed to many Arab nationalities during her life in Saudi Arabia which allowed her to gain knowledge of the diverse Arab culture. She has special interest in Arab-Islamic history, culture, and Identity from being exposed to both conservative society in Saudi Arabia and a liberal one in Egypt.
