Differences between Europe and Middle East
Some of the people think that Muslim Europe and the Muslim Middle East are same, but they are not because Muslim Middle East countries are stricter than Muslim Europe countries. Although many countries in the Middle East-North Africa region, where the religion originated in the seventh century, are heavily Muslim, the region is home to only about 20% of the world’s Muslims. A majority of the Muslims globally (62%) live in the Asia-Pacific region, including large populations in Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, and Turkey. The main differences between Muslim Europe and the Middle East are education, dress code, and women rights.
Education
Education is essential for a nation that wants to develop and register economic growth. However, some nations in the world, especially in Arabic countries and few African countries, are yet to invest in education. A point of concern should be the way males, and females should be educated. In some countries, there is inequity in education enrollment, which affects the females, but in European countries, Muslims still enjoy the same education rights as non-Muslims.
In most of the Middle East countries, there is no equal participation in search of education. In this sense, males enroll more in schools than the females (Hourani). The primary reason is that these countries do not value educating girls. Their rights to schooling have been hindered with tradition preferring to marry them off. Mostly, the Middle East countries such as Saudi Arabia are tied to patriarchal norms, which make it difficult to value the role of women in education. In addition, most of the oil-dominated countries hinder women from participating in politics, which eliminates the purpose of education.
In European nations, everyone in those countries has a right to education. At the young age, all children are required to enroll in schools without any restrictions. Now, Muslims in these countries also enjoy the same rights as the non-muslins (Hourani). They go to schools despite their gender or ethnic background. Essentially, European countries provide a conducive environment for education enrollment. Unlike in the Middle East counties where there is inequity providence of education, European countries cater for both the males and the females. The right to education is for all.
Dress code
The dress code has always been an issue of debate in both the Muslim nations and the European Union. Some argue that women should be allowed to wear outfits they may prefer while other experts state that Muslims have their mode of dressing on women that should strictly follow. In either way, some issues are debatable. In the Middle East, the religion has a way that women should dress. Due to their loyalty, to religion, they end up wearing as expected. In European countries, it has become difficult to maintain the Muslim dress code for various reasons. Typically, in some countries, some of the Muslim outfits have been banned, which has been claimed to be a violation of human rights (Stråth, p. 389). In this regards, it has always been difficult for Muslim women in European countries to keep the tradition going.
In the Middle East countries, the dress code is strict. There is a particular way that women should be when visiting public places are when performing their religious rights. In most cases, women must always wear loosely attached clothes to avoid creating attention to men outside their family membership. They are also supposed to cover their hair, and in some countries like Afghanistan, women are required to cover their faces. The fashionable dress code for women included the hijab and the niqab. For men, they must wear long trousers that cover their feet thoroughly and short sleeved shirts. Alternatively, they should wear as stipulated by their religious rules.
In European countries, there has been a divided loyalty to religion. Some prefer to ignore the dress code because some of the living circumstances may not always allow them to do so. As mentioned earlier, some employers would fail to hire Muslim women due to their mode of dressing. In this sense, they prefer to abandon that dress code and get the job (Stråth, p. 390). For instance, covering of the head in the Middle East countries is compulsory while in some countries in European Union, covering of the head goes with the occasion. For men, the case is also different. They dress as the occasion states rather as the religion states. It would show that Muslim culture is European countries is less strict as compared to the Middle East nations.
Women rights
There is also a growing difference between women rights in the Middle East and those in European countries. However, the difference occurs due to the prevailing circumstances that face women in these countries. The Muslim religion has been a growing segment in European countries, which reflects the breadth of these countries’ multicultural heritage. Some are born in those European countries while others are migrants from Muslim associated nations (Savage, p. 35). However, it is certain that Muslim in this countries practices hijab as outlined by their religious beliefs. They wear a headscarf and the loose fitting clothes when visiting public places. In some cases, Muslim women cover even their faces with a niqab
In this regards, women in European countries are denied their freedom to practice religious rights a fest that is opposite in Middle East countries. In almost all countries in the world, people have been given the freedom to practice their religion. In the Middle East countries, women have been given the right to practice religion (Savage, p. 46). The laws in this land are strict, and anyone who fails to follow the religious rules (especially women) is subjected to punishment. Citizens of these countries recognize that religion such a serious thing unlike in the European countries where they don’t value the Muslim religion and would die for it. The only challenge to the women is that they are never equated to men. Their rights will always come second to those of the men. Women are not allowed to have certain privileges that men have. For instance, some of their traditions still forbid women to lead men while in the European countries women have equal rights. However, Muslim women find it difficult to occupy executive positions in European countries. Although they are allowed to practice their religious rights in European countries, they are later discriminated outside their religion. For instance, Islamic women fail to become police in most European countries because they refuse to take off their headscarf for a profile photo. In other areas, some employers fail to hire Islamic women because of the perception of their nationality.
In conclusion, it's prudent to say the Muslim culture is one of the few that have managed to retain their values. In most cases, it becomes easy for people to be alienated off their culture after they settle in other counties. However, it has been different for the Muslims. Despite the upholding of their culture, are still some notable difference in the way things are conducted by Muslims in the Middle East and the Muslims in European countries. One of the difference would pertain to education enrollment. Women in Arabic countries are discriminated when it comes to politics and matters of seeking education. Probably, that should be a challenge to the governments in those countries. The dress code has also been another issue. In European countries, the code of dressing is strict as the ones used by Muslims in European countries. Finally, a significant challenge has been on the women rights. Muslim women in European countries enjoy more rights as compared to Muslims in the Middle East countries. Despite the differences, Muslims would still be proud to have a rich culture that is not quickly eroded.