There lives a group of people along the coast of the Middle East who have been there for generations. They are strong in their beliefs and have their own set of customs. Unfortunately, as time goes by, so does this culture. Even though numerous other groups of people have adopted many aspects of the Bedouin culture, the Bedouin people are not given the credit that they deserve. It is extremely difficult to revive a culture that is quickly slipping away. From their language to their ways of life, the things that make this culture so unique is disappearing.
The Bedouin community is finding itself drawn into two different directions. Firstly, they are bound in the midst of a drastic social and economic change within the community. Job opportunities and schooling is evolving with time.
The new generation of children born to Bedouin parents are teetering in between choosing the traditional life that their parents lived, or adopting the new customs and values that are being presented to them. Although many older people of this community fear that their young are not going to carry the same beliefs and jobs as they did, but they still wish for their children to advance in life. It is difficult for a parent to witness the struggle that their child faces when the child has to become an adult and make their own decisions.
Bedouins have traditionally been pastoral herders and travel across the Middle East. They set tents up
wherever they stay and live off of the land. Nature has always played a rather large role in the lives of the Bedouin people. All of their needs are derived from the land and their materialistic wants are rather small. When the governments of numerous Middle Eastern and North African countries began to strip away the Bedouins rights, freedoms, and land, the Bedouin communities found themselves stranded and alone. Now, they are being forced to depart their native lands due to the government's lack of acknowledgement that the Bedouin are a part of that country. These neglected
people are not seen as citizens of the state or country; rather, they are seen as outcasts that are taking up the government's land. Ironically, the Bedouins were there far before these government systems were set up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3/21/2014
The Bedouin population numbers have decreased significantly within the last couple decades. More children are spending more time in the mainstream Arab society, rather than their own Bedouin communities. The land that the Bedouins have spent years grazing and herding on is being stripped away from them by local governments. Since the Bedouins are not seen as citizens, they lack the rights that the rest of the country does. Filing a claim against the government is close to impossible. The land they have been living off of is now off limits to them, which is a hard concept for them to understand since the Bedouins have a social and community based culture, which is a lot different from the individualistic one that surrounds them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Bedouin community is finding itself drawn into two different directions. Firstly, they are bound in the midst of a drastic social and economic change within the community. Job opportunities and schooling is evolving with time.
The new generation of children born to Bedouin parents are teetering in between choosing the traditional life that their parents lived, or adopting the new customs and values that are being presented to them. Although many older people of this community fear that their young are not going to carry the same beliefs and jobs as they did, but they still wish for their children to advance in life. It is difficult for a parent to witness the struggle that their child faces when the child has to become an adult and make their own decisions.
Bedouins have traditionally been pastoral herders and travel across the Middle East. They set tents up
wherever they stay and live off of the land. Nature has always played a rather large role in the lives of the Bedouin people. All of their needs are derived from the land and their materialistic wants are rather small. When the governments of numerous Middle Eastern and North African countries began to strip away the Bedouins rights, freedoms, and land, the Bedouin communities found themselves stranded and alone. Now, they are being forced to depart their native lands due to the government's lack of acknowledgement that the Bedouin are a part of that country. These neglected
people are not seen as citizens of the state or country; rather, they are seen as outcasts that are taking up the government's land. Ironically, the Bedouins were there far before these government systems were set up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3/21/2014
The Bedouin population numbers have decreased significantly within the last couple decades. More children are spending more time in the mainstream Arab society, rather than their own Bedouin communities. The land that the Bedouins have spent years grazing and herding on is being stripped away from them by local governments. Since the Bedouins are not seen as citizens, they lack the rights that the rest of the country does. Filing a claim against the government is close to impossible. The land they have been living off of is now off limits to them, which is a hard concept for them to understand since the Bedouins have a social and community based culture, which is a lot different from the individualistic one that surrounds them.
How strongly do you feel like you know the Bedouin culture?
3/25/2014
Elizabth Loslen writes in in The Times Media Private Limited that Bedouins are divided into many tribes and due to this there can be tension between the different groups. Their loyalty to one another and their clan is strong--stronger than guarding their own self-interest; these communities rely on a sense of selflessness in order to be self-sufficient in the middle of the desert.
It is amazing how close the Bedouin people are to one another. It is very much unlike any other community that I have seen or witnessed. The older generation of Bedouins wish to continue the cycle of trust and commitment to their newer generation.
Source: Losleben, Elizabeth. The Bedouin of the Middle East. Minneapolis:Lerner Publications, 2003.5.Print
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Bedouin people have their own language and set of laws and regulations. These are a part of their culture and reflect upon their values as a whole. Just like Hammurabi's eye-for-an-eye conduct for law making, the Bedouins believe that the punishment should be according to the crime committed. If you murder, then you shall be murdered. If you steal, then you shall have your possessions taken. This type of law has been adopted by the Bedouins for centuries and they continue
to use it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have enjoyed learning about the Bedouin people for the last two years. They are so unique and unlike any other culture that I have ever seen. It is unfortunate that they are slowly crumbling under the great pressures of society, the economy, and politics. These people only wish to live out the rest of their lives in peace, but they cannot.
Politics has rocked the world of the Bedouin people as the Middle East is becoming politically heated over the last two decades. One can only hope that in the future, tensions will become undone and the people may begin to rest. Wounds will still need to heal, and the drastic effects that the Bedouins had to suffer through will scar them forever.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Identification cards are worn by people in the Negev, a place where many Bedouins reside. It is commonplace that everyone carry their ID wherever they go. It is like the U.S. equivalent of a driver's license or green card/visa. These ID cards are what distinguishes the Bedouin, Jews, Arabs, and the Christians. It is supposed to identify each person by their ethnicity or religion.
