Stereotypes

People usually have always clear ideas about other people and are able to judge others before they judge themselves. This might be just a typical human habit and some opinions might even be somewhat substantiated by personal experiences. Although not all people are the same, however, we usually tend to generalize behaviours and characteristics and quickly draw general conclusions from one or a few to the whole lot.

Having lived in the Persian Gulf (or the Arabian Gulf as the Arabs call it since Jamal Abdul Nasser of Egypt) for quite a while now, I've heard a lot about Arab opinions on Europeans. Although, as a European, I might not agree with all of them, I'm still content with the way they judge European work and professional ethics, which refelct a mostly very positive picture. On the other hand, the Arab Gulf States' image is very different with regard to work and professional ethics. Again, I have met some people who might fit the picture that is summarized in this cartoon, but I also have met those, who work hard alongside the many foreign workers that keep flocking the rich Golf region.

Criticism is not something people can take easily here and they certainly wouldn't like to be labelled as slave keepers, but to be honest, with regard to the hundred of thousands of cheap labour workers, this cartoon is not an unfair portrayal. May be it's true, what they say about money, which is accused of spoiling man's character. For many people I met, this is equally a fair judgement.

Asia's Switzerland

This picture looks very much like a beautiful valley from Switzerland, but it is not. This is a picture from the Swat Valley in Pakistan. It sure remindes the viewer of ski slopes and winter fun. But you wouldn't want to go there if you love skiing and fun, because this is where the Taliban, whose name we might mainly associate with Afghanistan, have been bombing girls' schools (report). According to their ruling girls are not allowed to go to school and to make sure they don't, they destroy the schools and threaten to kill the girls who defy their rulings. These people don't care if the whole world condemns them. According to their view they have a correct understanding of the holy scriptures, that are in Arabic, a language they don't speak; and despite the fact, that their equally strict brothers in Saudi Arabia do allow their girls to go to school and university.

But logic doesn't seem a valid argument for the Taliban, whose name by the way means 'students.' The forceful removal of their movement seems as ineffective as logic argumentations, as they seem to regain power not only in Afghanistan. There is no quick solution to this problem and the only chance is to keep educating people to the last valley, so that one day knowledge and reason will hopefully enlighten the inhabitants of those underdeveloped areas so they can rid themselves of people who claim they know better.