Islam - Part VI - Factors Hampering Development in Palestinian Society
With Dr. Laila Nazzal - April 4, 2006
Economic
Ninety percent of all land in the middle east region is uncultivatable, leaving just ten percent of all land as fertile. These lands are mainly along major rivers such as the Nile in Egypt. A full sixty-five percent of the people are peasants. Yet, development has shifted to the cities following a worldwide trend toward urbanization. Capital cities are being financed while rural villages are being left undeveloped. Many have no reliable source of electricity, water, education. Many of the villages that do have educational facilities extend only to the sixth Grade.
Chronic unemployment continues to be an increasing problem bringing with it an increase in crimes and the drug trade. As well, rebellion grows. Non-Governmental Organizations have created work programs have been introduced for unskilled workers paying 50 shekels ($10 US) per day for 8 hours of labour. Creative “pedlar” stalls have been introduced to allow peasant merchants to resell cheap imported goods.
Recent Israeli laws have excluded Palestinians from traditional labouring jobs amounting to the loss of 120,000 daily labourers who used to freely cross into Israel and who now are banned. It is estimated that another 50,000-60,000 black market labourers used to cross into Israel for daily employment. Current law states that any Israeli individual, family or business that employs a Palestinian will be fined. As a result, Israel now imports labourers from the Philippines and Africa, to replace lost Palestinian workers.
Western countries rather than invest positively in the middle eastern societies has sought to exploit resources such as oil, cheap labour, consumer markets and land. It is common practice for American drug firms to dump expired medicines into the middle east markets. Products such as the “Delcon Shield” that are banned in the US are flooding third world markets. Expensive baby formula are promoted that mothers cannot afford and then dilute the formula in order to stretch it out and make it last which results in malnourishment.
Family
The Palestinian society still largely depends on the clan and family as its chief economic unit as well as the main social unit. Individuals are part of a collective. They think in terms of family and not self. They do not view individuality nor independence as a positive value. Individualism as it is expressed in western society is not understood. In Arab culture the individual is understood only in terms of its membership within the family and clan or tribe. There is no reward for individualistic endeavour or achievement apar5t from the respect the family may gain. Individual progress as understood in western society is not therefore pursued.
World View
All world view is coloured by the belief in pre-destination. In other words one’s entire life has been mapped out since birth by Allah (God). There is total reliance on Allah therefore many people tend to negate cause-effect relationships. The majority of Arabs (2/3) are illiterate (2/3 of these are woman). The idea that one shapes one’s own future or can have an effect on one’s own life is not a welcome notion.
Economic
Ninety percent of all land in the middle east region is uncultivatable, leaving just ten percent of all land as fertile. These lands are mainly along major rivers such as the Nile in Egypt. A full sixty-five percent of the people are peasants. Yet, development has shifted to the cities following a worldwide trend toward urbanization. Capital cities are being financed while rural villages are being left undeveloped. Many have no reliable source of electricity, water, education. Many of the villages that do have educational facilities extend only to the sixth Grade.
Chronic unemployment continues to be an increasing problem bringing with it an increase in crimes and the drug trade. As well, rebellion grows. Non-Governmental Organizations have created work programs have been introduced for unskilled workers paying 50 shekels ($10 US) per day for 8 hours of labour. Creative “pedlar” stalls have been introduced to allow peasant merchants to resell cheap imported goods.
Recent Israeli laws have excluded Palestinians from traditional labouring jobs amounting to the loss of 120,000 daily labourers who used to freely cross into Israel and who now are banned. It is estimated that another 50,000-60,000 black market labourers used to cross into Israel for daily employment. Current law states that any Israeli individual, family or business that employs a Palestinian will be fined. As a result, Israel now imports labourers from the Philippines and Africa, to replace lost Palestinian workers.
Western countries rather than invest positively in the middle eastern societies has sought to exploit resources such as oil, cheap labour, consumer markets and land. It is common practice for American drug firms to dump expired medicines into the middle east markets. Products such as the “Delcon Shield” that are banned in the US are flooding third world markets. Expensive baby formula are promoted that mothers cannot afford and then dilute the formula in order to stretch it out and make it last which results in malnourishment.
Family
The Palestinian society still largely depends on the clan and family as its chief economic unit as well as the main social unit. Individuals are part of a collective. They think in terms of family and not self. They do not view individuality nor independence as a positive value. Individualism as it is expressed in western society is not understood. In Arab culture the individual is understood only in terms of its membership within the family and clan or tribe. There is no reward for individualistic endeavour or achievement apar5t from the respect the family may gain. Individual progress as understood in western society is not therefore pursued.
World View
All world view is coloured by the belief in pre-destination. In other words one’s entire life has been mapped out since birth by Allah (God). There is total reliance on Allah therefore many people tend to negate cause-effect relationships. The majority of Arabs (2/3) are illiterate (2/3 of these are woman). The idea that one shapes one’s own future or can have an effect on one’s own life is not a welcome notion.
posted by Philip | 10:40 a.m.
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