Syrian Culture Resource

Heather FranksCohort 34

Spring 2005

Topic References

1. Religions

2. Holidays

3. Education

4. Family Life

5. What Teachers Should Understand

6. Literature

7. Teacher Guidelines

8. The Katreeb Family: Journey to America

Religions

Majority religion: Sunnite Muslim– Other Muslim religions: Alawites, Ismailis,

and Shiite Non-Muslim majority religion: Christian

– Greek Orthodox and American Orthodox Minority religions: Druses (related to

Islam), Jewish (dwindling—most have moved to the US or Israel)

Majority Religion Muslims practice the five pillars of Islam.

– Shahada is the profession of faith: “There is no God but God (Allah) and Mohammed is his prophet.”

– Salat is the requirement to pray five times a day: at dawn, midday, mid-afternoon, sunset and evening.

– Zakat is the giving of alms to the poor.– Saum is the requirement to fast from sunrise to

sunset during the month of Ramadan.– Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca that Muslims must

make at least once in their lives.• May include a stop in Medina to pay respects at the

Prophet’s grave.– http://cp.settlement.org/english/syria/

Majority Religion

Sunnite Muslim: A member of the branch of Islam that accepts the first four caliphs as rightful successors to Muhammad.– Caliph: the civil and religious leader of a Muslim state

considered to be a representative of Allah on earth; "many radical Muslims believe a Khalifah will unite all Islamic lands and people and subjugate the rest of the world.”

• Khalifah: synonym of caliph– http://www.worldreference.com

Majority Religion

Muslim: A believer or follower of Islam– Islam: the monotheistic religion of Muslims founded in

Arabia in the 7th century and based on the teachings of Muhammad as laid down in the Koran.

• Koran: The sacred writings of Islam revealed by God to the prophet Muhammad during his life at Mecca and Medina.

• Muhammad: The Arab prophet who founded Islam (570-632)– Mecca: joint capital (with Riyadh) of Saudi Arabia; located in

western Saudi Arabia; as the birthplace of Muhammad it is the holiest city of Islam.

– Medina: city in western Saudi Arabia; site of the tomb of Muhammad; the second most holy city of Islam

» http://www.worldreference.com

Minority Religion

Druze: an adherent of an esoteric monotheistic religious sect living in the relative security of the mountains of Syria and Lebanon who believes that Al-hakim was an incarnation of God.– Esoteric: confined to and understandable by only

an enlightened inner circle.– Al-hakim: an Ismaili caliph of Egypt who declared

himself an incarnation of God and founded the Druze religious sect (985-1021).

• http://www.worldreference.com

Holidays

Syrian Muslim Holidays– Ramadan– Eid al-Fitr– Eid al-Adha– Muharram

Syrian Christian Holidays– Christmas– Catholic or Orthodox Easter

Syrian Muslim Holidays

The dates of Muslim holidays change yearly

The Islamic religion follows the Lunar calendar.– 354 days in a year

• Each year the holidays are 11 days earlier than the previous year.

Syrian Muslim Holidays

Ramadan: Ninth month of the Islamic calendar.– Fast from sunrise to sunset.– A time for reflection of spiritual matters.– Shows devotion to Allah and Mohammed.– Builds self-discipline and encourages compassion

for those who are less fortunate.– During Ramadan families eat their evening meal

with each other.• http://cp.settlement.org/english/syria/holidays.html

Syrian Muslim Holidays

Eid al-Fitr: The “breaking of the fast” at the end of Ramadan.– People eat special foods, including sweets, and

many people stay up all night.– Visit family and wear new clothes.– Children receive gifts of money from their

relatives.• There are rides for children in the streets and fireworks

at night.

– The celebration is three days.• http://cp.settlement.org/english/syria/holidays.html

Syrian Muslim Holidays

Eid al-Adha: Lasts four days and comes at the end of the traditional season of pilgrimage to Mecca.– Celebrates Abraham’s willingness to

sacrifice his son to God.• http://cp.settlement.org/english/syria/holidays.ht

ml

Syrian Muslim Holidays

Muharram: The beginning of the first month in the Hijara (lunar) calendar.– Is the Muslim New Year.– Commemorates the day on which Mohammed and

his followers left Medina for Mecca.– Festivals held throughout the year:

• Palmyra Festival: Held in the desert and features singing and dancing as well as camel and horse races.

• Latakia, Syria: A peace festival is held during the month of August.

• September, an international folk festival is held in Busra.– The festival continues every night for three weeks.

» http://cp.settlement.org/english/syria/holidays.html

Syrian Christian Holidays

Christian Syrians celebrate Christmas and the Catholic or Orthodox Easter.– Communities celebrate these holidays.– Only a few decorations appear in

Christmas time• Christmas lights are uncommon.

– http://cp.settlement.org/english/syria/holidays.html

Education

Primary education is free. Attendance is mandatory for ages 6 to 15. Students wear a green, military-style uniform. Taught in Arabic. Learning a second language is mandatory at

eight years-old.– Most students study English.

Religion is taught also.

Education

Secondary education is free at state schools.– Ages 15 to 18.

Four universities.– Students pay a small tuition to attend.

Literacy rate has increased significantly over the last 20 years.– About 71%.

• 86% of men and 56% of women.– http://cp.settlement.org/english/syria/

Family Life—Children

Having children is very important. When a couple has a son, the parents

take the name of their first son.– i.e.: If they name their son Yassar, the

father becomes Abu Yassar or “father of Yassar” and the mother becomes Umm Yassar or “mother of Yassar.”

• http://cp.settlement.org/english/syria/

Family Life—Marriage Children do not leave their parents’ home

until marriage.– Some newlywed couples live with their parents for

a few years after marriage. Weddings are major social events.

– Arranged marriages are common in Syria.– In the city there is usually more freedom to choose

a marriage partner.• Parents of couple must OK the marriage.

– The groom pays a bride-price (majr) to the bride’s family.

• http://cp.settlement.org/english/syria/

Family Life—Status

Men have a strong individual and family honor (ird).

Women do not have equal status.– Men and women rarely socialize together

outside the home.– It is legal for Muslims to have multiple

wives.– Rare for Syrian families to divorce.

• http://cp.settlement.org/english/syria/

Family Life—Relatives

The elderly are respected. Elders live with their families their entire life. Nursing homes are not available. A death in the family entails three days of

mourning.– Women relatives of the deceased must wear black

months after their passing.• http://cp.settlement.org/english/syria/

Family Life—Structure

Patriarchal: The husband or “head man” is the leader of the home.

Females, beginning at a young age, are expected to “help raise[ed] younger brothers and sisters…and continue[d] that obligation until her death…”– The Katreeb Family

Aspects of Culture that Teachers Should Understand

Female students may seem to be reclusive. This can be attributed to their lack of social standing in Syria.

Syrian students of Muslim decent will need to pray during the school day.– Set up a “special” place where they can go to

pray. Syrian students of Muslim decent are not

going to eat at school during lunch while they are observing Ramadan.– Be understanding of their religious holiday. This is

a practiced Muslims have been observing for centuries.

Aspects of Culture that Teachers Should Understand

The term Mohammedanism is offensive to Muslims who believe that Allah, not Muhammad, founded their religion.– Teachers should be careful of the

questions they ask or comments made about a student’s religion.

– Teachers should research the student’s religion to preempt a faux pas.

• http://www.worldreference.com

Aspects of Culture that Teachers Should Understand

When you need to speak with a parent of your Syrian student the mother may not be allowed to make a “decision” about her child without first consulting her husband.

The most important piece of information to keep in mind is that there is no “typical” Syrian student or family, just as there is not in the US.

Aspects of Culture that Teachers Should Understand

Some families have come here to find safety aware from the constant war in the Middle East that has been going on for centuries, while others are coming for better opportunities.

Treat each family as their own unit. The way you will handle situations regarding a student depends a lot on the religious and social background that student comes from in Syria and the amount of education the parents have had.

Aspects of Culture that Teachers Should Understand

Syria is an old country with an extensive religious and political background.

Holy wars have been constant in Syria and surrounding countries for a long time.

Syria used to be a larger country containing the land of what is not Israel and Lebanon.

Because of Syria’s extensive history students may have mixed emotions regarding the US and Syria.

Take the student’s feelings into consideration. Be both patient and understanding of their country’s history.

Literature

Disney is universal!– Middle Eastern children are very familiar with

Disney. You may consider using a Disney book, such as “The Lion King,” to provide the student a comfort zone.

Cookbooks– Let the children share their “Funds of Knowledge”

through different cookbooks.• Believe it or not, Betty Crocker has cultural foods!

Literature

Concept Books– Concept books tend to be filled with

pictures. Students can learn the English terms and share the Arabic terms in the concept book with the class.

Literature

Use these titles in your classroom as a reference for you, as a learning experience for your native students, and as a familiar experience for your Syrian student(s):– Ahsan, M.M. Muslim Festivals. Illustrated by

M.M. Ahsan. Vero Beach, FL: Rourke Enterprises, 1987.

– Bloom, Jonathan, and Sheila S. Blair. Islamic Arts. Art and Ideas. London: Phaidon Press, 1997.

Literature

– Bloom, Jonathan and Sheila S. Blair. Islam : A Thousand Years of Faith and Power. New Haven, CT and London: Yale University Press, 2002.

– Burns, Khephra. Mansa Musa. Illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon. San Francisco: Harcourt Brace, 2001.

– Chalfonte, Jessica. I Am Muslim. New York : PowerKids Press, 1996.

Literature

Ellis, Deborah. The Breadwinner. Toronto, CA: Groundwood, 2000.

Goodwin, Jan. Price of Honor: Muslim Women Lift the Veil of Silence on the Islamic World. New York: Plume, 1995.

Kessler, Cristina. One Night: A Story from the Desert. Illustrated  by Ian Schoenherr. New York: Philomel Books, 1995.

Literature

Naff, Alixa. The Arab Americans. New York: Chelsea House, 1988.

Nye, Naomi Shihab. The Flag of Childhood: Poems from the Middle East. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks, 2002.

Nye, Naomi Shihab. The Space Between Our Footsteps: Poems and Paintings from the Middle East. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1998.

Literature

Weiss-Armush, Anne Marie. Arabian Cuisine. Illustrated by John Berry. Beirut, Lebanon : Dar An-nafaés, 1984.

Wprmser, Richard. American Islam: Growing Up Muslim in America. New York: Walker & Co., 1994.

Guidelines for Teachers

Know that females may not have the same amount of education as males the same age because women do not have the same rights as men.

When probing the class, do not put students on the spot unless they are comfortable—their education has been more formal that what is in the US.

Guidelines for Teachers

For counselors—Note that religion plays a major role in most Syrian families. You must respect the rules those families follow.

Some towns do not have electricity or indoor plumbing—there may be cultural bias that you will have to overcome or work around.

Guidelines for Teachers

Though these students have been educated, many times the schools are overcrowded, on double session and without up-to-date information.– You may have build an entirely new

foundation of knowledge for that student and overcome their misconceptions or out-of-date conceptions regarding academics.

The Katreeb Family: Journey to America

1894—Elias Thanaus Katreeb begins his journey to America.– Burj Safita, Syriaby donkey to Beirut,

Syria (now Beirut, Lebanon)– Boarded at a house in town for a few

weeksStop in Marsilles, FranceEllis Island

– Processed and sent to Pennsylvania with many other Syrians.

The Katreeb Family: Journey to America

1894-1896—Elias begins his living– Established a local grocery in Southside

Pittsburgh– Returns to Syria in 1986 to marry Sarah

Libbos Katreeb.– Sarah and Elias returned to the US taking

the same long journey.

The Katreeb Family: Journey to America

1897-few years– Elias and Sarah were able to afford to

bring Elias’ sister and husband to the US, and Sarah’s two brothers.

• Ann and her husband moved to McKeesport.• Sarah’s brothers moved to West Newton.

– The majority of Syrian immigrants from Burj Safita were living in West Newton at that time.

The Katreeb Family: Journey to America

Not all of the Katreeb-Libbos family was able to enter the US because of quota reasons.– Many members of my family immigrated to

Brazil, where that part of the family still is today.

Resources and References

http://www.worldalmanacforkids.com/explore/nations/syria.html

http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/%7Ekvander/ChildrenLit/islamicliterature.htm

http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/%7Ekvander/ChildrenLit/index.html

Resources and References

http://cp.settlement.org/english/syria/holidays.html

http://www.worldreference.com Katreeb, Charles. The Katreeb Family.

Florida, 1995.