Disappearing cultures

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DISAPPEARING TRIBES

“THE MARSH ARABS OF IRAQ”

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http://www.laputanlogic.com/articles/2004/01/24-0001.html

BY FELICE SNIDER

HELEN BROWN

GENERAL ENGLISH

18TH OF MARCH 2011

CONTENT

1) INTRODUCTION

A) WHAT IS CULTURE?

B) WHAT IS DISAPPEARING CULTURE?

2) THE MARSH ARABS

A) LIFESTYLE, RELIGION, TRADITIONS

B) AGRICULTURE,SOCIETY

3) REASONS FOR THE DESAPPEARING

A) SADDAM HUSSEIN ACTIONS

B) WHY IT WAS GENOCIDE?

C) CONSEQUENCES

4) AFTER SADDAM ACTIONS

A) AZZAM ALWASH PROJECT

5) CONCLUSION

6) BIBLIOGRAPHY

Introduction

In this essay, I will try to explain and show some of the facts about one tribe, the Marsh Arabs from Iraq. The reason why we can say thatthey are disappearing. Before going to the facts and main theme of the essay, I will analyse the relation between culture and disappearing cultures by their definition.

“Culture is learned, but not everything that we learned is culture “[1]

The term culture etymologically speaking derives from the Latin word cultura, which has a meaning of “cultivating the land.” The first person to putculture in a human context was Cicero (roman philosopher), which talks about the cultivation of the soul and mind because of the training of the two of them. Culture is the greatest difference between the humans and the animals. This difference is not biological, is something more social, is the constant development in our ideas and points of view, is our histories, our development, our knowledge, isthe land, is the traditions, is the language, is everything that our ancestors gave us and fight for us. Finally, we can say that culture is everything that our ancestors fight and give to us, is the result of our history.[2]

What should happen if our history is being destroyed before our eyes? The legacy of our grandfathers and parents will disappear? This is known as disappearing cultures.Nowadays, globalization has had a real impact in some cultures and traditions all around the world, this happen because some people and countries want to look to the “best” culture, to the biggest power. For example, America’s culture is around the world. You can find Hollywood movies, McDonald’s or a simple Coca-Cola in the majority of the countries.[pic]http://www.gadling.com/2008/05/24/bolshoi-in-russia-in-cyrillic-american-fastfood-chains-suddenl/

Another subject that has a real impact on cultures are some decisions that politicians made. For example: the case of the Marsh Arabs of Iraq.

The Marsh Arabs of Iraq

“…Memories of that first visit to the Marshes have never left me…Firelight on a half-turned face, the crying of geese, duck flying in to feed, a boy’s voice singingsomewhere in the dark, canoes moving in procession down a waterway, the setting sun seen crimson through the smoke of burning reed beds, narrow waterways that wound still deeper into the Marshes…” Wilfred Thesiger[3]

As Wilfred Thesiger in his book[4] explain that the Marsh Arabs of Iraq or the Ma’dan their name in Arabic are inhabitants of the wetland region where the rivers Tigris andEuphrates splits creating some marshes and lakes before the water of this river goes into the Persian Gulf. This area is near the frontier with Iran. Marsh Arabs population is mostly Shi’a Muslim

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The Marsh Arabs believe in “jinn”, bad spirits who can take the form of humans and animals. They are two-marsh monster; the “Anfish”, a giant serpent with hairy skin, and the “Afa”, another serpentbut with legs. These two are considered deathly and the Marsh Arabs believe that they live somewhere in the marshes. The Marsh Arabs also believe in a holy place called Hufaidh. This holy place is an island, which has palaces, palm trees, pomegranate orchards and huge water buffalo. They suppose that this island in somewhere near the southwest part of the marshes. It is believe that anyone who...