Culture must change

This was the top scorer in the idealism category for a teen essay contest for Americans, Israelis, and Palestinians that was sponsored by Heart of a Nation. The essay prompt was “What do you most want to improve about your own society and how?” Scoring was done by the organization; the Monitor supported this cross-cultural program by agreeing to publish the top essays. Views are those of the writer, who lives in Rahat, Israel.

To live in a world that demands change is very difficult for those who have carried a certain set of beliefs and mindsets for ages. The biggest example of this is the Bedouin Arab society in the Negev. Bedouin Arabs live in desert tribes with farms of camels, chickens, sheep, and goats. They wander until they find a place to settle more permanently, and they follow their ancestors’ traditions.

However, with modern changes pushed on us, many Bedouins had no choice but to change: to live in buildings instead of tents, use machines instead of mammals, or work in industrial jobs instead of farming. However, a lot of Bedouins didn’t fully accept the changes, so they live the “modern” life while still holding tight to their traditions and culture.

And that is what I want to improve: the close-minded act of not letting go, and accepting change instead. Tradition is a wonderful thing, and culture is amazing – but practicing a culture that holds back those with true potential is a problem. Many women, children, and teens are held back from doing what they desire because their cultures prevent them from doing so. Despite many being Muslim, they still value their Bedouin culture more, which creates an even bigger problem.

What I personally would like to improve is the educational systems in our society – either at schools, at community centers, or in free programs around the cities. The point from that is to learn: Yes, we can practice our culture; yes, we can practice our traditions; we should embrace it all – but we can’t let that obstruct what we truly want and deserve. And we can’t let it hinder us from practicing our beliefs, often Islamic. Culture shouldn’t have more value than religion, and shouldn’t have more value than human rights.

I want to increase and reinforce positive change. We must let go of traditions that hurt us. Culture isn’t supposed to be mandatory; brainwashing teens and kids into practicing under threat of being kicked out shouldn’t be allowed. The Bedouin Arab culture has many positive attributes and they should be introduced to the world, but it’s devastating to me that its harmful aspects are more dominant and implemented everywhere. That’s what we need to limit.

Yosra, who lives in Rahat, Israel, is a Muslim, Afro-Bedouin, Palestinian woman who attends the Desert Stars School in the Negev. Diagnosed with Tourette syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder, she speaks multiple languages, is interested in history and theater, and enjoys creative writing, art, music, and crocheting.

To read other Heart of a Nation Teen Essay Competition entries, visit Teens Share Solutions to Global Issues.