Cultural diversity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Cultural diversity - Research Paper Example The countries/regions included in this paper are the United States, Great Britain, Middle East, India, Pakistan and Philippines. The paper further examines how Islam differs from Christianity and Judaism, and how these understanding affect the Muslim to non-Muslim relations. Finally, the paper proposes ways in which these relations can be improved. In order to have an idea about the teachings of Islam, this section briefly discusses the five Pillars of Islam. The first is the Declaration of Faith (Shahada), which is the belief in one God and Prophet Muhammad. Prayer (Salat) is the second pillar which emphasizes that observant Muslims have to pray five times in a day (Arab American National Museum (AANM), 2011). Prayers should be conducted at dawn, mid-day, mid-afternoon, at sunset and nightfall. These prayers can either be performed individually or in groups. The third tenet is Fasting (Soum). Ramadan is considered to be a holy month by Muslims. They believe that Prophet Muhammad got his first revelation during this month. Therefore, Muslims use this period to reflect and pray, and at the same time trying to correct their mistakes. Therefore, during this period, all Muslims are expected to fast and pray (AANM, 2011). Fourth, there is the pillar of Charity (Zakat) which requires that all Muslims have to give to charity every ye ar. This giving is usually done during the month of Ramadan, and the specific amount to give depends on the financial capabilities of the individual. The final pillar is Pilgrimage (Hajj). According to this pillar, all Muslims who have the financial and personal capability must perform the hajj once during their lifetime (AANM, 2011). All pilgrims wear white garments to in order to create a sense of equality before God. Currently, it is estimated that more than three millions pilgrims arrive in Mecca every year for the hajj. In a research conducted by the Pew Research Center (2011) on Muslim Americans, the results show