Ethnic and Group Identity
I come from an Arab family based in Amman, Jordan and I feel closer to the Sunni Muslims throughout the world. Arab heritage, language, food, religion, culture has had a huge influence on my moral construction and behaviour. Personally, I feel more of an Arab than being a Jordanian. My ethnicity is also a source of pride for me, as the Arabs have had a strong historical presence over ruling the Middle East and shaping the future of the region. I grew up in a predominantly Sunni Islamic neighbourhood and most of my friends and classmates have been from the same faith. I have always felt close ties with my religion and I am an ardent follower of Islamic values and teachings of the Quran. Islam also as a major impact in my family life and other families living in Amman, although in comparison to other cities in the Middle East Amman is significantly moderate and modern.
Impact of Amman on Identity
Amman is one of the best cities in the Islamic world and the Middle East for quality of life and much of it is due to its acceptance of the westernized approach to life (Collinson, 2016). Amman is the cultural, political and economic capital of Jordan and is considered a westernized and liberal Arab city. Amman has had a major impact on my identity as I have grown up in Abdoun, which is the most affluent and developed districts in the city. The modernity and liberal environment of Amman has helped me to relate my traditional Islamic beliefs and see the positives in following the faith. Despite having predominantly Muslim population, Amman welcomes people from all over the world as tourists and many foreigners have started to relocate Amman in the past few years. Amman’s modernity and presence of people from all over the world has helped me to understand other cultures, religion and value diversity. Even though I feel very close to Islam, I have learned to respect other religions and beliefs of people from different faith.
Impact of Ethnicity and Group Identity on Quality of Life
A mixture of Arab heritage, Islamic values and modern city have ensured that people like me living in Amman find a balance between personal and professional life. The Jordanian government is one of the most liberal leadership in the Middle-East, which is open to modernity helping people of Amman to live in a moderate city open to outsiders and other cultures. In addition, the government is also focused on improving the standard of living of the locals as several government funded projects have been passed to develop the city of Amman and transform it into one of the fastest growing metropolises in the Middle East. Unlike other Islamic leaders in the Middle East, the Emir of Jordan is open to western values and opposes the radical actions taken by other Islamic leaders in neighbouring countries (Ehrenhalt, 2008). Due to an open society focusing on Islam, Amman is one of the examples in the Middle East of maintaining Islamic values and growing in economic terms.
Conclusion
Amman is one of the most westernized and liberal cities in the Middle East, which has helped to respect people from other cultures and religion and understand the relevance of diversity. In terms of quality of life, Amman is one of the most attractive cities in the Middle East. For Muslims, Amman is one of the cities that maintains its Islamic values and at the same time endorses modernity and peace. In one way, the Arab ethnicity and Islamic identity of Amman has helped in improving the quality of life of people living in the city.
References
Collinson., P. (2016, 23 February 2016). Vienna named world's top city for quality of life. Retrieved 16 March 2016 from, http://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/feb/23/vienna-named-worlds-top-city-for-quality-of-life
Ehrenhalt., A. (13 August 2008). Trading Places. Retrieved 16 March 2016 from, https://newrepublic.com/article/63297/trading-places
