The world we live in has been built and maintained on the idea of ​​polar opposites and juxtapositions for everything: darkness and light; day and night; decency and wickedness; and pleasure and pain. The fact that the world is filled with polarities is not new, since it is explicitly dualistic; and is nothing more than a hybrid of polarities. Therefore, people tend to always struggle to maintain a corresponding balance between the two opposing forces. The existence of polarities gives meaning to each person's world. Furthermore, if opposite poles did not exist, there would be a meaningless relationship because it would be difficult to know what right is when left does not exist. Polarities are therefore omnipresent in the interpersonal life of every human being on this world and they are extremely visible. Yet there is a gray area between all the opposing polarities in our lives, but people deliberately choose to ignore it because it is ingrained in their daily lives, so they choose to take these polarities for granted and deal with them as usually every day. concerns. As a result, there is this dominant idea that this gray area that connects both binaries or opposites is non-existent, and this is what creates the dichotomous separations in black and white. However, these false dichotomous or binary separations ignore the relationship upon which these dichotomies are created. People generally say that opposites attract, and they have built their world on the fury of opposites coming and going until they harmonize; Yet they tend to create this resilient bond between opposite poles, claiming that since they are opposites or contradictory, they cannot be diverse. Today, even though people recognize the existence of polarities, they often miss the creation of complex relationships between these polarities. People have been taught that it is right to view polarities as things that oppose each other, ignoring everyday experiences that prove otherwise. Polarities should motivate people to search for and create relationships between everything they see; because to better understand this world, we must analyze the relationship between the widespread polarities that surround everyone's daily life. Polarities are visible in everything around us, including places of worship, the spaces around us, and our own bodies, but they are not effectively transmitted. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Among the most common polarities is the polarity of right and left; one that is seen and approached every day. Figurative distinctions between left and right are the origin of cultural classifications among people. Many theories have developed from clinical evidence about the purported physiological and neurological reasons for right versus left inclinations and performance in human behavior. Robert Hertz, in his seminal literary work, “The Preeminence of the Right Hand: A Study of Religious Polarity,” discussed the asymmetry of the body and hands in the context of the dichotomous perspective of left and right. RIGHT. He assumed that in the quarrel between the right and the left, the right was the most predominant and the most vital, as he said: to the right goes the honors: it acts, orders and takes. The left hand, on the other hand, is despised and given a mediocre role. Furthermore, he claimed that the role of the left hand is nothing more than a mediocre secondary role where it merely assists and supports the handRIGHT. Hertz further argues that asymmetry is socioculturally perpetuated, which to some extent makes perfect sense for several reasons. One of these reasons is that society pressures left-handers to try harder and use their right hand instead. (ask if you can add an anecdote). Not only that, but societies have also cultivated the use of the right and discriminated against the left; this is why, in Hertz's view, right-handers are socially preferred over left-handers. Hertz states that according to a tribe called Maori, what is considered profane is the left side which is considered the side of death as well as the profane side, while on the other hand the right side is considered the sacred side as well as the side of life. This social polarity is, in fact, a reflection of the religious polarity that exists and has allowed social polarity to exist and become widespread. According to Hertz, on religious polarity, a fundamental dualism of “sacred” and “profane” dominates the spiritual world; since the right hand is the one used in prayer and the gods are on the right side, while the demons are on the left side. Furthermore, the devotee should instinctively turn towards the region where the sun rises, which is the right side. All the polarities of this world were created to teach human beings to distinguish and contrast their right and left. The primary task of religious studies is not to address these polarities, important as they are for establishing refuting theories proposed by neurologists, physiologists, or even anthropologists; However, these polarities are addressed and even encouraged in several religious texts. As for left and right polarity and symbolism in Islam, there are several undeniable proofs. Muslims must face east when perfuming all religious rituals. Additionally, Muslims are commanded to enter the toilet with their left foot, as they enter the house of the devil, and to exist with their right foot when exiting the house of the devil. Not only that, but Muslims are also commanded to drink with the right hand and not the left, because if they ate with the left, Satan would join in the meal. Similarly, in Christianity, the right hand symbolizes dominion, authority, sovereignty, blessing and strength and also has significance in the scriptures. All of this evidence supports the idea raised by Hertz that the right is designated as sacred or holy and the left as profane or impure. This also explains the fact that preference is given to the right foot or hand for performing noble tasks in religious rituals as well as regular daily tasks in many cultures, both civilized and primitive. On the other hand, the left foot and hand are given auxiliary tasks. Therefore, it could be argued that the asymmetry or polarity that appears between the left and the right is the result of both social and religious notions ingrained and implanted in the people. In Islam and Christianity, the polarity of right versus left and the favoring of the right due to the dominant idea that it is sacred and the left is profane and impure is extremely noticeable. During my visit to Samaan El-Kharaz Monastery, it was evident how predominant and important the idea of ​​the sanctity of the right side was when I saw that the women were seated on the left from the priest's perspective and that the men were seated on the left. the right. Since it is believed that women are equally impure and unholy, they have therefore been assigned the left side, as it is also impure. Moreover, when the priest sprinkled the waterblessed after the ritual, he used his right hand as it is also considered blessed and sacred. Similarly, when I was visiting the shrine of Uqba ibn Amir, located inside the Uqba Ibn Amir Mosque, we were supposed to enter the mosque with our right foot because the mosque is considered a holy place, so we must use our sacred foot. foot when entering. During my visit to Saman El-Kharaz Monastery, I realized that women are prohibited from receiving communion due to the fact that they are menstruating, therefore they are considered impure because for people and societies, menstruation symbolizes death and death is considered unattractive and impure. Not only that, but also due to the fact that women are menstruating and therefore considered impure or profane, they are not allowed to pass through the altar as it is considered a holy or sacred place where impurities should not not penetrate. The pure/impure dichotomy was reflected upon by Mary Douglas in her book “Purity and Danger”. According to Douglas, our beliefs about purity involve a systematic classification of matter; societies avoid certain foods, animals, or substances because they are considered unclean. Douglas argues that the distinction between the sacred and the profane does not disappear over time, but "manifests" itself further in profane terms of pure and impure. Douglas, in his book, further argues that the distinction between cleanliness and impurity is the norm in all cultures, even the most primitive; therefore, it can be inferred from what Douglas says that the polarity between holiness and blasphemy is a cultural issue determined by real and symbolic structures. She further added that in her view, as dirt represents power and creativity, purity should stand for rigidity and lack of change. What Douglas is trying to say here is that despite most religions' rejection of dirt and pollution, what she calls "primitive religions" now reveal this through paradox and contradiction. These religions emphasize the importance of dirt and how it is necessary to replace what has been rejected, integrating the process of renewal. Douglas argues that essentially, rituals help to create clearly defined boundaries around purity and blasphemy, which help to assure society that the world is safer and under control and which help to provide a set of tools for facilitate understanding of the world. What Douglas was trying to propose and what also makes a lot of sense in the modern world is the fact that discourses about purity and impurity act as a homeostatic system that ensures the preservation of this social whole. Thus, the purity/impurity dichotomy is necessary to maintain social balance despite all the quarrels and debates that circulate on this subject. Additionally, one of the most stereotypical and common polarities is the gender polarity. When discussing gender polarities, people usually approach the issue from a superficial perspective and, as a result, they undermine the crucial issues of this dichotomy. Gender and the way each gender is perceived by societies indeed affect the actions and expectations of individuals towards themselves and others. The societal gender binary system claims that a man is supposed to be masculine and a woman is feminine. As a result, a stigma is created against anything that deviates from this norm. Anyone can point out the characteristics that would be favorable or belong to man or woman, because that is what society has implanted in people. Gender polarities are created and maintained by societies,just like all other polarities. Societies have established descriptions for women and men, and no one is expected to deviate from these descriptions if they want to be socially accepted. Women are portrayed as mediocre and impure, regardless of the social or economic level they fulfill, simply because they have a predisposition to menstruate. On the other hand, men are presented as the leaders of this society, and they are of course considered pure. During my recent visit to the Uqba Ibn Amir shrine and Rabia Al-Adaweya sightseeing tour, the idea of ​​gender stereotypes was particularly evident there. While Uqba was represented and considered a scholar because he was one of the contemporaries of the Prophet Muhammad and because he was considered a man of faith, Rabia was represented as a "wife". Despite the fact that Rabia was once a slave and she was a poet, they still represented her as a wife because of the gender stereotypes that overwhelm and control them. This is sort of what Sherry Ortner talked about in Is Female To Male As Nature Is To Culture ; she argues that because women have the ability to reproduce, they are often seen as closer to nature. She draws the conclusion that although women may be dominant in certain fields or tasks, when it comes to valued positions, it is men who get them, even if women are considered better. What Ortner says expands on the idea of ​​gender being defined in societies, she is basically saying that no matter what women do, they will stay in that angle and all the stereotypes will however continue to pursue them. Leila Abu Lughod, in her book “Veiled Sentiments,” explains how a tribe called Awlad Ali treats its women as subordinates. The men of this tribe believe that women should have no right to education or freedom and should stick to their assigned roles of taking care of the household and children. This brings us to the depiction of Rabia as a wife; no matter how hard a woman works or tries to prove herself, society will always have its expectations of women set according to societal rules. Additionally, “Shame of The Body” by Michael Stewart addresses the purity and impurity section of the gender dichotomy. He states that what Gypsy women are extremely ashamed of is the fact that they menstruate; To hide this shame, they are forced to wear aprons or the tops of their skirts once they reach puberty. Additionally, Gypsy women reported discomfort after childbirth, as they were considered unclean and therefore were forced to stay inside the house for three consecutive days. On the other hand, since men were considered pure because they did not menstruate, they were therefore not ashamed of anything. Gypsy men can freely enjoy their lives, sleeping with the woman of their choice because societal rules do not limit them in any way. The dichotomy between pure and impure gender also reminded me of my visit to Samaan El-kharaz when I attended mass. I understood that even though women made up the majority of attendees, they were not allowed to cross the altar or take communion due to the fact that they were menstruating, so they were considered unclean. Since the mass is a sacred ritual and menstruating women are considered impure, they are not allowed to enter the room where the mass is taking place. It is evident that societal and religious rules are the main reasons for the inferior outlook of women and that they ;.