Cultural awareness deserves large importance in the modern age because of the follies that occur by mistake when people are ignorant of the extent or magnitude of their simple blunder. Very often things done with a sense of humor or in a manner so as to please a group of people might find great protest from a separates section of the society who feels that the action was meant to ridicule or degrade or insult their beliefs and ideas. Now and then international stories of such kind find great value in the media and public which can even end with drastic consequences. A few examples of such blunders that have occurred across the nation include the tale of the Israeli tourists who kissed in a Hindu shrine, movie posters that seemed to offend Buddhists and the more recently iniquitous Prophet Muhammad cartoons.

One of the most recent dealings related to intercultural incompetence is again an event involving the Prophet of Islam. The incident took place at Sudan where a British teacher named Gillian Gibbons, 54, was charged of insulting Islam when she gave permission to her class on naming a teddy bear Muhammad. The accidental occurrence was labeled as an example of Muslim extremism and irrationality.

The unpleasant incident was however just an exaggeration of some over-sensitive parents as stated by Mr. Khalid al Mubarak, member of the Sudanese embassy situated in London. Most Muslims regard this to be a simple judgmental error that occurred due to the ignorance of the respect that is duly offered to in Islam to the prophet. After the incident many people conscious of the teachers’ innocence have come out publicly in support of her.

The Ramadhan foundation testifies about the disgraceful decision and makes clear the fact that the teacher was innocent and did not intentionally carry out any action in the idea of offending the Muslim beliefs. Ms Gibbons’ students and their parents are all on the side of the teacher, ready to give evidence for her virtuousness. The Ramadhan foundation has asked up on the immediate intervention of the Sudanese President Umar al-Bashir in the case and the freedom of the teacher has been sought out from this shocking ordeal.

According to the Ramadhan foundation the event was not worth enough to cause the arrest or detention of a teacher especially when the incident occurred due to her ignorance. This can stand as a lesson to all people going to foreign lands that knowledge about their adopted land, the ethics, traditions and beliefs to be followed in those countries have to be known and acknowledged by the people. The whole affair took place because of lack of knowledge which could have been thoughtfully avoided by simple cultural awareness courses.

Cultural awareness courses on Islam give huge reverence to the Prophet. Muhammad is believed to be the best of creation and the messenger who brought final messages of God to mankind. Such incidents are eye openers for the ultimate need of cultural awareness training especially for people going to foreign lands whether it is for work, leisure or a living. A few basic cultural awareness tips that can be kept in mind for a smooth life ahead have been noted as follows:

·    Books, journals, magazines, etc. any similar source can be referred for information on the things that should be done and those things that one should be careful about when entering a new foreign place.
·    Assistance can be sought out from the internet and related websites.
·    Take some effort in learning the new language or at least a bit of how to communicate in a new place.
·    Friends or relatives in the new land can be approached for any important points that one is unaware of.
·    The local customs and dress codes of the new location should be given needful respect. Any odd behavior that might offend the nationals will turn out be highly costly for the new people.
·    Any doubt can be simply solved by observing the locals and following their lead.

Cultural awareness expands the knowledge sphere of people making them more accustomed to the foreign land and aware of the potential dangers that can occur by chance in the new place.