10 Facts That Clear Up Confusion Around What Exactly Is an Arab
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10 Facts That Clear Up Confusion Around What Exactly Is an Arab - Atlanta Black Star
The Original Arabs Were Black
Bertram Sidney Thomas was a historian and former prime minister of Muscat and Oman. A civil servant of England, he was the first documented Westerner to travel across the Empty Quarter, the sand desert that covers one-third of the Arabian Peninsula. In his book, “The Arabs: The Life Story of a People Who Have Left Their Deep Impress on the World,” he writes that the natives of Arabia “were not the familiar Arabs of our time but a very much darker people.”
The Term ‘Arab’ Is Often Intentionally Misemployed
The essay “Myths, Hypotheses and Fact Concerning the Origin of Peoples,” the author argues that many utilize the political strategy of purposely referring to non-Arab aspects and people as Arab in order to carry out a political agenda. They either do so to exaggerate the size of the Arab population or “claim historical rights.”
The Fair-Skinned Arabs of Today Are a Result of Intermixing
In “The Arabs: The Life Story of a People Who Have Left Their Deep Impress on the World,” Thomas writes that “fair-skinned peoples came from the north” twice and “[drove] a wedge between India and Africa.” These two migrations brought about three separate groups of individuals: so-called Black Arabs, white Arabs and those in between.
All Muslims Are Not Arab, and All Arabs Are Not Muslim
Islam is not an Arab religion. In fact, Arabs only make up 20 percent of the global Muslim population. Most Arabs are Muslims, but most Muslims are not Arabs. In fact, an article titled “The Arabs – Who or What is an Arab?” argues that just as modern Christianity has been ascribed to European culture, as opposed to Hebrew culture, modern Islam has been far removed from Turkish culture and attributed to Arab culture.
Arabs Existed Far Before Islam
Arabs and Arabia had a history prior to the introduction of the Islamic faith. Dr. Peter Stearns, a professor of history at George Mason University, expressed that the indigenous individuals of Arabia belonged to tribal families, lacked a centralized government and practiced a wide range of religions, including Christianity and Judaism.
Arabs Are Not of One Distinct Ethnic Group
Arabs are represented by a variety of different ethnic groups, skin colors, and phenotypical traits. Both Black and white Arabs do exist. In fact, a number of Black Arabs from Sudan have affirmed that they are descendants of the male line of Arabs that lived during the time of the Prophet Muhammad. William Montgomery Watt, a historian and retired professor of Arabic and Islamic studies, and Pierre Cachia, a retired professor of Arabic languages and literature, have supported these claims.
The Thawb Robe Is Not Necessarily Arab
The Thawb, or Arab robe, provides protection from the sun. In “The Arabs – Who or What is an Arab?” it states that the ancient Arabs of North Africa, Mesopotamia, and Elam, which later became a part of Persia, did not require protection from the sun, as they had Black skin.The article then goes on to explain that it is believed that individuals of a lighter complexion, perhaps Turkish people, migrated to the previously mentioned regions and developed the Thawb to shield themselves from the harsh desert sun.
‘Arab’ Is a Cultural Term
Arabs are linked by way of culture; they are and have always been a cultural group by definition. Watt and Cachia confirm that this cultural unity has always been present, even prior to the arrival of the Prophet Mohammad. Furthermore, contrary to popular belief, this cultural unity transcends political factors.
Jews Can Be Arab
An Arab Jew is simply a Jew of an Arab country. Naïm Kattan, an Iraqi-Jewish novelist, essayist and critic, asserts the following: “A Jew can be part of a community and still be of different nationality or citizenship than the other members. And those who avoid declaring themselves as Jews, who attempt to hide or conceal their origin, are often called upon by others, because we are also Jewish through the eyes of others.”
Arabs Are Not Limited to the Arab World
The Arab World encompasses 22 countries of North Africa and the Middle East. They are as follows: Algeria, Bahrain, the Comoros Islands, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Yet, while Iran and Turkey may not be Arab nations, both countries are home to individuals who call themselves Arab. Arabs can be found all over the world.
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