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=> What do you mean when you say "arab"?

What do you mean when you say "arab"?
Posted by Jeff (Guest) jeff@attoz.com - Saturday, February 7 2004, 14:28:55 (EST)
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Back when I was more involved with the community, many of nasha diyyan (I am also
guilty of this) often went out of their way to say that Chaldeans (aka ChaldoAssyrians) are NOT Arabs. They didn't just say that we are distinct, but went farther, often including undertones of dislike for Arabs....or outright bigoted comments.

What I have been thinking about is the following: What does the term "Arab" mean exactly?

1. If the term "Arab" is used to define "Arab speaking people", or "People from
countries whose dominant language is Arabic", then ChaldoAssyrians who were
born in the middle east in countries whose dominant language is Arabic could indeed be considered Arabs. Unfortunately, the west seems to define Arabs in this way. I say unfortunately because it is not consistent with the naming conventions applied to other parts of the world. Yes, we refer to "Latin America" (that is, an entire continent of spanish-speaking countries), but we don't call Mexicans, Chileans, and Nicaraguans "Spaniards" ...we refer to them by their nationality. We don't call Aussies and Americans "the English", we call the BRITISH "the English". So, it seems to be to be incorrect to refer to "Arabs" as some sort of national or ethnic group. Clearly that way of defining the term is incorrect. It may be incorrect, but if we are to use the term to define speakers of Arabic (even if you DO speak English or Surath), then technically some of our people could be considered Arabs. If we were to follow the logic that all Arab-speaking people are Arabs, then all Americans are English. Isn't that strange?

2. On the other hand, if we are talking about some sort of "general Arab Culture" that pervades the middle east, the result is the same. ChaldoAssyrians are integrated into the countries that they live in, and if they are "Chaldean-American" or "Assyrian-American" (because the general culture in this country is "American", but we recognize that we are unique and so we use the
hyphenated term "Chaldean-American"), why is it inappropriate for someone to be "Chaldean-Iraqi", or "Chaldean-Arab?". Again, this definition is flawed because there is NOT a general Arab culture that pervades the region. I don't believe that the term Arab includes the general culture of the entire Arab speaking world. Eqyptians have a distinct culture that is very different from Lebanese, which is different from Iraqis, which is different from Yemeni. So, it is inappropriate, in my opinion, to call someone a "Chaldoean-Arab", but it is entirely appropriate to call that same person a "Chaldean-Iraqi", or an "Assyrian-Iranian", or a "ChaldoAssyrian-American". This is acceptable because we are referring to a subgroup (ethnic, linguistic, cultural, whatever...) within a nation. Nation implies nationality. I know it sounds basic, but people just don't seem to get it.

3. The only country whose citizens can be called "Arab" in terms of something more than a linguistic category is "Saudi Arabia". This is a nationality in addition to being a linguistic term.

Also, are Iranians "Arabs", or "Persians"? Are Turks "Arabs"? Are all Arabs Muslim? The western world has oversimplified (they are good at that) a complex region of the world with the blanket term "Arab", when instead I think it would be more prudent to focus on nationality.


>>>
>>> 9 entries found for Arab.
>>>
>>>A·ra·bi·an Audio pronunciation of Arab
>>><https://secure.reference.com/premium/login.html?rd=2&u=http%3A%2F%2Fdictionary.reference.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3DArab>
>>>( P ) Pronunciation Key
>>><http://dictionary.reference.com/help/ahd4/pronkey.html> ( -r b - n)
>>>adj.
>>>
>>>Of or concerning Arabia or the Arabs; Arab.
>>>
>>>
>>>n.
>>>
>>> 1. A native or inhabitant of Arabia.
>>> 2. An Arabian horse.
>>>
>>>
>>>[Download or Buy Now
>>><http://dictionary.reference.com/bookstore/ahd4.html>]
>>>Source
>>><http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=00-database-info&db=ahd4>: The
>>>American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
>>>Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
>>>Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
>>>
>>>
>>>Arab.
>>>abbr.
>>>
>>>Arabic.
>>>
>>>
>>>[Download or Buy Now
>>><http://dictionary.reference.com/bookstore/ahd4.html>]
>>>Source
>>><http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=00-database-info&db=ahd4>: The
>>>American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
>>>Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
>>>Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
>>>
>>>
>>>Ar·ab Audio pronunciation of Arab
>>><https://secure.reference.com/premium/login.html?rd=2&u=http%3A%2F%2Fdictionary.reference.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3DArab>
>>>( P ) Pronunciation Key
>>><http://dictionary.reference.com/help/ahd4/pronkey.html> ( r b)
>>>n.
>>>
>>> 1. A member of a Semitic people inhabiting Arabia, whose language and
>>> Islamic religion spread widely throughout the Middle East and
>>> northern Africa from the seventh century.
>>> 2. A member of an Arabic-speaking people.
>>> 3. An Arabian horse.
>>> 4. Offensive Slang. A waif.
>>>
>>>
>>>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>[French Arabe, from Latin Arabs, from Greek Araps, Arab-, from Arabic
>>>'arab.]
>>>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>Ar ab adj.
>>>
>>>
>>>[Download or Buy Now
>>><http://dictionary.reference.com/bookstore/ahd4.html>]
>>>Source
>>><http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=00-database-info&db=ahd4>: The
>>>American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
>>>Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
>>>Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
>>>
>>>
>>>Ar·a·bic Audio pronunciation of Arab
>>><https://secure.reference.com/premium/login.html?rd=2&u=http%3A%2F%2Fdictionary.reference.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3DArab>
>>>( P ) Pronunciation Key
>>><http://dictionary.reference.com/help/ahd4/pronkey.html> ( r -b k)
>>>adj.
>>>
>>>Of or relating to Arabia, the Arabs, their language, or their culture.
>>>
>>>
>>>n.
>>>
>>> A Semitic language consisting of numerous dialects that is the
>>> principal language of Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt,
>>>and parts of northern Africa.
>>>
>>>
>>>[Download or Buy Now
>>><http://dictionary.reference.com/bookstore/ahd4.html>]
>>>Source
>>><http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=00-database-info&db=ahd4>: The
>>>American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
>>>Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
>>>Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
>>>
>>>
>>>Arab
>>>
>>>\Ar"ab\ (?; 277), n. [Prob. ultimately fr. Heb. arabah a desert, the
>>>name employed, in the Old Testament, to denote the valley of the Jordan
>>>and Dead Sea. Ar. Arab, Heb. arabi, arbi, arbim: cf. F. Arabe, L. Arabs,
>>>Gr. ?.] One of a swarthy race occupying Arabia, and numerous in Syria,
>>>Northern Africa, etc.
>>>
>>>Street Arab <http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=street%20arab>, a
>>>homeless vagabond in the streets of a city, particularly and outcast boy
>>>or girl. --Tylor.
>>>
>>>The ragged outcasts and street Arabs who are shivering in damp doorways.
>>>--Lond. Sat. Rev.
>>>
>>>
>>>Source
>>><http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=00-database-info&db=web1913>:
>>>Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
>>>
>>>
>>>Arab
>>>
>>>n 1: an Arabic speaking person who lives in Arabia or N Africa [syn:
>>>Arab <http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=arab>, Arabian
>>><http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=arabian>] 2: a spirited
>>>graceful and intelligent riding horse native to Arabia [syn: Arabian
>>><http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=arabian>, Arab
>>><http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=arab>]
>>>
>>>
>>>Source
>>><http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=00-database-info&db=wn>:
>>>WordNet ® 1.6, © 1997 Princeton University
>>>
>>>
>>>Arab, AL (city, FIPS 2116)
>>> Location: 34.32964 N, 86.50013 W
>>> Population (1990): 6321 (2745 housing units)
>>> Area: 33.0 sq km (land), 0.2 sq km (water)
>>> Zip code(s): 35016
>>>Arab, MO
>>> Zip code(s): 63733
>>>
>>>
>>>Source
>>><http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=00-database-info&db=gazetteer>:
>>>U.S. Gazetteer, U.S. Census Bureau
>>>
>>>
>>>Arab
>>>
>>>ambush, a city in the mountains of Judah (Josh. 15:52), now Er-Rabiyeh.
>>>
>>>
>>>Source
>>><http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=00-database-info&db=easton>:
>>>Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
>>>
>>>
>>>Arab
>>>
>>>Arab, multiplying; sowing sedition; a window; a locust

Definitions taken from dictionary.com

Written by Jeffrey J. Atto on 2/7/04



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