To Be An Arab….
Eastern,Arabic,what do they mean…If I were to discuss them objectively, my message won’t reach anyone as I want it to.The modern”Arab World” as we may call it is categorized as the”Uncivilized World”.Does this label fit them(the Arab Countries)?Does Lebanon Belong to them?…What specializes it from the other “Uncivilized Countries”?
Their intelligence…to bid women from their rights?…enjoy “Palestine’s” ans specifically “Ghaza’s” poverty and famine every moment?…Their greed towards food,..and wives as if they were dolls to divorce and marry them whenever they wanted to…Arabic Women giving up their rights?…becoming more like those IN CHARGE of them…….??//
WHAT are Arabs? They don’t deserve the “who”..We hear of many “Uncivilized” “Fatwas” as they call them in Arabic being arranged tactically and put everyday to bid women from many prorogatives, especially in KSA…Forcing HER to wear a black piece of cloth that will cover up all of her body…another one on her face…The NEW FATWA:covering one of her eyes only, because two are seducing..better look like a pirate!!!..bidding HER of going out on her own…drive a car…even balconies are fordidden..BET THEY’RE CIVLIZED…Arabs…have the ability to amrry IT and divorce IT(For them, SHE’s not a human being..SHE’s an IT..a thing…
Arab, what does it mean to be Arabic?It’s not what we hear in firytales of ancient times..not the generousity of “Aljahiliyoun” or the honesty of “3antar bin shaddad”…nothing related to Nobelity…Arabs, are everything BUT these.They are the idols of greed, dishonesty,and all what goes with these adjectives.
What’s happening in “Ghaza” isn’t an article read in a newspaper,and forget the next day…It isn’t an issue to hear of in the news, discuss,then pass through it as if it was of no importance. Yesterday, 100,000 chikens were killed(the approximated number to be killed everyday from yesterday onwards…) because the farmers have no food left to feed them. They have no food to feed their own children(humnan children)…children who can’t study because electricity isn’t available…What are the Arab countries offering Palestine?…a night’s sleep resting and dreaming of more American Military bases..planes…a NEW FATWA to crash women with?…Arabs..the millionares…not deserving to be..incapable of sending a modest amount of money that’ll keep thousands of Palestinian people alive?..unable to stop encouraging American crimes in Iraq and Palestine indirectly?
“UNCIVILIZED”,the best label we give for a bunch of devils, that’s what they are..It’s not my opinion, it’s that of many. How come Lebanon is still a little farther from THE ARAB HELL??
Simply because we don’t allow the fake religious leaders to come up with “Fatwas” of their own; having the”Holy Koraan” as an excuse.Enem the “Holy Koraan” has had enough of them…Lebanon is way away from that uncivilization that hit the Arabs…but we’ll reach there if we keep following political leaders, fighting with eachother over silly issues…BUt,still,we unite whenever we need eachother…Atleast, progressing to unity.
Finally,the Arabs just need to have some courtesy inorder to help improve eachother’s situations, and to improve their view infront of Western Communities.The so called “Terrorists” flung from America,which created them to decrease the Arab’s value…Palestine is waiting for some eyes on it,..a hand on its people…Saudi Arabia wants a change for women, children, and everyone else living there…We, the Lebanese(Pheonicians),won’t ever become Arabs,especially with the view we have of them today.We know what to do, we just have to do it!
Interesting Article!!..But who do you mean by ” Arabs”…??! people from the Arabian Peninsula ( the Ethnic Arabs) or the Pan-Arab community.. ( covering the geographical region that comprises of what is called now the Arab World- a linguistically and culturally Arabised region)?
Thx alot Bella..By Arabs. I mean the ethnic Arabs…not the countries covering a certain geographical area,and this is because Lebanon is one of the countries categorized with the Arab world GEOGRAPHICALLY…soo ethnically and intellectually,,,we’re different….PHEONICIANS VS ARABS;)….
WE KNOW WHAT TO DO!! WE JUST HAVE TO DO IT !!!
Ethnic Arabs?
I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry after such a flagrant display of misinformation!
Here’s some historical info that might do the writer (and readers) some good…
Who are the Arabs?
The Arabs are the inhabitants of the geographical region known as the Araba (العربة), which means “the desert”. It’s as simple as that…
That said, the follow-up question that naturally comes to mind is “What are the origins of the Arabs?”
The answer to that finds it’s roots in the Phoenician trade routes. You see, after circling Africa, passing what is now called the Good Hope Cap, the Phoenician ships reached Yemen, where they founded trading colonies.
Land routes were consequently established between these colonies and the “mainland”. Checkpoints along these routes were manned by people hailing from Tyr, Sidon, Damascus, Babylon (to name a few cities), as well as slaves from Ethiopia, India, and other ethnicities.
After the decline of the colonies in Yemen, the routes became obsolete, the checkpoints unnecessary, and the inhabitants of these checkpoints were cut off from the mainland. Eventually, the inhabitants of each checkpoint became a tribal entity.
As you can gather, what you call “ethnic arabs” are in fact the descendants of the aforementioned inhabitants (which were a cocktail of ethnicities) as well as the descendents of other migrations that came to that land.
This negates any effort to mark the inhabitants of the peninsula as “pure blooded” or “ethnic”, it also puts to shame the entire Phoenician v/s Arab theory, since the Arabs themselves are descendants of the Phoenicians.
P.S: It’s about time for people to have a deeper understanding of history than that of an elementary school history book. It’s also time for us to get past the simplistic notions of nationalism, put forth by the likes of Mussolini and Hitler, and linking nations to blood lineage…
Mr Nael, Thanks for the info!..I agree with your point somehow that ” pure” in its real sense does not exist,..each and every individual in the world is mixed in some way or another,..But I asked the question because we need to figure out the difference nowadays…and yes “Ethnic Arabs” do exist, because the percentage of how Arab they are is way larger than the other “Arabs” in the Pan-Arab community ,..In fact, when you talk to someone from the Arabian Peninsula and he shows you through his family tree that he’s an Arab ” de pure souche” while you’re still trying to figure out who’s in your ancestors came from that region,..(that really makes you wonder if you really are one!!)…I think There’s some part of history that you have ignored : the process of Arabization along with the “Islamization” of so many ethnicities that lived in the Near East then , definitely had its magical effect in multiplying the number of ” Arabs” and the claim that they all belong to one culture ,hence, one origin,..while that was sthg imposed on them!!….
Thx for ur info Mr Nael,..what i was really interested about was the traditions that some Arabs still hold, or new ones they came up with, which do not exist in Lebanon….sooo Lebanon’s being in the geographical area of the Arab world doesn’t make it one…(the principle or Arabism nowadays).I agree that many Lebanese are of Arab origin due to the mixture of cultures,but i’m sure that we can’t be categorzed with them nowadays….
“Arab de pure souche” only means that his ancestors (that he is aware of) resided in the desert. That’s the limit of such an assertion.
[...the process of Arabization along with the “Islamization” of so many ethnicities that lived in the Near East then...]
Yet another display of misinformation… Are you aware that the two interim kingdoms -between the Roman and Persian empires- that ruled the near east were actually “Arabs” (الغساسنة والمناذرة)??
Also, would you care to try and explain why most words in the Arabic language are taken from the Phoenician language (and it’s subsequent linguistic evolutions)?
I’ll reiterate the point I was trying to make in my previous post’s last paragraph…
Nations are not defined by bloodlines, nor by racial, ethnic or religious affiliations; but with social and cultural ties that unite people despite any other possible dividing factors.
Well, Mr Nael..I totally agree with you that it’s not based on ethnicity, nor race, nor religion that we should define ourselves,..it’s who we are and what we add to this big world that gives a stronger meaning to our existence,..However, let’s not forget that we’re living now in an openly globalized world ,yet complex and confusingly interwoven, thus we’re witnessing serious attempts for resistance: preserving the local, cherishing the original and retracting back to the roots ( wherever they may exist)…a lot of ppl around the globe are trying to find out where they came from originally in this high-scale open ” métissage” of cultures, races/ethnicities, religions and lifestyles.. and as long as they would help in the future give the individual a newer vision of him/herself and an additional identity..I don’t see where’s the problem,..I mean as long as it enriches/alters the person’s perception of the world and of difference in the sense that there will be more tolerance, and more acceptance ( if for instance one may discover they’re originally from some place that they could’ve totally underestimated b4..if you see what I mean)..it’ would be Great!!..
Btw, when I talked about the processes of Arabization and Islamization, I was talking about the ethnicities that existed in the Pan-Arab community and whose cultures, languages and traditions were put aside because then they became a minority in their own land, while those that assigned themselves into power imposed their everything on the ppl,..it was like a colonization but in cultural/ linguistic/religious terms (that transformed into a military political one as soon as ppl’s confidence was gained),..and as long as nobody complained it persisted and interaction with the indigenous culture was inevitable,..and that’s how you see nations in the Arab world speaking Arabic with wide variations of accents or let’s say completely different dialects,..the latter didn’t come from nowhere,..they’re an immediate result of the processes I just mentioned..
and yes, Phoenician could be a major constituent of Arabic if we consider the Canaanite influence as was the influence of Hebrew, Aramaic and other lges ( correct me on this if I’m wrong I am not an expert on this specific part of History,..being Moroccan.!!:)
Anyway, I personally do not reject the idea of being an ” Arab”..and it’s not this particular term that is causing our nations to decadence and lagging far behind those who are leading and ruling the world,..but faced with such(I won’t say failed but) very defective states in the Arab World, in terms of Democracy, governance,..and so on..unconsciously, we ended up having this weird bitter feeling that “Arab” isn’t an identity or a way of being,..it is in truth a “Syndrome” whose symptoms are passivity, ignorance, oppression, betrayal , subordination and failure!!..I’m sorry for giving such a dark picture of it now,..I really wish it were anything other than this,..!!
First of all, I apologize for making the assumption that you were Lebanese, which was the main reason behind my discourse about the non-ethnicity of Arabs… Yes, Egypt, Morocco, and other parts of “Arab Africa” would have a point in finding ethnic differences between themselves and “Arabs”.
To make things even clearer, I am not a Pan-Arab nationalist.
As I said before, I define my nation according to historical, social, and cultural factors… And the way I see it, the entire “Arab world” does not share enough factors to make it one nation.
P.S: My initial reservations on the article and your reply to it were caused by the invalidity of the reason used to dismiss Arab nationalism.
Thanks a lot Mr Nael for your reply!!…Actually, when I reread my first comment,..I found out it was ‘un peu déplacé’ and treating a very intricate issue ‘from the surface’,..yes I do admit it!!..and I agree that discarding Arab Nationalism shouldn’t be based on anthropological factors, but rather on purely political ones because it started as a political movement,..I myself am an Arab (having Arab Andalusian ancestry) whether this fact is pleasant or not,..this is not an issue,..But the way Arabs are nowadays is the heartbreaking fact,..a lot of chauvinism, a lot of divide,..a lot of conflicts between each other,..and above all decadence!!..I don’t believe in conspiracy theory,..but I believe firmly that Arab governments conspired in a way or another to make this happen unfortunately!!..Thus,Zeina’s article is an automatic response to this identity that couldn’t stand for itself and be a strong shield for its own people,..and now no wonder that so many around the Arab World are claiming any ancestry ( be it of a low percentage ) rather than the Arab one to get rid of this feeling of shame of belonging to a culture that does not have a good image nowadays,..However, it’s debatable,..whether ppl make the identity or that identity makes ppl,..but since in our Arab nations, we’re all used to be represented by ppl who only represent themselves,..there’s a deep confusion of identification that is causing such reactions…(which are one the only safe outlets ppl have to protest about their desperate situations !!)..
[..there’s a deep confusion of identification that is causing such reactions…]
Exactly, that’s why I wrote what I did in my first reply.
A wise man once said “بعد الاطلاع يمكن تكوين رأي”…
And making statements and assertions, about nations and identities, while still in a state of “deep confusion” is as destructive and harmful as the current political systems.
You say there is no other way for people to protest the current system, but I beg to differ…
Instead of repeating what is heard, or what is considered “mainstream knowledge”, people could actually take the time to dig deeper, research history, and get a better understanding of their heritage.
Such an understanding would give them a clearer vision that would surely help them break free from “their desperate situations” as you put it.
This is on my facebook page, and it will be interesting to see if people who are ‘friends’ (and being new to facebook with not much time to spend, not a lot of friend yet) will click on this and read it. IT is a English entry to LebJournal, so it will attract interest.
Very interesting to read your debate and discussion on this.
Do you consider yourselves Pheonicians? Part of the middle East, but not Arabs becuase of religous and cultural differences? Would the Hezzbolah consider themselves Arabs? Pheonicians?
You made it look so easy!!..if it were the solution,..then Historians and Anthropologists would make headline news overnight and rule the Arab World,..(which I don’t mind as long as they internalized the content of history politics and won’t ‘recidivate’ the same mistakes that were done in the past)!! btw, not all of Arab History was “Glorious”..(what about the long bloody conflictual years that tainted that same history with hate till our present day!!) …What you referred to as “common knowledge” is actually the reality that ought to be faced and changed through affirmative action!..and not only through looking back at the past ,..that most people picture in their minds with deep sorrow,..
With ” deep confusion” I was talking primarily about a “Political Identity” that got shattered and traded on by our dear ’self-appointed’ delegates…The Past is gone,..yes it is important in giving us more motivation to go ahead and perform well,..but the present and the future matter more!..because in the end,..we live the now and tomorrow!..while the past is only memories or a bunch of stories that others have lived…and that we can hardly relate to!
.Well that line said by Nael,in my opinion,is the major solution along others…:..”.Such an understanding would give them a clearer vision that would surely help them break free from “their desperate situations””…Actually, the origins are what remains, but the value of being an Arab changes…Does ARabism make us or do we make Arabism??….We have to live the present and future,never cling to the past.The origins of a certain nation are nthing but a general view of what it used to be like…it’s not the reason for judging its present situations…But what i see today in the Arab world makes me wonder if our country is to be called one of them aswell.I hope that u’r getting what i mean…all the killing and sins commited….hidden by religion….children banned from education in some countries……i mean this does not exist in Lebanon…soo Are we the real Arabs??Are they the labeled ones only??What MUST we do to change this situation?/??/….
As for Betty’s comment…well i consider myself Lebanese, and a humanbeing before having this nationality.Iam very biased about my Lebanese identity, and my article “To Be An Arab” is supposed to show part of my disguise to all the crimes happening nowadays…my aim isn’t to know the Arab origin, as much as it is an expression of rage ,wanting to find a solution or many solutions for the Arab retardness!!!
Also, Betty, the religious and cultural differences play a major role aswell.For example, a Lebanese teenager doesn’t live the same adolescence as a SaudiArabian teenager…..
Hizbollah, hehe a Lebanese political Party, just like anyother political party in Lebanon…have their own principles and beliefs…Well, we can’t generalize whether ALL HIZBOLLAH consider themselves, Arabs ,Pheonicians……It’s about individualism!!!!!Generalization leads to many conflicts everywhere!!!
Shall we find a solution??We’re humanbeings for God’s sake,…shouldn’t man help man in times of trouble????……I hope that i made something clear here!
Bella:
I made it look easy? Are you kidding?? Hehehe
Do you think understanding (and I strongly stress the term understanding) history is easy?
Sadly, even historians and anthropologists (at least most of them) fall into the “mainstream knowledge” trap, and thus fail to truly understand certain events.
As for affirmative action, it should only be undertaken in order to reach a certain goal, and that means that people who are acting should have a clear vision of what they want… Otherwise, you’d end up with what we have now.
N.B: Political identity is actually irrelevant. What I’m talking about is national identity, but since it’s closely related to history, then I guess you can’t relate to it either.
______
Zeina:
You’re still focusing too much on bloodlines… Whether you intend to or not, you seem to be stuck on the racial definition of nationalism. Stop trying to link Arabs to a common origin, and instead link them to natural and cultural environments… Only that would give you satisfactory answers to the questions you’re asking.
As for the following quote:
[all the killing and sins commited….hidden by religion….children banned from education in some countries…]
Were you not aware that Lebanese religious figures used to bless militia men before sending them off to kill their “infidel compatriots”?
Did you know that certain parts of Lebanon have an illiteracy rate of almost 40%?
How is that any better than any other country in the region?
Make no mistake about it… The Lebanese “supremacy” is merely an illusion.
As a final remark on the subject, I totally understand you rage. Frankly, the way I see it, anyone who isn’t furious with the current situation wouldn’t be of sound mind. However, and at the risk of repeating myself, I think it would be much more fruitful if you direct your anger towards in-depth research rather than just blowing steam off.
After all, a mind is a terrible thing to waste, wouldn’t you agree?
Mr Nael:…about the awareness u mentioned:ofcourse i’m aware of that, but does this thing exist in Lebanon in big rates??I mean only the retarded people accept it.I think that we’re still abit far from all this mess,and we can talk against it,whereas in other countries, they are forbidden to express their opinion freely….there’s no freedom like we have here.What you’re saying is right, but unfortunately one can’t say all the bad things of his/her country.Imean although we know that this stuff exists in our country, we try to ignore it, and focus on the bright side.
I agree with you on doing more research…and i intend to do so, but this article was nothing but a “Random Scream”…..Sometimes a scream expresses the real being, not the reasearch done…But both make a gr8 text:D..thx