|
 Who
is an Arab?
"Arab" is a cultural and
linguistic term. It refers to those who speak Arabic as their first
language. Arabs are united by culture and by history. Arabs are not
a race. Some have blue eyes and red hair; others are dark skinned;
many are somewhere in between. Most Arabs are Muslims but there are
also millions of Christian Arabs and thousands of Jewish Arabs, just
as there are Muslim, Christian, and Jewish Americans.
What is the Arab
World?
The Arab World consists of 22 countries in the
Middle East and North Africa: 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. Iran and Turkey
are not Arab countries and their primary languages are Farsi and
Turkish respectively. Arab countries have a rich diversity of
ethnic, linguistic, and religious communities. These include Kurds,
Armenians, Berbers and others. There are over 300 million Arabs. To
see a map of the region .
What is the
Muslim World?
There are
an estimated 1.2 billion Muslims in the world. The Organization of
Islamic Countries has 55 member states. The ten countries with the
largest Muslim population are: Indonesia (170.3 million), Pakistan
(136 million), Bangladesh (106 million), India (103 million), Turkey
(62.4 million), Iran (60.7 million), Egypt (53.7 million), Nigeria
(47.7 million) and China (37.1 million). Of these countries only
Egypt is an Arab country. Most Arabs are Muslims, but most Muslims
are not Arabs.
Who is a Muslim?
A Muslim
is a follower of Islam.
What
is the Middle East?
The
Middle East is a loose term, not always used to describe the same
territory. It usually includes the Arab countries from Egypt east to
the Persian Gulf, plus Israel and Iran. Turkey is sometimes
considered part of the Middle East, sometimes part of Europe.
Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh are usually described
as South Asia.
Who are Arab
Americans?
Arab Americans are Americans of Arab descent.
There are Americans with roots in each Arab country, but most
originate from Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine. There are also
substantial communities from Egypt, Yemen and Iraq. The first
immigrants arrived in the late 19th
century. A second wave of immigration started after World War II,
and still continues. The largest communities of Arab Americans live
in the Detroit-Dearborn area. To view a map of the distribution of
Arab Americans across the United States
.
Who are some
famous Arab Americans?
Some of
the more familiar ones include:
Paula Abdul -- Singer/dancer
Spencer Abraham -- U.S. Secretary of Energy
Elias Corey -- 1960 Nobel Prize Winner
Shannon Elizabeth -- Actress in "American Pie"
Doug Flutie -- 1984 Heisman Trophy Winner
Jeff George -- Football player
Dr. Michael De Bakey -- Pioneer heart surgeon
George Mitchell -- Former Senate Majority Leader
Danny & Marlo Thomas -- Actors
John Sununu -- Former White House Chief of Staff
Helen Thomas -- Former Dean of White House Press Corps
Bobby Rahal -- Indy 500 Race Car Champion
Current Congressmen -- Darrell Issa and Nick Rahall
Casey Kasem –- Radio personality
Lucie Salhany -- First woman to head a TV Network (FOX)
Jaime Farr -- Actor from M*A*S*H
Kathy Najimy -- Award winning actress
Ralph Nader -- Consumer advocate
Christa McAuliffe -- Teacher & space shuttle astronaut
Joseph Abboud -- Designer
F. Murray Abraham -- Oscar Winning Actor
Michael Nouri -- Actor in Flashdance
|
