WHO ARE THE ARABS OF TODAY?

Around 3500 BC the Semites from Arabia began their migration to the North, East, and North West mixing with the local inhabitants, and producing the Sumerians and the Babylonians civilizations, Egyptian Pharaonic civilization, the Lebanese Phoenician civilization, and the Palestinian Canaanite civilization.

 

ARABS, ARABIANS OR ARABIC SPEAKING PEOPLE?

Some modern writers prefer to identify all the people of the Arabian Peninsula, as Arabians, and the Lebanese, Syrians, Iraqis, Palestinians, Egyptians, and North Africans as Arabs. An alternative is to call the inhabitants of the Peninsula Arabs, and to call the Lebanese, Syrians, Iraqis, Palestinians, Egyptians, and North Africans Arabic speaking people.

THEN WHAT DOES AN "ARAB" MEAN?

Therefore, being an Arab does not mean you are coming from a specific race. To be an Arab, like being a Canadian, is a civilization and a culture trait rather than a racial mark. To be an Arab means to come from an Arabic speaking world – a world that has common traditions, customs and a single unifying language.

The Arab civilization unified Arabians, Africans, Berbers, Egyptians and the descendants of the Phoenician and Canaanites. During its heyday Jews, Christians and Muslims lived together in harmony and respect. It was a great "melting pot" that produced a vibrant and a great civilization. Although 90% of the Arabs are Muslims today they represent less than 20% of the Muslims of the world.