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tip If you are an Arab... What does for you define your Arab Identity?
 
 

Posted by super devoika on 09.01.2008
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Posted by Salma on 10.06.2008
 

I think its more of language and geographical approximity. I feel closer to Lebanese, Syrians and Palestinians than to someone from Tunisia for instance. Being arab has lost its meaning post arab nationalism days of Abdelnasser, yet lots of people are just stuck there.

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Posted by Ehab on 11.01.2008
 

To me an Arab is someone who speaks Arabic Language.. Even this is not totaly true,cause each of the 22 Nations calling theselves Arabs do not speak the same Arabic Language , for example if an Iraqi talk his own Arabic an Algerian never able to understand him and visa versa.

If you mean Arab National..this is too far from the true meaning of Nationality,cause No arab can move freely to another Arabic country!!..Even each Arabic country has its own Anthem, currency ,flag,satellite TV, Conistitution,closed borders to other Arabs & Locked  Confined army.

If you compare Who is an Arab to who is an Indian,Chinese, American ,French or British.. you will realise that these last named are true Nations and An Indian,Chinese,American, French,and British are True Nationalities Where each country has a Unified character ,system and conistitution . And all citizens of these countries has their Nationality  Registered in ALL DOCUMENTS of the Person.(i.e;Passport) .

But an Arab is never Registered as a nationality in any DOCUMENT that belong to any citizen of the 22 Nations calling theselves Arabs..

So we can summate who is an Arab... He is who barely speak Arabic..BUT NOT TRUE NATIONALITY.( donot tell me they share Islamic religion...cause many Nations are Muslims but not Arabs..and do not say same history..cause no single Nation of these 22 Nations share the same history with another)

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Posted by Shalabieh on 10.01.2008
 

I think identity is a very complex structure. Read Amin Maalouf's book On Identity. he deals with teh concept in an intersting way that I fully agree with.

 

I am an arab despite the way I look, talk and present myself. Most people mistake me for being an ajnabieh. After I traveled to the west did I realize how much of Arab I was. This was not based on my skin color, hair color, thought, dress code. It was the things deep inside that make me an arab. The ideals, the deep rooted cultural context of interprtation, the standard by which I measure things.

its the invisible culture that is below the surface (think cultural iceberg) because the outward culture always changes.

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Posted by super devoika on 09.01.2008
 

Roba... then what is the Arabi heritag for you?

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Posted by Roba on 09.01.2008
 

Personally, to me, it's about heritage. Being Arab is my heritage... my culture... What a lame answer, I know, but it's sort of a hard question!

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Posted by razano on 09.01.2008
 

I think its culture, language, history, communication, attitude, maybe even perception of the world. Those are the things that bind me with other Arabs at various levels.

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