Some Americans' need for revenge is mixed both with hatred and with ignorance. The Arab culture is one of the oldest on Earth, and Islam one of the
fastest-growing religions.Below are some questions and answers to enlighten and educate. Much of
the material here comes from a guide for journalists produced by "The
Detroit Free Press", a newspaper published in a city with one of the nation's
largest populations of Arab Americans. As the Free Press guide states: "The differences that seem to separate Arab Americans from non-Arabs can be much smaller than the variations that
at times differentiate them from one another. It takes time to learn the
issues and to understand them, but it is essential and rewarding for us to do
that. Misunderstanding ultimately hurts each one of us." Question: Who are Arab Americans? Question: How many Arab Americans are there? Question: Where do Arab Americans live? Question: Do Arabs have a shared language? Question: Do Arabs have a shared religion? Question: But isn't Islam mostly an Arab religion? Question: What do Muslims believe? Question: Is Islam a violent religion? Question: What is meant by the phrase "Islamic fundamentalist"? Question: To which places do Arab Americans trace their ancestry? Question: Shouldn't Iran be in that list? Question: So, not all people from the Middle East are Arabs? Question: When did Arab people come to the United States? Question: Why did Arabs first come to the United States? Question: What race are Arab Americans? Question: Are Arabs an official minority group? Question: Why do some Arab women wear garments that cover their faces or
heads? Question: Some Arab men wear a checked garment on their heads. What is that? Question: Who are some well-known Arab Americans? Question: Who are some prominent Arab-American politicians? Question: Is there an Arab lobby? Arab-American Web sites:
PLEASE, STOP THE HATE!
Brothers and Sisters LOVE one another and be kind to each other! Insha Allah!
Answer: Arab Americans are U.S. citizens and permanent residents who trace
their ancestry to, or who emigrated from, Arabic-speaking places in southwestern
Asia and northern Africa, a region known as the Middle East. Not all people
in this region are Arabs. Most Arab Americans were born in the United States.
Answer: Estimates vary because the U.S. Census does not use Arab American as
a classification. Most estimates put the number at about 3 million.
Answer: They live in all 50 states. The population centers are Detroit, Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. An estimated 30,000 live in Washington State.
Answer: The Arabic language is one of the great unifying characteristics of
Arab people. Even so, there are many different dialects, and people from some
regions have difficulty understanding those from some others. Modern
Standard Arabic is used in formal letters, books and newspapers. Not
all Arab Americans know Arabic, of course, as many are second-, third-and
fourth-generation Americans.
Answer: No. They belong to many religions, including Islam, Christianity, Druze,
Judaism and others. It's a common misperception to think that Arab
traditions are Islamic, or that Islam unifies all Arabs. Yes, most Arabs
around the world are Muslim — but more Arab Americans are Christian
than are Muslim.
Answer: No. Only about 12 percent of the estimated 1 billion Muslims
worldwide are Arabs. There are more Muslims in Indonesia, for example, than in
all Arab countries combined.Large populations of Muslims also live in India, Iran, other parts of
East Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Islam has a strong Arab flavor, though, as
the religion's holiest places are in the Middle East, and the Koran was
originally written in Arabic.There are an estimated 6 million Muslims in the United States. The U.S.
State Department says that Islam is one of the fastest-growing
religions in the United States, and by 2010 the American Muslim population is
expected to surpass the Jewish population of 12 million as the second-largest
religion in the country behind Christianity.In the United States, about 78 percent of Muslims are immigrants.
Answer: Muslims, followers of Islam, follow the Koran, said to be the word
of God, Allah, to Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam. Muslims follow five
basic precepts:
* There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the lone messenger.
* Followers should pray five times a day, facing Mecca, a city in Saudi Arabia that is the holiest place.
* They should give alms to the poor.
* They should fast during the holy month of Ramadan.
* And they should make a pilgrimage to Mecca.
Answer: The Koran teaches nonviolence. Throughout history, political groups
and leaders have used Islam and other religions to justify many things,
including violence. Groups and individuals involved in terrorism around
the world have claimed their work was done on behalf of Islam.
Answer: This is complex. The term fundamentalist, whether applied to Muslims
or Christians, is used to imply political conservatism, religious
literalism or the use of those views to justify extremism. The term "Islamic fundamentalist" has been used to refer to people who use Islam to justify political actions. This has blurred the distinction between religion and politics. Because of this, acts carried out for political
reasons are sometimes attributed to religion.
Answer: Arab Americans trace their roots to many places, including parts or
all of Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon,
Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia,
Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Some Arabs are Israeli citizens.
Answer: No. Iran is not an Arab country. It is descended from the Persian
Empire and has a different language and cultural history than the Arab
countries. The dominant language in Iran is Farsi, not Arabic. Iran's location,
the fact that it is an Islamic country and the similarity of its name to
Iraq may confuse people.
Answer: Correct. The four main language groups in the Middle East are
Arabic, Hebrew, Persian and Turkish. Other significant language groups are
Kurdish and Berber. Arabs are largest in terms of population and land holdings.
Answer: Most are native-born Americans. The first significant wave of
immigration began around 1875. It lasted until about 1920. After a period in which
the United States restricted immigration, a second wave began in the 1940s.
Answer: Like many people who came to the United States, they were seeking
opportunity. Most early Arab immigrants were from Lebanon and Syria,
and most were Christian. After 1940, more came because of the Arab-Israeli
conflict and civil war, and more of them practiced Islam. Many in the
second wave were students.
Answer: They may have white skin and blue eyes, olive or dark skin and brown
eyes. Hair textures differ. The United States has, at different times,
classified Arab immigrants as African, Asian, white, European or as
belonging to a separate group.
Answer: The U.S. government does not classify Arabs as a minority group for
purposes of employment and housing.
Answer: This is a religious practice, not a cultural practice. It is rooted
in Islamic teachings about hijab, or modesty. While some say that veiling
denigrates women, some women say that it liberates them. Covering is
not universally observed by Muslim women and varies by region and class.
Most Muslim women in the United States do not wear veils.
Answer: It is called a kafiyyeh and is traditional, not religious. Wearing
the kafiyyeh is similar to an African American wearing traditional African
attire, or an Indian wearing a sari. The kafiyyeh shows identity and
pride in one's culture.
Answer: Here are just a few:
1. Christa McAuliffe, the teacher/astronaut who died aboard the space
shuttle Challenger.
2. Indy 500 winner Bobby Rahal.
3. Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback Doug Flutie.
4. Radio celebrity Casey Kasem.
5. Mothers Against Drunk Driving founder Candy Lightner.
6. Jacques Nasser, president and chief executive officer of Ford Motor
Company.
7. Helen Thomas, longtime reporter in the White House press corps.
Answer: Here are a few:
1. Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell.
2. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham.
3. Former secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala.
4. New Hampshire Gov. Jeanne Shaheen.
5. Former New Hampshire governor and White House chief of staff John
Sununu.
6. And 2000 presidential candidate Ralph Nader.
Answer: Not in the sense of a monolithic, controlling body. There are
several organizations that lobby on behalf of a variety of issues, including
domestic and international concerns. One is the Arab American
Institute, which supports presidential and congressional candidates who are
receptive to Arab-American concerns. Another is the American Arab
Anti-Discrimination Committee, a civil-rights group.