What Is An Arab?

Shemsi en Tehuti · (#1 (**permalink**))

The illustrious Dr. John Henrik Clark poses this question in the introduction of the most recent edition of Arab Invasion of Egypt and the Last 30 Years of Roman Dominion by Alfred Butler.

Dealing with Arabs is an eminent aspect of African reality in regards to self-determination considering the majority of Arabs are said to reside on the African continent (whether they are truly "Arabs" or not). Here are some important questions I feel should be answered...

With respect to Genealogy considering sub-groups of man (African, Indo-European, Mongoloid/East-Asian, etc.), where did Arabs come from?
Should their language, religion, or culture, be considered "African"?
Considering the 1,400 year history of their carnage against African people, should they be viewed any different than their Indo-European brother from a different mother, Europeans?

What is an Arab?

Shemsi en Tehuti · (#2 (**permalink**))

"A camel boy employed by his uncle began to grumble and complain to other camel boys. He grew up and finally had enough followers to call for reform within the religions of that day. Failing to get reform, he called for a new religion. This new religion was Islam."

Dr. John Henrik Clarke
Arab Invasion of Egypt and the Last 30 Years of Roman Dominion

Shemsi en Tehuti · (#3 (**permalink**))

"For centuries Africa has been divided into related parts that communicated through religion, trade and politics. The enemies of [antagonism], one to the other. They have created the area they are willing to call “White Africa.” This is an assumption and is misleading. The Arabs are a mixture of every people they’ve associated with and to classify them as white is to stretch the imagination. The phrase “Black Africa” is also misleading, because it supports the assumption that there is a legitimate white Africa. All the people in Africa who cannot be classified as Africans are either invaders or descendents of invaders. Although the Arabs have been in Africa for more than a thousand years, they are still invaders. Like most invaders throughout history, their role and contribution is exaggerated. In most parts of Africa, they have done more harm than good. The Arab invasion of Egypt and the Arab expansion into other parts of Africa was mainly for power. Dr. Yoseph Ben-Yochannan has said that religion is the deification of a people’s culture. By extension, religion is also the deification of a people’s power and political interest."

Dr. John Henrik Clarke
Arab Invasion of Egypt and the Last 30 Years of Roman Dominion

Agu Bu Oji · (#4 (**permalink**))

Quote:

"A camel boy employed by his uncle began to grumble and complain to other camel boys. He grew up and finally had enough followers to call for reform within the religions of that day. Failing to get reform, he called for a new religion. This new religion was Islam."

Dr. John Henrik Clarke
Arab Invasion of Egypt and the Last 30 Years of Roman Dominion

Ouch. .lol.

East_African · (#5 (**permalink**))

Where did Arabs come from? MaybeThe Arabian peninsula? Should Arabs be considered African? That is a tough one. Would the Black African Arab lose his Africaness by virtue of speaking the Arabic language or calling himself an Arab? Or in simple words, are they considered *******s? Are we saying African here is a state of being rather than something your born with? As for Arabic religion, culture and language. There is no such thing as Arab culture, there is Arab cultures. No such thing as as Arab religion, as they practice a variety of religions. Same way there is no such thing as an African religion culture, in the monotholic sense of the word, rather there are African cultures and religions.

A while ago a ran to a Pan Africanist( pseudo) who claimed to me that there is no Way I was was an African because Africans were suppose to big and strong features like him and their hair, nose had to be a certain way....Therefore, he was content that Somalis/ Ethiopians were not Africans but rather a mixture of Arabs and Africans. Later on a Somali lady and an African Carribean lady joined the debate, we found out later on that our pseudo Pan Africanist was married to some white European blond. Not that I am against such a thing, he could marry who he wants, but it was funn because one assumes his children were exactly not "pure Africans like him"?

astmartins · (#6 (**permalink**))

@East_African
Thats the hypocrisy that follows this so called fake pan-africanists ...Africans who have an Arab influence tend to have more allegiance to Islam than to Africa..there would be a time when africa would do away with both Christianity and Islam and get back to traditional methods of speaking to God...it would happen maybe not in our lifetime but people would soon learn that those religions were used to subjugate our people spritually and culturally....the Asians kept theirs and we were made to feel ashamed of ours....