Trending Topics

10 Facts That Clear Up Confusion Around What Exactly Is an Arab

Black Arabs Painting

The Original Arabs Were Black

Bertram Sidney Thomas was a historian and former prime minister of Muscat and Oman. A civil servant of England, he was the first documented Westerner to travel across the Empty Quarter, the sand desert that covers one-third of the Arabian Peninsula. In his book, “The Arabs: The Life Story of a People Who Have Left Their Deep Impress on the World,” he writes that the natives of Arabia “were not the familiar Arabs of our time but a very much darker people.”

 

Arabs_Crossing_the_Desert

The Term ‘Arab’ Is Often Intentionally Misemployed

The essay “Myths, Hypotheses and Fact Concerning the Origin of Peoples,” the author argues that many utilize the political strategy of purposely referring to non-Arab aspects and people as Arab in order to carry out a political agenda. They either do so to exaggerate the size of the Arab population or “claim historical rights.”

Back to top