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Can we call an Arab person “Muslim”?
It’s common to encounter confusion between the terms “Muslim” and “Arab”, often used interchangeably, but wrongly. Since many Arab people are also Muslims, the mental shortcut is created that one is synonymous with the other, when in fact they are two quite distinct terms. So it’s crucial to understand the differences between these two concepts to avoid stereotyping and incorrect generalizations. Let’s dive in!
Islam and being Muslim
The term “Muslim” refers to a person who practices Islam, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion. Islam is practiced by people of many ethnic and geographical origins around the world. Muslims can be found on every continent! As a result, the Muslim community is extremely diverse. There are no specific or universal physical attributes associated with Muslim people, because Islam is a religion that transcends ethnic boundaries. Consequently, religion cannot determine a person’s physical appearance.
62% of the world’s Muslims live in six countries, which in descending order are Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran and Turkey. Indonesia, a secular country where Islam is not the state religion, has the highest concentration of Muslims, with 13% of all Muslims on the planet. It is closely followed by India (11%), which is set to overtake it in numbers by 2050. In Africa, countries such as Nigeria and Ethiopia also have large Muslim populations. In Europe, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Albania have significant Muslim communities.
This diversity demonstrates that Muslim identity transcends ethnic and geographical boundaries. Muslims share a common faith but come from different cultural backgrounds and speak different languages.
Being an Arab
The term “Arab” refers to an ethnic group and culture linked to the Arabic language and originating from the Arabian Peninsula. Thus, one can be considered an Arab by virtue of language, culture, geographic origin, or a combination of these elements. Arabs are an ethnic group found mainly in the 22 member countries of the Arab League, stretching from the Maghreb (North Africa) to the Mashreq (Near East).
Although Islam is the majority religion among Arab people, there is a notable religious diversity within this ethnic group. Many are Christian, belonging to different denominations such as Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Protestantism. Arab Christian communities are particularly present in Lebanon, Egypt (Copts), Syria and Iraq. Indeed, around 60% of the Lebanese population is Muslim, including Sunni and Shiite communities, as well as the Druze, but a good 40% is Christian, contributing to the country’s religious and cultural diversity.
There is also a minority of Jewish Arabs, who have historically lived in countries such as Yemen, Morocco and Iraq. In addition, some Arab communities follow other religions or schools of thought, contributing to the religious mosaic of this ethnic group.
Note that the term “ Maghrebian ” is also often used. Maghrebin people are those living in the Maghreb countries, which include Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Mauritania. It’s a more precise term, relating to a specific territory.
So, being Arab is not a question of religion, but of culture, language and geographical origin.
And in Canada?
After Christianity, Islam was the second most important religion declared in Canada in 2021. Nearly 1.8 million people declared Islam as their religion, representing 1 in 20 people. In 20 years, the share of the country’s Muslim population has more than doubled, from 2.0% in 2001 to 4.9% in 2021.
On the other hand, nearly 350,000 people of Arab origin live in Canada, representing just over 1% of the total Canadian population.
There are therefore many more Muslims than Arabs in the Canadian population, demonstrating that one does not automatically come with the other!
In conclusion
Understanding the distinction between “Muslim” and “Arab” is essential to promoting respectful and accurate communication. Using “Muslim” to refer to an Arab person can be misleading and reinforce stereotypes. You can be a Muslim without being an Arab, and vice versa.
It’s incorrect and reductive to associate Islam only with Arabs, because in the final analysis, Muslims from Arab countries represent no more than 20% of the world’s Muslims.
You wouldn’t say “I’ve got a new Catholic colleague” to talk about a white person. So why would you say “I’ve got a new Muslim colleague” to talk about an Arab person?
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