From: perlman@qso.Colorado.EDU (Eric S. Perlman)
Subject: Re: Are Lebanese considered ARABS (J. LAWEN a PALESTINIAN)
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 21:31:15 GMT

In article <1993Jan12.053544.18884@mcs.kent.edu> rayes@Goat.mcs.kent.edu (Sandra Rayes) writes:
>In article <43320@sdcc12.ucsd.edu> revans@euclid.ucsd.edu (Ron Evans) writes:
>>
>> <1993Jan11.065124.26726@mcs.kent.edu> rayes@Goat.mcs.kent.edu (Sandra Rayes):
>>
>>>As a westerner, listening to this back and forth between ARAB brothers
>>>only makes me think 'Boy, those French colonists sure did an outstanding
>>>job dividing a nation amongst itself'.  I know some Christian Lebanese
>>>who prefer to call themselves "Phoenicians", rather than Arabs and this
>>>makes me, a non-Arab, sick at heart to see the residual effects of
>>>Western colonialsim still alive and well today.  
>>
>>	Is it also sickening to hear Lebanese speaking French?
>
>Why should they speak French when they have a language of its own:  ARABIC.
>Lots of Algerians speak French (including my father-in-law), but he doesn't
>go around telling everyone he is not Arab.

Maybe they want to communicate with someone who speaks French.  Also,
sometimes you pick up a language and you just keep speaking it.  Case in
point:  my grandparents (and mother) speak both Yiddish and Spanish.
The case for Yiddish is obvious.  But why Spanish?  My grandfather was a
chemist, and worked as a chemist in sugar plants in pre-Castro Cuba as
well as Venezuela, Mexico (the Yucatan), and other places.  While there,
the whole family picked up Spanish and speak it almost as if they were
natives.  'nuff said.

>>>Fact is, the Lebanese,
>>>regardless of religion, are Arabs and therefore have a rich history,
>>>language and culture which is inspiring.  So what the hell is your
>>>problem, Br. LAWEN????
>>
>>	This is a bit like saying the Canadians are European.
>>	There are sizable non-Arab ethnic groups in Lebanon,
>>	including Kurds and Armenians, that make up perhaps
>>	7% of the population.
>
>Quatsch and more Quatsch, and you know it.  ARABS make up 93% of Lebanon's
>population, so don't give me this.  Sizable however they may be, 93% makes
>Lebanon a more homogenous country than Iraq (75% Arab).  Canadians are
>Europeans who settled in Canada, Lebanese Arabs are in their traditional
>homeland.  BTW, I know one of those who you would call a Kurd (her name
>is definately non-Arabic in origin), but she will be the first to tell
>you she is an Arab.  

Whoah, Sandra.  While this is true, you're missing the point.  Talk to
any Kurd, and you will find that there is a lot of Kurd culture which is
different from the various Arab cultures.  The same goes for their
history and language, etc.  You can extend this to pretty much *any*
ethnic group in any country.  And the fact is that religious minorities
had a lot of bad experiences in the Arab world not only now, but
historically (including under Ottoman rule).  These define their
experience in quite a lot of ways, just as the anti-Arab and anti-Muslim
discrimination which exists in the US defines the experience of being an
Arab or Muslim here.

-- 
"How sad to see/A model of decorum and tranquillity/become like any other sport
A battleground for rival ideologies to slug it out with glee." -Tim Rice,"Chess"
     Eric S. Perlman 				 <perlman@qso.colorado.edu> 
  Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, University of Colorado, Boulder
Newsgroups: talk.politics.mideast