The Threads that Connect the Arab World

posted on: May 17, 2017

BY: Weam Namou/Ambassador Blogger

Over the years, so much emphasis has been placed on what divides and separates the Arab world, people have forgotten the beautiful threads that stich them together.

One thread that connects the Arab world is its language. Although the Arab world is comprised mostly of countries from the religiously and ethnically diverse area known as the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), which consists of 22 Arab countries, Arabic is still the official language of its constituent nations.  Arabic, a Semitic language that is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic and has been used since the 4th century CE, is spoken with various dialects by over 400 million people across the Arab world, making it one of the five most spoken languages on the planet.

Regardless of ethnic or religious background, people from the Arab regions are also connected by their appreciation of Arab songs and Arab TV programing.  Even those who live in the United States are certain to have a satellite dish that provides them with hundreds of Arab channels.

Another thread that connects the Arab world is its traditional social dances.  One such dance is the debka tribal dance, which is believed to have originated in the villages and towns of Levant countries, including Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Palestine, and Northern Saudi Arabia.   During this dance, the participants form a circle and execute a set of choreographed steps, usually hands or fingers interlocked.  Another ancient dance in the Arab world is belly dancing, which some say ascended from a religious dance that was performed during fertility rituals by temple priestesses.  As early as 1000 BC, temple engravings depicting dancers have been found in Mesopotamia (Iraq) and Egypt.

Music is another thread that connects that Arab world together.  The oud, known as the lute in the West, is the most popular instrument in Arab music.  It originated thousands of years ago in Persia and was used by ancient Egyptians in Pharaoh times, dating back to 1350 B.C.  The qanun is a descendent of the old Egyptian harp and has played an essential part in Arab music since the 10th century.  The dumbeg, or goblet drum, was seen in Babylonia and Sumer as early as 1100 BCE along with the tambourine, which is mentioned numerous times throughout the Bible as an instrument that was used in a way that honors and glorifies the name of God.

Additionally, the Arab countries also have many commonalities regarding diet.  Their people still eat the traditional foods of their ancestors.  Wheat, barley, pistachios, figs, pomegranates, and dates, which were first cultivated in Mesopotamia, are regional staples.  Arab cuisines are usually centuries old and use various similar herbs and spices, such as curry, mint, saffron, all spice, and turmeric.  Over the years, European, Indian, Persian, and Turkish foods have influenced Arab cooking.  Other common elements include: flat bread, yogurt, and rice.

The thickest thread that connects the Arab world is that its people stem from an Abrahamic religion since Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all recognize Abraham as their first prophet.  Their holy books were created in that land, their major holy sites located there, and they all call God Allah.

Former President Bush once told Al Arabiya television, “I believe there is a universal God.  I believe the God that the Muslim prays to is the same God that I pray to.  After all, we all came from Abraham.  I believe in that universality.”  In a 1985 speech, Pope John Paul II said to Muslims in Morocco, “We believe in the same God, the one God, the living God, the God who created the world and brings his creatures to their perfection.”  Prophet Muhammad wrote to St.  Catherine’s Monastery, the world’s oldest continuously inhabited monastery which is located at the foot of Mt. Sinai in Egypt, a document which is hung inside the monastery:

“This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them.  Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by Allah! I hold out against anything that displeases them.” 

There are countless similarities in the Arab World, including hospitality, close friendships and family ties, conservative male and female relationships and gender roles, and traditional patterns in courting and marriage.  Perhaps one day, the beautiful and unifying elements of language, music, dance, food, hospitality, and humanitarian compassion through devotion for a loving and peaceful God, will make our lands once again flow with milk and honey.