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From: "Gordon Barlow" <>
Subject: [ABOUT-WORDS] Arabic (was Kelts)
Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2008 11:18:21 -0500
References: <mailman.7.1203321617.24206.about-words@rootsweb.com>


No, Fred, I did mean Arabic. There is a certain amount of Arab blood (DNA)
in the lands conquered by Arab armies, and later Arabic armies; but the
invaders never amounted to more than a tiny percent of the local
populations. Arabic culture is not the same as Muslim, and what we call
Muslim culture (i.e. religion) is not quite the same as Islamic culture or
religion. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but as far as I have learnt,
and as a very rough generalisation for working purposes, Muslim is the
equivalent of Christian, and Islamic is the equivalent of Evangelical
Christian. (The term "islamo-fascism", used by politicians and religious
bigots as a stick to beat the entire Muslims community with, has overtones
of theocracy. There's no real Christian equivalent I can think of, in
modern times. Well, maybe the Kansas Board of Education, I guess...)

Gordon

> I think what you meant below was Muslim and not Arab when writing of DNA.
> There is an Islamic (or Muslim identity) a cultural identification if you
> will.
Fred
>
> Fair enough, Fred, but most of these facts point to a *cultural*
> identity,
> not a genetic one. The Arabic cultural identity, for instance, is not a
> genetic one, at all.
Gordon

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