The Arabs are a magical nation. Where Arabs live: country, territory, culture and interesting facts

The Arabs believe that their homeland is the “Island of the Arabs.” Historians believe that this is not at all accidental, because the ancient Arabs initially lived surrounded by two seas and gulfs. The close proximity to the Syrian desert contributed to the isolation. As a result, the Arabian Peninsula could indeed be imagined as a territory separated from the rest of the world. For a long time Arab tribes were scattered and lived separately. Difficult climatic conditions and the need to live together for protection from adversity helped the Arabs gain a unified identity. Nowadays, the Arab people include a large group of people living in many regions of the world, including East Africa.

Story

The unification of the Arab tribes took place in the 3rd–2nd millennia BC. Historians call the tribes that existed then Semitic, which became the Arab people. Arabization affected the Phoenicians, Libyans, Egyptians and other nationalities.
The first states of Arab origin appeared in the 6th–5th centuries BC. These include Sabaean, Minean, Nabatean and others.
Historians often disagree in which year exactly the formation of the Arab nation took place. Presumably, this is the period of the 4th–6th centuries. AD
Cities actively developed, trade relations with nomads were established. At the same time, there was a development of trade with Syria, Ethiopia, and Iran. Poetry competitions were regularly held in Northern Arabia. It is in them that one can trace the formation of Arab identity and national patriotism. An important prerequisite for the unification of the tribes was the formation of two main languages ​​(North Arabic and South Arabic).

Culture

Arab culture is credited with having a major influence on the world. Around the 4th century AD, the Arabs had already developed a written language. The Arab Caliphate united many states, and exact and applied sciences developed rapidly. The Arabs were especially interested in astronomy. They were one of the first to determine the size globe, admired the success of the Arabs in mathematics Western Europe. Trigonometric equations appeared at the turn of the 9th–10th centuries.
Even today, the prestige of the Arabs is scientists and doctors. From ancient times they were fascinated by theoretical medicine and healing.
One of the founders of ophthalmology as a discipline was Ar-Razi, who actively developed geometric optics in the 10th century AD.
The cultural wealth of the Arabs is not limited to science. Architectural masterpieces are known all over the world. Among them are mosques, minarets, palaces. These types of buildings are considered unique, also due to their ornamentation.
Even during the period of the Crusades and the Mongol invasion, when destruction was observed cultural values, the Arab people were able to show serious achievements. Sciences no longer just developed, but began to be taught as disciplines. At the same time it developed fiction and ceramic processing.
IN early middle ages Folklore was actively developing, poets were incredibly highly valued. The everyday life of citizens included metaphors and sayings; the ability to speak beautifully was rated very highly. Poets praised their fellow tribesmen, increasing their authority. Poets were perceived differently among the people. People often said that inspiration comes to them from Satan, who listens to the conversations of angels. Often poets turned out to be impersonal - people were interested in their work, but not in their lives. Therefore, little is known about many representatives of the creative elite.
Among famous poets noteworthy is Abu Nuwas, who glorified feasts and love. Abul-Atahiya praised morality, emphasized the injustice of the way of life, and scolded worldly vanity. Al-Mutanabbi was known as a wanderer who honored the rulers of Iran, Egypt, and Syria. He did not hesitate to scold them and make peace.
Abul-Ala al-Maarri is considered the most significant poet among the Arab people. Al-Ma'arri was a Muslim who studied the Qur'an since childhood. While still a child, he lost his sight due to smallpox. However, this spurred him to study science, philosophy and gave impetus to the desire to understand the world. While traveling, the poet composed poems in which his contemporaries noted his deep erudition. Al-Maarri devoted a lot of work to the study of society, noting its vices.
Speaking about Arabic literature, it is impossible not to recall the work “A Thousand and One Nights”.
Everyone is familiar with Ali Baba, Aladdin, and Sinbad the Sailor. Exactly Arabian tales With youth introduce the reader to the peculiarities of the palace life of the Arab people.
Meaningful name the name of Omar Khayyam became in history - Persian philosopher, scientist and poet. He embraced a hedonistic mindset and praised the joys of life.
Historians and orientalists are sincerely surprised by the desire to introduce poetry into a variety of works, including medical ones. Poems were preserved in the treatises, and later the Koran began to influence almost all literature.
The Koran is a collection of Islamic teachings. Its basis is the commandments, prayers, edifications and legal guidelines. It is in the Koran that the oldest loan agreement is set out, regulating the relationship between the borrower and the person providing the loan. The Koran makes it possible to read the parables of the Prophet Muhammad - followers of Islam learn suras by heart. Muslims divide sayings into those said by Muhammad and those spoken by Allah, calling the latter revelations. The rest are called legends. The Quran was elevated to canon in the 7th century AD. A significant phenomenon for the Holy Scriptures are commentaries that allow believers to better understand the Scriptures.
Fanaticism of the teachings of the Koran appeared in the Middle Ages. The voluminous book was taught by heart, considering it at the same time a book for studying the Arabic language. The Koran was forbidden to be translated into other languages, but the scripture was allowed to be distributed among the Arab population. This contributed to the development Muslim culture Arab people.

Folklore

The folklore of the Arab people excites the minds of science fiction writers and fantasy lovers. There is a whole doctrine dedicated to genies - jinnology. In Islam, jinn are perceived as demons created from fire. Man was created from clay, and angels from light. Jinn are mortal, but can live for hundreds of years. The genie must eat, it tends to get close to people and even marry people. Among supernatural abilities The powers that the genies possessed were the acquisition of invisibility, transformation into an animal, a plant, or another person.
Jinns are usually divided into good and evil. The first accepted Islam, remaining submissive to Allah. The evil ones turned out to be infidels, but both types of jinn are dangerous to humans. The greatest threat was posed by the marids and ifrits, thirsty for blood. The Arabs believed (some believe even now) that ghouls - huge werewolf-cannibals - were introduced into cemeteries.
Jinns accompanied man throughout his life, so people always warned each other about the danger of encountering them. For protection, the Muslim turned to Allah to warn against attacks by demons. Often used protective amulets, one of the most popular was the “Palm of Fatima”, which was a copper palm with a bead blue color.
Fatima was the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, and the amulet named after her, according to Arab belief, was supposed to protect against the evil eye.
It was the evil eye that was considered the most terrible phenomenon. The source of the evil eye could be flattering speech or the rudeness of the interlocutor.
Fear of the evil eye affected lifestyle Arabs. This is manifested in clothing, the desire to preserve family secrets.
Arabs perceive dreams as a unique phenomenon. The first dream book dates back to the 11th century. The Koran says that it is forbidden to lie about dreams, so inventing and conjecturing a dream was prohibited. It was allowed to tell fortunes by turning to the elders, who could “read” the dream. A lot of attention was paid to fortune telling, primarily focusing on birds. It was not worth getting involved in fortune-telling rituals, as this could lead to magic. It was believed that white magic was the lot of a pious person. She was favored by angels, good genies. An inexperienced person could quickly come to black magic, capable of realizing secret and dark desires. The evil magician was helped by the devils, who brought trouble, not only on those around him, but also on himself. These features of the worldview appeared in pre-Islamic times, and they have survived to this day.

Life

• Fundamentals of morality, culture, public life set out in Shariah. The formation of Sharia instructions took place in the 7th century. Sharia obliges every Muslim to fast, read prayers, and perform rituals. It was prescribed to perform charity;
• Eating food, sleeping daily, and getting married are not encouraged in any way, but they are not prohibited either. Shariah does not approve of enjoying earthly life, for example, eating food. Consumption of wine, pork, gambling, witchcraft and usury were prohibited. Sharia has long been strictly observed, with the exception of the consumption of wine, which the townspeople loved very much. Village residents tried to strictly observe the norms;
• Marriage is considered one of major events in the life of every person. Divorce, inheritance, and other issues related to marriage are created on the basis of the traditions of pre-Islamic society and the teachings of the Koran. The significance of the birth of a son was incredibly great - it was believed that only after the birth of a boy does a man become a full-fledged person. The Koran ordered to cultivate in sons valor, the ability to answer for a word, kindness and generosity;
• Islam encourages the freeing of a slave. A Muslim who freed a person from slavery became pious. However, such an act was rarely performed, because the merchants relied entirely on the slave trade.

Character

1. Men of the same age can pat each other on the knee or shoulder.
2. Elders must certainly be respected.
3. Men and women try to communicate with each other, avoiding contact with people of the opposite sex.
4. Traditionally, during meals, men and women sit at different tables.
5. Showing feelings in public is considered indecent, even among spouses.
6. The greeting for men is to imitate kisses three times when their cheeks touch.
7. Fraternal relations between men are widespread: in Arab countries ah, you can often see men walking holding hands with each other, sometimes they walk in groups of three, hugging each other around the waist.
8. Bowing is outdated, but when meeting a guest of particularly important status, you need to kiss him on the shoulder.
9. Older people sometimes imitate kissing hands.

National Costume

Traditional national costume Arabs wear the kandura dress. This dress is worn by men. IN summer time During the year the clothes are invariably white; in winter they wear a beige or, less often, a light green kandura. They wear a hafiya on their head, which is a small cap. The scarf we all know is called gutra. It can be white or red checkered. If a man is going to a holiday, such as a wedding, he will wear a special bisht cape. Arab men also like to wear a kerkusha, which is a small tassel. The dress is not worn on a naked body - underneath there is always a shirt with a wuzar belt.
Women also wear kanduras, although with longer sleeves. Sirval pants are worn on the legs, and an abaya is worn over the dress. There are several options for headwear, the most popular being the hijab and diswa. The latter covers the face and head completely. In rare cases, a mask called a burqa can be seen covering the lips, nose and part of the forehead. Modern versions of suits may include real ties or fitted jackets. The Arabs are watching fashion trends and often wear clothes from fashionable couturiers.

Traditions

In fact, the Arabs have hundreds of customs. All of them are prescribed by the Koran, although some were born in the pre-Islamic era. Here are a few that have survived to this day:

1. Food is taken while sitting on the floor. Mattresses are rarely laid; carpets are usually used. Need to eat right hand, and with the left you can wipe your mouth with a napkin. Cutlery is not used; they are replaced with flatbreads, which are folded in the form of a scoop. After the meal, incense is applied to clothing or skin. Hands are washed with rose water.
2. The woman is assigned the role of keeper of the hearth. She cannot cook or clean. The husband is obliged to support her and give her gifts. In fact, such a tradition often has to be broken, because not all Arabs have sufficient wealth. Therefore, in simple Arab families, children help the mother around the house.
3. Prayers are performed five times every day.
4. During Ramadan, it is necessary to fast, prohibiting smoking and drinking during the daytime. alcoholic drinks and even eating.
5. The Bedouins have a thousand-year-old custom that orders them to receive a guest who “knocks on the tent.” A Bedouin invites a stranger by handing him a cup of bitter tea, symbolizing hectic life. The life of a Bedouin is sweet, so the bitter is followed by a cup of sweet tea. The guest can spend 3 days and 3 nights with the Bedouin, then he must tell him why he came. Some people simply enjoy the Bedouin hospitality, but there are also those who flee the authorities. The Bedouin can help or refuse.
6. Families in Arab countries are divided into clans. Traditionally, the number of children in one family can reach 5–8.
7. Arabs actively develop the most talented boys. Maximum one or two. The rest must find their place in life themselves, but can always count on the help of relatives.
8. There is a special day for women when fitness centers, beaches, water parks and others public places open only to them.

You can talk about Arabs for a very long time. This is a truly great nation that has influenced the development of science and art throughout the world. They not only made significant contributions to the history of mankind, but also continue to share their experiences and cultural traditions. In recent decades, the moral character of Arabs has become less strict. Many young people are willing to meet foreigners and take advantage of the achievements modern civilization, study foreign languages and often study in European countries. Preservation of foundations, adherence to religion and the teachings of the Koran can be called the main features of the Arab people. At the same time, Arabs are open-hearted people who love life very much, which is evident in their speech, literature and everyday life.

Belly dancing will help you understand all the magic and luxury of Arab culture. In this video you can watch a demonstration of the enchanting dance technique, which has been around for many centuries.

"Generators unusual ideas", "masters of the family nest" and "desperate friends" - this is all about them, the Arabs. They are also spoiled, boastful and unpredictable. Personal experience girls, but not wives.

Oksana L. has been dating a resident of Jordan for four years, who came to Kyiv to study and earn money, and tells how she and her friend manage to combine such different views of the East and West.

About friendship and personal boundaries
We always have guests at our house. At any moment, a friend or just an acquaintance can call and come to our home in the middle of the night. Naturally, as a woman, I need to set the table and make sure everyone is fed and happy. Sometimes the house resembles some kind of Arab camp, and not a family nest.

If a friend needs help, you need to rush to him in the middle of the night. Arabs are always ready to help out a friend, come where they need to, pick them up, lend money.

They are not jealous of friends. My friend is very jealous, but this only applies to our Slavic guys and men, although I don’t give a reason. He trusts his own people. In any case, his friends, understanding who we are to each other, never allowed themselves even harmless flirting.

About work
They prefer conversations to business - long conversations over hookahs. These are real philosophers who are ready to reason and plan for hours. Although this time could be spent on constructive action rather than chatter, most of from which it will be forgotten the very next day. There is such a problem eastern men: Their conversations often diverge from their actions. They promise a lot, and they themselves sincerely believe in what they say. Plans can change dramatically, or mood, or something else, and promises will remain just words.

Arab men need to be encouraged - this is how they become inspired and are ready to move mountains for the sake of their family. This applies, in particular, to work. It is important for them to feel that a woman believes in their strengths and capabilities.

Generators of unusual ideas. In the four years since I’ve known my man, he’s started all sorts of businesses. Cafe, transportation of dogs and birds from Ukraine, which are in demand in his homeland in Jordan, processing semi-precious stones etc. But he didn’t bring any ideas to completion. I didn’t initially calculate the risks, I acted based on momentary desires, passion and emotions.

Many people do not value their parents' money. Young people live and have fun at the expense of their parents and do not know the value of money earned not by their own labor.

Attitude towards women
Most Arabs are spoiled by their mother's attention, love care and are often selfish. They like to surround themselves with everything beautiful and are avid fashionistas. They love to dress up: beautiful clothes, shoes, an abundance of rings and bracelets. Favorite clients of barbershops: stylish beard, gelled hair, expensive perfumes.

They love to educate, and if they fail, they can use force. They put pressure on me morally. Very hot-tempered. Any little thing can piss them off. At the same time, their woman should admire them.

They love to brag about their woman to their friends - they tell them what a housewife she is, caring and a jack of all trades. It is important for them that others admire their woman, and therefore automatically admire them.

It is difficult to offer our men to live together - they are afraid for their freedom. Arab men, on the contrary, want the girl they like to be constantly in their sight. At home, nearby, close by. They are ready to protect and care for her, although they demand a lot in return.

Very generous. If possible, they give the woman gifts, they like broad gestures, and are not at all stingy.

They value independence in our women, the fact that a woman can take care of herself, earn money and not depend on a man as much as possible. In his homeland, women mostly stay at home and do housework.

There is a minus. Monogamy is not for Eastern men. How many times have I seen how families arab men They're after our girls. When my wife calls, they hang up or don’t pick up. And when they call back, they sing like a nightingale, as they love, and exquisitely lie about why they couldn’t answer. Treason is not considered as such for them. This is the norm in the life of an Eastern man.

About everyday life
My friend definitely won’t eat borscht for three days in a row, although he really loves my borscht. Arab men are very demanding and capricious in everyday life, like children, and are often dependent. If we talk about my man, he can clean and cook even better than me. But it is important for him to see that they care about him and do something for him.

I’m used to Russian cuisine, but my love for hummus and flatbreads remains unchanged.

Loves cleanliness, but not to the point of fanaticism. She understands that we both work a lot and come home very late, so we don’t always have the physical strength to clean and cook at night.

About children and family
My man is ready to coddle with every child, but I’m not sure that he will get up in the middle of the night for his own. This is the wife's responsibility. And the man pampers his child and pays attention to him during short games. All other delights of education fall on the shoulders of the woman.

When married to a Christian, there is no choice in what religion they choose. joint child- he is a priori born a Muslim. Especially if we're talking about about the boy.

My man’s parents are wealthy and ready to support him, but he, having matured, when the youthful frenzy had passed and partying with friends was no longer a priority, wanted to prove to his family that he could get on his own feet.

About religion
I refused to convert to Islam, realizing that I would not be able to wear closed clothes, honor Muslim traditions and be in a “golden cage” at home. He didn’t swear, he accepted my choice. But it is very important for him that his woman shares her religion with him and his legal wife, in any case, must convert to Islam or be a Muslim initially.

Arabs know the Koran from an early age. They read it like mantras. But my man openly admits that, living among Russians and Ukrainians, he leads an anti-Muslim lifestyle.

His mother, when she came to visit us, brought a hijab as a gift with the hint that I should accept their religion since I live with her son.

A negative attitude towards alcohol remains, despite the love for discos (already in the past) and hookah smoking (this is part of traditions). He doesn't respect it when a woman drinks, even in company.

About future
After living with an Arab man, it’s strange to see how our women treat their Russian husbands. It’s crazy to see the disrespectful attitude and desire to be in charge at times. My views on what a woman should be like in a relationship with any man have changed.

I don’t know where this relationship will lead - Russian girls are more freedom-loving, ambitious and active. I wouldn’t like to be completely dependent on my husband.

But Arab men are like sweet nectar. You can’t get drunk, but even when you drink, it becomes too cloying that you want plain water. But after nectar it seems tasteless. I’m like a tightrope walker halfway: I can’t go back, but the unknown lies ahead...

Homeland of the Arabs - Arabian Peninsula. This is a country of deserts. The Muslim religion, Islam, was born in Arabia. In the 7th-8th centuries, Muslim Arabs conquered vast lands in Asia, northern Africa, and crossed the Strait of Gibraltar to the south of Europe. They fought and traded. Every Muslim sought to make a pilgrimage - a journey to holy places in mecca city on the Arabian Peninsula, where, according to legend, the Prophet Muhammad was born. Pilgrim travelers needed to know geography. Arab scientists translated the works of Greek and Roman geographers, compiled maps and descriptions of different lands.

The Arabs were excellent sailors. Their ships sailed the Mediterranean Sea, Indian Ocean. Along the eastern coast of Africa they sailed to Madagascar islands, along the southern coasts of Asia - to India and China.

Travel to India

Arabs especially often swam in India — country on the Hindustan Peninsula. The sea between the Arabian and Hindu peninsulas is called Arabian. While sailing along it, the Arabs took advantage of favorable winds - the monsoons. In the summer, the sails of Arab ships with a fair wind rushed towards India. The monsoon from the ocean brought rain to Hindustan. They walked almost without a break for several months. In winter, a dry wind blew from India to the Arabian Sea, and the ships picked up by it returned home to Arabia. They brought expensive fabrics, ivory, jewelry. Material from the site

Travel to Southeast Asia

The Arabs sailed even further, to the islands lying southeast of Asia. Spices were brought from these places - pepper, cloves, cinnamon. A handful of pepper was worth more than a handful of gold in Europe. Therefore, despite all the dangers, the ships set off on a long journey.

Ibn Battuta

The Arab traveler Ibn Battuta visited Africa, India, China, Central Asia. He made a journey along Eastern Europe. Ibn Battuta went up the Volga and left a description of the nature of those places where the Slavic lands and the lands of other peoples of the Volga region converged.

On this page there is material on the following topics:

Christians in North America are often confused by the relationship between the religion of Islam and the ethnic identity of Muslims. This confusion comes in two forms. The first concerns the relationship between the religious Muslim and Arab ethnic components. The second concerns the depth to which religious Muslim identity has penetrated the ethnic identities of all Muslim groups of people.

If Christians want to understand their Muslim neighbors (locally and globally), love them as Christ commanded, and effectively spread the Gospel to them, then we need to be aware of how they understand themselves.

"Arab" and "Muslim"

The concepts “Arab” and “Muslim” are not synonymous. Muslims are followers of the religion of Islam. Arabs are an ethnic-linguistic group of people, most of whom are Muslims in religion, but many who do not practice Islam. Their roots are in the Arabian Peninsula, but in the 7th and 8th centuries they burst into the world around them with impressive conquests that followed the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 AD. Over the course of 100 years, they moved west through North Africa and Spain, and reached the south of France. To the east, the Arabs conquered Persian Empire and penetrated into the territory of what is now Pakistan and Central Asia. They did this as followers of Islam, but also ethnically, linguistically and culturally as Arabs. From the very beginning, these Muslim Arabs lived as a ruling minority in larger territory their empires. Most of the people they conquered spoke other languages ​​(such as Aramaic, Coptic, Berber and Persian) and practiced other religions (Christianity in the west and Zoroastrianism in the east).

After some time, however, the dual processes of Islamization and Arabization began, which occurred in different regions differently, unevenly. Egypt, North Africa and the Aramaic-speaking Middle East became virtually entirely Arabic in language and Muslim in religion. In places like Iraq, Syria, Libya and Egypt, significant minorities have clung to their historical Christian identities. Thus, today in each of these countries there are communities of people who are regarded ethnically and linguistically as Arabs, but are adherents of ancient Christian communities: the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt, the Maronite Catholic Church in Lebanon, the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Church in Palestine, the Eastern and Syriac Orthodox Churches in Syria, and the Chaldean Catholic and Assyrian Orthodox Churches in Iraq. These groups found themselves caught between two fires in the clashes that plagued these countries in the 20th and 21st centuries.

Chaoyue PAN – Coptic Good Friday Mass

The historical Christian population in the Middle East has declined sharply in the past few decades as Christians have been killed or forced to flee. For example, a large proportion of the population of Palestine was historically Christian in the early 20th century, but Israel does not separate them from Palestinian Muslims, and many have fled their homelands. Likewise, the Assyrian and Chaldean believers of Iraq fled en masse from Saddam Hussein's regime. But since the regime was overthrown, they again became a target, now for various Islamic groups, and many had to flee. A significant percentage of the Arab population in the United States belongs to one of the ancient eastern churches(hence they are not Muslims), but the Patriarch of the Assyrian Orthodox Church currently lives in Chicago.

On the other hand, many other peoples under Islamic rule became Muslims but never became Arabs. In the Middle East itself, the Persians (Iranians), Kurds and Turks are, for the most part, Muslims. But they do not consider themselves Arabs and do not speak Arabic. Moreover, most of the world's Muslim population lives in countries where Arabic is not spoken: Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India, among several others.

The majority of Muslims in the world are not linguistically or ethnically Arab.

Arab Center

And yet, the influence of Arabs on these non-Arab Muslims is enormous. The Koran was written in Arabic and only the Koran in the original language is regarded by true Muslims. The prayers that Muslims recite five times a day are recited in Arabic, and it does not matter whether the person praying understands this language or not. Hadith and all authoritative documents of Islamic law were written in Arabic. Muslims in Southeast Asia who do not know Arabic still give their children Arabic names. It is true that most communities living in the vicinity of Arab world(Turks, Persians, Kurds and Berbers) have something of a mixed love-hate feeling towards the Arabs, often expressing their superiority or hostility towards them. Until now, this influence is very strong, and the Muslim world is inextricably linked with the Arab world.

And here the second, widespread but erroneous idea plays a role. Residents North America tend to regard religious identity as private and personal. It is true that we still think in stereotypes: Poles and Italians are typical Catholics, residents of the southern states of the United States are Protestants. Jewish families will sometimes abandon children who convert to Christianity. However, in general, religion is seen as a matter of choice, and this issue is kept away from public opinion. A person can have no religious identity and still be an American. In much of the Muslim world, however, the exact opposite view is considered correct. Islam is part of their ethnic identity. To be Turkish, Persian or Malaysian or a member of another Muslim group of people is to be a Muslim. You can try to stop being a Turk or a Persian, but not a former Muslim, from an Islamic point of view. As a Muslim, you don't even have to follow all the rules of your religion exactly, but you cannot leave Islam.

To join another religion is to commit ethnic and cultural treason, and it is to cut yourself off from the ties to your family and community that form the basis of your identity. This is one of the most difficult problems challenges faced by Christians who share the gospel with Muslims. Islam does not divide religion, culture and politics into different areas, but considers them as an indivisible whole. For this reason, evangelism and ministry to Muslims is regarded as a political and cultural provocation, as well as a religious threat.

Our answer

What should Christians do with this knowledge?

(1) Do not mistake every Arab you meet for a Muslim. They may be, but they may also be members of one of the ancient Middle Eastern Christian churches.

(2) Do not mistake every Muslim you meet for an Arab. Most Muslims are not Arabs and they will appreciate that you know and understand the difference.

Subscribe:

(3) Understand that for many Muslims, Islam is a religion that they practice using a language they do not know. And their commitment to it is based more on ethnic identity, cultural practices and family ties than on theological understanding.

(4) Realize the price Muslims must pay to follow Jesus. Not only do they face a high likelihood of external persecution, they also face feelings of familial, cultural and ethnic betrayal from those closest to them, causing a dramatic upheaval in their understanding of their own identity. Jesus must be exalted as something in highest degree valuable, for the price that is worth paying for it.

Many Europeans believe that Arabs are all dark-skinned, black-haired and black-eyed. They also think that Arab girls are fat and have curly hair. none of this is true.
The majority of the population of Arab countries are similar to Europeans, only with an oriental twist.

In fact, arabs come in all shapes and colors (Arabs come in all shapes and sizes). Because the Middle East is a place of mixing of three races: European, Asian and African. By the way, American anthropologists distinguish the middle-eastern (Middle East) as a separate race, combining the features of several.

If we describe the Arab appearance, then it is very diverse: the skin ranges from milky white (Syria, Lebanon, Algeria) to chocolate (Mauritania, Sudan). However, the most common are beige and olive. Arabian eyes - " business card"of the people. Although there are several other nationalities with the same eye shape. Arabs, as a rule, have large almond-shaped eyes, the outer corner is higher than the inner one. The eyes are not as protruding as those of purebred Jews or Ethiopian Amhara. (however, some residents of Transcaucasia, Indo-Iranians, Africans and Southerners have a similar eye shape East Slavs). Arabs have very different eye colors. from bright sky blue to black. However, dark brown and mixed greenish eyes are the most common. Arabs also have hair ranging from dark blond (what is called “light brown” in Russia) to black. hair can be curly, wavy and straight. The face of Arabs, as a rule, is oval, but in some regions it is slightly elongated (the population of Egypt and Sudan), and the figure is average. The Arab female figure resembles a guitar (think Shakira). In general, they tend to be overweight, but not excessively. Well built. Sometimes there are skinny girls. In general, women are lighter than men.

Now let's go by region:
Khalij (Gulf Countries)

Olive and beige skin, black and black-brown hair, brown eyes. Sometimes quite dark, chocolate skin is found.

Cham (Levant)

Beige and olive skin. Sometimes there is a white one. Eyes are brown, hazel, green-brown, gray-green and bright blue. Hair of all shades of brown. From light brown to black-brown. Sometimes there are blondes. In general, the people of Lebanon and Syria are the fairest in the region, the people of Iraq are the darkest (with dark hair and eyes).

North Africa

The most diverse region. White, beige, olive and chocolate skin. Eyes - black, brown, gray, green, blue, mixed. Hair - from dark blond to black. The darkest ones are the inhabitants of Sudan (northern Sudan - Africans live in the south, not Arabs), Southern Egypt, Mauritania, Southern Algeria. They have brown skin (golden brown to chocolate), brown or black eyes, and black hair. Then come the Libyans - black-haired, dark-eyed, but with beige or light olive skin. The fairest are the inhabitants of Northern Algeria, among whom there are green-eyed blonds. In Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, brown and black hair, beige and light olive skin, brown and greenish-mixed eyes are common.

These are the diverse inhabitants of Arab countries.