The "Arab World" Mentality, Get Rid of It

3/12/2013

With their television and newspapers they say we are part of the "Arab World." They tell me: "You're Arab." They tell my father to tell me: "we're Arab." They tell me "Arabic is the language of heaven."

But I don't feel Arab. I have little in common with a Saudi or an Egyptian. My last name isn't Arab. My physical features aren't Arab. The food my mother cooks isn’t Arab. My language contains Arabic, but there's something else in it that isn't Arabic.

I am Amazigh, and I'm tired of being told that I am something I am not. I am not part of your “Arab World” or your “Arab" Spring, I am simply what I am.

The language, writing, culture and religion of my ancestors has been erased from my identity, almost completely. My father's ancestors are Rifis and my mother's are Soussis. Yet they still want to convince me that somehow, thousands of kilometers away from the Arabian peninsula, I am Arab?

Was my country empty of identity before it became "Arab"? Is it a coincidence that the so-called "first king of Morocco" also happens to be the first Muslim king? Were the kings before that not kings because they weren't Arab or Muslim? Why do Tarik Ibn Ziyad or Ibn Battuta, both Amazighs, have Arab names? Who changed them?

There are many other people like me. Many aren’t even Amazigh; some are Kurdish, or Armenian and others are African. What we all have in common is that we happen to find ourselves trapped in an imaginary world called the "Arab World."

This “Arab World” is just another form of Orientalism created by the same “Arabs” who complain about it when it comes in other forms from the West. They cry to Westerners: “we’re not all the same!” while beating us into conformity: “You’re Arab!” “You’re Muslim!” and if we say: “NO” then they (society) turn over our case to them (the regimes) to oppress us into conformity.

Don’t be complicit in the “Arab World” mentality, erase that term from your diction.

15 Comments

zakaria guedjali

4/12/2013 09:47:53

great words, totally share the same opinion, i am algerian berber indeed and exactly like u, i have been taught that i am arab since i came to this world, as an amazighi i had to live in the shadow of that arab culture as well as the muslim one, even people who spoke only berber would still believe they are arabs which is as u said frustrating, but lately more and more people are coming to get it which is kinda promising, at least i hope it is, well done bro chapeau

Michelle

7/12/2013 15:43:21

Your words are inspiring and your photography is amazing.

Angett

8/12/2013 08:26:19

And what do you mean with African? All the people fron Africa does not share one ethnicity nor culture; don't fight ignorance while being it.

Nadir Bouhmouch

13/12/2013 18:39:36

You're 100% correct, this blog post was written in haste. I should have given more time to specifying which African groups (besides Amazighs) are included as being part of the "Arab World." I have exposed myself as also a player in the ignorance, and I think this is very telling of how deeply entrenched the concept of the "Arab world" is in our societies.

American from the Northeast USA

30/1/2015 07:05:00

Beautiful addmittance and lovely article. I just did a DNA test and found out I am a small part Northern African, which as I understand by my own study and how I look, basically of Berber ancestry. Be who you are and I believe you are on the right track.

Yasmine

11/12/2013 09:42:47

You can hammer and hammer all you want, but if you don't address the patriarchal nature of our society and its effect on political system, woman, laborer, child upbringing, minorities.... Nothing will change except the level of your frustration. It's from within where you have to chop.

13/12/2013 18:44:39

I couldn't agree more. That is exactly why my first feature documentary was on the subject of patriarchy and gender violence in Morocco (www.475lefilm.org). It is also why I have written a thesis on the Moroccan feminist movement and its flaws in addressing this patriarchal nature of our society. But women, are not the issue in this one particular problem. This is an issue of cultural erosion and a deliberate effort to rewrite history for political convenience and propaganda. I can, however, acknowledge that a similar phenomenon is conducted against women, outside of the cultural framework. That is-- a deliberate effort to erase prominent women, and the importance of the roles played by women in the progress of our societies.

azdin

16/12/2013 03:25:44

well said , hats shoud be taken off for you
phrases such as arab world , morocco is an arab country algeria is an arab country ............. must be removed from the media and the history textbooks

passerby

27/12/2013 17:18:09

Just stumbled on this page. It looks interesting and Nadir a person I'd like to chat to.

I bet you don't want to be associated with Arabs. I'm French/british, and in each country they have a bad reputation, the magrebins in France and the rich Gulf ones in the UK. They are lazy, dirty, backward, inbred, and arrogant, cruel, spoilt brats, corrupt, hypocrits, depending.. They're all misogynists, wife beaters, and natural liars and back stabbers.

Who would want to be known as an Arab ? But you have your names, your tribes, your primitive religion that decides every act and breath in your life, born and die a muslim, its not easy to be someone else.

For westerners its not easy to understand the pressure you folks have, and expect you to be different in 'our' countries. But if you do question your identity, even as Arabs, where some don't like it, then consider that maybe just being onesself is fine, without the need to 'be' part of some ethnic or religious group. Its not necessary for happiness, and success.

That being said, humans do need company and a 'need to belong' whatever it might be. And to plead a cause of injustice is always good, and the Berbers (sorry it's an easier spelling), need to take advantage of any freer speech available to make those points.

Years before I knew anything about the muslim or Arab world, I only learned about Berbers because someone would point it out on a TV chat show, that they were not Arab.

PS- all descriptions are of course common stereotypes and not universal truth !

commenter

8/4/2014 13:14:07

virtually all 'arab' countries can claim a high degree of mixed heritage. if what you're saying is true, the only truly arab regions are the gulf and yemen. while i agree that each country's ethnic heritage should be celebrated, i don't agree that that heritage is what makes a country arab. what makes a country arab are language and culture. since the public perception of islam and arabism has taken a hit, moroccans, lebanese, egyptians and everyone else want to argue that they're heritage is, in fact, not arab. while having a grain of truth, these arguments are irrelevant and counterproductive. moroccans and every other country in the MENA region are so genetically mixed that it's impossible to classify yourself as a Amazigh or Phoenician or Canaanite or whatever the ancient civilization du jour is.

8/4/2014 14:26:24

people living in the MENA region would be much better off focusing on similarities while learning to celebrate differences rather than creating new divisions. the fall of our once great civilizations, colonialism, and the current state of the region should have taught us as much.

8/4/2014 18:19:21

Claiming that Amazighs are an ancient civilization is highly offensive. What makes countries in the region Arab is not culture and language, it's nationalism. Moroccan culture is not Arab, it's highly influenced by Amazigh culture. Unlike Phoenicians and Canaanites, Amazighs are not "an ancient civilization." We have upheld our culture and continue to speak our language and we identify ourselves as Amazigh. You say "celebrate differences" yet you are trying to force a highly significant amount of people in North Africa (in Morocco 50% speak and identify themselves as Amazigh) to accept an identity of their colonizers.

15/4/2014 20:00:18

i don't mean to offend you. my apologies if i did, it wasn't my intent. i respect your opinion and have no interest in changing it. you posted on the web, so i'm assuming you're comfortable with the discussion (in my case dissent) that comes with that.

nationalism isn't what makes a country arab. if that were the case, any non-arabic speaking country with nationalism could claim to be an arab country; however, we both know that's not possible. there are two things that have to be present before a country can be conisdered arab (in the following order of importance): 1) it speaks arabic and 2) it shares the same cultural heritage as other arab countries.

i'm not denying an amazigh identity exists or claiming it's not important. i'm just saying you're choosing to focus on certain differences and ignoring a lot of similarities solely bc you attribute them to 'colonizers' which is logically inconsistent bc every people in history is influenced by one 'colonizer' or another. one would assume you want the best for you country but, in my humble opinion, your view is culturally regressive, not to mention economically unattractive.

Rasha Mokhbat Mezidi

2/5/2014 01:04:03

I'm algerian and not arab, the ignorance of arabs claiming that we're arabs too is disgusting, LISTEN UP ! We have our own culture, LANGUAGE, AND OUR OWN WAYS OF LIVING! I hope arabs leave morocco algeria and Tunisia like the french and Spanish left! Tanmirt

Najat

21/9/2014 23:49:16

We love you Nadir. long live Imazighen.
Arabs go back to where you came from.

The "Arab World" Mentality, Get Rid of It

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