Monday, November 28, 2005

Some of us Wear our Passports!And some of us cannot be “naked”!

Who is an Arab?

Politically if they live in a country which is a member of the Arab League and this definition covers around 300 millions; and linguistically if Arabic is their mother tongue, then the definition covers around 200 million… I tend to follow the second. Like any other affiliation they are not geographically restricted anymore! They are everywhere!

I am an Arab, and I lived the majority of my life in Arab states. I come from a Muslim Shiite family from the southern part of Lebanon.

I am not a Muslim, and I have nothing against Islam that I do not also have against other religions. It is just that according to the definition of Muslims, that is to say people who adhere to Islam as a religion (and that is irrespective of nationality), I am not one.

I have spent some time in Western Europe hearing all kinds of remarks when I answer about where I come from. From “Really! You are an Arab!” (Visualize a dropped jaw, a hand flat on the chest, and eyes wide open), via “As an Arab, do you feel integrated in Europe?” (Here visualize eyes narrowed, focused, and starring deep to fake intellect) … to “I always wanted to fuck an Arab!” (Well here I did not stay long enough to look into the man’s eyes in fear of any violent reaction on my side)! All are statements that I have encountered, the first two were said to me in different rephrases in many places.

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