Ethnic GroupsArab People

There are MANY variations in types and lifestyles of Arab people. This information is a generalized

summary from a number of sources.

History

• The Iraqi Arabs descended from a people group cluster called the Levant Arabs.

• The Levant Arabs originally settled all over the Arabian Peninsula and later migrated to North Africa.

• This is the largest ethnic group in SW Asia (write this in)

History

• They are spread from Israel to Kuwait and as far east as Iran.

• "Levant" is a broad term that includes several groups of Arabs: the Iraqi, Jordanian, Palestinian, Arabic Jewish, Chaldean, and Syrian Arabs.

History

• Most scholars consider Arabs from the Arabian Peninsula to be the original Arabs.

• The Arabian culture was developed by tribes of nomads and villagers who lived in the Arabian Desert for many centuries.

• It was also from there that Arab migrations began, eventually leading to the expansion of the Arab world.

Religious Beliefs

• Most Arab people follow Islam• As Muslims, they follow the teachings of

the prophet Mohammed in their holy book, the Koran

• The majority are Sunni muslims

Arab Society

• The various tribes are ruled by sheiks• Sheiks are Arab chiefs that are

considered to be experts in Islam and in relating to the outside world

Arab Society

• To preserve their people, they are only allowed to marry those inside their own group.

• Inheritances are passed down through the males. In this system, men inherit more than women.

• Since children are considered a family's greatest asset, females are valued mostly for their ability to bear children.

• Women wear veils, or burka, both in town and at home.

Arab Society• Although Arabs have settled in towns or

villages, they have held on to their tribal affiliations.

• Their fortress-like villages can be easily defended.

• Each house has windows on all sides and is built facing the outside of the village.

• All goods and persons passing through town are strictly controlled.