Unit 3: Language and Ethnicity Lesson 1: Ethnic Minorities in the Arab World
Below you will find information about select ethnic minorities living in the Arab world:
Kurds The Kurds are a mainly Sunni Muslim people who live in a region spreading across parts of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria, with some populations also in Armenia, Azerbaijan and diaspora groups throughout Europe. The global Kurdish popula- tion numbers between 25-30 million, making it the fourth-largest ethnic group in the Middle East and the largest ethnic group without its own state. Kurdish culture stems back around 4,000 years ago to the migration of Indo-European tribes to the Zagros Mountains, which is now the heart of the Kurdish region The Kurds have their own Kurdish language, which is related to Persian, and a distinct culture. The Kurds are a traditionally nomadic people whose livelihood focused on sheep and goat herding until they were forced to settle after the post-World War I breakup of the Ottoman Empire. The Kurds desired their own state in the division of land after WWI, but were denied. Since then they have often been the victims of oppressive national cam- paigns in the states where they reside, as well as the forces behind separatist and sometimes violent movements for greater independence.
Bedouin (Bedu) The Bedouin are a nomadic, Arabic-speaking people who live throughout the deserts of the Middle East, particularly in the Arabian Peninsula, the Sinai desert of Egypt, the Negev desert of Israel, Jordan, and Syria. The word “Bedouin” is derived from the plural form of the Arabic word meaning nomad or wanderer and literally means people of the desert. Their worldwide population numbers over 5 million. Most Bedouin are animal herders and were primarily nomadic before being forced to become sedentary after the political changes that took place following World War II.
The Bedouin have been called “the original Arab,” because they are the ancestors of modern-day Arabs. The Bedouin traditionally lived in tents made of goat or camel hair, and while many Bedouin today have constructed houses, they likely also have a tent as well for family gatherings. The Bedouin’s traditional employs are herding and raising goats, camels, and sometimes horses. After World War II, more Bedouin became settled and employed in the armed forces or in construction work. Bedouin culture is very traditional and structured, with strong emphasis placed on the patriarchal order and honor code in their extended, patrilineal, endogamous and often polygynous families. While most Bedouin are Muslim, the family structure and codes have a much larger impact on the Bedouin than rules of religion. The clan organization is the foundation of Bedouin society: each tent represents a family, an encampment of tents form a clan, and kindred clans group together to constitute a tribe. The head of the clan is called the sheikh, a senior member of the tribe who is elected, assisted by and must consult with a tribal coun- cil of male elders.
Nubians The Nubians are the people of Nubia, an ancient region stretching across southern Egypt and northern Sudan. The Nubian people speak the Nubian language and Arabic. Ancient Nubia was a land of great wealth and riches, and was home to some of Africa’s earliest kingdoms. Nubians traded in gold, ebony, ivory and incense, and built monuments that still stand today, such as temples and pyramids. Nubians, living along the Nile River, were farmers, cattle herders and miners and traders. Thousands of Nubians were forced to resettle during the 1960s and 1970s development of the Aswan High Dam and Lake Nasser. Most Nubians practice a mixture of Islam and traditional folk beliefs.
Imazighen (Berbers) The Imazighen people, often referred to as Berbers, are the indigenous residents of North Africa, who now live in scattered communities across Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya as well as in subsaharan African countries including Mali and Mauritania. They are concentrated in Morocco and Algeria, making up 40 and 30 percent of their populations, respectively. Today there are also many Imazighen who have migrated to larger cities in North Africa, Spain and France to seek employment. The Imazighen are mostly sedentary agriculturalists who are concentrated in the mountain and desert regions of North Africa. They also raise herds of animals such as cattle, sheep and goats. Some Imazighen are semi-nomadic, cultivating crops and grazing their herds in different locales depending on the season.
The Imazighen people speak a collection of languages from the Afro-Asiatic lan- guage family, which can be broken down into 300 different dialects. Nearly all Ima- zighen are Muslim; however traditional Islamic tenets are often mixed with pre-Islamic pagan practices and beliefs. Some Imazighen tribes, particularly the Tuareg, tradition- ally practice matrilineality, in which familial descent is traced through the mother and maternal ancestors. Tuareg women own livestock, tents, and household possessions and may exert high levels of influence on household matters. Women tend to enjoy higher levels of personal freedom than in neighboring Arab societies and ethnic groups, and local governments are more communal and less authoritarian. Sources:
“Ancient Nubia.” The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago.