Arabs and Muslims

There is a difference between Arabs and Muslims, this explains just a few. Many people believe that Arabs are Muslims and Muslims are Arabs, but that is not always the case. Muslims are a religious group embracing the religion of Islam. Arabs are an ethnic group that live in or own the Arabian or Arab Regions. Arabs speak the Arabic language and can choose whatever religion or faith that they want to be a part of. Muslims can speak native languages of almost any part of the world. Arabs are mainly from the Middle East, such as Iraq, Syria, Iran and Saudi Arabia. Muslims live mostly in Asia (about 60%) while the rest are in Africa, the Middle East and almost every corner in the world. The Muslim population has grown 1.5 billion worldwide in the last year, establishing the fact that the Muslim population is greater than the Arab population.

Since September 11, 2001 the United States has taken action and changed some of it’s policies concerning treatment of Muslims and Arabic cultures. The United States has made it more difficult for Arabs and Muslims to immigrate to our country. It is more difficult for them to apply for citizenship or a permanent residence classification. Warrants are no longer required for wiretapping or other searches to obtain information on Arabs or Muslims. The information can be used against them to prosecute and accuse them of terrorist actions if necessary.

Religious extremism and being backwards culturally, scientifically and in technology are characteristics of orientalism. Members of Islam have been subject to hate crimes and hostility here in the United States. The religious group is being punished for crimes that others have committed. Americans seem to judge the group as a whole because of the extremist of Muslims who attacked the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Orientalism is a sign of ignorance and often leads to meaningless hate crimes.

The best way to promote tolerance and reduce prejudice is to...