Middle Eastern ≠ Arab ≠ Muslim

Many Americans are unable to distinguish the difference between being “Muslim,” “Arab,” and “Middle Eastern.” These terms are not synonymous and have their own, specific definitions. While it’s understandable how someone unfamiliar with these cultures may use these terms interchangeably, it’s vital that they understand the importance of properly labeling others rather than making assumptions about their identity.

To begin, what does it mean to be Middle Eastern? The Middle East itself has no clear borders. Rather, it’s used to describe the geographical region in Western Asia, between the Mediterranean and the Indian subcontinent. A Middle Easterner is someone who originates from a country within this region. While the Middle East is a continent, it spans across portions of Africa, Asia, and Europe.

The Middle East contains multiple diverse cultures, languages, religions, and geography. While some assume Middle Easterners live as nomads, it’s quite urbanized. While it contains some of the oldest civilizations in the world, about 60% of the region’s population resides in major cities.

The term “Arab” can be applied to people who speak (or whose ancestors spoke) Arabic as their mother tongue. Arabic is a Semitic language, closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. The language first emerged between the 1st and 4th centuries CE. There are a total of 22 Arab countries in both the Middle East and North Africa. “Arab countries” are countries whose common language is Arabic. “Arab” is both a linguistic and cultural term. Arabs are united by culture and history, but they are not considered a race. Many Middle Easterners are not Arabs, and many Arabs are not from the Middle East.

One-fifth of the world’s population (about 1.6 billion) practice Islam. While the religion originated in the Middle East, most Muslims live elsewhere. In fact, Indonesia has the largest population of Muslims at about 202.9 million. Islam is also widely popular in Southeast Asian and North African countries. Despite this, someone doesn’t need to be from any of these regions to identify as Muslim. To be “Muslim” simply means they practice the Islamic religion. It is entirely independent of race, ethnicity, or nationality. There are major Islamic states (ex. Iran, Pakistan, Yemen) where the government is based on Islamic law. Although a majority of the Middle East is Muslim, there are large populations of Jewish and Christian peoples. Ultimately, to be “Muslim” solely refers to religion.

Assumptions can be a dangerous thing. Disrespecting someone by assuming their religion, culture, or basic identities is entirely avoidable if one puts in the effort to educate themselves on the significance of these terms. “Muslim,” “Arab,” and “Middle Eastern” are each their own unique identities. And although they may overlap, they each deserve to be recognized for what they are, separate from the others.