Download DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TERMS `MUSLIMS` AND `ARABS`

“Our children are half of today and all of tomorrow.”
Arab proverb
One of the most important aspects of creating welcoming, caring, respectful and safe
environments for children and youth is the protecting and honouring of human rights.
Bullying behaviour is unacceptable in any form, and it is a violation of human rights
when a person is experiencing bullying based on race, ethnic origin, religious beliefs,
gender, physical disability, cognitive disability, age, ancestry, place of origin, marital
status, socio-economic status or sexual orientation.
Alberta is an increasingly diverse province, yet 14 per cent of elementary school
children report experiencing bullying because of their race or ethnicity. Additionally, high
school students who were not born in Canada report experiencing significantly more
bullying, racism and bigotry related to their ethnic background than those born in
Canada.
The more teachers and students understand about the cultural background and beliefs
of others, the less bullying behaviour is likely to occur in the school environment. The
following information will help teachers address discrimination and prejudice directed at
Arab and Muslim students (or those perceived as Arab or Muslim).
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TERMS ‘MUSLIMS’ AND ‘ARABS’ Arab is a cultural and linguistic term. It refers to people who speak Arabic as their first language
and share a common Arabic heritage. Islam is a religion, and its followers are called Muslims.
Who are Arabs? Not all Arabs are Muslim. In fact, about 25–30 per cent of the Arab world is not Muslim. Many
Arabs practise forms of Christianity or other religions. Also, Arabs make up a small minority of
the Muslim world—about 20 per cent.
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Arabs are united by language, culture and history. Arab countries share a rich heritage that can
be likened to a mosaic. Each country’s Arabic culture is unique, but the cultures piece together
to form a picture of the whole. Arabic is also the universal language of the Islamic religion
because the Quran (Muslim holy book, also known in English as the Koran) is written in the
Arabic language and prayers are performed in Arabic.
There is much diversity in Arab peoples’ appearance. It ranges from the dark chocolate black
skin in Somalia and the North African nations to the olive skin most common in Saudi Arabia,
the Gulf and Egypt to the light-skinned, blond and blue-eyed people of Syria and Lebanon.
In Arab culture, teachers rank next to clergy in status. Because of their high status, teachers are
expected to model moral and exemplary lifestyles publicly and privately. Teachers are expected
to instruct and support spirituality and morality, as well as teach academic subjects. It is not
unusual for parents to contact teachers for guidance in children’s overall development, not just
academic education. An Arab saying is, “The parents own the bones of a child, but the teacher
owns the flesh.” That is, the parents bring the child into the world, but it is the teacher who
shapes the child’s thinking and behaviour.
Who are Muslims? With about 1.6 billion followers, Islam is the second largest and the fastest-growing religion in
the world. The followers of Islam are called Muslims.
The root of the word Islam comes from salam, which means ‘peace’ and to submit to the will of
God. Islam is an Abrahamic (i.e., tracing its origins, along with Judaism and Christianity, to the
ancient prophet Abraham) and monotheistic (i.e., there is one God) religion. Muslims call God
Allah. Allah is the literal translation of God into Arabic – Christian Arabs also call God Allah. In
Islam, Allah is supreme. Allah does not have mortal or human characteristics.
Islam does not have sects; however, there are two accepted schools of thought. The most
common school of thought is Sunni (approximately 75 – 80 per cent of the Muslin population)
and the other is Shia.
Muslims believe that all the prophets (such as Noah, Moses, and Jesus) were sent with divine
guidance for their people, but that Muhammad was sent to all of humankind. Muhammad is
referred to as the seal—the final messenger sent to deliver the message of Islam. He is
considered to be a man who was chosen by Allah to lead by example and receive the word of
the Quran. Allah removed hatred, jealousy and evil thoughts from Mohammad and, because of
this, he lived an exemplary life. His solutions to both simple and complex problems were
chronicled and have become established traditions of the faith.
Muhammad was of Arab descent and the Quran was revealed to him in Arabic. This is why the
Arabs are considered by many to be the keepers of Islam.
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THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM Islam’s holy law is known as the Shari’ah. It is the duty of a Muslim to carry out the five pillars of
the Islamic faith.
First Pillar—Declaration of Faith (called Shahadah): To bear witness that there is no God but
Allah and that Muhammad is his final messenger.
Second Pillar—Prayer (called Salat): To pray five times a day. Prayer is the opportunity to
reaffirm one’s commitment to Islam.
Third Pillar—Alms Giving (called Zakat): To pay zakat or alms to the poor is mandatory in
Islam. People must pay 2.5 per cent of their net worth (savings) every year to help the poor
obtain food, shelter and education.
Fourth Pillar—Fasting (called Sawm): The holy month of Ramadan is the time when Muslims
pledge their commitment to Allah and purify themselves spiritually and physically by fasting.
Believers refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and marital relations during the daylight hours.
The purpose of the fast is to increase empathy for those who have less and return to basics.
Fifth Pillar—Pilgrimage (called Hajj): To make a pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the
holiest place for Muslims, at least once in a lifetime is a goal of Muslims. This pillar takes into
account financial and physical limitations.
THE HISTORY OF ARAB AND MUSLIM PEOPLE IN CANADA Canada has been home to Arab and Muslim people since the 1800s. Arab and Muslim people
came from various places in the second half of the 20th century in several waves: Palestinians
immigrated to Canada starting in the 1950s; Egyptians came in the late 1960s; people from
Lebanon and Jordan came between 1975 and 1990; Muslims from Iraq, Somalia and China
came in the 1990s; Bosnians and Albanians came in 1997; and more recently people have
come from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Indonesia.
Did you know? •
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The Edmonton Islamic community established the first mosque in North America in
1936. It is currently housed in Fort Edmonton Park.
In the 1890s, early pioneers from Lebanon settled in Lac La Biche. The second
mosque in Canada was built there in 1958.
It is estimated that there are about one million Canadian Arabs living in Canada, with
about 20 percent of that population in Alberta (2014).
There are about 113,000 Muslims living in Alberta (2011).
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MUSLIM BELIEFS ABOUT EDUCATION Seeking both religious and secular knowledge is obligatory for every Muslim man or woman.
Seeking knowledge is considered to be the best way to know Allah and to appreciate and be
thankful for His wondrous creations. The main inspiration for seeking knowledge comes from
the Quran and from Muhammad’s injunction to seek knowledge and become scholars.
The Quran states; “We (Allah) will show you (mankind) Our signs/patterns in the
horizons/universe and in yourselves until you are convinced that the revelation is the truth.”
(14:53). This invitation to explore and search the universe stimulated interest in astronomy,
mathematics, chemistry and the other sciences. Muslim scholars developed a clear
understanding of the relationships between various fields of geometry, mathematics and
astronomy. Muslims invented the symbols for zero and unknown quantities.
ARABIC AND ISLAMIC CONTRIBUTIONS TO WORLD CULTURE There have been flourishing Islamic and Arab cultures for centuries.
For example:
• The oldest universities in the world originated in Arabic countries.
• The introduction of algebra, trigonometry and the Arabic numerals to the world.
• The invention of the astrolabe, the quadrant, and other navigational devices and maps
important in the European age of exploration.
• Scholars studied and preserved knowledge from the ancient civilizations of Greece,
Rome, China and India and translated the works of Aristotle, Ptolemy, Euclid and others
into Arabic.
• Arab and Muslim scholars and scientists contributed to the Renaissance by adding their
own creative ideas, discoveries and inventions (for example, the sextant and many
astrological and medical discoveries).
• Many scientific and medical treatises were translated from Latin to Arabic. These were
standard text and reference books as late as the 17th and 18th centuries. The main
medical textbook titled Canon of Medicine by Aben Senna (Avacinia) was used until 150
years ago.
What can I do in the classroom? 1. Improve communication.
Be proactive in involving parents. Most parents will respond positively if they understand
what kinds of actions they might take to support their children’s learning and
social/emotional development. Remember that for many people from the Middle East,
getting involved in their children’s education is unheard of, so they have to be encouraged to
be more proactive.
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2. Deal with derogatory language.
When you hear derogatory language towards Canadian Muslim and Arab students, or any
other students, deal with it immediately. Name-calling in any form is unacceptable. Spend
time countering negative stereotypes and capitalize on teachable moments to inform all
students of the harm that name-calling and putdowns have. The more students learn to
empathize with others, the less likely they are to demonstrate bullying behaviour.
3. Be informed about Muslim holidays and observances.
Muslim observances, holidays and fasts are based on a lunar calendar of 12 months. Each
month has 29 or 30 days, depending on the sighting of the new moon. The Islamic, or Hijra,
calendar is about 10 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar, so each year Muslim
holidays will be observed about 10 days earlier than the previous year. Every Friday the
weekly prayer is held in the mosque (place of worship for Muslims). Like most religious
observances, the gathering provides opportunities for community building through social as
well as spiritual interactions.
There are two major celebrations:
’Eid al-Fitr (Festival of the Breaking of the Fast) marks the end of the fast of Ramadan.
Students may be absent from school on ’Eid day.
’Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice) is the culmination of the Hajj, or holy pilgrimage to Mecca.
It is commonly a three-day holiday that commemorates Abraham’s readiness to sacrifice his
son for Allah.
If possible, designate a private area in the school so that Muslim students can pray during
breaks. Acknowledge religious holidays and create authentic opportunities to invite, but do
not compel, students to share their traditions.
Be sensitive to students’ physical stress during the month of Ramadan, when they will be
fasting. Generally, from the age of puberty, young people are expected to fast all day. While
teachers should be sensitive to the physical stress of these students, it cannot become a
reason for students missing classes or not doing assignments. Use discretion in dealing with
students during the month of Ramadan. If students tell you that they need to leave school to
participate in Friday prayers, ask that they provide you with parental consent. Most parents
will be flexible in timing religious observances with natural breaks in schooling. Explore how
regular school breaks can accommodate prayer opportunities.
4. Encourage students to examine racism and religious intolerance.
Explore the implications that these forms of prejudice can have for particular ethnic groups
and society in general.
5. Be conscious of the power of positive role models.
Where possible, identify people who have made a positive difference and/or contributed to
their society’s culture. Positive role models show that members of all groups can be
successful, contributing citizens. When students see themselves in others it makes them
feel better about themselves and confirms their sense of belonging.
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REFERENCES Brooks, G. Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women. New
York: Anchor Books, 1996.
Sachedina, A. “What Is Islam?” The World & I (September 1997).
Beliefs of Islam, Canada and the World, (February 15, 1990).
Websites There are many websites that provide information about Arabic culture and the Islamic
faith. The following websites are examples that educators might find helpful.
The Canadian Arab Friendship Association of Edmonton http://www.cafaedmonton.ca/
The official website for the Canadian Arab Friendship Association of Edmonton.
This website provides information on the Centre’s services, history of Arabs in
Canada past and present and provides facts about 22 Arab countries.
Islam: The Modern Religion http://www.themodernreligion.com/
This site was established to present Islam in a simple way. It includes many
articles, links and courses about the basics of Islam.
Discover Islam www.discoverislam.com
This site offers a gallery of posters integrating traditional Islamic art and calligraphy with modern
computer graphics.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This development of this content was made possible through grants from National Crime
Prevention, Community Mobilization Department of Canadian Heritage, Multiculturalism
Program; and Alberta Community Development’s Human Rights, Citizenship and
Multiculturalism Education Forum.
Nora Abou-Absi of the Canadian Arab Friendship Association, Susan Petryk of the Canadian
Islamic Centre, and Barb Maheu of the Alberta Teachers Association, authored the original
content. (2003, revised 2014)
This content was developed by the Society for Safe and Caring Schools & Communities in collaboration
with Alberta Education. It is freely available to use in support of creating welcoming, caring, respectful
and safe environments for children and youth under the following Creative Commons license.
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