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What Every American Should Know About the Middle East

dmiessler.com — Most in the United States don ’t know much about the Middle East or the people that live there. This lack of knowledge hurts our ability to understand world events and, consequently, our ability to hold intelligent opinions about those events. So here’s a very brief primer aimed at raising the level of knowledge about the region.

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  • Kizilbash, on 03/31/2008, -4/+82Also interesting and useful: not all Arabs are Muslims. There are still a substantial number of Arab Christians. Copts in Egypt, Greek Orthodox in Palestine, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, Maronites in Lebanon and Syria and Armenian (this is an ethnic minority as well as a religious one) in Lebanon and Syria. Chaldeans and Assyrians in Iraq.

    Also: not all Shi'ites are the same. Shi'ites are classified by the number of Imams (successors of Mohammed) they recognise. In Yemen the Fivers are a very large minority, the rest of the country is Sunni. There are also Seveners, with the Aga Khan as their leader, they are a small minority (1% of the population) in Lebanon and Syria and there are some in Pakistan and Afghanistan as well. But the vast majority are Twelvers. Iraq is the only Arab country with a Twelver Shi'itre majority, but there are substantial minorities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain.

    There are other religious minorities: Druzes in Lebanon, Syria and Israel (and some in Jordan). The Druzes split from the Sevener Shi'ites but have strayed far. They believe in reincarnation for instance. Fundamentalist Sunnis and Shi'ites do not consider them Muslims. Then there are Alawites, they are a minority in Lebanon and Syria. In Syria the ruling regime is mostly made up of Alawites and the army is mostly made up of minorities in general: Alawites, Druzes, Maronite Christians etc.

    Also in Oman the majority is a third branch that is neither Sunni nor Shi'ite but Kharijite.

    Then there are groups that are neither Muslim nor Christian in Iraq: the Yazidis, the Mandeans and the Ahl el Haqq. The Mandeans consider themselves descendants of the original worshipers of John the Baptist. The Yazidi religion is a mixture of Christian, Zoroastrian (ancient Persian) and some Muslim elements. Ahl-el Haqq is also a mixt of Christian, Zoroastrian and Muslim elements and related to the Yazidi religion. Both have mainly Kurdish followers in Iraq (Yazidis) and Iran (Ahle el Haqq).

    Also good to remember: Turks, Kurds and Iranians (or Persians) are not Arabs.
    • angusm, on 03/31/2008, -1/+42Also good to remember: the largest Muslim-majority nation in the world is neither Arab, nor in the Middle East. It's Indonesia.

      There's a mystical strand to Islam as well: Sufism. The Wahabi movement (from which Al-Qaeda draws some of its inspiration) was founded in part to eliminate Sufism (and Sufis) from Islam.

      There are large Muslim populations throughout Africa (not just North Africa), in China (the Uighurs) and much of Central Asia, including Ismaili (Sevener Shi'ite) groups in Tajikistan and other countries, and even Europe (Bosnia-Herzegovina and Albania, for example).

      The point of all this being, I guess, that anything that is seen as affecting Muslims or Islam is not confined to the Middle East, but generates repercussions and reactions over a large part of the planet.
    • smacksaw, on 03/31/2008, -2/+9I used to live with a Palestinian family who were Catholic. Some of their relatives were Muslim, however, because if they didn't convert they were discriminated against, couldn't get jobs, stuff from the gov't, etc.
      • elfster, on 04/04/2008, -0/+0stated in the original article : Not all Arabs are Muslim. There are significant populations of Arab Christians throughout the world, including in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Northern Africa and Palestine/Israel. "

        How convenient that they failed to mention that the Christian population is 1% and that they are highly discriminated against in the middle east. 1% is not "SIGNIFICANT by any stretch of the imagination

        With the Christian genocide occuring in Africa and perpetrated by radical Muslims sadly that small % will sonn dwindle and drop too.

    • glasnostic, on 03/31/2008, -1/+22might also want to point out that Arabs are Semites..
    • Narrator, on 03/31/2008, -10/+4If you want to understand Islam, you don't need to become a muslim, just read the Koran and while reading it remember that the large majority of Middle Easterners believe that these are the exact words of god. I know this sounds like a totally crazy idea but this made everything that goes on in the name of Islam in the middle east make perfect sense. You'll be 99% better informed than everyone else on the talking heads programs trying to analyze the middle east.
      • TheGuruStud, on 03/31/2008, -2/+9Why is that any different than the BS in the bible (sounds like you're implying something)? You're stating the obvious, thanks.
        • tonicboy, on 03/31/2008, -8/+2The difference is that the Bible is believed to be written by man about God. The Koran is believed to be the words OF God, delivered to man through his prophet, Mohammed. As the literal words of God, they would leave no room for interpretation.
          • cyberdork, on 04/01/2008, -0/+2I think Bush wouldn't agree with you on that one, because his evangelical buddies also believe the bible was written by god.
          • robinohio1, on 04/09/2008, -0/+1God or Jesus never wrote any of the Bible, others did it for them (allegedly, assuming the Bible is real and this thing called God is "real").

            On a side note, how can the author really expect Americans to educate themselves about the middle east when most Americans have no clue where their own country is on a map?!?!?!?
        • pintomp3, on 04/01/2008, -0/+3the bible is still considered the word of god because the men who wrote it were supposedly "inspired by god". also, it doesn't stop people from acting on literal interpretations in order to define the beginning of life, the shape and age of the earth, how life started, and preach hate against homosexuals.
    • Hangly, on 03/31/2008, -2/+8Another good thing to remember: "Arab" isn't technically an ethnic group. Arabs are Semites, as are Hebrews (Jews,) Egyptians, Akkadians, Phonecians (Maltese,) and every character on the original Battlestar Galactica.
    • bobcrotch, on 03/31/2008, -1/+4I guess that anthropology degree came in hand eh buddy? Thanks for the info.

      Seriously.
    • Hangly, on 03/31/2008, -1/+5Also no mention of Afghanistan.
      Afghanistan is made up of Pashtuns (42%,) Tajiks (27%), Hazaras (9%,) Uzbeks (9%,) Aimaks (4%,) Turkmens (3%,) Balochs (2%,) and "others" (4%.)
      Very few Arabs or Persians. That's just one reason the country is such a ***** to be involved in.
    • acdcfanbill, on 03/31/2008, -0/+5The only thing I learned from this was that apparently most people don't know these common facts... If that's true then I'm really scared.
      • bobcrotch, on 04/01/2008, -0/+1The only thing I learned from this was that apparently people on the internet jump quickly to agree with someone who seems to know something that most others don't. This isn't common knowledge captain obvious. if it were common knowledge then most people would know it.
    • erydan, on 03/31/2008, -0/+1Yes, it should be pointed out that Arabs are indeed Semites, also Christian Lebanese for the most part do not consider themselves Arab and their characteristics are very different from the Sunnis who call themselves Arabs and look the part.

    • xstarsprinklesx, on 04/01/2008, -0/+1Though a few generations American, I'm half Lebanese and my dad's whole family is Maronite Catholic. We use the word Arabic to describe ourselves, the language, food, etc. but really our origins are Phoenician.

      Meanwhile, my Turkish boss is Muslim, but not Arabic.
      • SickDrummerJ, on 04/04/2008, -0/+0Very Interesting! I love reading about people who know the facts and have learned a ton of information and I am in the process of learning Iraqi, Egyption, Saudi Arabic, and Lebenese and I also want to learn about the cultures and differances between them.
        Thank you
    • tektalk, on 04/01/2008, -0/+1That was an eye-opener, I never realized religions in the middle east could be this complicated.
  • craighoxton, on 03/31/2008, -4/+75More people need to read this instead of getting their international relations opinions from Tom Clancy novels
    • Crosshare, on 03/31/2008, -1/+13Anyone that can make it through 750 pages of Clancy shouldn't be cast off as a foreign affairs dullard, that man likes run on about policy and government inter-workings like no other.
      • tonicboy, on 03/31/2008, -0/+3Unfortunately, he's pretty much conservative and that bias shows in his writing.
        • cyberdork, on 04/01/2008, -0/+1He only showed his extreme right wing politics in the later books, his cold war novels were fine.
    • dinostabOMG, on 03/31/2008, -0/+7It's a half-way decent start but... very sparse and lacking. Also, the similarity between Shia and Catholicism is pretty tenuous. Still... it's better than nothing, and at least should get by TLDRtards.
    • GoKings, on 03/31/2008, -0/+5Seriously... During a debate at school, I talked about how Sam Fisher saved us from the crazy Russians single-handedly, which tells me that if he could do it with the Russians, why not the Iraqis?... Nobody applauded =-(
  • knde, on 03/31/2008, -2/+22Thank you for submitting this. I personally have met to many people who think all Arabs are Muslims and vice-versa (whose opinions don't change despite being provided with evidence).

    Every little bit helps...the overwhelming negativity towards Muslims is fostered by less than 1% of the Muslim population. So I do believe that efforts to educate non-Muslims about the religion may help to counter this negativity.

    • sleze, on 03/31/2008, -1/+3It's a shame that the Shia and the Sunnis can't learn from the mistakes of the other religions that preceeded them. A lot of people suffered and died because of the whole reformation crap. The worst of Catholics vs. Protestants was settled ages ago. Muslims should take note.
      • MacEnvy, on 03/31/2008, -2/+3Never visited Ireland in the 80s and 90s, huh? People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones (or pipebombs, as the case may be).
      • matu4251, on 03/31/2008, -1/+2It's a shame you didn't think twice before writing your comment: the Protestant Reformation started during the 16th century while Muhammad died during the 7th century...
      • Acolyte357, on 04/01/2008, -1/+1@ MacEnvy
        What the hell do Irish Nationalist have to do with Catholics vs. Protestants? Do you have any idea what the PIRA is? here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provisional_Irish_Rep ...
    • kaelyiesta, on 03/31/2008, -1/+2I never put much stock in categorizing people. I was friends with a jewish kid for years without knowing or caring (although I did probably wonder why he wore such a silly hat). Still, it seems reasonable to say we need to know these things if we are to understand the problems in these nations.
  • Aitese, on 03/31/2008, -1/+31I had a friend who sat stumped through the movie Crash because of the one line where the lady who's shop in broken into and vandalized said they were Persian, not Arab...he really just couldn't comprehend.
    • str3ama, on 03/31/2008, -4/+25I hate that movie, I know everyone loves it and encourages it because it talks about racism - but the movie is so diluted. All it takes for Sandra Bullock's character, a not-so closeted racist, is to fall down a flight of steps and then miraculously at the help of her Mexican maid becomes tolerant. It just unfortunately doesn't work that way, racist mentality tends to require something more substantial in order for the person to realize their prejudice.
      • petebot, on 03/31/2008, -1/+3I'm with you. I thought that movie was ridiculously overrated. It was like 7 tiny little M. Knight Shyamalan movies (without all the mysticism). That's probably a bad metaphor, but what I mean is that each character was introduced one way (bad racist cop who finger-rapes woman) and then given a "twist" (good cop who saves woman whom he finger-rapedfrom burning car).
      • SauceSpot, on 03/31/2008, -6/+2i turned off the movie 10 minutes in like after ludacris was talking about how white people are quick to judge black people and think they'll car jack them. and what does he go do? car jack the next white people he sees.
      • carpespasm, on 03/31/2008, -0/+5In the real world she wouldn't have stopped being racist; she would have just stopped being racist to that one woman or anyone that woman knows. I've seen many people who do the same thing where once they're forced to see someone they would have otherwise been racist as hell to as just as much a person as they are they don't lose or overcome their prejudice, they just make an exception.
      • rnelsonee, on 03/31/2008, -0/+2I would just explain that Arab is also a geographic entity, not just an ethnic or linguistic one. If it's part of the Arab peninsula (or the northern African coast), it's Arab.
      • Aitese, on 04/01/2008, -0/+2She didn't stop being racist...she just realized that despite her prejudices her maid was the only one there for her.
    • JointVenture, on 03/31/2008, -3/+3Yeah, Persian vs Arab racism is pretty intense. Talk about hate, they would cut babies out of the wombs of the opposing sides mothers if given the chance.
      • hamidious, on 04/01/2008, -0/+1Strange, I am an Arab and I haven't noticed the hatred except with religious fanatics(especially Saudi Wahabbis). What I noticed though is the mistrust and fear each party has for the other.
  • failedpimp, on 03/31/2008, -41/+7Americans wouldn't have to know this if they'd just bomb the middle east into oblivion. Oh wait, they already started. Stupid Americans, I hate being one sometimes.
    • akamurph, on 03/31/2008, -1/+13...I was going to respond but after re-reading your comment there really is no sense.
    • slvrbullet87, on 03/31/2008, -1/+3Over 200 other countries on this earth, try one of them.
  • PatNolan, on 03/31/2008, -39/+5Does it really matter. We are at war with the middle east. We were always at war with the middle east.
    • fletcherrr, on 03/31/2008, -1/+3Insightful! PatNolan '12!!
    • NeverReturnKid, on 03/31/2008, -5/+4The middle east is always at war with itself, and we're not helping matters any.
    • SilentRamble42, on 03/31/2008, -1/+9Statements like that are what's wrong with the world today.
    • glasnostic, on 03/31/2008, -5/+4news flash... Afghanistan is not in the middle east. its in south asia

    • ManIs5, on 03/31/2008, -2/+7Pat -- You didn't honestly expect most Digg users to get the Orwell reference did you? Lower your expectations when you post here. Too bad I can only give you one thumbs up.
      • PatNolan, on 03/31/2008, -0/+3It was a reference to Orwell ... you're right most digg users aren't up to that.
    • Syric, on 03/31/2008, -1/+5If that truly was Orwell I applaud your effort, but that wasn't the best way to make it known you were referring to something.
  • cheezintern, on 03/31/2008, -11/+15maybe the Bush administration should read this.
  • ColonelJessup, on 03/31/2008, -14/+51No, this article is wrong. All that every American needs to know about the Middle East is that they hate us for our freedoms.

    Jeez Louise people.......................
    • Ne007, on 03/31/2008, -1/+11Looks like some people do not enjoy sarcastic humor. I gave you a thumbs up.
    • Hangly, on 03/31/2008, -1/+4Also they have unacceptable hat laws. Damn you Muslims and your hats!
    • shadeOfGrey, on 03/31/2008, -4/+1Dugg for Jeez Louise.
  • darladoon, on 03/31/2008, -25/+1if the author spent more like 2 weeks, or months, instead of 20 minutes, perhaps we could have learned something (unless most readers here are dumber than i thought).......

    there was also no mention that most iranians are PERSIANS, and not arabs.
    • glasnostic, on 03/31/2008, -0/+18uh.. yes there was.
      • darladoon, on 03/31/2008, -12/+1it does NOT say persian ANYWHERE in the article.....thank you....read again...
        • CJMac, on 03/31/2008, -0/+7Yeah, but it does say they are not Arabs
    • Ne007, on 03/31/2008, -0/+12How about this part that you missed?:
      Quote: "Iran Shia. NOT Arab."
      • darladoon, on 03/31/2008, -14/+0i don't see PERSIAN anywhere, thanks.....
        • Ne007, on 03/31/2008, -0/+10This article was not about Persians. It is not about Iranians. Its about Arabs and therefore the only explanation of Iranians is that they are Shia and are not Arab.

          The context of what you are arguing has nothing to do with the article at hand.
        • drastik21, on 03/31/2008, -0/+1whoosh!!!
        • bclittlejohn, on 04/01/2008, -0/+1FTA: "5. People from Iran are also known as Persians, and they are not Arabs."
    • flashingcurser, on 03/31/2008, -0/+7It doesn't specifically say "Persian" but it does say "not arab".
  • pencilneck, on 03/31/2008, -15/+4I think it was summed up better in South Park. But good info all the same. The only part missing, which branch of Islam endorses cutting the heads off of Jewish people? Or contract workers?
    • abood, on 03/31/2008, -3/+11simple answer...no branch
      • liiv3354, on 03/31/2008, -1/+5Does not the Koran command that whores have their heads cut off?
        • Syric, on 03/31/2008, -1/+2I don't know. Look it up and get back to us.
  • smacksaw, on 03/31/2008, -7/+10Even if you already know all of this, it's a must-read.

    If you want to know what's wrong with the USA...or what's right, the Digg effect could help here.

    If this reaches 10,000 Diggs, I think we have hope for our country. If it reaches a few thousand Diggs, maybe we're just preaching to the choir. But if it doesn't make the Top In All Topics...well, if people can't devote 2 minutes to improving foreign relations on a personal level, we're *****.
  • YvesKlein, on 03/31/2008, -20/+2That's odd, I didn't see towel head on there...
  • bugzer, on 03/31/2008, -0/+24in the 6th grade we studied Islam. Not like a religious study just a study about the components of the religion and how it compared to Christianity (my faith) and the Jewish faith. It was enlightening and I'm glad to have been exposed to an exploratory study of the world's major religions.
    • Syric, on 03/31/2008, -1/+17th grade for me, but yeah, I remember covering major religions in history class. Hinduism and Buddhism got chapters as well. I'm very surprised that that's not considered standard curriculum.
  • Acronym, on 03/31/2008, -12/+1finally a quality article on digg again...but I still think that linking to a video explains it better: http://youtube.com/watch?v=eBGIQ7ZuuiU
    • IllBeBack, on 03/31/2008, -0/+2Nice effort with the video description there, chief.
  • elliotys, on 03/31/2008, -5/+7Now we need to send one out to the rest of the world that lets them know the difference between Americans, ie. the 50-70% with a brain, and the 30-50% with a whole lot of hate/ faith in Bush.

    • Pake, on 03/31/2008, -3/+1Should attach this page too, since most couldn't tell you much of it either.
  • FortyCaliber, on 03/31/2008, -2/+9This is why we need to classify people into groups based on skin color. It takes out the hassle of classifying through religion or this so-called 'ethnicity.'

    /sarcasm
  • Ne007, on 03/31/2008, -9/+2Looks like Bush and the NeoCons are at war with Shia (Iran, Iraq, Syria).
    • Hangly, on 03/31/2008, -1/+2The Hezbollah is also Shia. Shia is kind of resurgent right now. So I think you're probably right.
    • MacEnvy, on 03/31/2008, -2/+1If they were at war with the Shia, why would they remove the Sunni government in Iraq (which was Saddam)?

      The Bush Administration doesn't know enough about the Middle East to have a solid policy like "anti-Shia". They just go after whoever looks at 'em funny.
  • daxsymbiont, on 03/31/2008, -1/+42"What Every American Should Know About the Middle East"

    'It's not yours'?
    • GMinos, on 04/01/2008, -0/+0Too bad I can digg you only once ;-) Love your comment
  • executorzz, on 03/31/2008, -10/+8That 1% argument doesn't work for me. There are 1 billion muslims in the world. If 1% hate me that's 10 million people trying to kill me. That's a lot of people...
    • theone156, on 03/31/2008, -5/+4Im just curious, does this rule also apply to other religions or ethnic groups? Do 1% of Christans (combine all the different sects) hate Muslims, or other groups?
      • Devaney, on 03/31/2008, -4/+4i would say guess that at least 5% of Christians hate other religious groups, that's probably around 60% in the Bible Belt...definitely don't think they're as serious about the whole 'martyr=70 virgins' thing though, so maybe less dangerous
  • Ganja420, on 03/31/2008, -22/+12Muhammad was a pedophile
    • JointVenture, on 03/31/2008, -5/+3Well he was dugg downers.

      Sahih Muslim Book 008, Number 3310:
      'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported: Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) married me when I was six years old, and I was admitted to his house when I was nine years old.

      Sahih Bukhari Volume 7, Book 62, Number 64
      Narrated 'Aisha:
      that the Prophet married her when she was six years old and he consummated his marriage when she was nine years old, and then she remained with him for nine years (i.e., till his death).

      Sahih Bukhari Volume 7, Book 62, Number 65
      Narrated 'Aisha:
      that the Prophet married her when she was six years old and he consummated his marriage when she was nine years old. Hisham said: I have been informed that 'Aisha remained with the Prophet for nine years (i.e. till his death)." what you know of the Quran (by heart)'

      Sahih Bukhari Volume 7, Book 62, Number 88
      Narrated 'Ursa:
      The Prophet wrote the (marriage contract) with 'Aisha while she was six years old and consummated his marriage with her while she was nine years old and she remained with him for nine years (i.e. till his death).

      Too much info for you?
    • Hangly, on 03/31/2008, -4/+2Then so, technically, was Edgar Alan Poe and so are many Indians. The age of consent isn't 18 everywhere, nor has it always been 18 in the US.
      • Zarokima, on 03/31/2008, -1/+5Muhammad married a six-year-old and ***** her when she was nine. That's pretty different from Poe marrying his thirteen-year-old cousin.

        Pedophilia refers specifically to PREPUBESCENT children, not people younger than eighteen. I'm not a betting man, but I'd place any wager on that Muhammad's bride had not hit puberty when they were married. When she was nine and the marriage was consummated, that could be different, so I'll just be nice and assume she was a bit of an early bloomer. Poe's bride of thirteen, however, can pretty safely be assumed to have hit puberty.
    • Ganja420, on 04/01/2008, -0/+1so technically your saying "two wrongs makes a right?"
  • serif69, on 03/31/2008, -1/+7I think it's more important for Americans to know specifically how the groups break down in Iraq itself, who is allied with who, in what other countries the allies are, who holds what power, and who wants what power. I think that would stop much of the "pull out now" or "stay the course" knee-jerk reactions we often see. It's great to know how it breaks down in the whole of the Middle East, but that does us no good for understanding what is happening in the areas with the most trouble.
    • darladoon, on 03/31/2008, -2/+2if 83% of iraqis want us out immediately, why would you characterize 'pull out' as "knee jerk reaction"?
      • Pake, on 03/31/2008, -2/+3I guess the first thing we would have to do is take a poll of Iraqi's to see what they believe instead of pulling a percentage from our ass.
  • HaSatan, on 03/31/2008, -7/+3There be dragons.
  • liamfly, on 03/31/2008, -7/+3I think everyone already knows this stuff.
  • Osmanthus, on 03/31/2008, -1/+22never get involved in a land war in Asia
  • dukeeeey, on 03/31/2008, -2/+23"What Every American Should Know About the Middle East"
    Where it is would be a good start.
  • flashingcurser, on 03/31/2008, -1/+12I thought most of this was pretty common knowledge.
    • unreg, on 03/31/2008, -4/+4Oddly enough, it's others ignorance that leads them to believe we're ignorant.

      The author states:What’s depressing is the fact that this only took me 20 minutes to write and you 2 minutes to read. Yet most people in the United States, including those in the media, the house of representatives, and probably even the Pentagon, lack even this cursory level of knowledge about the region.:

      I think he's a bit ignorant
    • Pake, on 03/31/2008, -1/+3No, it's not exactly common knowledge in the USA and heck, even outside the USA. Some places put more emphasis on teaching it, but it's by no means common knowledge. Most people will act like they know it, merely to have a superiority complex.
    • Cattywampus, on 03/31/2008, -1/+3Not among the average American. Heck, after Hurricane Katrina happened, most people surveyed had no idea where New Orleans was. Many schoolchildren in the U.S. don't even know what countries we were fighting against in WWII.
    • bshensky, on 03/31/2008, -1/+2You obviously haven't traveled the Bible Belt.

      If you want to incite an American riot, just replace your "God, I hope..." colloquialisms with a formidable replacement like "If it be the will of Allah...".
  • HookmasterCH47, on 03/31/2008, -7/+3Also they need to know how to perform a tactical reload while evading hostile fire. Clearing urban terrain is also a pretty important skill to know these days in the middle east.
  • daxsymbiont, on 03/31/2008, -9/+3look how this ***** up article tries to make you hate shia muslims and like sunni muslims. it even has in bold the "spectacular" discovery of the clueless writer that sunni muslims are like protestand christians.
    • J3Holaday, on 03/31/2008, -1/+1That assumes that the reader has a preference for protestant Christianity.
      • bartofdahammer, on 03/31/2008, -2/+2which he as in daxsymbiont must, because I would never of picked up on that
    • Daiken, on 03/31/2008, -1/+4well that's a big jump to make. Do you hate catholics or something?
    • matu4251, on 03/31/2008, -1/+1I'm not sure I got the part where he was trying to make people hate shia muslims. Could you be more precise?
  • xtrench, on 03/31/2008, -2/+7I'm confused, who are we supposed to kill?
    /sarcasm
  • unreg, on 03/31/2008, -1/+5Ignorance is an international commodity.
  • inkswamp, on 03/31/2008, -3/+10As an American, I can vouch for the fact that most Americans are frighteningly ill-educated about the Middle East. It seems the amount of Bush support is inversely proportional to the level of knowledge. I love asking people who still defend our invasion of Iraq to name two countries bordering Iraq or what the difference between the Shia and Sunni are. I consistently get no response. It's amazing that people can so fervently support invading a country about which they lack even the most basic understanding.
    • JointVenture, on 03/31/2008, -3/+7As an American who has lived in Jordan I can say that MOST Jordanians are flauntingly ill-educated about Americans, SE Asians, Africans, Kiwis, Aussies etc etc.

      I'm pretty sure YOU don't know MOST Americans.
      • cyberdork, on 04/01/2008, -0/+2But then again Jordan is not at war with any of those countries...
        • JointVenture, on 04/01/2008, -1/+1We're not at war with the middle east, unless of course you're going to imply that all middle easterners are terrorist.
          Which would be wrong.
    • SickDrummerJ, on 04/05/2008, -0/+0I'm American and have been learning about foreign countries, since I can remember. I think "Mr. Grasser" (My 7th grade Teacher) Who was by far, one of the teachers that taght me more truths about the Middle East in the 1980's; Like Muammar Al-Ghadaffi, Kim Sung Ill the father of the New, but Old,__________, Dong Zaoping, Chinese Dictator of Communism. Vladymir Putin and Dymetri Medvedev where pals durring this time in the KGB. Now they are RUINING what Reagan And Gorbachov succedded in stopping, "The Cold War!"
      To Your answer; Syria, Demascus, Iran; Teran; Kuwait, Kuwait; Saudi Arabia, Rhyad; Jordan, Amman, so don't tell me that we don't know what we are talking about. I've studdied more than the Middle East, Also, so if you want accuracy DON'T talk to Any Liberal Because they refuse to look at the facts. Like You I Guess!
  • rlh1, on 03/31/2008, -3/+11Actually

    Probably a very large portion in Arab countries are not Arab.
    In Northern Africa - Algeria Morocco -- there are lot of Berbers, Lebanon is Maronites, Egypt is Copts. Many converted to Islam over the last 1400 years and took Islamic (Arabic) surnames to blend in with the majority.
  • Cattywampus, on 03/31/2008, -5/+4Maybe if John McCain read this article he wouldn't need Joe Leiberman around to whisper crib notes in his ear.
  • IceSabre, on 03/31/2008, -2/+6Is America the only place in the world that doesn't understand all of that? I knew most of it but there were some interesting parts I was not aware of. What I find hard to believe is that we are alone. I've traveled overseas and met many people not from America that are just as mixed up as we are.
    Maybe a better title should be "What the world should know about the middle east".
    Or maybe I am wrong and just got a very lucky education. Either way it was an excellent article as well as several threads responding to it.
    • darladoon, on 03/31/2008, -6/+1the difference is: those other countries (minus britain and austrila) didn't invade and occupy a middle eastern country and a south asian (mostly muslim) country in the last decade.
  • pkcs11, on 03/31/2008, -2/+3http://www.ifamericansknew.org/
  • BESTenemy, on 03/31/2008, -3/+10What every American knows:
    1. Oil
    2 ...
  • futureisours, on 03/31/2008, -9/+4The main point of the article is that all terrorists are muslims, but not all muslims are terrorists. There I saved you a few minutes worth of reading.
    • exomni, on 03/31/2008, -1/+4So then if we annihilated all Muslims we'd annihilate all terrorists.

      Sounds like a game plan to me.
    • wankelrotary, on 03/31/2008, -1/+2Wrong.
    • munawarali2, on 04/01/2008, -0/+1Off the top of my head: Non-Muslim Terrorist groups: The IRA, The Tamil Tigers, the Sikh Nationalist movement, those rebel groups in South America? They're all terrorists, and not Muslim.

      US State Department Foreign Terrorist Organization list (http://usembassy.state.gov/posts/pk1/wwwh04043003. ...
  • plnegative1, on 03/31/2008, -4/+2This is such basic information it really is condescending to assume that Americans don't know this. There are some that don't know this, but this information is nothing worth digging.
    • Cattywampus, on 03/31/2008, -2/+4Most Americans surveyed can't even name the states that border their own, or where New Orleans is (even right after Katrina), or who the U.S. was fighting against in WWI.

      I think it's safe to assume that most Americans don't know this info about the MIddle East.
    • muchachoburacho, on 03/31/2008, -3/+4You'd be surprised how many americans don't know this. I would be willing to bet that at least 1/3 of America is completely unfamiliar with this information. I would be equally as willing to bet that at least a tenth of the US senators and congressmen don't know this. Do remember, this is the country where 5 out of 6 republican candidates agreed that Islam was "waging a war on America's freedom and foreign policy was irrelevant."
  • Roninsama, on 03/31/2008, -1/+3land of fighting people ; get the hell out of there like the British did
  • drake77, on 03/31/2008, -0/+12Also, Muslims believe...

    1) Jesus Christ was a prophet of God
    2) During the "end times" Jesus will return to the earth and slay the Anti-Christ
    3) Muslims regularly make a pilgrimage to Bethlehem to view the spot where tradition holds that Jesus was born.
    • Hangly, on 03/31/2008, -2/+14Also "Allah" and "God" are the same guy. "Al Lah" is Arabic for "the God," using the same semitic root for the word "God" as in Hebrew. He's the God of Abraham, which is the exact same God Christians and Jews worship.
      • Buelldozer, on 03/31/2008, -9/+2Odd but the passages in my bible about 72 virgins and blowing up innocents seem to be missing. As do the passages about pedophilia and forced conversion. Are you sure it's the same God?
    • bingo000, on 04/01/2008, -0/+2An Arab friend of mine name Jesus or as Arabs pronounce it "Issa" even though he is a muslim, which is not uncommon for muslims to name.
  • JointVenture, on 03/31/2008, -6/+4These "most Americans dont know about ......." are getting a little tired.
    I could go to any country in the world and walk down the street and MOST would know less or shall we say the same 'amount" about the outside world as Americans do.
  • DrummerAndrew, on 03/31/2008, -3/+3How about "What EVERYONE should know about the Middle East."?
    Who's to say that Americans need this knowledge and others do not? Just because many Americans don't know this doesn't mean that we're the only ones who require the knowledge, or that French people are absolved of the prerequisite. Or that Mexicans don't need to have a world view.
  • EskNerd, on 03/31/2008, -0/+4Them terr'rists have our oil, and that's all I *need* to know.
  • aserer511, on 03/31/2008, -4/+3What the average Texan knows:
    we gots to blow 'em a-rabs up!
  • BeerRules, on 03/31/2008, -4/+1Nice article, left out a lot of facts but I reckon if you talked about all the history of the middle east you'd have a degree in middle eastern studies, and a few books. One interesting point I've leaned over the years is that a lot of the hate in the middle east for the U.S. was taught to them by the Nazi's during WWII.
    • Devaney, on 03/31/2008, -1/+3Germans never really had huge forces in the Mid East, there were far more Italians and Vichy there, they could've influenced the people there, but not to that extent...and the Allied Forces that did the fighting there were Russian, Australian, New Zealand, and British, so I don't see why they would've been "taught" to hate America over any of the countries actually fighting there. I'm pretty sure it was America's support of Israel ever since WWII and strong military presence in their countries that caused the hatred.
  • siamesedream, on 03/31/2008, -6/+1Retarded article. How does this information contribute at all to an intelligent discussion of the region? Do our pressing discussions of the day have to do with the proper nomenclature when speaking of Muslims, making DAMN SURE they never say "he's an Islam"?

    Pointless crap again, digg.
  • NelsonR, on 03/31/2008, -3/+3Now, I agree with this article on the lack of knowledge by Americans while many of them do not even know their elected representative but Arabs are not the pillars of knowledge with many of them illiterate and thinking Allah condones all. He doesn't. Both the Arabs and Jews were in the Middle East for centuries living in both peace and war. I accept and acknowledge that America has been totally biased in their attitude concerning the M.E. peace agreements while siding with only the Israeli's point of view. Put the blame on AIPAC and the likes of Joe Lieberman who puts his supposed countries interest in favor of Israel's. Jew hater, no while I believe if you cast a stone at my house I will reciprocate with ten stones at your house. Sound familiar. The Middle East is not Americas jurisdiction so you Arabs and Jews need to work things out. Not America's job to see you don't kill each other and none of you should expect us to die for you. Lastly, Joe Lieberman is Benedict Arnold that should immigrate back to his homeland.
  • Devaney, on 03/31/2008, -3/+3haha, 3 of the 4 sources are wiki...how fitting that this was UD's word of the day yesterday;
    "Wikidemia- An academic work passed off as scholarly yet researched entirely on Wikipedia."
  • visionaryIX, on 03/31/2008, -0/+5Really good, but this shouldn't be limited to American knowledge.

    Much of the world is equally ignorant.
    • bingo000, on 04/01/2008, -0/+1Much of my travels around the world confirm otherwise.

      /sarcasm
    • hamidious, on 04/01/2008, -0/+1I disagree. I am in the middle east, and you'd be surprised how much my grandma knows about America. Even the educated know much about America and try to learn more about other parts of the world. The simple fact is, Americans in general are not curious about the other parts of the world.
      • JointVenture, on 04/01/2008, -0/+1What country do you live in?

      • renagadex2, on 04/01/2008, -0/+1Um that's just not a fair statement. America is the most televised, public country. It is also the most involved in foreign affairs which is why its not fair to compare knowledge of the two. Granted, I agree we should all know more about each other's countries but America just dominantes in the realm of media.
  • Spoomeister, on 03/31/2008, -1/+2"What Every American Should Know About the Middle East": Stay the hell out.
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