Why do so many westerners assume that Middle Eastern = Muslim and Arab?

Question

According to my geography books, the ethnic and cultural groups in the Middle East include (but are not limited to) Africans, Arabs, Armenians, Assyrians, Azeris, Berbers, Chaldeans, Druze, Greeks, Jews, Kurds, Lazi, Maronites, Ossetians, Qawliya, Persians, Sindhis, Turks, Ubykh, Zazas, etc.

Answer 1

Why do Muslims think that all Americans = Christian? Same stereotype. Different continent.

Answer 2

I think many people are aware of the Turks and of (Persian) Iran, and we are all all-too-aware of the Jews because of the Zionist Entity (known to its friends as the State of Israel). Some of the other groups you list have primary homelands outside the M/East that people associate them more with -- Greeks, Sindhis, Armenians, and Ossetians are all such groups.

And most of the rest speak Arabic when they have to.

And while there are Christian (and other) religious monirities all over the place, every politically-constituted country in the region has a Muslim majority, even Lebanon (unless you accept the existence of Israel, which is about 85% non-Moslem).

Answer 3

because its easier to say Arab then Africans, Arabs, Armenians, Assyrians, Azeris, Berbers, Chaldeans, Druze, Greeks, Jews, Kurds, Lazi, Maronites, Ossetians, Qawliya, Persians, Sindhis, Turks, Ubykh, Zazas, etc.

Answer 4

You make a fair point. However, the biggest cultural and economic influence in the middle east right now, happens to be the Persian Gulf, namely the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia and it's neighbouring countries, which are predominantly Islamic. For years, this region has been of vital interest chiefly because of it's supply of crude oil and the infighting between Israel and her Arab neighbours, not to mention the wars between Iraq and Iran and the Gulf Wars.

I suppose it would be akin to someone asking, why do people associate India with hinduism when it is a secular nation consisting of Christians, Muslims, Buddhists etc? It has to do with prominence. For that matter, why do people only picture white Christians when the continent of Europe is mentioned, as there are over 15 million resident muslims there too?

There are stereotypes, which as you have shown, arise from people forming generalized notions of a place, from whatever they disseminate from the media. Few have the time or the inclination to find out more about a particular part of the globe.

Answer 5

It's mostly a visual conception thing. At least 12 of the groups of people you mentioned share common physical features. The term "Arabic" has long been applied as an umbrella term, for right or wrong. Also along those lines, Muslims generally are thought of to share those same physical characteristics.

Answer 6

Well, your geography book isn't getting all the attention from most people. The majority of people believe what they hear about the majority of the time. If they were all better-educated, then they might think in broader terms, but when Muslim clerics are putting out videos and the videos are showing up on all the news-clone shows on TV, then it kinda drowns out any other voices coming from the area. The media don't always show the whole picture.

Answer 7

the same reason why so many westerners think that spain is a country in south america.

many americans (along with most populations around the world) are raised like sheep and are molded to follow trends and ideals set forth by their "superiors", and would rather envelop themselves in materialism and forms of entertainment that in no way challenge their ways of thinking or even make them think at all, period, than actually learning something and becoming more aware of their planet and the kinds of people herein. in other words, most people are fuggin stupid, that's why.

Answer 8

i think it is mainly americans that are that... naieve? perhaps a misconception in itself, but on the news the other day a survay came out by some university and 49% of americans think saddam had some part to play in 9/11 even though there has been nothing to suggest this!?

most americans i have met think nz is part of australia unless they have seen lord of the rings heeheeheee

Answer 9

well, i wonder that myself sometimes. it seems that the western world, doesnt realize that islam is the 2nd largest religion of the world.they fail to realize that there are 1.5 billion muslims world wide. that 1 out of every 5 people in the world are muslim.they fail to realize that many parts of asia,as well as europe, and africa are muslim populated as well. dont worry, americans are now learning more and more about islam everyday. too bad their media portrays it all in a bad light. a few bad apples in the batch spoil the whole bunch as they say. hope they dont always take that saying literal!

Answer 10

Because the media and the majority of the country are only as smart at the President - which is a very, very, scary thought...

Conversely, if we had an intellligent, well spoken, and literate president, he would use the correct terms when speaking in public.

Answer 11

Americans rank pretty low when it comes to education in general. I would chalk it up to being uneducated, as well as having a superiority complex. If we create an us and them status, then we can claim to be superior. If we learn that people who live elsewhere are intelligent, creative, and diverse, it will mess up our happiness as the superior culture (master race).