Why do so many people assume that all Muslims are Arabs?

Question

I understand that most of the Muslims we hear about are Middle Eastern, but how many people know that there are also a lot of white and black Muslims? After all, there are plenty of white Muslims in the former Yugoslavia, for example. Also, there are lots of black Muslims in Africa and the US. Muslims are a religious group, not a racial one.

Answer 1

Only about 20% of Muslims are Arabs

A common misconception about Muslims. In fact, although the modern form of Islam was started in the Arabian Peninsula (Muslims feel that Islam is a much older religion that all prophets preached, the core of which is absolute monotheism), Arabs only represent approximately 20 per cent of the world's Muslim population. Depending on which estimate you believe, there are approximately 1 billion to 1.2 billion Muslims (or at least nominal Muslims).

The world's largest Muslim country is Indonesia, with a Muslim population of around 200 million. Bangladesh and Pakistan also have larger populations than any Arab country. Even China has a Muslim population of 50 million or so.

so not all Muslims are Arabs and not all Arabs are Muslims (are many Christian Arabs for example)

These are the Top 10 Largest National Muslim Populations
Country Numberof Muslims
Indonesia 170,310,000
Pakistan 136,000,000
Bangladesh 106,050,000
India 103,000,000
Turkey 62,410,000
Iran 60,790,000
Egypt 53,730,000
Nigeria 47,720,000
China 37,108,000

As you can see only 1 is Arab (Egypt)

Answer 2

Er please your own ignorance is showing through. The two most populous Muslim countries are Indonesia and Pakistan both located in Asia but far from the Middle East, the third largest is Bangladesh and there are more muslims in India than in any Middle Eastern country...

Those in Africa Europe and the US are a tiny tiny part of the Muslim world.

Edit:

And why do people not take any notice of this answer, it is just incorrect to say most Muslims are arabs, they are not! Not all and not most...

Answer 3

I think this is because Islam originated in Arabia so most of the world makes this assumption that all Muslims are arabs. Most people are also rather ignorant about other cultures and the intricacies involved. Also the Western media portrays Muslims in a certain way to us in the West, and us Westerners in a certain way to those in Muslim countries. These portrayals effect our perception of other peoples. I think, speaking as a white Muslim, the more we are proactive within our communities, the sooner these things will change. These assumptions come from ignorance of the truth on all sides, both East and West.

Answer 4

You are correct. The Arab Muslims are a small percentage of Muslims. People tend to confuse and relate ethnicity with religion and they shouldn't. There are Christian Arabs as there are Christian Jews etc...

People need to differentiate between culture and religion -- culture tends to be born of some religious teachings and ethnicity is what we are all born from God.
People need to learn this.

Answer 5

well lots of Muslims all over the world - think most of us know this!
but a large majority of Arabs are Muslim - so think thats how this comes about with some ignorant people!

Answer 6

Lack of knowledge. Most people in the Middle East think all americans are Christians.

Answer 7

And why do a lot of people assume that all Arabs are Muslim?

Answer 8

Many people live isolated lives (by choice) and don't take the time or energy to learn what is going on around the world. We don't live in a bubble. There is more to the world than what is occurring in Mytown, USA.

BTW, Sick Puppy, I love that picture!

Answer 9

Most are Arabs just as most Hindus are Indian. I don't think I ever heard anyone say they ALL were Arabs.

Answer 10

Guess they forgot about Muhammed Ali