What does it mean to be Arab?

Answer 1

Answer 1

It means you can speak the Arabic language fluently and you should be from an Arab country (either in the Middle East or North Africa) but it doesn't mean that you should be Muslim, even though a majority of Arabs are.

Answer 2

People aren't Arabic. People are Arabs. To be Arab usually means at least one of three things. 1) You are from a country whose official/national language is Arabic. 2) You speak Arabic, nominally as a mother tongue or a heritage language 3) You are ethnically Arab, i.e. your parents or other blood-relatives are of Arab origins.

You don't have to speak it fluently. You're not morally obligated (à la "should") to come from an Arab country. And the question didn't ask what it doesn't mean to be Arab. If you think all Arabs are Muslim or that all Muslims are Arab, you're ignorant. Open up a book. Or go to Wikipedia if you're cheap.

Answer 3

The question does not clarify how it should be understood, i.e. is it referring to the "dictionary definition of Arab" which the above answers discuss or is it referring to the sentiment that Arabs feel about their identity. If it is the latter, the answer is that being Arab creates a sense of a long history with ageless glory and modern humiliation. Being Arab comes with much pride as most Arabs consider themselves to be the heirs of the Golden Age of the Abbassid Caliphate and its culture. Arabs celebrate their poetry, their foods, and their nationalities. Arabs are also quite vocal when it comes to politics and societal values and are unabashed about those opinions. Arabs are also well known for their hospitality and good-will to travelers and strangers.

Answer 2

Arabs are people that spoke Arabic before Islam like saudia Arabia and the gulf