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Afro Arab

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Afro-Arab



 
 
Afro-Arab (sometimes referred to as African Arab) refers to people who possess both black African and Arab
Arab

An Arab is a person who Identity as such on linguistic or cultural grounds. The plural form, Arabs , refers to the Ethnocultural group at large....
 ancestry.It may in addition refer to Arabs who are not descended from recent African ancestry but who live on the African continent. There are large communities of Afro-Arabs in East Africa
East Africa

East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN subregion, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
, North Africa
North Africa

North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Africa.Geopolitically, the United Nations subregion of Northern Africa includes the following seven countries or territories:...
 and the Middle Eastern countries as well as, through recent migrations, Western Europe
Western Europe

Western Europe refers to the countries in the western most half of Europe. This concept has had different meanings, political and cultural as well as geographical issues have influenced the area....
.

The phrase "Afro-Arab" may also refer to African Union
African Union

The African Union is an intergovernmental organisation consisting of 53 African states. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity ....
 efforts to improve co-operation between Africa and countries of the Arab world.

Arabs of the Middle East
Middle East

File:GreaterMiddleEast1.pngThe Middle East is a region that spans southwestern Asia, western Asia, and northeastern Africa. It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East....
 have very old connections to the African continent, and in addition more than half the Arab world now exists in Africa (in terms of area, and possibly population too), i.e.






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Afro-Arab (sometimes referred to as African Arab) refers to people who possess both black African and Arab
Arab

An Arab is a person who Identity as such on linguistic or cultural grounds. The plural form, Arabs , refers to the Ethnocultural group at large....
 ancestry.It may in addition refer to Arabs who are not descended from recent African ancestry but who live on the African continent. There are large communities of Afro-Arabs in East Africa
East Africa

East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN subregion, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
, North Africa
North Africa

North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Africa.Geopolitically, the United Nations subregion of Northern Africa includes the following seven countries or territories:...
 and the Middle Eastern countries as well as, through recent migrations, Western Europe
Western Europe

Western Europe refers to the countries in the western most half of Europe. This concept has had different meanings, political and cultural as well as geographical issues have influenced the area....
.

The phrase "Afro-Arab" may also refer to African Union
African Union

The African Union is an intergovernmental organisation consisting of 53 African states. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity ....
 efforts to improve co-operation between Africa and countries of the Arab world.

History

The Arabs of the Middle East
Middle East

File:GreaterMiddleEast1.pngThe Middle East is a region that spans southwestern Asia, western Asia, and northeastern Africa. It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East....
 have very old connections to the African continent, and in addition more than half the Arab world now exists in Africa (in terms of area, and possibly population too), i.e. from Egypt and Sudan in the east to Mauritania in the west, although much of the North African population are Berbers (a separate, native ethnic group speaking an Afro-Asiatic language) or Arabized Berbers. The Islamic world covers even more area, ie. Nigeria
Nigeria

Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federation constitutional republic comprising States of Nigeria and one Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria....
 in the west and many other West African
West Africa

West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the United Nations subregion of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries distributed over an area of approximately 5 million square km:...
 nations too. So this intermingling of peoples from the African continent, along with the spread of Islam
Islam

Islam is a Monotheism, Abrahamic religion originating with the teachings of the Prophets of Islam Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure....
, has resulted in large populations of African Arab peoples covering a vast area of Africa. Present-day Sudan
Sudan

Sudan is a country in northeastern Africa. It is the largest in the African continent and the Arab World, and List of countries and outlying territories by total area by area....
 is home to millions of Arabs, with 40% of the population identifying themselves under the ethnic group of 'Arabs' even though the option of 'Afro-Arabs' is also available. Afro-Arabs within the Middle East
Middle East

File:GreaterMiddleEast1.pngThe Middle East is a region that spans southwestern Asia, western Asia, and northeastern Africa. It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East....
 itself are for the most part descendants of Black African slaves who were brought there during the Arab slave trade
Arab slave trade

The Arab slave trade was the practice of slavery in Southwest Asia, North Africa, East Africa, and certain parts of Europe during their period of domination by Arab leaders....
. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA , is an Arab country and the largest country of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Jordan on the northwest, Iraq on the north and northeast, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates on the east, Oman on the southeast, and Yemen on the south....
, Oman
Oman

Oman , officially the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab country in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It borders the United Arab Emirates on the northwest, Saudi Arabia on the west and Yemen on the southwest....
, UAE, Kuwait
Kuwait

The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab emirate on the coast of the Persian Gulf, enclosed by Saudi Arabia to the south and Iraq to the north and west....
, Bahrain
Bahrain

The Kingdom of Bahrain, in , , literally Kingdom of the Two Seas).Bahrain is an Arabic island country in the Persian Gulf ruled by the Al Khalifa regime....
 and Qatar
Qatar

Qatar , officially the State of Qatar , is an Arab emirate in Southwest Asia, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the larger Arabian Peninsula....
 as well East Africa
East Africa

East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN subregion, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
 hosts a significant Afro-Arab population along the Swahili Coast
Swahili Coast

The Swahili Coast refers to the coast or coastal area of East Africa inhabited by the Swahili people, mainly Kenya, Tanzania, and north Mozambique. The term may also include the islands such as Pate or Comoros which lie off the Swahili Coast....
, such as in Zanzibar
Zanzibar

Zanzibar is part of the East African republic of Tanzania. It consists of the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, 25?50 km off the coast of the mainland....
, Mombasa
Mombasa

Mombasa is the second largest city in Kenya, lying on the Indian Ocean. It has a major Seaport and an international airport. The city is the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
, Lamu
Lamu

Lamu town is the largest town on Lamu Island, which in turn is a part of the Lamu Archipelago in Kenya.Lamu town is also the headquarters of Lamu District and a World Heritage Site....
, Malindi
Malindi

Malindi is a town on Malindi Bay at the mouth of the Galana River, lying on the Indian Ocean coast of Kenya. It is 120 kilometres northeast of Mombasa....
, the Comoros
Comoros

The Comoros , officially the Union of the Comoros is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, located off the eastern coast of Africa on the northern end of the Mozambique Channel between northern Madagascar and northeastern Mozambique....
, Bagamoyo
Bagamoyo

The town of Bagamoyo, Tanzania, was founded at the end of the 18th century. It was the original capital of German East Africa and was one of the most important trading ports along the East African coast....
, and Ujiji
Ujiji

Ujiji is the oldest town in western Tanzania almost due west from Zanzibar. It is about 10 km south of Kigoma. Current population data are not available....
.

Culture

In the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, descendants of East African
East African

East African may refer to:*Any person or object of, or pertaining to, East Africa*East African Airlines, an airline based in Kampala, Uganda*East African Safari Air, a now defunct airline based in Kenya...
s from Tanzania
Tanzania

Tanzania , officially the United Republic of Tanzania , is a country in East Africa that is bordered by Kenya and Uganda on the north, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the west, and Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique on the south....
 and Zanzibar
Zanzibar

Zanzibar is part of the East African republic of Tanzania. It consists of the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, 25?50 km off the coast of the mainland....
 perform Liwa
Liwa (music)

Liwa is a type of music and dance performed in the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, mainly in communities which contain descendants of East Africans from Tanzania and Zanzibar....
 and Fann At-Tanbura music and dance . Mizmar (dance)
Mizmar (dance)

Mizmar is the name of a folkloric dance native to the Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia. The dance involves moving while twirling a bamboo cane, to the music of drums....
 is performed in the Hejaz
Hejaz

al-Hejaz is a region in the west of present-day Saudi Arabia. Defined mostly by the Red Sea, it extends from Haql on the Gulf of Aqaba to Jizan....
 region of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA , is an Arab country and the largest country of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Jordan on the northwest, Iraq on the north and northeast, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates on the east, Oman on the southeast, and Yemen on the south....


In Classical Literature

One of the most famous Afro Arabs of ancient times was the pre islamic hero like figure Antar Ibn Shadded. Antar was born in Laiwa, He was the son of Shaddad, a well respected member of the Arabian tribe of Banu Abs
Banu Abs

The Banu Abs ??? ??? are an ancient Bedouin tribe from central Arabia, they branch from the powerful Ghatafan tribes. They still inhabit the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa....
, and of Zabaibah, an Ethiopian female, whom Shaddad had enslaved after a tribal war. The tribe neglected Antar at first, and he grew up in servitude. Although it was fairly obvious that Shaddad was his father, his dark skin made it easier to classify him among the African slaves. Antara claimed attention and respect for himself by his remarkable personal qualities and courage in battle, excelling as an accomplished poet and a mighty warrior.

The Zanj Revolt

The Zanj Rebellion
Zanj Rebellion

Note: The Zanj Rebellion was not a single revolt but a series of small revolts that eventually culminated to a large revolt. This article details the largest revolt led by Ali bin Muhammad....
s took place near the city of Basra
Basra

Al-Ba?rah is the capital of Basra Province, and had an estimated population of 1,052,200 as of 2003. Basra is also Iraq's main port. The city is the historic location of Sumer, the home of Sinbad the Sailor, and a proposed location of the Garden of Eden....
, located in southern Iraq over a period of fifteen years (869-883 AD). They grew to involve over 500,000 slaves who were imported from across the Muslim empire and claimed over “tens of thousands of lives in lower Iraq” . The major revolt is said to have been led by Ali ibn Muhammad, who claimed to be a descendent of Caliph Ali ibn Abu Talib.Not all part takers in the Zanj revolt where of Black African descent, many where slaves of Indian
Indian

Indian may refer to:In ethnic identities:* Associated with India:** Indian, Non-resident Indian and Person of Indian Origin** Indian, person ethnically described by Demographics of India...
 and slavic
Saqaliba

Saqaliba refers to the Slavic peoples, particularly Slavic Slavery and Mercenary in the medieval Arab world, in the Middle East, North Africa, History of Islam in southern Italy and Al-Andalus....
 ancestry. The majority that where forced to work in the Iraqi salt marshes where however of Zanj
Zanj

Zanj was a name used by medieval Geography in medieval Islam to refer to both a certain portion of the East African coast and its inhabitants....
 (East African Bantu) ancestry because the East European Slavs
Saqaliba

Saqaliba refers to the Slavic peoples, particularly Slavic Slavery and Mercenary in the medieval Arab world, in the Middle East, North Africa, History of Islam in southern Italy and Al-Andalus....
 would simply die in the humid heat of the salt marshes. It is believed that many of today's Basra area "Afro Arabs" are descending from one of these Zanj groups though many may have settled that area under different circumstances via the Arab-African sea trade routes.

See also

  • Zanj Rebellion
    Zanj Rebellion

    Note: The Zanj Rebellion was not a single revolt but a series of small revolts that eventually culminated to a large revolt. This article details the largest revolt led by Ali bin Muhammad....
  • Arab world
    Arab world

    The Arab World refers to Arabic-speaking countries stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the east, and from the Mediterranean Sea in the north to the Horn of Africa and the Indian Ocean in the southeast....
  • Mahgreb


External links

  • ", "http://www.colorq.org/Meltin..')") -a cited essay
  • -a cited essay
  • Prof. Helmi Sharawy, , paper extracted from the book The Dialogue between the Arab culture and other cultures, Arab League
    Arab League

    The Arab League , officially called the League of Arab States , is a regional organization of Arab states in Southwest Asia, and North Africa and Horn of Africa....
    , Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation (ALECSO), Tunis, 1999.
  • , Afropop Worldwide
  • of The Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity, 23, February 23-28, 1987.
  • , Addis Ababa: 10 – 12 May 2005.