Five Common Myths About the Middle East

The Middle East is said to be the cradle of civilization. Many religions come from the middle east such as Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Many peoples have also come from the region (such as the Kurds, Arabs, and Turks). The Middle East is a broad term used to describe a number of countries all of whom share some common history. While it's never been at peace and things tend to always be volatile in the Middle East, it's among the most beautiful and enriching places in the world.

When you think of the Middle East, first thing that might come to mind may be Islam, terrorism, danger, or maybe even Jesus. While there are some things the Middle East may be, there are also a lot of things it isn't. Here's a short list of common things the Middle East and it's people aren't .

1. The Middle East is a country

The Middle East is a region that consists of a number of independent countries. It isn't a single country (it's much more divided than united) and doesn't have a single focal point. Countries and territories usually considered to be a part of the Middle East include Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, the Palestinian territories, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, The Sudan, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Other countries sometimes included as part of the Middle East are Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Pakistan, Somalia, and the Central Asian states.

2. The Middle East is a continent

The Middle East is made up of many countries. Like Europe, the Middle East nothing but a list of countries that describe a number of peoples who live in the same general area with no specific borders that separates them from a body of water. Europe isn't separated from Asia by a continent of water like North America is to Australia. The Middle East is actually a region that spans part of two or three continents, depending whether or not you count Turkey as a Middle Eastern country or not.

3. Everyone from the Middle East is Arab

This is a common myth about the Middle East. Arabs are dominant in most countries in the Middle East ( Turkey, Iran, and Israel are the only countries in the Middle East not dominated by Arabs) but they aren't the only ethnic group of the Middle East. Other ethnic groups exist throughout the Middle East such as the Persians, Kurds, Turks, Sephardic Jews and more. While Arabs dominate politics in all countries other than those mentioned above in the Middle East, they are only one of many peoples of the Middle East.

4. Every country in the Middle East has it's own national language

This is another common myth about the Middle East. Most countries in the Middle East have Arabic as their official language. The only thing that really unites all Arabs of the Middle East is that they all speak Arabic. Culturally and religiously, Arabs differ on a number of scales. The traditions of say Arabs in Iraq are a lot different than those of Morocco. Arabs are a loose federation of peoples throughout the Middle East who speak a common language. People in Egypt don't (or they haven't for thousands of years) speak Egyptian but instead now speak Arabic. Some countries in the Middle East do have their own national language (Turkey, Iran and Israel) but each has significant minority languages that exist within their nation as well (Arabic in Israel, Kurdish in Turkey and several different languages in Iran including Arabic). If you want to go to any of the Middle Eastern countries other than Iran, Turkey or Israel, knowing Arabic will probably help in navigating your way through the Middle East.

5. All Arabs are Muslim / All Muslims are Arabs

This is also another common myth. Not all Arabs are Muslim. While most Arabs are Muslim, many are Christian or even Jewish. For example, while Lebanon is dominated by Arabs, many Lebanese of Lebanon are Catholic or Greek Orthodox. While Islam may have originated in the Middle East and Arabic was the native language of Islam's founder, Muhammed, Arabs are a diverse group of peoples who speak a common language but can differ both religiously and culturally from one another.

Last Word

The Middle East is a great place where many peoples live together whether it be in harmony or not. It's the center of the 'old world' or also known as Asia, Europe and Africa. While man may have his/her originates in Africa, civilizations were first found in the Middle East. A place of many peoples and religions, the Middle East is one of the most unique places on earth. No one word can describe the region accurately. It's a place like no other.