ethnicity: n : an ethnic quality or affiliation resulting from racial or cultural ties
Example: My wife's father was born in Italy, my wife's mother was born in Northern Spain. She was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and lived as a teenager Nicaragua. She is an American citizen now. Is she European? Technically, she is from an ancestry angle. Culture? No. She is South American. Her native language is Spanish with an Argentine accent. Her culture was Latin/South American. This example this member used about Lebanese Christians "not being Arab" and stating facts from hundreds of years ago or even more ancient history just is not practical.
My wife is in fact South American, Argentinian, even though here ancestors are European. Racially, she is European. Culturally, she is South American/Central American.
The short of it is this--with Syria dominating the lives of Lebanese for so many years, their culture and racial makeup is as Arab as you can get. The Parliament of Lebanon has the following "identities" based on religious and ethnic "identities":
Maronite ..........34
Greek Orthodox.....14
Greek Catholic.....8
Armenian Orthodox..5
Armenian Catholic..1
Protestant.........1
Other Christians...1
Total Christians...64
Sunni..............27
Shi'a..............27
Druze..............8
Alawite............2
Total Muslims......64
Now, are Lebanese who identify their religion as Greek Orthodox considered Greek? Of course not.
Lebanese are Arabs, regardless of their ancient family history or religious affiliation (assuming they are third generation or more Lebanese and been in Lebanon all these years).
I do appercciate your response really. But you haven't convinced me why Lebanese are or should be classifed as Arab. In fact most Lebanese - not the Iraqis and Syrians who have immigrated into Lebanon over the years...are far from being "Arab" - they are not descended from that part of Arabia that qualifies them as such.
But I am a novice in the question of Lebanon. I have known Lebanese-Americans over the years who called themselves Lebanese but never Arabs. Even a student I have this semester born and raised in Lebanon but of Iraqi ancestry (shia) refuses to call herself Arab. She adamanatly says she is Lebanese. Go figure!