[Cronos]

Arabs won't leave Islam because it's their root, Arabs = Islam, this won't happen in Iraq.

Well, two points:

1. Most of those who call themselves "Arabs" aren't really, hsitorically Arabic, they've just been Arabicized (as is happening in the Sudan NOW). Egyptians, Syrians, Lebanese, Iraqis etc. are NOT Arabs. They just want to potray themselves as such because inIslam, despite protests to the contrary, Arabs are the master race and those claiming descent from Mohound are Quaraish, superior folk, fit to be kings
2. Secondly, Arab <> Islam --> The Arabs from the Arabian peninsula had pagan religions before Islamand were also influenced by Arianism (a Christian heresy), and that is reflected inIslam. The Yemenis used to be part of the Ethiopian Christian Empire.

What we need to do is to encourage the Pheonicians, Egyptians, Syrians etc. to stopthinking of themselves as Arabs and Muslimes and cutlivate a sense of nationalism (I see that happening in Iran and yes, even in Syria (which, lest anyone forget, is a secular state where Christians are treated on par with everyone else -- 10% of Syria IS christian)) sot hat they eventually throw off the yoke.

This would take time, to speed up the process nuke Meccca...

[Ptarmigan]

Interesting. I know Lebanon and Syria is where Phoenicia was. Egypt is where Ancient Egypt existed. Iraq is present day Mesopotamia. Iran is Persia. Palestinian Arabs I read are actually not full bled Arab, but have some Turkish ancestry.

[freedom44]

I always enjoy your posts. Thanks again for an intellectual analysis of history.

I agree that Syria, Egypt and Iraq weren't historically Arabs, but frankly they're three of the most nationalistic Arab nations in the Mid-East. Pan-Arab Nationalism was fronted and advocated by Nasser, and to a lesser degree Sadat and Mubarak. Saddam was another Arab nationalist, his defense minister claimed that ethnic minorities in the region must be crushed. This mentality has also been embraced by the Assads in Syria.

Iranians were never Arabs and inspite of the loose cultural spin by the reigning Mullahs, Iranians have never become Arabs. In fact, pre-1979 Iranians consistently prided themselves on their ethnical divide with those in the region. Even after '79 during the Iran-Iraq wars every single Arab country joined their Arab brothers in Iraq to crush the enemy Persians.

The prejudice between Arabs and Iranians is strong and deep. Persian Satellite TV lambasts Arabs on a regular basis. There are popular political commentators like Shahram Homayoun, and Zia Atabay who talk of Arabs like they're the dirt of the earth. These comments not only accepted within the community, but often times praised.

The vast Persian-Arab divide is something majority of Americans do not understand. I was talking to someone who's father was a mid-east analyst. Even he kept saying "Muslims" will never get along there will always be a geebeho and jeebeeho ethnic divide, the level of understanding of the historical aspects of the region is astonishing.. to say the least.