Honestly DU-ers -- "Arabs" and skin color...

At least twice in the past month, I've seen some expressions of astonishment that some of the individuals who have been involved with the murder of American civilians in the M.E. looked like they had "white skin" from photos posted on the Internet.

Several DU-ers have written about their puzzlement as to why (evidentally) non-Arabs with white skin would be involved with Al Queda in Saudi Arabia, or in other ME countries.

Please understand that not everyone born in the ME has dark skin. There are people from all over the ME who are rather fair complected. The last time I mentioned this, in the context of said discussion, one response I got was something along the lines of, "But wouldn't the sun make them (the fairer skinned) darker and freckled."

Ok, folks, just like in America, I imagine that not all "Arabs" spend time out in the hot sun working with the camels. Many of them are well educated and spend most of their time under flourescent lamps just like you and me.

It's an odd topic, and I feel weird even writing about it . But if you've had similar questions, please think about it a little. I feel a little embarrassed when these questions of race and skin color come up and some of us ..well...come of looking a little ignorant.

Peace.

They are Caucasians just like white people and one of the three races of man.

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and my sister is very fair, blonde, green eyes, 5'10"

Also, I have had questions from people when I showed pictures of my native city and they said: you have buses there? and telephones? and tall buildings? And these were not uneducated people: I was giving a talk to parts of the college community.

They live in houses?

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...of other nations and peoples. Well, our ignorance is now costing us the lives of our young soldiers in Iraq. Even sadder, it will take a long time to reverse such ignorance, if ever.

if you cut them they bleed. If you touch them , they respond


If you hate them , they hate you right back

Many too many U.S. folks be so hung up on skin color you can't even recognize your "own." "David" was working clean-up after the towers went down. Born and bred in Brooklyn. White cop was CERTAIN he must be AY-RAB with his straight hair and olive skin.

9 kids in my dad's family, (both parents from Nevis, the MECCA of miscegenation) SAME PARENTS, ALL KINDS OF COLOR COMBINATIONS (and ALL the attendant societal problems in the "American melting pot.")

Sometimes my cousin and I amuse ourselves with folks when we introduce each other. If they could get over their SKIN COLOR prejudices, they'd see IMMEDIATELY, but NOOOOOO. If we're NOT in the mood it can be quite dangerous. :evilgrin:

I am continously asked by college educated people when I came to this country and how long I have been a citizen. I am an electrical engineer and I speak flawless english with no accent (other than a distinct New York, fast-talking one). I cannot count the number of times I have met people after months/years long relationship via phone, only to have them walk past me several times, until I trip them or something, in airports.

All of that means, "Don't judge a book by its cover." (Words to live by, folks)

...you weren't born in America? You don't really explain where you're from in your post, so it's a little puzzling.

That's what his name seems to suggest.

Wasn't sure.

How old is that sister? Is she single?

and she said "she absolutely did not feel like parading like a cow in a meat judging contest."

among Arabs... From lighter than I am to African dark.

It's not the color of your skin, but the content of your character.

...And the only reason I am aware of it is because I had the opportunity of living in an international dorm when I was in college. At the time, it was a surprise to me.

Also, the Middle East has been an occupied region for THOUSANDS of years. There were lonely Celts, lonely Greeks, lonely Romans, lonely Turks, lonely Macedonians, lonely sailors all over that area.

Casting directors consider most of them as interchangeable, probably because they look so much alike.

was from Tehran. Light complexion and brown hair. She is a structural engineer and an architect. You wouldn't ever guess Persian unless you knew.

it's likely the questions surrounding the identity of the beheaders would not have arisen. I'm not about to raise all those issues again in this thread - they're widely available on the internet.

Picking out one anomalous aspect of the Berg video to chastise anyone who disputes the official explanation is tantamount to throwing out the baby with the bath water. It's no different from comparing someone who believes in a specific conspiracy to UFO afficionados and tinfoil-hat wearers.

Some may choose to believe that six pallid office workers who happen to be islamic terrorists got together for Nick Berg's beheading, but I'm not one of them. I believe the ignorance lies in accepting the official explanation hook, line & sinker.

I don't understand the point of your post -- probably I am just dense, or not reading carefully.

...was that skin tone IS NOT an anomaly.

the skin tone WAS anomalous for middle-easterners. No matter how much you WANT it to be no big deal, it stands out like a sore thumb.

When * was in Brazil, he put this gem of a
question to their leader, "You have
blacks, too ?" Condi of course came to the
rescue and saved his dumb ass.

...he always manages to prove me wrong...

:kick:

he really asked that question?

Unbelievable!

The Iraqis I have seen appear to be made up of people of different skin colors, as one might expect of a country that has been at the crossroads of history for thousands of years.

It should be self-evident but apparently it's not.

I didn't have the courage. I know an Iraqi living in the US who is very pale and has red hair and you would never guess he was from Iraq.

..about bringing the topic up?

Scandanavian but I have black hair and brown eyes...some people are really shocked about that cause we are all supposed to be blonde with blue eyes. :shrug: :argh: :-(