Of "Arab-Americans" and the Farce of an Arab Identity

The list below is taken straight out of http://arabcoalition.com, which claims to want to represent "Arab-Americans" and lobby the US government on behalf of "Arab" causes. Following each "Arab-American" entry in the list below, you will find the real country of origin of each of the individuals. It won't take you much to realize that the vast majority of these "Arab"-Americans are indeed Lebanese and not Arab.

If the notion of such a thing as an "Arab" identity were true, wouldn't you expect that by the mere laws of probability, the various Arab countries that comprise the "Arab world" would be represented in the sample (of 31) below in proportion to their relative numbers? For example, Egypt with a population of 60 million (i.e. 20% of the Arab world's population) and Saudi Arabia with a population of 15 million (i.e. 5% of the Arab world's population) should have 6 or 7 individuals and 1 or 2 individuals, respectively, in the list below; yet there is none. On the other hand, Lebanon, with a population of 3.5 million (i.e. 1% of the Arab world's population) should have less than one individual listed below; yet Lebanon has 27 individuals, or 87% of everyone listed below.

This means a lot of things, but I'll let you draw the conclusion. Keep in mind as well that the bulk of the individuals below are Lebanese of Christian, and not Moslem, background. But the farce of an Arab identity - based on a very weak linguistic criterion - that supposedly encompasses Black Africans from Mauritania, White Berbers from North Africa, Black Nubians from Egypt and Sudan, Southern Semite Arabs from the Arabian peninsula, Northern Semites from Iraq and Syria, and the Semitic Phoenicians and Cananeans from the Lebanese and Palestinian coasts - is just that: A farce. If this is intended to hide a "Muslim-American" agenda, then www.muslimcoalition.com would be a better name for the web site.

One note on Rony Seykali, the famous Syracuse University basketball player who is included in the list above. I was a student at Syracuse at the same time that this jerk was a student there in the mid 1980s. Those were the years when Lebanon was being burnt to the ground by the Palestinians and the Israelis fighting their barbaric wars over Lebanese soil and by killing Lebanon's children. During interviews on US national and local press and media, Rony Seykali would say he was Greek because he was ashamed of his Lebanese identity which he felt would hurt his NBA career. If there is a supreme act of treason, this was it. To deny one's own identity and one's own country in order to make money or because it was inconvenient is pure prostitution. To abandon one's own country when it needs you the most is cowardice. It was truly disgusting to see Mr. Seykali on television bragging about his "Greek" upbringing just so he would become endeared to his American sports audience who he believed found him cute as a Greek but repugnant as a Lebanese. Even Adonis, the Phoenician god that the Greeks stole from the ancient Lebanese, should be turning in his grave.
----------------------------------------------
From http://arabcoalition.com:

Famous Arab Americans

Below is a list of some of the many famous Arab Americans. You can email the Arab Coalition at CustomerService@ArabCoalition.com with suggestions of people to add to the list.

Steve Jobs - CEO and co-founder of Apple famous for Mac computers and Ipods. Also co-founded Pixar which has grossed more than $3.2 billion in box office including the animated films: Toy Story, A Bug's Life, and Finding Nemo. Pixar has won 20 Academy Awards and merged with The Walt Disney Company in 2006. (Syrian father).

Paula Abdul - Star of American Idol, Singer, Dancer, and Choreographer. Worldwide record sales exceeding 30 million, two number one albums, seven number one singles, a Grammy award, two Emmy awards, choreographer for the Jacksons, the Rolling Stones and many others, former L.A. Lakers cheerleader. (Syrian parents).

Shakira (full name Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll) - Singer, Colombian born Latin crossover pop star, won a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 2000 for ("Ojos Asi") at the inaugural Latin Grammy Awards, her first English-language album Laundry Service is triple platinum with several Top Ten singles, her name means "woman full of grace" in Arabic. (Lebanese father).

Vince Vaughn – Actor, star of numerous movies including Swingers, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Psycho, Domestic Disturbance, Old School, Starsky and Hutch and The Wedding Crashers. (Lebanese ancestry).

Doug Flutie – NFL, USFL and CFL Pro Quarterback, four time All-Canadian Quarterback, 1999 NFL Comeback Player of the Year and Pro Bowl Selection, 1984 Heisman Trophy Winner, (Lebanese).

Jim Harrick – Former Head Basketball Coach of UCLA, won the National Championship in 1995, also the Head Coach at Pepperdine, Rhode Island and Georgia. (Lebanese).

Salma Hayek - Actress star of the movies Desperado, From Dusk Till Dawn, The Faculty and Wild Wild West. (Lebanese father).

Tony Shalhoub – Actor and Director, star of TV series Monk. Appeared in the movies Men in Black I & II, A Civil Action, Spy Kids, Gattaca, Primary Colors and The Siege. (Lebanese).

Shannon Elizabeth – Actress and Model appeared in the movies American Pie I & II, Scary Movie and Tomcats. (Lebanese and Syrian father).

Yamila Diaz Rahi - Supermodel, cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 2002, regularly appears in Victoria’s Secret, has been on the cover of Marie Claire, Max, Elle, GQ, and Shape. (Lebanese father).

Jamie Farr (original name was Jameel Joseph Farah) – Actor, played Klinger in the hit series M*A*S*H, appeared in the movies The Gong Show Movie, Cannonball Run I and II, Scrooged and A Month of Sundays. (Lebanese).

Frank Zappa – late Rock Star, Singer, Songwriter and Guitarist, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, and received a posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. (Lebanese father).

Donna Shalala – Former Presidential Cabinet Member to President Clinton as Secretary of Health and Human Services, served in the Carter administration as Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, current President of the University of Miami. (Lebanese).

Tiffany, (born Tiffany Renee Darwish) – Singer, teen sensation with hits Think We’re Alone Now, Could’ve Been, I Saw Him Standing There and All This Time. Helped launch band New Kids on the Block. Voice of Judy Jetson for Jetsons: The Movie. (Lebanese father).

Jeff George – NFL Quarterback, first overall pick of the 1990 draft by the Indianapolis Colts, played for Falcons, Raiders, Vikings, Redskins, Seahawks and Bears. (Lebanese ancestry).

Rony Seikaly - Former Pro NBA Basketball Player, played center for Syracuse University selected as a first round pick of the Miami Heat, also played for Golden State Warriors, Orlando Magic, Utah Jazz and New Jersey Nets. Hosts the annual Rony Seikaly Golf Tournament for cystic fibrosis. (Born in Beirut, Lebanese American U.S. citizen).

John H. Sununu - Former Governor of New Hampshire and White House Chief of Staff under George H. W. Bush Senior. Co-hosted CNN’s nightly Crossfire. (Palestinian descent).

John E. Sununu – U.S. Senator, former Congressman. Became youngest member of Senate in 2002 after defeating both an incumbent Senator and an incumbent Governor. Son of John H. Sununu. (Palestinian descent).

Spencer Abraham – Former Presidential Cabinet Member as Secretary of Energy, Former Senator from Michigan. (Lebanese descent).

Ralph Nader - Consumer Advocate, Former Presidential Candidate for Green Party. Most renowned and effective crusader for the rights of consumers and the general public, Author of book Unsafe at Any Speed taking on the auto industry. (Lebanese).

Casey Kasem (born Kemal Amen Kasem) - Radio Personality and Co-Creator of American Top 40, American Top 20, and American Country Countdown. Hosted the Annual American Video Awards. Inducted into National Broadcaster Hall of Fame. (Son of Lebanese Druze parents).

Danny Thomas (born Muzyad Yahkoob) Late Actor, Comedian and Producer, starred in Make Room for Daddy which changed Networks and was renamed The Danny Thomas Show, one of most popular TV family comedies of the 1950s, production company was responsible for The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Any and The Andy Griffith Show, also Founder of St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital (Lebanese).

Marlo Thomas – Actress, Emmy winner, star of the TV series That Girl, married TV host Phil Donahue in 1980, appeared on the hit series Friends, daughter of Danny Thomas (Lebanese).

Paul Anka – Singer, Song Writer, one of the first teen idols, 1957 hit single Diana became number one on both sides of the Atlantic, it is one of the best selling records of all time, placed four songs in the Top 20 a year later, including You Are My Destiny and Crazy Love, appeared in movies Let's Rock and Girls Town, hit record Puppy Love was later a hit for Donny Osmond, performed in Las Vegas, hosted TV shows Hullabaloo, The Midnight Special, and Spotlite, wrote the theme to The Tonight Show, rewrote the French lyrics to the song Comme d'Habitude which became one of Frank Sinatra's most famous songs, My Way, also wrote Tom Jones' biggest hit, She's a Lady. (Lebanese).

Joseph Robbie – Late Original Owner of Miami Dolphins, had a perfect season 14-0 and won 2 Super Bowls in 1973 and 1974; built $115-million Joe Robbie Stadium in 1987 with private funds. Also owned the Miami Toros and the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the North American Soccer League, posthumously inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2003. (Lebanese Father).

John Zogby, Pollster, President and CEO of Zogby International, one of the top pollsters in the U.S., received numerous accolades including "the most accurate pollster" by the Seattle Post Intelligencer, Cleveland Plain Dealer and USA Today, appears on nightly network news programs, the Today Show, Good Morning America, Fox News, MSNBC, Hardball with Chris Matthews and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. (Lebanese).

James Zogby – Founder of Arab American Institute, brother of John Zogby. (Lebanese).

Michael Nouri – Actor, most famous for leading role in Flashdance, was a regular on daytime soap Search for Tomorrow, played Lucky Luciano in The Gangster Chronicles, appeared in numerous movies including The Hidden, Finding Forrester and The Terminal, and appeared in numerous TV shows including the hit sitcom Love & War, Law & Order, and The Practice, also appeared on Broadway in Victor/Victoria. (Lebanese descent).

Christa McAuliffe – Late Astronaut, Teacher, lost her life aboard the space shuttle Challenger on January 28, 1986 when it exploded 73 seconds after lift-off, billed by her own students as "inspirational human being, a marvelous teacher who made their lessons come alive," was selected out of 11,500 applicants for the NASA Teacher in Space Project, was to be the first civilian sent into space, the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium was erected in her memory to promote the exploration of astronomy and space science. (Lebanese descent).

Andrew Thomas - President and CEO of Heinekin USA, the nation's largest beer importer, the first American to head the U.S. business unit. (Lebanese).

Bobby Rahal – Race Car Driver, Team Owner, Indy 500 Race Car Champion 1986, first Indy Car driver to surpass $1 million in winnings for a season, 24 career Indy wins, three time PPG Cup Champion, founded Team Rahal racing team, now Rahal/Letterman Racing, inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2004. (Lebanese descent).