Why do lebaneese call them seleves Arabs when they are far away from Arabian Culture/Religion/Languge?

Question

they dont dress or look like Arabs not even talk like Arabs they have weird accents. they dont have arabian culturs either they married wesnters .. whats soo Arabian about them anyway ?

Answer 1

Common culture - i.e. music

Common language - i.e. written arabic

Common religion - i.e. most lebanese are muslims

Common location - i.e. middle east

Common ancestry - i.e. mish mash of crusaders, mongolians, byzantine, mamluks, fatimids, etc.

Answer 2

Lebanese are called Arabic only because they are living in a location where they are surrounded by Arabian countries. Now, it's not a shame to say thyat they are Arabian as Arabian people are the first to give the Western people culture and to remove them from the dark ages they were living in, which is something proved in history but not really a known thing among Western who are maybe a bit in denial ion this side, even though they are now a picture of the attachement to the old, which is not a very accurate picture of them now, but the point is that the Lebanese also have their language that is arabian and they have a common history with the other Arabian cultures. The difference that you mentionned is caused by the fact that since Lebanon was born and even before, when Lebanese were Phoenicien, this people was opened to other cultures, as it's opened to the sea and is the center of the 3 old continents, Asia, Africa and Europe, so it was a place where all cultures could meet. In addition to that, when the Arabian countries were slipping to the dark ages because of the invasion of the Ottomans who were against the contacts with the other countries, Lebanon was the only place where you could learn, in this country  appeared for the first time the magazines and the newspapers and where everyone was able to learn. Then, due to its history and to its people, Lebanon became a place where yopu can feel the difference between its people and culture and the other Arabian people and cultures. And being called Arabian doesn't mean that it's a country like the other. You know, in every group there should be a special one and between the Arabian countries Lebanon stood up.

Answer 3

1.  the lebanese language is a dialect of arabic.

2.  the french don't dress like the english, yet they're both european...

3.  there isn't an arabic religion.  some are muslim, some are catholic, some are buddhist, etc

4.  they are self contained in their own arabic culture

Answer 4

because we speak arabic

Answer 5

and this is why Lebanon was until 1990 a country zat wajeh 3arabi!!

Answer 6

They are the higher class of arabs

Answer 7

I call myself Lebanese and nothing else.

Answer 8

some do, some dont.

Its debatable.

many Lebanese call themselves  arab because of the arabic influence and language in the Culture.

Although genetically they are mixed mostly with Phoencian (both muslim and Christian).

Lebanese are what we call "Levant Arabs" like the syrians,Palestinians and some Jordanians.

"Arabcized" people that are native to the Levant which is closer to Mediterrean (Greece and Cyprus) than it is "Arabia".

Answer 9

I don't think people sweat much over it, we're all human in the end. Cheers!

Answer 10

Because we say so !  Does that matter to you ...?