Date: Mon, 8 Apr 2002 23:02:58 -0700 (PDT) From: "S. w." <chemicalis-AT-yahoo.com> Subject: Re: Ludicrous assumptions - as usual! "Abd" is sometimes used in morrocco to connotate a "black". --- "Dr. Salwa Ghaly" <sghaly-AT-sharjah.ac.ae> wrote: > > Let me second this point. I have never, ever heard > of > > 'abd' being associated with 'black'. As a matter > of > > fact, many North African Arabs (and i'm assuming > other > > Arabs) who are non-Black are called 'Abdou', > > 'Abd-something' like Abd-Errahman. The reason is > that > > 'abd' also has another meaning, which is of in > literal > > translation 'slave to God', but more accurately > means > > 'servant to God'. In that sense, according to > certain > > Muslim beliefs (and other religions, actually), > such a > > term has a positive connotation. > > Having lived for extended periods of time in four > different Arab countries, I can say that the only > place in which "Abd" is used by a small minority of > people to mean "black" is Lebanon. If my memory > serves me correctly, minor characters in Hanan > al-Shaykh's _Story of Zahra_ do employ the word > "abd" in contexts that betray the racist attitudes > some Lebanese businessmen in West Africa harbor. It > is an unfortunate fact that many of those born out > of mixed Lebanese and African marriages have trouble > getting accepted in Lebanese society. That last > point is also picked up by Al-Skaykh in _Beirut > Blues_. > > Salwa Ghaly > > > > > --- from list > postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu --- ====SW __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - online filing with TurboTax http://taxes.yahoo.com/ --- from list postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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