Abstract
This paper looks at the implications for the Arab peoples of the concept of the Arab nation and Arab nationalism. The paper discusses how this concept affects the politics of the Arab nations, looks at how attainable the Arab nation really is, and discusses the real obstacles to achieving Arab unity. The paper includes a complete outline and an annotated bibliography.

From the Paper
"The Arab nation, or Arab World, does not actually exist as a united country, but as a dream in the hearts and minds of many of the citizens of the twenty two Arab countries that form this nation. The fact that the Arab nation does not exist, could serve as an argument against the notion of Arab nationalism. Quite simply, how can Arab nationalism be real or taken in a serious sense when there is no Arab nation? Even though this question is a natural and logical one, considering that the reference is to feelings of nationalism for a nation that does not exist, it ignores one important historical fact. That is, the Arab nations did once exist, and was once united under a single powerful empire. Although it does not presently exist, as a geographic and political reality, the Arab nation has survived in terms of a shared language, culture and history, common traditions and beliefs, and most importantly united goals and ambitions. Therefore, while one has to concede to the fact that the Arab nation is not a nation in the traditional sense of the world and that attempts at creating this nation over the past decades have failed, the fact is that the Arab nation and Arab nationalism are real, have powerful psychological attraction for Arabs, and have been the basis of popular Arab ideologies; and the failure to achieve the goal of Arab unity has mainly been due to the reluctance of the individual Arab leaders to give up their dictatorship powers in favour of power-sharing with other leaders."

Tags:politically geographically united common descent homegeneity language history, tradition

Abstract
This paper explores the emergence of the Arab people after Islam and Mohammed. The paper begins by looking at historical tensions in the region and the structure of the new Arabic Empire. The paper also discusses religion and rivalries in the region.

From the Paper
"Albert Hourani traces the emergence of the Arab people to the religious movement initiated by the Prophet Mohammed beginning in the early seventh century and located on the margins of the Byzantine and Sasanian empires..."

Tags:Middle East, Arab people, Iraq, Islam

Abstract
This paper describes special treatment considerations that should be made with Islamic Arab patients afflicted with major depressive disorder. First, the paper gives an overview of Islamic culture in the US, focusing on tradition and practices that can be seen as oppressive toward women. Additionally, the paper cites how the terror attacks of 9/11 have made Arab-Americans victims of prejudice. The paper gives an overview of major depressive disorder, exploring the symptoms and treatment options. Next, the outlook of Arab Americans toward mental illness is described and resistance that counselors may encounter with these patients. Treatment methods that may be helpful to this population are suggested, such as metaphor therapy. The paper concludes by urging social workers to develop an understanding of the beliefs and values that their clients hold dear in order to better help them.

Outline:
What it Means to be Arab-Islamic?
Depression and Arab-Islamic People
Major Depressive Disorder Diagnosis
How Arab-Islamic People View Mental Illness
Treating Arab-Islamic Patients
Suggested Methods
Implications for Social Work

From the Paper
"Women frequently are the ones who experience the bulk of the stressors within the family. In a study completed in 2006, there were 96 female suicides for every 4 male (Hassan, 2007). Men are raised to be superior to women, which sometimes results in abusive behavior. Forced marriages are also common among Arab families and are a common factor in the depression of young Arab women (Hassan, 2007). The women are also expected to be mother and teacher to their children, as well as to maintain the dignity of the family. Often, upon having children Arab women are forced to postpone their careers and life to raise the children."

Tags:Arab-Americans, counseling Muslims, depression, metaphor therapy

Abstract
The paper looks at how Vacc, Devaney and Brendel (2003) state that the most significant issue connected to counseling Arab-Americans relate to both the historical perceptions of the social group, as well as the social perceptions of this portion of the population (p. 119). The paper discusses how Vacc, Devaney and Brendel (2004) argue that throughout history the Arab-American has been capable of disappearing into the "melting pot" because he or she is often confused with many other social groups, such as Hispanics, Asians or Native Americans (p. 119). The paper discusses how historically, Arab-Americans have ignored their heritage or even attempted to hide it because of the general perception in the United States that this heritage somehow held negative connotations and that those of Arab ancestry would not be accepted socially, and after September 11th, this willingness to hide their heritage became almost a necessity because of the general American sentiment that all people of an Arab background were terrorists (p. 119). Yet, the paper looks at how Vacc, Devaney and Brendel (2003) specify that over the course of time the need for Arab-Americans to defend their heritage and potentially prove themselves to be valuable members of society has overtaken fear and more Arab-Americans are now demonstrating pride in their culture (p. 119).

Tags:arab, americans, counselling

Abstract
The paper asserts that most people in the West have only a partial understanding of the people of the Middle East and too often see those people through their own social and historical prism. The paper discusses how this was recalled when the current war in Iraq began and U.S. government officials were cautioned against using the term "crusade" to refer to the war being fought against terrorists and others in the Middle East. The paper explains that this term has a neutral coloration in the West, while it recalls the earlier Crusades to the people of the Middle East and has an aura of imperialism and Western superiority. The paper looks at how much of this is analyzed in the book "The Crusades Through Arab Eyes" by Amin Maalouf.

From the Paper
"Most people in the West have only a partial understanding of the people of the Middle East and too often see those people through their own social and historical prism. This was recalled when the current war in Iraq began and U.S. government officials were cautioned against using the term "crusade" to refer to the war being fought against terrorists and others in the Middle East. The term has a neutral coloration in the West, while it recalls the earlier Crusades to the people of the Middle East and has an aura of imperialism and Western superiority. Much of this is analyzed in the book "The Crusades Through Arab Eyes" by Amin Maalouf. Amin Maalouf is a Lebanese journalist and novelist. His native language is..."

Tags:crusades, arab, maalouf

Abstract
This paper argues that, while pro-Jewish sympathies, historical misunderstandings, and cultural bias have contributed to and continue to contribute to anti-Arab stereotypes, the real cause for the negative stereotypes lies in the Arab world's failure to address Western public opinion through a well-organized public relations campaign similar to the Jewish and Israeli campaigns.

From the Paper
"The media play an important role in shaping the "worldview" of individuals. As stressed by the psychologist and rabbi Michael Lerner and the professor of Jewish history, David Biale, a "worldview" refers to the way that people see the whole world, define relationships and view other people. This media role is also emphasized by James M. Wall in "Media Bias," indicating that the media have enormous power to shape opinion, outlooks, beliefs, values and standards of judgment. Consequently, the importance of media honesty and objectivity cannot ever be emphasized sufficiently, as media bias and dishonest reporting leads to the creation of "worldviews" that are based on lies, not facts."

Tags:stereotyped, people, exaggerations, image, palestinians, islam, moslems, fanatics

Abstract
This paper describes an ongoing series of protests, days of rage, civil unrest and, in some situations, armed conflict in the Middle East, known as the Arab Spring, which have been used to incite various reforms and political changes. Specifically, the paper traces, with great detail, the Arab Spring from the December 2010 Tunisian protests that led to the overthrow of the Tunisian government, to the Egyptian revolution of 2011 that defeated the Mubarak regime, to the attempt to conquer Libyan Colonel Qaddafi that has developed into a civil war. The paper contends that the Arab Spring is not a protest against a particular regime or individual but instead a protest against the lack of rights and freedoms for people in these countries.

From the Paper
"As the Mubarak era of Egypt, drew to a close protesters across Egypt organized themselves and called for a number of reforms to be implemented across the country. These reforms are aimed to counteract the human rights abuses, political freedoms, censorship, and other limitations imposed over the course of Hosni Mubarak's 30 year rule. Before the resignation of President Mubarak, the protesters organized once again in Tahrir Square to agree on a list of demands highlighting the changes they desire. The demands listed are in some instances are very well thought out; others are highly unreasonable, given the current situation in Egypt."

Tags:authoritarian, social networking, oil sacrifices outcomes

Abstract
This paper looks at how the recent history of the Middle East has been dominated by the long-standing Arab-Israeli conflict or more specifically the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. It evaluates the strategic importance of the area because of its vast oil reserves makes the continuing volatility in the area doubly important. It explores the history of the problem, identifies some key areas of controversy and looks at the differing perspectives of the people belonging to the left, the neoconservatives and the far right in the U.S.. It also examines which branches of the U.S. government have been involved with the issue and analyzes whether the government's response has been effective and according to the people's wishes.

From the Paper
"Following a UN Resolution calling for a partition of Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states, Israel declared its independence On May 14, 1948. Several wars have been fought between the Arabs and Israelis since then. The first was fought immediately after the formation of Israel which the Jewish state surprisingly won. The war also resulted in the displacement of a large number of Palestinian refugees who settled mostly in refugee camps in the neighboring Arab countries. Most Palestinians still live in those camps. The second Arab- Israeli war followed the nationalization of the Suez Canal by Egypt in June 1956, and the third was the pre-emptive strike in 1967 by Israel on Egypt, Syria and Jordan. In all of these wars, the Arabs were thoroughly humiliated. The six-day 1967 war resulted in the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, the Golan Heights and all of Jerusalem. It also resulted in a second wave of Palestinian refugees."

Tags:u.s., oil, palestine, jewish, state

Abstract
The Middle East usually comes across as a conglomerate of several countries, all-behaving similarly. However there are extreme differences even among neighboring countries with same religion and language. This paper discusses sharp differences between the two Middle East countries, namely Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.

From the Paper
"Saudi Arabia is a kingdom with one of the largest oil deposits which, to date remain the focus of the Saudian economy, taking away a major percentage of the Gross Domestic Product. Saudi Arabia's economy is thus dependent on oil and oil derivatives, which account for 90-95% of Saudi export earnings, 75% of the budget, and about 35-40% of GDP. To reduce this dependency, the Saudi Arabian government is studying non-oil revenue generating sources. Saudi per capita GDP which was highest in 1981, when both the U.S. and Saudi Arabia had a per capita GDP, in current dollars, of about US $28,600, is approximately $7000.
Public sector debt (almost all central government domestic debt) has been hovering between 90 to 100% of the GDP for the past few years. The accumulating interest payments due on this debt form a major portion of the capital expenditures in the budget. Though, it is interesting to note that overseas Saudi private capital amounts to $600-700 billion, or four to five times the Saudi GDP. Moreover, foreign worker remittances, about US $16 billion annually, continue to be a burden on the current account. Thus the Saudi economy, as a result of oil dependency and state-controlled enterprises is heavily burdened (Saudi Arabia Country Analysis Brief, 2003)."

Tags:islam, oil

Abstract
The paper defines and analyzes Arab Christianity, giving an overview of the history of the upper Middle East before the invasion of Arabic Islam. The paper asserts that today, the term "Arab Christian" has become as complicated as the diversity of nations in the regions themselves, and Arab Christians today are not recognized for their distinct ethnic identity. The paper clarifies that they are instead seen as segments of a wider nation who are also Christian, while the "real" Arab Christians, as identified by Phares, live in areas among the Jordan, Syrian, Israelite, and Palestinian territories. These people, the paper notes, are the descendants of the Arab Christians who survived the invasion of Islam during ancient times, as well as the product of evangelization. The paper concludes that although the Middle East is still dominated and oppressed by Islam and its adherents, the rest of the world is becoming more tolerant and informed regarding the belief systems and cultures of others, and intolerance has become largely unacceptable.

From the Paper
"The history of the upper Middle East before the invasion of Arabic Islam is one of Christianization. Specifically, the nations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Sudan, Asia Minor, Syria, and Lebanon were Christianized. Only the ancient Israelites retained their original religious identity. The majority of nations in Arabia were pagan at the time, of which many subsequently converted to Christianity. The Jews were then dispersed by the Romans, with some Christians moving from the north and East to Palestine. The result was that the majority of the upper Middle East was not Arab, but they were indeed Christian. Furthermore, Phares notes that many Arabs in the Peninsula were Christian, and this is where the term "Arab Christianity" originates. It refers to people of Arabic origin, whose religion is Christianity. The issue and term were however complicated by subsequent political and social developments.
"While the non-Arab Christians were reduced and suppressed by the invasion of Arab Islam by both violence and semantics, as mentioned above. The actual Arab Christians at the time of Christianization were defeated during the onset of Islam. They were erased from Arabia and their churches either destroyed or converted to Mosques. Very few of them survived in areas such as southern Iraq, southern Syria, and northwest Arabia. Some Arab Christians moved to Palestine, joining the non-Arab Christians in the region. Currently there are the non-Arab Middle Eastern Christians and Arab Christians in Palestine."

Tags:Palestine Islam Jordan Syria, Middle East