Before I start discussing this issue, I’d like to point out that ‘Arab’ refers to anyone originally from the region of the Middle East and Northern Africa. Recently, I’ve noticed that every time Egyptians meet an Arab, they have some go to phrases that they use. And although these statements are well intentioned, they border on being offensive. So, here are all the things we need to think twice before saying to our fellow Arabs:
1- A7san Nas
I know this is something nice we say. But every time we meet someone from the Arab world, we’re like “A7san Nas”. It’s just this thing we go to, even if we don’t know anything about that nationality! “Oh you’re Qatari?” A7san nas!” What is the criteria for A7san Nas exactly? Does anyone know?!
2- Ana ebn/bent/3amy (insert nationality here)
Why would you want to let a stranger you’ve just met know you have a relative in that region? Unless the person is in some way related to your relative, they are not going to have any interest in the fact that your cousin, (who is also a stranger btw) lives there.
3- Ya hala
No. Just no. Please don’t even try.
4- *Any pop culture reference related to that nationality*
“Oh you’re Lebanese? Let’s talk about Nancy!” “Oh you’re Syrian? Let’s talk about George Wassouf”. Let me ask you this, do you want to talk about the pyramids every time someone finds out you’re Egyptian? If your answer is no, then it’s best to steer clear from this kind of small talk.
5- Mimicking the accent
Some regions in the Arab world have different accents and dialects, and unless you’re making an effort to actually learn that dialect, it’s best to avoid entertaining the person you met with your poorly practiced Syrian lahga.
6- Te3raf 7ad esmo (insert name of friend/relative here)
This happens a lot when you’re meeting a stranger. You just assume that they might know your friend because they live in the same region or area. But the probability of that is highly unlikely!
Please think twice before you say any of these cliché things.
