Editing Arabs (section)

== Identity ==
{{Further|Arab identity}}
{{Multiple image|align=right|total_width=320|image_style=border:none;|image1=PLATE8DX foruth sixth.jpg|width1=900|height1=1000|alt1=Costumes of Arab men, fourth to sixth century|image2=PLATE8CX.jpg|width2=900|height2=1000|alt2=Costumes of Arab women, fourth to sixth century.|footer=Artistic rendering of pre-Islamic costumes of Arab men and Arab women between fourth to sixth century}}
Arab identity is defined independently of [[Religion|religious]] identity, and pre-dates the [[spread of Islam]], with historically attested [[Arab Christians|Arab Christian]] kingdoms and [[Jewish tribes of Arabia|Arab Jewish tribes]]. Today, however, most Arabs are Muslim, with a minority adhering to other faiths, largely [[Christianity in the Middle East|Christianity]], but also [[Druze]] and [[Baháʼí Faith|Baháʼí]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Ori Stendel|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t7Ao8dYsCskC&pg=PA45|title=The Arabs in Israel|publisher=Sussex Academic Press|year=1996|isbn=978-1898723240|page=45|access-date=4 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|first=Mohammad Hassan|last=Khalil|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PmgkD3Hel5IC&pg=PA297|title=Between Heaven and Hell: Islam, Salvation, and the Fate of Others|date=2013|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0199945412|page=297|access-date=1 March 2014}}</ref> Paternal descent has traditionally been considered the main source of affiliation in the [[Arab world]] when it comes to membership into an [[Ethnicity|ethnic group]] or [[clan]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Parolin|first=Gianluca Paolo|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xSDE7LgTFvUC&q=Arab+paternal&pg=PA127|title=Citizenship in the Arab World: Kin, Religion and Nation-state|date=2009|publisher=Amsterdam University Press|isbn=978-90-8964-045-1}}</ref>

Arab identity is shaped by a range of factors, including ancestry, history, language, customs, and traditions.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Phillips|first=Christopher|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1058434843|title=Everyday Arab identity : the daily reproduction of the Arab world|date=2013|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0203096741|location=Abingdon, Oxon|oclc=1058434843}}</ref> Arab identity has been shaped by a rich history that includes the rise and fall of [[empire]]s, [[colonization]], and political turmoil. Despite the challenges faced by Arab communities, their shared cultural heritage has helped to maintain a sense of unity and pride in their identity.<ref name="Imagining the Arabs : Arab identity and the rise of Islam" /> Today, Arab identity continues to evolve as Arab communities navigate complex political, social, and economic landscapes. Despite this, the Arab identity remains an important aspect of the cultural and historical fabric of the Arab world, and continues to be celebrated and preserved by [[Arab diaspora|communities around the world]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Carmichael|first=Joel|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1198893560|title=The shaping of the Arabs : a study in ethnic identity|date=2016|isbn=978-1-000-11333-4|location=London|oclc=1198893560}}</ref>