#arabic diaspora

[starful-emporium]

mostly just curious bc there isn't an established term where I live, and it's conflated with Islamophobia a lot.

Pls reblog, my non fandom posts rarely get anywhere

[paperpressbooks]

paper press books & assoc. publ. co. at beast crawl literary festival in oakland july 27, 2024

Marhaba means welcome.

As a North African owned and operated press, Paper Press Books is proud to welcome you to a presentation of voices from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). This marks the first such reading at Beast Crawl Literary Festival.

Colonial legacies continue to cast long shadows, shaping narratives that neglect the richness and complexity of our culture and literary heritage.

We are excited to showcase the talent and diversity of MENA writers. Join us for an evening of discovery and celebrate the power of these voices.

[ace-hell]

Oh this makes me so fucking mad

So SO fucking mad

You mean israelites, hebrews ffs you mean CANAANITES

THERE WEREN'T PALESTINIANS 3,000 YEARS AGO

THERE WERE JEWISH KINGDOMS

If the tatreez originated 3,000 fucking years ago it makes it jewish, israelite. NOT palestinian

This horrendous cultural and historical erasure of a whole ass ethnic group is absolutely sickening

This accepted activity of rewriting and changing jewish history is so fucking disgusting

This is the kinda shit that makes it so hard for me to feel sympathy and accept the modern palestinian identity

ITS NORMAL FOR NEW IDENTITIES TO EMERGE AND BE BORN, BUT ITS NOT OK TO CHANGE HISTORY SO IT'LL LOOK LIKE YOU HAVE AN ANCIENT AND NATIVE IDENTITY!

I Just fucking hope for the sun to blow us all up soon ffs

[idontmindifuforgetme]

[secular-jew]

Arab colonialism generally adheres to the same blueprint of land theft, displacement, and genocidal violence. When Islam plants a mosque somewhere, it believes this is conquered land and it's theirs forever, no matter what Temple or Church it builds on top of.

What sets it apart, however, is that it also attempts to project its own abuses onto its victims.

Rather than acknowledge their glaringly obvious 1400-year uber-colonial history, they will invert perceptions of history and reality in an attempt to self-indigenize.

They then usurp the cultures, stories, and legacies of indigenous peoples for themselves (but only the convenient parts - you'll never see Palestinians claim Judas) and disenfranchise the people they stole it from.

They will furiously deny that their ancestors were, in fact, colonizers who conquered their way on land on which they now occupy. Instead, they will frame themselves as native peoples who simply embraced Arab identity/converted to Islam, while the actual indigenous peoples are framed as nothing more than a pathetic band of rejects and cosplayers whose ancestors either never lived on the land to begin with, or were rightfully cast out (or have been cast out for so long that they have lost all right to return).

I can think of few other colonizers that do this. And because this behavior deviates from what we typically understand as "baseline colonialism", it becomes immeasurably harder to identify and more complex to counter.

[blackstarlineage]

Debunking the Myth: “Africans Sold Each Other” in the Transatlantic Slave Trade – A Garveyite Perspective

From a Garveyite perspective, the claim that Africans sold each other into slavery is a deliberate distortion of history designed to absolve European and Arab slave traders of their crimes, weaken Pan-African unity, and undermine Black solidarity. This false narrative, which has been heavily promoted by colonial historians and mainstream education, seeks to blame Africans for their own suffering while ignoring the brutal realities of European deception, military invasion, and economic coercion that fueled the transatlantic slave trade.

Garveyism is rooted in historical accuracy, self-determination, and the rejection of colonial propaganda. To truly understand the transatlantic slave trade, we must dismantle Eurocentric myths and reclaim an African-centered understanding of history.

This in-depth analysis will expose:

The truth about African involvement in the transatlantic slave trade.

How European powers manipulated and forced African leaders into trade agreements.

Why the “Africans sold each other” myth is dangerous and destructive to Black unity

The role of Arab slavers and European military invasion in the expansion of slavery.

How Garveyism rejects this narrative to promote Pan-Africanism and global Black unity.

1. The Myth of “Africans Selling Each Other” is a Colonial Lie

One of the most common distortions in discussions about the transatlantic slave trade is the claim that Africans willingly and enthusiastically sold their own people to European slavers. This narrative is not only historically inaccurate but also intentionally misleading.

The Truth:

Africa was made up of different nations, kingdoms, and ethnic groups—not a single united state. The idea that all Africans saw each other as the same “people” in the way we do today ignores historical context.

In pre-colonial Africa, prisoners of war or criminals were sometimes enslaved, but this was not the same as European chattel slavery, where people were treated as property for life and their descendants enslaved forever.

Europeans introduced large-scale, race-based slavery, forcing African rulers into unequal and exploitative trade agreements that had never existed before.

Garveyite Takeaway: The idea that Africans willingly “sold” their own people is an oversimplification that ignores the role of deception, military force, and European manipulation in the slave trade.

2. Europeans and Arabs Used Deception, Military Force, and Economic Coercion

Europeans did not simply show up and purchase slaves like goods at a market. Instead, they used a combination of deception, warfare, and economic destabilization to force African leaders into the trade.

The Truth:

Armed European forces raided African villages, kidnapping people directly and burning down entire settlements.

European weapons, bribes, and threats forced African leaders to comply. Some African leaders resisted, but they were often met with military retaliation.

The Portuguese, British, Dutch, French, and Spanish used divide-and-conquer strategies, pitting African nations against each other and fueling wars that increased the number of captives available for trade.

Example: The Kingdom of Kongo, under King Afonso I, tried to resist the Portuguese slave trade, but the Portuguese continued kidnapping his people and destabilizing the region. His letters pleading for an end to the slave trade were ignored.

Garveyite Takeaway: The slave trade was not an equal transaction—it was an invasion, a war, and a system of global exploitation imposed on Africa by external forces.

3. The Role of Arab Slavers in the African Slave Trade

While the transatlantic slave trade is often the focus, the Arab slave trade lasted over 1,400 years and played a significant role in the African enslavement industry. Many of the same coercion, kidnapping, and military tactics used by Europeans were also employed by Arab slavers.

The Truth:

Millions of East and Central Africans were captured and sold into slavery by Arab traders in a trade that predated European involvement.

Arab slavers castrated male African slaves to prevent reproduction and erased African presence in the Middle East.

The Swahili coast, Zanzibar, and North African traders facilitated human trafficking networks that devastated African societies.

Garveyite Takeaway: The African slave trade was not just a European crime—it was a global system of oppression that involved Arab traders as well. Africans were victims of foreign exploitation, not willing participants in their own destruction.

4. The “Africans Sold Each Other” Myth Is Used to Destroy Black Unity

This colonial myth is not just a historical lie—it is actively used today to divide Black people and weaken the Pan-African movement. By pushing the idea that Africans are to blame for slavery, it creates distrust between Africans and the African diaspora, preventing unity and progress.

How This Myth Is Weaponized Today:

It is used to excuse European and Arab involvement, shifting blame onto Africans while ignoring the systems of colonialism, imperialism, and racial capitalism that enabled slavery.

It fosters diaspora wars where African Americans, Caribbeans, and continental Africans blame each other instead of working together toward liberation.

It discourages Pan-African unity, making it harder to build strong global Black institutions and economies.

Garveyite Takeaway: Marcus Garvey taught that “Africa for the Africans” means uniting all Black people worldwide. We can not allow historical distortions to divide us when we should be working toward common goals.

5. Many African Leaders Resisted the Slave Trade

While some African leaders were forced into participating in the trade, many others fought against European and Arab slavers. The heroic resistance of African kings, queens, and warriors must be recognized.

Examples of African Resistance:

Queen Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba (Angola) led military campaigns against Portuguese slavers in the 1600s.

The Fante and Ekpe fought against European forces trying to control their lands and enslave them.

The Zulu Kingdom under Shaka Zulu resisted colonial incursions.

Garveyite Takeaway: Not all Africans participated in the slave trade—many fought to protect their people, and we must honour their legacy by continuing the fight for Black sovereignty today.

Conclusion: The Truth About the Transatlantic Slave Trade

From a Garveyite perspective, the idea that Africans sold each other into slavery is a weaponized falsehood designed to shift blame away from Europeans and Arabs while weakening Black unity. The reality is:

The transatlantic slave trade was not an African business—it was a European war against Africa.

Africans did not sell “their own people” in the way this myth suggests.

European and Arab slavers used deception, military force, and economic pressure to extract captives.

Many African leaders resisted, but European and Arab powers overwhelmed them with superior weapons and divide-and-conquer strategies.

This myth is still being used today to create division among Black people and prevent Pan-African unity.

The real lesson from Garveyism is that Black people must reject false colonial narratives and work together to rebuild what was stolen from us. The only way forward is unity, economic independence, and global Black solidarity.

[unopenablebox]

i admit that i find it a little bit frustrating how Wildly Astonished other antizionist jews act when i tell them my israeli jewish family have lived in the region since [some unknown length of time before 1800 when there start being records about it]

[hussyknee]

"Not publicized to prevent copycats" is an absolute bullshit excuse in a nation of school shooters btw.

Please, please read this.

The Congolese genocide is one of the biggest mass murders in modern history, counting eight to ten million murder victims and millions of others severely injured.

As for Palestine, but the bombardment is somehow more intense than ever, they killed about 178 people including 52 babies the first day after the ceasefire. Zionists got hold of the photo of one of the babies cradled by his grandfather in his tiny shroud, his face waxy and eyes open and glassy in death, and has been passing it around, along with other similar pics of dead little children, claiming they're "obviously a doll". The open calls for genocide from the Israeli general public are more virulent than ever, and the IOF has arrested and imprisoned more Palestinians in West Bank than they released. The increase in intensity may be due to Blinken having told Netanyahu that "he had weeks, not months" to finish up whatever he wanted to do (genocide isn't good for the holiday spirit of the voting public methinks), and Netanyahu reportedly wants to "thin the population" as much as possible and herd the remaining survivors out through the Egyptian border.

Please take the time to scroll the tags at least every other day and reblog one or two posts. Keeping eyes on the unfolding situation helps keep the pressure on and politicians are clearly nervous now! YOU can't do anything, but you help create a vital domino effect for hundreds of thousands of people who CAN organize. Relevance is survival. Don't let these people have martyred themselves in vain!

[maestrita]

last day of Arab American Heritage Month

these designs were on my Sitto's baby clothes and now they're on my sweatshirt

Excuse the cat hair - they love tatreez, too

[abyssalzones]

if this still falls enough under the purview of questions about the process i'd love to know if you have any particular inspirations wrt escape velocity you might want to share ! where you might've gotten the idea from or anything that might've influenced you and general things like that, or maybe something that helped you start to understand where you wanted to take the characters and story (up to this point) if that's still vague enough, and so on !

I've actually already talked about a number of influences for escape velocity in the past (namely the game starbound as the early Early foundational text that some of the main characters were created for), and I could easily rattle off a few more- the southern reach book series, everything everything's discography and the "get to heaven" album, the half life games, ETC- but maybe it's more interesting if I talk about what escape velocity has Not been inspired by. by that I mean in recent years I've noticed escape velocity solidifying as I realized I wasn't overly interested in doing a speculative bio heavy sci-fi work, as is in vogue right now, but something much more... anthropological.

this isn't even something new I've introduced to the writing, because it's already been there, whether that's reflected in my feelings about orientalism in works like dune or blade runner, the unspoken issues of race science in sci-fi, or the very complex stuff the comic gets into about intersectional issues through a sci-fi lens, such as nationalism and gender politics across cultures. It's more like... as I start to see the outline of what I really want to say, the less appropriate it feels to start neatly categorizing everything and dissecting the biological differences across each sapspecies. in general I would say escape velocity is a story about people and the concept of humanity, but without any humans in it, and as such the lines are a lot... blurrier. I am much more interested in utilizing sci-fi as an exercise in social theory, what we can say about our world through the means of another, than I am in practicing taxonomy.

with that in mind, I suppose you could say I've been very inspired by 1. reading sci-fi novels/watching sci-fi movies and thinking "hey this is kind of racist" and wondering what all there is to do or say about that aspect of the genre, and 2. reading social theorists such as Aimé Césaire (who taught similarly notable french afro-caribbean psychologist Frantz Fanon). I recommend "Notebook of a Return to a Native Land."

[strawberryflavoredsapphic]

In Search of Self: a Study of Queer Arab Women

In the United States Post Migration by Lexi Haddad

[jerseygirl5000]

Are we really doing this right now

[idontmindifuforgetme]

One of the most gratifying things about getting older is being secure in both my American and Iraqi identities. Like I used to think that I had to compromise one for the other, or that being half of each would always make me “diluted,” but I’ve never been more comfortable in my Arabness while simultaneously not caring for the western gaze & just making peace with what it means to be Iraqi American. Like I feel so lucky for my Iraqi heritage every day and I know that’s sadly not a feeling all Arabs experience……. But I cannot imagine being anything else and nor would I ever want to be

[secular-jew]

We should not be using their propaganda. Great piece by Daniel Krygier:

""When it comes to PR, Israel and its friends are sadly a few steps behind in countering Pallywood's successful spread of propaganda lies worldwide.

One fundamental problem is that Israel and its friends continue to use established false Pallywood terminology.

Jordan invented the imperialist term "West Bank" in the early 1950s. The historically correct term is Judea and Samaria.

There is no "Palestine" and there are no "Palestinians." Gazans are Egyptians and Arabs in Judea and Samaria are Jordanians or just Arabs.

Jews can't "occupy" ancestral Jewish land. There is an Arab occupation of Jewish land.

Descendants of Arabs who fled the Arab aggression against Israel in 1948 are not more "refugees" than Israeli Jews whose parents and grandparents fled from Europe or the Muslim world.

There are no "refugee camps" in Gaza, Judea and Samaria but towns and neighborhoods that consist of real houses, shops, cars etc that are no different and often better than other third world slums.

"Free Palestine" is not about "liberation" but about the genocidal destruction of Israel and the Jewish people.

Killing armed Hamas terrorists is not "massacre" or "genocide" but legitimate self-defense.

Winning the information war requires eliminating Pallywood's propaganda terms and lies.""

[cute-st]

TW: anti-blackness

[sakhafa]

spanish speaking oomfies what spanish dialect is the equivalent of the Egyptian arabic dialect in your opinion...