Arab Americans, the Arab World, Islam, and the Middle EastA Quick Quiz -- answers below1. What natural resource does Iraq have in abundance that its
neighbors lack?
2. Which of these crops is NOT grown in Iraq: barley, coffee,
dates, grapes, tomatoes, watermelons, wheat?
3. What two cultural advances began in what is now Iraq?
4. How many of Iraq's six neighboring countries can you name?
5. Name ten countries of the "Arab World."
6. Which of these are NOT Arab countries? Iran, Djibouti, Turkey, and the Comoros Islands
7. How many Muslims are there in the world? A) over ½ billion B) over 1 billion
C) over 2 billion
8. The Organization of the Islamic Conference has how many member states?
9. True or False: Most Arabs are Muslims, but most Muslims are not Arabs.
10. What three countries have the largest Muslim populations?
11. True or False The Middle East region includes Turkey and Afghanistan.
12. The majority of Arab Americans can claim one of what three national origins?
13. Of the seven million Arab Americans in the U.S., the largest population can be found in what city?
14. Which of the following are/were NOT American MuslimsArab Americans? Heisman Trophy-winner Doug Flutie; race car driver Bobby Rahal; singers Frank Zappa and Paula Abdul; poet Abdul Rahman; consumer advocate Ralph Nader; music promoter Casey Kasem; teacher/astronaut Christa McAuliffe; Senators Daniel Inouye and Spencer Abraham; General John Abizaid, Commander of U.S. Central Command in Iraq; actors Jamie Farr and Tony Shalhoub.
15. Muslims believe that the prophet Muhammad began to receive revelations from Allah in the year 610, transmitted by the angel Gabriel in what two cities?
16. True or False: Islam is the world's largest religion.
17. The five "pillars" of Islam are what?
18. Perhaps the most contested city in the world, this place is holy to Muslims, Christians and Jews.
19. True or False: "Tabbuli" is a rite of passage for young Muslim faithful.
20. Much of the music popular in the Arab World relies heavily upon what two stringed instruments? Hint: one of them is also a key instrument in the Dave Matthews Band.
ANSWERS
1. Water, thanks to the Euphrates and Tigris rivers entering from Turkey.
2. Coffee
3. Writing and Astronomy
4. Turkey, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria
5. Algeria, Bahrain, the Comoros Islands, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Oman, Palestine (not yet an independent state), Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
6. Iran and Turkey, where the primary languages are Farsi and Turkish.
7. B 1.2 billion
8. 56
9. True
10. Indonesia (170 million), Pakistan (136 million), and Bangladesh (106 million). Followed by India (103 million), Turkey (62 million), Iran (61 million), Egypt (54 million), Nigeria (48 million), and China (37 million). Of those countries, only Egypt is Arab.
11. The Middle East is a loose term, not always used to describe the same territory. It usually includes the Arab countries from Egypt east to the Persian Gulf, plus Israel and Iran. Turkey is sometimes considered part of the Middle East, sometimes part of Europe. Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh are usually described as South Asia.
12. Arab Americans have roots in each Arab country, but most originated from Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine. Large groups also originated from Egypt, Yemen and Iraq.
13. Detroit
14. All but Abdul Rahman (made him up) and Daniel Inouya (he's Hawaiian).
15. Mecca and Medina, the sites of annual pilgrimages by millions of Muslims
16. False it is second largest after Christianity, but it is the fastest growing religion in the U.S.
17. 1) shahada (bearing witness), 2) prayer, 3) almsgiving, 4) fasting, and 5) pilgrimage
18. Jerusalem
19. False - tabbuli is a popular Arab salad dish of tomatoes, cracked wheat, mint, parsley, and scallions.
20. The violin and the Ud (or Oud), a pear-shaped instrument something like a guitar.
