Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT
WCDT 2051-2055; Nov. 7-11, 2011
Sidhekin:
--- Quote from: Akima on 12 Nov 2011, 14:19 ---
--- Quote from: Sidhekin on 12 Nov 2011, 04:55 ---I've known a Tamil who took an Arabic name upon converting. He gave me the impression it was not all that uncommon.
--- End quote ---
On the contrary, it is fairly normal, but are ethnicity and religion the same thing? Did Muhammad Ali change his ethnicity on converting to Islam? Would I do so if I converted to Christianity? Regardless of my religion, I'm sure that some dubious people would continue to call me "ethnic Chinese". :-(
--- End quote ---
The only "safe" and somewhat workable definition of ethnicity I know, is to observe to what group people are assigned by themselves and their neighbors. But religion is a fairly useful indicator. (Language and "racial" characteristics may be more certain indicators, but even they are not safe ...)
And sure, the Tamil I knew was still a Tamil. But also a Moslem. With an Arabic name. My impression was that he had embraced a new ethnicity, and was welcomed in it. As for Muhammed Ali, I have no idea.
For this discussion though, it was not my idea to read ethnicity from an Arabic name. Perhaps the example of Muhammed Ali could be sufficient to show that such readings are not reliable?
... or perhaps the very melting pot of the USA could be sufficient thereto? From my outsider's perspective, India and USA are alike in that: Most people have a number of options, ethnicity-wise. In Norway, the only ones with an option to switch, seem to be the (relatively few) Sami, Finns, Jews, and Travelers – and their only option seems to be embracing the Norse ethnicity. :-P
raoullefere:
--- Quote from: Carl-E on 12 Nov 2011, 14:27 ---'sOK. I've been called "culturally Jewish". :psyduck:
Of course, that's considered both an ethnicity and a religion!
--- End quote ---
Alas, being culturally bankrupt, I'm but an Oyster.
More seriously, though, with a few exceptions, ethnicity and religion only go hand in hand, so far as I know, on the very small scale (The Sioux, to give an example. Even Judaism, the largest scale example of this I know of, only accounts for single percentages of populations, down to 1 or less, in most countries). For others, one is born in an ethnicity, but one (or one's parents, up to a certain point in one's life, at least) chooses one's religion these days. That being said, one can, as Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali, for those not in the know) did, alienate others of one's ethnicity by converting to certain religions*. That may be how Sidhekin's Tamil friend felt.
*Some may argue that Ali joined a new ethnicity (specifically Nation of Islam, or, more broadly, Black Muslims) by converting, but I'm not sure you can call it that. Something for cultural anthropologists and/or sociologists to quibble about, I suppose.
Is it cold in here?:
Anyway, we can't reliably infer Amir's heritage from his name.
raoullefere:
True. For all we know, he chose it from a cereal boxtop.
No, I don't know what cereal might have 'Amir' on its packaging. I'm the ideas guy; research is your job.
Edit: choose/chose aurrggghhh!
Carl-E:
[frantically searches through the cupboards]
Amir loops? Sugar frosted amirs? Amir bran? Cap'n Amir? Hey, when did the quaker oats guy turn so dark?
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