"I am a Phoenician, not an Arab," asserts 20-year-old Lebanese student Rebecca Yazbeck when asked to define her identity, with nothing more than conviction to back her claim. But fellow Lebanese Shehade Seqlawi feels differently. "There is no question that we are Arabs," says the 50-year-old chauffeur. read more
After Arab armies invaded Persian Empire they took control over Phoenicia. They Arabized that region and today modern day Lebanese people speak Arabic and identify themselves as Arabs. Lebanese people are actually Arabic-speaking Phoenicians. read more
Supporters of this theory of Lebanese ethnogenesis maintain that the Lebanese are descended from Phoenicians and are not Arabs. Some also maintain that Levantine Arabic is not an Arabic variety, rather a variation of Neo-Aramaic, but has become a distinctly separate language. read more