Difference Between Arabs and Indians

Indian Family

Arabs vs Indians

The differences between Arab and Indian people are many. The majority of Arab people live in the Middle East (Western Asia) and North Africa, while the majority of India people live in India, which is located in South Asia. The languages spoken by each group come from dissimilar, unrelated language families, and their religious traditions and social customs differ significantly.
Religion
Most Indian people follow one of the four major world religions that were formed in India: Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Buddhism. Hinduism, born out of Brahmanism, is believed to be the oldest religion, having formed 5,000 years ago. It has the greatest following with 80% of the population of Indians being adherents and is the 3rd largest world religion, though, Buddhism and Sikhism are 3rd and 5th, respectively. Of the four, Jainism has the least followers; however, over four million people in India and its diaspora are adherents. Other minority religions include Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.

In the Arab world, however, Islam is predominant and many countries have Islam as the official religion. In some nations, Islamic law known as Sharia fully or partially guides the legal system. Islamic traditions and customs permeate the daily lives of many Arab people, from greetings to work hours, social norms, and diet. Certainly, these vastly different religions, Islam and Hinduism, inform the point of views and lifestyles of their devotees, as well as, that of the general populations in the Middle East & Maghreb, and India, respectively, due to their pervasive impact.
Language

The dominant language of India is Hindi, however, India has 22 official languages and more than 200 with a significant (10,000+) number of speakers. Some of the better known languages of India are: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Kannada and Punjabi. There are several dialects of Hindi, an Indo-Aryan language like many of the languages spoken in India. The Hindi language is written in the Devanagari alphabet.

Arabic is a Semitic language in the Afro-Asiatic language family and the most spoken language in countries with a majority Arab population. It is the sole official language in several of the countries in North Africa and Southwest Asia that make up the regional organization League of Arab States, and a co-national language in the others. Most Arab people in the Middle East, North Africa, and in the diaspora speak Arabic. There are several major dialects of the language, in addition to, MSA (Modern Standard Arabic), and Classical Arabic (the language of the Quran). The language is closely tied to Islam, and prayers, as well as, greetings are carried out in the Arabic language. Arabic is written in Arabic script.

Food
The diets of Indian and Arab people have been largely determined by what is locally available; however, taste preferences and religious food restrictions have had an impact. Vegetarianism is popular in India, although, some Indian people eat meat. Herbs, spices, millet, beans, and vegetable oil are included frequently in Indian cuisine. Curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cumin, ginger and similar seasonings are particularly popular. In Arabic cuisine, nuts, the herbs mint and thyme, rice, milk products such as yogurt, butter, and cream, lamb, chicken, olive oil, and grains are extensively used. Hot drinks are popular, such as coffee and tea. Arabic followers of Islam adhere to Islamic dietary laws which govern food hygiene in addition to strictly prohibiting the consumption of intoxicants, blood, and pork.

Holidays
Consuming food or abstaining from eating (fasting) play a significant part in the holiday celebrations of Arab and Indian people. The two major Islamic holidays celebrated by many Arabs are Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha; however, there are several more, including the most known in the West, Ramadan. Ramadan calls for a month of fasting, after which, Eid Al-Fitr takes places, during which adherents pray and give charity. EidAl-Adha take place after Hajj, the pilgrimage to the Muslim holy land, Mecca. During this holiday, Muslims pray, sacrifice an animal and feast with family and friends. A portion is also set aside to feed the needy, charity being an aspect of this holiday, as well.

Many Indian people celebrate Hindu holidays which may occur during seven of the twelve months of the year. The holidays include: Holi, Mahashivaratri, Rama Navami, Krishna Jayanti, Raksabandhana, Kumbh Mela, Ganesha-Chaturthi, Dassera, Navaratri, and Diwali. They celebrate seasons, and the birthdays and victories of various deities, as well as, promote fertility, familial bonds, and rejuvenation. The two major holidays are Holi and Diwali. Holi, the spring Festival of Colors, takes place in February and March (3-16 days), while Diwali takes place in September/October, and is known as the Festival of Lights. During Hindu celebrations, dancing, bathing, fasting, feasting, and praying take place.

• Most Arab people reside in the Middle East and North Africa while the majority of Indian people live in South Asia, in India.
• The majority of Indian people practice Hinduism, while the majority of Arabs practice Islam.
• Arabic, the predominant language in the Arab world is an Afro-Asiatic, Semitic language, while Hindi and many of the Indian minority languages are a part of the Indo-Aryan language family.
• While Muslim Arabs do not consume pork, many Indian people are strict vegetarians.
• Many Indians celebrate Hindu holidays, while many Arabs celebrate Islamic holidays.

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