Zeinab Badawi

But I firmly believe that the Arabized north of Africa is as much part of the continent's history and is as much part of Africa as any other part of the continent.

But I firmly believe that the Arabized north of Africa is as much part of the continent's history and is as much part of Africa as any other part of the continent.

Absolutely. So, you know, at its closest point, the Arabian Peninsula is only about 17, less than 20 kilometers from the East African Red Sea coast. And that's in modern day Eritrea today. So right from the get go, you had, you know, an exchange of people between the two. And I

Absolutely. So, you know, at its closest point, the Arabian Peninsula is only about 17, less than 20 kilometers from the East African Red Sea coast. And that's in modern day Eritrea today. So right from the get go, you had, you know, an exchange of people between the two. And I

Absolutely. So, you know, at its closest point, the Arabian Peninsula is only about 17, less than 20 kilometers from the East African Red Sea coast. And that's in modern day Eritrea today. So right from the get go, you had, you know, an exchange of people between the two. And I

In around 600 BCE, you had people called the Sabaeans who came from what would be modern day Yemen, and they crossed the Red Sea and they settled in what we would call Ethiopia and Eritrea today. And, you know, there was an exchange of ideas and belief and, you know, between the two peoples in terms of how they farmed, how they, you know, executed their animal husbandry. their religion.

In around 600 BCE, you had people called the Sabaeans who came from what would be modern day Yemen, and they crossed the Red Sea and they settled in what we would call Ethiopia and Eritrea today. And, you know, there was an exchange of ideas and belief and, you know, between the two peoples in terms of how they farmed, how they, you know, executed their animal husbandry. their religion.

In around 600 BCE, you had people called the Sabaeans who came from what would be modern day Yemen, and they crossed the Red Sea and they settled in what we would call Ethiopia and Eritrea today. And, you know, there was an exchange of ideas and belief and, you know, between the two peoples in terms of how they farmed, how they, you know, executed their animal husbandry. their religion.

They worshipped the moon god, Maka. And also the Sabaean language influenced what we would call the Gez language, which is a kind of forerunner, as it were, of the modern-day Amharic and Tigrinya that is spoken in Ethiopia and Eritrea. And the alphabet looks quite similar. So, you know, yes, there were traders. Some would come, some would go back. But then there were also these settlers. And so...

They worshipped the moon god, Maka. And also the Sabaean language influenced what we would call the Gez language, which is a kind of forerunner, as it were, of the modern-day Amharic and Tigrinya that is spoken in Ethiopia and Eritrea. And the alphabet looks quite similar. So, you know, yes, there were traders. Some would come, some would go back. But then there were also these settlers. And so...

They worshipped the moon god, Maka. And also the Sabaean language influenced what we would call the Gez language, which is a kind of forerunner, as it were, of the modern-day Amharic and Tigrinya that is spoken in Ethiopia and Eritrea. And the alphabet looks quite similar. So, you know, yes, there were traders. Some would come, some would go back. But then there were also these settlers. And so...

you see that from the get-go and you see it now in the appearance of the people there. There are some who look quite Arabized in Eritrea and Ethiopia. And those links have just existed throughout the centuries. And to this day, you'll see trade going between the two. You'll see that Arabic is very widely spoken along that Red Sea coast of East Africa in Eritrea. And

you see that from the get-go and you see it now in the appearance of the people there. There are some who look quite Arabized in Eritrea and Ethiopia. And those links have just existed throughout the centuries. And to this day, you'll see trade going between the two. You'll see that Arabic is very widely spoken along that Red Sea coast of East Africa in Eritrea. And

you see that from the get-go and you see it now in the appearance of the people there. There are some who look quite Arabized in Eritrea and Ethiopia. And those links have just existed throughout the centuries. And to this day, you'll see trade going between the two. You'll see that Arabic is very widely spoken along that Red Sea coast of East Africa in Eritrea. And

you know, well, Ethiopia doesn't have a Red Sea coast because Ethiopia is landlocked, but Eritrea and Ethiopia, of course, historically, the Kingdom of Aksum and so on, it was all just one region. But certainly along the Red Sea coast of Eritrea, Djibouti and so on, you know, Arabic is spoken very, very extensively. And that's the point, you know, people always migrated.

you know, well, Ethiopia doesn't have a Red Sea coast because Ethiopia is landlocked, but Eritrea and Ethiopia, of course, historically, the Kingdom of Aksum and so on, it was all just one region. But certainly along the Red Sea coast of Eritrea, Djibouti and so on, you know, Arabic is spoken very, very extensively. And that's the point, you know, people always migrated.

you know, well, Ethiopia doesn't have a Red Sea coast because Ethiopia is landlocked, but Eritrea and Ethiopia, of course, historically, the Kingdom of Aksum and so on, it was all just one region. But certainly along the Red Sea coast of Eritrea, Djibouti and so on, you know, Arabic is spoken very, very extensively. And that's the point, you know, people always migrated.

We tend to think of migration as a kind of more modern phenomenon and people, you know, saying, oh, we don't want these irregular migrants, you know, be it people from coming from Mexico into the United States or from the Middle East and Africa into Europe and so on. But migration is as long as history. People have always migrated and it's led to a kind of melange.

We tend to think of migration as a kind of more modern phenomenon and people, you know, saying, oh, we don't want these irregular migrants, you know, be it people from coming from Mexico into the United States or from the Middle East and Africa into Europe and so on. But migration is as long as history. People have always migrated and it's led to a kind of melange.

We tend to think of migration as a kind of more modern phenomenon and people, you know, saying, oh, we don't want these irregular migrants, you know, be it people from coming from Mexico into the United States or from the Middle East and Africa into Europe and so on. But migration is as long as history. People have always migrated and it's led to a kind of melange.