In January 2017, Egyptian papers and digital media were inundated with news about the Egyptian genomic makeup discovered by the American-based National Geographic Genographic Project (NGGP). Egypt Independent, for example, came out with its heading, “DNA Analysis Proves That Egyptians Are Not Arabs;”[1] and Cairo Scene wrote, “National Geographic’s DNA Analysis Concludes That Egyptians Are Only 17% Arab;”[2] and the digital magazine Identity. announces “DNA Analyses Shows That Egyptians Are Not Arabs!”[3]
Muslim responses to this were mixed – those who always saw themselves as Arab, even if they were not racially Arab, were not happy for being proven less of an Arab – Arab ancestry until recently has been seen as a badge of honour connecting its claimers to the nation of Muhammad, the conquerors of Egypt, who were regarded as a superior race. Being Arab was not only a cause for pride but also, from the seventh century, conferred on its claimer a certain privilege not apportioned to non-Arab Muslims, or Mawali (singular, mawla, meaning non-Arab Muslim). On the other hand, those, who may have seen themselves as Arab in the past but since September 11, 2001 tried hard to dissociate themselves from their Arab identity and heritage, welcomed the finding, or at least how it was portrayed. Desperate to be seen as original Egyptians of Pharaonic origin, some concluded that, since “Egyptians are only 17% Arab,” they must be 83% Ancient Egyptians, or as Egyptian as the Copts who were not mixed with the Arabs. They, too, would like themselves to be seen as authentically Egyptian as the Copts. Arab dictionaries define a Copts as the authentic aboriginals of Egypt.[4] Some of this letter group got engaged in a cultural appropriation of a type hitherto unseen – they themselves are Copts, descendants of the nation who was inhabiting Egypt at the time of the Arab occupation of Egypt in 642 D. Their intent was to undermine Coptic identity by usurping their identity and sideling the Copts. Reflecting on the Egyptians’ reaction to the news that the DNA analysis showed that “Egyptians are not Arabs”, the online magazine, Identity., writes: “Egyptians’ reactions to the news was quite surprising as well, all the social media platforms erupted with people congratulating each other for not being Arabs!” It got us thinking, why did the news draw such a reaction from us, Egyptians? Weren’t we proud to be considered Arabs?”[5]
Egyptian media published the following pie chart,[6] divided into slices to illustrate the numerical proportion of each DNA ancestry component of the modern Egyptians in the overall makeup of their genome:[7]
Figure 1: The genetic make-up of the Egyptians
As in almost all statistical matters, the Arab Egyptian media misunderstood what the figure means. Thus, Egypt Independent writes:
As the graph below shows, only 17 percent of Egyptians are Arabs, while 68 percent of the indigenous population is from North Africa, four percent are from Jewish ancestry, three percent are of East African origins, another three percent from Asia Minor and three percent are South European.
And it also writes:
After over 10 years of analyzing DNA samples from hundreds of people, the National Geographic Genographic Project (NGGP) surprisingly uncovered the fact that Egyptians are not Arabs as most of them believed.
Identy. also writes:
The endless debate about whether Egyptians are genetically Arab or North African has finally come to an end, folks. After more than a decade of analysing DNA samples from hundreds of people, the National Geographic Genographic Project (NGGP) has concluded that, contrary to common beliefs, we, Egyptians are not Arabs as most of us believed!
According to NGGP, 68% of the indigenous population is North African, 17% are from Southwest Asia & Persian Gulf, 4% are from Jewish ancestry, 3% are of East African origins, another 3% from Asia Minor and 3% are South European. Quite a mix, right?
This sort of interpretation like that “only 17 percent of Egyptians are Arabs” and “68% of the indigenous population is North African” is, of course, absolutely rubbish. The findings of NGGP does not say that: the NGGP talks about the genetic make-up (genetic composition) of the modern Egyptians, but the genetic make-up, e.g., the 17% Arab, has been made in Arab media to mean that only 17% of the Egyptians are Arab! There is of course a difference between “only 17% of Egyptians are Arab” and “Egyptians are only 17% Arab”.
The NGGP results of the genetic make-up of other Arab countries were not least shocking as the pie charts below show:[8]
Figure 2: The genetic make-up of the Kuwaitis
Figure 3: The Genetic make-up of the Lebanese
Figure 4: The genetic make-up of the Tunisians
The media were astounded to find that 4% of the Egyptians genetic make-up is Jewish diaspora, but even more that the Lebanese make-up is 14% so. But surprises continue: while it is understood that the Kawaitis genetic make-up is 84% Arabian, no one expected that of the Lebanese to be 44% Arabian! Furthermore, 56% of the genetic make-up of the Iranians and 10% of the Ashkenazi Jews (Jews who originated in Eastern Europe) is Arabian! These are astonishing results, and to some extent make one suspect the accuracy of the results in the sense that they are not representative. This is indeed one of the NGGP few problems, as we shall discuss later.
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[1] Egypt Independent, DNA Analysis Proves That Egyptians Are Not Arabs by Hend El-Behary (17 January 2017, 4:58 pm) by Hend El-Behary.
[2] Cairo Scene, National Geographic’s DNA Analysis Concludes That Egyptians Are Only 17% Arab (16 January 2017, 1400) by Cairo Scene Team.
[3] Identity., DNA Analyses Shows That Egyptians Are Not Arabs! (March 13, 2018) by Amina Moustapha.
[4] Lisan al-Arab (لسان العرب) by Ibn Manzour (1232 – 1311 AD). See also: Al-Qamous al-Muheedh (القاموس المحيط) by al-Firouzabadi (d. 1414).
[5] Same reference above.
[6] Published in both Egypt Independent and Cairo Scenes.
[7] The pie chart was published by both Egypt Independent and Cairo Scenes.
[8] I take the pie charts from Leyal Khalife, DNA Analysis Proves Arabs Aren’t Entirely Arab in MPC Journal (16 January 2017).