On Independence Day: 5 Ways Arabs Impacted America
By Daniel Gil/ Contributing Writer
As the fourth of July draws closer our doorsteps, windows, cars, and other such things become adorned with American flags and symbols of our love for the United States. So in keeping with the patriotic fervor the holiday brings, we take a day to recognize how Arab contributions have impacted American culture and society.
Morocco
Did you know that Morocco was the first country to formally recognize the United States following its war for Independence?
That’s right, in 1777, during the first year of the American Revolution, Moroccan Sultan Muhammad III, signed a trade deal with the infant nation as part of a policy to open trade routes so as to diversify their imports. The treaty was called The Moroccan-American Friendship Treaty, which was negotiated by Thomas Barclay and then signed by Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Muhammad III in 1786. To this day it is the longest treaty in effect in American history at 231 years old.
Thomas Jefferson
Speaking of Thomas Jefferson, Did you know that he held the first Iftar dinner at the White House in 1805?
When the United States was at war with the Barbary States, a collection of North African countries, Thomas Jefferson sent out invitations for a dinner which was to take place at sunset. The occasion for such a dinner? The Tunisian envoy to the new republic had recently arrived in the country and Jefferson was accommodating the international guest who was fasting during the month of Ramadan, unable to eat during sunlight hours.
Washington Monument
In keeping with the Washington theme, Did you know the very symbol of the National Mall which punctuates the D.C. skyline apparently drew its inspiration from obelisks which existed in the Arab world?
In 1833 the Washington National Monument Society began a campaign opened to the public to choose designs for a monument dedicated to America’s father. After 10 years of receiving donations and ideas for designs, in 1845 they finally decided to go with Robert Mills’ idea: an Egyptian-style obelisk which mirrored monuments built in the Arab world. The Washington Monument was finished in 1884, making it the tallest building in the entire world at the time of its completion at 555 feet and 5 and ⅛ inches.
Statue of Liberty
Speaking of historic monuments, Did you know that the Statue of Liberty was originally modeled after a Muslim woman?
The shining beacon history has come to associate with immigration to the United States was modeled after an Egyptian peasant intended to represent the Colossus of Rhodes in the industrial era. The statue’s designer, Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, had drawn his inspiration in his 1855 visit to Egypt where he was astounded by the millennia-old Nubian monuments. The statue he had in mind was supposed to sit on the Suez Canal as a representation of an “Egyptian carrying the light to Asia.” However, Egypt had different plans for the development of its canal and so Bartholdi took his inspiration back to Europe and transformed his idea into “Lady Liberty Enlightening the World.”
Arab American Hero
Now let’s fast forward a bit into the 20th century which takes us to the first war the United States fought against communism in asia: the Korean War. Did you know the war’s very first ace fighter pilot’s family hailed from Lebanon?
During the month of May in 1951 sprang forward the very first ace combat fighter of the war, Captain James Jabara. The Oklahoma born son of a Lebanese immigrant, Captain Jabara gained national fame for his outstanding career in the air force which continued into the Korean War after fighting in World War II. A particularly memorable story of Jabara occurred in March of 1944 as his squad was attacked by 50 Messerschmitt Bf-109 fighters while guiding American bombers into Germany. His canopy was shot off during the dogfight, but Jabara still managed to shoot down a fighter despite the fact they were 10,000 feet above the ground where the temperature had reached below 0. Captain Jabara was tragically killed in a car accident in 1966 along with his daughter after he had volunteered for combat duty in Vietnam. His gravestone sits alongside the fallen American heroes in Arlington National Cemetery.
This 4th of July while gazing at fireworks or barbecuing some meat, it’s important to remember that the United States has, in its ideal form, been a nation built on the best history has offered us and the Arab world has historically been a place with much to offer in this respect. Happy Independence day!