I recently pointed out on a popular Objectivist Forum that most Muslims are not Arab and in the United States, most Arabs are not Muslims. The reaction to that was similar to the reaction this statement usually garners. It was received with indignant incredulity and a demand for sources.

Most people assume there is little distinction between Arabs and Muslims. It is the reason educators, politicians, media news people and commentators all repeat ignorant expressions like "Arab Terrorism." Many terrorists are Arabs—all of the Palestinian terrorists and the perpertrators of 9-11, for example. But many terrorists are not Arabs—Bali for example. But all the terrorists are Muslims.

Some quick comments, then the sources:

• There are Billion or more Muslims in the world.

• There are 70 Muslim countries but only 14 of them are Arab countries.

• The largest Muslim country in the world is Indonesia.

• Not all Middle East countries are Arab. Iran, for example, is not an Arab country (the people are Persians) and Turkey is not an Arab country, (the people are Turkish). ...and Afghanistan is not a Arab country.

• 75% of Arab Americans are Christians.

• Only 12% of American Muslims are Arabs.

• Fun fact; Arabs and Jews are closer to each other in ethnic origin than either is to any other people. They are both Semitic. (Not sourced below, but common knowledge.)

• Terrorism today is not an Arab phenomenon, and not a cultural phenomenon, it is an ideological phenomenon, and the ideology is Islam.

Source—Adherents.com

There are 1 billion (between 900 million and 1.3 billion, best estimate) Muslims in the world.

Source—The Muslim World

There are currently 70 Muslim countries. Only 14 of those countries are Arab countries. The largest Muslim country in the world is Indonesia.

Source—Detroit News

Facts about Arabs and Muslims

• 75 percent of Arab-Americans are Christians.
• Only 18 percent of the world's Muslim population lives in the Middle East.
• Indonesia, with more than 225 million people, is the largest Islamic country. More than 190 million of the Southeast Asian nation's people are Muslims.

Source—Islam 101

(Islam 101 is an Islamic site.)

Ethnic Grouping	Population 1000 (1990)	Percent of Total Muslim Population	Definition of Terms
African- American	2,100	42.0	Those persons of African descent native to the United States of America.
South Asians	1,220	24.4	Those of Indian/Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, or Afghan descent now residing in the United States as citizens or permanent residents.
Arabs	620	12.4	People from Arabic-speaking countries of the Middle East and North Africa who are permanent residents or citizens of the United States.
Africans	260	5.2	People from the African continent who are citizens or permanent residents of the United States
Iranians (Persians)	180	3.6	People of Persian descent, usually from Iran, who are citizens or permanent residents.
Turks	120	2.4	People of Turkish descent who are citizens ro permanent residents.
South East Asians	100	2.0	People of Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Indochina, or the Phillippines
American Whites	80	1.6	Those of West European descent, who are native to the United States
East Europeans	40	0.8	People from various regions of Eastern Europe.
Other	280	5.6	All other groups.
Totals	5,000	100