Talk:Melkite

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The fact remains that Melkites -- and, for that matter, Lebanese and Syrians of all confessions -- consider themselves Arabs, are recognized as Arabs by Arabic nations and speak Arabic. To assert otherwise is a futile attempt to deny reality.

[edit] non-Arab Middle East Christians

I think people should have a look at the doings of some anti-Arab Christian activists at the Assyrian-related articles. They even designed a totally inaccurate and propagandist Syriacs box, mentioning Maronites and Melkites as "Syriacs", thus non-Arabs, which I proposed for deletion here. Pylambert 23:07, 15 February 2006 (UTC)

I don't know how you make unfounded claims and politicize history when it is widely known and factually proven that the roots of the people who dwelled on the east Mediterranean coast are not related to anything Arab. Phonenicians, Canaanites, Maronites, Melkites, and others have through ages adopted a spreading Arabic language. That doesn't mean that they are Arabs, and recognizing their origins at least in their religious celebrations doesn't make them "activists" or "propagandists".04/24/2006

I thought the whole point of the term "Melchite" was to indicate the royal lineage of David, hence the root "melech" or "molokh". The discussions and article reinforce such a pan-Semitic interpretation. [hyprcption 5-24-06]

I'm afraid that's a folk etymology, which is far more appealing than the truth — the name refers to those in Egypt and Syria who remained loyal to the imperial church. — Gareth Hughes 12:40, 25 May 2006 (UTC)