Deadly Identities

In the text, Deadly Identities, by Lebanese writer, Amin Maalouf, the writer explains his way of defining one’s identity and writes to all people having deadly identities, not to force others to label their identities, if they have been raised by two violently opposed cultures. Maalouf rejects the fact that a man’s identity is prioritized basically on religion and nationality. He also comments that people with dual-identities are not obliged to choose or separate between their two origins. The author’s premise in the text is that one’s identity does not have any certain limits or borders, but insists that an individual’s identity consists of all the components that have influenced his or her life.
In his text, Maalouf acknowledges the dangers of asking someone to explicitly define his or her identity along religious, ethnic or national terms. What was dangerous to the writer was the common attitude that the majority of the world has when distinguishing their real character. Most people feel like there is a belonging deep inside of each and every one of us, that “so-called belonging” has been passed on to us and will never change, it has been nourished with us ever since birth and it forces us to choose one identity over another. This outlook is what Maalouf identifies as dangerous.because. I certainly agree with Mr. Maalouf description of this speculative attitude. In my opinion, questioning a dual-identity of their genuine belonging is malignant, because it induces many dangers to an individual’s personal and social life and impels one to believe that a man’s identity is composed only of his nationality and religion.
On various occasions I have questioned myself if there is really an identity I belong to more than the other, which ethnic group has accepted me more? What country do I most fit in? There are times I favor my Arab side more than my American side and sometimes my American side over my Lebanese. In many occurrences I worry that I am misfit in this