• disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    Oxford defines a Muslim as a person who follows the religion of Islam. That’s accurate. Based on my comment, I think you may be comparing it to the ethnicity of Jews. There actually is a scientific difference, one is a religion, while the other is a religion and a genealogical ethnicity, and it absolutely can be confusing.

    My ex and I both did DNA testing a few years ago. Hers came back as 99.8% Ashkenazi Jew. Her family emigrated from Russia when the Jews were chased out by the Bolsheviks. Some may consider that Russian ancestry. Scientifically, it’s not. She’s genealogically Jewish. It even has bearing on efficacy of certain medical treatments and hereditary health.

    https://blog.23andme.com/articles/ashkenazi-ancestry-and-health

    So someone could be genealogically Jewish and not practice Judaism, like 45% of Israeli Jews who are non-secular, or someone could practice Judaism without being of Jewish ethnicity. I hope that helps clarify some of the confusion.

    Always down for a pleasant, healthy, and civil conversation. Sorry I fell asleep on you. Haha