Arabization or Arabisation ( ) describes either a conquest of a non-Arab area and migration of Arab settlers into the new domain or a growing Arab influence on non-Arab populations, causing a gradual adoption of
Arabic language and/or incorporation of
Arab culture and Arab identity. It was most prominently achieved during the 7th century Arabian
Muslim conquests, in which Arab armies were followed by massive tribal migration into the Muslim-occupied territories across Middle East and North Africa, spreading the Arabic culture, language, and in some cases Arab identity upon conquered nations. Arabian Muslims, as opposed to
Arab Christians, brought the religion of
Islam to the lands they conquered. The result: some elements of
Arabian origin combined in various forms and degrees with elements taken from conquered civilizations and ultimately denominated "
Arab". The Arabization continued also in modern times, being aggressively carried by the
Ba'athist regimes of
Iraq and Syria, Sudan, Mauritania, Algeria and Libya, enforcing policies of expanding
colonial Arab settlements, expulsion of non-Arab minorities and in some cases enforcement of Arab identity and culture upon non-Arab populations. Some also claim that the aggressive persecution of non-Arab minorities by the terror group
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant is Arabization.