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Problems with Arab Culture Arab Humiliation by jdcinsf@aol.com America get out of Iraq! The chants have begun. Why? I'm wondering if anyone has information or know about the Arab cultural humiliation motives. If so, please respond. I'm very interested in this subject. As an ancient people there are cultural misgivings and rules to social interaction that differ greatly from other civilizations. One of these is the Arab humiliation that I think is somewhat like what we call here in America 'disrespect.' However this humiliation goes much deeper. When living in the Middle East there are all sorts of cultural things you are NOT to do because they might cause disrespect to an Arab. These cultural things seem to have developed over centuries of a male dominant world. The customs seem to help eliminate the male ego-bashing and de-masculinization of a person in a public situation. For instance: Arab men will stand much closer to one another in casual business and social meetings. As an American, if you may draw back from this closeness. The move can be interpreted as a rebuff or rejection of what is being said. It can cause shame on the Arab. Arabs traditionally use the right hand for all public functions - including shaking hands, eating, drinking, and passing objects to another person. Using your left hand is an insult and if done around many other men can bring much humiliation on your Arab friend. The sole of your feet are considered unclean and can easily cause social humiliation. It is impolite to point the sole of the foot at the person to whom you are speaking. You must always be aware of how the bottoms of your feet are pointed when crossing your legs or raising them in anyway. You should never touch another person with the sole of your foot or shoe. When it comes to the conflicts that western Nations have with Arab countries. There is a religious and cultural form of humiliation that the West seems to always inflict on an Arab country. Unfortunately this shame that occurs can only be retaliated by jihad, or a holy war against the intruder. Arab culture is all about avoiding this social shame. The social response to shame is: Shame must be avoided. If shame strikes then it must be hidden. If shame is exposed to the society, it must be avenged. To the Arab people, shame struck in many ways. The American's, considered infidels, have freed Iraq from a dictator who they themselves could not remove. The world saw this and has brought great humiliation on the society. The American's have begun to occupy cities and police Arabs. This again is seen as a great form of humiliation. The Koran teaches that the only way to erase this shame is through revenge. This might help to explain why Islamic Fundamentalists are motivated to wage their war against America. Even by being in Iraq, America has brought a great shame upon the Arabs. Their response will be to avenge and develop more terrorist activities against those who brought this humiliation upon them. by Cherrie Lynn Lipsett Re: post by jdcinsf@aol.com Thank you for your input on Arab culture. I think all cultures have their habits. I also feel that one when living or communicating with a different culture should learn about and be respectful of that cultures customs. I really liked what you said about the customs seem to help eliminate the male ego-bashing and de-masculinization of a person in a public situation. This is something which Caucasian males should learn and maybe some Caucasian females also who have grown up mostly with males and have learned Caucasian male tactics to get by. We say the Arab world gave us Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein but it was the Caucasian world that gave us Napoleon and Hitler and I don't think Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein have together done the damage to the world that either Napoleon or Hitler have done taken as individuals. We also forget that the Chinese gave us gunpowder. They however used it for beauty- the creation of fireworks - while the Caucasian male used it for even more violent killing. The Caucasian male invented nuclear energy and used it first for evil- the killing of many civilians when the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. I have often wondered why Caucasian males( or some not all or even most any more) want to kill and find ways of killing more with less. I think it boils down to some males wanting ultimate power. But any dictator that has been beheaded in the past (the French revolution, the Russian revolution) can tell you the ultimate power lays in the hands of the masses. I do not understand why societies, especially Caucasian dominated societies allow such power hungry men to rise to the top of the heap. by Trevor Batten re: Cherrie's post "cherrie lynn lipsett" <cherrie9@intercorp.com> wrote: "I have often wondered why Caucasian males( or some not all or even most any more) want to kill and find ways of killing more with less." For some time, I had contact with a Russian (Siberian) student -who claimed that the monotheistic religions had something essentially fascist in them (the belief in only one god). He believed that other cultures killed for survival -while western culture killed for ideological reasons. Although I felt I could understand what he might be saying (although I don't know enough about other cultures to know if his remarks were justified) I did not agree with putting the blame (if any was due) on the nature of the religious dogma (although I would not claim that this was totally unimportant). If one thinks of how a fox will kill to eat -but will kill a whole hen house if it gets the chance -it would seem (in his terms) that a fox becomes Christian (or Caucasian, in Cherrie's terminology) when chickens are put in a hen house. I find this difficult to believe -and find it easier to explain through "technology: -i.e. the fox kills whenever it gets the cchance and the hen house gives it extreme possibilities not found in the wild. Nevertheless, I do feel something inherently fascist buried inside Western culture. A willingness to destroy anything that one does not understand -a fear (and perhaps hatred) for anything that does not fit in. I can imagine that there is evidence that other cultures (the Ottoman, Caliphic or Persian empires, for example) were more tolerant than ours. Neither the Crusades or the Inquisition are advertisements for a superior culture -rather the reverse.... Personally, I blame it all on the Roman empire -which gave us the image of universal law and order -with a bunch of dangerous barbarians outside the gates. by Sophia Barkat Re: post by jdcinsf@aol.com I have to disagree with you. Having grown up in Bangladesh and a Muslim - though I am agnostic by choice which ain't that much fun either - I saw all the Arab Customs you spoke about. They are in my culture too. And part of every Muslim's life. The right hand is used for "good things" because in those days they did not have toilet paper. Frankly, people still use water and not toilet paper to clean themselves. And so right-hand is a matter of hygiene. ;-) (don't worry...we use soap) Raising the feet in awkward ways - for e.g. in someone's face, or in someone's direction - is considered impolite. As for "social shame" who should be happy to be put to shame? I can understand why the Iraqis want the US out of their country. It's the same as why they rejoiced when Saddam was ousted. They want the right to choose thier own political leaders and they don't want to be told whom to pick by Bush Jr. I really wonder what Americans would do if their country was held hostage by some super power. They would probably enjoy it from everything I am hearing. And it would not hurt them to see the invaders walking the streets with weapons and tanks. No. This is what American Democracy is all about, I guess. As for Jihad. It means Perseverance. And everyone should rise against oppressors of human rights, not just Iraqis or Arabs. And it should be irrespective of what the Oppressing Power looks like, says it stands for. No one denies that Having no Saddam is good. But I don't want a US-Puppet govt. in Iraq again - which Saddam was in the early days. Get out of the Middle East I say to all thieves and oppressors and that includes Saddam, Sharon, Bush Jr., and any other politician who would curb the rights of humans for thier own good. by Hairy1997@aol.com Re: post by jdcinsf@aol.com I have an online friend who left Iraq in 1974 with his family. He still has some family there. He lives in London. When the statue of Saddam came down he said he shrieked and hurrahed and even swore mightily over and over. The people who heard him were perplexed because he is usually a very quiet person. He is so very happy Saddam is gone. He tells me that in the 24 years that Saddam was in power he has killed 2 million Iraqis. He says 230 per day! He says the war is good and he loves the Americans. He doesn't like Bush and his cronies though, but, he says, this is one time Bush's wishes and the Iraqis, though different, come together to please both sides. Both want Saddam gone. Even though we disagree about the war we respect one another and consider each other friends. by Trevor Batten Re: post by Hairy1997@aol.com I'm afraid I get really pissed off with all this bullshit! America did not invade Iraq to rid the country of Saddam for the good of the Iraqi people! Even if we forget all conspiracy theories about Israel (despite reports that America now wishes to have four military bases in Iraq -so it can reduce forces in Saudi Arabia, where they are no longer wanted) -and we forget the oil business and any other dubious theories -the official reason for invading Iraq was to improve American security by breaking terrorist links he was assumed to have and by destroying the weapons of mass destruction he was assumed to have! If America was concerned about human rights for Iraqis, then it should have pursued Saddam for infringements of those rights through the international criminal process -such as happened to Milosovic. However, the US government is opposed to the UN, and to the International Criminal Court. In this latter case, they claim to believe that individual countries can fight international injustice better than international institutions. However, as far as I know, America has made no formal attempt to indict Saddam under American, or any other law. Instead America seems to prefer assassination attempts (by dropping heavy bombs on civilian targets, simply because they "believe" that he is present). I'm afraid your friend has been sold a red herring. The removal of Saddam in exchange for the acceptance of American cultural, political, commercial and military domination of the area. Personally, I believe your friend would have been wiser to have supported more legal means of opposing dictators in general -ways which could have lead to the liberation of Iraq in a more organized (if not more peaceful) way. I find it completely amazing how people can be pleased with the Americans for removing Saddam -without being angry with them for supporting him in the first place! by jdcinsf@aol.com Re: Trevor's post It is exactly the Arab humiliation psychology that won't let the People of Iraq see the coalition in ANY other way than as an invader. Other cultures would negotiate and work with, in order to repair their home and get a head start on building a new government. Responding negatively will only result in a negative action. by Sophia Barkat Re: jdcinsf@aol.com I won't say a thing if the US leaves and the Iraqis have thier democracy. I don't trust the plutocracy in US or the UN to do peacekeeping or liberate nations. History is proof. I am also waiting for democracy in America. And I don't mean Democrats in power. I mean a government that does not do the bidding of the Defense lobby. by Trevor Batten Re: Sophia's post I'd be happy with a civilized society in America -where poor blacks weren't executed because they can't afford a hot shot lawyer -where gun law has been replaced by less primitive methods (both in international politics and in internal policing) -and if people were also educated to think, instead of conditioned to buy things, then I guess I'd be as happy as an Iraqi watching a statue of Saddam being pulled down........ |
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