A Marine Corps primer on cultural sensitivity in Arab lands

The following appeared in the "Readings" section of Harper's in June of 2004. I find it interesting (and encouraging, actually) that the Marine Corps is offering cultural sensitivity tips not unlike one might find in the front of a Lonely Planet guide to the Middle East.

[Etiquette]
SEMPER SENSITIVE

From a handout that accompanies a weeklong course on Iraq's customs and history given to U.S. Marines as part of their training. The course, de­vised by the Marine Corps Division Schools, was introduced last September with the intention of im­proving relations between Iraqis and U.S. forces.

GREETINGS

Handshakes given at introduction and when leaving. Handshakes may be loose or limp wristed. Iraqis will hold the handshake for longer than U.S. Do not pull away. Females may just touch the fingertips, but generally no contact between men and women.

If Arabs do not touch someone they meet, they either do not like the person or are re­straining themselves because they think the person is unaccustomed to being touched.

To kiss the forehead, nose, or right hand of the person shows extreme respect.

Courtesy is valued and is not a weakness.

General rule: Treat every Iraqi as if he were a colonel.

PHYSICAL CONTACT

Touching among same sex is not considered homosexual. Good friends often hold hands as a sign of friendship.

They keep no distance between individuals, even when sitting.

If you move back they will just close the dis­tance again.

GESTURES

To signal a vehicle to stop, place arm in front of you, palm down, and then move entire arm up and down. If you simply face the palm toward a person, it means hello, not stop, as in America.

"That's enough, thank you" — patting heart a few times.

The thumbs-up used to be obscene, but chil­dren are accepting it and using it.

They also know the thumbs-down.

The okay sign that Americans make is con­sidered bad. It is an evil eye.

HOSPITALITY

Arabs are very generous and will do anything possible to be good hosts. You may be judged on how well you accept their hospitality.

Gifts may be given when you arrive at a meeting, etc., but are not important. The host will not make a fuss over it and will never open it in front of you. A good gift has no practical value and little commercial value; a fancy gift is like saying to the recipient, "I knew you couldn't afford this, so I bought it for you."

Always accept beverages or anything offered to you.

Food is given in large proportions.

Coffee being served means: meeting over.

RESPECT

Respect and courtesy show strength and masculinity.

Look into eyes (no sunglasses to be worn when speaking to Iraqis).

Show no fear, stand your ground.

Loyalty is important, so speaking badly about your unit, commanding officer, or America will cause you to lose their respect.

Family is the cornerstone of Arab society. Arabs value family honor, and their personal ac­tions and achievements reflect the entire family.

Women hold the honor of the family, and therefore you should not stare or try to interact with them. A simple verbal greeting will suffice.

Do not ask men how their women are doing; instead, ask how the family is.

Showing family pictures is a good way to open relations. Arab women do not show arms or legs, and a picture of your wife in shorts will say to an Arab that you do not re­spect women.

Problems can often be solved by talking to the senior member of the group and asking him what he would do. For example, if your Iraqi students are falling asleep in a patrolling class, ask him what he would do if "hypothetically" his students didn't pay attention. The problem will probably go away quickly.

The group will set the tone/pace, not indi­vidual accomplishments. Arabs do not want to outdo the other guy, so they may hold back to stay with the group.

Do not shame or humiliate a man in public. Shaming a man will cause him and his family to be anti-Coalition.

The most important qualifier for all shame is for a third party to witness the act. If you must do something likely to cause shame, remove the person from view of others.

Shame is given by placing hoods over a de­tainee's head. Avoid this practice.

Placing a detainee on the ground or putting a foot on him implies you are God. This is one of the worst things we can do.

Arabs consider the following things unclean:

Feet or soles of feet.

Using the bathroom around others. Unlike Marines, who are used to open-air toilets, Arab men will not shower/use the bathroom together.

Bodily fluids (because of this they love tissue paper).

LAW

Spilling blood in a mosque is considered the highest crime.

The penalty for rape is death.

REALITY

May exaggerate to sound more appealing.

Arabs do not believe in cause and effect but rather in isolated incidents or the will of Allah. Speeding on a winding road did not cause the wreck, Allah willed it to happen, etc.

Small problems with a plan will mean termi­nating the entire plan.

Arabs perceive problems as someone's plot to make their life more unpleasant. We may view this as paranoia.

MISCELLANEOUS

Arabs make group decisions. Do not try to force an individual to make a decision without consulting the group first. If forced to make a quick decision without consulting with others, they feel no commitment to abide by it.

Safety is a foreign concept (everything hap­pens because of Allah).

Amount of facial hair is considered directly proportional to religious faith.
They never forget a wrong done to them or a good deed done for them.

Posted by Rolf on July 23, 2004 08:52 PM