Similar advise given to soldiers in 1943 and 2003 about Iraq
June 14th, 2007 by Double Tap
Wired.com has a soldier’s guide to Iraq, circa 1943. Turns out, American G.I.s were fighting the Germans in that neck of the woods. Some highlights from the guide, with emphasis mine:
- NEVER discuss religion or politics or women with Moslems.
- Don’t stare at anyone. Remember the fear of the “evil eye”.
- Knock before entering a private house. If a woman answers, wait until she has had time to retire.
- If you see grown men walking hand in hand, ignore it. They are not queer.
- You can usually tell a mosque by its high tower. Keep away from mosques. [Emphasis in the original] If you try to enter one, you will be thrown out, probably with a severe beating.
- There are four towns in Iraq which are particularly sacred to the Iraq Moslems: Kerbala, Najaf, samarra, and Kadhiman. Unless you are ordered to these towns it is advisable to stay away from them.
- Moslems here are divided into two factions something like our division into Catholic and Protestant denominations — so don’t put in your two cents when Iraqis argue about religion.
- There are also political differences in Iraq that have puzzled diplomats and statesmen. You won’t help matters any by getting mixed up in them.
And then there’s this:
- American success or failure in Iraq may well depend on whether the Iraqis (as the people are called) like American soldiers or not. It may not be quite that simple. But then again it could.
Yeah, no kidding.
They then make a comparison with the guide that was given to many American soldiers during the invasion of 2003:
- There is little virtue in a frank exchange. Getting down to business may always occur at a later meeting or a more informal setting such as dinner.
- Arabs, by American standards, are reluctant to accept responsibility… if responsibility is accepted and something goes wrong, the Arab is dishonored.
- Arabs operate by personal relations more than by time constraints.
- Arabs do not believe in upward mobility or social status; they gain status by being born in the right family.
- Arabs do not shake hands firmly. If an Arab does not touch you, it usually means that he does not like you.
- It is said that the Arab likes to feel your breath in their face. As you back away, the Arab will continue to shuffle forward. This is known as the “diplomatic shuffle.”
- An Arab sees friendships with anyone outside the family as meaning, “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.”
For another interesting look at Arabic life, written by an Arab, go here.
(H/T - Blackfive)
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This is quite fascinating - that’s for sharing it.