Some Cultural Differences

Names

Arabs traditionally do not have last names parallel to our family names. Each extended family has a name, of course, and in recent times that name has come to be used as a last name, especially in Western circles where last names are an absolute requirement.

An Arab woman does not take her husband's family name, but in formal situations gives her own and her father's names. Nawal, who is married to Hussein, is formally Nawal Ali Nasser, Nawal the daughter of Ali of the Nasser family. For Western purposes Hussein uses the name Hussein Al-Jamil, Hussein of the Al-Jamil family. Their son Nizar is Nizar Hussein Al-Jamil. Their daughter Amira is Amira Hussein Al-Jamil.

Many Arab men have what seem to be double names, like Abdel-Rahman and Abdel-Hakim. These are described in detail in the section on language.

Many Arab names are taken from the Old Testament, and have parallels with our Old Testament names. For example, Ibrahim = Abraham, Yahya = John, Dawud = David, Yusuf = Joseph. Issa or Eisa is parallel to Jesus, and is a very common name among Muslim men. Miriam, or Maryam, is parallel to Mary, and can be a Muslim feminine name.

Alcohol

Alcohol is forbidden by Islam, although a good many Arabs drink, just as a good many Mormons or Baptists drink. In some Arab countries, the possession of alcohol is strictly forbidden to everyone. In other countries, like Iraq, it is legal and available to foreigners. Fundamentalist Muslims shun alcohol.

Food

Arab food is very good, with a preponderance of lamb and a heavy use of oil and spices; it is pleasantly spicy, without being hot, and has much in common with Greek, Turkish, and Persian food. Rice combined with vegetables and meat is quite common. Arabs, like their fellow Semites the Jews, do not eat pork; they should be warned that hot dogs might contain pork and that some of the options available at fast food places might contain bacon.

Many Arabs prefer to buy meat from halal butchers, i.e., butchers who sell meat only from animals that have been slaughtered according to Koranic ritual. Any area that has a Muslim community, whether Pakistani, Afghan, or Arab, is likely to have at least one halal butcher. Kosher meat is also acceptable to some Muslims, as it is slaughtered in approximately the same way.

Hospitality is a cherished Islamic tradition.

Cross-gender Behavior

It has long been known in university circles that young Arab men have to be overtly taught that, although American women have much more freedom than Arab women do, this does not mean that an American woman is automatically loose or immoral. This is, understandably, a hard lesson for them to learn, especially for those from rural backgrounds, mainly because cross-gender platonic friendships almost never occur in Iraqi society: Just about any friendly overture on the part of an American woman to an Iraqi man will be interpreted as a sexual or romantic advance. The situation is further confusing as the young men observe American couples expressing affection in public, which, as we mentioned earlier, is never done in Arab society.

The differences between American and Iraqi society with regard to cross-gender friendships is frequently frightening to young Iraqi women (and sometimes older ones as well). You might find them to be very shy and hesitant to go out alone, speak up in class, or make friends.

Hospitality

Hospitality is a cherished Islamic tradition, and anyone who has lived in an Islamic country for any length of time has a store of personal experiences of hospitality extended freely and lovingly, without any expectation of return. Your Arab refugees might be puzzled at our American customs involving the necessity of invitations and giving notice before we visit. An Iraqi family might issue a general invitation, not realizing that they must pin down a specific time and place, then sit at home socially isolated and lonely, wondering why Americans are so unsociable.

They might also insist on paying in restaurants and on other occasions, to the point of spending more than they can afford. You might overtly explain how Americans tend to keep informal track of whose turn it is to pick up the check. You might also explain the many ways that friends with less can "repay" friends with more, for example by hosting an inexpensive picnic rather than an expensive restaurant meal, or by exchanging a handmade gift for a store-bought one.

Religion

As we mentioned above, religion plays a very important part in the lives of Arabs, and the existence of God and the necessity for religion is taken for granted. Some of the refugees—particularly those from rural areas—might be confused by the number of Americans who do not follow a religion and are vocal about not believing in God, yet are well-behaved, accepted members of society.

Friday

In Islam, Friday is parallel to our Sunday in that Arabs are expected to go to the mosque on Fridays to pray and to hear a sermon. The weekend in many Arab countries consists of Thursday and Friday; in Iraq it is just one day, Friday.

Dress

Most Iraqis are familiar with Western dress and will have no trouble adapting, although they might be scandalized at the amount of flesh we bare in the summer. Even older women accustomed to appearing in public in an 'abaya and hair cover will probably adapt quickly. Young adults might shock their parents by dressing less modestly than their parents would like, but the dress habits of one's children appear to be a universal problem.

Knowledge of English

Because of Iraq's connections with Britain over the last century, English has for some time been the Western language of choice among Iraqis. Most educated Iraqis will have at least a limited ability to speak English, although it might turn out that they read much more than they can say or understand. Those who have studied English in Iraq will gain conversational English relatively quickly if they are given opportunities to use the English they have learned.

The Cultural Orientation Project--http://www.culturalorientation.net, for more information contact sanja@cal.org
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