Lies are very common among Arabs, and the truth is not worth much to them ... An Arab does not feel remorse if, thanks to a lie, he achieves his goal ... He listens more to feeling than to facts, is more interested in impressing than telling anything true. Moreover, the Arabic language gives its speaker the possibility of exaggeration.
sociologist Saniya Hamadi. "Character and Temperament of the Arabs"
The Arab is forced to exaggerate in almost all forms of communication in order to be properly understood. If an Arab says only what he thinks, without the exaggeration expected of him, the listeners will doubt his innocence and even suspect him of completely opposite intentions.
Egyptian scholar Ali Shubi
Arab culture is completely different than ours. In our culture, the spoken word obliges, but in Arabic it decorates. The word in this case is intended not for communication, but for ornament. Enter the mosque and you will see decorations woven from letters - this is the letter and verbal function in the Muslim understanding.
Shimon Peres
No Arab has yet admitted that he made a mistake, that he was to blame for the failure of the battle, that he did not calculate his strength. The Arabs, with whom I communicated and fought in their ranks for 7 years, always someone else is to blame for their troubles.
Lawrence of Arabia
In order to accept Islam, one needs atrophy of the psyche, a willingness to live like an ant or a bee that does not have its own will and its own personal appearance.
Lawrence of Arabia. "Records of Memory"
The Israelis do not understand why the Arabs are constantly demanding this or that gesture and concessions in their favor, and their demands are constantly growing. Because in their cultural baggage, the concept of "I owe you" simply does not exist. As soon as you conceded something to me, this is only proof that you are a weakling, you have no choice, that power, and therefore right, is on my side, and therefore I rely on more and more.
They will not hate you more if you show them your strength - on the contrary, they will begin to respect you.
Moshe Feiglin. WHERE THERE ARE NO PEOPLE
For the psychology of the Arabs, the absence of retribution is synonymous with the absence of courage and determination. They themselves can refuse revenge only because of fear, and they will not accept any other explanation.
psychologist Vadim Rotenberg. "ONLY ONE QUESTION"
The Christian cross has four ends: the top symbolizes good, the bottom - evil, the right - strength, the left - weakness.
The Muslim crescent has only two ends: strength and weakness.
Good is where there is strength, and evil is associated with weakness.
Because Islam is based on materiality, it has developed an anti-productive culture. Why plant a tree whose fruits I will not enjoy?
When there is no good and evil, the only criterion for development is direct benefit.
An Arab does not steal or rob - he just makes a living. The Arab states will never have a developed economy, wherever they go, the desert will come.
Arabs plunder not only matter, but also spirituality.
The mosque on the Temple Mount has no value for Islam, the Temple Mount itself has been abandoned for centuries, which can be clearly seen from the old photographs. It only became sacred to Muslims when they stole it from the Jews.
The tomb of Yosef was of interest to the Arabs like last year's snow, when it was under their rule, but as soon as it was taken from the Jews, a mosque was immediately built there and the place was declared sacred.
They do not have their own holiness, so even they have to steal it.
Moshe Feiglin. "World War"
* * *
Arabs are characterized by industriousness, in which there is no discipline and scrupulousness, lack of initiative and enterprise, carelessness and carelessness in relation to the future, increased reactivity, impulsiveness, intemperance in the manifestation of their feelings and emotions;
- a tendency to exaggeration in assessments of the surrounding reality, not so much a logical understanding of the information received, but a special attention to the form of presentation and the eloquence of the speaker;
- the spread of superstitions and prejudices;
- arrogance and rudeness in the relationship of the highest to the lowest,
- ostentatious subservience in the speech and manners of behavior of the lower in relation to the higher.
Vladimir Krysko. "Secrets of Psychological Warfare"
So, imagine the main street of a small Arab city on a hot summer day. On the spacious loggia of one of the most beautiful houses in the city, a wealthy merchant lay down to rest after a hearty dinner, sweetly yawning in anticipation of the usual afternoon “keyf”. But suddenly the ears of the rich man hear the sharp cries of the boys who started a ball game right under his windows. An angry merchant rises from the couch and tries to shout and threaten to drive the troublemakers away from his home. But the boys are not going to run away, openly mocking the owner and his threats. And then the merchant embarks on a trick. Having mastered himself and grinning into his mustache, he informs the noisy boys in a casual tone of fresh "news":
“By the way, while you’re chasing the ball around here, free dates are being handed out in the marketplace ...” As you might expect, the boys are blown away from the street where the rich man lives, and he, terribly pleased with himself and his deceit, tries to take a nap. But a minute later the cunning Arab jumps up, as if scalded, from his bed and, clutching his head, shouts: “Well, what an ass I am! While I'm lying here, the damned boys will grab all the free dates!
This parable, like a drop of water, reflects one of the main features of the Arab national psychology - the ability to create vivid myths out of nothing and then devoutly believe in them, hating anyone who dares to doubt their reality. Conversely, any "genuine" phrase uttered by an Arab in conversation, or an oath, confirmed by his own signature and seal in any written document, means absolutely nothing.
Islamic terror arose not as a reaction to the Arab-Israeli conflict or the politics of the West, it was the result of the rejection by a significant part of the Arabs of the laws of the modern world as a whole. The Arab peoples feel humiliated by their inability to respond to the challenges of the time, the Arab mentality cannot adapt to the pace and rhythm of the life of the modern world - and the return to the norms of medieval Islam is the only way for them to resist the inevitable loss in the competition of civilizations.
Princeton University professor Michael Doran
“In the simplest way, quite in the spirit of the time and in accordance with the prevailing methods of proof from tradition (“naklyan”), it was possible to justify the admissibility of deception by referring to the Holy Scripture - the Koran, writes A. Ignatenko. - The book provides a wealth of material for this. So, there is a whole series of "verses" (Qur'anic verses) in which Allah performs "makr" (deceit, cunning, deceit). “And they were cunning, and Allah was cunning, and Allah is the best of cunning” (3:47) ... Allah also resorts to “kayd” (intrigues, deceit): “... after all, My cunning is strong” (7:182); “…because my wiles are strong” (68:45). "They were plotting a trick, and I am plotting a trick" (86:15-16). God,
the above quotes are quite enough, considering that even one word written in the Qur'an on behalf of Allah was and is a mandatory guide to action for a Muslim. We also note that the abundance of Arabic concepts denoting deceit and deceit (makr, kayd, huda, as well as “kizb”, “ibram amran” and many others) cannot be considered a mere accident. So, for example, in the language of the Eskimos of Greenland there are about seventy words denoting snow and ice in a different state, and in the dialect of the Pamir Tajiks the phrase “walking” sounds completely different when it comes to moving up or down, moving across the plain , on a glacier, on a mountain slope, etc. In short, whoever has something hurts talks about it ... And he speaks very brightly and with pleasure.
The Arabs retained the patriarchal customs of their ancestors; they are the very contradiction; they are both cruel and servile, superstitious and enthusiastic, ardent, greedy for faith and fiction; they have retained the youth of the soul and, being obsessed with some idea, are capable of great deeds.
A free, proud, generous Arab can be impudent and quick-tempered; he embodies all the vices and virtues of his nation: the need to constantly attend to his needs makes him active, the many sufferings that he is forced to endure makes him calm. The Arab loves independence - this is his only joy, he hates all power and is ready to fight against it with exceptional cruelty. An Arab is often driven by a sense of revenge. Honor for an Arab is above all. The sword, eloquence and hospitality are what constitute the glory of a nation. The sword for the Arab is the only means to defend his rights; the underdevelopment of writing gives special weight to eloquence, thanks to which disputes can sometimes be resolved peacefully, without the use of weapons; hospitality for an Arab is part of the universal code. Here are Desverger's words:
"Perhaps the most striking feature of the Arab's character is the close interweaving of a penchant for robbery with hospitality, a craving for theft and generosity, cruelty and chivalrous generosity, i.e. a combination of polar opposite qualities. The story of the same Arab causes the listener to repeatedly change feelings of contempt and admiration.It is difficult to understand the character of the Arab, if not seen from the point of view of the conditions of existence of the nation as a whole, isolated from the rest of the world and forced to live on such an ungrateful land.The poverty of the Arab lands justifies the propensity of the Arabs to plunder: deprived of rich pastures and fertile lands the Arabs correct an injustice of fate by force, plundering caravans of goods, they make no distinction between open war and ambush, armed robbery, the robbery of a traveler, is to them as laudable as the capture of a besieged city, as the seizure of foreign territory.
Arabs seldom allow words to betray secret feelings; they are firm in their intentions and terrible in revenge. These are merciless enemies, these are false friends of strangers
These people do not obey momentary impulses, they follow a predetermined system. Having a rather limited mind, but strong will and perseverance, they are capable of such a high social organization that provides them with triumph over enemies and tyrannical power over others.
Arabs are very sensitive to insults, hints, ridicule.
Sometimes they perceive completely innocent actions and words as an insult.
Russian journalist Dmitry Zgersky:
- Where a European perceives criticism in his own address or in
address his country thoughtfully and agree with it, the Arab will be indignant,
get offended, retaliate. In the company of Arabs, as a rule,
will gladly laugh at the Russian Ivanushka the Fool, but any mockery
in the same vein over an Arab fool will be taken as a personal insult
Dostoevsky says that one can learn from the inhabitants of the prison what the people are like. If we judge the Arab people by the prisoners, using Dostoevsky's method, then the picture is ugly: they are all without exception scammers, bigots, all living things are the object of their sexual passions. No less than a woman, they are excited by a man, a teenager, a boy, and even an animal.
An Arab cannot be trusted. It seems that he is your friend, but suddenly the beast wakes up in him, and he may well put a knife in your back. Any attempt to escape is doomed to failure, among those preparing to escape there will definitely be an informer.
Much has been written in Russian literature about the feeling of remorse. An Arab does not grieve too much about the past. What was, was. Repentance won't help. Why repent?
During an afternoon walk, one prisoner hit another on the head with a stone. I saw this picture. In the depths of the yard, two prisoners are sitting and talking peacefully. Suddenly, one of them grabs a stone - the only one in the entire prison yard - and begins to hit his interlocutor on the head with it. Until the very moment when he grabbed the stone, it was impossible to imagine how tragically their conversation would end. There was no transition from idyllic conversation to stone blows to the head. The absence of any transition from idyll to attempted murder is very characteristic of the atmosphere of the East.
First of all, the reaction of the Arab and Jewish prisoners who found themselves around the yard at that time is curious. The Arabs pushed each other aside to testify to an officer who immediately appeared there. The Jewish prisoners, seeing the fight, began to move away from the battlefield, pretending that they had not seen or heard anything.
An Arab of noble origin was brought to trial, who in a field not far from Herzliya raped a beautiful Arab woman and left her there. He was assisted by three of his servants. The accused will receive 15 years in prison. What happened in the field near Herzliya?
In one of the noble Arab families, a beautiful daughter, the pride of the family, grew up. Her father demanded a huge bride price for her, and made it a condition that the groom come from a noble family. A competition began among young people in the district: which of them will get the beauty? Who has more money? Who is of more noble origin? But the father of the beauty is in no hurry. Years go by, and passions among the suitors are heating up more and more. Beauty, meanwhile, "overripe": she is already 22 years old! And her father still hasn't decided who to marry her to. And while he hesitates and ponders, a certain young man takes a decisive step.
A few years ago he was in love with her and wanted to marry her. But now love has been replaced by hate. Hatred for the father of this beauty and for her entire family. So he kidnaps her, rapes her and throws her into a field where jackals howl. And all this means this: "yes, you are really beautiful and your father is proud of you, but I give you a kick in the ass just like I give a kick in the ass to some four-legged one." Such is the way of thinking of the Eastern man of "noble" blood. A young aristocrat walks into prison with his head held high. Years of imprisonment will brighten up the thought that now the father of this girl will have to marry her off without a bride price, because not one of the noble young people wants to marry her.
Arab prisoners are embarrassed by each other if they are not dressed. Obviously, the naked male body excites the sexual instinct in them no less than the naked female body in us. Many Arabs can only urinate when no one is watching. Otherwise, they get nothing. They are not able to urinate if they know that someone is looking at them or even listening. Many Arabs "in the wild" are distinguished by the same sensitivity. But here, in prison, because of the eternal thirst for a normal sexual life, this abnormal sensitivity develops in them beyond all measure. An Arab prisoner will not urinate before going to bed until the other inhabitants of the cell are asleep. He will wait at least half the night to make sure the inmates are asleep.
The Arab is "panerotic". Not only a woman, any living being excites the sexual instinct in him: a man, a child, an animal. A man excites an Arab no less than a woman. And even more - a young man. Do not leave him indifferent and pets
I have always been amazed at how easily and naturally the Arabs lie.
It's not that it surprises me that people lie, it's interesting that this is part of the national character of the people.
This is the skill, predisposition and ability to speak words that not only do not reflect reality, but are often its complete opposite.
Arabs sincerely do not notice the contradictions between the fantasy that they produce in their minds (often without realizing it) and the "facts of reality."
Therefore, in a sense, it is not correct to use the expression “he lies” in relation to an Arab. And in the same way, the words “he tells the truth” are not applicable to him. In any situation, it will be about his fantasy world and, therefore, about what it is beneficial for him to say at the moment.
I wrote this answer, not because I found among the Arabs the features of character noted here, but only because these features are constantly, hourly and everywhere manifested in their behavior. In all habitats.
The nature of an Arab reveals irascibility, lack of culture, complete primitiveness of the social organism, extreme greed for money, dishonesty in trade transactions and treachery.
Indeed, a barely defenseless guest leaves the shelter of his host, as all friendly relations end, unless they are based on kinship and a longer acquaintance. The same Arab who left his entire tent at the disposal of a guest would not consider it a crime to rob him in the desert in the most treacherous way, if only the guest’s luggage seemed to him worthy of attention, and his readiness to defend himself was doubtful.
These contradictions in the nature of the Arab are the result of evolutionary opposite processes: physical, associated with the deterioration of the climate, and hence with increasing poverty, and ethnic, developed in the course of the struggle for life amid extremely unfavorable conditions.
There is still a lot of use from a big friend feed on Facebook. Here, I suddenly found an extremely interesting description of the features of the Arab armies, "tied" to the mentality of the Arabs, in the fredessa's blog Maria Schönbrunn-Amor, historian and writer from Israel. Not only is it informative, but also extremely, for my taste, it looks like some other army well known to me, including from personal experience! Some observations are simply amazing in their accuracy and wit.
"... in the Arab armies there is a very strong desire to remain the sole owner of valuable information. Western instructors very quickly became convinced that information provided to someone for general use will remain hidden from all other military personnel. A technician who has learned to perform complex procedures is not interested in teaching others: he is indispensable until no one else knows how to do it.Being the only one who knows how to use something or explain something gives prestige and authority.For the same reasons, all sorts of technical descriptions, manuals and technical literature are often deliberately not distributed.
The training is dry, does not make you think creatively and does not call for solving problems on your own. Original thinking is not encouraged. Mostly memorization is required, and Arab officers often amaze Western instructors with their memory. Moreover, if the instructor himself climbs into the book, he raises doubts about his competence. But reliance on memory has a price - it is the rejection of analysis and common sense. They also try to avoid competition between individuals, because someone will lose in it, and losing in this culture brings with it humiliation. Measures are being taken in Arab military schools to ensure that senior officers succeed in exams or tests. When asking an officer something in front of strangers, you must first be sure that he knows the answer and will not “lose face”, otherwise it will become clear that you deliberately wanted to frame the person.
The junior officers are well trained in technical aspects, but not trained at all to take initiative and leadership. This is probably the biggest problem of the Arab armies, rooted in the class system and in the cultural characteristics of this society. The spirit of the Arab armies and the disdainful attitude of the command towards ordinary soldiers are greatly ruining.
Discipline is inspired by fear, and where there is no fear, there is no discipline. Training officers guard their high status and prefer not to stoop to training in which they would have to do physical work. In everything related to safety and precaution, absolute indifference rules. Often the regime is indifferent to human losses. As a result, in a combat situation, soldiers cannot rely on their officers.
Orders come down from above, without explanation. Very rarely is an officer ready to make a risky decision on his own. Conformity rules society, and therefore preference is given to loyalty and precise execution of orders. Highly enterprising officers are often seen as dangerous to the regime. Political considerations often outweigh military necessity. Added to this is a terrible bureaucracy and hidden rivalry among the members of the command.
Arab armies are often willing to buy very expensive Western weapons, but their Achilles' heel is maintenance, logistics and training. The use of Western weapons is based on a certain level of education and willingness to bear responsibility. In addition, considerations of prestige and honor do not allow Arab instructors and commanders to admit their difficulties. As a result, high-tech weapons often go unused or fail quickly.
Of course, an individual Arab soldier can be no worse than an Israeli, but no longer at the level of a battalion in the complexity of coordination between infantry, artillery, air force, delivery of supplies and so on. completely change the picture. In a situation where there is no trust in anyone who is not from your family/clan, where there is no trust of soldiers for officers and respect of officers for soldiers, and where officers do not show initiative, it is impossible to conduct successful military operations. If the soldier is not sure that the attack will be supported by fire, and the officer is not ready to lead the attack, the attack will fail.
Officers are promoted not because of their personal qualities, but because of their belonging to a group close to the regime. Complicating cooperation is the fact that everything related to the army is classified, including within the army. The regime does not fully trust its commander-in-chief: any Arab army is a double-edged sword, where one blade is turned to the enemy, and the other to its own capital. And of course, the Arab armies of different countries do not trust each other.
No technology, no money, and even no ideology can fix these problems."
I just want to apply everything that has been said to Syria, to Libya, etc. But we won't, we won't...
UPD. The comments suggested that the text is just a retelling of a well-known article by one American - http://fedin.org/istoriya/pochemu-araby-proigryvayut-vojny.html Checked - yes, it is! Only examples illustrating the theses are omitted. Oh, those Jews... But I'll leave it, we just mean that the brilliant observations and accurate remarks actually belong to one Norvel B. De Atkin. Great author!
Arabs, one of the largest and growing population groups on the globe, belong to the Caucasoid race. The people that formed on the Arabian Peninsula, in a historically short period of time, captured vast territories in Western Asia and North Africa, conquered and for a long time held (at least partially) the Iberian Peninsula in Europe. The Arabs were able to assimilate the local population of most of the territories they conquered. To date, Arabs are the undividedly dominant population in the following Asian countries: Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Jordan, Oman, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, in the Palestinian territories. Asian countries with Arab populations are called Mashriq(in Arabic east). Arab countries of Africa - Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Western Sahara - Maghreb(west). Arabs inhabit the territory of more than 14 million km2.
From west to east, the territory of the Arab countries stretches for more than 7,000 km, and from north to south - about 3,000 km. Several million Arabs live outside the Arab world - in Europe, America, Australia, and the Arab communities of Europe and America are constantly growing. This contributes to the spread of Islam in the economically developed countries of the West. Arab Muslims are exerting increasing pressure on the politics of these countries.
The last decades have become truly "the time of the Arabs." Most modern Arab states, having gained national independence and emerged from direct foreign control, began to develop at an unusually high pace. This “economic miracle” is based on Arab oil, the main energy raw material of the 20th century. As the Arabs say, Allah rewarded them for the long torment and humiliation that they endured for centuries from foreigners. The creation of the State of Israel in 1948, the disintegration of the colonial system of imperialism and the desire of foreign military-political blocs to extend their influence to the Arab world led to the revival of the aggressive spirit of Islam. Arab national identity was asserted in the struggle against European, American or Soviet influence in their countries. One of the forms of such a struggle has become Muslim fundamentalism, which threatens not so much the West as the very ruling (and to a large extent pro-Western) regimes of a number of Arab countries.
Of the huge number of Europeans who lived surrounded by Arabs, perhaps only Lawrence of Arabia came close to understanding their psychology. Most of the Arab mentality does not understand. Most interested in the twentieth century. Jews-Israelis started talking about him. Living side by side with their "half-brothers", the Jews studied the external manifestations of the life of the Arabs, their language and culture. But every time the need arose to sit down at the negotiating table with the Arabs, the problem for the Israeli leadership was a lack of understanding of the underlying processes within the Arab society.
Arabs who migrate to European countries and the United States continue to be the bearers of their culture, trying to impose its elements on their surroundings. The events of September 11, 2001 in the United States forced Europeans and Americans to turn their attention to the problems of Muslim fundamentalism and to engage in a deeper study of the mentality of the Arabs.
Arabs use a common common Arabic literary language. However, along with it, there are Arabic dialects spoken by residents of various localities and countries. Arabian, Iraqi, Syriac, Palestinian variants of the language are distinguished; they are close to each other, but not always to mutual understanding. There are significant elements of pan-Arab culture, manifested in the life, traditions and spiritual life of the Arabs. But at the same time, the cultural characteristics of individual Arab peoples are also very noticeable.
Arabs are mostly Sunni Muslims. Shiites are only part of the Arabs of Iraq, part of the Lebanese Arabs, Ismailis and Zaidis of Yemen. Druze and Alawites stand quite apart from other Muslim Arabs. The Druze live in the mountainous region of Syria - Jebel Druz, in the Golan Heights, occupied by Israel, and in southern Lebanon.
Alawites inhabit the northwestern part of Syria (Latakia region) and the southern part of the Hatay region in Turkey. There are significant Christian Arabs in Egypt (Copts), Lebanon (Maronites, Greek Orthodox and other churches), Syria (Syrian and Greek Orthodox churches) and Jordan (Catholics and Orthodox denominations of Christianity), on the West Bank of the Jordan River (practically all directions of Christianity) (see: Religious structure ..., 2003). In the area of the city of Nablus, a very interesting community of Jewish Arabs, the Arabized descendants of the ancient Jewish population of Palestine, has been preserved.
The population of the Arab countries can be conditionally divided into three main groups: 1) nomads and semi-nomads, 2) rural population, 3) urban residents. The Bedouins (literally - "desert dwellers") were engaged in breeding camels, sheep and goats. During their wanderings, they freely crossed state borders and, therefore, were closer to each other than the settled population of various Arab countries. In the 20th century, thanks to the policy pursued by the majority of Arab countries of transferring nomads to settled life, there was a sharp decrease in the nomadic and semi-nomadic Arab population. The main part of the population of the large Arab countries is currently made up of settled farmers (in Arabic, "fellahs").
The national character is externally manifested in a ritual defined by etiquette (or its violation) (see, in particular: Baiburin, Reshetov, 1988). Bedouin ethics formed the basis of the life of Arab society. And although the Bedouin organization has lost its former influence in most modern Arab countries, many of its moral values that live among the people retain their significance, despite the rapidly changing tastes, habits and sympathies of the population, which is no longer inclined to identify itself with its nomadic ancestors. The Arab community is built along tribal lines. The personality is subordinated to the interests of the family, clan and the whole tribe. According to the Bedouin code, fellow tribesmen are responsible for the behavior of everyone, both within the collective and outside it. Each family strives to prevent situations that are fraught with protracted conflicts, blood feuds, and the deterioration of the social and financial situation of their kind.
The tribal structure of the Arab society repeats the family organization. The Arab family, as a rule, is a large group united by family ties. It is headed by an elderly man and his wife - parents, elders of the family. The family includes married sons, their children, married grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Often, especially in the countryside, they live together, work together, and decide things together. The traditional family is based on the authority of the husband, the head of the family. He is called "master of the family". The relationship between elder and younger brothers is similar to the relationship between a father and sons. Submission and reverence for elders is one of the main virtues of a young man. A son is considered wise if he follows the advice of his elders. Reverence for authority, respect for strength is the traditional way of relations between the people and its leaders in the Arab world.
During the existence of the Israeli state, the intelligence services of this country have repeatedly attempted to infiltrate their agents in neighboring Arab countries. However, the Jewish agents, outwardly no different from the Arabs, who speak excellent Arabic, grew up in an Arab environment, studied all the subtleties of the etiquette and lifestyle of these people, could not infiltrate Arab society in any way: a clear hierarchical structure of society, the cohesion of Arab families and clans instantly allowed to identify elements alien to them. Family relationships and family traditions are the core that permeates the entire society. The family is in the first place among the life values of all Arabs - both Muslims and Christians.
The subordinate position that has been preserved for the majority of Arabs from generation to generation, from century to century, the impact of the Muslim religion, which regulates almost all aspects of people's lives, strengthened in the minds of the Arabs disbelief in their personal transformative capabilities, developed humility and humility. "Inshallah" - "Everything is in the hands of Allah" - is a duty phrase that accompanies any action of an Arab. "God willing" - hope for success. In case of failure - "It was so pleasing to Allah."
Heavy physical labor, the conditions of which have not changed for centuries, the low development of the productive forces taught the Arabs to calmly endure difficulties and hardships, brought up in them unpretentiousness, moderation, high adaptability, patience, which were included in popular sayings: “Patience is the key to joy”, “Patience can destroy mountains”, “Patience keeps what you have”.
In the conditions of a constant struggle for existence, the need to overcome the resistance of nature, the Arabs developed a submissive readiness for hard work, which, however, did not become diligence. Work among the Arabs is not combined with discipline, pedantry and scrupulousness in work. For most workers, the fruits of labor - leisure and recreation - are more important than the actual results of labor. Idleness and laziness are practically not condemned in society. "Bukra" - "tomorrow" - means that the work entrusted to the Arab does not arouse his interest and, most likely, will not be completed in the foreseeable future.
Knowledge workers - theologians and teachers are respected in the Arab society. But in the system of professional priorities of Arab youth, the desire to become a teacher is much inferior to the desire to be a merchant, to occupy bureaucratic positions. According to the majority, only trade or a good official post can provide their owners with a well-fed and secure future.
Arabs are unusually cheerful, many note their kindness, peacefulness, and forbearance. Among all the Arab peoples, I would especially like to single out the Egyptians. According to the author's personal impressions, the cheerfulness of the Egyptians, their sense of humor, the ability to forgive insults know no bounds. One good joke causes fun. A person walking down the street, singing a song in an undertone, after a few steps will hear someone else pick up his melody. These people love holidays and love fun, they have a developed sense of humor. Egyptian cartoonists make such political cartoons with such sharpness that you don't always find them in "free", but "politically correct" European newspapers. Political humor allows itself to encroach on the highest authorities in society. How can one not recall a well-known political anecdote during the reign of Anwar Sadat. An Egyptian comes to the migration service and asks to be sent abroad. "Why?" they ask him. “It's either me or him,” the Egyptian replies, having Sadat as an alternative.
Arabs are expansive and hot-tempered people. They are characterized by increased reactivity and violent nature of actions. Their actions are accompanied by impulsiveness, impulsiveness, incontinence in the manifestation of their feelings and emotions. But their vehemence is light, anger passes quickly. The quarrel that broke out quickly subsides. Arguing Arabs almost never fight among themselves, although in the process of a quarrel they can shower each other with the most terrible threats. Arab gestures are an active assistant in conversation. Gestures are varied and very different in meaning from European ones. Some gestures that seem offensive to Europeans are absolutely harmless to Arabs, and vice versa. The impressionability of most Arabs is high. Depending on the cause and source of excitement, this impressionability either leads them to an extreme degree of delight, or brings them to tears.
In this regard, shots of jubilation among a part of the Palestinians, shown immediately after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, are illustrative. Under conditions when the majority of Europeans or Americans are under stress, an Arab can reach a state of recklessness and commit an ill-considered act, not caring about its consequences. The militancy and "savagery" of the Arabs, as some Europeans imagine it, are separate manifestations of impulsive character.
In the modern Arab peasant, little remains of the former Bedouin. The militancy of the conquering Arabs is in the past. The history of the wars of the twentieth century speaks of the loss of the warlike spirit by the Arab armies. Separate theorists of Islam, standing on militant positions, do not enjoy the broad support of the masses. The modern living space occupied by the Arabs fully satisfies them. Petrodollars provide the society's elite with a more than decent existence. And representatives of the poorest strata of society, thanks to religious ideology, for the most part are accustomed to being content with little.
Arabs are highly sensitive in matters of personal honor. Honor is one of the main components in the system of their spiritual values. The oath of honor is the strongest promise of an Arab. The manifestation of doubt in the sincerity of the words of an Arab who swears on his honor is a deep offense that is remembered for a long time. Constant concern for personal honor has developed among the Arabs certain standards of behavior in society and the team. When doing work for an Arab, its public assessment is more important than the result itself. Fraud and the appearance of activity, which many representatives of this nation love to create, is a common phenomenon in Arab countries. A typical street scene in the Arab East - one works, seven give advice, direct the actions of the worker. Breaking something is an opportunity for most Arabs to show their "competence". It may suddenly turn out that a person who has never held a wrench in his hands knows everything about car repair. Don't we know this too?
One of the most powerful experiences of a trip to the Middle East for most tourists is associated with the generosity and hospitality of the local people. The roots of these qualities lie in the psychology of nomads, their pride and high conceit - character traits that should be respected in every possible way by the interlocutor, emphasized by him in appropriate expressions, manifested in special respect and courtesy. The speech of the Arab is distinguished by politeness, respect for the interlocutor.
When raising a child, we often face many problems that we may not be able to solve. Parenting information can be obtained in a variety of ways. The first is “help from the older generation”, that is, the mother and father give us information about raising a child from their own experience, both positive and negative. The second source of information is the sciences of psychology and pedagogy, which have absorbed, for the most part, the positive experience of raising a child. More detailed information about pedagogy and psychology can be found on the website www.Gim1.Ru.
Thanks to the flamboyance and richness of the Arabic language, the speeches of the interlocutors abound in pleasantries and cumbersome, mannered expressions.
Nowadays, in an increasingly dynamic life, a long introductory part in a conversation, a conversation on neutral topics, is rather a tribute to tradition. Nevertheless, even now, conversations most often begin with an exchange of pleasantries. Mutual courtesy greatly facilitates the conduct of business, allows you to count on indulgence, less demandingness. Just do not forget about the taboo: if you are a man, never ask a Muslim host questions about the female half of his family. The honor of women for Arabs is a very painful issue.
Hospitality, the desire to provide a worthy welcome to the guest is rooted in the depths of centuries. This tradition originates from the peculiarities of Bedouin life, when the desert was a constant danger. The tradition of hosting a guest, welcoming him, celebrating his stay with a feast or, in any case, treating him with water, a cup of coffee or tea is very adorn the Arab way of life. Refusal of hospitality is an insult to the owner. A guest heading to an Arab's house should be prepared to be fed and given coffee "until he passes out."
The hospitality of the hosts and the laws of hospitality also apply to tourists visiting Arab countries. Only in this case, you need to be prepared for a number of unpleasant moments. The largest number of our tourists visit Egypt, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates. It is in these countries that foreign tourists encounter a large number of negative manifestations in relation to themselves: extortion, poor service, harassment of women, poor professional knowledge of guides, etc.
Once, my Swiss acquaintances, visiting the pyramid of Cheops in Giza, drew attention to the actions of an Egyptian working inside the pyramid. Holding a palm branch in his hands, he swept dust from the walls of the hall. When a new group of foreign tourists appeared in the hall, he walked around this group with an outstretched hand, demanding "baksheesh" - a gift. Banknotes, denominations of less than 1 dollar, were rejected by them with the pride inherent in many Egyptians. Practical Swiss instantly became interested in this "phenomenon". We stood nearby and watched for an hour, not forgetting to count the offerings. By the most conservative estimates, it turned out that the daily income of this “pyramid worker” is approaching the monthly salary of my wealthy friends from a wealthy Central European country. It took me a lot of effort to explain to these friends that in fact this is more an exception than a rule for this country, and behind their back is a “mafia” of representatives of many structures and families that cut tourism coupons in the country. Arabs are wonderful people until Western tourists spoil them.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Baiburin, A. K., Reshetov A. M. (1998) Etiquette among the peoples of Western Asia. Digest of articles. M.: Science.
Religious structure of the population of the countries of the world (2003) // Geography. No. 3.
Rogachev, S. V. (2002) From Bekaa to Antioch. Orontes - El Asi // Geography. No. 2. P. 7.
Usually, Mauritania is also included in the Maghreb in a broad sense, although the question of the anthropological composition of the Mauritanian Arabs (Moors) is not entirely clear. In a narrow sense, the Maghreb is understood as three countries: Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco. — Note. ed.
Lawrence (Lawrence) Arabian - scout and conductor of British influence on the Arabian Peninsula in the late XIX - early XX century.
Representing, we note, in an arid climate of particular value. Drinking water trade, which appeared in Europe relatively recently, and came to us only in recent years, has been widespread in Arab cities for centuries: water here has a very definite price.
PSYCHOLOGY OF THE ARAB
No Arab has yet admitted that he made a mistake, that he was to blame for the failure of the battle, that he did not calculate his strength. The Arabs, with whom I communicated and fought in their ranks for 7 years, always someone else is to blame for their troubles.
Lawrence of Arabia
"... She told me her story, or rather, she lied from beginning to end, as all Arabs lie - always, for any reason and without any reason.
Here is one of the most striking and most inexplicable properties of the native character - deceit. These people, in whom Islam has penetrated to such an extent that it has become part of their nature, nurtured their feelings, created a special morality, modified an entire race and separated it from others, as the color of the skin distinguishes a black from a white, they are all deceitful to the marrow of their bones, so deceitful that one cannot believe a single word they say.
Do they owe this to their religion? Don't know. You need to live among them in order to understand how much the lie has grown together with their being, heart, soul, how much it has become their second nature, a vital need.
Guy de Maupassant, story "Alluma"
Lies are very common among the Arabs, and the truth is worth nothing to them. An Arab does not feel remorse if, thanks to a lie, he achieves his goal ... He listens more to feeling than to facts, he is more interested in making an impression than telling something truthfully. Moreover, the Arabic language gives its speaker the possibility of exaggeration.
Sociologist Saniya Hamadi. "The character and temperament of the Arabs"
If an Arab says only what he thinks, without the exaggeration expected of him, the listeners will doubt his innocence and even suspect him of completely opposite intentions.
Egyptian scholar Ali Shuti
Arab culture is completely different than ours.
In our culture, the spoken word obliges, but in Arabic it decorates. The word in this case is intended not for communication, but for ornament. Enter the mosque and you will see decorations woven from letters - this is the letter and verbal function in the Muslim understanding.
Shimon Peres
United Arab people? Myth. This nation exists in theory. In fact, there are hundreds of clans and hamuls, historical strife and enmity, and only one thing the Arabs have in common: unbridled fantasies and an inability to admit their mistakes. They constantly need a scapegoat.
Lawrence of Arabia. "Seven Pillars of Wisdom"
In order to accept Islam, one needs atrophy of the psyche, a willingness to live like an ant or a bee that does not have its own will and its own personal appearance.
Lawrence of Arabia. "Records of Memory"
I urge you to follow the example of al-Khansa, the medieval Muslim woman who sent her four sons to their deaths for the glory of Allah. To make your children martyrs for the faith is the greatest merit and the greatest happiness for any Arab woman.
Sheikh Yusuf Jumaa Salama. From an appeal to Arab women
If you run and give up - in the traditions of Islam, this is just proof that you are wrong. On the contrary, if you were considered a bad person, but the power was on your side and you won, in the eyes of the Arabs you became both right and good.
The Israelis do not understand why the Arabs are constantly demanding this or that gesture and concessions in their favor, and their demands are constantly growing. Because in their cultural baggage, the concept of "I owe you" simply does not exist. As soon as you conceded something to me, this is only proof that you are a weakling, you have no choice, that power, and therefore right, is on my side, and therefore I rely on more and more. They will not hate you more if you show them your strength - on the contrary, they will begin to respect you.
Moshe Feiglin. "Where there are no people"
For the psychology of the Arabs, the absence of retribution is synonymous with the absence of courage and determination. They themselves can refuse revenge only because of fear, and they will not accept any other explanation.
Psychologist Vadim Rotenberg. "Just one question"
What is the main difference between East and West?
The East is a culture of shame. And the West is a culture of guilt.
Shame and guilt are two fundamentally different regulators of behavior. For a Japanese, an Arab, a Chinese, the main regulator is shame. It is important for them what the representatives of their group think about them. For a little Japanese, the biggest punishment is when his name is written in large letters on the board. And if he is expelled from the class, from his group ... that's all!
And for an American, a European, the main regulator is an inner feeling of guilt. Before God, before yourself. Mainly in front of you. In another way it is called conscience. Why do psychologists call the difference between shame and guilt fundamental? Because a European may feel sorry for a murdered Arab, he may feel guilty about his death. And an Arab, having killed a European, will not be ashamed. You can be ashamed only in front of your own. Shame only works within the group. And people outside their group are perceived by the Arabs as non-humans, who can be destroyed ruthlessly and shamelessly. Ethnopsychologist, other psychological science Tatiana Stefanenko. "East - West"
The Christian cross has four ends: the top symbolizes good, the bottom - evil, the right - strength, the left - weakness.
The Muslim crescent has only two ends: strength and weakness. Good is where there is strength, and evil is associated with weakness. Because Islam is based on materiality, it has developed an anti-productive culture. Why plant a tree whose fruits I will not enjoy?
When there is no good and evil, the only criterion for development is direct benefit. The curse: "you will live by your sword" and "his hand is on everything, and the hand of all is on him", which Ishmael received, is the basis of this culture.
The Arab is not a "son of the desert", in fact he is the "father of the desert". His black goat devours all the green sprouts at the root, leaving no chance for further development. An Arab does not steal or rob - he just makes a living.
The Arab states will never have a developed economy, wherever they go, the desert will come. Arabs plunder not only matter, but also spirituality. The mosque on the Temple Mount has no value for Islam, the Temple Mount itself has been abandoned for centuries, which can be clearly seen from the old photographs. It only became sacred to Muslims when they stole it from the Jews. The tomb of Yosef was of interest to the Arabs like last year's snow, when it was under their rule, but as soon as it was taken from the Jews, a mosque was immediately built there and the place was declared sacred. They do not have their own holiness, so even they have to steal it.
Moshe Feiglin. "World War"
In the mentality of the Arab countries, an important place is occupied by the Islamic tradition, supplemented by certain country and temporal features. In the Muslim world, a foreigner cannot ask questions or requests to a woman, this is considered indecent; all contacts, discussions are conducted with men. Exceptions so far can only be in the most "Europeanized" Arab countries or regions - Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, etc.
If the European greeting is short and dry, then the Arabic one turns into a whole procedure, it is accompanied by questions about health and business. These questions may be repeated throughout the conversation. Even if you are in a hurry, you need to listen to the Arab interlocutor, his many wishes for well-being. Reasons for wishes and congratulations can be very diverse: meeting, arrival, departure, purchase. When meeting in Arab countries, men embrace, lightly touching each other with their cheeks, patting each other on the back and shoulders, but such signs of attention are possible only between their own and do not apply to strangers. The speech of the Arabic interlocutor is necessarily accompanied by frequent appeals to Allah, hope for his help in completing the upcoming affairs.
In the Arabic environment, this is a common courtesy formula. The "cultural distance" between talking Arabs is usually shorter than it is accepted among Europeans. The speakers almost touch each other, which indicates mutual trust.
At the first meeting, and in subsequent meetings, your Arab interlocutor will most likely express hospitality and courtesy to you. This is not pretense, but a tribute to tradition: among the Arabs, the opinion prevails that only such behavior is worthy of a Muslim. However, subsequent conversations may go less smoothly. Representatives of Arab countries, both in everyday life and during business contacts, try to create a friendly atmosphere, appreciate humor, and address partners using personal names. Many Arabs, on business and idle, can shake your hand in a friendly manner.
Arab interlocutors in every possible way avoid certainty, clear answers "yes" or "no". Usually followed by vague phrases such as "inshallah" ("if Allah wills"). The Arab understanding of etiquette forbids the interlocutor to resort to straightforward answers, was categorical, the Arabs also avoid fussiness and haste during the conversation. They, like other residents of the East, always strive to "save face" both their own and the interlocutor. It is considered necessary to leave room for subsequent contacts. Refusal of the transaction is accompanied by reservations, praises in favor of the proposal under discussion. Arab politicians and businessmen express their refusal in the most softened, veiled form.
Islamic morality, as was said, considers trade to be a prestigious, revered occupation. Medieval thinkers considered trade as a kind of art, success in trading endeavors was considered a sign of a deep mind. Because of this, a trade deal among the Arabs is always a kind of spectacle. The ego is a sphere where Western European and Arabic concepts diverge significantly. By inviting to make a deal, the Arab merchant (trader, participant in the deal, etc.) becomes super-gracious. The first named price or conditions are always overstated many times over. Having named an inflated price, overestimating the terms of the contract, the Arab side begins to praise it in every possible way, propagandize, advertise, etc. Accordingly, the buying or negotiating counterpart must be able to bring down the price, offer other terms of the contract. Bidding and negotiations may be interrupted and continued on other, again and repeatedly put forward conditions.
An integral part of the activity of an Arab businessman seeking to conclude a business agreement is visiting an entertainment establishment. These peoples practice an almost religious cult of gifts, and the most significant of them are the author's painting or original coinage. In their clothes, the combination of white and blue colors (the flag of Israel) is considered unacceptable. During a conversation, Arabs tend to lean very close to their interlocutor, which is considered unethical by representatives of other nations.
During auctions and negotiations in Arab countries, coffee is usually offered. Moreover, if the conversation is in a small group with one counter-partner and you are served a small cup of coffee (it is very strong, without sugar, possibly with cardamom), then after drinking, you should give it to the owner, and he immediately pours more coffee into it. This can continue until you empty the coffee pot alone. But if you no longer want coffee, shake the cup from side to side or turn it upside down. If soft drinks are offered before coffee, this means that the time allotted for the meeting is coming to an end.
The Arab peoples are characterized by a pronounced sense of national pride, following the historical traditions of their country. They usually act as supporters of strong rule. The Arabs, as peoples who acquired independence not so long ago (60s of the XX century), are very sensitive to issues related to sovereignty and national independence. Anything that can in any way be considered as interference in their internal affairs will be rejected, at least in words, quite decisively.
Arab citizens, especially politicians and entrepreneurs, more often prefer "bargaining" to other types of interaction with a partner. They attach great importance to the manifestations of friendship, sincerity, hospitality and good mood. For the Arabs, one of the essential points in the negotiations is the establishment of trust between the partners. They also prefer a preliminary study of the details of the issues discussed at the negotiations. If a typical American or European tries to predict the development of events when solving any problem, then the Arabs are rather accustomed to focusing on the past, referring to their roots and traditions, especially Islamic ones, trying to somehow combine historical experience with modern conditions. The Qur'an says that "what God has decreed will come - do not ask for it to be hastened."
In general, since the Arab world is far from homogeneous, there are significant differences in the styles of business and cultural communication among representatives of various Arab states.
Islamic civilization, one of the youngest on the planet, has already shown and, obviously, will continue to show its growing potential in the future. This civilization and culture has a peculiar system of values corresponding only to its matrix foundations. It differs significantly from many of the founding ideas of, for example, Western civilization. Because of this, a fruitful dialogue between different civilizations and cultures can only take place with mutual respect for the primordial values of native cultures and the possible achievement of mutual understanding in the context of the development of strategies for respectful and equal inter-civilizational interaction.
Sufi tarikats, Sufism Ulema
nomocracy
Key Concepts islam, islamic civilization islamic renaissance Koran (suras, verses)
imam, imam
traditionalism islamic
Sunnis (Haraijites, Mutazilites)
Shiites (Zaydis, Ismailis)
"inshallah"
wakf, wakf
"Arab socialism" "pillars of faith"
shahada, zakat, saum, prayer, hajj mahdi
pilgrimage
mujtahid
mujahid (mujahid)
ijtihad, mubaiya ijma, qiyas, fiqh
fundamentalism islamic wahhabism
"world caliphate"
Baath Party, Baathism, Baathists
- The Arabs treat the legs as an unclean part of the body, therefore, in their presence, it is inappropriate to throw a leg over the leg. The right hand is cleaner, which should be considered in etiquette.
