Misplaced Pages

Etiquette in the Middle East: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 08:29, 24 December 2009 editKhirurg (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers31,687 edits per move rationale← Previous edit Latest revision as of 09:04, 29 August 2024 edit undo72.94.82.132 (talk) →See also 
(143 intermediate revisions by 94 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
⚫ {{refimprove|date=April 2013}}]s like this young man wearing a ] are traditionally renowned for their ].]]
{{Howto|date=October 2009}}
⚫ ]s like this young man wearing a ] are traditionally renowned for their ].]]
As expectations regarding good manners differ from person to person and vary according to each situation, no treatise on the rules of ] nor any list of ] can ever be complete. As the ] of ] and actions vary, ] is essential. However, a lack of ] about the ] and ]s of people of the ] can make even the best-intentioned person seem rude, foolish, or worse.


⚫ Many matters of '''etiquette in the Middle East''' are connected to ] as it is written in the ] and how it has been traditionally understood and practiced throughout the centuries. Prescribed Islamic ] is referred to as ], and described as "refinement, good manners, morals, ethics, decorum, decency, humaneness and righteousness".<ref>Firmage, Edwin Brown and Weiss, Bernard G. and Welch, John W. ''Religion and Law''. 1990, page 202-3</ref>
==Religious sensibilities==
⚫ Many matters of etiquette in the Middle East are connected to ] as it is written in the ] and how it has been traditionally understood and practiced throughout the centuries. Prescribed Islamic ] is referred to as ], and described as "refinement, good manners, morals, ethics, decorum, decency, humaneness and righteousness".<ref>Firmage, Edwin Brown and Weiss, Bernard G. and Welch, John W. ''Religion and Law''. 1990, page 202-3</ref>


As such, many points discussed in this article are applicable in other regions of the ]. This holds especially true in ] countries outside Middle East. As such, many points discussed in this article are applicable in other regions of the ]. This holds especially true in ] countries outside Middle East.


] in ].]] ] in ].]]
Middle East is home to many people who follow faiths besides Islam. Most notable among them are the churches of ], ]s and other adherents of ], ], ] and other Catholics of the Eastern Rites as well as the Roman Rite, ], ], and various ]. The Middle East is home to many people who follow faiths besides Islam.<ref name="Future Malik">{{cite book |last1=Malik |first1=Habib C. |title=Islamism and the Future of the Christians of the Middle East |date=2013 |publisher=Hoover Press |isbn=978-0-8179-1096-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cdeoAAAAQBAJ&q=number+of+christians+in+the+middle+east+million&pg=PA3 |language=en |quote=Today, between 10–12 million native Christians remain in the Middle East, concentrated mainly in Egypt, the Levant (Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the Palestine territories), and Iraq. Their numbers, however, continue to dwindle due to a variety of factors, both internal and external.}}</ref> Most notable among them are the churches of ], ]s and other adherents of ], ], ] other ] of the ] as well as the ], ],<ref>{{cite book|title=Middle East Patterns: Places, People, and Politics| first=Colbert|last= C. Held|year= 2008| isbn= 9780429962004| page =109|publisher=Routledge|quote= Worldwide, they number 1 million or so, with about 45 to 50 percent in Syria, 35 to 40 percent in Lebanon, and less than 10 percent in Israel. Recently there has been a growing Druze diaspora.}}</ref> ], ], ], ], and various ].


In many cases, however, Muslims and non-Muslims in the Middle East will share characteristics, whether it is the prohibition against ] ordained by both ] and ] dietary restrictions, a preference for the beverage widely known elsewhere as "]", or knowledge of how to conduct business in a crowded ] without being cheated. As coexistence, rather than conflict, has been the norm between people in the Middle East throughout much of history, it is a place where people with different beliefs often share the same traditions. In many cases, however, Muslims and non-Muslims in the Middle East will share characteristics, whether it is the prohibition against ] ordained by both ] and ] dietary restrictions, a preference for the beverage widely known elsewhere as "]", or knowledge of how to conduct business in a crowded ] without being cheated. It is a place where people with different beliefs often share the same traditions.


==Points of etiquette== ==Points of etiquette==
Although the Middle East is a large expanse of geography with a variety of customs, noting the following points of etiquette can be useful when dealing with people around the world who have been raised according to the traditions of the Middle East or, in some cases, Muslim societies elsewhere. Although the Middle East is a large expanse of geography with a variety of customs, noting the following points of etiquette can be useful when dealing with people around the world who have been raised according to the traditions of the Middle East or, in some cases, Muslim societies elsewhere.
⚫ * Regarding head attire specifically, the etiquette at many Muslim holy sites requires that a ] -although it is not necessary and many if not most (men) do not wear it- or some other modest head covering be worn. For women, this might be a ] and, for men, it might be a ], ], or ]. A ] or other head covering is expected for men in ]s and other places where Jews pray. Orthodox Christian sites might require the removal of hats by men but will expect women to cover their hair with a ] or ].
*Conducting business effectively in a souk or ] requires an understanding of how to ] like the locals. This is an art requiring participants to be appropriately aggressive, keen to how much should be offered at a given point in a transaction, etc.
⚫ * Public displays of affection between people of the opposite sex, including between married people, are frowned upon everywhere more conservative values hold sway. Public displays of affection include activities as minor as hand-holding.<ref>{{Citation
*The ] of one's personal attire is of great concern to many in the Middle East, although the parameters of this modesty vary. In ], for example, many families expect all female members to wear a ] or ] while even men and women visiting from other cultures should wear very non-revealing clothes to avoid harsh confrontation. In another example, males and females in shorts, skimpy t-shirts or other "immodest" clothes might find themselves roughly evicted from a variety of places, especially holy sites (be they tended by Muslims, Jews or Christians). Get specific guidelines from locals when possible.
] wears a ], a variety of ] popular throughout the Middle East.]]
⚫ *Regarding head attire specifically, the etiquette at many Muslim holy sites requires that a ] or some other modest head covering be worn. For women this might be a ] and for men it might be a ], ], or ]. A ] or other head covering is expected for men in ]s and other places where Jews pray. Orthodox Christian sites might require the removal of hats by men but will expect women to cover their hair with a ] or ].
*Among Muslims, the left hand is reserved for bodily hygiene and considered unclean. Thus, the right hand should be used for eating. Shaking hands or handing over an item with one's left hand is an insult.<ref name="airman/0406"></ref>
⚫ *Public displays of affection between people of the opposite gender, including between married people, are frowned upon everywhere more conservative values hold sway. Public displays of affection include activities as minor as hand-holding.<ref>{{ Citation
| last=Nydell | last=Nydell
| first=Margaret | first=Margaret
| title=Understanding Arabs: A Guide for Modern Times | title=Understanding Arabs: A Guide for Modern Times
| publisher=Intercultural Press | publisher=Intercultural Press
| place=Boston, Massachusetts | place=Boston, Massachusetts
| year=2006 | year=2006
| url = http://books.google.com/books?id=ZNoiieefqAcC&pg=PA45&lpg=PA45&dq=married+couples+holding+hands+saudi+arabia&source=bl&ots=Y9NHGgRuCP&sig=1cgRJcvqfQ29N7vzz2sRr-RJ4s4&hl=en&ei=SV8bSsznMZncMau9wJMP&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ZNoiieefqAcC&pg=PA45
| accessdate = 2009-05-25 | isbn=978-1-931930-25-3
| access-date = 2009-05-25
|page= p.45 |page= 45

}}</ref> }}</ref>
⚫ * In many cases, people of the same sex ] while walking is considered an ordinary display of friendship without romantic connotations.<ref name="1,2122,,00"> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070527233457/http://www.dhl-usa.com/usgov/isr/culture/1,2122,,00.html |date=May 27, 2007 }}</ref>

⚫ * In a related point, many people in the Middle East claim a more modest amount of ] than that which is usual elsewhere. Accordingly, it can seem rude for an individual to step away when another individual is stepping closer.<ref name="AR2006090701067"> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007172248/http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-dyn/content/article/2006/09/07/AR2006090701067.html |date=2008-10-07 }}, Budget Travel</ref>
⚫ *In many cases, people of the same gender holding hands while walking is considered an ordinary display of friendship without romantic connotations.<ref name="1,2122,,00"></ref>
⚫ * Special respect is paid to older people in many circumstances. This can include standing when older people enter a room, always greeting older people before others present (even if they are better known to you), standing when speaking to one’s elders, kissing the head of an elderly relative, and serving older people first at a meal table.<ref name="airman/0406">{{cite web|url=http://www.af.mil/news/airman/0406/top10.shtml |title=Airman's Quarterly Spring 2006 |access-date=May 2, 2006 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060502153202/http://www.af.mil/news/airman/0406/top10.shtml |archive-date=May 2, 2006 }}</ref>
⚫ *In a related point, many people in Middle East claim a more modest area of ] than that which is usual elsewhere. Accordingly, it can seem rude for an individual to step away when another individual is stepping closer.<ref name="AR2006090701067">, Budget Travel</ref>
⚫ ] as “]”, grinding fresh-roasted ]s to a fine powder, dissolving ], and carefully regulating the heat to produce a result that meets exacting standards.]]
⚫ *Special respect is paid to older people in many circumstances. This can include standing when older people enter a room, always greeting older people before others present (even if they are better known to you), standing when speaking to one’s elders and serving older people first at a meal table. <ref name="airman/0406"/>
⚫ * In Iran, the "]" gesture is considered an offensive insult.<ref name="airman/0406"/>
⚫ ] as “]”, grinding fresh-roasted ]s to a fine powder, dissolving ] and carefully regulating the heat to produce a result that meets exacting standards.]]
⚫ * Displaying the sole of one's foot or touching somebody with one's shoe is often considered rude. This includes sitting with one's feet or foot elevated. In some circumstances, shoes should be removed before entering a living room.<ref> Part II, USDOJ</ref>
*Many people throughout the Middle East, especially Arabs, take great pride in shows of ], never failing to at least serve ] and a snack such as ] but preferring to present guests with a lavish choice of expensive delicacies in abundance. To refuse such hospitality can cause offense.
⚫ * Many in the Middle East do not separate professional and personal life. Doing business revolves much more around personal relationships, family ties, trust, and honor. There is a tendency to prioritize personal matters above all else. It is therefore crucial that business relationships are built on mutual friendship and trust.<ref> </ref> According to the manners instructor ] it might be common for an Israeli to ask others some personal questions about money or children.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.haaretz.com/1.5122512|title=Can Israelis Learn to Have Better Manners?|newspaper=Haaretz|date=20 May 2010 }}</ref>
*In some areas in the Middle East, it is common for people to take their food from a common plate in the center of the table. Rather than employing ]s or ]s, people may scoop up ] and other foodstuff with ].
*In many Middle Eastern countries, grouping the thumb and fingers together, and shaking it up and down, fingers pointing upwards, indicates "wait".
⚫ *In Iran, the "]" gesture is considered an offensive insult<ref name="airman/0406"/>
⚫ *Displaying the sole of one's foot or touching somebody with one's shoe is often considered rude. In some circumstances, shoes should be removed before entering a living room.<ref> Part II, USDOJ</ref>
⚫ *Many in the Middle East do not separate professional and personal life. Doing business revolves much more around personal relationships, family ties, trust and honour. There is a tendency to prioritize personal matters above all else. It is therefore crucial that business relationships are built on mutual friendship and trust.<ref name="kwint"></ref>
*Responding to an anger or seriousness with light laughter or a smile is common. This must not be seen as an indication that the other person is not taking you or the situation seriously.
*A common custom in Iranian culture is 'tarof' (or ]) which can be translated as 'offering'. It is common for a person not to accept an offering (food, beverages etc.) the first or possibly second time, instead taking up the offer the third time. This traditionally implies dignity, self-respect and respect for the host.
*Positioning yourself so your back is not facing another person is customary in ] and ].


==See also== ==See also==
*] * ]
* ]
* ]


==References== ==References==
{{reflist}} {{reflist}}


] {{Middle East}}

⚫ ]
] ]
⚫ ]
]
]

Latest revision as of 09:04, 29 August 2024

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Etiquette in the Middle East" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (April 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
The Middle East contains a multitude of societies with different traditions regarding etiquette. Bedouins like this young man wearing a fez are traditionally renowned for their hospitality.

Many matters of etiquette in the Middle East are connected to Islam as it is written in the Qur'an and how it has been traditionally understood and practiced throughout the centuries. Prescribed Islamic etiquette is referred to as Adab, and described as "refinement, good manners, morals, ethics, decorum, decency, humaneness and righteousness".

As such, many points discussed in this article are applicable in other regions of the Islamic world. This holds especially true in Muslim majority countries outside Middle East.

The traditional marketplaces of the Middle East might seem chaotic and intimidating to foreigners who don't comprehend the time-honored etiquette that governs transactions within. Shown here is a Bazaar in Iran.

The Middle East is home to many people who follow faiths besides Islam. Most notable among them are the churches of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Copts and other adherents of Oriental Orthodoxy, Maronites, Melkites other Catholics of the Eastern Rites as well as the Roman Rite, Druze, Zoroastrians, Baháʼís, Yazidis, Mandaeans, and various Jewish denominations.

In many cases, however, Muslims and non-Muslims in the Middle East will share characteristics, whether it is the prohibition against pork ordained by both Islamic and Jewish dietary restrictions, a preference for the beverage widely known elsewhere as "Turkish coffee", or knowledge of how to conduct business in a crowded souk without being cheated. It is a place where people with different beliefs often share the same traditions.

Points of etiquette

Although the Middle East is a large expanse of geography with a variety of customs, noting the following points of etiquette can be useful when dealing with people around the world who have been raised according to the traditions of the Middle East or, in some cases, Muslim societies elsewhere.

  • Regarding head attire specifically, the etiquette at many Muslim holy sites requires that a headscarf -although it is not necessary and many if not most (men) do not wear it- or some other modest head covering be worn. For women, this might be a hijab and, for men, it might be a taqiyah (cap), turban, or keffiyeh. A kippah or other head covering is expected for men in synagogues and other places where Jews pray. Orthodox Christian sites might require the removal of hats by men but will expect women to cover their hair with a kerchief or veil.
  • Public displays of affection between people of the opposite sex, including between married people, are frowned upon everywhere more conservative values hold sway. Public displays of affection include activities as minor as hand-holding.
  • In many cases, people of the same sex holding hands while walking is considered an ordinary display of friendship without romantic connotations.
  • In a related point, many people in the Middle East claim a more modest amount of personal space than that which is usual elsewhere. Accordingly, it can seem rude for an individual to step away when another individual is stepping closer.
  • Special respect is paid to older people in many circumstances. This can include standing when older people enter a room, always greeting older people before others present (even if they are better known to you), standing when speaking to one’s elders, kissing the head of an elderly relative, and serving older people first at a meal table.
Hospitality is held in high regard throughout the Middle East. Some hosts take pride in the laborious preparation of what is known in Europe as “Turkish coffee”, grinding fresh-roasted coffee beans to a fine powder, dissolving sugar, and carefully regulating the heat to produce a result that meets exacting standards.
  • In Iran, the "thumbs up" gesture is considered an offensive insult.
  • Displaying the sole of one's foot or touching somebody with one's shoe is often considered rude. This includes sitting with one's feet or foot elevated. In some circumstances, shoes should be removed before entering a living room.
  • Many in the Middle East do not separate professional and personal life. Doing business revolves much more around personal relationships, family ties, trust, and honor. There is a tendency to prioritize personal matters above all else. It is therefore crucial that business relationships are built on mutual friendship and trust. According to the manners instructor Tami Lancut Leibovitz it might be common for an Israeli to ask others some personal questions about money or children.

See also

References

  1. Firmage, Edwin Brown and Weiss, Bernard G. and Welch, John W. Religion and Law. 1990, page 202-3
  2. Malik, Habib C. (2013). Islamism and the Future of the Christians of the Middle East. Hoover Press. ISBN 978-0-8179-1096-9. Today, between 10–12 million native Christians remain in the Middle East, concentrated mainly in Egypt, the Levant (Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the Palestine territories), and Iraq. Their numbers, however, continue to dwindle due to a variety of factors, both internal and external.
  3. C. Held, Colbert (2008). Middle East Patterns: Places, People, and Politics. Routledge. p. 109. ISBN 9780429962004. Worldwide, they number 1 million or so, with about 45 to 50 percent in Syria, 35 to 40 percent in Lebanon, and less than 10 percent in Israel. Recently there has been a growing Druze diaspora.
  4. Nydell, Margaret (2006), Understanding Arabs: A Guide for Modern Times, Boston, Massachusetts: Intercultural Press, p. 45, ISBN 978-1-931930-25-3, retrieved 2009-05-25
  5. Cultural Tips Per Audia AZ Archived May 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  6. "Are You the Ugly American?" Archived 2008-10-07 at the Wayback Machine, Budget Travel
  7. ^ "Airman's Quarterly Spring 2006". Archived from the original on May 2, 2006. Retrieved May 2, 2006.
  8. The First Three to Five Seconds: Understanding Arab and Muslim Americans Part II, USDOJ
  9. The Importance of Business Relationships in the Middle East
  10. "Can Israelis Learn to Have Better Manners?". Haaretz. 20 May 2010.
Middle East
Countries
Society
Demographics
Culture
Categories: