Our Community Culture

Greetings

• It is important to greet an Iraqi formally and respectfully when meeting them for the first time.
• Men are expected to stand to greet a woman when she enters the room, and everyone stands when an elderly person both arrives and departs.
• Muslim men and women generally prefer not to make physical contact with members of the opposite gender. Therefore, when greeting an Iraqi of the opposite gender, it is best practice to simply greet them verbally with a nod of the head and wait to see if they feel comfortable to extend their hand as well. 
• It may also be appropriate to greet someone of the same gender verbally with a respectful nod and smile if you perceive they are unaccustomed to being touched. 
• Greetings between men usually involve a handshake with the right hand. Iraqi men tend to shake hands gently but hold the hand for a long time as they exchange verbal greetings. This hand holding may feel uncomfortable to Westerners; however, avoid retracting your hand before an Iraqi is finished greeting you.
• Iraqi men may also kiss one another on the cheek when they meet. This is very common between close friends but can also occur when first introduced to someone.
• Greetings between women tend to be very affectionate, involving hugs and two or three kisses on each cheek. However, women may be far less physically affectionate if they are greeting in public or are in the view of men who are not family members.
• One may indicate sincerity by placing their right hand over their heart after greeting another person. For example, an Iraqi may do this whilst saying “I am deeply happy to see you”, in order to express the honesty in their words.

• Iraqis may kiss one’s forehead or right hand in a greeting to demonstrate deep respect. This would usually be done to someone of a high status (e.g. an elder) rather than someone of the same status (e.g. a neighbour).
• The common verbal greeting is “Peace be with you” in Arabic (“Asalaamu alaikum”). The appropriate response returns the well-wishing: “Wa alaikum salaam” meaning “and peace be unto you”.
• Use a person’s first name and title when greeting them unless they permit you to move onto a casual naming basis. If someone is a Doctor, you would say “Dr. (first name)”.

Communication

Verbal

• Indirect Communication: Iraqis generally communicate in an indirect fashion. One’s express point is generally reached in a long, roundabout way. This has the purpose of avoiding embarrassment or offence and respecting the other person in the conversation. The best way of reaching an understanding is to ask open-ended questions that allow them to reach their answer in their own time and give agreeable and accepting responses that do not directly disrupt the speaker’s discussion.
• Implicit Meanings: The polite way for an Iraqi to say no is to say, “I’ll see what I can do”, or something to that effect no matter how impossible the task may be. After the Arab has been queried several times concerning his success, an answer such as, “I’m still checking” or something similar means no. Such an indirect response also means “I am still your friend/ally—I tried”. Therefore, remember that when speaking to Iraqis, the “yes” you hear does not always actually mean yes.
• Raised Voices: In Iraq, a raised voice is not always interpreted to be a sign of anger. It is often seen as a signifier of sincerity in the expression of genuine feeling.
• Honorifics: Arab-speaking Iraqis tend to use a lot of honorifics in their speech, especially when talking to superiors (e.g. managers, religious leaders). When translated into English, these can sound very formal— “al-hadra al-sharifa” (The Honourable), “al-hadra almukadasa” (The Supreme). However, such titles can also be used in daily interaction with people of the same social status. It is very common to address people one is not related to with family titles to convey friendly affection and familiarity. For example, a man may call a young woman “il-ikhit” (my sister).

 Non-Verbal

• Physical Contact: When in the privacy of their home, friends and family may touch in a friendly way (such as backslapping). However, in accordance with the public separation of men and women in Islam, it is inappropriate to be physically affectionate with any person of the opposite gender outside of the house or in the company of those that one does not know well. After an initial handshake (if there is one), there is usually no contact between genders. It is more acceptable and normal for male friends to touch one another (e.g. walking whilst holding each other’s hands). However, women are generally expected to resist showing physical affection towards anyone unless they are out of the public eye. Christian Iraqis are likely to be less strict about this, but it still applies as a general public norm.
• Personal Space: Iraqis usually give people of the opposite gender a respectful amount of personal space (usually about an arm’s length). This varies when interacting with people of the same gender; some Iraqis may sit or stand at proximities that are uncomfortable to you or within your personal space. 
• Hands: Religious Iraqis observe a separation between the functions of the hands. This custom is tied to Islamic principles that prescribe the left hand should be used for removal of dirt and for cleaning. It should not be used for functions such as waving, eating or offering items. Therefore, one should gesture, touch people, or offer items using both hands together. Using the one hand alone can seem too informal, but if doing so, use the right.
• Eye Contact: In accordance to Islamic principles, males and females are expected to lower their gaze and avoid sustained eye contact with each other. This is considered respectful and observant of the partition between genders. Younger people may also lower their gaze when speaking to elders out of respect. However, Christian Iraqis and Iraqi expatriates may be more relaxed about this rule of respect.
• Obscene Gestures: Some older Iraqis consider the ‘thumbs-up’ gesture to be obscene, but the younger generation has taken up the Western understanding of it. Hitting one’s right fist into the open palm of the left hand can indicate obscenity or contempt.
• Indications: The right hand placed on the chest can indicate sincerity. It can be used to politely decline things, meaning the equivalent of ‘thank you, but no thank you’. 
• Feet: Displaying the soles of one’s feet to another person is improper. Similarly, placing one’s feet on top of the table is not acceptable.
• Beckoning: In Iraq, people beckon by putting their hand out with the palm facing the ground and curling their fingers back towards themselves. It is considered rude to point or beckon with one’s index finger.

Do's and Don'ts

Do

• Show an Iraqi respect by dressing modestly and remaining sensitive and polite. However, it is okay to be informal and relaxed. Doing so is likely to make an Iraqi feel well-received and more comfortable around you.
• You can expect an Iraqi to take your words literally, so try and be genuine and sincere when you speak.
• Offer sympathy to their situation/the state of Iraq if the conversation arises. Acknowledgement of the difficulties endured are likely to be deeply appreciated.
• Try and be open and willing to talk about yourself as Iraqis generally appreciate when others are transparent and personable.
• Praise their strengths and virtues when possible. Iraqis generally give compliments generously.
• Be aware that some people belonging to minority groups may prefer to identify by their ethnicity rather than their country of birth. In the 2011 census, only 36.8% of the Iraq-born population nominated ‘Iraqi’ as their ancestry, choosing to specify their ethnic heritage instead (e.g. Assyrian). 

Don’ts

• Do not say anything that could be taken as insulting or derogatory. Take an indirect approach towards corrective remarks to minimise tarnishing one’s honour, being sure to include praise of any of their good points.
• Do not patronise or talk down to an Iraqi for having poor English.
• Avoid talking about politics in Iraq unless they initiate the conversation. It is more than likely that the Iraqi you are talking to has experienced the suffering of Saddam Hussein's regime, the Iraq War and/or terrorism. Mentioning these topics may bring up bad memories for them.
• Avoid telling crass or dirty jokes. Such humour is not appreciated in Iraq.
• Do not take photos or videos of an Iraqi without permission — especially if they are a woman.
• Do not speak critically of Islam or Islamic taboos (alcohol, pork, use of left hand, separation of the genders). Doing so can make you seem intolerant of the faith.

Presentation and preparation by:                              Cultural Review by:

Multicultural Liaison Officer     

Hussam Saraf       

Multicultural Liaison Officer  

Hussam Almugotir