ARABIC-IRAQI Al Faw Palace or Water Palace, Baghdad Flickr / Jeremy Taylor DLIFLC DEFENSE LANGUAGE INSTITUTE FOREIGN LANGUAGE CENTER CULTURAL ORIENTATION | ARABIC-IRAQI TABLE OF CONTENT Profile Introduction ................................................................................................................... 6 Geography .................................................................................................................... 7 Geographic Divisions and Topographic Features .................................................. 7 Desert ....................................................................................................................7 Upper Tigris and Euphrates Upland .................................................................8 Northeast Highlands ...........................................................................................8 Alluvial Plains .......................................................................................................9 Climate ........................................................................................................................... 9 Rivers and Lakes ........................................................................................................10 Tigris River ..........................................................................................................10 Euphrates River ................................................................................................10 Shatt al-Arab ...................................................................................................... 11 Major Cities ..................................................................................................................12 Baghdad .............................................................................................................. 12 Mosul ................................................................................................................... 12 Basrah ................................................................................................................. 12 Karbala ................................................................................................................12 Kirkuk ................................................................................................................... 13 Erbil ......................................................................................................................13 History .........................................................................................................................13 Ancient History ................................................................................................... 13 Islamic Empires .................................................................................................. 13 The Ottoman Empire and the British .............................................................. 14 Recent History .............................................................................................................15 Operation Iraqi Freedom ..................................................................................15 Post-Saddam Iraq..............................................................................................16 Government .................................................................................................................17 Media ............................................................................................................................18 Economy ......................................................................................................................18 Ethnic and Other Minority Groups ...........................................................................19 Kurds ....................................................................................................................19 Marsh Arabs (Madan) .......................................................................................20 Turkmen and Other Minority Groups ..............................................................20 Endnotes for Chapter 1: Profile ............................................................................... 22 Assessment ................................................................................................................ 28 2 CULTURAL ORIENTATION | ARABIC-IRAQI Religion Introduction ................................................................................................................. 29 Major Religions in Iraq .............................................................................................. 30 Sunni Islam .........................................................................................................30 Shia Islam ...........................................................................................................31 Sunni-Shia Divide ..............................................................................................31 Sufism ..................................................................................................................33 Care and Treatment of the Quran ...................................................................33 Minority Religions in Iraq .......................................................................................... 34 Christianity ..........................................................................................................34 Yazidi ...................................................................................................................34 Mandaeism .........................................................................................................35 Religion and Daily Life ............................................................................................. 35 Religion and Gender ................................................................................................. 36 Religious Holidays and Celebrations ..................................................................... 36 Ramadan .............................................................................................................37 Ashura .................................................................................................................37 Buildings of Worship .................................................................................................. 38 Mosques ..............................................................................................................38 Shrines ................................................................................................................38 Churches .............................................................................................................39 Behavior in Buildings of Worship ............................................................................ 39 Mosque Etiquette ...............................................................................................39 Church Etiquette ................................................................................................ 41 Endnotes for Chapter 2: Religion ............................................................................ 42 Assessment ................................................................................................................ 46 Traditions Introduction ..................................................................................................................47 Honor and Values ...................................................................................................... 48 Codes of Politeness .................................................................................................. 48 Gestures ..............................................................................................................49 Male–Female Interaction ......................................................................................... 50 Hospitality and Gift Giving ........................................................................................51 Table Manners .................................................................................................... 51 Gift-Giving ...........................................................................................................52 Sharing ...............................................................................................................53 Eating Customs and Types of Food ....................................................................... 53 Eating Customs and Etiquette .........................................................................53 3 CULTURAL ORIENTATION | ARABIC-IRAQI Meals and Food .................................................................................................54 Dress Code ................................................................................................................. 54 Non-Religious Celebrations ..................................................................................... 55 Do’s and Don’ts .......................................................................................................... 56 Do’s ......................................................................................................................56 Don’ts ...................................................................................................................56 Endnotes for Chapter 3: Traditions ........................................................................