a short guide to iraq

8/3/2019 A Short Guide to Iraq

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I R A Q

WAR AND NAVY DEPARTMENTSWashington, D. C.


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For use oj Military Personlleionl". Not tobe republished. in whole or in part, without

the consent oj the War Depenment,

So J O ( J ' s t U n l v r it yS , T EXAS

P re p flT ,d InSPECIAL SbRVKF DI\ I


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CONTENTS

IntroductionWhat Is This Iraq?Meet The PeopleThe Country .The Moslems .Iraqi Customs and MannersThe Language. . . . .Climate and Health . . .Currency, Weights and MeasuresSome Important Do's and Don'tsHints on Pronouncing ArabicUseful Words and PhrasesJl Cilossary . . . . . .


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A SHORT GUIDE TO IRAQYOU HAVE been ordered to Iraq (i - RAHK) as pof the world-w ide offensive to beat H icier.You will enter Iraq both as a soldier and as an invidual, because on our side a man can be both a soldand an individual. That is our strength-if we arc smenough [0 use it. It can be our weakness if we arenAs a soldier your duties are laid out for you. As an invidual, it is what you do on your own that counts-andit may count for a lot more than you think.American success or failure in Iraq may well depeon whether the Iraqis (as the people are called) lAmerican soldiers or not. Itmay not be quite that simpBut then again it could.H o w T o B e a l H it l e r . Herr Hitler knows he's licked ifpeoples united against him stand their ground. So itpretty obvious what he and his propaganda machinetrying to do. They're trying to spread disunity and disctent among their opponent \ henever and wherever thcan,


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So what's the answer? That ought to be pretty obvious,too. One of your big jobs is to prevent Hitler's agentsfrom getting in their dirty work. The best way you cando this is by getting along with the Iraqis and makingthem your &iends. And the best way to get along withany people is to understand them.That is what this guide is for. To help you understand

the people and the country so that you can do the bestand quickest job of sending Hitler back where he camefrom.And, secondly, so that you as a human being will get

the most out of an experience few Americans have beenlucky enough to have. Years from now you'll be tellingyour children and maybe your grandchildren stories be-ginning, "Now when I was in Baghdad --,"

WHAT 15 THIS IRAQ?WHAT is Iraq, anyhow? Well, it's a lot of things,and new. It is one of the oldest countries in the worldand one of the youngest under its present governmeIn Baghdad, the capital city, you will see street mchants selling exactly the same kind of pottery that thancestors sold at the time of the Arabian Nights. Notaway you will see great dams and modern refineries eqto the best you have seen in America. If you happen tosent to the oil fields, you will discover miracles of mern engineering construction side by side with primitrefineries built 2,000 years ago and still in operation.I r a q I s H o t! As a matter of fact, you may be so busy wyou reach Iraq that you won't see much of anythfor awhile. Probably you will fed Iraq 6rst--andmeans heat. Blazing heat. And dust. In the daytime Ican be one of the hottest spots in the world. If you hpen to travel by train in the daytime, the leather smay get so hot that you'll have to stand up. Most wis done between 6 a. rn, and noon and perhaps an hor two in the early evening. And yet the nights of thhot days are often uncomfortably cool.Or maybe the first thing you notice will be the smYou have heard and read a lot about the "mysteri

East." You have seen moving pictures about the cololife of the desert and the bazaars. When you actually


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there you will look in vain for some of the things youhave been led to expect. You will smell and feel a lot ofthings the movies didn't warn you about.

MEET THE PEOPLEBut don't get discouraged. Most Americans and Euro-

peans who have gone to Iraq didn't like it at first. Mightas well be frank about it. They thought it a harsh, hot,parched, dusty, and inhospitable land. But nearly all ofthese same people changed their minds after a few daysor weeks, and largely on account of the Iraqi peoplethey began to meet. So will you.That tall man in the Hawing robe you are going to see

soon, with the whiskers and the long hair, is a first-classfighting man, highly skilled in guerilla warfare. Fewfighters in any country, in fact, excell him in that kindof situation. If he is your friend, he can be a staunch andvaluable ally. If he should happen to be your enemy-look outl Remember Lawrence of Arabia? Well, it waswith men like these that he wrote history in the FirstWorld War.But you will also find out quickly that the Iraqi is one

of the most cheerful and friendly people in the world.Few people you have seen get so much fun out of workand everyday living. If you are willing to go just a littleout of your way to understand him, everything willbe o. k.4

D i f f e re n c e s ? O f C o u r s e ! Differences? Sure, there are dferences. Differences of costume. Differences of fooDifferences of manner and custom and religious belieDifferent attitudes toward women. Differences galore.But what of it? You aren't going to Iraq to chan

the Iraqis. Just the opposite. We are fighting this warpreserve the principle of "live and let live." Maybe thsounded like a lot of words to you at home. Now yhave a chance to prove it to yourself and others. If ycan, it's going to be a better world to live in for all of.J Althcugh relatively few Iraqis receive a formal eduction similar to yours, they are shrewd and intelligent a


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tend to believe what they hear and see with their ownears and eyes. By what you do and how you act you cando a lot to win this war and the peace after it. Right nowIraq is threatened with invasion-as America is now. TheIraqis have some religious and tribal differences amongthemselves. Hitler has been trying to use these differencesto his own ends. If y,ou can win the trust and friendshipof all the Iraqis you meet, you will do more than youmay think possible to help bring them together in ourcommon cause.Needless to say, Hitler will also try to use the differ-ences between ourselves and Iraqis to make trouble ..But

we have a weapon to beat that kind of thing. Plaincommon horse sense. Let's use it.Hider's game is to divide and conquer. OUfSis to unite

and winlTHE COUNTRY

First, let's have a look at the country. We can't verywe!! talk about places and people until we know wherewe are.In the center of this guide you will find a map ofwbat is called the "Middle East." You will see by themap, Iraq lies south of Turkey; east of Syria and Pales.tine; north of Arabia; west of Iran (EE - RAHN)(Persia): and just touches the Persian Gulf at one corner.It is about the size of the State of Montana.6

A S tr a t e g ic H o i S p o t. Iraq is thus a strategic part otgreat "land bridge" between Europe and India-theHider HOPES to use to join hands with his back-bing allies, the japs, Also, the Persian Gulf is anportant back door for us to get supplies to our Rusallies..And even more, Iraq has great military importafor its oil fields, with their pipelines to the MediterranSea. Yes, Iraq is a hot spot in more ways than one.Iraq was formerly called Mesopotamia. It s historyback a tidy 5,000 years. By tradition the Garden of E

was located in this region. Hence it is often calledbirthplace of mankind." It is certainly one of the osettled regions in the world. Here it was that the anccities of Babylon and Nineveh (NI - ne - ve) flouriin Bible times. You will very likely se e their ruins, sof the great ruins of the world ..Before the First World War, Mesopotamia (as it

called then) was a part of Turkey. After the war theof Iraq was set up as a British mandate, with an Achieftain, Feisal (FAY -sal), as king. In 1932 Iraqcame an independent state-a "limited monarchy" ofEnglish type, with an elected legislature. The preking is Feisal n. the grandson of the first king. Crelations have been maintained with the British, andcountry is now guarded by British troops to preventGermans from gaining control,


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T h e C i t i e s . Iraq has only a few cities. Baghdad, the larg-est, has a population of around 500,00Q, about like thatof Minnea pol is Or Kansas City. Mosul (MO - suI) in theoil region has a population of over 100,000, Suq al- Shuyukh (SOOQ ash .: shu - YOOKH) about the samejandBasrah (BAS- fa) on the Persian Gulf, the most im-portant port, has about 70,000.Most of Iraq is desert country. Not great sandy wastes

like the Sahara in Africa, but flinty, harsh, monotonousdesert, treeless but covered with a thin scrub vegetationvery much like our Southwest region. The only water inthis region comes hom waterholes, and these are jealouslyguarded .. Water is more valuable than anything else in

\ the desert, and for the Iraqi, to waste water would be likev throwing money away.

In contrast to the dry deserts are the great green valleysof the Tigris (TAl - gris) and Euphrates (yoo - FRAY -teez) Rivers. These two important rivers rise in theJKurd istan (K UR - di - stan) mountai ns of Turkey, northand west of' Iraq. After Howing across the country in par-allel channels , they join together and empty into thePersian Gulf through one mouth. In the valleys of thesetwo rivers nine-tenths of the 3 Y 2 million people (aboutthe population of Chicago) live.",At the northern end of these valleys is the importantoil field of Kirkuk (kir - KOOK). The field was dis.8

covered in 1927 but it was not until I935 that producbegan in earnest. Twin pipe-lines have been construto the ports of Tripoli in Syria and Haifa (HAl - faPalestine, on the Mediterranean Sea. These fieldspipe-lines are among the richest prizes Hitler wouldto grab, and they are heavily guarded. Guarding orfending them may he among your most important mtary duties, for this oil is the source of supply forarmies of the Middle East and India, and also feedsMediterranean Heet.H o w t h e P e o p le U v e . Nearly all farming in Iraq ispendent on irrigation, with water taken from thegreat rivers. The most important crop is dates, wnot only are the chief food of the people but also shipto other countries .. Grain, especially wheat, barley,and millet is grown in large quantity. Also growncotton, sugar cane and legumes, with small quantitiesc itr u s f ru its.Practically the only building material is dried mud,

the adobe used in the Southwestern U. S. A. It is admbly suited to the hot climate and you will find the insidthe Hat-roofed Iraqi houses cool even in the noonday hThe Iraqi people are divided by occupation into

tradesmen in the cities, the farmers in the irrigated aand the nomads, who herd their sheep and camels ondesert, moving from place to place-for fresh pastu


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The nomads and farmers ding to the native dress morethan the city dwellers, who are often quite "westernized."The nomads are divided into tribes headed by sheikhs

(SHA YKH). These leaders are very powerful and shouldbe shown great consideration. Townsmen, farmers, andnomads consider themselves as equals and should betreated as such.

THE MOSLEMSTHERE are a few Christians and Jews and other sectsamong the Iraqis, but by far the most people you willmeet and see are Moslems. This means that they are tol-lowers of the religion founded by Mohammed. But youshould not call it the Mohammedan religion, for the Mos-lems do not worship Mohammed as Christians worshipChrist. They believe in one god, Allah, and that Mo-hammed was His prophet. The religion is called Islamand the people who believe in it are called Moslems.1 0

The Moslem bible is known as the Koran and the Molems worship in mosques (masks). They are very devoin their religion and do not like to have "unbelievers(to them you are an "unbeliever") come anywhere netheir mosques. You can usually tel! a mosque by its higtower. Keep away from mosques. Even though you mhave visited mosques in Syria or Egypt, the mosquesIraq must not be entered, If you try to enter one, you wbe thrown out, probably with a severe beating. The IraMoslems even resent unbelievers coming close to mosqueIf you have blundered too near a mosque, get away inhurry before trouble starts. The Moslem religion requira man to pray five times a day. This is done by facithe holy city of Mecca and going through a series of protrations. Don't stare at anyone who is praying, and aboall do not make fun of him. Respect his religion aswill respect yours:


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N o P r e a c h i n g . This isn't preaching. You probably belongto a church at home, and you know how you would feeltowards anyone who insulted or desecrated your church.The Moslems feel just the same way, perhaps even morestrongly. In fact, their feeling about their religion is prettymuch the same as ours toward our religion, althoughmore intense. If anything, we should respect the Moslems

" the more for the intensity or their devotion.There are four towns in Iraq which are particularlysacred to the Iraqi Moslems. These are Kerbela (ker - ~-LAA), Nejef (NE-jef), Kadhiman (KAA-dl-MAYN) (near Baghdad), and Samarra, Unless you areordered to these towns, it is advisable to stay away &omthem.It is a good idea in any foreign country to avoid ~yreligious or political discussions. This is even truer illIraq than most countries, because it happens that ?erethe Moslems themselves are divided into two factionssomething like OUt division into Catholic and Protestantdenominations-so don't put in your two cents worthwhen Iraqis argue about religion. There are also politicaldifferences in Iraq that have puzzled diplomats andstatesmen. You won't help matters any by getting mixedup in them. Moreover, if you discuss foreign politicswith them, you might be maneuvered into making state-ments that could be interpreted as criticisms of our Allies.1 2

Your move is to stay out of political and religioarguments altogether. By getting into them you'll ohelp the Nazi propagandists who are trying to stirtrouble among the Iraqis.

IRAQI CUSTOMS AND MANNERSMOST of the Iraqi customs and manners are religioustheir origin. For example, there is the month of fasteach year called "Ramadan" (ra - ma - DAHN). Tperiod is similar to the Lenten period in many ofChristian Churches. In. 1942 Ramadan begins Septembrzth. In 1943 it will be about two weeks earlier. Durithis period the Moslems do not eat, drink, or smoketween sunrise and sunset. Avoid offering, or asking thfor food, drink, or smokes at this time, except after sunAll hesitations and refusals at this period should becepted without any attempts at persuasion. Any drawiof blood, during this period, even if accidental, sucha scratch or a nosebleed, may have serious consequencRemember that Moslem tempers are very short durithis month as yours would be under similar circumstancThe Moslem day of rest is Friday, and their stores

closed on that day. In Baghdad and the other large cimany shops are closed on Saturday, the Jewish dayrest, while Christian shops are closed on Sunday.Moslems, Christians, and Jews all have a numberreligious holidays. Some of these are solemn fasts l


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Ramadan, others are colorful festivals. You will be wiseto respect the observance of these holidays.T h e "Evil E y e " . Many of the Iraqis believe in the "evileye". This is a good deal in their minds like putting a"hex" on a persou is to people in parts of our country . .If you stare at people, especially children, someone maythink you are the possessor of an "evil eye", a~d aretrying to put a curse on the person you are stann?" at.Some of the Iraqis think that the lens of a camera IS an"evileye", and you will make enemies by taking close-upsnapshots and possibly wind up with a knife in yourback. General views or street scenes will cause no trou-ble--except mosques. Don't try to photograph mo~ques.Beggars are not numerous in Iraq. Those you Will seelive mainly in the cities and are mostly professionals, and

it is not a good idea to give them money. H youdo, theword will spread to all the beggars in the city that youare an easy mark. Of course, some of them may be de-serving, and if you feel moved by their plight, give thema little something-e-but better be prepared to repeat.Bargaining in the shops and bazzars is a great nationalpastime. You will have to bargain for almost everything

you buy. The price first quoted is usually one-third .totwo-thirds higher than what you should pay. In bargain-ing the important thing is not to hurry. A litde Americanhorse trading will carry you a long way in this game.1 4

M a n ne r s A re I m p o r t a n t . Moslems pay much attentiongood manners.Handshaking in Iraq is considered an important pa

of good manners ..You will be greeted with a handshakeon every occasion that you meet an Iraqi ...His handshake"is cordial and sincere. Return it in the same spirit.- Bur do not touch or handle an Iraqi in any other waDo not wrestle with him in fun, and don't slap him othe back. Any such contact is offensive to his idea of goomanners. Above all never strike an Iraqi.r Do your swearing in English. Avoid the native oaths-you will not know their exact meaning and they may gyou into trouble. Don't under any circumstances call aIraqi a "dog", a "devil", a "native", or a "heathen"These terms are all deadly insults to him.They do not drink liquor or eat pork. So respect the

feelings and do not drink in their presence. They dnot like to see others drink and it offends them to sothers drunk. Never give them pork to eat or offer itthem even in fun.


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Pigs are "unclean" to Moslems. So are dogs. If youhappen to have a mascot dog, be particularly careful tokeep him away from mosques.Moslems do not let other people see them naked. Donot urinate in their presence. They do it squatting anddislike to see other people do it standing up. These thingsmay seem trivial, but they are important if you want toget along well with the Iraqis.M o s le m W o m e n . Moslem women do not mingle freelywith' men. The greater part of their time they spend athome and in the company of their families. Never makeadvances to Moslem women or try to attract their atten-tion in the streets or other public places. Do not loiternear them when they are shopping. If a woman has occa-sion to lift her veil while shopping, do not stare or smileat her. Look the other way. These rules are extremelyimportant. The Moslems will immediately dislike youand there will be trouble if you do not treat womenaccording to their standards and customs.These rules apply both to the cities and towns and tothe villages and the desert. The village and desert womengo unveiled more often than the women in the cities andseem to have more freedom. But the rules are stilt strict.Any advance-on your part will mean trouble and plentyof it. Even when speaking to Iraqi men, DO mentionshould be made of their female relatives. The Iraqi them-1 6

selves follow this custom and would resent anyone, espcially a foreigner, not doing the same.To repeat=-don't make a pass at any Moslem womaor there will be trouble. Anyway, it won't get you anywhere. Prostitutes do not walk the streets but livespecial quarters of the cities.Iraqi H o s p i t a l i t y . If you are entertained in an Iraqi cihome, you will probably find dishes and silverware ancustoms somewhat like our 01'111. BUl do not ear too mucof the nrst course of a meal. There is probably mocormng.in the country there will probably be no table, plateor silverware. You will be expected to sit on the grounas your host does. Follow his example. Roll up your rigsleeve and cat with the tips of your right fingers--eveif you are a southpaw. It is considered rude to eat wiyour left hand. If your host tears off tid-bits and handthem to you, eat them. In the country there will probabbe only one course. After the meal, water will be brougto wash your hands and a towel to wipe them.


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J n the desert the customs are much the same as in thecourury, except that there is less variety in the food. Youmay be offered only some bread and milk or soured milk,like buuerrnilk. These people are poor and are offeringyou the best they have. You must not refuse it-but' donot take too much.Coffee drinking is equally popular in the city, country,

or desert. Even a shopkeeper may offer you a small glassof coffee. Do not refuse it or throw it away half-drunk,even if it does not taste Iike our American coffee. If youare offered a second cup, take it, and also a third. But itis customary to refuse a fourth.These are some general hints about manners. Bur the

main thing 1 5 the SPIRJT of politenes and courtesy.I you show this, the Iraqis will understand and forgiveany lapses you may make through not knowing theircustoms. If you show that you really want to be friendly,you'll get along.

THE LANGUAGETJ-IE native language of Iraq is Arabic. You willnot need to know many words to get along. A few simplewords will go a long way. Learn a few words and

phrases -you will find a helpful list at the end of thguide-and talk to the Iraqis in their own languageThey will like it even if your pronunciation is not tsame as theirs. They will be especially pleased when yuse their polite salutations even if you do not know aother words. When you hear one of them speak English-no matter how badly-you will understand the pleasuthey feel when you speak to them in their language.Many Iraqis speak a few words or at least understand

English, especial! y those in the larger stores in the ci tand others in the oil regions which were developedthe British. Occasionally among the wealthier classFrench, Turkish, and sometimes German are spoken.most of the Baghdad bazaars, Persian is understoodFrom Mosul north both Turkish and Kurdish are heacommonly.

C LIM ATE AND H E A LTH-S ANIT ARYCONDITIONS

IRAQ is a hot country. This means: keep your headgeaon when you are in the summer sun. In this kind ofclimate it is very easy to let yourself be burned and thinnothing of it. But next day you are likely to wakewith black blisters and possible fever. The headgear issuto you will be sufficient to protect you. But whatever ywear, be sure that it shades the back of your neck as was the top of your head. If you expose the back of yo


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k .. . k D' d ~ O ' t l I a J 'ee . you arc Iilvltlng sunstro e. on t, un er - ~ __any circumstances, take a sun bath. -:-..1 1 1 the desert, be prepared for extremes of ; ; ~ t ' ~ ~ ' l l l \ ' ' ' ' \temperature. The days are usually very hot. I I I \ \The nights can be uncomfortably cool.Boil your drinking water or sec that it is properly

chlorinated. You will find that conditions of life in Iraqdo not allow the degree of sanitation or cleanliness thatwe know.

void eating unwashed vegetables and fruits. Theymay be contaminated by human excrement. Wash rawfruits and vegetables in water or alcohol or peel thembefore eating them, because the skins may have becomecontaminated by flies or by human contact. Avoid leafyvegetables altogether. Keep all toad away from flies.D i s e a s e s : Malaria and typhoid are two very seriousfevers. You should guard against them in every possibleway. Malaria is carried by a particular kind of mosquitowhich breeds in marshy areas, uncovered wells and cis-terns and in shallow water pools. If at all possible, stayaway from areas in which malaria is common. When you

can't do this, sleep under nets and keep your armslegs covered, especially at dusk.Typhoid is contracted from unboiled water and

raw foods which have not been properly cleaned or peOnce again, avoid them.SandAies, which arc smaller than mosquitos and w

can get through an ordinary mosquito net, carry a sthree-day fever which is not serious but is very wea

v ing. It is known as sandfly fever. Sandflics are mostalent in midsummer. Coating yourself with a lighwill give you some protection frbm them.You should be very careful about bugs and lice, w

are common. Give yourself a frequent once-over for tScabies is a skin infection produced by a parasite wfeeds on the skin. It is extremely annoying and difto get rid of. However it can be cured by sulointment.Intestinal diseases,

such as dysentery andtapeworm, are verycommon in Iraq. Thesecan be avoided, or atleast made less severe, byextreme care in the wa-ter you drink and thefood you eat.

l.


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Trachoma, a very common disease of the eye, can bepicked up almost everywhere, even from shaking handswith someone and then touching your eyes. Don't rub 07'touch your eyes.Toilets such as those in America are very scarce. You

will have to get used to relieving yourself outdoors at anyconvenient spot. Be sure to get well off the main streetsan d "veil away (rom mosques, an d Out of sight as muchas possible. You will ha ve to carry your own supply oftoilet p .1 per.There is a good deal of venereal disease around sodon t take chances.CUR R ENe Y WEI G H T S. MEA SUR ES, ETC.

I ra q i C u r re n c y . The rate of exchange of Iraqi money toUnited States currency may vary a little from time totime so that the table below can give only approximateratios. The basis of Iraqi money is the "dinar" (DEE-NAHR) which is roughly worth $4.00 in United Statesmoney. Each dinar is further divided into I,OOO "fils"

(fils or FI -lis). The dinar is a papernote or bill; the fils pieces are COIn.The approximate value of the vari-ous denomination of Iraqi moneyare given below.

T A B L E O F I R A Q C U R R E N C YPaper Money

Iraq Vallie100 Dinars10 Dinars5 DinarsIDinar '.' .

Y .i Dinar (500 fils) .y , Dinar (250 fils)

..[meriran Dollar!$402.0040.2020. 104 . 022.011.00

200 fils50 fils20 fils

.80

.20

.08

Nickel CaineS10 fils4 fils .04.016

Bronze Coins2 fils .I Ills.

.008

.004

An easy way to remember the values of the variouspieces is to think of each fils as being worth just aless [han l i z cenr in U. S. money.


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T h e M o s l e m C a l e n d a r . The Moslem calendar is used inIraq. The main thing [Q know about the Ioslern calendaris that it is lunar, or based on the moon. Each of the 12months has only 28 days. This means that the Moslemyear is a little shorter than our year, so that a special date,such as the fast of Ramadan, will occur a little earliereach year.T i m e . There are two ways or telling time in Iraq. Theofficial system is (he "European system." That is, a 24 -hour clock, beginning at midnight, instead of a rz-hourclock. So in railway timetables you may see that a traini s s ch ed ul ed to arrive at '4 o'clock. That means at 2p. 111. as we reckon lime. Or at 23 o'clock, which is IIp. m. to us. 24 o'clock is midnight. However, most ofthe country,goes on the same rz-hour system used IIIAmerica.

is the dunarn (DU-nam) or "misharah (m;-SHAH-rawhich equals 2,500 square meters or a lirtle less than 3,square yards.The unit of weight in the metric system is the "k

gram," which equals 2.2 pounds in OU[ system.Liquids in the metric system are measured by

"liter." A liter is a little more than one of our quarts.SOME IMPORTANT DO'S AND DON'TS

W e ig h t s a n d M e as u re s. The metric system is used for allofficial measurements of distance an d area in Iraq. Theunit of length in the metric system is (he "meter,"which is 39.37 inches, or a little more than our yard. Theunit of road distance is the "kilometer," which is 1,000-rnctcrs or Y a (a li ttle over one-half) of one of our miles.The metric unit of square measure is the "hectare"

(HECK-tllyr), which consists of TO,OOO square meters, orabout 2 Y 2 of our acres. An Iraqi unit of square measure

Keep away from mosques.Smoke or spit somewhere else-never in front omosque.If you come near a mosque, keep moving (away)

don't loiter.Keep silent when the Moslems are praying (which t

do nve times a day) and don't stare.Discuss something else-NEVER religion or politics

women-with Moslems.Remember the fear of the "evil eye." Don't stare

anyone. Don't point your camera in anyone's face.Avoid offering opinions on internal politics.Shake hands with the Iraqi; otherwise don't touch th

or slap them on the back.Remember that the Iraqi are a very modest peopleavoid any exposure of the body in their presence.

2 6


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Keep out of the sun whenever you can. When youcan't, keep your head and neck covered. -Start eating only after your host has begun.Eat with your nght hand-never with your left, even

if you are a southpaw.Always tear bread with your fingers-never cut it.Bread to the Moslems is holy. Don't throw s~raps of it

about or let it fallon the ground.In the city eat only part of the first course. There may

be more corning.Tn the country leave some food in the bowl-what youleave goes to the women andchildren.Don't offer Moslems food containing pork, bacon, or

lard, or cooked in pork products. All such food is reli-giously "unclean" to them.Don't eat pork or pork products in front of Mos-

lems.Be pleasant if Moslems refuse to eat meat you offer.Don't offer Moslems alcoholic drinks. Drink liquor

somewhere else-never in thepresence of Moslems.Knock before entering a

private house. If a womananswers, wait until she hashad time to retire.2 8

Always respect the Moslem women. Don't starethem. Don't smile at them. Don't talk to them or fothem. If you do allY of these things, it means troubleyou and your unit.

In a house or tent, follow the rule of your host. Itakes off his shoes on entering, do the same.If you are required to sit on the B.oorin an Iraqi hoOrtent, cross your legs while doing so.When visiting, don't overstay your welcome. The tglass of tea or coffee is the signal to leave unless youquartered there.

. If yo~ should see grown men walking hand in haIgnore it. They are not "queer.". Be kind and considerate to servants. The IraqisSider all people equals. .Avoid any expression of race prejudice. The pe""draw very little color line.Talk Arabic if you can to the people. No matter hbadly you do it, tbey will like it.Shake hands on meeting and leaving.On meeting an Iraqi, be sure to inquire after his heaIf you wish to give someone a present, make it swor cigarettes.H you are stationed in the country, it IS a good idetake sweets and cigarettes with you when you visitIraqi's home.


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HINTS ON PRONOUNCING ARABICTHESE are pronunciation hints 0 help you in listening[0the Arabic language records which have been suppliedto your troOp unit. They will also help you with thpronunciation of additional words and phrases giventhe vocabulary below, which are not included in threcords.Arabic is spoken over a great area ill North Africa an

the Near East. There are some differences between rgions, both in pronunciation and the use of words. Thdialect you are going [0 hear on this set of records is thBaghdad variety and you will be understood all over lraqexcept in the extreme north, and in most of Trans-jor-dania. It you should go on to other regions, you will bgiven further information at that time, Don't worry abouthat now.There is nothing very difficult about Arabie--except

that you won't be able to read Arabic signs and newpapers you will see. That is because they use a differentalphabet from ours. Therefore, the instructions and vocabulnry below are not based on the written Arabic Languagebut are a simplified system of representing the languageas it sounds. This system contains letters for all the soundyou must make to be. understood. It does not containletters for some of the sounds you will hear but it wigive you enough to get by on, both listening and speaking.

Show respect toward all older persons. If serving food,the "It], r !", '.!rsonshould be served first ,Be polite. Good manners are important to the Iraqis.

Be hospitable.Bargain all prices. Don't let shopkeepers or merchants

overcharge you; but be polite.Be generous with your cigarettes.Above ali, use common sense on all occasions. And reo

member that e\'cry American soldier is an unofficial am-bassador of good will,

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Here are a few simple rules to help you:1. Accents. You know what the accented syllable of a

word is, of course. It is the syllable which is spoken louderthan the other syllables in the same word. We will showaccented (loud) syllables in capital letters and unaccentedsyllables in small letters.

2. Voiacls. These are the kinds of sounds we representin English by a, e, i, 0, u, ah, f ly , ei, oi, au, OIU, etc. JustfolJow the key below and you will have no trouble.3 or A equal.

AA equals

AH equals

AI equalsAU equalsAY equalse 01 E equalsee or EE equalsior I equals

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The a in pal or the a in pot. There is nofixed rule. You'll just have to listen and learn.(Example: li/-HA,I!/-I1U meaning "do youunderstand me"?)The a in batll-that is, nO I the "broad a"-but stretch (lengthen) it. (Example: THLAA-tha meaning "three".)The a in lather-that is, the "broad a".--butstrctcb it. (Example: WAH-/lid meaning"on,,",)The ai in ai,le-bue stretch it (Example: MAlmeaning "water'")The ow in mu.,_but stretch it. Example: AU-u/o! meaning "fir.t".)The oy in doy-bu~ stretch it. (Example:WAYN meaning "where".)The eo in pet. (Example: tel meaning "bill".)The u in leet-but stretch it. (Example: a-REED meaning "l want".)The i in pit, (Example: SIT-Ie meaning"six" .)

The 0 in go-bur stretch it. (Example: YOmeaning' "day".)The 00 in boot-but stretch it. (Example:lOOK meaning "please'"}The It in pili. (Example: NUS meani"hal",)The It in but, (Example: CHUHZ-mo meani'boors")

. 3 , Consonants, The consonants are all the sounds thare not vowels. Pronounce them just as you know thein English. All consonants should be pronounced. ev"slight" them. Here are some special consonant sounto learn.

o or 0 equals00 equalsu or U equalsuh or UH equals

h small h is always pronounced with thesound except after small II. Listen carefuto the I, sound OD the records.is pronounced as when clearing your throwhen you have to spit. Listen carefully foron the records.is pronounced like kll except that you"voice" into it. That is, a sound very muas when you gargle.is like the sll in shos.is like the th in thin.is l ike the til in thenis like the ell in church.is Iike a very far back k. that is, i[ is swlowed. Listen carefully for it on the recordis 10 be pronounced like a slight cough. Listcarefully for i[ on the records. Wbenever

kh

gb

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is indicated, pronounce it clearly, but do Dotpronounce it even accidentally when it is notindicated, or you wil l be misunderstood.is always pronounced like: the s in kiss.

LIST OF MOST USEFUL WORDS AND PHRASESHERE is a list of the most useful words and phrases yo uwill need in Arabic. You should learn these by heart.They are the words and phrases included on the Arabiclanguage records, and appear here in the order they occuron the records.

Greetings and General Phrase.English-Simplified Arabic Spelling

good da)'-saBAHh il-KHAYRgood evening-ma-ral KHAYRsir-BAYGmadam-KHAHTOON(but if the lady is a Mos-lem)-KHAHnim

l11iss-BNAY-y~please (to a man). .. .. .."r -,OOK ormin-FADH -Iaf

a short guide to iraq

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