country profile of iraq in english

8/20/2019 Country Profile of IRAQ in English

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Info4Migrants

IRAQ Country prole

Project number: UK/13/LLP-LdV/TOI-615


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437,072 km2

36,004 mlnPOPULATION

GDP per capita

CURRENCY

$6,900

Languages ARABIC, KURDISH

Iraqi dinar (IQD)


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Ocial name: Republic of Iraq (Al-Jumhuriya al-Iraqiya).

Locaon: Iraq is located in the Middle East at the northern-

most

extent of the Persian Gulf, north of Saudi Arabia, west of Iran,

east of Syria, and south of Turkey.

Capital: Baghdad

Climate: mostly desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot,

cloudless summers; northern mountainous regions along Ira-

nian and Turkish borders experience cold winters with occa-

sionally heavy snows

Ethnic Make-up: Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%,

Turkoman, Assyrian, or other 5%

Religions: Muslim 97%, Chrisan or other 3% (Chrisan 0.8%,Hindu


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IRAQ FACTS

LanguageAccording to the constuon of 2005, the two ocial lan-

guages of Iraq are Arabic and Kurdish, which is ocial in

regions with a Kurdish majority. Turkmen and Assyrian neo-

Aramaic also are ocial languages in regions where they are

spoken. The two main regional dialects of Arabic spoken in

Iraq are Mesopotamian (spoken by about 11.5 million) andNorth Mesopotamian (spoken by about 5.4 million). Other

languages in Iraq are Armenian, Azeri, and Chaldean Neo-Ar-

amaic.

ReligionThe constuon of 2005 guarantees freedom of religion

but species that no law may be enacted that is contrary

to the teachings of Islam, the state religion. Some 97 per-

cent of Iraq’s populaon is Muslim. Of that number, 60 to

65 percent is Shia and 32 to 37 percent Sunni. Although

the Shias have constuted more than half of Iraq’s pop-

ulaon throughout the tweneth century, unl 2005 all

governments excluded them from proporonal polical

power. The Sunni regime of Saddam Hussein systemacal-

ly repressed the Shias. In 1991, a Shia revolt in southern

Iraq brought mass execuons and further alienaon, and

in the post-Hussein era, the Shia–Sunni split remains akey polical factor. The Kurds are predominantly Sunni

but ethnically dierent from the Arab Sunnis and of a less

militant religious orientaon.

FlagThe ag of Iraq consists of three equal horizontal bands

of red (top), white, and black with three green, ve-point-

ed stars centered in the white band. The phrase “Allahu

Akbar” (“God Is Great”) also appears in Arabic script in

the white band with the word Allahu to the le of the

center star and the word Akbar to the right of that star.

4 Country profle IRAQ Learnmera Oy www.thelanguagemenu.com


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CapitalThe populaon of Baghdad, as of 2011, is approximate-

ly 7,216,040, making it the largest city in Iraq, the secondlargest city in the Arab world (aer Cairo, Egypt), and the

second largest city in Western Asia (aer Tehran, Iran).

Located along the Tigris River, the city was founded in the

8th century and became the capital of the Abbasid Caliph-

ate. Baghdad evolved into a signicant cultural, commercial,

and intellectual center for the Islamic world. This, in addi-

on to housing several key academic instuons (e.g. House

of Wisdom), garnered the city a worldwide reputaon as

the “Center of Learning”. Throughout the High Middle Ages,

Baghdad was considered to be the largest city in the world

with an esmated populaon of 1,200,000 people.

The city was largely destroyed at the hands of the Mon-

gol Empire in 1258, resulng in a decline that would linger

through many centuries due to frequent plagues and mul-

ple successive empires. With the recognion of Iraq as

an independent state in 1938, Baghdad gradually regained

some of its former prominence as a signicant center of

Arab culture.

IRAQ FACTS

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Family and HonourIraqis consider family and honour to be of paramount im-

portance. The extended family or tribe is both a polical

and social force. Families hold their members responsible

for their conduct, since any wrongdoing brings shame

to the enre family. Loyalty to the family comes before

other social relaonships, even business. Neposm is

not viewed negavely; in Iraqi culture, it naturally makes

more sense to oer jobs to family as they are trusted. It

is common for large extended families to live in the same

house, compound, or village. In urban areas, families do

not necessarily live in the same house, although they

generally live on the same street or suburb.



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Saddam HusseinSaddam Hussein (1937 – 2006) was the h President of

Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 unl 9 April

2003. A leading member of the revoluonary Arab Socialist

Ba’ath Party, and later, the Baghdad-based Ba’ath Party –

which espoused ba’athism, a mix of Arab naonalism and

Arab socialism — Saddam played a key role in the 1968 coup

(later referred to as the 17 July Revoluon) that brought

the party to power in Iraq. Saddam formally rose to power

in 1979, although he had been the de facto head of Iraq for

several years prior. He suppressed several movements, par-

cularly Shi’a and Kurdish movements, seeking to overthrow

the government or gain independence, and maintained

power during the Iran–Iraq War and the Gulf War. In 2003,

a coalion led by the US and UK invaded Iraq to depose

Saddam, who was accused of possessing weapons of mass

destrucon and having es to al-Qaeda. The trial of Saddam

took place under the Iraqi interim government and he was

sentenced to death and executed on 30 December 2006.

IRAQ FACTS

HospitalityHospitality is an Arab and Muslim tradion deeply en-grained in the culture. Visitors are treated as kings and must

always be fed and looked aer. A tradion within Islam

actually spulates someone is allowed to stay in your home

for 3 days before you can queson why they are staying and

when they will leave. Invitaons to a home must be seen as

a great honour and never turned down.

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CuneiformThe oldest known wring system developed in Iraq around

3200 B.C. Known as cuneiform, it used about 600 signs in-

stead of an alphabet. Each sign stood for a word or a sylla-

ble.



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1 January: New Year’s Day

Iraq takes part in the interna-

onal celebraon of the rst

day of the Gregorian calendar.

Moveable date in winter:

Milad Un Nabi

It is the observance of the

birthday of the Islamic prophet

Muhammad

6 January: Armed Forces Day

This day marks the anniversa-

ry of the acvaon of the Iraqi

Army on 6 January, 1921.

21 March: Nowruz (Iraqi

Kurdistan only)

Nowruz marks the rst day

of spring or Equinox and the

beginning of the year in the

Persian calendar.

9 April: Liberaon Day

On this day the country was

freed from the Saddam Hus-

sein regime.

17 April: FAO Day

Food and Agriculture Organi-

zaon Day (FAO) is celebratedin Iraq to mark the organiza-

on’s goal of assuring food

security.

1 May: Labour Day

May 1 is considered as the

Labour Day by almost all the

naons of the world, and Iraq

is not an excepon.

14 July: Republic Day

14 July 1958 is the day the

Hashemite monarchy was

overthrown in Iraq by popular

forces led by Abdul Karim Kas-

sem, who became the naon’s

new leader.

Moveable date in summer:

Eid al-Fitr (3 days)

The holiday celebrates the

conclusion of the 29 or 30

days of dawn-to-sunset fasng

during the enre month of

Ramadan.

27 July: 1991 Shiite Rebellion

This day commemorated the

Shiite upraisal against the

Hussein regime in 1991.

8 August: Ceasere Day

This day marks the end of the

Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988) also

known as the Imposed Warand Holy Defense in Iran and

the rst Gulf War in the Arab

World.

Moveable date in autumn:

Eid al-Adha (4 days)

It honors the willingness of

Ibrahim to sacrice his prom-

ised son, Ismail, as an act ofsubmission to God’s com-

mand.

3 October: Naonal Iraqi Day

In 1932, in accordance with a

treaty between Great Britain

and Iraq, Iraq gained indepen-

dence and joined the League

of Naons.

Moveable date in autumn or

winter: Hijri New Year

The rst Islamic year begin-

ning in 622 AD during which

the emigraon of Muhammad

from Mecca to Medina took

place is known as the Hijra.

Moveable date in autumn:

Ashaura

For Shi’a Muslims the Ashura

is a day to make pilgrimages,

wear mourning clothes and

avoid any entertainments. For

Sunni Muslims it is a day of joy

and celebraon with familyand friends of the victories of

Allah.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS



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HISTORY IN BRIEF

• Formerly a part of the Ooman Empire, Iraq was occupied by Britain during World War I.

• In 1920, it was declared a League of Naons mandate under UK administraon. In

stag¬es over the next dozen years, Iraq aained its independence as a kingdom in 1932.

• A “republic” was proclaimed in 1958, but in reality a series of strong polical leaders

ruled the country unl 2003. The last was Saddam Hussein.

• Territorial disputes with Iran led to an inconclusive and costly eight-year war (1980-

1988).

• In August 1990, Iraq seized Kuwait, but was expelled by US-led, UN coalion forces

during the Gulf War of January-February 1991. Following Kuwait’s liberaon, the UN Se-

curity Council (UNSC) required Iraq to scrap all weapons of mass destrucon and long-

range missiles and to allow UN vericaon inspecons. Connued Iraqi noncompliance

with UNSC resoluons over a period of 12 years led to the US-led invasion of Iraq in March

2003 and the falling of the Saddam Husain regime. US forces remained in Iraq under a

UNSC mandate through 2009 and under a bilateral security agreement thereaer, helping

to provide security and to train and mentor Iraqi security forces.

• In October 2005, Iraqis approved a constuon in a naonal referendum and, pursuant

to this document, elected a 275-member Council of Representaves (COR) in December

2005. The COR approved most cabinet ministers in May 2006, marking the transion to

Iraq’s rst constuonal government in nearly half a century.

• In January 2009, Iraq held elecons for provincial councils in all governorates except forthe three governorates comprising the Kurdistan Regional Government and Kirkuk Gover-

norate. Iraq held a naonal legislave elecon in March 2010 – selecng 325 legislators

in an expanded COR – and, aer nine months of deadlock, the COR approved the new

government in December 2010. Nearly nine years aer the start of the Second Gulf War in

Iraq, US military operaons there ended in mid-December 2011.



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INTERESTING FACTS

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• Approximately half of Iraq is covered by

inhospitable desert Tradionally, marriag-

es in Iraq are arranged, though more and

more Iraqis are choosing their own spous-

es, especially in larger cies.

• The famous children’s story Ali Baba and

the Forty Thieves was wrien in Iraq about

1,000 years ago

• In Iraq, as in many predominately Muslim

countries, it is oensive to use one’s le

hand while eang because the le hand is

considered to be unclean.

• Women in Iraq tradionally had more

freedom than in other countries in the

region. However, since the Gulf War, their

situaon has become increasingly worse.

Religious groups try to force women to cov-

er up and threaten women wearing West-

ern-style clothes.

• According to the UNHCR’s 2010 report,

Iraqis were the second largest refugee

group in the world, with 1.8 million Iraqis

seeking refuge in neighboring countries.

The largest group was from Afghanistan,

with 2.9 million refugees.

• According to the Bible, Abraham was from

Ur, which is in Southern Iraq. Isaac’s wife,

Rebekah was from Nahor, which is also in

Iraq. Addionally, according to legend, Iraq

is the site of the Biblical Garden of Eden.

• Mountains make up about 20% of Iraq.

The two main mountain chains are the

Taurus, on the border with Turkey, and the

Zagros, on the border with Iran. The moun-

tains are the only parts of Iraq that sll have

forests.

• One of Iraq’s disncve plants is licorice,

which has been used for thousands of years

for its health eects.

• Iraqis have been keeping bees for 5,000

years. Honey is an important source of food

and income for many Iraq families.

• Sand and dust storms rage for 20 to 50

days each year in Iraq, mostly during the

summer. Sandstorms can reach heights of

15 meters.

• Iraq once had one of the highest quali-

ty schools and colleges in the Arab world.

However, aer the 1991 Gulf War and the

United Naons sancons, today only around

40% of Iraqis can read and write.

• Iraq has been home to some of the great-

est urban centers in the world, including Ur,

Babylon, Nineveh, Ctesiphon, and Baghdad.

• The Iraqi desert is home to the dangerous

saw-scale viper. Many sciensts consider it

the most dangerous snake in the world.

•Ancient Iraq was the birthplace of some of

the world’s most important invenons, such

as the 60-second minute and the 60-min-ute hour, the wheel, wring, the rst accu-

rate calendar, the rst maps, and the rst

schools.



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Hospitality is considered a highly admired asset to the Iraqis. Iraqis are known for being

very generous and polite, especially when it comes to mealme. Meals are more oen

a fesve, casual experience than a formal one. Many Iraqis were raised to feed their

guests before themselves, and to feed them well. Most Iraqis hosts feel that they are

failing in their role as hosts if their guests have not tried all of their dishes. In fact, prop-

er appreciaon is shown by overeang.

The cuisine of Iraq reects this rich inheritance as well as strong inuences from the cu-

linary tradions of neighbouring Persia, Turkey and the Syria region area. Like the Turks,

Iraqis like to stu vegetables and eat a lot of lamb, rice, and yogurt. Like Iranians, they

enjoy cooking fruits with beef and poultry.

Contemporary Iraq reects the same natural division as ancient Mesopotamia, which con-

sisted of Assyria in the arid northern uplands and Babylonia in the southern alluvial plain.

Al-Jazira (the ancient Assyria) grows wheat and crops requiring winter chill such as apples

and stone fruits. Al-Irāq (Iraq proper, the ancient Babylonia) grows rice and barley, citrus

fruits, and is responsible for Iraq’s posion as the world’s largest producer of dates.

Kubbat mousel is a at disc of two layers of burghul (a cereal food made from the groatof several dierent wheat species, most oen from durum wheat) with a thin layer of

minced meat mixture in the middle. It originated in the city of Mousel, 240km north

of Baghdad. Kubbat Mousel is sold frozen in the Arab world and in most Arab shops in

west¬ern countries. This allows for more frequent consumpon of this delicious dish than

in the days when it was made at home from scratch.

Fesenjān (Chicken in pomegranate and walnut sauce) is most likely Iranian in origin. Ithas come to Baghdad from the cies of Najaf and Karbala, where a number of Iranians

visit the holy shrines and oen stay for a period of me. Also, there are nu¬merous mar -

riages between Iraqis and Iranians, which is another way for some of the Iranian dishes to

reach Iraqi kitchens.

Masgouf is a tradional Mesopotamian dish made with sh from the Tigris. It is an open

cut freshwater sh roasted for hours aer being marinated with olive oil, salt, curcuma

and tamarind while keeping the skin on. Tradional garnishes for the masgouf include

lime, chopped onions and tomatoes, as well as the clay-oven atbreads common to Iraqand much of the Middle East.

IRAQI CUISINE



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The main ingredient of Tepsi Baynijan, an Iraqi casserole, is aubergine, which are slicedand fried before placing in a baking dish, accompanied with chunks of either lamb/beef/

veal or meatballs, tomatoes, onions and garlic. Potato slices are placed on top of the

mixture, and the dish is baked. Like many other Iraqi dishes, it is usually served with rice,

along with salad and pickles.

Dolma is a family of stued vegetable dishes. The grape-leaf dolma is common, and zuc -chini, aubergine, tomato and pepper are commonly used as llings. The stung may or

may not include meat.

Koa is a family of meatball or meatloaf dishes inMiddle Eastern, Indian, and Balkan cuisines. In the

simplest form, koas consist of balls of minced

or ground meat — usually beef or lamb — mixed

with spices and/or onions. Vegetarian variees

include lauki koa, shahi aloo koa, and malai

koa.

Kleicha, a naonal cookie of Iraq, comes in sev-eral tradional shapes and llings, the most pop-

ular being the molded ones lled with dates. The

sweet discs are also favorites, along with the half

moons lled with nuts and sugar.

Qatayef dessert is reserved for the Muslim holi-

day of Ramadan, a sort of sweet crepe lled withcheese or nuts. It was tradionally prepared by

street vendors as well as households in the Le-

vant, and more recently it has spread to Egypt.

Drinks

• Arak, a clear, colorless, unsweetened aniseed-avored dislled alcoholic drink.

Arak is usually not drunk straight, but mixed with approximately 1/3 arak to 2/3 water,

and ice added.

• Sharbat, a chilled, sweet drink prepared from fruit juice or ower petals.

• Shinēna, a cold beverage of yogurt mixed with cold water, somemes with a pinchof salt or dried mint added.

IRAQI CUISINE



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Meeng and Greeng

• Men do not touch women unless they

are rst-degree relaves (wives, mothers,

daughters, or sisters), in which case they

greet with a handshake. A failure to shake

someone’s hand when meeng them or

bidding them goodbye may be seen as of-

fensive.

• These rules apply only to people of the

same sex; it is considered disrespecul for

a man to oer his hand to a woman unless

she extends it rst – and obviously women

should never be kissed. Touching the right

hand to the heart as a form of greeng

indicates respect or sincerity. In rural areas,

greengs between men include handshak-ing and kissing on the cheeks.

• A son may kiss his mother’s head as a sign

of respect. Children show respect by kissing

the hand of an elder.

• A typical greeng is Al-salamu ‘alaykum

(May peace be upon you). Young Iraqis

greet with a less-formal wave and the wordMarhaba (Hi).

Titles• It is considered impolite to address a per-

son by rst name unless the individual is a

close friend and from the same generaon

and social class.

• A man is commonly addressed as Abu

(Father of), followed by his oldest son’s rst

name. A woman likewise might be ad-

dressed by her oldest son’s name, as in Um

Abbas (Mother of Abbas). Even a husband

and wife refer to each other in this way,

both in public and in private.

• An individual with no sons is addressed

by his or her oldest daughter’s rst name,

and an individual with no children is called

Abu ghayib or Um ghayib (Awaing father or

Awaing mother).

Body LanguageBody language is a highly developed form

of communicaon in Iraq, and a multude

of gestures are commonly used in everyday

interacon. Men tend to use gestures more

than women, and the following list applies

largely to men.

• When engaged in conversaon, Iraqis tend

to stand a short distance from one another

and use a good deal

of physical contact. Body language is an im-

portant method of expression.

• To express respect, especially to an elder,

a person will avoid eye contact during con-

versaon. Likewise,men and women will not

maintain eye contact with each other.• Eyebrows raised and head lted back

means “No”.

• Extending both open palms towards

someone signies enthusiasm or “excel-

lent”.

• Touching the outer edges of the eyes with

the ngerps indicates assent.

• It is oen considered impolite to wave

with the le hand. Poinng with the indexnder can also be seen as oensive - one

should use the whole hand.

IMPORTANT TIPS



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IMPORTANT TIPS

DressThe dress in Iraq is varied as many people

today wear western-styled clothing. Howev-

er, the majority of people connue to wear

more tradional clothing.

For men, this tradional dress is called a

dishdasha, which is a loose-ng garmentthat completely covers a person from the

neck down. In Iraq, this piece of clothing can

come in nearly any color, but tends to be in

black or browns. Women oen wear a dish-

dasha or an abaya; however, the decoraon

and detail of a woman’s dress tends to be

much more signicant than a man’s and the

women in Iraq tend to have very colorful

clothing, oen highlighted in golds.

Both men and women in tradional dress

cover their hair; women wear a cloth called

a hijab, which is wrapped around their neck

so only their faces can be seen, while men

may wear a keyeh, another head covering,

or leave their heads uncovered.

Today, some Iraqis have turned to west-ern-styled clothing with the tradional

headwear or a simple scarf. These clothes

are similar to what can be seen in much of

the world, but both men and women tend

to cover up with long-sleeved shirts and

pants.

Foreigners in Iraq should dress conservave-

ly with both arms and legs covered. Some

women many feel more comfortable cov-

ering their hair in public, but even amongst

the locals this is a slowing dying pracce.

More importantly, due to the violence, it is

recommended that you wear nothing that

makes you stand out as a foreigner. Most

visitors to Iraq today go there with a larger

organizaon, whether that is the military or

a non-governmental organizaon, or anoth-

er group, and this organizaon is best suited

to assist in what and how to dress.



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IMPORTANT TIPS

Dining EqueeWhen eang in Iraq, there are a few e-

quee rules you must know and follow. If

you get invited to dine with the locals, the

rst two rules you must follow are to dress

conservavely. Second, in conservave

homes and towns, it is not acceptable to

eat with a person of the opposite sex un-

less it is your child, sibling, or spouse.

While this is somewhat uncommon today,

to some conservave Muslims this is im-

portant, so you should observe the situa-

on at the local restaurant and follow their

lead. Due to this, don’t bring a guest of the

opposite sex to any meal unless you are

specically invited to do so. In many restau-

rants there is a “Men Only” secon and a“Family Secon,” in which women and men

can dine together (there is no “Women

Only” secon), so before any woman goes

out to eat, be sure the restaurant or host is

willing to allow women to eat with men.

Try to arrive on me for a meal, and if eat-

ing in a local’s home remove your shoes at

the door if others have done so. Greet the

elders rst, but be sure to greet every per-son individually and shake their hands (al-

though some conservave Muslims don’t

believe men and women should touch, so

wait for locals to extend their hand rst if

they are of the opposite sex). Let your host

seat you and when sing be sure to keep

your feet at on the oor or pointed be-

hind you as poinng the soles of your feet

at another can be seen as oensive.Once the food is served, follow your host’s

lead as he or she may invite everyone to

begin eang at the same me, or may

request that either you or the elders be

served rst. Try a bit of everything oered

as turning down food is rude.

Eat as the locals eat; in most sengs this

means eang in the connental style (knife

in the right hand, fork in the le); on some

occasions and with some dishes, you may

eat with your hand, but only touch your

food with your right hand. Be sure to

only take a small amount of food at rst if

served family style, as you will certainly be

oered a second helping. Turn down the

rst oer of a second helping, but on their

insistence accept the oer. As you nish

your food, leave a bit on your plate to show

there was more than enough and place

your fork and knife together in the 5:00

posion.

DrinksAs a primarily Muslim country, Iraq has

lile alcohol available, although technically

it is legal. Obtaining alcohol is dicult andreligious radicals have been known to tar-

get alcohol vendors and consumers.

The tap water in Iraq should not be con-

sumed. Be sure to also avoid anything with

ice as it may have been made from the tap

water. Salads and fruits may also have been

washed with tap water, so you should be

careful with them as well.



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ETIQUETTE AND CUSTOMS

Humor

Irony, sarcasm and self-depreciaon are all

styles of humor that can easily cause mis-

understandings in Iraq. It is not unusual for

people who are communicang in a lan-

guage that is not their mother tongue to

take words literally, at least unl they know

the language – and you – very well.

Telling a joke at one’s own expense can be

confusing in cultures that are concerned

about status and saving face. The best poli-

cy is to be very careful about cracking jokes

or making sarcasc comments unl you

know your audience very well.

Gi Giving Equee

• If you are invited to an Iraqi’s

home, bring a box of cookies, pas-

tries or a box of chocolates. A fruit

basket is also appreciated.

• Flowers are being given more and

more but only to a hostess.

• If a man must give a gi to a wom-an, he should say that it is from his

wife, mother, sister, or some other

female relaon.

• A small gi for the children is al-

ways appreciated.

• Gis are handed over with two

hands.

• Gis are generally not opened

when received.

Table manners

If you are invited to someone’s home:

• Check to see if you should remove shoes.

• Dress conservavely and smartly.

• Do not discuss business.

• Iraqi table manners are relavely formal.

• If the meal is on the oor, sit cross-

legged or kneel on one knee. Never let

your feet touch the food mat.

• Use the right hand for eang and drink-

ing.

• It is considered polite to leave some food

on your plate when you have nished eat-

ing.



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General Rules

Do be prepared for people to smoke in dif -

ferent venues.

Do give women the opportunity to avoid

physical contact with men. Handshakes

between the sexes may be allowed; a

two-handed handshake is especially wel-

coming.

Don’t shake a woman’s hand (if you are

male) unless she rst oers it to you.

Do be respecul and express gratude for

hospitality and generosity.

Do repeat your oer of a gi two or three

mes unl your host accepts.

It is considered rude for a host to not oer

a guest something to eat and drink. This

custom applies to unexpected visitors as

well. It is polite to accept your host’s oer.

Don’t oend your host by refusing to entera room rst. There is a rank system where

the oldest or highest-ranking person social-

ly enters a room rst; women are usually

among the last to enter.

Don’t use your le hand for contact with

others, eang or gestures. It is considered

unclean.

Don’t expose the soles of your feet or

shoes.

Don’t point with your ngers. It is a sign of

contempt. Instead, point with your whole

hand.

Don’t slouch, lean, or appear disinterested

when conversing with an Iraqi man.

Don’t back away from an Iraqi during con-

versaon. Close personal interacon is cus-

tomary and distance is considered rude.

Don’t oer a Muslim food or drink or con-sume either publicly during Ramadan. Nev-

er oer a Muslim alcohol or pork.

DOS AND DON’TS



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Don’t engage in religious discussions.

Don’t make the “OK” or “Thumbs Up”

sign; they are considered obscene.

Don’t praise an Iraqi’s possessions too

much, he may give them to you and expect

something of equal value in return.

Everyday taboos

Most everyday taboos stem from Islamic

values. They apply throughout Kurdish and

Arab Iraq and to Muslims in other coun-

tries.

• No pork unless none of your dining com-

panions are Muslim.• No alcohol if you are with anyone who

may take oence. In general, it is best to

mirror the choice of your host.

• Do not use the le hand for giving and

taking “clean” items, especially at meals,

when handling business cards or accepng

tokens of hospitality.

• Do not show the soles of your feet to

others, including crossing your legs.• Do not wear shoes inside houses.

• Never touch Iraqi women, especially in

public.

• Never enquire aer an Iraqi’s man wife,

daughters or any other female family

member, Enquire generally about the

well-being of his family instead.

•Avoid talking about your pet dog as dogs

are considered dirty.

Recommended topics for

conversaon

You will always be safe if you compliment

your desnaon. Your hosts are very likely

to ask you how you like Erbil or Baghdad;

always answer posively, even if you are

in the midst of a sandstorm. Try to ndcommon ground in sport. Showing interest

in Islam and Islamic culture is appreciated,

but be natural and sincere in your conver-

saon.

Topics of conversaon to avoid:

• Quesoning Islam

• Asking your Iraqi colleague if they areSunni or Shi’a

• Directly declaring your atheism or agnos-

cism

• Making enquiries about local women

• Discussing Saddam Hussein

• Openly cricizing polical leaders, even

if Iraqis do

• Discussing any Israel/Palesne issues

• Making uninformed comments aboutIraqi polics or negave aspects of Iraqi

history

• Showing enthusiasc patriosm for your

own country, especially combined with an

atude that your way is the only way to

do things

• Indicang support for the American-led

“War on Terror”

• General references to Iraq as though itis somehow responsible for the world’s

problems.

DOS AND DON’TS



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BUSINESS ETIQUETTE

Meeng and Greeng• Iraqi businesspeople are relavely formal

in their business dealings.

• The common Arabic greeng is “asalaamu

alaikum” (peace be with you), to which you

should respond “wa alaikum salaam” (and

peace be with you).

• The most common business greeng is

the handshake with direct eye contact.

• Handshakes can be rather prolonged; trynot to be the rst person to remove your

hand.

• Men should wait to see if a woman ex-

tends her hand.

• Business cards are given out.

• It is a nice touch to have one side of your

card translated into Arabic.

Communicaon StylesThe need to save face and protect honor

means that showing emoons is seen nega-

vely. Displays of anger are a serious no-no.

If you must show disapproval, it is always

best to do so one-to-one, quietly and with

tact.

Always keep your word. Do not make apromise or guarantee unless you can keep

it. Iraqi business people are not afraid of

asking blunt and probing quesons. These

may be about you, your company or itsintenons.

Business MeengsDue to the hierarchical nature of orga-

nizaons or businesses, the leader of an

Iraqi team does most of the talking for his

company or department. Subordinates

are there to corroborate informaon or to

provide technical advice and counsel to the

most senior Iraqi. Decisions are generally

made at the top of the company, but this

will be based on recommendaons from

pernent stakeholders and technical ex-

perts who sit in on meengs.

Expect interrupons during meengs when

phone calls may be taken or people enter

the room on other maers. This should not

be seen negavely; one should simply re-

main paent and wait for maers to return

to them.

Iraqis oen have several discussions tak-

ing place on the side during a meeng.

They may interrupt the speaker if they

have something to add. They can be loudand forceful in geng their point of view

across.



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The family is the most important social unit in Iraq, and family loyalty is one of the

most important values. Honor, both personal and the family’s honor, is also veryimportant. It is considered a disgrace to speak badly about a family member, or tell

non-family members about bad things that have happened in the family.

PEOPLE IN IRAQ

A family consists of all related kin, and can

include hundreds of people. Rural families

live with or near each other, while urban

families stay closely connected through

other means.

The structure of Arab society is such that

nancial power is in the hands of the hus-

band, although the wife is not completely

without inuence.

Roles of the sexes are very clearly dened

in Iraq. In rural areas, this strict division

oen causes the sexes to be segregated,

except when eang and sleeping.

Most marriages are arranged by families,

but a couple must approve a match. Di-

vorce is very rare, even though it is fairly

easy under Islamic Shari’a (law).

Young children are adored and indulged,

though they are strictly punished for misbe-

havior. They are expected to obey their par-ents and grandparents. Iraqis believe that

wisdom increases with age, so the elderly

are deeply revered.

In the Iraqi culture, respect is a key com-

ponent, because everyone is so close that

they want things to remain peaceful in the

family and from a social perspecve. Chil-

dren respect their elders, men and womenrespect one another, and respect is expect-

ed in all social situaons.



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Cultural heritage

Iraq has one of the world’s oldest cultural

histories. Iraq is where the Ancient Meso-

potamian civilizaons were, whose legacy

went on to inuence and shape the civiliza-

ons of the Old World.

The country is known for its poets, and its

painters and sculptors are among the best

in the Arab world, some of them being

world-class. Iraq is known for producing ne

handicras, including rugs and carpets. The

architecture of Iraq is seen in the sprawling

metropolis of Baghdad, where the con-

strucon is mostly new, with some islands

of exquisite old buildings and compounds,and elsewhere in thousands of ancient and

modern sites across Iraq.

Unlike many Arab countries, Iraq embraces

and celebrates the achievements of its past

in pre-Islamic mes. What is now Iraq was

once the Cradle of Civilizaon in Ancient

Mesopotamia and the culture of Sumer.

Naonal Identy

Arab rule during the medieval period had

the greatest cultural impact on modern

Iraq. The dominang culture within Iraq is

Arabic culture, and most Arabs are Muslim.

Iraqi Muslims are split into two groups, the

Sunnis and the Shias (Shiites). The Sunnis,

a majority in Islam, are a minority in Iraq,and the Shias, a minority in the Arab world,

are the majority in Iraq. Between the Shia

and Sunni Muslims, loyalty to Iraq has come

to be a common factor. Though they have

diering views, both Sunnis and Shias hold

high leadership posions in the government

(including the Sunni Saddam Hussein), as do

some Chrisans.

The Arab culture, inuenced by the con-

querors in the 7th century, withstood many

changes of power throughout the centuries,

and managed to remain inuenal. In the

19th century, while the Ooman Empire

was focusing on the “Turkicaon” of its

people, rebels in Mesopotamia were build-

ing their Arab naonalist movement. They

were granted an opportunity to act during

World War I, when the Brish agreed to rec-

ognize Arab independence in Mesopotamia

if they helped ght against the Turks.

Though Iraq was subject to Brish mandate

rule following the defeat of the Ooman

Empire, Arab naonalism stood strong. For

the next few decades, even aer indepen-

dence from Britain, the government’s at-

tude wavered between being pro-Brishand Arab naonalist. Today Iraq stands rm

in its belief in pro-Arab naonalism.

Tribes

Tribalism is an important aspect of Iraqi so-

ciety. It has been esmated that up to 75%

of the populaon idenes themselves asbelonging to a specic tribe.

CULTURE AND SOCIETY



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Women in IraqDuring the Iran-Iraq War, with so many men ghng in the military, women were required

to study in elds and to work in posions normally lled by men. Female professionals,

such as doctors, are normally pediatricians or obstetricians, so that they work with only

women or children.

The General Federaon for Iraqi Women (GFIW) is a government organizaon for women

with eighteen branches, one in each province. Its stated goal is to ocially organize wom-

en, promote literacy and higher educaon, and encourage women in the labor force. The

federaon supported big legislave steps, such as a 1977 law that said a woman may be

appointed an ocer in the military if she has a university degree in medicine, denstry,

or pharmacy. However, it has had lile impact on issues that aect women as individuals,

such as polygamy, divorce, and inheritance.

Family lifeIn the past, arranged marriages were common. However, this pracce is becoming rar-

er, and a law was passed that gave authority to a state-appointed judge to overrule thewishes of the father in the event of an early marriage. The Muslim majority tradionally

views marriage as a contract between two families, as the family’s needs are considered

most important. In urban sengs, women and men have more opons in choosing their

spouses, though the proposed spouse must receive parental approval. Partners oen

come from the same kin group, and though marriage between dierent ethnic groups is

accepted, it is not too common. The ruling Baath regime considers marriage to be a na-

onal duty that should be guided and encouraged.

Couples can live in either of two ways: with the husband’s extended family, or as a nucle-ar family. At present, with economic hardships, families tend to live in extended house-

holds. The extended family unit consists of the older couple, sons, their wives and fami-

lies, and unmarried daughters. Other dependent relaves may also make up a part of this

group, and the oldest male is the head of the group. In this living arrangement, house-

hold and child-rearing tasks are shared among all female members of the larger families.

If the couple can aord to live in a nuclear household, women, even though they work

outside the home, retain all domesc and child-care responsibilies. Children normally

imitate older siblings, and obedience and loyalty to elders are of vital importance. Theboy is thought to be more valuable to a family, given his potenal to work, while the girl

is considered more of a dependent.

SOCIAL LIFE



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Veronica Gelfgren

Yulia Bazyukina

Marja-Liisa Helenius

Research

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country profile of iraq in english

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