AMERICANS VERSUS FOREIGNERS.

TIPS FOR DEALING AND SOCIALIZING WITH ARABS, MUSLIMS AND FOREIGNERS.

But if you are a real friend, then you are safe. Many Jews in the Near and Middle East, as well as American businessmen had hard time dealing with Arabs who have never left their Arab homeland. Like the ancient Hebrews, and according to archaic Sahara tribal code of honor, Bedouin Arabs, known also as “Badou Rouhal” believed that one’s word or personal promise is a binding contract. No written deeds, witnessed contracts or “signed notes “were necessary”. Unfortunately, modern times’ history taught us that, those Arab words of honor are not to be trusted. Nowadays, Arabs themselves do not trust their own people. A famous Arab proverb goes like this: “Me and my brother against my cousin. And me and my cousin against the stranger.” Upon doing business with Arabs, expect to hear these words or phrases:

A- “In Shallah”, meaning: God’s will or God’s willing or should God allow this or that to happen.

B- “Khaline Fakkir”, meaning: Let me think for a while.

C- “Wala Yi Hemmack”, meaning: Don’t worry at all.

D- “Koulchi Bi Seer”, meaning: Everything is possible.

Now, if you combine together, all these phrases and answers in one single sentence, this is what you get: “If God is willing, let me think, everything is possible and don’t worry at all, for you have my word of honor.” Now, figure this out! Confusing? You bet! But the truth is, Arabs could be fun. As long as an Arab man or woman is not fanatic, you got to believe it, they make good company. And if you are invited by an Arab, rest assured, you will be treated like royalty? At what cost? You will find out.

E- “Wa’ed Sharaf”, meaning: You have my word of honor. (I am very concerned about this!)

DEALING AND SOCIALIZING WITH LEBANESE

I know the Middle East, more correctly the Near East as good as I know France and the United States. I used the word “Near East”, because 91% of Americans think that Lebanon, Syria and Palestine are in the Middle East. Historically and geographically, this is incorrect. Understanding the truth and the myth about the dual political philosophy and its mechanism of the Christian Lebanese and the Muslim Lebanese is primordial. Just for now, bear in mind that Muslim Lebanese consider themselves Arabs, while the Christian Lebanese consider themselves non-Arabs. The majority of the Christian Lebanese believe and or pretend to be the direct descendants of the Crusaders. Those who know ancient history, insist upon the fact that they are the descendants of the Phoenicians. Understanding this socio-politico religious differentiation coming from one single social group of a multi-faceted mosaic of culture, history and divergent traditions is extremely important and vital. In case you sincerely wish to understand why some Lebanese are pro Americans and pro-West, while other Lebanese are anti-Americans and anti-West, this historical chronological lineage of Christian Lebanese could and would explain this divergent attitude of the Lebanese toward the West and the United States. I will elaborate on this delicate issue later on in this essay.

Many American folks are mixing apples and oranges, for they don’t know that Lebanon, Israel, Palestine and Syria ARE NOT in the Middle East. They are in the NEAR EAST. The French know better because they ruled the region for almost 25 years, where they established a French government (Directorate), following the collapse of the Ottoman empire in world war one. The French, so correctly and very appropriately referred to those countries as:” LE PROCHE ORIENT” meaning :”THE NEAR EAST”. The word “Proche” in French means: NEAR. Something else, our folks in America should know. In the United States, we think that the ORIENT is Japan, China, Singapore, Hong Kong and surrounding Asiatic countries, and this is wrong too. In almost 87% of the countries of the world and more particularly in Europe, France, Belgium, Italy and Great Britain, the word “ORIENT” means ipso facto, the countries in the Middle and Near East. European academicians, explorers, archaeologists, poets and writers know that for a fact, for the poets and writers of France who visited Lebanon (Loubnan in Lebanese), Palestine (Phalasteen in Arabic) and Syria (Souria as called by the Syrians) were referred to as “LES ORIENTALISTES”, meaning erudite, scholars, poets, novel writers and authors who wrote essays, poems, history, and novels about Syria, Lebanon and Palestine, and of course Algeria, Egypt and Morocco. At one time, even Cyprus was considered as part of the Near East, especially during the Crusades and the rule of the Templars, the Cathars and The Knights of the Order of St. John of Malta.

The word “ORIENT” could also be used as the Arab Middle East. In Arabic it is called “AL SHARK”. The greatest singer of the Arab world was OUM KALTHOUM.