Khelil sent me this: "I recently came across Understanding Arabs by Margaret Nydell. Here are some
gems:
Arabs consciously reserve the right to look at the world in a subjective way (17)
Arabs consciously reserve the right to look at the world in a subjective way (17)
Fatalism, a belief that people are powerless to control events, is part of
traditional Arab culture. (18)
To Arabs, honor is more important that facts (19)
Most Arabs still prefer family-arranged marriages (67)
Arabs have a great deal of pride and are easily hurt (212)
If you intend to study Arabic, you should choose the type that suits your
own needs best (213)
Moving the head slightly back and raising the eyebrows means "no". Moving
the head back and the chin upwards also means no. Moving the chin back slightly
and making a clicking sound with the tongue means no. (27)
The funny bit is that she actually means well, writing in the
preface:
An Arab saying is "seek knowledge" (utlab al ilm) and another is "kindness
is a mark of faith" (al hanan allamat al iman). May we learn to understand and
be good to each other. (xxi)
Oh yeah, even more distressing is that this book is in its fifth edition!"
PS I read it when it came out: I tend to insist on reading such trash.
