This book is the bible of Western companies operating in the Middle East. A major American company distributed to its staff snippets form this book on how to handle Arabs:
"· It is best never to provoke a deliberate and open confrontation with an Arab regardless of the truth or other factors...·Rude or aggressive behavior and the wearing of revealing clothing (shorts, cut-away vests, short dresses, off the shoulder tops) in public places are also deprecated [Have those folks ever been to Lebanon?]...· Many Arabs believe in a “sixth sense” that guides them to the correct decision in any matter. Many Arabs will often trust their instinct rather than plough through a mass of detail...
· Most Westeners find silence embarrassing and will seek to fill a gap in the conversation. Many Arabs are wholly unembarrassed by silence and are content, usually, simply to be “together with friends”…speech is not always essential on such occasions and there can be long periods of slience, intermingled with good gossip and story-telling...Islam is a binding force, not just throughout the Region, but beyond. Islam is more than a religion; Islam is a code of conduct and a way of life as well...
Most people do not enjoy strangers taking their picture deliberately and publicly without their permission [while in the West, people enjoy being photographed by strangers up close, I am sure]."
"· It is best never to provoke a deliberate and open confrontation with an Arab regardless of the truth or other factors...·Rude or aggressive behavior and the wearing of revealing clothing (shorts, cut-away vests, short dresses, off the shoulder tops) in public places are also deprecated [Have those folks ever been to Lebanon?]...· Many Arabs believe in a “sixth sense” that guides them to the correct decision in any matter. Many Arabs will often trust their instinct rather than plough through a mass of detail...
· Most Westeners find silence embarrassing and will seek to fill a gap in the conversation. Many Arabs are wholly unembarrassed by silence and are content, usually, simply to be “together with friends”…speech is not always essential on such occasions and there can be long periods of slience, intermingled with good gossip and story-telling...Islam is a binding force, not just throughout the Region, but beyond. Islam is more than a religion; Islam is a code of conduct and a way of life as well...
Most people do not enjoy strangers taking their picture deliberately and publicly without their permission [while in the West, people enjoy being photographed by strangers up close, I am sure]."
