Basic knowledge of the Middle East

Look at this sentence in a WP article on the Lebanese restaurant in Kabul:  "along with savory Lebanese appetizers of kebab, falafel, tabbouleh and stuffed grape leaves."   Kabab is a Lebanese appetizer?  If Kabab is an appetizer, then brains and tongues are appetizers as well? Appetizers are supposed to be light dishes, and not Kebab, damn it.  I mean, those who are sent by US newspapers to cover the Middle East, why not send them an Arabic restaurant in DC at first?   And then you read this: "fingering prayer beads".  One more time: beads in the hands of men in the Middle East are not necessarily prayer beads. Men customarily play with beads without having an religious significance, as hard as it is for you to believe this.  My father never prayed in his life (well, some members of the family claim that he once--literally, once--prayed but that is arguable), but he had a fancy collection of beads that he played with.