TIPS FOR DEALING AND SOCIALIZING WITH ARABS, IRAQIS, MUSLIMS, LEBANESE, IRANIANS, GREEKS, FRENCH, JAPANESE, ITALIANS . By Maximillien de Lafayette

CAN WE GENERALIZE SOCIAL BEHAVIOR AND ATTRIBUTES OF NATIONS AND PEOPLE?

Can we generalize and stigmatize particular ethnic characteristics of a nation or a “people” to define what distinguished their ethnicity from other groups and social structures?

In other words, would it be fair and intelligent to represent, describe and depict people, societies and countries according to suspicions, common beliefs and stereotyped clichés? Honestly, NO! However, political experiences and history taught us, that, to a certain degree of social veracity and historical accuracy, some aspects, facets, way of life, traditions, culture and social characteristics, including behavior (individually or globally) could be adhered to the description of the nature and psyche of a nation and particular ethnic groups.

A world-traveler and a student of mass psychology and sociopolitical sciences would consider and view various nations and their nationals quite differently from those who have never left their homeland, read about people and nations in comparative history or effectuated transactions with foreigners.

ON ITALIANS: It is widely believed that Italians love Opera, pasta, the Pope, Sophia Loren, Dante, their vespa, and from time to time whistling at a beautiful ragazza in the street.

ON FRENCH: French are known for their café-trottoirs, arrogant intellectualism, the “UN je ne sais quoi”, their academic rhetoric, their passion for pate, foies gras, escargots, truffles, Victor Hugo’s poems, Napoleon phantasmagoric military campaigns and victories, and intelligent dialogues in vintage motion pictures. Also, they could be known for their disdain of American culture, constantly wearing blue jeans and snickers.

ON JAPANESE: Japanese are believed to be extremely disciplined, traditional, deeply influenced by the code of Bushido and Budo, their reverence for their ancestors, their mastery of Sado, tea ceremony, their delightful Zen Buddhist calligraphy, flowers arrangements, the code of honor and chivalry of their Samurais, and their conceptual invention of the Geisha. To many observers, Japanese appear to be, the perfect “copiers” of American products and inventions.

ON GREEKS: Europeans who worked and lived with Greeks have tendency to believe that the Greeks are fun people. They enjoy music, particularly their Bouzoukis, they adore dancing and especially their Sirtaki, and they are convinced that Marinella is the best singer in the world, and Xhatjidakhis is the world’s best composer. However, many Europeans believe that the Greeks were born with a “laisser aller,” a nonchalant flair and attitude. They are a great company if you are throwing a party till 5:00, but they are not serious enough to “seriously” take into consideration contracts they signed and deals they promise to complete.

ON ARABS AND IRAQIS: I have to catch my breath. More accurately, I have to breath, pause and breath again, each time I am compelled to write about the Arabs. I lived and worked with them for over 15 years, in the Middle East, Near East, Europe and the United States. Even, I wrote books and bursting articles about the Arabs, their religion and fascinating history. I know the Arabs extremely very well. And every time, I dissert on their culture and political ideologies, avalanches of juxtaposed ideas, mixed feelings and a sense of reluctant fear invade my being and my mind. Contrary to a global and common belief, Arabs are not the “same Arabs” you find anywhere and everywhere.

An Arab from Alexandria, or Al Saeed in Egypt or an Iraqi from Al Basra, Mosoul, Karkouk or Baghdad thinks and lives very differently from an Arab or a Christian Arab from Byblos, Jounieh or Acharafiye in Lebanon. A Bedouin in the Arab Peninsula believes that the Saudi Royal Family's power and reign were given by Allah to Al Saoud dynasty. While, educated Arabs in Tunisia and Lebanon are fully convinced that Allah had nothing to do with the throne of Al Saoud family. A modern young Muslim in Beirut, who loves European culture, watches French movies and “starves” for dating a Christian girl, would nor hesitate a second to change his Arabic Muslim name into an Europeanized or Americanized names. For instance, “ADNAN” become “DANY”, and “RASHED” becomes “ROY”, “REDWAN” become “EDDY”, and “YOUSSEF” becomes “JOE”. I saw with my own eyes, modern young Muslims in Al Hamra, Beirut, wearing crosses and icons of Saint Therese instead of their “MISHAF” (Book cover of the Quran”, just to convey the message that they are not Muslims, thus, facilitating their strategic dating maneuvers to “catch” a Christian Lebanese woman.

DEALING AND SOCIALIZING WITH JAPANESE

A Japanese businessman will never rush to agree or disagree with you, especially if you are Jewish in general and American in particular, regardless of your original ethnic and religious background. The very first thing you should expect to hear from a Japanese businessman upon hearing your business proposal is this very typical cliché “Possible, very possible”. He never replies by “Yes” or “No”. He always takes his time; at least one or two days before he gives you a definitive answer. He never consults with his wife or members of his family. His business decisions are solely made upon strategic, geographic, sales reasons and corporate analysis. Deep down in their psyche, Japanese remain cautious in dealing with their Jewish counterparts and American “monopolists”. They strongly believe that Jewish businessmen are aggressive, manipulative and extremely bright. This conception led them a priori to believe that Jewish businessmen will always try to sell their products and services by using a “non-argumentative rhetoric” and a series of presentations documented with market analysis, sales numbers, colorful examples and graphs of savings and cutting expenses. Consequently, they feel that they have to prepare themselves to deal with the “Jewish numbers" and verify the statistics provided by their Jewish counterparts. They also believe that Americans are lazy and extremely playful. Not necessarily happy people, yet extremely resourceful, positive and creative.

The majority of Japanese businessmen who are involved with import-export, consumers goods and retail industry taught themselves to believe that “Americans constant complaints about everything and anything, distorted social values, hostile takeovers, unmerciful business competitions, Wall Street stocks hysteria, families dysfunction, cheap, casual and easy sex, financial and economical auto-sufficiency and uncontrollable freedom prevent Americans for gaining the trust of other nations, and eventually, one day, America’s economical, financial, industrial and political might will collapse.” But for the time being, Japanese businessmen consent that Americans are doing great and are constantly creating and producing magnificent products in many sectors and endeavors. Thus, Japanese corporate executives decided to teach their employees and sales representatives to capture the moment and learn as much as possible about the most advanced forms and aspects of American science and technology. Stealing from Americans, copying American products, ameliorating their results and effectiveness do not offend the morality and the sacred way of life (Do in Japanese and Tao in Chinese) of industrial Japanese.

The majority of the older Japanese generation does not highly respect black Americans. The former prime minister of Japan in one of his public speeches demonstrated this racial bias. The younger generation could or would care less. Japanese students attending Japanese universities and institutions of higher learning believe that Americans do not have a solid and valid cultural heritage.

The universities professors who are over 50 years of age constantly remind their students that Americans have no discipline, no code of ethics, no loyalty and no individuality. However they admit that Americans are extremely resourceful, fun and entertaining, overwhelmingly humanitarian, and believe it or not brave and courageous. This is strange. Because, for years, Japanese believed that Americans are coward and are unable or unwilling to fight, to protect their own country and even themselves. This is a deeply rooted conviction which goes back as far as the second world war.

DEALING AND SOCIALIZING WITH IRANIANS

Iranians are diametrically different from the Japanese. Generally, an Iranian businessman or just any ordinary Iranian person (man or woman) is extremely engaging, loves to argue and to ask many questions. And quite often, his or her answer takes the form of a question. Expect to frequently hear this word “Really?” upon conversing with an Iranian. If he or she says “Really?” once, this means that he or she is still wondering and or doubting your intentions. If he or she repeats the word “Really” twice, this means that the Iranian person is seriously “questioning” your ability to deliver and or the sincerity of your intentions. Iranian people have a high level of self-esteem and self-respect.

They are among the most generous people in the world. They might not keep their promises all the time, but when they begin to like you or trust you, their generosity and their “extra mile” friendship will overwhelm you. Iranians who have traveled abroad and lived for a while in western societies where they had the opportunities to deal with Jewish businessmen, have tendency to have more trust and faith in Jews than in their own people. This is very true, especially if they are dealing with Iranians merchants who are in the business of used (second hand) goods. A former Iranian associate of mine, once told me: “It takes 5 Arabs to fool one Jew and 10 Jews to fool one Iranian.” Just like the Afghanistanis and Pakistanis, the majority of Iranian businessmen who live and work in the United States, especially in large and cosmopolitan American cities don’t fully trust Americans.

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AMERICANS VERSUS FOREIGNERS.

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

They have no respect for American codes of ethics and social/moral values. They consider the American society as “a decadent and immoral cell”. Thus, fully trusting American businessmen is not highly recommended. Yet, 87% of men who go regularly to strip joints in Washington, D.C. and particularly in the Georgetown’s North West area and on Wisconsin Avenue (Maryland Bethesda’s area) are Iranians. So much for Islamic ethical standards!! Iranians are very fond of American technology and gadgets. Their children’s rooms are filled with American gadgets, toys and juvenile tools. The Iranian middle class loves “Wall Mart” stores. The Iranian high society is very picky and usually buys the very best and the most expensive items, and believe it or not, la crème de la crème of the Iranian society loves to do business with American Jews. Iranian women of the upper middle class and the high society are extremely elegant, love to shop at expensive department stores and are unconcerned with what their men think about Jews and Americans. They love to buy Israeli products. They buy the most expensive dresses, gowns, shoes and feminine apparels, usually designed by Jewish or Israeli designers and couturiers. It is a fact that wealthy Iranian women adore the fine jewelry and world-class diamonds sold by Jews in Antwerp, London and New York. If they can afford expensive gowns and dresses, they buy it in a heart beat. If they cannot afford it, they stand in front of the boutique display window, take a pen and a stack of papers and copy the model. They rush home to ask Myriam or Nour their dressmakers to copy the dress. The majority of Iranian women I met in large American and European cities was resourceful and tricky, but generous to a fault. Back home, they act and live according to social prerequisites and rules imposed by a society made for and by men. Abroad, and particularly in Paris, Rome, London, Washington, D.C., New York and Los Angeles, they explore all the possibilities life has to offer. I literarily mean all possibilities. The upper class is fun, bright, highly educated, classy and shrewd. The middle class refuses to live as a middle class. The lower class in Iran is pure misery. Abroad, it becomes very creative and daring. Iranian women love dresses and gowns designed by Jewish extravagant designers. Per contra, Iranian men don’t. Soraya, the former empress of Iran (Ex-wife of the Shah who divorced her to marry Farah Diba) was considered to be as one of the most beautiful and most elegant women in the world.

Soraya’s imperial wardrobe was designed by Jewish and Christian couturiers at Christian Dior and Balmain in Paris, France. From the beginning of time, Iranian women were known to be extravagantly elegant. Their love for fashion started some 5,000 years ago with Anou Sherwan Kisrah, founder of ancient Iran. From that moment in history, through the epochs of Darius the great, the Assyrians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Hebrews and passing by the era of the Ottoman empire, the lavish days of Sultan Abdel Hamid and crossing the Tuscany, and reaching in the late 18th century the doors of Armenia, Anatolia, Georgia, Latvia, Russia and eastern Europe, Iran was the center of international fashion for women, royalties, rulers, monarch, kings and queens. Their red and green silk which was the envy of the world was woven and manufactured by Armenian, Persian and Jewish artisans and dressmakers.

DEALING AND SOCIALIZING WITH ARABS

Although many Arabs are as fanatic as the Iranians, they remain quite different from the Persians. Nevertheless, they have many things in common, such as exemplary generosity, a great appetite for life, love and passion for buying the best and finest things in life, driving flashy dashy cars, jewelry, golden Dupont cigarettes lighters, gold and diamonds. They love women, music and group dancing. They are very protective of their women and the honor and the reputation of their families is “sacred and holy”. An Arab businessman will not hesitate long before he gives you a compelling answer to any question you may ask. Particularly in business matters. Usually, his answer is given on the spot. While dealing with an Arab, expect a typical Arab emotional attitude. And if you are a Jew dealing with an Arab or a Muslim, discount 90% of what an Arab or a Muslim promises you to deliver or honor. If an Arab is dealing with another Arab, emotion fades away to be replaced by an exercise of who is going to outsmart or cheat the other.

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.

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

The Arabs called her “KAWKAB AL CHARK”, meaning the star of the Orient. So it is time to realize that the Orient is not Japan or an exotic region in far Asia but, the countries of the Middle and Near East. Nowadays, many Pakistanis, Saudis, Arab Gulf citizens and stretched Islamic countries beyond the fertile crescent of the Middle/Near East consider their countries are part of the Orient, part of the Middle East, for one single reason: THEIR TIE AND BOND WITH ISLAM AND THE ISLAMIC COUNTRIES OF THE AREA. This is very funny, because Pakistan which is beyond India has nothing to do ecologically and geographically with countries of the Near/Middle East. Pakistan is very very far away from the Near/Middle East.

The first time, many American folks heard about Lebanon, was around 1947-1948 when members of the Arab League, King Abdallah of Jordan, Princes of the family of Bin Saoud, Prime Minister of Syria, El Khoury (The very first and only Christian Syrian Prime Minister), the circle of the Syrian President Chawki Al Kuwatly, The Hachimites in Jordan (Al Ourdon in Arabic) and fragments of the Lebanese military attacked the newly formed State of Israel. The second time was, when President Eisenhower sent the marines to the shores of Lebanon upon the urgent request of the Christian (Maronite) president of Lebanon, Camille Chamoun who was fighting for his skin and for the supremacy and lives of the Christian minority in Lebanon who where in power (back then.) The third time was around 1975, when the Palestinians invaded Lebanon and established their camps in dirty Muslim areas of Beyrouth with the help of Lebanese Muslims arch-enemies of the Christian Lebanese and more precisely the Maronites (Oriental-Near Eastern Catholics). At that time in history, Christian Lebanese were decimated and slaughtered by the Palestinians and their cities were reduced to rubbles and ashes. Hold your horses, Christian extremists and more particularly Christians Phalanges or Phalangists lead by Cheik Pierre Al Gemayel’s son “Bachir”, head of the Christian Party of the Phalangists called in Arabic “Akl Khataeb” were as brutal, bloody, vengeful and sanguinary as the Muslims themselves!!

The fourth time was, when Henry Kissinger (following the visit of his Eminence Cardinal Bertolli, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Vatican who tried to negotiate a truce between the fighting parties in Lebanon and to deal with Syria’s military Occupation of Lebanon and its huge military command post in the region of the valley of Al Bekaa) tried to convince the Christians to give up the fight!!! True?,may be not.

But this is what I heard from many influential Lebanese politicians, foreign diplomats and bloody killers in the streets of Sabra, Verdum, Achrafiyeh, Mazraa, Mousaytbeh, Al Manara, Wadi Abou Jmil, Al Burj in Beyrouth. I heard even more damaging testimonies and stuff such as (According to the Christian Maronites and senior Christian military commanders of the regular Lebanese Army in Yarze) the quasi-resolution, proposals and semi-official negotiations and plan of evacuation proposed by the American government via Dr. Henry Kissinger rotated around convincing the Christians in Lebanon, to end up the fight and leave Lebanon. For Kissinger assured them that all the Christians who would leave Lebanon, will be welcomed to live and work in Canada and in the United States. If this is true, well, folks, this is very damaging to the image of our government and extremely embarrassing to all of us. I have some reservations and doubts about those rumors, for I know for sure that Dr. Kissinger is an honorable man and a peace lover. I am just truthfully reporting what I heard from authoritative sources. The fifth, sixth, seven and millionth times, we heard about Lebanon, were and still are, when we talk and hear about terrorists, terrorism, bombings, massacring children, kidnapping and blowing up airplanes, fundamental Islamic groups, Hiz Bull’Ah, attacks on Israel, etc., ad infinitum. Today, unfortunately, this is the picture we have about Lebanon and about the Lebanese; a bunch of guerillas, murderers and terrorists!! But the truth is quite different. Lebanon has more churches and monasteries than any other country in the Middle and Near East. For centuries, Lebanon was the refuge and the shelter for the persecuted Christians in Armenia, Anatolia, Asia Minor, Turkey, Syria, Egypt and other Islamic countries in the region.

It is unconceivable and unfair to call all Lebanese bloody killers. How about those Christian Lebanese, their monks, their nuns, their ascetic hermits, their saints and their martyrs? Did we forget about them? The truth about the Lebanese people was distorted. Many of the Muslim Lebanese who live in Beyrouth, Tripoli, Deir Al Kamar, Antara, Bekaa, Nabatiyeh, Basta and many other Muslim areas are as peaceful as the most peaceful people in the world. Many of them fought the barbaric Muslim empire of Turkey and died as martyrs. The most generous, forgiving and loving people I met in my life, in the 46 countries I have visited, were Muslim Lebanese.

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

Lebanon was once upon a time the great Ancient country of Phoenicia which invented the Alphabet, created the world’s first Papyrus in the city of Byblos (Today, it is called Jbeil), discovered the world’s first maritime royal dye “ Al Ourjouwan” (The Color of Kings and Queens of the Antiquities) on the shores of the city of Sidon (Today it is called Saida) and established the world’s first Masonic order, rites, rules and lodges “Invented” by King Hiram (The correct name in Phoenician and Aramaic is Ahiram or Hiram), king of Tyre (Today it is called Sour). King Ahiram wedded his daughter to King Solomon. Hiram’s masons and architects built the Temple of Solomon with stones from the land of Lebanon and Cedar woods from the very high mountains of Lebanon, located in the region of Al Arz. So, Lebanese had a majestic history. One of the five greatest generals of the ancient world and probably of all time was Hannibal of Carthage. He was Phoenician. He was from Lebanon. Not all Lebanese are bloody killers as we were led to believe. Some fanatic fundamentalists in Lebanon are. They are killers, but the Majority of Lebanese are not. So if you have read your Bible (Old or New Testament), you would know by now a lot of things and a lot of history about Lebanon (Ancient Phoenicia), including but not limited to Jesus visit to the Lebanese city of Saida, the sea travel departure spot of St. Paul near the Lebanese city of Jbeil, the Temple of Solomon, etc… And if you are a student of ecclesiastic and theological studies and the history of the first Christian churches, you already know that Lebanon was the cradle of Christianity. The very first Christian churches were not built in Rome but, in Lebanon and Antioch. In the United States, as well as in numerous Christian countries, the Catholic mass is celebrated and officiated in English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, etc., sometimes part of it is offered to the worshipers in Latin. But did you know that the only country in the world where the Christian mass is still offered in the original tongue of Jesus Christ is Lebanon? The Christian priests and monks in Lebanon recite prayers and read the Bible in Aramaic, the native language of Jesus Christ. Christian Lebanese know more about Christian love, peace and Christian martyrdom than any of those big mouth politicians on Capitol Hill.

You will learn from the Bible, from the Psalms, from the Poems of Solomon, from the prophecies of the prophets of Israel, from the terra-cotta and tablets of Babylonia, Luxor, Ougarit, Ain Shamra, Antioch, Assyria, Hyskos, etc., etc., etc., that ancient Lebanese were the natural allies of the Israelites and beloved neighbors of Israel!! Of course, things have changed now because of the influence of the Islamic world, the military strength of their Arab neighbors and the implication of the American foreign policies.

So, this historical expose tells us a lot about the psyche and way of life of Christian and Muslim Lebanese. Lebanon is a very complex and intriguing country. Many regions of Lebanon look like European cities. And once upon a time, the "old" Beirut was called the Paris and the Switzerland of the Middle and Near East. The Christian regions are typically French. The Muslim regions are typically Muslim Arab. The modern and cultured Lebanese Muslim could be very sophisticated and a world-traveler. He/she learned from the West, all the glitzy manners, arts, savoir-faire, fashion, and plastic way of life. The uneducated Lebanese Muslim is more resistant to changes of time. He/she thinks, acts and lives 100% according to strict Islamic rules, codes and way of life. It is often very difficult for a Westerner and particularly Americans to harmoniously and successfully deal with traditional and rigid Lebanese Muslims, if they are not familiar with Islamic ideology. For everything in the daily life of a Muslim is in strict conformity with the teachings of the Quran and the verbal teachings and dialogues of Prophet Mohammad which are in sharp contrast with Western ideologies and lifestyles. The Christian Lebanese is more "equipped" to successfully dealing with Westerners, for they were taught by Europeans, French missionaries and many Christian Lebanese who studied in France. Besides, all Christian children and adults have attended schools shaped after the French lyceums and centers of learning. However, both Christian and Muslim Lebanese, despite the enormous difference in their lifestyles, religion and visions of the world, have many things in common such as; very solid and traditional respect for the elderly, their teachers and their families ;code of honor and importance of a verbal agreement in business transactions; protecting the orphan; legendary hospitality; unsurpassed generosity; creative resourcefulness; love for music and poetry; elegance; superb cuisine; colorful jokes, and above all, shrewd and clever negotiating maneuvers.

End of the article.