More observations from the Ministry of Defence’s Iraq: Cultural Appreciation Booklet.

Hospitality
Iraqis place great emphasis on the values of hospitality and generosity.

Let’s hope that the Iraqi ethos of hospitality and generosity rubs off on some of our soldiers and they bring some home to show the rest of us. I’d be very keen to see what they look like. And it’s now clear to see why paparazzi agencies never caught on in Iraq.

Photography
It is considered extremely rude to photograph someone without first asking permission.

I wondered why we’ve never seen any long-lens shots on the Iraqi Prime Minister’s wife in her bikini or of her flashing her generative organ while getting out of sports car and now I know. On the matters of hospitality and respect for personal privacy, at least, it seems to me that it should have been the Iraqis invading us.

But when it comes to the art of conversation, it seems us lads are at one with our Iraqi brothers:

Conversation
Men should avoid questioning other men about women in their family.

There is not much that separates us there, it seems. Britain is also a country where one must tread carefully when considering bringing women into the conversation. After all, over attentiveness to a man’s sister or an unwise remark about his mother can see you on the wrong end of a glass, bottle or fist. As such, this passage can be regarded as redundant.

Cultural Comparison Scoreboard
Combating binge drinking: UK 0 Iraq 1.
More tea, vicar?: UK 0 Iraq 1.
See if you can get a shot of her knickers: UK 0 Iraq 1
Are you looking at my bird?: UK 0 Iraq 0