To the best of my knowledge the family name or surname is not really a
middle eastern concept. Usually people are known by their name and their
fathers name, e.g. Sultan ibn Abdul Aziz. Sometimes they are also known by
the tribe or clan name, e.g. Faisal ibn Abdul Aziz ibn Saud. I am not an
expert on this subject but IIRC Tracy Johnson is. so not to put you on the
spot Tracy but what can you tell us.

Let Peace be the maxim by which we act because we will Peace to become a
universal law.
Work For Peace
The opinions expressed herein are my own and not necessarily those of my
employer.
Yosef Rosenblatt


-----Original Message-----
From: Christian Lheureux [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, February 18, 2003 9:52 AM
To: 'rosenblatt, joseph'; [log in to unmask]
Subject: RE: [HP3000-L] OT: Re: [HP3000-L] Left, Left, Left-Right-Left


Yosef wrote :

> (BTW, if you notice I never call the leader of Iraq by his
> first name only. This is not out of any respect to the man or
> his office.
> The use of his first name only is, at least in his eyes, a term of
> endearment. I do not wish to endear myself to him or him to me.)

Same here. It is however my knowledge that, in Arab countries, the family
name comes first and the "first" name comes last. So in Saddam Hussein,
Saddam is indeed his family name and Hussein his "first" name. The same
happens in China : Mao Zedong was referred to as Chairman Mao, much the way
George Bush is referred to as President Bush.

Is this correct ? Can anyone with more exposure than I have with Arab/Asian
countries confirm ? Or deny ?

Christian, who would probably be called Lheureux Christian in the Arab
world.

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