Does the Concept of “Compromise” Exist
in the Arab Psyche? -
A Personal Observation, by David Elazar (Rishon LeZion, Israel June 2002)
Note: see some of the interesting responses
at the end. (links updated
July 21, 2008)
I suspect that the concept of “compromise” does not exist in the Arab culture. On the contrary, “to compromise” seems to represent a dishonorable act. Though not an expert in linguistics, nor a sociologist, and not a speaker of Arabic, I would like to explain how I arrived at this observation.
Israel was able to make a peace with Jordan and Egypt because compromise was not necessary. Their demand for the return of every inch of land captured in a war started by the Arabs was fulfilled. With the Palestinians the situation is different. To make any headway, there must be compromise. Arafat rejected the offer made by Barak outright without a counter proposal. Arafat just could not compromise – he wanted and still wants everything.
I then asked myself – does the concept of “compromise” exist in the Arab culture? Is there a word for “compromise” in Arabic? I base my premise on the possibility that if a word does not exist in a people’s vocabulary, then most likely the concept does not exist in their culture or “way of life”. With these questions in mind I began my own little research project. In Hebrew the word for “compromise is P’shara – ask anyone who knows Hebrew and without any hesitation he or she will say P’shara. Put the word “compromise” in an electronic dictionary and you get “P’shara”. Put the Hebrew word in the same electronic dictionary and you get “compromise”.
I did the same with Arabic using an electronic dictionary (for examples: “click here”). The result showed that there is no one
word in Arabic for “compromise”. There are phrases used for “compromise” put no single word just meaning “compromise”.
In fact, one word when translated back to English also means “shame/disgrace”. I have asked Arabic speakers and not one
was able to blurt out a word. I heard President Mubarak giving a press conference in
Arabic (subtitles in Hebrew).
The only word not spoken in Arabic was the word compromise (he said it
in English). (see below)
Compromise is necessary for meaningful negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians. What will happen if any future
Palestinian leadership accepts the “concept of compromise” though it is foreign to them, while simultaneously various factions
among the Palestinians do not?
I admit that this is not a scientific study. If anyone knows a single word in Arabic for “compromise” which translates both ways, it would be of interest to me.
An interesting response from a Sheik Professor who is a director of a Cultural Institute of an Islamic Community in a European country. (received Nov 2002)
“Compromise in the positive
sense is "taswiyyah" (adjustment), or more exactly "taswiyyah
halun wasat" (adjustment in a intermediate condition)
Compromise in the negative sense is "qadhah", which means
"having one's faults unveiled", "being disgraced",
"abjuring one's integrity", etc.
The word "taswiyyah" is used in the spoken Arabic, but
commonly related to the relation between individuals, not between nations.
That could be the reason why Mubarak prefers to use the English word.
This difference of words is also reflected in the Arab mentality. While looking
for a compromise in matter of property, rights, administration, division of
goods is praiseworthy and wise, compromising in matter of principles for a
material benefit is dishonoring and causes to loose one's reputation. “
Viewpoints
October 27 , 2002
Our
need for "A Culture of Compromise" (3pgs)
by
Tarek Heggy http://www.tarek-heggy.com/
A few years ago, I discovered that there is no equivalent in the Arabic ýlanguage, classical or colloquial, for the English word "compromise", which ýis most commonly translated into Arabic in the form of two words, literally ýmeaning ‘halfway solution’ went through all the old and new ýdictionaries and lexicons I could lay my hands on in a futile search for an ýArabic word corresponding to this common English word, which exists, ýwith minor variations in spelling, in all European languages, …
Tarek
Heggy (born in Egypt in 1950): Political and socio-economic thinker, petroleum
strategist, lecturer at several US, European and Middle Eastern universities … together with an active role in some 30
society/cultural/ educational institutions
Subject:
Re Compromise in the Arab/Moslem culture
Date:
Saturday, January 04, 2003 7:07 AM
Dear
Mr. Elazar,
I think you are 100% right. The word compromise is
very foreign in Arab culture and psyche. Your article
is very interesting and informative.
Nonie
Nonie Darwish is a writer, former editor and translator. She was born
and raised in the Middle East and lived in the USA for over two decades.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonie_Darwish
David Elazar (Home Page)
Rishon LeZion, Israel