# Social Engineering in the Arabi World

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-engineering-in-the-arabi-world/725435>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [July 17, 2015, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-engineering-in-the-arabi-world/725435 "2015-07-17T18:26:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Kitsapian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/67e7ee/32.png) [@Kitsapian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kitsapian)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2015, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-engineering-in-the-arabi-world/725435/1 "2015-07-17T18:26:50Z")

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An interesting side note to what hand you eat with-what hand you wipe with when in the Middle East has to do with the communal eating customs there. In many parts, you sit in a circle around a wide pot of whatever is going, dipping your bits of flatbread into the food to soak up juices and pinch out tidbits. It’s all very cozy and conversational.

Westerners are generally horrified by the _act_ of punishment of a thief, the cutting off of a hand (purists use scimitars for the job), but are generally unaware of the consequences. It is the right hand that is pruned, and this is essentially banishment from the communal table. The convicted either eats alone or in the company of other lefties with questionable personal hygiene practices.

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**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-engineering-in-the-arabi-world/725435/2 "2015-07-19T00:23:15Z")

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What, this topic is too toxic for anyone to dare putting another word in?

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**Author:** ![think](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9a140/32.png) [@think](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/think)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-engineering-in-the-arabi-world/725435/3 "2015-07-19T04:48:44Z")

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> [@Kitsapian](#):
>
> An interesting side note to what hand you eat with-what hand you wipe with when in the Middle East has to do with the communal eating customs there. In many parts, you sit in a circle around a wide pot of whatever is going, dipping your bits of flatbread into the food to soak up juices and pinch out tidbits. It’s all very cozy and conversational.
> 
> Westerners are generally horrified by the _act_ of punishment of a thief, the cutting off of a hand (purists use scimitars for the job), but are generally unaware of the consequences. It is the right hand that is pruned, and this is essentially banishment from the communal table. The convicted either eats alone or in the company of other lefties with questionable personal hygiene practices.

thanks im a lefty and would like more info on what arab customs differentiate me from the majority

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**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-engineering-in-the-arabi-world/725435/4 "2015-07-19T05:09:58Z")

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I assume the column in question is [this one?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2327/in-the-third-world-do-people-wipe-with-their-left-hands)