# Thumbs up sign..Iraq insult??

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thumbs-up-sign-iraq-insult/205725>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 5, 2003, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thumbs-up-sign-iraq-insult/205725 "2003-10-05T16:58:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![JoAnnO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce7236/32.png) [@JoAnnO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoAnnO)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thumbs-up-sign-iraq-insult/205725/1 "2003-10-05T16:58:26Z")

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When our soldiers toppled over a statue of Sadaam Hussein, the Iraqie people were seen giving the thumbs up sign. Is this considered an insult in Iraq or was it just the nice gester I know it to be? Thanks

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**Author:** ![choosybeggar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@choosybeggar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choosybeggar)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thumbs-up-sign-iraq-insult/205725/2 "2003-10-05T19:10:37Z")

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My Ex (family immigrated from iran), told me that that’s the case in Iran. Don’t know if that generalizes

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**Author:** ![dqa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dqa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dqa)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thumbs-up-sign-iraq-insult/205725/3 "2003-10-05T19:56:03Z")

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From the book “Gestures - The Do’s and Taboos of Body Language Around the World” by Roger E. Axtell,

> [@](#):
>
> The Arab World  
> …The “thumbs up” gesture usually means “very good. I am winning.”

also

> [@](#):
>
> Turkey  
> …the “thumbs up” gesture means “O.K.”

however,

> [@](#):
>
> Iran  
> …The “thumb’s [sic] up” gesture is considered vulgar.

There is no separate listing for Iraq, although for two other states which border it, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, no mention is made of the gesture.

It’s possible that the use of this gesture varies from one part of the country to another. If this is the case, perhaps the people in the news footage were Shia, and thus their cultural influences came from the more “Iranian” portions of Iraq.