# Why is it Saddam? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 30, 2003, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-saddam/151535 "2003-01-30T03:53:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-saddam/151535/1 "2003-01-30T03:53:51Z")
Why don’t we call him Hussein? I can’t see that it’s an Arabic thing, as we have (Muhamar) Khadafi, (Yasir) Arafat, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-saddam/151535/2 "2003-01-30T03:57:39Z")
I would say it reflects an understandable lack of respect. It also avoids confusion with King Hussein of Jordan. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-saddam/151535/3 "2003-01-30T04:26:00Z")
The thread [Why is Saddam Hussein often called just “Saddam”?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=134738) contains a lively discussion of this very topic. An short excerpt to whet the appetite: > [@](#): > > This strikes me as complete rubbish. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-saddam/151535/4 "2003-01-30T06:35:54Z")
My understanding (from coverage of the first gulf war) is that he is always called Saddam – by his people, and by his fellow middle-eastern despots. ---
**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-saddam/151535/5 "2003-01-30T09:29:54Z")
Here, Muslim people seem to be called by their first (I just typed “Christian” but amended it!) rather than their family names. So Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum gets called “Sheikh Mohammed” and even just “Mohammed” but NEVER “Maktoum”. This habit extends to westerners, I am continually called “Miss Istara” rather than “Miss Surname”. The only western comparison I can make is the UK royal family. Charles Mountbatten/Windsor is always “Prince Charles” or “Charles”, he is never “Prince Windsor” or “Mr Mountbatten”. In this region, this custom appears to informally extend beyond the royal classes eg in conversation, though a bank will still write to you as “Mr Surname”. \*\*at one organisation, they insisted on an associate of mine giving his full name. They refused to accept his name, “Barry Bobby Brown.” Instead, they insisted on his middle name being his father’s name: “Barry Larry Brown” (those aren’t his actualy names!) They obviously wanted it to match Forename bin Fathername bin Surname. Also interesting to note there that the father name is the forename, not the family name, although it’s that as well if that makes sense. ie the first name of the father is given greater importance here, nearly as important as the family name, whereas in most western countries no one knows or cares what your parents’ forenames are. ---
**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-saddam/151535/6 "2003-02-02T13:57:31Z")
Just to bump this - the [**BBC has just been asked this very question.**](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2714555.stm) Here’s what they had to say: > [@](#): > > \*From Roger Hardy, BBC Middle East analyst \* > \*\*To call him ‘Mr Hussein’ would be Western usage. To call him ‘Saddam’ is to follow Arab custom. > > In Arab countries where family and tribe are the basic social units, to call the ruler by his first name is egalitarian - it puts the ruler and the ruled, notionally at least, on an equal footing. > > A tribesman in Saudi Arabia is quite likely to refer to King Fahd as ‘Fahd’. It is not derogatory. Whether Western journalists should follow suit can be debated. But, as you will have noticed, ‘Saddam’ has become commonplace. \*\* ---
**Author:** ![msgotrocks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8edcca/32.png) [@msgotrocks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msgotrocks)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-saddam/151535/7 "2003-02-02T17:21:14Z")
Because he wants to be the \*\*Madonna \*\* of the Middle East! 😃