Arabs in large degree are motivated by preserving their public dignity and "face;" truth, or admittance of guilt, often is subordinate to this cultural imperative. So argues an article from the CIA's Studies in Intelligence, published in 1964 and recently declassified. Here's the full piece: face-among-the-arabs.pdf This is the type of piece modern Arabists hate. As with all articles that make a serious attempt at understanding culture as a driver, it probably relies too much on generalization. And yet, we do notice significant cultural differences, don't we? Keep in mind that we are dealing with ideal types here. The Parson Weems story about George Washington is meant to express a cultural ideal about character that we may fail to live up to, but we Americans "get" the story. The author maintains that's not a parable likely to resonate in Arab Muslim culture that defines personal dignity differently.
I took this from the War-on-the-Rocks website, which often posts interesting stuff.
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