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Verbal Greetings

• It is important to greet an Iraqi formally and respectfully when meeting them for the first time.
• Muslims, including Kurds and Arabs, use the common greeting “Asalaamu alaikum” in Arabic (Peace be upon you). The appropriate response is “Wa alaikum salaam” (And peace be upon you), which returns the well-wishing. These phrases are uncommon among non-Muslim Iraqis.
• In recent years, it's become more common to greet a stranger or mostly a friend with “Halo” (هلو), which differs slightly from the English pronunciation of hello.
• Other religiously neutral greetings in Arabic include “Marhaba” (Hello), “Haleh” (Welcome), and “Shlonich?” (How are you?).
• Sorani-speaking Kurds will use “Slaw” (Hello) and “Choni?” (How are you?) when greeting someone. The common reply to the latter greeting is “Bashi” (Good).
• To greet Chaldeans or Assyrians, you can use “Shlamaloukh” for males and “Shlamalakh” (for females. Both mean ‘Peace be upon you’, to which one would reply “�鲹�Ի岹” (Good).
• Use a person’s first name and title when greeting them unless they permit you to move onto a casual naming basis. If someone is a Doctor, you would say “Dr. (first name)”.
• It is very common to address people one is not related to with family titles to convey friendly affection and familiarity. For example, a man may call a young woman “�����پ�” (“my sister”).
• Expect to be asked personal questions about your marital status, family or work immediately after a greeting. Such questions may seem overly personal or intrusive from a Western standard. However, showing interest in a person’s life and family’s health is important to build familiarity and trust.

Non-Verbal Greetings

• Men are expected to stand to greet a woman when she enters the room.
• Everyone stands when an older adult arrives and departs.
• It is common for Iraqi men and women to shake hands. However, conservative Muslim men and women generally prefer not to make physical contact with members of the opposite gender. For example, if a woman is wearing a niqab (face covering), one should expect to greet them verbally and with a nod. It is best practice to wait for a woman to extend their hand first to ascertain they are comfortable with physical contact.
• If someone’s hand is dirty, it is common to shake their wrist instead.
• Greetings between men usually involve a handshake with the right hand. Iraqi men tend to shake hands gently but hold their hands for a long time as they exchange verbal greetings. This hand-holding may feel uncomfortable to Westerners. However, avoid retracting your hand before an Iraqi has finished greeting you.
• Iraqi men, especially Kurds, Chaldeans and Assyrians, may also kiss one another on the cheek when they meet. This is very common between close friends but can also occur when first introduced to someone.
• Greetings between women tend to be very affectionate, involving hugs and two or three kisses on each cheek.
• One may indicate sincerity by placing their right hand over their heart after greeting another person. For example, an Iraqi may do this whilst greeting someone to express honesty in their words.
• Iraqis may kiss a person’s forehead or right hand during a greeting to demonstrate deep respect. This is usually done to someone of a high status (e.g. a sheikh or agha) rather than someone of the same status (e.g. a neighbour).