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2014 the population growth rate had risen to about 2.2 percent.
F
AMILY
L
IFE IN
I
RAQ
The role of family in the Arab world helps explain much about the
Arab Iraqi people. Kinship groups are the basic units in Iraqi soci-
ety. Iraqis show their greatest loyalty to their immediate family and
extended family. Usually three generations live together and share
their lives, each having clear responsibilities. Other relatives live
close by in the neighborhood. Often members of the same extended
family are in business together because of the trust and powerful
bond built up among them. A common proverb among Arabs is “I
and my brothers against my cousin; I and my cousin against the
stranger (or the world).”
I
RAQ
94
An Iraqi family outside their home. In Arab cultures, strong family ties are imperative.