A Clash of Bathroom Cultures

Someone posted comments to an article from the McClatchy Newspapers web site. The title of the article is "At U.S. Base, Iraqis Must Use Separate Latrine". The person who posted it was angry at the U.S. treatment of the Iraqi nationals on U.S. Bases in Iraq. She calls the act racist.

The response to the article made me laugh. Having traveled in the area, I totally understand why there are separate bathroom facilities. It is to accommodate a clash of bathroom cultures.

In the western bathrooms, we sit on toilets to "do our business". However, in that part of the world, they have squat toilets.

We, in the western world, consider it perfectly fine to sit, with our bare bottoms, on something on which someone else had put their bare bottoms. However, doing so, is a bit disgusting to those who are used to the bathroom fixtures that do not require the touching of one's bare bottoms on something on which someone else had put their bare bottoms.

I remember my mom having once told me that before she came to America, she's always had used the squat toilet and it took a lot of time for her to overcome the disgust of putting her bare bottom on something on which someone else had put their bare bottom.

On the other had, when I went with a group of my friends (Americans) to that part of the world, they tell me that they had a hard time adjusting to the squat toilet. They just weren't used to squatting for a long time; their muscles were not developed for that activity.

Also, in the Muslim worship, there's a call to prayer several times a day. Before the worship (or maybe as part of the worship) they need to wash their feet. (In middle eastern culture, "the foot" includes both the lower leg as well as what we consider the foot.)

Once I was on a project whose clients were from Saudi Arabia, we had to install special fixtures for washing the feet before prayer. If these special fixtures were not available, they would wash there feet in the sink.

I can imagine the U.S. troops getting pretty grossed out having to brush their teeth and shave in sinks in which someone had washed their feet and lower legs; feet that has been marching in combat boots all day long.

It's funny how simple differences in our cultures dictating the how one conducts the bare essentials of life can separate us so.

p.s., A Muslim wipes himself/herself after "doing his/her business" with the left hand and eats with the right hand. One time, an American friend of mine, who's left handed, offered a Muslim friend chewing gum with his left. The Muslim friend frowned and hesitated to accept. However, when my American friend switched hands and offered the gum with his right hand, the Muslim friend accepted without hesitation. i.e. After my American friend had already touched it with his left hand. lol!