Every nation has its own way of life that it understands

Every nation, as is well known, has its own way of life and a single language through which they communicate. Therefore, anyone who wishes to interact or communicate with any people must master those customs and understand the language in which they can be addressed. They must also study deeply the ethics and behavioral patterns of those people; otherwise, they will undoubtedly fail in their mission.

It is narrated that a king had a son whose heart was passionately in love with a “Gypsy” girl. His infatuation grew to the point of making him ill with lovesickness, and he fell bedridden with illness. When his father learned of the cause of his illness, he tasked one of his close ministers, known for high moral character and proper upbringing, to go to the Gypsy community and propose marriage for his son to their daughter.

The minister returned from his visit to the Gypsies empty-handed and failed to achieve what the king had commanded. The reason was that he used a refined, civilized approach in his interaction and speech with the Gypsies, which they did not understand. The minister was expelled after hearing abusive words that were unworthy of him and of the majesty of the king.

One of the king’s ministers, who was fluent in the Gypsy language and knew how to interact with them, heard this story. He requested the king to send him to accomplish the marriage proposal mission. The king listened to the minister’s words and ordered him to undertake the task of marrying the Gypsy girl to his son.

The minister returned after his visit, leading the girl, her mother, her father, and several other Gypsies with him. The king asked him, “How did you achieve this? And why did the other minister fail?”

The minister replied, “O my lord, the other minister, using his humanistic approach, spoke words that, as they told me, they did not understand. He told them that the king requested your ‘noble’ daughter as a wife for his son. They responded, ‘We do not have a noble one,’ and expelled him. As for me, I went to them using the approach they understand, and I returned to you as you see, because every people has its own style.

Therefore, as an Arab and Islamic nation, we must deal with others in the manner they understand. There are many nations that only recognize a degraded style of interaction, the result of which is only offense. If you use refined approaches with them, they will reject them and may never accept them; in fact, they might consider such approaches as a sign of weakness and lack of awareness.”

Mohammed Salem Al-Balsham