A question about Saddam Hussein

[Spiff]

OK, this is something that has been bothering me for ten years - don't worry, it's not about how much of a tyrant he is or anything about that, it's this:

Why do politicians, the media and the general public call him Saddam rather than the more conventional method of using his surname? Is it deliberate sign of disrespect to raise his ire? Or do Middle Easterners have their names backward like some Asian countries? Then again, his sons have the apparent surname of Hussein as well.

Perhaps it was used because we didn't want to get confused with the late King Hussein of Jordan. I dunno. Anyone else know? The media and politicians don't say "Tony is still a silly English bloke who talks like a schoolboy" or "George really is stupid, isn't he??".

 

[Southy]

I think it is so he didn't/doesn't get confused with the Royal Family of Jordan

 

[spawn]

Because then the poor cricketer from England would have his good name soiled

 

[Southy]

 

[phlogiston]

There was a headline the other week saying "Hussain Quits!" I thought, well that'll put a dent in George's plans then, then I realised it was in the sports section.

 

[dreamwatch]

The Associated Press offers this explanation :

``First, Hussein is not his family name. Saddam is his given name, and Hussein is his father's given name; this is common practice in Arab families. His full name is Saddam Hussein al-Majd al-Tikriti, but he uses neither al-Majd, which is akin to a family name, nor al-Tikriti, which is a name for his extended family, or clan, derived from the Tikrit region where the president is from.

``Second, he is not usually referred to as Hussein by people in Iraq or elsewhere in the Middle East. Political leaders and Iraqi citizens call him simply Saddam or by both names, Saddam Hussein. Both Arabic- and English-language newspapers follow the same practice, and some that use both names in copy reduce it to Saddam in headlines.''

 

[Spiff]

Thanks, Dreamy! Now I can refer to him as Saddam without feeling like an arrogant American.

 

[dreamwatch]

Heaven forbid Spiffy.

 

[Winmar]

On a similar note, with Osama bin Laden, Osama is his give name, bin means "of", and Laden is his father's name. It's like me being called Robert of David, because my father's name's David. So to refer to him as bin Laden, like so many people do, would be wrong, wouldn't it?

 

[Mark]

Yes. Very, very wrong...

 

[Spiff]

What if your name was Mark and your father's name was Cain? Mark of Cain! How cool is that?

 

[Dakk]

Same as in McDonald or O'Connell in Scottish/Irish/English history. "Mc" & "O" means son-of too.

 

[phlogiston]

Errr...Thanks Dakk O'Dungeon...

Does anyone else have nasty images in their head now?

 

[paddy]

back in high school, my history teacher told us that "Mc" meant "bastard son of"!

 

[Winmar]

 

[Goreripper]

The Associated Press offers this explanation :

``First, Hussein is not his family name. Saddam is his given name, and Hussein is his father's given name; this is common practice in Arab families. His full name is Saddam Hussein al-Majd al-Tikriti, but he uses neither al-Majd, which is akin to a family name, nor al-Tikriti, which is a name for his extended family, or clan, derived from the Tikrit region where the president is from.

I was trying to find this reference myself, but couldn't. Good for you, dreamy!

 

[Father Gonad]

back in high school, my history teacher told us that "Mc" meant "bastard son of"!

__________________


maybe he knew a guy called McConnel or something and they stole his GF... I dunno some ppl are like that.... i think....

 

[paddy]

it was a she, a middle aged woman to be exact, the serious type too, she certainly wasn't joking when she said it...but i still find it hard to believe

 

[dreamwatch]

Paddy, I was told that too. Mc and Mac (and also Fitz) mean 'son of'.

 

[Spiff]

Jesus McGod - I like the sound of that!