70% of Iraqis Like Japan
According to Mr. Yukio Okamoto, a prominent former Japanese diplomat, a US research company conducted a special survey in Iraq in late 2003 on how much foreign countries are liked by Iraqi citizens.
The result is as follows:
The least liked are the U.S. and the U.K.
Less liked are countries such as Germany and France.
Iraqis who feel friendly toward the UN account for 50% of all.
But, astonishingly, those who like Japan account for more than 70% of all the Iraqi respondents.
As this result was so shocking for parties concerned, those figures were not made public.
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Before the Persian Gulf War in 1991, thousands of Japanese were in Iraq, making business and building facilities.
The largest power plant in southern Iraq was built by Japanese companies.
Even today, when they saw an East Asian, Iraqi people first expect him to be Japanese, though in other Middle East countries nowadays people regard an East Asian first as Chinese and then Korean.
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In general terms, Arab people are pro-Japan. But, exact reasons are still unknown to Japanese.
The most reasonable reason would be that there are good natured Japanese more than those of other nationalities.
Another reason would be appreciation of Japanese products with higher quality.
And, a hidden reason might be that Japanese once fought bravely and often successfully Europeans and Americans until the atomic bomb attacks by the U.S. military.
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Mr. Yukio Okamoto, who has visited Iraq several times on official business, wrote that he had felt a kind of awe in other Arabs toward Iraqis before the Iran-Iraq War.
Other Arabs had regarded Iraqi people 20 years ago. Though subsequent three wars heavily afflicted Iraqis, they seem to still posses a higher inherent potential. The US Government must have realized it, but failed in leveraging it.
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There are many reasons that you should not belittle Iraq and Iraqis.
Those who can fairly appreciate Japan and Japanese are really something, though there are other various ways for you to become something.
Iraqis are such people. Their 5000-year history has really proved worthwhile.
(Incidentally, I like Iraq, for it is the Abraham's home country.
I also like the U.S. for a very personal reason. Every morning, I confirm this feeling.
But, if you can tell the truth in a questionnaire, would you really answer that you like Japan?)
"IN THREE DAYS I WILL REBUILD IT AGAIN"