For years, the BBC has been conducting a survey regarding the most generous people in the world. In its latest report, Indonesia, the largest Islamic country, for the sixth year in a row, topped the list, followed by Ukraine and an African country, which was the most generous in the following three areas:

Providing assistance of various kinds, to those who do not know. Volunteering their time to help others in various fields, and thirdly, donating money to a charitable cause, according to the Global Giving Index for 2023 of the Charitable Aid Foundation. Myanmar, which has been ravaged by civil wars, also ranked highly.

Another poll from the same party above showed that Iraqis are considered the most generous Arabs towards strangers and the needy! This result reminded me of an embarrassing incident I encountered approximately 65 years ago, when I was spending the summer with my family in Lebanon, where I was sitting with my peers in a café located beneath a modest and small hotel, run by their Lebanese owner.

One day I dared to ask him, and I was sure of the answer, about the nationalities of his best customers, and he surprised me by saying that it was the Iraqi tourist! I was shocked by his answer, and when he read my disapproval on my face, he went on to explain that the Iraqi buys materials and things from him that the Kuwaiti does not ask for (he did not mention it, but I guessed it).

He said that the Kuwaiti comes to the hotel carrying with him, from Kuwait, cans of tea, milk, bags of basmati rice, and even hookah charcoal and thus the hotel hardly benefits from it, other than the accommodation fee.

When I tried to explain to him the reason, according to my humble understanding at the time, which is still as humble as he is, he did not care, and interrupted me by saying that the Iraqi is also more generous in “gratuities.”

His words about the Kuwaiti’s stinginess with tips were confirmed to me after more than 65 years, and after my experiences with restaurant projects, where those who were and still manage them informed me that the Kuwaiti guest is the stingiest when it comes to giving tips, and hardly leaves anything for the restaurant workers, who depend on a portion of their money.

This impression was also consolidated in me with my experiences in collecting donations for the “Charitable” Human Friendship Society.

Despite all that the association is distinguished by its high transparency and advantages that are not available in any charitable organizations, and its uniqueness in that its workers do not deduct any percentage for themselves, even a small percentage, from the donations that they receive, the sustainable donors to the association are non-wealthy people who makes the majority and this confirms the experience of Indonesia with generosity, and that it has nothing to do with wealth or poverty.

The conviction became more and more solidified with the tragedy of the people of Gaza, and it proved to me that we are indeed a very stingy people, in general.

Despite all the nation’s strong emotions towards the tragedy of the Palestinians, and all the support and solidarity they showed with the people of Gaza, and all the “boycott” they spoke about and did, and all the tears that I saw that were shed, even in the eyes of family and friends, and all the words of thanks and praise through phone calls and text messages, despite the initiatives and donations I made towards the people of Gaza, a very few good people expressed their willingness to contribute with me in sending medical supplies to the afflicted in the wounded Gaza Strip.

The truth is painful, and our denial of it will not change it, and I am speaking here in general. The generous people who donated millions to the Friendship Society cannot be forgotten for their generosity, and actions cannot be forgotten, but they remain a very small minority, in a vast sea of very wealthy people and few generous people!

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By Ahmad alsarraf