--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Before I was nine I had learned the basic…" description: "\"Before I was nine I had learned the basic canon of Arab life. It was me against my brother; me and my brother against our father; my family against my ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/694/leon-uris-7821_brother_before-i-was-nine-i-had-learned-the-basi_2009098.jpg" --- # Before I was nine I had learned the basic canon of Arab… ![“Before I was nine I had learned the basic canon of Arab life. It was me against my brother; me and my brother against our father; my family against my cousins and the clan; the clan against the tribe; and the tribe against the world and all of us against the infidel.” quote by Leon Uris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/694/leon-uris-7821_brother_before-i-was-nine-i-had-learned-the-basi_2009098.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/694/leon-uris-7821_brother_before-i-was-nine-i-had-learned-the-basi_2009098.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/694/leon-uris-7821_brother_before-i-was-nine-i-had-learned-the-basi_2009098.jpg) > “Before I was nine I had learned the basic canon of Arab life. It was me against my brother; me and my brother against our father; my family against my cousins and the clan; the clan against the tribe; and the tribe against the world and all of us against the infidel.” [Leon Uris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-uris/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote maps a cascade of conflicts from personal to communal, illustrating how identity is forged through opposition at multiple levels. **In simple terms:** Conflicts build identity through layered opposition. Key Takeaway Recognize how each rivalry shapes you. Themes identity conflict family society religion Mood reflective critical Type philosophical historical When to use this quote - personal growth - family dynamics - community leadership - intercultural dialogue Key Concepts social hierarchy tribalism us vs them Questions to Reflect On - How do you see your personal conflicts reflecting larger societal tensions? - What role does empathy play in breaking these cycles? A Different Perspective It oversimplifies complex histories into binary oppositions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brother/) [Canon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/canon/) [Clans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clans/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Infidel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infidel/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Our father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-father/) [Tribes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tribes/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“I am Jon-Robert Holden - a basketball player, a son, a brother, a father, a friend, a writer and an Olympian!All these things are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-robert-holden/i-am-jon-robert-holden-a-basketball-player-a-son-a-brother-a-father-a/) [Jon-Robert Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-robert-holden/) > [I watched my brother and my father. The truth was very different from what we learned in school. The truth was the line between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/i-watched-my-brother-and-my-father-the-truth-was-very-different-from/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [I was myself brought up with my brother, whose name was Matthias, for he was my own brother, by both father and mother; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-was-myself-brought-up-with-my-brother-whose-name-was-matthias-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My brother and my father both got laid off around the same that I was starting to do this movie 'Chavez.' And at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pena/my-brother-and-my-father-both-got-laid-off-around-the-same-that-i-was/) [Michael Pena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pena/) > [My mother was murdered by my step-father, my brother's father, who was also named Joel, twenty-five years ago. Whatever sadness or burden I've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-trethewey/my-mother-was-murdered-by-my-step-father-my-brother-s-father-who-was/) [Natasha Trethewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-trethewey/) > [“Quinn would have closed the bar down if needed. There was nothing in this world that was more important to him than his family.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-morgan/quinn-would-have-closed-the-bar-down-if-needed-there-was-nothing-in/) [Alex Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-morgan/) > [“From.. from now on.. I will protect my brother in father's stead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazue-kato/from-from-now-on-i-will-protect-my-brother-in-father-s-stead/) [Kazue Kato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazue-kato/) > [I was very lucky to have been brought up in a household where my older brother and my father read out loud to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosen/i-was-very-lucky-to-have-been-brought-up-in-a-household-where-my/) [Michael Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosen/) > [Brother killing brother, father slaying son. From the looks of this old graveyard, hell nobody really won.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darryl-worley/brother-killing-brother-father-slaying-son-from-the-looks-of-this-old/) [Darryl Worley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darryl-worley/) > [I want to work with a director who becomes my brother, my father, for two months. You give yourself over to that person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-dujardin/i-want-to-work-with-a-director-who-becomes-my-brother-my-father-for/) [Jean Dujardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-dujardin/) > [Zounds! I was never so bethumped with words since I first called my brother's father dad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/zounds-i-was-never-so-bethumped-with-words-since-i-first-called-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Your brother is your first male friend in your life. No one will ever understand your craziness like your brother. Even if you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-brother-is-your-first-male-friend-in-your-life-no-one-will-ever/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Of all the relationships in my life, the one with my brother is most cherished. He was my first friend, partner in crime, shoulder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shweta-bachchan-nanda/of-all-the-relationships-in-my-life-the-one-with-my-brother-is-most/) [Shweta Bachchan Nanda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shweta-bachchan-nanda/) > [RZA's my brotha for life. That's my brother-in-law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ghostface-killah/rza-s-my-brotha-for-life-that-s-my-brother-in-law/) [Ghostface Killah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ghostface-killah/) > [Your brother is always the first male friend you will have in your life. Nobody will ever be able to understand your craziness like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/your-brother-is-always-the-first-male-friend-you-will-have-in-your/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) ## More by Leon Uris > [Usually a good part of the people trying it end up not making it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-uris/usually-a-good-part-of-the-people-trying-it-end-up-not-making-it/) [Leon Uris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-uris/) > [It all begins and ends in the same place, doesn't it? Conor and me in Ballyutogue. We all come home eventually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-uris/it-all-begins-and-ends-in-the-same-place-doesn-t-it-conor-and-me-in/) [Leon Uris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-uris/) > [“God figured out when he separated us from the rest of the creatures that if we have the power to reason and justify and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-uris/god-figured-out-when-he-separated-us-from-the-rest-of-the-creatures/) [Leon Uris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-uris/) > [“In God's scheme what is a few billion years here and there. Perhaps there have come and gone a dozen human civilizations in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-uris/in-god-s-scheme-what-is-a-few-billion-years-here-and-there-perhaps/) [Leon Uris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-uris/) > [“Nordstrom.” “Would you care for some tea or a brandy?” “No … Nicole, I know”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-uris/nordstrom-would-you-care-for-some-tea-or-a-brandy-no-nicole-i-know/) [Leon Uris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-uris/) > [“And that is where I have failed you, Ari. You see, I would have crawled to your mother a million times. I would crawl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-uris/and-that-is-where-i-have-failed-you-ari-you-see-i-would-have-crawled/) [Leon Uris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-uris/) > [Anyone who goes into writing has to find out somewhere along the line, he's either naive or insane.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-uris/anyone-who-goes-into-writing-has-to-find-out-somewhere-along-the-line/) [Leon Uris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-uris/) > [“From there Ari took her to the church which marked the place of the miracle of the multiplication of loaves and fishes a short…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-uris/from-there-ari-took-her-to-the-church-which-marked-the-place-of-the/) [Leon Uris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-uris/) > [I was tough. I used everything to my advantage. I could be very ruthless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-uris/i-was-tough-i-used-everything-to-my-advantage-i-could-be-very-ruthless/) [Leon Uris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-uris/) > [My first book was rejected nine times. It turned out to be a best seller, Battle Cry? in 1953.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-uris/my-first-book-was-rejected-nine-times-it-turned-out-to-be-a-best/) [Leon Uris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-uris/) > [Life hinges on many factors we cannot control. Two of the most important factors, we can control. We can manage our relationships-and what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-uris/life-hinges-on-many-factors-we-cannot-control-two-of-the-most/) [Leon Uris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-uris/) > [I do not write for an audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-uris/i-do-not-write-for-an-audience/) [Leon Uris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-uris/) > [“But once you allow yourself to think that there are some people, because of their race, their color, or religion, who are really not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-uris/but-once-you-allow-yourself-to-think-that-there-are-some-people/) [Leon Uris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-uris/) > [I essentially write for myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-uris/i-essentially-write-for-myself/) [Leon Uris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-uris/) > [“Karen Hansen Clement sank deep in melancholy. She heard till she could hear no more. She saw until she could see no more. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-uris/karen-hansen-clement-sank-deep-in-melancholy-she-heard-till-she-could/) [Leon Uris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-uris/) [Explore all 83 Leon Uris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-uris/) ## More Brother quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [Whatever meaning 'Annie's Song' had for me on a personal level, there was also a larger context. It could just as easily have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-denver/whatever-meaning-annie-s-song-had-for-me-on-a-personal-level-there/) [John Denver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-denver/) > [Luckily, the bullet that hit my chest never got to me. It was stopped by a silver case I got for my brother's wedding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-doohan/luckily-the-bullet-that-hit-my-chest-never-got-to-me-it-was-stopped/) [James Doohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-doohan/) > [“Yeah. You treat him like a son or a soldier, instead of like a brother. He wants you to like him and admire him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-hunter/yeah-you-treat-him-like-a-son-or-a-soldier-instead-of-like-a-brother/) [Faith Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-hunter/) > [“Your relationship with your brother will be, in many ways, the most complex and bewildering of all the interpersonal connections you will form. An…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-currie-jr/your-relationship-with-your-brother-will-be-in-many-ways-the-most/) [Ron Currie Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-currie-jr/) > [If I had my brothers I think with just a little bit of the correct marketing, I'd like to be almost exclusively in small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/if-i-had-my-brothers-i-think-with-just-a-little-bit-of-the-correct/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [There's no publicist, no advertisements, and no one's pushing us. If people are buying our records, it's because big brothers and sisters or friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-moody/there-s-no-publicist-no-advertisements-and-no-one-s-pushing-us-if/) Spencer Moody > [The only way to make sure that the Hand didn't get to you would have been to kill your brother. I could've done it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/the-only-way-to-make-sure-that-the-hand-didn-t-get-to-you-would-have/) [Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/) > [“Your favorite son and brother, Shade. Like”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-aveyard/your-favorite-son-and-brother-shade-like/) [Victoria Aveyard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-aveyard/) > [Sister + brother = a lovely family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sister-brother-a-lovely-family/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There ain't no such thing as black Muslims. That's how they tried to cut off all my brothers in the rest of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-ain-t-no-such-thing-as-black-muslims-that-s-how-they-tried-to/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [Brothers and Sisters, I bid you beware Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/brothers-and-sisters-i-bid-you-beware-of-giving-your-heart-to-a-dog/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [Like a child exploring the attic of an old house on a rainy day, discovering a trunk full of treasure and then calling all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/like-a-child-exploring-the-attic-of-an-old-house-on-a-rainy-day/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [Stephanie could see the greed seep into the watery eyes of her father’s other brother, a horrible little man called Fergus, as he nodded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-landy/stephanie-could-see-the-greed-seep-into-the-watery-eyes-of-her-father/) [Derek Landy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-landy/) > [I worked in a barbershop. I used to make the waves in the brother's hair, you know? Like, Nat King Cole, Sugar Ray Robinson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clinton/i-worked-in-a-barbershop-i-used-to-make-the-waves-in-the-brother-s/) [George Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clinton/) [Browse all 7,453 Brother quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brother/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Before I was nine I had learned the basic canon of Arab life. 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