This is a Shi'i proverb, not an Iraqi proverb.

Many Shi'i imams and other personages are buried in Iraq. Of the imams, the most celebrated is Al-Husayn ibn Ali in Karbala. Of other personages, his half-brother Al-Abbas ibn Ali is also quite popular.

Burial sites of imams and other personages attract many devoted pilgrims every year. When pilgrims go back to their homes, they tell a lot of stories about the wonderful spritual experiences they had during their pilgrimage (called ZIYARA, or "visitation"). Among these stories, there are a lot of tall tales about "miracles" of healing and other wonders. These include tales about punishments that the buried imams supposedly inflicted upon those who transgressed or showed disrespect. When a buried imam shows such a sign of righteous indignation, the expression used is

الإمام شـوَّر

These signs (or tales thereof) attact more curious visitors. It is no wonder that the religious tourist industry in Iraq spins so many of these stories.

The idea of the proverb is that you don't get much respect just by demanding it. You command more respect by showing the willingness and ability to strike back at those who show disrespect. In English, we call that "having teeth" or "having a bite" or just "biting." Those who do not bite or have no bite or have not teeth get very little respect. It is not very far from the Arabic verse:

ومن لم يذد عن حوضه بسلاحه يهدم ومن لا يظلم الناس يظلم

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Note added at 2003-09-21 18:13:20 (GMT) Post-grading
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Additional note on AhmedAMS\'s comment below:

In Modern Standard Arabic, the term خسف is used for supernatural acts that are intended to punish in a manner that disgraces or humiliates a transgressor.

The term خسف is especially used for a supernatural affliction that involves a physical transformation. In some tales, the person or group is petrified. They become stony statues. Thus, their shame is perpetuated beyond the normal human lifespan. In other tales, the transgressors are metamorphosed into apes, dogs, pigs, donkeys, or other animals that are considered symbols of ignomy. In yet other tales, the punished persons become blind, lame, mute, or mentally retarded. Disfiguring skin dieseases, such as leprosy, are also thought of as fit punishments. In modern times, AIDS was thought of by some people as a form of a supernatural punishment for sexual transgressions. The variety of punishment is broad, but the ultimate form is total annihilation, usually through a cosmic disaster, such as an earthquake, a sandstorm, a lightning storm, a flood, or an epidemic disease.

The idea of خسف is sometimes extended to the land itself where the punished people had lived. Lands of very low altitudes, such as the Dead Sea region, are thought of as monuments of infamy and reminders of what sin can bring to an entire people. The low altitude is thought of as a symbol of how the \"high and mighty\" are brought low by a blow from a mightier power. As we say in Arabic,

يا هامان، عليك فرعون