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�THF
SYRIAN WORLD
SALLOUM
A.
MOKARZEL,
Editor.
PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE SYRIAN-AMERICAN PRESS
104
GREENWICH STREET, NEW YORK,
By subscription $5.00 a year.
N. Y.
Single copies 50c.
Entered as second-class matter, June 25, 1926, at the post office at New
York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879.
VOL. II.
No. 11.
I
MAY, 1928.
CONTENTS
PAGE
Word-Borrowing in English and Words Borrowed from the
A rabic
j
PROF. BYRON SMITH
BeVs Lions (Poem)
§
DR. SALIM
Y.
ALKAZIN
Keyserling on the East
A Special Interview.
9
Racial Origins
12
The Bedouin Child (Poem)
13
THEO. WATTS-DUNTON
Cross-Currents in the East
14
THE EDITOR
'-^ -t-r--*"~"----
'~-~~—«——-—— — *--+ -~..,-~~— -:Tt _
�CONTENTS
(Continued)
PAGE
2
War and the Small Nations
^
KAHLIL GIBRAN
24
The Scar (Short Story)
DR.
N. A.
KATIBAH
Amara and her Master-Lover (Arabian Tale)
SI
Arab Proverbs
JJ
Arabic Newspapers in America
36
An Arab King at Home
40
When I Am Dead (Poem)
43
RAMSAY MOOREHEAD
Spirit of the Syrian Press
44
Readers* Forum
49
Political Developments in Syria
51
Missionaries Among Moslems
53
About Syria and Syrians
55
|
�THE
SYRIAN WORLD
VOL. II.
No. 11.
MAY, 1928
Word-Borrowing in English
AND WORDS BORROWED FROM THE ARABIC *
By
BYRON SMITH
Professor of English in the American University of Beirut.
It is my purpose in this paper to discuss the vocabulary of
the English language, especially in connection with the words
borrowed from the Arabic language.
As new ideas arise in the history of a progressive people,
new words are needed to express these ideas. These new words
may be obtained in three ways, they may be invented, they may
be borrowed from other languages, or old words may be used
in modified form, or in form unchanged, to fit the new meaning. ^
The method of invention belongs historically in an early
period of language development and comparatively few words
enter the English vocabulary in this way in modern times. It
was once believed that our ancestors had a peculiar power, or
gift, of invention which modern man has lost, but we now know
that when the situation demands a new word the word will be
forthcoming. A well known example is the word "kodak" invented by an American manufacturer of cameras who is still living, yet the word is so well-known that it has been adopted into
* In the December, 1927, issue of The Syrian World an article by Prof.
Smith entitled "Arabic Words in the English Vocabulary" was the
first of a series of three articles on the subject of which this is the
second. The third, dealing more specifically with words borrowed
from the Arabic, will appear in a coming issue.
�4
THE SYRIAN WORLD
several foreign languages. A brief study of the advertising
pages of any American magazine will reveal a number of newly
invented words to describe manufactured articles. Most of these
words are doomed to a short existence and early oblivion, a few
of them will find their way into the dictionaries as members of
the vocabulary in good and regular standing.
Old words given a new meaning form a small but important class. In an earlier article I mentioned the word "broadcast", which once denoted the sowing of grain by hand, but now
is used to mean the sending, out of radio impulses in all directions from a distributing center. The great war clothed a number of old words in new meanings. Those of us who were in
Beirut during the war may remember how we were puzzled by
a statement in the newspapers, to the effect that the "tanks" used
by the Allies were not very efficient after all. After a time we
learned that a tank, which once meant a large vessel to contain
water, had come to mean a movable steel fortress, a land battleship. Sometimes a new word is formed by compounding several
old terms. A fine example of this is the word "folklore", made of
the two old English words, "folk" and "lore", and meaning the
study of ancient customs and superstitions. The German language is given to this kind of word formation, adding word to
word, till the result is as long as some sentences. Sometimes
these long words are reduced to useful form by reducing them
to a short word made of the most prominent consonants or sylThe method most favored by the English language for the
increase of its vocabulary is the adoption of foreign words. In
the case of scientific terms, these foreign words are almost invariably of Latin or Greek origin, usually a compound ot two
words One has only to run through the list of words ending
in "-ology", a Greek word meaning "word" or "science", to see
how heavily the scientific vocabulary is loaded with these borrowings from the classical languages.
By these various methods the English vocabulary is increased It has been estimated that 20 new words are added on
the average, every year. But by far the more frequent method
is that of borrowing, from the dead languages of Greece and
Rome, or from living languages of the world at large.
Otto Jesperson (pronounced Yesperson), the great Danish
student of languages, says that in his opinion the English Ian-
�MAY, 1928
guage is decidedly masculine in its characteristics, as opposed to
feminine or infantile. He points to its clearly denned sounds
e
m
d8
haS the
to7ZZ
T^°nofTdany
T
' * * klanguage,
^
number of monosyllables
European
its logical
word order, and, above all, to its vastness ancfwomofW
bulary as evidences of its masculine character. Its vocabulary
I
has th argest number of words of
guile'
-r Women
"guage. m,
I his, says V
Jesperson, is a masculine trait.
as
e fe words than men but
Ltf^ho se c
> -—*« s *
the Fnllfrrf°m °f V0Ca^ulary J^person means the ability of
the English language to borrow words from any source. Any
combinations of sounds that can be pronounced by the English'
enCa
Tat^ome
. T
H l^
'* the ^^
and
beat
home in the
English
language.
If some ^**5
part of a new
word represents a sound that is not known in English, the nearest substitute is accepted in its place. The word "sheikh" has
been used in English since the days of Queen Elizabeth. It firs
appeared in print in 1577, but it remained as an inconspicuous
word
a few ars ago when a
boT^il
^
, mader its appearance. As^^
book with this word for title
English
has no sound corresponding to kh £ the sound of k was substituted and the word "sheek" is now a popular term to describe
a person addicted to violent and unscrupulous love-making
^* Purf^ly no Wuage now spoken on earth has failed to
contribute to the English vocabulary, and many dialects have
supplied new words. When Americans first explored the Indian names of plants and animals were used and many have
survived to the present, as, potato, tobacco, opossum, etc. When
the South Seas were entered by Europeans they brought back
such words as taboo, kangaroo, tattoo, etc.
Turning now to the words contributed to English by the
Arabic language, we find that, though th& Arabic words are much
fewer in number than those borrowed from the languages of
modern Europe, they are, on the other hand, much more numerous than those picked up by explorers in newly discovered
IZv^t V? *'«"****** importance historically in
the light they shed on the connection between Europe and the
Near East from early historical times.
We have first to decide what words we shall consider as
definite contributions to the English vocabulary. We must, first,
�6
THE SYRIAN WORLD
eliminate proper names and words derived from them. Proper
names include the names of persons and places, with their derived adjectives. Although these proper names and adjectives may
be in familiar use in English, they are not, strictly speaking,
English words, any more than the names of kings and cities
of Europe which would not be included in counting the words
of the English vocabulary.
Another class of Arabic words that must be eliminated is
the names of stars. It is an interesting fact that, while the
groups of stars, or constellations, bear Greek names, the names
of the heroes and heroines of Greek legends, the names of individual stars, for the most part, bear Arabic names, though the
pole star, and several of the brightest stars in the sky, Sirius,
Canopus, etc., bear Greek names. Yet the names of stars are
proper nouns, like the names of persons and of countries, and
they enter into the vocabularies of few but astronomers.
Of Arabic words we shall expect to find no pronouns or
prepositions, as they belong to the early history of a language,
few verbs for they belong to the more native element of any
languages,.and not many adjectives with their corresponding adverbs, but the majority of words will be nouns, the names of
things.
When I began to investigate the word borrowings from the
Arabic I found that no complete list had been compiled and
there were several disagreements in the partial lists that had
been made. This brought up the question of how to go about
the compilation of such a list. The popular method of assuming that an English word is derived from an Arabic word because they look or sound alike, is as trustworthy as the popular
classification, of the bat as a bird because it flies in the air, of the
whale as a fish because it swims in the sea, or of the sponge as
a plant because it grows fast to the rocks below the water. The
only valid method is the historical one, to trace the history of
a word back as far as it is possible to go, to observe when and
by whom it was used in the past, and what forms and meanings
it has taken on in the course of its history.
Fortunately for the student of English words, there is now
in existence a full and accurate history of every word in the
English language. This is the New English Dictionary, also called
the Oxford Dictionary, from the place where it is being written,
and the Murray Dictionary, from the name of its great editor.
-< mm
�MAY, 1928
I
7
This great work, begun a generation ago, is not yet complete,
though only a small part of the last of the alphabet remains to
be published and the literary world is expecting at any time
the announcement of its completion. This historical dictionary,
the only one of its kind in the world, attempts to give the history of every word that has ever been used by any English
writer. Quotations, illustrating every form or use of a word
are given in full, with the name of the author, the date, and the
page reference of the work. Words of English origin are traced
back to their ultimate root, words of foreign origin are traced
back, sometimes through several intermediate languages, to the
word from which they sprung. Because of its scholarly completeness, this dictionary is the' indispensable reference book for every
student of the English language.
It was to this dictionary that I turned when I undertook
to prepare a list of the Arabic words in English. It was obvious
that there was only one way to collect the words, the simple but
laborious method of going through the dictionary, page by page.
Where the New English Dictionary was incomplete, I made
use of other books of reference.
The harvest' that I gathered was smaller than I had expected. I found 217 words in current use, that is, in use as accepted
English words. Some of these are in daily service, such as "jar,"
"sugar," etc. Others such as "realgar," "varan," "naker," "fardel," etc., would defy definition on the part of the average person.
I found 45 obsolete words, words that once had been in
current use but now are buried in the dictionary and forgotten
by living speech. I found 183 unassimilated words, that is,
words, for the most part, picked up by travellers and used in
their travel records, but not really accepted and used generally
by English writers or speakers. Then there was a little group
of ghosts that were both obsolete and unassimilated, still-born
babes born into the English language long ago but never receiving any currency beyond the usage of a few ancient writers.
This collection of about 450 words represents the contribution of the Arabic language to the English language. I do
not claim that it is complete, for I may have overlooked some
words, and others may have been used by English writers that
have not been discovered by the compilers of the dictionary, but
it may stand as a fairly representative list.
ms
�H ..
77/£ SYRIAN WORLD
*
I do not know how many words the New English Dictionary
will contain when it is complete, but I notice that a popular,
one-volume dictionary of the English language, recently published, claims to contain the definition of 400,000 English words.
Assuming that the English language contains at least 400,000
words, we can easily compute the approximate percentage of
words coming from the Arabic.
In another paper I hope to discuss some of the more interesting of these borrowings from the Arabic in the light of the
cultural relations between Western European and Arabian culture.
Bel's Lions
By DR SALIM Y. ALKAZIN
(Instead of thy making a new deluge, let lions apfear and
reduce the number of men. — Ea to Bel in the Chaldean tablets of the deluge.)
But what of him who shuns the jungles wild,
Who stalks, not in the darkness of the night,
But proudly o'er the bosom of the day;
Who snarls, but through a smile benign and bright,
The while his teeth are sunken in his prey;
Who growls, but in melodious tones and mild?
(Lion-strength—Such is the stuff that will succeed,
They say: and we are urged by word and deed
T' embrace the Lion-man's faith and creed.)
Which is Bel's curse, the flood's fell substitute—
The shrinking beast that hides him in his lair,
Or, hunted, starves upon the arid waste?
Lion-strength, inspiring and fair,
How oft, like liberty, the pure and chaste,
Abused, grows shameless, wanton, dissolute!
MMMMMM m
�MAY, 1928
Keyserling on the East
zA Special Interview *
Turning for a brief respite from the subjects more intimately connected with his American lecture tour, Count Herman
Keyserling, the famous German philosopher now in New York,
consented to discuss with the editor of THE SYRIAN WORLD
some of the major problems besetting the East. His observations encompassed the whole of Asia from semi-European Turkey to China and Japan. For the East in general he entertains
the hope of a bright future, but would not commit himself as
to the time this could be achieved. The attainment of this object, he maintains, is dependent upon certain definite conditions
whose fulfillment alone will determine the acceleration or the
protraction of the ultimate inevitable result.
On general grounds, Count Keyserling believes in the ultimate attainment by all classes of the human race of the supreme object they are all striving and struggling for, namely,
the desire to live in happiness and comfort. The coolie of
China is animated by this desire as much as the laborer of Europe and America. To some groups of the same class in different countries this desire may be nearer of attainment than
it is to others, but the urge being equal among all, the process
of evolution from one stage to another until the supreme goal
is reached will continue to supply the onward movement with
continual energy.
The outstanding condition Count Keyserling lays down for
the more rapid advance of the East is the development of Character, as would be expressed in a firm belief among the people
of the East of their ultimate destiny and their will to force its
fulfillment. The Count is an admirer of mass action and a firm
believer in the virtues of discipline. He concedes that the initiative should come from a few leaders with well-grounded, positive authority, but he would not have reform come by decree
as if ordained by divine right, as was the case with the initiation
of reform in Japan. Rather, he is in favor of leadership that
* This interview was published in the Sunday Edition of the N. Y. World
of April 29.
�10
THE SYRIAN WORLD
derives its authority from public sanction, as exemplified in the
recent case of Turkey under the able leadership of Mustapha
Kamal Pasha.
Amplifying on the subject of Turkey, Count Keyserlmg
gave it as his unqualified conviction that recent developments
in that country are the greatest political evolution in the world
since the federation of the German States into the German Empire. Kamal Pasha is to Count Keyserling the outstanding figure of
the age. The several reform movements he has inaugurated are
without parallel in history both in nature and extent. They are
bound to exercise a far-reaching effect in shaping the course of
affairs in the East, and will undoubtedly stimulate to quicker
action the will of Eastern races to attain their lawful aspirations.
In other words, the Turkish reform movement under the
driving will of Mustapha Kamal Pasha is the greatest incentive
to the acquisition by the people of the East of that primary condition laid down by Count Keyserling for their full development, namely, Character.
Further analyzing the Turkish situation, Count Keyserling
attributed the success of the reform movement in Turkey to two
major causes, the first being enlightened and resolute leadership, and the second orderly submission by the people. Mustapha Kamal, according to Count Keyserling, is especially fortunate in having able lieutenants who share his ideals and work
wholeheartedly with him in carrying out his policies. Such
gigantic upheavals cannot be the work of one man. They were
not so in Russia and cannot be so anywhere else, although the
guiding mind may be single. Among Mustapha Kamal's most
able aides Count Keyserling mentions Ismet Pasha, the formidable diplomat who negotiated the treaty of Sevres and won
his points against the ablest statesmen of Europe.
To the second requisite Count Keyserling attaches no less
importance, for he attributes to the Turkish nation what he
terms one of the finest national characteristics, namely, that orderly submission to authority which is bred of long military discipline. The Turks are a fighting race who came to the country
as invaders and held their conquests against superior numbers
by cohesive action. Their turning of defeat in the last war into
a signal victory is a feat without parallel in military annals.
Count Keyserling concludes that the Turks have character, his
fundamental condition for success, and it is for that reason that
\
'
�MAY, 1923
i
n
they are blazing the way for other Eastern races in the pursuit
of their common goal.
For the Arabs, also, Count Keyserling holds prospects of
a brilliant .future. The Arabs are a hardy race and fiercely independent. What they lack in the way of cohesive action as induced by military discipline is amply counter-balanced by the
intensity of their religious zeal. This, in time, will serve its
purpose of consolidating their ranks and establishing their power, later giving way to a more tolerant attitude which would be
more in keeping with modern thought and action. Already signs
of this rejuvenation are appearing in the disciplinary religious
movement of the Arab King Ibn Saoud. The motive behind
the Wahabi movement, it is true, is religious, but the end is
nationalistic and political. Had it not been for the fact that
the Arabs were in a state of complete isolation in their peninsula,
the, growth of the movement would be exceedingly rapid and its
effect much more far reaching.
Reminded that the Wahabi movement, both in its inception
and its application, is reactionary and retrogressive in that it
seeks to apply to the present age conditions that obtained during the times of the Prophet, Count Keyserling expressed it as
his belief that Islam was as great an evolution in religious thought
and practice as the reformation movement in Christianity. For
the Arabs to advocate the return to the pristine purity of Islam
would be to reduce it to its simpler element and have it revert
to its primary function. The early followers of the Arab Prophet were first actuated by religious motives, but once their creed
was established they turned to the more peaceful methods of
civilization and progress. History may well repeat itself in the
present case also. For Ibn Saoud will first seek to coordinate
his forces by the only expedient at hand which now is religion,
and once the solidarity of the race is established civilization will
be promoted along the accepted lines of modern methods.
Religion shall cease to be a determining factor in the lives
of nations. As men develop more fully the realization of the
primacy of their material well-being over all other considerations, they shall evince less concern over matters which hamper
them in the pursuit of their supreme ambition. This ultimate
state of the human race is inevitable. It shall apply to the East
as well as to any other section of the globe. The process of
evolution will be gradual but positive. When, however, this final
�12
THE SYRIAN WORLD
condition will be reached is beyond the ability of anyone to determine.
Count Keyserling here gave a plain definition of his understanding of the term East. What is popularly called the "mysterious, unfathomable East" is to him not a mystery at all. The
whole world, to a greater or lesser degree, is striving for the
common goal of material well-being as expressed in the desire
to live in the greatest possible safety and comfort. China in
this respect is not different from Russia, and where in the latter
European country some progress has been made towards this
end in one masterly, decisive stroke, in the former Asiatic country a war has been progressing for the last twenty years for the
attainment of the same object. But if the result has been long
in materializing, there should be no doubt of its realization sooner or later.
Count Keyserling would, however, make a clear distinction
between the Near East and the Far East. The latter is the real
and,only East and begins only with India, while the Near East,
or those countries bordering on the Mediterranean basin, are as
much an integral part of the West as any country of Europe.
In speaking of the countries of the Near East and their
ultimate destiny, Count Keyserling delivers a dictum based both
on profound reaspning and intimate association and knowledge.
The German philosopher was in the south-eastern Mediterranean countries only a few years since, and plans another visit
to Turkey, Syria, Egypt and contiguous countries in the opening
months of the coming year.
RACIAL ORIGINS
Commenting on the unveiling of the statue of Louis Kossuth, the Hungarian patriot, which was held in New York the past month, the N. Y.
Times recalls the great celebration accorded Kossuth when he arrived in
the city an exile from his country inj 1851. New Yorkers, it states, turned
out in unprecedented numbers to welcome Kossuth, and the papers of the
day record not) only the great public enthusiasm but the speeches delivered
by the leaders of the American nation at the dinners and receptions given
in his honor.
In recalling the speeches made at the press dinner tendered Kossuth,
the Times says editorially in its issue of March 15: "Especially notable
was the speech of Charles A. Dana of The Sun, who thanked God that
we had no exclusive origin but had in our veins 'the blood of a ^thousand
tribes' and in our language a thousand idioms, and insisted that all races
are capable of noble development under noble institutions."
�MAY, 1928
13
Tie Bedouin Child
Among the Bedouins, a father in enumerating his children
never counts his daughters, for a daughter
is considered a disgrace.
Ilyas the prophet, lingering 'neath the moon,
Heard from a tent a child's heart-withering wail ,
Mixt with the message of the nightingale,
And entering, found, sunk in mysterious swoon,
A little maiden dreaming there alone.
She babbled of her father sitting pale
'Neath wings of death - 'mid sights of sorrow and bale,
And pleaded for his life in piteous tone.
"Poor child, plead on," the succoring prophet saith,
While she, with eager lips, like one who tries
To kiss a dream, stretches her arms and cries
To heaven for help, - "Plead on: such pure love-breath
Reaching the Throne, might stay the wings of death,
That in the desert fan thy father's eyes."
The drouth-slain camels lie on every hand;
Seven sons await the morning vultures' claws'Mid empty water-skins and camel-maws
The father sits, the last of all the band.
He mutters, drowsing o'er the moonlit sand,
"Sleep fans my brow; Sleep makes us all pashas;
Or if the wings are death, why, Azreel draws
A childless father from an empty land. "
I
"Nay," saith a voice, "the winds of Azreel's wings
A child's sweet breath hath stilled; so God decrees; " A camel's bell comes tinkling on the breeze,
Filling the Bedouin's brain with bubble of springs
And scent of flowers and shadow of wavering trees
Where, from a tent, a little maiden sings.
Theodore Watts-Dunton.
�*l
THE SYRIAN WORLD
14
Cross-Currents in the East
By
THE EDITOR
A titantic struggle is now being waged in the Moslem world
between the forces of progress and the forces of reaction.
The
conviction of each faction in the vitality of the issues involved is
so deep-rooted that most extraordinary methods of coercion are
being resorted to.
With so much animus and desperation prevalent the final clash cannot be long delayed.
When it comes
there is bound to be such a tremendous upheaval in the NearEast
as will completely change the existing order of things and submurge in one great tidal wave the traditional heritage of the "Unchanging East" . And this cataclysm is inevitable, in spite of the
fact that the main points of difference are neither more nor less
than those existing in the West between fundamentalists and advocates of reform. The animus of the orientals may be trusted to
carry the controversy further than that of verbal debate. Whereas, in the United States, the question of prohibition is disposed of
by legislative methods, in the East, issues of even a less serious
nature will be settled only by recourse to arms.
What makes this struggle particularly ominous is that it is being
waged between the two most powerful factions of the Islamic
world, those representing two distinct nationalities, the Arabs and
the Turks, while the theatre of conflict is so restricted that only the
comparatively small country of Syria separates the two opposing
forces. The Turks, under the leadership of their dictator Mustapha Kamal Pasha, are the protagonists of the reform movement
while the Arabs, whose most powerful potentate is King Ibn Saoud
of Nejd, are being driven by him to uphold the most puritanical
principles of early Islam. Where ultimate victory will rest is not
difficult to guess, for the Turks may be trusted to be launching
their movement in no spirit of enmity to Islam but rather in a
spirit of conformity to the requirements of modern times. As
devout Mohammedans at heart as any that can be found, they also
* This article was published in the "Commonweal", New York, a weekly journal of opinion, in its issue of April 11. It is reprinted with
some additions by special courtesy.
I
�MAY, 1928
15
have an eye on economic development and realize that they can
not well apply methods of a thousand years back or more to the
needs of the twentieth century. The Arabs, on the other hand,
have not come into as close contact with the West as have the
Turks and consequently are not as much affected by modern influences. Hence the possibility of such principles as those advocated by Ibn Saoud and his followers finding so much support. It
seems only a matter of time before the contagion of the modern
spirit will penetrate into Arabia and change the aspect of the situation. When this change will be affected, however, is beyond
the ability of any one to prophesy.
What the Turks have done so far in the way of emulating the
West is too well known to need repetition in detail. Briefly, the
1 urks have torn themselves loose from traditions heretofore considered well-nigh inviolable. Not only in the religious domain,
but in the realm of social and civic reform as well,, they have effected a complete transformation almost overnight. The Caliphate was abolished and left to go begging among the potentates
oi the Mohammedan world, with utter desregard for the prestige
of Islam. Prayers were ordered recited in the native Turkish
language with total indifference to Arabic, the sacred language of
the Koran. Polygamy was no longer tolerated and even personal liberty was invaded by decreeing that the tarboosh, formerly
considered the national headgear, should give way to the European hat. In short, such radical changes were introduced as to make
one standing on the threshold of this transition stare aghast at the
rapidity of the transformation.
Whaty on the other hand, has been the Arab contribution to
the situation? It must be confessed that an earnest effort has long
since been undertaken by an enlighted section of the Arabic-speaking people to foster a movement of reform. This, of course, is
meant to apply to the Mohammedan element of the population.
Of recent instances may be cited the campaign being waged by the
Mohammedan women of Syria to discard the veil, while in Egypt
we know that several decades back such a movement was advocated by the late Kasim Ameen. Now we find Mohammedans
in ever-increasing numbers sending their children to be educated
in the professions in foreign schools both within their respective
countries and abroad. We even have the rare instances of Mohammedan men marrying Christian wives and strictly practising monogamy. In some sections of the Mohammedan East, especially in
�16
THE SYRIAN WORLD
those sections bordering on the sea and brought into close touch
with western influences, it may be truly said that the same degree
of culture and modernism obtains as can be found anywhere in
Europe or America. But what about the real Arabs, the Arabs of
Arabia, and the masses of Arabic-speaking peoples and others of:
Moslem faith who form the main body of Islam? Are they sympathetic to modernizing influences or even passive in their attitude? Or are they so set against any infraction of their centuriesold traditions as to fight tooth and nail any attempt to swerve
them from their old practices ?
The answer to these queries is only too evident to anyone following the trend of events in the Moslem world, especially that
section of it comprised by the countries of the near East. Par' ticularly in Arabia, the home and the stronghold of Islam, the
Arabs not only live the life they had been leading for innumerable centuries, but they show unmistakable signs of resenting
any change. Any deviation from their prescribed course would
be sure to meet determined opposition on their part.
In support of this contention it does not seem necessary
to carry the reader back decades or even years. The occurrences
of the closing months of the last year are quite sufficient to
demonstrate the facts of the situation. They are little known to
the general reader of American newspapers, but the native Arabic press abounds in news items that shed interesting light on
the situation.
One, for instance, lately reported by news dispatches in the
United States, is the account given by the Cairo correspondent
of the Daily Express of the stringent restrictions laid down to
his subjects by the Arab King Ibn Saoud. This dispatch was,
in turn, based on a consular report of the Egyptian government.
It states that among the things forbidden are smoking, use of
alcoholic liquors, use of perfume, wearing of gold and silver
ornaments and silk garments.
It is further stated that immediately the muezzin's call to
prayer is heard, all must at once abandon what they are doing
and hasten to the mosque, for "prayer is better than work or
sleep".
Shaving of the beard has been decreed a crime for which
both the wielder of the razor and the person shaved shall be
severely punished.
Usury, meetings of men and women, and gathering of re-
MM
i
n
�I
i
MAY, 1928
1?
latives to bewail the dead, also are forbidden.
Ibn Saoud, it must be remembered, is at present the most
powerful of all the kings of Arabia. He was able to reach this
degree of power only through the support of his zealot followers who are known as the Ikhwan, or the brothers, for whom the
bunna is as essential a guide as the Koran, not only in their daily
religious practices, but in all the business of life. Of this group
Ameen Riham, the Syrian author who, through special courtesy
was permitted to visit Riadh, the capital of Ibn Saoud, only
about a year since, wrote as follows:
"What the Prophet Mohammed said and did, from the
broadest rule to the minutest detail of conduct, from the loftiest
to the most frivolous - how, for instance, he prayed and how
t'
*18 beard and his finger-nails — that is the Sunna.
lhe Wahabi lives and dies by it. Everything he says and does
he must be able to justify by the Sunna and the Koran — more
by the Sunna ,n fact, than the Koran. He bows the head only
to Allah — Sunna. He wears no silk garments — Sunna. He
retrains from decorating his mosques — Sunna. He does not
kiss the hand of imam or sultan — Sunna. He associates with
Allah, m his prayers, no prophet or saint or other mortal. Said
the Prophet Mohammed: "Say not 'By the help of Allah and
u y»°ph^'- but Say' 'By the helP of Allah and then the Pro<i mVf- preCept finds its aPP>ation in the daily speech
of the Wahabis. "Were'it not for Allah and then for thee (the
sultan), we should have lost the battle. Writes the master of
ceremonies in his daily list: "So-and-so has arrived and he desires of Allah and then of thee (the sultan) a busht, a zuboun
and some coffee and rice."
^
j
"About the Ikhwan," further states Mr. Rihani, "are related strange, heroic deeds and rare stoic achievements. Also
unspeakable atrocities. The demons of religion, they are called
by some the heroes of Islam, by others. Summoned to a jihad,
they dash forth, hearing and gleaming, sam?m, lamtin—so runs
the traditional cry—seeking the heads of the Mushrekin, frantically fanatical Unitarians, puritan copperheads. And the Sultan Abdul-Aziz is a Cromwell in the sense that he has made
these people and fired them with inextinguishable enthusiasm
for Allah and for Nejd. Their faith, a living, glowing faith,
makes the blood of a Brother fallen in battle sacred m theeyes. Through it they behold Jannat—their paradise; and with
�18
THE SYRIAN WORLD
pious ecstasy they put their fingers in the wound and stain the
edges of their garments. The winds of Jannat are blowing!
Ye seekers, in haste for the sowing! Ye seekers, in haste for
the mowing!"
This, it must be borne in mind, is the account of the Ikhwan by a friend who may be trusted not to have recourse to
exaggeration in describing the creed and the dominant factors
in the life of those Arabs ruled by the king who had tendered
him protection and hospitality.
Quite a contrast, this, to what has taken place in Turkey
only a few hundred miles away, also among followers of the
Arabian Prophet.
Further glimpses of what is agitating the Near East may
be had from other sources as laid open to us by seemingly casual
notices irt the native Arabic press during the last few months.
In their efforts at regeneration in Iraq, over which rules
King Feisal, some Syrian teachers were asked to fill positions
in local schools who had been educated in foreign institutions.
The population of Iraq is predominantly Shiite, or followers of
Ali. A certain teacher, however, saw fit to publish a book in
which he upheld the claim of Mu'awiyah to the Caliphate
against Ali in what he considered a pure contribution to historical
knowledge. Immediately there was an uprising in Bagdad which
resulted in much bloodshed and the offending historian was
finally banished from the country, thanking Allah that he was
able to escape with his life.
Quite recently, also, some enterprising book dealer in Egypt
saw fit to order from Europe a shipment of the Holy Book of
Islam, the Koran, translated in one of the European languages.
The customs authorities of the country would not pass on its
eligibility for entry into a Mohammedan country and referred
the case to the Ministry of Justice which ruled that the book
could not be lawfully admitted and permitted to be sold in
Egypt inasmuch as it is sacrilegious to translate the Koran into
the languages of the infidels.
Egypt, it should be remembered, is one of the most progressive among the Mohammedan countries and surely if the
matter were left to the judgment of the educated class no such
incident would come to pass, but the trouble is not with the educated few but with the masses, who are still swayed by religious
considerations as by no other influence.
I
�v
l
MAY, 1928
• "
*«. !PeQi I d° the Af!*8 resent any missionary effort, and
his not only because they believe in Islam but lore because
n Isl m
both
. 7°
^.^ Sto
Pedal
"***>»
both their
duty andl privilege
uphold
it.
of
Arabia and it is
estineRlertly' ?6 ^ -?aper ^"Yannouk, published in Paln Christkn
S^eral and
1°*^
?**
Nonaries in
nd Th
th Se' f
them who
ar °
Sri"uj
° °
* English in particular, for
heir misrepresentation of conditions" in Arabic-speaking countries. As quoted by this paper, the circular reported to have
been prepared by these missionaries calling for volunteers for
missionary work in Arabia does not seem to be in good taste
nheteSHn ^m rCC W°rds b CallinS M^ammed the False Pro-
m th m
US kngUa e the
and c7lZ f ?f m>
*BUt the
T SCUrril
°
S
******
Str ng P int brou ht
h
paoer
Zt ^
•
°
°
^ °* Y ^e
toTdJffln W I" miSS1TneS Seeking COnVerts are attempting
PrlwMa am°ng thf Very pe°Ple who claim ^e Arabian
Prophet as their own, and take pride in him not only as the
founder of a religion, but as their greatest patriot.
e]lgi
r' k W°Uid Seem' is a sacred
wher?
Precin* to the Arabs
where no foreign influence may be permitted to trespass. No
better illustration of this fact could be cited than the case of the
to^T K rhCharkS Cran/' Wh°Se rePUtati0n ^r fn-dles:
world Re
u £enetTit]?e fartheSt Corners of ^e Arab
Td L 5 S fu V^ hlgh/St CSteem for h^ Philanthropy
and the solicitude he displays for the uplift of the Arab race
His efforts toward assisting Arab students in acquiring education
abroad are much appreciated. Especially do the Mohammed^
elements, particularly of Syria, feel grateful to him for Tc
political agitation he has engineered in their behalf. But when
tters of reli
IT'8 t0
gion he is frankly and plainly told
that his meddling tactics are unwelcome.
A, Z!£
Arab
folI
°r
°
n
g
account
"
of Mr. Crane's recent travels in
taken fr m
°
**
Arabk paper Fztz ,{
~ -
"Much of Mr. Crane's speech to the members of the EastW f?'! Cair° ItCTll haS bccn Pushed in the press,
but the Society may finally deade on publishing this speech in
book form. I have learned, however, from authentic sources
that the trip of Mr Crane to Arabia was undertaken for a
double purpose, the lesser of which is to study the prospects of
the Pan-Arab movement and whether it is possible of realiza-
�J
20
THE SYRIAN WORLD
tion. On this subject Mr. Crane has refused to make any statement to the press.
"The primary object of Mr. Crane, however, was the survey of educational possibilities in Arabia and whether it would
be possible to establish American schools in the coast regions
such as Mr. Crane had established in China out of funds from
American Educational foundations. Of special importance is
the fact that Mr. Crane had an aunt by the name of Gertrude
Crane who died a few months ago and left a fund of one million dollars to be spent on American missionary enterprises in
the East. For this purpose also, Mr. Crane's aunt has set aside
the revenue of some of her rich land holdings. It appears that
Mr. Crane was undertaking to apply the conditions of his aunt's
will to Arabia, but his personal studies and observations in the
districts of Yemen, Asir and Hejaz struck his plans a forceful
blow. The Arab rulers, plainly declared to him that they would
never accept this kind of educational institutions. Where he
received the stunning blow, however, was in Yemen. Here Imam
Yahya absolutely refused even to discuss the subject of Christian schools."
It is true that now that the revolution in Syria has been
suppressed some Syrian leaders are accusing Mr. Crane of having incited them to revolt and then neglected them, withholding
from them, as they claim, the material aid he had promised.
But it may be said with much truth that Mr. Crane is to the
Moslems of the Near East the outstanding figure among their
many European and American friends. And still we find that
when it comes to matters of religion all his prestige and all the
high esteem in which his friends hold him avail naught.
Bearing on Mr. Crane's standing among the Arabs, as well
as on his tactics in gaining their friendship, the following correspondence exchanged between King Ibn Saoud and himself on
the eve of his departure from Arabia may be of special interest.
In justice to Mr. Crane, it may be said that he must have had
3n Arab secretary write the letter for him while he jotted down
his signature on the dotted line, as no matter how much of an
Arabic scholar Mr. Crane could be, he could never have mastered the purely Mohammedan style with which the letter is stamped. But as to the contents of the letter, only Mr. Crane can
tell whether-they conformed to his beliefs or not. Certainly,
the spirit of the letter cannot be much in agreement with the
——
MA
conv
nent
to M:
read:
]
I
1
i
i
e
t
a
j
1
reply,
Mr. C
�MAY, 1928
2l
convictions of an American, let alone the fact that he is prominently identified with educational and missionary activities
Here is the literal translation of Mr. Crane's letter:
His Majesty King of Hejaz and Sultan of Neid
and its dependencies, Abdul Aziz As-Saoud, Medina.
Before departing from your holy land I beg to
express to your Majesty my deep gratitude for the consideration which I received at the hands of your son
and the men of your government, especially Sayyed
Mohammed Nasif, praying to Allah that He assist you
in the task of unification of the Arabs particularly and
the Moslem in general. We trust that you will regard
with sympathetic eye all those who, striving in the obedience of God, are watching your actions with utmost
interest. Your glorious peoples with their vast desert
in which they are immune against the corruptions of
the outside world, have a sacred mission to perform,
namely that of keeping religion in its pristine purity
and restoring it undefiled to the world.
Sincerely
Dated Rajab, 1345.
(Signed)
Crane.
. **ThZ Amb P°tentate was quick ^ reply, for he despatched
to Mr. Crane an answer to his letter bearing the same date which
read:
Mr. Crane.
I thank you for your good opinion in us and our
people, and am grateful for your noble sentiment of
love towards our nation as well as your solicitude for
its progress. It is an added proof of the purity of your
nature and the sublimity of your ideals. May Allah
exalt the truth and establish it. It is a matter of regret
to me that I did not have the opportunity to meet you
and therefore content myself with wishing you a happy
journey.
(Signed)
The king of Hejaz and the sultan
of Nejd and its dependencies,
Abdul Aziz.
The Arab sultan, as may be seen, is very courteous in his
replyy but he is also very honest and straightforward. For when
Mr. Crane, the American, tells the sultan that he has a sacred
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
mission to perform by keeping ^^.V^^^T^^
the sultan does not disagree with his statement, because
he understands the American's words to apply to Is km andhe
s^ys "amen" to his vows, beseeching Allah to exalt the truth
and e^tabl^ ^^
^
y ^
can be no misunderstanding the nature of the truth that Allah
is called upon to exalt. The Wahabis, as we have seen, are the
pu^tans of Islam, and Ibn Saoud's recent stringent restrictions
le^ve no doubt as to the strictness of their religious views. If,
foTLtance they deem it anatema to shave and wear silks and
Soa^S^muskal instruments, and if, furthermore, they
class evTn Moslems who do not adhere to their beliefs on a panfv with infidels, it should not be hard to judge the degree of
mimlcal attitude they assume towards everything extraneous to
Islam and their narrow comprehension ot it.
Now this sect of Moslems is in absolute control ot Arabia,
and so long as they are in power we can imagine the amount ot
modern reforms that can be tolerated to filter nito the country
Also we can imagine the leniency with which they woidd deal
with matters contrary to their conceptions and belief if their
Tower were to extend outside the limits of their country
A further instructive glimpse of present conditions in Arabia
mav be had from an account of Dr. Wolfgang von Weisl, a German investigator who made a tour of the country in the course
SL year" Slavery, according to him, still flounshes.n Ante.
In this he corroborates recent reports submitted to the League
of Nations on the same subject. He states that no less than two
lusand slaves are imported into Arabia from Abyssinia every
year, in spite of the vigilance of the Powers against the traffic
A human being is still considered in Arabia as so much chattel with a defined market value. Some of the revelations of Dr.
Weisl on the subject are interesting and read like a description
of conditions thousands of years ago:
"King Ibn Saoud has the ambition of creating a whole bair
of slaves * * * Today Ibn Saoud has a bodyguard of
tO^ckecfSves upon who/he can depend under-rfidrcum
stances who are absolutely devoted to him. In Arabia 120 slaves
re^esenTnot only wealth but power also They are the only
represent nuy
If a king is defeated his slaves fall
to thaT*^f the victor and afe divided, like horses and
,
I
i
�MAY, 1928
I
21
dogs. * * * In Arabia the attempt of a woman slave to escape
is punished by death."
Such is Arabia and such are the Arabs of today. The land
of the Prophet is still the isolated stronghold of Islam and the
Arabs its uncompromising defenders. Between Arabia and Turkey is but a stone's throw, judging by modern standards of distance. Yet the, Arabs and the Turks, although of the same religion, remain as distant as the poles.
Ultimately, no doubt, the Arabs are destined to bend to
modern influences and detach themselves from many of their
old traditions. But when this change is to be effected it is not
given anyone to foretell. Arab pride and love for independence,
Arab fatalism and belligerency, Arab passion and desperation,
cannot be questioned. But to what extent these will carry them
in the defense of their traditions and what is to them the immutable prescriptions of Divine revelations, cannot be conjectured.
These factors make the situation extremely dangerous and deserving of the closest attention.
War and the Small Nations
By KAHLIL GIBRAN
Once, high above a/ pasture, where a sheep and a lamb were
grazing, an eagle was circling and gazing hungrily down upon
the lamb. And as he was about to descend and seize his prey,
another eagle appeared and hovered above the sheep and her
young with the same hungry intent. Then the two rivals began
to fight filling the sky with their fierce cries.
The sheep looked up and was much astonished. She turned
to the lamb and said,
"How strange, my child, that these two noble birds should
attack one another. Is not the vast sky large enough for both
of them? Pray, my little one, pray in your heart that God may
make peace between your winged brothers."
And the lamb prayed in his heart.
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
24
The Scar
A SHORT STORY
By
DR.
N. A.
KATIBAH
"I must ask you to bear with me," began Moore, as if
addressing the cigar-stand by his side, at which he gazed absentmindedly, and over which he kept tapping the ashes of his cigarette. —"Please bear with me—I mean be indulgent, I mean
well
I do not know how to begin my story. It must have
had a beginning somewhere, sometime—but I know nothing of
that. Even the end—at least the end I must give it—is the only
end you and I must accept. The rest—God forgive me if by
relating it to you I should have unwittingly betrayed any one's
secret:"—
In the year 1897, I found myself in the Anglo-Egyptian
Sudan. A youthful penchant for adventure had prevailed upon
me to join the expedition for the Reconquest of Sudan under
Kitchener—then neither Lord nor Earl.
On the morning of my third day at Wady Haifa, I was
directed to supervise the unloading of railway material—engines,
rails, sleepers, fishplates, etc., from a Nile steamer. They had
not yet had hauling machinery in the Sudan at that time, and
that work was done by convicts.
The morning was calm and sultry—not a breath of air was
stirring. The weather was rendered infinitely more oppressive
by the thick clouds of coal dust that arose from a Nile collier
discharging its cargo immediately to the South of us. Immense
volumes of black clouds rolled heavily upward and listlessly
hung over our heads, raining soot over everything around.
And in the midst of it all, the poor convicts toiled and
strained in sweltering perspiration that was constantly begriming their faces, necks, chests and arms. All was hustle and
bustle, punctuated now and then by a violent outburst of profanity, loud enough to soar over the continuous clanking of
�MAY, 1928
25
working machinery, over the boisterous vociferation of shouting
labor, and over the monotonous rythm of "Yal-la-ho' Yal-laho!" chorused by a couple of hundred lusty convict throats to
lighten their task.
i
I had not yet had time to reconcile myself to life in the
Sudan. The unfavorable impression I had of the place had not
yet had time to wear off, nor were my first experiences in it of
such a nature as to promise immediate mitigation of that impression The burning sun, the barren sandy wastes and dunes,
the muddy water of the Nile, the utter absence of vegetation
except for the miserable attempt at cultivation along the puny
strip of alluvial soil on our side of the river, the black, shiny
skins of the half-naked natives, and the intolerable odor of
grease kneeded into the kinky hair of their women—surely could
not have created a feeling helpful to conciliation. Then again
the heavy toll of cholera among the troops, the harsh discipline
of military life in active service, the necessary restriction of diet
principally to tinned rations, the herding together into one mud
hut of several beings of varied tastes and standards, whose enforced association was determined by the exigences of the moment and by the availability of space, and the thousand-and-one
inconveniences and hardships incident to the initial onrush of a
military expedition in a barbarous tract of African soil—all militated against a nature that had some claim to refinement and
cultivated taste.
It was at that time and under these circumstances that I first
met Mr. Aristidi Panas.
He was standing on a knoll to my left, facing the coal vessel. I cannot forget the contrasting spectacle he made with the
displeasing scene around him—a tall, stalwart man faultlessly
appareled in white duck, strangely silhouetted against the black
volumes of smoke. As I approached him I was struck by his
remarkable strength as evidenced by the pillar-like shape of his
limbs, the breadth of his shoulders, the athletic size of his neck,
and the lion-like manner of carrying his figure. Coming closer
I could not fail to note the noble contour of his profile. The
forehead, nose, mouth and chin seemed to have been molded for
a pattern of beauty and dignity, not unlike Apollo in the general design and much resembling Neptune in address, though his
beard was restricted to the size of the more gallant nineteenth
century imperial.
�n
THE SYRIAN WORLD
26
"Good-morning," I said, negotiating an introduction.
He slowly turned and faced me.
Heavens! — what a gash above his left eye! It was deep—
much deeper than the surface of the bone around it; and curled
upon itself like a huge question-mark the tail of which broke
the continuity of the eyebrow into two equal segments and terminated at the ruined eye below,—the protruding white pupil
serving for the dot. It had already healed. How long?—Who
knows? The valley of the cut was thin and of pinkish hue.
I have since then seen many a wound, scar and mutilation, but
none that impressed me like this one. It was a peculiar scar,
an eloquent scar, a scar that looked you in the eye, that cautioned
you, that whispered: "BEWARE!" Yet it was neither ugly
nor repulsive. It seemed to belong to the face, and did not
mar its dignity and beauty.
"Good-morning," he returned, and, as if to divert my attention from his scar, he added: "Les pauvres diables!" pointing to the convicts.
"How miserable!" I put in.
"Yes," he replied, "I wonder if they have any hope to
live for."
"I wonder, too," I said, "if they had completely forgotten
the many hearts they have so cruelly broken—those of sisters,
mothers and wives!"
Suddenly a frown gathered between his eyes and the scar
turned pale.
«Qh!—I must be off," he said, and abruptly walked away.
*
*
*
Soon Panas' figure became familiar to me. As a matter of
fact, who in the whole camp had not often seen the 'inscrutable
man', alone, cane in hand, brisk, neat and ruddy, taking his
walks along the bank of the Nile to Tewfikieh and back again
before the sun was up.
Of course you understand that the inmates of a military
camp are like fellow passengers on a ship; in both communities
familiarity makes barbarous short cuts, and curiosity often rides
roughshod over one's privacy.
But Mr. Aristidi Panas was no ordinary traveler.
He was one of the very few individuals furnished with a
permit to do business within the walls of the camp. He dealt
in liquors, soda and general merchandise.
"••^^H
�MAY, 1928
man rfcX^^ 2"" °f ^ a Greek by tonality, a
and read Several lan
guages^inc uTnaF
"S?
TJ*" ^
"
g
ghSh Itdlan
Fre
SSy welf
'
^
^-the latter parOf his personal habits all knew that he was an early riser
He generally left hls bed at dawn, drank a couple of raw eS
^br,and[' *«* ««1 ^rted out for hiscustomary wfE
211 £ WhT- he part00k of a social cup of Turkish coffee
b
fnend imi in the iatter
tT
Nii:
x
h
^ man
~ffl
the Nile. By the way,' ^
this s
Dimitri was the' only
known
W
the la
oalle"him°"so
^T'
^ Cndcanncnt
"called him son""' and
in return Dimitri
respectfully uncled
him.
lire coffee finished, Mr. Panas would walk back to his shon
dU ing thC day but indul ed in a
lastin^tTS
^ or
[
'
^
siesta
lastnig until three
later
in the afternoon,
the effectsW
of which
he hastened to shake off by a strong demi-tasse.
He again attended to business between four and six
His days activity having ended, he would have his'vard
swept and sprinkled,and his favorite marble-topped tlble mo^ed
under the large shade-tree. There he would ?sk seekingTace
and inspiration at a bottle of whisky or me***, chasing down
now a green olive, now a bit of cheese, now a radish, now a
staf^
and now a saited
ie
•*** --Ew
^°TimeS at this h°Ur' he Would be seen with a Greek
paper which no sooner would he glance over than fling away In
?orofanstht.°Ut t0 ^ S£rVant' AchmCt' t0 ** k "P and P*
At twelve, midnight, he retired.
K^atUra lly' ^ thLiS °r the ^^ Part of * ^s passed to
me before IT made the
acquaintance of Mr. Panas; and when
iar'as it^nt!0
"" ^ ' f0Und the ****
Shall I tell you of our first tete-a-tete?
wh,n0TnteVe?ing 1 haPPen,ed t0 be Posing'in front-of his place
when I heard someone calling me by name. Turning around
I saw Mr. Panas hastening toward me with open arms
'
You are a strange man,"he exclaimed, "you don't visit
with your.fnends." Then putting his strong aJaround me he
�—
28
THE SYRIAN WORLD
fairly dragged me bodily toward a chair at his table. "Goodness'" he added, "here such a long time and not come to see
Papa Panas! Sit down, man, sit down. Let us kill a couple ot
hours together."
,
It flashed upon my mind then that the man was hungry tor
company and that it would be rude to disappoint him.
I found Mr. Panas a truly well-read gentleman, well-informed and an excellent conversationalist. I was greatly impressed by the depth and extent of his knowledge especially ot
current political events. His keenness of observation and his
logical analysis of conditions in South Africa, in Japan and in
Russia at that time were later fully corroborated by the RussoJapanese and the Boer wars. He spoke with perfect familiarity
about Bryan and the American silver question. And with it all
he did not appear self-conscious of his excellent parts; no attempt was made by him at creating an impression.
I was so fascinated by the charm of his personality and by
the wealth of his knowledge that the time passed by unnoticed.
However, from half past ten on, I made several attempts to
leave, but he would not hear of it, and pleaded with me in that
characteristic oriental whole-heartedness that shamed me and constrained me to stay, even to my disadvantage, lest I should hurt
his feelings by appearing to slight his hospitality. He frequently poured out the contents of my glass as having become stale,
and replenished it from the icebox.
He finally permitted me to leave at midnight.
After that, it was I who sought Mr. Panas' company. But
we were not always alone.
The experience I have just related was only a specimen
of what others, officers as well as civilians, had had. His liberality approximated lavishness, and his hospitality, sacrifice. Sometimes there were as many as ten or a dozen of us each enjoying the sociability of the evening to suit his taste: here a couple
discussing big game hunting, there a trio criticizing the last engagement with the Dervishes, and yonder a few indulging their
fpirituous appetites and rambling about from topic to topic catching their cues here and there or from the confused inspiration
that the volume of liquor invoked. At these gatherings Mr
Panas was in the height of complaisance. His eye sparkled his
face beamed, and a cheerful flow of good spirits radiated from
him to animate us and chase the devils of ennui helter-skelter
i
�MAY, 1928
\
29
to the remotest parts of the earth. An admirable host!
Let me hasten to correct one wrong impression I may have
inadvertently conveyed of this remarkable man. By describing
him as an excellent conversationalist, I, of course, did not intend
to imply that he was talkative. I only wished to say that when
interested he felt at home and discussed his topic fully and
clearly Otherwise, and especially as regards his personal affairs, he was reticent and even distant. But this by no means
marred the charming character of his disposition. All he needed
when the subject was distasteful or uninteresting to him, was a
pleasant digression, a clever interpelation or a dexterous expedient and all was smoothed over to your heart's satisfatcion.
There was, however, one particular theme upon which Mr
lianas was extremely hypersensitive—woman. Let but the remotest reference be made to this subject, and he would immediately withdraw from the company and busy himself about this
or that thing. Sometimes even his scar would turn pale, and
his usual self-mastery and expected sang-froid seemed to desert
him. 1 could then detect the symptoms of a struggle within
him to suppress some perturbed emotion, and in order to prevail
upon it he resorted to whistling. In time, we all learned to respect this peculiar attitude of his mind. Love songs, love affairs
wedding announcements, divorce cases or spicy jokes—in short
any casual reference to the other sex was considered taboo in his
presence. This was not always easy or possible, considering that
most of us were still in the romantic age, and in a military camp
to boot. Hence the occasional 'breaks' that afforded me closer
observation.
Mr. Panas and I took a mutual liking to each other, perhaps because of a seriousness of outlook upon life that both of
us shared Our private conferences grew more frequent and
we were fast becoming—well, amis. I do not know why I am
unwilling to use the English equivalent, friends. Perhaps because the word friend in English connotes, to me at least, a sentiment, an impulse that rushes in and pulls at the heart-stringsnot so amis which, though possibly having the gush, will always
stand aloof and studiedly polite awaiting the formality of an
introduction. I think I can now tell why. It was the scar—that
question-mark of a scar. So long as that scar remained silent
we were only amis.
'
*
*
*
�30
THE SYRIAN WORLD
One night, when the company were all gathered and Mr.
Panas was unusually pleasant and communicative, in came Dimitri. He was not quite his natural self. There was something
upon his mind that constrained his movements and made him
look both shy and foolish. Of course, Mr. Panas heartily voiced his welcome, but even that failed to dispel the cause of Dimitri's nervousness and timidity. Without further ado, Panas
threw his arm over his friend's shoulder and drew him to his
bosom, and in the most solicitous and paternal manner led him
to a side table and enquired of the cause of his 'son's' embarrassment.
(
Dimitri's account was in a subdued voice and in Greek,
hence, not for us. Presently I noticed Mr. Panas' face turning
pale and the scar on his forehead gleamed like a white satin
ribbon. By and by his hand relinquished its hold on the younger man's shoulder and fell heavily on the table before him.
His handsome features gathered into an expression of painful
despondence. When it was his turn to speak he seemed merely
to give vent to his contempt and repulsion, and finally waved his
friend from his presence in a spasm of utter disgust, as he would
a most loathsome object.
Dimitri was completely crestfallen, and as he passed by us
on his way out, I noticed his eyes were brimming with tears.
At the gate he hesitated, paused and turned back. He looked
appealingly at his friend, but Panas was relentless, and again
waved him out. At this, Dimitri looked at us and sobbed out
in English:
"Say, gentlemen, is it wrong to marry?"
"Marry!" thundered Panas jumping to his feet, his whole
gigantic stature shaking with wrath that almost choked him.
From an ashen color his face suddenly turned crimson, and giving way to the passion that raged in him, he swung tensely to
one side, clenched his fist and violently struck the marble slab
in front of him breaking it into two.
"Ska-ta!" came hissing from between his set teeth.
(To be continued).
Beware of superfluous speech, for it will disclose your defects and give your enemy weapons against you.
(Arabic)
�MAY, 1928
31
dmara and her Master-Lover
zAn Authentic Arabian Tale
Translated from the Arabic Original.
KrJ^X
D
/Td ^-A*8** the celebrated author of the
Abdullah Ibn Ja'far, relates the author was a m»»* A^k
estate in Iraq to enjoy the blessings of peace. L TO still in
the prime of manhood and had fathered uThi/ut
number of concubines either by ^rchat l^ TO ^5
he W men of his
AJ! i , °
ha«m a particular slavePgM called
deft fingers produced from the few strings of the <oud Thl
scenes thus staged m the desert wilderness brought back to Tbn
Ja'far memories of his sumptuous ease at home
�32
THE SYRIAN WORLD
At last the end of his journey was reached and the master
and his retinue settled in one of the luxurious palaces of Damascus allotted to them by the caliph. But to Ibn Ja'far no business could be sufficiently urgent to deprive him of the pleasure
of Amara's company which to him meant life itself, ^sides,
the congenial atmosphere of the great capital city lent additional charm to the rapturous and consummate art of Amara in both
song and music.
Soon the news of the singular case of Ibn Ja'far and his
slave girl went abroad in the city until it reached the ears ot
Yazid, heir-apparent to the great Mou'awiyah who was noted
for his great love for wine, women and song. And the impetuous Yazid lost no time in launchnig on a new expedition of exploration of new fields of pleasure. He condescended to pay
a personal visit to Ibn Ja'far, and as a marked sign of esteem
for the future caliph the latter had Amara sing and play tor
him Yazid's susceptible disposition was immediately overcome
and he forthwith formed the resolve in his heart that this
supreme enchantress must be his. But he had learned from hiS
sagacious father the great necessity of caution and he decided to
abide his time. Ibn Ja'far, therefore, was permitted to leave
Damascus and return to his home unmolested and unmindful
of the designs of Yazid.
It was not long thereafter that Mou'awiyah died and Yazid
ascended the throne. His first concern was to devise means to
acquire the incomparable slave-girl Amara
He confided his
desire to a few of his most trusted friends and advisers but
they warned him against using forcible methods with such a
powerful chief who was known to have been a great friend oi
his father. Such rash action at the outset of his reign, they
argued, would spell ruin to his administration and create such
an unfavorable impression throughout the land that might be
fraught with the gravest consequences.
But what could not be gained by force had to be secured
by stratagem, and both Yazid and his advisers were incessantly
concocting schemes to win possession of Amara by whatever
means, 4 or foul. Until, finally Yazidperfected the detai
of what to him was an unfailing plan and proceeded to put it
into action.
. . T
.
He first called into consultation an artful Iraqi, a man possessed of great resourcefulness, and confided to him his secret
�MAY, 1928
33
and the details of his plan and trusted him to carry it through
to a successful end.
The Iraqi was of the same country as Ibn Ja'far, and proved to be both an able strategist and an honest and faithful messenger.
Having been given a free hand in the promotion of the
scheme, he first requisitioned a large quantity of merchandise
oi great value and took from the treasury his needs of money
and jewels. Thus amply supplied he equipped a suitable caravan and set out on a journey to Iraq in the guise of a traveling
merchant.
In due time he arrived at the home town of Ibn Ja'far and
hastened to seek his protection and favor and made him gifts of
richly embroidered cloths and precious jewels to the value of a
thousand dinars. Ibn Ja'far was much pleased and showed the
pseudo merchant every sign of consideration, placing him while
in the city under his especial protection.
As the days went by, the agent of Yazid increased his gifts
to Ibn Ja'far in both value and frequency, until he had gained
his complete confidence and was invited by him to join his intimate circle of boon companions. This was to the Iraqi the
very thing he had been wishing as it enabled him to share in
the social pleasures of Ibn Ja'far, to whom, as previously mentioned, no pleasure was complete without the presence of his
favorite Amara.
The Iraqi merchant was the personification of good taste
and gallantry. No sooner had he heard Amara sing her heavenly melodies to the accompaniment of her incomparable 'oud
than he went into the wildest transports of joy and expressed
his unlimited admiration in the most glowing terms.
In his capacity of merchant, however, he could indulge in
e
judging anything and everything by its monetary value, and he
was quick to seize on his opportunity to ask his host the price
of this otherwise priceless slave girl.
"Verily," he said, "I had never suspected the existence of
such matchless art and such consummate grace. And in my capacity of merchant seeking always to ascertain values, I would respectfully ask you what the value of this slave girl is to you."
Ibn Ja'far was quick and decided in his reply: "The value
of Amara to me is no less than that of the caliphate itself."
"I can well appreciate your admiration for this incompar-
�34
THE SYRIAN WORLD
able jewel," replied the wily merchant. "But to put her on a
parity with the caliphate in value appears to me but an exaggerated figure of speech meant only to indicate the demand of a
very high price. As you well know, I am a merchant who gains
his wealth by the dirham, the smallest monetary denomination,
but if you will sell the girl to me for ten thousand gold pieces
I shall buy her."
fc
On the impulse of the moment Ibn Ja'far said that he
would conclude the bargain for the stipulated amount.
Immediately, and so as to exclude any further exchange
of argument, the merchant left the house of his host and presently returned with the actual gold. Ibn Ja'far was nonplussed
and disconsolate. He remonstrated with the merchant that his promise was only in the nature of a jest and that he would not part
with his beloved for any amount of money, but the merchant
was firm in the demand of his right, claiming that according to
the ethics of merchandising even a jest was a binding contract.
Besides, how could a gentleman in the position of Ibn Ja'far
forfeit his promise and consequently his honor. Of course he,
the merchant, would have to make his grievance public and seek
redress and he would greatly loath the ill repute that would
attach to the integrity of the illustrious and exalted Ibn Ja'far
if the true circumstances of the case were to become known.
By this and similar arguments Ibn Ja'far was shamed into
ceding his beloved slave girl to the supposed merchant, and to
describe the terrible anguish and contrition gnawing at his heart
after parting with her is a task beyond human possibility.
Elated at having successfully carried out his mission, the
agent of the caliph Yazid hastened to carry his prize back to
Damascus. But fate so decreed that upon arriving in the city
he was met with the sad news that the caliph had died and the
merchant found himself in a perplexing dilemma.
In the meantime, he had acquainted Amara with the facts
of the case and treated her as befitted an intended member of
the caliph's harem, and she had veiled and secluded herself
against him. His only alternative under the circumstances, he
bethought, was to lay the facts before the new caliph and await
his decision. Yazid's successor, however, proved to be an upright and virtuous man who would entertain no proposition conceived in such perfidy, and he ordered the merchant to leave
the city with his slave girl forthwith.
4
�! SH
MAY, 1928
35
Facing this further unpleasant turn of affairs, the merchant
again had to make a new decision, and in acquainting Amara
with the new developments, told her that by right she had now
come to belong to him, but that in justice to her he stood ready
to relinquish his right. She was, he admitted, destined to be a
fat ornament for the palaces of kings and princes, and for him to
take an undue advantage of the present turn of fortune would
be a miscarriage of God's will. He therefore would return her
to her old master.
And true to his word, he tarried not in carrying out his
decision. He further made to Ibn Ja£far a complete confession
of all that had transpired and returned Amara to him without
condition or consideration.
Ibn Ja'far was overjoyed beyond measure at the return of
Amara, and when he saw her set foot again within his threshold
he was so overcome with emotion that he fainted in her arms.
Amara, too, was happy at this reunion beyond expression.
And again the sun shone brightly in the life of Ibn Ja'far,
and revelry reigned supreme in his house. Everyday of his life
thereafter was an occasion of great merriment and jubilation,
and he added permanently to the intimate circle of his boon
companions the Iraqi merchant who was the cause of the return
of his happiness.
Arab Proverbs
In this world there is work without an accounting, and in
the other world there is an accounting without work.
Men are reserved for days of trial.
Only the great can develop humility.
Only a fool believes in his infallibility.
God created you free, so why be a slave to greed?
If you do a good deed conceal it, but if a good deed is done
to you publish it.
�36
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Arabic Newspapers in America
Although the oldest Arabic-language newspaper in the United States barely exceeds the age of thirty years, a serious discussion has now developed as to whether the Syrian press has not
reached the end of its usefulness. There seems to be a concession in all quarters that the life of Arabic-language newspapers
in America has become very limited, and as this consciousness
takes greater hold on the minds of publishers and editors, serious consideration is being given to the discussion of the future.
Never in the history of the Arabic press has the subject been
more generally and more frequently discussed than at the present time.
Up to a few years ago it was considered unpatriotic, to say
the least, of even intimating the possibility of the extinction
of the Arabic language in the United States. Syrians were reluctant to admit that this last tie binding them sentimentally to
their country of origin should be suffered to be severed. The
World War, with its attendant vicissitudes to their mother country, focused the attention of Syrian immigrants on the fate of
their relatives at home and served to increase the interest which
had been fast waning under the influence of long absence. Political developments abroad, with the fate of Syria continually
held in the balance, served as a further reminder of a country
long held in affection.
It must be admitted that a considerable element of Syrian
immigrants had cherished serious intentions of returning to the
mother country after the World War if conditions were found
favorable to such a move. But the social unrest, political upheavals and depressing economic conditions prevailing soon put
an end to such intentions. The net result is that the Syrians
in the United States are now as determined as never before to
make this country their permanent home.
Naturally, such a determination will bring about the inevitable result of a progressive loss of interest both in the mother language and in all matters pertaining to the mother country,
although the process may be an unconscious one on the part of
the immigrants. A close study of present conditions among Syr-
�fas>...
MAY, 1928
37
ians will not fail to reveal a great psychological change during
the last few years.
What undoubtedly has accelerated this movement is the restrictive immigration law which may be said to have definitely
halted any increase in the numbers of Arabic-speaking elements
in the country. The number of those permitted entry being
limited to one hundred annually, the increase is far exceeded by
the mortality ratio among the older immigrants, and the new generation, being neither born in Syria nor brought up in the Arabic
language, is free from those influences, sentimental or otherwise,
which affect the older generation.
All these considerations make the position of the Arabic
press in the United States increasingly precarious. It is becoming more forcibly evident to editors that their span of existence
as a medium of service is being dangerously restricted. Hence
the serious discussion of the future and the outspoken conviction
that the Arabic language as a medium of speech or writing is
destined to be doomed.
Extracts from the comments of the Syrian press in New
York, all within the limits of a single month, will serve to shed
further light on the subject.
An "observer" writing in Al-Hoda of April 13 states that
it is ominous "that the discussion of the future of Arabic newspapers in the United States has become so frequent of late."
He bases his remarks on the assumption that Arabic should remain a living language in America, but finds an excuse for the
Syrians, Lebanese and Palestinians not being able to preserve
their identity in the fact that they are so helplessly few in number and so widely scattered in a country a hundred times larger
than their own. He suggests, however, that the wealthy among
the Syrians support Arabic schools, by a concerted national movement. The papers he would consolidate into two dailies which
should be ample to meet the needs of Arabic readers in the
country.
At the present time, there are six Arabic dailies in New
York, one daily and one semi-weekly in Detroit, Mich., and one
weekly in Lawrence, Mass. And of monthly magazines there
are two in New York and two in Detroit.
More outspoken in its pessimism is the New York paper
Ash-Shaab which says editorially in its issue of April 9, "The
danger to Arabic papers in the United States is becoming more
�38
THE SYRIAN WORLD
threatening. This is a direct result of the restrictive immigration
law which in time will cause the complete extinction of the Arabic language in the country. It must be conceded that with the
prevalence of such conditions no Arabic newspaper in the United
States will live more than two decades, as by that time there
would not be left a sufficient number of readers to support a publication in the mother language."
Ash-Shaab advocates the establishment of Arabic schools
and takes the Syrian clergy in the United States to task for having neglected this apparently cardinal duty.
For different reasons and by the advocacy of different
methods Meraat-Ul-Gharb, also of New York, urges the necessity of learning Arabic. In its issue of April 11, this paper surveys the expanding fields of American commerce and declares
that the knowledge of Arabic would be most useful to the young
generation of Syrians in following American commercial enterprise in foreign countries. It is now being considered essential,
according to this paper, to teach at least one foreign language,
besides English, in high schools and colleges, and it would be
to the advantage of the Syrians to choose Arabic as that language.
In thus preserving their mother language alive they would be
making an invaluable contribution to America.
This latter suggestion is in conformity with a proposal put
forth by the editor of THE SYRIAN WORLD in an article published in several American trade papers in the latter part of
1918 following the close of the World War. The argument
then advanced was that America was seeking expansion in foreign
markets to provide an outlet for the surplus products of its greatly enlarged industries. The knowledge of foreign languages
would therefore be deemed a necessity in paving the way for
such penetration and the immigrant would become, under the
circumstances, the logical American salesman in his homeland.
America being a newcomer in those markets, it would be difficult
for her to gain a foothold without salesmen trained in the ways
of the different foreign peoples, but its advantage lay in the fact
that among her own sons were men of all nationalities who could
be trusted to carry out the initial work to better advantage.
What is evident from the recent discussions, however, is
that the Arabic papers feel that they are losing hold of their
readers. Even during the war, when all means of communication, let alone immigration, were closed, there was evinced no
�-
MAY, 1928
39
such pessimism nor was there any intimation of the approaching doom. The outburst of fear manifesting itself almost spontaneously at this time would indicate the advent of a new element
in the situation. Can it be that because many newspapers who have
of late taken recourse to the expedient of sending representatives to the interior with a view to increasing their circulation
have discovered a growing apathy among the Arabic reading
public, or is the cause that advanced by the "Observer" when he
inferentially stated that Arabic newspapers were too many and
should be reduced to just two?
What may be explained is that while most of the Arabic
newspapers in the United States are published in New York,
this city is not their only field of circulation. On the contrary,
it may be safely stated that the local circulation of almost every
newspaper does not exceed 10% of the total, and estimating
that another 10 per cent, of the circulation is in foreign countries
Arabic papers are consequently dependent for their existence on
their domestic circulation throughout the United States. In this
larger field they should have about fifty thousand potential readers among a population of approximately 250,000 Syrians. Their
frequent complaints indicate that they are nowhere near realizing any such results.
One of the reasons advanced by the editor of Al-Hoda for
the failure of Arabic newspapers to make marked headway is
the lack, on the part of Syrian editors, of what he terms "personality". This would indicate that among Syrians a newspaper
remains a personal enterprise the personality of whose publisher
is a determining factor in success. In support of his contention
the editor sees no reason why Arabic newspapers should not be
published in leading American cities other than New York. "As
a literary production," he says, "a newspaper should prove a success even if it be published in the wilds of Africa." He makes
this conditional on personality and ability.
Among the comments of the Syrian newspapers on this
question, these latter remarks furnish the only cheerful note and
give hope that although Arabic papers are beset with many hardships and difficulties which some are inclined to interpret as a
sign of approaching doom, there still remains the hope that some
Arabic paper of character and ability will survive, if not as a
local organ, then at least as a literary production of universal
appeal.
�40
THE SYRIAN WORLD
An Arab King At Home
In advertising a new book on Arabia, a well-known American publishing house makes the statement that "Arabia has
caught the American imagination like a spell".
The statement is essentially true and applies to all classes
of Americans. The popular elements are caught by the spell
of Sheik love stories and Sheik movies conceived in a high-tension spirit of fanciful romance. The intellectual classes are thrilled by the accounts of such exploits as those of Lawrence, Palgrave, Doughty, Burton, Burkhardt, and our own Rihani. This,
undoubtedly, is due to the fact that for countless centuries the
Arabs and their country remained a mystery and every glimpse
at conditions whether in the vast stretches of their trackless deserts, or in their more hospitable oases, provided a cause of interest to the outside world. It may be safely surmised that
many more brave attempts will be made at exploring Arabia,
and the shifting nature of this mysterious peninsula and its inhabitants will continue to supply the world with fresh news and
views of interest.
Such being the case, any new information on Arabia is bound
to be received with avidity. The bedouin in his desert tent attracts
as much curious interest as the ruling potentate in his palace, although, judging by seemingly authentic accounts, there is little
difference in the primitive mode of life of the one or the other.
This morbid curiosity in things Arabian may be partially
satisfied by a recent account published in an Arabic magazine
of Cairo, "Rose Alyousef". The account is woven in a mixture
of politics, war and domesticity, and the information given therein is said to have been supplied by an Arab historian who has
specialized in the study of the more contemporary developments
in the Arab Peninsula.
The salient feature of this new account is that the favorite
wife of King Ibn Saoud, the supreme ruler of Arabia, is the
former wifd of his arch-enemy. Events leading to this singular
development are described as follows:
Between the Saouds, who ruled in Riadh, capital of Nejd,
and their neighbors the Rashids, who ruled in Hail, there was
continual warfare, such as only the Arabs can wage. There was
�-
MAY, 1928
41
not a year but some outbreak plunged the two countries in a
bloody struggle after which each side retired within its own borders to continue preparation for taking up the struggle anew.
Until finally in 1892 Ibn Rashid decisively defeated his enemy,
then Prince Abdul Rahman Faisal, father of the present King
Ibn Saoud, and occupied his capital Riadh, forcing him to flee
for his life and seek refuge in the principality of Koweit on the
Persian Gulf.
At the time of his father's defeat Abdul Aziz Ibn Saoud
was but a child. But as he grew older he developed a fierce
passion for revenge against the arch-enemy of his house, and
in the year 1902 staged a surprise nocturnal attack with a small
band of his loyal followers and succeeded in driving Ibn Rashid
from Riadh.
Thereafter, and all during the World War, Ibn Saoud was
laying his plans and making preparations for the invasion of the
principality of Hail. He succeeded in completely overcoming
his enemy and entering his capital city in 1921 and all the
treasure of the once rich country of his adversary became his.
But Ibn Saoud learned that one of the wives of Ibn Rashid
was a woman of surpassing beauty and intelligence who would
be the crowning prize of any conqueror according to Arabian
ethics, and he made to her proposals of marriage. She, however, adroitly refused by reminding the conqueror of the admonition of the Prophet contained in the following quotation:
"He not only invaded his country but wanted also to usurp his
wives."
A year later Ibn Saoud again repeated his offer of marriage
and this time she accepted. He now has a son by her of whom
he is especially fond.
In this connection Ibn Saoud is said to disclose one of his
most human characteristics. He is described as being equally
affectionate not only to his own son by his new wife, but also to
the latter's half-brother who is the son of his wife by his former enemy. At times, it is said, he takes the two youngsters
on his lap together and caresses them with marked tenderness.
Not only did Ibn Saoud himself "invade" the harem of
his defeated enemy but his two elder sons followed his example
and each took for himself one of the former wives of Ibn Rashid.
Says the historian: "King Ibn Saoud is notoriously polygamous, counting among his wives one Armenian and one Leba-
�42
THE SYRIAN WORLD
nese, besides the many other concubines which the law permits."
By his legal wives King Ibn Saoud has twenty-seven children, 14 boys and 13 girls. It is stated that on many occasions
he cannot recall the names of some of his offspring.
Of the further characteristics of Ibn Saoud it is stated by
the same authority that this Arab king loves to lead the strenuous life of the bedouin away from all pomp and ostentation.
Force of early habits, it is remarked, still has an unrelenting hold
on him. Never while in his capital Riadh, or anywhere else in
his native country Nejd, does he indulge in the luxury of footwear. Even on such a ceremonial occasion as his victorious en
try into Mecca after his defeat of king Hussein he rode into
the city barefooted.
At times, we are further informed, he conforms to the requirements of modern civilization, especially when he meets
representatives of foreign powers or takes up his residence in
the seacoast town of Jeddah, but once he is back in the desert
he feels himself again in his native element and reverts to the
rigorous life of the bedouin. Under the circumstances, it seems,
he assumes an almost different nature and sets himself up as
the upholder of the faith dealing punishment unmercifully to
all who dare go counter to the Wahabi conception of the true
teaching of the Koran.
This peculiar characteristic of Ibn Saoud, according to the
Egyptian publication, is the original cause of the differences
arising between him and the Egyptian government which caused
the latter to refrain from sending its annual gift to the Kaaba
two years ago and cancel Egyptian pilgrimage to Mecca.
The Egyptian writer further attributes to the Arab king
dictatorial qualities quite different from those supposed to be
attached to his absolutism in power. He takes counsel with his
advisers only in a perfunctory manner and as a matter of form,
but is never swayed by their objections. He is known to listen
patiently to suggestions but his decision, once formed, can never
be altered. His decisions are usually arrived at before any
effort at consultation is made.
It is commonly known that Ibn Saoud is a strict disciplinarian. Once he issues his commands they must be carried out to
the letter and he is known to personally follow the execution
of his orders to the minutest details. One of his strict orders
to his representatives abroad is that no vise should be issued to
�MAY, 1928
43
any foreigner wishing to visit Arabia through the port of Jeddah under any circumstances without his personal sanction and permission. This is interpreted to mean that he is solicitous of affording protection to the foreigners themselves against any hishap
befalling them while in his dominions. The Wahabis are known
to be extremely fanatic, and even unto this day they look upon
their country as sacred ground which would be defiled by the
presence of an infidel.
From other sources, however, it is learned that Ibn Saoud
is extremely democratic. He does not exact from his followers
the outward expressions of obeisance as would an absolute monarch who has the power of dealing death without the formality of a trial. But his Arab subjects are not the type who indulge
in any such manifestations. When they greet him it is by his
first name and the bedouin of the desert who is not sure of his
day's meal speaks to him as he would to an equal. Such is the
nature of desert life which has the tendency of dispensing with
all formality. This utter freedom from conventionality has been
known to be a characteristic of the Arabs from time immemorial,
and it remains as virile now as at any time before. The surroundings of the Arab are known not to have changed for thousands of years, and it is but natural that the Arab's nature should
remain in keeping with his environment.
When I Am Dead
I
11
By RAMSAY MOOREHEAD
When I am dead and nervous hands have thrust
My body downward into careless dust,
Methinks the grave would not suffice to hold
My spirit prisoned in its sunless mold.
Yea! the very thoughts of you would be
The resurrection of the life of me.
I shall be patient in the common grass,
That I might feel your footfalls, should you pass.
I shall be pure and gentle as the dew,
A loving spirit 'round the life of you.
And when your cheeks by perfumed winds are fanned,
It'll be my kiss and you will understand.
But! when some red storm bleared sun has set
I shall be lightning if you dared forget.
j
�—
44
B£a._
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Spirit of the Syrian Press
Under this caption we hope to present from time to time a microco*mic picture of the Arabic press, not only in this country, but wherever
Arabic dailies and magazines reflect the opinions of responsible, thinking
writers who are treating the different problems that confront the Arabicspeaking world from all conceivable angles. Needless to say, we will take
no part in the discussions reproduced, nor assume any responsibility. Our
task will simply consist in selecting, to the best of our knowledge and
with utmost sincerity, what we think is representative of the public opinion as expressed in these editorials.
Editor.
BEWARE OF SWINDLERS
There is abroad in the land a certain type of swindlers who prey on
our simple-hearted countrymen and
in many cases escape without being
brought to the bar of justice.
These rogues are usually of the
honey-tongued type, fluent talkers
who represent themselves as collectors for any number of patriotic
and charitable enterprises. They are
parasites in the community who
should be dealt with with all the
rigor of the law.
Their usual method of procedure
is to seek out a prominent member
of the community, one who would
be susceptible ta flattery and convince him by their adroit methods
of the benefit of their supposed
charity. Once their man is convinced, they use him as a wedge to force
their way into other homes and
pocketbooks. Syrians being noted
for their hospitality, the rogue would
be treated as an honored guest.
But when the swindler accomplishes
his ends he leaves his victims to
their sorrow and regret at the loss
of their money, and sometimes many
other valuables, and vanishes from
sight seeking other fields for his
activities.
- :-
'
The depradations of these swindlers have reached such a point
where energetic measures should be
taken immediately to frustrate them.
We would suggest, as a ready and
effective remedy, that Syrian communities firmly refuse to entertain
any proposition coming from a
stranger until it had been thoroughly investigated. To this end each
community should appoint a special
committee of investigation to pass
on the merits of the claims of strangers seeking assistance for any cause
whatever. If, upon investigation, the
cause should be found deserving,
then there would be the weight of
the recommendation of the committee to support it. Otherwise no member of the community would run the
danger of being mulcted out of his
good money.
We believe the suggestion is worthy of the serious consideration of
our countrymen everywhere.
(Al-Hoda, N. Y., April 2, 1928.)
I
/
SYRIA ASYLUM OF OUTCASTS
The newspaper "Palestine" reports that the government of Turkey
had ordered deported all prostitutes
and public dancers and that Europ-
�MAYt 1928
',
I
ean and Balkan governments (had
refused them the privilege of entry
into their respective countries, consequently, they decided on seeking
asylum in Egypt and Syria.
This immediately brings to mind
Bismark's famous words: "Woe to
the defeated!"
Defeat should not necessarily be
taken in a military sense. It can
apply to any person or nation in a
helpless state, and with no arms or
other means for self-defense. A
case for illustration is the Syrian
nation whose country has become the
refuge and asylum of outcasts and
persons of questionable character
from all countries. It is evident that
ever since Syria was occupied by
the Allies it became subject to all
sorts of other occupations.
The Zionists have occupied Palestine in defiance of the wish of the
native population.
The Armenians have occupied
Syria and Lebanon and felt themselves lords and masters of the
country.
Missionaries have come to aggravate the occupation and have gone
about their task without mandate or
other authority.
And now we find the country open
to another kind of invasion by prostitutes who have been deported
from other lands and found no better
place of refuge than Syria.
What is more aggravating is that
this class of invaders never becomes
of any consequence until they settle
in Syria. It then develops that the
Powers hasten to their protection
with their armies and navies, and
the whole world becomes extremely
sensitive to their grievances and
solicitous of their well-being, so
that in case one of them is stung
by a bee in Syria such would be
considered a barbarous offense re-
45
quiring redress in the form of burning Syrian cities and towns and
murdering women and children with
poisonous gases!
It seems to us that if conditions
should continue along this line for
ten years longer the children of the
land will continue their exodus by
the tens of thousands every year
and the country will in time become
the home of its foreign elements.
ThoBe of its native sons who would
choose to remain would be decimated either by the sword or by epidemics. And if any of them should
survive they would be in the most
abject state of servility.
Woe, then, to those who are defeated!
(Meraat-Ul-Gharb, N. Y.,
March 30, 1928.)
NATIONALISTS WIN ELECTIONS
The news just received from the
Syrian Nationalist Committee in
Egypt indicates that the Nationalist
Party has won a signal victory at
the primaries held in Syria on April
12, in spite of the irregularities
which the Minister of the Intrior
committed to hinder the free expression of the will of the people.
This is a most wholesome sign that
the Syrian nation has become conscious of its rights and is electing
the proper men to defend them.
No liberty-loving Syrian immigrant
but rejoices at this welcome news.
We take this occasion to congratulate the Nationalist Party in Syria
upon its success and trust that this
will prove the first step in the way
of accomplishing concrete reforms
which will in the end gain for the
country its lawful demands.
(Al-Bayan, N. Y., April 26, 1928.)
�46
THE SYRIAN WORLD
THE PRINCELY ASPIRANTS
COMPETE AND DON'T GRUMBLE
The native Syrian press abounds
The Daily Express of London pubwith expressions of misgivings over lishes an interview with Habib Bey
Armenian competition in Syria. For
Lutfallah and describes him as an
a long time we have been listening Arab prince who is immensely wealto those wailings of the Syrians thy and a descendant of a royal
who complain that the meagerness
family which ruled in Antioch two
of their resources are not even sufthousand years ago. This is but one
ficient for themselves, while the of the means employed by the LutArmenians who have been thrust on
fallahs to gain a standing among
them come to snatch this miserable
royalty, because this prince knows
pittance from between their hands. in his heart that all the information
Play fair, brothers! You are only he gave in the interview with the
evincing detestable selfishness by
English paper is a tissue of lies.
such complaints. Is it not a fact Under the circumstances we would
that you are migrating to other
like to hear from the pro-colonial
lands and enacting the same role papers about these new fantastic
that you accuse the Armenians of
claims of Lutfallah. Will they dare
playing? Would you not fill the air
to give publicity to this incident, or
with your complaints if the natives
will their fear of losing their subof the countries where you go to sidies prompt them to maintain
seek a living were to accuse you of
silence ? It seems to us that money
unfair competition and close their
covers a multitude of defects.
doors in your faces?
(Al-Bayan, N. Y., April 26, 1928.)
We would call the attention of
our brother Syrians to the latest
statistics on the funds sent by Syrians abroad to their native country.
BETWEEN THE TWO
The government report discloses the
COUNTRIES
fact that millions of dollars have
We are loath to deny the truth
been pouring annually into the country from emigrant sources. Syrian even though it goes against our
papers themselves comment on the journalistic interest. For this infact that, had it not been for these terest is to discourage or to retard
contributions the country would be as much as possible the process of
in the direst straits. How, we ask, amalgamation. But our faithfulness
can we reconcile this with their loud to the cause of public service imcomplaints of the competition of pels us to declare the truth in the
Armenians? If there is sufficient hope of benefiting the public. We,
work in the country for the immi- as Syrian journalists, have but a
grant Armenians to thrive on, why couple of decades more to go at the
were the natives blind to it? The most, because the inevitable result
real trouble, in our opinion, is the of complete amalgamation is fast
inertia of the Syrians who could approaching.
But our particular interest does
make the country yield them ample
not
prevent us from stating that
wealth if they only had the will
our
greatest
curse has been our
to work as do their countrymen in
policy
of
indecision.
Our first imforeign lands.
migrants
lost
many
a
valuable op(As-Sayeh, N. Y., April 25, 1928.)
i!
�1
MAY, 1928
I
•
portunity by not firmly and quickly
making up their minds. They would
engage in those undertakings which
could be speedily liquidated, because
the?r original intention was to remain in the country only a limited
time. Some of them did return, and
after having squandered their gains
decided that for them their country
of choice was better than their country of birth.
It is only lately that the minds
of Syrians seem to have been definitely made up that their destiny
is inalienably bound with this
country. It is well that they come
to this conclusion because in this
country of effort there is no room
for the vacillating and the undecided.
Here there is fearful stress and
competition and only those endowed
with true determination and singleness of purpose can succeed. We
are anxious for our countrymen to
gain their due portion of success and
for that reason enjoin them against
the disastrous consequences of indecision.
(As-Sayeh, N. Y., April 11, 1928.)
ARAB VS. SYRIAN
CIVILIZATION
Advocates of Pan-Arabism who
would federate Hejaz, Iraq, Palestine, Transjordania, Syria and Lebanon should realize by this time that
such a dream only occasions derision on the part of liberal thinkers
and men of extended vision. Sincere
students who appreciate the benefits
of modern freedom and liberty contemplate such a move with awe and
apprehension. ,For to them it is obvious that the so-called Arab civilization is as distant from modern
civilization as the East is from the
West, and the people of Syria and
Lebanon have nothing in common
47
with the people of Arabia whether
in customs, principles or psychology.
The present day Arab is an incorrigible fanatic whose principal
concern in life is to fight all those
who do not agree with him in his
religious views. Not so the Syrians
and Lebanese who, in spite of their
factionalism, are well on the way
to modern progress and feel only
coniempt for the primitive condition
in which he finds the Arab.
Take, for instance, Ibn Saoud,
the supreme lord of Arabia today.
Where is his civilization or where
are his principles of which the Arab
could be proud? Can he point with
pride to his fanaticism which urges
him to fight the Iraqi simply because
the latter is of a different religious
denomination ? Or is there any cause
for pride in the Arabs remaining
steeped in their centuries-old conditions which are utterly incompatible with modern requirements?
We are prompted to these remarks
by the speech which Ibn Saoud is
reported to have made to his followers on the occasion of the latest
disturbances in Arabia. In this
speech he urged them to war against
the inhabitants of Iraq, Koweit and
Transjordania "because they had
transgressed against the true teachings of the Koran." He further said
that he had hoped for these Mushrikin a return to the straight path
of Islam but they would not listen
to peaceful reasoning and it therefore becomes necessary to have recourse to the sword.
Now, if Ibn Saoud considers
those who belong to other sects of
Islam itself infidels what could be
his degree of toleration towards
Christians? And these are the
Arabs whom they would want us to
join in a federation.
M" ian Eagle, N. Y., April 9, 1928.)
�—
48
IMMATURITY FOR
INDEPENDENCE
THE SYRIAN WORLD
understanding of such a privilege.
(Ash-Shaab, N. Y., April 28, 1928.)
We would be among the first to
ask for Lebanon complete indepen- DEGRADING DEMONSTRATIONS
We are surprised to read in the
dence if such a condition were deemed favorable at the present time. Syrian press accounts of the many
But students of the psychology of demonstrations which every hamlet
the Lebanese realize the fact that and town in the country stages at
they are not yet fit to be the masters the arrival of a governor or any
of their own destiny in political other public official. One would be
matters. The Lebanese, on the oth- inclined to believe that officials had
er hand, are concededly much more no other occupation but to make
advanced than their neighbors the tours of the country, and the popuSyrians whether morally or educa- lation had nothing else to do but
tionally, and if they could not be engage in demonstrations.
Here in New York, the greatest
trusted with complete independence
city
in the world, the President,
and permitted to have absolute conGovernor,
Secretary and other functrol of government without supertionaries
each
of whom has more
vision, how could such liberties be
to
do
than
all
the
officials of Syria
given the Syrians?
put
together,
enters
and leaves the
It may be within the range of
city
without
the
least
ostetnation
possibility for Lebanon, Syria and
the Druze Mountain to form a fed- and the population, whether they
eration of states for common de- know of the visit or not, continue
fense and the promotion of their each at his work.
These vain and senseless demoneconomic interests. But when this
condition will become possible of strations are, perhaps, what attract
realization is conditional on actual the Syrians to public office. They are
proof that both Syrians and Leba- hungry for praise and manifestanese have come to understand the tions of pomp. While here in America only the man's record is counted
true meaning of patriotism.
Now what have our neighbors the as his most eloquent eulogy.
They say that foreigners enter
Syrians shown so far of their unour
country like lambs and leave it
derstanding of tolerance and patriotism that we may deem them fit to like wolves. Is it any wonder when
we find our countrymen there doing
be completely independent?
Where, in other words, is the tan- things at the wrong time and hastengible proof of the readiness of the ing to show servility every time they
Lebanese and Syrians to co-operate are visited by a man of position?
in a true spirit of loyalty for us to Have they forgotten that prodigalisay to France: "Now that we have ty in praise and free-for-all demonproven that we are fit for indepen- strations inspire inordinate dedence we consider your mandate mands? Therefore, when a foreignfrom the League of Nations to guide er finds the people so free and effuus in the shaping of our destiny at sive in rendering him homage he
develops in time contempt for them
an end"?
because
they would have degraded
Every nation has a claim to freethemselves.
dom, but this could not be had un(As-Sayeh, N. Y., April 14, 1928.)
less that nation had proven a true
\
�MAY, 1928
49
Readers' Forum
AN AUTHOR IN
HIS OWN DEFENSE
Eugene Jung, Author of "L'Islam et
l'Asies Devant l'lmperialisme",
Replies to His Critic.
Editor, The Syrian World:
The review of my book, "Islam
and Asia in the Face of Imperialism", by Mile. Simone France appearing in the February issue of
your magazine has interested me
greatly. I always like to know the
exact opinion of my neighbors, but
I believe that the charming writer
of these pages has not encompassed
all the intended meaning of my
book. I would therefore ask her
permission to answer her in the
following.
I am a veteran of diplomacy and
politics, having been in the company of Gambetta ever since the
age of 10. I grew in this atmosphere
under the judicious direction of my
father, General Th. Jung, the universally known historian of "Bonaparte and his Times". Later I was
a resident of the Far East for 17
years and since then have been in
continuous journalistic contact with
the Oriental, Arab and Islamic
worlds. Today, alas, I am 64 years
old!
Well, I do not have to tell that
France had built bridges, roads,
etc., but at prices twice as high as
those proposed in the bids of the
inhabitants.
That is not the question. The
question is much higher and much
more general.
Have we Frenchmen acted according to right and justice? Have we
not brought upon our heads grave
dangers? Are we not dragging
these Arabs of the Orient into the
general system of Asiatic defense?
What must we do to again rally
around us those populations which
only lately held us in the highest
esteem ?
Further, what should Europe and
even America do in the face of these
conditions? It is not sufficient to
speak in a spirit of pan-Americanism and pan-Europeanism, for it is
equally important to speak in a
spirit of pan-humanism. Asia contains more than a billion souls, or
two-thirds of the population of the
earth. Now, should this billion of
human beings be conserved only for
the growing appetite of European
and even American powers?
In grouping all the facts of the
situation in Asia and mixing in with
them the affairs of the mandated
territories I have succeeded in producing an imposing, mass of material
which scares the diplomatic and
political circles and gives much
food for thought. In thus serving
my country I have also served the
cause of the Lebanese, the Syrians,
the Palestinians and the Iraqians,
a cause which can never now be
separated from that of other Asiatic nations.
Let us be just in all matters. This
is the only true program of univer-
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
50
sal peace which I have attempted to
A TALE FROM NOAH'S TIME
elaborate by exposing the true facts
in the situation, and this by scrap- Editor, The Syrian World:
ing all the wounds as with a scalIn a haphazard way I met with
pel. This, indeed, is a grievous
this
following Syrian story—hisoperation, whether for the patient
toric
or prehistoric, God alone
or for the one performing the operaknows.
I thought, amid the irregution, but the operation is, neverthelarities
of
these days of Prohibition,
less, necessary.
it
would
be
of beneficial interest to
There is my book which receives,
the
readers
of
our Syrian magazine.
wherever it is understood, a warm
Now
if
Noah
himself
was the first
reception. However, in order to
fully understand its purport, it is to tell this story, we may at least
necessary to profoundly comprehend hope that he closed the episode of
the history of each people, its eco- his slanderous act by saying: Never
nomic necessities, its ethnic possi- again!
When Noah was planting the
bilities, its peculiar mentality, its
particular ambitions, and to have vine, Satan came forth to make a
traveled and seen much, be gifted call.
with an encompassing philosophy and
"What art thou planting?" asked
to have in one a deep feeling and Satan.
love for justice and the exact com"A vineyard," replied Noah.
"What fruit dost thou expect to
prehension of the right.
I trust that Mile. Simone France bring forth?" asked his majesty
will excuse these digressions. I again.
am not the less thankful to her for
"It will yield a fruit that will be
having so minutely read every page. sweet to the taste and make the
Only the grand scheme of the book heart joyous," was Noah's reply.
seems to have escaped her, unless it
"Let us then cultivate the vine
is my own fault that I was unable together, in equal partnership," sugto express myself plainly enough in gested Satan.
Noah assenting to the proposal,
my book.
Satan
departed, returning later with
E. Jung.
Paris, France.
a lamb, which he forthwith killed
and poured its blood upon the roots
P. s. — It never occurred to me
that it was necessary for Syria to of the vine. ;
After a wh le he repeated the
have more administrators and less
same process with the blood of a
politicians, and I have never written anything to that effect. Syria lion.
The blood of an ape he used the
should be—and will be—a free
third time; and lastly, the blood of
country with only a few French tech.
nical advisers chosen by the local a pigBy irrigating the vineyard m this
Syrian authorities. All other French
manner, Satan indicated the four
functionaries must be sent back
stages a man passes who comes unhome. Syria will conclude with us
der
the influence of wine.
a treaty of alliance. Such has always
The first cup makes him act like
been my sentiment and it is my
a lamb—meek and depressed.
hope that the same shall also apply
The second cup makes him bo:sto Lebanon.
r
�MAY, 1928
1
terous, bragging1 of his prowess as
if possessed of a lion's strength.
After the third or fourth cup, he
commences to behave like an ape,
performing all sorts of unsightly
pranks.
And when he reaches the state of
dvunkenness, he behaves... well,
everybody knows how he behaves!
Just a word about the "St. Columbus" controversy:—
For one thing, I am very thankful for the spirit of courtesy mani-
?
iV
fested in it. But, on the whole, I
could not but recollect the anecdote
related about that zealous countryman of ours who championed the
cause of St. Mamah; how in making
a comparison between him and the
other worthies severally, he finally
came to the Almighty, and said:
"Allah is all right, to be sure. But
to compare Him with Mar Mamah
is a pretty thick and clumsy proposition."
Dr. K. A. Bishara.
Brooklyn, N. Y.
Political Developments in Syria
NATIONALISTS WIN
SYRIAN ELECTIONS
While Protesting Against Election
Laws, They Agree to Co-operate
With Mandatory Power.
\
51
The elect;ons which took place in
Syria during April gave the Syrian
Nationalist Party an overwhelming
victory. Returns from all over the
country indicated that the Nationalists were swept to victory on the
crest of a popular wave which
smashed all opposition. Details of
the final elections which were held
on April 24 have not yet reached
the United States, but the primaries
which were held on April 10 indicated the trend of popular sentiment.
Furthermore, the popular enthusiasm
wlrich attended the elections and
their freedom from any disorder
caused unbounded elation in the
country which manifested itself in
spontaneous public demonstrations in
the principal cities.
Prior to the elections, the Nationalists held a party convention in
Damascus which was attended by
delegates from Aleppo, Homs, Hama
and other districts. They issued a
manifesto couched in the most re
spectful but firm language setting
forth their grievances and their
hopes. Their principal complaints
were that the High Commissioner,
in his declaration of February 15,
failed to meet the lawful demands
of the Syrian Nationalists by declarSyria a free country having the
right to choose its own form of government and that the proposed treaty between Syria and France would
be entered into as between equals
and for a defined term. Furthermore, the election laws which were
lished later failed to define the
exact status of the delegates to the
Consitutional Assembly or the duration of their incumbency, while the
laws, as promulgated for the present
elections, retained many of the objectionable clauses which endangered the free expression of the will of
�52
THE SYRIAN WORLD
self a Nationalist, but the Arabic
press reports that he ran on an independent ticket together with many
other members of his cabinet some
of whom were accused of tampering
with the ballot boxes.
The unanimity of the papers, however, in declaring that the elections
in general were free from any irregularity indicated that the government lived up to its promise of noninterference. There was even a report that M. Ponsot personally visited many of the polling places m
Damascus to satisfy himself of the
regularity of the elections.
tions.
The number of voters in Damascus
Another grievance of the Nation- was a fraction over fifty thousand.
alists was the exclusion from gen- Here as elsewhere in Syria, repreeral amnesty of many Syrian lead- sentation is based on the numerical
ers the loss of whose services they proportion of religious denominadeplored because of their ineligibili- tions. It is interesting to discover
ty for office under the terms of the that the next largest faction after
electoral laws.
the Mohammedans whose voters in
With the declaration by their Damascus total 27,012, are the imleaders that they would not advise migrant Armenians who command
boycotting the elections, the Syrians a voting strength of 11,058. The
swarmed to, the polls on election largest element among the native
day and gave their unqualified sup- Christians is the Armenian Catholics
port to the Nationalists. Only minor with 3,051 voters. Minorities which
disturbances took place which, nev- do not control sufficient strength for
ertheless, did not interfere with the independent
representation
are
elections. Full freedom was given grouped together for collective repfor the expression of the popular resentation.
will and only in one instance was
The Druze Mountain did not take
there any complaint of irregularity part in the Syrian elections because
when the Minister of the I^erior in it enjoys an independent government.
Damascus was accused of unlawful Nationalist papeTs disclose the exisinterference to influence the voters. tence of a strong movement of some
While preliminary reports thus Druze elements to join Syria, this
indicated the Nationalist victory m being one of their principal revoluthe provinces, there is intimation tionary demands, but a referendum
Uhat the election was hotly contested held lately in the Mountain proved
in the capital where the Provisional that a safe majority among the
President and many of his ministers Druzes prefer their present state of
were candidates for election. It is independence, although the Nationeven stated that the final count may alists accuse the French in this case
upset the early estimate of Nationof using coercive tactics to intimialist majority in Damascus.
date the Druzes.
The Provisional President is him-
the voters. Principal among these
clauses was that permitting government officials to seek nomination for
office, placing thereby at their disposal all the machinery of the government for the control of the elections. Nevertheless, and as proof of
their trust in the promise of the
High Commissioner, the Nationalists
declared their willingness to take
part in the elections in the hope that
the Constitutional Assembly will enjoy the free exercise of its power
to shape the destiny of its country
to conform to its national aspira-
�I
MAY, 1928
In support of this argument the
Nationalists point to the fact that
the movement for Syrian unity is
gaining strength even in Lebanon,
a delegation from Al-Bekaa having
waited on the Provisional President
of Syria to present a petition signed
by thousands of the inhabitants of
this district requesting a return to
their former status of being under
the jurisdiction of Damascus. The
delegation was composed of three
w
i\ I
53
notables representing the principal
Christian denominations of the district, namely a Maronite, a Greek
Catholic and a Greek Orthodox.
A curious incident attending the
Syrian primaries was that a Greek
Orthodox priest entered the field as
a candidate of his coreligionists in
Horns, but no sooner did his patriarch learn of his action than he ordered him to withdraw.
Missionaries Among Moslems
Cabled reports of the sessions of
the International Missionary Council held in Jerusalem the latter part
of March gave only a faint intimation of the demonstrations staged by
the native Moslems against the
Christian missionaries. Not only did
the Moslems take all possible measures, peaceful and otherwise, to
register their protest against Christian missionary activities in Palestine and other countries of the Near
East, but the native Christians
themselves are said to have joined
their Moslem neighbors in protest in
some instances. This action is interpreted by some to mean that a
live patriotic spirit among Arabicspeaking peoples is superseding religious influences, but by others it
is considered only a sign of fear on
the part of Christians of possible
reprisals by the Moslems against
them for the activities of the missionaries.
For some time past, Arab Moslems have shown growing indignation over attempts at Christian
penetration in their countries. Finding themselves helpless against foreign political designs, they turn to
the only other available method of
protest and vent their anger on the
missionaries. This action is not
restricted to the uneducated masses
but is shared with them to a very
large degree by the educated laymen
and, quite naturally, by the ulemas.
A leading Arabic paper of Cairo,
whose publishers are a product of
American missionary schools, is not
overstating the fact when it declares
that when the Moslems are attacked
in their religion they are touched
on the very thing they consider as
valuable as life itself.
Disturbances attending the holding of the International Missionary
Council in Jerusalem as reported by
the Arabic press of Egypt, Palestine
and Syria are partly as follows:
All missionaries in Transjordania
have been expelled from the country
and delivered under military escort
to the Palestinian authorities. This
action followed on serious uprisings
in As-Salt and other principal towns
of the country which endangered the
lives of the missionaries and forced
the authorities to take action. Still
it is reported that one missionary
had his nose cut off and another one
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
54
most virulent language the Prophet
of his eyes plucked. A surprising
and his mission. Had it not been
feature of this incident is that the for the intervention of the police
native Christians joined their Mosthe appearance of an air squadlem neighbors in objecting to the
ron blood would have flowed in the
presence of the foreign missionaries.
streets of As-Salt like rivers. Now
On the occasion of the annual
we want to admit that free thought
pilgrimage to the grave of Nab, and speech are essential and benefiMoussa, about three thousand pil- cial, but only when they are exererms from Nablus engaged m a cised in conferences of learned men
violent demonstration in the square
and not among people who have
facing the residence of the High
been nursed in their religion with
Commissioner in Jerusalem protesttheir mother's milk and to whom any
ing against the holding of the Mis- attack on their religious beliefs is
sionary Council. Bloodshed was as heinous a crime as an attack on
averted only through energeac ac- their family honor. If, under the
tion by the authorities.
circumstances, our Arab governA certain faction of the Moslem
ment is impotent in putting a stop
inhabitants of Shafa Amir were re- to the pernicious activities of these
ported to have embraced Christianimissionaries, then we would ask the
ty after some differences with other
Mandatory Authorities to take the
factions which, by the way, is a necessary means to eradicate the
common procedure in the East
evil, because if they think the matwhere religion still remains the ter simple they will soon discover
pivot on which revolves all human to their regret that it is most seractivities. Public indignation at this
ious and the fault would be theirs
action, however, seems to have so for having encouraged it by not supawed the converts that they formed
a committee to wait on the Mufti pressing it."
A public demonstration against
of Haifa and assure him that they
the missionaries was held in Gaza
shall ever remain true Moslems bewhere the police wounded four Moslieving in the Prophet, his BOOK, and
lems in attempting to quell the dishis Apostles".
turbance. No sooner news of the
To reproduce the editorial com- incident reached Jerusalem than the
ment of the Moslem press on this
Mohammedan business quarter was
topic would only go to prove tfeeir closed in protest with the approval
unanimity in condemning foreign
of the High Moslem Council.
missionaries. What may be consiThe National Committee of the
dered a fair indication of the genMoslem Young Men's Association in
eral sentiment is the following comEgypt, an organization similar to the
ment of "The People's Voice
ot
Y. M. C. A., upon receiving numerous
Amman:
protests against the International
"American missionaries continue
Missionary Council, sent a stronglytheir penetration in Transjordama
worded cable of protest to the Westleaving in their wake strife and disern Powers against the activities of
sension. The other day they nearly their nationals. Special exception
caused a riot in Ma'an and omy
seems to have been taken to the
three days ago the inhabitants oi
fact that the head of the missionary
As-Salt rose in a body against them
movement is an American and a
when they heard them attack in the
:
�MAY, 1928
55
high executive of the Y. M. C. A.
which the Moslem association had
hoped "would exercise its influence
for religious tolerance instead of
spreading bigotry".
A curious development in the situation is that Moslem opposition to
missionary activities does not ex-
clude even Moslem missionaries.
Arabic papers of Transjordania report that some converts to Wahabism, attempting to spread their newly acquired doctrines, were arrested
and threatened with expulsion if
they persisted in their efforts among
the people of Transjordania.
About Syria and Syrians
EMIGRANT REMITTANCES
IN TWO YEARS
The Bureau of Economics in the
Lebanese government had requested
the principal banks and exchange
houses of the country to furnish it
with exact figures on the remittances
of Lebanese emigrants during the
years 1926 and 1927. Two banks responded immediately giving the following figures:
Through the Syrian-Lebanese Bank
in Beirut.
1926
1927
£38,500
£20,700
$248,700
$254,600
f 3,176,000
f 3,432,600
Through the Bank of Alexander
Haddad in Beirut.
1926 £342,884 $1,619,630
1927 £329,628 $1,565,979
This makes the total of remittances through the government bank
approximately
$2,141,020
and
through the private bank of Alexander Haddad $6,548,169, bringing the
grand total to $8,689,189.
It should be borne in mind that
these sums cover only remittances
through two banks, although it may
be safely stated that these are the
principal ones of the country. An-
other point for consideration is that
they represent remittances from
Lebanese emigrants only and do not
include remittances of Syrians.
What may be further deduced is
that the remittances in English
money come from the English colonies, those in francs from French
colonies, and those in dollars from
the United States.
Commenting on these figures, the
Beirut
newspaper
Lisan-Ul-Hal
points out that they represent only
remittances of the last two years,
while emigrant remittances during
the five years immediately following
the war exceeded by far the above
amounts. The natural and logical
deduction is that that the people of
Lebanon are still supported by revenues from abroad, which does not
show a healthy condition in a country striving for economic independence.
The paper further remarks that
there should be no objection to the
liberal flow of emigrant money into
the counry, but this should be in the
form of capital for investment in
productive enterprises and not for
reckless spending on necessities and
luxuries which should be amply covered by native production.
�u
-~
36
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Druzes, was asked to accept £40 as
blood money for her two relatives.
She indignantly refused, saying to
the Commission that if tihey consiFor some time past the Lebanese
dered blood so cheap then why not
authorities have been making every
let
her take the life of the murdereffort to effect a reconciliation beers of her father and brother and
tween the Christians and the Druzes
she would be willing to pay £100
of Southern Lebanon whose old eninstead of £40. When she was told
mity was aggravated by the revoluthat general amnesty would soon be
tionary excesses in 1925. The latest
declared and she would receive no
such attempt to be launched was the
compensation whatever she replied
appointment of a mixed French and
that she would be willing to take
Lebanese Commission in March to
her chances at revenge and later
conduct a final investigation and
receive amnesty rather than accept
bring about a settlement. The Commoney. She was so overcome with
mission discovered that in four
emotion that she had to be led out
towns *he invading Druzes had killed 45 Christians: 22 in Kawkaba; of the room.
7 in Hasbaya; 4 in Abi Camhah and
12 in Rashayya. The Commission
sought to have the relatives of the
CHRISTIANS OF RASHAYYA
victims drop their claims for a conAPPEAL TO POPE
sideration of £20 for each victim,
The Arabic newspaper Al-Basir of
and to that end levied the amount
of the settlement on the Druze popu- Alexandria, Egypt, publishes what
lation which the latter promptly purports to be a copy of the petipaid. But the Christians would not tion which the war sufferers of Rabe satisfied and at first held out shayya sent to His Holiness the
against any settlement in any form, Pope through the Maronite Patrideclaring that the blood of their arch. The petition is a long documurdered relatives could not be pur- ment setting forth in detail the
chased with money. Later it was re- grievances of the Christians of Raported that the Commission explain- shayya and of other southern towns
ed to them that the money was sim- of Lebanon who suffered most durply in the nature of a fine which ing the last revolution and beseachthey could accept as proof of the ing the Holy Father to use his good
guilt of the murderers, while they offices with the Mandatory Power
would be extending pardon to their to give them redress. The petitionenemies out of a spirit of magnani- ers state that although they are
mity. The latest advices are to the mostly adherents of the Orthodox
effect that all claimants had signi- faith, the great solicitude for the
fied their acceptance of the terms welfare of their Orthodox brethren
offered with the exception of one of Russia displayed by the Pope
prompts them to the belief that he
family.
A pathetic scene was enacted dur- will also show the same consideraing the investigation of the Commis- tion in their case. Especially, they
sion when Miss Wadiah Kalil Nasr point out, that the Holy See had
of Kawkaba, whose father and young been from time immemorial the
brother had been killed by the great moral influence for the pro-
CHRISTIANS AND DRUZES
IN SOUTHERN LEBANON
�MAY, 1928
tection of the Christians of the East
regardless of their denominations.
After relating in detail the circumstances of their misfortune, the
petitioners ask the Pope's intercession with the Mandatory Power for
granting them full indemnity for
their property loss and providing
for them safe living quarters where
they would not be further exposed
to the danger of massacre. If, they
state, the authorities insist that they
return to their home town, then
they would ask that the Druzes be
banished from it and other Christian elements from the Druze Mountain who fared just as ill during the
last revolution be substituted for
them. Otherwise they would ask
that the authorities build them a
new town at a safe distance from
their hereditary enemies.
The petition is said to be signed
by the heads of the families of Rashayya and approved by the local
bishops of the different Christian
denominations.
DEFLECTION OF LEBANESE
EMIGRATION TO IRAQ
Mgr. Paul Rizk, an enterprising
Maronite clergyman of Jezzine who
had been a resident of Mexico before his return to his mother country, conceived the idea of deflecting
Lebanese emigration from America
to Iraq and went to the latter country to study conditions and report to
the Lebanese government. His proposition met with much favor in
some quarters and the Iraq government proved sympathetic to the
move. The reasons advanced in
favor of the proposition were that
Iraq was an Arabic-speaking country
57
and offered unequaled prospects for
colonization, while the Lebanese
were industrious and enterprising
and could bring much benefit to
themselves and to the country in
Which they settle.
The Council of Ministers of the
Lebanese government rejected, however, the proposals of Mgr. Rizk on
the ground that they do not favor
Lebanese emigration under whatever
conditions. In support of this contention Dr. Ayoub Tabet, Minister
of the Interior, who had himself
been an emigrant in the United
States at one time, argued that there
were ample resources in the country
if only the people would avail themselves of the opportunities. As an
illustration, he stated that at one
time the government needed a hundred workmen and could find only
Armenian immigrants willing to
work while the natives remained
idle rather than work for the low
wages offered.
PALESTINE ZIONISTS
ANTAGONIZE NATIVES
What is reported by the Damascus
newspaper Aleph Ba as the most
recent Zionist outrage against the
native population of Palestine was
the carnival scenes enacted in Tel
Aviv, the principal Zionist colonial
center situated near Jaffa, during
Holy Week. In this instance, the
Arabic paper reports, the Zionists
not only ridiculed the natives but
sought to mock their principal religious customs and observances.
According to its report, the Zionists made their carnival this year a
mockery of other religions including
Christianity and Islam. They had a
scene representing Christ being
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
58
driven to Calvary by Roman soldiers
who showered blows on Him to the
delight of onlookers. Islam they
ridiculed in the form of a Moslem
funeral where a corpse was borne on
the shoulders of the pallbeares
preceded and followed by a line of
blind men, one leading the other,
shouting in Arabic "La Hah Ilia Allar" (There is no God but Allah").
Coptic rites were also mimicked by
having black-faced monks pound
cymbals and sway in delirium as the
Copts are wont to do in their Easter
celebrations.
The paper comments that the
police witnessed all this without the
least attempt at interference, giving
the natives the impression that the
auhorities were in league with the
Jews against them.
The editor of The Syrian World
was invited to address both gatherings and also extended the courtesy
of acting as chairman.
SYRIANS OF CONNECTICUT
ENJOY HIGH STANDING
On two successive Sundays during
April the Syrians of Connecticut
held two successful entertainments,
the first being on the 22nd. in celebration of the 18th. anniversary of
the American Syrian Society of
Torrington, and the second on the
29th. by the Lebanon American Club
of Waterbury. At both affairs the
mayors of the respective cities together with other high officials attended, and visiting delegations
came from many other Syrian centres in Connecticut, Massachusetts
and New York.
Acting Mayor Fitzgerald of Torrington and Mayor Gilfoil of Waterbury spoke of the Syrians in the
highest terms of praise. They described them as industrious, lawabiding citizens who would be a
credit to any community.
•mm
MHi
SYRIAN DELEGATE TO
SOCIALIST CONVENTION
The Socialist Party of Oklahoma
elected Dr. M. Shadid of Elk City
its delegate to the National Convention of the Party held in New York
City last month. Readers of The
Syrian World will recall this Syrian
physician around whose charges of
social ostracism grew the controversy which was debated in The Syrian
World for several months. It now
develops that Dr. Shadid made the
charges in all good faith and through
profound conviction as he has now
sailed for Syria in company with his
eldest daughter to study conditions
in the mother country with a view
of settling there if the results of his
observations prove favorable. Dr.
Shadid, in his article, advanced the
proposition that Syrian emigrants
should return to their mother land
and help upbuild it now that conditions are more favorable to economic development, and more especially
because in their own country they
would enjoy privileges and amenities
of life that could not be had in other
countries.
LEADER OF REVOLUTION
IN DIRE STRAITS
Persistent reports appeared in the
Arabic press that Sultan Pasha
Atrash, leader of the Druze revolution against the French in Syria,
had negotiated with Sultan Ibn
Saoud for the sale of his arms and
I
�{- — **——-*>*-;
-' ' --**
,
..___. -—*-^
~,
i
59
ammunition to him in consideration
of £60,000, but the Nationalist press
ridiculed the report on the ground
that the Druze leader is still unshaken in his determination to continue the armed struggle and that
he is making additional purchases
of arms. These same papers, however, make no secret of the fact that
Sultan Pasha Atrash and his band
of loyal followers are in the direst
financial straits and are appealing
to Syrian patriots, especially in
America, to send liberal and immediate contributions.
FIVE THOUSAND
TOURISTS IN LEBANON
The Tourist and Summer Resort
Bureau of the Lebanese government
announced that it had received from
tourist agencies abroad information
to the effect that five thousand tourists had been booked to visit Syria
and Lebanon immediately following
the Easter season.
Other reports reaching the Bureau
indicate that the tourist season
promises to be exceedingly gratifying this year.
LUNHAM & MOORE
INCORPORATED
ESTABLISHED 1882.
l
c
Regular Service to Beirut, Tripoli, Alexandretta,
Aleppo, Acre, Jaffa, etc.
C
S
a
"72
LUNHAM & MOORE, INC.
11 BROADWAY
New York.
WE SHIP GOODS TO ALL PARTS OF
THE WORLD AT LOWEST RATES
^Phone Bowling Green 5900
Cables LUNHAM New York.B
�1
STATEMENT OF THE OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, CIRCULATION.
ETC., REQUIRED BY THE ACT OF CONGRESS OF AUGUST 24.1912.
Of The Syrian World published monthly at New York, N.Y„April 1st, 1928.
STATE OF NEW YORK.
COUNTY OF NEW YORK,
. ^
_
Before me, a Notary Public, in and for the state and county aforesaid,
personally appeared Salloum A. Mokarzel, who, having been duly sworn
according to law, deposes and says that he is the publisher of the The
Syrian World, and that the following is, to the best of his knowledge and
belief a true statement of the ownership, management (and if a daily paper, the circulation), etc., of the aforesaid publication for the date shown
in the above caption, required by the Act of August 24, 1921, embodied hi
section 411, Postal Laws and Regulations, printed on the reverse of this
form, to wit:
1. That the names and addresses of the publisher, editor, managing
editor, and business managers are:
Post office address—
Name of—
104 Greenwich Street.
Publisher, Salloum Mokarzel
104
Greenwich Street.
Editor, Salloum Mokarzel
104
Greenwich Street.
Managing Editor, Salloum Mokarzel
104
Greenwich Street.
Business Managers, Salloum Mokarzel
2 That the owner is: (If owned by a corporation, its name and address
must be stated and also immediately thereunder the names and addresses
of stockholders owning or holding one per cent or more of total amount of
stock. If not owned by a corporation, the names and addresses of the individual owners must be given. If owned by a firm, company, or other
unincorporated concern, its name and address, as well as those of each
individual member, must be given.)
Salloum A Mokarzel 104 Greenwich St.
3. That the known bondholders, mortgages, and other security holders
owning or holding 1 per cent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages,
or other securities are: (If there are none, so state.) None.
4 That the two paragraphs next above, giving the names of the owners, stockholders, and security holders, if any, contain not only the list of
stockholders and security holders as they appear upon the books of the
company but also, in cases where the stockholder or security holder appears
upon the books of the company as trustee or in any other fiduciary relation,
en- also that the said two paragraphs contain statements embracing affiantfs
the name of the person or corporation for whom such trustee is acting, is givfull knowledge and belief as to the circumstances and conditions under
which stockholders and security holders who do not appear upon the books
of the company as trustees, hold stock and securities in a capacity other
than that of a bona fide owner; and this affiant has no reason to believe
that any other person, association, or corporation has any interest direct
or indirect in the said stock, bonds, or other securities than as so stated
By su
Entel
VOL
i
Love
Arab
Leba
Arab
7
B^at the average number of copies of each issue of this publication
sold or distributed, through the mails or otherwise, to paid subscribers during the six months preceding the date shown above is.
(This
information is required from daily publications only.)
v
S. A. MokarzeL
Sworn to and subscribed before me this third day of April, 1928.
[SEAL.]
Salem J. Lutfy.
(My commission expires March 30, 1929.)
\
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Newspapers
Description
An account of the resource
<h4>Biographical/Historical Note</h4>
<p>Salloum Mokarzel, a Lebanese American intellectual, founded<em> The Syrian World</em> in 1926. Salloum Mokarzel was the younger brother of Naoum Mokarzel, the publisher of the Arabic-language newspaper <em>Al-Hoda. </em>Together, the Mokarzel brothers ran Al-Hoda Publishing, and in 1909, they published <em>The Syrian Business Directory.</em> </p>
<p>Mokarzel created <em>The Syrian World</em> in order to document and celebrate the culture and history of "Syria." At the time, Syria referred to the modern-day countries of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. The publication was primarily aimed towards second-generation children of immigrants, but Mokarzel hoped that it would also appeal to the general American public.</p>
<h4>Scope/Content Note</h4>
<p><em>The Syrian World</em> was published between 1926 and 1932 as a journal. In 1932, the format was changed from an academic journal style to a newspaper style, which continued until the periodical's end in 1935. After the death of his brother Naoum, Salloum took over the publication of <em>Al-Hoda.</em></p>
<p>The articles in <em>The Syrian World</em> cover a variety of topics spanning from the practical to the theoretical. Practical subjects include international and domestic travel, historical and contemporary Arabic and Arab-American art and literature, and the mental and physical health and hygiene of immigrants. More theoretical, philosophical, and ideological subjects include ideologies of race, the changing role of women, the formation of Syrian and Lebanese-American societies, and the political and psychological relationships between immigrants and their countries of origin.</p>
<p>All issues of <em>The Syrian World</em> are available, along with full indexes for the first four volumes. For volumes five and six, there are tables of contents at the start of the issues.</p>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabs--United States
Arabic periodicals
Newspapers
Arab American Newspapers
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1926-1935
Relation
A related resource
<em><a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/41" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Syrian Business Directory</a></em>
<a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/44" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mokarzel Family Papers</a>
<a href="http://hdl.handle.net/11299/175685" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Annotated Index to the Syrian World, 1926-1932</a> at the University of Minnesota Immigration History Research Center Archives
<a href="https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/58" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Al-Hoda Newspapers</em></a>
Language
A language of the resource
English
Contributor
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Processed by Claire A. Kempa, 2015-2017. Collection Guide written by Claire A. Kempa, 2017.
Collection Guide updated by Laura Lethers, 2023 August.
Rights
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The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
These materials are digital copies of an original resource held by another institution. The KCLDS Archive often works with other institutions to make digital materials available online to the public. KCLDS is not able to grant permission to use or reproduce these materials. The KCLDS Archive strongly encourages users to contact the holding institution for permission to use or reproduce materials from their holdings.
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NS 0002
Access Rights
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This digital material is provided here for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
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TSW1928_05reducedWM
Title
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The Syrian World Volume 02, Issue 11
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1928 May
Description
An account of the resource
Volume 2 Issue 11 of The Syrian World published May 1928. The issue opens with another discussion about words borrowed both from Arabic and English by Byron Smith. There is a poem following the article titled "Bel's Lions" by Dr. Salim Y. Alkazin. Next is an interview conducted with Count Herman Keyserling by Salloum Mokarzel
the interview primarily focuses on the major problems besetting the East. There is yet another piece by Salloum Mokarzel discussing the process of progress in the Moslem world. Following it are two short stories, one discussing war in small nations by Kahlil Gibran and another called "The Scar" by Dr. N.A. Katibah. The last two articles have no given author. One discusses Arabic Newspapers in America and the second discusses how Arabic figures like King Ibn Saoud are portrayed in American literature. The issue concludes with excerpts from the Arab press, the Reader’s Forum, and political developments in Syria.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabic literature--History and criticism--Periodicals
Arabs--United States--Periodicals
Lebanese-Americans--United States--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Syrian-American Press
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Coverage
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104 Greenwich St., New York, NY
Format
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Text/pdf
Type
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Text
Rights
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The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
1920s
1929
Ameen Rihani
Dr. George Knaysi
George A. Ferris
Kahlil Gibran
King Hussein of Jordan
Labeebee A. J. Hanna
Mokarzel
Najib A. Katibah
New York
Philip K. Hitti
Salim Alkazin
Salloum Antoun Mokarzel
Syrian-American Press
The Syrian World
Usama
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/c494396c71bcee619dc946a6066e6e67.pdf
30199227a369b646191d1fa26e74fd1c
PDF Text
Text
��—
THE
SYRIAN WORLD
SALLOUM
A.
MOKARZEL,
Editor.
PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE SYRIAN-AMERICAN PRESS
104
GREENWICH STREET, NEW YORK,
By subscription $5.00 a year.
N. Y.
Single copies 50c.
Entered as second-class matter, June 25, 1926, at the post office at New
York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879.
VOL. II.
No. 9.
MARCH, 1928.
I
CONTENTS
PAGE
Gods, Jinn and a Hall of Fame
3
AMEEN RIHANI
The Perfect Brother
8
DR. SALIM
Y.
ALKAZIN
Development of Dairy Farming in Syria and Lebanon
9
GEORGE KNAYSI
Said a Blade of Grass
11
G. K. GlBRAN
Recent Developments in Palestine
12
To a Female Cup-Bearer (Poem)
J. D. CARLYLE
17
�CONTENTS
(Continued)
PAGE
Syrian Naturalization Question in the United States
JOSEPH W. FERRIS
18
The Ameer and the Palace Maid (Poem)
DR. N. A. KATIBAH
24
The Meeting (Short Story)
25
HARRY CHAPMAN FORD
Arab Proverbs
34
The Clemency of Mu(awiyah
35
Notes and Comments — By
39
THE EDITOR
Spirit of the Syrian Press
43
About Syria and Syrians
48
Political Developments in Syria
56
* «B» »
ILLUSTRATIONS IN THIS ISSUE
Jaffa, Principal Port of Palestine
Tel Aviv, Palestine
The Plain of Al-Bekaa, Lebanon
Costes and Lebrix among Friends
�THE
SYRIAN WORLD
.»
I
I
VOL. II.
MARCH, 1928.
No. 9.
Gods, Jinn and a Hall of Fame
Jt Study in the Traditions of the Arabs and Their Mythology
By AMEEN RIHANI
of pre-Islamic Arabia is in keeping with
the temper of its soil, the history of its land, and the romantic
spirit of its people. The invisible world, described in the Arabian
Nights, is reflected in the visible forces of nature, which, to a
desert dweller, are as real in their supernatural attributes as the
weal and woe he experiences under them. The simoom is the
smokeless fire of which the Jinn are born; the columns of sand,
rising and whirling in the shimmering spaces, are the ghosts of
Afrits and Ghouls; the mirage is the sardonic laugh of Iblis;
the oasis is the verdant and bounteous hand of some otherwise
invisible deity; the well or spring in the trackless waste flows
direct from the streams of Paradise; a necropolis, fancied to
have been once the city of a mighty tribe, is transformed into a
habitation of evil giants; the subterranean channels found in AlYaman, which were constructed by one of the extinct civilized
nations of antiquity, are represented in Arabic lore as the underground ways leading to the palace of one of the sovereigns of
the Jinn.
Thus the mythology of pre-Islamic Arabia evolved. Every manifestation of nature had a tribe of spirits, the Jinn, behind it, animating it, urging it forth, giving it destructive or
creative power. Whatever they could not fathom or explain
was a token of the spirits or a guide-post to their land. In pagan
times the Jinn were everywhere. A bedouin once found them
THE MYTHOLOGY
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
in his porridge and took a solemn oath never again to taste of
liquid food. King Solomon, as we shall see, had a deal of trouble
with them. Unlike Arab authors, however, I shall endeavor to
maintain a little chronological order. Later then about King
Solomon.
The gods of Arabia in the days of the Jinn were continually increasing in number; for over each tribe of spirits ruled a
deity, who was not always on good terms with the kings of the
land. They even fought for independence. Hence, the wars
and the treaties of peace with them, which are recorded faithfully and solemnly by the Arab historian. Hence, too, the crowded condition of the Kaaba, which was a kind of divine hall of
fame before the advent of the Prophet. For they were always
adding to their idols, the Arabs, in self-defense or as a means
of further protection; and when they could not conquer in battle a certain Jinn nation, they would get around its supreme ruler
diplomatically and offer him a niche in their hall of fame. Every Arab tribe, in fact, aspired to a place in the Kaaba for its
god or gods. But many of these, be it said to their credit, were
excluded because they were either commonplace local deities or
mere symbols of lust and plunder. Nevertheless, their votaries
argued and fought for their recognition.
Nor does it seem that they were jealous of each other, these
gods. There were no Jehovas or Allahs among them. More
laudable than this divine tolerance, however, was the staunch
fidelity of the Arabs themselves, who were always faithful to
their alliances as well as to the gods of their allies. A delegation of one of the tribes once came to Mecca, walked into the
Kaaba, and took its terra-cotta god away, because the god of their
friendly neighbors was excluded. The Sheikh of another tribe
was once asked what he worshipped. "A god made of dates
dipped in sugar and honey," he replied; "and sometimes we eat
him and make another." Strange that such a god was not more
popular; for the Arab was given a sweet, a very sweet tooth, to
compensate, I suppose, for his bitter tongue. He is as much at
home in a pastry shop as in a quarrel. Although he loves his
smoke, too, and his coffee. I do not remember having ever read
(
of any one in the Divine Conclave of the Kaaba that included
the famous herb and bean, or anything similar to them, in his
scheme of eternal bliss.
But there still remains, in spite of Wahhabism, something
�MHBMI
_
MARCH, 1928
5
of the pagan in the; Arab of to-day—the Arab of the desert who
anticipates a good and generous host in Allah. For is he not a
sort of Super-Sheikh with an inexhaustible supply of tobacco
and coffee and sweetmeats? Of what worth his heaven, if he.
were not? It is the bedouin's boast that if he find no coffee and
sweetmeats, at least, in heaven, when he gets there, he would
leave it anon.
The pre-Islamic Arabs were avowedly pagan and often
grossly material. One of their mighty kings was once warned
by a prophet who preached the doctrine of monotheism, praised
Allah the one and only god, in whose paradise flowed streams
of milk and honey and wine. But the unrepenting and blaspheming Shaddad ibn 'Aad disdained the warnings of the prophet. Apparently, he was on good terms with the Jinn- for he
summoned them to build for him a terrestrial paradise, which
should surpass in magnificence and splendor any paradise to
come. The Jinn obeyed} but Shaddad ibn 'Aad did not live
to enjoy the enchanted fruits of their labor.
The invisible spirit-world was indeed as real, as palpable
to the pagans of Arabia as the visible and material} for in their
legendary history, as later in the Arabian Nights, many wars
with the Jinn are chronicled,—the battles are graphically described. Gradually, half of them were conquered, and they
fought with the Arabs as their allies against the other half.
Hence, the good and the evil Jinn we meet with in legend and
tale and creed—in the chronicles, in the Nights, and in the Koran.
Hence, too, the great service they render to the mighty and wise
of the sovereigns of the world. Sometimes they make a mistake, as in the case of King Shaddad, and regret it. But King
Solomon, uour Lord Sulaiman", was the greatest and wisest of
their masters. He was their patron and their friend. For him,
the good Jinn, by the command of Allah, built the temples of
Syria and the palaces of Al-Yaman. Following is the testimony
of the Koran: (1)
1
!
"And unto Solomon," (Allah is speaking to the
Prophet Muhammad) "did we subject the wind, which
travelled in the morning a month's journey, and a
month's journey in the evening; and we caused a fountain of molten brass to flow for him. And of the Jinn
(1) Surat Saba (Chapter XXXIV). — Rodwell's Translation.
�6
THE SYRIAN WORLD
were some who worked in his presence by the will of
his Lord
They made for him whatever he pleased
of private chambers, and images, and dishes large as
tanks, and cooking pots that stood firmly."
The fountain of molten brass herein mentioned was built
for King Solomon in the desert,—was carried there, in fact, by
the Jinn. This is corroborated in the Muhammedan Traditions,
or Commentaries of the Koran. The Jinn, say the Commentators, having transported the fountain to the desert beyond the
city named Andalus (Andalusia)—their geographical knowledge
is amazing—built there a great city twelve miles in length and
twelve in breadth around the fountain. Later, one of the Khalifs of Damascus, who must have doubted the words of the corroborating witnesses or suspected them of exaggeration, sent one
of his generals, Musa ibn Nusair, on an archaeological expedition. Musa's report is recorded in the Arabian Nights. That
city in the Sahara is called the City of Brass, and the Commentators did not misrepresent the truth or exaggerate it. Indeed,
Musa returned to the Omaiyad Khalif with material for a most
thrilling story, as well as the material evidence of that enchanted land. He brought back with him a specimen of the bottled
Jinn of King Solomon and mermaids which were preserved, he
tells us, in wooden tanks.
This then is atmosphere and flavor of pre-Islamic Arabic
mythology. It is difficult to see how it can be of either Persian
or Indian origin, as some Orientalists maintain. That it is indigenous is, on the contrary, quite obvious. I have dwelled
briefly on the subject, therefore, only to emphasize the fact that
the mythology of The Nights is the very soul of illusion incarnate in the living agencies of nature,—of scenes and elements
peculiar to the Peninsula. In it also, to the dreamer of the desert, the grandiose is as common as the sand and the infantile is
as marvelous as the sun.
This attitude towards the miraculous and supernatural, vested as with Teutons in the anthropomorphic, ascribing to it human feelings and passions, is as strong to-day as it was in the
past. For the Arabs, like the Celtic people, have always resisted,
and are still to a certain extent resisting, their times j and even
though they wear themselves out in the defense of desperate
causes, they never yield absolutely to a superior power or understanding. They are, as a race, more assimilative than pliable.
J
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2SS2
MARCH, 1928
7
What they yield to the outside world is much less than what
they take from it. Their own customs and traditions, for instance, were as binding wherever Arabic was spoken in the times
of the Prophet as they were in Arabia proper. Even a native
conqueror had to adopt the manners and assimilate to a certain
extent the traditions of the conquered tribe.
Thus, when they resisted the Prophet Muhammad and
finally surrendered to Al-Islam, they brought with them into
the new creed something of their pagan mythology, which the
Prophet had to accept. The maleficent and the beneficent Jinn
were, therefore, designated as believers and unbelievers, that is
half of them was converted to Al-Islam while the other half
remained pagan. They themselves testify to this in the Koran,
which devotes to the subject a whole Chapter entitled the Jinn.
Says the Prophet:
"It has been revealed to me that a company of the
Jinn believed and said: 'Verily, we have heard a marvelous discourse (The Koran). It guideth to the
truth; therefore, we believe it*"
«
I
The faithful Commentators, who have written a Sahara of
books on the Koran and the Traditions (Sayings of the Prophet),
must have had a subtle sense of humor or they deemed it their
business to elucidate and instruct in an entertaining manner. The
Prophet Muhammad, they assure us, met the Jinn in person,
addressed them admonishingly, and offered them the alternative
of either Al-Islam or eternal perdition. They also had a penchant for detail, the Commentators, and not a little appreciation
of local color. They would seem, nevertheless, in this particular instance, accurate in their report; for they set down the time
and place of that historical meeting. Those of the Jinn who
hearkened not to the Prophet, who preferred in their perversity
eternal damnation to a new religion, became enemies of those
who accepted Al-Islam, and civil wars among them ensued. Some
of these wars are recorded in Arab history, as I have remarked,
and chronicled in The Book of a Thousand and One Nights. No
spice of Arabia, no miracle of faith or romance could sweeten
the bitter enmity that existed between the Jinn.
For they were not only human—they were Semitic. Their
serenity in the face of danger, their impetuousness in moments
of security, their ghoulish, unearthly passion, their magnanimity,
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
8
self-restraint and self-sacrifice, all the contrarieties of their nature are quite consistent with the flamboyant spirit of the Arabs,
whose fancy, like their faith, is fed upon rhapsodies. The delicate beauty, the soft shadings which characterize the Celtic romances, for instance, are wanting in the climate of Arabia as in
its Koran, its poetry, and its literature.
Every moment, whether under friendly or unfriendly influences, the Arab lives fully, intensely, religiously. For him,
the elemental value of things is never lost. Everything essential to the daily task must necessarily mean life or death. Hence,
the exaggerated vesture of his thoughts, the poetic magnifications of his soul, the humorous impossibilities of his vision. To
a city dweller, what is a flower, what is a star, what is a cup of
water? But to one who has often thirsted in the arid waste, who
was often swept to the verge of the grave by the desert storm,
the flower, in the sheer ecstasy of discovery, becomes a magnificent garden, the trickling brackish spring a flowing stream of
crystal water, and the twinkling little star a radiant but friendly
sun!
i
;
The Perfect Brother
Translation of
DR. SALIM
Y.
ALKAZIN
Once I had a brother in Allah, and what made him great
in my eyes, was the smallness of the world in his eyes. He was
beyond the tyranny of his desire, so much so that he did never
covet that which was beyond his reach j and toward that which
was within his reach he was never avaricious. He blamed no
man, so that he would not have to find excuses if found in a
like situation. He never complained of pain until he was cured.
He did whatever he said, and said not what he would not do.
He was never forced to keep silent, though he might be forced
into speech. His eagerness to hear surpassed his desire to be
heard. When confronted by two opposing motives, he sought
to find which was akin to the lower passions, and that he shunned.
Seek ye these principles , and cling to them, and boast of
themj and if ye should fail, know that to gain only the few
is better than to lose all. — Ali.
er.
�.- -
-,
MARCH, 1928
Development of Dairy Farming
In Syria and Lebanon
By
GEORGE KNAYSI
Instructor of Bacteriology, Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y.
In a previous article I have discussed in a very general way
the agricultural situation in Lebanon and Syria. I have shown
that the troubles are, so to speak, physiological in nature and
are due to the wrong functioning of the system as a whole. The
treatment should be supervised by vigilant and competent men
and should consist of educating the farmer in the best methods
of soil management suitable to his conditions. Not until every
thing is functioning well can we think of carrying out ambitious
plans for further development of the country's resources. The
present article is intended to call attention to a type of farming
almost unknown in the East, but which seems to have great possibilities in the agricultural development of our country, namely
dairy farmnig.
By dairy farming is meant those methods of soil management which aim principally at the production of food for dairy
herds which in turn transform part of it into milk. Dairy farming, as I said, is almost unknown in our country where grain
and fruit farming are the predominating types and where milk
is produced as a side line in quantities hardly exceeding the needs
of the farm. The milk producer, in our country, is not the farmer but mainly the shepherd with his numerous goats and sheep.
The dairy cow is relegated into a minor position. But the country can sustain only a limited number of shepherds and that number will naturally decrease as the country is developed, and the
major part of their goats and sheep will have to be fenced in
what becomes virtually a dairy farm. I doubt, however, whether, inside of a fence, any of those romantic creatures can compete with the dairy cow in an essentially unromantic age, and,
sooner or later, that animal will survive which will give the
largest amount of milk with the least possible expenditure, and
I believe that certain good breeds of dairy cows will ultimately
win as milk producers.
�1
10
THE SYRIAN WORLD
I know, however, of no actual data to support or invalidate
my statement, and a thorough study should be undertaken on
an experimental basis. The goat may hold its own for certain
purposes, for instance the production of milk for making certain types of native cheese, but on the whole, it can be hardly
doubted that to develop in our country successful dairy sections
requires the importation of efficient breeds of dairy cattle which
snould be fed scientific rations for their maximum production,
and the elaboration of a scheme of soil management in which
the native hay plants should be studied with respect to their
food value and their effect on the soil, and, if necessary, new
plants should be introduced. If then we find a steady outlet
for, the milk produced, nature, which is extremely generous with
Syria and Lebanon, will furnish the rest, namely, good soil, cool
climate and plenty of cold water, factors very important for a
successful dairy farming. Of all the sections I have known in
my various travels, the western slopes of the Anti-Lebanon and
the beautiful plains of Al-Beqa{, the Ccelesyria of the Greeks,
will have my choice for the dairy farms of which I am dreaming and have dreamt for the last few years.
The necessary outlets for the milk produced may be many.
Fluid milk consumption should be encouraged and the public
should learn the advantages of milk in the diet especially when
it can be safely used without boiling. Pasteurization plants will
therefore have to be erected, with adequate means of refrigeration in storage and transportation. Beirut, Zahle and various
Lebanese towns could be easily supplied with a high-grade milk
produced in that marvelous section for dairying which lies near
Zahle. The surplus milk could be easily absorbed by the various dairy industries for the manufacture of butter, condensed,
evaporated and powdered milk, ice-cream, various cheeses, milk
sugar, and finally casein which is now extensively used in various
industries. I must not forget to mention also the various sour
milk drinks including our national laban.
Thanks to the researches conducted in various countries
during the last thirty years, the dairy industries are no more
empirical. Every process has been investigated and many are
now well understood. An example will make things somewhat
clearer: Swiss cheese has always been manufactured in Switzerland. Nobody knew why a duplication of the process of manufacturing in the United States, for instance, did not yield any-
\
�MARCH, 1928
'. 1
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I
11
thing resembling the classical Swiss cheese, with its so-called
"eyes" and its characteristic flavor. Switzerland, therefore, continued to supply the world with its much coveted cheese until
the investigations of Dr. Y. M. Sherman, then at the United
States Department of Agriculture and now head of the Department of Dairy Industry at Cornell University, showed that the
"eyes" of Swiss cheese and its flavor are due to certain bacteria
which live in the absence of air. Dr. Sherman was able to isolate
those bacteria and to grow them in the laboratory. Excellent
Swiss cheese is therefore made in the United States. All the
American manufacturer has to do is to add the "eye" producing
bacteria at a certain stage of the manufacturing process, and he
is more certain of success than the Swiss manufacturer who is
still using his old empirical methods. There is no end to similar
examples.
If such industries could be developed in Syria and Lebanon,
what a source of wealth our people would have.
Let us hope that men and the necessary investments will
soon be available to make out of the country of our fathers the
land that flows with milk and honey that it used to be.
Said a Blade of Grass
By G. K.
GIBRAN
Said a blade of grass to an autumn leaf, "You make such
a noise falling! You scatter all my winter dreams."
i
Said the leaf indignant, "Low-born and low-dwelling!
Songless, peevish thing! You live not in the upper air and you
cannot tell the sound of singing."
Then the autumn leaf lay down upon the earth and slept.
And when spring came she waked again
and she was a blade
of grass.
i
And when it was autumn and her winter sleep was upon
her, and above her through all the air the leaves were falling,
she muttered to herself, "O these autumn leaves! They make
such a noise! They scatter all my winter dreams."
I
�12
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Recent Developments in Palestine
(Based on Reports from American Consul Oscar Heizer, Jerusalem, and Commercial Attache James F. Hodgson, Cairo,
and Published in Commerce Reports of Feb. 20, 1928.)
Although under a different mandate, Palestine, nevertheless, constitutes an integral part of Syria, bound to it by race, language and traditions. The problems of the part, therefore, are the problems of the whole,
and in reprinting the following account of conditions in Palestine by the
Department of Commerce we are acting on our policy of giving accurate
and complete information on all subject of interest affecting Syria as a
whole.
The Editor.
Recent reports from Palestine indicate an improvement
from the crisis that prevailed in 1926 and the greater part of
1927. Industrial activity has increased, and the orange crop is
more satisfactory. The unemployment problem, however^ is
still serious, in spite of the increased industrial needs and relief
afforded through additional requirements of labor for construction work on the new Rutenberg hydroelectric project.
The country had made rapid progress during the period
1921-1925, and the reaction which set in during the latter year
was a natural result of overexpansion. This reaction, however,
has not been without certain beneficial effects. It has eliminated
the less stable factors from the economic structure and has resulted in a general readjustment of the country to its increased
population and changed conditions, thus paving the way there
for further constructive work.
Rapid Growth of Population Caused Inflation—Depression Follows.
The population of Palestine at the end of 1926 was estimated at 890,000, as compared with 737,000 in October, 1922.
This increase demanded an urgent demand for housing and gave
impetus to certain small industries, which provided employment
for many immigrants. When the reaction set in during 1925,
however, the labor released from these activities could not be
absorbed by agriculture, which had not progressed so rapidly as
had industry. Moreover, about this time the immigration into
I
�MARCH, 1928
13
Palestine was at its peak, so that a rather difficult situation developed—unemployment increased, the purchasing power of the
people declined, and industries dependent upon the home market
reduced or ceased operations. This situation marked the beginning of the readjustment that has continued through 1926 and
1927.
Funds from abroad had contributed largely to the rapid
development of the country, so that a diminution of this supply
during the past two years has had an important effect on the
credit situation. Money has been tight and the banks have adopted a very conservative credit policy, a condition that has resulted
in numerous failures of concerns established during the peak
of prosperity. These failures, however, are not an accurate index of general conditions in the country, since these concerns
were the first to feel the effects of depression, whereas the more
stable institutions have been able to survive the reaction.
Budget Position Improved.
A satisfactory condition is noted in the progress of public
finances in Palestine. From a deficit of £E72,000, in the budget
of 1922-23 a surplus of £E187,000 is indicated in the 1926-27
budget, leaving a surplus for the period 1922-1927 estimated at
£E500,000 ($2,500,000).
Large Areas Barren—Research Aids Agriculture.
Of the total area of approximately 9,000 square miles, about
one-third is barren land capable of little, if any, agricultural
development. Fully 1,800 square miles more are of questionable agricultural use. The remainder, an area of somewhat more
than 3,000,000 acres, has definite agricultural possibilities, but
in some large sections irrigation and other more or less expensive
operations are necessary for profitable farming.
The chief development in agriculture has been the settlement of Jewish immigrants under the auspices of the various
organizations. Large sums have been spent for the purchase
of land for settlement purposes, considerable areas of swamp
land have been drained, and agricultural experiment stations
have been established; all this has resulted in the introduction
of new crops. A special study of live stock husbandry has been
undertaken, with a resultant improvement in the care of animals
and their breeding; also, an educational campaign has been
launched for the purpose of introducing modern methods of
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
14
poultry farming. A survey was also made of soil conditions, fertilizer requirements, and underground water supply, with a view
to placing agriculture on a more scientific basis.
Fruit Growing Increases—Oranges Most Valuable Crop.
The climate and soil of Palestine are particularly well
adapted for fruit growing, and its development has received
special attention. Oranges constitute the most successful crop
and their culture has developed rapidly since 1921, with large
increase in acreage planted in 1925 and 1926. In the latter
year oranges represented approximately 44 per cent, of total
export values and a small gain over 1925.
Exact statistics of production are not available, but the following estimates have been made for oranges and lemons combined:
BOXES
1921
1922
1923
830,960 1924
1,234,250 1925
1,365,540 1926
BOXES
1,589,330
2,146,450
1,887,500
Watermelons also constitute an increasingly important item
in the fruit production of Palestine. Other fruits grown in commercial quantities are apricots, figs, plums, and raisins, but their
exports are relatively unimportant.
Wheat, barley, durra, and sesame constitute the major grain
crops of the country. Local production, however, is not sufficient
for domestic needs, and certain quantities are imported regularly. This condition has resulted in an increase of area sown to
grains.
Manufacturing Unimportant—Mineral Resources Limited.
Manufacturing is relatively unimportant in Palestine. A
few industries have been introduced, with varying success; but,
temporarily at least, the lack of raw materials and the absence
of coal for fuel handicap the establishment of manufacturing on
a large scale. The fuel need, however, is expected to be substituted by power from the proposed hydroelectric projects under
the Rutenberg scheme. Among the older and more important
industries of the country may be mentioned flour milling, production of silicate bricks (made of sand and lime), vegetable oils
and soap, cement, wine, cigarettes, etc.
The mineral resources of the country have not been fully
t
�1
MARCH, 1928
15
investigated, but partial surveys indicate that the only potential
mineral wealth is contained in the waters of the Dead Sea. The
deposits of this sea represent a valuable asset from a commerdal
point of view, and negotiations for their exploitation have been
carried on for some time.
Commercial Centers Developing—Rapid Growth of Tel-Aviv.
1
s
Jerusalem, with a population of 70,000, is the capital and
prindpal inland trading center of Palestine. From a commerdal point of view, however, it is not of outstanding importance,
although it is the center of the growing tourist traffic of the Holy
Land. Jaffa, the principal port of the country, is the leading
commerdal dty. It is the center for the export of oranges, and
a number of small industries are located there. An outstanding
handicap is the lack of an adequate harbor; ships are forced to
anchor about a mile offshore in an open roadstead, and the loading and unloading of cargoes is effected by lighters. Jaffa is
connected with Jerusalem by a motor road and by rail.
Haifa (or Caiffa) is another growing port. It commands
the hinterland, with which it is connected by rail} is the terminus
of the Cairo-Kantara-Lydda-Haifa line, and is the center of
many good motor roads that radiate from it. It also lacks a
harbor, but it is estimated that less expense would be involved
in developing this harbor than the one at Jaffa.
Tel-Aviv, the center of the Jewish colonies in Judea, has
grown under the impetus of Jewish immigration from a suburb of Jaffa to a munidpality of 40,000 population. The largest
orange and almond groves and vineyards are located in its vidnity. Until 1925 the expansion of Tel-Aviv was such that the
demand for houses was greatly in excess of the buildings available, and an extensive building program was launched in order
to keep pace with the influx of workers and residents. As a consequence, the dty was greatly overbuilt in antidpation of a permanent inflow of population, and the economic crisis which Palestine has been undergoing since October, 1925, has been particularly acute in the dty of Tel-Aviv.
The development of cheap electric power by the Rutenberg
power plant is expected to be a boon to manufacturers in TelAviv and the surrounding country. Though many of the industries have been shut down on account of the present economic
crisis, it is antidpated that, as the crisis subsides, these will reopen.
�16
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Hydroelectric Project Will Aid Industry.
The Rutenberg plan, which has the official sanction of the
Palestine Government in the form of a concession for 70 years
to the Palestine Electric Corporation (Ltd.), Tel-Aviv, Palestine,
calls for the harnessing of the Jordan River at intervals from
its source to the point where it empties into the Dead Sea, in addition to the utilization of the waters of the Yarmuk River in
the same manner. The first dam will be constructed at the point
where the Jordan River leaves Lake Tiberias (the Sea of Galilee)
with a power house at the town of Abadieh. Between these two
points there is a fall of 40 meters in 8 miles.
It has been estimated that when the first stage of the development is completed a supply of 70,000,000 kilowatt-hours of
energy per year will be provided. As consumption, according to
the present requirements, will be 20,000,000 kilowatt-hours a
year, there will be a considerable surplus for new industrial enterprises.
In addition to the hydroelectric development, the Rutenberg scheme also calls for the construction of a system of irrigation ditches, which would convert many large sections of arid
land into farms.
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Railway Improved—Motor Roads Extended.
The economic development of the country has been accompanied by a general improvement and extension of communications. There has been no new railroad construction of any importance, but the existing roads and rolling stock have been improved considerably. The network of motor roads has been so
extended that good roads are now available to all points of intesest in the country, including Bethlehem, Hebron, Nazareth,
the Sea of Galilee, Nablus, Jericho, the Dead Sea, the River
Jordan, Es-Salt, Amman (Transjordania), Damascus (Syria),
Tyre, Sidon, Acre, Haifa, Jaffa, and Tel-Aviv. The Government's program of road construction anticipates further extension to all centers of population in the country. It is of interest
that of 2,123 motor vehicles registered in 1926, 85 per cent, were
of American make.
The streets in the principal cities, particularly in Jerusalem
and. Jaffa, are .not in satisfactory condition, but contracts have already been let for macadamizing the main thoroughfares. It is
planned to resurface all the city streets in the near future.
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�JAFFA, PRINCIPAL PORT OF PALESTINE
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Mill—III NHMIi faJ
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The open roadstead of Jaffa makes the construction of a modern harbor a more expensive
than the development of the port of Haifa, which is fast gaining on Jaffa. (See Article
Developments in Palestine.)
'
'
*
*
•-'• *^* **
undertaking
on Recent
�TEL AVIV,
PALESTINE
Center of Zionist colonization activities in Palestine which rose within the last few years from a
mere suburb of Jaffa to a city of 40,000. (See Article on Recent Developments in Palestine.)
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�MARCH,
1928
;V
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Imports Exceed Exports.
The balance of Palestine's foreign trade has been consistently unfavorable, varying in amount between $18,000,000 and
$30,000,000 per annum. It is impossible to state to what extent
this adverse balance is compensated by invisible exports and
money remittances from abroad, as even rough estimates of these
amounts are not available.
Imports consist chiefly of textile goods, wheat flour, government stores, colonial products, automobiles, benzine, and vari <ous manufactured goods. Exports include oranges, soap, watermelons, wines, curios, etc.
1
t
I
American Sales Well Maintained.
The depression has had a marked effect on general imports j
ithese declined about 20 per cent, in 1926 as compared with 1925,
•and a further decrease is indicated for 1927. Imports from the
United States, nevertheless, have been fairly well maintained,
:and the fact that most of the funds contributed for development
work in Palestine originate in this country should have a favorable effect on this trade. Although Palestine itself has a limited
capacity for absorbing foreign manufactures, it is a valuable field
for the introduction of many products that may ultimately find
a market in the adjoining territory.
To a Female Cup-Bearer
Translated from the Arabic by J. D. CARLYLE
Come, Leila, fill the goblet up,
Reach round the rosy wine,
Think not that we will take the cup
From any hand but thine.
A draught like this 'twere vain to seek,
No grape can such supply;
It steals its tint from Leila's cheek,
Its brightness from her eye.
I;
�18
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Syrian Naturalization Question
in the United States
CERTAIN LEGAL ASPECTS OF OUR
NATURALIZATION LAWS
By JOSEPH W. FERRIS
PART II.
The Syrians were most anxious to act on the suggestion of
Judge Smith and they immediately carried their appeal to the
Circuit Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit, the title of the case
being DOW vs. UNITED STATES, et al (226 Fed. Rep, 145
Sept. 14, 1915.)
It was argued before Pritchard, Knapp and Woods, Circuit Judges. Woods delivered the opinion of the Court. It was
most intelligent and comprehensive.
After reciting the fact that Dow was denied naturalization
upon the sole ground that a person of Asiatic birth is not a free
white person within the meaning of the naturalization statute,
the learned Judge reviewed the Statute at length, stating that
if it be assumed that the preponderance of the argument was
strongly in favor of the conclusion that in 1790 the popular understanding was that people of European nativity or descent
were white, nevertheless, however, the popular conception of
race division became more distinct as time went on, and that such
a construction in 1790 would not be conclusive to the present
statute, because the legislators of later years could not have supposed that the term "free white persons" would carry the restricted meaning as held by Judge Smith, and that the controlling factor in ascertaining the moving intention should be given
to the words as they stand in the present law. He pointed out
that in addition to the amendments at various times, there was
a repeal and a new statute in 1802, and new statutes in 1824 and
1828 ; that in 1870 there had been vigorous debate on the proposition to amend the law by striking out altogether the limitation
to "free white persons" so that all aliens without regard to race
Nt
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�MM
MARCH, 1928
4
V^JIf
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could be naturalized. This proposed amendment was defeated,
but it resulted in the extension of the privilege of naturalization to "aliens of African nativity and African descent". That
in 1873 the report of the Committee on Revision of the Laws
omitted the limiting words "free white persons" and that this
report was adopted and the limitation was thus removed, being,
however, reinstated in 1875j and that certainly after all this
Legislative discussion and reconsideration and enactment, the
present statute must be construed in light of the general opinion
now existing that the inhabitants of a portion of Asia, including
Syria, were to be classified as white persons.
With respect to the argument that Syria and the contiguous
countries of Asia near the Mediterranean had been subject to
many changes in their inhabitants through conquests and other
causes, he held that the consensus of opinion at the time of the
enactment of the Statute now in force was that they were so
closely related to their neighbors, on the European side of the
Mediterranean, that they should be classified as white, and must
necessarily be held to fall within the term "free white persons"
used in the statute.
Reference was made by the Court to the opinion of later
writers who are in accord with Blumenbach that Syrians are to
be classified as white people, citing Pritchard, Natural History
of Man, 1848; Pickering, Races of Man 1851; Figuier, the
Human Race, 1872; Jeffries, Natural History of the Human
Race, 1879; Brinton, Races and People, 1901; Keane, Worlds
Peoples, 1908; and the Dictionary of Races as contained in the
reports of the Immigration Commission, 1911, which says:
"Physically the modern Syrians are of mixed Syrian,
Arabian and even Jewish blood. They belong to the
Semitic branch of the Caucasian race, thus widely differing from their rulers, the Turks, who are in origin
Mongolian."
The Court then held that in accordance with this construction of the Statutes, a large number of Syrians had been naturalized without question and that it was significant in view of these
decisions and this practice of the Courts, that Congress had not
seen fit to change the law.
Thus the decision of Judge Smith in the lower Court was
reversed and Dow's petition for naturalization was granted.
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20
The Government did not see fit, and this is regrettable,
to appeal. Nevertheless, the decision of the Circuit Court of
Appeals in the Dow case is unassailable.
It is believed, however, that the question has been decided
for all times by the decision of the United States Supreme Court
in the case of UNITED STATES vs. BHAGAT SINGH,
THIND, 261 U. S. 204, (October Term, 1922).
It is true that in the last mentioned case the question pertained to a Hindoo, nevertheless, the opinion of Mr. Justice
Sutherland, delivered on behalf of the United States Supreme
Court, very pertinently answers any contention such as made by
Judge Smith.
It was held that the words "free white persons" imparted
a racial and not an individual test and were meant to indicate
persons of only what is popularly known as the Caucasian race.
This is in direct contravention of the holding of Judge Smith.
It is further held that the mere ability on the part of an
applicant for naturalization to establish a line of descent from
a Caucasian ancestor did not ipso facto and necessarily conclude
the inquiry. "Caucasian" was a conventional word of much
flexibility as the study of literature dealing with racial questions
disclosed and while it and the words "white person" are treated
as synonymous in some of the cases, yet they were not of identical meaning—idem per idem.
The Court held that the word "Caucasian" not only was
not employed in law but was probably wholly unfamiliar to the
original framers of the Statute in 1790, and that when it was
employed by the Court, they did so solely to ascertain the legislative intent.
The United States Supreme Court then went on to hold
that during the last half century, especially, the word by common usage had acquired a popular meaning, not clearly defined,
to be sure, but sufficiently so to enable the Court to say that this
popular, as distinguished from its scientific, application was of
appreciably narrower scope and that it was in the popular sense
of the word, therefore, that it was employed.
The words "White persons" implied a racial test, but the
term "race" was one which for-the practical purpose of the Statute, must be applied to a group of living persons now possessing
in common the requisite characteristics and not to a group of
persons who were supposed to be or really are descended from
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�MARCH, 1928
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some remote common ancestor, but who, whether they both resemble him to a higher or lower extent, had at any rate ceased
altogether to resemble one another.
The question for determination was not, therefore, whether by speculative processes of ethnological reasoning a probability was presented to the scientific mind that persons had the same
origin, but wether such persons can satisfy the common understanding that they are now the same or sufficiently the same to
justify the interpreters of a statute—written in the words of
common speech for common understanding by unscientific men—
in classifying them together in a statuory category as white persons.
The Court further held that the Aryan theory as a racial
basis seems to be discredited by most, if not all modern writers
on the subject of ethnology, and that the term, Aryan, had to
do with linguistic and not at all physical characteristics and that
it would seem reasonably clear that mere resemblance in language indicating a common linguistic root buried in remotely
ancient soil, is altogether inadequate to prove common racial
origin.
As to the word "Caucasian", the Court said that this was
in scarcely better repute and was' at best a conventional term with
an altogether fortuitous origin, which under scientific manipulation had come to include far more than the unscientific mind
suspected.
It said that the various authorities were irreconcilable as to
what constituted a proper racial division and that, for instance,
Blumenbach had five races; Keane, following Linnaeus, four;
Deniker, twenty-nine; and that the explanation probably is, that
the numerous varieties of mankind run into one another by insensible degrees. Therefore a given group cannot be properly
assigned to any of the enumerated grand racial divisions.
The Court then held that the words "free white persons"
are words of common speech to be interpreted in accordance
with the understanding of the common man, synonymous with
the word "Caucasian" only as that word is popularly understood.
In the conclusion of the United States Supreme Court decision, there appears a very important statement which supports
the interpretation that Syrians fall within the provisions of the
Naturalization Law.
The United States Supreme Court said that it was not with-
'
�OOOOE'S SEf
THE SYRIAN WORLD
22
out significance that Congress by the Act of February 5th, 1917,
Chapter 39, Sec. 3, 39 Stat. 874, had now excluded from admission into this Country all natives of Asia within designated
limits of latitude and longitude, including the whole of India.
This, in the opinion of the Court, not only constituted conclusive
evidence of the Congressional attitude of opposition to Asiatic
immigration generally, but was persuasive of a similar attitude
toward Asiatic naturalization as well, since it was not likely that
Congress would be willing to accept as citizens the class of persons whom it rejects as immigrants.
While at first blush this statement might seem to be derogatory to any contention that Syrians fell within the provisions
of the Naturalization Law, yet on inspection of the Act of Congress which is now commonly known as the Restrictive Immigration Act, it will be found that Syrians were not one of the excluded class of immigrants because Syria does not fall within
the designated geographical area, from which immigration is
excluded. To the contrary, a fixed quota was established by
Congress for Syrians.
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— BASHA CASE —
It may be further interesting to note that the same Judge
Smith above referred to, had occasion in 1923, on the application of one F. W. Basha, to again raise the question in face ot
the reversal of his decision in the Dow case. He denied the
petition of Basha, assigning as a reason that the passage of the
Restrictive Immigration Act in 1917 showed an intention on the
part of Congress to exclude Syrians from naturalization.
The writer had occasion to deal with this decision at length
and on an application for a rehearing, it being pointed out that
Syria was not within the restrictive territories, Basha's petition
for naturalization was granted.
The geographical limits as fixed by the Act of Congress
of 1917, insofar as they applied to the present question, are as
follows:
On the West — longitude, 50 degrees east of Greenwich Meridian,
On the East — longitude, 110 degrees east of Greenwich Meridian,
and within these East and West longitudes, south of
-
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islands not
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south, or i
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�OOOOE'S SERIES OF BASE MAPS AND GRAPHS: ASIA ON LAMBERT'S EQUAL AREA PROJECTION; M0.--2Q5
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UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 8, SUB-DIVISION (n)
Unless otherwise provided for by existing treaties, persons who are natives of
islands not possessed by the United States adjacent to the Continent of Asia, situate
south of the twentieth parallel latitude north, west of the one hundred and sixtieth
meridian of longitude east from Greenwich, and north of the tenth parallel of latitude
f
'south, or who are natives of any country, province, or dependency situate on the Continent of Asia west of the one hundred and tenth meridian of longitude east from
Greenwich and east of the fiiftieth meridian longitude east from Greenwich and south
Aof the fiftieth parallel of latitude north, except that portion of said territory situate
between the fiftieth and the sixty-fourth meridians of longitude east from Greenwich
and the twenty-fourth and thirty-eighth parallels of latitude north, and no alien now in
,any way excluded from, or prevented from entering, the United States shall be admitted to the United States.
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:
the fiftieth-degree" bf North latitude, excepting the
. part between-longitude 56 degrees and 64 degrees
East and''Between latitude 24 degrees and 38 degrees
-north.
<!;
Thus we see that no part of Syria extends even anywhere
' near the fiftieth degree East of Greenwich, which is the Western
limit of the barred area of immigration, and is over nve hundred miles outside of the nearest exclusion limit.
In addition the conclusive fact is, that Syria was assigned
a quota under the so-called Restrictive Immigration Act.
It is hoped that the question has been settled once for all
and in closing, it might be best to quote the words of Raymond
F. Christ, Commissioner of Naturalization, who in referring to
Syrians, said:
"/ am sure that such evidences of loyalty and patriotism to the Country can have no other than a highly
stimulating effect * * * upon all other nationalities and
American citizens, as well."
The Ameer and the Palace Maid
by DR. N. A. KATIBAH
Translated from the original Arabic of Abu Nawas
A lass hailed swaying down the palace hall.
Half drunk, half sober, winsome, coy and tall}
Her flowing mantle, now let loose, I won;
Her girdle, too, unguarded, came undone.
I pressed the advantage, veiled by sable night;
"Black night," she scorned, "vouchsafes but blind delight.
Nonplussed, I prayed her bind her love to test;
She sweetly breathed: "Tomorrow thou'rt my guest.
But on the morrow when I sought her graces,
,»
"Daylight," quoth she, "the word of night effaces.
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�MARCH, 1928
25
The Meeting
A SHORT STORY
By
HARRY CHAPMAN FORD
Author of "Anna Ascends" etc.
The mystery is still discussed at Khoury's Coffee House,
where, when in town, it is my wont to have my evening meal.
I refer to the strange and sudden disappearance from the Syrian
Quarter of Froscine Sibyan, "Heavenly Froscine" as she was
called, and she was heavenly—divinely so in every possible way.
Beautiful, very dark brown hair, thick at the roots and reaching
to her knees, crowned an oval madonna-like face with cheeks
that seemed to have been kissed by the rose petals of old Syria.
Eyes as deep and as clear as the old wells in the Coele Valley—
a mouth as warm and as sweet as the summer zephyrs which
play around the slopes of Lebanon, and a body as straight and
as graceful as a date palm. Such was Froscine. "The Spirit of
Syria", I called her, transplanted and flourishing on American
soil.
Yes, the mystery is still frankly wondered at and discussed.
She vanished one day and never a trace of her has been heard
of since. Everybody has his version of the affair. The fat little
oil merchant, the lace man, the doctor, the lawyer and all the
rest, have some sort of theory about it. Perhaps, you, too, have
heard of the case and have your own particular ideas concerning it. But now I feel it time to state that all those ideas and
theories are quite wrong—and the true story of it is known only
to me. I, the Anglo-Saxon, who sat at the corner table and
listened, quite amused, at the arguments and discussions, am the
only living being who has the true story of Froscine, that is,
I am quite sure it is the true story, and I should like to hear
from any of my readers and get their opinion on my tale. They
may deride and scoff at it, but let me say that I have gone to
considerable expense, and I hope not waste of much valuable
time, to prove my case, and I am telling this little story with
the fear that you will call me a superstitious and ignorant fool,
wmmm
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
but I will put the facts before you and you can deduct from
them what you will and come to your own conclusions. I lay
my reputation before you and you can weigh and judge it as
you will weigh and judge the story—not story, no, for the tale
is true.
Before I unfold the matter before you, I will digress for
the moment and mention to you an historical and recorded fact.
It should allay some of the doubt you might entertain when you
have done with the story. Here is one thing I want you to remember before you condemn my narrative as impossible and ridiculous and consign it to the waste paper basket. It is this.
Somewhat over one hundred and fifty years ago, near the
old city of Damascus, the wife of a well-to-do Syrian merchant
bore him twins. These children were linked together by a cartilage or gristlei at the hips, like the well-known Siamese Twins,
but in the case of the Syrian children the attachment was not hopeless and the doctor separated them a few weeks after the birth.
However, the surgeon's knife could not separate their souls and
they grew to manhood linked in heart and soul, never out of
each other's sight and with a strong and beautiful love for each
other. At the proper time these boys were, sent to Paris, France,
to complete their education. This finished, they entered business
there and prospered. The First Consul had been proclaimed
Emperor by the Senatus Consultum and plans were being made
to crush Syria under the iron heel along with other weak countries, when Cadoudal, Pichegru, the two Polignacs and others
entered into a plot against Napoleon with the object in view, viz,
the restoration of the Bourbons. Naturally, the two Syrians entered into the plot, which was discovered and proclamations
placarded their names, in large letters, on every street corner,
accompanied by the word, "Trattres a la Republique". The
brothers were forced to flee for their lives, but with a goodly
sum of gold they escaped in disguise and returned to their native
land, separating, however, to help the escape. They never met
again, but to the end they kept in touch with each other, lived
and died as all men should, leaving families. Of course, they
changed their names to avoid arrest, even in their own land,
the arm of the emperor being long, but when the "murderer
of Europe" was safe at St. Helena, they resumed their family
name again. Now, bear in mind, the name was Sibyan. The
incident I have, quoted above may seem, at the present moment,
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MARCH, 1928
27
to be vague and involved to you, but I think it will prove my
story beyond a doubt. Let us get ahead with Froscine.
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Froscine's father had been a very good friend of mine and
at his death, I sort of looked after her, or, I should say, she
positively looked after me. I had a studio in New York at the
time, commuting from my home in the country and arriving
there at nine in the morning, I would work until about three
in the afternoon and then go home. Froscine, who held a very
good stenographer's position, would work for me, part time,
getting to the studio sometime after five in the afternoon and
doing odd jobs for me, such as mailing scripts, recording rejections or acceptances, copying plays and that sort of work. Hence,
I rarely saw her, except on Saturdays when we would meet at
one o'clock and spend the rest of the day together, taking in
two performances at the theatres and having dinner in some
little strange eating place. Those were banner days for us. We
both enjoyed them and the scheme of things might have gone
on to no end had not a fatal thing happened. Froscine fell in
love—fell in love suddenly, and to my mind without cause. It
happened in this wise. One Saturday, as we were about to leave
the studio and go to a show, there was a knock at the door. Froscine answered and on the threshold stood one of the most pleasant and wholesome youths I ever saw. In very perfect English
he stated his business. He was a confectioner. The maker of
sweet cakes of all sorts and was soliciting orders to be delivered
twice a week. Would we please taste his wares? And if we
liked his concoctions, would we give him an order? He lifted
the cover of a strange looking basket and there before us on spotless linen were his creations. I recall now that Froscine wasn't
particularly interested in his sweetmeats. Rather did she look
steadily into his face—and after a few words between them, she
gave me the shock of my life by asking him inside. One could
not help liking the boy. What a smile he had. What a smile.
His body was like that of a Greek God, and he was tall for his
race, very tall. We sampled his wares, and as Froscine used to
boss me unmercifully (and I liked it) she ordered cakes for my
particular diet twice a week.
Suddenly, without rhyme or reason, the two burst into their
native tongue. The conversation waxed fast between them, mak-
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TH£ SYRIAN WORLD
ing Froscine and I quite late for the matinee, but I didn't care,
as they seemed so animated and keen toward each other and from
time to time Froscine would throw me a sentence in English and
put me wise to the trend of their conversation. It seemed, by
a strange chance, that they were of the same name—Sibyan—but
probably in no way related, as their parents came from distinct
districts in Syria.
All things must end but love, and so with their first meeting. Amine, that was the boy's name, had customers to seek and
we had a matinee to see. We parted with him and I did not
see Amine for another week. Not so with Froscine. She told
me she saw him every day. It was a true case of love at first
sight. He was her man and she was his woman. There was
no chance of getting away from that fact for either of them.
Love came into their hearts, love all powerful and conquering.
It was thrust upon them without their seeking and they were
dazed by its strength and beauty. The whole affair was beyond
understanding to me. I had never seen anything like it before
and can never hope to again. It was a love that happens once
in a lifetime—five lifetimes. I haven't the words to express it.
It was beyond adjectives. A gift from God. At first it left
me with rather a chilly void in my heart. Something seemed
to have gone out of my life, because Froscine was giving most
of her time to her boy, but my fears were quite groundless, for
instead of having only her I had them both, and the Trinity, as
we dubbed ourselves, spent many a happy hour together.
Matters progressed smoothly. Amine had over seven hundred customers, (his smile was not to be resisted) and had opened a shop, a little shop tucked away on a side street but well
patronized. They were to be married at once and spend their
honeymoon at the studio. Everything was cut and dried.
The three of us were very happy, when America entered
the World War. That awful war which warped men's souls or
ennobled them. Amine did not wait for the draft. He couldn't
nor would Froscine let him. He enlisted—and God only knows
what it cost the two of them. Life ahead of them so clear and
beautiful, but they never hesitated for a moment, even when I
advised it. The die was cast but they would be married at once,
no matter what happened. Arrangements were rushed and there
was need for it as Amine was called to report and given only
twenty-four hours to do so. Twenty-four hours! They were
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�MARCH, 1928
29
married inside of five. Of course I stood up with them. We
returned to the studio where they were to spend the few bridal
hours that were left and I remained only a short time to make
necessary arrangements. I shall never forget those last few hours
I spent with them. They sat together, close, on the big divan,
with the moon shining through the window upon them making
the lovers—mates—appear as one, undivided. The conversation was rather vague to me, outside of the little business matters we had to clear up, but, aside from those, I remember Froscine giving Amine a tiny little cross on a threadlike chain, which
he placed around his wrist, swearing never to remove it. It had
been her mother's. I have, too, a very vivid recollection of a
solemn promise made by Froscine, that, no matter the outcome,
dead or alive, they would seek each other out. A strange vow,
dead or alive. Nothing could part them. God was good. Life
was only life, but love was everything else.
I left them to the few hours they had before he was to go
away. I never saw the boy again. He went away early the next
morning and very soon Froscine and I were back in our regular
routine again with slips of rejections and plays. From the time
Amine went away Froscine wrote to him twice a day. Never a
day was missed and the boy answered in kind. The poor dears
seemed to get a lot of happiness out of life though they were
three thousand miles apart. Absence; the space of ocean wide;
the lonely hours which slowly crept apace could net dim a love
like that, but rather enhanced it, if such a thing were possible.
Days passed into months and the months into years. It seemed
strange to me that the wrorld didn't give up trying during that
harrowing time. It was a surprise to me to see the sun rise every
morning, while such awful things were occurring. Yet men continued to barter and sell. Politicians still lied; men still hated
and loved—and some even laughed. Yet again, some even made
money.
Exactly ten days before the Armistice, I (one of the men
who laughed) had attended a heavy dinner down town, where
heavier wine was served. I tired of it and soon left the place,
which was only around the corner from the studio. A little tipsy
I should call myself, not drunk, but just a trifle too much of
wine, which had gone to my head in the overheated dining room.
Once in the street, tke thought came to me it would be wise,
owing to the several holdups that were occurring at the time,
�30
THE SYRIAN WORLD
that I had better stop at the studio and leave my platinum cuff
links, watch and chain and other trinkets of considerable value,
before I walked across town to the ferryhouse four blocks away.
I would leave them with a note to Froscine. I fancied how pleased she would be when she discovered I had done something she
would want me to do. Her dear old absent minded guardian
remembering to save his valuables from possible footpads.
I opened the door and walked in. There was no light in
the vestibule. I went into the studio proper and switched on
the lights. God of Heaven, I shall never forget that sight.
Froscine was there sprawled out on the floor: her head and shoulders resting against the heavy brass coal box. Her beautiful
hair in gorgeous disarray about her, seemed to be trying with
modesty to protect her. Her eyes were wide open, staring cold
and lifeless ahead. In her left hand was an official looking
document, which I recognized at once as from the War Department. I had seen enough of them to know.
ShQ did not recognize me, could not answer me. Her whole
body seemed turned to stone. I picked her up and carried her
to the couch, then called a doctor friend of mine. He worked
all night over her and at last brought her to normal.
Did I say normal? No. Back to life but not normal. For
three months the poor girl hovered between life and death.
Silent and still. Never a word from her, but I felt that she
was going to live 5 that she wanted to live—for some serious object—I knew not what. At last, one day, she arose from the
bed and dressed. Still beautiful, even with her deep set eyes,
hollow cheeks and wasted form. A few articles she packed in
a bag, then she turned to me and said:
"I'll go to Amine, now. He needs me."
Instantly, I feared that she intended to do away with herself.
"Don't do anything so foolish, my child." And as gently
as possible I added:
"Amine would not want you to do that."
She smiled at me wanly.
"You mistake me, dear friend. I will do nothing like you
think.
She mused: "What would be the good?"
And she cryptically added: "It won't be long, now, anyway."
"What won't be long?" I asked mystified.
MM
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�MARCH, 1928
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"They cannot keep us apart. We have promised. I sail
for France. Will
will you see me off?"
There was no use arguing with her. She must sail for
France, and sail she did. I stood on the dock and watched the
ship disappear over the horizon, with the tingle of her warm
and chaste kiss still on my lips. That's the last I ever saw of
Froscine in life and that's the answer to the mystery of her disappearance. But that's not the end of my story.
*
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They reached the brow of the hill—the man and woman—
and reciprocally paused for rest. The man removed the cigarette from his lips and pointed the stained and wet end in a
vague manner towards the fast setting sun and spoke.
"It was there, Madame." He gazed at her keenly, expecting a correction by word or sign concerning the madame, but the
woman remained silent and still. He continued:
"It was there. You observe the stone wall? Oui? You
also see the large grey rock where the wall ends? There is a
brook there. At the end of the rock, reaching the water's edge,
is where—where it happened."
He replaced the cigarette in his mouth, puffing contentedly, as if to convey the impression that his information was given
—his work done and it was now the woman's move. Still she
was silent, her eyes fixed steadily on the spot he had indicated.
The man impatiently continued:
"Night is well on us, Madame—and I have passengers—
a bridal couple, to convey to Messincourt by nine—bridal couples
should not be disappointed with all the happy years before them."
He paused a second for a reply but none came, then he
continued— "We are twelve miles from Sachby—will Madame
be so gracious
" The woman seemed to come to life. She
spoke with a strained voice, "The water's edge—at the rock, you
say?"
"Oui, Madame, but nothing was found of him. Not a
button. The shell struck at his feet. The rest of us had fallen
prone, but not he. As a shell bursts fan-shaped w'e escaped, but
he "
"Take this," she almost whispered. She handed him her
full purse, "There is more than enough. Please go—and thank
you"
�32
THE SYRIAN WORLD
The man looked with surprised pleasure at the small but
well stuffed hand bag and then at the woman.
"But, Madame," he objected, yet secreting it in some mysterious pocket under his smock, "you without
er
but
shall I wait for you?"
The woman's eyes had returned their gaze to the rock. I
will have no use for the gold—or for you. You may return
to Sachby."
"As you say, Madame," returned the man, backing towards
the road they had just left. "If Madame finds herself without accommodations, Jean Richard will no doubt lodge her. That
is he, with his two sisters, working in the field beyond the wall."
She glanced toward the three peasants, hoeing lettuce in
the other field. They were working fast, as the lights were turning to black and grey shadows. She answered the man without
looking at him, "I will need no accommodations," then with a
cryptic smile she added, "Return for me in the morning. I |
shall be somewhere near the rock."
"Oui, Madame." He definitely decided that she was crazy.
Fool, that he had been, himself, not to have suspected before.
This tall, dark woman, dressed entirely in black, who seemed
dead all over, save her burning eyes, which were live enough to
drag the rest of her through life itself. She had sought him
out only that morning at Sachby and without any preliminaries,
asked his name—his company and regiment during the war—
and his part of a small skirmish that had taken place near Sachby.
She had brought a letter from headquarters in Paris, so he had
answered all her questions readily enough. Yes, he had reached
Sedan with the American troops after the Hindenberg line had
been broken. Yes, he, as a Frenchman, had been assigned to
such and such company. One or two Frenchmen had been placed
with each company of American troops, to show them the ropes.
Yes. Yes. Yes. He remembered Amine Sibyan, very well.
Nice boy. Wore a gold cross on a small chain around his wrist.
Yes, he knew exactly where he had been killed, but it was useless for Madame to go there. Nothing was found of him. Was
Madame Amine's sister? Yes, yes, he would convey her to the
spot on the morrow. Not today, Madame, it was too late. Time
for supper, nearly. Yet if Madame insisted he would go_ with
her now, but nothing could be seen in the dusk of the evening—
and it would cost her eighty francs. Petrol was so very dear,
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�MARCH, 1928
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and there was just enough in the tank to take them to the spot
and back—the spot where Amine Sibyan had so unfortunately
been blown to pieces, ever so little pieces. Not a button was
left of him. Those things would happen. He had seen it occur many times during the war.
And so he had brought this strange and ghostly woman to
the place—and she intended to remain through the night. Very
well, let her, but he intended to hide behind the large Lombardy
Poplar and find out just what crazy thing she was up to. From his
place of concealment he saw the woman descend the hill slowly,
her eyes fixed seemingly on the rock he had indicated. When
she reached the spot, she lifted her face toward the sky, her
arms upraised, too, as if she were praying—or, perhaps, giving
thanks for something—yes, that is what it was, for the next instant she was on her knees at the rock, groping through the grass
with her hands, as if searching for something. This seemed to
the man in hiding to take a long time and he was about to stop
his spying, go to his car and drive back to Sachby and the wedding couple, when suddenly the woman stopped her search. She
sat on the grass, her upper body nesting against the rock. A tired
resignation, yet triumphant attitude, told him that she had been
successful in her search—whatever it was for. She laid there
as still as death. Then the watcher was attracted by the actions
of Jean the peasant and his two sisters. Jean, with a cry, pointed toward the wall in an agitated manner with his hoe and the
girls stood transfixed with awe and fear. They could not see
the woman in black. The watcher was sure of that, because the
wall and rock hid her completely from the lettuce workers, hence,
what was causing the stir in the other field? The two girls,
dropping their implements, backed down the row of lettuce, then
turned and ran, Jean following them at a more dignified gait.
The watcher came from his hiding place to meet them and hailed them cheerfully, so as not to frighten the girls, who seemed
to be at their wits' end. The little group reached him.
"God of Heaven," Jean panted, "but we have just seen
something—saw it with our own eyes." The girls were crying
softly with fright.
"Yes, Monsieur," said the man from Sachby, noncommittingly. "With our own eyes," Jean repeated. "A soldier in an
American uniform and a woman dressed in black appeared from
behind the wall near the old grey rock—appeared, I say, and
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
34
walked toward the sun-strange-strange-they were ghosts,
I am sure, for they walked right into the setting sun and disappeared again." He paused, pearing through the gloom at the
man from Sachby in a threatening manner, as if to dare his disbelief. "Do you believe me? Ask Sophie and Annetta, here.
i
1
They
ThaeVwaltrand rock were now hidden in the darkness of
night. The man did not answer. He turned to the road toward
HlS
^iTeinhTtruth," insisted Jean. "We saw them, arm in
arm, like lovers, young and true lovers, walk into the sun.
The man turned to answer him. "Perhaps your imagination,
or the black bread you eat. Get into my car and I will drive
you to your cotta.ee." So they went their way
The next morning the woman was found dead—just as the
man had seen her last. Her face was so beautiful in death with
a heavenly smile that seemed to promise her so much in^ that
mysterious life that is to come. Nothing was found on the wo"an to identify her, save in her left hand tightly d..sped to
her heart, was a little gold cross on a thread-like chain of gold.
They buried her with it—neath the rock.
I if
at /
m
i
\
Arab Proverbs
Two things only those who have lost appreciate most: Youth
and Health.
Better be silent until you are asked to speak, than speak
until you are asked to be silent.
The wise man is he who makes his own breast the repository of his secrets.
Poor sight is not so much of a shortcoming when one is
blessed with insight.
To ask for undeserving praise is the worst presumption.
The supposition of the learned man is superior to the assertion of the ignorant one.
.
'
-.:
:
M ' --
.
:.:..
i
�MARCH, 1928
35
The Clemency of Mu'awiyah
His Great Forbearance with Zarqa, the Koufite woman Who
Exhorted the Followers of (Ali to Resist Him.
ADAPTED FROM THE ARABIC.
The years immediately following the death of the Prophet
Mohammed were turbulent days for Islam. The issue of succession led to bloody warfare among his followers even though
they were relentlessly pursuing their ever widening plan of conquest. Mu'awiyah had firmly established himself in Syria and
was formulating his plans for a world empire. He was not only
an able general but a master statesman and administrator. He
contested the right of 'Ali to the Khilafat and resolutely went
to war in defense of his claim. The Day of Saffeen, in which
was waged the great battle which was to decide the issue, witnessed one of the bloodiest, most desperate engagements in the annals of the Arabs. Mu'awiyah won and firmly established his
rule* in Damascus. For nearly a hundred years the dynasty which
he founded was master of the destinies of the Islamic Empire
which had expanded to a larger extent than that of the Roman
Empire at the height of its power. Even during the lifetime
of Mu'awiyah most of the conquests were accomplished.
Following the battle of Saffeen, Mu'awiyah one day called
to him his principal lieutenants and supporters to discuss matters of state. The conversation naturally ran first into reminiscences of the signal victory achieved. Some of those present
were bitter in their denunciation of the instigators of the struggle and those responsible for the continuation of the battle after
the preliminary stages. They all agreed that had it not been
for the impassioned appeal of a certain Koufite woman of the
opposing camp the battle would not have lasted so long or taken such a heavy toll in blood.
"I well recall," said a member of the council, "how this
woman, mounted on a conspicuously red camel, harangued the
enemy and urged him on to battle. She is the Zarqa, daughter
of Adee and hails from Al-Koufa. She was indefatiguable on
\
-
ssSSffiS»»iS&teJ&S
�—* —
36
*
—
gflfajf
THE SYRIAN WORLD
the day of Saffeen. Wherever the lines of the enemy wavered
she drove her camel to their midst and steadied them. Her
words carried such magic force that the cowards were inspired
by them to new courage, those attempting to flee were turned
back to fight and the scattering ranks of the enemy were held
together so much longer. But for her, the friends of 'Ah would
have never resisted our onslaught for the length of time they
did or caused us so much loss."
All those present who had taken part in the memorable
battle acquiesced in the statement of the speaker, and in reply
to Mu'awiyah's question as to what they would advise should
be done to Zarqa, all favored putting her to death.
But the wise Mu'awiyah was indignant at such counsel.
«Fi on you and your ill advice," he said in reply. "Would you
have me, in the consciousness of my power, wreak vengeance on
a woman because of her loyalty to a doomed cause? Such, by
Allah, shall never be." And Mu'awiyah forthwith summoned
his secretary and dictated a letter to his agent in Al-Kouta ordering, him to have Zarqa sent to him to Damascus with some ot
the principal men of her tribe and that all should be provided
on the way with all possible conveniences of travel. Mu awiyah
was determined to again show the magnanimity of character, the
clemency, the benevolent statesmanship which made his reign
one of the most glorious periods of early Islam.
At the appointed time Zarqa reached Damascus and appeared before Mu'awiyah who greeted her most kindly and inquired after her comfort during the journey. The preliminary courtesies over, he asked her if she knew the reason he had sent tor
her and if she had entertained any fears, to which she replied
that she was at the mercy of the Caliph for him to dispose ot
her in accordance with his conception of justice.
"I have sent for you," said Mu'awiyah, "to ascertain from
vou if you were the woman who rode the red camel in the battle of Saffeen and harangued the followers of 'Ali to fight against
me, causing thereby so much more bloodshed among the faithful'?"
"Truth cannot be denied," replied Zarqa.
"But what prompted you to such an act?" again asked Mu'awiyah. ^^ ^ ^ Faithful," she replied, "the head has
n9w been severed and the body mutilated, so why revive dis-
I
�MARCH, 1928
if
cussion in a subject that is only iiabie to cause sorrow and pain?
Just as night succeeds day, so do events succeed one another and
bring about different conditions. Whosoever gives a little thought
to different matters will not fail to discover the reasons thereof."
"What you have stated is all true, O aunt," said Mu'awiyah.
"But I would like, to have you repeat your harangues to the followers of 'Ali on the day of Saffeen. Can you recall them?"
"No," she replied.
"Then let me repeat them as best as I can recall that you
may be the judge of their authenticity. You were heard to say:
'O men, candle light cannot eclipse the sun, nor the rays of the
stars dim the brightness of the moon. You know that the mule
cannot outdistance the fleet horse, and that only iron is strong
enough to break iron. You are now fighting for a sacred and
just cause. Let anyone ask us our stand and we shall tell him
that Truth was seeking its course and has now found it in our
defense of our cause. Now you who claim the distinction of
being Immigrants and the Supporters of the Prophet, can you
not see that Justice has been established and that Truth has prevailed? Can it be that the righteous should be on a parity with
wrongdoers and the believers stand on equality with the unbelievers? To battle, then, in defense of right and justice, and
let your stand be that of men who are not found wanting in
courage! Fear you to be smeared with blood? Why, blood is
the ornamental dye of men just as henna is the ornamental dye
of women. Hold then your ground and let not the cohorts of
usurpation and injustice overcome you, for this is the day that
is pregnant with all the possibilities of the future, after which
there shall be no other day in which to retrieve a lost opportunity!'"
Having thus quoted the woman's words, Mu'awiyah asked
her if the quotation was correct, and upon receiving from her
an affirmative reply he said to her: "By your own admission, O
Zarqa, you have become a partner to 'Ali in all the blood he has
shed."
But to the surprise of Mu'awiyah and all those present, the
woman replied: "May Allah amply reward you, O Prince of
the Faithful, for the extremely good news you have just imparted to me in classing me with 'Ali. Truly, you are the fit
bearer of joyful tidings and the one who knows exactly what
most pleases his guests."
�I
THE SYRIAN WORLD
38
And upon recovering from his surprise, Mu'awiyah, still
the patient, forbearing, wise ruler he was reputed to be, asked
her: "Have my remarks truly caused you joy, and you would
feel" proud in sharing with 'All all the responsibility of the blood
he has spilled while fighting me, I who now show you such consideration?"
"Aye, by Allah," replied the woman, "your words have
pleased me exceedingly and I only wish that they could be made
" Mu'awiyah would want no more proof of the loyalty of
Zarqa to her chosen cause, but instead of wreaking vengeance on
her he expressed his admiration for her in no uncertain terms.
"By Allah," he said, "I admire more your loyalty to 'Ah after
his death than your love for him when he was alive. State now,
O Zarqa, your wants and they shall be granted."
But Zarqa would not state her wants. She seemed to further aggravate matters by saying that she had vowed not to ask
a favor of anyone save 'Ali.
"But do you know," said Mu'awiyah, "that many of those
who have checked up on your actions advised me to put you to
"Had you followed their advice, O Prince of the Faithful,"
she said, "you would have degraded yourself to their mean natures and lowly station."
_
"This we shall never do," replied the wise Caliph. Rather,
we shall pardon you and grant you our most favored protecL
* At this great display of forbearance, the haughty spirit of
the woman gave way to an expression of extreme gratefulness
and appreciation, and she replied: "O Prince of the Faithful,
this is but another indication of your great magnanimity. It is
only the likes of you who substitute forgiveness for revenge,
who overlook human faults and who give without being asked.
Whereupon, the great Mu'awiyah ordered that the woman
be given money and clothes in large quantities, that she should be
escorted back safely to her home city, that all her tribe be treated with consideration, and that she should be alloted, for lite,
the revenue of a plantation which amounted to sixteen thousand
dirhams annually.
�MARCH, 1928
39
NOTES AND COMMENTS
By
A
THE EDITOR
of honest service has the salutary effect of
stimulating the desire to continue, to improve, and to increase.
This about represents our reaction to the many expressions of
approval received over the service being rendered by THE SYRIAN WORLD. It more than repays for the unsatisfactory financial return in the publication of the magazine.
And what is more gratifying
is the fact that appreciation
comes not only from individuals but from public bodies as
well. We can point with pride
to the fact that many organizations and patriotic groups not
only in the United States but
abroad also have shown tangible
proof of their appreciation by
making gift subscriptions to editors, legislators, government
officials and others whom it is
to the interest of Syrians to enlighten on their past history
and present conditions.
But the service of THE SYRIAN WORLD seems to be destined to cover a much wider field
than that confined to its English-speaking readers. The appreciation 'of some Arabic editors of the distinct value of the
original contributions appearing
PPRECIATION
in the publication is what makes
this possible. This is best illustrated in the case of AL-HODA,
the oldest and most widely circulated Arabic paper in America and one of the foremost in
the world. Mr. N. A. Mokarzel, editor1 of AL-HODA, proves
his appreciation of the quality
of our subject matter by having
whole series of articles translated and republished in his paper,
giving thereby double value to
the service THE SYRIAN WORLD
is rendering.
We point to this fact with a
certain degree of elation because
we see in it proof that our labor
is bearing fruit of a certain
kind. So far we cannot testify
truthfully to receiving the hoped for amount of popular support. It was on that account
that we asked for a referendum
on the question of the subject
matter of the magazine. What
was determined by the replies
was that the policy and purpose
of the publication were overwhelmingly approved by the
educated class, but unfortunately this class, in point of numbers, is proportionately small.
What they can do,—what they
are doing,—is to consider themselves partners in the enterprise
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
countrymen to collective action.
He personally attended the
trial before Judge Smith in
Charleston and had several
private interviews with him.
Now, apropos of the publication in THE SYRIAN WORLD of
a historical review of the case,
Mr. Mokarzel writes reminiscently of an interesting conversation which he had with Judge
Smith on the ethnological qualifications of the Syrians for adJVAR. N. A. MOKARZEL, editor mission to America and their
of AL-HODA, contributes an eligibility for citizenship. On
interesting detail to the history general grounds, Mr. Mokarof the fight which the Syrians of zel reminded the judge that
the United States waged to es- the Syrians were a branch of
tablish their eligibilityf or Amer- the Semitic race and that Christ
can citizenship. As can be de- was a Semite. "Would the
duced from the history of the learned judge, therefore, excase given by Mr. Jos. W. Fer- clude from America the racial
ris, the fight was precipitated by kins of the One who gave to
the obstinacy of Judge Henry America its very religion?"
A. M. Smith in refusing to, adMr. Mokarzel states that
mit that Syrians were free white
persons within the meaning of there was no hesitation on the
the naturalization law. That part of the judge in declaring
was in 1914, and the Syrians emphatically that "If Christ
all over the country were arous- Himself were to apply for cited as never before in their his- izenship he would deny it to
tory to defend their national Him."
Quite a strong statement inhonor. They wanted to prove
deed.
The judge must have
themselves deserving of the
high privilege of becoming made it during the heat of argument in a moment of extreme
Americans.
A leader in the fight at that vexation. We would not at
time was Mr. N. A. Mokarzel. this late moment bring him to
Both through his influential pa- bar; for having delivered himper and by his personal efforts self of an expression so irrehe helped crystallize Syrian sponsible. But it is interesting
public opinion and arouse his to learn the extent of passion
so that financial returns will
make possible the continuation
and the widening of the service
—this service which is considered by them indispensable. In
time, we hope, we shall be able
to announce that the business
side of the enterprise is proving
equal to the appreciation it is
now receiving from the educated class.
'
I
H
�MARCH, 1928
which prompted the jurist to
assume the attitude which precipitated the controversy. At
that' time there had been no revival of the Ku Klux Klan
movement, but those were the
smouldering fires which were
destined to burst into flame
later.
41
he treats the subject mainly
from the American, Western,
point of view.
We feel sure our readers will
enjoy the short stories of Mr.
Ford as much, or even more,
than they enjoyed his serial,
"Anna Ascends", which was
published in the original play
form as it was given on the
And what
J-JARRY CHAPMAN FORD, who New York stage.
should
be
of
particular
interest
is well known to readers of
is
that
we
have
Mr.
Ford's
THE SYRIAN WORLD, contributes to this issue an original promise to contribute liberally
short story which savors much of these fine stones in the fuof the spiritual and mystical. ture.
We can well imagine that Mr.
Ford's account is not that of QLOZEL and its vicinity have
an actual experience. His fersucceeded in gaining a good
tile imagination as an author deal of publicity. Perhaps the
and playwright may well be American press did not care to
depended upon to supply a plot. publish about the incident conBut it is interesting to study his nected with that French town
trend of mind in the roles he other than the details of the
assigns to the Syrian heroines scientific pontroversy which split
of his plays and stories. He the learned men of Europe into
is always picturing them of two hostile camps. Otherwise
highly intellectual and educa- we would have learned long
tional aspirations. A few im- since some of the reputed causes
aginary circumstances are, of for the perpetration of the
course, necessary to lend at- great hoax.
mosphere and complete the
We now learn from the Syrscheme, as, for instance, in the ian press, which in turn claims
case of the waitress in "Anna to have gained its information
Ascends" and the part time from the European press, that
stenographer in Greenwich Vil- those originally responsible for
lage. But we may be sure that the Glozel incident had carethe author's object is to bring fully engineered the scheme
out the finer intellectual quali- for purposes of publicity. They
ties of the Syrian girl as he has were interested in promoting
come to understand her, albeit the locality as a winter resort,
�"'wmii i
'j
42
and to add to its many attractions they concocted the scheme
of making it a suitable field
for archaeological research.
If this be true, little did the
sponsors of the move dream
that their scheme would lead to
such a bitter controversy where
scientists of rank are now concerned more in the vindication
of their reputations than in the
intrinsic virtues of the place.
The way matters seem to be
now going, the dispute is bound
to be settled in court.
As descendants of the old
and honorable Phoenicians,
whose great contributions to
civilization are being challenged
by the Glozelians at such a late
hour, we can but assume a policy of watchful waiting.
It
seems/ unnecessary for us to put
up any defense of the claims
of our ancestors, as developments in the Glozel controversy seem to amply take care of
that, the latest development
being that a sudden raid on a
certain farm in Glozel by an
anti-Glozelian savant and seven
officers of the law yielded unmistakable evidence that some
of the discoveries bore inscriptions of very modern origin.
The spurious nature of the finds
is not contested by the Glozelians, but they ascribe it to underhanded methods by their
opponents to discredit them.
So, in the end, both the pros
THE SYRIAN WORLD
and cons are reaching a point
where they will both agree that
beneath the whole affair there
is a streak of fraud.
There is an Arabic adage
that says: "Let pottery break
up itself." The moral of this
is that pottery being fragile,
hollow and possessing no inherent strength, will wreak easy
destruction upon itself when it
collides. This seems to be the
destiny of Glozelian aspirations,
while the claims of the Phoenicians seem to be moulded of
something much more substantial than baked clay.
of economic possibilities in Syria and Lebanon
cannot fail to appreciate the
value of the articles contributed
by our countryman Mr. George
Knaysi, of Cornell University,
and of which the one published
in this issue is the last of the
series. Mr. Knaysi is eminently qualified to give an expert
opinion, and he gives it without reservation, on the possibilities of dairy farming in Syria.
Just as the writer suggests, this
may prove to be a most profitable enterprise for the investment of capital. But technical
knowledge is also required and
that is where the scientific
training of such men as Mr.
Knaysi should prove to be most
valuable.
CTUDENTS
�MARCH, 1928
43
Spirit of the Syrian Press
I
Under this caption we hope to present from time to time a microcoamic picture of the Arabic press, not only in this country, but wherever
Arabic dailies and magazines reflect the opinions of responsible, thinking
writers who are treating the different problems that confront the Arabicspeaking world from all conceivable angles. Needless to say, we will take
no part in the discussions reproduced, nor assume any responsibility. Our
task will simply consist in selecting, to the best of our knowledge and
with utmost sincerity, what we think is representative of the public opinion as expressed in these editorials.
Editor.
HOW
THEY UNDERSTAND
AMERICANISM
in the nation of which he has "become" a part, even though he were
to sew the naturalization certificate
into his skin!
You who have just been invested
with the new cloak of Americanism;
Go to any museum and ascertain
who belittle yourselves and your anfor
yourselves how the Americans
cestors; who mock of your customs
take
so much pains in preserving
and traditions; who make no secret
of your disgust with life and cir- everything Oriental, be it of manucumstances simply because you were scripts, statues, extiles, books, coins
not born in a country other than and all other objects of art. Can
Syria, we ask you to check your you not stand before these relics
speed a little and give matters some and recall that you are the descendants of a people who were the misconsideration.
Tarry, O please tarry a while and sionaries and apostles of civilization
reflect on the folly of your actions, and progress to the whole world
for what you are doing is altogether in their days ? While you who were
foreign to the true spirit of Amer- not able to regain your lost glory
icanism. Can you not realize that have scattered in all parts of the
Americanism which requires the world adopting now the citizenship
renunciation of your former citi- of this country, and then that of
zenship and allegiance does not the other, much like water which
necessarily require that you renounce takes on the color of the vase in
also the virtues of your race and which it is placed.
whatever you have of worthy cusVerily we say unto you, now, totoms and traditions? Can you not morrow and forever, that he who
see that this nation which you so fails to find in the history of a coungreatly admire is composed of noth- try such as Syria sufficient cause
ing less than various racial elements for pride in the face of the whole
extracted from the Old World from world, will not be of much gain to
which you also have come?
Americanism in such a case. Be*** The man who fails to appre- cause every true American is a true
ciate the beauty spots of the nation man, and the true man is he who
of which he "was" a part may nev- loves the beautiful wherever it is
er be expected to detect these spots found. Hence, the Syrian who is
�44
ashamed to proclaim in public his
racial origin will only give cause
to America to be ashamed of him.
Respect yourselves, then, you
who do not understand the true
American spirit either in whole or
in part.
And you may well be sure that
if you are unable to feel proud in
being Syrians you will be equally
unable to feel proud that you are
Americans.
(Meraat-Ul-Gharb, N. Y.,
Feb. 14, 1928.
PURITY OF LEBANESE BLOOD
There is a sprinkling of foreign blood in every nation, but the
Lebanese are among those nations
whose blood is purest, and this because of a manifest reason: They
were never in the direct course of
conquerors in their sweep over the
country, but were always at a safe
distance, entrenched in the fastness
of their mountainous strongholds.
Even Alexander the Great would not
attack Lebanon because of the
strength of character of its inhabitants and the resoluteness of their defense of their mountain. The Egyptians, Chaldeans and others followed
the same course in the ebb and tide of
their military movements and were
satisfied at all times to seek their
way along the shores, at the base of
the mountain, refraining from any
attempt at subduing the inhabitants
by a determined pursuit to the summits.
(Al-Hoda, N. Y., Feb. 23, 1928.)
IN MEMORY OF WASHINGTON
We Orientals mays well profit
of the three outstanding characteristics of Washington: his loyalty,
sacrifice and perseverence.
THE SYRIAN WORLD
How salutary it would be for our
leaders to forget everything but
these three virtues and take them
as their guiding torch in the service
of the nation. Then it would be possible for us to point out the leader
and say: "Behold the Washington
of the East and the honest servant
of his people," instead of simply
saying: "This is the great leader,
the pen and sword wielder... etc."
And well may our pseudo-leaders
remember that it would have been
possible for Washington to have
himself declared king with the right
of succession reposing in his heirs,
but he resolutely refused, while they
only use their avowal of patriotism
as a means for obtaining appointment to office or seeking personal
gain.
They would do well to learn a lesson in nobility of character from
Washington when he wrote on the
occasion of his election to the presidency: "I feel as though I were a
condemned man being led to execution."
(As-Sayeh, N. Y., Feb. 20, 1928.)
THE CHRISTIAN POWERS
FAVOR MOHAMMEDANS
Fidelity to truth compells us to
state that the Christian powers,
without exception, favor the Mohammedans and show extreme solicitude for their interests whether
they be in Syria, Arabia, Russia,
Afghanistan, or any other country.
Christians, therefore, who lull
themselves into the belief that this
or the other of the Christian Powers will give them protection and
champion their interests are laboring under false hopes.
Every one of the Christian Powers
is bent on the promotion of its
I
�MARCH, 1928
own interests and will sell the
cause of the Christians who
place their hopes in her at the cheapest price when it comes to a question
of self interest.
You say that the English protect
the Christians. Pray, can anyone be
blind to the partiality of the English to the Mohammedans? Who,
then, furnished the Druzes with
arms and ammunition in their last
revolt ? Would it have been possible
for the Druzes to procure arms
from outside of Syria had it not
been for the helping hand of the
British?
»1
And the French. Do you think
they are much better than the English in this respect? Study them
in Syria and find out for yourselves
how they sell a thousand Christians
for the mere smile of a Druze or
Moslem leader. Just see how they
treat the notorious Druze rebel, Ali
Oryan, while they turn a deaf ear
to the piteous appeals of the Christian sufferers of Druze barbarities.
The same applies to all other
Christian Powers, including Germany
and Italy, Who can forget the stand
Emperor William took with the Mohammedans ? His words at the tomb
of Saladdin in Damascus in which
he challengd the right of Christians
to remain in Mohammedan countries
are history.
It behooves you, then, O Christians of Syria, to be courageous and
firm in the defense of your national
interests and to place no dependence
upon this or that power because,
as the adage goes, none can better
scratch your skin than your own
nail. And if you do not rise in defense of your own rights your cause
will be surely lost and you will be
facing certain destruction.
(Syrian Eagle, N.Y., Feb. 10, 1928.)
45
OUR STAND IN THE
CONTROVERSY
There remains no further excuse
for us in maintaining silence. AlBayan is with the revolution on an
-ancompromising stand.
Why do some simple-hearted people want us to assume a passive attitude when we find anarchy rampant in the ranks of the revolutionary workers? There is not a mail
from abroad but is filled with circulars from this or that faction each
denouncing the other and blaming
it for the continuation of the controversy.
Now that we have pursued these
circulars and acquainted ourselves
with the causes of dissension among
the ranks of the Nationalists, we
can categorically declare that the
failure of peace negotiations must
be placed directly at the doors of
the Lutfallahs and their followers.
We would not hesitate, therefore,
to declare that complete separation
from these people is imperative.
How long do those who counsel
silence want us to maintain an impartial attitude? They would want
us to suppress the facts from our
readers for fear of arousing the
ire of our enemies. This we shall
not do in the face of all that we
read in the Egyptian press of what
is going on abroad. We declare ourselves unequivocally to be on the
side of those whose say should be
the first in such matters, and they
are those who persevered in the
field incurring daily danger and untold privations, and not those who
live in Egypt and Palestine enjoying all luxuries of life from riding
automobiles to sleeping in silken
beds...
Is it possible that thousands of
valiant patriots should be undergo-
�SSHHB
46
THE SYRIAN WORLD
ing the direst privations and the however, that a cable was sent to
constant dangers of warfare in the the Committee from Detroit conveydesert, while others are safely lodg- ing the decision of the New Syria
ed amid the luxuries of civilization, Party in America to revoke its auand that the latter should claim thor zation of Toufic Yazegy to repthat the say is thoirs and the shap- resent it before the Committee.
ing of national policies their privil- (Yazegy was a delegate to the conege? And in face of all that they vention of the New Syria Party in
would have the brazenness of de- Detroit in 1927.) While another
claring that they have deposed the cable communication was sent the
Syrian Delegation in Europe and Committee from Argentine forbidcable the League of Nations that ding Dr. Shahbandar from reprethey would soon send to Europe a senting the Arab National Party of
new delegation to represent the Syr- Argentine so long as there was division in the ranks of the Nationalian Nationalist Party?
Thisr indeed, is more than could ists.
In view of these facts, we find
be borne with honor. It is for this
reason that we cannot agree with ourselves unable to adhere to any
those who would have us maintain policy of silence. We have seen
silence. And why the silence when enough acts of bad faith calculated
news of the dissension between the to bring injury to the Nationalist
Nationalists has covered the earth. cause. We therefore believe it is
To mainta-n silence in view of the our duty to stand by the faction
situation would be construed as rank Which is true to the cause and is
prosecuting the struggle for the
cowardice.
One of the most ridiculous acts liberation of the country. We are
of the Lutfallahs and their clique with the delegation which for years
was their deposition of Sultan Pasha has represented the cause in Europe
Atrash as leader of the Syrian re- competently and honorably and
volution. In one of the statements whech is composed of Emir Shakib
given out by the Syrian Bureau of Arslan, Ihsan Bey Jabiry and Riadh
Information in Cairo, the agency of Boy Sulh. We will not recognize any
the Lutfallahs, we read the follow- other which the Lutfallahs may aping: "The Executive Committee of point to enter into bargaining negothe Syrian Revolutionary Party does tiations with France to the detrinot recognize a man by the name ment of the country. The Lutfallahs
of Sultan Atrash or one by the name have no object in view but to exof Adel Arslan, nor does it recog- ploit the Revolution to their own
nize the existence of the so-called benefit. They would give all the
committee of the revolutionary victims of the Revolution as a price
for a throne in Lebanon.
high command."
(Al-Bayan, N. Y., Feb. 20, 1928.)
In another statement the Bureau
announces that it is in receipt of
WHY IS IMMIGRATION
cable advices from Europe, America
RESTRICTED
and Syria approving the action of
*** It is not conceivable that the
the Committee in revoking the auUnited States should harm itself
thority of the Syrian Delegation in
in order to accommodate the immiEurope to represent it.
grants who are flowing into it from
The facts of the situation are,
ft
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\
�MARCH, 1928
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all parts of the world. Economic
conditions in the country are not
what could be desired, and to permit unrestricted immigration would
only tend to make them worse.
The United States could not be
held to blame for adopting this
policy any more than England,
France, Italy or Germany. We hear
no voice raised in protest against
any of these countries.
Is it not strange that the Syrian,
for instance, should blame the United States for barring him from entry into the country and not blame
his own government or that of the
Mandatory Power which heaps indignities upon him and drives him
out of his own country while letting
down the bars and permitting the
influx of shiftless strangers to come
and establish permanent homes in
the land, as is the case with the
Jews in Palestine and the Armenians in Lebanon?
(Meraat-Ul-Gharb, N. Y.,
Feb. 8, 1928.)
f
/
.
*
',
AS IN THE EAST,
SO IN THE WEST
Our steamer stopped at Charleston, W. Va., on its way to Jacksonville» Fla. Here the tourist is treated to a strange sight. No sooner
does the ship weigh anchor than the
longshoremen swarm about dancing
the Charleston and vociferously asking for tips. When small change is
thrown to them they scramble for it
like a pack of street urchins. Some
even go to dangerous limits in leaning over the dock to catch a piece
of money thrown to them.
Nothing worse than this is seen
in any of the ports of the East.
Where in the East poverty-stricken urchins clamor for the "bakshish"
we find here in Charleston men who
receive good wages for their day's
47
work stoop to this low level.
Though the subject may seem
trivial, I feel I owe this in defense
of the East against the preposterous
representations of some American
tourists and missionaries who feel
no scruples in exaggerating what
they witness of these superficial incidents in the East with the object
of promoting their own personal interests and creating a market for
their books.
Nations are not judged by their
longshoremen and urchins, nor by
their muleteers, camel-drivers and
even dragomen.
Every nation has its intrinsic
character which should be sought on
its proper throne and in its native
abode, and not in alleys and by-ways,
or in the plains and the forests of
the country.
(Al-Hoda, N. Y., Feb. 20, 1928.)
SELF-INTEREST VS.
PATRIOTISM
The clift in the ranks of the Syrian Nationalists, as represented by
the Executive Council of the SyroPalestinian Committee, gives us a
sorry lesson in patriotism as against
self-interest.
Although we differed with this
committee in principle, we had cherished the hope that this might be
the forerunner of a new era in collective action among the Syrians.
It has now become evident that
at the bottom of all these efforts
there was the motive of personal
benefit. Even Emir Shakib Arslan
had proposed terms of a treaty with
France which M. de Jouvenel thought
preposterous. Now we are treated
to some revelations which make us
despair of any such hopes as we
had previously cherished.
(As-Sayeh, N. Y.f Feb. 16, 1928.)
�•—
THE SYRIAN WORLD
48
About Syria and Syrians
he spent visiting historical places
of interest in the city and in the
afternoon attended the military review held in his honor.
President of Republic Takes Part in
Nine o'clock in the evening was
Ceremony at the Syrianthe time set for his visit to the
Lebanese Club.
Syrian-Lebanese Club. He was received at the door by the President,
The Syrian-Lebanese colony of Mr. Naman Turk, and other officers
Santo Domingo feel justly proud of of the organization and escorted to
the distinction of being the only the main reception hall under a
foreign group in that capital to have triumphal arch entwined with AmerColonel Chas. Lindbergh pay them ican, Dominican and Lebanese flags.
a special visit at their club rooms
Ten minutes later the President
while in the city, on Feb. 4. The of the Republic appeared in person
description of the event as given by unannounced and unexpected at the
the secretary of the club and pub- club rooms of the Syrian-Lebanese
lished in some of the Arabic papers Club to the great embarrassment of
of New York runs as follows:
the officers and members who were
Saturday, Feb. 3, word was receiv- profuse In their apologies for not
ed that Col. Lindbergh would take having received the President in
off from San Juan, Porto Rico, for proper ceremony. The President,
Santo Domingo and immediately the however, said that he decided he
capital was astir with preparations would take part in the reception of
for his reception. He arrived on the Syrian-Lebanese colony to Col.
schedule and was welcomed to the Lindbergh in testimony of his percity and country by the President sonal esteem both for the hosts and
of the Republic and high officials of their guest.
the government.
The Club had a special medal
The public celebrations staged struck in honor of Col. Lindbergh
for the visiting King of the Air which was pinned on his breast by
were memorable. When he was es- the president. The medal bore on
corted to the American Legation one side the date of Col. Lindbergh's
there was a procession in his honor visit and on the other the official
in which thousands of young women emblem of the Club, the Cedar of
took part in the most alluring cos- Lebanon. Accompanying the medal
tumes.
was a scroll testifying that the ColNext morning, Col. Lindbergh at- onel was elected an honorary memtended a special service at the old ber of the Club for life.
church of the Holy Virgin which was
In reply to the speeches of welbuilt during the time of Columbus,
come,
Col. Lindbergh said that he
and from there he visited the great
regretted
the limited time of his
landmark which is said to have been
stay
in
the
city but that he heartily
built by Columbus himself for his
appreciated
the demonstration of afresidence. The rest of the forenoon
II
SANTO DOMINGO SYRIANS
WELCOME LINDBERGH
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AL-BEKAA,
LEBANON
Favored by fertility of soil and climatic advantages as the most suitable section of Syria for
dairy farming.
(See Article on Development of Dairy Farming in Syria and Lebanon.)
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�MARCHy 1928
fection shown him by the Syrians
and Lebanese and that he would carry pleasant recollections of his visit
to them all his life.
The Colonel later attended the
official ball given in his honor by the
government and on the morning of
Monday sped away in the Spirit of
St. Louis in the direction of Haiti.
SYRIANS EVERYWHERE
GREET FRENCH FLIERS
\
"You may quote us unreservedly
that wherever we went we were received most cordially and enthusiastically by the Syrian-Lebanese colonies. We shall never forget their
cordiality and their expressions of
friendship and admiration on every
occasion we met them. I should say
that the Syrians and Lebanese were
more than cordially enthusiastic —
their receptions to us were simply
marvelous."
This was the statement made by
Captain Dieudonne Costes and Lieutenant Joseph Lebrix to a representative of The Syrian World who interviewed them upon their arrival in
New York on their epochal air flight
around the world. The Arabic newspapers of Brazil, Argentine, Uruguay, Mexico and other Latin American countries had published accounts of the reception of the Syrians and Lebanese of those countries to the French fliers, and although the Syrians of New York
did not organize any public demonstration in their honor owing to the
heaviness of their program in the
city, The Syrian World sought to interview them to learn their impression of their receptions by Syrians
and Lebanese in other cities. Their
statement, reproduced above, given
with all the fiery enthusiasm of the
49
French nature, bespoke their earnestness.
The French fliers were presented
with a special medal struck in their
honor by the Syrian-Lebanese colony
of Mexico City, and were feted and
given many tokens of love and admiration by the Syrians of other
countries of South America where
they made stops. In Panama they
were presented with two fine gold
fountain pens.
Syrian papers of South America
state that had it not been for the
limited time at the disposal of the
French world fliers many more testimonials of honor and welcome
would have been shown them.
GIBRAN'S PROPHET
A RELIGIOUS SERVICE
On Lincoln's birthday, Feb. 12,
the church of St Marks on the
Bowerie in New York was crowded
to overflowing for the afternoon
services when, according to previous
announcement, there was to be an
enactment of the scenes of Gibran's
book, The Prophet, The services
were conducted by Dr. Guthrie, the
well-known modernist of the Episcopal Church who has introduced in
his program of church services classical interpretive dancing in defiance
of his superiors. The actor impersonating the Prophet was Mr. Reynolds, while the leader of the group
of female dancers was the daughter
of Dr. Guthrie.
The Prophet is the best known
work of our gifted author and artist, G. K. Gibran. It is ranked among
the best sellers in works of its class.
Rather, according to As-Sayeh, an
Arabic newspaper of New York, it
is considered by some to be Becond
only to the books of revelation in
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
50
its spiritualistic, mystical and ethical teachings.
The large audience was visibly
moved by the excellence of the interpretation, and at the conclusion
of the performance Mr. Gibran received the hearty congratulations of
his numerous admirers.
a personal friend of Gen. Calles,
President of the Republic, and one
who enjoys the highest esteem of
government officials and the better
class Mexicans.
OLD TYRE SEEKS TO ENLARGE
Tyre, the one-time mistress of
the seas and the commercial capital
of the world in the days of the
AMBITIOUS PLANS OF
Phoenicians, seems now to have outLEBANESE IN MEXICO
grown its old boundaries.
If the new program of the LebaSituated or;ginally on an island
nese Chamber of Commerce in Mexi- connected with the mainland by a
co City is carried through, the Syr- narrow causeway it cannot find
ian-Lebanese colony of Mexico would sufficient room for expansion along
achieve the greatest result of col- modern lines within its ancient conlective effort so far done by any fines. The population, therefore,
similar community in America.
have signed a petition praying the
Al-Khawater, an Arabic paper of Lebanese Government to sell their
Mexico City, is authority for the city the vast dunes along the shore
\\
statement that the Lebanese Cham- which they would reclaim for buildber of Commerce, following the in- ing a new, modern city of Tyre,
duction into office of its new presi- which would follow the lines of a
dent, Mr. Jacob Simon, has announc- Western land development project.
ed that the main features of its new They only ask that the price of the
land be made reasonable inasmuch
program are the following:
as it is now a total waste and of
1—The formation of a special
committee for the promotion and benefit to no one.
The Lebanese press of Beirut reprotection of Syrian-Lebanese comports
that on the 22nd of January
mercial and industrial interests in
a delegation representing the TyriMexico.
ans waited on the President of the
2—The founding of a banking in- Republic as well as on the Minister
stitution which would be affiliated of the Interior and asked that their
w<th the National Bank of Mexico. demands, embodied in a petition
/
3—The publication of a daily news- signed by almost all the inhabitants
paper in both the Arabic and Span- of the city, be given favorable conish languages to defend the Syrians sideration.
and Lebanese in case of attack and
At present the population of
promote a better understanding of Tyre is about twenty thousand, but
them by the Mexican public.
with the revival of civic interest
The newspaper making this an- and pride in their old city they exnouncement adds that the new pres- pect that in a short time it will
ident of the Lebanese Chamber of grow into a flourishing port of
Commerce in the city of Mexico is Southern Lebanon,
;
�MARCH, 1928
NEW ENTERPRISES
GAINING IN SYRIA
Ancient Land Taking New Place
as an Economic Factor in
the Near East
A correspondent of the New York
Times, writing from Jerusalem under date of Jan. 20, gives the following summary of economic conditions
in that part of. Syria covered by the
French mandate.
Slowly but surely, he says, through
the aid of Government and individual enterprise, Syria is taking its
place as an important factor in the
economic development in the Near
East. New industries are being
founded, and the roads and general
condition of transportation are being
constantly improved. Part of the
fund formed from the revenue of
customs, which had been set aside
for the payment of the Ottoman
debt, is now to be used to carry into
effect and extensive scheme of public utility works, mainly road construction and irrigation. Good communication between the principal cities of the French Mandated States
and Iraq, and repair of the already
existing routes are included in the
program of construction that is to
be begun soon. Extensive irrigation schemes are also contemplated.
It is expected that about 25,000,000
francs will be used for these construction and irrigation projects.
Bee-keeping is one of the industries that shows prospects of a
bright future. As yet it is still carried on along primitive lines. Modern hives are practically unknown.
Those in use are usually made of
myrtle or basket work, and sometimes of clay. The largest yield of
51
honey is supplied from the section
around Alexandretta. The rich melliferous flora of the country really
permit of a much larger yield than
is now being obtained, and with the
gradual introduction of modern
methods, a large field for export
can be created.
It has been discovered that most
of the Syrian wheats are of the
hard grain varieties, and are therefore most suitable for the manufacture of macaroni. This industry was
first begun in Syria as far back as
1875, when a small and primitive
workshop was established at Beirut.
The article produced was of an inferior quality. Today, factories for
the manufacture of macaroni, vermicelli, and similar products exist
in Beirut, Damascus and Aleppo.
Although the local product cannot
yet compare with the Italian, nevertheless the quality is constantly
improving, and there is an increasing tendency on the part of residents
to give preference to the local product.
What will serve better than anything else in bringing Syria to the
fore is the increasing development
of the Lebanese Summer resorts.
Mount Lebanon has been found to
be a most desirable Summer place,
and each season brings more and
more visitors, chiefly from Egypt
and Iraq. A Government Tourist
Development Committee has been
appointed, which is looking into the
matter of the improvement of conditions and facilities. It is estimated that about 12,000 tourists visited
the Lebanon last Summer, and with
the aid of an extensive campaign
which is soon to be launched, it is
expected that the results of the
coming season will prove even more
satisfactory.
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
52
and my worship for the Arabic
language would prevent my consenting to take in marriage any other but a Syrian even if I have to
Meraat-Ul-Gharb, an Arabic daily spend my whole life unmarried.
paper of New York, has been con- Second, because the Syrian has the
ducting a contest as to what the highest consideration for his honor
Syrian girl would require of a hus- and loaths by his very nature the
band and what the Syrian man would extremes and excesses of Western
require of a wife. On Feb. 24 the civilization and the many pitfalls
contest was closed and the winners that are lurking in it. He would not,
announced, one from among the men therefore, permit himself or his wife
and one from among the women. The to follow the radical customs of this
winner in the choice of a wife de- civilization which are bound to lead
clared hia preference for the woman to unhappiness and perhaps separawho would retain the modesty, virtion.
tue and home-loving qualities of the
2—I would require that he be a
Eastern girl but who would at the
lover of Syria above all else with no
same time be endowed with sufficient
object in mind other than to work
human qualities to make life worth
for its progress and for its liberaliving with her. His essay could not
tion. He should be alive to this
be described as containing anything
prime duty towards his country realradical.
izing that she expects his assistance
But the girl adjudged the winner
as well as that of all other Syrians.
among the female participants in the
3—He should be well educated,
contest was a certain Miss Najla
imbued with advanced ideas and conwhose reply savors more of a paceding to the woman her inalienable
triotic essay than a discussion of a
rights. He must also be possessed
purely matrimonial problem. The
of the poetic gift and loving music,
judges may have been swayed more
although I would not require him
by these considerations than by the
to possess these gifts to the highest
intrinsic merits of the reply in ardegree. I would by that be assured
riving at their decision. It would be
that he is of a mild and sweet teminteresting to learn the real sentiperament and endowed with a senment of our girls of the SyrianAmerican generation on such a sub- sitive nature.
The young woman then goes on
ject, especially those who have been
to enumerate further requirements in
raised in purely American surroundthe man of her preference which are
ings. Could it be possible that the
prime qualifications of a husband to of a general character.
WHAT SYRIAN GIRL
REQUIRES IN HUSBAND
them would be those which the prize
winner in the Arabic paper gives expression to?
Following are extracts of the conditions which this Syrian girl lays
down as being of prime necessity in
a husband:
1 I want him to be a Syrian for
two reasons. First on patriotic
grounds because my love for Syria
J
LEBANESE PUBLICATIONS
NUMEROUS
Official statistics disclose the surprising fact that in the small Lebanese Republic, with a population
not exceeding six hundred thousand,
there are no less than ninety peri-
?(
�MARCH, 1928
odicals, or at the rate of one publication for about every 6,500 inhabitants.
In the city of Beirut, the capital,
there are 17 daily papers, 23 triweekly papers and 21 monthly magazines, while in the rest of the
country there are 17 weekly or semiweekly newspapers and 12 magazines.
I
il
ii
5
i
Statistics for other parts of Syria
are not available.
Judging by these figures one would
be inclined to believe that the Lebanese are voracious readers. The
fact is that with the exception of
a few old established newspapers
all others are of minor importance
commanding a circulation of hardly
a thousand each. Many of those
published outside of the capital are
in the nature of country papers
whose main dependence is on their
circulation among the town emigrants abroad. And, may it be remembered, there are many unemployed literati who find the publication of a newspaper the easiest profession.
53
Arab families and made many
friends. She also spent some time
on a farm among the Bedouins,
where she was received with great
respect.
Since a Moslem woman cannot
leave her home without the permission of her father, husband or other
male relative, Dr. Essenberg realized that it would be necessary to
win the favor of the men first. This
she succeeded in doing. Her idea of
opening an American school for
girls was received with enthusiasm
by the Arabs. The Moslem men
were especially pleased to hear that
the founder of the school had no intention of taking the veils from the
women or of attacking their religion.
After long, patient waiting permission to open the school came.
Although the rebellions of 1925-26
were a great drawback, because so
many families fled from the city,
nevertheless Dr. Essenberg stuck
bravely to her post, and is now gaining rapid headway in her work. She
already has an enrollment of more
than 100 students.
She has been urged to undertake
similar institutions in other towns
of Syria and Palestine.
MOSLEMS OF SYRIA
EAGER FOR EDUCATION
How an American woman educator ingratiated herself with the Moslems of Damascus and established
there a thriving school for girls is
described by a correspondent of the
New York Times in Jerusalem
writing under date of Feb. 2. The
American woman is Dr. Christina
Essenberg who, according to the
correspondent, in order to better
acquaint herself with the home life
of the people, for the first five
months after her arrival she lived
at the home of a prominent Moslem.
Here she met most of the prominent
/;
(
END OF A HOAX
At last it would seem that the
rumors concerning the existence of
thousands of Arab and Syrian war
prisoners in Singapore, under conditions said to be worse than slavery, have been put to rest. A reputable Syrian merchant of Horns who
recently returned from Singapore
ridiculed the rumors as being utterly
without foundation. He based his
assertion on personal investigations
conducted by himself and other Syrian merchants of Singapore when the
rumors reached them.
�=
=
THE SYRIAN WORLD
54
EGYPTIAN MINISTER
ENTERTAINS OFFICIALLY
Syrian Violinist Plays Before
Distinguished Audience
in Washington.
The society columns of Washington and New York papers of Jan. 29
last carried long reports of the elaborate dinner-entertainment given by
His Excellency the Minister of Egypt
and Mme. Samy Pasha in honor of
Vice-Pres. and Mrs. Dawes the evening previous, and at which the visiting Syrian violinist to America,
Mr. Sami Shawa, gave selections of
Oriental music which were declared
to have met with much favor by the
distinguished audience.
Besides the Vice-President and
Mrs. Dawes, other guests were the
Secretary of the Navy and Mrs.
Curtis D. Wilbur; the Secretary of
Agriculture and Mrs. William M.
Jardine; Senator and Mrs. Hiram
Jones; Senator and Mrs. Royal S.
Copeland; Senator Arthur Capper;
Representative and Mrs. John Q.
Tilson; Representative Edith Nourse
Rogers; Representative and Mrs. Sol.
Bloom; Lady Drummond Hay, of
London; Mrs. Mayo; Mr. and Mrs.
Peter Drury; Mrs. Fitzsimmons; the
Secretary of the Legation, Ramses
Bey Chaffey; the Attache of the
Legation Mr. El-Eissy and Mr. Nour.
Mr. Shawa had been invited to
other receptions of a similar nature
where his recitals were highly appreciated as giving a most favorable
interpretation of Oriental music.
Mr. Shawa has returned to Egypt
the latter part of February, and it
is expected that he will pay another
visit to the United States within the
present year.
LEBANESE OPPOSE
LEGALIZED GAMBLING
Strenuous efforts are being made
by a group of financiers to obtain a
concession for public gambling in
large hotels at different Summer resorts in the mountains of Lebanon,
according to the Jerusalem correspondent of the New York Times.
It appears that several attempts
have been made by a small group
of Parliamentarians to pass a bill
through the Lebanese Parliament
for legalizing gambling, and on each
occasion the bill has been defeated
through the sentiment of the people.
Public opinion is now alarmed,
owing to the attitude of some French
high officials at the Haut-Commissariat, who, notwithstanding the denials of the French representatives
at the League of Nations, appear to
approve of the measure. Only lately
the Secretary General, while acting
as High Commissioner pro tern, as
well as the French representative to
the Lebanese Government tried to
influence Parliament to make gambling legal. The matter is still
pending, however, and with public
opinion so strongly opposed to the
plan that it is believed such concessions will not be granted.
i
w
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN
THE GLOZEL CONTROVERSY
The controversy over the Glozel
relics which are claimed to prove
the discovery of the art of writing
long before the times of the Phoenicians has, according to Paris dispatches of the latter part of February, caused so much bitterness
among two factions of French savonts that definite charges of fraud
in the matter have been taken to
court.
',
I
-*-..-Ji <*SSSBB ' & --'—-• J3SM SmmKStalmmKmttmtSSifi^i**S i
•
�MARCH, 1928
I
Dr. Felix Regnault, President of
the Prehistoric Society of France,
declared that the society has given
him full powers to file the complaint
on its behalf. The society has been
discussing this action for the past
three months, he explained, for since
last August it has been fully satisfied that frauds were being perpetrated at Glozel. Finally, being anxious to check the discredit which
discussions of Glozel were bringing
upon French science as well as exploitation of the public, the society
decided on action.
In his recourse to the law, Dr.
Regnault, in company with seven
policemen, raided the Fradin farm
at Glozel and there discovered idols
and other objects which had just
come from the oven and were apparently made by a novice. They also
came across a stone supposed to
have Glozelian inscriptions but which
the owners of the farm said had been
used around the farm for knocking
down nails...
4
1
'
.
I
f
rail communications in Syria, but it
is stated that the French High Commissioner is reserving this right to
the Lebanese Government in the hope
of launching building operations immediately an agreement can be
reached with the government of
Syria on the question of allotment
of costs which are to be drawn from
the joint customs receipts of the
two countries.
Late reports indicate that work
on this important line will begin not
later than Spring of the present
year. It is being represented to the
government of Syria that the new
railroad will be the means of drawing a large number of tourists to the
country who are now prevented from
visiting it by lack of direct communications between Syria and
Egypt and Syria and Europe. The
line will extend along the coast of
Lebanon and connect with the existing lines in Palestine and those of
northern Syria, thus affording the
means of continuous rail travel
from Calais in France to Cairo,
Egypt.
THE TRIPOLI-NACOURA
R. R. IN LEBANON
Will Supply Link for Direct Rail
Communications Between
Europe and Egypt
Si!
55
The Lebanese Government has under advisement the construction of
a Railroad to connect the city of
Tripoli, in the north, and Nacoura
which is one of the southern borders
of the country below Tyre and only
a short distance from Haiffa in Palestine. A group of capitalists known
as the Sursuq-Lutfallah syndicate
is negotiating for the concession of
building and operating the new line
which is considered a vital link in
NEW IMMIGRATION
QUOTA FOR SYRIANS
President Coolidge submitted to
the Senate on Feb. 27 revised figures
for the "national origin" basis on
which immigration quotas would be
founded, beginning with July, 1928.
Under existing law, immigration
quotas after that date are to be fixed
according to tables worked out by
a special committee under the supervision of Secretaries Kellogg, Hoover and James J. Davis.
Such "national origins" estimates
were sent to the Senate in January,
1927, but, after criticism, were withdrawn and on Feb. 27 the President
submitted the revised figures.
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
56
Under these figures the Syrian nition of Lebanon. The Lebanese
quota is raised from 100 to 125. press of Beirut reports that the cable
Turkey's quota is raised from 100 had been received and ordered entered in the records of Parliament,
to 233.
Palestine, although geographical- but action on it had been deferred
ly a part of Syria, enjoys a separate until the Mandatory authorities
quota, being given the minimum fig- would have studied the matter.
ure of 100. Previous to the World
War both Syria and Palestine were
SYRIA NATIONAL HOME OF
cited under the general classificaARMENIANS?
tion of Turkey.
The Syrian press reports that the
Readers of The Syrian World will
Commission of the League of Narecall that the Lebanese newspaper
tions studying the conditions of ArAl-Hoda, published in New York
menian refugees in Rumania, BulCity, had advocated that Lebanon be
garia and Greece advises the removassigned a separate quota inasmuch
al of some fifty thousand Armenians
as it is politically indepenednt of
to Syria, Palestine and TransjordaSyria and should be recognized as
nia. A section of the Syrian press
such in making immigration allotcomplains that Armenians already
ments. Al-Hoda has also been agiin the country are more than it can
tating the question of the political
absorb with safety and asks if
recognition of the Lebanese RepubFrance and the League of Nations
lic by the United States and other
wish to make Syria a national home
Powers. No announcement has been
for the Armenians and bring on it
made lately by Al-Hoda of the result
additional economic complications to
of its efforts.
aggravate the conditions which have
It will be recalled that Mr. N. A.
Mokarzel, editor of Al-Hoda, had en- prompted a serious increase in emitered into correspondence with the gration. The fear is expressed that
French Ambassador in Washington the Armenians will soon become not
and also cabled the Lebanese Par- only an economic problem but a
liament on the matter of the recog- political problem as well.
Political Developments in Syria
A New Syrian Government
A special cable dispatch to AlBayan of New York, organ of the
Syrian Nationalist Party in the
United States, carries the announcement that Sheikh Taj Ud-Deen AlHusni, one of the prominent leaders of the Nationalist movement, has
been appointed President of the
State of Syria to succeed Ahmad
Nami Bey, styled the Dmaad, or the
Sultan's son-in-law. The news was
hailed in Nationalist circles as a
signal victory for their cause, because of their opposition to the former president who was accused of
being a tool in the hands of the
French, while the new president is
reputed to be a staunch Nationalist
and one who had formerly refused
the same office except on his own
terms.
BHHMHv-
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�MARCH, 1928
I
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It is impossible at this moment to
set down the exact conditions under
which the new president accepted
office. In Nationalist circles it is
claimed that even since the time of
the former High Commissioner, M.
Henri de Jouvenel, he had held out
for a free hand in the conduct of
the government and for a complete
consent by the French to the Nationalist demands. The latest mail
arriving from Syria indicates that
negotiations were going on between
the former President, Ahmad Nami
Bey and the French High Commissioner, M. Ponsot, but these negotiations were supposed to have for object only the formation of a new
ministry whose personnel would be
more acceptable to the Nationalists
and at the same time be in sympathy with French policy. That the
friend of the French should be removed altogether and replaced by
one who is an outspoken Nationalist would indicate the advent of
something radical in the policy of
France in Syria.
The Syrian Nationalists naturally
hail this as a signal victory to their
cause, and judging by the comment
of their organ in the United States,
they welcome it as a sign of a new
era of peace for Syria. This, after
what the country has gone through
during the critical period of the
revolution, appears to be the paramount desire in the minds of the
Nationalists, especially those who
had been engaged in actual hostilities.
The new President is described as
having a forceful personality who
had long been active in the politics
of his country. He is the son of
the Sheikh Badr Ud-Deen Al-Husni,
head of the Ulemas of Damascus.
During1 the French bombardment of
Damascus he opened his house to
57
refugees and did much to allay the
fears of the population. It is recounted that during the World War,
when Syria was held in the greatest suspicion by the Turks, Jamal
Pasha, the Turkish military Governor, held the elder Sheikh Al-Husni
in the highest veneration and respect and was in the habit of kissing
his hand when greeting him. The
younger Al-Husni, the new Governor of Syria, was then comparatively a young man, but even then he
was of a rebellious character and
would not approve of the Turk's
policy as applied to his country.
Jamal Pasha confided to some of
his friends at the time that this
young man would some day be the
man of the hour in Syria.
If, according to present indications
and to representations of Syrian
Nationalists, the new President of
Syria was able to dictate his own
terms in accepting office, then the
people of Syria are to have free
elections for their National Assembly, complete independence in the
conduct of government with France
supplying advisers only on the approval of the National Government,
and a promise by France to evacuate
the country at the expiration of the
treaty which would be entered into
by France and Syria for a limited
period of time. This is the gist of
the Syrian Nationalist program, and
how much of it has been granted
Syria by France will be more fully
known upon receipt of Syrian mail.
Nationalist Dissension.
The controversy among the executive committee of the Syrian Nationalist Party, with headquarters
in Egypt, is waxing hotter than before. Now echoes of the differences
have been brought to the attention
�5*
THE SYRIAN WORLD
of the League of Nations by the act term political agitators and now
of the Lutfallah party which cabled claim to represent the Nationalist
the League that the Committee had cause without incurring the risks of
deposed its former delegation in Eu- battle. In a manifesto signed by
rope and would appoint a new dele- the Druze leaders and generals adgation to represent it in the near dressed principally to their supfuture. This came as the climax of porters in America, they complain
the bitter controversy which all ef- bitterly of the inaction of the Daforts to settle amicably failed. It mascenes and inhabitants of other
was brought about by the accusa- sections of Syria who are now claimtions of some members that the ing to speak for the Nationalists
chairman of the Committee, Emir "while they are engaged in the purLutfallah, had entered into bargain- suit of their business interests both
ing negotiations with the French in Syria and abroad and living in
to effect a compromise on the de- safety and luxury." The manifesto
mands of the Nationalists. He is shows no hesitation on the part of
accused of aspiring to barter the in- the Druzes to claim all the credit
terests of Syria for the throne of for the uprising in Syria for themLebanon. Lebanon, according to the selves, stating that they were the
defenders of Emir Lutfallah, could ones to suffer in lives and property
not be so tempting to a man of such and that the Syrians would not have
aspirations, as the country has al- even attempted to make a show of
ready committed itself to the repub- force had it not been for Druze relican form of government and is now inforcements. The Druzes, it is furstruggling in the most approved ther stated, had destroyed large
democratic fashion for the balancing French armies attempting to invade
of the budget, its latest move in this their mountain before anyone in
direction being its reduction of the other parts of Syria rose to arms.
ministry from seven to three mem- They held out later in the face of
great odds because they were loyal
bers.
As analyzed by some students of to their demands covering Syria as
the situation, the Syrian Nationalists a whole. Even when France offered
have now split into two distinct par- them advantageous terms following
ties, extremists and moderates. The the battle of Mezra'a they turned
faction of Emir Lutfallah, counsel- them down because of their loyalty
ing an amicable understanding with and single-mindedness. For these
the French to win as much as pos- considerations they show bitterness
sible of the Nationalist demands, towards the Syrian Nationalist leadare opposed by the other faction of ers of Damascus who would divert
the Executive Committee who would the financial succor coming from
continue the struggle to the bitter abroad to helping the remnants of
end in spite of the fact that the the Ghuta rebels instead of permitarmed revolution has been suppres- ting such assistance to reach the real
fighters who are now in exile in
sed.
An interesting development in Transjordania. Many instances are
these internal differences is that the cited where Druze revolutionists lost
leaders of the armed forces of the all their property and cattle and had
revolution are now showing extreme to borrow money on their personal
bitterness towards those whom they guarantee to purchase mounts and
I
�MARCH, 1928
H i
\
ammunition. This they mention as
one of their principal grievances because of the dire straits to which
they have been reduced.
On the face of it, this would indicate the appearance of a new element of difference between the
Druzes and their Mohammedan allies in Syria. It would seem that
the revolutionists of Syria are conducting negotiations with France on
terms unacceptable to the Druzes
and without consulting the desires
of the latter. There is also a plain
accusation of tampering with relief
funds because the Druzes emphasize
the fact that they have implicit
confidence in their relief committee
and would want their friends abroad
to place similar confidence in it so
that relief funds would be forthcoming uninterruptedly.
Incidentally, the Druzes state that
their losses in battle during the revolution amounted to three thousand
killed, not including women and children who met their death by causes
directly resulting from the war. The
number of those permanently disabled is also said to be large but
their exact number is not given.
The Situation in Lebanon.
A stormy session was staged in
the Parliament of Lebanon when
the new ministry took office. Dr.
Ayoub Tabet, Minister of the Interior, asked for a vote of confidence
and approval by Parliament of the
Ministry's program* and upon some
members favoring delay in taking
such a vote on the, plea of requiring
an extension of time for the proper
consideration of the program, the
minister threatened to resign and for
three times in quick succession left
his seat with the ministry and resumed his place as a plain member
59
of Parliament. Finally the President
declared a recess during which hurried arrangements were made to insure confidence being granted the
ministry.
Although accused of being a little
too impatient, the new Minister of
tihe Interior is, nevertheless, conceded to be a man of vigorous action
and energy. He is on good terms
with the press which lauds the
measures he plans to introduce for
the quick achievement of needed reform. He has already served notice
that court calendars must be cleared
within two weeks and invited the
public to call directly to his attention any flagrant cases of delayed
justice. He has also put an end to
public begging in the city of Beirut
and ordered all beggars from neighboring countries, such as Transjordania, Syria and Palestine, deported
from Lebanon forthwith.
The country appears to be still
restless under the frequent changes
taking place in the form of government. No sooner was the amendment to the Constitution approved
permitting tihe reduction of the
Council of Ministers from seven to
three than a movement was set
afoot asking for the dissolution of
Parliament in that it has ceased to
be constitutional. Immediately a
counter-petition was circulated accusing the makers of the first petition of pernicious motives and expressing confidence in the existing
republican form of government and
in Parliament. Some claim to see in
this move the hand of some conspirators who aspire to become princes
over Lebanon. The net result of these
moves and counter moves has been
to introduce a new element of uncertainty in the country which adds
to the demoralizing upheavals and
changes of the last few years.
�—-
60
THE SYRIAN WORLD
and endangering thereby a future
for the country full of promise. He
specifically refers to actions which
The latest mail reaching us from
in their nature would be incompatiParis furnishes partial details of the
ble with "political realities".
news already received by cable on
The dispatches conveying this inthe change of government in Syria.
formation
were sent from Beirut on
It would seem that conditions in the
Feb.
17,
and
on Feb. 20 other discountry have at last returned to norpatches
reported
that the new Presmal. Ahmad Nami Bey, the Damad,
ident
of
the
Provisional
Government
as already stated, has resigned, beof
Syria
had
in
turn
issued
another
ing succeeded by Sheikh Taj Udproclamation
promising
to
hold
the
Deen Al-Husni as Provisional Govgeneral
elections
for
the
Constituernor of the State of Syria, known
in the political division of the coun- tional Assembly at the earliest postry as the State of Damascus-Alep- sible date and that they would be
po. The French High Commission- conducted with the fullest freedom
er, M. Henri Ponsot, issued a pro- so that a constitution could be forclamation in which most of the na- mulated which would meet the
tionalist demands are granted. He wishes of the country and be in acpromises the early convocation of the cord with the obligations of the
National Assembly under a free Mandatory Power. He also advocates
electoral system and with full liber- the creation of an Interstate Comty to decide on the form of govern- mission to be charged with the regument for the country most acceptable lation of the economic relations beto the electorate, providing it does tween the different States. The new
not conflict with the duties of the Government is also in favor of abolMandatory Government as entrusted ishing the existing system of septo it by the League of Nations. At arate States and would replace it by
the same time, the censorship of the a centralized system of government
press is lifted, martial law abolished which would tend to foster a feeland a general amnesty declared, the ing of unity and cohesion. This, howHigh Commissioner explaining that ever, according to the proclamation,
the Mandatory Power had only should be undertaken in the friendawaited the opportune moment to liest spirit with no resort to coerprove to the people of Syria its good cion so that the ultimate result may
intentions by accelerating the return be achieved through complete wilof normal conditions now that the lingness and conviction. The wishes
armed revolt has been suppressed of the population of the different
and peace established on a stable States will be strictly respected and
basis. While setting no definite date if a general referendum should
for the general elections, the High prove abortive the Mandatory PowCommissioner assures the country er will be made the final arbiter.
The proclamation concludes with
that they will be undertaken as soon
as the proper machinery can be set the expression of the hope that the
Mandatory Power will enter into a
in motion.
There is, however, in the High treaty with Syria defining the mutuCommissioner's proclamation a note al obligations of the two nations
of warning to the Syrians against and setting a definite limit to
abusing their present opportunities France's occupation of the country.
LATEST INFORMATION ON
THE SYRIAN SITUATION
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Newspapers
Description
An account of the resource
<h4>Biographical/Historical Note</h4>
<p>Salloum Mokarzel, a Lebanese American intellectual, founded<em> The Syrian World</em> in 1926. Salloum Mokarzel was the younger brother of Naoum Mokarzel, the publisher of the Arabic-language newspaper <em>Al-Hoda. </em>Together, the Mokarzel brothers ran Al-Hoda Publishing, and in 1909, they published <em>The Syrian Business Directory.</em> </p>
<p>Mokarzel created <em>The Syrian World</em> in order to document and celebrate the culture and history of "Syria." At the time, Syria referred to the modern-day countries of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. The publication was primarily aimed towards second-generation children of immigrants, but Mokarzel hoped that it would also appeal to the general American public.</p>
<h4>Scope/Content Note</h4>
<p><em>The Syrian World</em> was published between 1926 and 1932 as a journal. In 1932, the format was changed from an academic journal style to a newspaper style, which continued until the periodical's end in 1935. After the death of his brother Naoum, Salloum took over the publication of <em>Al-Hoda.</em></p>
<p>The articles in <em>The Syrian World</em> cover a variety of topics spanning from the practical to the theoretical. Practical subjects include international and domestic travel, historical and contemporary Arabic and Arab-American art and literature, and the mental and physical health and hygiene of immigrants. More theoretical, philosophical, and ideological subjects include ideologies of race, the changing role of women, the formation of Syrian and Lebanese-American societies, and the political and psychological relationships between immigrants and their countries of origin.</p>
<p>All issues of <em>The Syrian World</em> are available, along with full indexes for the first four volumes. For volumes five and six, there are tables of contents at the start of the issues.</p>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabs--United States
Arabic periodicals
Newspapers
Arab American Newspapers
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1926-1935
Relation
A related resource
<em><a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/41" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Syrian Business Directory</a></em>
<a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/44" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mokarzel Family Papers</a>
<a href="http://hdl.handle.net/11299/175685" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Annotated Index to the Syrian World, 1926-1932</a> at the University of Minnesota Immigration History Research Center Archives
<a href="https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/58" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Al-Hoda Newspapers</em></a>
Language
A language of the resource
English
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Processed by Claire A. Kempa, 2015-2017. Collection Guide written by Claire A. Kempa, 2017.
Collection Guide updated by Laura Lethers, 2023 August.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
These materials are digital copies of an original resource held by another institution. The KCLDS Archive often works with other institutions to make digital materials available online to the public. KCLDS is not able to grant permission to use or reproduce these materials. The KCLDS Archive strongly encourages users to contact the holding institution for permission to use or reproduce materials from their holdings.
Identifier
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NS 0002
Access Rights
Information about who can access the resource or an indication of its security status. Access Rights may include information regarding access or restrictions based on privacy, security, or other policies.
This digital material is provided here for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
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TSW1928_03reducedWM
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Volume 02, Issue 09
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1928 March
Description
An account of the resource
Volume 2 Issue 09 of The Syrian World published March 1928. The first article presented in this issue, written by Ameen Rihani, discusses the traditions of Arabs and their mythology, specifically Gods and Jinn (nature's tribe of spirits). Next is a short story translated by Dr. Salim Y. Alkazin. Titled "The Perfect Brother," it is a story that discusses Allah. Next is an informative article by George Knaysi about the development of dairy farming in Syria and Lebanon, a continuation of his discussion on the agricultural situation in the Middle East. Following it is a poem by G.K. Gibran titled "Said a Blade of Grass," a poem about nature and the seasons changing. Following it is an article detailing certain reports on the developments in Palestine specifically industrial, population, economic, and agriculture improvements. Next is part two of the article discussing Syrian naturalization in the United States by Joseph W. Ferris. There is a short story titled "The Meeting," and another story adopted from Arabic called "The Clemency of Mu'awiyah," Second Caliph from the Umayyad clan. The issue concludes with excerpts from the Arab press and political developments in Syria.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabic literature--History and criticism--Periodicals
Arabs--United States--Periodicals
Lebanese-Americans--United States--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Syrian-American Press
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Coverage
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104 Greenwich St., New York, NY
Format
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Text/pdf
Type
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Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
1920s
Ameen Rihani
George Knaysi
Harry Chapman Ford
Kahlil Gibran
New York
Palestine
Poetry-English
Salim Alkazin
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/e717cdbbac110cf399a5c6fbe427b1d3.pdf
4d03e9355e6753ddbe8333c28eae02e8
PDF Text
Text
��THE
SYRIAN WORLD
SALLOUM
A.
MOKARZEL,
Editor.
PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE SYRIAN-AMERICAN PRESS
104
GREENWICH STREET, NEW YORK,
By subscription $5.00 a year.
N. Y.
Single copies 50c.
Entered as second-class matter, June 25, 1926, at the post office at New
York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879.
VOL. II.
DECEMBER, 1927
No. 6.
CONTENTS
PAGE
Arabic Words in the English Vocabulary
3
PROF. BYRON SMITH
A Sufi Song (A poem)
7
AMEEN RIHANI
Problems of Syrian Youth in America
REV. W. A. MANSUR
Practical Philosophy
8
12
A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
13
MARY MOKARZEL
When My Sorrow Was Born
G. K. GIBRAN
18
Allah Joins the Extremes!
19
Everlasting Sweets
23
St. George and the Saddle-bags
24
MARIE HANNA
Ma(n and the Caliph
26
�CONTENTS (Continued)
_
To M<? $£#** 0/ "Chinese Gordon" (A poem)
DR. N. A. KATIBAH
'
PAGE
27
|
Arab Proverbs
28
Famous Cities of Syria — Horns and Hama
29
The Rebuke (A poem)
7,2
DR. SALIM
Y.
ALKAZIN
"Anna Ascends" (A play)
33
HARRY CHAPMAN FORD
Dishonesty Discovered
44
Notes and Comments — By
THE EDITOR
45
Readers* Forum
JO
Spirit of the Syrian Press
$g
The Economic Situation in Syria
53
About Syria and Syrians
55
Political Developments in Syria
ILLUSTRATIONS IN THIS ISSUE
A General View of Bethlehem
Church of the Nativity
Rachel's Tomb
The Dome of the Rock
Water Wheels of the Orontes
Cedars of Lebanon in Winter
Dr. Bayard Dodge
Banquet to President and Mrs. Bayard Dodge
...£/
�<
THE
SYRIAN WORLD
VOL. II.
No. 6.
DECEMBER, 1927
Arabic Words In The English
Vocabulary
By
BYRON SMITH
Professor of English in the American University of Beirut.
There are about 450 words in the English language which
have come, from the Arabic. A little less than half of these are
words which are in current use. The rest are words which once
were current but now are obsolete, or words which have never
been adopted into regular use in English but occur in the books
of travellers or reports of English residents in foreign lands. _
Arabic words have entered the English language, either directly from the Arabic or through one or more intermediary languages. Those which came directly from the Arabic form a
larger group, some 130 in number. It is interesting to notice
that nearly all of them are unassimilated words, i. e., words used
by travellers and foreign residents, that have not attained current use) in English. Of those in current use, the majority show
at once their Arabic origin, both by their close resemblance to the
original Arabic, and by their meaning. They embrace such words
as sufi, afreet, jihad, arrack, talisman, etc.
The majority of Arabic words come through the Romance
languages, French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese. These words
have been modified by assimilation to the characteristics of the
language in question and have usually suffered a further modification in transition to the English. An Arabic word may be
�T.HE SYRIAN WORLD \
/
present simultaneously in all the Romance languages so that
it is difficult to determine from which language it has been borrowed by the English. I had expected to find a larger number
of words from the Spanish than from any of the other Romance
languages, since the long Moorish occupation of Spain contributed a large number of Arabic words to that tongue, but I was
able to count only 22 Arabic words from the Spanish. On the
other hand, the French language has contributed the surprising
total of 140 Arabic words. The explanation of this phenomenon
is two-fold. First, the French has acted as an intermediary language between the Spanish and the English in some cases j and,
secondly, the English language from the Anglo-Saxon period
to the present day has been indebted to the French language
more than to any other modern language for additions to its
vocabulary, so that words from ultimate Arabic origin would be
well represented among the thousands that have crossed the British channel. Eleven Arabic words have come from the Italian
and six from the Portuguese. One word, monsoon, believed to
be from
^j* "season", comes from the Dutch. The other
north European languages, such as German and the Scandinavian
tongues, are not represented at all.
Latin contributed 42 words. Most of them are from Medieval Latin and form a very interesting group, being words connected with the medieval sciences of medicine, mathematics, alchemy, astrology and the like. The words from classical Latin
hardly belong to such a discussion as this, for they are Latin
forms of Greek words of ancient use. It is impossible to say
whether they come from the Arabic or from some other Semitic
source, such as the Aramaic or Hebrew. The only thing known
of their origin is their unquestioned Semitic character.
Some ten Arabic words have come from the Persian and twice
that number from the Turkish. About 40 words have made the
long journey to England by way of India, especially through
the Urdu language. Nearly all of these words are unassimilated, being terms picked up by the English residents through their
contact with the people of India. The Arabic words in the Indian languages reflect the conquest of India by Mahmud of
Ghazni and his successors in the eleventh century.
The dates at which the various Arabic words entered the
English language form an interesting part of our study. Especially in' the early times, the great majority of the foreign words
�\pECEMBER, 1927
!
5
Were added to the spoken vocabulary before they were written
down. It is impossible to judge just when a new word is first
added to the oral vocabulary of a language, but its use in writing can be dated, either exactly or approximately, assuming that
the document in which the word is used is preserved. We may
assume, then, in the majority of cases, a fairly long oral use of
a word before it enters the written vocabulary. The exceptions
would include those unassimikted words which appear only in
written records of travellers or foreign residents, words which
have not been used in common speech.
I had expected to find a large number of Arabic words introduced during and immediately after the period of the Crusades. The first Crusade began in 1096; the last came to an
ignominious end in 1270. The English people have always been
most interested in the Third Crusade, 1189-1192, led by Richard
the Lion-Hearted, king of England. But Richard was really
a Frenchman in nationality and language and it is probable that
he numbered very few Englishmen among his followers.
England was remote from Palestine and though both warriors and pilgrims visited the Holy Land, it is evident that the
culture and the languages of the people of the Near East had
less effect in England than in the countries of the Continent.
This is the probable explanation why, aside from the six words
that appeared in English literature before the time of the Crusades, there are very few in the years immediately following. The
fourteenth century, however, witnessed a large increase in words
from the Arabic, and from that time there has been a steady addition of Arabic words up to the present.
It may be of interest to note the number of Arabic words
added to the English vocabulary in each century. Before the
fourteenth century 17 Arabic words appeared in the comparatively small number of books that have survived from the Old English, or Anglo-Saxon period. In the fourteenth century 55
were added, but only 35 new words in the fifteenth century.
We may account for this falling off by the fact that the fifteenth
century was a time of continuous conflict both in England and
on the Continent. In. England the Wars of the Roses distracted
the attention of men, and hands that might have held the pen
were compelled to take up the sword. It is startling to learn
that only one book of high literary value has survived from the
fifteenth century, Malory's Morte D'Arthur, which tells the
�6
ZHE SYRIAN WORLD',
story of the legendary king, Arthur, and his Knights of the
Round Table. A period which produces no literature cannot >
be expected to employ new words. However, printing was in- \
vented toward the latter part of the century and the first printing press was set up in London by Caxton in 1476. In fact,
Malory's Morte D'Arthur was one of the first books printed in
England and so it was saved from oblivion, for no manuscript
copies of the book have survived.
The sixteenth century marks the beginning of the Renaissance in England under the patronage of Henry VIII, who began his reign in 1509. The second half of the century is filled
with the glorious reign of Queen Elizabeth and marked by the
finest flowering of1 English literary genius. We expect a large increase in the number of new words that appear during this century, and we are able to count 98 for this hundred years, 74 of
which belong to the second half of the century.
In the seventeenth century the Renaissance is at its height
in the opening years when Shakespeare was producing his greatest works. Milton and Dryden carried on the literary tradition
through the rest of the century, while the growth of modern
science, beginning with Bacon in the first quarter of the century,
was a steady and rapid development with which even the events
of the Civil War did not interfere. This period gives us the
largest number of new words from the Arabic, a total of 127
words.
During the eighteenth century 61 new words were adopted,
and 64 words in the nineteenth century. To the best of my
knowledge no new words have come from the Arabic in this first
quarter of the twentieth century.
Various reasons might be given for the large increase of
new words from the Arabic during the sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries, and for the comparatively small number that have
come into the language in the last two centuries. It should be
remembered that comparatively few words in actual current use
in English have come directly from the Arabic, but that most
current words have passed through one or two intermediary languages. The new Arabic terms that came in during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries were words that had been domesticated long before in the French or other European languages.
Trace them back to their first use in any European language and
you will find that they came into employment at the time when
�DECEMBER, 1927
7
Arabian science, mathematics, philosophy, and medicine were
the admiration of the world. When Arabia was the teacher of
Europe, her pupils borrowed not only her wisdom but the words
in which that wisdom was expressed. It is a sad but undeniable
fact that the European nations no longer look to the Arabicspeaking peoples for enlightenment, and this state of affairs is
reflected in the word-borrowing of the nations. In confirmation
of this, it is interesting to note that nearly all of the Arabic
words borrowed by English in the eighteenth and nineteenth
centuries are unassimilated words, travellers' terms that have
not, as yet, been adopted into full current use in writing and
speaking English.
When a new era of culture and enlightenment dawns among
the Arabic-speaking peoples, the other peoples of the world will
again turn to the Near East for knowledge and guidance, and
English and other tongues will be enriched by a new influx of
words of Arabic origin. And who can say that this new era of
enlightenment is not at hand?
A Sufi Song
By
AMEEN RIHANI
My heart's the field I sow for thee,
For thee to water and to reap;
My heart's the house I ope for thee,
For thee to air and dust and sweep j
My heart's the rug I spread for thee,
For thee to dance or rest or sleep;
My heart's the pearls I thread for thee,
For thee to wear or break or keep;
My heart's the sack of magic things, —
Magic carpets, caps and rings —
To bring thee treasures from afar
And from the Deep.
�8
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Problems of Syrian Youth In
America
By
REV.
W. A.
MANSUR.
I.
The problems of Syrian-American youth are important,
critical, perplexing, and of far-reaching influence upon one's self
and posterity. Syrian parents had been living with the hope
of an early return to the homeland. Little thought was given
to the conditions growing about them and in them. A passage
to Syria would have placed them amidst old ideas, customs and
social life. The Great War now marks the dividing line between
the old and the new in Syrian-American thinking. Syrian-Americans awoke to the fact that they had become accustomed to, and
part of, American thought and life, and that a return to the
homeland would be impracticable.
A great number of Syrian immigrants came during the first
half of the first quarter of the twentieth century. The industrial revolution rose to its highest development. Syrian youth,
then in their infancy, received the best of education. They were
living, thinking, endeavoring in terms of American ideals, customs, and point of view. Restrictive immigration laws accelerated the Americanization process and began the real testing of
American ideals of equality, fraternity, liberty.
The problems of Syrian-American youth grow largely out
of this new, unlooked for condition. George A. Coe says in What
Ails Our Youth? that five facts stand out in the environment of
America's youth: the transformation by the increase of man's
control of the forces of nature which commercial enterprises utilize to invent and sell to the young; woman suffrage which created new problems for the young of both sexes; human contacts
which have changed from the domestic to the non-domestic
types; industrial civilization which is ailing and is communicating
its ailments to the young; and the plunging of youth into these
new conditions without having appropriate education thereto.
As long as Syrian-American youth were in their infancy and
childhood the following problems were not felt so keenly. Now
\
�ECEMBER, 1927
i:hat they have reached the age of adolescence they have bristled
lp and suddenly created a serious situation. The following reflections present certain major problems of Syrian-American
'youth, their nature, difficulties, and probable methods of solution.
I. The Problem of Race Prejudice.
The Americanization process is bringing the races into grips
with each other, with American ideals, and with their consequences. Modern race prejudice, born during the Great War,
was fanned to its worst in the history of mankind. The cry to
"assimilate, amalgamate, Americanize" arose with little thought
of its far reaching consequences.
I sympathize with Syrian-American youth because I know
the meaning, suffering, and consequences of race prejudice. I
have seen my crucifiers plan my crucifixion, prepare the cross,
and with hammer and nails crucify me on that cross.
What are the causes of race prejudice? First, IGNORANCE. I was a missionary for nearly two years. The mission, superintendent told of his prejudice toward the Italians. He
saw "those Italians talking so loud and making so many signs
with their hands". IMMIGRATION: When one race moves
onto the land of another race. Grant says in The Passing of a
Great Race that had not millions of foreigners come to America
millions of now unborn Americans would have taken their place.
ENVY and JEALOUSY because of the prosperity of people of
foreign birth. My family was riding with a far off relation of
President Harding. "You see those Germans and Swedes! They
always have money. They are envied". H. G. Wells says in
The Outline of History, "The sole offence of the Carthaginians,
which brought on the third and last Punic War, was that they
continued to trade and prosper". Fictitious and mechanistic science
spurred the belief in race superiority championed by Grant, Stoddard and Wiggam. Shallow thinking based on senseless reasoning.
Edward A. Steiner was travelling toward Washington. He
heard two men discussing the League of Nations. One said,
"I'm going to vote against the League of Nations". "Why?"
asked the other. "Because I don't like the English". "Why
don't you like the English?" "Because I once worked for an
Englishman and he did me dirt. Are you going to vote for it?"
"No," replied the other. "We have no business mixing up with
�10
THE SYRIAN WORLDS
those wops. We are white people."
How shall Syrian-American youth meet race prejudice?'
Remember that no man chose his race, color, creed, or condition
at birth. What a man is at birth is the result of accident or
providence. It's what a man is by choice and achievement that
counts. "The Stoic taught," says Leckey in The History of European Morals, "that virtue alone is good, and that all other
things are indifferent} and from this position inferred that birth,
rank, country, or wealth are the mere accidents of life, and that
virtue 'alone makes one man superior to another".
Remember that the belief in race superiority is not native
to human nature. H. G. Wells quotes James Otis' saying in
1762 that "Ideas of earthly superiority are educational, not innate." Dean Inge says in Outspoken Essays, "The popular estimate of superior and inferior races is thoroughly unchristian and
unscientific, as is the prejudice against a dark skin."
I agree with Roosevelt that "It is a base outrage to oppose
a man because of his religion or birthplace, and all good citizens
will hold such effort in abhorrence." And with Daniel Webster's saying, "It is only shallow minded pretenders who either
make distinguished origin a matter of personal merit or obscure
origin a matter of reproach. Taunt and scoffing at the humble
condition of early life effect nobody but those who are foolish
enough to indulge in them. A man who is not ashamed of himself need not be ashamed of his early conditions." For
"Honor and shame from no condition rise;
Act well your part: there all the honor lies."
77. The Problem of Marriage.
"One of the main problems of Syrian family life in America," says Philip K. Hitti in The Syrians in America, "is that of
how to span the gap between the old-fashioned Arabic-speaking
parents, on the one hand, and the American-born English-speaking children on the other." The various aspects of the marriage
problem grow out of this condition. The patriarchal idea prevailed in Syria as in old Greece and Rome. The family lived
together in the same house and in adjoining houses, and included
the grown-up sons, their wives and children. The father was
in sole control: marriage, education, work and worship.
Adjustment to the American family idea is going on. Demo-
says
\ dene
�\DECEMBER, 1927
11
\cratic relations within the family are increasing. Williamson
says in Problems in American Democracy, "Economic indepen\ dence and social freedom have combined with political emancipation to emphasize the spirit of individualism among women."
Mother now shares with the father in the direction of the home.
Parental authority now rests not on fear but on the affection and
respect of the child.
What practical principles should guide Syrian-American
youth in meeting the marriage problem?
First, let prosperity, not ancestry, dominate your thought
of marriage. William T. Ellis says he learned a lesson of universal success in the Orient. "It is that man's life is best expressed by his descendants. A family is the real fortune. Sons
are success. The East takes long, long views; therefore it regards the family line as of more importance than the individual."
The thought of children, old age, and influence upon one's relations should bar divorce out of our thinking and practice.
Second, remember that marriage is a social sacrament. Current ideas of "free love", "trial marriage", "contract marriage"
and "unmarried unions" are signs of the abnormal. The sanctity
of marriage is traditional with us Syrians, and is a racial virtue.
Third, let there be mutual understanding, sympathy, service, based on a high valuation of each other. Shall money, education, love, family, home, children, beauty, be the motive for
marriage? The answer depends on the individual. Much that
passes for "love" is mere infatuation with a "face", "form", or
"figure". It takes a heap o' living together through all kinds
of weather to appreciate, understand and grow to fruition true
love, and a high valuation of each other. "This high valuation
of persons," says Charles A. Ellwood, "as such, and devotion to
their welfare, is what we mean by 'love'."
Fourth, marriage should not be contemplated unless one is
able to support a family. "Much poverty and misery could be
eliminated," says Williamson in Introduction to Economics, "if
individuals would postpone marriage until they will be able to
support a family decently." Dorothy Dix says, "It takes three
or four times as much to live on when you are married as it does
when you are single." A woman's clothes cost more, a man
can go to where he cannot take his wife, generally there are chil-
�-*
12
THE SYRIAN WORLD
dren, sickness, and unemployment.
Fifth, Shall Syrian-American youth intermarry with other'
races? Thoughts and habits are two things by which most of
life is lived. Syrian-American youth should not take this step
without a vital understanding of the meaning and consequences
of it: on the individuals concerned, their relations, their social
relations to the community, and to their offspring.
Sixth, the sort of a person to marry depends on the sort of
person you are. Young people are fit to marry only when they
are clean and healthy: body, soul, spirit. Never marry on the
grab-bag principle and trust to luck for success.
Seventh, Shall Syrian-American youth marry American-born
Syrians, or those from the homeland? a Syrian youth asked me.
He said, "The more I see of the young lady the more I realize
the differences between us: our ideas and customs." So marry
within your class in ideas and customs. Good intentions should
not, be they ideals, promises or hopes, take the place of good
judgment and the experience of others.
In the second fart of his article which will he published in
the following issue, Rev. Mansur will discuss the problems of
Patriotism, Religion and Education.
PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY
A company of travelers met an apparently very aged Arab
engaged in planting vines, and they stopped to question him.
This was their dialogue:
—How old are you?
—My health is good.
—How much money have you?
—I am not in debt.
—What is the nature of your worries?
—I have no children.
—Who are your enemies?
—I have no relatives.
�13
^DECEMBER, 1927
I A Pilgrimage to The Holy Land
}
By
MARY MOKARZEL
*
Chaque homme a deux patries —
La sienne et la Syrie.
This year, for the annual trip, our school went to Jerusalem. We left Beirut on the seventh of April and returned on
the fourteenth. Our party consisted of twenty-five girls and
three teachers and our principal, Miss Kassab. Having left Beirut at seven o'clock in the morning, we arrived at Jerusalem at
seven in the evening. So we began our sight-seeing the next day.
We decided to go to Bethlehem first and start our visits
with the place where Christ was born. On our way we alighted
from the automobiles to look through the Wise Men's Well,
as it is now called, where the Magi first saw the reflection of the
star that was to lead them to the new-born Saviour. So it is
from this place that we start our imaginary journey with Christ.
A little further on from the Well of the Magi on the opposite roadside is Rachel's Tomb. It is of stone and has a round
dome. Entering we find it very dark and cheerless. From this
point on the opposite mountain-side to the right is a little village,
formerly known as Zelza, but now known as Beit Jala. It is
the birthplace of Saul. No Jews are allowed to enter it. To
our left in the valley below can be seen two green fields. One
is the field in which the Shepherds were sitting when an angel
came and told them of the birth of the Saviour. The field next
to it is the meeting place of Ruth and Naomi.
Looking at the scenery around us we see many beautiful
mountains. Some are barren, some are dotted with olive groves
and others are sprinkled with villages of red-roofed houses. But
on one mountain, that which is higher than the rest and is flattopped, formerly stood the Roman citadel. It commands a good,
* The writer of this article is an American girl of Syrian parentage
who spent two years in Syria attending school and studying conditions of
life in the mother-country of her parents. Her description of the pilgrimage to the Holy Land is. therefore, based on personal observation and should
be of special interest to the Syrian-American generation in that it records
the mental reactions of one of their kind to customs and conditions obtainEditor
ing in the Old World.
-
�14
THE SYRIAN WORLD
complete view of all Jerusalem and thus was an ideal place for;
a guard.
Driving on, we arrive at Bethlehem in which the first place i
we visit is the Church of the Nativity. It was built in 327 by
the Empress Helena, destroyed by the Moslems in 1236 and
restored again by the Crusaders. This church is built in the shape
of a cross and is divided among four religions: Armenians, Assyrians, Greeks and Latins, each religion occupying one section
of it as their church. Here is a large marble star which the Bethlehemites believe to be the centre of the earth. Descending a
large stairway, we come to the birthplace of Christ. Over the
exact spot is a silver star on which is written the following words:
"Hie de virgine Maria Jesus Christus natus estP Hanging
above and encircling this star are seventeen lamps, seven of which
belong to the Greek Catholics. Until recently there has been
quarreling as to who should have more lamps. There is still
a soldier keeping guard over it.
Next to this place is the manger. It is made of rock and is
also decorated with lamps and candles.
A few steps on we come to another cave in which were
thrown the little children who were massacred by Herod. Over
the place where they were thrown stands an altar over which
hangs a picture showing the babes being killed by the soldiers
while the mothers stood by weeping and imploring. Next to
this cave is a room in which St. Jerome lived for thirty years
engaged in translating the New Testament from Greek to Hebrew. It was in this room that as he was about to die he became afraid and an angel appeared and calmed him. Over his
tomb is a large picture showing him at his lifework.
The whole church of the Nativity is decorated with oriental splendor of gold, silver, brass, and pictures, all of which make
one lose his illusions about the simplicity of the birth of Christ.
For instance: looking at His birthplace and His manger we cannot imagine Him being born here. Because of the existence of
so many religions here in the East there is continual quarreling
and wrangling as to who should own the sacred places and thus
their ideas are contorted and twisted. Perhaps they need another Wise Man to lead them back to unity and peace.
The dress of the Bethlehem women is very picturesque. It
consists of a full skirt, usually red, a high waist and a vest made
of colored cross-stitches made into a beautiful design. They also
�mCEMBER, 1927
15
\krear white veils over their heads. Under these veils the married women wear high hats shaped like a tarboush so one can tell
(at a glance if the woman is married or not.
\
The Bethlehem women are noted for their beauty and from
this comes the belief that the Virgin was beautiful.
The Bethlehemites earn their living by the manufacture of
crosses, rosaries, medals and other holy articles.
Driving on from Bethlehem we come to three pools known
as Solomon's Pools. They hold a quantity of 1,000,000 gallons
of water. If there were no other sources of water these pools
would suffice Jerusalem for seven months, but as it is, there are
two other reservoirs, Aroub and Ain-Fara.
On our way we stop at the place of the Ascension. It is a
high circular room and is noted for its holding of sound. Here
is a square stone on which is imprinted a footstep which is said
to be our Lord's as He was ascending into Heaven.
Perhaps the most notable building in Jerusalem is the
Mosque of Omar. It stands on the Haram. The Haram is a
large area occupying one-sixth of all Jerusalem within the walls.
It consists of many buildings of which this mosque is the greatest. It is also known as the Dome of the Rock because the building is built around the huge rock which has so many traditions
attached to it and which is believed to be suspended-in mid-air.
It was originally the Temple of Solomon. In 638 Omar built
a wooden temple on this site but it was destroyed in the seventh
century and replaced by a much finer one, the present one, by
Abd-el-Malik. It is built in octagonal shape and has four doors,
each facing a cardinal point of the earth. The outside walls are
made of China and marble on which are beautiful mosaic designs with the color blue predominating. These designs are now
being copied by manufacturers of chinaware. On going inside
we are obliged to take off our shoes or else pay two Egyptian
piastres for a huge pair of slippers which are worn over our shoes.
The ceiling forms a most striking part of the mosque, ft is
made of beautiful mosaic, mostly of pure gold worked into pictures and words concerning the legends which are told about the
rock below it. One picture gives it as the rock on which Jacob's
ladder extended to Heaven. It was also the place on which the
temple of Jerrubel and Herod used to stand. There is also another legend told about the little holes in the rock. It is said
that, as Mohammed was going to Heaven on his white steed,
�16
THE SYRIAN WORLll
Al-Burak, he wished to take the rock with him but an angel at.
peared and commanded it to stop. That is how it is suspend^
in mid-air, also the reason given for the existence of the little^
holes which are supposed to be Mohammed's fingerprints.
The rock is surrounded by a high iron railing outside of
which are beautiful marble columns of a dark brown color. We
also noticed the thick carpets on the floor. Placed high on each
wall of the octagon-shaped mosque are three beautiful windows.
They are worked into such lovely colors and dainty designs that
we stood charmed in front of them.
Another thing which attracts our attention is a high sexagone
box. It is of wood and contains six other boxes fitting into each
other. In the innermost one, the guide explains, are three hairs
taken from the Prophet's beard. They are given rose water to
drink every day to preserve them. On Judgment Day, it is believed that these hairs will stretch themselves across to Mt. Zion,
forming a bridge. Everyone will be obliged to cross it, but only
the worthy ones will cross it safely. So we suppose only Moslems will be on Mt. Zion on Judgment Day. Descending to the
cave beneath the rock, we see the altar on which Abraham was
preparing to sacrifice Isaac but was arrested in the act by an angel.
In the middle of the ceiling is a wide hole through which
one can look up and see the ceilingof the mosque. There is also
a hollow place in the ceiling under which Mohammed used to
stand and pray, as he was a tall man.
Opposite the Mosque of Omar stands the Mosque of Aqsa,
smaller and not as beautiful.
In order to see the Jews at the Jews Wailing place we went
on Friday. Then we were able to see them wailing and weeping
for their Haram. It was taken from them by the Moslems years
ago and so their weeping is largely a matter of custom. It is
very comical to see them striking their breasts and crying in loud
voice, but their dress is picturesque. It consists of a long velvet
robe of any color with a silk linking. The hat is a little piece of
the same velvet surrounded by a round piece of fur. They never cut their hair but allow, it to grow and tie it in a knot in back
of their heads and have a little curl in front of each ear.
We then go on to the tomb of David. It is opened for us
by one of his descendants who is now very poor. The Tomb is
in the upper chamber and is guarded by an iron-latticed wall. In
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A GENERAL VIEW OF BETHLEHEM
This photograph was taken from the roof of the Church of the Nativity and represents one of the
clearest views of the little city in Palestine to which the thoughts of the whole Christian world are
turned during the Christmas season.
�..............
CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY
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THE DOME OF THE ROCK
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�DECEMBER, 1927
1?
the lower chamber the Last Supper took place. Here also the
Holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles. The stone on which
the Saviour sat is still here.
Going from here we come to the Church of the Dominicans. It is owned by the German Monks and is not quite complete. It is very neat and clean and kept in perfect order by the
monks. It was to this place that St. John brought the Virgin to
live after our Lord's death. In the basement is an altar over
the place where she died.
On Palm Sunday we visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It is perhaps the most frequented church in Jerusalem because of the innumerable holy and historical places in it. The
most important is the place of the crucifixion. Over the exact
spot is a star above which is a picture made of emblems of tiny
diamonds and rubies. On the left and right of this spot are the
places of the crosses of the thieves. Behind these and high on
the wall is written, three times in diamonds — I. N. R. I.
To the right of these is a bust of the Virgin Mary. It is
encased in glass and covered with precious gems and many pieces
of jewelry. They were given to the church to be placed on the
statue by kings, queens and noblemen. A few steps away we
come to a picture by Murillo of the Christ when taken down
from the cross, with His head being held by the Virgin. Just
Their heads are shown and they bear such lifelike expression
that we stood awed contemplating them. The face of the Virgin is sorrow-lined as she looks down upon the Saviour.
Another important place here is the tomb of Christ. Many
believe it to be here but others believe it is the one discovered
by General Gordon and stands outside the walls. The latter
seems the more likely as it answers in many ways the traditional
description given of the Tomb of Christ.
To obtain permission to see the treasures in the treasurehouse of the church, we were obliged to see the Patriarch who
welcomed us hospitably and gladly granted our request. The
treasures here were also given by the nobility of all Europe.
There are many crowns of gold studded with rare diamonds,
rubies and emeralds. There are also tiaras, crucifixes, swords,
sabres and rare pieces of tapestry, some of which are worked in
tiny pearls.
...
We spent the rest of Sunday in visiting churches tor which
Jerusalem is noted.
�18
TJiE SYRIAN WORLD
The next day we went to Giberius or Gabille. It is noted
for its fishing industry. It is very quiet and peaceful and the
mountains surrounding it together with the sea and green trees
make a most appealing scene. A most interesting place here is
the Socialist Colony. It consists of about fifty young men and
women all working in common. They own a large piece of land
which they are cultivating. Each person is allotted his day's
work and all do the same work in turns. Everything belongs to
everybody, even the children belong to all and know no special,
mother or father.
\
When My Sorrow Was Born
By G. K. GIBRAN
When my Sorrow was born I nursed it with care, and watched over it with loving tenderness.
And my Sorrow grew like all living things, strong and beautiful and full of wondrous delights.
And we loved one another, my Sorrow and I, and we loved
the world about us; for Sorrow had a kindly heart and mine was
kindly with Sorrow.
And when we conversed, my Sorrow and I, our days were
winged and our nights were girdled with dreams! for Sorrow
had an eloquent tongue, and mine was eloquent with Sorrow.
And when we sang together, my Sorrow and I, our neighbours sat at their windows and listened; for our songs were as
deep as the sea and our melodies were full of strange memories.
And when we walked together, my Sorrow and I, people
gazed at us with gentle eyes and wispered with words of exceeding sweetness. And there were those who looked with envy upon us, for Sorrow was a noble thing and I was proud with Sorrow.
But my Sorrow died, like all living things, and alone I am
left to muse and ponder.
And now when I speak my words fall heavily upon my
ears.
And when I sing my songs my neighbours come not to listen.
And when I walk the streets no one looks at me.
Only in my sleep I hear voices saying in pity, "See, there
lies the man whose Sorrow is dead."
t.
\
ger,
�—
DECEMBER, 1927
IP,
Allah Joins the Extremes!
AN AUTHENTIC ARABIAN TALE.
'
An Arab of the tribe of Assad was fond of telling the following strange tale of one of his experiences.
"One day," he would begin, "when engaged in corralling
my camels which I >had left to graze in the pasture grounds of
our tribe, I found that a number of she-camels were missing. It
was not yet dusk and I determined to follow their tracks without
calling on the tribe for assistance.
"Very soon, however, I found myself lost in the desert
while night was fast beginning to fall. I had not provided myself with provisions or means of defense and the fear for my
safety superseded all anxiety at the loss of my valuable camels.
I. prayed to Allah for deliverance from this grave predicament.
"After having wandered aimlessly for some time, I perceived in the distance a light which I took to be the guiding finger
of Providence directing me to shelter and safety. I walked and
walked until I became very weary, and despair was beginning
to beset my soul. In the vast stretches of the desert, what had
appeared to be so near proved to be miles distant. But somehow
I managed to summon sufficient strength to continue and finally
I reached the camp to which Allah had guided me.
"I chose from among the tents the one which seemed to me
the largest and whose occupants should be the more able to afford
hospitality. I called aloud to give notice of my presence, declaring that I was a stranger who had lost his way and came to
seek shelter and food. Presently there appeared at the door of
the tent a. woman than whom I had not seen one more beautiful
in all my life. She emerged from the dark folds of the tent
as would the dazzling sun breaking through a veil of clouds.
At the sight of her I immediately lost all sense of fear, or hunger, or cold and stood for a while speechless and motionless.
For that woman must surely be the most beautiful in the whole
world.
"Perceiving my predicament, the woman hastened to assure and comfort me. She spoke ,to me in the most hospitable
tone telling me that I was welcome to both shelter and food.
�essa
20
m
(THE SYRIAN WORLD
She bade me enter and had me sit by the welcome warmth of a
glowing fire, while she proceeded to prepare a most sumptuous
meal. And all the time' she entertained me by the most delightful conversation, proving that she was of high birth and well
versed in the traditions of the Arabs.
"The meal over, I heard a commotion outside the tent and
presently a man entered than whom never in'all my life I had
seen one more hideous in his ugliness. Still he entered with the
utmost freedom and consorted with the beautiful woman in terms
of fullest familiarity. He took a seat in the place of honor in
the tent and the woman soon brought to him a child which he
began to caress with fondness. The woman sat beside him and
he inquired of her concerning the guest, motioning to me, and
she replied that I was of the tribe of Assad and had sought hospitality for the night.
"The look of amazement with which I contemplated them,
now that I realized that they were husband and wife, could not
have long escaped the man, and he hastened to satisfy my curiosity.
" 'It appears to me,' he said, 'that you are wondering at our
condition', which fact I readily admitted, even going to the extent of declaring that never in all my life had I heard of any
such union where the man and the woman were of such great
disparity.
" 'I shall not keep you long wondering,' he said, for what
caused your amazement has been the wonder of everyone laying eyes on us. It was by the strangest accident that we came
to be mated, and this strange story is one which I am as fond of
relating as you must be of hearing.
" 'Know then, O brother Arab, that I am a man of the tribe
of Qoda'a. It is through no fault of mine that I was born with
such uncomely features, but men, even of my own family, seemed to loathe me for it and to treat me with the utmost derision
and contempt.
" 'I was the youngest of seven brothers, and instead of being
petted and treated at least with iconsideration, my position seemed to be like that of a slave. I could claim no right or privilege
and my life became as hideous as my face.
" 'One day, our family missed a camel and my brothers ordered me to go forth and search for it. I was then still young
and I protested, but my father came to their support and order-
�DECEMBER, 1927
21
led me out under threat of death. There was no other course
left for me to follow and I left the camp cold and hungry and
with much misgivings in my heart. Death looked to me then
as a blessing and I ventured out in the night fervently praying
that; I would meet with some accident that would rid me of my
miserable existence.
" 'After wandering for a long time I came across an encampment where I found a kindly old woman besides whom sat this
beautiful lady. The latter was full of the vivacity of youth and
consciousness of her beauty. Consequently, the contrast of her
beauty and my ugliness could not fail but excite in her a mischievous sense of humor.
" 'Will you/ she said, 'when the camp is asleep, come into
my tent and grant me the boon of a few hours in your company,
for I have seen no one in all my life who approaches you in
beauty of features and sweetness of speech!'
" 'I cannot describe to you the extent of my mortification at
her cutting sarcasm, and I said to her: 'O gracious and kind lady,
I have been despised and ridiculed all my life even by my own
family. Please, then, spare me any further humiliation at thy
hands.'
" 'Just at that moment her father and seven brothers returned from a tour of inspection of the camp and all having partaken
of a plentiful meal, the lady retired into her tent while the men
laic} themselves about in the open and went to sleep.
" 'Being a stranger, and still laboring under the excitement
of my novel experience, I found myself in time the only one
awake among the company. Furthermore, I discovered myself
brooding over the invitation of the beautiful lady and gradually
bringing myself to the belief that her invitation was not a mocking gest but an earnest solicitation. The temptation in me was
growing stronger and stronger, and, emboldened by the warmth
of my covers and the fullness of the meal, I made my way stealthily into the tent of my enchantress. She, however, seemed to
have forgotten her gest and when she suspected the presence of
someone in the tent she called out to learn who it was. I answered
softly that I was the guest and had come in response to her bidding. Thereupon she flew into extreme rage and hurled curses
and imprecations at me, ordering me out forthwith under penalty of rousing the camp and bringing on me certain death.
" 'There was no mistaking the earnestness of her command
:;.: ,^../:^^:;..,: . .:.^ ': ^-A
.--^..-^.
,
�22
®HE SYRIAN WORLD
and I made haste to cover myself with my robe and flee. But
a greater danger lurked at the door when the big shepherd dog
of the lady leaped upon me and caught hold of the end of my
robe. I managed as best I could to ward him off with my staff
and so kept up a running fight with him for some distance until
we both fell into a deep pit.
"'The lady, in the meantime, had suspected my predicament and was fearful of the consequent scandal,in case of discovery and came out alone in search for her dog to quiet him and
bring him back. She came upon us both in the pit and there renewed her severe upraiding of my conduct and said threateningly:
'But for the scandal I would make this pit your grave, and if
now I am willing to save you it is on condition that never must
you set foot on this soil again.'
" 'Saying which she lowered me a rope and pulled with all
her might to raise me from the pit, but when I had about reached the top the ground under her feet gave way and we were
plunged back into the pit together.
" 'At the break of day both the lady and I were missed in
camp and her father and brothers soon traced us to the pit. Their
first impulse was to hack us down with their swords and make
the pit our final grave, but the father finally restrained his sons
by'declaring that he could not conceive of his daughter doing
any wrong. The result was that they raised us together and I
had to face the threats of seven brothers with drawn swords who
but for the restraining commands of the father would have made
short shift of me.
" 'Now 'it was that I was given the greatest surprise of my
life. For the father, with a determined look and without the
least preliminaries, put to me point blank the question: 'Are you
gentleman enough to marry the girl and save her reputation
from being dragged into a scandal?' The promise of life and of
having such a lovely girl for wife had such an effect on me that
I was deprived for a time of the power of speech. When I had
sufficiently recovered I signified my ready assent in no uncertain
terms, and no sooner were we back in camp than we were legally
wedded and the father gave her as dowery fifty young camels,
fifty male slaves and fifty female slaves.
"'Now,' concluded my host, 'I am relating to you the
strange circumstances of our marriage in the very presence of
the, lady who stands ready to corroborate me in every detail'."
-
j
�^DECEMBER, 1927
23
"The story," was the usual conclusion of the narrator, "gave
me even more surprise than the actual witnessing of the principals in the case, and I have been ever since wondering how Allah, in His providence, permits the union of such extreme types
as this most beautiful woman and her excessively hideous husband."
EVERLASTING SWEETS
Translated from the \Arabic.
The vizier Mu'ayyad ud-Deen Al-Kommi was very fond
of sweets.
One day when he was in particularly good mood, he asked
for a certain kind of sweets of which he was singularly fond,
and although the hour was late the whole household bestirred
itself and made of the delicacy a large quantity in a comparatively short time.
The servants having brought the sweets on large trays and
placed them before the vizier, the latter suddenly became very
pensive. He turned to his secretary Ayaz and asked:
"Can you preserve these sweets for me until Judgment
Day?"
Ayaz was nonplussed by the strange question and replied:
"How does my lord expect me to do that, and is such a thing
possible?"
"Yes," said the vizier. "Proceed this very hour to the orphanage of Moussa Al-Jawad and place all these sweets before
the Alawite orphans. They will enjoy them and give me in return such thanks as would preserve these sweets for me until
Judgment Day."
Said Ayaz: "I proceeded forthwith to carry out my orders
followed by a long train of servants carrying the trays of sweets.
It was a little past midnight when we reached the orphanage,
but we entered and roused the inmates and laid the sweets before
them, and one could see by their expressions of delight that their
thankfulness was surely to be transformed on Judgment Day into
more luscious sweets than could ever be manufactured by man."
�24
THE SYRIAN WORLD
St. George and The Saddle-bags
c/f Tale Based on a Syrian Legend.
By
MARIE HANNA
My mother's early life was spent in El-Kirby, a village
near Damascus of Bible fame. She came to this country with
my father before I was born and in spite of her acquired matterof-factness, I often think that quaint legends, held sacred in the
East, must be tucked away somewhere in her busy mind.
Until I had heard it whispered that there had been a legend
in my family, I had never thought to take up my mother's time
with my questionings. However, the other night, when everyone had gone to bed and mother came into my room to kiss me
good-night, I asked her about it and she told me the following
strange tale.
My great-grandfather, my mother's grandfather on her father's side, was a very pious man. A dyer by trade, he had to
make frequent trips from place to place with his wares, but he
was never known to miss his devotions. He was as well known
to the monasteries that topped the hills of the countryside
through which he must pass, as to his own temple of worship.
He was aided in his solitary journeys by a mule, across the
back of which saddle-bags would be thrown, each one holding
a dye-pot. It took two people to place this burden on the animal's back.
After packing provisions* 'for the trip, great-grandfather
would start out, staff in hand, leading the mule, with the chorus
of well-wishes and God-speed ringing in his ears, from his family and farmers and tradesmen of the village who had come to
see him on his way.
One day he was returning from Zehley to his home in ElKirby. His kinsmen had tried to prevail upon him to put off
his departure for a little while as it was the season of heavy
and unexpected rains.
The day seemed to be quite clear when he started out.
Noon-time found him fatigued and hungry, and though he had
gone a little less than half his journey, he chose a patch of turf
near the roadside, and feeding oats to his mule, threw himself
,
!•
�I
DECEMBER, 1927
25
*
down to rest and to munch at his dry, wafer-like bread, black
olives and fresh white cheese.
Looking into the distance, he noted ominous clouds gathering. It was too late to turn back and there was no place of shelter nearby. He arose to continue his trip, with a prayer in his
heart that the storm would spend itself before he would be
forced to walk into it.
Other than a muddy road, there was no sign that a rain
^aad preceded him, when he came upon the last lap of his journey. At a turn in the road, at a particularly oozy place, the
mule slipped and fell and the saddle-bags with the heavy dyepots in them slid from its back.
"St. George, help me!" exclaimed the man as he hastily
made the sign of the cross three times, in Orthodox fashion.
Night was coming on and he had long since passed human habitations, and\ he had a good way yet to go before reaching home.
He tried to place the saddle-bags back in place, but his effort was quite useless. The mule had regained its footing, and
he was deciding to abandon his wares when he heard a voice
calling, "Are you in trouble?" He looked up and beheld a
man with a long, flowing beard, mounted on a white horse.
"Yes", answered my great-grandfather, and he pointed to
the saddle-bags lying on the ground. As the two men replaced
the luggage, my great-grandfather thanked his benefactor and
wished him the blessings of the Lord, in voluble Oriental fashion.
As the stranger threw himself on his horse, the other man
firmly grasped his staff and gently pulled at the strap about the
mule's head. As they travelled along, my great-grandfather
murmured, "I do not know what I would have done without
your help. I would have had to leave these things here and it
would be a long time before I could get more. Will you tarry
at my home, before continuing on your way?"
Getting no response, the speaker looked up to see that the
stranger and his horse had vanished. He stood with his hand
to his forehead, looking this way and that and finally with a
shrug of his shoulders, he went on, his head bent in revery.
Arriving home, he awoke his household to tell them the
strange happening. Then, and ever after, when he recounted
his experience, he concluded with: "I tell you it was St. George
himself. Oh, if I had only kissed his hand or knelt at his feet!"
�vVi
i"
'
2
<*
--
i
Hn
-.
)ECE1
THE SYRIAN WORLD
My mother closed the door of my room as she went out.
My thoughts turned to the picture of St. George in our living
room downstairs and I wondered about all of the fanciful legends that have been woven about the martyr of Cappadocia, until I fell into a dreamless sleep.
To t
ragme
,
MA'N AND THE CALIPH
Translated from the ^Arabic.
Ma'n Ibn Zaida, an Arab chieftain famous for his wisdom
and generosity, came one day to the court of Ja'far, who built
the city of Baghdad, and greeted him with the customary greeting of the Caliphate.
"You appear to have aged," said the Caliph, jestingly.
"Yes," replied Ma'n, "but in the service of the Prince of
the Faithful."
"But you seem to carry yourself well," continued the Caliph.
"Against your enemies, O Prince of the Faithful," was the
quick retort of Ma'n.
"Now," said the Caliph, "which of the two regimes do you
prefer, ours or that of the Umayyads?"
"This is a matter wholly dependent upon yourself, O Prince
of the Faithful," replied Ma'n. "Only if you deal with your
subjects with more justice and afford them more plentifully the
blessings of life will your rule be preferable to that of the Umayyads."
For some time Ja'far bent his head low in reflection, and
with eyes moist with tears finally addressed the venerable Arab
chieftain as follows:
"O Ma'n, it is the will of Allah that you come at this time
to admonish me on the necessity of giving more thought to the
welfare of the people. What you have said is charged with
truth."
/
�' -"'"—"--
I
rn
1
;
DECEMBER, 1927
27.
To the Spirit of "Chinese Gordon"
By DR. N. A. KATIBAH
'ragment of a long epic composed in the Sudan and later unforI
tunately lost by fire. This song was published
in the London Globe in 1899.
J
/
Flow on, old Nile,
For time will never change thee,
Each wee defile
In sacred hills that range thee
Has tales to tell
How on the sandy banks that cage thee
Aspiring nations rose and fell.
Old Nile, hold on;
Where are the famous sons of glory
Who're dead and gone,
And 'neath thy bed their bones and story
Forgotten lie?
The echo speaks in accents sorry
"Time ne'er remembers their good-bye."
!
Of heroes' fate
Of guns, of armies and their soul
— Gordon the great,
O homeless spirits without goal
Bring news, bring joy;
Or sorrow bring that days might roll,
Excepting none my heart t' annoy.
Gordon, thou man,
Thou soldier of a noble sword,
Whose blade once ran
To kill, to conquer and to ward,
Where canst thou be?
Thou canst not be in Khartoum gored,
Nor fettered there by hand and knee.
�Lightness of heart is better than heaviness of pocket.
The gage of a man's intelligence is in his actions. The gage
of his knowldge is in his speech.
Grief over youth is the misfortune of old age.
'
Birth is the herald of death.
Nothing detracts from the value of man's knowledge like
conceit.
A rich miser is poorer than an open-handed pauper.
To prove your virtue hold your tongue.
Silence is .the ignorant man's salvation.
Thirst for gold is stronger than thirst for water.
Gentleness of speech is the strongest bond of affection.
dise.
A gathering of learned men is one of the pleasures of ParaKeeping evil company is more dangerous than riding the
sea.
The
The clos
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I
�—.—I
1
DECEMBER, 1927
29
f
Famous Cities of Syria
Horns and Hama\
*
These two cities are referred to as the twin cities of Syria.
The close association of their names in speech would give one
the impression that they were only two quarters of one city, or
but one city bearing a dual name.
Horns and Hama, nevertheless, are two distinct places divided by a distance of about thirty miles. What they have in
common, however, is that they are both located in the valley of
the Orontes in Northern Syria, and have gone in their? hoary history through almost the same cycle of prosperity and depression,
cataclysmic wars and periods of resplendent glory, and have now
been reduced to the rank of large inland towns of about 30 and
40 thousand population each.
The geographic location of Horns and Hama gave them a
} pronounced advantage in the military sweep of conquerors
/
through Syria in ancient times. They were considered key cities
the possession of which was necessary to the successful outcome
of any campaign launched from either the East or the West.
Both were Hittite cities whose mention occurs frequently in the
Bible. During the period of Greek and Roman occupation of
Syria they played a conspicuous part. They were flourishing
centers of wealth and culture during the early Arab occupation
and the Crusaders took and held them for a brief period.
Although Horns is not located directly on the Orontes, or
Al-'Asi, water for irrigation from the river is raised by huge water wheels, or Na'ouras, which emit creaks and groans peculiar
to that locality and have been translated into beautiful, music and
sung about in many tender lays by thq Arabs. Horns, known also
as Emessa, is; the more southerly located of the two cities and is
consequently the nearer both to Damascus and to the cities of
the coast. The large lake known by its name which is partly
artificial and formed by the damming of the Orontes is situated
about ten miles; to the south.
The Orontes is the largest river of Syria and runs from
1
�4»
30
WtHE SYRIAN WORLl
south to north. Arab geographers explain that its name,, Al-'Asi
was applied by reason of this contrary course. Other than An
tioch, which is much farther north and is close to the mouth c
the river, Horns and Hama are the only two cities rising alon
the whole length of the Orontes.
Although Hama, being directly on the banks of the Oronte
which is spanned within the city confines by three old but sur
stantial bridges, may claim the advantage in location and the a'
tendant benefits of irrigation, Horns is, on the other hand, th..more important historically for the part it played on many an
occasion of world-wide import. It has the distinction, for instance, of having given Rome an emperor during the zenith of
its power and glory. There had been in Horns a great temple
of Baal, or the Sun-god, whose priests wielded great influence
in shaping the destinies of the empire. In the year 218 A. D.,
the Roman legionaries of Syria, flushed by the consciousness of
their power, raised the young Bassianus, then in his fourteenth
year and archpriest of the temple of Horns, to the imperial dignity. He was known as Emperor Elagabalus or Heliogabalus.
His reign, however, lasted less than four years, because, due to
his excesses and tyranny, he was murdered by his soldiers in
camp while engaged in an effort to appease them, and his body
was dragged in the streets and later ignominiously thrown in the
Tiber. Hence the epithet or nickname Tiberinus, one of the many
applied to the tyrant after his death.
Many historians describe the orgies of this young emperor
as too revolting to be recorded in detail. The Roman public,
it is claimed, would have overlooked the trespasses of the emperor and excused them as youthful pranks and antics which
would be moderated by mature age. But Elagabalus proceeded
to execute in public dances and excesses which he ascribed to the
worship of the Eastern god Baal and which could not be long
tolerated and endured by the Romans. He further aggravated
the citizenry in their fast growing anger and impatience by claiming for his Eastern god priority and superiority over the gods
of Rome, and attempted to use his dictatorial powers to force the
people into recognition of what were considered as preposterous
claims.
This Syrian-born Roman emperor was not, however, of
Syrian descent. He was the son of a noble Roman family and
a cousin once removed of Caracalla. When the latter emperor
DECEM
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�^
DECEMBER, 1927
31i
mis murdered by Macrinus, his maternal aunt, Julia Maesa,
grandmother of Elagabalus, was compelled to move to Syria
where she always pined for the 'imperial splendors to which she
ad been accustomed in Rome. She bided her time and at the
propitious moment circulated among the legionaries of Syria
he report that Elagabalus was the natural son of Caracalla.
"here was immediately a rising in his favor and when Mamns came to Syria at the head of his troops to quell the rebellion
e was defeated and put to death.
The ruins of the great temple of the Sun in Horns, of which
this Roman emperor was at one time archpriest, are still considered the most conspicuous feature of the city. The Arabs had
built a strong citadel on the hill supposed to have been the site
of the temple, and Horns, for that reason, continued to be a
strong military post under both the Arabs and the Turks until
Ibrahim Pasha, the Egyptian, ordered the citadel blown up following his victory over the Ottoman army in the vicinity or the
city, in 1831.
. _
,
, .
Horns and Hama were captured by the Crusaders early in
the 12th century but remained in their hands for the short period of only seven years. Tancred, upon his capture of Hama,
ruthlessly massacred its Isma'iliyeh defenders.
One of the important events in the history of Horns is that
the great battle which sealed the fate of the Syrian national
movement under Queen Zenobia was fought in the immediate
neighborhood of the city. Zenobia was decisively defeated by
Aurdian in this engagement, and although she made good her
escape from the battlefield, she was later captured and taken
prisoner to Rome. Details of this great struggle were given in
the history of Palmyra, capital of Zenobia, and published in a
former issue of THE SYRIAN WORLD.
A further conspicuous and interesting feature of the history of Horns was that upon its capture by the Arabs under Abu
Obeida, one of the generals of 'Omar, the great church of St.
John in the city was divided between the Christians and Moslems. Services were conducted simultaneously by adherents of
the two faiths in separate sections of the same edifice. This arrangement probably lasted until the occupation of Sym by the
Turks in 1517. Not similar, however, was the fate of the principal church of Hama which was occupied by the Arabs under
the same general and at the same time. It was immediately con-
B
�S2
ZHE SYRIAN WORLI
verted into a mosque without any arrangement for the Christian
to enjoy the privilege of worship in the same edifice.
Both Horns and Hama do a thriving business with th'
nomad Arabs prevalent in the vicinity. They export appreciab.1
quantities of cereals, wool and dairy products. Horns, in parti
cular, is the center of a district well planted with mulberry tree
and most of the silk produced is manufactured into substantk
native cloth* of distinctive Oriental design. The use of this dui
able cloth for personal wear and upholstering purposes is gradi
ally finding more favor with the Syrians as an outcome of th<,
campaign to patronize home industries.
Horns and Hama are both located on the main line of the
Beirut-Aleppo railway and are coming to enjoy more and more
the benefits of commerce with the coast cities in their export of
cereals and fruit. Previously, the only modern means of communication had been a carriage road connecting Horns with Tripoli.
The Rebuke
By DR. SALIM Y. ALKAZIN
Oft in the shadow of the night, with conscience heart to heart,
I stand and humbly give it ear,
And this from its cold lips I hear:
"Is this the man thine anxious father planned? Is this the part
For which thy saintly mother prayed, —
For which the corner-stone she laid?"
Then from the dimness of the past, still heavy with the dew
Of dreamy youth, the eyes that were
My guileless own, upon me stare
And say, "Of all the visions fondly nursed, how very few
Remain untarnished by the grime
Of rushing Life and rolling Time!"
And I bend low my head,
And wish that I were dead.
�p
WATER WHEELS OF THE ORONTES
! 1
The great Water Wheels, or Na'ouras, which flank the banks of the river
Orontes and are used to raise water for irrigation purposes
in Horns and Hama.
�CEDARS OF LEBANON IN WINTER
A most extraordinary photograph of the famous cedar grove in Lebanon taken in mid-winter at the
greatest risk. The road to the Cedars is beset with many dangers even in summer, but in winter it is
well-nigh impracticable owing to the deep snow wh ich covers the mountain sides at times to a depth
of 10 or 15 feet. In the background may be seen the tops of some solitary trees -barely ghowing
above the thick blanket of snow.
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�pECEMBER, 1927
33
"Anna Ascends"
By HARRY CHAPMAN FORD
\
PUBLISHED FOR THE FIRST TIME AS ORIGINALLY
PLAYED ON THE NEW YORK STAGE.
SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING ACTS
a
Gents, a high-bred American, is discovered in the restaurant of Said
ury, a congenial Syrian whose true Americanism is far more than his
..or English indicates. The waitress, Anna, is a hard working, 'honest
girl who continually strives to learn and always carries a dictionary. Gents
takes interest in her and helps her learn better English. Two under-world
characters, Bunch and Beauty, have designs on Anna and plan to force
her into disreputable traffic. They enter the restaurant and Bunch encircles Anna's waist with his arm and moves his 'hand in a familiar and
disgusting manner to her breast. She bites him viciously and he hurls
curses at her. Gents springs to 'her defense and forces an apology from
the detractor. Bunch and Beauty leave threatening Anna with revenge.
Two finely dressed American young women, Nell and Bess,, sister and fiancee of Howard (Gents), enter the restaurant and are surprised at Howard
frequenting such a haunt. They disdain Anna and Howard proceeds to
prove to them that she is a better American than they are. Howard
leaves with the visitors and presently Rizzo, the cop, enters and announces
that he is looking for Bunch for a recent theft of a shawl. Rizzo departs
and is soon followed by Said, the proprietor, leaving Anna in the restaurant alone. Bunch enters and offers the stolen shawl to Anna who spurns
him and, as he proceeds to use force, she stabs him. Leaving him for
dead, she flees the place in the enveloping darkness of the night.
In an elaborately furnished office of a large publishing house in uptown New York, the former secretary of Mr. Fisk, head of the firm, is
about to get married and is inducting her successor, Miss Adams, in her
duties. Miss Adams speaks perfect English but with a slight foreign accent. Fisk examines her credentials and discovers that in a short time
she made several changes. She explains that in some cases she was discharged, in others, left of her own will, but always for one reason, namely that of biting men who attempted to kiss her. She relates a personal
story similar in every respect to a newly published book which proved an
instant best-seller and Fisk's suspicions are aroused as to her identity.
Miss Adams parries with him on the question and he resolves to take
other means of satisfying his curiosity. In the meantime Howard, son of
Fisk, returns from an extended trip and meets Anna but does not recognize her and his "interest" in her is evident from the start.
Through a clever piece of detective work Fisk discovers that Miss
�i
34
THE SYRIAN WORLDL
L
<
Adams is the author of the book which had created a literary sensation,
and in a confidential conversation with her prevails on her to reveal her*1
identity. He also informs her that she had become rich on her royalties.
Howard returns and tries hard to recall where he had met Miss Adams be-/:
fore, but she is relieved that he does not recognize her as the Syrian wait-J
ress in the Washington St. restaurant. He makes a date to see her thenext day. Meanwhile Howard's sister and fiancee return and all leave to-*
gether. Upon being left alone Anna calls the office boy William and has
him enact an old scene she had with Howard by having him spell the word
affection and pronounce it LOVE. Anna then gives the boy the promisee1
kiss and is happy at the thought that Howard will come back.
The next scene is the summer home of the Fisks at Irvington-on-thc,
Hudson, Fisk endeavors to induce Anna to marry Howard, but Anna replit
that although she has realized her happiness in Howard she cannot taP
it for reasons she cannot explain. Anna is later alone with Howard w*
presses his suit to the point where Anna, to escape being forced to give tiv
her secret, tells Howard she does not love him. Nell breaks in and insinuates that Anna could not dress so expensively on the meager salary of a
secretary. Howard appeals to his father who dispells any suspicion directed to Anna and counsels his son to have patience as Anna will surely accept
him at the proper time.
ACT THREE — 2.
— I am going' down town to see your tenant, Said
Coury, tomorrow. He wants some improvements made in the
store. He may have them, can't he?
FISK — Of course.
HOWARD — I'm to see him at two o'clock. (John and Allen enter. Allen carries billiard cue and shows signs of his jive
drinks.)
ALLEN — That was the finest game of pool I ever played.
FISK — Pool, what pool?
JOHN — Oh, he means billiards. There were three balls
on the table, but he evidently saw a dozen.
ALLEN — I did see a dozen
and more. Wonder where
Nell is.? I've something to say to her.
HOWARD — Well, you had better say it quick, because that
load you're carrying will wear off very soon.
ALLEN — If it does, I know where I can get another one.
HOWARD — Nell is in the Blue Room, I think.
ALLEN — I'll stalk her, like the cave man of old. (Starts
right.).. Amongst all those beautiful wedding presents I have a
HOWARD
�DECEMBER, 1927
35
getter chance
the environment, you know. (Exits right.)
HOWARD — Where did he get it?
FISK — From the buffet. Courage to propose to Nell.
HOWARD — Booze has its merits. I hope she accepts him.
jOHN — If she doesn't, he is very liable to use the billiard
*ue on her.
|
HOWARD — (Quietly.) I hope so.
JOHN — What?
HOWARD — I mean, I hope she accepts him. I said it beire, didn't I?
\
FISK — Now I can go and have that highball. Join me,
a.
/s.
JOHN — I'll have a little liquor.
HOWARD — I think I left, the boat house open. (Starts up
to balcony.).. I'll join you later.
FISK — Come on, John, before Allen gets ahead of us. (As
they pass out left.) You know, he is liable to return for more
courage and the booze is limited
(Just as they exeunt, Bunch
enters from right on balcony and comes face to face with Howard at the center window.)
HOWARD — Who are you, the third man?
BUNCH — Yes, sir.
HOWARD — Busy?
BUNCH — No, sir, I have just taken, in the marquis for the
lady.
HOWARD
— Take this bunch of keys and lock the boat
house, please.
BUNCH — Yes, sir. (He takes keys' from Howard, coming
forward to, do so. As the men met only for about two minutes
three years ago they fail to recognize each other. Howard is puzzled, however, and calls the man back.)
HOWARD' — Just a moment, please. (Bunch stops but does
not turn around.)
BUNCH — Yes, sir.
HOWARD — Come here. (Bunch turns and comes reluctantly to Howard.)
BUNCH — Well, sir?
HOWARD — Did you ever work for this family before?
BUNCH — No, sir.
HOWARD — Did you ever meet me before?
BUNCH — Your face is somewhat familiar, but I can't re-
�SYRIAN W0RL1
36
member that I ever saw you before.
HOWARD — (After a moment of thought.).. Give me those
keys. (Bunch hands them back and Howard selects one which htk
hands to Bunch. He pockets the rest.) That is the key to th,
boat house. If I do not see you tonight, return it to Yates in
the morning.
BUNCH — Yes, sir. Is that all, sir?
HOWARD — Yes. (Bunch exits off on balcony. Nell am
Allen enter from right. Howard softly tip-toes off left.)
NELL — Allen, you just sweep me off my feet by yoi
eloquence.
ALLEN — Oh, it is not me, exactly
I had to have cou
age to do it.
NELL — Courage, Allen, you have plenty of it.
ALLEN — I had plenty of it.
NELL — It hasn't left you, has it?
ALLEN — Oh, no. It still lingers. But I will need some
more very soon.
NELL — Well, gather it, dear boy, gather it.
ALLEN — I will. (Starts up left.) Will you excuse me a
minute, Nell? Just a little moment?
NELL — Certainly, Allen, but where are you going?
ALLEN — (At door.) To gather some more courage. (He
starts off and runs directly into Anna, who enters.) I'm in an
awful haste, Miss Adams, but I will be back in a short time to
apologize. (Exits left. Anna discovers Nell and attempts to
leave.)
NELL — Just a moment, please. I wish to talk to you.
ANNA — What is there to say?
NELL — Only this. I have seen you before somewhere,
and, it seems to me, in some questionable situation.
ANNA — Well, you were in the same position, if you saw
me, weren't you?
NELL — You may not be all that I accused you of a short
time ago, but I do know that you are aspiring to be a lady. I
will recall it, and I warn you, I will take no pains to spare you.
ANNA — But you will spare me, now, won't you? I do not
care to listen to you.
NELL — Of course iyou do not, but others will listen to me
at the proper time.
ANNA — You are jealous.
But why have this all over
„
�DECEMBER,
1927
37
-*gain? You have made assertions that I cannot at this time disipprove. I would rather be downright honestly bad than to be
I ike you. There is nothing more to be said.
'
NELL — It is breeding that counts, always. Some day your
%rue character will blossom forth.
\
ANNA — Not as yours did, I hope.
1
NELL — If the glove fits
\ ANNA — Miss Van Housen, the inexorable law of Caste,
ji which you base so much reliance, is as dead these days as the
*vereignty of kings.
* NELL — Oh, you culled that out of a book.
[ ANNA — No, I put it in one.
NELL — I should hate to think that I would be compelled
to rub elbows with a, coal heaver or something of that sort.
ANNA — Well, if anyone should ask me which I preferred
to have around this winter, a lady or a coal heaver, I should pick
the coal heaver.
(Fisk, John and Allen enter from left.)
FISK — (To Allen.).- Take her out on the lawn and get a
definite answer from her.
JOHN — That's it.
FISK — How's your courage, now?
ALLEN — (Puts extended hand to level of chin.) Oh, great.
Up to here.
JOHN — Then, go to it.
ALLEN — Nell, there's a cygnet's nest down by the lily
pond. Will you walk down there with me?
NELL — Of course, Allen dear.
ALLEN — (Takes Nell's arm and talks as they move up
and off left.).. There is something delicately suggestive in a cygnet's nest, you know. The building of the little home, the mating and the little! cyggies that are to come, and
NELL — Allen, you surprise me, saying such a thing, you
ALLEN — It isn't me. It's courage.
FISK — Scotch courage. (Allen and Nell exeunt.) Anna,
daughter, will you motor with Howard and me to the office in
the morning or will you take the train?
ANNA — I'll take the train. I must be at work at eight
thirty.
JOHN — Half past eight. That's the middle of the night.
(Howard and Bess enter left.)
�THE SYRIAN WORLLfc
38
HOWARD —
BESS — Do,
All right, Sis. I'll get it at once.
Howard, please.
FISK — Get what?
HOWARD — My gun.
FISK — What silly
BESS — No, father, there is no room for argument, Howard has promised to sleep in the blue room tonight.
FISK — But what for?
,,
BESS — An ounce of precaution, you know. Besides, I c
not like the looks of that only servant we have in the house, J
HOWARD — I agree with Sis there.
BESS — He's awful looking. Isn't he, Anna?
4
ANNA — I did not notice, dear.
FISK — Well, of all
Four big, healthy men in the house,
who
BESS — Who sleep like the dead.
jOHN — Might as well eliminate Allen. He'll sleep sound
enough.
HOWARD — (Starts right.) Don't worry, Sis.
I'll hang
around your gifts all night.
BESS — (To John.) I suppose it is useless for me to ask
you to do it.
JOHN — Bess dear, if a thief came into the blue room and
I were there, I'd try to hide under one of your Aunt Agatha's
anti-maccassers.
BESS — You're impossible.
JOHN — As a detective, yes. (To Howard, as he is going
of.).- Any decent cigarettes in your room, Hank?
HOWARD — Plenty. Come along.
(Exits right.)
JOHN — Thanks, awfully.
(Exits right.)
BESS — I am going to the blue room this minute and check
off my things. (Goes right.) I suppose John was put on this
earth1 for some good. Everything else was, you know. (Exits
right.)
FISK —-Howard popped the question at last, didn't he?
ANNA — Yes.
FISK — When do you intend to accept him?
ANNA — Maybe tonight. Maybe never.
FISK — The boy will not take that for an answer. He has
told me so.
ANNA — And I have told him that he must take it as an
SBBSB
�"DECEMBER, 1927
39
^answer.
j
i
— Don't break my boy's heart.
— If God is not good to us, it will break both our
i^hearts, but I feel that He will be good to us, sometime. (Allen
'• ^and Nell enter from left through center window.)
NELL — Allen, the cygnet's nest is beautiful.
f
FISK — By God, he did it.
4
ALLEN — Yes, so symbolic of all that is to come. (They
^ome down center arm in arm.)
FISK — Well, is it settled?
a
a,
NELL — Oh, quite.
—. None but the brave deserve the fair.
J ALLEN
NELL — And he was so brave and courageous.
FISK — Yes, I know.
NELL — I am so sorry for Howard, Uncle Hen. But Allen
just swept me off my feet.
FISK — Bless you both. Don't worry about Howard.
ALLEN — (Suddenly.) Excuse me for a moment, I left my
cigarette case on the buffet
I mean in the dining room. (Goes
up left.)
FISK — (Taking out cigarette case.) Here.
ALLEN — Oh, you haven't got what I want. I want case
goods
I mean my good case. (Exits left.)
NELL — I shall admonish him in the morning.
FISK — What for?
NELL — He's tipsy. When he can come to me in his sober
senses and propose, then I may consider it.
FISK — But you have told him that you
NELL — Of course I told him, but I will tell him a lot
more tomorrow. Then he can propose again in a decent way.
ANNA — He won't have the courage tomorrow.
FISK — No, he won't. I'm sure of that. And I'll see that
he gets no more tonight, too. (Starts up left.)
ANNA — (Seeing that she will be left alone with Nell, goes
to right.) I think I will join Bess.
NELL
I'll go and have a talk with that young man, uncle Hen. And I'll take the courage out of him.
FISK — (As he and Nell pass through the door.) Can't be
done, my dear, can't be done. (They exeunt.)
(Whistling is heard of up left and William enters and meets
Bunch center, who has entered at the same time from the opposite
FISK
ANNA
�40
<JLHE SYRIAN WORLBg.
side. Bunch carries a rain coat and cap. As they meet William
speaks.)
WILLIAM — I want to see Mr. Fisk, please.
BUNCH — What name, please?
WILLIAM — Just tell him that his business partner is hert:^
with the goods. He'll understand. (William crosses down rightcenter and Bunch goes to door left.)
BUNCH — (Who has -put cap and coat on chair as he passed it.)-. His business partner?
WILLIAM — You got it.
BUNCH — Yes. I will inform Mr. Fisk.
WILLIAM — Go as far as you like, oP lamb chop. (Bun£
exits right. William looks about him in a furtive manner anu
then takes a jewel case from- his back pocket and waits for Fisk,
who enters right, followed by Bunch.)
FISK — Well, William, here at last.
WILLIAM — Yes, Mr. Fisk.
FISK — Where is it?
WILLIAM — (Handing over jewel case.) Here it is, sir.
All safe and snug.
FISK — (Taking case and opening it.
Bunch watches.)
Good.
WILLIAM — Didn't I tell you that I'd fetch it through all
Okay?
FISK — Yes, William, and you did.
WILLIAM — You bet.
FISK — (Crosses over to desk down extreme left.) Do not
mention this to my daughter. It is to be a surprise for her.
WILLIAM — Not me, Mr. Fisk. I'll be as mum as a tomb.
FISK — (Turns at desk and sees Bunch.) Why are you
waiting?
BUNCH — For orders, sir.
FISK — Brush and cover the billiard table.
BUNCH — Yes, sir.
(He goes to right and exits after a
look.)
WILLIAM — Miss Anna is here, ain't she, Mr. Fisk? (Fisk
puts jewel case in desk and locks it.)
FISK — Oh, yes, oh, yes. (Nell and Allen enter left.)
NELL — Don't you talk to me — you
dissolute inebriate.
(She crosses to steps and goes of center to right.)
ALLEN — If I could pronounce those words I would deny
at
�'DECEMBER, 1927
41
. Deny it em-pha-ti-cally. So I would. (He follows her off.)
NELL — No defense, please.
ALLEN — Oh, Nell, it was only the courage. (They exeunt.)
WILLIAM — Say, he's soused, ain't he?
FISK — (Pocketing keys.) Yep. (Enter Bess and Anna.)
WILLIAM — Good even', Miss Bessie. (Shamefacedly, to
nna.) Good even', Miss Adams.
BOTH GIRLS — Good evening, William.
ANNA — Did you come all the way out here to see me,
jVilliam?
— You bet.
ANNA — I shall reward you at the first opportunity.
\ WILLIAM — (Confused.) Yes, sir.
FISK — Yes, sir?
You want to take another look at the
person you address.
WILLIAM — Yes, Mam
I mean yes, sir. (John enters from right.)
JOHN — How about a rub of whist in the music room? The
four of us?
FISK — Suits me.
BESS — I suppose I must. It will give your brain a little
work, John.
FISK — And you, Anna?
(Starts for the door right.)
ANNA — No, thanks, I'll remain here and entertain William. (Bess exits. John and Fisk follow.)
FISK — I'll get the man to take you down stairs for something to eat, William, if you want it.
WILLIAM — No, thanks, sir.
I stopped at the Automat
before I took the train. (Getting nervous, watching Anna.) I'll
go with you, sir.
ANNA — But, William, you cannot play whist.
WILLIAM — Well, I might.
I ain't never tried
yet.
(Follows Fisk off.)
Anna is left alone on stage. She crosses over to the large
davenport at fireplace, "picks up her magazine that she previously had and nestles down closely and comfortably to read. A
slight pause — and Bunch enters from billiard room. The back
and sides of the couch completely hide Anna from his view. He
stands for a moment listening, then, satisfying himself that the
coast is clear, he suddenly turns off the lights from the switch
on the wall. All lights are out, save the reading lamp which
at
WILLIAM
�42
THE SYRIAN WORLD
throws a glow over the couch. The room is otherwise illuminat
ed by the moonlight streaming through the large French windows. Anna lets her book rest in her lap and listens expectantly.
Bunch tip-toes down to the desk, draws a small silver-plated jimmy and a handkerchief from his pocket. He places the hand
kerchief on the edge of the desk, quickly puts on a pair of cottot
gloves and with the jimmy on handkerchief pries open the desl
top. He quickly, yet silently, searches until he finds the jewt
case. Removes the necklace with his left hand, replaces the cast
brings down the desk top again, puts the jimmy and handke
chief in his pocket. Then removes gloves and pockets them. Wi'
the necklace in his left hand he turns to go, only to confront A
na who has come down silently to meet him. They face ec
other for a second. As the light is dim, neither recognizes the
other.
ANNA — Bunch Derry.
BUNCH — I don't know you.
_ ANNA — You ought to. We belong to the same line of
business.
BUNCH — Yer kidding me.
ANNA — Take a good look at me.
BUNCH. — (After a look.) Well?
ANNA — Don't you know me?
BUNCH — Naw.
ANNA — Take another look. Do you remember the little
girl you tried to put on
the streets
three years ago?
BUNCH — Aw, I can't remember them all.
ANNA — The girl Anna, in Said Coury's store.
BUNCH — I know.
ANNA —The girl who bit your hand.
BUNCH — Yes, and nearly done for me. Nigh croaked me.
It's Anna all right. So somebody beat me to it after all.
ANNA — Yes.
BUNCH — And made a thief out of you. I wouldn't have
done that.
ANNA — No, you would have been much easier with me,
Bunch, but you must admit I've done well.
BUNCH — You look it.
ANNA —'I'm sorry I stuck you with the knife.
BUNCH — Aw, that's all right. I ain't got no grudge. It's
all in a day's work. Say, you're working 'lone now, ain't yer?
�DECEMBER, 1927
ANNA — (Puzzled.) What?
BUNCH — Yer got no side kick, pal, mate, MAN.
ANNA — No, I'm working 'lone.
BUNCH — Well, what do you say if we pull this
43
job off
together. (Points off right.)- Dere's thousands of sugar in there.
ANNA — I know, I know. That's what I am here for. I
Wk the job as the old man's secretary, three months ago, to get
in on this. / work months ahead.
BUNCH — Say, you are smart.
(Nell and Allen appear
l
nd come through window. They are still quarrelling and pass
t
cross stage as they did at their previous entrance.)
v.
BUNCH — We go in on this, together?
ANNA — Right.
(Bunch is right center. Anna is left of
him. Howard appears at door right. Seen by Anna, but unnoticed by Bunch. All through the following scene, until Bunch discovers Howard, Anna talks in a high pitched strained voice to
convey to Howard the whole situation without letting Bunch
know her object.)
BUNCH — And we'll make a haul of it all. (Howard appears at, door.)
ANNA _ That's it. We'll steal, steal, STEAL.
BUNCH — Aw, don't put it like that. We'll just follow
our profess, that's all.
ANNA — We'll take the necklace, all the silverware, jewelry and everything. (Howard nods' his head, as in understanding
and draws his gun.)
BUNCH — You said it. Now you're talking. And we won t
be caught, neither.
ANNA — (Crossing down left.) I won't be caught.
HOWARD — No, she will do the catching.
(Bunch faces
Howard in a flash.) Don't move. Put up your hands.
BUNCH — Dished, dished by a moll. (To Anna.) I'll get
you for this.
ANNA — Yes, you tried to get me once before.
ALLEN — What's the matter?
HOWARD — This man was about to steal everything in the
house.
pISK — What happened, Anna?
ANNA — A miracle, Mr. Fisk, a wonderful miracle. You
can tell the world our secret now. How these beautiful clothes
were bought. How all my finery was purchased
right. And
�44
T-HE SYRIAN WORLD1
I will promise you the sequel to "Anna Ascends" in a week, Mr.
Fisk, in a week.
FISK — Great.
ANNA — Howard, dear Howard, I will give you your an-"
sewr sometime tomorrow, sometime tomorrow when you least
expect it. Oh, I'm so happy
so happy.
HELL DAMN.;
(She exits quickly.)
(To be continued.)
DISHONESTY DISCOVERED
Translated from the Jtrabic.
A merchant of Baghdad, being called upon to make a long
journey, left a hundred weights of iron in the safekeeping of one
of his friends.
Upon^his return he sought his friend to claim his trust, but f
the latter was emphatic in his assertion that the rats had devoured
the iron so that not the least,trace of it,was left.
"I have often heard," said the merchant, "that rats have a
special appetite for iron, but now my suspicion is confirmed."
The friend was delighted at finding that the merchant had
so readily believed his story and the latter soon after departed
and went his way.
In the street, the merchant came upon the child of his friend
and took him along to his house. The father, missing his child
that night, came of early morning to ask the merchant if perchance he had seen him.
"I surely have," said the merchant. "Yesterday, upon leaving your house, I saw a falcon swoop down upon your son and
carry him along in his talons."
The father of the child raised a great cry and caused a large
crowd to gather, all the while exclaiming: "Has any of you ever
heard of falcons carrying away children in their talons?"
But the merchant coolly remarked: "A land whose rats eat
away a hundred weights of iron must have, falcons that can carry
away not only little children but big elephants."
It was unnecessary to say any more. The dishonest man immediately admitted his guilt and hastened to say supplicatingly:
"/ have eaten your iron and here is its price, now give me back
my son."
�mm
45
DECEMBER, 1927
NOTES AND COMMENTS
By
THE EDITOR
Rev. Dr. K. A. Bishara for supremacy in our Syrian\ takes the editor to task for American communities.
<aving permitted to creep into
The protagonists of the secufjie ethical sanctuary of the lar standard of ethics are strivf agazine a most unworthy sen- ing to smother those influences
s
Vient" published in the No- of the old world, as represented
v
'mber issue in the department in our strong Religious factionof the Spirit of the Syrian Press. alism and intolerance, which,
This "sentiment" was not an they claim, have been chiefly
outpouring of our own moraliz- responsible for our lack of a
ing propensities but a quotation national consciousness. Their
from one' of New York's pa- avowed purpose is to free the
pers which saw fit to comment rising generation of what they
on the meaning of the celebra- believe was the bane of their
While the religious
tion of Columbus Day in Amer- elders.
ica in the manner which appear- leaders interpret these tendened to the Reverend Doctor ir- cies only as an effort to shake
off the restraining influence of
reverent and sacrilegious.
The fact, however, that the religion and bolt their authoriquotation proved so highly con- tyWe would welcome a free
troversial and elicited the strong
and
open discussion of the queschallenge of the Reverend Doctor, is, to us, sufficient justifica- tion involved and pledge ourselves to the same impartial
tion for its publication.
We have given as much pro- policy that has characterized
minence to the refutation as to our conduct of all such controversies in the past.
the offending quotation.
It is obvious that we cannot
To our mind, the editor of
subscribe
to the sentiment of
As-Sayeh who gave expression
to the sentiment, and the Rev. the Rev. Bishara in excluding
Dr. Bishara who finds himself from THE SYRIAN WORLD all
prompted to take exception to matter deemed extraneous to
our publication of it, represent any one class of thought.' What
two divergent schools of we can promise is to give every
thought which are struggling side a fair chance to be heard.
THE
�46
THE SYRIAN WORLD;,
This applies to moral as well
The hope exists, however,;
as to social and political discus- that a strong and wise leader sions. Our conduct of the de- will rise to guide his nation in,.
partment "Spirit of the Syrian the path of progress and act a&Press" is a fair indication of our mentor for his neighbors, pro/
impartial attitude in such mat- claiming a sort of Monroe Doc-/:
ters.
trine for the East. And per-/
haps, as has already been done
in single cases, compulsory me t
•THE deductions of Prof. Bythods of reform will be resorte*
ron Smith in the concluding
to to free a nation of its retni'
paragraphs of his article furnish
gressive proclivities. In such i
food for thought to the Arabiceventuality, progress may \ .
speaking peoples. There are
achieved to a degree in confor- •
unmistakable signs that a new
mity with the power and
era of enlightenment in the
strength of the leader and to
Arabic East is at hand, but the
the extent he is able to free
rapidity of progress in the devhimself and his nation from de-c
elopment of the new era is not
predatory European designs.
an easy question to determine.
The whole East, in fact, is
awaking from its lethargic
state of centuries, but the length THE article on the "History of
of time required to rear the
the Syrians in New York,"
complicated machinery of a published'in the November isprogressive state is much be- sue of THE SYRIAN WORLD,
yond the ability of anyone to was prepared by the editor of
compute with any degree of ac- THE SYRIAN WORLD for the
curacy. The masses of the East New York American and pubare in a deplorable state of ig- lished in the latter paper on Ocnorance. They are still influ- tober 3, being the fifth in a seenced by traditions which sadly ries of similar articles on other
lack the element of conformity nationalities represented in the
to modern conditions. Their makeup of the metropolitan
leaders, except in a few isolated population. The article was
cases, lack the broad vision of not intended to cover the hisconstructive statesmanship. The tory and the degree of evoluEast, in fact, is still groping in tion and progress of other Syrsemi-darkness for an object ian communities outside of New
which it is in hope of reaching York.
What complimentary
but finds itself lacking of the references occur in it to other
necessary means.
.
Syrian communities was permit-
�DECEMBER, 1927
I
.2d by the editors of the New I7ROM two distant points of the
t'ork American through courUnited States two letters on
tesy. The original plan was to the same subject reached us
pnfine the article to the treat- about the same time from two
ment of the history and achieve- Syrians engaged in identical stuments of the Syrian community dies but unaware one of the
^f New York alone.
other. Mr. Georges Knaysi,
Those of our friends outside instructor of bacteriology at
jj New York, therefore, who Cornell University, Utica, N.
Y., whose article on the role of
f ry be inclined to interpret our
f-iiparative silence on their microorganisms was published
sending as a deliberate attempt in the preceding issue of THE
v<
our part to deny them due SYRIAN WORLD, writes to inrecognition may well be assured form us that h& is preparing an
article dealing with a "subject
:hat such is not the fact.
which
has not yet received due
With refenrence to this aricle it should interest our read- attention in any discussion of
ers to learn that the inspiration the agricultural situation in
to it and to its sister articles in Syria and, Lebanon, namely the
the whole series came from dairy industry and 'dairy farmSyrian sources. It came about ing." While from the State
through the fact that Jos. W. University of California, whose
Ferris, President of the Amer- farm is located at Davis, Cal.,
ican Syrian Federation, felt Mr. Najib J. Dumit writes that
proud in demonstrating to his he was intensely interested in
friend, Nat. J. Ferber of the the article of Mr. Knaysi on
editorial staff of the New York bacteriology and his reference
American, some of the Syrians' in it to our native leben, as he,
achievements as expounded in Mr. Dumit, is now engaged in
the study of the dairy farming
THE SYRIAN WORLD and in Dr.
Philip K. Hitti's Book, "The with, a view to the introduction
Syrians in America". With the of scientific! methods along that
proverbial reporter's scent for field in Syria.
THE SYRIAN WORLD feels
news value, Mr. Ferber immediately conceived the series on proud of its role as a medium
the contributions to the City of in bringing the two together,
New York of the different, im- as all exchange of ideas on idenmigrant groups, and the articles tical activities is bound to reresulting therefrom have been sult in closer co-operation beappearing in the New York tween those who discover they
are engaged in the same line.
American ever since.
�48
iJTHE SYRIAN WORLD
Readers' Forum
AN OBJECTIONABLE
SENTIMENT
Editor, The Syrian World:
It is because I admire the beauty
of your magazine and the good taste
seasoning almost all its articles
that I cannot but notice with indignation any ugliness marring that
beauty, especially from the moral
viewpoint. In this respect I call your
attention to the following statement
in one of the editorial renditions on
"St. Columbus":
"Let Moses, Mohammed and
Jesus remain on their pedestals
in the Old World, but we will follow the example of St. Columbus
in the New World."
How this unworthy sentiment
crept into the ethical sanctuary of
the magazine I cannot understand.
And what real value have such "clever adages" characteristic of our tencent-novel age, I cannot see.
To call the young readers to forsake Jesus for Columbus and to take
the latter as their exemplary patron
saint is to offer them morally and
spiritually a very low standard indeed.
In the first place Columbus was no
saint in the real sense of the term.
Strictly speaking, the man was
neither Christian nor Mohammedan
nor Jew. He was reared in a hypocritical atmosphere where 'his Jewish parents had embraced institutional Christianity under compulsion — a motive most unworthy
even hv the case of a heathen.
But in the second place, let us
suppose that the man escaped the
duplicity of his cowardly parents un-
scathed, in what sense can he be a
exemplary saint?
Sincerity, honesty and consistency
are the emblems of a holy, pure
hearted man entitled to be designa
ed as "saint". Columbus' person
morality has always been under
cloud. Even in social ethics he v,,
a perfect rogue, devoid of all sei
of equitable honor. He used anot1
less fortunate sailor's charts
reaching islands already discovered,
and then exerted all his efforts to
obliterate all traces of the abovementioned charts so as to claim the
whole honor himself, of which !hi
was subsequently deprived by eternal justice.
Columbus was a great adventurer,
that's all!
In fine, I beg to state that the
statement in question is detrimental to the mental and ethical sensibility of the youth. And I take this
opportunity to register my protest
against it, indicating, at the same
time, that to me it appears peculiarly foreign to the spirit, and sadly inferior to the standard, of your
most excellent magazine.
K. A. Bishara.
Brooklyn, N. Y.
PUTS SYRIANS IN BETTER
STANDING
Editor, The Syrian World:
I read with enthusiasm your "History of the Syrians in New York".
I appreciate your penetrating understanding of the American psychology and your style of making an appeal to this great people on behalf
I
�am.
DECEMBER, 1927
1:
of the Syrians in America. Materif al advancement appeals strongly to
I the rank and file of the Americans
and such articles as yours certainly
feserve to fortify our position in this
country.
N. H. Samra.
^Flint, Mich.
v
HER ONLY REGRET
49
done, was doing. Gave a bird's eye
view of the religions and customs of
the people. The three hundred million Mohammedans, their Koran,
their moral code, and the helping
hand of America. It was a moving
picture of rare interest, and all too
brief."
AN OPINION FROM ABROAD
Editor, The Syrian World,
I cannot tell you enough how
much I and my friends do enjoy
"The Syrian World". I can only
repeat to you my hearty congratulations for having introduced it to
us—all who love Syria.
Each number, as it comes, contains
such interesting articles. I greatly
admire your effort for being able
to offer us such a rich variety of
the best Syrian culture for each
month; and I can fully realize the
sacrifice this costs you. I see you
invite your readers to tell you what
they think. I take the liberty to say
SYRIAN WORLD HELPFUL
that it would be a great pity indeed
Editor, The Syrian World:
should you have "saucy" stories inThe articles of The Syrian World troduced into "The Syrian World",
for I would certainly think "The
have proved most helpful to me.
I was called upon to give a talk Syrian World" would lose much of
to the Kiwanis Club on any interest- its highly appreciated value.
I think if you can maintain the
ing subject that I may choose. As
The Syrian World contains plenty literary standard in the publication
of material on the subject I chose, of "The Syrian World" it will be
it proved very interesting to the better for the future of it, altho
this means a great sacrifice on your
members of the club.
I am enclosing a clipping of our part for the present.
It is astounding really to see how
local paper giving an account of this
little the West knows about the East,
talk.
J- S. Joseph.
how little Europe and America know
Greenwood, Miss.,
Part of the account referred to about Syria and us Syrians. I think
in the Greenwood Commonwealth that "The Syrian World", as it is,
for that reason, will accomplish its
follows:
"Mr. J. S. Joseph brought an ab- mission in the best way desired in
sorbingly interesting message on the long run.
Georgina Schnapp-Michalany.
"America in the Near East". ***
Les
Saars, Switzerland.
He told of the work America has
' The following quotation is taken
from a letter to Dr. Philip Hitti
from Miss Theodora B. Scoff Who is
studying for an M. A. in the University of Boston.
"Your articles in The Syrian World
last year so aroused my interest in
the history of my own people that I
decided to change my course of
study from Modern History to Ancient History. My only regret is
that I did not spend as much time
studying Arabic as I did Modem
Languages."
�50
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Spirit of The Syrian Press
Under this caption we hope to present from time to time a microcos
mic picture of the Arabic press, not only in this country, but wherevei
Arabic dailies and magazines reflect the opinions of responsible, thinkingf
writers who are treating the different problems that confront the Arabicspeaking world from all conceivable angles. Needless to say, we will take
no part in the discussions reproduced, nor assume any responsibility. Our
task will simply consist in selecting, to the best of our knowledge and
with utmost sincerity, what we think is representative of the public opinion as expressed in these editorials.
Editor.
SHE MUST BE A SEER
When France went to Syria and
Lebanon she was received as the
exalted maiden of Liberty, and Beauty, and Valor, and Lofty Principles.
She undoubtedly went there with,
the best of intentions but soon her
virtues were turned into vices and
although her detractors were legion,
few there were who raised their
criticism on solid reasoning.
The hungry expected her to feed
them, and the needy thought her
there only to succor them.
Religious and political leaders expected her to shower on them her
bounties and place them in lucrative
offices. They also thought her dutybound to support one faction as
against another and to take sides
in their internal differences.
What is more important is that
no constructive program was laid
down by responsible leaders for the
purpose of acquainting the mandatory power with their demands. They
expected her to be a seer able to
discover their secret aspirations
without their making an avowal of
them.
So much for the deficiency of the
Lebanese, but the French also had
their faults.
.
>
Among the officials of the mandatory authorities were some petty
opportunists who saw that the Lebanese offered bribes and they accepted them and practiced all other
forms of corruption as well. They
discovered that the Lebanese were
meek and became inclined to treat
them with disdain. They found that
the emigrant Lebanese were liberal
in their remittances to their folks
at home Who became prodigal in
their expenditures and the French
thought that they had just as much
claim and right to this easy money
as the original recipients.
In all this the French have no
excuse except that they claim that
they are not seers to foresee just
what the Lebanese want and the
nature of their grievances. This is
a passive attitude which could have
no moral justification.
One of the surest means for the
correction of this condition would be
for the Lebanese to appoint an independent, fearless representative in
Paris who would have direct dealings with the French Government
to report on actual conditions and
speak for the progressive element
of the country.
(Al-Hoda, N. Y., Nov. 14, 1927.)
i
�51
DECEMBER, 1927
the country a colony or a protectorate? Cannot the Syrians and Lebanese prove to the French Colonial
Party that they are not slaves to
offices and that the only thing they
hold sacred is country and patrotism?i
(Meraat-Ul-Gharb, N. Y.f
Nov. 15, 1927.)
WE DO NOT BLAME
THE FRENCH
We have no blame to direct against
the High Commissariat in Syria, or
the French in general, or the francofjhiles, or the press which burns in- cense to the French and places them
'^n rank with the saints.
No. We do not blame those who
invaded the country horse and foot
coming from the borders of the
Seine, because they are but searching for countries to conquer and
lands to colonize and dooile peoples
to govern and exploit. Thus the
French came to be in Syria and Lebanon where office seekers sell the
country and all patriotism for a
pittance.
Lebanon in its former status enjoyed an autonomous form of government under guarantee of seven
European Powers. But now it is
the prey of one of those powers and
has lost not only its former prerogatives but its happiness and peace.
The sole concern now of the leaders in Lebanon seems to be to grab
offices. The Constitution to them
has become a dead letter through,
their avidity for spoils, the results
being that the Mandatory Power
strengthens its position in proportion to their division and weakness.
Oh! If the members of Parliament were only in their senses they
would forsake their chairs and declare a strike as a warning to the
Mandatory Power that they would
not tolerate any change or amendment to the Constitution of their
country.
We do not blame the High Commissariat because its officials went
to our country under orders to fulfill a mission. And has not Poincare
declared that the object of the
French in going to Syria is to make
THE DANGER SIGN
The two houses of Parliament in
Lebanon were combined in one to
which Sheikh Mohammed Eljesr was
elected president.
The victory of Sheikh Eljesr spells
the beginning of the end of Christian authority in Lebanon—that authority which the Christians won
after the war and which now reverts
to the Mohammedan element.
And do the Syrians and Lebanese
think that usurpation of authority
will stop at this point? It requires
only a little thought for you to come
to the conclusion that this is only
the precursor of amalgamating Lebanon with Syria in a single state
to which will be elected not a president of a republic but, in all probability, a king who will surely be a
descendant of the Prophet.
This has ever been the case with
the Christians of Syria. At the time
when the Moslems were but a email
band invading the country the numerically powerful Christians were
divided upon themselves and permitted their enemies to overcome them
through their petty wranglings. Now
they are enacting the same role only
that they are the helpless minority,
while the. Mandatory Power only
seeks to further its political ends
and disregards all considerations of
a religious nature.
We do not oppose unity. Rather,
we are of its staunchest supporters
S
-
•
' -
.:.-:-.-.. >
�52
THE SYRIAN WORLi
but only on condition that religious
intolerance which has been forever
the curse of the nation, be first eradicated.
(The Syrian Eagle,
N. Y., Nov. 9, 1927.)
FALSE REPORTS
There were reports current in
some Arabic papers lately to the effect that His Majesty King Ibn
Saoud had disarmed the Syrian revolutionists who crossed the borders
into his country. We wish to state
that we are in receipt of authoritative information from Emir Adel
Arslan categorically denying these
false reports. It is obvious that such
rumors are circulated by the supporters of the mandate and the enemies of the revolution to hurt the
cause of our heroes who are still
holding out against the usurpers and
tyrants. The plain intention is to
prevent the emigrants from continuing their financial assistance to
the cause of the revolution and the
suffering families of our heroes. We
would ask all patriots not to lend
credence to these reports and to consider that their sacred duty is to
continue their assistance to their
valiant heroes who have raised the
Syrian name in the estimation of
the world by their stubborn and protracted resistance to the greatest
military power in the world.
(Al-Bayan, N. Y., Nov. 14, -1927.)
ABOLISHING HOLIDAYS
Mussolini cannot be far from right
in abolishing holidays in Italy. We
only wish that Syria would follow
in the footsteps of the Duce by eliminating holidays during the week.
Syria now has the largest number
of holidays of any country in the
world, consequently we find the
people corrupted by these holidas
so that they now wish that ever
day were a holiday. Even the gov
ernment concurs in celebrating th'
holidays of the different religioi«
denominations to such an extent th.
government officials and employe
spend most of their time in observing the holidays of the Mohammedans, the Christians and the Jews.
Is it too much to hope for the appearance of a Mussolini in Syria
who would, at one stroke, decapitate
the seven-headed holiday dragon and
relieve the country of its depredation?—a Mussolini who would drive
the people vith the iron rod of discipline to productive and fruitful tasks
for their own benefit as well as
that of the country ?
(As-Sayeh, N. Y., Nov. 14, 1927.)
WILL THE PALESTINIANS
TOLERATE SUCH?
A member from the United States
Congress from New York is the
author of a suggestion to issue new
coins and postage stamps for Palestine commemorating the ten years
of Zionist rule in that country.
If Palestine is rich in anything it
is in its historical facts and figures
suitable for such purpose. Now what
will the Palestinians do to stem the
tide of Zionist aggression in their
country? We expect them to rally
to the defense of their rights so
that the Zionists may not monopolize the offices and resources of the
country head and tail.
(Al-Bayan, N. Y., Nov. 16, 1927.)
Q.—Why was there held in Damascus a fruit exposition?
A.—Because these are the only
finished products being produced
there in the factory of Nature.
(As-Sayeh, N. Y., Nov. 14, 1927.)
•
�)ECEMBER, 1927
53
THE ECONOMIC SITUATION
IN SYRIA
!",A review, based on reports from Consuls J. H. Keeley, jr., Damascus; Paul H. Ailing, Beirut; Harry L. Troutman, Aleppo; and other
sources. Published in "Commerce Reports" of Nov. 7, 1927.)
for 1926 are incomplete, but estimates for the Damascus region indicate an improvement over 1925 in
cereals, fruit, nuts and cotton—although reports from the Beirut district show less satisfactory results
for cotton. Production of fresh cocoons during 1926 was estimated to
have been slightly larger than during the preceding year when it totaled 2,900 metric tons; raw wool
was estimated at somewhat over
3,000 metric tons, or about equal to
1925. The livestock industry around
Credit Market Disturbed—Exchange Damascus suffered considerably durLower.
ing the disturbances and heavy losses
The continuation of unsettled con- were also sustained during the
ditions in the southern region during severe winter of 1925-26.
the first half of 1926 resulted in a Government Finances Shows Survirtual suspension of credit operaplus.
tions both by the local banks and
Preliminary results for 1926 indimerchants in Beirut, the merchancate receipts of 8,494,000 Syrian
dise-distributing center. As condipounds and expenditures of 6,670,000
tions became more stable during the
pounds—a surplus of 1,824,000
latter part of the year, however, the
pounds.
demand for various merchandise
The budget for 1927 fixes receipts
from the Damascus area increased
and a less rigid credit policjyre- and expenditures at 1,508,630 Syrian-Lebanese gold pounds (1 gold
vailed.
' "^
The Syrian pound, which is based pound equals 20 gold francs.)
on the French franc, fluctuated wide- Foreign Trade Declines in Value.
ly during the year. The average
Both imports and exports, includfor 1926 was $0,648, as compared
ing
reexports, in 1926 showed a dewith $0,953 for 1925.
crease in dollar value, as compared
Crop Estimate Favorable—Heavy with 1925, while the adverse balance
totaled $23,403,000 as against $24,Losses in Livestock.
Data on agricultural production 617,000 in the previous year.
An economic depression in Syria
prevailed during 1926, but an improvement was noted toward the
close of the year. Exchange depreciated considerably, interest rates
continued high, and credits in the
disturbed area were temporarily
suspended. Preliminary returns of
budget results indicate an excess of
receipts over expenditures. The
volume of foreign trade was smaller
than in 1925, and the trade balance
was again unfavorable.
I
�54
France Leads as Source of Imports.
Among the exports, dried skins,
livestock, fruits and vegetables, and
colonial products showed decreases
in quantity as compared with 1925,
while butter shipments increased.
The lower value of the Syrian pound
during the year was reflected in the
total figures, the quantity showing
only a slight change, while the. total
dollar value was about 20 per cent,
less than in the previous year.
Cereals and cereal products, fruits
and vegetables, and glassware showed the largest decrease in the list
of imports. Other items showed
only slight changes.
Palestine was the chief destination
of exports and reexports from Syria,
taking 16.7 per cent, of total value
in 1926 against 20.3 per cent, in
1925. Egypt was second with 15.3
per cent, and 14.6 per cent, respectively. France was next with 14.7
per cent, and 13.2 per cent., followed
by the United States. Shipments to
Iraq represented 7.1 and 4.1 per cent,
of total value; to Transjordania 6.3
and 4.7 per cent., while those to
Persia showed a large increase over
the previous year.
France led in 1926 as a source of
imports, furnishing 19.9 per cent, of
total value, as compared with 13.7
per cent, in 1925, followed by England with 13.6 per cent, and 16.4
per cent., respectively; Italy with 11
per cent, and 11.5 per cent.; Turkey,
9.5 per cent, and 11.2 per cent.; and
the United States.
Trade With United States Less.
Imports from the United States
amounted to 21,800 metric tons in
1926, valued at 4,609,000 Syrian
pounds ($2,986,630), or 7,3 per cent.
THE SYRIAN WORLlJ
of the total, as against 33,126 tons
valued at 4,219,000 pounds ($4,020,700), or 8.7 per cent., in 1925. This'
decrease is owing principally to
smaller direct imports of petroleum
products, and general stagnation of,(
business, which affected miscellane-,
ous imports from all countries. Oth-/
er commodities imported from the
United States include automobile^
and accessories, agricultural apparatus, and food products.
Exports to the United States in
1926 amounted to 5,670 metric tons
valued at 3,490,100 Syrian pounds
($2,261,580), or 12.8 per cent, of the
total, as compared with 8,320 tons
valued at 2,485,000 pounds ($2,368,200), or 10.8 per cent, in 1925. Exports as declared through the American Consulate were valued at $2,890,000 in 1926 as against $3,927,700 in 1925. The chief exports to
the United States were wool, sausage
casings, licorice root, nuts, etc.
Communications Disturbed — Shipping Decreased.
An important project undertaken
during the year was the construction of a highway between Latakia
iand Aleppo. This highway was
scheduled for completion during the
latter half of 1927. Difficulty was
experienced in maintaining regular
railway service in the southern region of Syria because of disturbed
conditions during the first half of
1926, but a marked improvement was
reported toward the end of the year.
Shipping activity showed little
change from the previous year. A
total of 3,160 vessels of an aggregate tonnage of 1,768,744 visited
Syrian ports in 1926 as against 3,182 and 1, 710,113, respectively, for
1925.
�DECEMBER, 1927
About Syria and Syrians
SYRIANS GIVE DINNER
TO DR. AND MRS. DODGE
What the Syrians of America intended as a fitting testimonial of
their profound affection for Dr.
Bayard Dodge, President of the
American University of Beirut, and
Mrs. Dodge, took the shape of an
elaborate banquet held on the evening of November 10 at the Hotel
Commodore in New York. More than
three hundred alumni of the University and their friends attended, all
but about a score being Syrians.
Mr. Nesib Trabulsi, chairman of
the Alumni Association of New
York, presided. He read cables of
greetings from Egypt, Syria, Palestine and South America, as well as
many telegrams from alumni and
friends in many sections of the
United States.
The keynote sentiment of the occasion was sounded by President
John Grier Hibben of Princeton University under whom
President
Dodge studied as a member of the
class of 1909 at Princeton and who
was one of many presidents of
American universities present at the
dinner. He extolled the pioneer efforts of President Dodge in the
educational field in the East. "But
in this," he said, "he is only representing the effort of America to turn
back the wave of civilization to its
source." President Hibben spoke
hopefully of the possibilities of
modern education for Syria.
work of President Dodge and his
American co-workers in the educational field in Syria denied any intention on their part to Americanize
the Syrians.
"While instilling American principles of efficiency, democracy, sotr'al-mindedness and respect for
labor, President Dodge and the University are not Americanizing the
people," said Dr. Hitti. "They represent the force that is working to
restore Syria to her old glory — the
Syria of the Umayyads when that
land was the most enlightened and
the most cultured land in the world
— the Syria of the Roman period
when Beirut was the seat of a school
of law that attracted students to it
from far-off Constantinople and
distant Spain — the Syria of the
ancient times whose people contributed to the imperishable things of
life more than any other people or
race — the Syria which, especially
because of its inclusion of Phoenicia
and Palestine within its boundaries,
has been of greater significance to
mankind than any other country
of equal size."
Declaring President Dodge to be
"the greatest single force working
for good in the Near East and for
its regeneration," Dr. Hitti expressed
the hope that the alumni of the University would lend their efforts in
the promotion of the cause for which
the President is devoting his life
and energy. "To the extent," said
Dr. Hitti "to which you alumni and
Dr. Philip Hitti of Princeton, a friends of Beirut have shown ingraduate of the American Universi- terest in the work at Beirut, to that
ty of Beirut, while extolling the extent you have been co-workers of
�56
President Dodge in the noble work
he is doing. To the extent to which
you will continue to show interest
in that work, you will continue to
make his work possible."
"For after all," concluded Dr. Hitti, "the Alumni Association, even the
University itself, are not an end in
themselves. Thy are a means to an
end, — the end being the development of the young Syrian manhood
and the ennobling of the Syrian
womanhood. So that the new Syria,
the Syria of the future, may once
more contribute its share to the
civilization of the world and the
welfare of mankind as it has so
richly done in the past."
Characterizing pledges to the Alumni Fund of the American University
of Beirut as an investment in international goodwill, Dr. D. Himadi,
Treasurer of the Alumni Association
of New York, gave a brief sketch
of how the raising of the fund was
conceived. When Bayard Dodge was
inaugurated president, Alumni of the
University came from all sections
of the Near East to attend the ceremonies. On that occasion the raising of the Fund occurred to them
as a fitting expression of their love
and affection for their Alma Mater.
Some thought that $150,000.00 was
too large a sum to be asked of the
Syrians considering the impoverished condition of the country, but the
opinion of those in favor of the
movement prevailed and the amount
was allotted by quotas. "The Egyptian quota of $10,000.00 was oversubscribed in a single evening; the
United States quota of $75,000.00
was pledged and the pledges are
being paid nearly on time; the South
American quota of $15,000.00 is twothirds paid in spite of the business
conditions in Brazil which are below
THE SYRIAN WORLD rj
normal; the Syrian and Palestinian
s
quotas were pledged and partly paid,
but on account of the recent earths
quake in Palestine and the unrest
CO
in Syria no attempt is made to urge (
ir
collection. The three years within
of„
which the money was to be paid expired last June, but the time was extended another year to accommodate
the belated pledges."
Plan to Raise a Million.
The success of the Alumni Association in raising the $150,000.00 has
encouraged it, according to Dr. Himadi, to extend the experiment to
the point of making an attempt to
raise a fund of $1,000,000.00. This,
however, will not be launched until
after the meeting of the Alumni
Council in June, 1928. During this
interval it is the intention of the
Association to sound and measure
the sentiment of their countrymen
for the plan or their objection to it,
if any.
As outlined by Dr. Himadi, the
plan "is to divide the million-dollars
into shares, each having a cash value
of $200.00, and distributing those
shares among graduates, former
students and Syrians and their
friends wherever possible. The thirty
odd branches of the Association will
undertake the distribution in their
respective districts. The shares are
to be payable at the rate of $1.00
per share per month for a period
which has been carefully estimated
at ten and one half years, or 126
months."
President Dodge's Address.
When President Dodge was introduced as the last, but not the least,
speaker, all rose and sang a refrain
of the A. U. B. anthem.
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DR. BAYARD DODGE
President of the American University if Beirut.
I
�BANQUET TO PRESIDENT AND MRS. BAYARD DODGE
Given at the Hotel Commodore, New York, on November 10 by the Alumni, former students
American University of Beirut.
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DECEMBER, 1927
Prefacing his address with some
Sjemi-humorous remarks about bobbed hair, short skirts, motion pictures and co-education in the Near
East, he soon launched on a report
of the activities and achievements
of the American University of Beirut declaring that with the increased demand for education in Syria
and neighboring countries it had
bebn necessary to limit registration
at the American University and to
maintain rigid standards that the
quality of the graduates be maintained at as high a standard as prevaile 1 when the University was
small.
He said: "The Schools of Arts and
Sciences, Medicine and Pharmacy, as
well as the secondary school, received recognition from the Board of
Regents of New York State some
time ago. During the year 1926-27
the School of Dentistry was also
recognized.
"In giving this recognition, the
Regents are so liberal about requirements for study that they do not
hinder the University from making
the work suitable to conditions in
the East. They set definite requirements for academic achievement,
which enabled the University to
dictate terms to tributary schools
and to insist upon standards as high
as those in the West.
"As a result of these high standards, students who transfer to European and American universities
for post-graduate work, find it possible to obtain as favorable treatment as though they had studied in
America. This year, for the first
time, it has been arranged for graduates to enter Oxford and the French
universities without examination,
upon showing their Beirut diplomas."
Co-education in Syria.
"Co-education," he said, "had
worked out better than had been
expected by anyone. It was decidedly an experiment to open the University to women and at first it had
been feared that no Moslem girls
would come to the University. On
the contrary they have come and
public opinion is in favor of co-education. The women students are
treated with the greatest amount of
respect. The only girl in the senior
class last year was elected class
president. One of the women students was elected by the students
last year to address the student
body about raising funds for the
Howard Bliss Memorial and was
listened to with the utmost respect.
One Mohammedan woman from
Egypt is studying at the University
to fit herself for work with the
feminist movement in her own country. The first woman has been
graduated from the School of Pharmacy and this coming year I expect
that a woman will be graduated
from the School of Medicine. Women are eager for education and
throughout the Arabic -s peaking
countries there is a- growing realization of the need for higher education
for women.
"Last year a call came from King
Feisal of Iraq for an American
principal and several assistants to
open a school for girls in Baghdad.
I had little time in which to secure
the necessary teachers for this
school for Mohammedan girls but
was successful in having an American woman released from her work
with the Near East Relief to accept
the principalship. Other teachers
were sent and were most successful
with the school last year and are
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
58
highly
work."
enthusiastic
about
their
Economic conditions were at a
low ebb when the past college year
began, President Dodge said. "A
serious crisis took place in Egypt
because of inflation of the cotton
market. Extensive immigration and
rapid investment of capital resulted
in great financial depression in Palestine. The recent earthquake will
add to the misery there, although a
splendid harvest may improve conditions in certain places. The Mississipi flood was disastrous for America but it created a demand for
Egyptian cotton, which ended the
crisis and re-established prosperity
in the land of the Nile. Although
many persons sustained severe losses
from the flood at Baghdad a year
ago the past year has been a normal one for Iraq. In Persia there
has been growing financial prosperity under the able leadership of the
new Shah, aided by the American
Financial Commission.
"During the past year official
calls, letters and telegrams have
come from private institutions and
government departments in Syria,
Palestine, Transjordania, Egypt, the
Sudan, Iraq, and Lebanon, asking
for graduates to fill places of responsibility. It has not been possible to fill all of these vacancies
as the demand has been greater
than the supply.
"During the past year, the teaching and administrative staff has been
larger and more cosmopolitan in its
make-up than ever before. Relationships have been constant with
local officials and religious leaders
of lands of the Southern Near East.
It has been possible to realize the
importance of the University as' an
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influence for "peace on earth, goodwill to all mankind." As a scientific]
Western institution, which has a firm
basis of religious faith, the Univer*sity has a great mission to perforn/i
in trying to interpret religion as!
something reasonable and practical
for the more advanced thinkers o\f
our age. Young men pick up the
evils of Western civilization in tjie
cinema theatres, the dance halls,
and popular books of their cities.
They fail to comprehend the noble
elements in Western civilization
which have made it the controlling
force of the modern world.
"During these years of readjustment it is the peculiar opportunity
of the Faculty and of the Alumni to
interpret the highest usages of
Western life so that they can counterbalance the evil influences of
Western life and ennoble the rising
generation of the East.
"In closing I want to tell you how
very much the Trustees appreciate
the support and the interest which
the Alumni and former students
give the University."
New Films from Syria.
At the conclusion of the speeches
some moving picture scenes of Syria
were shown for the first time in
America. They represented views
of the campus of the American University and some native scenes which
depicted only phases of the primitive conditions of life still prevailing in some sections of Syria.
Mr. Alexander Maloof and his orchestra gave the musical entertainment, mostly in Oriental airs.
. .
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59
DECEMBER, 1927
SYRIA CAUSE OF SPLIT
PETWEEN LAWRENCE
AND THE KING
The real cause for Col. Lawrence's rejection of the decorations
and other honors tendered him by
the king of England is Lawrence's
disapproval of England's acquiescence in the taking over of Syria by
the French, according to Associated
Press dispatches from London of
November 18.
This information is contained in
a book, just published, by Lawrence's
friend, Robert Graves, poet and
professor of English literature at
the Egyptian University.
According to the version of the
author, Lawrence came to the conclusion that the Arabs did not receive a square deal. He said they
fought with him because they understood they would be allowed to
keep Damascus and Syria after the
war, but the treaty handed these
over to the French.
;
,\
Graves recites this as Lawrence's
version of what he said to the King
about the honors:
"He explained to the sovereign
that the part he (Lawrence) had
played in the Arab revolt was dishonorable to himself, to his country
and Government. He had, by order,
fed the Arabs with false hopes and
would now be obliged if he might
be quietly relieved of the obligation
to accept honors for succeeding in
his fraud."
Graves before publishing this
asked Lord Stamfordham, King
George's private secretary, to get
permission to print the paragraph.
He received a letter from Lord
Stamfordham saying the King did
not remember that Lawrence's state-
ment was as recorded by Graves,
but that in declining the decorations
Lawrence briefly explained that he
made certain promises to King Feisal, that these were not fulfilled and
consequently he might possibly find
himself fighting against the British
forces in which case it would be obviously wrong to be wearing British
decorations.
Curzon Wept at Conference
The book contains many interesting stories including one telling how
the late Marquis Curzon of Kedleston wept at a post-war Cabinet
meeting held to discuss the Eastern question. Lawrence was present
and in answering a question regarding whether he wished to say anything, said:
"Yes, let's get down to business.
You people don't understand yet the
hole you have put us ail into."
Thereupon Marquis Curzon burst
into tears, great drops rolling down
his cheeks to the accompaniment of
slow sobs. Viscount Cecil, however,
brought him to with the rough interposition: "Now, old man, none of
that." Marquis Curzon wiped his
eyes and the business proceeded.
The first reaction of some
Syrian papers in New York was distinctly hostile to Lawrence's attitude. They claimed that England
used Lawrence as a tool and Syria
as a pawn in her political game in
the East. Their opinion in this instance was similar to that which
they expressed on the occasion of the
rumors of an exchange of territory
between France and Italy when it
was said that France would cede
Syria to Italy in return for a free
hand in Morocco. In both cases it
was said that Syria could not be
�60
THE SYRIAN WORLD \
treated as chattel to be bargained of his early life and later success (
away at will without the consent of was carried over the Associated1
Press wires to all parts of the Unitits people.
In the case of Lawrence of Arabia, ed States.
Nationalist papers showed particuJoe Abraham, according to Brilar bitterness towards England not stow papers, could neither read nor
only because it had given Syria to write either in English or Arabic,,
France after the war, but because it but his keen mind had an uncanny
had been instrumental in bringing capacity for figures. He made his
to an end the latest Druze revolu- fortune mostly in cotton and in oil
tion. They had for some time been lands.
loud in their denunciation of England's policy in refusing asylum to
the remnants of the insurgents who
sought refuge within the jurisdic- SYRIAN ELECTED TO
POLITICAL OFFICE
tion of Transjordania. To learn now
that not only in the past but in the
In what the Passaic News of Nopresent as well England was work- vember 9 describes as one of the
ing in harmony with France for sel- "best organized and hardest camfish interests and not in any spirit paigns in that section of New Jerof true friendship for Arab nations sey for years," a Syrian, Albert
was more than the Nationalists Gorab, a native of Homs, was elected
could endure.
Councilman on the Republican ticket
of Wood Ridge, N. J.
MILLIONAIRE SYRIAN
HONORED AT DEATH
A singular honor was paid a Syrian, the late Joe Abraham, of Bristow, Okla., when the mayor of the
city by proclamation ordered all
business activities in the city suspended for an hour during the progress of the funeral. The Bristow
Daily Record of November 8 carried
the proclamation in heavy black border on its first page and devoted
most of its space to details of funeral
arrangements and the life story of
the dead merchant.
From an itinerary peddler in 1896
when he landed in the United States
with but $10.50 Joe Abraham upon
his death was ranked among the
richest men in Oklahoma. He is
styled by Bristow newspapers as
the "community's outstanding citizen". News of his death and details
Mr. Gorab had served in this capacity during the three years from
1924 to 1926, and rendered such signal services while in office that he
was tendered a vote of thanks, passed unanimously by the Mayor and
Council. The Hasbrouck Heights
Observer of Nov. 10 sums up an appreciation of the character and activities of Mr. Gorab as follows: "It
is generally recognized that the
borough needs men of Mr. Gorab's
calibre; active, unselfish, always accessible and willing at all times to
take off his coat for the borough
in which he has made his home for
the past nine years and in which he
takes so much justifiable pride."
Mr. Gorab makes no secret of the
fact that he is a Syrian and has
in both his political and business
careers brought credit to himself
personally and to his race.
�DECEMBER, 1927
61
| j Political Developments in Syria
I The two outstanding political
developments of the month in Syria
are the meeting in Beirut of what
is styled the Syrian Nationalist Convention and the dissension among
the members of the Syrian Nationalist Committee of Egypt which
came as an aftermath of the armed
insurrection in Syria.
The Palestinian newspaper AlYarmouk, one of the bitterest organs of the Nationalist movement,
admits in its comment on the convocation of the Nationalist Convention in Beirut that the "thinkers of
the Syrian nation have met to frame
a reply to the declaration of M. Ponsot and formulate a plan for future
action, now that the guns of the
fighters have been silenced, in the
hope that prosecution of the demands
of Syria will not cease. It is now a
case where the pen will supersede
the sword in the demand for usurped rights."
The reply framed by the Syrian
Nationalist Convention and referred
to above is couched in the most
conciliatory terms and bears out the
assertion of the newspaper in that
diplomatic methods will henceforth
be used by the Nationalists in coming to an understanding with the
mandatory power. The fact that the
convention was held in Beirut, which
is the residence of the High Commissioner, while showing fearlessness on the part of the delegates
to the convention, tends also to prove
that they are agreed on the employment of peaceful means in pressing
their demands.
The memorandum embodying the
reply of the Nationalists to the declaration of the French High Commissioner in Syria was presented to
him on October 25. It was prepared
at five secret meetings held in Beirut on five successive days immediately preceding its presentation.
The signers comprised delegates
from the principal cities of Syria
both on the coast and in the hinterland. Aleppo, Horns, Hama, Tripoli,
Damascus, Beirut, Saida, were all
represented.
The memorandum sets forth the
complaint of the Nationalists that
the declaration of M. Ponsot was unsatisfactory in some instances and
ambiguous in others. No mention,
for instance, is made of the disposition to give the Syrian nation its
right of freedom in speech, public
meetings and the formation of political parties. Silence was also maintained on such vital issues as martial law, summary deportations, general amnesty and political exiles.
While reference is made to the
Constitution, no definite action has
yet been taken to accelerate it although the Syrian nation has all
along been clamoring for the convocation of the National Assembly.
French interests are claimed by
M. Ponsot to be making every effort
to bring about the economic rehabilitation of Syria, but the High Commissioner fails to make any mention
of the steps being taken to bring
about a betterment of the internal
Syrian markets which cannot be affected by any effort on the part of
�62
French interests.
The memorandum further states
that the Syrians have long been patient in the hope of receiving redress
at the hands of the mandatory power
but that they were driven to take
up arms after being fed on empty
promises for years, and concludes
with: "In calling these matters to
the attention of your Excellency we
are prompted by our desire to determine definitely our political and
economic status so that the efforts
of the nation may be directed to
constructive channels. This is proof
of a concrete desire on our part to
come to an understanding5 with freedom-loving France in the hope of
co-operating with her in working out
the destiny of our country."
mcEi
THE SYRIAN WORLL
one of the reasons for his disagree
ment with other members of th
Committee being his advocacy c
permitting Lebanon to retain its ar
nexed territories while his opponents insist that these territories
should be first restored to Syria.
&
Another incident leading to the
disagreement among members of
the committee is that the European
delegation presented its last memorandum to the League of Nations
on the Syrian question without the
approval or even the knowledge of
the Central Committee. The claim
is advanced that ever since Emir
Shakib Arslan returned from the
United States he showed marked
inclination to act independently of
headquarters.
SPLIT IN RANKS OF
NATIONALISTS
CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT
IN LEBANON
The press of Syria and Egypt
contains news of sensational developments in the Central Syrian Revolutionary Committee with headquarters in Cairo. Some claim that
the underlying difference is the
deep-rooted mistrust existing between Moslems and Christians. Emir
Michel Lutfallah, chairman of the
Committee, is said to have split
with some of his Mohammedan colleagues because of his desire to
come to an amicable understanding
with France on the Syrian question,
while the Moslems refuse to negotiate on any basis other than complete independence of Arabic-speaking nations, under a constitutional
monarchy. Their choice would be
for Ibn Saoud, king of Nejd, to head
tihe confederacy of Arab States.
Emir Lutfallah is accused of temporizing with the French to promote
his personal ambitions in the hope
of becoming prince over Lebanon,
The constitutional controversy in
the Lebanese Republic finally resulted irt the merging of the two houses
of Parliament into one. Sheikh Mohammed Eljesr, former president
of the Senate, was elected president.
This came about only after stubborn
resistence from the party headed by
Moussa Nammour, former president
of the House of Representatives.
While the victor is a Mohammedan
and his opponent a Christian, hisl
election was made possible only by
the support of many Christian members who expected to control the
cabinet. To depose the Ministry it
is necessary for the opposition to
control 31 votes, while the party of
Eljesr is so far restricted to 21.
Opponents of the new president plan
to elect Habeeb Pasha Saad to
head the new ministry in an effort
to balance offices, Saad being a
Christian.
M
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63
ECEMBER, 1927
THE APPROPRIATE
CHRISTMAS GIFT
:S
M
YOUR CHRISTMAS GIFT TO YOUR
FRIEND IS A TOKEN OF THOUGHTFULNESS AND REMEMBRANCE.
MAKE YOUR GIFT ONE THAT
WILL COME TO YOUR FRIEND FOR
THE TWELVE MONTHS OF THE YEAR,
FOR ONLY $5.00.
THE SYRIAN WORLD
'I'lklllllltlllllltlllllllllllllllllllllllllllUlllllllllIlllllllMIIIIIItllllltllllllllllllllllllllMMIIIIlltX
m
MIIIHIIiniHIIIIIHMIMIlHItlll';
RARE ORIENTAL PERFUMES |
THE MOST WELCOME CHRISTMAS GIFT
1
Beautiful Packages — Medium Size, $3.00.
Large Size, $5.00.
Syrian Jasmin
Iris d'Egypte
=
Retailed at $7.00 and $10.00 — Mail orders promptly filled
Special concession on the price as an introductory offer to Syrians
ORIENTA IMPORTING COMPANY
34 WEST 71st STREET
NEW YORK CITY
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THE SYRIAN WORL'.
64
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THE LEBANON NATIONAL BANK
319 FIFTH AVENUE,
COR. 32ND STREET
DOWNTOWN OFFICE
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LEGAL DEPOSITORY OF The United States—New York StateNew York City.
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We invite the accounts of Individuals, Firms, Corporations, Banks, and Trust Companies j offering all facilities consistent with conservative banking.
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INTEREST DEPARTMENT
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Newspapers
Description
An account of the resource
<h4>Biographical/Historical Note</h4>
<p>Salloum Mokarzel, a Lebanese American intellectual, founded<em> The Syrian World</em> in 1926. Salloum Mokarzel was the younger brother of Naoum Mokarzel, the publisher of the Arabic-language newspaper <em>Al-Hoda. </em>Together, the Mokarzel brothers ran Al-Hoda Publishing, and in 1909, they published <em>The Syrian Business Directory.</em> </p>
<p>Mokarzel created <em>The Syrian World</em> in order to document and celebrate the culture and history of "Syria." At the time, Syria referred to the modern-day countries of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. The publication was primarily aimed towards second-generation children of immigrants, but Mokarzel hoped that it would also appeal to the general American public.</p>
<h4>Scope/Content Note</h4>
<p><em>The Syrian World</em> was published between 1926 and 1932 as a journal. In 1932, the format was changed from an academic journal style to a newspaper style, which continued until the periodical's end in 1935. After the death of his brother Naoum, Salloum took over the publication of <em>Al-Hoda.</em></p>
<p>The articles in <em>The Syrian World</em> cover a variety of topics spanning from the practical to the theoretical. Practical subjects include international and domestic travel, historical and contemporary Arabic and Arab-American art and literature, and the mental and physical health and hygiene of immigrants. More theoretical, philosophical, and ideological subjects include ideologies of race, the changing role of women, the formation of Syrian and Lebanese-American societies, and the political and psychological relationships between immigrants and their countries of origin.</p>
<p>All issues of <em>The Syrian World</em> are available, along with full indexes for the first four volumes. For volumes five and six, there are tables of contents at the start of the issues.</p>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabs--United States
Arabic periodicals
Newspapers
Arab American Newspapers
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1926-1935
Relation
A related resource
<em><a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/41" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Syrian Business Directory</a></em>
<a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/44" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mokarzel Family Papers</a>
<a href="http://hdl.handle.net/11299/175685" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Annotated Index to the Syrian World, 1926-1932</a> at the University of Minnesota Immigration History Research Center Archives
<a href="https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/58" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Al-Hoda Newspapers</em></a>
Language
A language of the resource
English
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Processed by Claire A. Kempa, 2015-2017. Collection Guide written by Claire A. Kempa, 2017.
Collection Guide updated by Laura Lethers, 2023 August.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
These materials are digital copies of an original resource held by another institution. The KCLDS Archive often works with other institutions to make digital materials available online to the public. KCLDS is not able to grant permission to use or reproduce these materials. The KCLDS Archive strongly encourages users to contact the holding institution for permission to use or reproduce materials from their holdings.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
NS 0002
Access Rights
Information about who can access the resource or an indication of its security status. Access Rights may include information regarding access or restrictions based on privacy, security, or other policies.
This digital material is provided here for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
TSW1927_12reducedWM
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Volume 02, Issue 06
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1927 December
Description
An account of the resource
Volume 2 Issue 06 of The Syrian World published December 1927. The issue opens with an article by Byron Smith, an English professor, on Arabic words in English vocabulary. Following it is a song by Ameen Rihani, and an article about the Problems of Syrian Youth in America by Rev. W. A. Mansur. Following that is a travel journal by Mary Mokarzel about her pilgrimage to The Holy Land (Jerusalem). The famous cities featured in this issue are Homs and Hama. The last work in this issue is a continuation of the play by Harry Chapman Ford. The issue concludes with the Reader's Forum, excerpts from the Arab press, and an update on the Economic Situation in Syria. This is also followed by an update of the Political Developments in Syria.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabic literature--History and criticism--Periodicals
Arabs--United States--Periodicals
Lebanese-Americans--United States--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Syrian-American Press
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
104 Greenwich St., New York, NY
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text/pdf
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
1920s
Ameen Rihani
Harry Chapman Ford
Jerusalem
Music
New York
Reverend W.A. Mansur
Syria
Travel
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/d6eba4672a18dac015c8037847b09f8d.pdf
bdfbbec46621e7967596b3cbb710b5c7
PDF Text
Text
f
THE
SYRIAN WORLD
SALLOUM
A.
MOKARZEL,
Editor.
PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE SYRIAN-AMERICAN PRESS
104
GREENWICH STREET, NEW YORK,
By subscription $5.00 a year.
.
N. Y.
Single copies 50c,
Entered as second-class matter, June 25, 1926, at the post office at New
York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879.
VOL. II.
OCTOBER, 1927
No. 4.
CONTENTS
PAGE
A Pilgrimage to Byblos
3
AMEEN RIHANI
The Tzvo Hermits
10
G. K. GlBRAN
The Agricultural Situation in Syria — Part II
PROF. J. FORREST CRAWFORD
//
Before We Part (a poem)
19
DR. SALIM
Y.
ALKAZIN
The Son of Haroun Al-Rashid—A True Arabian Tale
20
The Adieu (a poem)
J. D.
28
CARLYLE
�CONTENTS (Continued)
PAGE
Famous Cities of Syria — Byblos, City of Adonis
29
"Anna Ascends" — (A Play) — Act Two—II
33
HARRY CHAPMAN FORD
Choice Arabian Tales:—
Rare Presence of Mind
45
The Test of Friendship
46
Reward and Punishment
47
Notes and Comments—By
THE EDITOR
Bayard Dodge
48
The End of an Experiment
49
Our Bulwark
49
Readers' Forum
57
Sprit of the Syrian Press
53
About Syria and Syrians
57
Political Developments in Syria
62
ILLUSTRATIONS IN THIS ISSUE
Panoramic View of Byblos
The Fortress of Byblos
Relics of Old Glory in Byblos
Astartey Phoenician Goddess of Love and Productivity
A City Gate in Byblos
Sarcophagus of King Ahiram
Two Illustrations of "Anna Ascends"
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SYRIAN WORLD
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OCTOBER, 1927
��SYRIAN WORLD
VOL. II.
OCTOBER, 1927
No. 4.
A Pilgrimage to Byblos
By
AMEEN RIHANI
*
Let Urashlim and Mecca wait,
And China stew in her own juice;
This way the 'pilgrim staff, tho late,
Of Christian, Mussulman and Druse.
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But before we took up the staff, we were quarreling about
the road. Not the road of the pilgrimage, however, but that of
the Young Turks of the New Era. In the, cafe facing Al-Munsheiyah, which had just been baptized Place de PUnion,—the
prosiness of the times is become even in the East a shibboleth of
progress,—my friends were engaged in animated discussion as
to whether the devil, who goes by many names, was not the one
and only Sultan who could never be deposed.
Sheikh Abd'ur-Ruhman, a truth-seeker and distiller of essences, altho doffing the garment of his religion, continued to
wear a black jubbah over his European trousers, and a white
turban. A compromise this between the East and the West, as
between Reason and Faith. For tho he was beginning to have
some lively doubts about the inspiration of the Koran, he still
clung to the spirit of Mohammed's message to the world. A
fine Arabic scholar, which means he is also a versifier; hating the
Turks because, while professing the Mohammedan religion, they
* The author wrote this account of his pilgrimage while on a former
visit to Syria, following the declaration of the Constitution in Turkey.
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
would not deign to learn Arabic. This crime against the classic
beauty of the Book he could never forgive.
Sheikh Atta, a Sufi and horse dealer, is a descendant of the
Nabi and he values his green turban more than he does the Dastur (Constitution). He has a supreme contempt for everything
that does not bear upon its face the seal of mystery. Even a
horse-shoe, to ihim, is a symbol of some sort,—a symbol which
represents a divine idea in the life of mankind. And he hated
the Turks, because, as. he said, they were Europeanizing, vulgarizing Asia.
The third of my friends, Izzuddin, an Arab maniac and
flaneur, was the most picturesque and riotous of the three, both
in sentiment and in dress. To assert the lofty Arabism of his
spirit he wore an Arab costume of flaming red, red from his
boots to the heavy cord pressed over the kufeyiah on his head.
And this was the color of his hatred for the Turks. He served
a week in gaol for repeating one day in the presence of some
Turkish soldier the famous couplet of the desert Arabs:
"Three things naught but evil work,—
The vermin, the locust, and the Turk."
And Izzuddin is a Druse, who had burned the book of his
esoteric creed on his way to Europe. "If there be any truth in
this theory of transmigration," he would say, "I accept it only
on condition that I be reborn in Paris, not in Pekin."
And your honest scribe, reader, in his prosaic European habit, squared this picturesque circle, but did not square with all
its views. Hence our dispute before we started on our pilgrimage, not to the holy places of our fathers, but to a tomb which
to us,—except, of course, Sheikh Attar,—was indeed sacred.
It was in the season of the jasmines and Persian lilacs. The
beautiful gardens of Beyrouth, hidden behind huge walls, dun
and gray, wafted to us their sweet and varied scents, as we passed
through the dusty and crowded streets, to whose noise and traffic
a Belgian Company has added a Tramway. On the bridge outside the city, a flower boy offered us some sprigs of blossoming
Persian lilacs and bouquets of jasmine. Izzuddin bought enough
for us all, and taking his large silk handkerchief from his pocket,
asked the boy to soak it in water. Whereupon, he wraps the flowers in it, and places them in his saddle-bag. A happy thought,
I mused, for which he deserves to dress like an Arab Emir. If
�OCTOBER, 1927
we were tourists the dragoman would have insisted on our visiting the Church of St. George hard by, where the valorous Saint,
tradition has it, did the terrible Dragon to death. Nor did we
tarry at Dog River, my friends being men of ideas and ideals,
and paleology for such hath no charms. Nor, indeed, hath it
for me, except when the poetry of the perennial spirit of Nature
flowers around the sculptures and monuments. The tourists, on
their way to or from Damascus, stopping at Beyrouth for a few
days, never venture beyond this river. And what is there to see
here, except the huge and imposing promontory, can be of interest only to archaeologists. Yet they come, these gentle people of
the cork-hat and Guide Book, and after hearing the dragoman
garbling his Text and lisping of the triumphs and defeats of Assyrian and Egyptian Kings, they go back with a sense of having
deciphered the palimpest and solved the riddle.
Beyond Dog River to the North are the verdant slopes
which rise gently from the coast to hide Ghazir from view.
There, on those sacred hills, crowned all around with convents
and churches, Renan and his sister worked on the Life of Jesus.
From those heights he could encompass not only the fruitful
plains of rationalism but the flowering'gardens of piety as well.
Here be a sky which can soften the hardest logic; here be an
atmosphere which can mellow the bitterest thoughts. I do not
think the rational spirit of the Life of Jesus would have been so
sweetly pious and poetic had not Renan lived for a while among
these hills. Here, as in the Life of Jesus, are whisperings divine,
even among the barren cliffs, even beneath the inexorable logic
of it all.
The terminal of the Lebanon Railway is at Maameltein,
which is at the base of the hill. As we enter the town, the legend, "American School for Girls," dispelled the surprise which
the tune of a piano did give us. And as we passed out of it, the
echoes of a hymn which the girls were singing made in our ears
delectable music. The coast here is desolate, but not dreary.
To our right on the verdant hilltops are convents and terraced
homes; to our left the cerulean blue of the Mediterranean is palpitating under the ardent rays of the Syrian sun. And yonder
in that wide strip of shining shawl, through the little sand islands,
so to speak, the sweet water of the hills makes its way to the sea.
But more refreshing than these is the fig grove which is hidden
behind a knoll. We come to it, after trotting around the cape,
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and find the women with their red baskets and long hooked staffs
picking the fruits of the season. As we pass by, a sweet wildeyed lass, her! hair tied in a kerchief which suggested the bathing
girl of the summer resorts of the civilized world, greeted us
and offered her basket, saying, " Be so kind to eat of the figs."
And Izzuddin, who is more chivalrous than any of us, dismounted anon, took out of the saddle-bag a bouquet of jasmines and
gave it to her, saying, "May thy days be ever as white
as these, and as sweet." She bounded with joy as she smelt the
flowers, insisted on our taking the basket of figs with us, left it,
billah, on the road-side, and, flourishing the bouquet of jasmines
over her head, hied away like an antelope.
We cross the bridge beneath which the River Adonis of the
Ancients, now called Nahr Ibrahim, debouching from thick hedges
of reeds and rushes, tumultuously races to the sea. And under
a shed of pine boughs near the river is a dingy dukkan (store)
and a resting place for travelers and muleteers. Here one can
refresh himself with arak which the Syrians call the milk of the
virgin, or even with German or American beer, or better still
with the sweet cool water of the spring which rises in the grotto
of Afka, among the high hills, where the Romans had built a
temple to Venus. Around the ruins of that temple to-day, are
the habitations and fields of Nusereyieh, or Ansaries, who still
retain somewhat of the Nature-worship of their ancestors, the
Greeks. Some scholars say the Arabs, but this is not the place
to dispute the question.
We are not far now from Byblos; the coast is not so desolate. Here are villages, even silk factories, or filatures. And
from one of these, before the red disc of the sun had sunk in
the serene blue of the Mediterranean, rose a chant as delectable
as the distant hidden voices of sirens. The factory girls were
chanting the litany before the close of the day's labor. "Kyrieeleison, Christe-eleison," rose the melodious voice of the leader
through the whirl of silk wheels, and a chorus of a hundred girls
drowned the harsh voice of machinery, repeating the invocation.
From the lips of the laboring children of Allah, at the close of
their day's work, this was beautiful, inspiring to hear. And on
a knoll, not far from the filature, is a monastery of one of the
many Lebanon orders of monks, from the chapel of which rose
the doleful Syriac strains of vespers. We could hear both and
simultaneously as we entered into Byblos. "The harbinger of
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�OCZOBER, 1927
I
dusk," Abd'ur-Ruhman called the chant of monks. "A serenade
to eternal night," said Izzuddin. And both chants, as they melted in the atmosphere around us, ebbing and flowing, suggested
to me a struggle between zTe Deum and a Miserere. Indeed,
the Lebanon'peasant still labors in joy, raising from her heart a
chant of contentment, of thankfulness, of triumph, while reeling
the silk from the cocoons. And the Lebanon monk, let it here
be said, labors in sorrow only at vespers. He is glum, lugubrious,
funereal, only when he chants.
We are in ancient Byblos. The towering fortress near the
sea makes the clutter of terraced homes look like a heap of cliffs
and boulders. Here, the sea-daring Phoenicians, who were as
strenuous and practical as are the Americans to-day, hammered
at the door of invention and thought, and, entering, discovered
tnt Jphabet, the numerals, the murex from which they obtained
the famous Tyrian purple, and many other things not mentioned
in Sanchoniathon or Baedeker.
In the citadel is the home and the court of the mudir, or
District Magistrate. It is also a sort of caravansery for his tenants
and friends, as for those who come to him with letters of introduction. Thither we wend our way, ignorant of the fact that we
were of neither of the classes mentioned. But my friends, Izzuddin in his gorgeous Arab costume, and Abd'ur-Ruhman in his
black jubbah and white turban, commanded the respect of the
zabty, or officer in zouave uniform, at the gate. We were shown up
to the top loft, after mounting a high and winding flight of stairs,
dark, dingy, cold, and in one of the loopholes of the citadel about
thirty-five' feet deep, which is used as a huge sitting-room with
divans, we were received by his Excellency as courteously as if
we were spies from Yieldiz. One zabty was ordered to look after our horses; another to prepare the inevitable narghileh. And
at table, Excellency made us understand that the chicken, an
old raw-boned hen who no longer deserved her oats, I mused,
was done in our honor, since he, being a right Maronite ate not
on Friday but mujadderah, which is a mess of lentils cooked in
olive oil. And the following day, he insisted on our remaining
his guests. He showed us through the citadel himself, and graciously requested us to attend his court. Strange disputes are
heard here, on which he delivers, Solomon-like, strange decisions.
In the afternoon we walk to Amschit, which is only a few
miles from Byblos, up a gently sloping hill. In these diggings the
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THE SYRIMN WORLD
antiquarian digs for his treasures. And the exquisite tear bottles
which; are found here, are sold on Fifth Avenue for what would
buy in these mountains a mulberry patch and a tfeit (booth or
one-room house) to boot. On entering the town, we stop before
a fine white-stone, pink-gabled mansion to inquire about the tomb
of Henriette Renan. The Khawaja who was sitting on the porch
invited us to a sherbet and inquired of Sheikh AbdAur-Ruhman,
to whom he showed particular attention, even deference, (the
turban and jubbah are responsible for this) as to how the Dastur
(Constitution) is faring, and whether the equality principle would
not affect the agricultural interests of the country. Abd'ur-Ruhman tried to prove to mine host that it would not, but luckily he
was interrupted by the servant who came out with the sherbets.
This servant, who was once a distinguished citizen of Bethlehem,
Pennsylvania, pointed me out to his master in a most amusing
manner, as one who had been in America. And the master thereupon exclaimed, "That is the land of promise. Come in, and I
will show you what I have in my house from that country."
We enter into a spacious marble-hall, in the centre of which
is a mahogany roll-top desk, made, I suppose, in Buffalo. We
pass to the dining room among the native furniture of which,
two Morris chairs come all the way from Grand Rapids, obtrude
their presence. And in the kitchen our host points out the American stove, "on which," said he, "we can prepare a banquet of
twenty different dishes. But this is not all. The best must come
last."
And so it did; for in the bath-room, not tiled, but marbled
with choice slabs from Italy, we behold, O America, thine inimitable porcelain bath-tub.
"Allah's great!" exclaimed Sheikh Abd'ur-Ruhman. And
so did I.
Now, Madame, on seeing the strangers is curious to know
who they are. So the erstwhile distinguished citizen of Bethlehem, Pennsyslvania, whispers into the ear of mine host. And
accordingly we are invited into the salon, where Madame, with
a company of friends, is smoking the ubiquitous narghileh. She
rises in deference to Sheikh Abd-ur-Ruhman (I myself was often
tempted to put on a jubbah and a turban); but no sooner learns
she of our pilgrimage than she sits down again, puffs at her narghileh, blows the aromatic smoke in the face of the sheikh, surveys us from top to toe, and inquires in a haughty tone, saying,
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OCTOBER, 1927
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"And are you like those idiot Franje (Europeans) who come
here and take with them a handful of dust or some pebbles from
around the tomb? And is she so important, this woman, that
people come from beyond the seas to visit her dust? No doubt
she was like her brother, who did not know God, who was, as
Father Nahouche assures us, a rank infidel."
Saying which, she claps for the servant and orders him to
"Take these people to the cemetery" and point out the vault of
the Toubeyiahs where the remains of Henriette were laid.
Before this square vault, severely plain, the surroundings
of which now hunger for a flower, a blade of grass, Ernest Renan shed his tears of love and hope. A large oak throws over
the tomb in the morning an ample shadow, and in the afternoon
the shade of the palms below tries in vain to kiss its sacred dust.
They are planted too far, and the sun, even in the last interval
of the setting, seems helpless. The shadow only reaches the door
of the church, near which is the vault.
Here Henriette was laid amid the chanting of the Maronite priests. For Renan admired the service, lugubrious tho it
be, of the Maronite Church. And he believed that these holy
men in black robes were worthy of saying the last word for the
dead.
The sprigs of Persian lilac flowers we laid at the door of
the vault. And Izzuddin, taking up a handful of dust, presses
therein his lips, and says, "When the people of my country can
see the flowers that shall bloom in this handful of dust, what
great women then we shall have and what noble sisters!"
And Abd'ur-Rahman, with a tear in his eye: "And only
when our harem is blessed with such sublime souls will the cradle
give us a new generation, a new race. Khadijah and Henriette,
blessed be the Joins that bore you, and thrice blessed the children
of your magnanimous spirit!"
It was, indeed, a touching scene. Abd'ur-Rahman, the Mohammedan, waters with his tears the dust in which Izzuddin the
Druse plants the seeds of his love. And a Christian kisses them
both for making the pilgrimage.
"Noble sentiment is the mother of truth," said Abd-ur-Ruhman, as we walked back to Byblos.
"And a pious feeling of love for the princes and princesses
of truth," said Izzuddin, "is the highest and noblest manifestation of the spirit."
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
And I, on our way back to Beyrouth —
Let Urashlim and Mecca wait,
And China stew in her own juicej
This way the pilgrim staff, tho late,
Of Christian, Mussulman and Druse.
The Two Hermits
By G. K. GIBRAN
Upon a lonely mountain, there lived two hermits who worshipped God and loved one another.
Now these two hermits had one earthen bowl, and this was
their only possession.
One day, an evil spirit entered into the heart of the older
hermit and he came to the younger and said, "It is long that we
have lived together. The time has come for us to part. Let us
divide our possessions."
Then the younger hermit was saddened and he said, ' It
grieves me, Brother, that thou shouldst leave me. But if thou
must needs go, so be it", and he brought the earthen bowl and
gave it to him, saying, "We cannot divide it, Brother, let it be
thine."
.
Then the older hermit said, "Chanty I will not accept. 1
will take nothing but mine own. It must be divided."
And, the younger one said, "If the bowl be broken, of what
use would it be to thee or to me? If it be thy pleasure, let us
rather cast a lot."
. .
But the older hermit said again, "I will have but justice
and mine own, and I will not trust justice and mine own to vain
chance. The bowl must be divided."
Then the younger hermit could reason no further and he
said, "If it be indeed thy will, and if even so thou wouldst have
it, let us now break the bowl."
But the face of the older hermit grew exceeding dark, and
he cried, "O thou cursed coward, thou wouldst not fight!"
�OCT.OBER, 1927
The Agricultural Situation
In Syria
By
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PROF.
J.
FORREST CRAWFORD
of the American University of Beirut.
PART II.
\
1
In a country where agricultural operations are as old as they
are in Syria, and where so many political and religious controversies have taken place, and where, as we have seen, the geographic conditions of the country are as varied, it is not surprising to find several systems of land tenure existing. There are
the lands individually owned and operated by small proprietors
as in a good share of the Lebanon region. Then there are the
large holdings of land owned by the various religious organizations, or "wakf" land. In a few parts of the country there still
remains some village-owned land where annual communal distribution of the area is still practised. And lastly, there are the
large landed estates which include a large proportion of the land
of the principal agricultural areas, such as in the central depression, the eastern plateau, and much of the coastal plain. The
conservative methods employed on the wakf lands and on the
estates of the large land owners have always retarded the agricultural development of Syria. Twenty years ago, government
statistics show that as high as 70 to 80 per cent, of all the agricultural land was held under these two systems of land tenure,
and even to this day this percentage is not very much changed.
In recent times, however, conditions have gradually changed so that some of the large landed estates are gradually being
divided up among smaller land-owners and farmers. If the Syrian revolution has no other good results, it at least is helping
to break down the feudal authority and influence in certain areas
as around Damascus, in the Hauran and Jebel Druze, and in
parts of the Lebanon. And fortunately so, for the social conditions fostered by these systems of land tenure have prevented
the operation of the natural tendencies favorable to agricultural
development.
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
They have especially thwarted the growth of private initiative which is so fundamental to all economic progress, and
which has been the cause for most of the industrial and agricultural development of the Occident. Where the actual workers
of the land have no individual interest in the land itself, they
naturally fail to develop any tendency to improve its agricultural conditions. And one can hardly blame them, for as the
land is not really theirs, they see no advantage in spending any
time and money towards building up the soil when they know
that the* landlord will get most of the benefits by it.
For many reasons the landlords also are very slow at making any improvements under these systems of land tenure. Some
of them are contented with what returns they are getting from
the land at present, and care not to try to increase them. Others are unable to trust their workers to carry out what improvements they would like to make, and for lack of compentent foremen, therefore, do nothing towards improvement. Others are
afraid that if the fellaheen benefit by the general improvement
of the land, they will no longer be willing to work for such low
returns, and, therefore, deliberately prevent improvements from
being introduced. Still others, and perhaps this group includes
the majority, are simply ignorant of the great possibilities of
agricultural improvement. They are blind to the personal benefits to themselves which would result from these improvements.
We thus see how agricultural development in Syria is bound
to be slow as long as these systems of land tenure remain unimproved, for the continuance of them is the main cause for the
present defective methods of farm operation.
(3) Methods of Farm Operation:—
In describing the methods employed in Syrian agriculture
we must bear in mind the types of farming, the labor supply,
and the equipment and machinery used, for under the influence
of these three factors, the existing methods have been developed. As to the types of agriculture, by far the most extensive is
the dry farming system of grain production. The system fits
in well with the communal grazing system where the livestock
is pastured in the earlier part of the year on the uncultivated
land, and then after the harvest, on the cultivated fields. The
migratory nomadic flocks of the desert also use the grain fields
in the border regions after the harvest is over. Dry farming
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OCTOBER, 1927
13
and pasturage, these form the two chief types of agricultural activity in the eastern plateau, and very largely so in the central
region also. In the latter, also, considerable areas are under irrigation. In the rest of Syria general diversified agriculture is
the rule except where local conditions of irrigation, climate and
soil, have led to the development and increase of more specialized forms of field crops and fruits.
Im
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Fruit raising, especially in irrigated regions, is rather extensively practised in the central depression, in the Damascus
plain, in the valleys of the maritime range, and also to a considerable extent along the coastal plains. Especially is this true
around the wide towns where the raising of vegetables has been
quite widely developed. Vine culture is also very extensive in
several of the regions, both the dry farming and the irrigated
methods being practised acording to district. The cultivation of
mulberry trees for the silk industry is naturally included here,
and is confined mainly to the mountainous region and to the
coastal plain. The culture of hemp is fairly extensively developed as an irrigated fibre crop around Damascus and Aleppo,
while cotton and tobacco are raised quite extensively as a non-irrigated crop. The former is grown especially around Idlib,
south-west of Aleppo, and the latter throughout the Lebanon
and especially around Latakia. In a few places they have been
able to irrigate the cotton, and the government at present is doing considerable experimenting and planning to try and increase
this type of cotton culture.
These above mentioned lines of agriculture are the most extensively followed in, Syria. Unfortunately, they are all lacking
in any constructive way of maintaining soil fertility, and thus
developing a permanent system of agricultural production. Even
in connection with livestock farming, the manure is largely lost
for agricultural purposes, either through the migratory grazing
or through being used as a source of fuel.
For the successful development of most of these types of
agriculture, the present supply of labor is quite inadequate, especially with the existing types of machinery. Except in the immediate neighborhood of the larger towns, the only supply of
labor is that of the fellaheens living in the scattered villages
throughout the land. This is more or less inevitable owing to
the absence of a floating supply of labor, due to the limited industrial development of Syria, and to the inability of most small
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
farmers to pay a living wage for adult labor. In many parts of
the larger plains and valleys even the extensive crop such as
wheat and barley could be greatly extended were a larger labor
supply available, and so naturally the more intensive crop as cotton and tobacco are somewhat limited in the extent of their production because of the defective labor supply.
And unfortunately the existing forms of farm implements
do not in the least compensate for the labor shortage, for they
are very primitive, doing only mediocre work and doing even
that very slowly. Take the matter of plowing, for instance, and
the preparation of the land for sowing. All this is done, as a
general rule, by a yoke of oxen pulling a simple wooden plow
with a light metal plowshare attached. To acomplish anything
like the result that a good modern plow would give, the land
must be plowed three or four times, and even then the result is
not quite the same.
Of course it is certainly true that in such
places as the steep rocky mountain sides, the native ox-plow is
much better suited than the foreign heavy plow, but that is no
argument for the native plow still being used on the larger, more
level and more productive areas. Then the harvesting method
of using the sickle is naturally a very slow and laborious way
of gathering in the crop, while the old threshing-floor system of
threshing out the grain is very tedious, and extremely wasteful
of human labor.
Taking Syria as a whole, there is really a great need for the
introduction and adaptation of better agricultural implements although possibly of a slightly different type from most of our
western machinery, and better adapted to the needs of the country. This improvement in itself would greatly help to solve
the farm labor problem, athough of course it brings in a new
problem, namely^ that of training farm labor how to use and
care for such machinery. Along with some constructive system
of soil management for the maintenance of soil fertility, better
machinery would soon bring about paying results.
The last method of agricultural operation to be mentioned
in which Syrian agriculture has failed to be progressive within
recent times, has been the lack of any constructive system of reforestation. On the contrary, the destruction of existing trees
has, until perhaps the last couple of years, been on the steady
increase. And the uncontrolled cutting of younger trees along
with the ravages of the numerous flocks of, goats have effectively
<
�OCTOBER, 1927
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15
prevented many of the best fitted areas from naturally reforesting themselves.
The possibilities of reforestation in Syria are enormous, and
the beneficial results therefrom would be great. Not only would
the trees hold the soil from eroding, allow much more absorption and retention of water by the soil, and add more humus to
the soil itself, but they would in time furnish plenty of wood for
the carpenters' use and for fuel, as charcoal and wood, and also
many other economic products 5 as, for example, bark for tanning, and carob (kharrub) pods for food and fodder.
For all these reasons and for many others, including the
scenic and climatic effects on the country, the much-neglected
problem of reforestation should, by all means, be vigorously undertaken.
The following statistics pertaining to lands and crops are
given as a helpful summary to the previous discussion, and not
as a complete survey of Syrian agriculture. The fact that accurate detailed statistics are unobtainable makes it advisable to limit the statements to the few tables given herewith. The Government Department of Agriculture is, as yet, somewhat new and
loosely organized and has not been able to systematically collect
and tabulate complete or accurate records. It is true that there
is a Minister of agriculture in each governmental state, with his
representatives and secretaries and trained agricultural inspectors
in each large agricultural region. This organization is doing its
best to collect statistics, start museums, and encourage farmers in
general. The agricultural department has secured the passage
of several good laws such as the regulations about forestation
and taxation, the edict reopening the agricultural bank and the
projected development of new agricultural schools besides the
old one at Salamiyyah and the little new school at Latakia. The
former of these two schools is being reorganized with better
equipment, and may accomplish good results in the future if it
continues to be developed. As yet the agricultural department
from which most of the following statistics come, either directly
or indirectly, is unfortunately not quite strong enough or well
enough organized to really put through all their own schemes
of improvement.
�16
THE SYRIAN WORLD
TABLE
I.
Distribution of Land by Areas.
Total area of Syria about
Total cultivable area about
16,000,000 Hectares
4,000,000
"
Cultivated Area by Districts.
Aleppo
368,000 Hectares
Damascus
349,000
"
Lebanon
200,000
"
Alaouite
160,000
"
Alexandretta
183,000
"
II.
Distribution of Irrigated Lands.
TABLE
Damascus
Aleppo
Lebanon
Alaouite
Alexandretta
45,000 Hectares
13,000
"
8,000
"
5,000
"
3,000
"
Total land now irrigated
Land capable of irrigation
TABLE
74,000
300,000
1
"
"
if:
III.
Distribution and Area of Alain Crops in Hectares
Crop
Wheat
Barley
Sorghum
Corn
Hemp
Cotton
Lentils
Sesame
Tobacco
Aleppo
200,000
110,000
5,800
280
200
36,000
20,000
12,000
Damascus
Lebanon
Alaouite
158,000
47,000
26,000
45,000
25,000
15,000
10,000
133,000
20,000
11,000
920
152
13,000
100
700
1,500
114
2,000
Alexandretta
28,000
8,000
1,500
2,000
2,000
600
520
/
M
�r^w^'-
OCTOBER, 1927
17
TABLE
IV.
Value of Agricultural Products in 1925 in Gold Francs.
Cereals, fruits, legumes
Tobacco, cotton, hemp
Olives
Grapes
Silk worms
Oranges and lemons
Other fruit trees
Animal products (meat, wool, hides)
Forests
Poultry and Agriculture
450,000,000
10,000,000
20,000,000
25,000,000
30,000,000
15,000,000
15,000,000
15,000,000
5,000,000
20,000,000
Total
605,000,000
Tables I & II largely from Consular reports.
CONCLUSION
i\
After this brief review of the more important factors affecting Syrian agriculture we may be better able to give an answer
to our first two introductory questions. As to the first one about
whether Syria needs any development of her agriculture, I think
the answer is more or less obvious when we consider the economic
importance of agriculture to the country, and the existing status
of the factors affecting its development. If the productive power of Syria is to be improved, there is no question that one of the
most basic ways will be increasing the economic returns from
agricultural operations, whether this be done by increasing the
amount of the products, or by increasing the quality of the products, or by a combination of both.
The second question is the more difficult to answer satisfactorily, for it is a good deal more complicated and involves
so many other factors. As we have seen the two most changeable factors are the so-called social factors or those dependent
on the conditions of society. So it is to these factors that we
should look for possible changes that will lead to agricultural
progress.
The first factor involves more social reform than economic
change, so perhaps the best statement that could be made in a
brief paper like this, is to say that any improvement which would
bring about an increase in the personal initiative and interest of
�18
THE SYRIAN WORLD
the actual farmers would be very effective in developing agricultural operations.
The problem of improving the methods of operation, naturally falls under two heads, first, the problem of improving
existing types and methods of farm operation, and second, that
of developing and introducing new and better types and methods.
As to the first problem, there are several points at which
improvement could be made. The existing methods of farm
operations in handling the soil, the crop and the livestock are far
from being scientifically profitable. A more constructive system
of farm management could undoubtedly be developed and adopted whereby the present evils of soil erosion, soil leeching and
soil defection could largely be checked and replaced by a more
permanent system of developing soil fertility. A better choice
of crops with a well-planned system of crop relation would help
materially in this effort. Still more could be done to improve
the quality of existing farm products by better irrigation and
drainage schemes and better methods of cultivation.
Moreover, both plants and animals could be improved by
systematic selection and breeding. All this would necessitate
the keeping of regular records and the formation of uniform
standards for crops and animals to a much greater degree than
has been done in the past. No one at present can tell the exact
total yearly yield of milk and fat of the various breeds of cattle
or sheep or goats of the country, or the total annual yields per
hectare, of the grain and forage under the different systems of
soil management.
With the establishment of better standards, better markets
will come into existence, which will automatically lead to better
methods of marketing and transportation.
With all these suggestions about the needs of more profitable methods of farm operation, it must not be forgotten that
some of the existing methods, which at first seem to be absurd,
are really very well adapted to local conditions, though many
are imperfect and wasteful and others are actually harmful.
Most of these latter methods are the result of superstition and
ignorance j and the best way to replace them with better methods,
is by educating the farmers to understand the why and wherefore
of the various operations. This means that some kind of education is necessary, either through schools or through demonstration farms or through agricultural extension service, with rep-
OC'TjL
resent
I
ing b<
the m
agricu
demoi
and a
farms
1
simila
initiat
gover
encou
�OCTOBER, 1927
19
resentatives in each section of the land.
In solving the second problem of developing and introducing better types of plants and animals into Syrian agriculture,
the most help will come from the development of constructive
agricultural organizations. These should include the schools, the
demonstration farms and the extension service mentioned above
and also such farms as nuseries, seed farms and experimental
farms.
For the successful development of any of these or other
similar organizations, capital, good management and the right
initiative will be necessary; and, above all, a strong constructive
government programme that will maintain general security and
encourage public investment.
Before We Part
By
DR. SALIM
Y.
ALKAZIN
O stay, and let the aching heart
Relate its tale before we part
Then follow thy desire.
The peoples round for springtide long—
For with it comes the flower and song
That heart and brain inspire—
But my springtide, when in thine eye
Love's sacred flame for me leaps high
To set my soul on fire.
Or is that flame now burning low?
Am I denied its cheerful glow
And of its warmth bereft?
If part we must, then ere we go,
From thy sweet-bitter lips would know
What hope for me is left!
And on thy side, my heart what place
Doth hold? The right—a seat of grace,
Or is it on the left?
�I
20
THE SYRIAN WORLD
The Son of Haroun Al-Rashid
Jt TRUE ARABIAN TALE
translated from the Arabic original.
To the people of the West, more especially to the innumerable hosts of admirers of the Famous Arabian Nights, Haroun
Al-Rashid is the personification of oriental magnanimity of
character and ostentatious splendour and regal pomp. To some
he is but a mythical character around whose personality the fecundity of oriental imagination has woven the delicate
and fanciful threads of the inimitable Arabian Nights.
But to historians he is not only real, but one in whom a great
many of the virtues and vices ascribed to the legendary character were found in actuality. It was with his reign that the golden
age of the Abbaside dynasty in Baghdad saw its dawn, and the
report of his personal benefactions and his going about in disguise in the obscurity of the night through the poorer sections
of the capital, as well as the revelry and the ill-concealed licentiousness prevailing at his court, were not without foundation in
fact.
But the great era of true advancement in literature, in the
sciences and in all matters that count for real progress were fostered by, and found their greatest patron in the person of, the
son and successor of Haroun Al-Rashid, the illustrious Caliph
Al-Ma'moun, whose reign extended over a period of twenty
years and ended with an untimely death at the age of forty-nine.
It was not, however, without contest that Al-Ma'moun
came into power. At the very outset his authority was challenged by his paternal uncle Ibrahim Ibn Al-Mahdi who, not having conceded the right of succession to Al-Ma'moun, claimed
the Caliphate for himself and established his court in the city
of Al-Rai. For one year, eleven months and twelve days, he
held out against the Caliph and harassed his agents while the
latter displayed such forbearance as to cause some of his advisers
to comment that his patience was liable to be misinterpreted as
weakness. Finally the Caliph could tolerate the situation no
longer and, calling together a great army, he set out by forced
marches to besiege his uncle in his capital. Ibrahim was defeated
in a spirited engagement and the city capitulated to Al-Ma'-
i)
I
�"!
OCTOBER, 1927
21
moun, whereupon Ibrahim sought safety in flight to escape the
wrath of his victorious nephew.
An account of the events that followed is transmitted to us
by the contemporary Arab historian Al-Waqidi who records in
the words of Ibn Al-Mahdi himself an account of his experience
with the Caliph on that eventful day when he fell prisoner into
his hands and doubted not that his fate would be that of all
usurpers and traitors. Al-Waqidi states that he heard the account from the lips of Al-Mahdi himself and recorded it with
utmost faithfulness to detail.
Here is his narration:
1
When Al-Ma'moun entered the city of Al-Rai and set a
prize of a hundred thousand dirhams on my head, I was seized with great fear and fled my palace at the noon hour, roaming
about the city all confused and not knowing where to direct my
steps. When about completely exhausted, I came upon a blind
alley and there felt certain that my doom was sealed. For here
I was standing at the entrance of an alley which permitted of
no egress. And I reflected to myself that if I retraced my steps
I would immediately arouse suspicions, while if I continued I
would be cornered like a prey in a cage and meet an ignominous
end. While thus meditating, I observed a black slave standing
at the entrance of a house in the center of the alley and I resolved to take a last desperate chance. So I advanced with steady
step and asked the slave if he could afford me domicile for a
short space of time, to which he replied in the affirmative and
graciously admitted me to his house.
I was pleasantly surprised upon entering to find the house
furnished in simple style but in the cleanest possible condition.
Only straw mats and leather cushions were in the room, but they
were all immaculate. The manner of my host was most hospitable and inviting, and it was with profuse apologies that he
closed the door and left me alone in the room. In my perturbance of mind, I bethought me that he had heard of the award
placed on my head and had gone forth to inform against me. In
consequence of which apprehension I was, all during his absence,
haunted by the most tormenting fears. Presently he returned
in company of a hammal who was loaded with all provisions
necessary for a sumptuous repast. The bread and meat were
fresh and most inviting. A new pot was brought with the lot.
An earthen water jar and ewers were also included in the pur-
�22
THE SYRIAN WORLD
chases of the all-providing host. He no sooner relieved the
porter of his burden than he addressed me with the utmost deference and respect explaining that he was a cupper, and that
fearing I would be nauseated by the nature of his profession if
he were to serve me from his own utensils, he had brought me
new, clean service which no other had used or touched.
I had, by that time, grown ravenously hungry and I proceeded to prepare a meal which I enjoyed as I had none other
in all my life. Having finished, the host asked me if I liked
to indulge in some liquor, to which proposition I showed no
aversion, and he brought me a sealed jar and a new cup of crokery and asked me to help myself, which I did, and found the
beverage to be extremely good. While thus engaged, he brought
me a most tempting variety of fruit, all served in new earthen
dishes, and appeared to be so anxious not to leave his hospitality
lacking in the least respect. Having thus waited upon me, he
respectfully asked me if he could sit at a respectable distance and imbue his own liquor to complete his joy of having
me as his guest, to which suggestion I unhesitatingly agreed. He
drank and became even more radiant with joviality. Presently
he rose and drew from a closet a beautifully inlaid 'oud which
he handed to me, saying: "My lord, it is not compatible with my
lowly station to ask thee to play the 'oud and favor thy slave
and servant with a song, but inasmuch as thou hast given me
the great honor of accepting my hospitality, I am prompted to
take advantage of thy condescension. If thou choosest to grant
me this additional favor I will consider myself the happiest of
men, but I shall not press my request, as thy wish is preeminent."
I_was not a little surprised at his request, but instead of
gratifying his desire immediately, I wanted to parry him a while
to prove the extent of his comprehension and I asked him:
"How comes it to thy knowledge that I am an adept at the musical art?" to which he replied with the exclamation: "Allah be
praised! our lord and sovereign is known by his fame much
beyond such a point. Art thou not our Caliph of only yesterday, Ibrahim Ibn Al-Mahdi, on whose head Al-Ma'moun has
placed a prize of a hundred thousand dirhams?"
He no sooner divulged thus my identity than his station
was immediately raised in my estimation. For such a man in
apparently much need and practising what is generally considered an unclean occupation to forego the temptation of the prize
�Mi I
OCTOBER, 1927
*~
23
money and, while affording me shelter and safety in his house,
to treat me with such generosity and consideration was sufficient
to win my complete confidence. Immediately thereupon I took
the musical instrument, tuned it and, considering my condition
of fear and separation from my family, proceeded to sing the
following verses which were the first to occur to my disturbed
mind:
"May He who caused Joseph's reunion with his beloved ones, and raised his standing though captive
and in prison,
Grant us our prayers and bring about the reunion of
our scattered ranks, for Allah, the ruler of the universe, is omnipotent."
Upon hearing this, the slave went into transports of ecstasy.
He was also prompted by his great joy to ask me if I would permit him to give a selection himself, to which request I readily
assented.
He took the 'oud and sang:
i
"To our beloved ones we made complaint that our
night was dragging long, to which complaint they
answered that to them the night was very short.
For speedily to their eyes comes the assuaging power
of sleep, while sleep remains at all times a stranger to our eyes.
When night, the dread of those enthraled by love, approaches, we fear and shudder, while they with
glee and happiness await its coming.
But if, like us, they were to feel the gnawing pangs of
love, they would, like us, experience in their beds
the same restlessness."
So enraptured was I by the consummate exquisiteness of his
art that I felt the room whirling around and all my fears and
apprehensions disappear. I asked him to sing again and he sang:
"She scorns us for our numbers being few, but I retorted that the noble were forever thus,
Why feel disgraced that we in numbers be lacking,
when our neighbor is protected and the neighbor
of the many is not.
�^=r-
THE SYRIAN WORLD
A people are we who do not see in death disgrace, if
the tribes of 'Amer and Saloul so look upon it.
Our courting death does shorten the span of our lives,
while their evasion of it renders their lives long."
Such was my rapture at hearing this second song that it
had on me an effect more overpowering than liquor, and soon
after I was engulfed in the oblivion of an intoxicated sleep, not
awaking until after sunset, only to find my mind overwhelmed
with appreciation and wonderment at the generosity and hospitality, gift for entertainment and consummate art of this apparently lowly cupper.
Having collected my thoughts, I rose and washed my face
and then awakened my sleeping host. I was in haste to take
leave as my former fears again recurred to me, but wishing to
reward the fellow as best I could with the means available, I
flung in his lap a pouch filled with gold pieces, being all that I
had carried away in my hasty flight, and promised him more
if security and power were again restored to me.
This caused the slave to give vent to a great outburst of
indignation. "My lord," he said, "men of my lowly station are
only despised by men of thy rank. But can I ever permit myself to take reward for the great privilege which Allah has granted me by receiving thee in my house and having the honor to
serve thee? I swear by Allah that if thou art to repeat this offer,
I shall immediately end my existence."
Impressed by the determined tone of the slave, I reluctantly replaced the gold in my sleeve and proceeded to leave. But
I no sooner reached the door than he importuned me to remain:
"My lord," he pleaded, "thou art much safer here than at any
other place thou mightest seek, while in providing for thee I have
not the least difficulty. Why, then, not tarry here until such
time as Allah is willing to grant thee security?"
The proposition was most acceptable, but I asked the slave
to disburse from the gold which he had refused, to which condition he would not agree. For many days thereafter I remained at his house enjoying a most delightful hospitality with
not a thing lacking, until I tired of my confinement and of my
dependence on this good slave which I came to consider a growing imposition. So one day, when my host had gone out to replenish our provisions, I took advantage of his absence to leave the
house. I affected a feminine disguise with robe and veil, and
*
'»!
�OCTOBER, 1927
iv
-
25
was no sooner on the street than I was seized with great fear.
I attempted to cross the bridge but was intercepted by a mounted guard who recognized me and made a dash to seize me. In
desperation, I summoned all my reserve strength and gave him
one impetuous push which sent him and his mount sprawling
on the wet, slippery pavement. Taking advantage ri the commotion that followed, I quickened my pace and succeeded in crossing. Once on the other side I flitted into an alley where I noticed a woman by the door of her house. I lost no time in approaching her.
"O gracious lady," I addressed her, "please grant me asylum as I am in great fear for my life."
"You have come to an abode of safety and hospitality," she
replied, and forthwith conducted me to a secluded and neatlyfurnished chamber and brought me food and refreshments,
meanwhile remarking that I need entertain no fear as no one had
detected my arrival.
It was but a short while thereafter when hard and repeated
knocks were heard at the door. The woman made haste to open
and, to my great astonishment and surprise, the guard whom I
had discomfitted a little while previous entered with clothes disheveled and blood streaming from wounds in his forehead and
hands. The woman, let escape a shrill cry of pained surprise,
asking the man the cause of his predicament. He lamented that
he had just been within reach of wealth by capturing the fugitive Al-Mahdi but the latter had escaped. While she was cleaning and bandaging his wounds he related to her the details of
his experience and I then felt certain that my doom was sealed.
Having attended her husband and prepared his bed, the
woman sought me in my hiding place and asked me if I were
not the man implicated in the episode. I did not deny, but the
good woman allayed my fears and was even more solicitous for
my comfort and well-being than before. For three days I enjoyed her protection and hospitality, at the end of which she
apologetically conveyed to me her fear lest her husband discover
me. She graciously consented that I remain until the fall of
night, at which time I again assumed my feminine disguise and
went out in search of refuge and safety. This time I sought
the house of one of my former maids at court who, upon seeing
me, raised her voice in bewailment and lamentation and was most
profuse in her thanks to Allah for my safety. Presently she
wms
|ij
:. :
�26
THE SYRIAN WORLD
left with the ostensible purpose of making purchases at the market for my entertainment. I never felt in all my wandering and
flight more secure than I did in this house after such demonstrations of loyalty. But I had no sooner emitted a sigh of relief
than the house was surrounded by the military, horse and foot,
and I saw Ibrahim of Mosul, commander of the bodyguard of
Al-Ma'moun, burst into the house in person accompanied by the
treacherous maid who pointed me out to him. I was carried in
the same feminine attire in which I had been surprised to the
presence of Al-Ma'moun who called the notables to sit at supreme council for my trial. When I was first ushered into court
I greeted Al-Ma'moun with the customery salutation of the Caliphate, and his stern answer to me was: "May Allah never grant
thee peace, nor life, nor security." But I hastened to rejoin by
saying: "I beg thy gracious indulgence, O Prince of the Faithful. He who is the claimant of revenge has the right o£ choice in
punishment. But pardon is more in conformity with piety. Allah, may His name be exalted, has made thee even superior to
pardon just as He has caused my crime to be above all crimes.
If thou now exactest thy punishment, thou wouldst be exercising
thy right; and if thou grantest pardon it would be by reason of
thy great magnanimity," and I then burst out in the following
extemporaneous verses:
"Grievous is my crime to thee, but in magnanimity thou
art greater,
Exact thy right if thou so wishest, or else forego it and
prove thy mercy.
If I be not noble in my deeds, prove thyself noble in
thine."
Al-Ma'moun raised his head and I again addressed him in
verse acknowledging my guilt and beseeching his pardon.
At the conclusion of my recitation, I noticed that Al-Ma'moun had relented perceptibly, and to me this was the augury
of pardon. But Al-Ma'moun did not give expression to his
feelings in words. Rather he called on his son Abbas, his brother Abou Isaac and all the other notables present to give their
opinion in my case, and they all, without exception, counseled
my execution, their only divergence of opinion being on the method of carrying out the sentence.
Al-Ma'moun, however, seemed not satisfied with their
counsel and he called upon Ahmed Abi Khalid to express his
f
^
e
�^
OCTOBER, 1927
27
opinion, and the latter said: "O Prince of the Faithful, if thou
killest him, such course of action would be in conformity with
common practice as there are many of thy like who have killed
many of his like, but if thou pardonest him, then it could be
truly said that none are to be found like thee who have pardoned
any like him."
At this sage counsel, Al-Ma'moun bent his head low in
deep reflection, then raised it and uttered the poetical quotation:
"They are my kin who killed my brother Amim,
If I were to shoot, I would be the target of my own arrow."
Hearing which I lifted the veil from over my face and let
escape a great shout of jubilation, exclaiming, "Allahu Akbar!
The Prince of the Faithful has spared my life." And Al-Ma'moun said: "O uncle, thou mayest now calm thy fears." And I
replied: "My crime, O Prince of the Faithful, is much graver
than could be attenuated by excuses and thy pardon is much
greater than could be met with adequate thanks."
Al-Ma'moun then ordered all my confiscated property restored to me and said: "O Uncle, thou hast witnessed that my
son and brother have prescribed thy death. What sayest thou
to their counselr" and I replied: "O Prince of the Faithful, they
have uttered sage counsel, but thou hast acted on thy charitable
and generous impulses inherent in thy magnanimous character."
Al-Ma'moun's countenance radiated the reactions of extreme inward relief and joy as he remarked: "O Uncle, thou
hast deadened my rancor by the virility of thy apology," and,
prostrating himself on the ground for what appeared a long
time, he finally raised his head and addressed me saying:
"Knowest thou, O Uncle, why I prostrate myself to Allah?" "Yes," I replied, "thou renderest Him thanks for having
delivered thy enemy into thy hands."
"Not so," said Al-Ma'moun, "it was, rather, to render
thanks to Allah for having prompted me to act as I did in pardoning thee."
Whereupon the Caliph assumed a most intimate attitude
and asked me to relate to him the details of my flight and capture. And I related to him my experience with the cupper, the
guard and his wife, and the maid who betrayed me. The latter
was still waiting at her house expecting to receive the award, and
upon being brought to court the Caliph asked her the reason for
betraying her former master, to which she replied that it was
�28
THE SYRIAN WORLD
the temptation of money. The Caliph then inquired about her
personal conditions and if she had husband or child, and when
she replied in the negative, he ordered her flogged two hundred
blows and imprisoned for life. The guard and his wife were
then brought in, and when the Caliph learned from the man that
it was the money award he was seeking, he ordered him discharged from his commission and had him take up the loathsome
profession of cupping. But to the guard's wife, the Caliph said:
"Thou art a woman most capable of handling difficult situations.
Thou shalt be henceforth in my palace." And coming finally
to the black slave he addressed him saying: "Thou hast shown
such nobility of character as would necessitate giving thee ample
award." He then gave him possession of the guard's house with
all its contents and granted him an annuity of a thousand gold
pieces for life.
The Adieu
Translated from the Arabic by J. D.
CARLYLE
The boatmen shout: "'Tis time to part,
No longer can we stay."
'Twas when Maimuna taught my heart
How much a glance could say.
With trembling steps to me she came;
"Farewell", she would have cried,
But ere the word her lips could frame
In half-form'd sounds it died.
Then bending down with looks of love,
Her arms she round me flung,
And, as the gale hangs on the grove,
Upon my breast she hung.
My willing arms embraced the maid,
My heart with raptures beat;
While she but wept the more and said,
"Would we had never met'"
S':n..j
/
y
-„
.'SyjM
�OCTOBER, 1927
29
Famous Cities of Syria
Byblos, City of Adonis
I
What is now a modest hamlet on the coast of Mt. Lebanon,
about eight miles north of the city of Beirut, was at one time
the seat of a great kingdom and the center of a religious cult
that swept the whole East and extended its influence over Greece
and Italy as well as other parts of the West. For this little hamlet, known in our day by the name of Jubeil, is none other than
the ancient and famous city of Byblos, where Adonis, the great
male god of love and beauty in classical mythology, was born
and died; where was laid the scene of the great love which
Aphrodite bore for him; where flow the waters of the sacred
river which "still runs red" at a certain season of the year from
being dyed with the blood of Adonis after he had been wounded
by the wild boar he was hunting in the hills of Lebanon. The
name of Adonis was given this river and as such it is known in
Greek mythology. Its modern name, however, is Nahr Ibrahim,
or river Abraham, supposedly named after the first ruling Maronite prince of that part of Lebanon who was the nephew of St.
John Maron, the first Patriarch of the Maronites. The waters
of this river "run red" when in flood during spring, owing to
the geological formation of the hills which dominate its course,
and of this Milton says:
"While smooth Adonis from his native rock,
Ran purple to the sea, suppos'd with blood
Of Thammuz yearly wounded."
i
I
Thammuz is but another name for Adonis. He is known
also by many other names such as Osiris of the Egyptians and
the Baal-Peor of the Moabites (Calmet).
His mention occurs in the Bible in Ezekiel (viii, 14), and is supposed to be,
among the Phoenicians who originated his worship, the personification of the sun who, during part of the year, is absent, or,
as the legend expresses it, "with the goddess of the under world;
during the remainder with Astarte, the regent of the heaven."
Astarte, by the way, is another Phoenician goddess whose main
�30
THE SYRIAN WORLD
seat of worship was in ancient Byblos, on modern Jubeil, and she
is none other than the Aphrodite of the Greeks and the Venus of
the Romans. She was the female goddess of beauty and love
and productivity. Her worship, or that of her Hellenic prototype, Aphrodite, may be traced directly to the influence of the
early Phoenician traders who settled on Greek shores. The "Venus
and Adonis" of Shakespeare vividly portrays this great love
drama of mythology which was the inspiration of bygone peoples for thousands of years.
The bibliography on ancient mythology is almost unlimited, and it is not the purpose here to go into the different phases
of controversial opinions on the origin and attributes of Eastern
and Western deities. Suffice it to mention that the inspiration
for the conception of the Greek, and, consequently, the Roman
deities thereafter, was Eastern. Adonis was the symbol of nature. He came to life in Spring and returned to the regions of
the; dead in Winter. This was ascribed to a good reason. Adonis
being the son of the Syrian king Theias by his daughter Smyrna
(Myrrha), his beauty charmed the goddess Aphrodite who was
bent on saving his life when his father threatened to kill the
mother of the ill-begotten child. Myrrha was transformed into a tree bearing her name and at the end of ten months, when
Adonis was born, Aphrodite hid him in a box and handed him
over to the care of Persephone, daughter of Zeus and ruler over
the lower world. Persephone later refused to give up Adonis
and upon Aphrodite making appeal to Zeus, he decided that
Adonis should spend a third of the year, with Persephone (Winter, death of vegetation); another with Aphrodite who was the
ruler of the heavens and the giver of life as her Phoenician name,
Astsarte, indicates} and the remaining third Adonis was to have
to himself.
It is plain, therefore, that all Greek mythology had its origin in Eastern roots, as Persephone, who quarreled with Aphrodite over Adonis, was the direct daughter of Zeus who is the
father of the gods. And Adonis' birthplace and the scene of
his death were on the shores of Phoenicia, at the identical spot
where now is situated modern Jubeil in the Lebanon.
The historic importance of this spot cannot be gainsaid.
It is one of the oldest seats of civilization in the world and one
to which the attention of geologists will be directed for a long
time to come in an effort to make it cede some of the mysteries
Mi
\
\l
�^
II' ~
OCZOBER, 1927
31
of its hoary age. Already extensive excavations have been undertaken which promise to yield important finds, and the attention of scholars is being directed to it as never before. It is also
bound to become a great attraction for tourists in a reasonably
short time.
For Byblos had been an active seat of civilization, a flourishing center of industry, a strategic military post in the line of
march of, the conquering armies of the East and the West for a
long time after the date of its strongest connection with the worship of Venus and Adonis about fifteen hundred years before
the beginning of the Christian era. It was a city of considerable
importance at the time of Alexander's conquest of the East, "at
which time Enylus, its king, when he learnt that his town was
in the possession of Alexander, came up with his vessels and joined the Macedonian fleet" (Arrian). Byblos seems afterwards to
have fallen into the hands of a petty despot, as Pompey is described as giving it freedom by beheading the tyrant (Strab).
It contains the remains of an ancient Roman theatre. It was
the birthplace of Philon who translated Sanchuniaton into Greek.
The name Philon is still commonly used to our present day as a
first name among the people of the town and its vicinity. It
was of such importance, even in the Middle Ages, as to be a see
L of a bishop. The Crusaders occupied it when they came into
possession of the Syrian coast and fortified it by building a great
citadel and encircling it with a wall about a mile and a half in
1
circumference.
Al-Waqidi, an Arab historian of the thirteenth century, menL tions Jubeil in his geographic dictionary and lays particular stress
on that part of its history contemporaneous with the Crusades
and the Arab conquest of the Syrian coast. "St. Giles, (may
he be accursed by Allah)," he writes, "blockaded Jubeil, and after the lapse of some time opened negotiations with its inhabii tants for their surrender. He pledged himself to touch them
with no harm and reinforced his pledge with the most solemn
oath. On this condition they surrendered to him in the year 596
of the Hegira (1218 A. D.)_, and no sooner was he in possession
of the city than he exacted from them a tribute of 10,000 dinars
and had them sell all their jewelry to raise the amount, thereby
accelerating their flight from the city."
Al-Waqidi further informs us that Jubeil remained in the
possession of the Crusaders until Sultan Saladin wrested it from
-. •
-
�32
THE SYRIAN WORLD
their hands and established in it a large number of his Kurdish
followers who only ten years later sold it out to the Franks and
its original inhabitants.
Following the French occupation of Syria archaeological
researches were begun on a large scale and many priceless objects
of antique art were found among the ruins. The National Museum of Beirut has set aside a special wing for the antiquities of
Jubeil. In this collection many metal mirrors, statuettes of the
goddess Astarte and coins bearing the likeness of this goddess,
as well as various objects with Egyptian connections are to be
found. It will be remembered that at about the third millenium
B. C. the Egyptians had occasion for frequent intercourse with
the coast of Phoenicia, principally through the port of Jubeil.
Most of their lumber for construction of every description was
imported from the forests of Lebanon through the port of Jubeil. The intimate relation between Egypt and Phoenicia may
be realized by the fact that Isis came to Byblos in search of the
body of Osiris. Isis of Egypt is supposed to be none other than
Aphrodite, or the Astarte of Byblos, Osiris being her husband
and identified with Adonis. Isis of the Egyptians has the same
attributes as those of her Phoenician prototype. She is the goddess of fertility and productivity, a symbol of the rebirth of
nature.
The ruins of old Byblos, as they stand today, are mostly of
Crusaders' origin. As archaeologists dig deeper and deeper they
come across Roman and Phoenician remains. Some fine marble
columns may still be seen standing among the ruins, and sections
of the walls and castles built by the Crusaders are still standing.
Jubeil is reached over a fine motor road from Beirut in
something less than an hour. The plain surrounding it is covered with luxuriant verdure the major part of the year, and one
standing on the acropolis of the promontory projecting into the sea
has an enchanting view of the Lebanon coast both to the north
and to the south, as well as of the majestic Lebanon range. In
the immedate vicinity of Jubeil are also many places of historical
interest.
Said 'Umar Ibn Abdul-'Aziz, the pious Umayyad Caliph,
to a man who had offended him: "Satan had prompted me to
use my authority as a ruler to wreak my vengeance on thee and
bring upon myself what thou wouldst surely receive in the last
day. Begone, may Allah have mercy on thee!"
�PANORAMIC
VIEW
OF
BYBLOS
An extraordinary view of Jubeil, site of the famous Phoenician city of Byblos, taken by the Syrian-American photographer, F. Askar. The hill dominating the town is the site of the
jpolis, or fortress, where recent archa?ologic researches yielded priceless finds, including the sarcophagus of King Ahiram having the oldest alphabetical inscription so far discovered.
acroi
THE FORTRESS OF BYBLOS
Remains of what is supposed to be the Crusaders' fort at Byblos.
chumps are pruned mulberry trees planted in what was once
the court of the fortress.
RELICS OF OLD GLORY IN BYBLOS
The
v*.v
The Phoenician goddess of love and
productivity whose love for Thammuz, or Adonis, had Byblos for its
scene.
Ruins of an old temple in Byblos where extensive excavations
are now under way.
�A CITY GATE IN BYBLOS
SARCOPHAGUS OF KING AHIRAM
This priceless relic was found in the ruins of Byblos. A faint line
running along the massive lid has been declared the oldest specimen
of alphabetical writing in existence. This sarcophagus now reposes in
the National Museum in Beirut.
Parts of the old wall of Byblos, modern Jubeil, are still standing.
The gate illustrated above is the entrance to the main street and
is a relic of the fortificationsn of the Crusaders.
�—_
__
OCTOBER, 1927
"Anna Ascends
33
55
By HARRY CHAPMAN FORD
PUBLISHED FOR THE FIRST TIME AS ORIGINALLY
PLAYED ON THE NEW YORK STAGE.
SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING ACTS
Gents, a high-bred American, is discovered in the restaurant of Said
Coury, a congenial Syrian whose true Americanism is far more than his
poor English indicates. The waitress, Anna, is a hard working, honest
girl who continually strives to learn and always carries a dictionary. Gents
takes interest in her and helps her learn better1 English. Two under-world
characters, Bunch and Beauty, have designs on Anna and plan to force
her into disreputable traffic. They enter the restaurant and Bunch encircles Anna's waist with his arm and moves his hand in a familiar and
disgusting manner to her breast. She bites him viciously and he hurls
curses at her. Gents springs to her defense and forces an apology from
the detractor. Bunch and Beauty leave threatening Anna with revenge.
Two finely dressed American young women, Nell and Bess,, sister and fiancee of Howard (Gents), enter the restaurant and are surprised at Howard
> frequenting such a haunt. They disdain Anna and Howard proceeds to
prove to them that she is a better American than they are. Howard
leaves with the visitors and presently Rizzo, the cop, enters and announces
that he is looking for Bunch for a recent theft of a shawl. Rizzo departs
and is soon followed by Said, the proprietor, leaving Anna in the restaurant alone. Bunch enters and offers the stolen shawl to Anna who spurn3
him and, as he proceeds to use force, she stabs him. Leaving him for
dead, she flees the place in the enveloping darkness of the night.
In an elaborately furnished office of a large publishing house in uptown New York, the former secretary of Mr. Fisk, head of the firm, is
about to get married and is inducting her successor, Miss Adams, in her
duties. Miss Adams speaks perfect English but with a slight foreign accent. Fisk examines her credentials and discovers that in a short time
she made several changes. She explains that in some cases she was discharged, in others, left of her own will, but always for one reason, namely that of biting men who attempted to kiss her. She relates a personal
story similar in every respect to a newly published book which proved an
instant best-seller and Fisk's suspicions are aroused as to her identity.
Miss Adams parries with him on the question and he resolves to take
other means of satisfying his curiosity. In the meantime Howard, son of
Fisk, returns from an extended trip and meets Anna but does not recognize her and his "interest" in her is evident from the start.
�•*•" •
34
THE SYRIAN WORLD
ACT TWO—II.
FISK — Merely to satisfy many of my subscribers. And
to tell the truth I expect to satisfy my own curiosity and inquisitiveness. I hope to find out in a few moments.
ANNA — (Slightly anxious.) Indeed, Mr. Fisk. How?
FISK — (Noncommittal and careless like.) Oh, there are
ways and means.
ANNA — I think I should return and study the files. (She
crosses.)
FISK — That's right, do.
ANNA — I am ready to report for dictation when you need
me, sir.
FISK — Yes. (She exits. Phone bell rings.) Hullo. Yes?
I am waiting. (Pause.) Hullo Morris
Oh, fine
and
you?
that's good. Say, I see that you have turned out a
readable book at last
yes
"Anna Ascends". I am giving
it a corking review in this issue. What?
Who wrote the
blamed thing?
What?
What's that?
you don't know?
Are you spoofing me?
Aha
Yes
Yes
What's the lawyer's name? Tupman? You mean Nat Tup man
I know him well. He's in this building. Yes, I'll get in touch
with him
You don't say. Aha
Thanks, Morris. When
you ever run over to a real town, drop in and see me. Yes
Goodbye. (Hangs up and takes receiver off after a slight pause.)
Connect me
or get.me Nathaniel Tupman, attorney, in this
building. (Hangs up.) (Nell, Bess and John enter and all
move toward the outer entrance.)
BESS — We're starving and are going to luncheon.
NELL — Back in half an hour.
BESS — Besides, Howard is sure to telephone here when
his train arrives. Hold him here until we return and we will
all go home together.
FISK — Where are you going to eat?
JOHN — At Henri's, I think. I am stung.
FISK — (As they go out.) I'll phone you as soon as he get*
here. (Picks up phone receiver as bell rings.)
BESS — All right, father. (They exeunt.)
FISK — (In phone.) This is Harry Fisk. Say, Nat, will
you give me an alphabetical list of your clients
complete
list
Yes. Well, you see, we are getting up in elaborate hro-
�—
OCTOBER, 1927
35
chure to secure more subscribers and wish to mail them to real
people. Yes
Yes
It is going to be a very beautiful pamphlet and as I know your clients are real people, I want their
names. Yes
Certainly
(Pushes button on desk.) I'll
send the boy down for it. Thank you so much. (Enters William.) William, go to the office of Mr. Nathaniel Tupman, in
this building, and ask for the list Mr. Tupman promised me.
Stay there until you get it.
WILLIAM — Yes, sir.
FISK — And bring it to me just as soon as you get it.
WILLIAM — (Going up.) Yes, sir.
FISK — And, William
(William stops.)
WILLIAM — Yes, sir.
FISK — Guard it with your life.
WILLIAM — Yes, sir. (Exits.)
HOWARD — (Outside.) My father here, William?
WILLIAM — Yes, sir.
(As Fisk hears his son's voice, he rises and comes to meet
him.)
HOWARD — (Enters.) Hullo, Pop.
FISK — My boy, my boy.
(They embrace in a chummy
manner, not as father and son, but with the air of good fellowship.) Back at last.
HOWARD — You bet.
pISK — Let me get a good look at you. (Howard turns
around.) My, but you look great.
HOWARD — I feel great. And you're looking fine, too, Pop.
pISK — Never better. Never better. Come, sit down and
let us have a good talk. Your sister and Nellie Van Husen just
went to lunch with John. I told them I would phone when you
came.
HOWARD — So, John is still the ever-faithful.
pISK — Yes, yes, Bess and John are hitting it off beautifully. They are quarrelling all the time. Fancy they will get
spliced very soon.
HOWARD — Good business?
FISK — And you, son? No affairs of the heart
at pressent?
HOWARD — No, Pop. Whole heart and fancy so and so.
pISK _ I think that I mentioned that Nellie Van Husen
is with your sitter to meet you.
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
36
HOWARD —
FISK — Just
Yes. How is Nellie?
as beautiful as ever, and whole heart and fan-
cy so and so.
HOWARD — Any love sick swains hanging around her?
FISK — No
You have a clear field, if you want it.
HOWARD — / have a clear field? Why pick on me, Pop?
FISK — It has been my wish for some time that you settle
down, son, and Nellie likes you very much. She is
HOWARD — Aw, now, Pop. I can never get interested in
Nell. Nice girl and all that, but not a serious thought in life
beyond her own self. I'll get married some day, when I meet
the real one. And you can bet I'll know the real one the moment I lay eyes on her.
FISK — You have laid eyes on many
all over the world.
HOWARD — Yes, I know, but I haven't seen her yet.
FISK — Nellie is the
HOWARD — No, Pop, I told you
Not Nellie. I could
not do it even for you.
FISK — I'm sorry, boy.
HOWARD — (Anna enters.) Don't worry, Pop. Some day
I shall meet her. See her and will know, at once. (At the end
of Howard*s speech Anna reaches them.)
ANNA — File thirty-six, in reference to the book, "Hearts
Aflame", is missing, Mr. Fisk.
(NOTE — As Anna enters, she carries an extra heavy record ledger open. Her eyes are glazed to the book until the end
of her line. Then, as Fisk speaks, she lifts her eyes from the
book, only to meet the gaze of Howard, who has turned towards
her on hearing her voice. They hold each other's gaze for a
second or two.)
FISK — Do not worry, Miss Adams, I have that file in the
bottom drawer, here. (Anna, still holding Howard's gaze,
backs away a step or two. Howard shows no sign that he recognizes her as the little waitress he met for a few minutes three
years ago. Anna, of course, knows the man who was kind to her
and whose memory she has ever cherished. Slowly the heavy
ledger slips from her grasp and falls to the floor.)
HOWARD — (Instantly picks up the book, with the same
remark he made to her when he first noticed her in the previous
act— Namely:) Allow me. Rather heavy for a little girl like
you.
i W
�OCTOBER, 1927
37
— (Answers with her first remark she ever made to
him.) Thank you. You are very kind.
FISK — My son, Howard, Miss Adams. (To Howard.)
Miss Adams is Miss Bird's successor.
HOWARD — Oh, I know Miss Adams. (Anna gives a slight
start.) (To Anna.) Were you, not employed in the "outer office"
before I went away?
ANNA — (Showing great relief that he does not recognize
her.) Oh, no.
FISK — Nonsense.
Miss Adams only took up her duties
within the hour.
HOWARD — Strange.
\ could have sworn that you were
with this firm when I went away.
ANNA — Oh, no.
FISK — Never.
HOWARD — (Returns book.) Merely a peculiar twist of
mind, I fancy.
FISK — I'll return to you file thirty-six when I go over
the correspondence of "Hearts Aflame", Miss Adams.
ANNA — Yes, sir. (Starts for door.)
FISK — Please find me the correspondence with Bryant &
Temple, Miss Adams, concerning "Forever and Anon".
ANNA — Yes, Mr. Fisk.
(She exits, with a farting look
at Howard— He, too, watches her until the door closes.)
HOWARD — (With eyes on closed door.) Extraordinary.
FISK — Oh, you have met her somewhere, I guess, and you
do not recall the incident. It will come to you. We have made
no changes in the "outer office". Still have the same young
ladies. (Picks up co-py of "Anna Ascends" and fingers it.) I
wish Tupman would hurry that list.
HOWARD — (Noticing book.) Any good literature turned
out in the last eight months?
FISK — Several good works, and this in particular. (Hands
book to Howard.) Especially this.
HOWARD — "Anna Ascends". Oh, I've read that.
FISK — (Surprised.) Indeed, when?
HOWARD — Oh, I don't know—a couple of years ago, it
seems.
FISK — You never read that work a couple of years ago.
It only came out this month.
HOWARD — No. Is that so? Now, Pop, do you know that
ANNA
�—
38
THE SYRIAN WORLD
I could have sworn I read that some time ago?
FISK — What was the story?
HOWARD — Blamed if I know, but the title seems very
familiar.
FISK — Well, you're wrong, because you would forget the
title, long before you would forget the work. In fact you would
never forget it. It is a masterpiece
in every way.
HOWARD — (Handling book.) Unknown author, I see.
FISK — Yes.
HOWARD — I'll glance through it sometime. (Puts book
back on desk.)
FISK — I forgot to phone the girls that you were here.
(Reaches for phone.)
HOWARD — Never mind, Pop. Where are they? I'll go
get them.
FISK — At Henri's, around the block.
HOWARD — (Takes one more look at door and starts up.)
Yes, I know. (Knocks on door and William enters.) Well, William, who are you pulling for now, the Yanks or the Giants?
WILLIAM — For both, this season, Mr. Howard.
HOWARD — (At door, William has passed to desk.) Good.
We'll take in all the games, as we did before I went away.
WILLIAM — Thank you, sir.
HOWARD — I'll bring them at once, Pop.
FISK — All right, son. (Howard exits.)
WILLIAM — Here's the list from Mr. Tupman, Mr. Fisk.
I had to wait some time. (Hands Fisk list.)
FISK — (Scans it carefully.) Good Lord, it can't be.
WILLIAM — What, sir?
FISK — William, did you ever hear of the story about a
man who searched the world over for a certain thing, only to
stumble over it and break his leg when he returned and crossed
the threshold of his own house?
WILLIAM — No, sir.
FISK — Well, I am that man. (Pushes button on desk.)
See that I am not disturbed for the next five minutes.
WILLIAM — (Going up.) Yes, sir.
FISK — I'll be very busy.
WILLIAM — All right, Mr. Fisk. (Exits as Anna enters.)
FISK — Sit down, Miss Adams. I want to have another
talk with you. A very serious and important talk, this time.
u i-
il
�OCTOBER, 1927
39
— f&tt dubiously.) Yes, sir.
—
(Picks up book from desk.) This book — do you
FlSK
know who wrote it? (Anna is silent.) Do you know who wrote
it? (Anna hangs her head.)
ANNA — Yes, sir.
FISK — Who is the author?
.
It would inANNA _ Do not ask me that, Mr. Fisk.
volve
it would be
It would make me break a certain
pledge to
to
...
FISK — Enough, my child, I knoW who wrote it. You did.
ANNA — Mr. Fisk
FISK — Am I right?
ANNA — Yes.
,
.
. ,
t,
My dear little girl, why hide
FlsK — I deduced as much.
your light under a barrel?
.
ANNA — I can't explain. Certain incidents, episodes from
the book, very especially one, that happened, would
would
Oh, Mr. Fisk, how did you ever find me out?
FlSK _ By playing a shabby trick on a friend oi mine
ANNA
-
I
y0UI
1
/
" A^— Mr. Tupman? Why he doesn't even know where
I am. I have not seen him for weeks.
He has $22,000.00 in
FlsK _ Well, you should see him.
royalties waiting for you with the amount growing every minute.
AJTOA _ (Dazed.) $22,000.00?
FlsK _ Don't you know that your book has created one of
the biggest sensations in the literary world in ten years? It will
be a second Tribly.
.
.
(
ANNA - But I never dreamed
I.... I just wrote from
and Mr. Tupman arranged all the details for its
the heart
PU
By "writing from the heart," classics are born. Why
not take all the fame and glory that awaits you?
It is impossible, quite, quite imANNA _ But, I tell you.
possible. You cannot comprehend and I cannot explain it to
you. If the world
certain people ever knew I wrote that
book
it
I
FlsK _ Never mind, my child, if you have a serious reason
for
your
name
the public
tor keeping
keeping
^
^from
^^
^ ^.
ft ^ neyer ^
FE«X
known.
�40
THE SYRIAN WORLD
— It will never be known. Your secret is safe with
me. (He rises and comes to below desk... Anna rises and comes
to his side.)
ANNA — Thank you, sir.
FISK — (Laughs.) It will be our secret. I suppose, now
that you know you are rich, you will not want to stay in your
present position?
ANNA — I want to stay more than ever. I found that out
a few minutes ago, when
FISK — We will keep the secret and you will write another
book.
ANNA — I have one nearly finished, now.
FISK — That's fine.
ANNA — Mr. Fisk, you must not tell anyone that I have
all that money.
FISK — Of course not.
ANNA — $22,000.00!
That is a great deal of money to
make for telling the truth. What will I do with it all?
FISK — Let Mr. Tupman invest it for you. You will have
more
m
uch more very soon and if your second book is as
successful as the first you will be independent for life.
ANNA — I am sure it will be more successful, for Anna finds
happiness in the sequel.
FISK — When do you expect to finish it?
ANNA — That depends.
FISK — Which means?
ANNA — When / find happiness.
FISK — I see. You have realized your ambition but your
happiness you have yet to find.
ANNA >— Yes, Mr. Fisk. When I find my happiness, so
likewise does Anna.
FISK
FISK — I hope, for your sake and
ANNA —i If it does, I feel that I
FISK — Why?
ness
Anna's, that it comes soon.
have no right to grasp it.
— I cannot explain but I have no right to happiYet.
ANNA
—- Do not be foolish. If happiness comes to you suddenly, take it. (Howard enters quickly.)
HOWARD — William said that you were not to be disturbed, but I knew that you wouldn't mind me, Pop. The folks are
not at Henri's.
FISK
O
w
fa
o
5
H
K
(A
W
i
�THE RETURN OF HOWARD
Howard,
you dear boy, it is so nice to have you back again.
tiowara, you
(<Anna Ascends»
�W*i
MM
NOT YET RECOGNIZED!
Allow me.
Rather heavy for a little girl like you.
A scene from "Anna Ascends".
,
**.
rr
a
ST
3
>S
!-»
o
&• a. or tit.
.,8 2 3.
o
r>
�o_w—
OCTOBER, 1927
41
— Perhaps they changed their minds and went to Martin's. I'll go out and look them up and get a bite, myself. Wait
here, son. Miss Adams, in the lower right hand drawer of my
desk is the correspondence on the book "Hearts Aflame". Take
it and place it on file again.
ANNA — Yes, Mr. Fisk. (She gets letters from drawer.)
pISK — if the girls come back while I am absent tell them
to wait and we will motor home together.
HOWARD — I'll hold them, Pop. (Fisk exits. ^ Anna starts
in an uncertain manner for her room.) Please, Miss
er
Adams. Just a moment. (Anna step nervously.)
ANNA — Yes.
HOWARD — Haven't we met somewhere before today?
ANNA — Perhaps, like ships that pass in the night.
HOWARD — No, I do not mean in that way.
ANNA — Hardly any other way.
HOWARD — It seems we have met at some very formal
function. A banquet, or something of that sort.
ANNA — No, at no banquet, I never attended one.
HOWARD — Well, at some little informal dinner?
At a
mutual friend's?
ANNA — Oh, yes, I am sure of that. I never attended a
banquet, but I have been present at many, many dinners.
HOWARD — Then it was at one of those that I met you.
ANNA — Oh, I am sure of it. It was at one of those dinners.
.
HOWARD — But I am of the impression that 1 met you at
several of them. Not one dinner.
ANNA — No doubt you met me at several, but you only
noticed me at one.
HOWARD — I am quite sure that I not only noticed you,
but I was deeply impressed.
ANNA — Yes?
Impressed? So much so that you hardly
remember the place of meeting.
HOWARD — Places mean nothing, environment means nothing, the time means nothing to me. It is the memory of a face
that counts.
ANNA — My face impressed you, then?
HOWARD — You impressed me.
ANNA — (Nervously.) I think I had better replace this hie.
HOWARD — Please don't go.
FISK
�-*"
—_i
42
THE SYRIAN WORLD
— But my work.
HOWARD — Is it so pressing?
(She hesitates.) You speak
with a slight accent. Surely we have not met abroad?
ANNA — No, I think not.
HOWARD — It will all come to me, I am sure. I could not
have been so impressed and not, at some time, recall where and
when we met.
ANNA — Yes?
HOWARD — Miss Adams, we met in Italy?
ANNA — I am not Italian.
HOWARD — Where were you born?
ANNA — Not in America.
HOWARD — Pardon my persistence, but the thought bothers me.
ANNA — Why not say that we met at a dinner
some
foreign dinner, here in New York? Will not that satisfy your
curiosity?
HOWARD — Yes, I suppose so, but it is not my curiosity.
It is my interest.
ANNA — Is not that the same thing? The words are synonymous.
HOWARD — Not in this instance.
ANNA — What does it matter where and when we met? As
long as we belong to the "same class, the same social strata".
HOWARD — That is true. And we met today for keeps,
anyhow, didn't we?
ANNA — Certainly, so why worry about a thing that is past?
HOWARD — I won't. (Comes nearer.) I hope to meet you
often, little lady.
ANNA — Yes? Please say woman, I like it better.
HOWARD — Say
ANNA — (Quickly.) There is something about the word
lady I do not like. It recalls the phrase "perfect lady."
HOWARD — It seems to me that we have had all this pro
and con before, but I fancy I'm mistaken. As I was about meeting you somewhere.
ANNA — What does it matter? We are here.
HOWARD — You bet.
(Voices are heard.) Here are the
folks. You'll let me talk to you again, if I behave myself. (He
laughs boyishly.)
ANNA — Of course, you are a gentleman. (Hovwrd looks
ANNA
puzzled.
ill talkin
FlSK
BESS
Howard,
NEI
tance.) 1
again.
AN-
Fis
NE
FIS
He
W
natti an
H<
Jo
importa
Fi
Bi
Jc
f
§
F
H
talk to
A
is
F
na.) I
in oft<
P
I
up im
you'll
erenct
�OCTOBER, 1927
4S
puzzled. Fisk, Bess, Nell, John and William enter. They are
ill talking at once.)
pISK — I found them at Martin's.
BESS — (Running down to her brother and kisstng htm.)
Howard, Howard.
NELL — (Comes down and kisses him, much to his reluctance.) Howard, you dear boy. It is so nice to have you back
again.
ANNA — (Standing apart.) Hell, damn.
FISK — Doesn't he look great?
NELL — Adorable.
pISK _ That's it, Nell, keep it up.
HOWARD — Are we all ready to start for home?
WILLIAM — There's a game today, Mr. Howard. Cincinnatti and the Giants.
HOWARD — Not today, William. Maybe tomorrow.
JOHN — I can't leave the office. I've
ehem
some
important work to do.
FISK — What?
BESS — He must be ill. Oh, John.
TOHN _ I know it is a shock, Bess, but it's true.
pISK< _ You all had your lunch but I'm hungry. Come in.
HOWARD — (Crossing down to Anna.)
I'll come in and
talk to you tomorrow, if you will let me.
I'll be glad, if I am not busy.
ANNA _ Do.
NELL (Taking notice.) We are going, Howard dear.
HOWARD - (Very indifferently.) Oh, all right. (To Anna.) I'll take a chance on your being idle sometime. I 11 clrop
in often during the day.
NELL — Howard, dear.
HOWARD - Go to the car, folks, I'll catch up. (Nell goes
up impatiently. There is a general move to the door.) Perhaps
you'll give me your lunch hour. (This last line with all the deference in the world.)
ANNA _ In a week or two, maybe, but not tomorrow.
HOWARD — Excuse me
I
meant na
_
ANNA — (Quickly and smiling.) I know. Please join your
Dartv
its
. embarrassing to
HOWARD — I'm off. (Goes up quickly. All have passed out,
Nell the last, giving the pair a hard look.) No ball game for me
tomorrow, William, I've a better game to attend, but I'll stand
�44
THE SYRIAN WORi
treat for the week, William.
WILLIAM — Thank you, Mr. Howard.
any other game that's better'n Base-ball.
OTOBER
But I don't knc^
— Wait until you are a little older, William, an~
youllknow. (Exits. After the ensemble are off William stand*
m a nervous manner watching Anna. Anna comes center.)
HOWARD
When
ashid, wa
id ever m
"The :
abi', "was
YCS mam
1-Mansur
know^^^ ~~ N°' mam
'
°h> g0sh' y°u
g to the
ANNA — I surmise from your cryptic words that you
do
7
ited.
want the kiss.
"Whe
WILLIAM — (Gulping and stammering.) Well
er
im saying
Mam
it won't hurt me none.
'Bring
ANNA — You shall have it, William, you shall have it, but
The r
you must work for it.
'Art t
WILLIAM — Aw, I knew there was a catch to it.
Jmayyads
ANNA — No, all you have to do is to spell affection for me.
The (
WILLIAM — That's easy. Aff
Eff
Doggorn
if I
&
'Artt
can spell it.
'No,'
ANNA — I'll teach you, William. Now, attention
Af'Then
fection, LOVE.
I
f
the
Un
WILLIAM — Say, that ain't
TheC
ANNA — Oh, yes it is, William
you want the kiss, don't
*
ith
to an;
x
your
f 'The
WILLIAM — You bet.
ee
of all ]
ANNA — Well, spell as I gave it.
reasury o:
WILLIAM — Affection, LOVE.
The :
ANNA — Good boy. Once more.
'Ther
WILLIAM — Aw, rats. Affection, LOVE.
,at
the I
rcL ANNf T ^emember *
always. Here's your kiss
iinted by
(d/ie grabs the boy and kisses him impulsively.)
'•rent sou
WILLIAM — (Out of breath.) Oh, Gosh.
Agaii
ANNA — (Suddenly.) Here, now bite my hand
id
a
pro]
WILLIAM — WOT?
'O R
ANNA — Bite my hand, hard.
tever con
WILLIAM — Say, you're nutty. (He rushes off.)
o the ma
ANNA - (Happily.) Affection, LOVE. (Dreamily.)
t for the*
He said he'd come back.
(To be continued.)
'By i
:.z lNNt "^ William> come here- (He slowly comes on a line
wtth her.) Do you want that kiss now?
WILLIAM — No, mam.
ANNA — Are you sure you don't?
�-1
OTOBER, 1927
Choice Arabian Tales
in
-
1
ndi I
tne
do
)Ut
le.
I
ii't
')
45
ip-
IC
:
.
RARE PRESENCE OF MIND
When Al-Rabi' Ibn Yahya, the Arab vizier of Haroun Alashid, was asked who was the most present-minded man he
id ever met, he related the following story:
"The most present-minded man I have ever met," said Alabi', "was a man of Kufa who was brought before the Caliph
1-Mansur on an accusation of holding in trust wealth belongg to the Umayyads, whom the 'Abbaside Caliph had extermiited.
"When the accused man appeared, Al-Mansur commanded
im saying:
'Bring forth the trusts of the Umayyads!'
The man cooly replied:
'Art thou, O Prince of the Faithful, the legal heir of the
Jmayyads?'
The Caliph said, 'No.'
'Art thou, then, their trustee?', again asked the Kufite.
'No,' said the Caliph.
'Then under what pretext dost thou demand of me the trust
f the Umayyads?'
The Caliph bowed his head in contemplation, thinking whatThen raising his head he said:
vith to answer the Kufite.
I 'The sons of Umayya betrayed the Moslems, and as a truse of all Moslems, I have right in demanding restoration to the
reasury of the Moslems of all that belonged to them.'
The Kufite was not to be confuted. He replied:
'There is one thing more, and that is to produce evidence
at the Umayyad wealth entrusted to me is of that which is
inted by treachery, for the Umayyads had wealth from dif'•rent sources.'
Again Al-Mansur bowed in contemplation, but, failing to
r
Jid a proper rebuttal, he turned to me and said:
'O Rabi', release this man, for, by Allah, I swear I have
tever conversed with a man like him before.' Then, turning
o the man, he said: 'Ask what is thy need that we may fulfill
I t for thee.'
'By Allah,' replied the man, 'I request nothing more thin
�46
THE SYRIAN WORLL
to be allowed to send a letter to my folks whose hearts are sorely troubled and are anxious to hear about my case.,
When the man's request was granted, he turned to the
Caliph and said:
'O Prince of the Faithful, I have none of the trusts ol
the Umayyads, but I beg of thee to bring me together with mj
accuser.'
The Caliph was even more surprised at this declaratioi
and said to the man: 'Why then didst thou not deny the charge
in the first place?'
'Because,' said the man, 'this is more to the point. For had
I denied thou wouldst not have believed it.'
The Caliph then commanded that the accuser of the Kufite
be brought forth, and when he came, the Kufite recognized him
as a slave who had fled from him, after he had stolen three
thousand dinars. And when the slave was pressed he admitted
his guilt, saying that he accused his master with the object of
thwarting him for pursuing him.
Then Al-Mansur asked the Kufite to forgive his slave,
saying: 'Count his guilt in my favor.'
The Kufite complied with the request, adding: 'I have
also given him his freedom for thy sake, O Prince of the Faithful, for this is but little in the way of reward of him who was
the means of my coming to thy presence, and of receiving at thy
hands such undeserved praise.'
THE TEST OF FRIENDSHIP
The famous Arab historian Al-Waqidi related the follow-!
ing story to illustrate the extent to which sincere friends go in
helping one another when in need. He said:
I had two friends, one of whom was a Hashimite, am
we were all in friendship as one soul. One day, when poverty!
had pressed hard on me, my wife said to me: 'My lord, we cai
manage to bear the dire straits of poverty, but my heart is ton
in sorrow at the sight of our children when they see the neigh1-j
bors' children jubilant and attired in new dresses for the feast.
For their sake, go out and manage to get some money that wej
may spend on dresses for them.'
Finding that her plea was for a good reason, my heart)
wu touched. I sat to think of some way to secure the money
�OCTOBER, 1927
47
when I suddenly remembered my Hashimite friend. Immediately" I wrote him to send me what he could dispose of, and he
sent me a bag of one thousand dirhams. I had scarcely received
the money when my other friend wrote asking for a similar
loan from me. I could not resist him, and sent the very bag
which the Hashimite had sent me. Then I went to the mosque,
ashamed to encounter my wife. But when I entered my home
and told her what had happened she rebuked me not.
Presently my Hashimite friend came with the same bag
of gold, still sealed as I had received it.
'Tell me the truth about this bag,' insisted my friend. 1
then told him how after, I had received it my other friend asked
me to send him some money and I sent him the same bag. The
Hashimite smiled as he related:
'By Allah, yea by Allah I swear, that when you asked my
help I had nothing at home but this bag of gold which I sent
you So after I sent it to you I wrote our common friend to
send me some money, and behold he sent me back my own bag.
Seeing then that we three have but this one bag in common, let
us divide it between us.'
Saying which, the Hashimite took out one hundred dirhams and gave them to my wife, and divided the rest amongst
us three, each receiving 300 dirhams.
',.,__.
.
This story reached the ear of the Caliph Al-Ma'moun, who
sent for me and asked me to repeat it. When I did, he was
greatly pleased and, calling my two friends, rewarded each one
of us with two thousand dinars, and my wife with one thousand
dinars.
REWARD AND PUNISHMENT
An 'ingenious man appeared before Haroun Al-Rashid and
asked permission to demonstrate his ability. Upon being granted permission, he produced a number of needles and, placing
one on the ground, proceeded to drop the others from his full
height and they would all strike the eye of the needle placed on
the ground without a single miss. Haroun Al-Rashid ordered
the man flogged a hundred blows and given a hundred dinars,
and upon being asked the reason for his having combined punishment and reward, the Caliph replied: "I have rewarded him for
his ingenuity, and punished him so that he may desist from wasting his extraordinary gifts on what is wholly superfluous.
�48
THE SYRIAN WORLD
NOTES AND COMMENTS
By
THE EDITOR
BAYARD DODGE
With characteristic modesty,
President Bayard Dodge of the
American University of Beirut expounds the mission and
the record of achievement of
the great educational institution
in Syria of which he is the
head with not a single reference
to himself. He is simply "connected" with the University. "It
is my fortune to work in an
American institution" serving
Syria and the countries of the
Near East in general. When
reference is made to the fact
that the French Government
had decorated two members of
the faculty during the past
year, he studiously avoids mention of himself being one of
the two. Yet Bayard Dodge
personally, and the Dodge family in general, have done
more for Syria in their support
of the American University of
Beirut than any other person
or group. Bayard Dodge shared during the World War the
privations and hardships of the
Syrian people as did no other
American or European of nis
wealth and class. The Dodge
children in Beirut even went
without shoes and were restrict-
ed to scant food rations, while
the late Cleveland H. Dodge,
father of Bayard, was in New
York contributing millions towards the purchase of clothing
and food for needy Syrians.
Yet President Dodge proves
that his love for Syrians has
not been exhausted; that his
educational mission to them
has not been fully accomplished j that his work for reconstruction and for "manufacturing" men and women fired with
lofty ideals and trained with
scientific methods has still a
long course to run. And he
consequently chooses to devote
his talents, his energy, his
knowledge, to their service as a
head "worker" in the American University of Beirut. This,
indeed, is a proof of devotion
of rare occurrence, especially in
that it is coming from the millionaire son of a millionaire
father and undertaken wholly
and purely on altruistic motives.
Nor is Pres. Dodge seeking
exemption from his self-imposed responsibilities while in
America. Rather, he is here
working even harder for the
promotion of the work which
is filling his life and, besides,
u
�OCTOBER, 1927
49
mission to make considering the
nature of the service intended
by the .enterprising newspaper.
The fault must lie either with
the newspaper itself in not having furnished service of the
right kind, or with the reading
public which did not appreciate
the value of the service rendered. It is cause for pity that
this pioneering effort should
have run such a short course.
Future attempts of this nature
are bound to be studied more
carefully and provided for
more fully so as not to spell
discredit on the Syrian press by
abrupt abandonment after only
THE END OF AN
EXPERIMENT a short existence.
performing all the exacting
duties of the ambassador of
good-will and understanding
that he truly is. The Syrians
of America have cause^ for jubilation in again meeting the
man who is doing so much for
their country, and the dinner
they are giving in his honor on
November 10 in New York is
but a small1 testimonial of their
feeling of gratitude for the
modest, efficient-and big-hearted educator and benefactor of
their country.
+
u
1
v
We had the pleasure to anOUR BULWARK
nounce in a former issue or
THE SYRIAN WORLD that MerIt is a sign of a healthy soaat-Ul-Gharb, a Syrian daily
of New York, had introduced cial condition for the Syrian
a novel and interesting feature young folks to establish socieby publishing a weekly page in ties of their own. It is also a
sign of intelligent understandEnglish for the benefit of the
Syrian-American generation. It ing on the part of the parents
grieves us now to learn that not to thrust themselves in the
this experiment has come to an affairs, of their youth and insist
untimely end. For two con- on managing things their own,
secutive weeks Meraat-Ul- old way. There is a chasm, beGharb has appeared minus the tween the old and the new
English page, and although which has to be carefully bridged by mutual tolerance. For
the paper itself has made no
the young generation it is hard
specific reference to the fact, it
to fathom the conventional,
was learned from well-informed sources that the experiment decorous methods of conduct
did not meet with sufficient which their elders have inheritpopular support to warrant its ed from a country steeped in
the traditions of countless
continuance. It is a painful ad-
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
centuries. The elders, quite na- social activities leading to coturally, will look askance at any operation among their youth.
breach of their accepted order This is the best method for
of etiquette in conduct. Mod- hoi-ding together the scattered
ernism has been thrust on them fragments of the Syrian race.
too suddenly and not by de- It should gladden the hearts of
grees. Even a moderate exer- the elders merely to see their
cise of independent action on youth come together with unthe part of their children they flagging spirit and without
are liable to characterize as in- shame and unite on working
for a common cause.
subordination and rebellion
In the news section of this
What it is necessary for the
parents to realize is that condi- issue of THE SYRIAN WORLD
tions
and surroundings in there is reported the formation
America are totally different recently of two organizations
from those obtaining in their of the young Syrian generation
motherland. Changing times in two 'widely separated cities,
must also be taken into consid- each striving to attain a comeration. Appreciation of all mendable object. Undoubtedly,
these differences is essential to there are scores of such organbring about a proper under- izations of our youth throughstanding between the two ele- out the land, some of which
ments.
we had occasion to refer to at
This moveThe young folks should not different times
ment
should
by
all
means be
be ridiculed or discouraged in
any of their legitimate efforts. encouraged, not hampered. It
Coming together in a social may prove to be the nucleus
club, a| fraternal or a benevolent of a nation-wide movement
society is a most 'laudable un- for the unification of the race
dertaking. In the management in what is bound to become a
or conduct of such an organiza- great force for good both for
tion the older generation should the race and for the nation of
not meddle or interfere. The which it constitutes a racial
younger generation is better unit. Such a national organizaschooled in parliamentary pro- tion would be our best medium
cedure and more capable of un- for bringing out the best that
derstanding its own mind. The is in us and using it to the best
parents, if they value their advantage. It depends mostly
traditions and wish to see, what on our proper appreciation of
is best in them perpetuated, the latent possibilities of our
should encourage all forms of youth.
i
�OCTOBER, 1927
51
Readers' Forum
ers are historians, housewives, merchants and students and many othEditor, The Syrian World,
ers. It is a huge and difficult task
Paradoxical as it may sound, your
to please them all.
editorial in the September World is
Persons interested in the arts are
in itself a possible solution of the
in the minority. A magazine of such
problem therein described. You have a public nature must cater to the
permitted your readers to share the
majority. I do not agree with you
burden, and I feel that if you will that the majority of our people are
permit them to share in a wider material and have deplorable tastes.
sense that you will have fulfilled all They are of the earthy earth. It
your expectations. I think that may be difficult for the World to be
originally it was your hope to create of the earthy earth, but the struggle
a unity among us all and to make
is worth while. Stoop to the other
us think and know worthwhile
fellow's level, and you will find that
things. I believe that the ideals
he will meet you half way.
which prompted you to publish the
May we have articles on modern
magazine may be realized without
problems
of society? If you will
doing so at your expense.
refer to the index of any number of
You seem to regret that so many
the Forum magazine, you will more
readers demand "snappy" stories.
clearly understand what I mean.
If "snappy" means the trashy literThe articles of "Ibn El-Khoury",
ature of which there is plenty offerMiss
Attiyeh; the story by Mr.
ed on the market, I would say that
Catzeflis;
Dr. M. Shadid's letter; all
the World should go out of existence
these
and
many others were splenrather than offer such stuff. However, if "snappy" means a bit of did.
Do you not think that a contest
airy, fairy, nonsensical romance,
might
be a good thing to make your
then please give us some now and
readers
take more interest? There
then. Whether we are young or old,
are
a
variety
of worth while subjects
philosophers or laborers, we all need
which
might
be offered for the dif}
the fun of romancing.
ferent
elements.
The prize should
The World, must fill all our needs.
be
of
second
importance.
Let your
It must be a versatile magazine
readers
do
some
of
the
work
for a
L*
which can meet the requirements of
change.
such varied tastes as your readers
I know well that I know little, if
undoubtedly have. We have only one
anything,
about conducting a magamagazine and we want it to be a
zine.
Still,
I find courage to expresg
little like the Forum, World's Work,
myself
because
I am sincerely anxLiterary Digest, Ladies' Home Jourious
that
the
World
flourish. Those
nal, Youth's Companion... in fact,
of
us
who
are
not
learned
in Arabic
it must have the finest attributes of
and
anxious
to
know
ourselves
have
all the finest magazines on the
long
been
destitute
for
want
of a
American market. A colossal undermagazine.
I
think
that
you
will
taking? Indeed it is. Your readCONSTRUCTIVE SUGGESTIONS
�52
THE SYRIAN WORLD
thousand years ago. We boast of
the present man and not of what
our great great grandfathers used
to be.Articles like Dr. Hitti's and lectures like his and other Lebanese
ASKS FOR ADDED FEATURES
whom I have heard ever cause the
Editor, The Syrian World,
question that was asked of Dr. Hitti
In response to your invitation for when he lectured at Vassar College.
opinions from readers, I think that "What has the Lebanese of today
your policy of presenting only the contributed to the modern world?"
highest literature to represent the
It is action this present world
Syrian culture is commendable. needs. What good is all the educaHowever, by this method, you are tion in the world for the Lebanese
bound to reach only the minority. I when he is lashed with his donkey
certainly would not suggest that you with the whip of a common French
cheapen the tone of your publica- soldier, as I saw it done more than
tion by catering to popular demand once?
to gain support, but I do not think
People are praying for love, unity
it would be amiss to add a fea- and harmony. If the Syrian deture or two that will be of sole ap- nounces publicly the Palestinian and
peal to the average mind of the Transjordanian who are his neighSyrian-American youth whom it is bors and brothers, how could he exyour desire to reach and to whom pect the American to love and rethe present reading matter alone spect him? Why not work together
might prove a trifle "heavy". Grad- constructively on a higher plane
ually, the young folks should come than jeers and criticism!
to appreciate the wonderful backIt is only my love and zeal that
ground offered by this magazine.
urge me to write this. Your purpose
I think your "forum" or "letters for this magazine is great and high,
to the editor" idea, as well as prize so why not encourage articles that
contests might stimulate interest.
are more constructive and uplifting;
Marie Hanna.
articles that create harmony and put
Akron, Ohio.
pep and courage in the new generation to do something for their country, to save her from charity and
PROPER WAY OF APPROACH!
foreign jeers and domination, to rise
Editor, The Syrian World,
when the occasion comes and help
Rather late to express my opinion those who were brave to fight for
about the August number of The their country and freedom, be they
Syrian World, but better late than Druzes or others, and not deceitfulnever.
ly conspire with the enemy with the
The poem of the "Falcon and the result that they are looked upon
Nightingale" is superb and ought to worse than ever. Action, action is
be a golden lesson for the Syrians. what makes men, otherwise, it is
This is an age of activity and not "To each they give his worth! They
of sentiment. People are admired
knew that you
and respected for what they are now Say but do not, and I say not but do."
and not for what they used to be a N. Y. G.
Edma Belmont.
if
find a splendid response to your call.
Edna K. Saloomey.
Bridgeport, Conn.
>>
�53
OCTOBER, 1927
111
Spirit of The Syrian Press
Under this caption we hope to present from time to time a microcoamic picture of the Arabic press, not only in this country, but wherever
Arabic dailies and magazines reflect the opinions of responsible, thinking
writers who are treating the different problems that confront the Arabicspeaking world from all conceivable angles. Needless to say, we will take
no part in the discussions reproduced, nor assume any responsibility. Our
task will simply consist in selecting, to the best of our knowledge and
with utmost sincerity, what we think is representative of the public opinion as expressed in these editorials.
Editor.
80,000 ARMENIANS IN SYRIA
'
f-
Hi
What can be the cause of the
world's sympathy for the Armenians?
Ever since Gladstone created the
Armenian question we find this race
disappear and then reappear in
greater numbers. They are, so to
speak, like the Jews of Russia who
are represented in works of fiction
as having been exterminated but
who are still found to be in full
possession of authority, even to the
point of wielding dictatorial powers.
The recent news from Geneva reporting the announcement made at
the Golden Rule dinner that the Armenians now in Syria and Lebanon
are to remain there as permanent
residents discloses several interesting facts. It is made plain that the
missionaries help the Armenians
with their influence as well as with
their millions; that the League of
Nations is influenced by those who
work for the interest of the Armenians; that France has taken the
Armenians under her special protection and is building homes for them
in Lebanon while the sufferers of
Southern Lebanon are without shelter; that the High Commissioner
has assured the Armenians of lands
and financial loans to help them establish themselves in Syria.
Under the circumstances, we wish
to ask: Have not the Lebanese and
Syrians a more rightful claim than
the Armenians and Frenchmen to
these promised lands and loans?
If sympathy is to be lavished, why
not begin with the nearest of kin,
as the French have a mandate not
over the Armenians, but over the
Lebanese and Syrians?
Everything now seems to be for
the Armenians: the orphanages, the
contributions and donations and all
that is needed or desired. This is
a policy we believe in, but only after such time when Lebanon and
Syria are in no further need of assistance. And if the High Commissioner is not pleased with such an
attitude, we would suggest that he
remove the Armenians to his own
beautiful France.
After all, the whole trouble seems
to lie with the natives themselves
who are capable only of complaining and are too weak to act.
(Al-Hoda, N. Y., Sept. 9, 1927.)
ARTIFICIAL CALM
The calm now obtaining in Syria
is of an artificial nature. The French,
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
following a war which lasted two
years, have succeeded in creating
this semblance of quiet so that it
may serve them as a subterfuge before the League of Nations and the
civilized world.
Through fear that their claim
would be branded as a lie by the
press of Syria and Lebanon, they
have suppressed the papers, especially the fearless ones.
But the Mandates Commission in
Geneva is well aware of the fact
that the French lie in their reports.
Even the French themselves are
conscious of the fact that they only
deceive themselves and the world in
their claims about conditions in
Syria.
The Syrians, whose fearlessness
and courage increase in inverse ratio to tyranny and oppression, cannot be calm in spite of outward appearances. They are more conscious
now of their progress than they
were heretofore, and the more they
become so the more they become
jealous of their right to liberty and
equality with other men.
The French cannot prolong this
superficial calm because it is unnatural. It is a thin veneer which the
Syrian people will remove as soon
as its hands are unshackled. Nay,
even France may tear off this flimsy
cover once she realizes that souls
of free men cannot be won over by
a policy of terrorism and oppression.
(Meraat-Ul-Gharb, N. Y.,
Sept. 9, 1927.)
THE GREAT POWERS AND
THE LEAGUE
We have often criticised the Great
Powers in the League of Nations,
such as England and France, and
accused them of shaping the policy
of the League in the manner most
favorable to their own interests.
They have opposed universal peace
because it is not in conformity with
their unreasonable and aggressive
policies of expansion. It is they who
prevented the Mandates Commission
from conducting an investigation into the grievances of the nations under mandate, such as Syria, because
such an investigation will only disclose their corrupt practices and intentions and prove to the world that
instead of reforming they have
heaped on those countries additional misfortunes.
France, who boasts of being the
mother of liberty, has suppressed
free speech in Syria and placed iron
shackles on the press in an effort to
thwart it from laying bare actual
conditions. This same accusation applies to England who, it is true, has
established law and order and accomplished many reforms, but, nevertheless, has not given the people
their legal rights, nor has she heard
their grievances or relieved them of
the competition of the Jews. She
has, on the contrary, acted as one
who is legal owner of the land and
not as one who is trustee of a people
in the role of a minor needing guidance and protection.
(Al-Bayan, N. Y., Sept. 13, 1927.)
CAUSE OF THE DRUSE REVOLT
It has now become evident that
the Druze revolution was inspired
neither by motives of patriotism,
nor reform, nor independence, nor
pride. Its flames were fanned by
some lazy malcontents who sought
this as the most convenient means
to gain some small, despicable personal ends.
Those who read between the lines
�I
OCTOBER, 1927
can well discern the implied cause
of the Druze revolt from the statement of Mr. Chamberlin following
his agreement with M. Briand. England is anxious to have France resume relations of friendship with
king Faisul because the latter is one
of the gatekeepers of England in the
East. England, therefore, secretly
supported Faisul so that the latter
may secretly support the Druzes.
The Druzes were the tools of the
Bolshevists who used them to harass
France. England condoned this action covertly because it was on apparent amicable terms with the Bolshevists and sought to deal out
trouble aplenty to France to prevent
her from hampering her (England)
in her designs. But when England
had her dispute with the Bolshevists
she sought the aid of France against
them and used every means to placate her. This had been her policy
with the Riff revolt against France
also, and it naturally follows that
the Druze revolt was never undertaken for the lofty and disinterested
motives that were first claimed for
it.
(Al-Hoda, N. Y., Sept. 21, 1927.)
A MONARCHY, NOT A REPUBLIC
No stronger proof could be required of the prevalence of religious fanaticism and bigotry in
Syria than that contained in the
declarations of the leaders of the
Syrian Nationalist movement and the
influentials in the Syrian nation, to
the effect that they favor the establishment of a monarchy in Syria at
the head of which would be a descendant of the Prophet.
We have alluded before to statements of some Syrian leaders expressing their conviction that this
would be the best solution of the
55
existing Syrian problem. We wish
to refer now to a statement by Ata
Bey Ayoubi, published following the
issuance of the declaration of the
High Commissioner, in which he
advocates openly the monarchical
form of government for Syria with
the proviso that the king be selected from across the border, meaning
that the king should be either from
Iraq, Transjordania, or the Hedjaz,
and be of the family of the Prophet.
Such is the religious fanaticism of
the Syrian Mohammedans.
(Syrian Eagle, N.Y.,Sept. 24, 1927.)
NECESSITY FOR SCHOOLS
We are of the firm belief tfhat
Syrian churches in the United States
will be short-lived if they are not
flanked by Arabic schools.
Who among the students of our
present conditions will deny the fact
that not only our churches, but our
newspapers as well, will not live for
over a quarter of a century if schools
for teaching Arabic are not established in every Syrian community
large enough to support a church
and a school.
We are willing to lend every assistance possible in the way of encouraging the establishment of
Arabic schools because our occupation requires that we keep alive the
language in which we write and
keep it free from impurities and
defects.
Furthermore, we are of the belief
that it is of prime importance to
preserve the spiritual strength of
the Syrian-Lebanese nation, and inasmuch as the schools are the guardians of the churches which in
turn are the source of that strength,
it becomes necessary for us to encourage the establishment of schools
and to lend all possible support
�56
to those conducting them.
(Ash-Shaab, N. Y., Sept. 16, 1927.)
CHANGE OF COMMISSIONERS
A High Commissioner departs
and another arrives while we look
into the face of each in tlhe hope
of discovering a change, but only
too soon discover that the change of
High Commissioners does not alter
the basic mandatory policy of
Trance in Syria. Rather it is only
our ignorance of the truth which
makes us see a difference in the
new High Commissioner for a time.
Foreigners in the East are much
more able than its own people. They
no sooner occupy a place than they
study carefully the psychology of
its inhabitants and get to know
them better than they know themselves. For this reason we find the
East ever struggling impotently
while the West, which rules the
East, stands imperturbed in the
midst of the apparent turmoil wearing a benign smile not unlike that
of the Sphinx which mocks of the
passing tempest. The reason for this
indifference is that the West has for
a long time been convinced that
Eastern uprisings are but harmless
storms that run their prescribed
course and when their temporary
fury is wasted all is calm and serene
again just as if nothing had taken
place.
Indeed, these are storms and not
revolutions. It is a travesty on good
judgment to call the Syrian drama,
which had its beginning in the Druze
mountain, a revolution, while it was
no more than a storm which took
its toll in lives and in destruction
of property and passed out just as if
it had never existed. The only sufferers are the natives who paid a heavy
price for the experiment, while
THE SYRIAN WORLD
foreigners are even at present as
they were in the past, following their
set policy in Syria, wearing the
smile of the Sphinx which mocks of
the passing storm.
(As-Sayeh, N. Y., Sept. 19, 1927.)
HYPOCRISY IN DIPLOMACY
In our opinion, M. Briand is an
arch-hypocrite who professes what
he believes not, and who shams piety
and humanitarianism while at heart
he is a convinced militarist. If he
were not thus he would at least
back up his professions of humanitarianism by a little action in the
way of taking the initiative in reducing armaments.
His
humanitarianism
should
especially be manifest in curbing
those French officials entrusted with
the carrying out of the mandate in
Syria who unravel knotty problems
by means of the sword and deal
with vital questions by the use of
explosives which they hurl from
ifae air on innocent and inoffensive
non-combatants.
Why does not Briand say the
word that will put a stop to the
atrocities of the French officials in
Syria? Nay, why does he not consent to sending a mixed commission
to investigate the charges lodged
with the League of Nations against
the French in
Syria,
charges
which, had they been brought to the
attention of the tyrant Abdul Hamid, would have caused him to put
an end to the motives of complaint.
We only wish that some Syrian
leader would translate these remarks
into the language of M. Briand and
have them published in a French
paper in the hope that the French
Foreign Minister will read them
and learn the opinion which the
Syrians hold of him.
(Al-Bayan, N. Y., Sept. 19, 1927.)
�MJ»—
-
"
"-
OCTOBER, 1927
57
About Syria and Syrians
by aviation authorities as one of the
greatest feats of the air.
But what may further interest
our readers in this connection is that
First and only Syrian to engage in
the biplane Air King is the entry of
manufacture of aeroplanes.
a Syrian in the great air race between New York and Spokane. He
Newspaper readers will recall the
is Mr. C. A. Tannous, president of
valiant fight of the aviator Steve
the National Airways System of LoLacey in bringing his biplane Air
max, 111., which manufactures the
King back to Roosevelt field, L. I.,
Air King biplane. He was in New
on Sept. 22, after having developed
York to witness the start of the
motor trouble on his attempted flight
race and although his pilot insisted
in the New York-Spokane Air Derby.
on making another attempt he preAlthough the aviator had to bring
vailed upon him to give up.
back his ship and give up the atThe National Airways System is
tempt, his fight in bringing the plane
the only concern manufacturing comsafely to earth in what was describmercial aeroplanes in the State of
ed by experts as a perfect landing
Illinois. It was formed through the
was hailed as an unparalleled air
initiative of our countryman, Mr.
achievement. Lacey had made a
Tannous, who is the president and
beautiful take off and was well
largest stock holder. Already it is
across the Hudson River, having
manufacturing aeroplanes at the
passed safely over New York, when
rate of 100 a year, selling for $2,100
he developed motor trouble. He deeach. The demand has been increascided to lighten the load of his biing at such a rapid rate that addiplane and opened the emergency
tional ground has been acquired for
valve of the forward gasoline tanks,
the erection of a new factory.
but the drift of air from the proMr. Tannous may well claim the
peller drove the fluid into the cockdistinction of being the first, and,
pit and filled it to a depth of four
so far, the only Syrian engaged in
inches in a short time. The pilot
the manufacture of aeroplanes. We
and his mechanic were almost overknow of some Syrian aviators but
come with the poisonous vapor but
not of aeroplane manufacturers othLacey gamely stuck to his post. His
er than Mr. Tannous. It certainly
hands and feet were numb and it
requires courage to embark on the
was only by following the motions
risks of such an infant industry.
of his mechanic who was leaning
The Syrian World is glad to make
over the edge to get the benefit of
this discovery and to announce it to
the fresh air that he was able to
its readers. Such news of daring
direct the course of the plane.
and initiative cannot be but stimuHow he was able, while in that
lating.
semi-conscious condition, to navigate
It may be added that Mr. Tannous
the Air King over New York and
is the publisher of the Lomax
bring it safely to earth was hailed
SYRIAN HAS ENTRY
IN GREAT AIR DERBY
t
1M
�--^
\T
58
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Searchlight, the weekly newspaper
of the Illinois town which is identified with his manufacturing and commercial activities and in the civic
life of which he has made himself
a factor of pronounced influence.
PRES. DODGE EXPOUNDS
MISSION OF A. U. B.
President Bayard Dodge of the
American University of Beirut is in
New York for what may be a furlough of a year. He is here with
his family, and his homecoming has
been the occasion of great rejoicing
among his host of friends both
Americans and Syrians. They are
planning a dinner in his honor to be
given at the Hotel Commodore on
November 10.
President Dodge is one of the finest ambassadors of good-will between America and the East. He
has devoted his life to the service
of Syrians and other Eastern races
in what they are most in need of—
education. He could have perpetuated the tradition of the Dodge family by continuing its donations and
benefactions showered on the American University of Beirut and other
American institutions of learning in
the Near East, but he has chosen
to do that and even more. He has
selected to serve the cause of education not only through his financial
assistance, but by the devotion of
his talents and ability in taking up
the active duties of President of the
American University of Beirut and
choosing to live among the people
he seeks to benefit. President Dodge
is today about the best loved foreigner in Syria.
In a letter to the press on the
mission, activities and progress of
the American University of Beirut.
MMM
Pres. Dodge has given expression
to the ideals guiding 'him in presiding over the destinities of the great
educational institution on the shore
of the Mediterranean. "I am 'connected'," he says modestly, "with
the American University of Beirut,
which is helping with reconstruction, by giving young men and women scientific training, and by raising academic standards to those of
the West... Last year 35 students
were in training as teachers. Entrance requirements have been made
so difficult that private and government schools in Iraq, Syria, Palestine, the Sudan and Ethiopa are improving their work so as to fit their
students for college entrance. What
these countries need more than
money is a supply of men and
women, fired with lofty ideals and
trained with scientific methods. It
is my fortune to work in an American institution that is manufacturing such men and women."
"The American University of
Beirut," he continues, "is an institution sixty-one years old which represents no sect or program of proselytism, but seeks to create international goodwill. On the teaching
and administrative force there are
209 persons. Only 69 are Americans; 86 are Syrians; 6 English;
3 Canadian; 14 Armenian; 8 French;
2 Swiss; 5 Greek; 4 Palestinian; 8
Russian; and one from Austria, New
Zealand, Persia, and Poland. This
same group numbers 7 Moslems; 9
Druzes; 1 Bahai; 2 Jews; 14 Catholics; 124 Protestants; and 52 from
the Greek and Armenian Churches.
Salaries, duties and rank are fixed
because of personal ability, independently of race and sect.
"Three British dependencies, and
also the Prince Regent of Ethiopia,
�OCTOBER, 1927
support students at the University.
Two members of the Faculty have
been decorated by the French Government during the past year. Doctors from the French Army, British
colonial service, and universities at
Cairo and Damascus have accepted
invitations to help the Faculty conduct examinations. The Faculty help
the Government of Palestine to conduct Government examinations. One
of my jobs is to appoint doctors for
the Sudan army and civil service.
"Although students are not obliged to attend chapel, many hundred
Moslems, Christians and Jews do
attend regularly.
"During the past year, there were
649 pupils in the elementary and
secondary schools, and 691 in the
schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing and Arts & Sciences.
Over half of them were non-Christians. 220 of them came across the
Palmyra desert from Iraq and Persia. 206 came from Palestine, 98
from Egypt, 140 were Armenians,
and the others came from a variety
of places as far distant as South
Africa and Brazil."
ft
59
the new bishop by his friends and
admirers both in the United State*
and Canada.
PROGRESSIVE SYRIAN YOUNG
WOMEN FORM SOCIETY
Indicative of the spirit of the
young Syrian generation in America is the creation of offices in the
clubs and societies of the young
folks unheard of before among the
older generation. Miss Olga Andrews, of Pittsburgh, Pa., writes
that she has been appointed "publicity director" of the Young Women's Aid Society of that city "organized for the purpose of establishing good-fellowship among its
members and furthering the interest
of St. George Syrian Orthodox
Church of Pittsburgh." Although
the society is but six months old, it
has undertaken its work with characteristic youthful enthusiasm and
vigor. Miss Andrews writes that
the older generation was quite discouraging in its attitude at first,
but when the young society overcame all obstacles and conducted
first a card party at one of the
leading hotels of the city, and then
A SYRIAN ORTHODOX BISHOP
a dance which were both well atFOR CANADA
tended and yielded much more reThe Rt. Rev. Aftimos Ofeish, sults than anticipated, the former
archbishop of the Syrian Orthodox attitude of discouragement and toleOhurch of America, presided, on rant indifference was gradually reSept. 11, at a ceremony held at St. placed by whole-hearted co-operaNicholas' Cathedral in Brooklyn tion. Now the society is planning
during which the Rev. Emmanuel a masquerade ball which it feels cerAbo-Hatab was consecrated bishop tain will meet with much greater
for the Orthodox Syrians of Canada successs.
This society of Syrian young wowith a see in Montreal.
men
in Pittsburgh has a roll of fifFollowing the religious ceremony
teen
members who are bent on doa banquet was held in the hall of
ing
something
of value and going
the Cathedral marked by a great
about
it
their
own
way. Their motto
flourish of oratory expressive of the
is
"Esta
Perpetua".
good wishes of the congregation to
�- -.-.
THE SYRIAN WORLD
A LEADER IN HIS CLUB
Supplementing our account of the
formation of a club by the Syrian
residents of Shanghai, China, published in the September issue of The
Syrian World, it pleases us to state
now that "Mr. Buddy Ontra, a member of Mssrs. Ontra and Ontra of
New York, exporters of embroidered art linens", was referred to by
the Shanghai Times of July 3 as
being "a leader in the American
Lace and Embroidery Association of
China", better known as "The Rose
and Leaf Club".
A SYRIAN CASE OF
LEPROSY IN CALIF.
glad to publish an account of the
scholastic achievement of this young
Syrian as sent to us by Miss Olga
Elkouri of Detroit, Michigan.
"Dr. Macksood," says Miss Elkouri, "came from Syria at the age
of 13 and entered the first grade,
completing the grades school in two
years. He later entered High School
and college completing both in seven
years and taking up philosophy, languages and sciences—Latin, French,
Italian, Greek, German; chemistry,
physics, etc. He obtained his M. D.
degree from Loyola University for
having the highest scholastic honors of any graduate in 1927 amongst
all graduating doctors and he also
holds the key from the Phi Chi International
Medical
Fraternity,
which has 52 chapters in Class A
of Medical Schools. Dr. Macksood
is but 26 years old and is now serving his internship in Chicago."
"A tragedy in real life," states a
despatch from Stockton, Cal., to Los
Angeles papers, "was disclosed here
when Dr. John H. Sippy, head of
the San Joaquim health district,
found a young Syrian woman, mother of three children, affected with
SYRIANS OF LOS ANGELES
leprosy."
HAVE PROGRESSIVE SOCIETY
"The patient," the despatch further states, "was ordered immeAlthough not quite a year old, the
diately to a leprosarium in LouisiSyrian Young Men's Society of Los
ana. Her husband, according to Dr.
Angeles, Cal., has ingratiated itself
Sippy, begged to be allowed to acin the good esteem of the communicompany his wife. When he was
ty by the excellent work it has been
refused permission, he purchased a doing.
ticket to ride in another car on the
The purpose of the society, we are
same train, so that he might walk
informed, "is to facilitate friendship
before her window at each station
among the young Syrian generation
to let her know he was near."
and to maintain the traditional customs of our forefathers... The creaSYRIAN PHYSICIAN
tion of a social atmosphere among
the young Syrian generation in orGRADUATES WITH
HIGH HONORS der to invite and strengthen family
ties..."
Dr. Joseph A. Macksood has gradOutstanding among the achieveuated this year from the Loyola ments of the society is the estabMedical School with a scholastic re- lishment of a free night school for
cord which spells high credit both
teaching Arabic which has been so
for himself and his race. We are
well attended that increased facili-
�lrn«nf-i«-.
61
OCTOBER, 1927
REGULAR AIR PASSENGER
SERVICE IN THE EAST
ties were required shortly after its
opening.
PARDON FOR DOTY,
SESERTER IN SYRIA
-
The Arabic press of Beirut reports that the Kirm Company, a
native concern, has announced the
completion of plans for the inauguration of a regular passenger air
line between Beirut and Cairo, and
between Beirut and Baghdad.
The announcement contains the
further information that the company 'has ordered from the United
States two large passenger planes
for use on the two new routes. The
Lebanese licensed pilot, Joseph
Akar, is to be in charge of one of
the American planes.
Bennet J. Doty, who last year was
court-martialed and sentenced by
the French in Syria to serve a term
of eight years for desertion in the
face of the enemy, has been granted pardon through the good offices
of the American Legion, according
to despatches from Paris on Sept.
27.
Doty is an American who had
seen service in Europe with the
A. E. F. He enlisted in the French
Foreign Legion to engage in the LEBANESE CHILD
war with Abdel Krim. He claims
WINS BEAUTY PRIZE
that he was sent to Syria instead.
A children's beauty contest was
There he admits that he "met anheld
in Waterbury. Conn., under the
other one just as good, Sultan Atauspices
of the Chamber of Comrash". With several others he demerce
in
which entrants from all
serted but was recaptured and
over
the
State
participated. The
court-martialed. It was only through
winner
of
the
first
prize was Adele,
the strongest representations that he
daughter
of
Mr.
and
Mrs. Tannous
was saved from being executed.
Zachia
of
Ehden,
in
Mt. Lebanon
He told a correspondent of the Asand
a
resident
of
Waterbury.
The
sociated Press that his "momentary
winner
was
dressed
in
the
style
of
desertion" was caused not by cowthe
Statue
of
Liberty
and
draped
ardice but by acute homesickness.
with an American flag. She is not
yet four years old.
$500,000 FOR ROADS
The ministry of Public Works in
the State of Syria announces the
appropriation of £100,000, or, approximately, half a million dollars, for
the construction and repair of roads
in the State of Syria proper as the
initial move in carrying out the
construction program of M. Ponsot.
The main expenditure will be on the
road leading to Baghdad in the
South and on those connecting with
Horns and Hama to the North.
MAYOR OF DETROIT
SPEAKS TO SYRIANS
The Arabic newspaper "Liberty",
published in Detroit, reports that
on Sept. 18, Mayor John Smith of
Detroit paid a special visit to the
society of St. John Maron at its
meeting rooms and addressed the
members and the many other Syrians
present on civic topics.
The Syrians of Detroit are numerous and have made themselves a
�62
THE SYRIAN WORLD
power in business there, but now,
through the efforts of their progressive organizations, they are awakening to their civic duties and taking a
live interest in politics.
REBUILDING RASHAYYA
A representative commission of
laymen has been holding conferences
with officials of the Lebanese Government with a view to providing
ways and means for rebuilding Rashayya and repatriating its destitute inhabitants. It was tentatively agreed that a sum of 20,000,000
francs be set aside for reconstruction purposes. Active in these efforts are the Rt. Rev. Bourjaily and
Fares Gantous.
The case of Rashayya has remained, ever since the destruction of the
once thriving town by the Druze
rebels, a painful thorn in the side
of the Lebanese Government. The
destitute condition of the Rashayyites who bore the brunt of the revolutionary fury for no other reason
than their refusal to join hands
with the revolutionists has ever been
cited as a proof of the neglect of
the French authorities in Syria. The
Rashayyites have been holding out
for full reparation, and, in spite of
the extremities to which they have
been reduced, have refused to return to their ruined homes until
their demands are fully granted.
Political Developments in Syria
The outstanding political development of the month in Syria has
been the bending of energies to give
shape to the proposed new National
Army, called by some the National
Militia, recommended by M. Ponsot
in his program. The States of Syria,
as well as the Republic of Lebanon,
are to join forces in the formation
of this military unit whose maintenance is to be borne by all, 43 per
cent, of the expenses falling on Lebanon. This move, while previously
advocated by the Syrian Nationalists, has now aroused considerable
opposition by reason of the heavy
additional burden it is bound to lay
on impoverished Syria. The annual expenses of such an army, it is
claimed, may amount to 10,000,000
francs or more, and this would not
b» in the interest of Syria but rath-
er in the interest of the mandatory
power which would be relieved of
any further heavy appropriations for
its Syrian army of occupation. M.
Ponsot, it is claimed, was able to
win the approval of the parliament
of his country in making new appropriations only on his promise to
reduce the military expenses in
Syria to a minimum during the
year. It is proposed, therefore, to
create the Syrian army so that it
may replace the French forces and
gradually reduce them to no more
than 15,000. The Syrians, however,
claim that such would not constitute
a concession on a national demand
because the proposed army will be
officered by the French and remain
in a subservient capacity.
The opponents of this scheme
claim that Iraq has offered strenu-
\
�OCTOBER, 1927
63
ous objection to raising a national membership instead of an upper and
army of more than 4,000, as that a lower house as at present. It is
would relieve England of the neces- further proposed to decrease the
sity of defraying the cost of the ministries and place all other bumandate. The Syrian Nationalists reaus on a more economical basis.
are putting forth similar objection.
What has caused a storm of proThey also wonder at the reason for test in Beirut is the wholesale suppressing into execution such a clause pression by the government of paof the reform program which en- pers breathing the least criticism
tails so much expense for Syria, of its personnel or policy. In not
while other admittedly more urgent more than a fortnight eight leading
needs of the country are neglected. papers were dealt with summarily
They are now clamoring for econ- in this manner. None were allowed
omic reforms which will accelerate the right of trial or defense, and
the rehabilitation of the country in as a consequence, public opinion
preference to providing for its mili- has been aroused to such an extent
that a certain paper went so far as
tary needs.
The French High Commissioner, to call for the deposition of the govhowever, appears to be proceeding ernment.
It was erroneously reported in
with his program without regard to
objections. He has made a partial earlier despatches that the law legaltour of the country and conferred izing gambling in Lebanon with cerwith government officials and lead- tain restrictions, had been passed.
ers, but refrained from issuing any It now transpires that the governfurther statement or amplifying the ment, while favoring its passage,
one already issued. In other words, thought it wiser not to press it to
he has again assumed his former a vote in the face of the strong
reticent; attitude while concentrating popular opposition which developed.
all his efforts on translating his
The armed revolution has admitprogram into action.
tedly come to an end. A rather unIn Beirut, the capital of the Leb- pleasant aftermath is the controveranon Republic, the agitation for the sy raging among former leaders of
reduction of taxes which culminated the revolution over the disposition
in the shut-down of the city has of funds intended for the prosecusomewhat subsided. The President tion of the struggle or the relief of
of the Republic has given satisfac- war victims. Some rather promitory promises to look into the nent military leaders openly accuse
grievances of the business men and the Syrian-Palestinian Committee,
already Parliament has taken up in charge of raising funds from
discussion of the matter. It appears home and abroad, with headquarters
that a compromise will be reached in Jerusalem, of misappropriating
reducing the proposed new taxes funds and leaving the forces in the
but maintaining them at a level field to suffer and thereby lose the
much above those prevailing dur- war. It's a case of having lost the
fight and wanting to place the blame
ing Turkish occupation.
somewhere.
The accusations and
A further move for economy will
counter-accusations
finding their
be to amend the Constitution so that
the Legislative body will consist way into print do not form wholeof only on« house with restricted some reading.
�64
THE SYRIAN WORLD
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between July, 1926 and June, 1927, will be, mailed free to any of our subscribers who wishes to
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�
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The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Newspapers
Description
An account of the resource
<h4>Biographical/Historical Note</h4>
<p>Salloum Mokarzel, a Lebanese American intellectual, founded<em> The Syrian World</em> in 1926. Salloum Mokarzel was the younger brother of Naoum Mokarzel, the publisher of the Arabic-language newspaper <em>Al-Hoda. </em>Together, the Mokarzel brothers ran Al-Hoda Publishing, and in 1909, they published <em>The Syrian Business Directory.</em> </p>
<p>Mokarzel created <em>The Syrian World</em> in order to document and celebrate the culture and history of "Syria." At the time, Syria referred to the modern-day countries of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. The publication was primarily aimed towards second-generation children of immigrants, but Mokarzel hoped that it would also appeal to the general American public.</p>
<h4>Scope/Content Note</h4>
<p><em>The Syrian World</em> was published between 1926 and 1932 as a journal. In 1932, the format was changed from an academic journal style to a newspaper style, which continued until the periodical's end in 1935. After the death of his brother Naoum, Salloum took over the publication of <em>Al-Hoda.</em></p>
<p>The articles in <em>The Syrian World</em> cover a variety of topics spanning from the practical to the theoretical. Practical subjects include international and domestic travel, historical and contemporary Arabic and Arab-American art and literature, and the mental and physical health and hygiene of immigrants. More theoretical, philosophical, and ideological subjects include ideologies of race, the changing role of women, the formation of Syrian and Lebanese-American societies, and the political and psychological relationships between immigrants and their countries of origin.</p>
<p>All issues of <em>The Syrian World</em> are available, along with full indexes for the first four volumes. For volumes five and six, there are tables of contents at the start of the issues.</p>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabs--United States
Arabic periodicals
Newspapers
Arab American Newspapers
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1926-1935
Relation
A related resource
<em><a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/41" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Syrian Business Directory</a></em>
<a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/44" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mokarzel Family Papers</a>
<a href="http://hdl.handle.net/11299/175685" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Annotated Index to the Syrian World, 1926-1932</a> at the University of Minnesota Immigration History Research Center Archives
<a href="https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/58" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Al-Hoda Newspapers</em></a>
Language
A language of the resource
English
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Processed by Claire A. Kempa, 2015-2017. Collection Guide written by Claire A. Kempa, 2017.
Collection Guide updated by Laura Lethers, 2023 August.
Rights
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The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
These materials are digital copies of an original resource held by another institution. The KCLDS Archive often works with other institutions to make digital materials available online to the public. KCLDS is not able to grant permission to use or reproduce these materials. The KCLDS Archive strongly encourages users to contact the holding institution for permission to use or reproduce materials from their holdings.
Identifier
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NS 0002
Access Rights
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This digital material is provided here for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
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TSW1927_10reducedWM
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Volume 02, Issue 04
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1927 October
Description
An account of the resource
Volume 2 Issue 04 of The Syrian World published October 1927. The issue opens with a travel journal entry by Ameen Rihani on his Pilgrimage to Byblos. Following it is a continuation of the Agricultural Situation in Syria (by Prof. J. Forrest Crawford). The famous Syrian city featured in this issue is Bylbos, and after its inclusion there is a continuation of the play by Harry Chapman Ford. The issue concludes with the reader’s forum and excerpts from the Arab press. Lastly there is another update on the political developments in Syria.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabic literature--History and criticism--Periodicals
Arabs--United States--Periodicals
Lebanese-Americans--United States--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Syrian-American Press
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Coverage
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104 Greenwich St., New York, NY
Format
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Text/pdf
Type
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Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
1920s
Agriculture
Ameen Rihani
Harry Chapman Ford
New York
Syria
Travel
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/8179e24b558bc2b4703673b7e96c643d.pdf
47a9235c4b714eeb6651e2291e427289
PDF Text
Text
��THE
SYRIAN WORLD
SALLOUM
A.
MOKARZEL,
Editor.
PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE SYRIAN-AMERICAN PRESS
104
GREENWICH STREET, NEW YORK,
N. Y.
3y subscription $5.00 a year.
Single copies
Entered as second-class matter, June 25, 1926, at the post office at New
York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879.
VOL. II.
JULY, 1927
No. 1.
CONTENTS
PAGE
Vital Industry for Syria
3
PROF. HAROLD CLOSE
\An Effective Argument
12
Syrian Folk Songs — Across the Bridge, O Come
13
AMEEN RIHANI
\The Great Lyric of Al-Farid — (Sufiism)
DR. N. A. KATIBAH
On Fatalism (poem)
J. D.
14
20
CARLYLE
Everybody's Book Shelf —/— Books for Babies
21
BARBARA WEBB BOURJAILY
i Many-Gifted Arab
26
7
27
amous Cities of Syria — Tyra and Sidon
�CONTENTS (Continued)
PAGE
Why I Wrote a Syrian Play
33
HARRY CHAPMAN FORD
Anna Ascends — Act One
'
35
HARRY CHAPMAN FORD
The Tournament
44
FUAD AL-BUSTANI
The Justice of Touloun
47
Alone? No, Not Alone (poem)
DR. N. A. KATIBAH
4$
NOTES AND COMMENTS— By
Our First Anniversary
What Ails Syrian Industry?
Politics Again
"Son of an Immigrant"
A Reminder
A Regular Contributor
For Your Sumtner Reading
THE EDITOR
4Q
SO
52
52
53
53
5
Spirit of the Syrian Press
5 .
About Syria anJ Syrians
5^
Political Developments in Syria
...£2
ILLUSTRATIONS IN THIS ISSUE
'Umar Ibnu H-Farid—A Conception by Gibran
The City of Sidon
The Citadel by the Sea
A Relic of Old Glory
The Beginning of her Ascent
A Garden Spot in the Upper Reaches of Lebanon
A Natural Wonder
—i
! {'
�k
THE
SYRIAN WORLD
VOL. II.
No. 1.
JULY, 1927.
\
A Vital Industry for Syria
By
HAROLD CLOSE
Professor of Chemistry in the American University of Beirut.
*>
The most fundamental problem facing an individual is that
of providing those material necessities without which life is impossible His stomach demands his first attention and it gets it.
Those poor unfortunates who do not know where their next
meal is coming from cannot be expected to show much interest
in questions of education, social ethics or philosophy, buch a
man may even have to do without the services of the doctor
or the dentist if he sees no prospect of being able to pay the bill.
It is exactly the same with a nation. Granted a reasonable
amount of public security, economic conditions must be the nation's first concern. If a nation is to prosper it must be selfsupporting. If it is not able to support its population the situation will remedy itself in one way or another. Large numbers
of the people may die or leave the country, thus reducing the
number of mouths to feed. The standard of living may fall
until it reaches a point where the population can be supported.
Both processes may go on at the same time. The danger is that
the poor who do not run away to seek their fortune elsewhere
will become steadily poorer until they find themselves little better
than serfs in the employ of the few rich.
Emigration may relieve the situation temporarily, but it is
not solving the problem. It is evading it for those who go and
adding to it for those who stay. Likewise, reducing the stand-
.
�4
.
THE SYRIAN WORLD
ard of living does not mean that the people have overcome their
difficulties. Neither process is consistent with national pride.
Both close the door to future advancement and prosperity.
The only genuine and effective way to attack the problem
is to make every effort to increase production. This can be done
by developing the mining and agricultural possibilities on the
one hand or by taking the raw materials which Nature provides
and working them until they become more valuable. This is
the object of the various industries. Syria and Palestine will
never become great industrial countries because of the lack of
fuel. But there are some industries in which the fuel problem
does not play such an important part, and the most should be
made of these, if these countries are to prosper. It is proposed
in the present article to make a brief survey of the situation confronting the soap manufacturers, with a view to pointing out
some of the problems which must be faced and estimating the
possibilities for the future development of the soap business.
Before doing this it will be necessary to outline in a few words
the process of manufacture of soap as it is practiced here and in
other countries where it has reached a somewhat higher stage of
developmnt.
Soap is made by treating a fat or an oil with some kind of
alkali. Fats are compounds composed of glycerine combined
with an acid. When the fat is treated with sodium hydroxide,
for example, the glycerine is set free and the sodium combines
with the acid to form a soap. The result then of the action of
the alkali on the fat is the formation of soap and the liberation
of glycerine.
In Syria the only oil that is used is olive oil, because
it is the cheapest and makes very good soap. The result is that
there is only one variety of soap made. In other words, soap
is soap. The only difference between soaps made by different
manufacturers is because some use a cheap grade of alkali or
adulterants. This latter point will be dealt with later. The
fact to be noted at present is that all the soap made in Syria is
olive oil soap. In contrast with this in Europe and America a
large variety of oils are used and consequently many kinds of
soap are produced. In general these may be classified into two
main groups, kudry soaps made from cheap oils, and toilet soaps
made from the more expensive oils.
Although in general no distinction is mad* ia Syria be-
Ll
�JULY, 1927
*
tween soaps for laundry purposes and soaps for toilet purposes it
is best to consider the two separately as they present somewhat
different problems. Soap which is to be used for washing one s
face must not only be a good cleansing agent} it must lather
freely without being too wasteful, and it must also not be irritating to the skin. If it is clothes that are to be washed these
requirements, do not differ except in the last instance It doesn t
matter very much if the soap is a little harsh. If the soap is to
be delicate and mild it must be made from the best ingredients
and must not contain excess of alkali, as it is the free alkali
which is chiefly responsible for the irritating action on the skin.
With laundry soaps this is of much less importance, while the
cost is relatively more important than in the case of toilet soaps
Hence the practice in Europe and America of reserving the best
ingredients for toilet soaps and of taking great care in the manufacturing processs to prevent excess of alkali. With laundry
soaps the most important points are cleansing power and cheapThe situation in Syria and Palestine may be described in
general by saying that the manufacturers use toilet soap ingredients and laundry soap methods of manufacture. Thus the
product is more expensive than foreign laundry soap and yet
not carefully enough made to compete in an open market with
foreign toilet soap.
If local soap is to compete as a laundry soap it must be
cheapened. A glance at the cost sheet of any manufacturer reveals at once that the oil is the main item of expense. Reduction in other cost items would not materially affect the price 01
the soap. This is the. reason why the soap business should logically be located in oil-producing countries. This fact should also
make it obvious that the practice of using a poor grade of alkali
or of adding adulterants does not pay. The use of lime, soda
containing large amounts of common salt and other extraneous
matter should be strongly condemned. It not only results in
a low-grade soap but it is not worth it. The controlling factor
is the price of oil. It is doubtful whether other 01 Sj can be produced here or brought in from outside which would be cheaper
than olive oil, but the question is worthy of careful study. It
the problem resolves itself into that of lowering the cost of production of olive oil it becomes an agricultural problem, lhis
point will be discussed more fully at the end of the article.
�.... I..
6
THE SYRIAN WORLD
While it is true that the main item of expense in the manufacture of soap is the oil, there is another point which should be
brought out here. One reason why foreign laundry soap is cheap
is because it is manufactured in very large quantities. In this
country the soap factories are all small and many of them are
not working to their full capacity. Machinery cheapens cost of
production but only when the output is sufficiently large to keep
the machinery working steadily. The writer knows of no soap
factory in Syria or Palestine large enough to make it profitable
to introduce machinery;-for the making of laundry soap. If several soap manufacturers could combine into one big company it
is possible that the introduction of machinery would be profitable and would result in a lowering of the cost of production.
Such a combination would in any case have the advantage of
reducing the overhead expenses.
In the preceding paragraphs we have been looking at the
question from the point of view of soap for laundry purposes
and the principal objection to the local soap as a laundry soap
is that it is too expensive. But if we consider the local soap
as a toilet soap the situation is different. Foreign toilet soap has
the advantage over local soaps in various points, which, however,
could to a large extent be overcome by local manufacturers.
SIZE AND SHAPE OF THE CAKES
I. The local soap is cut into square pieces which are very unhandy to hold. They are too large and of a most inconvenient
shape. This is because they are cut by hand. Soap presses have
not come into general use partly because of expense, but the main
reason is because no differentiation has been made between soap
for laundry purposes and soaps for toilet uses. Once this distinction is made the desirability of putting out a cake of toilet
soap of convenient size and shape would be apparent to all. The
majority of the people buying local soap have not been accustomed to making any distinction between laundry and local soap,
and the manufacturers no doubt feel that it is not worthwhile to
try to change century-old customs. But the fact of the matter
is that foreign toilet soap is in the meantime driving the local
soap from the market slowly but surely. The local industry is
losing ground and this is one of the reasons. As the people become acquainted with foreign soap they gradually acquire the
�JULY, 1927
habit of buying it, largely because it is more convenient to handle.
II. A second reason why foreign soap is gradually displacing local soap is because it is wrapped up in an attractive
form. Experience has shown that it pays to advertise. If you
want to sell an article make it look attractive. Most of us judge
very largely by appearances — we have to because we don't
konw anything about what is under the surface. The merchant
who displays his goods in an attractive way will get the business.
III. Attractive exterior appearance of an article may get
business for its manufacturer but it won't keep it unless the quality of the object is good throughout. Very good soap may be
done up in a very attractive wrapping. The most important
thing is the soap. Some kinds of local soap are better soap than
many of the foreign varieties. You can't make good soap out
of poor ingredients. Most of the local soap purports to be
made from sodium hydroxide and olive oil. These are excellent. But when lime, a cheap grade of soda and other adulterants are used the value of the soap is much decreased. For
example, lime makes a soap which is insoluble and hence useless.
It doesn't lather and it doesn't clean.
If good sodium hydroxide and olive oil only are used the
soap is good soap, but it doesn't1 lather as good as soap containing
mixed oils. A relatively small amount of palm oil, cocoa-nut
oil, or castor oil increases the lathering properties. The different
oils make soaps with somewhat different properties. By carefully experimenting with varying proportions of different oils,
the foreign manufacturers have worked out formulas for soap
which vary greatly in solubility, firmness, smoothness of texture,
lathering qualities and lasting properties. The local product
could be considerably improved by mixing other oils with the
olive oil. Most of these other oils come from tropical or semitropical countries, and should be procurable here cheaper than
in Europe and America. The question of introducing a greater
variety of oils in the soap manufacture here is worthy of consideration.
IV. Another point in which foreign soap has the advantage
over much of the local product is in the care with which the
soap is made. It is not an uncommon occurrence to find all sorts
of foreign matter embedded in the cake of soap, such as sticks,
stones, lumps of lime and even nails. This sort of thing is, inex-
�;_;...
,
.
,...
•'-"—^^
8
mmm
THE SYRIAN WORLD
cusable and can be easily avoided with a reasonable amount of
cleanliness and care.
V. The best grades of toilet soap are the so-called "milled"
soaps. Different kinds of soaps are made from different oils.
These are then shaved into small pieces by machinery and after
thorough mixing are put through a mechanical press which compresses the soap and moulds it into the desired .shape. By this
process the soap is rendered of a finer texture and more uniform
throughout.
The local soap is inferior as regards texture because all the
work is done by hand, and hence is not as fine or as uniform.
The introduction of a small amount of machinery for mixing
and moulding the soap would greatly improve it, but this would
scarcely pay in such small factories as most of the existing ones.
Consolidation of several factories into one would make the introduction of machinery profitable.
VI. Another way in which large factories have an advantage over small ones lies in the fact that in large factories it
pays to recover the glycerine which is a by-product in the soap
manufacture. At present this glycerine remains in the soap. It
does no harm, and in fact helps to make the soap less irritating
to the skin. The only reason for extracting it is because it is
valuable. The recovery of the glycerine, however, involves expensive machinery and is out of the question unless several small
factories were to be consolidated, in which case it would be a
profitable undertaking. Large quantities of glycerine are used
for making explosives, besides what is used in the preparation
of medicine.
VII. Local soap is for the most part sold by weight,
whereas foreign soap is sold by the piece. After soap is made'
it loses a good deal of water by evaporation. If a purchaser
buys soap by weight he buys more or less water, and unless he
has had experience he cannot tell how much is soap and how
much is water. To be fair to both buyer and seller the price
must vary with the dryness of the soap. This cannot be accurate, so someone always loses, and it is more often the buyer
than the, seller, because the latter knows more about it. It would
therefore seem to be an advantage to the purchaser to buy his
soap by the cake because then he could be sure how much he
was buying. For this assurance he ought to be willing to pay and
thus the higher price which soap by the piece brings is justified
�<J
: I
The manufacturer gets a little more profit and the purchaser
gets the assurance that he is not paying for water when he thinks
he is buying soap.
. i • • i
VIII. In purchasing soap or any other article it is always
a satisfaction when one can be sure that the article he purchases
is genuine, and the quality is uniform. When a manufacturer
succeeds in establishing a reputation for genuineness and uniformity in his product he has gone a long way towards success.
Thus it is a big asset to both parties. It is because men realize
this that they put their names, or trade-marks on their goods. A
trade-mark is intended to be a guarantee of the good quality of
the article, but it may prove to be an indication of the poor quality rather than the good quality. A soap manufacturer who is
not ready to vouch for the genuineness and uniformity of his
soap would do well to leave his name off because a bad reputation is much worse than no reputaion at all. And when a manufacturer succeeds in establishing a good reputation it is the height
of folly for him to begin to add adulterants to his soap. A
good reputation is a wonderful asset and should be most carefully guarded as it is hard to win and very easy to lose.
What can be done to develop the soap industry in Syria
and Palestine? Along what lines should the efforts of soap
manufacturers be directed?
I. Co-operation:— The soap factories are all small, and
as a result the manufacturers cannot afford to put in improvements which would be possible where large amounts of capital
were at hand. Machinery for the most part does not pay unless
the output of the factory is large. A manufacturer of small
quantities of soap hesitates to put on the market any novelties
in the soap line for fear they will not be popular, whereas a
large firm can much more easily run the risk of failure without
endangering the whole business} in union there is strength.
Consolidation would be a great advantage.
Next best to consolidation would be co-operation between
manufacturers. The first aim for soap manufacturers to set before themselves is to drive out foreign soaps. They cannot hope
to do this by individual effort — it requires team work. The
first step then would seem to get together and lay out a plan of
action. Does it seem strange to suggest that men who are rivals
in business could get together in a friendly and co-operative
spirit to consider their common good? If they can not they
�10
THE SYRIAN WORLD
must expect their business to shrink as it gradually gives way to
pressure from outside.
II. Different Kinds of Soap:— If the local soap is to drive
the foreign from the market it must be made in more than one
grade. Foreign laundry soap will inevitably win out over local
soap for laundry purposes sooner or later, unless the local soap
can be cheapened. The local soap cannot hope to compete with
the foreign toilet soap unless more care is used in making it.
The local soap attempts to be both a laundry soap and a toilet
soap at the same time, and it falls short of both. Specialization must come.
III. Standardization:— Great improvement could be made
in the local soap if more cleanliness and accuracy were used.
Sticks and stones and all sorts of rubbish have no business in a
cake of soap. Excess of alkali is a great draw-back, particularly
in toilet soap. The use of adulterants cannot be too strongly
condemned.
Standards of purity must be set up and rigidity held to.
Uniformity of product is essential if a soap is to meet the keen
competition of the present day.
IV. Appearance and Form:— Would it not be worthwhile
to try the experiment of putting out soap in small cakes of convenient size and shape, stamped with a neat trade-mark and
wrapped in an attractive paper wrapper or in a cardboard box?
V. The Olive Oil Crop:— The reason for the existence
of the soap business here is the olive culture. The oil is the
main item of expense. In fact business is good or bad depending on the oil crop. The key to the situation is the oil. One
year the crop is good and the next it is poor. A uniform supply
of oil at a reasonable price is essential to the soap business. In
other words the problem is largely an agricultural one.
The yield of olives could doubtless be considerably increased by the introduction of modern scientific methods. If
an olive tree is to bear well it must receive sufficient nourishment
in plant food and water. If the top is allowed to grow too large
for the roots there is a tendency for the olives to start to develop
faster than can be adequately nourished by the available food.
Many will not mature and will fall off as the dry summer weather
advances. The tree exhausts its vitality in an effort to bring its
fruit to maturity. The result is that the following year it has
to devote all its energies to recuperating and bears only a small
*l
�JULY, 1927
9
ll
crop. This situation is unfortunate and results in a smaller
average yearly yield than the tree should produce. One remedy
is to be found in more pruning, so as to prevent the tree from
growing a larger top than its roots can nourish. Another is to
provide more food in the form of fertilizer, and still another
to plant the trees a little further apart. These and similar points
in connection with olive culture should be carefully studied. If
improved methods of cultivation, pruning, etc., were introduced
they should also be accompanied by a reform in the method ot
gathering the olives. Striking the trees to knock off the olives
results in many of the young shoots falling off which would otherwise bear fruit the following year. This is probably not the
principal reason for the poor yield in alternate years at present
but rather undernourishment is the main trouble. However, if
the trees could be adequately nourished then this factor would
assume considerable importance. Picking by hand is far better
than knocking the fruit off by sticks, because in the latter case
many olives are not recovered from the ground, a good many
are trampled on and crushed, and the trees are injured. Hand
picking takes more time and consequently adds to the cost of
labour, but the additional cost of labour would be more than
made up for in increased yield. If the pickers were paid by the
day rather than by the job, there would be no temptation to injure the trees or to be careless in other ways in gathering the
fruit.
.
. .
A question which naturally occurs to one in connection with
the olive oil business is whether the oil is bringing the biggest
possible returns. Olives command higher prices as pickled olives
or as oil than they do as soap. The best grade of olive oil is not
necessary for making soap and it is more profitable to sell the
best grade as an edible oil and preserve only the poorer grades
for making soap. The oil should be pressed out in fractions and
that which is obtained at lower pressures put up in small bottles
ready for the retail market if the highest returns are to be secured A large quantity of good oil is at the present time being
used for making soap, and thus the maximum profit from the
olives is not being realized. Olive culture should be extended
and the oil graded in several qualities. The best grades should
be sold for edible purposes and only the poorer grades used for
the manufacture of soap.
Would not the best way of attacking these problems be
�12
THE SYRIAN WORLD
through an Association of Oil and Soap manufacturers. The
purpose of such an organization would be to unite the efforts
of the members for the advancement of their common interest,
the development of the oil and soap businesses. They could collect and disseminate information on the best methods of olive
culture, the best form in which to place the oil on the market,
establishing contacts in oil-purchasing countries, the best kinds
of soap to manufacture, finding foreign markets for the local
soap, establishing and maintaining standards of purity for oil
and soap, advertising, developing public sentiment in favour of
using local products, etc. These things cannot be done satisfactorily by individuals; the co-operation of all who would profit
from it is necessary. In this way great progress could be made
which would not only be profitable to the individual producers
but would help greatly in the economic reconstruction of the
country.
AN EFFECTIVE ARGUMENT
Following a drought in Arabia which brought in its wake
great famine and misery, a delegation from some destitute tribes
waited on the ruling Emir, 'Umar Ibn Abdu 'l-'Aziz, and chose
for their spokesman a fearless young man who was eloquent of
speech and direct in his approach.
When in the presence of the Emir, the spokesman, upon
receiving permission to speak, addressed the Emir as follows:
"O Prince of the Faithful: We have suffered from a succession of most desolate years. One year reduced the fat, another wasted the lean, and a third gnawed the bone, while in
your treasury there is a surplus of funds which, if they belong
to us, we should receive the benefit therefrom in this time of
our dire need; and if they belong to God, they should be distributed among His worshipers; and if they belong to you, then
this is the time of all times when you should give alms to the
needy and win the grace of God."
Upon hearing this, the Prince of the Faithful turned to
his advisers and remarked: "Verily, this Arab has worded his
plea in such a manner as to exclude any possibility of excuse.
Let the sufferers be relieved from the surplus of funds in the
treasury."
JU
�WH
13
JULY, 1927
Syrian Folk Songs
ACROSS THE BRIDGE, O COME
Translation by
AMEEN RIHANI
W
^,,-JI ^^-x *»Jj L
L_.'- f*
^v-
Across the bridge, O come,
Beloved, from thy home!
Come let us walk and dream;
In the cool morning roam.
The soft winds kiss her robe,
Al-hobe, al-hobe, al-hobel
Why hasten, my gazelle,
To Dummar's * distant cell?
Beside this crystal spring,
O listen to love's spell.
The soft winds kiss her robe,
Al-hobe, al-hobe, al-hobe!
* Dummar — a Convent.
(In the coming August issue will be 'published a Syrian Folk
Song translated by Gibran K. Gibran.)
�14
THE SYRIAN WORLD
The Great Lyric of Al-Farid
Sufiism
AN INTRODUCTORY NOTE
By DR. N. A. KATIBAH
In order fully to understand Ibnu '1-Farid, and to appreciate the significance of his highly impassioned verse, it is necessary to have some conception of the history and tenets of Sunism.
Of course it would be impossible to give this subject adequate
treatment in an introductory note, and I must, therefore, limit
myself to the barest outline.
_
Sunism, (from the Arabic word suf, wool, in reference to
the woolen garments usually worn by its devotees} or, perhaps,
from the word safa, purity) corresponds to mysticism in English,
and, in common with it, treats of the doctrine that the divine
essence may be known by intuition, differing from ordinary sensation and reason. Mystics in general claim that they attain this
insight in visions, trances and ecstasies. During these moments
they are said to be absorbed in, or in union with, the divine spirit.
Briefly recounted, the tenets of Sufiism, or so-called Mohammedan mysticism, as it now stands, are as follows:
1. God alone exists, visible and invisible beings are mere
emanations from Him.
2 Since God is the author of all acts of mankind, man is
not a free agent, and, therefore, there can be no real difference
between good and evil.
,
3 The soul existed before the body in which it is confined,
and its liberation (death) should be man's chief concern in order that it, the soul, may return to the bosom of the Divinity.
4 That religions are matters of indifference — conventional garbs — though some (for instance Islam) are more advantageous than others.
* The germs of this philosophy may be traced back to the
* What follows is adapted from the article on Sunism by R. A. Nicholson in the Encyclop«dia Britannica, 11th edition.
inmwiTTiriaiiiwanimiir ^iwiTiTmninmmiiini a iiMfiiiBiiiiifwm*ii Miiiiiii(ijftiliiiifilfciiWulwwil*ilia<t^ iiiriw*wiriTm
TI
miii MI
MI
I
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�JULY, 1927
15
life and teachings of the founder of Islam himself, and in this
sense and to this extent, may be said to be latent in Mohammedanism. This is borne out by the trances into which Mohammed
used to fall, the stress he laid upon the efficacy of ascetic exercises, such as prayer, vigils and fasting, and also by certain texts
of the Koran which can be interpreted only in a pantheistic sense.
But, historically speaking, it was not until two centuries later
that Suiiism made itself appreciably felt in Islam. Evidently it
came as a reaction to, and perhaps as a revolt from, the concomitant evils of a cyclonic conquest: murder, internecine wars,
despotic military rule, the unrestrained license and luxury of the
upper classes, and the mechanical piousness of the orthodox creed.
It was, as it were, a passive protest against these, finding expression
in a life of asceticism, quietism, spiritual feeling, and emotional
faith. At its inception, therefore, Sufiism was merely practical
religion — a mode of life; and the Sufis could be recognized
only as Mohammedan "monks" whose spiritual convictions led
them to break their family ties, renounce the vanities of the
world, and wander about from place to place preaching. They
lived by alms or by their own labor. However, these Dervishes
(as they are better known) emphasized certain Koranic terms,
such as dhikr (repetition of the name of the Deity) which they
regarded as superior to the five canonical prayers, and tawakkul
(trust in God) which they interpreted as renunciation of all initiative.
With the spread of rationalism and freethought toward the
end of the second century of the Mohammedan era, (undoubtedly greatly influenced by Christianity, Buddhism and Neoplatonism) Sufiism ventured out into the field of systematized theory.
As such it began to depart radically from the orthodox faith.
But it was, as yet, not strong enough to assert itself openly, and
was forced into adopting covert means and methods to ingratiate
itself with the sympathies of the prevailing faith. About this
time appeared Rabi'a of Basra, the first of a long line of saintly
women, who first set forth the doctrine of mystical love. Henceforward the use of symbolical expressions, borrowed from the
vocabulary of love and wine, became increasingly frequent as a
means of indicating holy mysteries which must not be divulged,
and gave birth to some of the most beautiful poetry in the world.
In the course of the third century Sufiism evolved into a
more decided character. While still retaining its devotional mys-
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
16
ticism, it now developed into a speculative and pantheistic movement, essentially anti-Islamic, and rapidly came into conflict with
the orthodox culema.
We cannot dwell long on the sources of this system or its
modus operandi. Suffice it that, at present, it draws upon the
teachings of the Koran, the traditions of the Prophet, and the
sayings of its well-known Sufi teachers. To these Al-Ghazali,
its foremost Arabian exponent, had established that kashf (revelation) and (aql (reason) should also be considered as sources of
fundamental principles of faith. Sufiism expatiates on the discipline of the soul, and describes the process of purgation which
it must undergo before entering on the contemplative life. A
Sufi is a pilgrim journeying towards God and passes through a
series of ascending "stations" maqamat, viz: (1) repentance, (2)
abstinence, (3) renunciation, (4) poverty, (5) patience, (6) trust
in God, (7) acquiescence in the will of God. These lead to a
parallel scale of spiritual feelings (ahwal), such as fear, hope,
love, etc., which terminate in contemplation (mushahadat) and
intuition (yaqin).
The reader of Ibnu '1-Farid's Love Lyric is urged to bear
in mind that the author is a Sufi — in fact the greatest mystic
poet in the Arabian world — and to interpret his language in
the sense that he himself undoubtedly meant it.
THE GREAT LYRIC OF AL-FARID (Continued)
V.
Pretending dullness, seeing me love-smit,
My people say, dissembling wild amaze:
"Alackaday! Unpoised sits his wit!
"Who gave our youth this luckless touch of craze?"
Mere slanderers all! — They would me thus deride,
And gossip low: "His business is with Noam."
— Aye, occupied with her — preoccupied!
Declare it thus abroad and e'en at home.
Care I should all the women now cry, "Fie!
"Name not the one who has our charms deserted,
"Who once in honor moved, but now must lie
"With,fallen crest, his former state inverted?"
;
�'UMAR IBNU 'L-FARID
A conception by Gibran.
;
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�JULY, 1927
Suffice me but one glance of Noam's dear glances,
And naught are Suda's smiles or Juml's advances.
My eyes on other forms I once let fall,
And foreign scales my erring vision blurred;
The earth she touched, I touched my lids withal,
Departed thence the scales and ne'er recurred.
And yet, all know, her glances, light as air —
At will, at random, should these weapons waft —
Alighting, pierce me here and pierce me there:
Poor martyred me! — Each member bears a shaft.
My theme of love for her, though wondrous strange,
Is ancient, constant, true, entire — nay more!
— She knows how deep, how high, how wide its range No "after" can it have and no "before".
Unmatched in love, to me no rival seek,
As she in beauty stands alone, unique.
Entitled to my life is she alway,
And I contented am with my dear lot;
O, let me pine, and let me waste away,
Though able she, I would she cures me not.
A paradox of feelings plays in me:
The more I ail, the more I seem t' improve;
The lower, too, my standing seems to be,
To greater heights its soaring flight doth move.
My suffering for her sake, my keen love-plight,
And all my plaints in truth and meekness made,
Are summed in that I'm vanished to all sight—
Protracted wasting, wasted e'en my shade.
How can my friends my wasted body see,
When lo, not e'en a shadow 's left of me?
Those eyes! — Those lovely, wide,, bewitching eyes —
Have left of me no mortal trace whate'er;
Invisible in form, none me espies,
For I'm dissolved from transient dust to air.
But, ne'ertheless, my spirits if depressed,
With her in mind, to rarer heights would soar;
My soul likewise, to hear her name expressed,
Would mend in virtue ever more and more,
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
Her love within me flows, and, in my veins,
Commingling with my blood, sustains my breath j
Engrossed by her, her love its sway maintains,
And keeps me charmed in her alone till death.
I would that other lovers taste this bliss,
And live t' enjoy no other love but this.
I
p
VI.
Come, pride thyself, my fellow-lover, pride
In vying for her sake thy life to cede;
Should she accept thy gift, however tried
In yielding it, thou wouldst enjoy thy meed:
Far, far beyond thy dreams 'tis worth the deed.
He who for Noam his soul would not surrender,
And free to give his life be not his creed,
Though all the world be his alone to squander,
A miser he remains — the last of all his gender.
Uneasy jealousy keeps warning me
To keep above reproach her spotless name,
Or I, to every beauty's devotee
(However few or many), would proclaim:
"Desert your paramours, and her acclaim j
"Her name alone would bring you to your knees,
"Her face would set your frigid hearts aflame,
"For, facing her, your conscience she would seize,
"And make you pay your orisons in ecstasies."
VII.
Enwrapped by love, my fettered mind begirt,
A life of ease for misery I sold,
And bade my reason keep its reins inert,
Serene cell-life its curbing vows withhold,
And piousness in cooler hearts grow cold:
I bade them stay away, nor me impugn,
Nor twixt my love and me their counsel hold;
Sincere I kept my heart, from self immune,
So that, alone with her, we might in love commune.
\
�JULY, 1927
19
My eager steps, impatient, speed to greet
The one who seeks our tender cause t' improve;
And, sad at heart, I would as lief not meet
The tongue that censures and maligns my love.
And yet, 'tis strange, I find me quite at ease
When biting liars tattle to and fro',
For this conveys to her how e'en from these
I suffer too — though none need let her know.
And e'en to those whose blame my bosom rips,
I find me drawn to hear her theme discusst;
I love to hear her name, e'en from their lips,
As if our errands carried they in trust:
All ears am I, should they her topic seek;
And fluent tongues become, if I should speak.
VIII.
Now idle gossip, varied and indign,
Suspicious-born and groundless, flies about;
Maligning her, some say her self divine
To me she gave to soothe my heart devout;
Some cast about that I, now gratified,
Should solaced be, and cease to pine and rue.
Misjudged we are; and they ignobly lied.
Unhappy me! — Would that their lies come true!
What hope have I for such a wondrous boon
From her whose attributes belie the hope?
Encastled thus, her will is her's alone,
And for that will's approaches still I grope.
Her word of promise long delays succeed;
And ere she speaks her threat, done is the deed.
IX.
0 promise me thy favor, and delay
Fulfillment of the promise at thy will;
To me a happy love would want a day
That has a morrow's hope its hours to fill,
And on that morn, another morrow's thrill.
1 swear to thee by our enduring vow,
And by our solemn pledge of hand, thou'rt still,
�E—III
THE SYRIAN WORLD
20
(Though absence clouds, or love illumes my brow,)
With me — through every hour within my heart art thou.
X.
Comes there a day, I wonder, when my eyes
Would gaze again on faces I love so?
Comes there a day when our dissevered ties
Again assemble on this earth below?
Are! they indeed now gone, who in my heart
I feel their presence ever here with me?
— My eyes see not their forms, but then, apart,
Their forms my inner eyes arising see.
— Behold I see them now along the road,
A-going slowly on their winding wayj
Anon they stop to pick their night's abode j
Abiding then, within my heart they stay.
And should they e'en forget that I am I,
A tender yearning still my heart would strain;
And should they tire of me, I would but try
To nurse my yearnings and to yearn again.
ON FATALISM
By
IMAM SHAFAY MOHAMMED IBN IDRIS
Translation by J. D. CARLYLE
*
Not always wealth, not always force
A splendid destiny commands j
The lordly vulture gnaws the corse
That rots upon yonder sands.
Nor want, nor weakness still conspires
To bind us to a sordid state j
The fly that with a touch expires
Sips honey from the royal plate.
* The author of this poem was a hermit of Syria, equally celebrated
for his talents and piety. He was son to a prince of Khorasan, and born
about the ninety-'sevnth year of the Hegira. This poem was addressed to
the Ealiph upon his undertaking a pilgrimage to Mecca,
�1
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JULY, 1927
Everybody's Book Shelf
-l—
BOOKS FOR BABIES
By BARBARA WEBB BOURJAILY
They sat down quietly together after a smile of greeting.
There was an air about the way they settled themselves that
seemed to shut out the world, to declare them lovers. But a
listener who could not see them would have found no clue to
their passion in their casual bantering words.
" 'The time has come—', (1) " the boy began. I call him
'boy' tho he would undoubtedly have claimed a quarter of a century with dignity, had he read my thoughts.
"Oh, if you're going to speak of 'shoes and ships and sealing
wax' (2), how do you like these?" She held forth a slim, trim
foot, newly shod.
He glanced at her bright shoes a moment, shrugged, and
went back to a contemplation of her eyes.
"Admire them—," she commanded, still intent on her slender pumps.
"I'm no 'man Friday' (3) when it comes to compliments,"
he said with a grin.
"You look at me as tho I were the famous 'purple cow', (4)"
she pouted.
"Oh, I don't know about that, it isn't quite that bad, but I
do know you ought to wear a 'curl in the middle of your forehead' (5)."
They laughed together.
I quote this purely imaginary and very pedantic conversation at the beginning o% my article by way of proving that many
of the ordinary phrases in American everyday speech, particularly that of the social variety, can be traced back to the tales and
rhymes that form a part of the background of most middle and
upper class American children. If you are a slave of the question
P'
�...
22
THE SYRIAN WORLD
and answer craze see how many of the numbered phrases you
can recognize and place before turning to the end of the article
where they are all identified.
None of them has any serious import, but they are part and
parcel of the speech of our lighter moments and they trip awkwardly from the tongues of those who come upon them late in
life. They form the backbone of a habit of bantering, casual
speech by which many of us disguise our emotions, and are most
useful in the semi-humorous intercourse of day to day living.
But this type of typically American vernacular—and I believe
its possession and facile use distinguishes pretty clearly the American child whose American culture is bred in the bone from the
one who must acquire all his Americanisms from school and comrades-—this vernacular, like charity and good works, has its beginning at home.
It begins when the children are babies, just able to lisp,
and the entranced mother sits the baby gleefully before her and
repeats:
Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, bakers' man, (Clapping her
hands together)
Bake me a cake as fast as you can.
Pat it and roll it
And mark it with T (Making a <T' on the palm of
her hand)
And T-O-S-S it in the oven
For baby and me. (Tossing her arms above her head.)
There is jubilation in the family the first time the baby
solemnly pats his pudgy hands together and throws his fat arms
upward in imitation of his mother.
It is of course to Mother Goose, the patron saint of Englishspeaking childhood, that we are indebted for the rhyme quoted
above and for most of the rhymes of babyhood. There has been
much hue and cry of late by, the left wing, the extreme radicals,
in child training against Mother Goose. But I can imagine her
smiling in her pagan paradise and being quite content with the
new army of recruits she gathers as each year's baby crop is harvested, worrying not a whit over her detractors. And until some
new body of folk lore and rhythm fitted to baby lips is gathered,
I fancy Mother Goose is quite secure.
Of course there are almost numberless editions of Mother
.'.
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..
�JULY, 1927
23
Goose Some of them contain matter that is unquestionably cruel
and crude, and the wise parent will look through the edition he
is buying, choosing one that has been edited with care and with
an eye to attractive pictures and decorations. The linen books
with the standard rhymes, Boy Blue, Little Bo Peep, Simple
Simon, Bye Baby Bunting, Little Miss Muffet Jack and Jill,
are fine for the very young baby people. These books cannot be
torn, they can be washed, and best of all they can be taken to bed
and looked at interminably without a great deal of damage being done.
,
For the two to four year olds there is a charming book published by Raphael Tuck and Sons, called Nursery Rhymes. The
pictures are unusually attractive, and each page is mounted on
boards, strongly bound and able to withstand much rough handling. My smallest son has one of these books and takes it jealously to bed with him each night, tho it could hardly be called
a comfortable bed-fellow.
. u u
But whatever edition you choose for the very first book,
Mother Goose in some form should'be the unquestioned treasure
of every child.
From Mother Goose we progress to the simple tales the
two to four year olds love. Little Black Sambo (Get the edition with the original Helen Bannerman illustrations if you can
afford it. This may also be had in a linen book altho the pictures are rather awful and Black Sambo has a suspiciously
American look about his 'beautiful little red coat); Peter
Rabbit (Be sure to get the Beatrix Potter stories, they are
the best, altho the character of Peter Rabbit occurs in
many other books as well); The Three Little fcttens; The Three
Little Pigs; and The Cock, The Mouse, and The Little Red
Hen (This last to be had in abridged, form as the original story
by Felicite Le Fevre is rather long for very young audiences.)
There are many others, of course, and an hour in the childrens' department of any good book store will leave you almost
bewildered by the wealth of books and pictures offered you in
choosing books for children, however, I would lay down three
cardinal rules: The story should be simply told in good English.
The pictures should have a real decorative value. The elements
of cruelty and horror should be absolutely missing
With Mother Goose and the tribe of Little Black Sambo
and the Little Red Hen for a foundation the day soon arrives
IBHH^BBMMBBMI
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
when fairy tales come into their own. Cinderella, Jack and the
Beanstalk, The Ugly Duckling, The Sleeping Beauty, Snow
White and Rose Red—their name is legion and the choice is
almost endless. But here as in the nursery rhymes and tales it
is well to step warily, weeding out the vicious and the ugly, taking care that the story be one which will not bring nightmares
and bad dreams to the child of tender years.
Almost at the same time the fairy tales are begun may come
a first reading of that great classic of childhood, Alice in Wonderland. I say a first reading, because it is a story which may
be read and re-read, over and over, always with delight for both
reader and listener. I have read it four times in the last eighteen
months to my boys, and I should be afraid to put down how
many times I myself read it as a child for fear I should not be
believed. The older people will have many a chuckle, or for
that matter many a thoughtful moment, over the sly humor of
the book. But toi the child, until he arrives at the age of discretion, it will be only an entrancing tale, one of which he will never tire.
The books I have mentioned so far have been the possession of generations of children. But for the special delight of
the present kingdom of small folk a new minstrel has appeared
to offer us song and story. I refer to A. A. Milne whose "When
We Were Very Young" strikes a new and altogether delightful
note in the literature of childhood. Scarcely less to be praised
is the recently published "Winnie-the-Pooh", the story of a teddy
bear whose whimsical and adventurous doings along with Christopher Robin make lively reading.
I feel this article would be incomplete without some mention of the books which have brought more happiness to my own
children than any others I can mention, altho they have all of
those I have named above and many others as well. But these
particular books are the real treasure of our bookshelf. They
are a collection of stories, rhymes, folk tales, and poems bound
in six volumes and called "My Bookhouse."
"My Bookhouse" has material collected from all over the
world, carefully written and edited for children by an editor
who knows and loves children intimately. The pictures and
decorations are of real artistic value, and I do not believe there
is such a wealth of literary material presented from the child's
own point of view to be found in any other collected set, excel-
�JULY, 1927
25
lent as most of these sets for children are. "My Bookhouse"
is published by the Bookhouse Publishing Company in Chicago
and is not sold in stores. Its price may seem rather a large investment, it sells now I believe for around fifty dollars for the
six volumes, but it can be purchased on the deferred payment
plan, and is well worth buying.
In this article I do not wish to touch on the guidance of
those children who are old enough to read to themselves. If
your editor permits me I shall speak in another article about the
eight-to-twelve books your children should know. I am writing now for the small people who must depend on us for mental
food as they do for meals and clothing. This means of course
reading aloud to the children and cultivating their love/ of books.
With my own family this reading-aloud-hour is just before
bedtime and is an inevitable part of our household schedule. I
wish I might bring home to you the immense joy you can gain
from reading aloud daily to< your children. It is a custom which
will do more to bind you and your children together in a permanent world of imagination and fun and spiritual insight than
any other I can call to mind. I believe with all my heart that
as parents we have no more right to starve the unfolding minds
of our babies than we have to deny them food. In the world of
rhyme and story we meet our children on a plane where we are
equals, where we can all speak the same language, and where
we can at one bound leap the barrier of the heavy years that lie
between us.
Sometime between the second and third year it is time to
begin telling, very simply, the story of Jesus, the Friend and
Brother. There are some splendid stories of His life, written
especially for children, but this is a story which falls so well
from the mothers' own lips, interpreted by her own heart that
I believe it is best told for the first time at least, from memory.
Just now we are getting great pleasure from a book by Frances
E. Boulting called "The Beautiful Childhood". This paints in
the background Jesus' early life in fine vivid colors and is
beautifully written. I recommend, too, the Arthur Mee Children's Bible. This is an edition from the Bible from which all
the tedious genealogies have been removed and only the material left which is suitable for children. What remains is given
in the same words as the King James version and will be found
especially good for reading aloud.
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
The library which you choose for your pre-school children
may be as large as your pocketbook and your inclination permit.
But as essentials, as a beginning if you have not already bought
books for the babies, I suggest these five books. I have just
telephoned my book store and can quote prices on good, but
cheap, standard editions.
The Nelson Mother Goose
$2.00
Stories for Little People
1.25
Alice in Wonderland
50
When We Were Very Young
2.00
The Arthur Mee Children's Bible
3.00
Total
$8.75
There you are! For eight dollars and seventy-five cents
and the taking of half an hour a day for reading aloud you can
lay a foundation in American culture the equal of many dollars
spent in later years on preparatory and finishing schools. And
incidentally you will be acquainted yourself with ideas and customs traditionally American.
Every expert in child training will tell you the early years
at home are the formative years. Do not lose them. Buy a
book, and another, and another. They are quite literally worth
their weight in gold many times over in the Americanization of
your babies.
* This book contains Little Black Sambo and most of the nursery tales
mentioned in my article, as well as a number of fairy tales.
(1) Alice in Wonderland.
(2) Alice in Wonderland.
(3) Robinson Crusoe.
(4) Gillette Burgess' Nonsense Rhymes.
(5) Nursery Rhyme.
A MANY-GIFTED ARAB
It is related that Abdullah Ibn Muslim al-Hudhalli competed before the Caliph Al-Mahdi among the Koran reciters
and won a first prize of ten thousand dirhams; then he competed
among the lance throwers and won first prize; then among the
singers and won first prize; then among the story-tellers and
won first prize.
"Never have I seen," said Al-Mahdi to the winner, "so
many gifts represented in one man as God granted to be represented in thee."
_
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JULY, 1927
Famous Cities of Syria
Tyre and Sidon
"And Dionysius rejoiced when he beheld the city which
Neptune had bounded with the humid girdle of the sea. And
he beheld what seemed a double wonder, for Tyre lies in the
sea, being bounded by the waves, yet belongs to the land. She
is like a maiden floating motionless, half hidden in the* waters
"Never have I seen more beauty, for the lofty trees murmur
beside the waves. The near-by wood nymph listens to the ocean
nymph speaking in the sea, and the mid-day breeze breathing
from Lebanon on the Tyrian waves, and on the maritime fields,
with the same breath that ripens the fruits, fills the seaman's
sails, at once cooling the brow of the husbandman and filling the
mariner's sails
"O City, famous throughout the world, image of the earth,
figure of heaven, thou holdest the triangular sword-belt of thy
fellow, the sea."
In these beautiful words does the Christian poet of the 5th
century, Nonnus, describe the city of Tyre, which even in his
own days had not lost the laurel of greatness which it had won
in the past history of its heathendom. Tyre and its twin sistercity Sidon are* among the greatest cities not only of Syria, but of
the whole world. They were centres from which a great civilization was propagated in distant lands across the Great Sea.
From Tyre sprang the great city of Carthage, which at one time
challenged Rome and almost won the victory.
So intimate is the history of Tyre with that of Syria that
the word Syria itself is derived from Tyre. In the English form
of the word, this, of course, does not seem likely, but the Arabic
name^ Sur, still retains the Semitic origin from which it is derived, and which easily explains the relation. The Assyrian form
of the name was Sur-ru, the Hebrew Sur, or Sor, while the
Egyptian Dara or Tar and the Greek Turos are nearer to the
English form. The conjecture of Herodotus that Syria is an
abbreviated form of the noun Assyria is not countenanced by
�.* "—
28
THE SYRIAN WORLD
serious scholars. Strictly speaking, Tyre and Sidon were Phoenician cities, and their glory was that of Phoenicia, but to the
world abroad, — to the Greeks in particular, who were, next
to the Phoenicians, the greatest sea-faring people in ancient times,
and some believe even greater, Phoenicia was synonymous to
Syria.
Little of the old splendor of Tyre has remained today to
tell the story of its extensive maritime empire j of the thousands
of merchant ships and war vessels which plied the seas and ventured as far as the Atlantic Ocean, beyond the bounds of the
end of the earth, according to the conception pi the ancients,
the Pillars of Hercules, where today the British heavy guns
guard the narrow strait of Gibraltar.
The present city is almost completely disconnected from its
historic mooring, being so since 1766 when the Mitwalis,
its present population, occupied it. Before that it had been deserted by the Christians after the destruction of Acre by the
Moslems in the 13th century. Tyre had been a Christian stronghold which gave a strong resistance to Saladin, who besieged it
in vain. After the flight of the Christians the1 city was completely destroyed and remained unoccupied until the advent of the
Mitwalis. Comparatively, the modern Tyre is not a great Syrian city, but holds its own as a city of the third rank; Sidon
fared better at the hands of time, and is today a more important
city than its twin-sister. The population of the former is about
5,000, that of the latter being about 15,000.
In its general contour, Tyre differs little today from what
it was thousands of years ago in the days of the Assyrians and
Egyptians. That little difference consists of a narrow: ,neck,
about % of a mile wide, which makes the city look like a man
stretching his head way out into the sea. This neck is an artificial one, and at one time Tyre was an island city. Or, more
strictly, there were two cities, one on the main land called Palae
Tyrus, or old Tyre, and Tyre proper, the island. As the name
implies, Palae Tyrus was supposed to be the more ancient of
the two, but modern scholarship, which is always fond of putting a damper on our cherished traditions, throws doubt on this
one, too, and holds that Palse Tyrus was the more modern of
the two.
The neck of land or "mole" which joins the two cities
goes back to the Greek period, and commemorates one of the
•<&l
�JULY, 1927
'* IB
29
most tragic days in the history of the Queen of the Seas, Tyre.
It is a permanent memorial of a valiant and bitter battle, in
which the Macedonian conqueror was victorious, despite the almost superhuman courage and defiance of the Tyrians. Alexander besieged the city 7 months, during which a mole which
Alexander had constructed to reach the city was destroyed, and
another immediately built in its place. Towers were built on
this mole to enable the Greek soldiers to ram the besieged city
and throw their javelins protected from the darts of the Tyrians.
We quote from Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography a succinct description of this historic conquest:
"The Tyrians annoyed the soldiers who manned the towers, by throwing out grappling hooks attached to lines, thus
dragging them down. Nets were used to entangle the hands
of the assailants} masses of red-hot metal were hurled amongst
them, and quantities of heated sand, which, getting between the
interstices of the armour, caused intolerable pain. An attempted assault from the bridges of the towers was repulsed, and does
not appear to have been renewed. But a breach was made in
the walls by battering rams fixed on vessels} and while this was
assaulted by means of ships provided with bridges, simultaneous
attacks were directed against both the harbors. The Phoenician
fleet burst the boom of the Egyptian harbor (the harbor on the
southern side of the city), and took or destroyed the ships within it. The northern harbor, the entrance of which was undefended, was easily taken by the Cyprian fleet. Meanwhile Alexander had entered with his troops through the breach. Provoked
by the long resistance of the Tyrians and the obstinate defense
still maintained from the roofs of the houses, the Macedonian
soldiery set fire to the city and massacred 8,000 of the inhabitants. The remainder, except those who found shelter on board
the Sidonian fleet, were sold into slavery, to the number of 30,000; and 2,000 were crucified in expiation of the murders of
certain Macedonians during the course of the siege. The lives
of the king and chief magistrates were spared."
Thus, after a siege of seven months, Tyre came into the
possession of the Greeks in July of the year 332 B. C.
How old is the history of Tyre?
According to Herodotus, who visited the city about 450
B. C, the priests of the temple of Melkart, the deity of the
Tyrians, told him that their temple was built when their city
�30
THE SYRIAN WORLD
was founded, 2300 years before, which makes the date of the
founding of Tyre, according to the informants of Herodotus,
2750 B. C.
This seems rather likely, for we read in the Tel-Amarna
letters that Tyre was then a great and well-defended city. As
the Tel-Amarna letters were written in the 15th century B. C,
it is only natural to assume that the city must have required a
thousand years to have become a famous city.
The history of Tyre does not differ materially from the
history of other Syrian cities, except that its isolated position
gave it a certain amount of safety from the assaults of the conquerors, and sometimes, as in the case of Alexander, brought
upon its own head the redoubled calamity of their vengeful
wrath.
In one of the latter instances we are told by Josephus that
Tyre resisted Nebuchadrezzar, the Babylonian king, thirteen
years, from 585 B. C. to 572.
It is of this siege that the Hebrew prophet Ezekiel speaks:
"Behold I will bring upon Tyre Nebuchadrezzar, King of Babylon, king of kings, from the north, with horses and with chariots,
and with horsemen, and with a company, and with much people.
He shall slay with the sword thy daughters in the field; and he
shall make forts against thee, and raise up the buckler against
thee."
Wallace B. Fleming, in his "History of Tyre", dates the
waning of the power and maritime leadership of Tyre to this
long siege, and says that Phoenician leadership passed for a time
to Sidon.
The golden age of Tyre was at the time of King Hiram,
friend and contemporary to King Solomon. It is not necessary
here to repeat the story of the alliance of these two monarchs
since it is fully related in the Bible. At this time the fleet of
Tyre was the greatest and most far-flung in the world, and
Solomon built a fleet of his own with the assistance of Tyrian
shipmen "who had knowledge of the sea."
Tyre was the most prolific city in ancient history in its
colonies. Dr. Fleming declares that "ancient historians credit
Tyre with having founded Sabarth in Africa, Lesser Leptis,
Hamdrumentum", and, according to the same historians, 300
cities on the Mauritanian coast beyond the Pillars of Hercules.
Doubtless, as this historian remarks, this is an exaggeration, but
I
1:
* "
�JULY, 1927
31
it indicates the extent of the commercial and colonial activities
of Tyre.
The most renowned of these colonies, however, was Carthage, the city which challenged Rome in the famous Punic
Wars, and which produced one of the greatest war generals in
the history of the world, Hannibal.
No records, we are told, have come down to us from Carthaginian historians, and but a brief statement, preserved by
Josephus, from Tyrian sources. The most famous account is
that of Virgil, in his Aeneid, Book I.
The Tyrian statement is to the effect that in the seventh
year of Pygmalion, King of Tyre, his sister fled from him and
built the city of Carthage in Lybia.
A longer account is given in Justin Martyr, the Christian
apologist of the 3rd century.
According to this authority, as quoted by Dr. Fleming, when
the king (Matgenus) died he left his son Pygmalion and his
daughter Elissa as joint heirs. "But the people delivered the
rulership to the boy Pygmalion. Elissa married her uncle Acerbas (Sychseus of Virgil), priest of Hercules, whose place was
second only to the king. This man had great but hidden riches.
Through fear of the king he hid his wealth not in buildings but
in the ground. Pygmalion, moved by avarice, slew his uncle.
Elissa was turned against her brother for a long time because
of this crime, but at length she dissimulated her hatred and
planned a secret flight. Certain princes who were in disfavor
with the king entered into league with her." By a clever ruse
Elissa escaped with her followers on board ships, carrying with
her the hidden treasure of her uncle. Her brother Pygmalion
was inclined to follow with a hostile fleet, but, it is said, he was
dissuaded by his mother who told him that she was moved by a
prophetic dream to see that the city was going to be the most
prosperous city of all the world.
The exact date of the founding of Carthage, discounting
the above half-mythical story, is not known. Dr. Fleming scouts
the tradition represented in Virgil that the founding of Carthage
antedates the Trojan war, but does not hesitate to carry it as
far back as the founding of Gades, the modern Cadiz in Spain,
and Utica, by the Tyrians, in the 12th century B. C. The reign
of Pygmalion came about 100 years after that of Hiram, which
makes the two dates not irreconcilably apart.
�32
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Whether in the days of the Tel-Amarna letters, or the
days of the Persian and Greek supremacies, or in the times of
the Romans, Tyre maintained itself, sometimes superceded by
Sidon, as a great maritime city. It was also famous for its industries, chief of which was the dyeing of silk and other cloth
with purple, the famous Tyrian purple, from the murex, a marine gastropod. Pliny tells us that the Tyrians caught the murex
with traps baited by mussels or frogs, and after catching it removed the sack which contained the precious dye while the animal was still alive or after it had been killed by a blow. For
slow death, said Pliny, injured the color. Strabo informs us
that Tyrian purple was acknowledged to be the best, and that
the large number of dyers' workshops in Tyre make residence
in the city "incommodius", referring to the unpleasant smell
which accompanies this industry. So crowded was Tyre in the
days of the Romans that its houses rose frequently to five and
six stories.
Long before the Roman period, Tyre was a leading, perhaps the most leading city, in commerce and industries. When
other cities of Phoenicia, Israel and Syria were in ruins, ravaged
by the Assyrian conquerors, the Prophet Ezekiel chides Tyre
for its pride. He takes up a lamentation against her, but in it
he enumerates the glories of the great city. "Thou, O Tyre,
hast said, 'I am perfect in beauty'. Thy borders are in the heart
of the seas; thy builders have perfected thy beauty." The whole
chapter 27 in which this quotation occurs is worth reading, as
it is, perhaps, the most colorful description of Tyre we have
from ancient contemporary writers.
Tyre remained for a long time under the rule of the Crusaders. William of Tyre describes the siege of the city, then
under Moslem rule, which ended in its surrender in 1124 A. D.
From that time on it remained in the hands of the Franks to the
end of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Its archbishopric was given
to William of Tyre, prior of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
at Jerusalem, "an Englishman reputed for learning and piety."
Beware of laziness or weariness; for if thou wert lazy thou
wouldst have no patience for thy duty; and if thou wert weary,
thou wouldst be impatient with those who have a duty towards
thee.
Al-Ahnaf.
o
c
0*3
fa
o
i—»
U
w
a
H
h
�THE CITY OF SIDON
View of the city and plain of Sidon taken from a cloister on one of the foothills of Southern Lebanon. Sidon is now famous for its orange groves and has lost its prominence as a
commercial seaport.
�THE CITADEL BY THE SEA
) I
The old Crusaders' Fortress built by the sea in Sidon on the ruins
of the former Phoenician quays.
�,
—
A RELIC OF OLD GLORY
..
">
Vf
1
t
Sarcophagus of a Phoenician king, found in the ruins of the old city of
Tyre, on which is in bold relief a Phoenician merchant ship, symbol
of the glory of the two Phoenician sister cities, Tyre and Sidon.
�NMPHHMH
THE BEGINNING OP HER ASCENT
With characteristic Syrian willingness, Anna is not averse to hard work,
and the American "Gents" watches her sympathetically and admiringly.
wiMimitaf sriiffimfwil
�33
JULY, 1927
Why I Wrote a Syrian Play
By
HARRY CHAPMAN FORD
Author of "Anna Ascends" etc.
The idea of writing "Anna Ascends" came first into my mind
during the winter of 1912, when I met and finally knew very
intimately a Syrian family living in Washington, D. C. Their
family life, their clean way of living impressed me and I decided
that the Americanization of such a race was a big factor in making "the melting pot" one of the greatest nations of history. I
figured here is a people who could read and write probably six
thousand years before the northern "blue eyes". Here is a race
who had a fine culture along with the great Egyptian dynasties,
and as criminology seems to be a statistical fad at the present
writing, here are a people who have less, en ratio, in prisons,
than any other in the world. Hence, I figured, why not write a
Syrian drama, a virgin field, anent the Syrians? I revolved the
subject around in my mind for some years. As a matter of fact,
women stars in the theatrical world pay an author much better
in royalties than male stars and I could not find an actress properly fitted to assume the role I had in mind.
In the spring of 1918, I think it was, I was in Boston and
happened to be strolling down Washington St., one Saturday
night, when I saw a moving picture billed at a small movie house.
I gazed only casually at the lithographs, but the star's name—
and face—attracted me. I went in the theatre and saw the picture and it was terrible, terrible, but the leading woman was
divine. At last, I felt sure, here is the woman to play my Syrian
girl. I left the theatre with my head full of a dozen first acts.
By the time I had walked a block I had a dozen more acts. I
turned into a side street which happened to be called "Beach"
Street and, lo and behold! there before me, in a deep and dingy
cellar was a Syrian restaurant. Considering it good locale and
atmosphere, I entered and ordered a meal. Providence must
have guided me, for there I met Anna Ayyobb, who waited on
me. I fancy I was the only Anglo-Saxon who had ever entered
the place. The proprietor was kind—and Anna was kinder, so
�«f-
34
I
THE SYRIAN WORLD
I checked out of my four-dollar-a-day room at The Adams
House, and took a room over Anna's dining room for three fifty
per week. Anna and I became very fast friends—that friendship
has lasted. She was wild for knowledge. A few cuss words were
her English vocabulary, along with yes and no. With the aid of
Poe's Metamorphosis, the novel Cranford and Gulliver's Travels, (Anna had selected them herself, willy nilly from a book
stall on Scollay Square) I taught her English. Every evening after
the customers had finished their water bottle smokes, we sat in
the kitchen, where Anna absorbed all three books with remarkable
quickness. By the time I had finished my play Anna had a fine
flow of the American language.
When it was time for me to market my play and I was compelled to return to New York to do so, Anna was working in
White's Store. One job led to another, up and up all the time,
until at last she took on the hardest, most worthy and honorable
job of the lot—that of being a wife and a mother and taking her
place in life. She now has four of the most beautiful children
I ever saw and, strange as it may seem, she did marry her boss's
son, just as she did in the play. So, as we have Anna happily
married, we will leave her.
The beautiful and talented star I saw in the very awful picture was Miss Alice Brady. I sent the script to her father, Mr.
William A. Brady, and inside of a week the play had been read,
accepted, contracted for and in rehearsal, and—the rest is history.
AS IN THE PRESENT SO IN THE PAST
Present day judges and juries have no monopoly on partiality to the fair sex. It is related of an Arabic poet that he
had a difference with a comely woman, which was. taken to court.
The judge, seeing the lady fair, decided in her favor, whereupon the poet composed a satire of the judge which in a very
short time was on the tongue of the whole city, and when finally
it reached the ears of the judge he had the poet brought before
him and ordered him flogged.
Modern judges would well like to emulate their illustrious
Arab colleague Ash-Sha'bi, who is the judge in question, if instead of sending the offenders to jail, thereby incurring the risk
of overtaxing present-day detention facilities, they could have
recourse to the simple expedient of flogging.
�,'—
JULY, 1927
331
Anna Ascends
By
HARRY CHAPMAN FORD
1
PUBLISHED FOR THE FIRST TIME AS ORIGINALLY
?
PLAYED ON THE NEW YORK STAGE.
ACT ONE.
Scene represents a Coffee House and general store in the
Syrian Quarter on the lower Westside, New York City— There
is a store counter running on the rake up and down stage at left.
Up extreme left is a ^straight staircase that leads to the sleeping
rooms. The room is four steps down from the street and is entered from up center, through opaque double doors. Windows
are right and left of steps, through which pedestrians can be seen
occasionally walking to and fro. On the windows are painted in
oriental letters the name of the proprietor and his business.
Along the wall at right are four ordinary restaurant tables at
which are four chairs each. Behind the counter are stacked all
kinds of strange dried fruits, nuts, cans of oil, strings of garlic,
Turkish candies, foreign beans and vegetables, cigarettes and
tobacco, etc., etc.
At rise of curtain Said Coury is behind counter setting things
in order after the rush supper hour which has supposedly just
passed. "Gents" is discovered at lower table sipping coffee and
smoking cigarette. He is a young man of about twenty-six, with
a studious face and charming and frank manner. He is a mystery to the habitues of the place, and is generally considered an
absconding clerk in hiding. He is really the scion of a wealthy
uptown family and is spending his time in the Syrian district to
a serious purpose.
SAID COURY—the owner of the place is a small fat Syrian full of good nature and is liked and respected by all his patrons. He is a thorough American and great patriot, continually
declaring his allegiance to the country and he means it. He has
been in the country for eighteen years, yet he speaks with a
strong accent. He has a bitter contempt for his fellow countrymen who have come to America and failed to take out their
naturalization papers and refers to them as foreigners.
�—..-^
36
---
,-
THE SYRIAN WORLD
SAID — More cafe, Gents?
GENTS — If you please. It's excellent.
SAID — (Starts to -prepare coffee) No
JUL
'Mer
such cafe where—
where you come from, Eh?
GENTS — I should say not.
SAID — You aint got La Ha Wish Me (Laham Mishwee)
or Laban or such, where—where you come from, either? No
such good things to eat. La? (no)
GENTS — No such good things, Said.
SAID — And the cigarettes, you like 'em, too?
-GENTS — The best ever.
. SAID — Them cigarettes, they come from my own old deestrict in Syria. The tobac are the finest grown in the world. You
know that?
GENTS — I am sure of it, Said.
SAID — I bet you it are. Rose water this time. (Indicating
coffee)
GENTS — Just a drop or two—and no sugar.
SAID — Das fine. You soon become a real Orential. You
drink arrac pretty soon and smoke Argila.
GENTS — Not a chance of either.
SAID — La? (no)
GENTS — No. That pipe is as strong as a bunco steerer's
nerve and as for that drink, Arrac, there is nothing in this country with the kick.
SAID — So?
GENTS — I tried that Arrac a couple of days ago and it
made me see sights that Barnum never saw.
SAID — Barnum. I member das fella. Fool da people alia
time.
GENTS — Yes, and he made them like it, too.
SAID — (Bringing over coffee) I guess Anna, she fall asleep
in dat store room ovathere.
GENTS — You mean your waitress?
SAID — Yes, I sent her down twenty minute ago to fill an
order for a good customer. I bet now she sits on a oil tin and
studies.
GENTS — Studies what?
SAID — 'Merican books.
Anna's a good girl. Been in
'Merica 'leven month and spek United States nearly lak me.
Study school book alia time. No work, Alia study. But she good
Bette
my r
can't
crool
the '
you
yet.
Der
on t
prol
cent
hon
�JULY, 1927
'Merican.
37
Fine.
GENTS — (As Said places coffee on table) Thank you, Said.
Better giveme a couple of packages of those cigarettes to take to
my rooms.
SAID — You live near here, yes?
GENTS — (Very indifferently) Quite near.
SAID — Out of job, yes?
GENTS — At present, yes.
SAID — All peeple say lots of things 'bout you 'cause dey
can't find nothing 'bout you.
GENTS — I don't care what they say.
SAID — Oh, I know you alia right. Good boy.
GENTS — How do you know I'm good, as you call it?
SAID — Oh, I know da crook when I see. Bunch Derry he
crook—He come in here once in a while. I tell him a crook
the way he looks at Rizzo da cop. Fearfully, you know. Now
you never look at Rizzo. So you no crook.
GENTS — You're right. The Police arn't looking for me—
yet.
SAID — (Crossing and getting the cigarettes) Dat Bunch
Derry, he's a "Duster" they tell me. Bad, bad boy.
GENTS — Don't believe I ever saw him.
SAID — I show you some time. (Brings over cigarettes.)
GENTS — How much, tonight, Said.?
SAID — Sixty-five cents, counting cigarettes.
GENTS — (Producing change) Cheap enough. (Puts money
on table) You evidently haven't as yet heard of the H. C. of L.
SAID — Wats dat?
GENTS — H. C. of L?
SAID — Yas.
GENTS — That means the high cost of living. It's a serious
problem,.
SAID — Oh, I know what das mean. Wid Garlic at eighty
cents a pound.
GENTS — The Garlic market is strong then, at present?
SAID —'
Damn strong.
GENTS — Then the only remedy for that is to use it in
homeopathic doses.
SAID — Homeo—what?
GENTS — Homeopathic—Means small doses.
SAID — Ho-meo-path-ic. I must sprung that on Anna.
�38
JULY,
THE SYRIAN WORLD
GENTS — On
SAID — Yas*
Anna?
Anna, she has a what you call it. 'Merican
word book
Dictioc
Diction
GENTS — Dictionary?
SAID — Das it, das it. Everytime Anna hear a big 'Merican word she look him up in the Diction
GENTS — Dictionary.
SAID — Dictionary.
Tanks. Anna good girl, alia right.
Good 'Merican. She carries flag too. Alia time carries 'Merican
flag.
GENTS — Sort of Georgie Cohen effect, eh?
SAID — Wat? I gas so.
GENTS — Well, she must have the right spirit.
SAID — Did I tell you? Anna, she a good girl. She studies
and some day she be fine 'Merican lady, like you.
GENTS — (Laughs) Like me, eh?
SAID — Yas. No, not dat. You see who I mean?
Mens
and womens mix wit me some time. My tongue goes wrong.
GENTS — Oh, it's all right, Said. Men and women always
have mixed, somehow, since the world began.
SAID — Damfino what you talk. You allus say one thing
and mean odder.
GENTS — Study the dictionary like er
whats her name
Anna and you'll understand me.
SAID — It tak me eighteen minutes to learn how to count
the money when I land in dis country. See, I count change in
eighteen minutes, but I here eighteen years, and can't spek
'Merican.
GENTS — Oh, I think you do very well.
(A man appears on sidewalk through window. He whistles
a soft signal and stands waiting expectantly for someone.)
SAID — (Indicating man on sidewalk) See, looka, Gents,
der das Bunch Derry, now. He whistles for hes pal. (An answering whistle is heard a short distance away.) You hear
Now hes pal come see. Dere up to some fine tricks.
GENTS — Tough looking fellow.
SAID — Tough, very tough, and ver' bad. ("Beauty" Tanner joins Bunch.) Dere, now, I tol' you. Das his pal, Beauty
Tanner.
GENTS — Another fine pug-ugly.
SAID — Das it.
that d
Bi
S;
B
heart...
&
none o
so cut
B
look 1
S
out.
I
Two £
I
one.
glish ?
<
i
drink
)
i
count
Chee
i
Whc
t
now
plea
�—
JULY, 1921
&
(Bunch and Beauty enter quickly and take seats at table
that Gents has vacated.)
BUNCH — Come on whop. Two arrac.
SAID — Don't call me das Wop.
BUNCH — Aw, hell, Ginnie, dago, what your greasy little
heart
.
SAID _ Say now. No trouble I want wid you. I am t
none of dose1 what you call. I'm from da Oreint, not from Italy,
so cut it out. Cut it out. I am an 'Merican.
BEAUTY — No? We thought you was a Eyetalian.
You
look like one.
And as an 'Merican I say cut it
SAID _ Well I ain't
out I ain't any of dose foreigners you call me.
BUNCH — Aw, don't get so peeved. Come on, come on,
Two arrac and put repeat marks on the order.
SAID — Repeat marks?
.
BUNCH — Sure, double O on it. Two kisses instead ot
one. In other words the same. Say can't you understand EnglS
SAID
_ Sure
Dictionary English.
(Pours out four
drinks.)
— Well get a move on.
(Who has moved over to, and is leaning on
counter) Use dispatch, proprietor. The gentlemen are in a hurry.
SAID — Wot gentsmen?
- m
BEAUTY — (to Bunch) That skirt
she aint around?
BuNCH _ Naw, I'll point her out when the time comes.
BEAUTY — Maybe some guy beat us to it?
BUNCH — No chance. As she looks now she don t fit.
Cheese it, here's her boss.
(Said has crossed with the drinks and places them on table.)
Where's your waitress, chief?
SAID — (Suspiciously) Why you ask dat?
BUNCH — Oh, well I see you waiting on table, lnat s all.
safe. Forty cents, please
and
SAID _ She's alright
BUNCH
QENTS
nOW
' BEAUTY — Say do you take us for a couple of crooks?
Just forty cents
SAID _ I don't tak you as nothing
please—and now.
BUNCH — Aw, give the old "can of rancid oil' the money.
BEAUTY — Sure I will. (Hands over change) He s liable
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
40
to stick us with a date pick, if we don't.
BEAUTY — (Indicating Gents) Who's that guy over there?
SAID — Das Gents.
BUNCH — No bull is he?
SAID — How I know. Wot you care. Yar afraid of bull?
BUNCH — I aint afraid of nobody.
SAID — (Crossing to behind counter) Yas, I know you both
var' brave
with women.
(Bunch takes drink with a gulp. Beauty follows suit.)
BEAUTY — Let's beat it and come back.
BUNCH — No. She's up stairs or on an errand or something. Wait a minute. (Business of drinking is repeated) I
want you to see this Moll. She's worth twenty a night to us.
GENTS — (to Said) Wrap me up a pound of pistachio nuts,
Said. I'll come back later for them.
SAID —• I sure will. You'r not going?
GENTS — Just for a few minutes.
BUNCH — Say, young fellow, have a drink?
GENTS — No, thanks. I don't drink.
BUNCH — Wots the matter with you. You ain't sick or
nothing?
GENTS — Not at all. Only I don't drink.
BEAUTY — Then he ain't no bull.
BUNCH — Two bowls of Laban with bread and one of
your bum salads.
SAID — In a minute. Anne will be here and she will get
it from the kitchen.
BUNCH — (to Beauty) Didn't I tell you? She's still here.
(to Said) All right, Chief, take your time. We'll wait.
GENTS (Starts up) I'll return later for the pistachio.
(Three loud raps are heard from the cellar.)
SAID — Das Anna. She is through at last. Look out.
GENTS — What?
SAID — Git away from dare.
(Gents steps few paces to the left and the trap door is pushed by Annans head. She carries a two-gallon olive oil can in
each arm. Strings of garlic are around her neck. A small pocket
dictionary is under the pit of her left arm and a sheet of paper
with an order written on it in Syrian is in her mouth. In her
blouse pocket is a small American flag. She pushes the trap door
up with her head and stands half revealed to the house. She is
'..--.
-
JL
dr
Ai
cat
op
at
fir
wi
to
ha
Sa
th
Ai
Ai
yo
�JULY, 1927
..
' i
i
I
41
dressed in the same costume that she wore on her arrival in
America. And though it is old and -patched, it shows signs of
care and brushing. Bunch grabs Beauty's arm.)
BUNCH — Here she comes. Lamp her now.
ANNA — Here's da Hell Damn order.
(She spits out the order from her mouth before she speaks.)
SAID — Did you' go back home to Syria to fill it?
(Anna pushes the trap door back until it falls all the way
open.) (She struggles to the top.)
GENTS — (Comes quicly down to Anna) Allow me.
(Gently takes cans that are very heavy from her. She looks
at him in a strange, but fascinating manner as it is probably the
first kind act ofered to her since she has been in this country.)
ANNA — Thank you. You kind mans.
GENTS — Rather heavy for a little girl like you.
BUNCH — Well, what do you think of her?
BEAUTY — Great. Slap up that hair of hers. Doll her up
with some glad rags and you have a winner. But she looks hard
to handle.
BUNCH — Naw, they're all easy, if you know how. I'll
have her "on the walk" in a week. You see?
SAID — Two orders of Laban and a salad, Anna.
GENTS — (Who has carried the cans to the counter and
Said prepares to wrap up the order.) Allow me to relieve you of
these. (Takes strings of garlic from her neck.)
ANNA — Thank
again.
SAID — You'll have to get a, crate for dis from the kitchen,
Anna.
BUNCH — Yes, and hurry that order of Laban and salad,
Anna.
ANNA — How you know my name Anna?
BUNCH — Ain't I just heard it four or five times?
ANNA — Well keep on hearing it, but das all.
BEAUTY — Fresh Moll.
BUNCH — I'll knock that out of her.
ANNA — I'll get that box, boss. And da Laban an' salad.
SAID — You weigh dat Garlic Anna. / get the box. Keep
your eye on the drawer, Gents.
GENTS — Of course.
BUNCH — (As Said crosses to door) Rush that order, Chief.
SAID — Sure, yas. (Exits.)
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
42
— You know what das is? (She refers to the garlic
which she starts to weigh.)
GENTS — It is an edible.
ANNA — A edible? (Takes dictionary from focket) How
you spell das ed-dee-bull?
GENTS — E.D.I.B.L.E. Edible.
ANNA — Waz das mean, edible?
GENTS — Oh, something good to eat.
ANNA — Das a new one. I must remembef das. I see you
lots here, wot your name?
BEAUTY — She'll fall for that dude, sure.
GENTS — They call me Gents.
ANNA — Gents? Was das mean?
GENTS — Oh, it is an abreviation for gentleman.
ANNA — For gentleman? Yes, das true. You gentleman.
I se
a gentleman is a man das gentle, yes?
GENTS — Well, that is about as good a definition as any.
ANNA — Defi
what? What das word mean?
GENTS — A description
an explanation.
ANNA — (Thumbing the book) One word as hard as the
other. But I learn, sure. I learn to be a gentlemans, too.
GENTS — No, you are to be a lady, you know.
BUNCH — (to Beauty) Sure, a walking lady.
GENTS — Of course, you are a lady now, but the more you
learn the better lady you become.
SAID
(Entering with the box) No Laban left. All gone
at supper hour. Can give you a good salad.
BUNCH — (Rises) Aw, never mind, never mind. Lets
beat it, Beaute.
BEAUTY — Aint yer going to broach the jane?
BUNCH — Not with that guy hanging around. I'll come
ANNA
Dciclc.
BEAUTY
— Righto. We've got no chance wid a guy wid a
white collar.
BUNCH — I'll muss it up for him, sometime, if I get a
chance. (Walks over to Anna, who is standing at counter. Gents
is above her. Said has crossed to left of counter.).- Say, I've got
something very important to say to you when there aint nobody
around to butt in on our conversation.
ANNA — Yas? Where you get das word—conversation?
BUNCH — Aw, out of the Journal.
�sss
JULY, 1927
43
ANNA — Was it mean — conversation?
BUNCH — Talk
speil, gift of gab, chewing the rag
ANNA — Chewing das rag. How you spell das conversa-
tion?
BUNCH — Damfino.
ANNA — (Looking through
book) How it starts, with a K
or C?
BUNCH — Don't know.
ANNA — If you don't know
even so little you don't have
much conversation to chew with me. Yas?
BEAUTY — Come on, Bunch.
BUNCH — (Puts his left arm around her waist and brings
his hand dangerously near her left breast.) Sure, I got something swell to tell you.
ANNA — (Looks down at the familiar and disgusting attempt of his hand.) Well, have your hands in your pockets
when you tell it.
BUNCH — Sure, baby doll.
ANNA — Yas, I think you had better put them in your pockets now.
BUNCH — Now don't get peeved.
(He brings his hand
nearer to the danger mark.)
ANNA — Stop das, you.
BUNCH — Aw rats.
GENTS — Better do what the lady tells you.
BUNCH — Aw, go to hell, you.
(He suddenly attempts
to draw Anna close to him. Gents makes a start to stop him, but
Anna takes Bunch's hand in her two, raises it to her mouth and
gives it a vicious bite.) Ouch, my God, don't.
ANNA — You keep 'em in your pockets, yas?
SAID — Get out of here.
BUNCH — Damn you, you little
GENTS — I say. Just a moment.
(Bunch stops dead in
his action and speech.) What were you going to call her?
BUNCH — Aw.
BEAUTY — Hand him one, Bunch.
GENTS — What were you about to call her? Little what?
Little lady, wasn't it? That is what I called her a moment ago.
BEAUTY — (Moves threatenly) Say
SAID — Stay as you are, or I bunch das Argila over das
bean.
(To be continued.)
�f~
JU
THE SYRIAN WORLD
44
The Tournament
by
FUAD AL-BUSTANI.
An account of Lebanese prowess in the 19th century.
Translated from the hook, "In the Days of the Emir",
It was eventide of a springday in the year 1829. The sun
had set in the west, bathing the hilltops of Lebanon with its
golden hue, and spreading over its dales and valleys a sheen of
thin particles, dancing and sparkling on the slanting rays of the
sun, a sheen of exquisite, changing colors of rose, purple and
yellow. Emir Bashir had finished his work and left his "pillar
chamber", the richly decorated diwan in which he transacted
his government affairs, followed by his trail of courtiers at the
head of whom was Mu'alim Butrus Karameh.
The procession went through the harem to the "Eastern
Pavilion", the little annex at the rear of the palace, overlooking
the beautiful valley which extends from Al-Mu'asir to the Mediterranean Sea. In that pavilion the Emir used to hold social
court after his day's work was done. With his nargilah or chibouk before him, he would listen now to the romantic tales of
chivalry from Wihbi Agha al-Jazzini or to choice selections of
poetry from Butrus Karameh, the special poet of the Emir after
the death of Nicola al-Turk.
That night he was listening to some war ballads when one
of the guards at the gate entered and, bowing low before the
Emir, announced that a man from Mardin sought to present
himself to His Excellency.
The Emir nodded, as much as to say "let him come in."
Presently a huge, tall man, with square shoulders and a
large head, topped with a tall turban, filled the doorway. He
had a short, sparse beard, and long, curled moustaches tapering
to a sharp point, terraced on the sides with stocky side-burns.
He bowed, and wrapping his gilt-striped 'aba over; his right arm,
he approached with steady and slow steps.
"May Allah bless thy evening, Excellency," said the man
in an accent which betrayed his Kurdish origin.
"And thine," replied the Emir.
I
�JULY, 1927
45
The man, still standing, continued:
"I am a man from Mardin, my lord, and am known in my
country as Al-Dalati. Allah, may His name be praised, has
granted me supremacy in feats of arms and chivalry over all
my challengers in those districts, and I have come here to challenge in tournament the knights in the service of Thy Excellency."
The Emir listened attentively as he played with the tip of
his beard and scrutinized the man from head to foot. When
the man had finished, the Emir raised his head and said in slow
deliberation:
"To-morrow, Allah willing, we shall see."
Then, calling Salim, his bursar, he told him to take good
care of Al-Dalati, and resumed his smoking.
When Al-Dalati had turned his back and started towards
the door, all realized, as they followed with their eyes the slender legs of this challenging stranger, his light steps, the way
he deftly wrapped his1 caba on his arm, that they were up against
a gallant knight not to be lightly dismissed. The Emir turned
to the captain of his knights and inquired:
"Whom of your men would you send against him, O Wihbi?"
Wihbi was silent for a while as he gazed into space and
stroked his chin as if trying to recall the qualities of each of his
men, then replied:
"What says Your Excellency of 'Ali al-'Imad?"
The Emir paused a little and said:
"Such cake comes not from such dough! O Wihbi. £Ali
is a clever horseman, and dexterous in the tricks of chivalry, but
is not the man for this Mardinite."
Then none is left us but Shaykh Abu Sa'b," put in Wihbi.
"Yes," consented the Emir, "I was first afraid for 'Ali's
life from the Mardinite, but now I am afraid for the Mardinite
from As'ad, lest, if hard-pressed, he would pierce him through
with one of his famous hurls!"
"We will warn him to be careful," said Wihbi.
When Shaykh Abu Sa'b was brought before the Emir, he
was told of the challenge of the Mardinite, and charged to be
careful with him on the field of combat. Abu Sa'b bowed and said:
"By thy head I swear, O Emir, that I will hit him seven
times, and will not touch his body once!"
�46
THE SYRIAN WORLD
The Emir smiled contentedly and counseled Abu Sa'b to
rest and be ready for the ordeal.
The sun shone brilliantly on the vast outer midan, the, tournament field, as Al-Dalati and Abu Sa'b approached from a distance towards the Emir, who was with his courtiers, before the
large gate, waiting anxiously for the charge. The Emir remained standing and would not sit on the rich carpets which were
brought out and spread by the servants.
Al-Dalati was leading a grey steed, with a wide breast,
showing beneath the forelock a beautiful, white spot, while Abu
Sa'b lead a bay charger with a graceful narrow body. Shaykh
As'ad Abu Sa'b .wore a Kufite silk head-kerchief, held in place
by a gold-woven 'akal, and its free ends gathered behind his back.
Al-Dalati's headgear was a long, conical turban, of the kind
known by the name of kawook.
Slowly the two approached the dais of the Emir and, bowing to him in greeting and seeking his permission for the combat, in accordance with»the rules of tournament, they returned in
opposite directions. There was complete silence among the spectators, broken by the neighing of the horses, and the shouts of the
two combatants as they closed upon each other in a cloud of dust.
Everyone held his breath, fixing the nearing combatants
with their strained eyes. Presently a thundering voice of warning was heard.
"Your face, O Dalati! Your face, O Dalati!" It was Abu
Sa'b. He had no sooner given this warning than he hurled his
lance, which hissed with a strange noise and hit the kawook of
Al-Dalati broad-side. It flew in the thick of the dust and fell
to the ground.
"Long live Abu Sa'b!" cried the Emir, who had been standing all this time. Then he called for his nargilah and sat down
on a carpet-covered cushion. He resumed his observation of the
tournament as he puffed beamingly at his nargilah.
Again the horsemen parted and again they closed, and for
the second time the kawook of the Mardinite was hurled to the
ground. As this was repeated for the third and fourth times,
the wrath of Al-Dalati knew no bounds. He grit his teeth and,
bellowing like a wounded bull, he charged his opponent, but Abu
Sa'b, like a supple, lithe panther, always managed to be out of
danger of Al-Dalati's lance. Now he would slide beneath his
horse, clinging to his belly, now he would bend paralleled to its
;
�JULY, 1927
47
back with the swiftness of the wind, now he would alight from
his horse, race by its side on foot, then jump on its back again.
After seven charges had been run, and seven times the kawook of Al-Dalati had fallen to the ground, the Mardinite, reverting to his Kurdish, tongue, picked his kawook as he spoke indignantly to Abu-Sa'b:
"Janum, dushman int wahdha-l-kawook?" which, translated,
means:
"My good friend, are you an enemy of this kawookr"
Then he charged with his whole might against Abu Sa'b and
hurled his lance towards him with a might which, if it had hit
him, would havq surely killed him. But Abu Sa'b intercepted it
with his own lance, and Al-Dalati's lance went whizzing on a
tangent and plowed the ground where it struck.
Then, like lightning, Abu Sa'b rode his horse after AlDalati, and as he closed upon him he jumped from his horse to
the back of Al-Dalati and, taking the reins from his hands, led
him captive to the palace of the Emir. When they reached the
gate, Al-Dalati shouted out in submission:
"In all the world there is none like Abu Sa'b."
The Emir smiled and ordered that two prizes be given the
contestants, then, turning to Al-Dalati, he said:
"Go now and recount what you saw of the valor of the
Emir's horsemen."
THE JUSTICE OF TOULOUN
Ahmad Ibn Touloun was the governor of Egypt when his
son 'Abbas had a man brought to trial for having intercepted
one of his female musicians and broken her instrument.
Ibn Touloun asked the offender what prompted him to
his action and he replied: "O Emir, I did so to discourage excesses
which are undermining the people's morals."
"But," retorted Ibn Touloun, "do you not know that 'Abbas is my son and you should respect him at least for my sake?"
"Respect for the laws of Allah should take precedence over
respect for man, no matter how great he may be," replied the
man.
Ibn Touloun reflected for a while in silence, then he said:
"My good man, go and break man-made laws in the upholding
of the laws of Allah as much as you wish, and you will find
in me a staunch defendent of your action."
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
48
Alone7. No, Not Alone
By
DR.
N. A.
KATIBAH
(The epic flight of Co I Chas. Lindbergh from New York to Paris was
the inspiration for Dr. N. A. Katibah to write the following poem on the
afternoon of May 21st, 1927, which we are happy to publish as an expression of the feelings of all Syrians in America over the unparalleled air feat
of the intrepid young American which has fired the imagination of the whole
world. Dr. Katibah's poem was published in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle by
whose courtesy it is here reproduced.)
Editor.
•
Alone? — No, not alone!
A mother's heart in anxious care,
A mighty nation bowed in prayer,
A youthful bosom true and fair,
— My engine's gladsome drone —
All rise above both earth and sea,
And fill this blank eternity;
Sweet voices all, and dear to me,
Ne'er cease to urge me on.
Alone? — No, not alone
I cleave the air with main and might,
And ride upon the wing of night,
And watch the fleeting stars in flight.
Alone? — No, not alone,
Though silence awes my daring heart,
And space eternal plays its part
To chill my hope — behold I start
To hear my engine's drone.
Alone? — No, not alone!
The glorious pen of history,
The voice of men and memory,
A feat of worth and bravery,
And, too, my engine's drone,
Do make me brave both wind and rain,
To lift the Stars and Stripes amain
In glory o'er the clouds to reign
Alone! — Is this alone?
�GARDEN SPOT IN THE UPPER REACHES OF LEBANON
:
<:W
*
f thtk tnwn of Hasroun in Northern Lebanon, almost completely rebuilt in modA panoramic view of the town ot Hasroun, » ""«
„„„.„ rp«nrt and is but a short dis-
�A
NATURAL
WONDER
A natural bridge in Lebanon whose great arch can be judged by comparison with the size of the
man standing on the extreme right.
CD-I" at, tin cr qf.*fl £.» j| rvi
GO
Pt rt rt rf »"i
c* o
Hi
s- o jx" fcr \=r *" gr
�JULY, 1927
49
NOTES AND COMMENTS
By
THE EDITOR
OUR FIRST ANNIVERSARY
Measured by ordinary standards, a single year is but a
short span of time in the life of an individual or an enterprise.
A lone candle in the birthday cake can signify not much more
than the implied hope of the parents or the sponsors that the
child or the enterprise shall continue to live and to grow. Where
there is life there is hope, is the popular saying, and hope is in
continual need of being buoyed up and nurtured until the nursling is raised up to maturity.
Not so the case with our yearling "SYRIAN WORLD". We
feel that this publication should not, for many and various reasons, be judged by common standards of age. A year, the first
trying and crucial year, negotiated safely and with a plentiful
reserve of physical stamina and an inexhaustible supply of cheering hope, may well be considered a positive sign of virile maturity. It is proof of the adequacy of the machinery employed for
the production of the publication, as well as of the urgency of
the cause it seeks to serve. It may be truthfully said of it now
that it is on the high road to a career of fuller achievement and
service with a commensurate consciousness of vigor and security.
It is the consensus of opinion that the publication of THE
SYRIAN WORLD was undertaken at the psychological moment.
Undoubtedly many of our leading thinkers had for a long time
reasoned on the necessity of such a publication which would
serve as a vehicle for the dissemination of fuller knowledge
about Syrian history and culture and a means of establishing
points of contact and understanding between the different factions of the race now forced to be gradually drifting apart, and
between our race and other races. Consequently, when the publication made its appearance, the minds were ripe for its reception, and the rallying of our best talent, both in America and
abroad, to its support contributed to render it the scholarly,
dignified informative organ fit to represent our highest racial
traditions and culture. The passing of the first year only served
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
50
to strengthen our able contributors and collaborators in their
conviction that the publication is deserving of continued encouragement and support, and it is on the strength of this
renewed assurance that we are able to make the promise of
added improvement in the future.
The importance of this attitude on the part of our contributors cannot be sufficiently stressed. In their liberal collaboration, gratuitous all, they are fully contributing their share towards the cause of service to which THE SYRIAN WORLD is
dedicated. We know of no other Syrian literary undertaking
into the support of which has been brought together so much
racial talent of the highest rank. It is the expression of the
consciousness of our intellectual class to the necessity of collective effort in the promotion and service of a worthy public cause.
Our only hope is that the public will awaken to the fuller
appreciation of this fine display of the spirit of public service
.and respond to these efforts in a way to prove that they are more
generally recognized. In other words, this publication which
is intended to serve should be made to reach the maximum number of people for whom the service is intended. Our present
friends who have been witnesses to our past efforts could assist
materially in enlarging the circulation of the publication, thereby
insuring the widening, proportionately, of its sphere of service
and usefulness.
WHAT AILS SYRIAN INDUSTRY?
In his analysis of the problems besetting the soap industry
in Syria, Prof. Harold Close may well be credited with having
discovered the vulnerable points of native industry in general.
He has also prescribed an efficient remedy, and we would recommend, not only to our readers in Syria, but to our readers in
America as well, the careful study of the recommendations embodied in this timely article.
Industry in Syria is still carried on in the haphazard fashion
prevalent from time immemorial. It is crude and primitive and
takes little or no account of the strides being made by its sister
industries in the West. Science in Europe and America has
changed the basis of the old order of things both in manufacture
"".'
.
~ ?m:*c --'.!" mt^«**v.
-< -
/--":—
-
.
�JULY, 1927
51
and management, but in Syria and the East in general the inherited order seems to be governed by an immutable law, and
because no consideration is taken of changing conditions, the inevitable result of total failure in the struggle for supremacy
even in home market would seem to be a foregone conclusion.
In these times of quantity production and intensive
methods, commodities manufactured thousands of miles
away from a given market can be offered to consumers after
payment of transportation costs and custom duties at much less
than they can be produced by home industries. The reason is
all too obvious: it is quantity production by means of machinery
and economy in manufacture and management through collective effort. Both these elements are sadly lacking in Syrian industry.
Inaptitude for co-operation in any form seems to be one
of the great national vices of the Syrians. Hence the limitation
of all enterprises to individual efforts. Even Syrian emigrants
have not yet outgrown this deficiency in their national characteristics, for which reason we strongly urge upon our readers in
America the careful pondering of the recommendations of Prof.
Close.
What also cannot be sufficiently condemned is the apathy
of the Syrians towards home products. For decades preceding
the World War there was manufactured in Lebanon a certain
strong cotton fabric of distinctive design known as "Deema", a
sort of extremely durable gingham, which, while it lasted, proved a steady source of profit both to weaver and trader. But
being a native product, it was of course not good enough for
even those who made it, although the markets of Anatolia and
Greece could not be sufficiently supplied.
Another case in point is that of Syrian silk which, in quality,
ranks even higher than the Italian. Under ordinary circumstances one would expect the Syrian market to be the best customer for the' native product, but the Syrian mind does not seem
to, be able to perceive it in that light.
Only a few years ago the late Naoum Labaky, a sincere
patriot who had studied Western methods and sought to apply
them in his native country, which honored him by electing him
to the presidency of the Legislative Council of Lebanon, initiated
a movement whose ultimate aim was the rehabilitation of the
economic independence of the nation. He advocated pride in
�50
THE SYRIAN WORLD
to strengthen our able contributors and collaborators in their
conviction that the publication is deserving of continued encouragement and support, and it is on the strength of this
renewed assurance that we are able to make the promise of
added improvement in the future.
The importance of this attitude on the part of our contributors cannot be sufficiently stressed. In their liberal collaboration, gratuitous all, they are fully contributing their share towards the cause of service to which THE SYRIAN WORLD is
dedicated. We know of no other Syrian literary undertaking
into the support of which has been brought together so much
racial talent of the highest rank. It is the expression of the
consciousness of our intellectual class to the necessity of collective effort in the promotion and service of a worthy public cause.
Our only hope is that the public will awaken to the fuller
appreciation of this fine display of the spirit of public service
and respond to these efforts in a way to prove that they are more
generally recognized. In other words, this publication which
is intended to serve should be made to reach the maximum number of people for whom the service is intended. Our present
friends who have been witnesses to our past efforts could assist
materially in enlarging the circulation of the publication, thereby
insuring the widening, proportionately, of its sphere of service
and usefulness.
WHAT AILS SYRIAN INDUSTRY?
In his analysis of the problems besetting the soap industry
in Syria, Prof. Harold Close may well be credited with having
discovered the vulnerable points of native industry in general,
lie has also prescribed an efficient remedy, and we would recommend, not only to our readers in Syria, but to our readers in
America as well, the careful study of the recommendations embodied in this timely article.
Industry in Syria is still carried on in the haphazard fashion
prevalent from time immemorial. It is crude and primitive and
takes little or no account of the strides being made by its sister
industries in the West. Science in Europe and America has
changed the basis of the old order of things both in manufacture
�f
JULY, 1927
M
51
and management, but in Syria and the East in general the inherited order seems to be governed by an immutable law, and
because no consideration is taken of changing conditions, the inevitable result of total failure in the struggle for supremacy
even in home market would seem to be a foregone conclusion.
In these times of quantity production and intensive
methods, commodities manufactured thousands of miles
away from a given market can be offered to consumers after
payment of transportation costs and custom duties at much less
than they can be produced by home industries. The reason is
all too obvious: it is quantity production by means of machinery
and economy in manufacture and management through collective effort. Both these elements are sadly lacking in Syrian industry.
Inaptitude for co-operation in any form seems to be one
of the great national vices of the Syrians. Hence the limitation
of all enterprises to individual efforts. Even Syrian emigrants
have not yet outgrown this deficiency in their national characteristics, for which reason we strongly urge upon our readers in
America the careful pondering of the recommendations of Prof.
Close.
What also cannot be sufficiently condemned is the apathy
of the Syrians towards home products. For decades preceding
the World War there was manufactured in Lebanon a certain
strong cotton fabric of distinctive design known as "Deema", a
sort of extremely durable gingham, which, while it lasted, proved a steady source of profit both to weaver and trader. But
being a native product, it was of course not good enough for
even those who made it, although the markets of Anatolia and
Greece could not be sufficiently supplied.
Another case in point is that of Syrian silk which, in quality,
ranks even higher than the Italian. Under ordinary circumstances one would expect the Syrian market to be the best customer for the' native product, but the Syrian mind does not seem
to, be able to perceive it in that light.
Only a few years ago the late Naoum Labaky, a sincere
patriot who had studied Western methods and sought to apply
them in his native country, which honored him by electing him
to the presidency of the Legislative Council of Lebanon, initiated
a movement whose ultimate aim was the rehabilitation of the
economic independence of the nation. He advocated pride in
�52
THE SYRIAN WORLD
manual labor as a principle, and willingness to give preference
to home products as a means. He couched his plea in eloquent
and forceful words, but all his vehemence could not rouse his
countrymen out of their lethargy.
Perhaps when there is a recurrence of advice on native industry from able and sincere foreign specialists, such as that
coming from the American professor, we would be sufficiently
aroused to consideration. And it may be, as a good many observers hold, that the application of new methods will be forthcoming first from the emigrant sons of Syria by virtue of their
fuller appreciation, through more intimate contact, of the benefits derived from the application of modern methods. Progress
in matters political, educational and social are bound to come in
the same manner.
POLITICS AGAIN
Mr. Joseph Mawad of Dallas, Tex., takes exception to our
comment on his letter published in the June issue wherein he
states that there is a "class of Americans who resent the intrusion of any foreigner into the sacred portals of that American
institution—Politics." If any other impression was gained from
our comment we are glad to make the correction. But conceding there is a "class" we entertain serious doubts as to its ability
to shape the course of the whole American nation in the pursuance of such a policy. "Do Syrians in America find their racial
extraction a hindrance to their entry into politics" is a question
that we feel is deserving of an answer, and we again invite our
readers to express themselves on the subject with a view to elucidating the issue.
"SON OF AN IMMIGRANT"
There was pride and sincere exultation ringing throughout
the speech of welcome which Mayor Walker of New York delivered on the occasion of the memorable reception tendered Col.
Charles A. Lindbergh upon his triumphal entry into the metropolitan city on June 13th. The climax of the Mayor's speech
was reached when, moralizing on the readiness of the world,
�JULY, 1921
53
especially the United States, to give honor and distinction in
recognition of worthy achievement, he referred to both himself
and Col. Lindbergh as sons of immigrants. The words of the
Mayor should be an inspiration to every son of an immigrant
and it is with that object in mind that we reproduce them for the
benefit of our readers:
"Here today," said Mayor Walker, "as Chief Magistrate
of this city, the world city, the gateway to America, the gateway
through which peoples from the world have come in the search
for liberty and freedom—and have found it—here today let it
be written and let it be observed that the Chief Magistrate of
this great city, the son of an immigrant, is here to welcome as
the world's greatest hero, another son of an immigrant."
A REMINDER
The management of THE SYRIAN WORLD is anxious to do
everything possible towards facilitating to subscribers the making
of gift subscriptions to their friends. It has inaugurated a policy
of making 20% reduction on all gift subscriptions. The purpose, as alluded to in the remarks on our first anniversary, is
to broaden the field of service by having the publication reach
the maximum number of readers possible. We expect our loyal
friends to respond to this patriotic call.
I
A REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR
We welcome to the ranks of our regular contributors the
gifted American writer, Mrs. Barbara Bourjaily, who is so much
in love with Syrians that she married one. Mrs. Bourjaily is
of old American ancestry tracing her forbears to pre-Revolutionary days on both sides of her family. She has done extensive
newspaper work and has published two books, Mother Goose
Secrets and The Mothers' Cook Book. Her's is one of those
well-balanced intellects which is able to make a happy reconciliation between the home and a career, and we feel happy in
giving our readers the assurance that her articles will be found
brimful of entertainment and valuable information.
FOR YOUR SUMMER READING
Have THE SYRIAN WORLD as your companion over the
summer vacation. Write early and advise us where you wish
your copy mailed to and for how long.
�_—
THE SYRIAN WORLD
54
Spirit of The Syrian Press
Under this caption we hope to present from time to time a microcosmic picture of the Arabic press, not only in this country, but wherever
Arabic dailies and magazines reflect the opinions of responsible, thinking
writers who are treating the different problems that confront the Arabicspeaking world from all conceivable angles. Needless to say, we will take
no part in the discussions reproduced, nor assume any responsibility. Our
task will simply consist in selecting, to the best of our knowledge and
with utmost sincerity, what we think is representative of the public opinion as expressed in these editorials.
Editor.
THE CASE OF RASHAYYA
We are with the Rashayyans in
the three following demands:
1—In compelling the Druzes to
evacuate Rashayya.
2—In punishing the leaders of the
Druzes, not their rabble.
3—In rebuilding their town and
compensating them for their
losses.
But we are against them in evacuating their home town themselves
for the Druzes to remain in sole
possession. This would be as if the
inhabitants of Ehden, Becharry,
'Ackoura, Deir el Kamar and Jezzine were to decide on evacuating
simply to be out of danger of attacks. We would, therefore, suggest that the Rashayyans return to
their home town, but insist on having it fortified as a frontier outpost,
similar to Verdun, where a strong
Lebanese garrison would be stationed at all times.
Al-Hoda, N. Y., June 20, 1927
THAT SENSITIVE CHORD
The heart of Syria does not beat
except to the tune of the sensitive
chord of sectarianism. That chord
is in Syria of the vitality of the
jugular vein: if it be severed, then
there is immediate danger on the
life of the country. No other deduction could be had from the news we
repeatedly read in the papers of
Syria, that most unhappy of countries through its religions.
Truth has become lost in the Old
Country because sectarianism is 99
per cent, of the volume and patriotism is the remaining 1 per cent.
And pray, what is the benefit of
patriotism in a conglomeration
where each one sees his patriotism
either in his Koran or Bible?
In spite of the prevalence of this
lamentable condition we find many
who blame France for having failed
to bring about the hoped for reform
in Syria, while others accuse the
High Commissioners of either laxity or favoritism or incapacity. The
truth of the matter is that the
trouble lies with ourselves. It is a
trouble that is inherent and chronic,
and it is none other than religious
sectarianism which disposes of our
patriotic hopes, throttles our natural gifts and prostrates the truth
in the nation to be trampled upon
under the feet of abhorrent fanaticism.
As-Sayeh, N. Y., June 6, 1927
mammae-
•
�tJLm
55
JULY, 1927
WHO BROUGHT FRANCE
TO SYRIA?
France's entry into Syria, as well
as England's entry into Palestine,
was by the will and consent of none
other than France and England
themselves. We all know the story
of the secret treaties, or, as the
Americans call them, the Black
Treaties, because they were written
in the darkness of night, by which
the Allies divided the bear's skin
before he was killed and drew up
plans for the division between
themselves of Ottoman territory.
What we see today in Iraq, Palestine and Syria is but the result of
those treaties, and if the occupation
has b:en given the deceiving name
of Mandate or supervision it is not
so in fact. These names are only of
a nature to deceive the peoples governed as well as the United States
which entered the war on the side
of the Allies on the famous points
of Wilson and principally that of
"self-determination".
Meraat-Ul-Gharb, N.Y.,June 9, 1027
replacing the policy of force by that
of understanding with the Syrians
and Lebanese for the preservation
of the prestige of France and the
restitution of the love they formerly held for her.
What thwarted these High Commissioners in their laudable efforts
was the arrogance of the military
party and their associates of the
extremist colonizers. No sooner
would these officials be ready to return to Syria and Lebanon to put
into effect their programs of reform
than they would receive orders to
join their predecessors in the "storage house".
This is what is about to happen
to Ponsot, which is in keeping with
what happened to Gouraud, Weigand and De Jouvenel. This operation shall be repeated until the colonizers succeed in transfornrng the
mandate into a veritable colony at
the opportune moment.
Meraat-Ul-Gharb, N.Y.,June 11,1927
LAME JUSTICE
The mandatory authorities have
apprehended the murderers of Major
WORKING FOR COLONIZATION
Tiney, a Frenchman, and caused
They claim that France is in- them to be tried before a military
nocent of the blood that has been tribunal refusing to listen to their
shed in Syria, and innocent also of plea that they had surrendered
the numerous mistakes committed within the limits insuring amnesty
by her officials and representatives to insurgents.
The Government has done well
one after the other. The excuse
by
taking this stand aga;nst spilthat is offered is that the men who
were sent by France to Syria and lers of innocent blood because it
Lebanon were misfits who jumbled has proved by this action its readithe task entrusted to them. But in ness to deal justice to ruthless culrefutation it may be pointed out prits. But if the murder of one
that upon examination of the rec- person is punished by executing
ords of these officials, and especial- two of his murderers and sentencing
ly the High Commissioners, it be- several other accomplices to life
comes plain that almost everyone terms have we not a right to ask
used to return to Paris to convince the Government the reason for its
his government of the necessity of apparent clemency in dealing with
�56
THE SYRIAN WORLD
the sackers of whole towns and the
murderers of the inoffensive inhabitants ruthlessly and by the wholesale?
The Government must be aware
that there was a barbarous massacre of the inhabitants of Rashayya by the Druzes, but what has it
done to bring the murderers to
justice ?
Let those who are in charge of
the government reflect on their actions and how they are pursuing
the murderers of Major Tiney and
overlooking others who are equally
culpable and they will undoubtedly
feel ashamed of their lame justice.
The Syrian Eagle, N.Y., June 7, 1927
FOES RESPECT VALOR
MISAPPLYING CONTRIBUTIONS
The Druzes and Moslems of the
United States have collected $150,000 for the relief of their brethren
who suffered from the Druze revolution. Where did all this money go?
Was it spent in the cause for which
it was collected, or was it spent on
other ends not compatible with that
cause ?
Read the Druze paper, Al-Bayan,
which has published and still publishes long lists of contributors, with
the sums which each contributes.
Did these contributions reach the
sufferers, or were they spent by people whose conscience has been numbed, using it for their selfish, personal
interests ?
(Ash-Shaab, N. Y. Feb. 16, 1927.)
The action of General Valiers in
admiring the valor of his fallen foe,
SYRIAN CULTURE
young Emir Izzedin Jezairy, who fell
martyr in open battle with the
Love of knowledge as not foreign
French is touching to the extreme. to the Syrian race which, in the
The sorrow of this general over the comparatively Dark Ages, held the
loss of the noble Arab hero is am- torch of science and philosophy
ple proof that French generals re- high to the world. It was Syrian
spect heroism in us and appraise at scholars who, in the 8th and 9th
their full worth our valiant young centuries A. D., translated the
men who launch in the struggle for works of Aristotle, Archemides,
the liberty of their country and the Hippocrates and many other Greek
honor of their nation.
philosophers and scientists into
In view of this splendid action Arabic; and it was through Latin
what can the traitors among the translations that Europe became acSyrians have/ to say? Will they de- quainted with Greek learning, and
rive a lesson therefrom and under- thus was the way paved for the Restand that their French masters naissance.
themselves hold in high respect Meraat-Ul-Gharb, N.Y.,June 11,1927
those who oppose their domineering
attitude and unsheathe the sword in
THE LOGICAL SOURCE
their faces? Will they understand
that the French despise the cowards
Having gown the seeds of liberty
and the lowly, and condemn, openly
in Syria, Sultan Pasha Atrash has
and in secret, those who roll their
betaken himself to the desert in
faces in the dust before them, as
search of water to irrigate hig planmany of these traitorg do?
tation.
(Al-Bayan, N. Y., June 27, 1927.)
(Aa-Sayeh, N. Y., March 28, 1927.)
�JULY, 1921
THE COMING MASSACRE
57
a cruel massacre which will be
mainly due to the shameful tolerance
of France and the silence and inaction of the Lebanese government.
(Al-Hoda, N. Y., June 23, 1927.)
We make this statement in the
fullest spirit of loyalty and disinterestedness and with the object of
presenting a convincing argument,
but we doubt that other than those
who are free from prejudice will
COULD IT BE TRUE
support our view.
Our plain statement is that a
Could it be possible? Has French
massacre of Christians in Lebanon misrule in Syria reached the climax
and Syria is approaching.
which impels it to acts of common
We also wish to go on record that criminality ?
the conspirators who will bring
One could understand the state
about this massacre are the French of mind of French reactionarism
profiteers who receive bribes and which brought about the bloody civil
practice despotism, together with war in Syria; but the human mind
the Lebanese traitors who are wont staggers before the contemplation
to offer bribes so that they may re- of sordid vileness and abysmal wicceive bribes in turn.
kedness implied in the rumor that
It may be said that the mandatory French officials might have been reauthorities could not countenance sponsible for the recent conflagrabloodshed while their military forces tion which consumed about 15 milare the ones who bear the brunt of lion dollars worth of goods in the
the fighting. But to those whoi hold Customs Warehouses on the wharfs
this view we say that the tolerance of Beirut.
shown by the French is the major
Beirut is outside of the, revolution
factor in the coming massacre which zone, and goods stored in the Cusshall be brought about by the rising toms Warehouses belong to proof the Druzes and their accomplices French Syrians as well as to nationagainst the submissive, unsuspecting alists. The only motive behind this
Christians whose former experi- wicked act, if true, is to hide a long
ences in these tragedies seem to record of dishonesty of French offihave availed them naught.
cials in the Customs House. This
The Druzes who have lately de- record, if revealed and subsantiated,
stroyed Rashayya and Kowkaba and would not be surprising; it is permassacred the inhabitants of these fectly congruous with the general
Christian towns are now under the conduct of French officials in Syria,
impression that France is weak and before and after the revolution. But
incompetent and that the policy she the effort to hide petty larceny, said
is now pursuing in dealing with to be committed by these officials,
them gently and meekly is due sole- by the holocaust of stupid criminalily to her fear of their mig'ht and ty, is unconceivable. For the sake of
prowess and great feats of arms. common decency and the reputation
They further believe that the more of human nature we pray that the
they oppose her the more she show- accusation proves false, and that the
ers upon them her favors and be- fire was due to unforeseen natural
stows on them high offices.
causes.
The Christians of Lebanon and
(Meraat-Ul-Gharb, N. Y.,
Hauran may then well prepare for
June 25, 1927.)
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
58
About Syria and Syrians
report on methods of preservation
and restoration returned to Damascus early in May and submitted a
On May 12 the Senate of the plan whereby 320 dwelling houses
Lebanese
Republic
unanimously now built within the original conpassed a resolution tendering the fines of the city are to be demolishpeople of the United States its pro- ed and others erected at a considerfound sympathy over the disaster able distance at an approximate
resulting from the Mississipi flood. cost of 11,500 Turkish pounds. It
Mention was made in the resolution is then recommended that excavaof the sympathetic interest shown tion work should begin immediately
by the American Government and to restore the ruins to their original
people in the people of Lebanon dur- state which then would be a great
ing their severe trials both during attraction for tourists from all
and after the war, as well as of the over the world. Already there is
consideration and protection being in Palmyra an up-to-date hotel
enjoyed by Lebanese immigrants in equipped with all modern convenithe United States, which made the ences where overland travelers beLebanese nation "feel as one with tween Syria and Mesopotamia
the American nation in the present stop overnight, because Palmyra
calamity wh;ch has befallen it."
lies about midway between Beirut
Mr. Paul Knabenshue, American and Baghdad along the new autoConsul General in Beirut, made mobile route across the desert.
proper acknowledgment of this ten- Regular passenger service is now
der of sympathy and in his reply maintained between
Syria and
to t)he Lebanese Senate thanked the Mesopotamia, and the restoration of
Lebanese nation in the name of his the ruins of Palmyra should prove
Government for its courteous ac- not only an attraction for more
tion.
tourists, but an inducement for
travelers to spend more time in the
locality inspecting the famous ruins.
THE RUINS OF PALMYRA
LEBANON SYMPATHY WITH
AMERICA OVER FLOOD
Palmyra, the great capital of
queen Zenobia, lying on the edge of
the Syrian Desert to the northeast
of Damascus, has been found in
danger of being gradually engulfed
by the constant encroachment of
the sands of the desert which fact
prompted the Syrian Government
to take immediate steps to save it
from total obliteration.
A commission of experts having
gone to inspect the famous ruins and
CONSIDERATE OF HIS
TARBOUSH BUT NOT
OF
HIS
LIFE
A great conflagration broke out
in the customs warehouses of Beirut in the early morning hours of
May 24 which caused a loss estimated at about fifteen million dollars
and threatened for a time to spread
to the city. The fire, for one thing,
�JULY, 1927
proved that the fire fighting facilities in the city were inadequate.
Already a movement is on foot for
the acquisition of modern apparatus.
Newspaper reports of the fire
picture nearly the whole city turning out to witness the awe-inspiring
scene of huge buildings being enveloped in flames and scores of harbor craft, some laden with inflammable material, being in danger of
catching fire. Amidst this pandemonium an insipient fire was discovered breaking out in a building
adjoining the main warehouse by
the quay. A Syrian spectator, realizing the danger of the spread of
fire, hastened to drag a hose and
effectively ply a stream on the danger spot. While thus engaged and
in the excitement of his work he
felt 'h/'mself in danger of losing his
tarboush and managed to adjust it
with one hand while holding the
hose with the other. Another Syrian, who was wearing a hat, felt
amused at the gesture and remarked, in French, naturally, that the
fire-fighter appeared to be in too
much fear for his headgear, whereupon, a French officer who had been
watching with admiration the efforts of the gallant native gave a
piercing look at the one who had
made the slighting remark and said:
"But does he show any fear of losing his life?"
59
some Damascus papers and ascribed to some of these repatriated
prisoners are full of the most gruesome details. The English Consulate in Damascus took notice of
these rumors and hastened to deny
them, but for some reason or other
they would not down, and some
papers go to the extent of giving
supposedly authentic names of the
prisoners and their home towns in
Syria and Palestine.
Aleph-Ba, a leading daily paper of
Damascus and one of pronounced
liberal tendencies, reports a visit to
its office of one of these repatriated
prisoners whose name it gives in
full and describes as being in such
an emaciated condition as to hardly
be able to walk. It ascribes to hjm
statements to the effect that thousands of Syrian prisoners, taken by
the British while serving in the
Turkish army, were kept in Singapore for the last ten years where
they were put to hard labor and denied permission to communicate
with their home country or the outside world. A large number of these
prisoners, it is stated, perished like
galley slaves at their benches, but
the survivors are being sent iri
small groups to Bassora where they
are set at liberty and told to seek
their way home. The informant of
the paper, the report further states,
asserts that of his group a large
number perished en route through
exhaustion, while those who arrived
in Damascus are seeking aid to re20,000 SYRIANS
PRISONERS OF WAR turn to their home towns in Palestine and other parts of Syria.
One reading the Syrian papers of
From other papers it is learned
late comes across such lurid titles
that
these rumors about Syrian war
as "Twenty Thousand Prisoners
prisoners
spread throughout Syria
Rise from the Dead", "Syrian War
and
Lebanon
like a prairie fire so
Prisoners Kept by English Ten
that
the
inhabitants
of the remotest
Years", and others of similar purhamlet
must
have
heard
of them
port. The details published by
�60
THE SYRIAN WORLD
within a day or two of their ap- of vital statistics in Lebanon, 1,190,pearance. They have, for one thing, 008 unregistered Lebanese emiraised hopes among those whose grants who do not pay taxes which
sons and relatives were drafted in shows, if the figures prove correct,
the Turkish army during the war that there are nearly twice as many
that they might still be alive, and Lebanese emigrants as there are
seekers of information are flocking residents.
into the cities from all directions.
But the veracity of the reports LEBANESE MEMBER OF
CONGRESS IN COLOMBIA
seems to be everywhere questioned.
It is inconceivable, according to the
Al-Hoda of New York reports that
consensus of opinion, that a civiliz- during the election held in Salandar,
ed power like England who is ac- a State of the Republic of Colombia,
credited with the most humane
for a seat in the National Congress,
treatment of prisoners, should em- Dr. Gabriel Tarabay beat his oppoploy such uncivilized methods in the
nents by a large margin and was
treatment of its war prisoners. Othhailed as the youngest member ever
ers doubt that news of the existence
to be elected to the Congress, he
of such a large number of prison- not being over twenty-five years old.
ers could have been kept from the
Dr. Tarabay is of Lebanese desworld for such a length of time.
cent and besides being a physician
of note enjoys a national reputation
for eloquence and forcefulness as a
POPULATION OF LEBANON
public speaker.
What purports to be the result of
an official census was published by
THE CARAVANEERS
a Lebanese paper giving the populaThe Caravaneers of Boston seem
tion of the Lebanese Republic at the
to be traveling in the right direcend of 1926 in religious denomination. They are treking on the road
tions as follows:
to intellectual progress and good
Emigrants
companionship. Last year, as we
Residents paying road leam from a letter of the secretary
taxes
of this organization, Miss Theodora
Moslems—
Scoff, a number of young people
Sunnites
122,189
1,657
organized this club for the purpose
Shiites
101,777
1,327
of promoting better understanding
Druzes
38,940
2,468
between themselves and taking an
Maronites .... 178,257
19,415
active interest in the life of the comGreek Orthodox, 68,539
10,259
munity. Their membership is drawn
Melchjtes
40,414
3,567
from college graduates and students
Protestants ...
3,986
378
who live or go to school in Boston.
Armenians ... 33,538
These young intellectuals are not
Miscellaneous .
6,952
159
ashamed of being identified with
According to this table the total their racial extraction and the enresident population of Lebanon thusiastic spirit they show in prowould amount to 598,852, while moting things that rebound to the
registered emigrant tax payers are benefit of the Syrian race is worthy
to the number of 39,240. There are, of emulation and deserving of the
however, according to the records highest commendation.
�JULY, 1927
A. U. B. FUND REACHES $120,000
Announcement of $120,000 already pledged to the Alumnae Fund
of the American University of Beirut was made by President Bayard
Dodge of the University by cable
from Beirut to the American headquarters of the Near East College
Association, 18 East 41st Street,
New York.
The amount of the fund which is
being raised by Syrian alumni and
friends of the American University
of Beirut was made public at the
exercises of the University when
messages were received from Syrians in all parts of the world reporting pledges. The occasion was
notable as an international gathering. Two thousand people were
present including many alumni as
well as high French and Arab officials.
Ninety-four students, including a
number of women, were graduated
from the University and one hundred fifty-six from the Preparatory School.
The American University of Beirut, which was founded in 1866 by
Dr. Daniel Bliss, is setting educational standards for a large part of
the Near and Middle East. The new
automobile route across the Mesopotamian Desert has brought to it
over two hundred students from
Persia and Iraq and conservative
Moslem communities hitherto untouched by foreign influence.
That the Syrians themselves are
convinced of the value of the University of Beirut is shown by the
response to the Alumnae Fund which
represents the greatest educational
movement in Syrian history. The
fund which is expected to total
$150,000 is for the purpose of establishing and enriching the Oriental
Department of the University.
61
PLANT OF AL-HODA
DAMAGED BY WATER
On the afternoon of Friday, June
24, fire broke out in the bonded
warehouses at 52 Greenwich St.,
New York City, directly in the rear
of the building of Al-Hoda, the
leading Arabic paper in the United
States, and caused such damage to
the plant as to prevent the appearance of the publication for
about a week or ten days. The great
volume of water poured by the firemen on the burning building flooded
its cellar and caused so much pressure as to open a wide breach in
the wall through which it overflew
into the pressroom of Al-Hoda where
it rose to a height of 7 ft., submerged all machinery and damaged all
the paper stock and material. The
loss is believed to be fully covered
by insurance.
Mr. N. A. Mokarzel, editor and
publisher of Al-Hoda, in a statement mailed to his subscribers,
made the definite promise of resuming publication on or about the
Fourth of July.
A SYRIAN ASSISTANT CITY
ATTORNEY IN TEXAS
The Port Arthur News of Port
Arthur, Tex., in its issue of June 8,
carried on its first page the announcement that Mr. J. B. Holway,
a Syrian and an Arabic poet and
writer of note, had been appointed
assistant city attorney and entered
upon his duties on that date. Mr.
Holway had previously been in the
service of the Federal Government
as Immigration Interpreter and acquitted himself creditably. His appointment to his present position is
proof of ability recognized without
regard to his foreign extraction.
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
62
SYRIAN YOUTH WINS
MEDICAL HONORS
Leo A. Elkourie, son of Dr. and
Mrs. H. A. Elkourie, of Birmingham, Ala., has had a remarkable
career while a student at the University of Alabama during the last
five years.
He received his B. S. degree last
year, and this year on account of research work, he received the degree
of M. S. in medicine. To 'him falls
the honor of being the first medical
student to receive the Phi Beta
Kappa honors at the U. of A.
His research work last year conducted under the guidance of Prof.
E. Larson and dealing largely with
the thyroid gland evolved some results which attracted wide attention.
A paper, entitled the "Role of Toxin
in Parathyroid Tetany," was presented before the American Federation of Biological Society in Rochester last April, received the 10
minute consideration which is the
maximum for scientific papers in
this body, which is composed of the
Society of Biological Chemists, the
Psychological Society, the Society
of Experimental Pathology, and the
Society of Experimental Therapeutics.
(The Birmingham News)
Political Developments in Syria
It was definitely announced in the
Temps of Paris that M. Ponsot, the
French High Commissioner in Syria,
would embark on the S. S. Mariette
Pasha for Beirut on June 14. No
intimation was given, however, of
his future plans or policies. M.
Ponsot has succeeded in keeping intimate counsel with himself and it
is expected that immediately upon
his arrival in Syria he will announce
definitely his program which will be
carried out in full as it would embody the maximum concessions
France is willing to give to the Nationalists and map out a comprehensive course for the future administrative policy in the country.
In view of M. Ponsot's reticence,
however, it is idle to conjecture on
the nature of this policy. From some
usually well informed sources it is
learned that the principal recommendations which M. Ponsot made
to the Cabinet and received its sanction thereof are: 1—The convoking
of a General Assembly to determine
the form of government to be adopted for Syria. 2—The authorization
of a plebiscite in the districts ceded
to Lebanon to determine whether
they would prefer their present
status or elect to revert to their
former condition of inclusion in the
Syrian states. 3—The granting of
full amnesty to the revolutionists.
4—All the above, however, to be
conditional on the immediate, complete and unconditional laying down
of arms by the revolutionists.
It should be borne in mind that
the above statement is not official
but bears all the earmarks of being
close to the program brought back
by M. Ponsot to Syria.
If the question of the plebiscite
should be true, it might give rise
to new difficulties in the French
administration of Lebanon.
Already there are signs of growing
dissatisfaction among the Christian
faction which had been hitherto the
staunchest supporter of France. In
a debate on the question of Leba-
/
i
�•JBMMMMM
JULY, 1927
)
\
nese citizenship in the House of
Representatives there was an acrimonious exchange of accusations between Sheikh Al-Kazin, a Maronite
member, and the representative of
the High Commissioner. One of the
remarks of the native member was
to the effect that the Lebanese consider themselves masters of their
own dest'ny and should have the
final and decisive say in such matters as citizenship. He also said,
in reply to a direct question from
the Frenchman, that he made the
above statement in full consciousness of the fact that he was representing his constituency and his coreligionists.
Grumbling against the French in
Mt. Lebanon is assuming more serous proportions. The restriction of
the freedom of the press is being
h-tterly resented. The fire at the
customs warehouses in Beirut, believed to be of incendiary origin and,
according to general belief, designed
to hide the suspected larceny of
French and native officials, has given added impetus to the display of
dissat-'sfaction. And if, as it is expected, Lebanon is to be deprived
of territory it considers falling
within its natural boundaries and
forming an integral part of the
country, then there is fear of the
dissatisfaction culminating in an
open break. An ominous forecast
of such an eventuality was contained ;n the bittor remarks of the Patriarch on the occasion of the visit
of the officers of the French fleet.
MILITARY OPERATIONS
The armed rebellion in Syria may
well be cons;dered to have been
definitely suppressed, judging by the
latest press dispatches. It is reported from London that Sultan Pasha
Atrash, the Druze leader of the revolution, has been exiled to Nejd, a
63
remote district of Arabia under the
rule of Ibn Saoud, while two thousand of his followers surrendered to
the French and were granted full
amnesty.
This information, coming at the
end of June, may be the outcome of
the efforts of the H;gh Commissioner upon his return to Syria. M.
Ponsot sailed from France on the
14th of June and allowing seven
days for passage, he should have
reached Beirut by the 21st, and between that date and the end of the
month must have brought about the
surrender of the Druze rebels and
the exile of their leader.
It 'had been previously known that
the revolutionists were reduced to
dire straits. A special appeal for
funds cabled by the leader to his
sympathizers in America made an
urgent appeal for funds. His exile
to Nejd may be due to his unwillingness to keep up a hopeless struggle
any longer and to his desire to secure amnesty for his followers. The
next mail from Syr,;a should throw
light on these new developments by
which the revolution was brought to
an end.
Previous to this latter information, there were reports in the Syrian press of a severe engagement
between a detachment of seventy
rebels which invaded the Ghuta,
close to Damascus, and a superior
force of native volunteers. The
rebels were commanded by the young
Emir Izzedin Jeza,-ry who stood his
ground in battle with thirty loyal
companions, after the others had deserted him, and met an honorable
death. He was accorded military
honors by the French.
Other than the above, there were
only the usual reports of small bands
of brigands and outlaws operating
in different parts of Syria, especially in the neighborhood of Homs.
�64
THE SYRIAN WORLD
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Newspapers
Description
An account of the resource
<h4>Biographical/Historical Note</h4>
<p>Salloum Mokarzel, a Lebanese American intellectual, founded<em> The Syrian World</em> in 1926. Salloum Mokarzel was the younger brother of Naoum Mokarzel, the publisher of the Arabic-language newspaper <em>Al-Hoda. </em>Together, the Mokarzel brothers ran Al-Hoda Publishing, and in 1909, they published <em>The Syrian Business Directory.</em> </p>
<p>Mokarzel created <em>The Syrian World</em> in order to document and celebrate the culture and history of "Syria." At the time, Syria referred to the modern-day countries of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. The publication was primarily aimed towards second-generation children of immigrants, but Mokarzel hoped that it would also appeal to the general American public.</p>
<h4>Scope/Content Note</h4>
<p><em>The Syrian World</em> was published between 1926 and 1932 as a journal. In 1932, the format was changed from an academic journal style to a newspaper style, which continued until the periodical's end in 1935. After the death of his brother Naoum, Salloum took over the publication of <em>Al-Hoda.</em></p>
<p>The articles in <em>The Syrian World</em> cover a variety of topics spanning from the practical to the theoretical. Practical subjects include international and domestic travel, historical and contemporary Arabic and Arab-American art and literature, and the mental and physical health and hygiene of immigrants. More theoretical, philosophical, and ideological subjects include ideologies of race, the changing role of women, the formation of Syrian and Lebanese-American societies, and the political and psychological relationships between immigrants and their countries of origin.</p>
<p>All issues of <em>The Syrian World</em> are available, along with full indexes for the first four volumes. For volumes five and six, there are tables of contents at the start of the issues.</p>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabs--United States
Arabic periodicals
Newspapers
Arab American Newspapers
Creator
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Salloum A. Mokarzel
Source
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New York Public Library
Publisher
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Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
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1926-1935
Relation
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<em><a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/41" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Syrian Business Directory</a></em>
<a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/44" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mokarzel Family Papers</a>
<a href="http://hdl.handle.net/11299/175685" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Annotated Index to the Syrian World, 1926-1932</a> at the University of Minnesota Immigration History Research Center Archives
<a href="https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/58" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Al-Hoda Newspapers</em></a>
Language
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English
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Processed by Claire A. Kempa, 2015-2017. Collection Guide written by Claire A. Kempa, 2017.
Collection Guide updated by Laura Lethers, 2023 August.
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The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
These materials are digital copies of an original resource held by another institution. The KCLDS Archive often works with other institutions to make digital materials available online to the public. KCLDS is not able to grant permission to use or reproduce these materials. The KCLDS Archive strongly encourages users to contact the holding institution for permission to use or reproduce materials from their holdings.
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NS 0002
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This digital material is provided here for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law.
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TSW1927_07reducedWM
Title
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The Syrian World Volume 02, Issue 01
Date
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1927 July
Description
An account of the resource
Volume 2 Issue 01 of The Syrian World published July 1927. The issue opens with an article by Harold Close which discusses the importance of the soap industry in Syria. Following the article there is a Syrian folk song that has been translated by Ameen Rihani. After the folk song there is an article by Dr. N. A. Katibah discussing Sufism which features a depiction of Umar Ibnu 'L-Farid done by Kahlil Gibran. The Syrian cities of Tyre and Sidon are also highlighted in this issue before a play by Harry Chapman Ford. This issue celebrates the publication's one year anniversary. The issue concludes with excerpts from the Arab press and more information on the political developments in Syria.
Subject
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Arabic literature--History and criticism--Periodicals
Arabs--United States--Periodicals
Lebanese-Americans--United States--Periodicals
Language
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English
Creator
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Salloum A. Mokarzel
Syrian-American Press
Source
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New York Public Library
Publisher
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Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Coverage
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104 Greenwich St., New York, NY
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Text/pdf
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Text
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The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
1920s
Ameen Rihani
Harry Chapman Ford
Kahlil Gibran
Music
New York
Sufism
Syria
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/16ac9f3781be5d67adff6a189bdc79b4.pdf
7c427ac98cdfc6c07bc8c43d1228e74c
PDF Text
Text
�—
i—m
THE
SYRIAN WORLD
SALLOUM
A. MOKARZEL, Editor.
PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE SYRIAN-AMERICAN PRESS
104 GREENWICH STREET, NEW YORK, N. Y.
By subscription $5.00 a year.
Single copies 50c
Entered as second-class matter, June 25, 1926, at the post office at New
York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879.
JUNE, 1927.
VOL. 1. No. 12.
Contents
PAOB
The Geology of Syria and Lebanon
By PROF. ALFRED ELY DAY
3
Contentment
7
Where East and West Meet
By AMEEN RIHANI
8
Counsel
tl
The Great Lyric of Al-Farid
By DR. N. A. KATIBAH
12
Criticism> and Advice
Benefits of Syrian Emigration to Syria's Future
By REV. W. A. MANSUR
17
18
The Wisdom of Mu(awiyah
26
"
�CONTENTS (Contmm^d).
PAOB
The Reward of Magnanimity (An Arabian Nights' Story).... 27
The Chosen Three
31
By SUMAYEH ATTIYEH
Syrian Proverbs
Famous Cities of Syria — Beirut
31
32
From the "Kalila wa Dimna"
38
Spring (a poem)
39
By BENJ. T. HOFFIZ
Syrian Schools in Brazil
40 \
The Road to Bliss
41
Notes and Comments — By THE EDITOR
Casting Shadows Ahead
Syrian Philanthropy
The Syrians in Politics
42
44
46
Spirit of the Syrian Press
47
About Syria and Syrians
51
Readers' Forum
56
Political Developments in Syria
57
ILLUSTRATIONS IN THIS ISSUE
A General View of Beirut
The Placid Bay of Beirut
Relics of Old Beirut
Views of New Beirut
The Famous Pine Grove of Beirut
A Picturesque View of the Court of a Mosque in Syria
Alice Brady as the Syrian Heroine in "Anna Ascends"
A Scene from "Anna Ascends*'
--
pi
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�THE
SYRIAN WORLD
VOL. 1. No. 12.
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The Geology of Syria
and Palestine
By ALFRED ELY DAY
Professor of Natural Sciences, American University of Beirut.
The mountain ranges which run parallel to the coast of
Palestine and Syria from Hebron to Alexandretta are in the
main Cretaceous. During the Cretaceous period, the Mediterranean was vastly larger than at1 present, and spread over much
of southern Europe, northern Africa, Syria, Palestine, 'Irak,
parts of Asia Minor and Arabia, and other regions farther to
the east. Throughout the Cretaceous period, the bottom of this
sea was being filled up with sediments from ancient rivers, some
of which exist today. The Nile came from the heart of Africa,
but it did not extend nearly as far north as a* present. It poured
out from among granite hills into a great ;arm of the sea which
had its southern shore not far from Aswan. The Euphrates
came down from the northeast as at present, but, instead of turning southeast, as it now does near Aleppo, its sediment laden
waters reached the sea north of where Urfa now stands.
After the end of the Cretaceous period, in the early part
of the Tertiary period, the crust of the earth gradually rose in
a great ridge which finally culminated in the series of mountain
ranges which we now call the Highlands of Judea, Carrriel,
Jabal Rihan, Lebanon, Jabal-un-Nusayriyyah, and the Amanus
or Kurd-Dagh.
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
East of these mountains was formed a great depression
which in part'is lower than the ocean. It includes, from south
to north, the Gulf of 'Akabah, Wadi-ul-'Arabah, the Dead Sea,
the River Jordan, the Sea of Tiberias, the upper Jordan and the
lake of al-Hulah, the upper valley of the Leontes or Litani,
the plain of al Bika', and the valley of the <Asi or Orontes.
East of this long valley or series of valleys lie the AntiLebanon or al-Jabal-ush-Sharki and Mount Hermon or Jabalush-Shaykh. South of Hermon there are no distinct mountains
but the land rises sharply from the Jordan, the Dead Sea and
Wadi-ul-'Arabah and then slopes off gently to the eastward forming the great plain which we call the Syrian Desert or Barriyyatush-Sham.
Not all of this land rose above the sea at once. Parts of
it did not emerge until the Tertiary period was well advanced,
and therefore bear Tertiary rocks formed from the sediments
which were deposited upon it while it was the bottom of the
Tertiary sea.
The rocks of the different periods are distinguished by the
fossils which they contain. These fossils are the remains of the
animals and plants which were then living.
While most of the surface rock of Syria and Palestine is
Cretaceous, and while some is younger, i. e.t Tertiary, as just
stated, there are in some places older rocks. In the deep valleys
of Lebanon and on some of the heights, the rock is Jurassic.
Jurassic rocks are also found in northwestern Sinai. In northern Syria, Paleozoic rocks are found in the Amanus mountains
near Alexandretta. In the south, they are found at the south
end of the Dead Sea and in the Peninsula of Sinai. Still older
rocks are found north of the Paleozoic rocks in northern Syria
and south of the Paleozoic rocks in Sinai. These older rocks are
crystalline rocks, such as granite, and are frequently intersected
with by dykes of porphyry.
It is impossible to make a precise statement of the age of
any of these ancient rocks. The Paleozoic rocks are certainly
many millions of years old. Much older are the Pre-Paleozoic
crystalline rocks. The Cretaceous rocks, which make up most of
Syria and Palestine, are several millions of years old. That is,
it was certainly several millions of years ago that the sea extended over what is now Syria and Palestine, while on the bottom of
this sea were deposited the sediments which hardened into the
rocks of which our mountains are made.
�JUNE, 1927
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5
In most parts of Syria and Palestine, the Cretaceous rocks
are the only rocks visible, but in the deep valleys of Lebanon,
and in some other situations, the Cretaceous rocks are found resting upon Jurassic rocks. If we could penetrate below the Cretaceous rocks elsewhere, we might come to Jurassic rocks which
have never been exposed, and, under the Jurassic rocks, we might
find Paleozoic and Pre-Paleozoic rocks.
Let us try to construct a geological history of Syria and
Palestine from the earliest times, many millions of years ago,
to the present day. Some parts of this history must be purely
guess work, but in the main it is in accord with observed facts.
In Pre-Paleozoic times we may suppose that most of the
area was land. In the Paleozoic, some parts of it sank below the
sea level. In the Jurassic period, larger areas sank below ocean
level, and most of Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon and a part of the
Peninsula of Sinai were certainly sea. It seems likely that Palestine was also part of the Jurassic sea, but of that we cannot be
certain, because none of the valleys in Palestine have cut deep
enough to expose the base of the Cretaceous. In the Cretaceous
period there was further sinking, and the sea spread over more
territory than it had before, or has since. The wide extent of
Cretaceous rock in Syria, Palestine, parts of 'Irak, Arabia, Sinai
and Egypt is positive proof of a wide Cretaceous sea covering
all the lands where we find this rock.
Most of this area rose above the sea to form mountains and
plains in the early Tertiary. Those regions where we find Tertiary rocks remained below until the Tertiary period was partly
or wholly past. A very interesting instance of this is to be found
on the coast of Lebanon. Large deposits of Tertiary rock are
found at the mouths of the Beirut River, the Dog River and
Nahr-Abu-'Ali near Tripoli, showing that while in that part of
the Tertiary (the Miocene) most of the Lebanon had already
risen from the sea and become a mountain range, these areas at
the mouths of the rivers were still below sea level and were
receiving the sediments brought down by the rivers from the
rising Lebanon. It shows us that the principal valleys of Lebanon had already been outlined and begun to excavate their beds.
Further, it enables us to date more accurately the time of the
formation of Lebanon. We know that Lebanon did not begin
to rise from the sea until the end of the Cretaceous period, because the strata of Lebanon contain a complete series of Cretaceous rocks. These Miocene rocks at the mouths of the rivers
�*
THE SYRIAN WORLD
show us that in the Miocene time the elevation of Lebanon was
nearly completed.
In the early part of the Tertiary, the Bikac was an arm of
the sea. Later it became a fresh water lake. The bottom of
the lake was partly filled with sediments washed down from the
surrounding mountains, and the lake finally became dry through
the Litani River cutting deeply through the rock of its valley so
that the water drained away to the sea.
In the Quarternary, when much of Europe and North
America was covered with a mantle of ice, like Greenland and
the Antarctic today, the climate of Syria was colder than at present, and on the top of the Cedar Mountain was a glacier which
descended through Famm-ul-Mizab. The famous cedar grove
known as Arz-ur-Rabb is situated on the terminal moraine of
this glacier.
The principal additions to the land during the Quarternary
are the soil in the river valleys and the sands along the sea,
sometimes extending for miles inland, as south of Beirut and
particularly in southern Palestine. The deltas of the Nile and
of the Euphrates and Tigris were formed during the Quarternary.
Man made his appearance in these lands as early as the
middle of the Quarternary, many thousands and tens of thou*sands of years ago. The principal evidences of his occupancy
are the accumulation of flint implements in caves and other situations, together with the bones of animals which these early men
hunted and fed upon. Some of the animals are extinct, such as
certain species of bear, rhinoceros and hippopotamus. Others,
like the fallow deer, the roe deer, the Persian wild goat, and the
wild pig, are no longer found in these regions.
The mineral wealth of Syria and Palestine is not great.
The greatest asset is the limestone of the mountains which is of
great value for building, and would be priceless in such a region
as the Mississipi valley. The limestone is burned to make lime,
and some of it has been found suitable for the manufacture of
hydraulic lime and cement. There are local deposits of clay
suitable for pottery. There are no precious metals or gems. The
presence of oil in paying quantities is problematical. There is
some excellent bitumen at Hasbayya. Brown coal or lignite occurs in the sandstone (shahhar) of Lebanon, but it is of poor
quality, and the thickest beds do not exceed a metre in thickness.
There is some oil bearing shale, but at present prices it does not
JUN
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�JUNE, 1927
.. 7
pay to work it. There is excellent iron ore in small quantities,
but iron and steel can be imported for less than it would take
to smelt the native ore. The remains of smelting furnaces, which
were in use up to a century ago, are found all over Lebanon.
They explain the loss of the forests, which were burned up in
smelting the iron. If the higher parts of Lebanon, which are
unsuitable for cultivation, are ever covered with forests, they
will be the greatest asset of the country.
CONTENTMENT
Said Ibn Wakkas to his son: "My son, if thou desirest
riches seek them in contentment, for it is a wealth that is never
spent j and beware of avarice, for it is the ever-present poverty."
"Seest thou a greedy man who gathers wealth,
And leaves it to his heirs after his death?
Like unto a hunter's hungry dog is he,
For others pick the prey, yet hungry still hq be."
Arabic verse.
If thou art of a contented mind,
Thou wouldst differ in no way from one who possesses the whole world.
Arabic verse.
He who seeks the higher station in life
Would forever be a prey to worry.
If happily, therefore, thou wouldst live,
Be ever content with a station below thy own.
Arabic quatrain.
The wealth of man is what satisfies his wants j
Whatever is beyond that is poverty.
Arabic verse.
�T
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Where East and West Meet
By AMEEN RIHANI
An address delivered to the staff of the American University
of Beirut and -published in the Alumni Monthly
for April, 1927.
Where East and West Meet — this implies a partial denial of the dictum of Rudyard Kipling, megaphoned to the
world in a line of verse,
"East is East and West is West, and ne'er;the twain shall
meet."
I admit, at the start, that, from a surface point of view, the
evidence is in favor of Mr. Kipling. The East prays, the West
dances; the East dreams, the West thinks; the East broods, the
West plays. What is a mark of respect in the East, is considered
an offense in the West: the Oriental, when he enters your house,
slips off his shoes at the door; the Occidental finds a hat-rack for
his hat. The Oriental enquires about the health of your wife
and children, before he "bleeds" you; the Occidental goes to it
directly, even without a remark at times about the weather: the
one is suave and insidious, the other is blunt and often crude.
The Oriental is imaginative and metaphoric, the Occidental is
literal and "matter-of-fact." The Kipling dictum is in this, at
least, wholly to the point.
Like all generalities, however, these traits are not without
exception. They are characteristic, but not exclusive. Indeed
the mass gesture everywhere is dictated i by a common need or a
common fear; and nations, like individuals, are often the victims
of a prevailing manner. Take, for instance, the fawning and
florid Oriental, extravagant with the metaphor and the puff, —
he is not a type exclusive. He is a species produced by despotism
and its pompous court. Thq aristocracy kowtows to the emperor;
the lower classes kowtow to the aristocracy and to each other; —
the wholai nation kowtows, before the broken mirror of the soul,
to herself.
When absolute monarchies were the rule in Europe, the
Europeans, on the whole, were quite Oriental in the art of fawn-
ff
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JUNE, 1927
1
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9
ing and adulation} while the extravagant manner, as much in
evidence in the nation as around the throne, was revealed, not
only in the speech, but also in the* dress of the period. Consider
the ruffles and feathers of mylords at court} the flounces and
trains of mylady in waiting} — consider the dedications penned
by needy scribes to their rich patrons} — and consider, moreover,
the lewdness and the ribaldry, which reached the height of fashion at the courts of Catherine of Russia, Queen Elizabeth, and
Louis the XV. As for the people, they follow, according to the
Arabic proverb, their sovereign.
Without ideals, no matter how material and how low, the
business of life, whether in the Orient or in the Occident, would
still have been a cave-and-jungle proposition} and with ideals,
no matter how material and crudely spiritual, the nations rise
to a point — to many points — of contact with each other. Now
the protagonists of ideals in life are the poets, the sages, and the
prophets} and the nation that can boast of a prophet, a nation
that has withal a pantheon, cannot possibly be aloof, cannot even
maintain for a long time an attitude of aloofness, from the world.
Its politicians may build a Chinese wall around it, but its poets
and its sages will light their torches beyond that wall and carry
them, in the name of humanity, to the end of the world.
The Prophet Muhammad, I may say, lighted in the East
a triple torch of spiritual and physical and political ideals. Aye,
even political ideals. For is there anything more devoutly to
be wished, anything more idealistic, than to have a seer, a holy
man, at the head of the state? — a man of the people, heroic and
self-denying and just} — a man whose heart ever throbs with
love and mercy} — a man whose thoughts and words and, deeds
are the fruits of the holiness within him} — a man like Abraham
Lincoln, a man like Omar, the first Khalif. When such men
lead their people, in the East and in the West, the nations, no
matter how distant from each other, must meet} and they meet
on the higher plane of mutual understanding and mutual esteem.
Let us now consider the highest ideal of the prophets and
the poets — the ideal of the soul — which includes the ethical
and the practical aspects of life, and which is neither Oriental
exclusively nor Occidental. It is supremely human. Before it
every mark of birth disappears} and customs and traditions are
held in abeyance, and the differences in nationality and language
cease to be a hindrance to understanding. The soul seeking expression, the soul reaching out for truth, is one everywhere.
�1
———
THE SYRIAN WORLD
10
Confucius might be American in his ideal, even as he is Chinese,
and Emerson might be Chinese, even if he is American. Cotama
Buddha made manifest in London might be mistaken for Carlyle
and Carlyle revisiting the glimpses of the moon in Japan might
be mistaken for Cotama. Jelal-ud-Din Rumi, were he born in
Assisi would have been a St. Francis j and St. Francis, were he
born in Shiraz would have been a Jelal-ud-Din.
Even Yoni Naguci, to come down to our own times, and
Rabindranath Tagore are as much at home in New York or in
London as Lafcadio Hearn was in Japan and as Kipling himself
was in India. The highest ideal of the poet, I say again, is supremely human j and the poet's love for an alien land and people,
which is reflected in his work, in spite of the harshness, now and
then, of its criticism, finds its way, whole and pure, to the hearts
of his readers. We know India and Japan better because of
Kipling and Lafcadio Hearn; and the people of Japan and India
will know America and Europe better because of Naguci and
Tagore. This is one of the essentials of the message of genius—
one of its great achievements.
And genius everywhere is one. In the Orient and in the
Occident the deep thinkers are kin, the poets are cousins, the
pioneers of the spirit are the messengers of peace and goodwill
to the world. Their works are the open highways between nations, and they themselves are the ever living guardians and
guides.
Thus, then, when we go deep enough or high enough, we
meet. Even Kipling, in his Recessional, meets Tagore. It is
only on the surface that we differ and sometimes clash. True,
we do not always find our way to the depth or to the height, or
we do not take the trouble to do so. Often, too, when there is
a will, we are hindered by a prejudice inherited or acquired. We
begin by misunderstanding; and sometimes we only think that
we misunderstand. Impatient, we turn away, when another effort — a moment even of indulgence, of tolerance, of kindly
sympathy — might have brought us together. The difference
in the traits of nations are like tones in a picture: the central
theme, the ego and the soul, is one.
Our instincts and our ideals are more or less the same,
whether we wear hats or turbans. A barrister in Bombay may
argue in Hindustani or Gujrati, but his code of conduct is that
of his colleague in London. A merchant who sits crosslegged
at the door of his shop in Benares, adopts the same code of profit
S ;
L^VW^^>*V.V-<^&''-K: * '*
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JUNE, 1927
'
as that of the merchant of Manchester, who sits on a revolving
chair behind a desk of quartered oak. A poet is a poet, whether
he rides in a Ford or on a donkey; a sage is a sage, whether he
plays golf in NewJersey or bathes in the Ganges, or plays in the
desert} and a fool is a fool, whether he be a maharaja or a president of a republic. The only real difference between them is in
the point of view and the point of direction.
To us all, life is a gift, liberty is a right, and the pursuit
of happiness is the object supreme. But our conduct in the pursuit differs in accordance with the measure of justice we uphold.
A common measure, irrespective of class or creed or race or colour,
is the pivot of equality we uphold} it ennobles the individual and
the nation} it is the only safeguard to peace and progress, but
common measure is only possible when we begin to understand
and learn to appreciate each other's point of view and point of
direction.
Mutual tolerance is the stepping stone to mutual respect.
A hospitable mind is the' key to a neighbouring or an alien spirit,
locked by dogma and guarded by tradition. A sympathetic approach is the open sesameto a hidden treasure. The heart yields
to spontaneity, the mind bends to understanding. But we cannot
understand each other if our sympathies: are always safely tucked
away} we cannot understand each other if our approaches are always academic or conventional} we cannot understand each other,
if we crawl back into our shells every time we see a worm across
our path} we cannot understand each other, if every time we
venture out we stick the feathers of cocksureness in our caps; no!
we can never wholly understand each) other, and rise to the level
of mutual esteem at least, if we do not invest in that fellow-feeling that triumphs over class and creed and race and colour — that
one touch of nature that makes all the world kin.
COUNSEL
Said Buzurjumhar, the famous Persian vizier, to his son:
"My son, be cautious of the generous one lest you insult him}
of the mean one lest you honor him} of the vile one lest you
befriend him} of the fool lest you joke with him. Be wary as
though you were simple} be alert as though you were unattentive,
and remember as though you had forgotten."
�12
THE SYRIAN WORLD
The Great Lyric of Al-Farid
By
DR.
N. A.
KATIBAH
'Umar Ibnu '1-Farid, the greatest Arabian mystic poet, was
born in Cairo, Egypt, in the year 1181 A. D. His father; a Syrian of the city of Hamah in the northern part of Syria, was a
man of learning and affairs, and held the post of lieutenant of
the High Court (Khalifatu H-hukmi H-aziz) in Cairo.
Ibnu '1-Farid was of medium stature, fair and comely of
face, with a visible tinge of redness, and of a truly artistic nature, sensitive, impressionable, emotional, ardent, and, moreover,
given to solitude and readily affected by music.
Symptoms of his aesthetic tastes and mystic tendencies were
determined early in life, when as a mere youth, and alone, he
resorted to Wadi '1-mustadafin on the second mount of Al-Muqattam, where he wandered days and nights at a time before
going back home. City life seemed to jar upon his delicate sensibilities. He occasionally accompanied his father to court, but
seized by an irresistible desire for communion with self, he would
spurn city and court alike, and seek inspiration in his favorite
haunts in the dry, clear atmosphere of the desert.
Gradually, though quite in early youth, his nature found
expression in verse—sweet, mellow lines, but nevertheless impassioned and highly polished. At times his emotions, whether
touched by music or by an intensity of inspiration for which he
found no adequate expression, seemed to be overcome by rapture;
his complexion deepened, his eyes sparkled, his face beamed with
animation, and perspiration streamed down his body and ran on
the ground under his feet.
Yet, notwithstanding his love for solitude, he was scrupulous in his attire, and widely sought after for his society. His
serious turn of mind, serenity of bearing and reputed erudition
and piety, lent an air of gravity to his assemblages, composed
mostly of emirs, ulema, government officials and men of eminent
rank who flocked from all quarters to visit with him.
It was, however, in Mecca and in the environs of Mecca
that Ibnu '1-Farid's mysticism deepened and his poetical gift attained its full vigor and height. Deserting men and the society
BBWaK;*; .
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�JUNE, 1927
W
of men, though faithfully observing his daily religious duties
at the great sanctuary of that holy city, Ibnu '1-Farid gave himself up to solitary meditation and to the subtle influences that
nature brings to bear upon a lofty soul. The cool scented zephyrs
of the north, the tender memories of a day that has been, the
gentle passions of pastoral life awakened in him reflections upon
the vanities of life, and helped to nurse his susceptible emotions
and receptive mind into deeper moods and protracted reveries.
It was among those hills and in those silent valleys that he finally succeeded in entirely purging his soul from things mundane.
The impressions he received in this retirement of fifteen
years in the vicinity of Mecca left an indelible stamp upon his
poetry and life. There is hardly a poem of his that does not
bear strong evidences of this. It was there that he conceived his
great masterpiece "Nazmu VSulook", (or, as it is commonly
known, At-Taiya '1-Kubra), and probably composed the greater
part of it. It was there, too, that he first became at times so
completely absorbed in thought that he lapsed into ecstasies.
When these trances came he "was in a state of bewilderment.
Now he would stand, now sit, now repose on his side, now lie
on his back wrapped like a dead man; and thus would he pass
ten consecutive days, more or less, neither eating nor drinking,
nor speaking, nor stirring." We are told that the greater part of
his masterpiece was composed during these trances; for "the first
words he would utter on awakening from them were verses to
be added to it."
On returning to Egypt he found that his fame and verse
had already preceded him. In Cairo his society was more earnestly sought, and his person more zealously honored. All hung
upon his lips and listened to him as they would to a great king.
But, with all that, he declined to receive Sultan Mohammad (Almalik Al-kamil), and rejected his bounty. This seems all the
more remarkable when we learn that Sultan Mohammad was a
noted patron of learning, and a great admirer of poetry and the
poets.
Ibnu '1-Farid made the pilgrimage to Mecca in 1231 A. D.
On again returning to Cairo the masses received him with acclaim.
They pressed and crowded around him seeking to kiss his hands
and receive his blessing. He, however, always declined this honor, and merely put his hand in theirs. Respect and honor continued* to be shown him to the end.
Ibnu '1-Farid died in 1235 A. D., and was buried in the
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
14
Qarafa Cemetery at the foot of Mt. Muqattam.
His poetry is noted for its beauty of diction, intensity of
glow and exceptional smoothness of rythm. The pathos that
permeates it seems to communicate itself readily to both reader
and listener and to hold them in sway.
I only hope in giving the following translation into English
verse of this poet's great LOVE LYRIC, I have not deteriorated
much of its beauty in the original. It must be borne in mind that
my attempt, at best, must be regarded as a translation. It will,
however, serve to convey to the English-speaking world some
idea of the intensity and sweetness of a poet of whom the Arabicspeaking world may well be proud.
Iv
"Wh
I.
Tis love, ;beware! Thy inner self redeem,
Nor deem love's sway a pleasant rosy dream.
An arrant fool is he who suffers pain
And grieves thereat, the ordeal seeks again.
Stay free, for love on anguish thrives and mends,
Begins with pining, in destruction ends.
And yet, to me, dissolved in love to go
Is life, for which my, loved one thanks I owe.
I speak not rashly — versed well am I,
Experience molds my words, nor pass me by.
Th' advice howe'er will prove but breath ill-spent,
For mortal man is wayward in his bent.
Since thou wilt love, seek not delusive bliss,
My counsel hear ere following that or this.
Unw
II.
Lay down thy life, for love a martyr fall,
If happiness in life thou wouldst attain j
If equal to the task obey the call,
Or else, unworthy man, from love abstain,
Nor join our band, nor follow in our train.
If thou wouldst live in love thou must implore it
To take thy life that it may love sustain}
Thou'lt suffer pain, but shouldst in truth ignore it.
Reborn, refined, enriched, thy love will soon restore it.
Nor
fc
�JUNE, 1927
15
Within the hive both pain and sweetness meet,
Who dreads the pain will never taste the sweet.
•\v
Persist in loving, love with all thy zeal,
And having seized the prize maintain thy hold;
Cast shame aside and with abandon reel}
Nor mind the hermit's ways so tamely cold,
However august he, revered and old.
Proclaim the lover who by love was killed:
"In full acquitted, be it boldly told!"
And to th' impostor say: "My tongue is stilled —
"What praise,what song,what honeyed words thy sham can gild?"
Think'st thou the eye be-pranked by penciled touch
Outcharms the one that nature made as such?
III.
Lo how th' intruders falsely claim they love,
And from my tenets proudly hold aloof j
From wish to morbid wish content they rove,
And think desire and love are warp and woof,
And in their folly spin thee proof on proof.
Avails it ought that these deluded men
In secret bear their cursed lot's reproof?
"We've waded through love's pathless seas!"—What then?
Unwetted there they stand, despite their sworn "Amen!"
With me ye pilgrims! — March by night, by day,
And let th' impostors' claims the blind inspire j
In dreams they journey, but behold they stay
Alingering in their place till they expire,
For ere they take one forward step they tire.
Imbued with envy darkness they prefer
To open guidance' blazing light and fire;
And groping round about they blindly err;
Nor ought I say could e'er th' impostors' pride deter.
IV.
Beloved of my heart! My pleader, love,
— My only intercessor — bears my plea.
But recognize the pleader; it will prove
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
JUh
Sufficient for the bond twixt me and ye;
Acknowledge it, and all is well with me:
Perchance, withal, a look with feeling fraught
Ye may bestow t' inquire of mine or me.
Vouchsafe as much — a glance — a fleeting thought:
Our messengers are all exhausted and distraught.
Beloved of my heart ye are for aye,
Though fair the world may treat me or yet ill;
Choose ye your attitude and choose your way,
Be as ye would and manage as ye will —
Whate'er ye do I'd be your lover still.
Should e'en denial meet my eager face,
But stern abandon follows not to kill,
I'd deem me favored by an act of grace,
For that denial is to me a kind embrace.
What is denial, (save it springs from hate)
But warm affection willing yet demure?
All hail denial! Welcome tests more great!
To that, to these I will myself enure,
Save absence — this I can't endure.
E'en torture at your hands is passing sweet,
Oppression, too, is justice sound and pure;
Should love so rule that these be trials meet,
I'd blithely court them all, and all as blithely greet.
Now double-natured patience sways my soul:
When fed on absence it is bitter myrrh,
And grows more galling as the moments roll;
When nursed on hope it sets my heart a-flurr,
The bitter turns to sweet with every stir.
Ye have ere now my tender heart possesst,
(No greater harm to me, if harm it were!)
What harm be there to ye, may I request,
While taking part of me to take as well the rest?
Away ye're gone, away, and none but tears
Are ever with me closer than a friend;
Save, too, the sigh that while it heaves it sears
The very inner parts it seeks to rend;
— My passion's seething sighs with fire ascend.
^
^
B
To <
..
lyrit
Ibn
ing
in (
Cal
ui-:
the
xin
lah
to
me
nei
tui
of
mi
�JUNE, 1927
17
A brooding vigil lives its watch to keep,
And night by night my open eyes attend}
My sleep is dead, and lo, my eyes must weep
To do the solemn rite and bathe my lifeless sleep.
Where'er ye stayed I thither also went,
And with my blood I drenched your late abode;
Where'er ye traveled thither I was bent,
Now tears like torrents flood the rolling road.
The continuation of this translation of Ibnu 'l-Farid's great
lyric will be -published in a coming issue of THE SYRIAN WORLD.
CRITICISM AND ADVICE
While on an outing, the Umayyad Caliph 'Abdul-Malek
Ibn Marwan became isolated from his companions and, meeting a Bedouin by the wayside, stopped to rest and pass the time
in conversation.
"Knowest thou 'Abdul-Malek Ibn Marwan?" asked the
Caliph.
"Yes, he is a brazen tyrant," replied the Bedouin.
"Woe to thee," interrupted the Caliph angrily, "I am <Abdul-Malek Ibn Marwan!"
The Bedouin did not flinch nor did he seem perturbed in
the least as he retorted:
"May Allah never greet thee, nor draw thee to His proximity. Thou hast devoured the money of charity which is Allah's and broken thy convenant with Him."
Greatly surprised at this audacity, the Caliph threatened:
"Knowest thou not that I have power to hurt and power
to benefit?"
"May Allah grant me not thy benefit, nor remove from
me thy hurt," retorted the Bedouin, not changing his cool manner and fearless demeanor.
Presently the companions of the Caliph appeared. Then,
turning to the Caliph, the Bedouin said:
"Keep that secret that is between thee and me, O Prince
of the Believers. Verily, fidelity to one's companion is of the
moral code of conversation."
The Caliph laughed heartily and rewarded his detractor.
�'! M' i'
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
IS
Benefits of Syrian Emigration
to Syria's Future
By REV. W. A. MANSUR
Thinking Syrian patriots arc seriously considering the effect
of Syrian emigration on Syria's future. Syrians have formerly
thought of Syria's relation to foreign powers, foreign education,
foreign customs; but now they are anxious about a possibly more
important subject: the decrease of Syria's population through
emigration and its effect on Syria's future.
The question of Syrian emigration will continue to cause
anxiety among those interested in the future of Syria and their
race. So long as Syrian migration was thought of as temporary
there was no occasion for anxiety. The keen-sighted editor of
THE SYRIAN WORLD, with statesman-like vision, aroused his enthusiasm to found and edit this publication to meet the need of
Syrian-Americans who have made America a permanent home.
This change of attitude on the part of Syrians in America has
created a somewhat anomalous position for the young Syrian in
America and constitutes a genuine social problem pressing for
solution. "The underlying cause of this problem," says the editor, "is the fact that Syrian emigration in its inception was not
intended to be permanent.* * * By degrees, the first immigrants
and those who followed in their wake came to reconcile themselves to the idea of permanency of sojourn." What is true of
Syrians in America is practically true of Syrians in all other lands.
The "Depopulation of Syria" (item in THE SYRIAN WORLD,
November, 1926,) says that the continuous stream of emigration
from Syria is alarming Syrian thinkers and leaders, and is called
"the greatest Syrian calamity" by a Beirut paper, and is due to lack
of confidence among the Syrian people in being able to achieve
economic independence in their own country.
Three attitudes are possible regarding the consequences of
Syrian emigration on Syria's future. The pessimist forsees disaster aheadj the optimist forsees only good; the meliorist forsees
that everything is not altogether good, nor altogether bad, but
that things slowly and surely will be made better if good and
"
�JUNE, 1927
ii 1
I
j
19
honest people work together for improvement. With regard
to this question I am a meliorist. Let us Syrians think and work
together with the good of our race and native land in mind. With
the pessimist I see the difficulties, with the optimist I see the good,
but with the meliorist I see the need for working together to
bring about our highest dreams for Syria. By these reflections I
wish to spread the melioristic spirit among fellow Syrians who
love and yearn for their race and native land.
Syrian International Thinking and Intercourse Are Taking
the Place of Syrian Isolation and Provincialism. The Great War
is still freeing Syria of its isolation and provincialism. Syrians
must think in international terms. They must develop intercourse
with other nations. Unless this is done the future Syrian mind
will be narrow and know only about "me and mine" and let the
world go by. Such a mind will be cribbed, cabined, and confined.
Already Syrians are thinking in world terms. Syria may be the
home-land, but the whole terrestrial ball must be their domain.
I am a Pan-Syrian and by this I claim a rightful place for the
Syrian nation among the nations of earth, the natural human
rights for Syrians everywnere, tne good of Syria in the service
of mankind, and the welfare of the world for Syria's good.
Syrian provincialisms must go. "The growing social evil of
America is provincialism," said Cooper in 1838. An American
writer, before the Great War, said it was one of America's besetting sins. "Our cities, our states, and our country have grown,
but we have not outgrown the village mind, our country seat
pride, or our city conceit." The Great War is breaking down this
barrier to progress and is freeing not only America but Syria and
other nations. Syrian patriots must free Syria of every vestige
of inherited provincialism.
The Syrian is cosmopolitan in nature. Provincialism was
brought on by the old regimes. The old order is gone. The
Syrian soul is free. Provincialism is a state of mind brought on
by outward circumstances and is dying hard. The provincial
mind closes its doors and windows, the air grows fetid, and suffocation ensues. Prejudice, bigotry, hatred, and a brood of diseases that love darkness begin to thrive and infest the land. The
splendour of the Syrian soul is showing its free and cosmopolitan
and international spirit wherever Syrians dwell.
"Under modern conditions," says H. G. Wells, "world wide
�20
THE SYRIAN WORLD
economic and educational equalization is in the long run inevitable." The modern study of history, modern science, modern education, comparative religion and international commerce are creating
the international mind. Sugar comes from Cuba, coffee from Brazil, rubber from Mexico, tea from China, silk from Japan. Greece
gave us art, eloquence, philosophy j Palestine, genius for religion j
Rome, organization and law. Universal education in Syria will
bring light and freedom. Provincialism, a child 'of ignorance,
will perish.
Therefore, let us not sectionalize the Syrian soul. Let us
not sectionalize Syria. Let us not sectionalize Syria's youth.
Following a Roosevelt ideal, let not Syria become a sectionalized
nation with a polyglot soul. There must not be a Christian Syria,
nor, a Mohammedan Syria, nor a Druze Syria, nor a Protestant,
Catholic or Jewish Syria. Let there be, above all, one nation
with one soul, one flag, one language. Syrian emigration will
help create a united Syrian nation, destroy isolation and provincialism, and develop international thinking and intercourse.
Through Syrian Emigration there Has Come to Syria a
Higher Conception of Labory Namely, the Dignity and Honor
of Labor. Syria is discarding the old theory that labor is for the
uncultured, the poor, and the slave. Consider the advancement
man has made since "the shackeled galley slave bent to his task
in the ships of Phoenicia." In slavery the capitalist owned the
laborer. In feudalism the capitalist owned the land and had a
lien on the laborer who was attached to it. In democracy the
capitalist and laborer are co-partners and owners of land and material, and sharers of profits.
"Human nature is still struggling with the fallacy," said
Secretary of Labor James J. Davis, "born in the days when all
manual labor was performed by slaves, that work with the hands
is the task of an inferior man. * * * Before us lies the task of
ending this contempt for honest work, before eliminating that
centuries-old struggle for the dignity and honor of labor which
began when the Carpenter of Nazareth wrought with adze and
saw in the house of His foster father. Today we face the necessity of establishing the dignity of labor in the minds of all mankind."
It is a fact that there is "no inferior work or toil" just as
there are no inferior races. Labor, toil, work, done by head,
i
�JUNE, 1927
'"
.
21
heart, and hand are God's plan for mankind.
"The toil of brain, of heart, or hand,
Is man's appointed lot;
He who God's call understand,
Will work and murmur not.
Toil is no thorny crown of pain,
Bound round man's brow for sin;
True souls, from it, all strength may gain,
High manliness may win."
An able Syrian thinker stated in a New York paper several
yars ago the outgoing of the old, and the incoming of the new
idea about labor into Syria. He said Syrians with the old idea
refused to do, as far as possible, all sorts of work, and that Syrians did do all sorts of work in their adopted countries. The
rising generations are struggling with the ideas about labor amidst
the passing old generation. The conflict between the new and old
ideas is now going on and may be seen in Syria today. Once I
saw a Syrian who had spent several years in Detroit, in a Syrian
sea-coast city trying to carry the old and new ideas about work.
He was dressd in an American suit, hat and shoes, and with a
"gunny-sack" full of mrchandise on his' back walking down main
street.
Syria is all astir because of the rejuvenating doctrine of the
dignity of labor. I, too, wish to preach the doctrine of the "strenuous life". I wish to preach against "the doctrine of ignoble
ease". I would proclaim from the house-tops with Roosevelt
"the doctrine of the strenuous life, the life of toil and effort,
of labor and strife} to preach that highest form of labor, success,
which comes to the man who does not shrink from danger, from
hardship, or from bitter toil, and who out of these wins the
splendid ultimate triumph."
Enduring modern civilization will come to Syria and any
nation when people believe that labor is a blessing from Deity, a
means to human happiness, and a foundation for progress.
A great need of Syria is modern agricultural methods.
Scientific farming is essential to Syria's development, and farming is a most dignified toil, and should merit the highest attention of the Syrian nation. In the words of Daniel Webster: "Let
us never forget that the cultivation of the earth is the most important labor of man. Man may be civilized in some degree
without} great progress in manufactures and with little commerce
�'
22
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m i
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
with his distant neighbors. But without the cultivation of the
earth he is, all countries, a savage. Until he gives up the chase,
and fixes himself in some place, and seeks a living from the earth,
he is a roaming barbarian. When tillage begins, other arts follow. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of civilization."
The Growth of the Syrian Population in Syria is Another
Benefit and will Follow the Present Era of Emigration. All
people are more or less migratory. Syrians who emigrate are
following their ancestors the Phoenicians who founded Carthage
and other Phoenician colonies. Ancient migrations were those
of peoples or tribes. Modern migrations are more or less of an
individual matter. Lack of food, territory, or peace were the
dominating causes of ancient migrations. In modern times the
labor market, government oppression and injustice, and religious
intolerance and persecution are the dominating causes.
The present period of rejuvenation in Syria will be followed
by a period of tremendous progress. Syria is espousing the industrial revolution of the West. There is developing a complex
social life. The cities are growing. This demands greater social
co-operation and division of labor. Syrians must master the forces
of nature. The mechanical industrial revolution in Syria will
produce more food and increase the population. For food supply
is essential to the new social order in Syria.
Under the old conditions the Syrian population increased
up to the limit of food supply. Constant warfare, tribal feuds,
famine, disease, infant mortality, and lack oi the modern control
of nature kept the population down. Modern study shows that
for the increase of a population there must be an increase of the
food supply. There must be peace, low cost of food, decrease
of infant mortality, and modern conveniences to meet the particular needs of climate and season.
To make a way for the increase of the Syrian population in
Syria there must come intensive modern scientific farming to
increase the food supply.
In this respect I am somewhat inclined to adopt the Malthusian doctrine for the increase of the Syrian population. According to Malthus: "1. Population is necessarily limited by the
means of subsistence. — 2. Population invariably increases where
the means of subsistence increase, unless prevented by some very
powerful and obvious checks. — 3. The power of population
being in every period so much superior, the increase of the human
species can only be kept down to the level of the means of sub-
nmw 'ii mm :-:
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JUNE, 1927
23
sistence." Malthus believed in the inherent tendency in the
population to outstrip the food supply to be the main source of
human misery. In criticism we say that Malthus wrote prior
to the development of the mechanical industrial revolution and
could not have imagined modern man's mastery of nature. I
believe, for the present period, Syria's great need is the production of greater food supply to make a way for a rising tide of
a greater population. Modern agricultural methods will accelerate greater food production in the near future.
The Success of Syrian Character, Talent, and Energy Abroad
is an Inspiration and Example to Syrians in the Home-Land.
Syrians abroad have found their race and racial talents. I am
a Syrian and proud of the providential racial talents of my race,
but I am, not a racialist. Sir Thomas Overbury said: "The man
who has not anything to boast of but his illustrious ancestors is
like a potato — the only good belonging to him is underground."
The Syrian believes that any one may be as good as he, and he
may be as good as any other.
The knowledge of our racial character, talent, and energy
should become part of our thinking. It will give us a better
estimate of ourselves, will elevate the thinking of our Syrian
youth, and will call for the higher respect of other races for
our race. The Rev. K. A. Bishara's remarkable article on THE
CONTRIBUTION OF THE SYRIAN IMMIGRANT TO AMERICA charmingly sets forth what I have in mind. (See January issue of THE
SYRIAN WORLD.)
_
.
The Syrian immigrant is giving realization to the racial
endowments of his race. Already Syrians have won their spurs
in education, commerce, politics and other human endeavors.
The reaction on the home-land will more than repay for the
number lost by emigration. Competition with other races will
set the Syrian on his mettle and bring out the best in him. The
Syrian in Syria will, likewise, come to grips with other races.
This will try his soul and self-reliance will emerge m all it*
glory in the Syrian that is to be.
Syrian Emigration will Bring about Co-operation which in
Turn will Set aside Sectional and Religious Feuds. The Syrian
people of Syria must learn to live together in peace. The example, literature and history of other nations show the way.
Syrians at home must catch the vision from other nationt.
�illinium—IIW illillWIIIMH
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
24
The American Civil War teaches that civil strife may be
a greater harm and danger than an outside foe. Civil discord,
hate, prejudice, and war, are to my mind more destructive to a
nation than famine, disease and war with an outside foe. The
former are more destructive because they have the tendency to
perpetuate themselves in the hearts and minds of the rising generations.
A new era will dawn in Syria when the people learn to get
along together for peace, prosperity, happiness, and liberty. A
Czecho-Slovak educator said at a Helsingfors Conference: "We
used to say to them, 'You are made in God's image, and there
should be no difference between you'; but we have stopped saying that now. We say, 'Yes, you are Russians, Letts, Esthonians,
Poles, Czecho-Slovaks—but you all can play football together.
It's the game; it's team work, and you can all play together—
for the team.' "
Syrians in foreign lands are beginning to say to Syrians in
the home-land, "You are Druzes, Christians, Moslems, Jews,
Mitwalites. You must "play the game of life" together for the
sake of Syria."
"The welfare of the community," said Withelaw Reid, "is
always more important than the welfare of any individual or
number of individuals; and the welfare of the community is the
highest object of the study of politics."
My forbears lived in the region of Hasbayya and Jideidet
Marj'ycun. I was born in Jideidet Marj'youn and was brought
up within sight of snow-capped Jebel-esh-Sheikh. My forbears
were in the strife of 1860 and others. Syria is now emerging
out of, not a local strife, but a national crisis. I ask, and you be
judge and jury, shall I perpetuate the prejudices, religious intolerance and political ideas of 1860, or the democracy, religious
tolerance, and good-will of 1927 by indoctrinating my children
with the same?
Our ancestors lived by the light they had, it is important
to Syria's future that we live by the superior light of our day.
The Syrian spirit of today must not be shackled by the spirit of
the days before the Great War. The Syrian nation's talents and
energies must not be divided. The look must be forward, not
backward. Guidance must come from the light before, and not
from the flickering torch of dying ideals of the past. Let us
organize for the eradication of religious, sectional and historic
feuds. Let Christians, Moslems, Druzes and Jews agitate, edu-
!
*
.
�JUNE, 1927
25
cate, legislate toward the elimination of civil strife and for democratic co-operation within the nation.
That the Child is the Golden Key to the Realization of our
Hopes for Syria is, perhaps, the Greatest Benefit of Syrian Emigration. In reading William Allen White's IN THE HEART OF A
FOOL I was struck with this saying, of Mrs. Van Dorn to her father: "It's the children who carry the banner of civilization, the
hope of progress, the real sunrise." The children of today will
be the citizens of tomorrow, and they are in the making. Syria's
future will depend largely upon the rising generations. Whatever you desire for Syria's future you must put into the body,
mind, and spirit of Syria's children. Our ideas may be lofty,
but unless the rising generations are prepared to adopt them, all
our endeavors will be in vain. Roosevelt said: "If you are going
to do anything permanent for the average man you have got
to begin before he is a man. The chance of success lies in working with the boy and not with the man." To improve Syria you
must improve the children.
"We talk of our breed of cattle,
And plan for a higher strain j
We double the food of the pasture,
We heap up the measure of grain;
We draw on the wits of the nation,
To better the barn and the pen.
But what are we doing, my brothers,
To better the breed of men?"
I believe a compulsory educational system for Syria free
from religion, sect, or political party is one of the most important
steps toward Syria's progress. I believe a common and uniform
system of secular education is absolutely necessary if Syria's children are to have common training, common ideals, common citizenship, and common loyalty. I once asked in an address, "How
can Syria make progress with prejudiced loyalty, one loyalty prejudiced with Christianity, another with Judaism, another with
Mohammedanism?" I am a Christian by birth and choice and
believe in tolerance. I believe that to create a common loyalty
education must be freed from creed, sect, and political party.
Subject to the parents' preference, let religious instruction be gotten at home, church, mosque, or synagogue.
I
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
Finally, I would plant in the mind and heart of Syria's
youth the goal of Syrian brotherhood. For as Edwin Markham
says:
"The crest and crowning of all good,
Life's final star, is Brotherhood."
THE WISDOM OF MU'AWIYAH
Abdullah Ibn Zubair, a bitter enemy of Mu'awiyah, the
first Umayyad Caliph, had property adjacent to that of Mu'awiyah, which was run by negro slaves. One day, Mu'awiyah's slaves
trespassed on the land of Ibn Zubair, who was enraged at this
offense, and in the heat of his anger wrote Mu'awiyah a threatening letter in which he said: "O Mu'awiyah, if you do not recall your slaves from my property, I will do and I will do "
When the letter reached Mu'awiyah he read it and gave it
to his son Yazid, and upon the latter reading it his father asked:
"What think you we should do with this son of Zubair?"
Yazid, enraged at the tone of the letter, replied: "By Allah, send him an army whose vanguard will reach him before
its rearguard leaves here, and let them dispatch his head to you."
But Mu'awiyah penned a letter to Ibn Zubair which he
read to Yazid. It ran thus:
"I received thy letter, O son of the companion of the
Prophet, and I was grieved, by Allah, for what befell thee at
the hands of my slaves. The whole world is nothing in exchange
for thy goodwill. I have granted thee the land and the slaves
thereon, and have bound myself in writing to that effect, and
had witnesses testify to the deed. Behold the land is your land,
and the slaves are your slaves."
Then, sealing the letter, he sent it to Ibn Zubair who, when
he read it and reflected on its contents, replied:
"I have perused the letter of the Prince of Believers, may
Allah extend the length of his days, and in answer thereto I
pray Allah that the such sound counsel which has enabled him
to reach this high station in Koreish (the Meccan tribe of Mu'awiyah and Zubair) may never cease. The peace of Allah be
upon thee."
When Mu'awiyah had read the letter of Ibn Zubair, he
said to Yazid: "My son, when such a disease confronts thee
treat it with such a remedy."
\\>
/
�JUNE, 1927
27
The Reward of Magnanimity
cAn Arabian Nights' Story
Translated from the Arabic Original.
')
Following the death of al-'Abbas, the Slaughterer, who effected the overthrow of the Umayyads of Damascus and established the rule of the 'Abbasides in Baghdad, and upon the ascension of his successor, Abu Ja'far al Mansur, the remnants of
the Umayyad dynasty who escaped the massacre of al-'Abbas
incited a big revolt in Damascus against the 'Abbasides. They
rose at a given moment and put to death all those whom they
could apprehend of the 'Abbasides.
Among those whom they sought to kill was a certain al'Abbas, the chief guard of the Caliph al-Mansur. He was walking in one of the streets of Damascus, buying some necessities,
when the news of the uprising reached him, and hurried to enter a spacious house with an open gate in a narrow street. In the
court of the house, seated square-legged on a mat and propped
by pillows, he saw an old man, with a long, gray beard and dignified mien, denoting his noble bearing and lineage. He did not
move, but, looking up to the frightened stranger, he said:
"Who mayest thou be?"
Al-'Abbas replied:
"A man in fear for his life who seeks refuge in thy precincts."
"Thou art welcome, and no harm shall touch thee, Allah
willing. Quick, enter this room," said the old man, pointing to
its door. Then, hurriedly bolting the gate and entering his
harem, he took out a feminine garb and threw it to al-'Abbas,
urging:
"Take off thy clothes and wear these, for I fear thou art
sorely pressed by thy enemies."
In all haste, the guard disrobed and disguised himself in a
woman's gown. Then the old man, taking him in hand, lead
him to the harem's quarters and left him among his women-folk,
appeasing his fears with reassuring remarks.
"Fear not," he said, nor stir from thy seat."
Saying which, he went away and opened the gate, just in
�_
28
THE SYRIAN WORLD
time when the Umayyad avengers had come up to seek their
vanished victim. They asked the old man about him, but he
answered that he did not see him.
"We will search your house, then," insisted the angry mob,
and brushing him aside, they entered and searched every nook
and corner of the house except the harem's quarters, which is
held inviolable according to Moslem traditions, and in which
they never suspected to look for a man.
When the Umayyads had departed, the old man brought
out al-'Abbas, comforted him with kind words and thanked Allah for his safety, keeping him within his house three days and
three nights.
At the end of this period, al-'Abbas said to his host:
"I have already stayed long here in thy house, and I know
not how to reward thee sufficiently, but I must proceed to my
master."
The old man gave his consent, bringing him provisions for
the way, a mount and five hundred dinars to boot. Then he
said:
"All the provisions for thy trip are here, but I fear if thou
goest out openly thy safety will be hazarded. Tarry thou here,
then, till the fall of the eve's shadows, when thou mayest go
unnoticed before the city's gates are bolted for the night."
Al-'Abbas did accordingly, and as the sun set in the west,
the old man accompanied his guest to the city's gate, and left
him not till he was safely out of the city, nor did he return till
al-'Abbas pleaded with him importunely to do so. Only then
did the old man bid al-'Abbas farewell, and, trusting him to
God's keeping, retraced his. steps back to the city.
All the way home, al-'Abbas kept wondering at this remarkable man and his unparalleled magnanimity till he reached Baghdad and attached himself to the service of the Caliph al-Mansur.
One day, a few years later, as al-'Abbas, in accordance with
his custom, had risen very early and proceeded to the Caliph's
palace, he met the Caliph's messenger, coming to tell him that
he was sent to fetch him with all haste for an urgent matter.
Al-'Abbas hastened his steps, and as he appeared before the Caliph, the latter looked up to him and said in a grave voice:
"O 'Abbas, take this prisoner and keep him in thy custody
till the morrow. By Allah I swear, if he escapes thee I will
not be satisfied with anything less than thy head."
Bowing low, al-'Abbas indicated his obedience to the Ca-
V
�JUNE, 1927
Hi
29
liph's command, then, turning about, he saw in a corner opposite
the Caliph an old man in stocks, his head bent in silent sadness
and resignation to Allah's fate.
A1-*Abbas then took the man with him to his house and, giving orders to his servants, he had a table set before them. But
so great was the fear of al-cAbbas, lest by some misadventure
the prisoner may escape, and he himself merit the fatal wrath
of the Caliph, he had the free end of the prisoner's handcuffs
clapped to his left wrist, removing the other shackles from the
neck and feet of the prisoner.
The two ate and drank in silence, for the situation was too
grave, and the old man was in no mood for conversation. At
last the silence became so. oppressive that al-'Abbas could not endure it longer and asked the man:
"Whence comest thou, my old man?"
"From Damascus," replied the man pensively.
"Dost thou know then so and so," continued al-<Abbas, naming the very one who had saved his life before,
"There is none who knows him better. But what seekest
thou in inquiring about him?" he asked in turn.
"By Allah," replied al-< Abbas, "I am the bond-slave of his
kindness, and am beholden to his gratitude to the end of days."
Then he related to the prisoner how the man in Damascus had
saved him in the riot of the Umayyads.
At hearing this, the old man smiled and shook his head,
uttering not a word. But as he smiled al-'Abbas looked closely,
and, behold! he found that the man before him was none other
than the one who had saved his life in Damascus. He questioned
him insistently until he admitted that he was that man indeed.
Al-(Abbas immediately rose and unlocked the shackles in spite
of the protestations of the prisoner.
Then he ordered his slaves to bring his guest a change of
clothes and told him to make ready.
"What for?" inquired the man.
"By Allah," replied al-'Abbas, "I am intent on saving thee
as thou dist save me. Make ready, for I shall take thee out of
Baghdad, and shall not leave thee till thou art miles away from
this city."
"This shall not be," protested the old man, "for I shall
not jeopardize thy life for my sake. By Allah, if thou goest
without me to the Caliph, he shall surely make thee pay with
thy life. Far be it from me to buy my safety with thy blood!"
�30
THE SYRIAN WORLD
"And what is thy guilf before the Caliph?" asked al-'Abbas.
"I was falsely accused of sedition, and that some of the
Umayyads had hidden their treasures in my house," the man
cxDiciincci.
"Since that is thy case," persisted al-'Abbas, "by Allah, I
shall surely set thee free, nor care I a whit what becomes of me
at the Caliph's."
The prisoner, however, did not listen to the plea ot al- Abbas, saying:
...
-o *
"Think not that I will comply with thee in this matter. But
listen to me, for I have a better plan. Hide me in a room in
thy house, and go thou to the Caliph without me and present
my case before him; if he acquits me, then thou shalt come back
and set me free, otherwise I would present myself to the Caliph,
and thou shalt be free. To any other arrangement I shall not
consent."
This al-'Abbas did, not without reluctance, and on the morrow went straight to the Caliph. When the latter saw him enter
without the prisoner, his forehead puckered in excessive wrath,
and the veins of his eyes turned red, as if sparks of fire were
emitted from them. And the Caliph said:
"Hai! O 'Abbas, where is the man?"
And al-'Abbas replied:
"I crave thy indulgence, O Prince of the Believers j verily,
forgiveness is more akin to righteousness than justice." Then
he related to the Caliph what had happened between himself
and the prisoner in Damascus at the time of the not.
As al-'Abbas proceeded with the story, the Caliph s face,
which had turned ashen with rage, changed, and his features
brightened up. Then when al-'Abbas came to the conclusion
of his story, the Caliph cried to him:
"Fie on thee, O 'Abbas, does one do thee such an art ot
magnanimity and thou rewardest him thus, dismissing him without telling us about him that we may reward him fittingly?
The Caliph then wrung his hands in regret, saying:
"Shall a man to whom we are indebted with a gratitude
escape us thus?"
At hearing this, al-'Abbas was encouraged to say:
"Fear not, my Lord, for the man is still at my house, hiding in accordance with his own desire. For he refused to flee
and subject me to the wrath of thy justice."
"By Allah," exclaimed the Caliph, "this last act equals even
i
I
W&L
�I
JUNE, 1927
31
his former kindness to thee. Hasten thee and bring him to me."
Al-'Abbas went and presently returned with the old man,
who bowed and kissed the ground before the Caliph. But the
Caliph motioned him to come and sit beside him on the throne,
and showed him exceeding honor, bestowing on him rich presents. Then he offered him the governorship of Damascus, but
the man declined it and thanked the Caliph profusely, asking
merely to be granted a safe conduct home. This the Caliph did,
giving him letters to his commissioners in Damascus in which he
' j ordered them to tender him all honor and show him the respect
that is due him.
THE CHOSEN THREE
y^'""
By SUMAYEH ATTIYEH
<
God, knowing how the world had progressed in learning,
science, and business, called Gabriel, His messenger angel, and
said to him: "Go down to earth, and study it well, and after an
efficient investigation, bring back to me the three most worthy
things that are fit to enter heaven."
Gabriel came down to earth, and after a period of time, he
selected twelve good things, but out of the dozen, he chose the
three best: Mother Love, a baby smile, and a fragrant white
flower. On the way, the beautiful white flower wilted and died;
the baby's sweet and innocent smile faded and evaporated in the
air and sunshine, but the only lasting and worth-while thing
that was fit to enter heaven was Mother Love.
SYRIAN PROVERBS
Woe to him who has no nails with which to scratch his skin.
Nothing scratches your skin better than your own nail.
What can a hair-dresser do to an old hag?
Don't wish your friend opulence because you will lose him.
�32
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Famous Cities of Syria
Beirut
"Like a queen sitting on the mountain side, bathing her feet
in the water of the sea," was the way an ancient writer described
the city of Beirut. There it still sits today, as it has sat from
times immemorial, — from the prehistoric days when the ancient cavemen fought the huge savage animals with rudely hewn
flint arms in the Stone-Age. Yet with all its hoary age, very
little is recorded of the history of this city, much less than what
is known about its famous sister-cities to its north, south and east.
To the tourist who crosses the Mediterranean Sea to visit
the Holy Land, Beirut is probably the first Syrian city which
meets his anxious gaze. Its view is heralded by the sweet scent
of the orange flower and the rose, and long before the city comes
into full view, the stately peaks of the Lebanon Mountain, Sannin and Kanisa, almost conical, and snow-capped, peer out of
the horizon. Gradually the olive-clad slopes of Lebanon, studded with little hamlets and villages, with white-washed walls
and flat and red-tiled roofs, emerge, and finally the serene, tranquil Bay of St. George opens its arms to welcome the ship and
its cargo to the city of Beirut which ranges in a semi-circle behind it.
Should the tourist happen to come in at night when the
moon had just come out of her chamber behind the Lebanon
Mountain, casting her soft, magic rays across the bay, dancing
and fluttering to the gentle ripples of the waves, the romantic
effect would certainly be heightened.
Beirut is one of the foremost cities of Syria and the capital
of the new Republic of Lebanon, created under the French mandate a year ago. It is the principal port of Syria, and much
of the commerce of Damascus is done through Beirut, with which
it is connected by a railroad.
Not always was Beirut a prosperous city. For hundreds of
years at a stretch it lay lazily by the sea, like an idle fisherman,
who cares not whether the fish nibble at his rod or notj or like
a Rip Van Winkle who had suddenly awakened from a long
I
mmmmm
�THE PLACID BAY OF BEIRUT
The Lebanon range of mountains rises abruptly from the sea in the immediate vicinity of the city.
The snow-capped peak of Sannin is sharply
outlined against the horizon.
�VIEWS OF NEW BEIRUT
i -IPI ;;•«£. , r^'^ia
'^Jiafi v^'t^Jb id«%.^ - .v^Fi-jir
^•^sSlnfi tlW!tt<f ?jpw^» • "'^
PB^&SIJLAB §&£&
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BBYOOUTH
Petit.Seratl^^t
^Nik
"~J*I**^
MratobC -. "*"r'^
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Hfc>
!
The old serail, or administrative building, in the heart of Beirut
facing the City square.
w
1;
. ,-»
'I^^Mfc.
Le-S^P
k^^., ^
H^^^
n f
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Place ^es C<wo«s .... ,„
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A typical scene in modern Beirut, showing one of the modern hotels.
�THE FAMOUS PINE GROVE OF BEIRUT
The Pines were planted in the 17th century on what is known as the Ras,
or promontory of Beirut, to prevent the encroachment of the sand on the
citv. This "Woods" is to Beirut what the Bois de Boulogne is to Paris.
�A GENERAL VIEW OF BEIRUT
tsericatni
Showing that part of (he city lying by the sea.
�JUNE, 1927
35
slumber, to find the world so different, yet, in many ways, so
like the world of his youth.
The present prosperity of Beirut dates back to the sixth
decade of the 19th century when French capitalists, with the encouragement of their government, invested millions of francs in
its modern harbor, and in the railroad that links Beirut with Damascus. From that day, Beirut became a truly modern city, the
most modern, Westernized city in Syria. It also became the
centre of missionary and educational activities of the different
Western nationalities, which revived the old reputation of Beirut
as the city of tranquillity and learning. At; one time.Beirut was
famous all over the ancient world for its Law schools j today it
is famous throughout the Near East for its various universities,
schools and presses, supported, mostly, by contributions from
abroad. With its economic and cultural developments, Beirut
gained in population more than any other city for the same period of time.
Biblical scholars differ on the interpretation of the name
"Beirut". The two Hebrew forms, Berotha and Berothai occur
in the Bible, the latter being, perhaps, a corruption of the former. But nowhere in the Bible does the name seem to Biblical
scholars to correspond with the site of our present city. In one
place, Ezekial 47-16, the city is given as the ideal northern boundary of the restored kingdom and as falling with Hama and Sibraim, between the Damascus and Hama districts. The Jewish
scholar Ewald, however, identifies it with our city.
Whether the identification is correct or not is not very material. Beirut is old enough to have been there before any of
the books of the Bible was ever written.
Under the variations, B'irutu and B'runa, it occurs in the TelAmarna letters, while in the list of the cities conquered by
Thotmes III we come across it as Bi'arutu. Thotmes III reigned in the 16th century B. C, so that Beirut was a recognized city
important enough to be counted among the cities subjugated by
a:great conqueror, about three centuries before the exodus of the
Israelites from Egypt.
Some of the ancient writers derived the name from Barota
of the Aramaic, meaning cypress, which was a symbol of Astarte.
But more probably it is the plural form of bVr, or well. The
well-known Jesuit historian and scholar, Father Louis Cheiko,
from whose learned .articles on the history of Beirut, appearing
in the 21st and 22nd volumes of al-Machriq Magazine, most
�34
THE SYRIAN WORLD
of the subsequent facts of this article are taken, favors this view,
saying that Beirut abounds in wells, many of which have remained to the present day and are used by its people.
Beirut played a significant part in the history of Syria, but
was not quite distinguished enough to make its name stand out
in popular imagination and keep it in the minds of future generations until the days of the Roman Empire. Allusion has already
been made to its prehistoric origin. Today, one may find silent
witnesses to this distant origin in the rough and crude flint spearheads and knives in the museums of the Jesuit College, the Amer-'
ican University, of Beirut and the National Museum. Just how
old these rough implements are is uncertain, except that they belong to the Stone-Age, which is an indefinite term, as the StoneAge in some parts of the world was earlier than in others. But
since these stones are described as rough, they evidently belong
to the Paleolithic, or earlier subdivisions of the Stone-Age.
The first historic mention of Beirut is found in the monuments of Niram-Sin, the old Assyrian king of the 4th millenium
B. C, son of Sargon. ,The Amorites, as the people of Syria and
Palestine were then known, were subject to the Assyrians. But
at the end of the 3rd millenium the Amorites held sway over
the land of Babylon, and the vanquished population which fled
to the Arabian Peninsula gradually infiltrated into the lands of
the Amorites and conquered them. These conquerors of Syria
are supposed to be the ancestors of the Phoenicians. The word
Phoenicia comes from the Greek Phcenix, meaning the palm tree.
The Phoenicians broke up into many little kingdoms, one
of which was the kingdom of Jubail, of which Beirut was a colony.
These little kingdoms were caught between the nether and the
upper stones of the bloody rivalry between the two mighty kingdoms of Egypt and Assyria. Beirut, we surmise from the facts
presented by Father Louis Cheiko, was more influenced by Egyptian than Assyrian civilization, which would be quite natural owing
to the nearness of Beirut to Egypt. One of the feudal princes
of Beirut under the Egyptian Pharaoh, Aumnirra by name, mentions in one of the Tel-Amarna letters that he went out with all
his infantry, cavalry and chariots to fight the "enemy of the
king." At one time the kingdom of Beirut was 36 kilometers
by 10! Egyptian kings established temples for their gods in
Jubail, and recent discoveries establish the fact that Egyptian influence over that part of Syria was very strong.
The Egypt-Babylon rivalry ended with the rise of the Per-
�JUNE, 1927
35
sian kingdom which swept Syria and Palestine in its wake of
conquests.
It was the Persians who first recognized the strategic position of Beirut. They encouraged its commerce and built a vast
fleet with which they annexed several cities on the shores of Asia
Minor and Syria.
From earliest days the history of Beirut was linked with
that of navigation. One of the myths about Beirut, mentioned
by the Christian Greek poet Monnus, relates that Beirut was
given as a present to Poseidon and the Cabeiri. These latter
were Grecian minor deities of navigation, and the name undoubtedly is of Phoenician origin meaning great or big.
In the Seleucide period Beirut entered on a new regime.
It became a Greek city with Greek civilization predominating and
slowly supplanting the Phoenician one. This change, however,
could not have been accomplished all of a sudden. We must
assume that Beirut, with its extensive navigation, had come in
touch with Greek life and had cultivated a cosmopolitan spirit
which was sympathetic with Greek culture, as Greek culture itself was sympathetic with the Phoenician one. So strong became
the attachment of Beirut to the Seleucide dynasty that when a
certain Alexander Balas, a usurper, rose against the Seleucide
king Demetrius Nicator, the people of Beirut sided with the
Greek king. It was for this loyalty that Tryphon, a follower
of Balas, who revived the revolt by assuming the regency over
Dionysius, the infant son of Balas, remembering the treachery
of Beirut to the cause of Balas, burned it to the ground in the
year 140 B. C.
Under the Romans Beirut enjoyed what might be called
its golden age. Augustus singled it out for special favors, creating it a Roman colony and calling it after his own name and that
of his daughter Julia. The full Roman name of Beirut then
was Colonia Julia Augusta Felix Berytus. It became the seat
of two great Roman legions, the Fifth or Macedonian Legion,
and the Eighth or Augustan Legion, and many imposing public
buildings, theatres, baths, amphitheatres rose to adorn the new
Roman colony. Roman gladiatorial shows were introduced, and
the Herods vied with their masters in Rome in honoring "the
happy Beirut". It was in Beirut that Herod the Great held the
sham trial of his two sons, Alexander and Aristobolus, who were
accused of treason against him, and executed them.
Under the patronage of the Romans a great school of juris-
�36
THE SYRIAN WORLD
prudence arose in Beirut, and became famous all over the world.
It produced some of the greatest celebrities of law in ancient
history. In most probability this school was established in the
3rd century A. D., in the days of Septimius Severus and the "Syrian Emperors" who followed him. Only two other schools of
its kind were considered equal to it, the school in Rome itself
and the one in Constantinople, but that of Beirut was the most
famous of them. Diocletian exempted the students of the law
school of Beirut from taxation, while Justinian used to appoint
personally its five professors corresponding to its five-year course.
Not much different was this school, we gather from a contemporary description, from our colleges of today. And perhaps the first record of "hazing" comes to us from Zacharias
Scholastikos who was a student in that school in the latter part
of the 5th century, a schoolmate of Severus Monophysita, one
of the leaders of the Jacobites of Syria. An interesting excerpt
from the biography of this Severus written by Zacharias Scholastikos is quoted in an article in "al-Machriq" dealing with the
Beirut Law School:
"When I came to Beirut to study law," wrote Zacharias, "I
was mortally afraid of the hazing which the students of the second class, known as the regulars, used to indulge in at the expense of the first year students. These hazings were not of a
harmful nature, but subjected the victims to ridicule before their
fellow students. I was especially afraid of Severus, who became
well known afterwards for his good conduct. I said to myself,
'Severus is an immature boy who will certainly follow the traditions of other students and make fun of me.' But when I entered the school of Laontius the son of Aphdixius, who taught law
and was respected for his excellency, I saw among the students
Severus, sitting at the feet of the professor and wrapt in attention as he listened to his teachings. He not only did not make
fun of me, but rather treated me kindly, and welcomed me with
a smile. And I thanked God for His abundant grace."
Besides being a centre of learning in the period of the Romans, as it is today, Beirut was also a commercial centre, especially for silk, porphyry and wine, which became famous for its
excellence as "Berytia vina". Iron and copper were produced
from the mines of Beirut, and Beirut iron was also famous for
its excellence. Beirut merchants had representatives in the port
cities of Italy and the interior of Europe. But the glory of
Beirut was literally sitting on the crater of a volcano. In a mo-
'
�JUNE, 1927
'"*
37
ment of nature's wrath it was toppled down with a vindictiveness worthy of the jealous gods of Olympos who, it was said,
could not bear the sight of continued human happiness.
Beirut was destroyed by a succession of earthquake shocks
of which the first occurred in 334 A. D., followed by others in
494, 502 and 551. The last of these was also the most severe.
It was related by contemporary observers of that historic earthquake that the waters receded a distance of 2 miles, exposing the
bottom of the sea, where sunken ships lay. Thousands of the inhabitants who rushed to rescue some of the treasures, unmindful
of the impending fate, were buried under the huge mountain
of the on-rushing waters. Thousands more on the shores were
buried in the debris of the shattered buildings. Fire broke in
the wake of the earthquake, and what was not destroyed by the
one was consumed by the other, until Beirut became, in the words
of a contemporary writer, "a heap of ashes and lime."
As if this was not enough, Beirut was visited by two other
earthquakes, one in 554 and one in 560 A. D. No wonder that
a contemporary poet thus lamented her ill-fate.
"Woe to me! I am the most unhappy of the cities of the
world, and the most unfortunate. With my own eyes I beheld
the corpses of my children buried in my court-yards, twice in
nine years. Vulcan hurled me with his burning javelins, after
Neptune had turned against me his terrible tide
O passersby, weep for my misfortune and lament the vanishing glory of
Beirut!"
Not long after, Beirut fell into the hands of the invading
Arabs.
The history of Beirut from that time on became a record
of uneventful days, except for an occasional event which rose
above its monotonous diary. The Umayyad caliph, Mu'awiya,
to fortify Beirut against the enemies of Islam, transported many
Persians to it and the adjoining cities, so that the majority of the
Shi'ites and Mitwalites of Beirut, Jubail, Sidon and environs,
are said to be Persians in origin.
In the twelfth century, Beirut was ruled by a Crusader
nobleman by the name of Foulque de Guines. In the year 1187
Beirut was captured by Saladin, only to return again to the Crusaders after the armistice of 1198, under the rule of Jean d'lbelin.
After the Crusades, Beirut had a checkered fate, but came
somewhat to its own under the rule of the semi-independent
�38
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Ma(ni princes in the 17th century. It was one of the Ma'ni
princes who started the reforestation of Beirut, restoring to the
city some of its former splendor and beauty.
At least in one respect, Beirut has recaptured some of its
former refulgence and glory in the days of the Romans. It is
again the chief seat of learning for the countries of the Near
East. It has three principal colleges, the American University
of Beirut, the St. Joseph College of the Jesuits and the College
Laique. Besides these it has many secondary schools, printing
houses and several daily newspapers. It was the first cradle of
the Arabic Renaissance following the turbulent days of 1860.
The legend of St. George and the Dragon, after which the
St. George Bay of Beirut is called is, of course, a myth which
goes back to that of Perseus and his expedition to procure the
head of the Medusa. But many are the superstitious who still
cling to the belief that St. George actually killed the dragon in
that locality.
FROM THE "KALILA WA DIMNA"
Three things does the man of the world seek which he
cannot attain except by four: He seeks opulence in wealth, station among men, and provision for the other world. As for the
four by which he can attain to these three, they are: Procuring
wealth by the best means possible} good management of the
wealth procured} exploiting this wealth, and, finally, spending
it in improving one's livelihood and in pleasing one's relatives
and friends.
He who approaches kings does not do so for the satisfaction
of his belly, but to please one's friends and spite one's enemies.
People of no ambition are satisfied with little, like a dog
who wags his tail joyously when a dry bone is thrown to him.
He who would stand by the gate of the king must throw
aside dignity, bear humiliation, hold his wrath, be considerate
to his fellowmen and be able to keep a secret.
�-.._.-_:
JUNE, 1927
39
Spring
By
BENJ.
T.
HOFFIZ
Spring has come rejoicing
Our weary hearts with cheer,
In silent speech announcing
Its glory ev'ry year.
The fields avast are teeming
With smiling, greeting flowers,
Arrayed in robes beseeming
Enriched by welcomed show'rs.
The golden rays are streaming
Aslant the live-long day;
Life from the tomb redeeming
Our grief and pain allay.
The waves are gently rolling
Upon the silver lake.
The stream down hillsides rippling
Our slumb'ring souls awake.
The glowing stars are twinkling
A wondrous sight to view,
And evermore are sailing
Afloat the ocean blue.
The birds their songs are ringing
Upon the fragrant air.
Their joyous, daybreak singing
Dispell the gloom of care.
The whole creation's playing
Upon my heart's guitar,
Within my soul intoning
The love of God afar.
�" "*
40
»
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Syrian Schools in Brazil
A random reader of the Arabic papers published in Brazil,
of which there are a dozen or more, would be surprised at a
type of advertisement which is not to be found in the Arabic papers published in the United States.
Now and then he would come across a school advertisement
announcing its opening for the reception of students, the courses
it gives, and the accommodations it affords its boarders. Sometimes one finds no less than three or four advertisements of this
sort in one issue of a paper.
The surprising feature in these advertisements is the fact
that these schools are not Brazilian schools which are bidding
for the patronage of the Syrians, — a thing interesting enough
in itself, — but Syrian schools, founded and run by Syrians. Invariably these advertisements carry the item that this or that
school gives full instruction in the Arabic language by competent
instructors. Almost all these schools are a combination of a
boarding and day schools, which indicates that they attract pupils
from distant places.
Only recently Abu-l-Haul (The Sphinx), S. Paulo, carried the news of the founding of a new Syrian "College" in Oro
Preto, a town about 200 miles north of Rio de Janeiro, by the
"Society of Syrian Youth". The announcement further adds that
"a professor from the government school", an editor of a Brazilian paper, will be on the staff of the new institution, in addition
to two Syrian doctors.
Another school, Gymnasio Syrio Brasileiro, in Araquara,
gives out in its announcement that it is recognized by the government, which sends to it its examining board and grants it certificates. The land for the building of the Gymnasio was donated
by the municipality.
In S. Paulo itself there are a few such schools and institutions, which testifies to the fact that the Syrians have not forgotten their intellectual and cultural needs in their aspiration for
wealth and material success. Chief among' these schools, we are
told, is the "Syrian-Brazilian College", "the oldest boarding
school in S. Paulo", out of which a thousand graduates have already gone out, many of whom, it is said, hold high positions in
the "commercial world".
�JUNE, 1927
41
The "Syrian-Lebanese School" in the same city has passed
its tenth year since its foundation and the second since its conversion into a boarding school. While a third school, the "Modern Syrian School", seriously declares that it cannot receive more
than 200 pupils, and urges Syrian parents who wish to send their
children to it to do so at once, before the stated number is filled.
Night instructions and commercial courses are added in some
instances to the curriculum.
Undoubtedly the primal motive behind these Syrian schools
is one of racial self-preservation j or, looked at from a different
point of view, an opposition to the forces of assimilation. A series
of articles in Abu-l-Haul divides the credit for the conservation
of racial integrity and the opposition "of the stream of assimilation" equally between the Syrian press and the Syrian schools.
Yet; one must not conclude that the Syrians are any less patriotic
and loyal to the Brazilian institutions. A conclusive proof of their
loyalty is afforded in the co-operation which the Syrians have received in building up and developing their institutions of learning from the local Brazilian governments and officials. The author of the articles in Abu-l-Haul refers to the enthusiastic praise
of "high government officials" when speaking of one of these
schools. The Syrians, in trying to preserve their language and
culture, are imitating other nationalities in Brazil, notably the
Germans in the State of S. Catrina.
Brazil is still in the pioneering stage, and its vast undeveloped States are more or less amorphous in their cultural and national constituency. They are where the United States were sixtji
years ago, or even more. It is not inconceivable that sometime
in the future the Brazilian nationality will crystallize into a definite shape, to which the Syrians would look with pride, as it
will undoubtedly represent part of their racial traditions and
culture.
THE ROAD TO BLISS
Said Abdullah Ibn Mubarak, a Mohammedan mystic:
"Hope begets desire, desire begets diligence, diligence begets
reflection over the graces of God, reflection begets gratitude,
gratitude begets knowledge of the source of grace, knowledge
begets the love of God, love of God begets self-denial, selfdenial begets obedience to God, obedience to God begets eternal
bliss."
�wmmaaa
mm
.__ __ .
mmm
42
THE SYRIAN WORLD
NOTES AND COMMENTS
By
THE EDITOR
CASTING SHADOWS AHEAD
With this issue THE SYRIAN WORLD completes its first year.
When, at this stage, we look back over the past, we see great
cause for satisfaction j and when we look forward to the future,
we see only reason for hope. We entertain not the slightest
doubt that this hope will materialize inasmuch as every indication tends to prove that it is amply justified.
When we first decided on the publication of THE SYRIAN
WORLD, it was, on our part, a firm conviction of the necessity of
the enterprise, and on the part of some of our friends, a hazardous
business undertaking. We acted on our convictions regardless of
the risks, and it must be now to our doubtful friends, as well as
it is to us, a source of gratification that the first crucial test has
been negotiated safely and that in view of the continuous gains
we are making the future holds for the publication brighter and
more substantial hopes.
In its physical appearance, THE SYRIAN WORLD has elicited
favorable comment both as to size and as to typographical arrangement. It is in the conventional, accepted book size and the
type is beautiful and clear. Master craftsmen may still be able
to detect in the general makeup and the carrying out of technical
details room for improvement, and this we shall bend every effort to overcome, notwithstanding our limited facilities.
But where we believe we have news of genuine interest to
impart to our readers is in the realm of the subject matter of the
publication—in what we are planning to continue or to introduce
of the different departments and features, and in what we are
promised by way of support and collaboration in the literary field
by our best talent both in America and abroad.
Concerning the subject matter in the past, our files contain
hundreds of unsolicited testimonials bearing on the fact that the
magazine proved to those readers of much higher quality than
they had expected. In view of this expressed satisfaction, it would
be possible for us to rest on our laurels and simply make the plain
promise of continuing the publication as formerly. But with
�JUNE, 1927
43
that we are not content. It is our plan and firm purpose to make
it in the coming year still better and to continue the improvement
to the limit of our ability and resources.'
Here are some of the concrete promises we are in a position
to make to our readers covering distinctive features for the coming year:
By special arrangement with the editors of "Al-Kulliyyah,"
the official Arabic organ of the American University of Beirut,
articles prepared by the Professors of the University for translation into Arabic and publication in "Al-Kulliyyah" will be sent
to us in their English original for publication in THE SYRIAN
WORLD. We cannot sufficiently stress to our readers the significance of this arrangement, but they may well expect a series of
articles on the most interesting literary, historical, educational,
and scientific subjects such as only the learned professors of that
great educational institution in our mother country can prepare.
For this arrangement we are grateful to our friend and countryman Mr. Shahadi Shahadi, the able manager of our sister publication, "Al-Kulliyyah".
Another big feature that we can promise our readers for
the coming year is the great play by the American author Harry
Chapman Ford called "Anna Ascends" whose scene was laid in
the Syrian quarter in New York depicting the virtue, the industry
and the great intelligence and capability of the Syrian immigrant
girl. The famous American stage and screen star, Alice Brady,
acted the role of the Syrian heroine in this play when it was
produced in New York a few years ago. The play teems with
scenes of gripping dramatic interest. The story was never before published and every Syrian young man and young woman
should know of the struggles and the achievements of the brave
Anna and of the climax of her love affair with the scion of one
of the wealthiest American New York families.
Ibn El-Khoury has promised a continuation of his series
of highly interesting folk stories on Lifd in Lebanon.
Dr. Philip K. Hitti, our eminent historian, stands pledged
to contribute as many articles this coming year as he has last
year. He will also answer all questions on the history of Syria
that our readers wish to ask, and we invite them to take advantage of this singular opportunity.
Barbara Webb Bourjaily, a well-known American magazine
and newspaper writer and wife of one of our countrymen, will
write a progressive series of articles on books and their compara-
�.
44
THE SYRIAN WORLD
tive values, designed especially to help the mother in training
the minds of her children. She will also discuss and review standard classics and contemporary books and give helpful advice on
how to get the most benefit and pleasure from your reading.
The present series of The Famous Cities of Syria will be
continued, and the interrupted series on the principal Religions
of Syria will be resumed.
We shall give more of hitherto unpublished Arabian Nights'
Stories and selections from the Arabic on wit, wisdom and humor.
And what, finally, we are most happy in promising is that
all our former contributors and collaborators will be as generous
in their support in the future as they have been in the past. From
abroad we shall continue to hear from Ameen Rihani and from
Count Philip Terrazi and others, and from America we are promised frequent contributions from Gibran K. Gibran, Dr. Salim
Y. Alkazin, M. Naimy, Dr. N. A. Katibah, Dr. F. I. Shatara,
Rev. W. A. Mansur and many others.
SYRIAN PHILANTHROPY
It has been the contention of some critics that the Syrian
immigrants were too materialistic—all too absorbed in their efforts
to amass wealth as to preclude from their minds any thought of
philanthropy. This may have been true in a limited sense and
under certain conditions at a particular time. The impecunious
Syrian immigrant, at the time he was struggling to make a living
and bending every effort towards establishing himself on a financial footing, could not be expected to give much of the little he
then had towards charity. And we should remember that there
was a time when all Syrians could be classed in that category,
and that this time is not so distant.
But now that a large number of Syrians have passed the
struggling stage and that many of them have, through their intense industry and business acumen, come into comfortable fortunes, we find that their better natures are beginning to assert
themselves. We may safely claim now that we have reached
the stage where we have lost sight of our initial motives in emigrating and are beginning to respond more readily to our higher
impulses in our conception of the true aims of life.
The generous action of the brothers Abdallah and Simon
Barsa and of George Mouacad and Abdallah Khiyata in found-
�i
JUNE, 1927
45
ing two orphanages in their native city of Damascus is a good
indication of the present turn of mind of the prosperous Syrian
immigrant. This is by no means the first act of philanthropy
on record on the part of our people that it could be taken as an
indication of the inaugural of a new era. Similar acts of charity
on a large scale are known to have taken place before, although
no large benefaction can go farther back than five years.
Of orphanages, two are known to exist in America supported
and maintained by Syrians. One is in the United States and
was founded and is being maintained by the Rt. Rev. Archbishop
Aftimios of the Greek Orthodox Church and is open to Syrian
orphans of all denominations; while the other is in Brazil and
was made possible by the philanthropy of a single individual,
Bechara Meherdawi, a native of Horns and one of the prominent
Syrian merchants of that country.
Another illustration of the new turn of affairs is the fact
that the alumni association of the American University of Beirut
has succeeded, in the course of three years, to raise, in the United
States alone, a fund of $150,000 for the establishment of scholarships and the rehabilitation of the Oriental department of the
library of the University.
One could hardly cite the above illustrations without mentioning the many other acts of benevolence which the Syrian immigrants have done both individually and collectively. During
the World War the Syrians of the United States sent contributions to their suffering relatives conservatively estimated at $2,500,000. It is a well-known fact that the principal revenue of
Mt. Lebanon is from the remittances of its emigrant sons, and
Syria in general shares in the liberality of the emigrants to no
little degree. America has been the first port of call for all
seekers of financial aid from the motherland, and the emigrants
have been the supports of not only many a home, but of many
a religious and educational institution. They have responded
generously to every deserving appeal for assistance from abroad,
and their latest grand response was at the time the recent Syrian revolution laid waste many a town and left in its wake great
suffering and destitution. In the course of but a few months
an amount estimated at about a quarter of a million dollars was
sent to Syria and Lebanon, of which about $50,000 in cash and
$100,000 in clothing and other material was raised through the
campaign launched by Al-Hoda, the Syrian daily paper of New
York.
�°r IfT—Yiif-'--' ^ ^^^^i^ttMMi
,
46
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Considering the limited number of Syrians in the United
States, this display of generosity speaks well for their benevolent
proclivities especially when we take in consideration the fact that
only recently have they become financially independent and that
their earliest immigration hardly goes back farther than the second generation.
THE SYRIANS IN POLITICS
A correspondent writes that Americans resent the intrusion
of the foreign-born into the precincts of that sacred American
institution, "Politics". We wonder how many of our readers
agree with him in this view. The greatest privilege of the American citizen is the right to express his free opinion through the
ballot which would mean that he is conscious of his obligations
and privileges as a citizen. Consequently, those who assume a
passive attitude towards "Politics" are branded as slackers and
undesirables. How is it possible to reconcile the two viewpoints?
In a recent radio speech by Senator-elect Robert F. Wagner
of New York he is reported to have urged that Americans of
foreign birth give to their adopted land the benefit of their
background and training by entering public life. Every opportunity except the Presidency, he said, is open to them and the
environment of a new land should have the stimulating effect
to bring success.
"It is not at all necessary," Senator Wagner further said,
"for you to erase the elements of a foreign culture or a foreign
civilization that you have acquired during the years of life in
your native land. You are free to retain and develop it. All
that the American people ask of you is that you enter the American life wholeheartedly with understanding and sympathy."
"Never forget," he also said, "that the people who came on
the Mayflower were not native Americans. What those people
saw before them was a vast country, rich in a form of wealth
which was the most desirable on earth. It was rich in opportunities. Then and there this nation was dedicated to the proposition
that opportunity shall never become the private possession of
any one class or family."
Here is a direct, unmistakable invitation to enter "Politics".
It is only an interpretation of the Constitution itself. How, then,
can it be claimed that "Politics" are forbidden grounds to the
foreign-born?
�JUNE, 1927
47
Spirit of The Syrian Press
Under this caption we hope to present from time to time a microcoamic picture of the Arabic press, not only in this country, but wherever
Arabic dailies and magazines reflect the opinions of responsible, thinking
writers who are treating the different problems that confront the Arabicapeaking world from all conceivable angles. Needless to say, we will take
no part in the discussions reproduced, nor assume any responsibility. Our
task will simply consist in selecting, to the best of our knowledge and
with utmost sincerity, what we think is representative of the public opinion as expressed in these editorials.
Editor.
REASON FOR OBJECTION TO
UNITY
When we sent to the League of
Nations, in our capacity of editor
of "Al-Hoda" and president of the
Lebanon League of Progress, a protest against the proposed amalgamation of Lebanon with Syria we suggested as a solution the creation of
a form of government for Lebanon
in which the governor would be elected for life, following the lines of the
Eastern Patriarchates and the Papacy. This reference was misconstrued
by some supposedly intelligent people to mean that we are demanding
a government based on an ecclesiastical system. This misinterpretation
of our plain statement is either rank
idiocy or sheer viciousness. It is
evident even to a child that what we
meant is that tenure of office should
be for life without the right of succession. But this outburst only shows
the temper of the people abroad and
how they still lack the moral courage
to admit the truth. It ia mainly for
this characteristic that we maintain
that even the Lebanese, who are admittedly the brain of the East, are
not yet fit for independence. A governor, therefore, elected for life who
would be secure in his; office on that
account, and who would rise above
the petty differences of the natives
because of his foreign origin, is
the logical solution of Lebanon's administrative problem.
Under existing conditions, and
while Syria is seething with religious venom, it is dangerous to advocate the union of Lebanon with,
Syria. Such a union will not be advisable and practicable until the
religious and political leaders are
divested of their prestige and the
advocates of union are free from
any ulterior motive in the promotion
of such a move. As things now
stand, all those clamoring for this
union do so from purely fanatical
motives and undisguised hatred. We
should/ all know that the French are
much better to the Lebanese than
any of their neighbors.
Al-Hoda, N Y., May 13, 1927.
THEY SPARE THE EGG
AND STEAL THE CAMEL
The League of Nations! An organization that is full of good and
full of evil. Whatever good it has
is all reserved for the great colonizing Powers; and whatever evil it
�—
48
has it all directed to the weak Eastern nations—rather, to all Eastern
nations, weak or strong.
It is a league of coveteousness
and hypocrisy through which the
strong grab what they are ashamed
to take openly and by force. They
use it to cloak their insidious propaganda in the name of charity, justice and peace, and other high re•ounding words.
We read today in the news dispatches a ridiculous item that the
League has refunded to Mr. Rockefeller 3 francs and 15 centimes of
the sum he had donated to it because
it exceeded its necessities... The
League is anxious to give proof of
its scrupulous honesty in handling
its accounts. The unfortunate part,
however, is that its honesty is only
confined to francs and centimes.
It spares the egg, but does not
hold any scruples, on the other hand,
in swallowing the camel, nay, the
whole caravan!
It returns to Rockefeller three
francs but looks with equanimity on
its members swallowing countries
entire—including men and beasts,
land and rivers; all what is above
and what is below.
Deliver us, 0 Lord, from the robbers who are disguised in hermits'
attire!
Meraat-Ul-Gharb, N.Y.,May 17,1927
MANDATES ARE NECESSARY
Suppose we admit, for the sake of
argument, that the French mandate
should be terminated in Syria, does
that carry the implication that the
English mandate, or occupation,
should also be terminated in Palestine, Iraq, Egypt and India; or is it
only a subterfuge on the part of
the so-called nationalists to clamor
for independence as an end in itself
THE SYRIAN WORLD
while they would be under the influence of religious fanaticism and
sectarian motives?
Mandates are not only political
but religious as well. Suppose we
drive out the Jesuits, the Americans
and the English from our universities and schools in Lebanon and the
East in general, what would we
have left of the means of education
and progress?
And if there should be anything
left, for how many years would it
last?
What would become of our printing establishments, libraries, dictionaries and works of original authorship and of translations? What
would become of our orphanages?
With what brazen-faced insolence
could we say to our benefactors:
"Leave us the best you have and
begone from our country, you Westerners!"
Suppose that the Americans who
are now in the American University
of Beirut were to return to their
country and leave the Syrians and
Lebanese in possession of that institution, and that these newcomers
should appeal for assistance in carrying out the work of the university
to their brother Easterners from
China to the Bosphorus, what would
be the resources at their command?
It is sheer ignorance combined
with the rankest kind of bigotry on
our part to deny the benefactions of
the Westerners Who have reiterated
their assurances to us in unmistakable terms that they are educating
us in matters political as they hava
brought us up in matters educational, so that as soon as we prove our
ability at independent government
without danger to ourselves and the
world, they will leave us to ourselves
and return to their own countries.
Al-Hoda, N. Y., May 20, 1927.
�1
RELICS OF OLD BEIRUT
Gateway to the confines of the Mosque of As-Sur, or the section of the
old city wall, showing the congested nature of the locality.
��JUNE, 1927
PRANCE AS PROTECTOR
OF THE CHRISTIANS
We are aware that!France did not
come to this country to give preference to one faction over the other.
Rather, we and every one else are
positive that France only came to
free the country from the bondage
of ignorance and intolerance and to
guide it in the road to progress. She
has not come, as some Christian papers assert, to protect the Christtians, because that would infer that
the Christians are persecuted, while
in truth they are not.
What is at the bottom of the
situation is the promotion of personal interests. Whenever some unforseen impediment obstructs the
smooth carrying out of a certain
policy, then they resort to the excuse of religion. It is, therefore,
necessary that we should not lose
sight of the main motive prompting
these excuses because religion in itself is not taken in consideration.
The strange thing is that it is only
in the East that religion is resorted
to as an excuse, and while the matter in itself is obvious, we wonder
that there still remains in the East
people who profess ignorance of the
true facts.
Al-Balagh, Beirut.
THE SOPHISTRY OF INERTIA
One of the most harmful conceptions prevalent amongst us is the
supposition that Syria cannot be independent simply because it had not
been independent before; and that
in so far as it cannot be independent
it becomes imperative for it to be
under mandate; and that as long as
a mandate is necessary she has no
other alternative than to submit to
the mandate under which she now is.
To submit to an existing condition
for no reason other than that it
49
exists indicates a contorted conception of philosophy on the part of
those whose souls have lost the light
of feeling and desire. It is a rank
shame that some should continue
to crawl in the dark caves of bondage and slavery which are as putrid
as tombs. Only those who are dead
abhor power, light and beauty.
Meraat-Ul-Gharb, N.Y., May 19,1927
TO ACHIEVE REFORM
Many are the corrupt leaders in
Lebanon.
In Lebanon there are leaderships
of ignorance, of assumption, of "inherited rights" and of vain conceit
—all of which is productive of evil
and not of good.
When this array of leaders was
burning incense and kowtowing to
the ground before the Turkish tyrants, the Lebanon League of Progress of New York was demanding,
even before the war, the same measure of reform that it is demanding
now, with the exception of a few
modifications in the details.
The proposition that we wish now
to put forward for bringing to an
end the present chaotic condition in
Lebanon is that the Maronite Patriarch call a convention of the titular heads of all religious sects in
the country, be they Christian or
Mohammedan, and there formulate
demands to be presented directly to
the French Government on the understanding that no other power but
France is wanted as a mandatory.
Al-Hoda, N. Y., May 16, 1927.
A REVOLUTION AGAINST
INDOLENCE
How sterile was the revolution
which shot its tongues of fire in the
Druze Mountain. Rather, how ignorant and how unpatriotic were those
who started it for having exposed
�-
50
the country to ruin without any commensurate benefit.
The revolution which should take
place in Syria and which should not
stop until it had achieved its aims
is a revolution against the germs
of laziness and indolence which has
attained such epidemic proportions
that through it, and not through the
armed revolution, the life of the
country is in danger.
It is an epidemic of the gravest
nature. Its greatest and latest symptom is in the fact that the people of
Syria have been frightened out of
their wits by the influx of Armenian
immigration. To us this should be
construed as a salutary sign in that
it carries the possibility of putting
an end to the disease of laziness in
Syria.
The Syrians leave their country
of their own free will, while the Armenians come to it under compulsion. The former loath to work in
their own country and emigrate to
lands where they submit to all kinds
of indignities and hardships, while
the latter find in that same deserted
country an ample field for productive effort comparable to what the
willing Syrians find in their lands
of immigration.
What can be the secret of this
state of affairs? Can it be other
than that laziness and indolence
have taken mortal hold on the life
of the people of Syria?
As-Sayeh, N. Y., May 16, 1927.
DELINEATING THE
REVOLUTION
It is incontestable that the Revolution is of Druze and Hauranian
origin, as it is an unquestionable
fact that Lebanon did not join in the
Revolution.
It is also beyond argument that
the outlaws have been and remain
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Druzes, joined later by some Mohammedans, and that no Christian
affiliated himself with the rebel
bands with the exception of a few
who were bought over by Druze
money in the same manner they
have bought some Christian newspapers. And it may well be remembered that these funds were collected from Christian sources.
It is therefore evident that the
revolution is purely a Druze revolution, Lebanon and the Lebanese not
having the slightest connection with
it in so far as Lebanon is not Syria
and in appreciation of the fact that
it remains independent as it haa
been for all past time.
Those who are bending their efforts to include Lebanon in Syria
are only the traitors, the ingrates
and the fanatics whose only concern
is to crush Lebanon so as to reduce
it to the state of servility that will
be compatible with their own smallness of soul. "On us and on them,
0 Lord!"
Al-Hoda, N. Y., May 19, 1927.
WHAT SYRIA NEEDS AND
FRANCE DOESN'T GIVE
The difference between the English
and the French in the business of
government is that the former give
the governed what is best suited to
their temperamental fitness and disposition. They try, for instance, to
make of the Iraqi a better Iraqi
than he is, and of the Indian a better Iidian than he is with no attempt
to transform or interfere with the
character, customs and traditions of
each. While the French are wont
to transform Syria or Lebanon or
Jebel Druze overnight into a second
Paris, embarking all the while on
new experiments which only bring
losses to themselves and to the people governed. Lisan-Ul-Hal, Beirut.
�JUNE, 1927
51
About Syria and Syrians
N. T. SYRIANS FOUND
ORPHANAGES IN SYRIA
An interesting and cheerful bit of
news is that published in "Al-Hoda"
of May 14. It is in the form of a
letter from the Rt. Rev. Archimandrite Bernardos Ghosn, pastor of the
Greek Melchite Church in Manhattan, in which he announces that the
Holy Father had conferred the order of the Great Cross on four prominent Syrian merchants of New York
in recognition of their philanthropy
for having founded two orphanages,
one for boys and the other for girls,
in their native city of Damascus.
The medals were pinned on the
breasts of the four recipients in a
fitting ceremony at the Cardinal's
residence by the Rt. Rev. Bishop
Dunn.
Archimandrite Ghosn, in bis communication, gives some interesting
details about the four Syrian benefactors and their work. He announces
their names as the brothers Abdallah and Simon Barsa who founded
the institution for the boys, and
George Mouacad and Abdallah Khiyata who founded the institution for
the girls. In both cases the donors
provided the orphanage establishments with all the equipment of a
modern school so that the immates
may receive the proper industrial
training that will enable them to
gain an independent living upon release.
Archimandrite Ghosn gives the
further information that the donors
cloaked their action in secrecy in order to evade undue publicity which
was not a part of their motives in
founding the institutions. His Beatitude the Patriarch Kyrellos X of
the Greek Melchite Church of Syria
was instrumental, 'however, in bringing their generous action to the attention of the Pope who saw fit to
recognize their munificence by the
bestowal of the decorations.
THE LEBANESE AS
TRADE PIONEERS
The pioneering spirit of the Lebanese in venturing far into unexplored territory in quest of trade
is, according to "Ar-Raqib" of Tripoli, Syria, best illustrated by some
Lebanese merchants in Africa who
were the first to venture into the
heart of wildest Africa and open a
trade route with the territory bordering on Lake Chad. The paper
makes this comment anent a dispatch
from Paris announcing the successful trip of a trade caravan which
started from Tunis to Lake Chad
and returned safely with a precious
load of ivory and pelts. The account
the paper gives of the experiences
of the early Lebanese traders who
ventured so far into the heart of
black Africa is an epic of daring
well worthy of the adventurous spirit of the descendents of the Phoenicians.
The first white men to enter the
city of Kano, in the heart of Nigeria, we are told, were the late
Azar Joseph Bichara of the town
of Mizyara, Northern Lebanon, and
Joseph Bitar of the town of Deir-elKamar, Southern Lebanon, who made
the pioneer trip merely for trade
purposes over twenty-two years ago.
The start of their journey was from
the city of Lagos and they spent en
�52
route seven weeks beset with the
gravest dangers from Africans and
wild beasts. They spent in Kano six
months during which they established the most pleasant relations of
friendship with the chiefs of the
Blacks and made a profitable exchange of their wares which consisted mainly of bead ornaments and
perfumes. Upon their return to
Lagos the British authorities learned
of their exploit and immediately sent
a military expedition to occupy the
city of Kano which is said to have
a population of over a million souls
and is fortified by a high wall of
unbaked brick. The English fired
only one gun and the city surrendered to them.
Some fifteen years ago, the paper
further informs us, a company of
Lebanese merchants composed of
Joseph Rahid, Mohsen Rahid and
Azar Joseph Bichara, all of the town
of Mizyara, equipped another expedition and started from Kano to Lake
Chad, a distance of sixty days of
hard travel in the wildest kind of
country. They had over a hundred
and fifty natives carrying their
goods while they traveled on horseback heavily armed. On the way
they had several encounters with
fierce lions but were able to reach
their destination safely and upon
their return had a valuable quantity
of ivory, ostrich feathers and leather
dyed in a most beautiful and permanent red color. They repeated the
exploit several times thereafter.
PROTECTING THE CHRISTIANS
On April 17 the Emir Said Abdelkader of Damascus paid a visit to
the Maronite Patriarch in acknowledgement of his gratitude at the action of the latter for having sent a
THE SYRIAN WORLD
delegation of Maronite bishops to
thank the Emir for the solicitude he
displayed for the safety of the
Christians in Damascus during the
riots accompanying the latest outbreak in the country. This Emir i9
a scion of the famous Algerian Abdelkader family whose grandfather
fought the French in his country for
over fifteen years and when he finally had to surrender was exiled to
Syria where, in the massacres of
1860, he opened his house as an asylum of refuge to the Christians, and
saved through his personal intercession hundreds of Christian lives.
The Christian papers of Syria and
Lebanon report this exchange of
courtesies between Emir and Patriarch as a proof of good will among
the leaders of the two religions, but
the Mohammedan papers resent the
imputation that the Christians were
ever in need of protection and brand
the Emir as a meddling outsider who
is trying to make political capital
of the situation for the promotion of
his own ambition to become a king
over Syria.
ELECTRICITY IN ZAHLE
To the many immigrant sons of
Zahle, known by the affectionate appelative of the "Bride of Lebanon,"
it must be of interest to learn that
for the first time in history their
city is now illuminated by electricity
generated from the waterfalls of
the river Bardouni. "Zahle-Al-Fatat", the town paper, reports that
the inauguration of the service took
place amid scenes of great rejoicing
as this means a great influx of tourists and summer residents, especially
that the city can boast of a large
number of first class hotels built
mostly by enterprising returning
emigrants.
i
�'53
JUNE, 1927
MOTOR ROUTES ACROSS
THE SYRIAN DESERT
By Paul Knabenshue,
American Consul, Beirut.
At the present time three companies are operating passenger routes
between Beirut and Baghdad, and one
of these, the Nairn Eastern Transport Co., also maintains a biweekly
service between Baghdad and Teheran. The Nairn Eastern Transport
Co. is controlled by British and
French capital; the other two companies, which are of less importance,
are owned and/ managed by Syrians.
In addition to these established companies there are numerous independent chauffeurs operating more or
less regular passenger service between Beirut and Baghdad.
Originally the Nairn Transport
Co. followed the route Beirut—Damascus—Rutbah—Baghdad, but the
use of this route was interrupted for
over a year by the Syrian nationalist revolution. During the greater
part of this period the Nairn Co.
followed the route Jerusalem—Amman—Rutbah—Baghdad. With the
improvement in the political situation in Syrian territory the various
transport companies commenced the
use of the road via Beirut—Tripoli—
Horns—Palmyra—Rutbah—Baghdad,
and this was followed until about the
middle of December , 1926, when
conditions became such that it was
deemed possible again to follow the
route Damascus—Rutbah—Baghdad,
which is the shortest one between
Beirut and Iraq.
About February 1, however, as a
result of the appearance of bands of
marauding Bedouins, the road between Damascus and Rutbah was
again considered unsafe. It was
planned to go from Damascus to
Palmyra and from there to Rutbah
and Baghdad; but about this time
heavy snows fell in the Lebanon
Mountains, which lie between Beirut
and Damascus, and it became necessary to take the route Beirut—Tripoli—Homs—Palmyra—R utba h—
Baghdad. Now, however, the snows
have melted considerably, and beginning with the Nairn convoy leaving Beirut on March 10, the road
Damascus—Palmyra — Rutbah —
Baghdad will be followed.
During the past two months all
transport companies have experienced considerable difficulties between
Beirut and Baghdad because of the
poor condition of the routes. The
roads between Beirut and Damascus
are good and generally quite practicable for automobiles except occasionally when there is snow in the
passes of the Lebanon Mountains.
From either Damascus or Homs,
however, there is nothing but open
desert, no proper roads of any type
being available. Naturally these
trails become almost impassable
during the rainy season, and it is
not unusual for cars to be mired for
two or three days at a time.
("Commerce Reports", May 9, 1927.)
THE LEBANON FLAG
ON THE
SEAS
The Arabic press of Beirut, capital of Mt. Lebanon, reports that
about the middle of April a number
of Lebanese chartered the steamer
Braga for a cruise in the Mediterranean for about a week, intending
to visit the island of Cyprus, Egypt
and some nearby ports. Out of courtesy to the travelers, the captain of
the steamer raised the Lebanese flag
on the main mast all during the
cruise and in that manner entered
many English ports. This pleased
�54
THE SYRIAN WORLD
of these Druze women which, coming from a Druze, may be considered fairly authentic and indicative of
the spirit of this race. Among his
most salient points are the following:
"Among the Syrian women married to Druzes in the United States
only two divorces are recorded, one
divorcee being Druze by birth and
DRUZE WOMEN IN THE U. S. A.
the other Christian; but among the
In conformity with Mohammedan American women married to Druzes
customs, Druze women shun appear- the divorces are many for reasons
ing in public to the extent that when unknown. All that is known, howit becomes necessary for them to do ever, is that those of the American
so they invariably appear heavily women who remain living with their
veiled. This custom of seclusion has Druze husbands are happy and contaken so much hold on the social life tented and have come to learn and
of the people that it became a tradi- adopt a great many of the Druze
tional observance that women could customs.
not migrate. In the code of ethics
"There is not a single woman of
of most Orientals, especially those purely Druze descent, i. e., born of
of the Mohammedan faith, for a parents who are both Druzes, who
woman to appear in public unac- has married outside of her religion.
companied is taken as a sign of
"It is possible for us to affirm that
unwholesome manners, much more the Druze women in the United
her leaving her country and her fa- States have created a home atmother's or her husband's house. For sphere that is of the best. Not one
this reason it has been the general of these women but is faithful to
belief that Druze women in America her husband and her home duties
were extremely few in number.
and is bringing up her children in
It is learned, however, from a let- conformity with the highest racial
ter published in "Al-Bayan", a Druze standards.
publication in New York, under the
"One of the strangest things about
signature of Mr. Rashid Slim, him- these Druze women is that they are
self a Druze, that there are now in strict observers of their religious
the United States no less than 80 customs just as if they were within
Druze women of whom 63 are mar- the precincts of their places of worried and 17 unmarried. The latter ship in their home towns.
are mainly engaged in seeking an
"The Druze woman does not
education in American schools. He
further informs us that there are squander her money on useless cosfour Syrian Christian women mar- metics. On the contrary, she reried to Druzes, and that of the stricts her purchases to necessary
Druzes in the United States who are and conventional clothing as befits
married to American women there every woman of high breeding and
are no less than 125. Naturally, these genuine culture. Nor does she spend
American women are all Christians. her time at the frivolities of theaThe writer then proceeds to give tres and places of mirth. This pricecertain statistics and information as less jewel with which she is adorned
to the moral standing and home life is acquired through her religious
the Lebanese nation immensely and
the press of Beirut reflected this
jubiliation and hailed the incident as
an omen of the return to Lebanon
of the maritime glory it enjoyed
during the time of the Phoenicians.
�-—-
—
JUNE, 1927
55
teachings, good breeding and the number of the Syrians and Lebanesa
in the Argentine Republic.
solid worth of Druze principles.
According to the statement of this
"In consideration of the above menpaper,
the number of the Syrian and
tioned virtues of the Druze woman
Lebanese
colony in the city of Buewe are publishing these remarks that
nos
Aires
itself exceeds 30,000, while
they may serve as an inducement
in
the
whole
Republic it is conservato Druze young men to return to
tively
estimated
at 160,000. The paSyria and there choose mates of
their own race in an effort to pre- per proceeds to say that the Syrians
serve the integrity and conserve the are given mostly to commercial purpurity of their stock in vindication suits and recommends the diverting
of the old adage that 'the tree finds of their attention to other lines of
true sympathy only from its own endeavor and exhorts to a more collective interest in the affairs of the
bark.'"
nation.
Conceding that the above figures
are
correct, the Syrians of Buenos
A JOURNALISTIC INNOVATION
Aires would be in far greater numWith its issue of May 14, "Mera- ber than the Syrians of New York
at-Ul-Gharb", an Arabic daily of whose number is variously estimatNew York, began publishing a page ed at between twenty and twentyin English. In its editorial announce- five thousands, and they are admitment of this policy, the paper states tedly the largest single group of
that " 'Meraat-Ul-Gharb' wishes the Syrians in any city of the United
whole world to know that it is the States.
first to supply this growing demand.
We believe that the step is epochal
in the history of the Syrian community of America. ***** Where FORERUNNER OF A
NATIONAL SPIRIT
we will land it is idle for us now to
speculate, but we feel it in our
The Beirut correspondent of "Albones that we are taking a step in
Basir," an Arabic paper of Alexanthe right direction."
dria, Egypt, reports that the ChristIn its explanation of this step in
ian students in the Law School of
its Arabic section, "Meraat-UlDamascus invited forty brother stuGharb" expresses the hope that its
dents of the Mohammedan faith on
subscribers will increase by at least
the occasion of Easter and made
a thousand "so that we may be
merry with them in true brotherly
able to carry on the expense of this
spirit. During the course of the fesnewspaper."
tivities, both Mohammedans and
SYRIANS IN ARGENTINA
In a leading article on the necessity of the Syrians co-operating more
effectively with the people of the
land,
"Al-Ettehad
Al-Lubnani"
(Buenos Aires) mentions incidentally some interesting facts as to the
Christians made addresses emphasizing the necessity of effacing all
traces of past feuds in the hope that
the new generation will grow up under the influence of the principles of
true democracy and tolerance. They
hope that this spirit will spread
rapidly as its effect on the country
is of incalculable benefit.
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
Readers' Forum
SYRIANS IN AMERICA
Editor Syrian World:
When the founders of this great
nation flung their banner before the
world they unanimously agreed that
one of the principal tenets upon
which they would stand would be
tolerance. But today, in a land that
promised tolerance to men of any
religious creed or political belief,
we often wonder if there is such a
thing. To those of us who left the
beliefs and traditions of several
thousand years behind us; who left
the land of Lebanon, when, like the
Sword of Damocles, the Crescent
was ever a menace; and who came
to the haven of the oppressed; and
who did not find the toleration we
expected, I would like to give some
of my own observations.
I have traveled a great deal in
the South. I have been to places
where they did not know Where Syria
was, or ever saw a Syrian, and I
find the manner in which America
receives one is more or less dependent upon one's self. It is not only
the Syrians but all foreigners.
Most of the Syrians are in some
kind of business, and, naturally,
when they are interested solely in
their pocket, they cannot expect to
be looked up to in their community.
But, on the other hand, when they
try to better themselves mentally,
and take an active interest in the
welfare of their fellowmen and community, then they will achieve that
quality which marks every American
as an American. We can get no
more out of life than what we put
into it. If we attempt to maintain
the clannishness of our fathers we
cannot expect
to be tolerated as
they who enter into the spirit of
America. It is not entirely necessary
to sacrifice our ideals to achieve
Americanism. There is, I must admit,
a class who resent the intrusion of
any foreigner into the sacred portals of that American institution,
"Politics". But do not judge America as a whole by this class.
Someone has said there is a little
good in the worst of. us, and a little
bad in the best of us. In a nation
that is often called the melting pot,
the dross must, of necessity, come
out. To us Syrian-Americans who
feel that we have been maligned by
our neighbors, let me say this: First,
let us put our own house in order.
America asks only that you meet
her at the halfway point. She neither asks all, nor gives all. She will
do for us what she has done for
others. But she must have our cooperation and assistance, or neither
will be benefited. Enter into the
spirit of her traditions and institutions. Do not attempt to live for
yourself alone. In this land of
plenty there is enough for all.
Joseph Mawod.
Dallas, Texas.
THE RACE IS RESPECTED
Editor Syrian World:
It is regrettable that anyone finding himself in difficulties with his
neighbors should give expression to
his feelings in print and c,aim that
the whole race is despised or looked
down upon. To me it is a case of
personality and locality. Individual
cases cannot be taken as an indication of the prevalence of a general
�ALICE BRADY
->:•; * ^
AS THE SYRIAN HEROINE IN "ANNA ASCENDS"
�A SCENE FROM "ANNA ASCENDS"
The meeting of Howard and Anna in the Syrian Restaurant of Said Coury.
The result?
�JUNE, 1927
condition. Through experience I
know that the Syrians are highly
respected for many good qualities
and I believe that we should boost
and not knock. Pessimism and dissatisfaction never lead to any constructive results. Agitators are never popular and the optimists and
workers for law and order are always
welcome. Let us try not to breed
discord.
Syrians came to America in search
of opportunities. Let us look around
us and see if they did; not find what
'57.
they sought. We have found freedom and wealth and means for intellectual advancement. The principles upon which the American government was founded have not
changed. Lincoln said that the nation was dedicated to the proposition
that all men are created equal, and
equal we are, and we should not
delude ourselves into the belief that
we are not.
Samuel Peters.
Los Angeles, al.
Political Developments in Syria
Several months have now elapsed
since M. Ponsot, the French High
Commissioner for Syria, returned to
Paris for, an announced stay of only
a few weeks. There are, at present,
no authentic indications as to when
he will return. The latest report
published in the Syrian papers intimates that his stay in Paris will be
extended for another month or more.
Some had at first attributed his delay
to his intention of marrying before
his return, but it now seems that
the business of putting things in
Syria in order and providing the
country with a suitable and stable
form of government requires more
reflection and preparation than any
such formidable thing as the embarkation on the sea of matrimony.
But, withal, what was at first characterized as serene, methodical and
unhurried activity on the part of M.
Ponsot is being now interpreted as
undue delay due, perhaps, to incapacity.
All that/ can be gathered from the
Syrian papers is that M. Ponsot is
determined to return only when his
whole program for administrative
reform in Syria is approved by the
Government and he is given full
power to carry it out. What sounds
like a plausible rumor is that the
work of M. Ponsot in Paris will
take another month.
Meanwhile, the political situation
in Syria is as chaotic as ever. In
Damascus the provisional government is tottering and there are everpropping rumors that this minister
or the other intends to resign. While
in Mt. Lebanon there occured a genuine ministerial crisis which caused
the fall of the government. It came
in a test of strength when a certain
faction insisted on demanding a vote
of confidence, following an ultimatum
served on the government, setting a
specific date for a reply, on tihe carrying out of a provision of administrative reform. The original proposition was that Parliament favored
the reduction of the Ministeries from
�58
eight to four for reasons of economy.
The fall of the government was
brought about even in the absence
of the Prime Minister August Pasha
Adib, who is in Paris negotiating
the settlement of the Turkish prewar debts and the shara of Lebanon
in them.
What was construed by the Syrian press as a political occurrence
of prime importance was the address of the Maronite Patriarch to
the Admiral and officers of the
French fleet upon the occasion of
their visit to the Patriarchate see in
Bekorki. The formal speech of the
Patriarch, supplemented later with
informal remarks uttered with great
feeling, is reported to have criticized
the policy of the French administration in Syria and Lebanon and to
have expressed disappointment over
the manner in which the French
were handling the situation. The
Patriarch reminded his visitors of
his efforts to have the mandate over
Syria granted to the French and
that in case they should continue to
show their present lack of deference
to the interests of their friends the
complaint would be carried to Paris.
The principal grievance is that the
Christians of Southern Lebanon who
bore the brunt of the revolutionists'
attack and had their villages sacked
and burned while untold cruelties
and sufferings were visited on them,
and all for their loyalty to France,
are being pursued by the authorities
with all manner of persecution while
perpetrators of destruction and murder are being freed and allowed to
return to their homes or appointed
to government offices to enjoy the
booty they had stolen from the
Christians. And as if not content
with this grave injustice, the authorities are levying arms on the
unfortunate Christian sufferers of
the revolution, and where the arms
THE SYRIAN WORLD
are not collectable they are exacting
payment of their value in gold.
It is reported that some high Lebanese and French functionaries made
several attempts to interrupt the
Patriarch in his remarks but he waved them all off and insisted on
speaking his mind in full.
The unity of Syria still furnishes
the biggest theme of discussion in
the Syrian and Lebanese press. The
latest rumors are that M. Ponsot
favors some scheme of bringing
about this union in a manner that
would satisfy the aspirations of the
people of the interland without upsetting the traditions of the Lebanese in preserving some sort of isolation and independence. He is hopeful of effecting this result more
through economic pressure and the
necessity of creating one economic
unit of the whole country to facilitate exchange of trade with its different sections and make of Syria an
entrepot for the trade of the whole
Near East. Already some French
papers are stressing the necessity of
developing Syria as a trade link between Europe and Persia and other
Asiatic countries now that the overland trade route has been found
practicable and could, with proper
attention, be made a great trade
highway for the rapid exchange of
merchandise, dispensing with the
long and tedious water route. For the
promotion of this scheme, some
French papers are in favor of making the city of Damascus the seat
of the French High Commissariat ia
Syria instead of Beirut, as at present. This move, they declare, would
be a powerful bid for the goodwill
of the Moslem world and bound
to prove one of the most effective
steps for the development of commercial intercourse.
Of the political situation in Jebel
Druze, the original theatr* of th«
�-""w"
JUNE, 1927
«*-*
59
fighting attending the revolution, re- on the French lines of communicaports agree that in the populated tions in Syria and caused the French
districts conditions are rapidly ap- to complain to the English authoriproaching the normal stage. Only ties that if this condition were to
in the outlying sections is there still continue it would be interpreted as
any fighting going on, and this, ac- a hostile act and would justify recording to reports, is of a desultory prisals. The same observer also denature. A delegation of notables clares that if the Druzes are forced
from Jebel Druze coming to Beirut out of Al-Azrak they have the wide
to participate in the festivities at- stretches of the desert to fall back
tending the visit of the French fleet on where they would be free from
to Syrian waters petitioned the High any interference in the conduct of
Commissioner not for political or their raids, because it is their intenadministrative reforms, but for re- tion to prosecute the war to the
forms of a purely economic and edu- bitter end.
cational nature.
This latter view seems to be borne
out by statements from the revolutionary headquarters given much
MILITARY OPERATIONS
prominence by the nationalist press.
The most important development
The assertion is even made that the
in the military situation in Syria is
conflict is now raging as fierce as
the declaration by Emir Abdullah,
it ever was during any time of the
the ruling Prince of Transjordania,
revolution and that the punitive exof martial law in the district of Alpedition launched by the French
Azrak, the oasis in the Syrian Desert
against the hitherto impregnable
where Sultan Pasha Atrash, leader
volcanic plateau of Lijah failed in
of the Druze revolution, took refuge
attaining its objective and had to
when the French forces occupied the
take positions on the outskirts of
Druze mountain. The order issued
the section following severe losses
by Emir Abdullah states that "bein the vain attempt to drive out the
cause the district has become the
revolutionists.
scene of disquieting disturbances, it
The French military authorities,
becomes necessary to declare martial
after
their communique dealing with
law which will be enforced with all
the
operations
of March 29-30 in
severity by the military authorities."
which
they
claimed
to have won a
A military observer writing in
signal
victory
and
cleared
the dis"Al-Mokattam" of Cairo, a pro retrict
of
the
remnants
of
insurgent
volutionary Arabic paper, attaches
more political than military signifi- bands, have remained silent as to
cance to this new development in the further activities on any large scale,
situation in that it proves the ex- confining their announcements to
istence of a new agreement for co- what they describe as small bands of
operation between the English au- outlaws infesting mainly the disthorities in Palestine and the French tricts of Horns and Hama and not
authorities in Syria. All the Druzes the southern part of Syria in the
now in Al-Azrak, he declares, cannot direction of Jebel Druze.
A prominent Druze insurgent leadbe more than three thousand, but because they had been immune from er who had escaped to Palestine
French interference, they used the was arrested by the English authoriplace as a base for launching raids ties and turned over to the French.
�I
I
60
THE SYRIAN WORLD
p ?
WHAT HAPPENED TO ANNA?
ANNA is the Syrian immigrant girl who, upon landing
in America, discovered herself in lower Washington Street,
New York, but wanted to "ascend".
Read her wonderful story which is to be published serially beginning with the July issue of THE SYRIAN WORLD.
Follow this virtuous, determined and intelligent Syrian
girl in her defense of her honor and her struggle for success.
Learn what became of her when she was under the
illusion that she was a fugitive from justice for a fancied
murder, and what was the climax of her secret love for the
wealthy, educated and socially prominent young American
who had espoused her cause.
"ANNA ASCENDS", by the well-known American
author and playwrite, Harry Chapman Ford, was staged on
Broadway and had a successful run of a whole season with
the famous American stage and screen star Alice Brady appearing in the stellar role. The play was later filmed for
the screen. It was never published in book form. Your
only chance to read this gripping love story eulogizing the
Syrian girl is by following it in THE SYRIAN WORLD.
"ANNA ASCENDS" will be published in its original
form to preserve all its color and dramatic interest.
Make sure that you get your
coming July number.
SYRIAN WORLD
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STATEMENT OP THE OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, CIRCULATION,
MTC.. REQUIRED BY THE ACT OF CONGRESS OF AUGUST 24, 1»12.
Of The Syrian World published monthly at New York, N.Y^for Apr. 1,1927
STATE OF NEW YORK.
COUNTY OF NEW YORK,
Before me, a Notary Public, in and for the state and county aforesaid,
personally appeared Salloum A. Mokarzel, who, having been duly sworn
according to law, deposes and says that he is the publisher of the The
Syrian World, and that the following is, to the best of bis knowledge and
belief, a true statement of the ownership, management (and if a daily paper, the circulation), etc., of the aforesaid publication for the date shown
in the above caption, required by the Act of August 24, 1921, embodied in
section 411, Postal Laws and Regulations, printed on the reverse of this
form, to wit:
1. That the names and addresses of the publisher, editor, managing
editor, and business managers are:
Name of—
Post office address—
Publisher, Salloum Mokarzel
104 Greenwich Street.
Editor, Salloum Mokarzel
104 Greenwich Street.
104 Greenwich Street.
Managing Editor, Salloum Mokarzel
Business Managers, Salloum Mokarzel
104 Greenwich Street.
2. That the owner is: (If owned by a corporation, its name and address
must be stated and also immediately thereunder the names and addresses
of stockholders owning or holding one per cent or more of total amount of
stock. If not owned by a corporation, the names and addresses of the individual owners must be given. If owned by a firm, company, or other
unincorporated concern, its name and address, as well as those of each
individual member, must be given.)
Salloum A. Mokarzel
104 Greenwich St.
3. That the known bondholders, mortgages, and other security holders
owning or holding 1 per cent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages,
or other securities are: (If there are none, so state.) None.
4. That the two paragraphs next above, giving the names of the owners, stockholders, and security holders, if any, contain not only the Mst of
stockholders and security holders as they appear upon the books of the
company but also, in cases where the stockholder or security holder appears
upon the books of the company as trustee or in any other fiduciary relation,
en; also that the said two paragraphs contain statements embracing affiant's
the name of the person or corporation for whom such trustee is acting, is givfull knowledge and belief as to the circumstances and conditions under
which stockholders and security holders who do not appear upon the books
of the company as trustees, hold stock and securities in a capacity other
than that of a bona fide owner; and this affiant has no reason to believe
that any other person, association, or corporation has any interest direct
or indirect in the said stock, bonds, or other securities than as so stated
by him.
5. That the average number of copies of each issue of this publication
sold or distributed, through the mails or otherwise, to paid subscribers during the six months preceding the date shown1 above is.
(This information is required from daily publications only.)
S. A. Mokarzel.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this eighth day of April, 1927.
[SEAL.]
Salem J. Lutfy.
(My commission expires March 30, 1929.)
�I I
62
THE SYRIAN WORLD
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
64
Vrtilll*rtiVil(itttiii«ii«»iiitiuiiitiiiiniiirt!iiiiiii*tii"iit"'»i|
The Syrians in America] •
By Philip K. Hitti, Ph. D.
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
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Samples of these wonderful, original photographs are on display
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Newspapers
Description
An account of the resource
<h4>Biographical/Historical Note</h4>
<p>Salloum Mokarzel, a Lebanese American intellectual, founded<em> The Syrian World</em> in 1926. Salloum Mokarzel was the younger brother of Naoum Mokarzel, the publisher of the Arabic-language newspaper <em>Al-Hoda. </em>Together, the Mokarzel brothers ran Al-Hoda Publishing, and in 1909, they published <em>The Syrian Business Directory.</em> </p>
<p>Mokarzel created <em>The Syrian World</em> in order to document and celebrate the culture and history of "Syria." At the time, Syria referred to the modern-day countries of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. The publication was primarily aimed towards second-generation children of immigrants, but Mokarzel hoped that it would also appeal to the general American public.</p>
<h4>Scope/Content Note</h4>
<p><em>The Syrian World</em> was published between 1926 and 1932 as a journal. In 1932, the format was changed from an academic journal style to a newspaper style, which continued until the periodical's end in 1935. After the death of his brother Naoum, Salloum took over the publication of <em>Al-Hoda.</em></p>
<p>The articles in <em>The Syrian World</em> cover a variety of topics spanning from the practical to the theoretical. Practical subjects include international and domestic travel, historical and contemporary Arabic and Arab-American art and literature, and the mental and physical health and hygiene of immigrants. More theoretical, philosophical, and ideological subjects include ideologies of race, the changing role of women, the formation of Syrian and Lebanese-American societies, and the political and psychological relationships between immigrants and their countries of origin.</p>
<p>All issues of <em>The Syrian World</em> are available, along with full indexes for the first four volumes. For volumes five and six, there are tables of contents at the start of the issues.</p>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabs--United States
Arabic periodicals
Newspapers
Arab American Newspapers
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1926-1935
Relation
A related resource
<em><a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/41" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Syrian Business Directory</a></em>
<a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/44" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mokarzel Family Papers</a>
<a href="http://hdl.handle.net/11299/175685" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Annotated Index to the Syrian World, 1926-1932</a> at the University of Minnesota Immigration History Research Center Archives
<a href="https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/58" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Al-Hoda Newspapers</em></a>
Language
A language of the resource
English
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Processed by Claire A. Kempa, 2015-2017. Collection Guide written by Claire A. Kempa, 2017.
Collection Guide updated by Laura Lethers, 2023 August.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
These materials are digital copies of an original resource held by another institution. The KCLDS Archive often works with other institutions to make digital materials available online to the public. KCLDS is not able to grant permission to use or reproduce these materials. The KCLDS Archive strongly encourages users to contact the holding institution for permission to use or reproduce materials from their holdings.
Identifier
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NS 0002
Access Rights
Information about who can access the resource or an indication of its security status. Access Rights may include information regarding access or restrictions based on privacy, security, or other policies.
This digital material is provided here for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
TSW1927_06reducedWM
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Volume 01, Issue 12
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1927 June
Description
An account of the resource
Volume1 Issue 12 of The Syrian World published May 1927. The issue opens with an article by Alfred Ely Day on "Geology of Syria and Palestine." Following that is an article by Ameen Rihani that discusses how the East (Middle East) and West (Europe anbd United States) meet. This issue focuses on emigration and integration. One of its articles discusses the benefits of Syrian emigration. The historical articles intermingled in this issue cover the city of Beirut and the life of Al-Farid, an Arabian mystic poet from 1181 A.D. The issue concludes with excerpts from the Syrian Press, the Reader’s Forum, and more on the political developments in Syria.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabic literature--History and criticism--Periodicals
Arabs--United States--Periodicals
Lebanese-Americans--United States--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Syrian-American Press
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
104 Greenwich St., New York, NY
Format
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Text/pdf
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
1920s
Ameen Rihani
Beirut
Immigration
Lebanon
New York
Palestine
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/4298725e262bb73163ae7c8ad2848218.pdf
fc725b451198aaacdd456d39b3993ae8
PDF Text
Text
�THE
X
SYRIAN WORLD
SALLOUM
A.
MOKARZEL,
Editor.
PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE SYRIAN-AMERICAN PRESS
104
GREENWICH STREET, NEW YORK,
By subscription $5.00 a year.
N. Y.
Single copies 50c
Entered as second-class matter, June 25, 1926, at the post office at New
York, N. Y„ under the act of March 3, 1879.
FEBRUARY, 1927
VOL. I. No. 8.
Contents
PAGE
The Rediscovery of an Ancient Empire — The Hittites
By PH. K. HITTI, PH. D.
3
From My Note-Book of Travel — 77
By AMEEN RIHANI
10
Punishment to Fit the Crime
13
The Story of a Story
14
By H. I.
KATIBAH
Passion
20
Syria For The Syrians
21
By
DR.
M.
SHADID
The Hunter's Pity
Echoes of The Syrian Revolution in America
Syrian Proverbs
Fatima — 77
By HASSAN SUB HI
24
25
29
30
�'
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'
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CONTENTS (Continued)
PAGE
Social Reform by Force
Gratitude
Famous Arab Lovers — VIII — Ibn Zuraik
Revenge Among Poets
Enemies as Benefactors
Love Woke One Morning (a poem)
By BARBARA YOUNG
35
36
37
41
42
43
Arab Sayings
The Justice of Omar
The Spirit of Antar (a poem)
By DR. N. A.
43
44
45
KATIBAH
Results
45
Editor's Comment ("Syria for the Syrians"
46
Spirit of The Syrian Press
49
Readers' Forum
52
Political Developments in Syria
55
About Syria and Syrians
57
ILLUSTRATIONS IN THIS ISSUE
Druze Prisoners of War
A Scene of Peace in Syria
A Scene of War in Syria
Druze Revolutionary Headquarters
A Scene of Contrasts
Patriotism Above Religion
A Gate of Old Jebail
Organizing for Peace
�THE
*
i
SYRIAN WORLD
VOL. L No. 8.
FEBRUARY, 1927
The Rediscovery of an Ancient
Empire — The Hittites
By PHILIP K. HITTI, PH. D.
"An archaeological expedition along the Euphrates and Tigris to Bagdad, to excavate ancient city mounds whose pottery and other relics may
throw light on early Hittite civilization departed for London. Prof. Wm. F.
Bade, Dean of the Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, Cal., and Major W.
C. Gotshall, New York engineer and explorer, head the party. The expedition will take eight months. Outfitting at Constantinople, the party will
cross Turkey in Asia Minor ot Tarsus, Antioch and Aleppo in Syria. Dr.
Bade said he hoped that in excavating the key to the ancient Hittite writings may be found. The Hittite civilization he said, goes back 1,500 B. C,
and although tablets with Hittite inscriptions have been found, there is no
way to decipher them as the key to the writings has not been discovered.
(News Item.)
Our immediate fathers, born and buried in the same land
which some fifteen hundred years before Christ formed a part
of a great Empire — the Empire of the Hittites —, hardly ever
heard that name or knew anything about it. The only occasion
for them to have become acquainted with it would have been
while reading the Old Testament where the word "Hittite" occurs about twenty times. Esau married Hittite wives and so did
David and Solomon. Hittite tribes lived in Palestine and Lebanon. That is practically all that the Hebrew records have preserved for us.
The fact is that our fathers — and for that matter the whole
world in their time — knew very little indeed about the history
of the lands in which they lived, and the glories and achievement*
�=:
4
THE SYRIAN WORLD
of the early Egyptian, Babylonian, Assyrian and Phoenician civilizations. They had no conception whatsoever of the great heights
attained by the cultures developed by those ancient Oriental peoples and of the debt which the modern world owes to the civilizations which once flourished along the banks of the Nile and the
Euphrates and on the Eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea.
The rediscovery of the ancient Oriental world with all its intellectual as well as material accomplishments is a comparatively
modern event. It began with the advent of Napoleon into Egypt
in 1798 and has been a most fascinating story. In the annals of
modern scholarship and the progress of human knowledge there
is perhaps no story more romantic, more enchanting and more
fruitful than that of the resuscitating of a whole forgotten world.
Not only our fathers but the mediaeval people knew practically nothing about the Hittites. The interest of the people in
the middle ages, especially because of the influence of the Church,
centered around a little nook in Southern Syria — Palestine. Even
the Romans and the Greeks, who were nearer from the standpoint
of time to the earlier Hittites, have hardly a word to say in their
vast classical literature about the Hittites. Homer has just one
reference to them. Herodotus, "the father of history", ascribes
the statues at Karabel near Smyrna, which we now know to be
Hittite, to an Egyptian Pharaoh.
To the whole world, classical, mediaeval and Oriental, the
Hittites were a forgotten people, a lost race. To the few who
remembered the name from their reading of Old Testament literature they were asscoiated with the Hivites and Canaanites and
Jebusites as an insignificant, small tribe living in Syria and Palestine.
Today we know for a fact that the Hittite Empire was the
third largest after the Egyptian and the Assyrian Empires and
that in the middle of the second millennium B. C, it was the
strongest power in all Western Asia.
From our conception of the Hittites some forty years ago
as an unimportant tribe intermarrying with the Jews in Palestine
to that which we hold today of them as one of the leading
nations of Western Asia, there is a big step. How was
that gap filled? In other words, what were the little steps in the
process of the reconstruction of a wholly ruined civilization? How
did the archaeologist, the traveller, the historian and the philologist collaborate within the last forty or fifty years to raise before
our eyes an edifice shattered to pieces thousands of years ago, and
i
�I
I
FEBRUARY, 1927
5
how did they gather together the shreds of evidence, the little
pieces of information, and weave them together into the little
whole/which we now know about the Hittites? We said "little"
because we are certain that the story is not yet half told, and what
remains to be discovered is enormously more than what is already
discovered. In fact the Hittites have not yet begun to tell us
their own story in their own words. We cannot as yet read their
hieroglyphic inscriptions, and the little we know about these people comes mainly from Egyptian and Babylonian sources and
from the Hittite monuments and Hittite cuneiform inscriptions.
*
\
*
*
In 1812, the Swiss traveller Burckhardt arrived in Hamah.
As he was passing into the Bazaar of that ancient Syrian town he
noticed inscribed on a stone in the wall of a house some curious
characters, very much like those used by the early Egyptians.
Burckhardt reported his find in his "Travels".
In 1868, Murray's Guide Book for Syria was published,
and Porter, who wrote it, claimed that Hamah had no antiquities.
In 1870, our well-known friend, Samuel Jessup, visited Hamah in the company of Mr. Johnson, American Consul in Beirut,
and made copies of the inscription on the stone which they sent to
Dr. Ward, the editor of the "Independent" in New York. Dr.
Ward was not an Orientalist but a very keen scholar. He noticed
that the writing was boustrophedon, i. <?., one line goes from right
to left, and the second from left to right in the same way as lines
go drawn by,oxen ploughing a field. This was Dr. Ward's contribution to the solution of the puzzle.
The inscription attracted the attention of the authorities of
the British Museum. The writing was clearly in hieroglyphs
similar to those used in Egypt but it was also clear that the language was not Egyptian. Scholars at that time could read Egyptian. In 1872, the British Museum sent an Irish scholar, William
Wright, who made casts of the unintelligible Hamah inscription
and sent them to London. He soon discovered other stones with
similar writings, built into a bridge over the Orontes (al-'Asi)
near Hamah. Dr. Wright made a guess which proved to be a
good one. He declared the inscription "Hittite". Subhi Pasha,
representing the Imperial Museum in Constantinople, was with
Dr. Wright and the stones were bought for transferrence and
safe keeping in the Museum at Constantinople.
By some strange coincidence, that same night in which the
stones were packed up on camel back and carried away, a large
\
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
number of meteorites happened to make their appearance in the
sky, and the people of Hamah, interpreting the event as a bad
omen indicating celestial anger for having allowed themselves
to part with their sacred relics, hastened and dispatched a delegation to bring back the stones with the charm inscription. The
delegation overtook Subhi Pasha the second morning and made
an earnest plea for the return of the objects of veneration. The
shrewd Turkish archaeologist did not know at first what to say.
He ordered his servants to pass one round of coffee after another
while the old sheikhs were elaborating their case. Finally the
happy idea; dawned upon his mind. "I have another interpretation of this heavenly phenomenon," interrupted the wise Turk
with all the earnestness he could command. "This was no sign
of-disfavor as you took it to be, but rather a sign of great favor
on the part of Allah. The meteorites were nothing else but fireworks celebrating your bestowal of such a gift upon His viceRegent, the Sultan Caliph and successor of Mohammed!
'' The stones adorn today the Museum at Constantinople.
They constitute the first landmark in the rediscovery of the Hittite civilization.
.....
Soon after that another stone with a strikingly similar inscription was found in a mosque-wall in Aleppo. The people used it
as a charm for curing diseases of the eye by rubbing the affected
organ of sight against it, — an ideal way, of course, for spreading and perpetuating eye diseases! Before long other inscriptions
and monuments were reported in Marash and the Taurus region,
in Seniirli, all over Asia Minor as far North as modern BoghazKoi, (seventy miles East of Angora, the capital of Mustafa
Kemal). The statues reported by Herodotus some 450 years
before Christ at Karabel, near Smyrna, and supposed by him to
have been Egyptian, were compared with those of Ivnz reported
by a Swede in 1737 and with others in different parts of Asia
Minor It was soon found that these monuments had the same
massiveness of design, the figures had the same head-dress, the
same toe-tilted shoes (exactly'like the red shoe which a modern
fellah in Lebanon wears with its turned up front), and the same
tunics All these monuments were declared the handiword ot
the Hittites. Sayce who in 1878 visited the Karabel statues and
pronounced them Hittite was the first to decipher, by guess-work,
comparison and cross-comparison, a few characters of the Hamah
inscription. The same scholar in 1884 succeeded in deciphering
a Vannic inscription (from Van, near the Turco-Persian frontier)
- .
�FEBRUARY, 1927
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ft
T
in which the name of the Hittites occurred.
Hittite monuments and inscriptions scattered from Persia
in the East to the Agean Sea in the West, and from the Black
Sea in the North to the Orontes in the South! Surely this does
not betray the influence of a tribe, but a nation, an empire-nation. — At different times, the Hittite power, therefore, must
have been felt all over Western Asia.
But that is not all. A recently deciphered Babylonian inscription informs us that in 1925 B. C, the Hittites were strong
enough to destroy the first dynasty in Babylon. Babylon at that
time was a mighty city. It was the capital of the whole Babylonian kingdom. This descent from Khatti (modern Boghaz-Koi),
upon the rich valley of the Tigris and the Euphrates must have
been the culmination of a series of protracted raids, or ghazwahs,
going back to still earlier times.
In the eighteenth century before Christ, the Hittites under
the name "Kheta" began to figure in the Egyptian records. In
the fifteenth century, we find them contesting the power of great
Egypt over Syria and fighting Thuthmose, the Napoleon of the
ancient Egyptians, at Megiddo, near Haifa. In the early part
of the thirteenth century, they almost captured Ramses II at their
fortified city, Kadesh, near the lake of Hums. And although
the proud Ramses in his record of the? story of the battle on the
walls of Karnak depicts himself as holding the heads of three
Hittites as if to smash them together, we know from the
treaty of peace and alliance which he signed with the Hittite
king that his adversary was treated as his peer and equal. It
was a recognition on the part of the greatest empire of that time
that it had found in the Hittites a worthy rival.
Aside from Khatti (Modern Boghaz-Koi) in the North
and Kadesh in the South, the Hittites had a third capital, Karchemish, modern Jerablus, on the Euphrates in Northern Syria.
This city proved a thorn in the side of the Assyrians and was
finally destroyed by Sargon in 717 B. C. It is today an important railway station on the Constantinople-Baghdad line, and its
Hittite ruins were being dug up by Colonel Lawrence and his
British associates, Wooley and Hogarth, when the Great War
broke out. It was then that Lawrence gave up the spade of the
archaeologist and started on his dramatic and colorful military
career in connection with Feisal and the Arab forces.
A few years previous to that, a German scholar, Hugo
Winckler, had excavated Boghaz-Koi and. unearthed some 20,000
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
8
Hittite tablets written in cuneiform — the same script used by
the Assyrians and the Babylonians. Winckler, however, died before he had chance to work on the decipherment of these unique
tablets, and his work has, since the conclusion of the war, been
taken up mainly by an Austrian scholar, Hrozny. Hrozny has
succeeded in deciphering many of these Hittite inscriptions, and
his conclusions seem to affiliate the Hittite language with the
Indo-European group (Greek and Latin) rather than with the
Semitic.
But the Hittites did not write all their records in cuneiform.
They also used the hieroglyphic script of Egypt. The Hittite
hieroglyphs have not yet been deciphered. They conceal rather
than reveal to us what the Hittites have to say about themselves.
Most of our knowledge about them has thus far come to us
through second-hand sources — through Hebrew, Babylonian and
Egyptian channels
*
*
*
A more important question than the wars and conquests of
the Hittites is the one relative to their cultural achievements and
contributions to the imperishable heritage of the race. How much
did the Hittites further the cause of human progress, and how
much did they bequeath to later generations?
The Hittites undoubtedly borrowed many things from the
two great centers of early civilization, the Land of One River —
Egypt, and the Land of Two Rivers — Babylonia. The characters with which they wrote their language were taken from those
two sources, as we have noticed before. But in other respects, the
Hittites were benefactors and not beneficiaries.
Along the Southern coast of the Black Sea, in the homeland
of the Hittites, lies a rich deposit of iron. The Hittites were the
earliest people in history, so far as we know, to use iron for themselves and to distribute it over Western Asia. The people of Phoenicia, Palestine and Egypt were still using bronze or copper implements and weapons. The Hittites were thus responsible for
the transition of Western Asia from a lower metal age to that of
a higher one—iron. This marks a long step forward. Iron weights
were first used as coinage, and the Hittite influence over the
Greeks shows itself in metal coinage.
The Hittite monuments indicate that they had the tame
horse earlier than the Babylonians and Egyptians. The Hittites
probably got it from Eastern Indo-Iranian sources.
In architecture the Assyrians borrowed from their Hittite
�FEBRUARY, 1927
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neighbors to the North the porch and the two lions at the door.
These lions stand guard at almost every Assyrian palace. The
porch and the lions have become a familiar sight to us all over
the world.
The double-headed eagle, which figured on Hittite coatof-arms, was later adopted by the Byzantines and Seljuk Turks
and handed down to modern times as the emblem of imperial
Austria, Russia and Germany. It finally found its way into the
United States of America. This eagle must have originated, according to Dr. Hall of the British Museum, in the head of some
Hittite priest j but Breasted, the noted American Egyptologist,
thinks that the Hittites borrowed it from Babylonian origins.
According to Breasted, the so-called Jewish nose is originally the Hittite nose bequeathed to the early Jews through intermarriage with the early Hittites. Dr. von Lauschan, the famous Berlin anthropologist, goes so far as to say that the Maronites and the Druzes of Lebanon, the Nusayriyyah of Syria,
and the Yezidis and Bektashes of Asia Minor are all remnants
of Hittites. His arguments are based on skull measurements and
comparisons with Hittite figures on monuments. His measurements of Druze skulls in Lebanon show no co-relation with those
of real Arabs and Badawys.
In brief it might be said that the Hittites and their land,
Asia Minor, and Northern Syria, formed one of the chief links
between the early civilizations of Western Asia on one hand,
and the later Aegean and Greek civilizations on the other. The
Hittites were the medium through which the earliest people of
Europe received Oriental cultural influences which were later
passed on to modern Europe. The Phoenicians formed the second and Southern link in the process of transmitting Oriental
culture to Western recipients. The influence carried on by the
Phoenicians, was mainly Egyptian and it was passed over into
Crete and Mycenea. The Greek civilization of history was built
on Aegean, Cretan and Mycenean foundations, and became in
turn the basis for the Roman civilization. Thus the products of
early Oriental achievements became the heritage of the modern
man.
The flame of impatience is easier to bear than the tedium
of waiting.
Ah.
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
10
From My Note-Book of Travel
By
AMEEN RIHANI
II
AT THE PARSI CLUB
Before I left Bombay I had lunch with a Parsi friend at
his club, and we talked of Ghandi, Pan-Iranism, and Zoroaster.
Dr. Nariman, a linguist and scholar, had invited a few others,
among them Mr. Irani, a solicitor at law. The contact of mind
seemed familiar — very little of the Oriental in a Bombay
Parsi — and the atmosphere of the Club is quite European. A
hat-rack for your helmet, and a couch for your mind. Here too
are pool tables and Parsis in shirt-sleeves, cue in hand;—and the
same lingo and gesture of those Patagonians of the N. Y. Press
Club. Don Marquis and Abe Bearman and Charlie Somerville
might be, for all I know, of Parsi descent. They will certainly
find themselves at home in the Parsi Club of Bombay — and all
the drink, O ye noble Soaks, ye can hold. But how would you
like to have the birds feast upon you in the Tower of Silence?
They are lusty and noisy and cantankerous, the ravens and
vultures of Bombay, — unlike the Parsis upon whom they feed.
I cannot help feeling that there is a sort of British-Indian-Iranian
complex in a Parsi. He sings hymns to the sun, and he keeps an
eye on the main chance; he takes his bath regularly and keeps
cool; he is quiet in his well-being, unostentatious in his prosperity;
— very complacent, very reticent; — he smiles, he represses,
and he forges ahead; and often, in the present struggle between
Britania and Swaraj, he finds himself in both camps.
This complex, at the end of its sublunar struggle, is carried
in a shroud to the Tower of Silence, where the vultures are always waiting. Do complexes come back to life in simplified,
elemental forms? Is the vulture the Parsi's complex, jubilant
and free? I wonder.
One thing in these good people I do not like. They are
too proud as a race and too exclusive as a sect. They will not
take an outsider into their religion, for they will then have to
take him or her into their homes in marriage; and that, they maintain, will corrupt their Wood. They are certainly pure as a
;
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FEBRUARY, 1927
11
race, but not too pure — forgive me Dr. Nariman — to take in
Don Marquis, for instance, or Ben De Casseres, if he chose to
ride the Sacred Flame behind Zarathustra.
*
*
THUS SPAKE ZARATHUSTRA
JM
Si
!
Mr. D. J. Irani has done into English a few of the songs
of Zoroaster and he has them published in Bombay in a handsome limp leather-binding. He came on the last day to say
good-bye and brought me a copy with him. The Message, it
is called, and in it is a declaration in song of the Divine Truth.
No matter how orthodox you may be, you cannot in conscience
reject this message.
Zarathustra was a monotheist, and his God Ahura Mazda
is the Universal Soul. So is the God of Christ, for that matter,
and so is the God of Mohammed. But Ahura Mazda has not
so many attributes as Allah, and he is less, much less anthropomorphic. He is first the Spirit of the Good Mind — good deeds
from good thoughts spring: he is the Fountain of the Good
Mind. He is also the Spirit of Truth and Right — from the
principle of truth and right proceed the harmony of universal
law and order. But here is the rock around which clash the
religions of the world. The Prophets can see through it, have
seen through it; — have even stood together upon it: but their
followers, or those who would guide them, prefer to the principle of truth and right that of fact and pelf. Hence the spiritual atrophy of the present state of the world.
Ahura Mazda is also the Spirit of Holy Sovereignty (Khashtra) and this refers both to the Spiritual Sovereignty as well as
the Dominion of Heaven. Which is, indeed, a serious matter!
for his claim conflicts with that of Allah and Jehovah; and their
poor blind followers on this earth keep up the conflict. Who is
the Ruler Supreme? Who can reconcile the wofds of Mohammed, for instance, with those of Zarathustra?
The fifth attribute of Ahura is Healthful Weil-Being, or
Perfection (Haurvatat). Hence, I think, the smug and selfsufficient attitude of the successful Parsi. He is successful, because he has attained the Ahura state. Follows the Spirit of
Immortality (Ameratat), which is the companion of the fifth attribute. These twin blessings, healthful well-being and immortality, are bestowed upon men and women who are inspired with
the Goocl Mind and whose actions are guided by the Truth.
SS5SB55S
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/'l
There is too the Spirit of Benevolent Piety, which is described
as the active and zealous mind. The Salvation Army could turn
with as much assurance to Zarathustra as it does to Jesus. A Salvationist is in this last sense a model Parsi. I quote from the
Message:
With my songs of praise, with my self-humbling worship,
I wish to serve my Lord;
For now, indeed, I see Him with my own eyes, the Lord of the
Good Spirit, the Lord of the Good Word and Deed.
I know Him through Truth, Him who is Ahura Mazda.
Verily, I shall render Him my homage in the House of Song.
When are the men of wisdom coming, O Mazda?
Such benevolent men, O Mazda, I shall verily take to the House
of Song.
A beautiful name, the House of Song, for church, synagogue, mosque and temple. But the men of wisdom of this age,
like the children of ignorance and folly, cannot agree, it seems,
on a change of names. The name is the thing: the named is
nothing. Allah is our God; Jehovah is their God; Ahura is
your God. Would you have us call Allah Ahura, or Ahura
Jehovah? Blasphemy!
But I have shown you how good is Ahura. I have named
his attributes, which are few but choice; and I will call him, for
the sake of peace, the Universal Spirit, or the Fountain of the
Good Mind. To the Universal Spirit, then, to the Supreme
Principle of Life, I sing the song of Zarathustra. Neither Allah
nor Jesus, nor Jehovah, nor Brahma, nor Buddha, nor Ahura
would I call him. The moment I do so, I cut myself from my
fellowmen, nay, I set myself against them.
You worship Allah, I worship Buddha, he worships Ahura;
and in our zeal for the attainment of their divine attributes, we
take up clubs against each other. Why not, therefore, call them
all the Fountain of the Good Mind and thus make up and be
brothers? — brothers of the same Faith, followers of the same
God, seekers of the same Truth. I believe that the only way
of salvaging religion and saving the world is by scrapping our
gods and prophets and pooling our creeds.
Mankind has suffered too much from the selfish, the criminal zeal of those who make of God a tribal chief and monopolize
all his gifts and blessings. Anthropomorphism is not an impro-
ers,
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FEBRUARY, 1927
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tt
vement upon fetishism j the concept of divinity is in both false.
Yet, conflict is perpetuated by conceit. "Our God is better than
yours", is at the root of much of the suffering and woe and misery
of the world.
The truth is not an exclusive possession of any people: the
truth is not to be found whole and undivided anywhere: the
truth is scattered among mankind, and every nation, even the
Papuans, has a little of it. Let us collect it, collect the vital
parts of it, put them together into a universal religious formula,
and call it, say, Humanism. Aye, let us pool our creeds and
call God by his right name, the Universal Spirit of Good, or
the Fountain of the Good Mind. The Brahmin and the Parsi
and the Christian and the Moslem will then become real brothers, and the world will be a little better.
t
< U
PUNISHMENT TO FIT THE CRIME
Vi
t
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A Persian king held a banquet for the dignitaries of the
State. When the table was set, and the guests had ranged themselves in their proper places around it, a slave who was bringnig
food in a plate was taken aback by the dignity and solemnity of
the occasion, and as he approached the king a little of the sauce
from the plate spilled on the edge of the king's robe. The king
was much angered at the clumsiness of the servant and gave orders that he be beheaded.
When the servant realized the determination of the king he
poured the whole contents of the plate over the king's head.
"Woe to thee," cried the king in rage, "why hast thou done
this?"
The servant, in a tone of perfect nonchalance, replied:
"Your majesty, I did this to save thy face and dignity. For it
would be a, disgraceful thing indeed for people to say that thou
didst cause, my death for a small offense; therefore have I committed this grave one that thy punishment may be commensurate
with the crime."
Hearing, this, the king bowed his head in pensive thought,
then, looking up, he said:
"We have forgiven thee in consideration of the ingenuity
of thy excuse. Go, thou art free for the face of God."
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The Story of a Story
By H. I. KATIBAH
"And remember when Moses said unto his servant, I will not cease
until I come to the place where the two seas meet; or I will travel for a
long space of time. But when they arrived at the meeting of the two seas,
they forgot their fish, and the fish took its way freely in the sea. And when
they had passed beyond that place, Moses said unto his servant, Bring us
our dinner; for now are we fatigued with this journey. His servant answered, Dost thou know what has befallen me ? When we took our lodging
at the rock verily I forgot the fish; and none made me forget it, except
Satan, that I should not remind thee of it. And the fish took its way into
the sea in a wonderful manner. Moses said, This is what we sough after.
And they both went back, returning by the way they came. And coming
to the rock they found one of our servants unto whom we had granted
mercy from us, and whom we had taught wisdom from before us."
Koran — The Sura of the Cave.
(Sale's Translation)
Some words, like some men, have the wanderlust. They
are never happy except when they are "on the go". These words
change their identity as they migrate from clime to clime and
pass from one tongue to another, to an extent which makes them
almost impossible to recognize. They are not unlike certain "women with dark pasts", about whom we read in the daily papers
or detective novels. Historians and philologists take as much
pleasure in "running down" these words as conscientious detectives do in pursuing notorious international crooks with a long
record of law-evasions and sensational escapes.
Of these words there is one that we still come across in
current Syrian folk-lore, but its lineage is so long and tortuous
that it carries us into the old, misty myths of ancient Greece, and
the labyrinthian byways of Rabbinic traditions. One can hardly
conceive of a word with more "past", nor one that had traveled
so far. A book could be written on that one single word; a book
has been written, and many monographs besides, all full of learning and erudition, and if they were only popular enough they
could be as amusing and entertaining as a "dime novel".
That word is "al-Khidr", the mysterious wali or saint, some-
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FEBRUARY, 1927
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times identified as Elijah, sometimes as the companion of Alexander the Great in his adventurous journey to "the Land of
Darkness". His functions and attributes are as Protean as his
identity. He is the one who discovered the Fountain of Youth,
the messenger between God and His holy servants on earth, the
instructor of saints, the ever-present helper of those who are in
need, and the precursor of the "last day".
How did he come to have so many names and roles? One
is led to suspect some trickery or crookedness, if one is not suddenly reminded that saints are incapable of such things. But
perhaps historians, or pseudo-historians and story-tellers are, and
that is more like it.
The most famous story about al-Khidr, the one around
which so much imaginative and beautiful yarn was spun, and so
much romantic adventure, is the one in which he discovers the
"Fountain of Youth".
The origin of this story is not known. But the first allusion
to it in the Arabic language appears in the Koran, whence it was
taken over by the Mohammedan traditionists, commentators and
historians, who seemed to emulate each other in embellishing it
and adding to its frills and ornaments.
, Among those who accompanied Alexander the Great on his
expedition to Asia was one, Callisthenes, a cousin of the Greek
philosopher Aristotle, who was the instructor of Alexander. This
Callisthenes wrote a history of Alexander's expedition which is
referred to by Plutarch, Strabo and others, and which was lost
and forgotten.
But in time, stories about Alexander the Great pertaining to
be written by Callisthenes, began to crop up. On the face of
them they were pure fabrications, but to lend them some plausibility and selling merit, the name of Callisthenes was attached to
them. This kind of "literary dishonesty" was very common in
the "good old days", even among people whose honesty otherwise was unimpeachable.
These writings were brought together about 200 A. D., and
were known as "Pseudo-Callisthenes". It is in this version of
the "Alexander Romance" that we come for the first time across
the story of Alexander's search for the "Fountain of Youth.
It is said that when Alexander had conquered all the world,
he looked for more land to conquer, and he was told that none
was left but the Land of Darkness, in the extreme North of the
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
world, inhabited by strange and queer-looking people. In his
commentary on the Alexander story in the Koran, al-Tabari, one
of the earliest Moslem commentators, relates, with enviable
gullibility, what he must haye read in non-Arabic sources current
in "his day, that some of the people in the: Land of Darkness had
huge ears, covered inside with down and outside with hair. "One
ear," he seriously narrates, "they spread under them when they
sleep, while with the other they cover themselves." Some people
they met had long hair covering their "stunted, beast-like bodies,
with finger-nails like scythes."
Alexander went on until he came to the edge of the inhabited world beyond which, he was told, lies the "Fountain of
Youth". A drink from that fountain will make one young forever. Upon this fountain Alexander now fixed his eyes. He chose
of his army ten thousand loyal and tried warriors, and at their
head he placed his nephew al-Khidr. In the version of the Arab
geographer 'Ammara (taken here from the appendix to Israel
Fi iedlaender's book "Die Khaderlegende und Der Alexanderroman"), we are told that they first came to "the valley of sand,
beyond which was the Land of Darkness". This valley or wady
''moves with its black sand, like chunks of the dark night, with
the swiftness of wind. The mountains thereof were black, with
its birds, animals, wild beasts and insects all black."
When they had gone for a while, they reached a rough,
stony land, whose pebbles were "of green precious stones". There
Alexander parted with his ten thousand, taking with him only
his nephew al-Khidr, to whom he confided that his real object
was the search for the Fountain of Youth. They agreed to go
each in one way, and whoever finds the Fountain of Youth would
call out for the other. Then they embraced and parted, Alexander taking to the right, and al-Khidr to the left.
It was al-Khidr who discovered the Fountain of Youth, or
rather stumbled on it. He walked and walked until he came to
a land the fragrance of which was like that "of excellent musk".
In the midst of that land was "a tree of ruby, with leaves like
embroidered gowns, and fruits as large as jars, and sweeter than
honey". Under that tree was a fountain of snow-white, fragrant
water. Then al-Khidr heard a voice calling out: "Be of good
cheer, O servant of Allah, for you have reached the Fountain
of Youth!"
A little variant account, and to our purpose much more interesting, is the one in which al-Khidr does not recognize the
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FEBRUARY, 1927
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Fountain of Youth, till after he leaves it and returns to Alexander. He comes to the Fountain, tired and thirsty, and sitting
down under that tree, he washes his face, drinks, and then takes
out a dried, salted fish to eat. He places the fish in the water,
and behold! it regains life and runs away.
The story in the Koran bears all the earmarks of being taken
from the Pseudo-Callisthenes legend. The work had already
been translated into Syriac, and must have been popularly known
in Arabia For while in the Koran story Moses takes the place
of Alexander, and al-Khidr is alluded to as "one of our servants",
the incident of the dried fish is identical. The Arab commentators found no difficulty in identifying the servant of Allah with
al-Khidr.
The Arabic word "al-Khidr" simply means "the green one".
How did it come into the story of Alexander, and why? The
Arabs took the word from the Syriac translation of the PseudoCallisthenes. The name in the Greek original is Andreas.
Some Syriac scribe in his translation of the Pseudo-Callisthenes, recognizing the resemblance of the incident of the Fountain of Youth to a well-known Greek myth, substituted the name
in the Pseudo-Callisthenes to that in the myth. The myth is
that of Glaucus, which in Greek means "Green", and his eating
of a herb which made him immortal. There are several versions
of this myth. In one of them he is represented as a fisherman
of Anthedon in Baeotia, who had the good fortune of eating a
part of the divine herb which Cronos had sown, and which made
Glaucus immortal. He was said to have built the ship
Argo and to have accompanied Jason and his companions in their
search for the Golden Fleece, as their steersman. He became a
maritime god, and dwelt in the seas. His lower half was changed
to a fish.
According to Sir Ernest Budge, the Pseudo-Callisthenes
cycle had its origin in Egypt in the reign of the.Ptolomies. The
Egyptians welcomed the advent of Alexander as that of a saviour who rid them of the dominance of the Persians. He in turn
showed them consideration and respect to their religion and traditions. Egypt was a fertile field for all kinds of favorable
legends about Alexander to grow and propagate, believes Sir
Ernest Budge, especially since the Greek conqueror assumed divinity as the son of Amon-Ra. The Arabic sobriquet of Alexander,
"Dhu-1-Karnain", "The Two-Horned One", goes, according to
Sir Ernest Budge, to the Egyptian "sept abui", literally "provid-
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
ed with two horns", which was one of the titles of Amon-Ra.
This, Sir Ernest Budge holds, rather than the explanation given i It \
by some Arab historians that he was so called because he had two
little protrusions in his head, resembling horns, or because his
rule extended over the East and West, symbolized by two horns,
is the right one.
The Pseudo-Callisthenes romance had a wide circulation;
it was a best-seller in ancient literature not only in Egypt, but,
soon after, in neighboring countries from where it traveled far
and wide.
j
A Latin translation from the original Greek was made in
the 3rd or 4th century by Julerius Valerius. Another Latin
translation made its appearance in the 11th century. A Syriac
version made, it is said, through the Persian, appeared in the 7th
century, then through the Arabic into the Ethiopic, in a circuitous
manner, back to, Egypt where it had started.
It was also claimed that a Siamese version and a Malay one
were made from the Arabic and the Persian.
Through the Latin translation or the Arabic romantic stories
of the Arabian Nights type about the search for "the Fountain
1
of Youth", Ponce de Leon, a Spanish explorer and conqueror
of the 15th and 16th centuries, was so convinced of the existence
of that fountain that he went in search for it in the New World.
He failed to discover it, but discovered Florida instead, which
was not a bad substitute after all!
So far for the external ramblings of the "Alexander Romance". There is, however, another side to the story, an intrinsic
and spiritual one, that is almost as interesting, and to the students
of the religious and spiritual history of the world, more signifii
cant.
If we go back to the story of Alexander in the Koran, we
will find that the latter part is derived from a source which is
taken neither from the Pseudo-Callisthenes nor from any other
Greek source.
In fact, it is a Jewish legend about Moses (See Louis Ginzberg, Legends of the Jews, Vol. IV, P. 223) who boasted that
there was none wiser than he, and God, to teach him humility,
showed him one who was wiser. This second, mysterious person,
the Arabs designated as al-Khidr, and identified him, with St.
Elijah. What helped the identification of al-Khidr with St.
Elijah more than anything else was the fact that the traditions
of both centre about immortality.
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FEBRUARY, 1927
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The mystical and esoteric attributes of St. Elijah had been
established among the Jews before the Arabs adopted them in
connection with this story. And as the same story contains unmistakable evidences of the Alexander Romance, Arab commentators sometimes identified al-Khidr with St. Elijah. When
they were treated separately, the one was merely the shadow of
the other, or the two went in companionship, or met at long intervals} one going eastward, the other westward.
As among the Jews, Elijah became the messenger of heaven
to the holy ones who meditated over the Torah day and night,
transmitting to them divine wisdom and teaching them spiritual
secrets unknown to the dwellers of the earth, so among the Arabs
al-Khidr became the messenger and companion of the chosen
Sufis,, who claimed esoteric wisdom not shared with the common
believers. There is an evident resemblance between what Elijah
places in the mouths of pious rabbis, and what al-Khidr
teaches the Sufis. Especially is this true of the mystery of "the
Great Name", which al-Khidr is said to have taught some Sufis.
This tradition is specifically and peculiarly Jewish. For the Jews
refrained from mentioning the name of God, lest in so doing
they may unwittingly break the third commandment which forbade them to take the name of the Lord in vain. Even today
when the Jews come across, the Hebrew word for God—Jehovah
—they substitute for it, in reading, the word Edonai, and the Jewish scholars who in the Middle Ages put the vowel signs to the
Bible transfixed the vowel signs of the word Edonai to the consonents of Jehovah, and hence we have Jehovah.
Some< Jews, as would be naturally expected, took advantage
of that mystery and claimed the secret knowledge of the Great
Name, which they used for magic. The Arabs followed them
in that.
Among the Jewish legends is one in which Elijah becomes
a pupil of Jehuda-ha-Nasi (Ginsberg, Vol. IV, P. 219). Similarly among the Sufis we learn that a certain Abu Bakr al-Warraq wrote a book which was so deep in spiritual wisdom that alKhidr begged him to give him the book, but Abu Bakr refused,
commanding his pupil to, take it and throw it in the Oxus River.
And so, throughout the Arabic traditions and tales of alKhidr, we see this dual personality of al-Khidr disporting itself.
In his Greek disguise he is more or less of a wordly figure, romantic and fantastic, as would fit a companion of Alexander in
m®$a
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
his expedition to the Land of Darkness. Not so is al-Khidr of
Jewish lineage, who is mystical and esoteric, a companion and
counselor of saints.
All this came about because Mohammed innocently and unknowingly brought together in one story two threads of tradition,
different, yet similar enough to explain the confusion.
This is the story of the story of al-Khidr.
Passion
FROM THE ARABIC
God created the angels wholly of mind, the beasts wholly of
passion, and man of mind and passion. He, therefore, who
overcomes his passion is superior to the angels j and he who
is overcome by passion is lower than the beasts.
Hasan al-Busri used to say, "The most meritorious of wars is
that which is waged against passion."
Another wise man said, "The most noble of nobility is the disobedience of passion."
He who kills his passion revives his magnanimity.
Passion is blindness.
Passion is stronger, but mind is more useful.
Mind is a good vizier, passion is an evil one.
Said al-'Abbas, the son of Abdul-Mutalab, "If you are confronted with two choices, turn from that which seems more pleasant to the one which seems more onerous."
! «
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FEBRUARY, 1927
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Syria For The Syrians
*
An account of the personal experiences of a Syrian physician who
analyzes a condition and prescribes a remedy.
By DR. M. SHADID
of Elk City, Oklahoma.
I am a physician and surgeon. Was graduated 20 years
ago and have been in the active practice of medicine and surgery
ever since. Am married and have six children. I came to this
• country in 1898 when a mere lad of sixteen years. As a physician and surgeon, I have achieved a fair degree of success and
happen to be forty-five years of age. Ever since my arrival in
this country I have mingled with native Americans exclusively
and can fairly say that I know America and the American mind.
Pardon the foregoing personal references, which I merely
state as a preliminary to give weight to my conclusion which is
succinctly stated in the caption of this communication, "Syria for
, \ the Syrians". By this I imply that of all countries Syria is the
country of choice for Syrians to live in.
This conclusion has been borne upon me after a residence in
the United States of America' of 28 years. The reasons for this
conclusion are cultural, social and economic.
The economic factor takes first rank with the average Syrian
and for the very good reason that he left his native abode for
economic reasons. The question therefore resolves itself into
whether or not the Syrian in Syria can do as well economically
as he can in the United States. I am of course speaking for the
average Syrian and believe it holds true for the vast majority of
the Syrians. The majority of the Syrian people in the United
States will be better off economically in their native country.
The neecb of Syria are agricultural and Syrian agricultural possibilities have not been touched. Successful agriculture
depends on available cheap land and cheap labor, and Syria has
both of them.
Farming in Syria is still where it was in the middle ages.
The land is plowed with a crooked stick, called a plow, drawn by
a pair of oxen. The crops are harvested with the hand scythe
and threshed with the same old primitive fashion. In spite of
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
all these primitive methods the people are still able to subsist.
The land is fertile and productive and what can one not do with
modern methods of farming? I am not a farmer and do not
pretend to know very much about the needs of farming. But I
live twenty miles from a prosperous Syrian colony where all
are engaged in farming. These Syrians raise cotton, corn, wheat,
poultry, and they all tell me that there is no reason in the world
why they cannot go back home and engage successfully in agricultural pursuits . They seem to be awaiting the pacification of
the country before returning home for that purpose.
Cotton in Syria should be a very profitable crop, indeed
more so than in this country owing to the climatic conditions and
to the availability of cheap land and cheap labor. And cotton is
a world staple with a ready market. Egypt prospers with cotton
raising, why not Syria? Corn and wheat may be produced
in great abundance in Syria and I verily believe that the only
way to stop emigration of our people to foreign lands lays in the
educating of our people to the very great possibilities of farming.
Personally I would be happy to join any group of profit-seeking
and public-spirited Syrians who would band together and combine their fortunes in an effort to introduce modern methods of
farming with a view to the salvation of Syria from economic ruin.
But farming, though the chief opportunity, is not the only
one in Syria for the Syrians. Once agriculture is put on its feet,
the country will become ready for other commercial and industrial enterprises. In this country all depend on agriculture j when
farmers succeed all others succeed in proportion.
When
farmers fail, others fail also. The same will apply to Syrian agriculture. A Syria of prosperous farmers will mean a Syria
of prosperous merchants, doctors and other technical workers.
Once farming is established the needs of the country will call for
telephones, railroads, manufactures of every description, mining
and so forth.
From a social standpoint Syrians are subject to being
ostracised not alone by native Americans put by all
those peoples belonging to the Nordic branch of the White race.
While native Americans are the worst offenders in this respect,
it cannot be said that other Nordics are free from this offense.
Indeed it may be said that among native born Americans there
is more prejudice against foreigners in general and Syrians in
particular than in any other country of the wide world, it seems.
Nor is this prejudice and social ostracism limited to any
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social stratum in American society. It permeates the mass of
Americans without regard to class or station in life. The bulk of
Americans is made up of the so-called middle class and this class
is more emphatic in its prejudices than any other. Witness
the organization of the Ku Klux Klan. It grew like a mushroom
almost over night and its venom was spent more upon "foreigners" than Catholics, Negroes or Jews.
I live on Broadway, the main residential street in this provincial town of five thousand souls — all Americans — and across
the street of me live two doctors, two "brother" physicians, both
Klansmen. They recognize me professionally but ostracise me
socially. Next door to me to the east lives an American whose
father was an immigrant to this country, a Swede, who, too, is
a Klansman. Next door to the west of me lives a banker, also
a member of the "Invisible Empire". Needless to say these "one
hundred-per-cent Americans" will have no social intercourse with
men of foreign birth.
Just how an educated American, as all these men are supposed to be, can be descendants of the fathers of the American
Revolution and still owe fealty to an "Invisible Empire" passes
all comprehension.
I would not mind if this social ostracism affected me,
and in no way affected my family, my wife and six children. Personally I do not care for society very much, my time being taken
up with my daily professional duties and occasional readings and
literary ramblings. But I do object to having my children feel
that they are being discriminated against, they being native born,
on my account. I object very strongly to my children being looked down upon or considered inferior by snobbish American children.
I have been a member of the Masonic fraternity for 24 years
or thereabout, and when a year ago, after residing in this town
for three years, I decided to become a member of the local lodge
by sending in my demit from my home lodge, a member of the
K. K. K. and an officer of the local Masonic lodge saw fit to blackball me. I happen to know his reasons for it. I am a foreigner
and therefore 'an anti-klansman and he thinks and believes it to
be to the best interest of the Masonic fraternity to keep such
out of the lodge.
A Syrian merchant who lived in Greer County, Oklahoma,
for 15 years moved from one town to another in the same county
and engaged in business. Soon after renting a store, he received
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
a communication on the official stationery of the hooded order
warning him to keep away from the town at the risk of economic
boycot and his own life. Another Syrian merchant's dry goods
store was burned down soon after he received a threat by mail
ordering him to move away from the town.
In this communication I am not finding fault with Americans. I am not saying that Americans are a bad people. I believe in the American people. I believe the American people are
good people. I believe there is more good in the hearts of the
American people than evil. I believe they compare favorably
in general with other peoples. But, nevertheless, the subject of
my thesis is that Syria is the proper place, the best country in the
world, for the Syrian people.
I would rather live on equality with any people than to live
on a basis of inequality anywhere in the wide world. I want to
live in a country where I can look any man in the face as a sovereign citizen j where I would not need to be ashamed of my
nativity, my ancestry, my racial traditions, etc. Where else in
the world can a Syrian so live, except in Syria?
THE HUNTER'S PITY
Ibn Moussa Sheibany, one of the Arab sages, once gave the
following parable on the true sense of pity:
A bird hunter went out once to spread his net on a windy
day. The birds, both from being harassed by the winds and
through the attraction of the grain, flocked to the net in large
numbers. The hunter made a great haul and in order to hasten
his work resorted to the simple method of breaking the birds'
wings and throwing them alive in his bag, stopping at times to
wipe the tears flowing from his eyes through the action of the
wind and the dust.
Noticing this, one bird, who was glad for having his life
spared, turned to one of his companions and said:
"How kind-hearted and compassionate this hunter is; see
you not his flowing tears?"
To which the companion replied:
"Look you not upon the tears of his eyes, but rather upon the
work of his hands!"
fn
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�DRUZE PRISONERS OF WAR
Typical Druze warriors engaged in revolution against the French in Syria
. —-
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A SCENE OF PEACE IN SYRIA
Grazing grounds along the banks of the Hasba ny River in the vicinity of Hasbaya and Kowkaba,
where the Syrian revolutionists first attacked the Lebanon.
Photo by F. Askar.
�A SCENE OF W AR IN SYRIA
Where the battle waxed hottest.
The dead of a revolutionary band abandoned on the battlefield.
—
�DKUZE REVOLUTIONARY HEADQUARTERS
A scene in Hauran at the start of the revolution. The Druzes rallying to the call of their leaders to
engage in war against the French.
<!
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�FEBRUARY, 1927
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Echoes of The Syrian Revolution
In America
.1
ml
A fierce conflict is now raging among the Syrians in the
United States which is the direct outgrowth of the war in Syria.
Each party to the conflict is bombarding the other with the most
virulent forms of accusations and invectives. So far, the batteries in action have been spouting only fire of a verbal nature,
but there are hints of a fear of actual bloodshed. This possibility,
although remote from present indications, may yet lead to some
regrettable incidents of physical encounter if passions that are
now being fanned are allowed to run out of control. Lines of
division among Syrian immigrants are being drawn sharper as
actual hostilities in their mother-land show signs of abatement.
And among Syrian immigrants who take part in home conflicts
only from a distance and are not governed by feelings of an actual loss or a sense of genuine relief at the passing of a crisis,
the effect of the controversy is more lasting, enmities are more
enduring and the harmful results of dissensions are far more
reaching.
What has given rise to this new outburst of feeling is the
arrival in the United States of a delegation of the Syrian Nationalist party, headed by Emir Shekib Arslan, to attend the convention of the New Syria Party of America scheduled to open in
Detroit, Michigan, on January 15th. Emir Shekib Arslan is a
Druze and the personal representative in Europe of Sultan Pasha
Atrash, leader of the Druze revolution in Syria. To counteract
the possible accusation that the delegation, and consequently the
cause that it represents, is partisan or religious, one Sunnite Mohammedan, Ihsan Bey Jabery, and two Christians, Nasim Bey
Saybaha and Toufik Yazegi, were included in the personnel. Up
to the time appointed for the opening of the convention only two
members had arrived, namely: Emir Shekib Arslan and Nasim
Bey Saybaha. No reason for the delay of the two others was
given.
Even before the arrival of any member of the delegation
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
a strong attack on the purpose and policy of the revolutionary
emissaries was launched by papers of the opposing camp lead by
Al-Hoda, admittedly the most influential Syrian publication in
America. Another daily and influential paper, Meraat-UlGharb, although of revolutionary proclivities, deprecated the mission of the delegation if it is for the purpose of "raising funds
from among. Syrian immigrants" for the cause of the revolution.
Practically all other Syrian papers with the exception of Al-Bayan,
the organ of the revolution and its sympathizers in America, received the visiting delegation with scathing denunciation.
In the attacks by the opposition papers, the personality and
the past record of Emir Shekib Arslan is particularly the subject
for severe criticism. Al-Hoda accuses him directly of having been
the instigator of the death of one hundred and sixty-five thousand
Christians during the War while serving the Turks under Djemal
Pasha, called the "executioner of the Syrians". Al-Hoda went
to the extent of publishing a draft of a telegram in English which
it calls upon its readers to copy and send to members of Congress
to take proper action "against the nefarious activities and harmful influences of this enemy of Christianity and allied principles."
It explains:
# §
"If every accomplice in a crime is a criminal, then Emir
Shekib Arslan, who was the right-hand man of Djemal Pasha
during the War, is one of the greatest criminals because it was
through his instigation that the liberals in Syria were executed
by hanging, and one hundred and sixty-five thousand Lebanese
men and women, old and young, met death by deliberate and
systematic persecution and starvation. *** For that reason he is
one of the greatest criminals and those who honor the murderer
of their fathers and mothers and brothers and sisters and children and loved ones are scoundrels and cowards who hold human
blood cheaply."
Of the political record of Emir Shekib Arslan, Ash-Shaab
gives the' following account:
"He had been at one time a provincial governor in Mt. Lebanon where he followed in the footsteps o£ his uncle in fomenting discord between Christians and Druzes. Upon the decline
of his family and his finding the tenure of office unstable in Mt.
Lebanon, he turned Turcophile and was elected deputy to the
Turkish parliament from Hauran.
"During the War he was a pronounced enemy of the Arab
cause and acted as the right hand man of Djemal Pasha causing
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the execution or exile of Syrian and Lebanese Liberals both
Christians and Mohammedans alike. He fled the country with
his Turkish masters when its liberation came at the hands of the
Allies, and now this traitor claims that he has served the cause
of the Arabs and declares his innocence of the crimes attributed
to him, but who will believe him?"
The religious factor, although given consideration by most
of the opposition papers, is particularly dwelt upon by the Syrian
Eagle which addresses the visiting delegation in the following
terms:
"They have come to a Christian country while in their every
action they are fighting the Christians of the world in general
and of the East in particular j and under the sky of the greatest
among Christian countries they hold a convention the purpose
of which is to strengthen the Druze revolution which has brought
destruction on our homes, slaughter to our old and young and
rape to our women. Do you not see how Christianity displays a
tolerant spirit towards its enemies; how Christian countries in
Europe and America afford them the opportunity of enjoying
its bounties while they are bent on the destruction of Christianity
and its adherents in Syria? Haven't you been satisfied with the
cruelties visited by your compatriots on their Christian neighbors
in Syria so that you now come to us in our land of migration in
an endeavor to disseminate enmity and discord? Weren't you
conscience-stricken when you learned that your partisans in Syria
were in the habit of making a physical examination of their captives and upon discovering them Christians tortured and killed
them mercilessly, while if found to be non-Christians they were
set free and treated like beloved brothers? Go, then, and hold
your conventions among your own people or in the countries of
your partisans such as Transjordania and Turkey and spare us
your nefarious activities so that we may live in peace and security
in this Christian country which loathes fanaticism and disorder."
The wisdom and propriety of holding the revolutionary
convention at all is questioned by As-Sayeh which states that it
has received an invitation to attend the reception to one of the
delegates upon his arrival but was not taken into the confidence
of the party holding the convention by being informed of its
programme and topics of discussion, "such information being reserved for loyal papers and a veil of secrecy, therefore, thrown
over the real objects of the convention." As-Sayeh further states
that:
�M
THE SYRIAN WORLD
"We fail to see the reason for holding this convention now
that the revolution has come to an end and all its leaders have
surrendered with the exception of those few who only await assurance of safety. If the object of the convention is to produce
fatuitous noise its promoters may well consider that they have
achieved their purpose} but if they propose to kindle anew the
fire of revolution, then they are doing so to their own hurt and
it is well for them to take warning we have as much patriotism
as the best amongst them, but ours is a patriotism of the true
and pure nature which is not prompted by the desire for material
gain or is tainted with fanaticism. We would advise them, therefore, to convert this convention into an obituary meeting wherein
the flower of our youth as well as our lost hopes would be mourned. While if they possess sufficient moral courage, they should
(determinedly put an end to those leaders who incite to revolution only from a distance and kindle the fire of war without going
through it, while they fully realize that they preach revolution
to a people that is unprepared for it and that they are championing a cause predestined to failure. These leaders are seeking only
selfish ends. They are the enemies of the nation and their hands
are dyed with the blood of its children."
Not in these colors, however, are these leaders painted by
Al-Buyatiy the Druze organ of the revolutionary party. Emir
Shekib Arslan is considered by it the saviour of his country and
the standard-bearer of true patriotism. His arrival in America
is hailed with great joy and much space is given to the description of his reception by the Mayor of New York City and his
processional ride through the streets of the Metropolis. The members of the delegation this paper introduces as: "some of the
greatest of our men who are versed in matters of diplomacy and
are noted for their foresight, wisdom and tolerance. We expect
our Syrian brethren, especially those who have not as yet extended
any help to their country, to heed the call of these messengers
of true patriotism, positive tolerance and undoubted honesty. It
is high time for our people to realize that "religion belongs to
God and the country to all its people." Our country is dear to
the heart of everyone of us and it behooves us to work for its
uplift in unity and co-operation."
Al-Bayan also throws light on the purpose of the convention by declaring that: "A year has now passed since the holding
of the first convention in Detroit and it proved to be the precursor of great benefits to the national cause. Since then the dele-
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�PEBRVARt, 1921
29
gates have been successful in organizing the New Syria Party
and co-ordinating the contributions to the sufferers and the wounded, and have, .furthermore, established more than forty branches
fully co-operating with the central committee of the party***
We expect the delegates representing the branches at the Detroit
convention to devise proper means for the advance of the national cause and to realize that they are an active body in the national movement, and that, especially in this convention, their
deliberations on the welfare of the country and the future of its
children are anxiously awaited by friend and foe alike."
Syrian Proverbs
By repetition even an ass will learn.
i
Only the more bitter will eradicate the merely bitter.
To invite enmity, promise and don't fulfill.
The foot will unconsciously trod the path that one loves.
Don't sleep in the cemetery if you would evade seeing nightmares.
M
If ycu enter the city of the blind, cover your eye with your
hand.
She is like the snake in the hay — bites and hides her headPure gold has no fear of the touchstone.
The priest carries his beard and the sexton is tired therewith.
Only bare bones make noise in the pot.
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
30
Fatima
ii
By HASSAN SUBHI
Said, the black slave, fulfilled the trust his master placed
in him and outdid himself in entertaining his mistress Fatima.
He beguilded away her lonesomeness with his witty anecdotes
and stories of adventure and love, until time seemed to fly fast.
Three days were thus spent in which Fatima's countenance brightened up, and she became more communicative as Said won her
confidence with his conversation.
On the fourth day Said announced the arrival of Shakib,
his master's nephew, asking Fatima if there was any service she
wished him to do for her. She answered there was none, but
requested that her guest be shown every hospitality and made to
feel at home. It may be mentioned here for the sake of our
modern readers that in Mohammedan countries until very recently, and in some places till now, a woman is not supposed to appear before strangers unveiled.
As Said went to convey his mistress's message to their guest,
Fatima was seized with a compelling curiosity to look from behind
the blinds of the window to see how this young man looked, about
whom her husband had told her so much. She discovered a
handsome young man strolling leisurely in the yard. There
was little resemblance between him and his uncle, except
that his eyes and forehead were so strikingly like those of her
husband. She turned away depressed, as she could not help contrasting this galant-looking young man with the bent-up figure
of her husband, with his long, white beard, and his ugly nose.
She consoled herself for a moment with the thought that
she would have many an opportunity to observe her youthful
guest who, as it had been arranged by Said, was to occupy a wing
of the house adjacent to her room, but when she remembered her
marital duty to her husband, she resigned herself to her fate.
The faithful wife in her had the ascendancy over her natural
yearning for youth and companionship, so she called for Said and
ordered him to cover up the window between her and the guest's
quarters.
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"Oh my
away, for h^° weeks Shakib was at his uncle's home without enHurri6 Fatima, while, at the same time, she tried to forget
drew leaar"d as sne could. But youth, irresistible and impetuous,
pleachV ^nd a way. The closed window which barred the vision
u.ro. ihakib could not stop the waves of his sweet, lusty voice as
he sang in the stillness of the night. Strange! How similar
was Shakib's voice to that of her husband. Perhaps the only
difference was that Shakib's was bouyant and gay, while that of
her husband was tender and serene.
Then for three days Fatima did not hear Shakib's voice.
She felt a vacancy and a depression in her heart the like of which
she had never experienced before. At first she thought of inquiring from Said about the cause of Shakib's sudden silence, but
as he had avoided all mention of Shakib in her presence she
thought it improper to do so. At last she could not resist the
agony of her anxiety, and did inquire of Said about her guest,
and how he was faring. She was told that Shakib had not been
feeling well for the last three days, and that his condition was
not improving.
"And why did you not tell me of that on the first day of
his sickness?" demanded Fatima, with a flutter of excitement
which she could not hide.
"What has prevented me," replied Said, "was your complete inattention and indifference to him, although my master
specifically requested you to accord him utmost consideration
and hospitality."
To this reply Fatima found no rejoinder. "However," continued Said, "it is not too late to mend matters. If you will follow
me to my master Shakib's room he will appreciate a kind word
from you."
Fatima needed no second invitation; she put on her veil
and followed Said, and was presently before the bed of Shakib.
She no sooner laid her eyes upon him than she felt as if her heart
would burst out through her ribs. As she drew near, he straightened up in his bed and motioned to Fatima to sit on a chair nearby. He thanked her for her visit and asked after her health as
if she was the sick one and he was paying her a visit. Then both
resumed their •silence, which was at last interrupted by Said's remark that his mistress's delay in visiting his master Shakib was
his own fault, as he had not informed her of his condition
till that day, lest he upset her. Saying which he bowed and
left the two alone.
MHHHMMHM
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
No sooner had Said gone than Shakib resumed h
tion:
"I have found healing in your presence," he exclaiu
illness has verily left this room since you entered it."
His words seemed to have loosened her tongue, and she
plied:
—"You need not worry; but what is it that ails you?"
—"I do not know."
—"Strange, you are a physician and do not know what ails
you?"
—"What ails me is something about which physicians know
very little."
—"But you at least know the cause."
—"Since I entered this house I felt a strange flutter in my
heart and a certain convulsion of my body."
—"I felt the same way myself, but I reasoned that there
was nothing strange in a wife feeling that way when she first
enters her husband's home. But you "
—"As for me, I entered as usual not knowing what fate had
hidden for me." He was silent as he looked longingly at the
window from which Fatima had first seen him, and his eyes
glistened with tears. Then with a sigh he continued: "Alas! I
wish I had never looked towards that window, for it is the cause
of my malady, and from it came forth the arrow which has
smitten my heart."
He hid his beautiful face in his hands and cried.
Fatima turned crimson with blushing as she surmised the
innermost secret of Shakib's illness. For what bow was there at
the window but her own eyebrows, and what arrows but her
glances? There was no necessity for more explanation; the outburst of the whirlwind of love which she feared was on, and there
was nothing for her but to flee before its fury. And this she did,
as she gathered the trails of her gown, and with downcast eyes
left Shakib's room.
And night came. What a night it was for a young woman
torn between two great forces, that of mind which called her
for loyalty to her old husband, and that of emotion which seemed
to drive her to the arms of that young man. She was caught in the
vortex of two opposite winds.
Fatima passed a most harrowing night. Early the next morning, Said came running excitedly. In broken, sentences he managed to say, as he rubbed his hands together:
�FEBRUARY, 1927
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33
"Oh my mistress, do hurry and see Shakib before he passes
away, for he is delirious and talks of nobody else but you."
Hurriedly Fatima went to Shakib's room, and,as Said withdrew, leaving them alone, Shakib looked to her and with a
pleading and faint voice he cried, stretching out his arms to embrace her:
"O Fatima, I cannot bear your shunning me in this manner.
Draw near to me and let me quench my burning soul with a kiss
from your lipsj let me embrace you to my bosom, and with that
I will die content."
As she heard this, her first impulse was that of fright. She
jumped away, not to be within his reach, and with all gentleness
in her voice she replied:
"Remember that I am a wife, and that I am the wife of
your uncle who trusted you, and spoke very highly of you to me,
even before I met you, and asked me to treat you as a brother,
not as a clandestine lover."
"I have considered all this," he replied, "but I realize also
that you are a broken-hearted wife, whose youth has been shattered. My uncle is the guilty one who enticed you with his
money, sacrificing you to his passion, for there is neither pleasure
nor hope in his companionship. Love knows no relations, nor
care I whether I sever my relations with my uncle and the rest of
men or not."
"Your uncle is innocent of what you charge him," said Fatima. "He held out his hand to my family when we were in
need, and thus saved us from the pit of misery and wretchedness.
He asked for no compensation save that I be his wife. If I sacrificed anything it was not for him but for my family. As for
my youth which you lament, I have already become adamant to
the loss. Furthermore, I am indebted for my life to my husband
who has not bought me with his money, as you imagine, but with
his kindness and consideration. I am not insensible to the appeal
of youth and love, but I refuse to accept a pleasure soiled with
treachery and dishonesty. I will be a sister to you or else none."
—"I am a physician," pleaded Shakib, " and I know that
your husband is afflicted with diabetes and he will not Jive long."
—"The more reason," said Fatima, "that I must remain
by him and care for him in his affliction."
—"Then promise me that you will be mine after he dies,"
he said.
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—"Nor will I promise you that," she said, "for that would
sound as if I were hastening his departure, and thus I would betray him unwittingly."
—"Then I shall die broken-hearted," he said, "and my
blood will fall on your head."
—"If you die," she firmly said, "I will grieve for your
youth, as I have grieved for mine, and I will carry the guilt of
your death, if that is the way you view it, for it is lighter than
the guilt of unfaithfulness."
Shakib realized the futility of his pleadings and in a last
effort to win her sympathy he announced that he was leaving on
the morrow, gathering strength for the ordeal from grim determination, and that she will never look at his face again. To which
Fatima answered sadly: "May God guard and keep you wherever you go."
On the morrow Shakib departed, as he had warned. The
days passed, and the time was drawing near when his uncle would
come back.
Then one evening, as the city of Cairo was roused by the news
of the Turkish revolution which the men of the Committee of
Union and Progress succeeded in accomplishing, Said was shouting and cheering in the yard of the house, and Fatima, who listened to him amusedly, could not understand the cause of his
excitement. She had no sooner asked him the reason for his
conduct when her husband entered, also excited, and the two
embraced each other in extreme joy.
Then her husband rushed to the stairs running to meet his
wife, but Said stood in his way, and stretching his arms to stop
him, shouted out:
—"Not with this evil beard and this hooked nose, by Allah! It is time now that you throw them in the fire, as the
leaders of liberty threw the spies of Constantinople who have
tracked you everywhere."
Then Said plucked the artificial beard off his master's face,
and the rubber nose with which he had disguised his features all
this time.
And as Fatima watched, not knowing what to make of the
whole affair, behold! her husband was none other now than Shakib standing before her.
V.
�FEBRUARY, 1927
35
Social Reform by Force
An account illustrating the methods employed by Al-Ghazi
Kemal Pasha in forcing his reforms in New Turkey.
Translated from a Turkish -paper.
The scene was in Angora, the new capital of Turkey j the
occasion was a grand ball, attended by the dignitaries of the state
and the high officers of the army.
At ten p. M., Ismat Pasha, the Premier of Turkey, accompanied by members of the Cabinet, entered the spacious ball
room. Following them came Kazim Pasha, Fauzi Pasha, the
commanders of divisions and other high military men. While
in their respective seats of honor sat the ambassadors with their
families.
Presently an attending officer entered the salon and announced that Al-Ghazi Mustapha Kemal Pasha had arrived. At once
the jazz band came to a stop, and a great commotion swept the
room as men and women rushed to the door to greet the President. They stood in two lines between which Mustapha Kemal
Pasha made his entrance. The jazz band struck the presidential
march, which was almost drowned by the cheering of the crowd.
No sooner had Mustapha Kemal Pasha made a few steps
than he raised his hand, and all was silent again.
"Please resume your pleasure, and don't give yourselves too
much ado for my sake," he spoke.
He was a gallant figure in his frock coat as he walked about
in the spacious hall, shaking hands with everybody and greeting
each one in turn. Then he commanded the jazz band to resume
its music, and hundreds rose and took to the polished floor. The
President himself, selecting a young Turkish lady for his partner, participated in the dance. Between dances, champagne flowed
freely.
i
Then as the President sat on a bench to rest, and survey
the dance, he noticed many "wall flowers", in military uniforms.
They looked pensive and meek, and not a little, sad. The President approached them and addressed them saying:
"Know you not that this is the anniversary of the Turkish
b
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Republic? Why stand you aside, and partake not of the merriment?"
A lieutenant replied:
"Please, Your Excellency, Pasha, we did ask some of the
young ladies to dance with us, but they refused."
Upon hearing this, the countenance of the President suddenly changed, and fire shot from his angry eyes:
"Comrades," he snapped back, "I cannot imagine any woman in the world refusing a Turkish officer. This ball would be
meaningless without you; nay, all festivities. The Turkish Empire itself depends on you. It is beyond me that the wife of any
Turkish citizen would refuse to dance with an officer wearing
the Turkish uniform."
Saying this, his features relaxed a little with a genial smile
as he resumed:
"And now I command you to disperse in the ballroom and
dance. Arch! (the Turkish military command to fall in line).
Fifty officers then advanced to the centre of the floor, but
this time no Turkish woman or maiden dared turn them down!
1
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GRATITUDE
Gratitude has three stations: that of intent in the heartj that
of declaration in the tongue j and that of reward through the
hand.
If your hand is delinquent in reward, let your tongue be
diligent in praise.
If one gives you some of his solicitude, give him all your
gratitude.
Gratitude is greater than reward, for the former lives after
the latter perishes.
A wise man was asked what are the most futile of things.
He replied: A heavy rain in a swamp; a candle lit in the sun,
and a good deed to one who lacks gratitude
I
�FEBRUARY, 1927
37
Famous Arab Lovers
VIII
11V
Ibn Zuraik
The Poet who died of hove and Disappointment.
"He who would wear an amethyst ring, study the theology
of Shafi'i and memorize the poem of Ibn Zuraik al-Baghdadi
would lack none of the prerequisites of elegance."
Thus runs a well-known Arab saying of olden times. Ever
since that poem was written, some thousand years ago, it has held
its place in the foremost rank of select Arabic prosody. In any
Arabic anthology after its date, one comes across the kasida of
Ibn Zuraik, like a rare and beautiful amethyst jewel itself, sparkling with subdued and gentle light from every facet of its approximately eighty lines of verse.
Only very little is known about the author of this kasida,
Abu-1-Hasan Ali Ibn Zuraik al-Baghdadi, — very little, that is
from external sources. For the poem tells its own story in simple
and moving words, and as one reads it, gradually a picture begins
to emerge from the magic of its words, a picture full of grace,
sweetness and pathos.
The kasida of Ibn Zuraik is a good refutation of the claim
of some superficial observers of Arab life and history who aver
that women have no place in Arab society, and that home-life
and devotion is not known to the Arabs. Marital devotion and
love does not know of a higher plane than that reached by this
unfortunate Arab poet.
The story of Ibn Zuraik al-Baghdadi, known to posterity
from his poem and the tradition recounting the circumstances of
its composition, is a pathetic and sad one; but its pathos is relieved
by a soft murmur of noble resignation, and its sadness is sublimated into a mystic contemplation of the universal misery which is
the fate of all those who seek the ideal in the harsh and unsympathetic reality pi this world of ours.
�pwia.a.—
38
THE SYRIAN WORLD
He was an impecunious poet, at a time when the golden age of
Arabic poetry had waned in the-East; when the names of Harun
al-Rashid and al-Mamoun were but distant memories. The glory
that was Baghdad's had passed away, and the splendor of the
Arab caliphs who loved poetry and patronized the poets gave
place to the tyranny of half-savage Turkish chieftains. "The
market of literature was stagnant", and poets, who in a former
age reaped fortunes for the products of their wit and genius,
went now abegging.
But in the distant land of Andalusia, the "West" of the
ancient Arabs, the dawn of another golden age was breaking.
Arab sciences and Arab arts found their patron in the magnificent
person of Abdul-Rahman III, "the Defender of the Faith".
Cordova, the capital of this Arab descendant of the Umayyad caliphs of Damascus, became the literary capital of the world.
Europeans and Arabs alike flocked to its public libraries and its
porticoed mosques and schools. Magnificent public buildings with
domes, pillars and marble fountains, adorned the city. Of mosques
alone, we are told, it had the inconceivable number of 3000.
There was an equal number of public baths, and numerous superb
palaces.
To Cordova, the Mecca of all ambitious poets, the new
"bazaar of <Okaz", in which wit challenged wit, and poet vied
with poet in praise of the munificent Abdul-Rahman, our poor
poet, Ibn Zuraik al-Baghdadi, turned his steps.
Three thousand miles or more gaped between his "love nest"
in Karkh, a suburb of Baghdad, and the paradise of his dream
in Cordova; three thousand treacherous miles, a journey of
months, with its privations and hardships, its dangers on lands
and its hazards of the; seas. But happiness for him and his beloved wife was in the balance. At least, he had that listless
something which goads us into ever-new adventures, and makes
us risk even life itself in the pursuance of the butterfly of an
ideal! That is what Ibn Zuraik himself did.
Once in Cordova, the Baghdadite poet put his belongings
in one of the many inns of the city, and, having groomed himself
to be worthy of appearing before an Arab monarch of the proud
lineage of Koreish, hastened to the court of Abdul-Rahman. He
must have been a poet of merit, for hundreds of poets before
him had made their appearance before the court of Cordova,
and while it is not likely that the generous Arab prince turned
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any of them empty-handed, only the exceptionally meritorious
ones could have gone away with a large gift. Ibn Zuraik would
not have taken that long journey had he not been convinced that
he was head and shoulders above all his competitors. Nor did
he need any letter of introduction to the august presence of Abdul-Rahman. Poets of those days, like newspaper reporters and
correspondents of our day, were individuals to be reckoned with.
Their praise was as much to be coveted as their censor was to be
feared.
What the poem was with which Ibn Zuraik praised the Andalusian prince we do not know. But we know that Abdul-Rahman was pleased with it and intended to give him a regal reward
worthy of a gifted poet and of a magnificent patron of letters.
However, he did not give him what he anticipated. Instead he
gave him a paltry one, to try him, it was claimed. Dejected and
sad, alone;and with no money, perhaps not enough to defray his
expenses, Ibn Zuraik returned to his inn.
A few days later, Abdul-Rahman inquired about him saying:
"Where is the poet from Baghdad who sang a poem in our
praise?" Nobody knew anything about him. In the flurry and
pomp of the court he had been forgotten. Had not the prince
himself asked about him, it is hardly probable that anyone else
would have thought of him. But Abdul-Rahman III was one
of those great monarchs whose attention and interest encompassed
every little detail; he had a magnanimous heart and a prodigeous
memory. And he was a man of high literary tastes, so how could
he forget a poet like Ibn Zuraik?
They looked for him all over the city, and at last found the
inn at which he had stopped. But even there the innkeeper had
taken little notice of him, and could not tell them where he was.
There was no registration in those ancient days. People came and
went unnoticed. A caravansary became proverbial as a transient
abode. They later went to his room, and there found him lying
in his bed — motionless — lifeless. Under his pillow they found
the poem in which he told the sad story of his fruitless journey,
addressing his wife, and referring to himself in the third person.
It is this poem which insures for Ibn Zuraik his fame as long as
the Arabic language lives. In it he describes the scene of his
farewell to his wife, his arduous journey, "as if he was ordained
to measure God's space with a cubit", his lonesomeness, his longing for his wife, "shall time again bring back our lost happiness?"
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
What agony, what heart-rending pleadings and counterpleadings passed between husband and wife on the eve of that
fatefull farewell, we may gather from some lines o£ that poem:
"I bade her farewell, and at heart; I had wished
That happiness itself had bidden me farewell instead."
"How she clung to me on the dawn of that day,
As we stood, my tears mingling with hers."
He blamed only himself for his misfortune. "I was given
a kingdom, but did not know how to manage it," he grieves.
"My side has known no rest as on strange beds I lay,
And likewise was she restless in her bed."
The poem leaves no doubt that the loving wife of the Baghdadite poet was not in the least responsible for his adventure.
She did not urge him to make more money that she may buy
newer and more expensive clothes. Far from that, she was content to live with him in poverty. She loved him too much to
see him part from her; and he loved her so passionately that he
wanted to give her all the comfort and luxury that he could.
In the very first line of his poem he pleads with her "not to blame
him too severely." He knew she was right, "but he would not
listen to her."
Ibn Zuraik did not commit suicide. He died of excessive
grief, a peaceful and painless death. As he rested his head on the
pillow in the inn at Cordova, he still dreamed of the chance of
seeing again the face of his beloved wife. In the last few lines
of the poem he tucked under the pillow, he wrote:
"Perhaps the night that wore my body out with our parting
Will once again bring me and her together."
But should death apprehend the one, the other would surely
follow.
"And should this parting forever be,
What could we with the Fate of Allah do?"
V
�FEBRUARY, 1927
41.
Revenge Among Poets
An authentic Arabian story of the times following
the death of Haroun Ar-Rachid.
In the civil war that broke out between al-Mamoun and
al-Ameen, sons of Haroun ar-Rachid, Tahir, a brave Arab general, took the side of al-Mamoun. Abdullah, the son of Tahir,
followed his father, the chief-general of al-Mamoun. Abdullah
was also a poet, and on one occasion wrote a poem in which he
recited the achievements of his father.
Upon reading the poem, another poet, Mohammed Ibn
Yazid, a partisan of al-Ameen, who lived in Damascus, wrote a
counter-poem, denouncing Abdullah in scathing terms.
Time passed, and then came a day when Abdullah Ibn Tahir
was appointed governor of Syria and Egypt. When Mohammed
Ibn Yazid heard of this he was overtaken by fear, for he realized
that there was no escape for him from the revenge of Abdullah.
Wherever he could have fled, he would have been within the
reach of his offended enemy. He, therefore, decided to stay in
his place, and sending only his family to a place of safety, he
left the gate of his house wide open, and sat awaiting resignedly
the descent of fate.
Said the narrator, Mohammed Ibn al-Fadl, who accompanied Abdullah Ibn Tahir from Baghdad:
We went from Baghdad in the direction of Damascus, expecting all the time that Abdullah would avenge himself on the
poet Mohammed Ibn Yazid as soon as he reached Damascus.
When we approached the capital of Syria I was called to the tent
of Abdull Ibn Tahir, who said to me: 'Stay with me tonight, O,
Ibn al-Fadl, and keep your horse saddled ready to mount.' As
dawn broke out, Abdullah commanded his knights and servants
not to decamp before sunrise. In the company of only five
followers, he rode away, and I rode with him until we came to
the house of Ibn Yazid. To his surprise he found the gate wide
open, and when he entered found Ibn Yazid sitting in the center
of his divan in a contemplative mood. He saluted Ibn Yazid,
but the latter did not recognize him, for he had never met him
before.
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
Then Ibn Tahir spoke:
'What makes you sit here in this manner, with your gate
wide open? Know you not that Abdullah Ibn Tahir nurses a
grudge against you and seeks to do you harm?'
To this Mohammed Ibn Yazid replied:
'Well do I know my danger, and well do I realize the gravity of my offense against Abdullah Ibn Tahir. It was an offense
for which the foolhardiness and haste of youth were responsible,
and I know that I could not escape from him, wherever I should
turn my face. Therefore have I put away my harem and daughters in a place of safety, trusting that Abdullah would not molest
them, for his grudge is against my person, and once he kills me,
his revenge would be spent.'
"By Allah," said the narrator, Mohammed Ibn al-Fadl,
"not a word did Abdullah speak in reply, as tears came trickling
down his beard."
"Then, addressing Ibn Yazid, he said: 'Know you not me?'
Ibn Yazid replied that he did not.
'I am Abdullah Ibn Tahir,' announced the new governor of
Syria and Egypt, 'and behold, I have forgiven you.' Then Ibn
Yazid arose and, embracing Abdullah Ibn Tahir, kissed his head,
and Abdullah embraced him in turn, and from that time on the
two became inseparable friends."
' c
ENEMIES AS BENEFACTORS
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To my enemies I owe a debt of recognition and gratitude;
May the Compassionate God never keep them away from me.
They have searched for my faults and I endeavored to evade
them;
And they pressed me hard in competition and made me seek and
attain greatness.
h
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FEBRUARY, 1927
43
Love Woke One Morning
I
By
BARBARA YOUNG
Love woke one morning from a deep and tranquil slumber.
And his young eyes were misty with a sweetness
That was infinite and tender.
And he rose straightway and looked out across the hills
Where the new Day came stepping to his side.
She, too, was rosy from her sleep,
And misty-eyed.
And they took hands and trod the hours together.
And in the busy towns the people said,
"See, what a golden day!
How bright the sun!
And how the sky is blue!
What white, white clouds!"
And it was but the shining of Love's hair,
And his blue eyes,
And white wayfaring feet.
ARAB SAYINGS
Those who remember their praise of God are more heedless
than those who forget it.
Abu Bakr al-Wasiti (Sufi).
Said Abu Ali ad-Dakkak: "Wear what people wear, and eat
what they eat, but keep apart from them in your heart."
Every love in which there is no fear is deficient, and every
fear in which there is no hope is deficient. So also is every hope
in which there is no fear.
i , 1
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
FE
.
The Justice of Omar
It is related in the traditions about Omar, the second Caliph
of Islam, that as he was sitting one day in his court in Medina,
an Egyptian, exhausted and dust-covered from a long march on
foot, knelt before him and, in a plaintive voice, said:
"I seek refuge in the Prophet and thee."
"Thou hast found refuge in a ready defender," said Omar,
"what is thy plea?"
The Egyptian, on being assured by the words of the Caliph,
prostrated himself again and related:
"As I was racing with one of the sons of <Amr Ibn al-'Aas,
thy governor of Egypt, he came up behind me and began to beat
me saying: 'I am the son of the noble, ones.' And when his father Amr heard this he put me in prison for fear I might by some
way bring my accusation before thee. But I broke out of prison,
and here I lie before thee seeking justice at thy hands."
"Fear not," said Omar, "stay here in Medina till I call thee."
Then he wrote to Amr the governor of Egypt saying:
"At the coming pilgrimage season present thyself and thy
son before me", naming the very son who had beaten the Egyptian.
When the pilgrimage season had come, there appeared Amr
and his son among the faithful who had come to pay their homage to the tomb of the Prophet, and to the Caliph of all the
Moslems.
On the morrow, Amr went to the court of the Caliph to
pay his respects. There in court were lined the dignitaries and
nobles of Islam; and by the Caliph's side, sat the Egyptian.
When 'Amr and his son entered, the caliph Omar turned
to the Egyptian, and, pointing to him the son of 'Amr, said:
"Is this thy enemy?"
"Verily, he is the very one," replied the Egyptian.
"Then get up and beat him before our eyes," said Omar.
The Egyptian obeyed and whipped the son of Amr till he
cried with pain. All this time the Caliph was saying: "Beat the
son of the noble ones." Then, turning to his governor 'Amr, he
remonstrated: "O Amr, since when have you enslaved people
whose mothers bore them free men?"
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*$
The Spirit of Antar
Translated from the Arabic by
DR.
N. A.
KATIBAH
In the thick of the fray, when the woes of the day
At the humor of fate were awaited;
When the spear of each foe with the gore that did flow
From my breast was besmeared, if not sated;
When the swords (how they flashed!) entwisted and clashed
All adrip with the blood of my heart —
I bethought me the while that each, gleam was a smile,
— Like the smile of thy lips when apart.
Now I hurled me along midst the clamoring throng
And asunder I cleft rank and file:
How I wished on that day but to kiss the bright ray
Of the sword that resembled thy smile!
RESULTS *
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4
5
6
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8
9
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Syrian =Two languages.
Syrians = A colony.
Syrians = A religion.
Syrians = Four sects.
Syrians = A newspaper.
Syrians = A government.
Syrians = A conference.
Syrians = Eight factions.
Syrians = A revolution.
Syrians = A foreign protectorate.
Syrians = Protests.
Syrians = Labyrinths
Syrians = Interment of nationalism.
ZAINAB
* Miss Zainab is a patriotic young Syrian whose enthusiasm cannot be
reckoned by figures, but we believe that she and the Literary Agent through
whom we received her contribution, also a Syrian, would equal an army
torps. — Editor.
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
EDITOR'S COMMENT
ii
"SYRIA FOR THE SYRIANS"
In his account of his personal experiences published in this
issue of THE SYRIAN WORLD, Dr. M. Shadid raises several interesting questions. It is regrettable that he should have settled
in a town to which, apparently, he has rendered splendid professional services as proven by his financial success, and whose narrow-minded citizens refuse to associate with him socially, merely
on account of his racial extraction. We admire the moral courage
of Dr. Shadid for having made this public admission to prove a
point which, undoubtedly, he advances in all sincerity. Such
social ostracism, especially when applied to American-born children, only reflects the un-American spirit of his neighbors among
whom it has been his misfortune to settle. This attitude on the
part of a certain class of Americans is the ill-begotten child of
bigotry in its worst form. The arguments that could be marshalled against such practises are many and strong, but we doubt
if they would have any effect with such a class of Americans who
are only Americans in name and lack all understanding of the
fundamental and elementary principles upon which the American
nation was built. This is the class that is provincial, narrow,
short-sighted and destructive of the true American spirit in the
strongest meaning of such terms. It is the class that provokes
by such a malignant attitude the worst forms of class divisions
and racial hatreds. The Ku Klux Klan is but a product of such
corrupt and perverted minds and the harm these bigots bring on
the country is beyond calculation. They forget that even at the
present time almost 40% of the population of the country are
immigrants and of immigrant descent who by their intense industry and law-abidingness, as well as by their readiness to share
in any sacrifice called for by a national crisis, they have proven
their love and loyalty beyond any peradventure of doubt.
But the redeeming feature of the situation is that among
true Americans, that thinking class that has the welfare of its
country at heart, immigrants are not only appreciated but welcomed. They realize that it is the height of folly to breed enemies within their own house j to goad an otherwise peaceable
neighbor onto desperation} to help tear down the national struc-
�FEBRUARY, 1027
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ture by provoking dissension and strife, or by sowing the seeds
of hatred and class prejudice, when the national welfare, especially now that the American nation is still in the formative stage,
cries out loud for good-will among its component elements to
achieve national unity.
We in America are drawn from every race on earth. We
are the actors in the greatest experiment in history where such a
conglomeration of heterogenous races are drawn together by one
common interest to be molded together into one cohesive mass
for the benefit of all. Not one ingredient in this compound is
indigenous or native. The only distinction is that some preceded
the others, but all helped to build. Merit, therefore, should rest
only on the willingness and readiness to serve. The so-called
Americans who claim the sole right to the country deliberately
embark on a policy of destruction and by that policy prove themselves un-American. The new-comer who contributes to the wellbeing of the country is on the constructive side and for that reason more American than they.
Viewed in this perspective, we fail to see the wisdom in
advocating the return of the Syrian immigrants to Syria. Not
only do we deem it unadvisable, but it may readily be seen that
such a course is utterly impractical. The Syrians are mainly of
the mercantile and industrial class j those of them who are engaged in agriculture are few in number, and wherever isolated
incidents of social ostracism or other forms of boycot occur it is
not difficult for them to move into a more hospitable locality.
Especially should this be easy and practicable now that they are
still in the settling stage considering the lateness of their immigration. Particularly is this true of those who are in the Western
and Southern States, and these are the sections where such conditions are most-prevalent.
...
...
Furthermore, the factors giving rise to the immigration
movement in Syria have not been eradicated. Not only in the
pre-war period, but even now in post-war times we find the flow
of Syrian emigration constantly on the increase. For this steady
movement there must be an inherent reason. Rather, Syrian
emigration has now taken a different form than the one under
which it started; for while in its earlier stages it was considered
of a temporary character, we find it now to have assumed a definite shape of a permanent nature. If conditions in their land of
migration were not found to be better than those prevalent in
�48
THE SYRIAN WORLD
their land of birth, Syrian immigrants would not call on those
whom they left behind to follow. Syrian immigrants are now
in the stage where they are beginning to see the fruition of their
early, hard efforts, and they will not forsake positive results to
risk a doubtful experiment. And in their country of adoption
they had children born to them whose conceptions and ideals will
be at variance with everything that is not American. They will
never feel at home in the native country of their parents which,
in fact, is foreign to them. This is a matter of prime consideration and should be the greatest deterrent in contemplating such
a move.
With this we may well dismiss any idea of the possibility
of the return home of the Syrians who are now abroad. We may
assume that the economic factor which first caused them to migrate still governs their course of action, and by no stretch of the
imagination can we picture Syria becoming as equally attractive
as America in this respect in a reasonably short time. Added to
this are family considerations whose influence could not be minimized or ignored.
But what the Syrian immigrants may give thought to in all
earnestness is the discovery of a means by which they could improve their standing as a racial unit in their land of choice. Such
means should take the form of concerted action to show the good
qualities of the race and prove that it is contributing a valuable
addition to the make-up of the American nation. Other races
have adopted an aggressive policy along this line and are claiming for themselves everything that is to be claimed to the exclusion of all others. The Nordics are by no means modest in their
pretensions, and well may they enjoy what rightfully belongs to
them. But we, too, have some virtues. We, too, are adding
our contribution which is by no means trivial and we should exercise our right of claim to it that we may receive our due share
of the credit in helping build and strengthen and improve the
nation. It is a spirit that we should develop because it enhances
our standing as a worthy addition to this great nation, and the
more and harder we work towards this end the prouder we will
be of ourselves and the nation of us, as we would be helping
create a better understanding of the various elements entering in
the composition of the nation of which we have chosen to be a
part.
We invite our readers to express themselves on this subject.
1
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A SCENE OF CONTRASTS
The ruins in the foreground are those of a Christian church built by the Crusaders. In the distance may
be seen the domes and the minaret of a Mohammedan mosque.
*
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PATRIOTISM ABOVE RELIGION
I !,
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1
During the War the Turks executed many Syrians of liberal
tendencies both Christians and Mos'ems. Their pictures are here
displayed flanked by a guard of honor and showing Cross and
Ci-escent joined by the Cedar, symbol of patriotism.
�A GATE OF OLD JEBAIL
•i i
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.
Jebail, or old Byblos, in Lebanon, still preserves many of its
historic landmarks of which the one illustrated
is the entrance to the main street.
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ORGANIZING FOR PEACE
A troupe of junior Boy Scouts in Lebanon where the Boy Scout movement is spreading rapidly.
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49
Spirit of The Syrian Press
Under this caption we hope to present from time to time a microcoamic picture of the Arabic press, not only in this country, but wherever
Arabic dailies and magazines reflect the opinions of responsible, thinking
writers who are treating the different problems that confront the Arabicspeaking world from all conceivable angles. Needless to say, we will take
no part in the discussions reproduced, nor assume any responsibility. Our
task will simply consist in selecting, to the best of our knowledge and
with utmost sincerity, what we think is representative of the public opinion as expressed in these editorials.
Editor.
f
f
f:i
THE REASON FOR OPPOSITION
f
I
PSi
There is a disagreement between
us and the delegates who have come
to the United States on the most
fundamental things for which men
live: life, happiness and liberty.
The delegates are "sent" to preach
the religion of murder, wretchedness
and slavery. And because of this
preaching we will oppose them.
We will oppose them by all the
legal means at our disposal, with all
the help that a high civilization
grants us, and true magnanimity
imposes on us — that we may teach
our enemies what true virtue is.
If we were in a Druze country,
pursuing what the Druze delegation
is pursuing in our country (America) our blood would have flown freely on the edge of the sword. For the
only logic to them (Druzes), excepting only a few individuals, is murder, plunder and treachery.
(Al-Hoda, N. Y., Jan. 12, 1927.)
HAIL! PEACE
An agreement has been reached
between the Nationalists and the
French Government on the many demands which the former have put
forth, with little modification, in ac-
cordance with the present situation
of the country.
It is likely that France will not
grant all the demands of the Nationalists, but she has already agreed
to some, and may agree to most of
them. For it is not conceivable that
France will agree to all without revision, addition or modification.
It is not within the power of the
Syrians to compel France to concede to them all that they request of
her: they have not vanquished her in
the battlefield, nor have they dispersed her soldiers. The victory has
not been theirs, and the fire of the
revolution has almost died out.
France calculates for the future.
If she grants the Syrians some of
their demands, she does so with the
realization that hers is the gain in
the transaction. In so doing she
rids herself of the revolution, pacifies the country over which she
holds a mandate, and saves her
treasury a tremendous sum of
money, besides the blood that flows
from both sides. She may also regain some of her former prestige, if
not all.
For this reason, the Syrians in the
United States welcome this news
with a sense of gratification. What
is nobler than that the country live
�so
TME SYklAtt WORLu
in peace, and those whom we left
behind in contentment, after a revolution which has devoured the.dry
and the green alike. That revolution could have been easily avoided
had it not been for the stubborness
ox some of the mandatory officers,
and that High Commissioner who
was its immediate cause.
(Miraat-ul-Gharb, N.Y., Jan. 6,1927.)
IN DEFENSE OF HONOR
The thrust of a spear is not half
as painful as the words which that
despicable fellow Janvier uttered in
a restaurant in Beirut, saying, "You,
people of Lebanon, should be ruled
by being beaten with shoes!"
No sooner had these words come
out of the dirty mouth of that fellow than up stood the gallant Lebanese young man, Shikri Gargour,
and gave him a sound beating. And
when a friend of the Frenchman,
called Brown, came to assist him,
another Lebanese, Mukhtar Bey Mukhaish, took him up and flung him
to the floor.
There is a law in the Mexican
constitution which decrees that the
President of the Mexican Republic
has the right to expel any foreigner
whose presence is inimical to the
welfare of the country. It is well
for the Lebanon Republic to include
such a law in its own constitution,
so that it would become impossible
for a foreigner to insult us withiH
the precincts of our own homeland.
We know that such ignoble
Frenchmen represent neither the
French people nor the French Government. But for the French authorities to let them loose among
us, to do whatever they wish, is a
matter which will do harm to the
French policy which resta among u»
not on the power of the sword, but
on the appeal to the heart.
(Al-Rafic, Mexico, Jan. 15, 1927.)
GO THY WAY, 0 FREE ARAB
Let the enemies of patriotism, and
those who have axes of their own to
grind, empty the vial of their vile
words against people of high station,
for vile words are but the mirror
of their owner's character.
Let the enemies of our homeland
vent their spleen against the leaders
of the nationalist movement, for in
spite of their cursings and bewailings they remain among the thinking class of Syrians the same low
fellows who serve the interest of the
foreigners for their own benefit, and
play the traitors against their country in obediance to their evil promptings.
We are today facing a grave nationalistic task which demands our
earnest diligence; it demands sacrifice, sincerity and sound deeds. Let
us, therefore, walk our own way,
leaving the word mongers alone.
Proceed, O patriot, O true Arab
Syrian, and vanquish your enemy by
performing your duty towards your
country; by demanding, in every conceivable manner, the restoration of
its despoiled rights.
(Al-Bayan, N. Y.( Jan. 22, 1927.)
SUGGESTING A REMEDY
Let it be known that Al-Hoda is
on the side of true religion, which
implies that those who bear its message should not preach dissension,
partisanship and prejudice. And most
of the religious men in the East are
of this description.
The calamity of the Lebanon peo-
;
i
�KEMUARY,
mi
pie is due to themselves, and not to
the Frenchmen who hold a mandate
over them, nor to the refugees and
foreigners.
Had not the Lebanon people been
sycophants and flatterers, France
would not have given them a regime
which suits them, for birds of a
feather flock together.
Not ten persons in Lebanon are of
one opinion, not even three unless
they are united in conspiracy or submission.
It is a great pity that these contending brethren should submit without contention to the "leaders", the
stingy men of wealth and the fanatic
rabble, and then claim that the world
denies them justice.
However, a way may be found out
on the following principles:
That religious leadership be restricted to religion.
That political leadership be sincere
and free.
That leaders neither bribe nor be
bribed.
That education be compulsary and
free for males and females.
That military service be obligatory.
That the parasites who suck the
blood of the nation like a leach be
forced to work, and that bachelors
be taxed.
That the government be for the
people under tiha supervision of
France, or under only the United
States, should the latter wish so.
(Al-Hoda, N. Y., Jan. 5. 1927.)
CHRISTIANS AND
MOHAMMEDANS
The Mohammedans, according to
the testimony of the big leader, Faris
Bey Khoury, are prejudiced against
the Christians. Had it not been for
51
the negligence of the government on
one side, and the fanaticism of th«
Druzes and the intrigues of the Mohammedans on the other, the Christians of Syria and Lebanon would not
have suffered what they suffered
from the atrocities of the barbarous
Druzes.
To whom shall the Christians then
go, and who shall be tfheir refuge,
as long as ignorance and fanaticism
are what they are there?
Can one blame them for opposing
the Moslem move for independence,
lest it mean their own evil fate ?
Can they be blamed for calling out
for a Christian mandate, be it European or American, when they
realize that their wretchedness at
the time of the Ottoman Empire wai
not brought about by the Turks, but
by their Moslem and Druze neighbors?
And if the policy of the mandate
has not been always right, it doe*
not follow that we would prefer
to it the fanaticism of the Mohammedan majority. We must, instead,
demand the reformation of whatever
we find wrong, raising our voices in
unison, without dissension or faltering.
At any rate the mandate has benefited us more than we could have
received at the hands of the Turks.
Nor was the benefit ours only, for
our other brethren (Mohammedans)
also were benefited.
Do not be deceived by th© appearance of those who stand before
you declaring that the Druze revolution is a patriotic one. Beware, lest
you consider this revolution as anything else but barbarous, and those
who manage it or fight in it except
as barbarians and wild beasts making ready to pounce on their prey
and commit atrocities.
(The Syrian Eagle, N.Y.Jan. 14,1927)
�>1
a
THE SYRIAtt WORLD
5
Readers Forum
MIXED MARRIAGES
Editor, Syrian World,
The key to existence is unity.
Without unity our thoughts and actions will seethe in a sea of confusion. Were we to look into the
physiological side of a plant we
would see that it is made up of minute parts called cells, and each cell
(or series of cells) differs from the
cells adjoining it to conform to a
specific function. Furthermore, we
would see a heavy body, called the
nucleus, in each cell. The nucleus
is the mainstay of the cell around
which everything is built and without it the cell will die and cease to
function. Each cell plays a particular part in the drama of the plant
life. Their actions are governed in
such a way that no cell will function
to the detriment of the other cells,
and the whole work in perfect harmony. Thus we see that in this united action there is life in the plant —
a perfect model for any nation.
Social unity may be divided into
three great divisions: National unity, spiritual unity, matrimonial unity. Any nation, clan or family
lacking two of the three named unities will cease to exist as such.
National unity embodies those
traits that make possible an undivided whole. Such an undivided
whole is secured and preserved
through universal education, equality in justice and non-discrimination.
If this division of unity fails, then
obviously, the entire social structure
supporting the community falls. But
this does not necessarily mean that
the race will become extinct. If the
J
other two unities exist, the race will
also exist.
Spiritual unity tends to create an
immovable bond among its adherents. This type of unity is a force
of tremendous magnitude in preserving a race, especially if the conditions are warranted as is the case
in Lebanon where the neighboring
land is dominantly Islamic. But just
as it is a powerful factor in preserving a race, it is an equally powerful
factor in dissolving it. Through this
alternative a race finds the easiest
outlet to extinguish itself, for it soon
amalgamates with different races of
the same creed and is forever lost.
The third kind of unity, the one
most important, is matrimonial unity. It is not only the most important, but it is the only race preservative conceivable. If the other two
unities fail, matrimonial unity has
the power of attracting one of them
and reasserting the race. It is due
to this invaluable property that this
unity should be preserved above all
others.
In our humble opinion mixed marriages should be avoided. Not only
do they weaken the race, but they
exert an injurious influence on the
progeny. The minds of the parents
are not fully reconciled to the methods of bringing up the child and
they invariably adopt imitative methods of culture which are neither
genuine nor cordially endorsed to
make a lasting impression on the
child. As a consequence the child
does not lean very strongly towards
either of his parents. Should the
parents be of different creeds this
I
�J
FEBRUARY, 1927
infection is further augmented —
the child, as a rule, grows without a
definite creed and becomes a very
fertile field for atheism.
According to Mendel's Laws of
Variation and Heredity, let us implant in our children the good that
is in us and at the same time render
a signal service to the race that bore
us; for a race is never dead that bequeaths its heritage to its children.
The Syrian race will never become
extinct as long as any two of the
mentioned unities exist.
Jamile J. Kanfoush.
Syracuse, N. Y.
BENEFITS OF BOXING
Editor, Syrian World,
It
Seeing that your excellent magazine is concerned with all things of
interest to Syrians, I wish to say a
word concerning the Art of Boxing,
erstwhile unknown in Syria, but now
rapidly gaining grounds, having been
introduced since the World War.
When I speak of the benefits of boxing, I speak as one who knows by
personal experience. Having been
a delicate weakling in my boyhood,
I became, by physical culture—chiefly boxing — very robust and confident, able to defend myself in any
emergency.
It has been argued by some, by
way of objection to all pugilism, that
it makes a man pugnacious and more
ready to seek than evade a quarrel
in order to display his superiority.
To this the writer does not agree
for he has invariably discovered that
the consciousness of power inclines
men to be less prone to seek a quarrel and more forebearing toward an
opponent, it being inherent in this
health-giving art to bestow upon its
graduates a control of temper and a
53
steadiness of nerve otherwise unattainable.
Outside the pale of professional
pugilism, boxing is essentially a good
thing to know. I don't mean that
every lad growing should learn to
box with the idea of becoming a
fighter. On the contrary, I should advise most boys to keep out of the
game unless they feel an inborn conviction that nature had intended
them for such a strenuous vocation,
and even then to enter the field as
a means to an end.
But in following the principal duties of life, a man never has any use
for a practical knowledge of the
science of the "manly art" as it is
called. The cultivation of it will be
beneficial in enabling him to attain
the full enjoyment of perfect manhood.
Edward K. Bishara
Brooklyn, N. Y.
OUR CUSTOMS IN COURTSHIP
Editor, Syrian World,
Not so long ago, I heard a Syrian
boy say he would prefer going out
with any girl but a Syrian girl. I
am a Syrian, American born, but I
love my people's ways of bringing
up children.
However, I believe that when the
girl is of age, she should have her
company at home, instead of meeting him on the street, as lots of
girls I know have done, and hear of
doing. The young man I have reference to is also American born.
After I heard what he said, I asked
him why he made such a statement,
and his reply was, "Well, if a boy
wants to take a Syrian girl out the
whole town will talk about it. You
know, when a chap takes a girl out,
that does not signify he is going to
�54
marry her, or should marry her."
The Syrian parents should come
half way with their modern children,
so that the outsiders will regard us
broad-minded. Syrian boys and girls
of today should come together more
often and know one another better.
We all know the result of an intermarriage, and we also know that our
mothers, fathers and fore-bears lived together as the Bible would read,
"until death do us part."
But Syrian parents should not
place undue obstacles in the way of
their children's happiness. Our modern life is not that of our parents,
and custom should change with time
and place. A girl friend told me of
a little talk her father had with her.
This was about four years ago. It
was around Christmas, and her aunt
had asked her what she would like
to have for her gift. The girl at
that time was 14 years of age, and
replied that she would like a wrist
watch. After the aunt had gone,
the father said to her: "My daughter, why do you ask your aunt for
a wrist watch, when there is Saba,
a nice boy, who will gladly have you
in marriage? He would buy you
your watch and many other things."
The daughter, on the verge of tears,
said, "Father, I am too young to
marry, and I want to finish school"
I believe the child was right, and
I think most of you will agree with
me.
Catherine Yesbek.
Washington, D. C.
A PROMISING YOUNG POETESS
Omaha, Neb. — The Syrians of
this city are proud of a girl not yet
fifteen who promises to be a poetess
of note, having had many of her
poems published by local American
papers and whose gift for poetry
THE SYRIAN WORLD
revealed itself when she was not
yet ten. This girl is Miss Louise M.
Koory, and I take pleasure in sending you her latest poem.
A Reader.
,+
MOTHER
By Louise M. Koory
O mother in my heart you are
Like a beautiful, heavenly, evening
star,
And I see in your face like" the
sunshine glow,
The wonderful patience you always
show.
That wonderful smile you always
wear,
How do you manage to keep It
there1?
You are far more precious than
dollars to me,
And all through my life you shall
always be.
O mother of mine through all these
years
You have hidden from me life's
toils and fairs.
How to repay you I think I know—
My love for you shall grow and
grow;
And when I am older I shall try to
be
Just the very best you could wish
of me.
And I hope that when you are
old and gray,
You can look back o'er life's
pathway
With that wonderful face all free
from care,
And a look of peace and contentment there.
f
�"
«—
.1
FEBRUARY, 1927
.,11
35
Political Developments in Syria
i
»
According to dispatches received from both Syria and
Egypt, the Syrian revolution is
now at an end. As early as
January 4, the Herald-Tribune
correspondent in Cairo reported
that martial law and the censorship were about to be abolished
in Syria because of the reestablishment of normal conditions,
The whole country, and more
particularly Damascus, according to, the same correspondent,
is assuming a normal aspect,
Fugitives from Damascus and
the surrounding agricultural
districts are returning to their
homes and fields, and the work
of rebuilding the devastated
regions is proceeding satisfactorily.
Another dispatch received
in January, however, reports
some skirmishes to have taken
place between rebel bands and
French patrols. In one of these
engagements
Zaid
vAtrash,
brother of Sultan Pasha Atrash, head of' the revolutionary
movement, is reported to have
succeeded in making his escape
only through the superior speed
of his horse. Zaid Atrash, according to the nationalist press,
is now in active command of the
revolutionary forces in the field
due to the fact that Sultan Pa-
sha has retired to Al-Azrak, on
the Trans Jordanian border.
The Druzes of Lebanon are
now giving the authorities
cause for apprehension. A few
roving bands are terrorizing
certain Christian -sections and
prevailing upon their peaceably
inclined correligionists to join
them by threatening the use of
force. It is announced that these
bands operate independently
and comprise only a small number of men, but the topography
of the country makes it possible
for them to elude the military,
With the abatement; of military activities, diplomatic moves
and manoeuvres have taken added importance and through
the continued silence of the
French High Commissioner,
M. Henri Ponsot, all sorts of
rumors and interpretations are
being set afoot. Lebanon is still
grappling with its internal problems due chiefly to high administrative expenditures and the
depleted condition of the treasury. Now, also, a new element
of serious import has injected
itself in the situation caused by
the fear of the Christian Lebanese to be incorporated into
the body politic of Syria. There
is, to be sure, a strong opinion
among a section of the Lebanese
-
�.., . "J_ii'»m w fm
mik\m mm.-
56
favoring some sort of agreement, bound by a treaty for a
limited time, to enter into an
economic understanding with
the State of Syria, but the preponderance of opinion seems to
be against political unity. There
still appears to be dominant
that inherent fear of religious
reprisals so deeply rooted
among Christians and Mohammedans alike in Syria. Witness
the efforts of the Mohammedans in the Lebanon Republic to
bring about a unification of
Syria which is obviously meant
to produce a Mohammedan
majority, while the Christians
insist on maintaining their independence just to escape such
a result. Certain lamentable
occurrences in the recent revolution helped to entrench this
fear in the hearts of the Lebanese Christians, when several
Christian towns were burned
and pillaged and other personal
atrocities committed manifestly
through religious vindictiveness.
M. Ponsot still maintains his
Sphinx-like silence. He is moving about in Syria with apparent
determination to find things out
for himself at first-hand.His visits to Damascus have been frequent, as also were his trips to
the northern section of Syria.
But so far he has not made a
single declaration of policy. It
is apparent that after M. Ponsot makes his report the policy
THE SYRIAN WORLD
of France in Syria will be set
definitely and immutably. Syrian papers report that he secluded himself for three consecutive
days in his residence in Beirut
presumably to draft his final report, but so far no definite date
has been given for his return to
Paris, and the end of January
finds him still in Syria, while it
had been surmised, at first that
his departure for France was
scheduled for the middle of
December.
In view of this protracted
silence, strange rumors are being
circulated and appear to be finding credence with some circles.
The latest in this line is the one
published by Al-Mukattam of
Cairo, a supporter of the Syrian revolutionistic movement,
to the effect that secret negotiations are being conducted for
the return of Syria to Turkey.
The paper explains that France
is anxious to rid herself of
Syria to avoid draining her
treasury for military expenditures. She would not, however,
cede the mandate to England
for fear of helping make the
Mediterranean Sea an English
lake. Germany bargained for
Syria following the agreement
of Locarno but England objected. The presence of a strong
military power close to Suez and
able to threaten the route to
India is not pleasing to England.
Surveying the field,
France found Italy willing to
�FEBRUARY, 1927
\t
take Syria in exchange for some
of her African possessions, but
Mussolini wanted absolute control and French interests insisted on maintaining their concessions. Consequently, in desperation, France enters into negotiations with Turkey for the return of Syria to her, and the
Arabic paper putting forth this
57
rumor considers it only logical
for France to take this step.
This, incidentally, is the reason given for the continued
silence of M. Ponsot who, it is
claimed, is aware of these negotiations and awaits their result
before committing himself by
any declaration of policy.
About Syria and Syrians
THE SYRIAN NATIONALIST CONVENTION
IN DETROIT
Only two Arabic papers in
New York published reports'of
the proceedings of the Syrian
Nationalist convention which
opened in Detroit, Mich., Jan.
15th. These two were Al-Bayan,
the Nationalist's organ in America, and Meraat-Ul-Gharby the
only Christian paper supporting
the Nationalist movement.
Their reports on the proceedings, however, were confined to
the description, of the enthuastic reception accorded the delegates from abroad, principally
Emir Shekib Arslan, who was
the central figure of the convention.
In his speech in the opening
session of the convention, Emir
Arslan described at length the
negotiations he entered into
with the .French with a view of
putting an end to the revolution. He stated that he consented to • the military occupation of Syria by the French for
five years, and even for a longer time if the National Congress
consented; /but the French were
bent on gaining a permanent
foothold "like all colonizing
powers". French negotiators,
he said, lshowed inclination to
peace when conscious of their
weakness, but stiffened in their
demands upon the revolutionists suffering the slightest reverse. He blames the interruption of negotiations on the new
French Government controlled
by Poincare.
The Emir elaborated on the
purpose of the Pan-Arab movement, and while admitting that
Syria enjoyed a higher standard
�...Jl. I.
._..
... -I
THE SYRIAN WORLD
of civilization than its neighbors, still he sees the necessity
of its joining a federation of
Arab States comprising Transjordania, Palestine, Nejd, Hijaz, Iraq, Yemen Hadramout
and Amman, for the purpose of
self-defense against foreign
agression. These Arab States
he would combine together as
were Austria and Hungary before the War, and together they
would number a population of
twenty millions.
The Emir declared the mission of the delegation to be both
political and humanitarian.
While he undertook the elaboration of the political issues, his
colleague, Nasim Bey Saybaha,
spoke for the war sufferers
whose number in Syria he placed at 100,000.
Subscriptions for the war sufferers were taken up at the convention and partly announced
in loyal papers. No detailed account, however, was given of
the proceedings or the decisions
arrived at. Delegates of fortyfive branches of thq New Syria
Party in the United States attended the convention.
Besides Emir Arslan and Saybaha Bey, a third delegate from
abroad, Mr. Toufik Yazegi, attended the convention, but did
not arrive for the opening. The
fourth delegate, Ihsan Bey Jabery, cancelled his visit altogether on account of illness.
It had been expected that Dr.
Abdul-Rahman
Shahbandar,
the nationalistic leader in Syria,
would take part in this convention, but, according to the latest
advices, he is still in Iraq
preaching Pan-Arabism. Reports persist, nevertheless, that
he is traveling to the United
States by way of the Pacific.
SULTAN ATRASH UNDER
DEATH SENTENCE
In November, 1922, Sultan
Pasha Atrash, the leader of the
present Druze revolution in
Syria, was sentenced to death by
a French court martial for having been engaged in an armed
insurrection against the French
and killing a number of French
soldiers. French military authorities, however, made no attempt to execute the sentence
and it was the general understanding that the foremost
Druze leader was granted pardon. Now, Al-Yarmooky a Syrian nationalist paper, reports in
its issue of January 7 that the
French military authorities have
ordered that the five-year old
sentence be enforced. The paper ridicules the action of the
French in that they have miserably failed in their efforts to
capture the leader of the Syrian
revolution.
�FEBRUARY, 1927
i
HITTI READS PAPER FOR
HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
The Associated Press dispatches
of Dec. 30, 1926, reporting the proceedings of the American Historical
Association's annual Convention in
Rochester, N. Y., referred to our Dr.
Ph. K. Hitti as having made some
pertinent remarks on the derivation
and proper pronunciation of the word
"sheik". In fact, Dr. Hitti had read
an erudite paper embodying original
research work on the "Origin and
History of the Druzes". Dr. Hitti is
the only Syrian member of this association composed wholly of Professors of History in American Universities, and we hope to be able to
publish his paper referred to in a
future issue of The Syrian World.
SYRIA IS AGAIN
OPEN TO TOURISTS
In a report from the general secretariat of the French High Commissioner in Syria, addressed to the
French General Consul in New York
and transmitted to Abrahim K. Hitti
and Co., of New York, shipping
agents, it is officially announced on
behalf of the Tourist Bureau that it
has again become safe for tourists
to visit and travel throughout Syria
and Lebanon.
The report points out some convenient routes of travel, where modern roads, suitable for motoring,
have replaced the old ones.
One of these routes mentioned is
from Nazareth and Tiberias via
al-Kunaiter% to Damascus. From
there the tourist may take the motor
road to Palmyra, and from there return to Beirut through Homs and
Tripoli, passing on the way by the
Kark fortress, famous in.the feudal
days of ancient Lebanon.
Another route carries one by train
to Baalbeck in less than two hours
time, either from Damascus or
59
Beirut. From there one may proceed northward to Homs, Aleppo,
Alexandretta and Antioch.
Routes to reach the Cedars of
Lebanon, the valley of Kadesha and
other historic places are also mentioned.
The Secretariat requests the
French Consulate in New York to
give the report due publicity, that
tourists and others who wish to
visit these countries, famous for
their historic places and their delightful climate and beautiful sceneries, may be reassured of the return
of security and peace,
NEW ARCHAEOLOGICAL
FINDS IN SYRIA
Among the recent discoveries at
Jebeil, the ancient Byblus, as announced in a dispatch to the French
Academy in Paris from the French
Exploration Committee in Syria,
were little bronze statuettes representing Egyptian soldiers of the 12th
Dynasty. These soldiers are armed
with spears bearing hieroglyphic
writings. The name of Cheops, the
Pharaoh who built the Giza pyramid, occurs in some of these writings.
The French expedition also found
in Tyre and Sidon hundreds of little
vessels, and a spear on which was a
writing considered by some archaeologists as the oldest specimen of alphabetical writing extant. In one of
the tombs in Sidon they found a
statuette of Venus, 65 centimeters
in height.
Other valuable discoveries include
altars of the Roman period, decorated with the pictures of the eagle,
the thunderbolt and the bull; two
thousand flint instruments, and a
coin inscribed with an ancient Syriac script, which, it is said, will be
invaluable for the deciphering of
some of the ancient writings,
�:
N., P. & J. TRABULSI
MANUFACTURERS OF
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�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Newspapers
Description
An account of the resource
<h4>Biographical/Historical Note</h4>
<p>Salloum Mokarzel, a Lebanese American intellectual, founded<em> The Syrian World</em> in 1926. Salloum Mokarzel was the younger brother of Naoum Mokarzel, the publisher of the Arabic-language newspaper <em>Al-Hoda. </em>Together, the Mokarzel brothers ran Al-Hoda Publishing, and in 1909, they published <em>The Syrian Business Directory.</em> </p>
<p>Mokarzel created <em>The Syrian World</em> in order to document and celebrate the culture and history of "Syria." At the time, Syria referred to the modern-day countries of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. The publication was primarily aimed towards second-generation children of immigrants, but Mokarzel hoped that it would also appeal to the general American public.</p>
<h4>Scope/Content Note</h4>
<p><em>The Syrian World</em> was published between 1926 and 1932 as a journal. In 1932, the format was changed from an academic journal style to a newspaper style, which continued until the periodical's end in 1935. After the death of his brother Naoum, Salloum took over the publication of <em>Al-Hoda.</em></p>
<p>The articles in <em>The Syrian World</em> cover a variety of topics spanning from the practical to the theoretical. Practical subjects include international and domestic travel, historical and contemporary Arabic and Arab-American art and literature, and the mental and physical health and hygiene of immigrants. More theoretical, philosophical, and ideological subjects include ideologies of race, the changing role of women, the formation of Syrian and Lebanese-American societies, and the political and psychological relationships between immigrants and their countries of origin.</p>
<p>All issues of <em>The Syrian World</em> are available, along with full indexes for the first four volumes. For volumes five and six, there are tables of contents at the start of the issues.</p>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabs--United States
Arabic periodicals
Newspapers
Arab American Newspapers
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Source
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New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1926-1935
Relation
A related resource
<em><a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/41" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Syrian Business Directory</a></em>
<a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/44" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mokarzel Family Papers</a>
<a href="http://hdl.handle.net/11299/175685" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Annotated Index to the Syrian World, 1926-1932</a> at the University of Minnesota Immigration History Research Center Archives
<a href="https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/58" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Al-Hoda Newspapers</em></a>
Language
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English
Contributor
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Processed by Claire A. Kempa, 2015-2017. Collection Guide written by Claire A. Kempa, 2017.
Collection Guide updated by Laura Lethers, 2023 August.
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The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
These materials are digital copies of an original resource held by another institution. The KCLDS Archive often works with other institutions to make digital materials available online to the public. KCLDS is not able to grant permission to use or reproduce these materials. The KCLDS Archive strongly encourages users to contact the holding institution for permission to use or reproduce materials from their holdings.
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NS 0002
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This digital material is provided here for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law.
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Identifier
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TSW1927_02reducedWM
Title
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The Syrian World Volume 01, Issue 08
Date
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1927 February
Description
An account of the resource
Volume 1 Issue 08 of The Syrian World published February 1927. This issue opens with an article discussing the archaeological finds of the Hittite Empire by Dr. Philip K. Hitti. That article is followed by a travel journal entry by Ameen Rihani. There are various stories throughout the issue including ones about a Syrian physician, the death of Haroun Ar-Rachid, and the justice of Omar. The political articles included in this issue focus on the effects of the Syrian Revolution in the United States. Contains an article titled "Social Reform in New Turkey" written by Al-Ghazi Kemal Pasha. The issue closes with excerpts from the Arab press and the reader’s forum, as well as information about political developments in Syria.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabic literature--History and criticism--Periodicals
Arabs--United States--Periodicals
Lebanese-Americans--United States--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Creator
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Salloum A. Mokarzel
Syrian-American Press
Source
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New York Public Library
Publisher
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Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Coverage
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104 Greenwich St., New York, NY
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Text/pdf
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Text
Rights
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The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
1920s
Ameen Rihani
Great Syrian Revolt
Medical
New York
Philip Khuri Hitti
Travel
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/f234231e33fa44be357a1118b89b722c.pdf
bd1a4afca91c7cf76a6a2a334c6c40ca
PDF Text
Text
I
N., P. & J. TRABULSI
MANUFACTURERS OF
Ladies' PRINTED & Fancy
SCARFS
MEN'S
&
BOYS'
SWEATERS
MEN'S MUFFLERS
HOLIDAY NOVELTIES
'. I
FOR THE JOBBING TRADE ONLY
JVEW YORK
599 BROADWAY.
J
^
BMB!'
�1
"". —
1
THE
SYRIAN WORLD
SALLOUM
A.
MOKARZEL,
Editor.
PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE SYRIAN-AMERICAN PRESS
104
GREENWICH STREET, NEW YORK,
N. Y.
By subscription $5.^0 a year.
Single copies 50c.
Entered as second-class matter, June 25, 1926, at the post office at New
York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879.
VOL. I. No. 77"
JANUARY, 1927
Contents
PAGE
From My Note-Book of Travel
By AMEEN RIHANI
3
The Consular Mass in the Near East
By THE EDITOR
7
Selections from the Arabic
15
The Contribution of the Syrian Immigrant to America
By REV. K. A. BISHARA, PH. D.
16
Wisdom Sans Humor
19
By H. I.
KATIBAH
Sects of Islam
:
23
What Really Counts
27
Famous Arab Lovers — VII — 'Antar and 'Abla
28
Progressive Medicine
By
34
DR.
H. A.
ELKOURIE
J
- , ,,„:,; .,.,, -
�r
CONTENTS (Continued)
.
PAGE
The Value of Knowledge
S6
Fatima (a short story)
37
By
The Syrians in Australia
By
HASSAN SUBHI
42
HON.
A. A.
ALAM
To Adversity
45
Please, Santa!
4^
By
MARIE EL-KHOURIE
Editor's Comment — The Dawn of a New Era?
47
With Our Contributors
50
Spirit of the Syrian Press
53
Readers' Forum
55
About Syria and Syrians
5^
Political Developments in Syria
5#
ILLUSTRATIONS IN THIS ISSUE
The Church of the Capuchins in Beirut
The Holy City of Jerusalem
Emissaries of Charlemagne with Haroun al-Rashid
Crusaders Carrying the Original Cross in Triumph
Mashrak El-Azkar — Proposed Bahai Temple in Chicago
A Detail of one of the Windows of the Bahai Temple
Ibn Saoud, King of Nejd and the Hejaz
A Scene in a Residential Street in Jerusalem
���SYRIAN WORLD
VOL. I. No. 7.
JANUARY, 1927
From My Note-Book of Travel
By AMEEN RIHANI
THE SACRED COW
I first met her in, Bombay, strolling down the street, taking
the air, even like her biped contemporaries. Two or three cows
sometimes walked together, without a chaperon, without anyone
to say, Ho! and no ^one seemed to mind. The traffic, the police,
the pedestrians moved along nonchalantly, somnolently. The
taxis stopped to let her holiness pass; and now and then a man
or a woman would approach her, touch her reverentially, for a
blessing.
Noble-looking animals are the temple cows, and they would
take the prize at any cattle show in America or Europe. Expansive, shapely, graceful of line 5 — the best rounded figures
in the world — quite Oriental. And such complexion! Whether red or black or a shade between, the skin has an impeccable
gloss j it bespeaks the harmony and peace within. For they do
not live in eternal fear, these sacred cows; — the obsession of
the shambles is not upon them.
On the contrary, they live in eternal bliss, which is ignorance
and the daily feed. Moreover, they have the freedom of the
city, and everywhere they find servants and friends. One of
them I saw stop and shake her head in an irritated manner.
Two or three Hindus came instantly to her assistance, and gently
she turned her head as one of them pulled a big fly out of her
fB/Blgam&ts&sm*
�ll
4
U1HE SYRIAN WORLD,
ear! She then proceeded on her promenadej and the pious rescuer of the cow and the fly — a double mercy — went home in
the caressing folds of a double reward.
.
AT THE RACES
The lower classes of the East are less offensive in a crowd
than their brothers of New York or London. The Oriental
crowd, except at a political meeting nowadays, is quiet, orderly,
gentle. It may wear loud colors, but it is not loud-lunged. It
moves like a sluggish stream in a body without a ripple. It has
no angularities, no spinosities: neither a temper, nor a heel. One
is safe in an Oriental crowd, even comfortable.
As for the upper classes, I have also met them at the races.
The men, whether in native or European clothes, and the women, whether in shoes or in sandals, in silk or cotton saris, are
utterly devoid of the affectations that mark the Europeans. The
English are gentlemen in office and out of office; but the pose
of the English official at a public function is ridiculous. The
Oriental is beginning to see it, to see through it; which fact the
Honourable gentleman will soon or late realize. He can, at
least, leave his flunkeys at home; for when they accompany him,
he cannot but be conscious of the glory they lend to his 'state',
and he has to study how to behave for them, as well as before
the public. Hence, the uppishness which no politeness can assuage.
Indian nobility, too, was at the races; but it moved about
sans flunkeys and sans pomp — almost meekly. The men carried binoculars, to be sure; but they did not hold them up to
their eyes like the Honourable Sir Charles Fudge, C.S.I., C.I.E.,
etc., with straight rigid fingers and thumb to cheek. Nor did the
begums, in gowns or ample folds, sit down in the garden to smoke
cigarettes and cross their legs to exhibit to the full a hose of silk.
Neither pudency nor pruriency is here concerned. But the
contrast, no matter ,how unprejudiced one may be, persists. You
have, on the one hand, a pose, an affectation, a studied gesture,
no matter how esthetic; while on the other are the calm and
comeliness, the simplicity and the natural grace of the better
class Orientals, men and women. I am certain that even a fairminded Englishman, Mr. Wells or Mr. Chesterton, for instance,
will turn away at such a gathering from his compatriots to pay
f
�JANUARY, 1927
5
his homage to the simple grace and unconscious charm of India.
One thing, however, is deplorable — the utter European manner of some of the younger set, who speak, English even among
themselves, and lisp and put on airs like Arthur-Smith and MaryJane.
A NOMADIC GOVERNMENT*
Four months at Poona, which is 2,000 feet above the sea;
two months, October and November, at Mahablashwarj and
about December we go down to the lowlands, we return to Bombay for the winter season. We must avoid the heat, as well as
the cold: we must be comfortable in order to be able to govern
India. Indeed, we must keep cool, and we must keep fit, for
thy sake, O India. That is why in April we pack up and, with
our 'cloaks' and flunkeys, go up to the hills again; — back to
Mahablashwar; for neither Bombay nor Poona are just right
for our comfort and consequently for the good of government
and country. About the end of May, or the beginning of June,
however, Poona invites us to its spring and its soft, cool breezes,
and for thy sake, for thy good, O India, we come.
This is the happy cycle of the three-capitaled Government
of Bombay, which, moves with the seasons, regardless of time or
money. Thus, too, I am told, all over India. If a Resident or
a Governor, with his staff and council, his military and civil
departments, his flunkeys and A. D. Cs. and servants, lives in
such extravagance on the revenues of India, what may be the
higher state of His Excellency the Viceroy and Their Highnesses
the Maharajahs?
MAHATMA SASSOUN
Through the native quarter to the Museum. Not a trace
of civilization, European or Oriental, modern or ancient, considered from the point of view of soap and social order. As if
the English had not been in the country three hundred years j —
as if 'the naked sages of India* had not been preaching cleanliness and manliness for many centuries before the coming of
Clive. The houses are tumble-down; the streets are noisome,
and the hand of decay is upon everything. Yet, here are human
�V
THE SYRIAN WORLD
beings reconciled to the filthiest and most depressing condition
of life. I despair of humanity and all the efforts of its sages
and prophets, aye, and all the achievements of its men of science
and invention, when I see this side of the Orient.
The milkman brings the milk in beautiful brass utensils,
swinging in ropes from the end of a long pliant pole, which he
carries on his shoulder. The utensils are not covered, and they
hang so low that they almost touch the ground. The air, the
dust, the germs, the mud, they do not exist in the world of the
milkman, nor in that of his customers.
A(flock of cooli-women pass, almost in native buff, carrying
big trays upon their heads. Naked from the feet up as far as
possible, naked from the shoulders down as far as possible} and
the waist-cloth which they wind tightly like a sash, is of brilliant
colors —| yellow, green, red, orange, or blue. Beautiful figures,
undressed and undraped, rare on the vaudeville stage or in the
'celluloid' world j they are what the pious Moslem calls a fascination and a snare to humankind. But they walk the streets of
Bombay with a mincing step and a swing of the arm, and no one
is ensnared, not even interested.
Some of these cooli-women I saw at the Museum. It was
a day for the people, I think, and they were all there in family
groups. Men carried their children and women lugged their
babes. The young men were interested in the ethnological exhibit, the women gaped at the stuffed tigers, and they all crowded around the cases containing the deities of India. The cooliwomen were absorbed as every one else, and no one seemed to
notice their nudity. Aye, the very people I had seen in the
moldering squalor of the town had become students of history
and anthropology^ and they filled the Museum with the odors
that suggest neither musk nor ambergris. The stench of the
people in the temple of knowledge!
But every attachment, every ideal must take with these people a religious form, or they are not content. Statues, for instance, can only represent the divine. I stood on the stairs watching the women as they passed before a bust of David Sassoun.
They stopped before it, gazed at it in silence, touched it reverentially with their fingers, which they applied to their foreheads. But David Sassoun is more worthy, perhaps, of their
adoration than the god with the elephant-trunk,
***i*l*iiwiimt**»<&
i
�JANUARY, 1927
~
The Consular Mass in the
Near East
By THE EDITOR
I
The report of the signing of a treaty between France and the
Vatican on December 6, 1926, in Paris, "regulating the honors
to French representatives in the Near East", would seem to consolidate anew the position of France as protector of the Christians in that part of the world.
According to the Paris dispatches reporting the signing of
the treaty, this is the first important diplomatic move of the
Papal Nuncio, Monsignor Gaglione, since assuming his post.
The treaty, we are further informed, is designed to remove
causes of friction in the French protectorates and countries where
France is regarded as "protector of the Christians". By the
former is meant Syria in particular, and by the latter all Mohammedan countries of the East. The immediate cause for the new
treaty is the hesitation lately displayed by the Italian prelates
in these countries to render the traditional honors to representatives of a republic which sponsors no state church, and it may well
be surmised that behind this attitude of Italian prelates there is
a political motive.
The treaty provides that representatives of France where
she is either the mandatory power, as in Syria, or occupies the
position of guardian of Christianity, as she will be considered in
Egypt and elsewhere, will receive "Consular Masses". At these,
on the occasions of Christmas, Easter, the Pentecost and the Fourteenth of July, they will be seated on thrones near the high altar,
being received by the clergy with all ritualistic honors.
The treaty further implies that attendance at these Masses
by non-Catholic French representatives will not be a tribute by
them to the power of Catholicism, but homage offered by the
Church dignitaries to France whose role from the time of the
Crusades has been that of protector of the faithful.
What transpired during the conversations leading to the
signing of the treaty may never be made public. Undoubtedly,
the Vatican is anxious to mend the broken threads of its relations
�'8
WHE SYRIAN WORLD
with France, hence its readiness to acquiesce in the demand of
France that the presence of non-Catholic representatives at solemn religious services of the Church should not be misconstrued
as tributes by them to the power of Catholicism. France has now
effectively and definitely severed all connections between church
and state. It is electing a president of the Republic who is Protestant and effacing as rapidly as practicable all memories of past
religious rivalries and feuds such as gave occasion to the massacre
of St. Bartholomew. French representatives abroad are also appointed more for their party fealty than their religious affiliations. Two recent illustrations are to be found in the resignation,
on the one hand, of Ambassador Jusserand from his post at Washington, by which France lost the prestige of its ambassador being
the dean of the diplomatic corps; and, on the other hand, in the
appointment of Gen. Sarrail to the post of High Commissioner
in Syria, where he set himself frantically at breaking traditions
as would the proverbial bull in a china shop.
But aside from all these considerations, France seems to
have been amply able to prove to the satisfaction of the Vatican
her right to continue in the role she has been acting ever since
the Crusades as protector of the Christians in the East. Not only
does she evince hesitation at breaking traditions in foreign
lands, but rather seeks to renew her right to enforce their observance. Hence it is not now a question of one of her representatives, such as Gen. Sarrail, taking it upon himself to refuse attendance at the diplomatic Mass, but rather a part of his official
duties to do so. France, to be sure, is determined on maintaining
her prestige in the East, and although she looks upon the religious
question in one light as regards her internal policy, she looks
upon it in altogether a different light in matters of foreign relations.
It is quite likely that the action of Gen. Sarrail, at
the time he was High Commissioner in Syria, in refusing to attend the traditional political Mass, precipitated the discussions
which culminated in the conclusion of the treaty between France
and the Vatican which was signed in Paris on the sixth of December. Gen. Sarrail's appointment had no justification except
in the fact that the spoils belonged to the victor, and as he had
been a staunch "regular" in the radical party which came into
power and swept M. Herriot into office, he was sent to Syria as
occupant of the only high diplomatic post available at the time.
/
�CRUSADERS CARRYING THE ORIGINAL CROSS IN TRIUMPH
''.
-'
-„ -v-".^
�It was for the purpose of wresting this city of Palestine, Syria, from the hands of the Moslems that the
Crusades were waged for two centuries.
»
'
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.IUIJI
i>
EMISSARIES OF CHARLEMAGNE BEING RECEIVED BY HAROUN AL-RASHID
From a painting by J. Kockert.
**
�THE HOLY CITY OF JERUSALEM
It was for the purpose of wresting this city of Palestine, Syria, from the hands of the Moslems that the
Crusades were waged for two centuries.
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WHERE THE DIPLOMATIC MASS IS HELD IN BEIRUT
The Church of the Capuchins, or the Latin Church, where the tradition of the Diplomatic, or Consular Mass
is observed
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JANUARY, 1927
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9
Once there he proceeded forthwith to prove himself a thorough
radical. One of his first official acts was to refuse attendance at
the diplomatic Mass, because such action would be interpreted
as favoring one religious faction in the country as against another.
And Sarrail wanted to introduce an altogether new order of
things. Of what significance is it to him to observe a tradition
that has been handed down from one generation to another for
almost eight centuries and which, particularly in Syria, where
religious prestige is so jealously guarded andx upheld, is considered in the light of an act of faith? Are we not in the day of a
new era? And is not he, Sarrail, of World-War fame, coming
to Syria to enlighten it and give it the benefit of his advanced
political creed rather than maintain those antiquated traditions
which have rotted with extreme age?
Sarrail may have been very honest of purpose, but he certainly had not the adroitness of a diplomat to carry his policies
out. The great mistake which he committed was in reversing
himself and showing preference for Mohammedans by subsequently attending a celebration at a mosque after having refused
to take part in the traditional services at the church. The effect
was to fan into flame all the hatreds and religious animosities
that had been simmering for centuries.
Added to this action of her High Commissioner in Syria,
France found herself confronted with many other problems
threatening her standing as the protector of Christians in the
East. Now Italy is casting covetous glances at Syria and England pursues relentlessly her policy of strengthening her prestige by knocking down the props from under her rivals. It is
of special significance that the dispatches reporting the signing
of the new treaty between France and the Vatican refer to the
reluctance of the Italian prelates in the East to accord religious
honors to representatives of a republic which sponsors no state
church. Why Italian prelates?
The problem, therefore, is not local nor restricted to one
incident. It is general in the whole East and threatens the de
cheance of French prestige if not remedied promptly and effectively. The Papal Nuncio in Syria had faithfully reported
to the Vatican the Sarrail incident and conversations on the subject with the French government followed. Immediately the
book of traditions is opened and France forcefully pleads her
case in defense of her traditional right as protector of Christians
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
in the East. The case is apparently proven to the satisfaction
of the Vatican and the new treaty which defines the rights of
France in her capacity as protector of the faithful is signed, notwithstanding the unfriendly attitude of Italian prelates.
Now what are the grounds on which France was able to
establish her case, and of what nature are those traditions of
which she appears to be so jealous and which she wishes to maintain and strengthen in spite of the fact that she is thereby put
in the position of a Catholic power, while in her home policy
she disclaims all connection between church and state?
The answer to this question must lead us all the way through
eleven centuries, back to the time of Charlemagne and Haroun
al-Rashid. The great emperor of the West and the equally
great caliph of the East had heard of each other and cultivated
a sort of mutual admiration. Times were peaceful and everybody was under the influence of a friendly disposition. The
Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land were well treated and the
Christian emperor felt himself owing a debt of gratitude to the
magnanimity of'the Mohammedan caliph, and, prompted by
this generous feeling, he sent to Bagdad a mission composed of
high dignitaries with appropriate presents. The envoys of Charlemagne were detained nearly eight months enjoying the hospitality of Haroun al-Rashid, and when finally they were permitted
to leave, they were loaded with such dazzling gifts as showed not
only the generosity of the great caliph, but the wealth of the
East as well.
Included in the gifts was an ingenious and magnificent
device for recording time, the first timepiece known to Europe,
and, what is of vastly more significance, the keys of the Church
of the Sepulchre in Jerusalem. This in itself was a carte blanche
permit to Christian pilgrims to visit the Holy places under the
protection of the emperor of the Franks.
These relations of amity and good-will were continued by
the successors of these two monarchs for several decades which
meant in those days a long time, during which pilgrimage from
Europe to the Holy Land flourished. To undertake the pilgrimage, the Christians of Europe naturally had to rely on some sort
of protection guaranteeing security, and this they enjoyed by
virtue of the friendship which existed between the emperor of
the Franks and the caliph of Islam. They then began to flock
to the Holy Lane! in ever increasing numbers. Some of the no^
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JANUARY, 1927
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bility lead armies numbering eight thousands of both men and
women. In time, Jerusalem was transformed into a regular
market place for the exchange of goods, and a special quarter
was built for the accommodation of Christian European merchants and pilgrims.
This condition, however, was not destined to last long. The
East was seething with plots and insurrections. The Abbasides
in Bagdad, heirs to the throne of Haroun al-Rashid, were tottering under the successive blows of the Turks who had filtered
into the Arab capital and were scheming to usurp power from
the hands of their masters. The great Arab empire became the
prey of ary number of provincial Emirs and contenders for the
caliphate. The Holy Land was not immune from the ravages
of these internal wars and the holy places of Christianity did
not escape desecration and pillage. Christian pilgrims were prohibited from entering the Holy City or bathing in the waters of
the Jordan and those of them who escaped death by massacre or
pestilence returned to Europe with harrowing tales of atrocities
and indignities. The cry was soon raised that Christianity should
deliver the holy places from the hands of the infidels and this
movement culminated in the great congress of Clermont in France
where Pope Urban II delivered his celebrated speech exhorting
the Christians to undertake the Crusades. The multitude responded with a great cry of "It is the will of God", and the
crusading movement was launched.
Why the Pope chose French territory for the issuance of
this appeal to Christian Europe to engage in wars which were
destined to rock the world and continue for two hundred years
causing inestimable losses in lives and property was explained by
the Pope himself when he declared in his speech that "I came
to French soil to make declaration of a holy war against the
desecrators of our sacred places because France has ever been
steadfast in her faith and ready to defend her title as the firstborn of the Holy Church. Once France rises to this holy war,
the rest of Europe will soon follow."
The account of what followed forms one of the bloodiest
chapters of the world's history, but in the end all Europe's efforts and all Christianity's armies failed and the Holy Places and
the Holy Land remained in the hands of the Mohammedans.
In the course of these long wars, however, many Christian
kingdoms were established in, Syria and not a few of the crusacl-
�12
THE SYRIAN WORLT>
ers intermarried with the Christian population of the country.
These latter chose to remain in the fair land of the East when
the last vestige of organized European military power was effaced and the last ship bearing the remnants of the great armies of
the crusaders had departed from Eastern shores. And then it
became not a question of contending for the possession of the
Holy Places by the sword, but by guaranteeing Christians the enjoyment of life and the right of free worship by diplomacy.
Europe had utterly failed in gaining a permanent foothold in the
East when even the king of France, St. Louis, had made a last
desperate effort to rally Europe to the cause of the Crusades,
going himself to the East at the head of a great fleet and a
great army, and fell captive in the hands of his enemies.
But the outstanding fact in this tragedy is that France was,
from the beginning to the end, the leader and the mainstay of
the movement, and now that it had failed she felt all the more
keenly her responsibility towards the protection of the Christians of the East and those of the crusaders who had chosen to
remain. The Christians of the East, particularly the Maronites
of Mt. Lebanon, had fought the common enemy side by side
with her men, and on numerous occasions offered, refuge to the
defeated crusaders in the fastness of their mountain. This partnership in arms, the equal sharing of a common peril, and the
exposing by Christian Europe of the Christians of the East to
the graver dangers resulting from the Crusades, bound Europe
with the strongest kind of moral obligation to protect the Christians of the East, and this duty fell more heavily on France by
reason of her position of leadership in these wars and in all
Christian activities.
The years that followed were replete with trials for the
Christians who wanted to make the pilgrimage, until, in 1313,
when Robert, King of Sicily, and his wife Sancie, went to Jerusalem and found that the Mussulmans had transformed the
church of the Holy Sepulchre into a mosque and had seized all
other places sacred to Christianity, they negotiated with the Mohammedans for the purchase of the Holy Places comprising the
Churches of the Sepulchre in Jerusalem and the Nativity in
Bethlehem, for a consideration of 80,000 gold pounds. Now
this king of Sicily was of the French royal family, and on the
basis of this purchase, King Louis XIV of France entered into
negotiations with the Ottoman Sultan in 1685 for the return of
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the Holy Places to the custody of the Christians after they had
again been seized by the Mohammedans.
In later years, when the Ottomans had made secure their
ascendancy in the Islamic world and gained the caliphate by conquering Egypt in 1515 under Sultan Selim, France began to negotiate with Constantinople for the protection of the Christians
and for other commercial and political advantages. The agreements later entered into are what became known as capitulations,
in most of which were inserted clauses bearing on the position
of the Christians, both native and foreign.
Of the sustained interest of France in the Christians of Syria
and the East in general, the most recent illustration was her sending of a military expedition in 1860 to Syria under Gen. Beaufort to protect the Christians on the occasion of the religious disturbances characterizing that year and which culminated in the
massacre of the Maronites by the Druzes in Mt. Lebanon. The
Maronites are the special friends of France in the East and it
was principally through them that she established herself in Syria
following the World War.
Uninterruptedly, therefore, for almost eleven centuries,
France has been the protector and guardian of the Christians in
the East. During the early stages of this protectorate, the right
of France to act in this capacity was based simply on the initiative
she had taken in this field as the leading Catholic country of
Europe. Following the Crusades, however, this protectorate
began to take more definite forms and it was officially announced
and approved by encyclicals from Rome. The latest official pronouncement from Rome on the subject was when Pope Leo XIII
issued a famous encyclical on May 22, 1888 affirming anew the
position of France in the role of protector of Christians in the
East and forbidding Catholic missionaries, be they of Italian or
other nationalities, to have recourse in their grievances to any
other than French representatives.
This position which France enjoys as protector of the faithful in the East carries with it not only an obligation but a certain
amount of defined privileges, among which is that she alone, to
the exclusion of all other Catholic powers, should bear this title
and that her representatives in Eastern countries should be accorded special honors by the Catholic clergy in countries where
these privileges are in force. Hence the Consular Mass. This
combination of a politico-religious institution has been in force
�T4
W&E 'SYRTAN WORLU
since 1742 and the first agreement between France and the Holy
See regulating the honors accorded French representatives in
the East has undergone many revisions on different dates, principally in 1804, 1817 and 1848. The latest revision is the one
now made with the signing of the new treaty in Paris on Dec. 6,
1926.
In the light of recent events, it would seem that a new
treaty embodying anew the definition of honors is inescapable,
and the Vatican appears to have made to France the concessions
which the change in France's new national policy necessitates.
Hence the reservation in the new treaty referring to French nonCatholic representatives. According to former versions, the rendering by the Catholic Church of special honors to French representatives, particularly where they appear in the role of protectors of Catholics, implied that they themselves should be of
the Catholic faith.
Here, for instance, are some of the honors which former
agreements between France and the Vatican stipulate:
Upon the appointment of a French Consul to a position in
the East, the priest of the Latin church in the city must offer a
Te Deum and reserve a special place of honor in the church for
the Consul. Then on all occasions when the Consul is to attend
the Mass, the head of the Latin mission (be it French, Italian,
or any other nationality) must send a special messenger to inform the Consul of the time Mass is to be celebrated, and upon
the Consul's arrival at the church, the head of the Mission must
receive him and offer him the holy water in person. During the
progress of the Mass the Consul is to be seated on the altar
in a special place of honor. Following the reading of the Gospel
the officiating priest advances and offers the Holy Book to the
Consul to kiss, and upon the offering of incense, the priest must
turn first to the Consul before facing the congregation. Finally,
upon the Consul leaving the church, the head of the Mission
again offers him personally the holy water.
On subsequent revisions, these honors were made to include
the following: Wherever there are Catholic educational institutions the French Consul is to preside at the final examinations
and commencement exercises. Upon the appointment of a new
Papal Nuncio it is the privilege of a French Consul to arrange
with the local authorities the ceremonies attending his reception,
and upon his arrival the Consul accompanies him in official cos-
�JANUARY^ 1927
rs
tume to the church and undertakes to announce his coming to
religious bodies, foreign representatives and the local authorities.
Immediately following the church ceremonies the Nuncio is to
pay a visit to the (French Consul as his first official act.
The observance of all these honors has been embodied in the
new treaty, with the further reservation referring to non-Catholic representatives. The position of France is now again definitely strengthened and her title reassured. 'It may be readily seen
that the French government of today is not actuated by the same
motives as prompted former governments to seek the title of
protector of the faithful, but France is still jealous of her special
privileges and has again succeeded in inducing the Holy See to
confirm her in her traditional role as the first-born of the Church.
SELECTIONS FROM THE ARABIC
The learned man is like a ship, if he makes a mistake he
perishes and many others perish with him.
In a tradition transmitted by Abdullah, the son of Omar, it
is related that the Prophet entered the mosque of Medina, where
he saw two groups, one occupied in devotional exercises, the other
in study.
"Both groups are commendable," said the Prophet." The
worshippers petition God. and mention His name. Should He
wish He may reward them5 should He not He would not; but
those in the other group study jurisprudence, and teach the ignorant. Verilv, I was sent as a teacher." Saying this, the Prophet
went and sat with the studious group.
"For thirty years," said Sari as-Sakati, (an early Mohammedan mystic) "I have been seeking forgiveness for once saying
'thank God'." When asked, "how so?" he explained:
"Once a conflagration broke in Baghdad, and a man meeting me, said, 'Your shop is safe.' I cried out in joy, 'thank
God!' Since then, I have repented for what I said, in that I
desired for myself a better lot than befell other Moslems."
�~"
THE SYRIAN WORLD,
16
The Contribution of the Syrian
Immigrant to America
By REV. K. A. BISHARA, PH. D.
When I was asked by a prominent American Society to
speak on the theme of "What can Americans learn from the
Syrian immigrant", I took it as a racial challenge and coined it
in this form: What is the use of the Syrian in America? To give
a brief, yet adequate answer to this question, I can do nothing
better than reveal what the Syrian is inherently, owing to his
great and unique heritage of the ages that makes it imperative
that he should, at least, endeavor to make the very best contribution to the general life of the great land of his adoption where
he has the fairest opportunities to develop his personality to the
highest pitch of efficiency by combining what is best in him with
the best of what he should be capable of acquiring in the glorious sphere of progressive human activity.
1 — At the very outset I feel fully justified in claiming
for the Syrian the most genuine type of up-to-date cosmopolitanism acquired through a long process of compulsory experimentation, he having come, in his own fatherland, in contact
with practically all the world powers of history, in consequence
of which he is able to feel at home wherever he happens to pitch
his tent on the face of this earth. It appears as though he were
pursuing his "Holy Scriptures" which are rapidly making of
the civilized world a "Greater Syria".
2 — In the next place, being for the most part of Semitic
descent, chiefly of Arab stock, uncontrovertially the soundest in
body and mind, the Syrian, in my estimation, is the most genuine
specimen of the German Superman — a splendid example for
the over-ambitious "Nordic" element in America to copy by way
of exemplification.
3 — Another contributory characteristic of the Syrian immigrant in America is the fact that he is naturally mystical, and,
at the same time, intensely practical. In this respect, the Syrian
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�JANUARY, im
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is supremely unlike his compeer oi any other nationality whatsoever.
.
4 — Another similarly anomalous characteristic of his is
that he is endowed with a progressively intensive mind wondrously tempered by a high degree of conservatism — something very
rare among the children of men, especially in this nervous age
of unaccountable changeability.
5 — The most remarkable trait of the Syrian is undoubtedly
the fact that he has been from time immemorial the world's
leader and the most vehement promoter and defender of religion
and ethics. As Phoenician, he flooded the markets of the world
not only with his "goods", but with his "gods" as well. As Arab,
he is still imbued with the idea of enthusiastically manipulating
the sword in the way of forcefully driving the entire world
within the pale of his Monotheistic Empire. As Christian and
Hebrew, he has given, the civilized world its Law, Religion and
purest Ethics, morally shaking the earth with the quake of his
volcanic aggressiveness, in such a manner that the "Missionary
Spirit" is still the mightiest factor in human progress.
The genuine son of Syria considers all material wealth as
being a contemptible thing per se, so much so that the "big
guns" of Wall Street are in his estimation mere children playing
with marbles — an extremely strange anomaly for a modern citizen of Ancient Tyre that taught the world how to make money.
6
From what has been stated, we naturally infer that
the character of a modern Syrian is a remarkable compound of
three prominent ingredients — namely, the prophetic, the intellectual, and the sentimental.
7
A most telling contribution of the Syrian in America
is his "life iat home", fortified by very strong filial-parental ties,
buttressed by extremely intense affections — a thing that fair
America urgently needs.
8
In like manner, this adopted son of Old Glory is a
proverbially God-fearing, law-abiding, court-hating citizen — a
total stranger almost to. all jail-rolls throughout the countryj
so much so that Syrian prison inmates are considered, as a rule,
racial intruders.
9
As to womanly honor and chastity, the Syrian stands
preeminently incomparable. Modesty is still with him the index
of feminine beauty and personal attractiveness.
10 — As a "spiritual force" in the world, the genuine Syr-
�IS
WHE SYRIAN WORLD
ian has always been highly poetical, deeply musical, and affectionately emotional. Add to all this his uniquely brilliant intellect, and you have a relatively fair picture of the practical superman.
11 — The hospitality of the Syrian is matched only in the
tents of the Arabian Peninsula where this popular ideal is expressed as a motto in this simple Arabic strophe:
"Our visiting guest
is really our host."
12 — The last but not least contribution of the naturalized
Syrian in this great "Republic of the West" is his "Common
Sense" which is the product of the harmonious balancement of
the intellectual and emotional faculties in his wonderful personality — a fact that should make him highly "desirable" in "the
Land of the Free" and "the Home of the Brave" wherein the
torch of righteous and peaceful civilization is uplifted before the
eyes of all the nations of the world to the Glory of God and the
elevation of mankind.
AN ARAB'S DESCRIPTION OF THE USE OF A STICK
Al-Hajjaj, the notorious governor of Iraq, met a Bedouin
who was carrying a stick. He stopped him, and, wanting to jest
with him, said: "What is this that you are carrying in your
hand?" quoting thereby a passage from the Koran in which God
asks Moses the same question. The Bedouin, quick to recognize
what al-Hajjaj had in mind, replied:
"This is my stick with which I drive away beasts. I employ
it in my travels, recline on it in my walks, and volt with its help
across rivers. It saves me from stumbling, and protects me from
the heat of the noontime, when I throw over it my cape. With
its help I carry my knapsack, knock on doors, and drive away
dogs. It is my spear and buckler when battle waxes hot and
heroes meet heroes on the battlefield. And I shake it at my
sheep, and have for it other purposes."
Al-Hajjaj was quite pleased with this reply, in which the
Bedouin quoted in the last sentence the answer of Moses to God,
and rewarded him handsomely.
UMHMi
�n
TANU'ARY, '1927
Wisdom Sans Humor
By HABIB I. KATIBAH
I had gone to the Metropolitan Museum to consult a copy
of a technical magazine which I was told would be found only
there, and which I needed, before I could begin on a certain article. The true reason I went there was to play truant from the
drudgery of my routine duties. It was one of those periodical,
mild revolts which doubtless every one of us feels from time to
time, against the ennui of white-collar slavery. The magazine
was the excuse. I was rather relieved when the librarian, after
a little search, told,me that the magazine was discontinued and
the particular number I asked for was not there. With a tree
conscience, like a child who,had been informed that his teacher
was sick, and there was no school for the day, I went about my
real mission — a spree of civilized vagabondage.
It was about three in the afternoon, and realizing that the
time at my disposal was very short, I narrowed the field of my
rambling curiosity to the Oriental section where Turkish rugs,
Persian minatures and Chinese statues are ranged in haphazard
groups, silent witnesses of slumbering civilizations.
Presently I found myself before a jade statue of a Chinese
sage which arrested my attention. I must have passed that statue
several times on previous trips, but it was not until then that
it made a strong appeal to my fancy. Perhaps it was due to the
predominance in my mind of the Cantonese revolution in China,
and my reflections over its stupendous potentialities for the history of mankind. Perhaps, subconsiously. More likely it was
something about the statue itself that I had not noticed before}
something peculiarly different and strange.
It is extremely difficult for me to describe the conflicting
thoughts and emotions which struggled within me, the contrasts
that flitted in my imagination as I viewed in wrapt silence that
little Jade statue.
.
With his legs folded in Oriental fashion, the Chinese sage
was squatted pensively, striking his long beard. Not much different
from other Oriental sages and saints, that one could conjure from
the pages of Oriental history and travel books. Not different
�20
mE SYRfAN WORLD,
even from some Syrian sages I had encountered in life, except
in one particular instance which was strongly accentuated in this
dream in jade of an Oriental artist.
The corners of the mouth drooped strangely in an expression of perfect cynicism, and there was not on his face even the
flicker of a smile to relieve the depressing expression. If ever
an Oriental sage said "vanity of vanitites" to the procession of
life that passed before his omniscient eyes, that Chinese sage was
the one. There wasn't an ounce of humor nor whimsicality in
him. He was all seriousness, almost to absurdity. Could it be
possible, I wondered, for one to be so serious, and yet be a sage,
or even a saint? There was something weird, even pathetic in
this pensive figure from the distant past. One could not help
ask one's self if ever in his lifetime such a one ever cracked a
joke or laughed heartily; if he ever fell in love, or if he ever
did anything foolish. He must have, for where could he have
learned wisdom? Not from textbooks, to be sure. No wise man
ever learns it there.
Yet there was no harshness about him. His features relaxed in graceful folds and furrows. His was the wisdom of passive resignation j of a tolerant pessimism, that recognizes the inherent folly and weakness of man. He was sad, not angry j
charitable, not militant; disappointed, not chagrined.
And there I stood before him in reverent reflection, but not
quite reconciled to his attitude to life. I was tempted to draw
out my notebook to interview him. Wonder what a Chinese
jade sage in the Metropolitan Museum thinks about, said I to
myself in the fashion of a well-known cartoonist! What would
be his opinion of the gum-chewing flapper that plants herself
before him and exclaims: "Ain't he cute?" Wonder what he
thinks of jazz, if he had ever heard it, or of the swiftly changing styles of women which he might have observed from his
niche. Or if; he waves these questions aside as being too trivial,
what then would he think of the Great War, of the League of
Nations or of the revolution going on in his own country. Such
"wonders", of course, must remain as silent as my mute interlocutor. But one could imagine/that his answer would not differ
much from that of many an Oriental sage—paradoxical, deep, but
suggesting no avenue of expression. At any rate it would be
serious, or satirical, but never practical.
The trouble with Oriental sages, and even saints, is that
'
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JANUARY, 1927
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they lack a great deal in the sense of humor. As long ago as
the days of Herodotus this was noticed about them. For Herodotus tells us in his History that the Egyptian priests regarded
the Greeks as little children. He himself thought them much
"wiser" than his own countrymen, and as many Western devotees
of Oriental wisdom do today, he was initiated into the Egyptian
mystery of Osiris. But the wisdom of Egypt has turned to dust,
and the foolishness of the Greeks still brings us ever_ fresh joy
and delight. It is as refreshing now as it was when Phidias played with marbles, and Socrates jested with the Greek youths in
the agora of Athens. The Greeks learned the mysteries of life
by play and childish curiosity. Instinctively, because naturally
and in the simplicity of their souls, they sought "beauty" first,
and behold! they also discovered "truth" and "goodness".
The East has produced wisdom, but little art. Its literature
is inspirational, but somewhat oppressive, and little amusing.
The East "knows" or "believes", but seldom "makes-believe".
To be sure, this is dangerous generalization. One could
point here and there to Oriental gems of dramatic and epic literatures. In Arabic, we have the Arabian Nights or the Romance
of 'Antar. Similar works exist in Persian, Chinese and Sanskrit.
Certainly, the Hindu play Sakuntala is as genuinely beautiful
and exquisite as any Shakespeare ever wrote, and the Persian
Shahnama is very entertaining and dramatic. But is not the
scarcity of such literature in the East a proof convincing of our
contention? The whole Bible contains one near-drama, while
at about the same time that the prophetic literature of the Hebrews was at its height, three of the greatest dramatists vied
with each other in winning the plaudits and praise of the pleasure-loving, enthusiastic, child-like Greek theatre-goers j and almost every Greek was one.
"All work and no play," said the English proverb, "makes
Jack a dull boy." This is true not only of Jack, but of whole
nations. India is one example of martyrdom to seriousness. For
there is no doubt that if we think too seriously of the problems
of life, we must of necessity be lead into a pessimistic Schopenhaurian view of life and reality. Our recourse from such a gloomy
fate lies either in a vicarious contemplation of the Heavenly
joys, or the entry into a happy world of make-believe within our
souls, built up with the figments of our imagination.
But, miracle of miracles! this world of make-believe, if
�r
22
THE SYRIAN WORLD
only persisted in long enough, becomes real. We are lifted to
the plane of our wishes and lofty imaginings, as James Branch
Cabell expounds to us in his little, but very significant volume,
"Beyond Life". For, as the author tells us, and very wisely
and truly so, all romance, literature, and even religion are watered from this same eternal spring of make-believe. It is the
"condition without which" civilization is impossible, and life utterly unbearable. But it is not an "illusion", as the author here
wrongly avers. On the contrary, it is the very guarantee of the
eternal goodness of the Universe, of our unshakable faith in the
Tightness of the final outcome. The pessimistic view of life indicates defeatism on insufficient grounds. It sounds deep, but
in truth it is both shallow and hollow.
The famous scintillating Arab poet and cynic Abu-1-Ala alMu'arri once said something that is strikingly uncanny in its
subtlety and simplicity, confirming our suspicion that the Arabs
had a larger share of humor than their brother Orientals, the
Hindus or Chinese. Addressing a hypothetical physician and
astrologer, the custodians of agnostic wisdom in his days, he said
in one of his well-known couplets:
"Said the astrologer and the physician both,
'There is no resurrection'. Said I, 'that is up to you,
'If your opinion be true, I shall not regret it;
But should it false be proven to be, yourselves you will
rue. > j>
Changing the Arab poet's wisdom a little to suit our purpose, we may say with an equal air of nonchalance and bonhomie:
If the view which holds that life is a mistake, happiness an illusion and our esthetic aspirations a mockery be true, well may we
enjoy this illusion while it lasts. But should these things prove of
eternal as well as of temporal significance, what a tragedy must
be our lugubrious sacrifices to a cruel idol. How vain must be
our sadness, and what a calamity our wisdom!
"Trust in God," said the Prophet Mohammed, "but tie thy
camel's leg," (i. e., lest it run away).
�JANUARY, 1927
23
Sects of Islam
Fourth and concluding article of the series dealing with Islam,
the -predominating religion of Syria.
Tourists and casual observers who visit Syria show a neverfailing surprise at the multiplicity of its sects and religions. Newspaper correspondents have more than once made this serve them
for a feature story when there was nothing exciting, and other
sensational subjects were exhausted.
There is some justification for this curiosity, even though
it may be exaggerated. Perhaps there are no more religions and
sects in Syria than there are in the United States itself. But this
country is so vast, and the customs and behaviors of its people
are so much uniform that we do not notice them.
Where in this country could one sit in a cafe or public
garden as he would, say, in Damascus, and review a motley procession of every color and every variety of garb extant in this
age of conformity and standardization? There in an hour's time
one could see dark brown Senusis from Tripoli in Africa, with
flowing, white robes and turbans; slim, sinewy Wahabis on their
hajeens from the heart of the Nejd desert; proud, muscular
Sikhs from India, or in quiet mien and slow pace, some Sufi
shaykh counting the beads of his rosary. Jewish rabbis, in their
ceremonial caps and long beards, may follow on the heels of
a patriarch of some ancient Eastern church with his retinue of
bishops and priests.
Similar processions one could see in Cairo, or, not long ago,
in Constantinople. But in no other little country of its size,
perhaps, could one find as many strange sects, and as many colorful habiliments and paraphernalia distinguishing these sects one
from another, as in Syria.
More particularly is this true of Islam which, owing to the
fact that it has no definite, dogmatic theology or central authority,
has shown a decided tendency to split into sects and schisms embodying the differences of opinion of its thinkers and "diligent"
theologians, as well as its innovators and trouble-makers, ever
�24
THE SYRIAN WORLL
/
v
since its early contact, first through Syria, with the ancient and
contemporary worlds of thought.
In a well-known Arabic authority on the history of Islamic
sects written in the 11th century, one could count no less than
one hundred divergent sects, orthodox, heterodox, esoteric or adventitious ones. Naturally many of these sects or schisms differed very little, and many more were subdivisions of major sects.
But the truth remains that they had 'registered enough influence
on the minds of a sufficient number of people to merit classification as separate schools of thought. In the majority of cases the
schools are called after their founders, who were not always
actuated by the sincere desire to seek the truth, but often by
political motives or personal aggrandizement or even egoistic idiosyncrasies. Most of these schools and sects have passed away,
leaving behind them only a list of complicated names, a nightmare to any conscientious student of Islamic religion.
According to the Statesman's Year-Book, there are 1,500,000
Sunnites in Syria, 113,804 Shi'ites and 110,000 Druzes. To these
we may add the Moslems of Palestine, given by the same authority as 590,890, the overwhelming majority of whom are
Sunnites. There are 7,028 Druzes in Palestine, and 265 Bahais.
From these figures it may be readily seen that although there
are various religions and various sects, the large majority of the
Moslems, who are the majority in Syria and Palestine, are of
one sect — Sunnites. These Sunnites, however, are further divided into slightly different schools of jurisprudence, i. e., interpretation of the religious law and the traditions of the Prophet,
namely, Malikites, Hanafites, Shafi'ites and Hanbalites. Of
these four scho6ls the strictest and most orthodox is the Hanbalite, after Ahmed Ibn Hanbal, a contemporary of the caliph
al-Mamoun, and the most lenient is the Hanafite, after Abu Hanifa, a contemporary of Haroun al-Rashid.
Still, Dr. Frederick Bliss, in his book "Religions of Modern
Syria and Palestine", informs us that there are 98 religious or
dervish orders in Islam today, of which at least 9 have representation in Syria and Palestine.
These "religious orders" are quite distinct from the sects
referred to above, and represent ramifications of what was originally in Islam one movement, Sufism, by far the most significant
and interesting
Of this movement which once produced great religious
�„
Courtesy The New Orient.
MASHRAK EL-AZKAR
The Proposed Bahai Temple in Chicago, designed by Louis J- Bourgeois.
�) '
Stete
*
/
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A detail of one of the win dows of the Bahai Temple
.
�\ :[
JANUARY, 1927
25
teachers, analysts and physicians of the soul with its complicated
emotions and complexes, there remains today but the empty husks
of meaningless ceremonies and bodily movements intended to
induce ecstasy in its votaries.
A modern concoction of Sufism and Shi'ism with a dash of
universalism has found expression in a sect which, originating in
Persia in the middle of the 19th century, found a temporary
asylum in Syria. This sect, known under the name of Bahaism,
has quite a number of followers in the United States.
Originally the Bahai movement did not differ from other
Mahdi movements which, from time to time, made their appearance in Islam. Its founder, Mohammed Ali Mirza of Shiraz, came to think of himself as the new Mahdi, the Bab, i. e.,
the Door, "by which the infallible will of the hidden Imam, as
the highest source of all truth, reveals itself to all the world."
He considered himself "the manifestation of the Spirit of the
world; the reappearance of Moses and Jesus; the embodiment
of all the prophets" (Bliss). He was also a reformer, teaching
the equality of the sexes and the rejection of the veil. His new
ideas aroused the wrath and opposition of the orthodox "mullah", or religious teachers, who brought about his execution in
1850, while still in his thirties.
/
The followers of Mohammed Ali Mirza were persecuted,
and those who escaped found asylum in Turkish soil. But soon
after the death of the founder, the Babists split, some following
Subhi-Azal, the Dawn of Eternity, the pupil designated by the
Bab to be his successor, with their headquarters in Cyprus, and
others followed Baha-Ullah, "the Splendor of God", Baha for
short. This latter taught that he was greater than the Bab.
He compared himself to Jesus, and the Bab to St. John the
Baptist. A quarrel between his followers and those of the more
conservatice Babists, the followers of Subhi-Azal, in Adrianople,
caused the Turkish authorities to exile the Baha to cAkka (Acre),
in Palestine, which became the Mecca of the Bahaists in his days
and the days of his successor and son, 'Abbas Effendi, called
'Abdul-Baha or Ghussni-'Azzam, "the Greater Branch", who assumed the leadership of the Bahais in 1892. 'Abbas Effendi
came to the United States before the World War, and many of
our Syrian countrymen had the occasion to meet him and converse with him in the Arabic language. Today the Bahai movement has grown strong enough in this country to enable it to
�a&wagaswwft I I'Ni'fliililiiaMa
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26
THE SYRIAN WORLD
produce a magazine, and its followers are contemplating building a temple in Chicago which, it is said^'will be one of the wonders of the world in grandeur and beauty.
Another modern movement in Islam whirh had its origin
in Syria and attained its greatest influence abroad, is that of Wahhabism.
The antecedent of Wahhabism is a puritancial reform started by a Mohammedan, thinker of the 14th century by the name
of Taki-ud-Din Ibn Taymiyya who taught in the mosques of
Damascus. He opposed all innovations in Islam, such as the
belief in the intercession of the saints, walis, the honor paid their
tombs or shrines and other concessions to popular faith. He rejected Sufism and Islamic scholasticism, accepted by Mohammedan theologians and known as the science of disputation, kalam.
He also rejected the principle of Ijma', consensus of religious
doctors, which is one of the most democratic features of Islamic
theology. He was a Hanbalite.
Ibn Taymiyya was a strict adherent of primitive Islam, as
known in the days of Mohammed and the Orthodox Caliphs.
To him the Koran was the only and final authority in religious
matters. The elastic traditions, Hadith, which served subsequent
Moslems as an alibi to introduce many a social and political measure befitting the spirit of the time, he banned equally with other
and less significant innovations.
Ibn Taymiyya died in prison in the year 1328. He wrote
many books on theology and jurisprudence, but despite that his
movement seemed to have slumbered until, one day, almost three
centuries later, it was resurrected by Mohammed Ibn AbdulWahhab who studied under a follower of Ibn Taymiyya. Abdul- Wahhab proved to be an apt student, for he found in Ibn
Taymiyya's books an eloquent expression of what he had often
felt himself. Coming out of the heart of the Arabian Desert,
the son of a local chief of the oasis of 'Awniyyah, Nejd, and suddenly brought in contact with the civilized life of a city like Damascus, the young lad could not but notice the demoralizing and
degenerating influences of a city-made civilization on Islam. Ibn
Abdul-Wahhab had come to know Islam from the Koran, and
had instinctively appreciated its austere, ascetic spirit* being himself a stern son of the same desert which produced the Prophet.
Abdul-Wahhab went to Arabia to preach the new reforms
of Ibn, Taymiyya, but made little headway until he succeeded in
�JANUARY, 1927
/
27
converting a powerful Arab chieftain by the name of Mohammed Ibn Sa'oud, around whom rallied the powerful tribes of alUtoub and 'Niza. From that time on, Wahhabism became not
only a religious reform, but a political movement with stupendous possibilities. Today it is one of the problems which beset
Syria and the Arab world generally.
One cannot close this brief series on the history and development of Islam without taking cognizance of the transformation which it is undergoing now, a transformation before which
all, the past sectarian divisions and dissensions pale into insignificance. We mean the new spirit of reform and modernism, vividly objectified in the Kemalist movement. The fundamental
division in Islam today is one of fundamentalism and modernism,
the former tending to conserve the old traditions and institutions,
symbolized by the caliphate, while the latter borrows its terminology and symbols from the modern world of Western ideas
and nationalism. It is the direct offspring of the European universities and the missionary establishments in the East which,
paradoxical as this may seem, are mostly of fundamentalist leanings. Recently, the Arabic press echoed the sensational news of
a Mohammedan professor's trial in Cairo. This professor, a wellknown liberal, is a graduate of al-Azhar University, the oldest,
and perhaps the most conservative school of religion in the
world, and a professor of literature in the modern national University of Cairo. A year before that another professor, a shaykh
of Azhar itself, was tried by his colleagues and expelled from his
post because he taught that the caliphate is not art essential institution in Islam. These two incidents, along with what is going
on in Turkey, Persia, Syria and other Moslem countries, indicate
that the modernistic tendencies in Islam are growing in extent
and strength every day.
WHAT REALLY COUNTS
The relative merits of poverty and wealth were being discussed in the presence of Yahya Ibn Mu'adh ar-Razi, an early
Mohammedan mystic, and he remarked: "On the Last Day it is
not poverty and wealth that are weighed, but patience and gratitude."
�mmmmmm
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
28
\
Famous Arab Lovers
VII
Antar and 'Abla
In the precincts of al-Kaaba, the sacred shrine of the Arabs
in Mecca, there were supposed to be hung from the walls seven
of the greatest Arabic poems, kasidas, of pre-Islamic days. From
that tradition comes their name, al-Mu'alakat, the "Posted Ones".
Arabs were very fond of poetry, and we must imagine the seven
poets who left us their works on the walls of al-Kaaba as the
immortals of the Arabs before Islam. Their poems were chosen
by acclamation at the celebrated fair of 'Okaz, held annually at
a little oasis north of Mecca.
One of these famous "Posted Poems" was a monument not
only to the poetic genius of its author, but to his superhuman
valor, his noble chivalry and his indomitable love. It was, incidentally, a monument to the tolerance of the Arabs and their
spirit of fairness, which knew no color lines nor racial distinctions.
The poem referred to was that of 'Antarat-ul-'Absi, —
'Antarat of the tribe of 'Abs, — more commonly known as 'Antar. He was a black slave, and the son of an Ethiopian mother,
also a black slave, by the name of Zebiba. He was, furthermore,
the lover of 'Abla, the black-haired, black-eyed Arab princess,
and daughter of Malik, of the tribe of 'Abs.
The romance of 'Antar and 'Abla is a record of tribulations,
persecutions and the final triumph of personal worth and superior courage over adverse circumstances, wealth and rank; it is
another illustration of the common, yet very wise adage, that
nothing stands in the way of true love
At the time 'Antar lived, in the last decade of the sixth century, two generations before the advent of Islam, physical
strength and bravery were the two foremost qualities. He who
possessed them to a greater extent than the rest was the most
valuable man in the tribe; for it was a time of constant wars
and raids, sudden attacks and sudden retreats. If, added to these,
pne could recite poetry, he becomes the model hero, the cynosure
I
�JANUARY, 1927
29t
of all the damsels and the envy of all the men in the tribe and
the terror of all enemies. This was 'Antar, every inch of his
huge black body.
Hardly could £Antar be called a handsome fellow. He was
nicknamed, " 'Antar the split lipped one", referring to his large
negroid lips. Far removed was he from wailing lovers like Majnun or dallying, venturing ones like Waddah, or versatile conversationalists and consummate artists of love like 'Umar Ibn Abi
Rabi'a. He was a he-man — a cave-man — and we are told confidentially by men who are authorities on the subject that some
young and handsome dames do fall for cavemen and their rugged qualities. Consider Othello and Desdemona. 'Antar was
a typical Othello, and 'Abja was his Desdemona. Only 'Abla
was a little more tantalizing, a little more exasperating than Desdemona. Certainly, her folks were much more stubborn and resisting to the advances of 'Antar than were Desdemona's folks.
'Antar did not win her by mere recitations of his exploits. His
prodigious adventures, which he undertook solely for the sake
of her black eyes, before he won her, remind one of the twelve
labors of Hercules.
At one time, the tribe of 'Abs was the most powerful tribe
in Arabia, and all other tribes paid tribute to its king. But time
and constant wars told on the 'Absians, so much so that in the
days of King Zohair, the uncle of Shaddad, the fortunes of the
tribe of 'Abs were very much run down.
It was for this reason, as perhaps also for the oppression
of the king, that ten men of valor of that tribe went out to seek
their fortunes by the edge of their swords, foraging peaceful
people of other tribes and seizing their cattle.
They arrived at the dwelling place of the tribe of Jezila
of Beni Kahtan, and finding the number of the men too great for
them, attacked the outskirts of the grazing grounds, where a
handsome, buxsom, full-breasted Ethiopian slave woman was
tending the flocks of camels belonging to the tribe. With her
were two little boys, her own, helping her hedge the animals
together. Shaddad and his men drove away the flock of camels
with the woman and her two sons. No sooner had the eyes of
Shaddad fallen, on the slave-woman, who gave her name as Zabiba, than he was enamoured of her. He turned to his men and
said: "I will give you my share of the booty if you leave me this
black slave-woman." This they did, and Shaddad took Zabiba
�30
WtfE SYRIAN WORLD.
to his own pasture, where, with her two sons, she tended his cattle
for him. In course of time she bore him a son. He was a tawny,
large-proportioned baby. He had a large head with bleary eyes
that stared out and flashed from his thick-haired head. His features were hard, and his nose and lips of negroid shape and size.
The bones of his legs were long and hardy.
Shaddad was transported with delight at the sight of his
son, and he named him 'Antar.
In those days a slave's son was not considered "legitimate"
until his father "recognized" him or "legitimatized" him. To
merit this the son must distinguish himself by some feat of valor
or remarkable achievement.
'Antar grew to be a strong lad, but he was relegated along
with his mother and two brothers to the menial occupation of
herding the cattle of the Shaddad family. It was his duty among
other things to take the cattle at noontime to the watering place
of the tribe, a solitary well, with troughs for the animals to drink
from.
One day 'Antar went there as usual, and while the watering
place was crowded with cattle herders and their cattle, a sturdy
slave barred access to the well. There were murmurs everywhere
but none dared to interfere, not only because the slave was known
to be fierce and strong, but because he was the slave of the powerful chieftain, Shas, the brother of Shaddad. At last a poor,
old woman raised her voice in complaint, and said something
about the rights of people other than the princes to the water of
the well. This did not please the slave and he struck her and
pushed her on her back, making her the laughing stock of all
those present. 'Antar's rage was roused. He attacked the slave,
and raising him high with his two powerful arms, he flung
him to the ground and killed him.
The news of 'Antar's chivalry spread in the tribe, and the
women folk, the young damsels and their mothers, hung around
him to learn from his lips the details of his chivalrous exploit.
Among these was 'Abla, the beautiful and proud daughter of
Malek, younger brother of Shaddad, who was fond of taunting
and bantering 'Antar. "How dared you," she said, shaking her
haughty head at him, "to kill the slave of a prince?" 'Antar
meekly answered that he struck the slave because he insulted a
woman. "Of course," replied 'Abla with a smile, "we knew all
the time that you were right, and we are proud of you!"
In spite of the protestations of Shas, 'Antar gained the favor
!
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�JANUARY, 1927
\
i
n
of King Zohair as well as of his own master who henceforth assigned him to the light duty of "cooling the milk of the shecamels" in the wind for the high ladies of the tribe to drink.
'Antar had secretly nursed a love for 'Abla, and now that
he was coming to see her every morning to offer; milk, and after
his estimation had risen in the tribe, he became bolder in his
love, especially as he found that his love was encouraged by
'Abla herself.
On one occasion, 'Antar entered as usual to offer the cooled
milk to 'Abla and her mother, when the latter was combing
'Abla's hair which fell in thick, black tresses, over her shoulders.
He was struck with surprise, and did not move. But 'Abla, as
soon as she knew that she had been noticed, fled away and left
him gazing distractedly into space after her.
'Antar's love for 'Abla became known. He sang poetry in
her praise when he could hide his love no longer. This brought
upon him the displeasure not only of Malek, 'Abla's father, who
had hitherto defended and admired 'Antar, but also of Shaddad,
his natural father, and the envy of the princes and noblemen of
Beni 'Abs. For a black slave to raise his eyes to his mistress,
who at the same time was the belle of the tribe, was something
unheard of in the annals of the Arabs, a preposterous insolence
not to be condoned or tolerated. Among those who raised their
voices highest in condemnation of this aspiring slave, was (Ammara, a cousin of 'Abla who cast longing eyes on her, and was
considered the most proper and logical aspirant to her charms.
Back to the tending of cattle for 'Antar, and there he would
have remained but for another incident which brought out his
mettle, and proved to the proud Arabs of the desert what a
poet of another clime long after proclaimed, "that a man's a
man for a' that."
This occasion was a raid on Beni 'Abs in which they were
taken by surprise. The battle raged fiercely and the mighty
warriors of Beni 'Abs, the noble sons and cousins of King Zohair were routed and the women and booty were carried before
the enemy. Then somebody mentioned 'Antar, and Shaddad and
Malek hastened to fetch 'Antar, who was watching the progress
of the battle from afar as he tended the cattle. "Why tarry you
here, O 'Antar," cried Shaddad, "see you not our plight? Veril,
the women folk have been carried away, and among them is
<Abla."
�32
WME. SYRIAN. WORLD,
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But 'Antar did not allow his passion to run away with him.
He answered coolly:
"When was a slave, a tender of cattle, supposed to be a warrior? Verily, I know how to milk the she-camels and lead the
cattle to pasture, but I know not the art of war."
—"This is not a time for jesting," pleaded Shaddad. "We
know your prodigious strength and courage, and you are the
man for it."
—"So be it," replied 'Antar, "I will come to your help if
you promise to recognize me after the battle." Shaddad accepted hastily. "Attack and you shall be a free man," he pledged.
—"One thing more," added 'Antar, "if I bring back 'Abla
and the rest of the women folk, she is mine."
Malek consented and bound himself by an oath to do so.
Fortified by the promises of his father, Shaddad, and inspired by the hope of winning 'Abla, 'Antar, riding his black
charger, with his favorite sword in hand, rode into the ranks of
the enemy like a whirlwind. He fell upon them like a lion
seeking his prey, as he sang in the martial, spirited Arabic meter
known as rajz:
)
"I am the black slave 'Antarat,
Every man protects his own women folk,
Be they white or be they dark."
The battle was won. 'Antar came back with the women
folk and the booty; but it was a long time before he finally won
his beloved 'Abla, whose love for him now had become quite
entrenched. Shaddad recognized his son 'Antar, but Malek balked at the fulfillment of his promise. In this he had the support
of all the "Absian chieftains, including Shaddad himself, who
was rather jealous of his black son. They intrigued against him,
and employed every means to prevent the promised marriage.
At last they determined to demand of 'Antar a dowry which they
thought would be impossible, and would lead to his certain death.
They laid down as their condition that 'Antar bring a thousand
camels, of a brand only found in Persia, then a powerful kingdom. 'Antar did not even hesitate. He buckled on his sword,
rode his trusted charger and set on his way to bring back the booty.
Before he went he had been assured by his mother Zebiba, that
'Abla still loved him, and would marry nobody else. "Comfort
the heart of 'Antar," 'Abla communicated to Zebiba, "and tell
!:;
�JANUARY, 1927,
S3
him from me, that even should my father torture me to death
in trying to change my mind, I would not desire nor ask for
other than 'Antar as husband."
Having reached the Persian border, 'Antar was attacked
and taken prisoner. Bound on horseback, he was led before the
king. He was on the point of being executed, when came news
that a fierce lion of extraordinary size and strength was ravaging the country. It was related to the king that even armed
warriors fled before this lion. 'Antar offered to rid them of the
lion if they would set him free and grant him his life. The king
granted his plea, and 'Antar eagerly went out to meet the
lion. He rushed on the savage creature and transfixed it with
his lance with a single thrust.
The Persian king was so pleased with 'Antar that he gave
him not only one thousand camels of the kind he required, but
much wealth and precious gifts besides.
'Antar was finally married to {Abla but not until other exploits and ventures and many raids and battles had been undertaken.
In all these adventures, 'Abla and the thought of her sustained the hope and valor of 'Antar. E. H. Palmer has a beautiful translation of some of 'Antar's famous poems, in which he
pictures himself in the midst of battle, and thus speaks of his
beloved 'Abla:
"My 'Abla sitteth night and day at ease,
On downy cushions, while my nightly seat
Is on the hard back of my bridled steed.
My cushion is the saddle deftly set
Across the withers of a noble horse
With sturdy legs, plump-shoulders, broad of girth."
The romance of 'Antar in time became one of the most
popular prose epics in Arabic literature. It is even today one
of the best Arabic sellers, and many who hardly have read anything else of Arabic literature recite you page after page of the
'Antar romance, with its prancing saj' and spirited martial poetry.
Translations and adaptations of the 'Antar romance are found in
English and French. Lately a Syrian poet, Shukri Ganim, residing in Paris, made a dramatic version of 'Antar, which was well
received by critics during its short run on the French stage.
v
�34
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Progressive Medicine
"l
By DR. H. A. ELKOURIE
. Progressive Medicine or, rather, preventive Medicine, is a
subject teeming with untold benefits. Unfortunately, the laity
has not availed itself of the countless good results preventive
Medicine can accomplish. A man's age depends on his stomach. He can be robust, healthy, active, and live four-score and
more years carrying his virility to the last j or he may be indolent,
irritable, lazy and die early in life. His stomach and how he
treats it is the determining factor. He may choose the former
or better route, or he may follow the latter way to his sorrow and
destruction.
The Syrians being very susceptible to fall slaves to their
stomachs and a majority of them being by the very nature of
their mode of living unable to properly exercise the care, and
caution, necessary to the promotion of good health, furnish an
especial field of service for the Medical man, hence the usefulness, almost the necessity, of this article.
The writer does not attempt to prescribe a panacea for all
ills with the limited advices contained in this article, but he is
sincerely hopeful that the simple admonitions herein detailed
will greatly benefit a large number of the readers of THE SYRIAN T^ORLD and add many years to their lives of comfort.
Had I the authority I would absolutely forbid the elaborate
evening dinner and the after-theatre lunch. These two traditional habits, one engulfing the Syrians, and the other the native
Americans, are the direct cause of many serious and injurious
stomach and intestinal disorders, producing constipation, poisonous absorption known as toxemies, and indirectly predisposing
serious and various defects and diseases in the vital organs and
especially the heart and liver.
It has been proven time and again, beyond the peradventure
of a doubt that wherever peoples live on a simple diet answering
the calls of nature promptly, stomach trouble and intestinal pathalogy are practically unknown. Notable among these are the inhabitants of many parts of India. Rich foods such as fats and
(I
�JANUARY, '1927,
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t \
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sweets, are the most difficult to digest, and they are the very
class usually indulged in late evenings.
It is not possible to outline a food formula which will fit
every case, but a few simple rules will add much to anyone's
health and comfort.
Two outstanding conditions prevalent among people of today need to be corrected: The first is Obesity; the second is improper food and more food than one should consume. The first
condition, of course, is a secondary one and dependent upon the
second plus insufficient excercise and, consequently, deficient elimination.
The question is, how should one live in order to maintain
an equilibrium, and a co-ordination between the different organs
to insure a normal health?
The following suggestions are based on an experience of
twenty-five years, together with the affirmation obtained from
other experiences which make the suggestions I am about to outline almost infallible.
Every person not engaged in work sufficiently laborious to
exercise his muscles should take some exercise early in the morning before breakfast. These exercises should be proportioned in
ratio to the amount of resistance an individual may have, and
gradually increased until the maximum stage is reached, and always before breakfast. After a period of rest breakfast should
be made up of whole wheat bran with sweet milk, eggs, fruits
and bread.
The whole wheat bread is the only bread worth considering
at all. It has been found that the vitamins in the wheat are
mainly in the hull; therefore whole wheat bread should be the
routine in every home.
The noon meal should be the heavy meal, contrary to the
general practice.
It is better to avoid the evening meal altogether if possible.
This rule should be imperative with the obese.
Where an evening meal is needed is should be limited to
milk, bread and fruit.
The noon meal, of whatever nature it may be, should have
at least two varieties of raw vegetables.
Any family can, in a short time, adjust itself so that
breakfast and the late noon meal, say about two o'clock, will become a cherished and a likable rule, not to mention the health
and longevity this rule of life induces.
�36
WJiB SYRIAN. WORLD.
The most injurious habit prevalent among our people is
the alcoholic stimulation imbibed just before meals, producing a
capricious appetite and an overloading of the stomach, only to
be followed by dilatation and stasis, or inability to properly contract and propel.
This pernicious habit should be stopped and instead a slight
amount of light wine or beer taken at least an hour before meals
with a slight amount of salads (or maza) after every drink.
Water is the greatest natural eliminant at our command — and
the Creator provided us with an abundance of it.
The people who go to springs receive benefits not because
of any special merit in the water itself, but rather because they
go to drink water and they drink more water than they are accustomed to drink at home. A glass of water every two hours
is the minimum that an average adult should drink and much
more is better.
In summing, let me emphasize the principal points of advice which are so simple to follow and so wholesome in effect.
First: Exercise frequently to, a point of profuse perspiration,
avoiding extreme fatigue.
Second: Avoid heavy evening dinners and particularly sweets
and fats after 6 P. M.
Third: Use whole wheat bread exclusively, and drink large
quantities of water.
If these simple rules are religiously observed, the need for
purgatives will disappear, physical efficiency will reach its maximum, and life will be filled with vigor and comfort.
THE VALUE OF KNOWLEDGE
Be one of four: a learned man, a learner, a hearer of learning, or a lover thereof} but be not the fifth one (one who hates
learning,) lest thou perishest. •
Ali.
"My sons," counseled a wise man, "seek after knowledge,
for it is much better that your generation be condemned for not
giving you an opportunity, than it be condemned for your having
lived in it."
Two hungers are insatiable: the hunger for knowledge and
the hunger for wealth.
The more the conditions of the ignorant one are enhanced,
the more abominable he becomes.
i
�JANUARY, 1927
37.
Fatima
The prize winning story in the contest inaugurated by "Al-Muktataf" of Cairo, for original short stories by Arabic authors, appearing in the Jan., 1926 issue of that publication.
By HASSAN SUBHI
In one of the largest and most-thickly populated quarters
of Cairo there stands a lonely, deserted house, long uninhabited
and known as "The Ruins". The old men and women of the
neighborhood were in accord that it was the meeting-place of
the evil spirits, and many harrowing stories were circulated about
it. Superstition enveloped it with a mantle of darkness in the
midst of that bright section. Surrounding the house were spacious grounds which echoed the dreary screeching of the bats,
and the nocturnal noises, reaching the neighboring houses, served
to further entrench superstitious fear in the hearts of their inhabitants.
On a certain day the, neighborhood was startled with astonishment and surprise, and every body was talking excitedly, because an unknown, mystericus man had occupied the deserted
house. Those who saw him des<- bed him as a middle-aged
man, with a bent back and a huge, hooked nose. He had an
ugly face, and his sight was poor. He entered the house about
the time of sunset, walking with the help of a stick in one
hand, while with the other he was being lead by a horrid-looking,
black slave. The neighbors' superstition was doubled, for they
concluded that the stranger was surely a sorcerer and a trainer
of devils.
The strange occupant was never seen to leave the house
except on Friday, to attend the mosque prayers, then return to
his home. Whenever he left the gate of his house or returned,
he was followed by the glances of the neighbors, who spoke in
suppressed whispers.
Next to that house stood a magnificent mansion in which
lived a great nobleman, Latif Pasha by name, with his wife
Nadir and his daughter Fatima, a beautiful girl of nineteen who
lost her mother from childhood.
This Latif Pasha was in the fifth decade of a life spent in
riotous and licentious living, taking to himself two and three
�—•—~
38
_
THE SYRIAN WORLD
/
wives at a time, until, as he reached the decline which leads to
old age, his shoulders were already stooped with a burden of an
ill-spent youth. His wife was an overbearing, extravagant, spoil
ed woman — a virago who had not the least concern towards her
husband, except as to mulct him of money to regale herself with
gorgeous gowns, jewelry and precious perfumes. So obsessed was
he with her beauty that he overlooked her follies and was ready
to fulfill her every desire.
But as to Fatima, the black-eyed girl, with the long, jetblack hair hanging gracefully over her shoulders, she was of a
different type. The loss of her mother covered her comely youth
with a thin veil of an untimely serenity. Then came her
step-mother with her petty persecutions which despoiled her of
what gayety she had left. She made up her mind to accept her
own fate resignedly and bear the bitterness of her lot.
Latif Pasha was sinking deeper and deeper in debt, and his
wealth was dwindling fast. It was not long before he was faced
with the inevitable result, and suddenly, one day, bankruptcy
stared him in the face. His mansion with all his valuable possessions were to go under the gavel of the auctioneer. It was
only then that the scales of folly fell off his eyes, as before him
gaped the deep pit of utter poverty. That night he was making
plans to leave the house in which he was brought up in the lap
of luxury.
On the next morning, as the household were making ready
to leave, their eyes overflowing with tears, while the Pasha was
sullenly walking to and fro, stopping to heave a sigh from time
to time, there appeared on the scene the black servant of the
strange neighbor next-door. He asked for an interview with the
Pasha.
When the two were alone, the servant said:
"My master has sent me to you on a very serious errand."
"And pray, who may your master be?" growled the Pasha.
"Know you not who I am?" ventured the servant. "I am
Said, the servant of your new neighbor, Mukhtar Effendi."
"And what could that mean to me," interrupted Latif Pasha, "seeing that he had secluded himself from all men, while
in an hour or more I shall leave this house, and your master
will cease to be my neighbor? But granting that I do remain,
my soul does not incline to sorcerers of his ilk."
—"Be not so hasty, my lord, in your condemnation. For
'
\
aSWSlBW
�JANUARY, 1927
-
s
\
39
I have been sent to speak to you expressly about this house."
—"I am no longer the proprietor of this house."
—"I am well aware of this, for it is my master who bid the
highest for it, and it is now his."
—"Have you come, then, to hasten our departure from it?"
—"Nay, but he has sent me to ask you to remain in it."
At hearing this the Pasha opened his mouth and eyes wide
with surprise, scarcely believing his ears.
—"I do not understand what you mean," he finally told
the servant.
—"What I said is clear and comprehensible," he responded.
"My master desires that you remain in this house, and, besides,
wishes to give you five thousand pounds."
—"Are you mocking me?"
—"I beg of your lordship the patience to listen to the rest
of my tale. My master does not give away his money. He
asks you in compensation to give him your daughter Fatima for
wife."
At this the Pasha laughed a sardonic laugh, saying:
—"Your master must be mad to think that I will give my
daughter in marriage to an ugly old sorcerer. Poverty is much
more preferable to what you are proposing to me."
When the servant asked the Pasha to reconsider the matter, he shouted in his face: "Depart from me, you black accursed
slave!" But Said remained stationed in his place.
At this time, Nadir, the Pasha's wife, and Fatima, his daughter, who had heard the angry shouting, came to see what the
matter was. He related to them what had happened as he cooled
down a little. And much as Nadir approved of the proposition
which the black servant made, as it would have, without any effort, restored her to her former career of luxury and squandering, she did not dare to open her lips. But Fatima cut short the
silence as she spoke:
—"O father, I accept the man as my husband; do not turn
away this hand of assistance which Providence has extended us.
Willingly do I accept to offer myself a sacrifice to save my family
from this humiliating disgrace. Please do not hesitate to consent."
Nadir was not slow to add her approval, and the Pasha,
faced with the acceptance of his daughter and the approval of
his wife, gave in.
\
MHIBBBBBBMBMBfe
�'40
'THE SYRIAN WORLD
/
And thus it came about that the marriage was consummated.
Fatima entered her husband's house with a trembling heart,
preparing herself for the ordeal as the echo of what she had
heard about the house sounded in her ears, and its dark, forboding phantoms flitted before her eyes as she sat waiting in her
room for her bridegroom.
Mukhtar Effendi entered, and taking Fatima in hand, showed her the different rooms in the house. To her surprise they
were well-furnished with expensive and gorgeous furniture;
chairs and tables inlaid with mother-of-pearls, velvet and silk
sofas, and balconies shaded with jasmine trees, while the delicate
scent of musk filled the air, and sparkling chandeliers cast their
soft shadows on the walls and the floor.
At last they came to a vast room with a fountain in the
midst of it from which the water spouted and fell like strewn
pearls. As she gazed in a daze of amazement, Mukhtar Effendi
took hold of her hand, and she felt a cold shock pass through
her veins. Her husband seemed to surmise her state of mind,
for he smiled and said:
—"I pray that you will find in the new house enough to
make you forget your loneliness."
His voice was kind and gentle, and his words as sweet as
if they fell from the lips of a youth; they restored to Fatima
the warmth which she had missed, and raising her head as if
from a distant dream, she looked up again only to be reminded
by his white beard and his ugly, hooked nose that she was before
the old husband of her sad reality. Quickly she bent her head
in silence, and resumed her pensive mood.
But he continued with his strangely sweet voice and his
gratiating smile:
—"Fear not. For you have passed from your parents' house
to 6ne pervaded with gentleness and consideration; to a house
in which you shall be the sole ruler, and your will supreme.
Whatever you ask of luxury or happiness shall be yours, and
nothing will be done except with your own compliance and desire. Does this satisfy you?"
As he spoke, Fatima could not but wonder how such a sweet,
youthful voice could come from a mouth covered with such a
white, long beard, superimposed by that large, homely nose. She
looked up again, and her eyes met his eyes. Strangely enough,
they, too, brimmed over with a light of youth and vigor. As if
v
�JANUARY, 1927
W
fearing that her husband was noticing her scrutinizing glances
she bowed her head once more, as her face was suffused with a
rosy color of shame.
Midnight came, and Mukhtar Effendi kissed his wife and
went to his room.
Fatima could not sleep that night. She lay awake as she
recalled first the vision of an old man with a white beard, which
made her shrink in fright, then' the vision of a man with a white
forehead and captivating eyes which brought her cheer and relaxed her features with a flutter of joy.
It was dawn when Fatima woke to the music of singing
birds which seemed to come from every quarter of the room.
They were all singing together from their golden cages. She
arose refreshed and happy, but had no sooner rubbed the sleep
from her eyes than her husband entered the room, and approaching gently, told her that urgent business had called him out
of town. She was a little despondent to think that she was being
left alone on the very first day of her wedding. Then, enfolding her kindly in his arms, her husband kissed her, saying:
"Be not despondent, for my absence will not last more
than two months, during which time I have arranged that nothing of the means of pleasure and happiness shall be lacking you
in this1 elegant house, which, thanks to my faithful servant Said,
is what you see now. For it was he who repaired it, improved
its appearance and decked it with all kinds of ornaments, until
it has become a beautiful sight. He will be a good companion
to you, and will relate to you many a story."
For the first time Fatima felt a strange attachment to her
husband, as she replied:
—"Do you think that all this will take your place with me?"
—"Furthermore," continued the husband, "I have sent for
my nephew Shakib, who will soon be here and take over my
affairs in my absence. My home will be open to him, and you
may receive him without the formality of a veil, for he is very
dear to me. I am sure you will treat him with hospitality, and
will make him feel at home, for he is a young man of noble character and considerable refinement and education. He is a trusted physician, and I do not hesitate to leave you with him." Saying this, he kissed her and bid her farewell.
(To be continued in the February issue.)
�'"——
42
THE SYRIAN WORLD
f
The Syrians in Australia
By HON. A. A. ALAM, M.L.C.
Australia, the land of untold possibilities, of unlimited opportunities and vast stretches of undeveloped land, is a veritable
paradise for the Syrians, who by nature and by experience, running back into long centuries of history, are a race of pioneers
and adventurers.
There is perhaps no country in the world today in which the
ratio of individual and collective prosperity runs so high as in
Australia. With an area of 2,974,581 square miles, a little smaller than that of the United States, and a population not quite
six millions, the estimated value of Australia's chief production
totals 346,662,000 English pounds, per annum, or approximately one billion and five hundred million American dollars. Compared with the vast wealth of the United States this is a very
small showing, but in Australia, the distribution of wealth
is more proportionate, and the average worker or family man is
comparatively more prosperous. There is no pauperism in Australia, and very few could be called poor or needy.
The Syrians in Australia have shared in this general prosperity of the country. Unlike the Syrians of the United States, they
came to a country still very far from being developed, and among
peoples who had not been long settled. They were pioneers
among pioneers, and now all alike share in the reward of their
early struggles and labor.
As a class, the Syrians are well-to-do. There are many
men of wealth among them and almost all are in the employers'
class. The majority of them go into business, as most Syrians
do, I suppose, everywhere. In Australia, they are in the control
of many department stores. Through their long credit system
and friendly trust of the thousands of farmers and cattle raisers
all over the country with whom they have come in contact every
day, these Syrian merchants have done a great service to their
country of adoption. They carried with them to Australia a
system that was long in use in their motherland. For it was a
customary thing for Syrian farmers to wait for the "crop" be\i
�JANUARY, 1927
43
fore they could pay the merchants and shop-keepers of the nearby towns for goods bought at various intervals of the year. It
was not at all difficult for the Syrians to do the same thing in
Australia and to bring with them their age-old common sense,
tact, and sympathy, which are often present in this class of society,
but not as often recognized and remembered, as the less complimentary attributes of shrewdness and business acumen.
There are many Justices of the Peace and Magistrates among
the Syrians in Australia.
While most of the Syrians have taken to business, there
are many among them who are farmers and producers. There
are also quite a few manufacturers and wholesale merchants.
But far more important than the material success of the
Syrians in Australia is their social and intellectual one, which, I
am happy to say, is comparatively high. The older generation
of Syrians who have never had the chance to go to schools, see
to it that their children have a good education. Sometimes the
parents go to the extent of denying themselves a life of ease and
affluence to be able to send their children to some boarding schooi
or college. Now many of the second generation of Syrians, and
even some of those who came from Syria, are making good in
various professions.
Not long ago the Australian newspapers featured the brilliant case of a Syrian Australian, Fred Callil, who was acclaimed
a prodigy. For at the age of seventeen, he took his B. A. degree
and two years later his M. A. from the University of Melbourne.
At the age of twenty-four he was appointed professor of ancient
history and languages. He won more scholarships, called in Australia bursaries, than any other student of Australia. He is also
the youngest professor in Australia. The father of this young
Syrian prodigy is Khalil Fakhr, a wholesale merchant, originally
of Bsharie, Lebanon.
Dr. Frank Gaha, son of Ibrahim Gaha of Zahle, is another
example of the highly educated Syrian of the second generation.
Up to thirteen, Frank received no education whatsoever, but so
outstanding was his natural intelligence that when his father, a
successful grazier, sent him to St. Joseph's College, in Hunter's
Hill, Sydney, he graduated at the top of his class in nineteen
months. He took his degree at the Sydney University, went to
Europe and returned with more degrees than any other doctor
in Australia.
�44
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Still another case is that of Rashid Arida of Charters Towers, Queensland, who migrated to Australia at the age of thirteen. At fifteen he was an employer of labour. Just prior to
the War, he was offered a seat in the Upper House or Legislative Council of Queensland. He refused for business reasons,
but accepted the Queensland Government's offer as government
representative on the Townsville Harbour board. Mr. Arida
has a masterly command of English and is recognized as an eloquent and forcible orator, being most prominent in the public
life of Queensland.
It is misleading to single out prominent cases like these. The
first two are typical of the brilliant intellectual development of Syrians in Australia. Within the next decade the Syrians will have a big proportion of University graduates. I made
it my custom to ask about Syrian students in the different schools
of the land which I used to visit in my travels. Invariably the
answer has been either that the Syrian students are at the top
or very near it.
These future citizens of Australia have attained as high a
standard of living and personal conduct as any prevailing in Australia. In education, culture, music, painting, conversation, etiquette and dress, the Syrian children would not suffer from comparison with the children of any group. They speak English
excellently and without accent.
Syrians, on the whole, assimilate with the English race more
easily and naturally than some other races do. They avoid "colonization" as much as possible and whenever they have a chance.
Some of the most fashionable and luxurient homes in the exclusive residential section of Sydney belong to Syrians.
I must not conclude my article without saying a word about
THE SYRIAN WORLD, and what it means to the generation of young Syrians, not only in the United States or in Australia, but wherever the English language is spoken or read, It is
only a matter of time when Syrian papers in these countries
which are printed in Arabic will pass away. THE SYRIAN WORLD
has come to supply a long-felt need in the nick of time. It has
come to stay and I will not be exaggerating when I say that
it has a most brilliant future before it. I will not be surprised if
the results, in the non-distant-future, will stagger the imagination of its originators.
Nor is there any doubt in my mind that it is a needed and
1
I
�I
\
JANUARY, 1927.
\
'45
useful project. It will make of our sons and daughters better
citizens of their adopted countries, if they come to know something about the history, culture and achievements of their ancestors. Syria has always been a small nation, often under subjugation by more powerful neighbors or invadors, but despite
that, or perhaps because of that, it has meant spiritually a great
deal to the rest of the world. Better still it served the cause of
civilization by preserving the culture of the ancients and transmitting it first to the Arabs, and then to the people of Europe.
In my defense of the Syrian race against the Asiatic Exclusion Act of Australia, I stressed this point at every opportunity
I had. I was surprised to find out how little people knew about
Syria and the Syrians, although they must have studied about the
Holy Land in their Sunday Schools more than they have about
their own. But seldom do people remember that the Holy Land
is a part of Syria, and that its people belonged originally to the
same race that produced Christ and the prophets of the Old Testament.
Ignorance is the principal cause of misunderstanding among
races and nations, and any agency that seeks to throw light on a
people and its culture, and make them known to each other, is
welcome. THE ,SYRIAN WORLD, I repeat, is fulfilling a long-felt
need. It is a boon to the Syrians in the English-speaking countries.
TO ADVERSITY
Translated from the Arabic by J. D. CARLYLE.
Hail, chastening friend Adversity! 'Tis thine
The mental ore to temper and refine,
To cast in virtue's mould the yielding heart,
And honor's polish to the mind impart.
Without thy awakening touch, thy plastic aid,
I'cJ. lain the shapeless mass that nature made;
But formed, great artist, by thy magic hand,
I gleam a sword to conquer and command.
Abou Menbaa Car a wash.
�&HE SYRIAN WORLD
46
\
Please, Santa!
Bring me:
A wee doll, symbol of the child I want ever young
in my mother-heart and in my arms.
A -pop-gun with which to protect my illusions.
A bow and arrow with which I may reach the
furthest points of knowledge and wisdom.
A sled to descend swiftly the steep hills of human
arrogance and worldly ambition.
A choo-choo car in which I could give a comrade
a lift across the torrid sands of human endeavors.
A bugle on which I may learn to ,put rythm into
my song of triumph and melody into my sigh
of defeat.
MARIE EL-KHOURIE.
^sasBSjtrassKJ.
ammmmmmm
., -
|\
�JANUARY, 1927
\
n
EDITOR'S COMMENT
THE DAWN OF A NEW ERA?
Even a cursory gleaning of the Arabic press of the East
these days would disclose the existence of a titanic struggle taking place between the old and the new; the fundamentalists and
the reformers; the orthodox and the liberals. It is a painful
travail into which the East has been suddenly thrust as a result
of the World War and the letting down of the bars in the face
of Western influences. Undoubtedly, a predisposition to such a
condition existed long before the war and was brought about by
the gradual infiltration of foreign influences, principally through
Western educational institutions; but the bursting into bloom of
the seeds so long and so carefully nursed came about only within
the last decade. What radical change the near future will bring
is beyond the range of reasonable reckoning. We can only witness the kaleidoscopic procession as it passes by and wait for what
the morrow may bring.
Of what has already occurred, however, one can pose for
a moment and make an effort at an analysis. One will readily
find that conditions have by no means entered the stage of stabilization. Chaos still seems to pervade every field of thought and
every line of activity. The actors in this vast drama are all in
great turmoil, and when they settle down to their parts no one
knows what the presentation will be.
And even of what has already occurred one cannot make a
thorough reckoning. The East — and only the Near East is
here implied — is so vast, its problems so complex, its nationalities so numerous, and the changes taking place in it so general
in their nature, that of necessity our remarks must be confined
to that section of it whose destinies and conditions interest us
most; namely, Syria and Lebanon.
In these two small countries whose combined population
does not exceed half that of the city of New York, there
seems to be raging a veritable storm of fury against old traditions. Of course not all the new divergences and innovations
are, to become accepted institutions, but undoubtedly some traces
�I
•4*
THE SYRIAN WORLD
of them will remain when a stable standard of procedure is born
out of the present chaos.
For now in Syria we can witness growing side by side, the
sublime and the ridiculous} the genuine reform growing out of
real conviction and the silly fad born of no other impulse than
that of mere imitation. The spirit of emulation is espcially
strong in Syria which, by reason of its proximity to Europe, is
prone more readily to fall under its influence, but it seems that
the good is taken together with the bad without the process of
sifting and sorting to determine the desirability of the commodity, and the result is not always wholesome.
Where these changes are most noticeable is in the religious
and social spheres. While previously Moslem women never
appeared in public unveiled, and respectable women of all religious creeds adhered to the strictest conventions, we now find
them patronizing freely games of chance of mixed attendance
and even maintaining such places of their own. Parisian styles
reach Beirut and Damascus even as quickly as they reach New
York, and social functions characterized by orgies of extravagance
are being indulged in by people of only slender incomes. The
jallah is satisfied with nothing short of the comforts of the prince.
Consequently, the whole social order is being demoralized and
emigration is causing severe depletion in the ranks of the population.
It is a veritable orgy of extravagance by the people, superimposed by a similar orgy of empty pomp and pretense by the
government, and the end does not seem to be in sight, nor the
result clear.
In the religious domain a similar, but somewhat more promising condition, seems to obtain. Heads of all religious denominations are struggling as desperately as ever to buttress their
prestige, but a separate, detached, civic consciousness appears to
be taking form. It is to be expected that in the process of transformation some eccentricities and wild vagaries should occur, but
time will temper the heat of the over-zealous. Such an instance
is where recently a Maronite poet named his son Mohammed
Maroun, a combination previously unheard of, and which was
heartily commended by som« and as heartily condemned by others. But this may stand out in history as a solitary, isolated instance. Similar exuberant manifestations of tolerance occurred
on the occasion of the declaration of the Constitution of the Turk-
�I
1
IBN SAOUD, KING OK NEJD AND THE HEJAZ
\
1
1
I1
The leader of the militant order of Wahhabites, known as Al-lkhwan, or
Brothers.
Courtesv The New Orient.
�UNI
ish Er
incxpi
becaus
leader
I
feet is
thefc
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A PHASE OF LIFE THAT IS FAST PASSING AWAY IN THE EAST
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Dr.]
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and
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It h
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and
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cbro
hea
A scene in a residential street in J erusalem, showing Moslem women
going about fully veiled.
\
�JANUARY','1927.
/s
i
*
ish Empire in 1908, when Imam and Priest embraced publicly
in expression of a new era of tolerance, but the thing proved futile
because the masses were not ready to accept the change and the
leaders lacked sincerity.
,
But what is bound to prove of genuine value and lasting eifect is the spirit of conciliation lately displayed by the leaders of
the formerly antagonistic foreign educational and missionary activities, as well as by the clergy of the country themselves. Instances of such rapprochement have been of frequent occurrence
of late, and they indeed may be taken as unmistakable signs ot a
new era that augurs well for the country.
Such instances may well be considered landmarks on the road
of religious tolerance in Syria. The movement no sooner started
gained%idly in momentum. Now it is the Maronite
Bishop of Beirut attending a function in the American University,
or the president of the American University taking part in the
commencement exercises of the Maronite CoUege de h. Sagesse
\ \\ Only recently THE SYRIAN WORLD pub ished a contrition by
I Dr Bavard Dodge on "Educational Facilities in Syria" in which
Tesuit and other educational institutions. Then Dr. Dodge iollows by an eulogistic article published in Al-Kulliyah the organ
of^American*University, on the life and work of St. Francis
< of Assisi Al-Bashir, Arabic organ of the Jesuits, returns the
cLoliment by lauding the work of the American University,
andquXg from the Weekly Bulletin, organ of the Protestant
Missions. And many instances of like nature.
This is truly a manifestation of a new spirit diametrically
opposed to what had been prevailing up to only a short time.
It is an eloquent admission by foreign educational missionary
leaders that the country is in no need of stressing religious divisions and that the best service the country could expect at their
hS* their blazing before it the path of religious tolerance
andTheir preaching the Gospel of love and good-will put to prac-
i
j
*"* This indeed, is what would be considered for Syria the
dawn of a new era, an era that would bring with it a change of
heart and not be confined to a mere change of name.
i
>
�JANU
A PHASE OF LIFE THAT IS FAST PASSING AWAY IN THE EAST
dawi
hear
A scene in a residential street in J erusalem, showing Moslem women
going about fully veiled.
II
�rpirrviT'T limanlMIII II..IWIIInll!>lli»ll
JANUARY, '1927,
Mm"
»" I l I'1" """TT^l
"
'*9-
ish Empire in 1908, when Imam and Priest embraced publicly
in expression of a new era of tolerance, but the thing proved futile
because the masses were not ready to accept the change and the
leaders lacked sincerity.
,
<
But what is bound to prove of genuine value and lasting effect is the spirit of conciliation lately displayed by the leaders of
the formerly antagonistic foreign educational and missionary activities, as well as by the clergy of the country themselves. Instances of such rapprochement have been of frequent occurrence
of late, and they indeed may be taken as unmistakable signs ot a
new era that augurs well for the country.
Such instances may well be considered landmarks on the road
of religious tolerance in Syria. The movement no sooner started
gained rapidly in momentum. Now it is the Maronite
Bishop of Beirut attending a function in the American University,
or the president of the American University taking part in the
commencement exercises of the Maronite College de la Sagesse.
\
Only recently THE SYRIAN WORLD published a contribution by
I
Dr Bayard Dodge on "Educational Facilities in Syria" in which
he mentioned appreciating^ the work done by the Maronite,
Tesuit, and other educational institutions. Then Dr. Dodge tollows by an eulogistic article published in Al-Kulhyah the organ
\ of the American University, on the life and work of St. Franas
> of Assisi. Al-Bashir, Arabic organ of the Jesuits, returns the
:
compliment by lauding the work of the American University
and quoting from the Weekly Bulletin, organ of the Protestant
Missions. And many instances of like nature.
This is truly a manifestation of a new spirit diametrically
opposed to what had been prevailing up to only a short time.
It is an eloquent admission by foreign educational missionary
leaders that the country is in no need of stressing religious divisions and that the best service the country could expect at their
hands is their blazing before it the path of religious tolerance
and their preaching the Gospel of love and good-will put to practice.
This indeed, is what would be considered for Syria the
dawn of a new era, an era that would bring with it a change ot
heart and not be confined to a mere change of name.
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50
FHE SYRIAN WORLD
With Our Contributors
AMEEN RIHANI, author, delighted an admiring world.
poet, traveler, statesman, is one Among Rihani's works in Engof the products of early Syrian lish are the Book of Khalid, a
immigration to America of volume $parkling with literary
whom all Syrians, whether in jewels j the Quatrains of Abultheir native land or abroad, may *Ala, rivaling Fitzgerald's Ruwell be proud. His mastery of baiyat of Omar Khayyam j a
English is the envy of many an Song of Mystics and Other
aspiring writer, and in Arabic Poems j and the Descent of
Of his many
he has introduced a style of Bolshevism.
Arabic
works,
his "Kings of
writing with which he is identified wherever Arabic is spoken Arabia", based on personal
at the four points of the com- study and observation during
pass. In one of his articles his extensive travels in the
recently published in ASIA, he Arabian Peninsula stands prerefers to his having been given eminent. He is . a personal
the title of Ustaz, or professor, friend of Sultan Ibn Saoud,
and calls the appellation a ques- who has played the most protionable one. But not even his minent role in Arabia's, contemmost unfriendly critics would porary history, and it was the
agree with him on this point. ambition of Mr. Rihani to bring
Well merited, also, is the other about a confederacy of Arab
title conferred upon him by chieftains which would revive
competent authorities and uni- Arabia's glory of old. It was
versally subscribed to as the while on this ambitious mission
"Philosopher of Freike". By that the lure of travel took him
way of explanation we should to India and he there wrote the
mention that Freike is the little "Notes" which he contributes
town in Lebanon where he was to THE SYRIAN WORLD and are
born and which he now makes now published for the first
his home. It has now become time. It is indeed a privilege
the mecca of the intelligentia to accompany our gifted author
of the Arabic-speaking world, on his unique travels and enjoy
and its enchanting wadi, the advantage of observing life
through which courses the his- in the East with his singular
toric Dog River, is the scene of insight and consummate taste.
many of Rihani's literary crea- It is also a pleasure to record
tions which have thrilled and his heartily expressed approval
i,
.
..
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�tflHMHEMlm
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JANUARY, 1927
of THE SYRIAN WORLD and his
promise to contribute to it liberally in the future.
il
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MARIE EL-KHOURIE is
accustomed to giving and not
to asking. However, on the
single occasoin she chooses to
ask, she also chooses as a medium for her request the pages of
THE SYRIAN WORLD. And to
think; of the many nice things
she wants Santa Claus to bring
her! We are inclined to believe that hadn't she possessed
all these gifts she wouldn't have
been able to conceive of them.
Consequently, if dear Santa
should answer her plea and
bring her an over-supply, we
would ask her to "please pass
some around." Mrs. El-Khourie is ripe in experience and
knowledge and can share a good
deal With her countrymen, and
now that the pages of THE
SYRIAN WORLD are available as
a means of public expression
and exchange pf thought, we
are hopeful our native talent
will want to express itself
through them. Of jewels, Mrs.
El-Khourie is a connoisseur.
She not only deals in them, but
enjoys the distinction of producing artistic creations in them.
She also has the gift of creating
literary jewels, and it is in
these we ask her to play the
role of Santa Claus to our readers.
m
Rev. K. A, BISHARA is no
mincer of words and it may
well be seen that he is sure of
his grounds. Being the author
of a bi-lingual book in English
and Arabic on the "Origin of
the Modern Syrian", he has
gone fully into the history of
the Syrian race and can reinforce every one of his statements with historical facts. Rev.
Bishara is one of the highest
types of the products of the
missionary schools in Syria,
being ?. recognized scholar in
both English and Arabic. His
oratory is dynamic and we have
had occasion in a previous issue
of THE SYRIAN WORLD to make
reference to the telling effect his
eloquence created in the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church held in Baltimore
May 25-June 2. He is a constructive moral force in the
community not only as the
minister of the Syrian Protestant Church in Brooklyn, but
also through his many contributions of an educational and inspirational character to the
Arabic papers, chiefly Al-Hoda
of New York.
Dr. H. A. ELKOURIE is
a prominent example of the ambitious Syrian who by dint of
constant hard work reaches the
heights of his ambition. Soon
after having landed in America
he was seized with the desire of
�52
studying medicine, and forthwith he applied himself to his
self-imposed task until he graduated with high honors in the
face of, many handicaps. Now
he isi one of the prominent surgeons of Birmingham, Ala.;
and notwithstanding his large
practice he finds time to serve
his countrymen in many ways.
At one time he toured the country in the interest of promoting
the establishment of a SyrianAmerican College, and through
his interest in politics he was on
several occasions asked to run
for a number of high elective
offices, including that of a Representative in Congress. He is
considered one of the most gifted orators of the South, and in
the thick of political campaigns
is looked upon as a mainstay of
his party. For his first contribution to THE SYRIAN WORLD
he has chosen to give some valuable advice to his countrymen
in America within his professional capacity, but we hope
that in future contributions he
will have them share in the
benefits of his knowledge in
many other lines in which he is
equally as capable.
A. A. ALAM is a member of
the Legislative Council of New
South Wales, a state of Australia. He is Australian by birth
but Syrian by descent. While
still in the early thirties, he has
%HE SYRIAN WORLD
been able to rise to membership
in a council which comprises
some jof the best intellects of
the commonwealth, and this despite the fact that he is of foreign descent and in a country
where prejudice against Asiatics
rose to the white-point heat of
passion. Rather, it was largely
due to his courageous stand on
this issue that the Australian
electors returned him to the upper house of the State by an
overwhelming majority in recognition of his ability and fearlessness. During the heated
campaign of 1920, when the
main issue was the revision of
the Asiatics' Exclusion Act, it
was the purpose to include the
Syrians under the general classification of Asiatics as not belonging to the white race. Mr.
Alam championed ithe cause of
his kinsmen and waged such a
splendid fight that not only was
he elected but caused the
amendment of the Act in favor
of the Syrians. For this signal
service he is deserving the gratitude of his countrymen, not
alone for having championed
their cause so courageously as
for having set a standard for
service to race and devotion to
ideal that challenges surpassing
among Syrian immigrants. We
feel happy in our ability to say
this much, and by no means is
this all, about our Mr. Alam,
because through modesty he
;
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55
JANUARY, '1927,
omitted reference to himself in
his contribution appearing in
this issue of THE SYRIAN
WORLD about the Syrians in
Australia. And particularly are
we happy to have an authority
such as Mr. Alam give our
readers the lucid and informative account of their fellowcountrymen in Australia contained in his contribution.
Spirit of The Syrian Press
Under this caption we hope to present from time to time a microcosmic picture of the Arabic press, not only in this country, but wherever
Arabic dailies and magazines reflect the opinions of responsible, thinking
writers who are treating the different problems that confront the Arabicspeaking world from all conceivable angles. Needless to say, we will take
no part in the discussions reproduced, nor assume any responsibility. Our
task will simply consist in selecting, to the best of our knowledge and
with utmost sincerity, what we think is representative of tine public opinion as expressed in these editorials.
Editor.
THE MISSION OF
"THE SYRIAN WORLD"
Syria, which has been unfortunate
in her geographic position which
made her a corridor for conquerors
and a battlefield for their armies,
has also been unfortunate in the publicity given her in most books, magazines and newspapers. Even some
of her own sons have abused and
contained her; and some of the missionaries who go there to trade with
their religion, also degrade Syria
and ridicule her, all for the sake of
money.
In many books there are unwarranted attacks on the Lebanese and
Syrians, and these books are written
by missionaries, who know well how
to collect money, as they know how
to tear down the aspirations of the
people, at one and the same time.
Their pupils are dispersed in dif-
ferent countries with strange garbs
and stranger ideas which have no
rhyme nor reason.
And in many of the American
papers and magazines we come
across articles belittling the Syrians
and Lebanese, who never had a publication to defend them against unjust attacks until "The Syrian
World" appeared.
It seems that might has authority
even on facts, and the weak has no
other recourse but to reason and
argument, in the hope that by this
means he may win supporters to his
sidei in this land of freedom, equality and opportunity.
(Al-Hoda, N.Y., Dec. 2, 1926.)
WHO ARE WE?
Is this an impertinent question?
We know no answer to it, otherwise
we would not have asked it.
Who are we in our homeland, and
�.
. Ill
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54
who are we abroad?
The Lebanese is called in the land
of his immigration a Syrian. Is he
then a Syrian? If so what is tihe
sense of mentioning Lebanon? And
why do they not destroy the Bible
which distinctly declares the independence of Lebanon as well as its
beauty?
But even in Lebanon itself the
Lebanese is called Syrian, whereas
Lebanon is a high-sounding and
elaborate republic with many offices,
albeit few pupils and few soldiers—
it is, in other words, a republic by
name, and a remnant of feudalism
in fact.
We may not even send a letter
addressed to Lebanon, because Lebanon is not known by name, thanks
to those of its agents who squander
its wealth, secured by heavy taxation. Nor does any government recognize Lebanon, unless the Lebanon
press abroad agitate for this. As
for the Lebanon press in the capital
of Lebanon, Beirut, we know well
the reason for their silence. Similarly do we know the reason for
the silence of the Representative
Council and the Ministry!
Who, then, are we?
We are not Syrians, and we are
not Lebanese. Yet we seem to be
everything, and when one is everything he is nothing.
They speak of freedom and their
acts proceed from despotism.
As long as the majority (in Lebanon) is Christian there is no danger from it. The Mohammedan
majority around Lebanon, recognizing this, sought to crush the spirit
by oppressing the body, and for that
purpose asked Lebanon to forego the
privileges which it enjoyed centuries
before the coming of the French
mandate,
i
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
As if France comes to us with
religious fanaticism hidden in its
pocket, while in truth it is farther
removed from it than any other
power on earth. Appearances, however, sometimes deceive.
(Al-Hoda, N.Y.. Dec. 4, 1926.)
PRACTICAL PATRIOTISM
Those eloquent pens, gliding over
paper as a train glides through »
plain, now call the Syrian emigrants
back to their mother-country.
Well may they call. For in our
hearts still burns that fire of patriotism, and in our breasts still
lingers that yearning for that enchanting blue sky, for those undulating green plains, for that Land
of Promise, the land in which the
first man made his appearance — the
land of the vine, the figtree, the
olive and the pine.
But, Oh free pens in the land of
slavery, are you not aware that in
our assimilation with a powerful nation we benefit for ourselves far
more than we can possibly do from
that weak country; and that in our
rallying under a foreign, powerful
flag, we may be able to live in peace
and tranquillity? The American flag,
however, is not a foreign flag, but
the flag of foreigners, united all in
the community of Americanism. For
tihe millions who are sheltered beneath this flag are all foreigners.
The only native Americans are the
Indians, and these no more own the
country; it is a community of foreigners mixed together as wine is
mixed with water, resulting in a
nation which treats all its children
alike, the native-born and the naturalized. The American flag does not
distinguish between the poor and the
rich, the employer and the employe;
* %
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JANUARY, 1927
between the noble and the common;
it is the flag: of equality. Long: may
it wave over our heads. It was the
flag: for which our brave sons fought
in the World War, the proud flag;
that ever returned victorious from
the battlefield.
(Mirat-ul-Gharb, N.Y., Dec. 6,1926.)
REVERSAL OF OPINION
Captain Carbillet, the former
governor of Jebel-ad Druze, wanted
to play in that country the role
which Lord Cromer played in the
Valley of the Nile. He wanted to
improve the conditions of the peasants, who are the large majority
of the population, and to free them
/
from the oppression of their leaders. But Sultan Pasha al-Atrash
and his followers revolted against
him, and thus started the Druze revolution.
Yes, we did before blame Captain
Carbillet and General Sarrail who
refused to recall him; we did believe
that that was the immediate cause
of the revolution. But now we have
changed our opinion; we believe,
now, that what Carbillet intended to
accomplish in Jebel-ad-Druze was
democratic and just, but it did not
suit the members of the Atrash family who perceived in it a danger
to their ancient prestige and feudal
authority.
(Ash-Shaab, N. Y., Nov. 17, 1926.)
Readers' Forum
APPRECIATION OF HERITAGE
Editor, SyrianWorld:
As a second-generation Syrian, allow me to extend a personal message
to my fellow Syrians of the second
generation. It is a message of the
realization that has come into and
altered the course of my life. Important, not because of its consequence to me personally, nor for the
reason that I consider myself exemplary, but because I consider myself an average American-born Syrian, thoroughly Americanized, but,
withal, of Syrian blood.
What is this vast, important thing
that has imbued my spirit with fervent ardor and cool satisfaction, imbedding itself in the very structure
\
of my being? It is the realization
of my noble heritage, "a binding tie
of blood".
For this I give thanks to "The
Syrian World" which has presented
the facts and traditions of my ancestors and yours in a different light
than that in which I had hitherto
been accustomed to look at.
Now, owing to this realization, I
can look any man straight in the
eye and say, "Yes, I am a Syrian,
and mighty proud of it." By this I
do not mean in any sense that we
should detract one iota from the affection, esteem and allegiance that
we owe this glorious land of opportunity and liberty.
Anton Michael Jabaly.
Daytona, Fla,
�UlHE SYRIAN WORLD
56
About Syria and Syrians
SYRIANS IN BRAZIL
HONOR NEW PRESIDENT
Representing the Syrian community in Brazil, a committee of thirteen Syrian merchants in Sao Paolo
decided to present to the new President, Dr. Washington Luis, a memento of their devotion to the country of their adoption, and of their
admiration to the personality of the
new president.
The committee finally agreed upon a golden tray in the four corners
of which are reproduced in precious
stones four Brazilian flags, while in
the center is a map of Brazil in
diamond chips. A message embodying the loyalty of the Syrians to the
ideals of the Brazilian Republic
founded on the "brotherhood" of its
component elements, without regard
to race or color, is engraved on the
tray.
RECOGNIZING THE ABILITY
OF MISS ATTIYEH
In the December issue of the Lyceum Magazine of Chicago our Miss
Sumayeh Attiyeh is featured in the
most complimentary manner, two
beautiful photographs of her being
published on the cover together with
testimonials on her ability from such
eminent Americans as Ex-President
Theodore Roosevelt, Judge K. M.
Landis, Judge Henry Neil and others. Syud Hussein of the New
Orient also contributes his appreciation, and Edward Owings Towne,
President of the Four Arts Club of
America, expresses his admiration
in a poem from which we quote the
following:
In a far off city both famous and old,
Beneath stars of Eastern skies,
A child was born of a face so fair,
She was called, "Little Paradise".
The fairest flower of a noble race,
That was old when the world was
young,
From a line of Princes of Araby
This dark eyed maiden sprung.
Sumayeh Attiyeh, bright star of the
East,
We honor the hour of your birth,
Your tongue is of silver, your heart
is of gold,
No praise can equal your worth.
ACTIVE MISSIONARY
AND PROLIFIC WRITER
One of, the most active priests we
know of is Rev. Anthony Bashir,
archimandrite, and general missionary to the unchurched Syrian communities in this country of the
Greek Orthodox faith.
The Danbury Evening News, of
Danbury, Conn., devoted recently
quite a lengthy article to our friend
and countryman Rev. Bashir, in
which it cited some of his activities
for his church and his prolific contribution to the Arabic press and
literature.
Rev. Bashir has translated several books to the Arabic language,
including Papini's "Life of Christ".
Wagner's "The Simple Life", and
"Why I am a Christian", by Frank
Crane. He has also translated more
than 130 articles of Frank Crane,
appearing in various Arabic papers
here and abroad. He is an admirer
of Eahlil Gibran, the Syrian poet,
and has translated his "Prophet",
'.
�57
JANUARY, 1927
and is now busy on translating "Sand
and Foam", the latest work of Gibran.
In his extensive travels Rev. Bashir has been a valuable friend and
asset to "The Syrian World", whose
cause he has espoused enthusiastically ever since its appearance.
LEBANESE EMIGRANTS*
REGISTRATION
DISAPPOINTING
A report to the Senate of the Lebanese Republic on the registration
of Lebanese nationals abroad showed the prevalence of extreme apathy
to conform with the nationality
clause of the Lauzanne treaty. The
Government spokesman in the Senate enumerated the different steps
taken by the President of the Republic to facilitate the work of registration, principal among which
was his issuing of a personal appeal
to Lebanese emigrants; the appointment of Lebanese representatives at
the principal French consulates
abroad; and the extension of the
legal time for registration. All efforts, however, proved disappointing
considering the meagerness of the
returns.
According to official figures, Lebanese emigrants all over the world
total 158,240, of whom only 2,281
registered at French consulates in
compliance with the treaty of Lauzanne, or at the rate of 1 to 72. Complete registration returns up to Oct.
12 as given out officially by the Lebanese Senate are as follows:
Country
I
France
England
Italy
Spain-
Roumania
Greece
Germany
Belgium
Turkey
Cyprus
Egypt
Aden
Abyssinia
Transvaal
Nigeria
Bathurst
Sierra Leone
Sudan
Uruguay
Guatemala
Natal
French Guiena
Morocco
Mozambique
United States
Bolivia
Brazil
Argentine
Mexico
Haiti
Columbia
Chili
Ecuador
Holland
Portuguese Africa
Guadaloupe
4
1
1
2
1
2
118
1
14
33
53
7
21
7
7
13
5
131
31
6
29
36
757
127
329
14
12
7
315
1
6
1
SYRIAN BOY SCOUT CHAPTER
Miss Rose Knieser, of Olean, N.
Y., sends a clipping of a local newspaper! in which it is announced that
a new Boy Scout chapter composed
wholly of Syrians was organized by
St. Joseph's Church in that city.
Approximately 100, including parents of the boys, were present at
Number of the ceremony. The call to the color
Registrants was played by the Scout bugler,
&) with Miss Madeline Simon as ac23
companist on the piano.
40
Elias Eade, chairman of the troop
committee,
addressed the audience in
39
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
58
Arabic, repeating his remarks in
English. Then Scout John Knieser,
a member of the troop, appeared on
the platform, and using a signal flag,
wigwaged to F. B. Monson, Scout
executive, who presented the official
charter to the troop committee on
behalf of tfhe national committee.
Then Mr. Eade presented the official certificates to Scoutmaster Sol
Harris, and to the assistant Scoutmasters Joseph Knieser, Phillip Farris and Halum Mansour.
The Rev. N. A. Chemaley, pastor
of St. Joseph's Church, gave the invocation.
Political Developments in Syria
Mr. Ponsot, the French High Commissioner in Syria, should now be
on his way to Paris to submit his
report on conditions to the Cabinet.
During all the time he spent in
Syria he gave out no public statements of policy, confining himself
to the utterance of non-committal
platitudes. According to previous
reports, Mr. Ponsot will spend a
fortnight in Paris formulating with
the Cabinet what will be France's
definite and decisive policy in Syria.
The trend of opinion seems to favor
the granting by France to Syria of
a wider latitude of self-government,
and an agreement upon a treaty similar to that of Great Britain and
Iraq.
What may prove the hardest problem to solve is the reconciling of
the serious differences between the
State of Syria and the Republic of
Mt, Lebanon arising from the delimitation of the frontiers. The Syrians are insistant upon regaining
Beirut, the plain of Beka' and other
territories ceded to the Lebanese under the 1920 adjustment. The Lebanon Republic is beset with many
more grave problems resulting from
her limited resources and apparently
unlimited expenditures. There is a
veritable storm of protest being
raised against increased taxation.
The government has decreed the return to the gold basis and planned
its budget for 1927 accordingly, but
the population complains that the
high level of prices obtains in the
commodity markets as before the
going into force of the gold standard. In short, dissatisfaction is
rampant in all parts of Syria with
everything and everybody.
Dissension in the Ministry of Damad Ahmed Nami Bey, President of
the State of Syria, resulted in its
dissolution and the formation of a
new Ministry which was approved
by the High Commissioner. The principal reason for the disaffection was
the positive stand taken by some
ministers of the Nationalist Party
against the policy of the President
who favors a conciliatory attitude
towards France. The past month
witnessed a renewal of the agitation for the establishment of a monarchy in Syria, but most petitions
received by the High Commissioner
in his tour of the country to ascertain the popular feeling favored a
democratic form of reprensentive
government and stressed the necessity of a united Syria and the granting of almost all the demands of the
revolutionists.
The people of Rashaya, whose
town was pillaged and destroyed dux-
||
�JANUARY, 1927
ing the campaign of 1925 when the
Druzes invaded the territory of
Greater Lebanon, have petitioned the
authorities to grant them land nearer the original Lebanon boundary
where they could settle with a greater feeling of security. They reiterate
their threat that unless adequate redress and proper safeguards are given them there would be left to them
no other recourse than to migrate
and bring their grievance to the attention of the League of Nations.
Sir Henry Dobs, English High Commissioner for Palestine, stopped at
Beirut on his way back to Jerusalem
from Geneva. A banquet and ball
were given in his honor by the
French High Commissioner. He traveled by aeroplane.
Military operations seem to have
taken a secondary role. According
to French reports, the revolt in the
Druze Mountain has been quelled
and a civil government formed supported by a volunteer native army
of about 650 men. Positions in the
new government have been filled
mostly with members of the Atrash
clan who either remained loyal to
the French or later surrendered to
them. Not so, however, is the claim
of the revolutionists who insist that
their forces are being swelled by
new recruits now that the harvesting period is over. Sultan Pasha
Atrash is still holding out in Laja
from which fastness he makes numerous sallies against the French
and uniformly meets with success,
according to reports emanating from
the revolutionary information bureau
in Egypt.
What is of especial significance
is the focusing of the Syrian revolutionists' interest on the United
States for enlisting political support
and procuring financial assistance.
A general convention of the New
Syria party, representing the Syr-
59
ian revolutionistic movement in
America, has been called to meet in
Detroit, Mich., during the month of
January, and prominent nationalist
leaders have been invited to attend
from abroad. Among those whose
acceptance has been announced are
Emir Shekib Arslan, Ihsan Bey Jabery, Nasim Bey Sabaiha, and Toufik Yazegi. The Syrian press had
previously published rumors that Dr.
Abdul-Rahman Shahbandar had left
the theatre of war for Europe on his
way to America, but later report*
proved the early rumors unfounded.
What active part Mr. Charles
Crane of Chicago is taking in the
Syrian revolution cannot be definitely stated. The latest reports on his
movements declare him to be in
Egypt preparing for an extensive
trip in Arabia and the East in the
interest of promoting Arab unity.
There had also been reports that he
was active in mediating between
France and the Syrian revolutionists.
Some of the native Christian papers
openly accuse Mr. Crane of aiding
and abetting the revolution.
Badie Zabian, Secretary of the
Syrian Wounded Relief Committee
of Detroit, addressed an appeal to
the National Red Cross Headquarters at Washington for assistance,
but was refused on the grounds
stated in the following paragraph
in the reply of Ernest J. Swift, Director of Insular and Foreign Operations of the American Red Cross:
"We have given your request most
sympathetic consideration, for the
situation which you call to our attention is one which we have reviewed on several occasions. Unfortunately, however, this condition
of continuing poverty is of such a
nature that it does not come within
the scope of the work which the
American Red Cross is now carrying
on in foreign countries"
�I
'-.
N., P. & J. TRABULSI
MANUFACTURERS OF
Ladies' PRINTED & Fancy
SCARFS
t
MEN'S
&
BOYS'
SWEATERS
MEN'S MUFFLERS
HOLIDAY NOVELTIES
FOR THE JOBBING TRADE ONLY
599 SROADWAY.
-NEW YORK
��
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Newspapers
Description
An account of the resource
<h4>Biographical/Historical Note</h4>
<p>Salloum Mokarzel, a Lebanese American intellectual, founded<em> The Syrian World</em> in 1926. Salloum Mokarzel was the younger brother of Naoum Mokarzel, the publisher of the Arabic-language newspaper <em>Al-Hoda. </em>Together, the Mokarzel brothers ran Al-Hoda Publishing, and in 1909, they published <em>The Syrian Business Directory.</em> </p>
<p>Mokarzel created <em>The Syrian World</em> in order to document and celebrate the culture and history of "Syria." At the time, Syria referred to the modern-day countries of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. The publication was primarily aimed towards second-generation children of immigrants, but Mokarzel hoped that it would also appeal to the general American public.</p>
<h4>Scope/Content Note</h4>
<p><em>The Syrian World</em> was published between 1926 and 1932 as a journal. In 1932, the format was changed from an academic journal style to a newspaper style, which continued until the periodical's end in 1935. After the death of his brother Naoum, Salloum took over the publication of <em>Al-Hoda.</em></p>
<p>The articles in <em>The Syrian World</em> cover a variety of topics spanning from the practical to the theoretical. Practical subjects include international and domestic travel, historical and contemporary Arabic and Arab-American art and literature, and the mental and physical health and hygiene of immigrants. More theoretical, philosophical, and ideological subjects include ideologies of race, the changing role of women, the formation of Syrian and Lebanese-American societies, and the political and psychological relationships between immigrants and their countries of origin.</p>
<p>All issues of <em>The Syrian World</em> are available, along with full indexes for the first four volumes. For volumes five and six, there are tables of contents at the start of the issues.</p>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabs--United States
Arabic periodicals
Newspapers
Arab American Newspapers
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1926-1935
Relation
A related resource
<em><a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/41" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Syrian Business Directory</a></em>
<a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/44" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mokarzel Family Papers</a>
<a href="http://hdl.handle.net/11299/175685" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Annotated Index to the Syrian World, 1926-1932</a> at the University of Minnesota Immigration History Research Center Archives
<a href="https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/58" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Al-Hoda Newspapers</em></a>
Language
A language of the resource
English
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Processed by Claire A. Kempa, 2015-2017. Collection Guide written by Claire A. Kempa, 2017.
Collection Guide updated by Laura Lethers, 2023 August.
Rights
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The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
These materials are digital copies of an original resource held by another institution. The KCLDS Archive often works with other institutions to make digital materials available online to the public. KCLDS is not able to grant permission to use or reproduce these materials. The KCLDS Archive strongly encourages users to contact the holding institution for permission to use or reproduce materials from their holdings.
Identifier
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NS 0002
Access Rights
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This digital material is provided here for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
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TSW1927_01reducedWM
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Volume 01, Issue 07
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1927 January
Description
An account of the resource
Vol . 1 Issue 07 of The Syrian World published January 1927. The issue opens with a travel journal entry by Ameen Rihani. This is followed by an article by the editor that discusses Christianity in the near east (Syria), and a treaty that was signed on December 6, 1926 between the Vatican and France. The story "Fatima" is also included (part I). This issue also contains articles that discuss the lives of Syrian immigrants in the United States and Australia. The issue concludes with excerpts from the Arab press and information about political developments in Syria.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabic literature--History and criticism--Periodicals
Arabs--United States--Periodicals
Lebanese-Americans--United States--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Syrian-American Press
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Coverage
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104 Greenwich St., New York, NY
Format
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Text/pdf
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
1920s
Ameen Rihani
France
New York
Religion