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L. VI
SEPTEMBER, 1931
NEW YEAR -NEW POLICY
AN EDITORIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
THE MYSTERY OF AORNHOLT
A SHORT STORY
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THOMAS ASA
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A POET RETURNS HOME
BARBARA YOUNG
THE APPEAL OF THE EAST
H. I. KATIBAH
RIHANI AND HIS CRITICS
A TRUE ARABIAN TALE
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��SYRIAN WORffiH
Published monthly except July and August
by
THE SYRIAN-AMERICAN PRESS
104 Greenwich St., 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.
! VOL. VI. NO. 1,
SEPTEMBER 1931
CONTENTS
PAGE
New Year—New Policy
3
AN EDITORIAL. ANNOUNCEMENT
Our Contributors
6
Our Plans for the Future
_•
A Poet Returns Home
Farewell Ceremonies to Gibran's Body 'in America
5
9
9...
BARBARA YOUNG
Farewell, Gibran
SALLOUM
_
A.
12. .
MOKARZEL
Touching Reception of Gibran's Body in Lebanon
14
The Appeal of the East
H. I.
18
.
KATIBAH
Quatrains of Al-Mutanabbi
SALIM Y. ALKAZIN
21
�CONTENTS (Continued)
PAGE
True Arabian Tales
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22
Haroun Al-Raschid and the Beautiful Wife of
His Messenger
To a Dying Tree
24
THOMAS ASA
Shiites Protest Rihani's Criticism
25
In the Month's News
Conquest of the Air
Scholar in Politics
Deceiving Names
Gandhi in London
__
Home and Family
29
30
31
32
33
BAHIA
AL-MTJSHEER
The Mystery of Aornholt (A Short Story)
35
THOMAS ASA
Song of Friendship
45
EDNA
K.
SALOOMEY
Health and Hygiene
DR.
46
F. I.
SHATARA
Sayings of Alt
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Political Developments in Syria
49
The Syrian World News Section
51
�ynan
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SALLOUM A. M<
MOKARZEL, Editor.
VOL. VI. NO. 1.
SEPTEMBER 193
New Year - New Policy
AN EDITORIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
a }
^ITH this issue, marking the beginning of its sixth year, THE
SYRIAN WORLD embarks on a new venture. It has decided to make
a partial concession to popular demand as regards questions of policy.
This concession, to be sure, should not be taken to mean a recession
from its ideal. Rather, it is an experiment in psychology to test the
proclivities of our English-reading public of Syrian-Americans, particularly the younger generation. In this change the same ultimate
end will be sought but through different channels. Our object of
producing an organ of service and inspiration to our younger generation will be adhered to and maintained, but the means employed will
be calculated to gain a wider appeal among this particular class by
using subtler methods of approach. Thus, instead of maintaining
the high cultural standard which has been the admiration of the
select few we shall strive to provide material of a more popular nature for the masses, offering only spasmodically material of a more
solid substance which we hope would be more readily accepted as a
variety in the fare. Practically, we are employing methods designed
to induce our younger generation to first read, and once that end is
achieved the educational results sought will prove more susceptible
of attainment. Our aim, so to speak, is to achieve the beneficial and
practical through the medium of entertaining and easy reading.
Those of our readers who have been following THE SYRIAN
WORLD during the five years of its publication and expressed satisfaction with its policy and standard might well regret our present
decision. They, like ourselves, viewed the publication in the light
of the dual role it was designed to play, both as an educational organ
for our younger generation and a cultural organ of our race among
the general English-reading public. But they will realize that the
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
compromise was made imperative by the stress of economic necessity.
The truth must be admitted and we might as well confess it without
equivocation. We tried to assume for ever so long the brave attitude
of enjoying sufficient support from our people to keep the enterprise
going, but the fact was really otherwise, and but for the considerable
personal sacrifices on the part of the editor the project would have
foundered on the rock of adversity. Equally important of admission
is our desire and determination not to give up the enterprise, especially at this stage. And to make its continuation possible some
radical step had to be taken. This is now being done in the form
of a compromise on the question of editorial'policy
It is our earnest hope that with the proposed change there will
be evidenced more popular support of the magazine. At least we are
determined to give the new policy a fair trial, and only if this also
should fail will we be willing to admit that there is no room in the
Syrian-American field for a publication of the nature of THE SYRIAN WORLD.
Our plans call not only for a wider range in the selection of material but also for a different method in treatment and presentation.
A detailed discussion of this phase of our new policy appears elsewhere in this issue.
In the determination to continue the enterprise we face the new
year with the hope of winning for THE SYRIAN WORLD the popular
support which we trust will be forthcoming both through the appreciation of a new class of readers as well as by the approval and cooperation of our old and steady friends.
We have so far refrained from any allusion in the pages of the
Syrian World to delinquent subscribers. Delay in the payment of
subscriptions is cause for constant complaint on the part of our
Arabic-language press, and it would seem that, to a large extent,
our English-reading public is similarly disposed in the question of
payment. Repeated statements are ignored, and once the delinquents are stricken off the active list they complain they were not
trusted! These should realize that the Syrian World has no intention of imposing itself on anyone, and wili recognize the subsrriber's
willingness to continue his subscription by his actual payment. This
public mention of delinquencies we now make for the first and last
time, and it is our hope that subscribers will realize that in the interest of economy in management as well as in our desire not to
impose the publication on anyone we shall discontinue sending the
magazine to every subscriber who fails to respond to the second
statement.
�SEPTEMBER, 1931
Our Plans for the Future
Since the SYRIAN WORLD was
created to endure, and because
we are firmly determined to
leave nothing undone in order to
assure its continuity, it has been
decided to effect a change in
the editorial policy in the hope
of insuring for it a more popular
appeal.
We had frequently heard
complaints that the general tenor
of the magazine was too scholarly, that its language too technical and far beyond the understanding of the average youth.
And, since it was designed to
serve this youth, its very standard was defeating its purpose.
Now, as set forth in the editorial announcement in this issue,
we1 are conceding a point to what
appears to be public demand, although not swerving from our
main purpose. We shall make
a bid for popularity along the
lines, we believe compatible with
public demand and consistent
with our educational aims.
More and Varied Fiction
We shall provide a veritable
feast of fiction. An Arabian
Nights' story will be published
in every issue of the kind that
will savor not only of the celebrated original tales but imply
either a moral lesson or carry
a certain educational value by
depicting some phase of Oriental
life. Fiction of a general nature
will also be offered as well as
true stories bearing on SyrianAmerican life. These latter we
feel confident will be not only
entertainingly interesting but
provocative in many ways. Added to this will be a series of
short stories based on the best
known novels whose scene was
laid in Syria and other parts of
the East or dealing with Syrian
events and personalities.
Syrian-American Affairs.
_ Realizing the,necessity of forging a stronger link of relationship between the widely scattered
Syrian-American
communities,
especially among the younger
generation of our people whose
relations have been so far confined to their particular localities,
special effort will be made to
give detailed news of the various activities of the different
communities. Also, when possible, historical sketches will be
given of individuals and groups
in our Syrian-American life that
will shed light on the past and
present and give a possible
glimpse as to prospects in the
future-.
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
Our Young GenerHion
We are particularly interested
in the young generation and for
that reason a standing department shall be devoted to the
discussion of their affairs. Not
that other departments of the
magazine will not be of interest
to them. Rather, this particular
department will deal directly
with them and discuss their various problems. And particularly
in this department there will be
speaking of the frankest nature.
No words will be minced in calling things by their right names
or facing frankly the various situations. W7here praise is due it
shall be given, and when criticism is necessary it shall be dealt
out honestly and unreservedly.
Full liberty of expression will
be permitted all shades of opinions by our readers, and our
young public is invited to avail
themselves of this free forum.
Cross Word Puzzles.
Beginning with an early issue,
we shall publish original cross
word puzzles that we trust will
have more than a passing entertainment value. They will be
designed especially to provoke
thought and study about Syrian
history, geography and general
affairs. They are meant to teach
as they entertain and should
prove a test of, as well as an incentive to, knowledge of things
Syrian.
Our Contributors:
Cover Design.
Assad Ghosn, formerly of
New York and now a resident of
Richmond, Va., is one of our
best known native artists in the
United States, specializing in
portrait painting. His art studies
took him' to Italy, Spain and
other countries of Europe where
he spent a considerable number
of years. The cover design he
has drawn for the SYRIAN
WORLD will be fully appreciated
in its distinctiveness. It is symbolic throughout. One can read
in it the whole history of Syria
it a glance. The Phoenician ship,
symbolic of the great enterprise
of our famous ancestors, appears at the base as marking the
rise of our importance in history.
The figures of Jesus and Moses
indicate the two great religions
which Syria has given the world.
An outline of the ruins of Palmyra and Baalbek appear on
either side of the panel portraying Syria's great seats of power
and civilization. Arabian influence is symbolized by the Arab
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SEPTEMBER, 1931
on his dromedary crossing the
desert, while the spread of
Islam's influence is symbolized
by the immense mosque. Lebanon, with its famous Cedars, is
outlined on jthe opposite side.
And because Egypt is Arabicspeaking and its people bear a
close blood and cultural relation
with that of Syria, the artist has
it represented by the Pyramids.
The two drawings for TRUE
ARABIAN TALES and HOME AND
FAMILY DEPARTMENTS are byAlfred Eadeh, a budding young
Syrian artist of New York, whose
efforts seem to hold excellent
promise.
An Invitation
We wish to encourage and
draw out our latent native talent
whether in literature or in the
field of art. Consequently we
invite
submission
of
title
sketches for our various departments, and would like to hear
particularly from those who can
execute illustrations in pen and
ink or crayon.
Editors of Departments
yhe regular departments we
have inaugurated will be added in future upon maturity of
plans now under consideration.
HOME AND FAMILY is
bound to be most useful and
constructive. It will appear regularly under the editorship of
one of our ablest Syrian women
:V-ir-rnr«
r
of American birth, who has cultivated not only a genuine appreciation of our better traditions
but a well-grounded knowledge
of the fundamentals of our culture and home life. She is a wife
and a mother and her subject
will encompass all home activities, from the training of children, and decoration and appointment of the home, to the conduct of the cuisine and the preparation of our special Syrian
dishes.
HEALTH JAND
HYGIENE will be under the editorship of our well-known physician and surgeon, Dr. F. Shatara of New York. The recurrence of infantile paralysis makes
his discussion of this subject
most timely. We have the promise of Dr. Shatara that he will
gladly answer questions submitted to him by SYRIAN WORLD
readers.
Habib I, Katibah will again
contribute regularly. Our readers will recall him as our associate
during the first year of THE
SYRIAN WORLD. Since then he
has returned to the Near East
where he spent nearly two years
traveling through Syria, Palestine and Egypt acting as special
correspondent to several American papers. He will give readers of THE SYRIAN WORLD the
benefit of his impressions and
studies on a variety of subjects.
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THE SYRUN WORLD
A. HAKIM, who had once con- quent messages through the
tributed the series of provocative pages of THE SYRIAN WORLD.
discussions appearing under the
EDNA K. SALOOMEY will contitle of "The Sage of Washingtinue her liberal contributions in
ton Street," will be in charge of
the versatile and entertaining
the department of "Our Young
manner she has so far displayed.
Generation." The widest latitude
LABEEBEE A. J.HANNA will
has been given the editors in the
conduct of their particular de- return as a regular contributor
partments and we feel sure that in a special department now unevery one of them will be der consideration and which we
pleased to hear from his readers are sure will prove helpful.
on any question bearing on his
Contributions from talent yet
department.
unknown to us will be gladly
considered.
We plan to make
DR. PHILIP K. HITTI stands
ready to answer any question on THE SYRIAN WORLD not only
Syrian history and will contri- truly representative of our talent
bute special articles occasionally. but complete in all helpful ways.
Amin Beder, translator of AlREV. W. A. MANSUR will
Mutanabbi,will
continue to concontinue his inspirational and uptribute in poetical form the gems
lifting contributions.
of Arabic wisdom found in Al"
Mutanabbi as in no other single
THOMAS ASA will not only regale us with his charming poetry Arab poet.
but will branch out into the field
Andrew Ghar/eeb still has
of fiction, of which he is capable considerable translations of Gibof producing the finest type, as ran's Arabic works which will
can be judged by his mystery appear in the Syrian World for
story beginning in this issue.
the first time in English.
DR. SALIM Y. ALKAZIN will
have a great deal more to offer
of the charming poetry he has
been contributing since the inception of the magazine.
RIHANI, although retired to the peace of his native
town in the valley of Freike, will
not forget the host of [admirers
and friends he has left behind in
America and will send them freAMEEN
NOTICE
This being the first issue appearing since the two months'
summer suspension, several new
departments under consideration
could not be included owing to
accumulation of other important
material.
�SEPTEMBER, 1931
A Poet Returns Home
Touching Ceremonies Attending the Departure of Gibran's body
From America and Its Reception in the hand of His Birth
Farewell Ceremonies to Gibran s Body
in America
By
BARBARA YOUNG
"Come for leave-taking, O sons of my mother.
Bi-ing now the children with their finger-tips
of lily and of rose.
Let the aged come to bless my forehead with
their withered hands.
And call the daughters of the meadow and
the field.
That they may behold the shadows of the
unknown pass beneath my brows,
And hear in my last breath the echo of
infinity.
Lo, I have reached the summit;
I have outstripped the cries of men,
And I hear naught save the vast hymn of
this eternity."
Gibran
^)N the morning of July 23rd, the silent homeward journey of
Gibran Kahlil Gibran began. Following a dawn veiled with the
mist which he loved so well, his body was borne from the tomb in
Boston to the pier at Providence, there to embark for the last time
upon any earthly travel.
Through the gentle gray rain a long line of cars drove in the
early morning to take farewell of the poet-painter and of his sister
Marrianna, and her cousins, Mr. & Mrs. Assaf George who were
making their journey also with Gibran to Beirut and Becharri. And
one could not but remember his passion for the rain and the snow
and for "all that comes down from the sky," and how he has said a
thousand times when the wind and the tempests would beat upon
his high window, "How I thank God for this! It releases something
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in me." And it seemed fitting that the rain should fall upon him
now, when all that had been within him was released.
Upon the road the cortege was met by the Rev. Philip J.
Nagem of Providence with an escort of a score of cars from that city,
come to conduct the family and friends of Gibran to the ship; wdth
them came also a special police car, which preceded the funeral
procession and halted all traffic so that the progress was unimpeded.
With Miss Gibran and Mr. and Mrs. George were the Rt.
Rev. Mgr. Stephen Douaihy, the writer, and Mrs. Zakia Gibran
Diab. And in the cars following, Mr. and Mrs. N'oula Gibran, Mr.
George's aged mother and his sister, Mrs. Amelia Gibran Parrant
and Mr. Parrant, and a great number of friends of many years.
At the pier where hundreds of both known and unknown
friends had gathered, a farewell service was held. The casket had
been placed upon a bier, and hung with t he American and the
Lebanese flags. Mr. N. A. Mokarzel, the editor of Al-Hoda, had
come from New York with a group of devoted men, among them
the Rev. Mansour Stephen of Brooklyn, S. A. Mokarzel, editor of
the Syrian World, A. K. Hitti, an agent of the Fabre Line, and J.
G. Raphael, editor of the magazine "Character."
Mr. N. A. Mokarzel presided at the ceremonies, voicing a
tribute to the genius and power of this countryman who had so earlymet with death. He was followed by Mgr. Douaihy who expressed
for himself as well as for the Syrians of Boston, and especially of
the Church of Our Lady of the Cedars, immeasurable remembrance and appreciation of all that this simple great man had been
in their midst as friend and brother for many a day; and to Mananna Gibran their endless love and devotion, and their readiness to
serve her loneliness and need in every human fashion.
Mgr. Douaihy and Rev. Stephen who came after him spoke in
Arabic, and with a fervor and sorrow that made it seem a pity that
those who did not know the tongue could do little more than
gather the sense of supreme eulogy and great bereavement . But
there were constantly recurring the words "Gibran" "Lebanon"
"Becharri," and these words made a ringing in every listening heart.
The Rev. Father Nagem of Providence spoke in English and
his words carried deep conviction of the exalted place that Gibran's
work will take among the poets and painters of the world, and his
assurance of the deathless power and beauty of Gibran's influence
upon the thought and life of the race.
Mrs. Mary Kahwaji read a poem in Arabic, paying her sorrowing tribute. Then the words of Gibran himself, a portion of THE
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SEPTEMBER, 1931
11
Prophet taken from the opening pages, was read by the writer,
where it says:
"Almustafa, the chosen and the beloved, he who was a dawn
unto his own day, had waited twelve years in the city of Orphalese
for his ship that was to return and bear him back to the isle of his
birth...And he beheld his ship coming with the mist... And he
thought in his heart, 'How shall I go in peace and without sorrow? Nay, not without a wound in the spirit shall I leave this city...
Yet I cannot tarry longer. The sea that calls all things unto her
calls me, and I must embark!....' Now, when he reached the foot of
the hill, he saw his ship approaching the harbor, and upon her prow
the mariners, the men of his own land...And his soul cried out to
them, 'Sons of my ancient mother, you riders of the tides, how often
have you sailed in my dreams, and now you come in my awakening
which is my deeper dream. Ready am I to go, and my eagerness
with full sails awaits the wind. Only another breath will 1 breathe
in this still air, only another loving look cast backward, and then I
shall stand among you, a seafarer among seafarers. And you, vast
sea, sleepless mother, who alone are peace and freedom to the river
and the stream, only another murmur in this glade, only another
winding will this stream make, and then I shall come to you, a
boundless drop to to a boundless ocean.' "
After this reading Mr. Salloum A. Mokarzel spoke with deep
feeling and fine appreciation of the achievements of Gibran, and of
the intense pride and joy that the Lebanese take in that this man was
one of themselves, and that his immortal name is irrevocably bound
up with the Syrian people; that the little mountain country has
given to this age one of its greatest spirits, and one whose incomparable worth is acclaimed around the world. He alluded to Gibran
as Almustafa, the prophet, the chosen and the beloved, in whom
dwelt knowledge of "those things which are between birth and
death."
After a brief word from Mr. Elias Shamon, a lawyer of Boston,
Mgr. Douaihy pronounced a final word of benediction and farewell,
and the casket was lowered into the ship, while the wind instruments
played the "Funeral March" from Tannhauser, "Asa's Tod" from
the Peer Gynt Suite, and "Nearer, My God to Thee."
At two in the afternoon the ship put out from the pier, and the
earthly chapter of a great life in this western land of steel and
stone, came to an end, leaving a silence and an emptiness in the
hearts, and in the places that knew him, and shall know him no
more. But leaving also a living memory of his words: "Forget not
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
that I shall come back to you. A little while and my longing shall
gather dust and foam for another body."
Farewell, Gibranl
Text of the address delivered by the editor of The Syrian World
at the farewell ceremonies to Gibran's body at Providence, R. /.,
on July 23.
TORTY-EIGHT years ago a boy was born in a small town in Lebanon whose parents and their friends wished for him what is
commonly wished by simple peasant mountaineers for their children
a long life, vigorous health, independent means and a family.
They could not wish for him more than their imagination could encompass. And the good people of Lebanon, content with little of
nature's gifts, could express themselves in no other terms than those
dictated by the circumscription of their environment and conditions.
But that boy grew to immensely greater proportions than his
most sanguine well-wishers could imagine. He not only broke down
the restrictions of his environment, but s0 expanded as to broaden
materially by his influence the whole horizon of human vision, and
before passing leave an indelible impression on the universal soul
and mind. A small seed planted in the soil of Lebanon, he grew
into a tree whose ramifications covered the world. Although his
life was short, it was replete. His name became one that gives honor
to his people and his age. He is proclaimed universal in his influence,
so that his own people must be satisfied to claim him only by origin.
Indeed, they are proud to have given him to the world.
The boy wandered into strange lands. He had the happy faculty of blending most artistically the old and the new. But his predominant trait was his ability to tap the sources of the mystic past
and bring to mankind the realization that their spirit is eternal. The
mysticism of the ancient East found in him a most happy medium
of expression.
Today, after an absence of three decades in which he contrived
ably to deliver his message to the world, Al-Mustapha returns
home to be laid at rest with his ancestors. He returns in the closing
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13
days of the month of Tammouz, when the crops of his homeland are
at the ripening stage ready for the gatherer. His friends of his
earthly sojourn had long and earnestly entreated him to tarry.
But his ship had come, and he could not ignore the call of his first
homeland. The prophet has delivered his message and now his
friends are gathered on the shore to see him borne into the mist.
Becharri, the town in Lebanon nestling in the shadow of the
Cedars, will now receive the mortal remains of her beloved son.
Becharri's distinction henceforth will be not that of being the district
capital, but of being the birthplace of Gibran. It shall not be known
only locally but universally. Gibran's shrine will convert it into a
place of pilgrimage, a converging point for the spirits of her immortal son's admirers throughout the world.
In such a manner will Becharri now receive the body of the
boy who left it a nonentity and became a world celebrity. Gibran
will now rest with his ancestors on the slopes of Lebanon, in the
shadow of the Cedars, and his name will add glory to that already
glorious land, while his fame will be as firmly rooted and virile
as the famous Cedars, despite the passage of time.
The Syrians and Lebanese of America are grateful to Gibran for
the glory he has added to their name, and in no uncertain terms do
they wish to proclaim this gratitude.
Farewell, beloved son of Lebanon, on this your last journey.
And may God speed your mortal remains to the land of your fathers.
But your brothers who tarry in this wonderful land of wonderful
opportunities in which you had chosen to live will keep your spirit
in their hearts, nourishing your memory with that undying devotion
that partakes of the very nature of your own work of pen and brush,
that which has rendered you immortal.
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
Touching Receptwn of Gibran s Body
in Lebanon
AT last the sea gave up its precious trust to mother earth. Gibran's
body was delivered again to a new life in the hearts of his countrymen in the land where he had seen his first birth. The Poet of the
Cedars is now to rest forever among the sacred hills where his eyes
were first opened to light and beauty. And his last homecoming
was attended by such a display of grief as can be shown only by a
highly sentimental people like the Lebanese, still adhering to their
traditions of unrestrained emotional outpourings whether in joy or
in sorrow. Nor was the reception of Gibran's body an emotional
outburst of his fellow townsmen alone. It was attended by such ,
ceremony as the ancient hills of Lebanon never before witnessed in :
their hoary history.
Both government and people outdid themselves to do honor
to this beloved son who had himself done his native country such
great honor. Clergy and laity vied with each other to render him
reverence and respect. Fraternal and benevolent organizations of
all religious denominations sank their differences in the spontaneous
and overwheming desire to swell the sweeping patriotic movement
to honor the great genius whom the common motherland had produced.
Gibran's ship arrived in Beirut harbor on the morning of August 21. An official delegation immediately went on board to act as
guard of honor during the landing ceremonies. The casket was
draped with a Lebanese flag and transferred to a government steam
launch. And at the moment the body was laid for the first time on
native soil and the coffin opened for inspection, Gibran Twainy,
Minister of Education, pinned 0n the breast of the poet the decoration of Fine Arts conferred on him posthumously by the government by special decree. Gibran was then ready to enter the port of
his homeland.
In describing the funeral procession from the port landing to
the Maronite Cathedral, the newspapers of Beirut stated that the
whole city turned out to greet Gibran on his homecoming. And
judging by photographs reproduced in some Egyptain illustrated
papers there was no exaggeration in the statement. The honor paid
Gibran by his countrymen was genuine and unparalleled in the
history of the city.
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SEPTEMBER, 1931
15
Walking in the procession were the Minister of the Interior
and representatives of the High Commissariat, the French Admiralty and the army of occupation. Following them wrere representatives of the consular corps, the benevolent societies of all creeds,
Christians, Moslems and Jews, and thousands of school children
of both sexes. A company of militia gave salute when the cortege
passed the Saraya and the police band furnished the music all along
the way.
At the Maronite Cathedral of St. George Archbishop Ignatius
Mobarak received the body with blessed water and incense, chanting lugubrious dirges in Syriac, the ritual language-of the MaronIites. After prayers for the dead were said the body was left in the
cathedral for the night under vigil of a guard drawn from among
the young men of Becharri who had come to Beirut for the "Wel:ome home."
But it was in the evening that the great "civic" memorial
meeting was held in honor of Gibran. The committee in charge had
engaged for the occasion the principal theatre in the city and not
pnly was the meeting under the official auspices of the government
but President Charles Dabbas of the Republic of Lebanon presided
Dver it in person. The speakers were the leading men of the land
md included Ameen Rihani, well known traveler and author;
KJialil Mutran, famous poet; Kalil Kussayyeb, President of the
Press Association; Gameel Baihum, President of the Young Men's
Moslem Society; Representative Michel Zakkour, poet and editor;
\ Kmeen Taki ed-Deen poet and statesman, and many others repesenting civic bodies and religious denominations. The services
vere punctuated with Arabic songs of Gibran's composition put
o music by Wadih Sabra and other outstanding composers for the
ccasion.
But what were perhaps the most touching demonstrations were
hose attending the passage of the cortege through the towns and
/illages of Lebanon, all along the coastal route and up the steep
mountain until Becharri. At prearranged stations the procession was
ibrought to a halt that the natives may pay their tributes and contribute their expression of love to the memory of Gibran. Some of
the demonstrations were not only touching in their spontaneity but
deeply mystical in their traditional allusions. People descended
from the "higher villages to gather in the coast towns where the
Concession was to pass and followed it to the confines of the town.
k'jbis was repeated almost twenty times over the route of about fifty
!es between Beirut and Becharri.
WMMMMMMM*
�1
1
_—
16
f
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Were Gibran only alive to witness the display of the characteristic Lebanese customs which he so much loved and that were now
being staged in his honor! At various stages along the route young
men in their colorful native costumes would engage in spirited
sword phy before the slowly moving hearse. Others would follow
singing martial songs or improvising eulogies for the beloved dead
in that peculiar form of the vernacular poetry known only tD the
Lebanese. While as a climax to the display of sorrow would conic
women mourners who, also 'extemporaneously, would sing the
praise of the departed to the rhythmic accompaniment of beating
their breasts.
But at one point in the march of the procession there was a radical departure from this general fromula. At a town near Gebail
ancient Byblus and the seat of the worship of the Syrian goddes
Astarte, a company of maidens came out to meet the body. The
wore loose, flowing gowns and their long locks fell in heavy wave
over their shoulders. And they also sang the praise of Gibran bu
did so in the sense of one who is living and not dead. They wel
corned him as "the beautiful bridegroom of our dreams" now re
turned and scattered flowers along the the road before him, am
sprinkled perfume on his casket. They danced before him as the
would in a wedding and their appearance seemed to bring back to lif
scenes that must have been enacted thousands of years back by th
virgins of the temple of the Syrian goddess on these very shore;
Many towns also contributed substantial quotas to the pre
cession, so that by the time it reached Al-Bahsas, which marks th ,
parting of the ways between the coastal and the mountain roads,
had swelled to more than two hundred automobiles and over 01
hundred horsemen. At Al-Bahsas, the governor of the northern di;f
trict of Lebanon, in which Becharri is situated, received the moun I
ers officially and accompanied them to their destination. And
the confines of Becharri practically every man, woman and chi.
who could walk massed on the road to march in Gibran's grei
homecoming procession.
As in Beirut, two distinct services were also held in Becharr
over the remains of Gibran. The body was laid in state in the churcl
of St. John where the clergy again conducted the .services for th
dead, while on Sunday, August 23, a memorial meeting was hel
in- the theatre, of the town presided over by Moussa Nammour
Minister of the-Interior.. Scores of poems and speeches were als
delivered on this occasion.
The thousands of visitors who came to Gibran's native to'
1
�.... --._.233
SEPTEMBER, 1931
F«*W o/ /A, i^o^ ^^ *,W>W tf,
to'
/**&«£ of Gibran's body in Beirut
17
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
18
The Appeal of the East
FIRST OF A SERIES OF SPECIAL ARTICLES ON FIRSTHAND OBSERVATIONS IN SYRIA, PALESTINE
AND EGYPT
By H. I.
KATIBAH
Cor days before the bow of our ship turned eastward, plowing its
way across the Atlantic in one more routine trip to the East, my
imagination had conjured all sorts of fantastic visions, scenes and
memories, a mental cyclorama in which I was wrapt around by an
Oriental world of my own creation while walking the busy streets
and thoroughfares of New York.
It is strange what a grip the East, particularly the East of the
Arabian Nights, has on the soul of the Westerner or even a Westernized individual born and reared in the very lap of this same East,
a stone's throw, so to speak, from Damascus, the "City of Delight"
and the scene of many an adventure in the world's most fantastic
and, perhaps, the most favoured tales in the world.
Sixteen years of disillusionment, spent mostly in the truly
magical city of our day and generation, had not expunged my golden
dream of the East. For where in the world do pinnacled palaces
rear themselves high into the sky by the rub of the modern Aladdin's lamp of science more truly than in New York? And where dc
the marids of mechanics bow more obsequiously to do. the bidding
of their capricious masters as in this city of the world's dreams '
come truer
And we of the East, the land of dreamers and poets, fail not
to detect beauty's gesture in the heart of the dinning confusion of
steel and mortar, of roaring engines and screeching wheels;_ nor
fail to appreciate true romance and magic under whatever guise it
appears. On the other hand, our long contact with an extreme
part of the West, a world so unlike our own, has so sharpened out
senses of contrast and discrimination that we begin to distinguis^
readily between cheap yellow lustre and true gold, between th.g
tinsel of romance and romance itself. Appearances do not decen
us so much as'they; do men and women who are confined to or
world of experience. Beneath the bizarre, uncouth garments of th
«pw
..JlffJUJiUlMI
�SEPTEMBER, 1931
I
Oriental; beneath the turban, jubbah and jullabiyyah, the souls of
the Orientals stand naked before our gaze, and we make mental
comparisons between individuals as far apart in environment, language, and traditions as the antipodes, yet as much alike as two peas
in a pod.
Yet, in spite of this, the East retained its appeal to me, its
charm and illusion, as truly as to any roving dweller on the befogged Thames, born with a surging wanderlust in his soul.
True, it was a more realistic and enlightened East that presented
itself to my recollection and imagination, an East with which I had
never completely been out of touch, an East whose social, political
and religious development I had followed with avidity in the press
and in current books and magazines, as well as through first-hand
contact with Eastern leaders whose missions and fancies carried them
to the shores of the United States. But it was a romantic East,
nevertheless.
Coming to this country before the War as a fresh graduate
from the Syrian Protestant College, now the American University
of Beirut, my impression of the East, even of my own Syria, was
rather hazy and desultory. Outside of my home district in the
anti-Libanus I had known only two cities of the Near East, Damascus and Beirut. I knew them, however, as a child who had been
brought up in a Protestant puritan home. Somehow, they belonged
to that heathen world of which we had been so apprehensive in
the Sunday school. As children who migrated from our home in
Yabrud to the missionary boarding school in Damascus or to College
in Beirut, and back home for the summer vacation, we were like
Christian travelling through Vanity Fair. We were strangers to
the big city which always held a fascinating and tantalizing curiosity
for us, and hence was always wrapt with a gossamer of romance
and strange beauty. To me Damascus of the fairy tales was as real,
more real, than the prosaic city of narrow, winding streets, stray
dogs, and ugly frame houses.
That is why my heart fluttered with boyish joy as I thought of
my pending voyage to the East in spite of all the realism and enlightenment which I had acquired about it.
And now, after a stay of about twenty months in which I covered part of Egypt, all of Syria and Palestine and part of Mesopotamia, I find, strangely perhaps, that I am still enamoured of
vhe East, -and th-e illusion of romance with which I always viewed
t had not vanished away.
This mental phenomenon, so unlike that of many of my coun-
�11
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Q
trymen who came back from a visit to the homeland disappointed
xZ disgruntled, may be partly explained by the consideration
hat I did not go there with any too exaggerated notions of what
to find there, I much as by the fact that I looked for romance
LD
5T-
^^^itttXSn Cairo who had the distinction of being
the only one to succeed in interviewing the late Clemenceau on his
ast v it to Egypt, told me that he asked the great *£***£
man and humanist what it was that impressed him most in Cairo^
Was it the pyramids, the Nile or the mosques? And Clemenceau
ePLd: "It i none of these; it is suk Musky. .And here in a nutshell you have the secret of all proper travelling abroad, whethe * its
in the'orient, in Europe or in darkest Africa and here also you my
have the genuine source of true romance in the East.
and
Thafvou could penetrate the teeming masses of humanity in r an
suk Musky in Cairo, or al-Hamidiyyah in Damascus, or any> ofhe eets
picturesque bazaars in any of the cities of the East adds more^zest
Ld significance, it seems to me, to this undifferent.aed, orb dding, the
distant romance. It brings you nearer to the subtle, yet simple, jrno na e yTcharming, workings of the Oriental mind which when
we giveallowance to the peculiar way it expresses itself, we.findI to
>
be surprisingly like that of any other people in the West or in any ^
section of our little globe.
Some people think of romance as something different, some- -uly
thing strange and unlike our daily routine of experience, and it is den
hesf people who are so disheartened when they discover that the aces
East islScoming more and more like the West; who moan at the ladAppearance ofthe fez and the harem from modern Turkey; who e u
dc
are so anxious to preserve the idyllic and georgic appearance of the din
Holy L" d And" with a world so swiftly changing as ours in our ^
modern days these people are bound to be ^J^
*J%&
nointed The trouble with them is that they have not discovered not
STt ue iTature of romance in humanity, the unity that underlies of
and subvenes all the fascinating varieties of life-expressions. They or
^looking
£-«
it
were loosing for
IUI thrills
uuu« for
w their£W
— J— - nerves—*[f
r^ v^t
and adventure; they were skimming the surface of the East
.ne
u.
once they found out that under the surface life was much alike
d ou,n
world over their interest faded, and, like a giddy butterfly
guis
moved to another flower of new scenes and untrodden land
n th
For the student of life the East, the Near East is of pec t• ecen ls
1
interest and appeal because life there is more natural, the> em
o on
more sincere and expressive than one is likly to find in New
\f th
'""""
�21
SEPTEMBER, 1931
or London, or even on the continent of Europe. One finds the
reactions that one is entitled to find, the response that naturally follows from a given mental or emotional stimulus. Only, some people who are not acquainted with the poetical nature of the Easterner
mistake the picturesque, metaphorical and aphoristic manner in
which he expresses himself for tortuous and evasive subtlety. The
Easterner above all is an inborn and incurable conversationalist. Instead of finding his esthetic release and expression in paintings, or
the florid language of the printed page, he develops it and exercises it in his daily talk.
I have met many Westerners in my recent travels abroad, and
many since, whose genuine interest in the East did not differ much
from mine, or from that of any other who goes to the East with ar
open heart and a sense of universal sympathy and understanding.
And invariably the enthusiasm of those enlightened visitors to
lands hoary with traditions and genuine culture, was due more to
the discovery of likenesses, under the surface of strange customs
and appearances, than to differences and peculiarities.
$ht"
istic
-uly
den
aces
laddc!
Quatrains of Al-Mutanabbi
Translated from the Arabic by
DR. SALIM
Y.
ALKAZIN
And even I have always found that he
Who hath a sickly mouth and taste of gall,
Will foul and bitter Crystal Waters call,
Tho fresh and sweet as Nectar they may be.
And he who spendeth life in massing Gold,
To ward off poverty and naught besides,
• Towards the Gulf is making mighty strides,
And unto Poverty his soul hath sold.
�22
THE SYRIAN WORLD _
,
OWE
ARABIAN
TALES
'"
) ORIGINAL TRANSLATIONS
HAROUN AL-RASCHID AND THE BEAUTIFUL WIFE
OF HIS MESSENGER
A RAB chroniclers relate a story about Haroun Al-Raschid much
similar to that of King David's episode with Bath-sheba, the
wife of Uriah the Hittite, and mother of King Solomon, but with
very different and much more wholesome results.
While walking in the gardens of his palace, Al-Raschid saw on
the roof of a house close by a young woman whose beauty eclipsed
the full moon, having the large, dreamy eyes of a gazelle and the
graceful form of a houriat from Al-Jannat. To his question, "Who
may the fair creature be:" his chamberlain informed him that she
was the wife of his attendant and messenger Fairuz. Whereupon
Al-Raschid returned immediately to his palace consumed with the
fire of desire to gain possession of her.
That same day Al-Raschid called Fairuz and entrusted him
with an apparently important letter which he bade him deliver to
one of his agents in a distant city. Fairuz, unsuspecting, repaired directly to his house and retired for rest in preparation for an early
start on the morrow.
Early on the morning of the following day Fairuz departed on
his mission, and had no sooner left than the caliph made a clandestine call to his wife. Seeing the caliph at the door the woman could
not help remarking in her surprise, "May Allah guard us against
such a visit. It portends only evil." But the caliph thought she had
not seen through his disguise and hastened to explain: "I am AlRaschid. You may not have recognized me!"
"Yes, my master," replied the woman. "I fully recognize the
illustrious Prince of the Faithful and am surprised that he should
come to drink at the same fountain with his own dog."
This frank rejoinder had its effect on the caliph who lost no time
in making his exit, overlooking in his haste one of his sandals which
he had shed by the door.
�^n
irly
EPTEMBER, 193-1
23
*
Meanwhile Fairuz, after having proceeded some distance, dis\ered that he had forgotten the caliph's letter under his pillow
id returned to seek it. His arrival followed immediately upon the
.parture of Al-Raschid whose sandal he discovered by the door and
-alized that he was sent on this errand only for an evil purpose.
He refrained, however, from making any remark and after regaining the letter proceeded on his journey.
Upon his return he went first to the court of the caliph who
appeared pleased with his dispatch and rewarded him with one hundred gold pieces. This he used to purchase some pieces of jewelry
and other appropriate gifts for his wife.
But upon returning home he bid his wife make immediate prepj arations for a visit to her parents, and upon her inquiring the reason
f for this sudden decision, he told her, with seeming cheerfulness, that
1
the caliph had liberally rewarded him and it was but meet and
proper that they should share their good fortune with her parents.
Having left his wife at her paternal abode, Fairuz departed and
never returned. The brothers of the woman became suspicious and
sought of the husband an explanation of his action, but he would
neither consent to taking back his wife nor give a reason for his
strange behavior, and when they threatened to bring action against
him before the caliph he readily consented to a trial.
It so happened that at the time Fairuz and his brothers-in-law
appeared in court the cadi and the caliph were both present. The
elder brother of Fairuz's wife thus put forth his case:
"Know, O learned judge, that I have given unto the keeping
|of this man a well-kept orchard having full-bearing fruit trees, and
a well of clear water, and surrounded by a high protective wall. He
ate the fruit, damaged the well and destroyed the walls and now
wishes to return the orchard to me without a logical explanation."
Complying with the judge's request for an explanation Fairuz
"Know further, O learned judge, that I have returned the
j orchard to its original guardian even in better condition than when
I received it. My only reason for returning it is that I have discovered traces of the lion's visit to it, and fearing the consequences and
out of deference to the majesty of the lion, I have preferred to
waive my right to the orchard."
At this point Haroun Al-Raschid, who had appeared to be following the progress of the proceedings only casually, straightened in
bis seat and thus addressed Fairuz: "You may return to your orchard
W perfect safety and peace of mind. By Allah, the lion sought your
�-Jam
SE
THE SYRIAN WORLD
24
orchard but touched not its fruit nor its trees and left after only r
brief visit. By Allah I assure you that I have found none other simi
lar to your orchard in the strength of its walls and in the protectioi
of its fruit."
Fairuz understood and readily consented to take back his wife,
while of all those present none but he and the caliph were aware of
the earlier developments of the case.
To a Dying Tree
By
THOMAS ASA
Thou lone sentinel of the open plain,
A hundred years hast thou in silence kept
A faithful watch,—thy solitary reign
Is ended, and too soon wilt thou have wept.
No more shalt thou in utter freedom fling
Thy leafy bowers to the scented air;
No more, no more, thou mute, majestic thing,
For thou art bare, and ever-more be bare.
Cold as the driven snow hast thou become,
Insensate to the breathing atmosphere.
Thy flutt'ring friends of yesterday wilt drum
Their sad lament, but this thou cannot hear.
Nature hast not anything so dear to me
Than thou, O dying monarch of the plain.
Had'st I the pow'r, soon would I bring to thee
The sunlight's glory, the sweet taste of rain.
J
A wayward hand, long hence, had'st planted thee,
That thou some day may offer thy cool shade;
;
And rear thy noble height that all may see
What God in his most happy mood hast made.
�25
SI SEPTEMBER, 1931
Shiites Protest Rihani's Criticism
\
ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE SYRIAN WORLD
CAUSES A STORM IN SYRIA
HE article by Ameen Rihani published in the March issue of
TTHE
SYRIAN WORLD on the Passion Play of the Near East was
unique in that it was the first description by a foreign observer of the
annual rituals held by the Shiites in commemoration of the death
of Al-Hussain, son of Ali. Undeniably, Mr. Rihani has given the
world the first authentic account of an Eastern religious observance
that has been thriving for over twelve centuries with the same religious fervor characterizing its early beginning, but almost unnoticed by the outside world. The actual photographs he was able
to take helped materially to visualize his vivid description.
Appreciating the unusual news and historical value of this article, Lisan Ul-Hal, a daily newspaper of Beirut, translated it into
Arabic. Once its contents were brought to the attention of the
Arabic-reading public it created a sensation and immediately drew
;a storm of protest from Shiite sources. There was a hint in some
replies of the possibility of physical violence being visited on the
author. What the objectors resented most was the author's reference
ko the unsanitary condition of what is commonly known as Howdhul Kurr, a basin found in the court of almost every house in Kerpala and used for a multiplicity of purposes.
All this took place while Mr. Rihani was on his way back to
iyria from the United States apparently unaware of the storm his
rticle had raised. It was perhaps fortunate that his critics should
jave spent their fury unchallenged up to the time when he could
nake a blanket reply to all their attacks. And this he did in his
:haracteristic manner—briefly and to the point. He did not retract
a word of what he had said but claimed that he was prompted to
his criticism by his love for the Arabs and his desire to have them
mend some of their ways. Prime responsibility rests on the friend
and not the foe in pointing out the weak spots in a nation's social
institutions, he said, and he was that friend who criticized to reform
in a spirit of utmost fairness. He was happy, finally, to see that
his criticism had found its mark and aroused the interest which is
the harbinger of reform.
P Since then the storm of protests has abated, as apparently there
,..f..i. n.n, .,i
i
,„,,..
,i m
�>
r.f Mr "Rihani's predilections for the Arabs. Even
f
° ^Th^piy published herewith, received» Batglish ft-Sdoa
whieh is eonsidered the; stronghold of ^ Stae d.s net ,
,
embodies the principal object,ons, ofthe Shutes to
^
h
observations Be it sa.d to *e«tarf « «^Arabic replies of his
indu ge . the J»- stSg "the Arabic literary world is
StHEl - Merits and |viS denied It
rather »
Stdin^n SMS pa-tpa^dlo^ore sympathetic
interpretation of thdra*»- ^ ^^ of fair play and
m\
W .<£££Stt2&i of ^e conditions which gave
rise to the controversy.
RIHANl'S JOURNEY TO KARBELA
I
Editor, The Syrian World
AMEEN R-hani's article appearing in the March issue of-your
^cation
is a remarkable piece, but not a «ay'
one
s
p,,Pyto find that the ^pected ph.losopher of F e k s e- <
g
52 well-known realit.es .and mdu^hbag m
t,cler
^ ^
Was it for the purpose of reform: ££•£*£•£
blisn
l^eople thought, was to write ^^^^ £££
"" I^yT^etSbSrwhat he Ld seen, but what a great
difference there is between seeing and understandmg!
"
�mm.
27
SEPTEMBER, 1931
I
I am not writing in criticism of his illustrious P^onalrty or
his interesting ideas, but only to discuss some of the tag mistakes
:that
O„haplg0eTiine'9 he said "How would he and his Christian
frie, "be^eived in Karbela which is to the Shiah Moslems what
A
.'s
ot
lis
is
an
.n:tic
nd
ive
;M
C<Clgain " line 4, "And at Musaiyeh we beheld the first
vvuf ^ Rmam^rH^eigner we would kg?***
France of the differences between Shntes and Sunmtes. But he is
Cental an Arabian, who was 'brought up among the Moslems,
^ ^tslied a'good deal about their religion. It -£*
i
*n rppH that he calls the visitors to Karbela pilgrims,
i Se everybody kn -that Mecca and only Mecca is the place to
rh the MosUs-no matter if they be Shntes or Sunnites-go
f^rt and only its visitors are -lied pilgrims a,rd taown in
Tratar as "Haii." On the other hand, visiting Karbela I\ajel, OT
Izmiyain "optional and not prescribed religiously as is the case
lifhTe visit of Mecca. Even the visitors of such places do not get
-' S^TS called these visitors "p,lKS^thTfiSh^CW, on page 8 line 7, he
L The Huiwh Canal, which flows from the Euphrates near
ays, itie nusamiy
,
comparatively recent.
Musaiyah fo, atou 2!mik to• ***^
*£ &
£ SltT^oT the* pilgrims were bathing m its turtad
yrour
is i
>rgei
nngs I
that?;
; and
n arsome
iblish
se, as
merirends.
great
fnters
A
, paragraphsu M.
Mr R.ham
Uihani g«*
rives ' .oof of his misunderIn" this
^^
T ; 2^L Bu th'a,
otTh: pit. The thing is that theMos-
f^ZS£t£S£ -red water, i, ,s nought but a
^ T„eVa« that"the water is turbid is because it is drawn from the
VuphTates whkh everybody knows is muddy. And to see a persoa
In Karbela that cana1 .stnion > p
^.^ ^ ^
teSola'S t Recently for irrigation, bur not as a
Ganges to the Shiahs.
�28
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Anyone who hears our philosopher speaking about Howdh-Ul
Kurr thinks that the inhabitants of Karbela are a specie of cannibals
or the remnant of an uncivilized tribe. All his description of
Howdh-Ul Kurr is quite unreal and unreasonable. Certainly, somebody had told him about Howdh-Ul Kurr, and the teller is either
a fool or a liar.
Howdh-Ul Kurr is like any other usual basin used in hoiion
Its volume must be at least 27 cubic feet. Its water may be cfaanW
any period without the advice or the prayer of any mullah, i's
water may remain as long as the following three conditions prev;0t
(1) No change in color (2) in taste (3) in smell. This, as can'us
readily seen, is impossible in any basin without frequent change is
water, so it is usually changed many times during the month to
even during the day.
L_
If Mr. Rihani had seen a Howdh with the descriptions that lie
gave, it must be an exceptional case, and the house of one citize,
does not mean that the same conditions obtain in the houses of ai\
citizens of a city counting more than 50 thousand persons.
e
Contrary to Mr. Rihani's imputations, Karbela is in many ways
modern and clean, but Mr. Rihani looked only at the reprehensible
and black side. And is it strange to find some incongruities in a
big city? Take New York, the greatest and the richest city of the
world, do you not find that many of its inhabitants are living in
filthy and unsanitary residences, Yes, it is so, but Mr. Rihani saw
only the small, black spot in Karbela and overlooked all else.
Mr. Rihani concludes by giving a historical outline of the enmity between Omaiyah and Hashem, relating three stories about th,ur
burial of Husain. It is an established fact that the head and bod, .
of the martyr were buried in Karbela and only few historians coiQ
3
test this point.
\
His description of Ashourah was on the whole correct, bu.^t
somewhat exaggerated.
,
In asking the editor of the SYRIAN WORLD to give space in his
magazine for the publication of my reply, I am but appealing to._
his senses of fair dealing and to his disinterested spirit of service to
Arabian culture which gave rise to his publication.
V
Sidon
Kamel MorowaaS
'Sis ~<lf-Z> ni'/^fZ' •^—!+J*'<7''V^-^7?\ T v,', '"{££& Kd&\<.'s'<r-
—nmt».iw>
s.
at
�SEPTEMBER, 1931
29
In the Month's News
CONQUEST OF THE AIR
\
ie
;h
ya
aS
is.
at
^HATEVER can be imagined
can be done. The truth of
this axiom is being forcefully
demonstrated every day. Consider aviation. It seems things are
now being done in the field of
aeronautics that; appeared wrellnigh impossible a tew years back.
From the modest beginnings of
simply demonstrating that flying
in heavier-than-air machines is
feasible it has been given our generation to see marvelous strides
in man's march towards air conquest. Two airmen flew around
the world in seventeen days 5 a
Zeppelin has discovered new
lands in the arctic region in an
expedition of a few days; and
for the first time on record two
American airmen have made a
non-stop flight from America to
Turkey in Asia.
All this took place within the
month of July. Transatlantic
flights have become so common
that they have almost ceased to
be news.
Russell Boardman and John
Polando made their epic flight
from New York to Istanbul, a
iistance of over 5,000 miles, in
Jess than fifty hours. Within the
limits of two days they saw three
continents — America, Europe,
and Asia. Simply to cover three
continents would not be in itself
such a wonderful achievement
had the continents been other
than the three named above. An
airman , leaving Europe could
easily fly over Asia Minor and
reach Africa in less than a day.
But the fact that America is separated from Europe by 3,000
miles of ocean makes the feat of
the American airmen an outstanding one.
Turkey is contiguous to Syria,
and but a few hundred miles
more would have brought the
American airmen to the city of
Aleppo. This should place a
non-stop flight between America
and Syria within the limits of
possibility, and would surely
bring Syria to the attention of
the world as nothing else could.
Perhaps some Syrian aviators
might yet undertake it as did the
two Hungarian-American airmen
who flew from New York to
Budapest /in a plane they named
"Justice to Hungary" for the
avowed purpose of calling the
attention of the world to the
injustice they claim is being dealt
to their mother country.
�=5
50
To our knowledge, there are
at least half a dozen Syrian aviators in the United States, four of
whom have already been mentioned in the THE SYRIAN
WORLD on various occasions. Of
this number two are young women who appear to be great enthusiasts—Mrs. Maloof, of California, who is said to have ordered a speed plane for a transcontinental flight, and Miss Alice
B. Coury of West Virginia
whom we mentioned recently as
being the pride of her home town
of Hopewell. The men aviators
are Fouad Mokarzel of Poughkeepsie, N. Y., and Joseph Musleh of Jacksonville, Fla. Who
knows that any one of these
might not yet bring great honor
to himself and his race and place
the name of his country of origin prominently on the map.
In Syria and other countries
of the Near East, aviation is making rapid strides. A Lebanese,
Lt. Akar, made a flight from
Paris to Beirut. Egypt is rapidly
building an air force, manned
exclusively by natives. The
same may be said of Arabia
and Iraq. Recently, on the occasion of the return of the Iraquian Minister from Europe, he
was met at Aleppo, in northern
Syria, by an air squadron from
Bagdad which crossed the desert
in less than half a day.
After all, the East is not
standing still.
THE SYRIAN WORLD
SCHOLAR IN POLITICS
MEWTON D. Baker, Secretary*
of War in President Wilson's,
administration, is; now being_
prominently mentioned as a.pos'
sible Presidential candidate foi
the Democratic Party in the com
ing elections. Describing hi
singular qualifications as a scholar, a writer for an American news
syndicate told how Mr. Baker
can, among other things, recite
by heart a whole Arabic poem
or quote from the Scriptures in
Hebrew. Naturally, when a
scholar has so far advanced in
his quest of knowledge in original sources, Latin and Greek, as
well as many of the modern
languages, may be taken for
granted.
To those of us who appreciate
the difficulties of learning literary Arabic, Mr. Baker's apparent
proficiency in the language seems
indeed to be an achievement. We
take it for granted that he does
not repeat his Arabic poems without understanding, and to understand the advanced Arabic of
poetry means years of study of
the complicated grammar. One
would expect such painstaking
study of Orientalists and University professors but not of
practicing lawyers and men in the
position of Mr. Baker who have
so much to claim their time and
attention. The account seems almost unbelievable and we only
hope it is true.
Be the case what it may, there
�!f
SEPTEMBER, 1931
1
%
r
31
quired the services of fifty carpet layers to move it on "dollies"
into the building. The rug is
said to be the largest hand-tufted
rug ever woven in a single piece.
And it was described as a Persian
rug whose 'finely woven design
represents a voluptuous Oriental
garden.
So far, so good. To the writer
there was something of unusual
interest in a rug of such exceptional qualities especially that it
wras of Persian make and had a
direct bearing on the progress of
a celebrated Eastern industry. It
was with avidity that he pursued
reading further details, of the
piece which had claimed no little
space in one of the principal metropolitan dailies. While following the account, visions arose in
his imagination of how deft Persian hands had executed the
dainty designs of the rug; how it
was shipped across vast stretches
of land and sea to its final destination; how it is bound to.prove
the admiration of thousands of
Westerners who will marvel .at
the masterly craftsmanship of the
East. There was that element of
DECEIVING NAMES
pride rising within his breast that
IT ARL Y this month a rug of ex- swells at every thought of someceptional size was delivered to thing done well by people of
the new Waldorf Astoria hotel his own section of the world.
in New York, which, among But this emotion was short-lived.
other things, caused a traffic snag There was no ground for it exthat gave the police some uneasy cept in his own fancy. For the
moments. The rug measures exceptional Persian rug in ques70x50 ft. and weighs more than tion was not made in Persia, nor
two and one-half tons. It re- by Persian hands, nor was its
is in this enlightening piece of
news on the erudition of Mr.
Baker an object lesson for our
Syrian-American generation who
should find it 4nuch easier to
learn the language than does an
American. They could at least
acquire a speaking knowledge by
a little practice in their home environment if not master the language to the point of reciting
poems. Mr. Baker and scholars
of his fclass take, up foreign languages simply to satisfy their insatiable thirst for knowledge,
while those of our children who
can- take up spoken Arabic as a
matter of course with apparently
no extreme effort on their part
should realize also the utilitarian
advantages that are bound to accrue from linguistic versatility.
At least, those of our younger
generation who would cut loose
from every relationship with
their .ancestry should find in the
example of Mr. Baker something
to think about in the value and
pride In knowing a foreign language.
�*
11
1
llfi 1
THE SYRIAN WORLD
32
manufacture related in any way
to the country of which it bore
the proud name. Who made it
then, and where:
It was made in Maffersdorf,
in Czechoslovakia! Thirty weavers worked on it for ten months,
tying 12,600;,000 knots by hand.
The Czechoslovaks, that new,
small, enterprising nation of
middle Europe who came into
being only after the World War,
were able to best the old Persians
of the East who had been following the rug weaving industry
for centuries, at their own game.
Surely it's time the people of the
East took means to guard their
industries, or whatever remains
of them.
GANDHI IN LONDON
""THE East remains not only
mystical but compelling in
its mysticism. There is that something in its ancient civilization
that at once defies description
and elicits awe and admiration.
It has the distinction of possessing a spiritual quality that seems
to come only with mature age.
The East is old and wise, and
its age and wisdom are bound to
command attention and respect
in due time.
Gandhi today is the acknowledged symbol of the aestheticism
of the East. Nor should he he
considered as standing alone on
his high spiritual pinnacle. For
were it not for his people's ap-
)
preciation of his qualities he ,
could not find the millions oiyx
followers who are willing to do Sr
his bidding to the limit of human sacrifice.
What a refreshing and heartening spectacle it must be when
a man who comes to represent
one-fifth of the whole human
race at an epoch-making political
conference defies all accepted
conventions and acts only on his
own convictions to the extent of
braving ridicule! His is the
strength of the spirit against the
might of the greatest colonial
power the world has ever known.
And the struggle is worth following not alone because of the
great stakes involved, but primarily because of the spiritual
forces that are now brought to
play on the most extensive scale
known in history.
Gandhi comes to London in a
loin cloth and home-spun shawl.
He may even see the King in
this attire, oblivious of the rigorous formalities of the court
of St. James. He takes passage
third class from India to England , and when in London
chooses to live in the poorer section, subsisting on a simple fare
of goat milk and dates. In Marseilles he is mobbed by admirers
but still stops at the servants'
quarters of a modest hotel.
Truly there is something in
this man of the East than can
be admired but cannot be fathomed.
'
1 | ; ||
)1
i
�•?-*—
SEPTEMBER, 1931
33
HOME AND FAMILY*
BAHIA AL-MUSHEER,
Editor
J HAD occasion recently to travel through one of the fairest sections of this fair country, following trails over mountains and
paths through forests practically primeval, skirting lakes and ponds
ol the purest azure framed in greens of every imaginable shade.
livery now and then, neglected and overgrown roads led to a
clearing in the woods, where a deserted homestead or the remains of
a homestead stood; and in every case those men who cleared the
trees plowed the ground, planted the orchard and established a home
lor their families, had an eye for beauty, for every site selected for
a homestead commanded a view of passing loveliness.
But turning the eyes from hills and valleys they would fall on
a house in ruins, or the outline of a garden once carefully tended but
now overgrown with weeds, or once-verdant fields now covered with
brush and in orchards all but swallowed up by the forest.
Indeed a sorry sight!
It is not my purpose to speculate about the causes that brought
about these conditions. They may be logical and reasonable. I want
simply to say that my respect is deep and my admiration is profound
lor the pioneer—the pioneer of every race and in every country,
who dreamed and hoped and toiled and sweated to make things possible for himself and his loved ones, and who blazed the trail for
others. Then for one to turn around and find that the house he built
is m ruins, the ground he cured produces nothing, the efforts he
made are come to naught, the hopes he cherished are shattered,
cannot but touch one's heart deeply.
Now, the reader will ask, and with reason, why did I choose
to preface my efforts in this department in this manner? Why
did I select for a frontispiece such a gloomy picture?
This is my answer. As a race, our love of home and devotion
to our families are surpassed by no other race. We or our parents
migrated to this and other parts of the world and like all pioneers
toiled and sweated to establish homes in which they intended to live
�li
34
THE SYRIAN WORLD
happily and which they hoped would prosper and flourish and multiply. This being the case, is it not our sacred duty to cherish the r
efforts of the founders, to strengthen the foundations they have laid
down for us, to improve and beautify that which they have builded,
and above everything else to guard it against neglect and ruin? And
on the other hand, is it not our sacred duty also to provide for those
who will succeed us ? In other words, how are we to use our inheritance, and what are we to leave to our heirs, and at the same time"
try to have every one contented and happy?
No, I am not an alarmist.
But if you will give ear to the deepest thinkers of our time and
the keenest observers you will find that their concern about the
present day home and family is great and you will not censure me
too strongly for my concern.
We have traditions and customs for which I have very deep respect, but not to such an extent as to hold them inviolable and ignore the demands of the times and environment! And I have a weakness for innovations and modifications, but not to an extent as to look
upon traditions and customs with contempt. I would that we should
not cast off the one unless for a good reason, and select from the
other only that which serves best our needs.
It will perhaps sound trite to point out that the home is not
merely the walls and the roof to which one repairs betimes, nor is
the happiness of the family dependent on the sumptuousness of the
dwelling and the magnificance of its appointment;—that things subjective rather than things objective should be considered essential in
the building of home and family. One can discourse on this subject
endlessly and become exceedingly didatic and consequently tiresome. But, things being equal, can one deny the fact that certain
wise modifications, improvements, changes in policies and habits and
the point of view, changes here and there will make a pleasant home
more pleasant, and a happy family more happy?
Let there be no mistake about it, the person conducting this
department is neither an arbiter nor a Solomon. Neither does she
presume to teach anyone how to live her life or run her home. She
has her home problems just like every other housewife and mother
and expects to receive more than she gives by the exchange of ideas
and experiences. As a matter of fact, this department is intended to
be a forum on which questions pertaining to the home, deemed to .
be of interest and benefit, will be discussed. She invites questions
and promises to do her utmost to be of service,
�I"
SEPTEMBER, 1931
le
35
The Mystery of Aornholt
A THRILLING STORY OF MYSTERY AND BRILLIANT
DETECTIVE WORK
By
THOMAS ASA
yHE morning dawned extremely cold. The incessant blanketing
of early snow had transformed the bare earth into strange, fantastic forms.
The snow fell all morning and afternoon, muffling the winter
solitude of Aornholt with a monotonous silence. The last of the
lingering vacationists, with the exception of Captain Geoffrey Forsyth and his invalid wife, had departed some weeks previously.
Fate, in a capricious moment, had surely imposed on Captain
Forsyth, an officer in the British army on indefinite leave. His wife
had found the therapeutic tranquility of the simple Swiss hamlet
very agreeable to her. The improvement in her condition had induced them to protract their stay, with the result that, with the sudden and unexpected recurrence of her ailment, they had been compelled to remain until her condition had sufficiently improved to
permit travelling.
The prolonged twilight, peculiar to that region, enshrouded,
the surrounding mountain peaks with a deceiving canopy that made
them seem to tower at a much greater distance. The falling snow
had partly subsided, and a sweeping wind began to make inroads
among the snow-laden branches of a small forest of deciduous trees
which grew at the southern extremity of the village.
The grizzled village doctor, Monsieur Andre Sardou, who
derived a moderate income in attending to the medical requirements
of the summer dwellers, had just left the picturesque villa which the
Forsyths had rented from an annual summer resident. Geoffrey
Forsyth was seated at his wife's bedside reading to her. His cheerful countenance and pleasantly modulated voice indicated a disposition resigned to their forced confinement.
"Geoffrey," interrupted his wife, Cynthia, "I feel much better
now, and really believe I can sleep. I am sure that you are tired of
reading, and a visit to the tavern will be more congenial to you."
"I will go if you want to sleep, dear; but I'm not certain that
you are comfortable?"
�...,-raai r
3S
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Marie
here to attend
really
*« I
really^JKVF'
think that funny^V^J
little doctor has ®given me some relief."
Is there anything that you may need at the inn?" Cantain
^dtppl^^
clear ^Zt
be
»
i-Mr-L' Cynthia
£* "f^8^ Captain Forsyth stepped into the
^^I^SS*tOWard
thC gl
?mi^ ***£ marked
tW hUnd6rd
U
the »cteSdtS^ ^^^^ °
*** P
fnl Zt T°dQStlJ fPP°inted "Monte Tavern" presented a cheer
ful sigh from the bitter cold outside. GeoffreyForsyth stamped
went bTf ^^ "^
bmShed th£ Sn W from his
the din ly° visible villaboot
whichH
IT^tnltlZTT
1°^ ^5
?
of hiJ L andT
C
Sloped him!
Pl6aSant Wa
^23
0pened the
th fr m
°
eyet
brass-bound door
Within
Mediately en-
fwr^f *?' ^ood-natured Proprietor, Maitre Pierre, as he was
f^mliarly known, greeted him effusively in painstaking EnglS
Ah, good-evening, Monsieur Capitaine, good-evening I hoofvou
enjoy the best of health;-and madame" monsieur^ £c 2K?
and ,!!IhankiT'
Pie
7e'
U
ShG IS betten
a
" Forsyth removed his hat
ie b0 0m
Sep£^±2*
T r monsieur
- " ^before the &££
Y
cigarette:
assistant" °rder W"
"* "^
SCrVed Wkh alaCrky
>" ** ordered, lighting f
^ Jea">
the
inn-keeper's
Captain Forsyth drank the stimulating liquid slowlv and
matlv iii Z£? r°°m- A "^ who 'were talking" £
mately in undertones, were seated at a table in the corner oonosite
??
him; but what they were saying, he could not understand
ine minutes passed monotonously. Geoffrey Forsvth soon
confessed the soothing languor that stole over him, his rest had been
8m
anXi£ty Ver his f
tw^ed
fr
°
* i3ff
Al
arowsed, butTwk
but awakened
almost instantly.
A*
woman's
vnire I«n
mg softly from the second floor of the tavern, hXoued^m He"
glanced inquiringly at Maitre Pierre, and that worthy crossed'over
to his table from the diminutive bar
"Travellers, Monsieur Forsyth—Monsieur and Madame
Raoul de Challons," he enlightened. "De Challons is artist he
will paint winter scene, I think you name it "
' C
�SEPTEMBER, 1931
37
hn^I\hl inn-keePer Pause4 wiped his thick lips with a lanre
handkerchief, and resumed in French, as if he found the alifn
tongue inadequate. "Madame de Challons is very beautiful and
quite young monsieur, a native of Vienna if I mistake not »
Forsyth smiled at the proprietor's enthusiasm, and then arose
from his chair and walked over to the balcony that overlooked the
immense valley below. He now understood "the causof the vU
W n ered Wkh
MallrrChajT° fbeautiful
', as "»
Madame de Challons ^
was as
Maitre"^
Pierre wttnt
had deCaptain Forsyth turned his head at the sound of some one
descending the enclosed stairway. What he saw was unexpected
The inn-keeper's praise of Madame de Challons' beauty Z^superla'
tive indeed, but the loveliness he beheld caused him L st^e in col
vert surprise. He recovered his composure, and perceived that De
Challons was of distinguished appearance
1W MStreuKen? PrfCeded his Suests t0 the table that was placed
before the huge fireplace. They were then served liqueurs by he
throve l^X^^^J^^S cct^r
C0 erSatl0n
drifted to him. Then he heard himself addressed
^
Monsieur Capitaine," said the proprietor, coming forward and
continuing, ceremoniously in French,-"Monsieur and M^d me de
Challons have instructed me to inform you they would be Teatlv
g
Y
honored to have the pleasure of your company »
Captain Forsyth felt a momentary embarrassment at this un
expected invitat.on He readily appreciated however, th w vmg
of formality intended by the courteous request. He therefore IS
nCret re gladl
bowed his assent and followed the inn-keeper
°
y
Monsieur Raoul de Challons arose from his chair
Captain Forsyth was presented. He bowed gravely to Madame
, f^ undihen b°Wed in
tUrn to Mo
« de Gallons who
extended his hand in the English form of salutation
'
You are exceedingly kind to give us your company, Captain
speaking the Gaii
astr
d
~ £%*sz
"Thank you monsieur, but surely I am equally indebted for
The proprietor now served a small flagon of chilled Cham-
�38
THE SYRIAN WORLD
pagne de Regnault, the finest of his ample reserve stock, imported
Turkish cigarettes, and delicate servings of sweet confections and
salted pistachio.
"The inn-keeper has just informed me that Madame Forsyth
is suffering from some serious indisposition, monsieur," said Madame de Challons in French.
"That is true, madame," Coptain Forsyth confirmed in the
same language. "My wife is troubled with a more or less chrome
nervous prostration, and its unfortunate reappearance at this time
is responsible for our stay here past the usual season."
"Oh, that is indeed unfortunate, Monsieur Forsyth," said madame, sympathetically; and then added: "It has undoubtedly been
very trying for her to be confined here all this time without some
feminine companionship."
"That has been her greatest discomfort, I believe, madame,"
Forsyth agreed: and then suddenly changing the conversation, he
addressed Monseiur de Challons: "Your commission is evidently
urgent to compel you to travel at this season, monsieur."
"I confess that such energy in the pursuance of art seldom
troubles me, captain. In fact, it was only at the earnest request of
a very dear friend and patron of mine that I put myself to this inconvenience." De Challons attended this brief explanation with a peculiar smile.
"It would be of great interest to me to see some of your work,
monsieur," Forsyth remarked, with polite solicitation. "Though I
know but little of art, I yet derive considerable enjoyment from it."
"Thank you, monsieur; I shall be pleased to have you examine
the canvas I have contemplated when it is in the stage of completion.
An obscure artist is always grateful when any interest is aroused in
his work."
As Monsieur de Challons finished this acknowledgment, a carelessly attired man, who was apparently of advanced age, emerged
almost noiselessly from the enclosed stairway and, after a furtive
glance about the large room, which was now vacant of native patrons,
proceeded slowly to a table in a corner of the tavern. The aged man
seated himself with the deliberate care characteristic of senility. A
heavy, grizzled beard covered his face, and the sharp nose and
piercing grey eyes beneath shaggy brows gave him an unusually
austere appearance. Despite his plain and somewhat frayed attire
and rough aspect, the stamp of rusticity did not cling to him. It
was evident that he was a stranger in the community.
"A remarkable looking person, monsieur," commented De
�SEPTEMBER, 1931
39
Challons in a low voice, addressing Captain Forsyth. "He is no
native of this village, I am certain."
"Maitre Pierre told me that the man, on his arrival several
days ago, gave his name as Gaston Benoit, and that he had come from
the district of Neuchatel to visit a married daughter, who lives in
a village called Traunfelwald, which is about thirty miles distant by
post from here, I believe the inn-keeper said. He was forced to
stop in Aornholt because of a severe attack of rheumatism."
"The man is evidently displeased with the curiosity we show
in him," Madame de Challons said, breaking the silence she had
maintained for several minutes.
"He is an unusually fine character type for the artist's palette,"
added De Challons. "Were I disposed, and had the necessary time,
I believe that I would approach him as a prospective sitter."
"Fortunately for you, my dear Raoul, you are not so disposed,"
Madame de Challons said, with a smile. "I am doubtful whether
Monsieur Benoit would favor you with a sitting. Art does not retain
its charm to an aged rheumatic, I should judge."
"His retiring disposition certainly does not encourage any
intimacy," Captain Forsyth remarked, finding but slight interest in
the old man.
During the conversation, Monsieur Benoit was served a large
pewter of Wurttemberg ale which he had ordered, and which he
now drank with avid haste. He had seemed to peer with myopic focusing of the eyes about him, and now seemed to have merged within
himself, completely oblivious of his surroundings.
The early winter evening advanced until the staccato beat of
the tavern clock indicated the hour of ten. Geoffrey Forsyth arose
from the table, excusing himself with apparent reluctancy.
Monsieur de Challons also arose. "Much as we desire, we will
not ask you to remain longer, captain," the artist said, with a friendly
smile. "You are naturally anxious about your wife, who, I hope,
will forgive us for detaining you to this hour."
Assisted in his ulster by Jean, who, prior to this attentive assistance, had been nodding sleepily behind the bar, and standing
with hat and gloves in hand, Captain Forsyth addressed his new acquaintances before departing.
"Allow me to thank you for a very pleasant evening," he said,
with a slight bow; "and may I be permitted the pleasure of returning this courtesy by inviting you to our temporary home tomorrow."
"Trusting you will excuse fne, monsieur, I shall defer the
great pleasure of meeting Madame Forsyth until later, my com-
�40
THE SYRIAN WORLD
mission allowing me so little leisure," acknowledged the artist j "but
my wife will be very much pleased to avail herself of this opportunity, I am sure."
"Indeed, Monsieur Forsyth, it will give me the greatest pleasure to make youn wife's acquaintance," Madame de Challons acquiesced, in her charming manner.
"Then kindly expect me here at ten tomorrow morning, madame."
Captain Forsyth quitted the warm atmosphere of "Monte Tavern" and walked briskly down the steps. The night was extremely
cold, and the sky exhibited a festive splendor with its starlit firmament, which was only occasionally obscured by a sudden flurry of the
wind. The snow-covered objects near the roadway were sharply
delineated against the frosty background of darkness, and the deeply
rutted tracks of a horse-drawn sled that had passed over the road
during the early part of the evening were still plainly visible.
Geoffrey Forsyth was in a very pleasant mood, and thoroughly
enjoyed the chilly stillness about him. The unexpected evening's
entertainment at the inn had dispelled the feeling of discontentment
that had filled the slowly passing days. He had never, in all the
varied phases of his army life at home and abroad, quite met the
equal of Madame de Challons in beauty and charm of personality.
The artist impressed him as a man of considerable culture and
eclectic experience, and possessing that bonhomie characteristically
French.
Occupied with these pleasant meditations, and forgetful of a
sharp turn in the roadway just ahead of him, Captain Forsyth
incautiously stepped into a snow-drift, which immediately brought
him back to active perceptions. Brushing the fine snow from his
coat, he quickened his strides, and presently entered the lighted
interior of his temporary residence.
He removed his hat and ulster, and then walked lightly up
the carpeted stairs. A warm, mellow light issued through the partly
open door of his wife's chamber. She was awake, awaiting his belated return.
"The deuce!" exclaimed Forsyth, closing the door and going
to her. "Rather bearish of me to have stayed so long, dear." He
seated himself near the bed and took her delicate hands in his and
tenderly kissed them.
"Listen, Geoffrey," interrupted his wife, with a wan smile.
"What is it, dear?"
"I feel that you are wearied of this place. You know, Geoffrey,
�SEPTEMBER, 1931
41
you can go south for a few days "
dToette todayand are *w5*£^* *
inquiSgly"
FOTSyth remainCd Silent
'
bW l0
*d * her husband
Cynth,a, but L sure £^ffiZ^K** *»"
can und'e^ £££** "^ to ^.p^K*
writelo^et"' Iff T E"F* "** f°
his
one
°m> ""-ding to
The proprietor turned and called in French to his assistant
J
d
e tHat M SiCUr F r th has
"How
I"
T
T,
r
°^
-ted" "
How long has Monsieur de Challons been out, Pierre?" nues
honed Forsyth, as he removed his felt hat and gloves
Q
and t^°mAAr eftTf^ eady' caPitaine," the inn-keeper answeredand then suddenly added: "Ah I forget, I have letters wh cTcome
by the morning post for you, monsieur."
l and then
the se^erlTlSf n ^^ ^T^T *«
>
P*-«d
«fJfcA let.ters,m an inner pocket of his coat. He advanced towards the enclosed stairway as he heard some one descending!
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
"Good morning, monsieur," said Madame de Challons as she
reached the bottom step. She extended her gloved hand and smiled '
warmly.
"Good morning, madame. I hope that I have not kept you
waiting," Captain Forsyth greeted in return, slightly preceding
her to the door.
"Indeed not, monsieur; we Viennese are not early risers, you
know."
Madame de Challons nodded pleasantly to the inn-keeper as
they passed out.
"It is unfortunate that there is no public conveyance other than
the daily mail coach which passes through, madame."
"Walking is a favorite pastime in Vienna, Captain Forsyth; and
the distance is trifling," said the youthful Madame de Challons,
taking his proffered arm.
They went along for a few moments in silence. Madame de
Challons drew closer to Captain Forsyth, for she found the roadway
slippery with the snow that had slightly melted with the rising temture of the morning.
"I pray that your dear wife is better this morning, monsieur,"
said Madame de Challons, breaking the short silence.
"She is much improved, madame; and I am quite sure that
your intended visit is wholly responsible for the improvement."
Madame de Challons smiled with pleasure, but remained silent.
"You have been in England, Madame?" Captain Forsyth
asked, observing his beautiful companion with something of the
connoisseur's critical appreciation.
"I made a brief visit there with my parents several years ago,
monsieur; though I have yet to enjoy my first London season."
"The pleasure that one can derive from the social rounds in
London is quite negligible, madame; your Vienna is superior in
many ways, and certainly in the respect of ideal living."
"You are exceedingly kind to say so, Captain Forsyth; but your
metropolis retains a certain glamour that is almost irresistible to the
continental."
This pleasant exchange of commendations was abruptly ended,
for they now approached the stone walk that led to the cloister-like
entrance of the villa.
In the low-ceilinged hall, they were met by the maid, Marie,
who, with a smiling courtesy to Madame de Challons, relieved them
of their outer garments, and then ushered them into the comfortable
drawing-room ,where, much to Captain Forsyth's surprise and joy,
.. .
�SEPTEMBER, 1931
43
he found his wife occupied with some embroidery work before the
glowing warmth of a wood fire.
"Cynthia!" he exclaimed, going to her and clasping her delicate hands; "your presence here below is the greatest happiness I've
had for days."
His wife's attention immediately centered on Madame de Challons, who was regarding them with charming diffidence.
Captain Forsyth drew back from the chair in which his wife
was sitting.
"Madame, this is my wife," he said with a bow, introducing
them; "Cynthia, this is Madame Raoul de Challons, who was kind
enough to visit us."
With the expiration of ten minutes or more, during which Mrs.
Forsyth and her visitor chatted animatedly in French, Captain Forsyth, his spirits considerably heightened by the evident pleasure
his invalid wife felt in the company of Madame de Challons, excused himself and retired to the study on the second floor to attend
to his mail.
In the study, which was partitioned off from the bed-chamber,
Forsyth seated himself at the black-walnut escritoire, and drew the
curtains of the window near him. For a few moments, he gazed
abstractedly^at the panorama of snow-clad mountains that stretched
in endless vista before him. Then, with a shrug of his broad shoulders, he withdrew the letters from his pocket and began to examine
them.
For over a half hour, he alternately read and answered the
letters, one of which was from his elder brother, Sir Richard Elwart
Forsyth, who resided at Marmount Castle, the home of the Grenville-Forsyths for twelve generations.
With a sigh of relief, as if the obligations he had just finished
had been accomplished with but little relish, he placed the letters to
be forwarded in his coat pocket. He then arose from the chair, and,
passing through his bed-chamber, descended the carpeted steps.
Entering the drawing-room, his immediate gaze was directed
at the somewhat antiquated concert grand piano at which Madame
de Challons was now seated. His unobtrusive entrance was greeted
by a smile from his wife.
"Madame de Challons has kindly consented to play for us,
Geoffrey; although I am uncertain of its condition, having no inclination to try it."
"It is a Beckstein, of celebrated make, as you know," said Madame de Challons, who was examining a considerable quantity of
�44
THE SYRIANWORLD
sheet music in the rack; and then, as if dissatisfied with what she
found, she turned to the piano, and with an almost imperceptible
motion ran her fingers over the mellowed keys in pearly arpeggios.
"Why, it is in perfect condition!" Madame de Challons exclaimed, with some surprise, for the tone had sounded clear and
brilliant.
"I thought that you would find it so, madame," said Captain
Forsyth, who had seated himself near his wife. "Monsieur Claude
Viaud, from whom we rented this villa, is a very enthusiastic amateur of music, and it was quite unlikely that he would neglect the
instrument."
"I hope that my selection will please you, for it is a great favorite of mine," Madame de Challons said, as she commenced to
play with a forte stroke of bass and treble in the lower octaves.
"Geoffrey! that is the Sonata Pathetique of Beethoven," Mrs.
Forsyth exclaimed, in a voice of commingled surprise and delight.
Captain Forsyth sat spellbound. He had expected the usual
performance of an accomplished lady of fashion, and not this artistic rendition of which he was a delighted witness.
The first movement of the sonata, with its inspiring chord passages and charming oriental color, was followed by the adagio cantabile, the second movement, and this in turn was succeeded by the
graceful rondo, the concluding part.
With the accented quarter note that ended the composition still
faintly vibrating, Madame de Challons turned about on the piano
bench to smilingly face the warm expressions of praise from her
hosts.
"My dear madame!" Cynthia Forsyth said, her pale-blue eyes
aglow with excitement; "I now recall you as the youthful prodigy
who astonished London audiences with your wonderful talent several seasons ago. You were then known as Charlotte Brunne, if I
am not mistaken."
"Indeed, madame, we had no idea that genius had condescended to share our hospitality," remarked Captain Forsyth, who
fully shared his wife's admiration for their visitor.
"My dear friends, you overwhelm me with your kindness.
This talent you praise so highly is nothing."
"Oh, you are too modest, madame," Mrs. Forsyth added;
and then, as an afterthought she continued: "Did you not give a recital at the Imperial Opera in Vienna last winter?"
"I was fortunate enough to have had the opportunity," Madame de Challons confirmed, smiling with slight embarrassment at
——
mm
�SEPTEMBER, 1931
45
the friendly inquiry from her well-informed hostess.'
"And called a second Ertman by all critics for your fine playing of Beethoven's sonatas?" continued Cynthia Forsyth, answering her own question, for her memory was sharpened by personal
contact with the object of her interest.
"Critics are far too generous in their comments, Madame Forsyth."
On being urged, Madame de Challons played several classical
selections, and continued to delight her English hosts until luncheon
was announced by Marie, who, needless to say, was very much impressed with the personality of the beautiful visitor.
(To be continued next month.)
Song of Friendship
By
EDNA
K.
SALOOMEY
Be still, my heart. This song shall end
Which rings this day jubilantly.
The silv'ry chords of sound, the blend
Of colours weaving harmony;
These joys which pierce you to the depth,
Fade like days on the wings of flight.
The song ended—as bleak as death
Are the hours of a songless night.
Weep not, my heart. Be now attuned
To the dull tunes of loneliness.
Their strident echoes are a wound
For which earth has no recompense.
And, when friend from friend must depart
And vast vacuity is left,—
In all the world the saddest heart
Is that which is of love bereft.
• '•"*• -
�Infantile Paralysis
By
DR.
F. I.
SHATARA
THE recurrence of infantile paralysis this summer makes a brief
discussion of this disease both interesting and important.
Infantile paralysis, known medically as Poliomyelitis, was
introduced into this country from northern Europe in 1906. Since
that unhappy year it has never been absent, but has prevailed in
some parts of the country every summer. In 1916, it swept the
country in epidemic from. This year it again assumed epidemic,
though less extensive, proportions.
The exact cause or germ of this disease is still not definitely
known and, until that problem is conclusively solved, our knowledge
of, and means of combatting, the disease necessarily remains inade- .
quate.
It is probable that the disease is caused by a germ described
by Flexner and Noguchi in 1913 as the "globoid bodies." Certain
strains of streptococci have been claimed to be experimentally capable of producing the disease. In 1916 and 1917, the writer, in
association with Dr. Charles Norris, carried out some research work
at Bellevue Hospital to determine the cause of this disease. A streptococcus was found in the brain and spinal cord substance of patients
who died of this disease, but a similar organism was found in other
patients who died from other causes.
It seems determined that there is a very considerable natural
or acquired immunity to infantile paralysis. Thus, infants under six
months of age, and most adults have a low susceptibility to the disease. The period of greatest susceptibility is during the third and
fourth years. After the seventh year, natural immunity seems to
be rapidly acquired.
The germ lodges in the mucous membrane of the nose and
throat, and later attacks the central nervous system, particularly the
anterior horns of the spinal cord. These are the seat of muscle control and when destroyed there is loss of motor power in the muscles
.
WSHBmmtmmimmMmmm r i
�SEPTEMBER, 1931
47
controlled by that particular segment of the cord.
Dr. Amos of the Rockefeller Institute, and Dr. Taylor of the
Vermont State Board of Health, made the interesting observation
that when the germ is brought into contact with the secretions of the
nose and mouth, the secretions, in many persons, have the power of
destroying the germ.
Infantile paralysis is a communicable disease. It may be transmitted by a third person. It is, however, only slightly contagious by
direct contact. This is a great blessing, otherwise the disease would
be far more prevalent, and it explains why it is rare to have more
than one case in one family. This knowledge has rendered burdensome quarantine restrictions unnecessary.
The early symptoms of the disease are drowsiness, fever, headache, irritability, especially when moved, vomiting, and stiffness of
the neck, followed usually in a few days by inability to move some
set of muscles. These symptoms may all be present, or only a few
may be manifest, and it is better for the parents not to attempt tc
make a diagnosis, but to call the doctor immediately, put the child
to bed, and keep the other children away. If the family is unable to
pay for the services of a physician, the Health Department will
send a physician gratis.
Once the diagnosis is established, the case should remain under
medical supervision, not only until the acute symptoms subside, but
also until the resultant paralysis has been improved or cured. This
is necessarily a slow process, and usually takes months and
sometimes years. Supporting braces and various surgical procedure
are often necessary. Convalescent serum, or the serum of patients
who have had the disease, when used early, is of some value. The
Health Department has available a supply of such serum donated
by volunteers. Governor Roosevelt of New York was one of the
first who donated some blood to fight this scourge.
In conclusion, the following are quotations from a leaflet
issued by Dr. Shirley W. Wynne, Health Commissioner of New
York City.
"What should be done to avoid infantile -paralysis?
Follow the well-known and accepted rules that always
protect one during outbreaks of infectious (catching) disease.
Avoid crowds or groups, whether public or private.
Avoid all sick children as well as older persons who are ill.
�48
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Mothers should see to it that children:
Wash their hands frequently during the day and always
before eating.
Don't let your children be kissed by any one.
Are bathed daily.
What foods should be given to children?
Clean, wholesome food suitable for this time of the year.
Plenty of milk, fruit, fresh vegetables and eggs.
Keep food, especially milk, in the refrigerator.
Avoid fried foods or foods liable to upset the stomach.
Do not give money to your children to buy drink or food.
Buy them for your children.
Raw fruit and other foods eaten uncooked should be
carefully washed.
Bathing at beaches or swimming fools is safe if the water is
clean.
Sayings of Ali
pORBEARANCE is a covering shield, and mind a trenchant
sword. Cover, therefore, thy natural defects with the shield of
sword. Cover, therefore, thy natural defects with the shield of
restraint, and attack the morbidness of thy passion with the sword
of intellect.
CPEAK and thou shalt be known, for every man is hidden under
his tongue.
A VARICE is the breeder of all the vices. It is a halter by which
one may be led to all form of evil.
MEVER have I beheld a tyrant more like one who is oppressed
than he who harbors envy. He is ever the victim of a brooding
depression, a Wandering mindj and constant grief.
�SEPTEMBER, 1931
49
Political Developments in Syria
WILL FRANCE RENOUNCE
ITS SYRIAN MANDATE?
The Paris office of the Havas Agency on August 28 gave out a report
from Geneva that the French Government intended to renounce its inundate over Syria. Later this report
was declared premature and explained
by France's willingness to introduce
changes in the form of government in
Syria that she hopes will solve the
Syrian problem.
Political rumors have been thick
and varied during the past few
months because summer seems to be
the favorite season for political activities in Syria. The logical reason
is that High Commissioner Ponsot
would be in Paris and matters coming
up for consideration could be dealt
with definitely with the Ministry
of Foreign affairs.
Out of the maze of rumors afloat
one thing seems to stand out distinctly as being contemplated by the
French, and that is their conviction
that the Syrians must be given additional political rights than what
they now enjoy. But just what form
the solution of the problem will take
has not been yet determined. There
are those who insist that Syria will
be made a monarchy with former
King Ali of Arabia as King, while
others maintain that nothing short
of a regular republic will satisfy
the Nationalists who still are considered the strongest single bloc in
the country. Recently rumors would
have it that Emir Ali of Transjordania is being considered for the
proposed Syrian throne instead of his
brother Ali. King Feisal of Iraq,
another son of the late King Hussain,
''
-
-
-
-r*£x
'
is said to have taken up with the
French the question of the Syrian
throne while on his recent visit to
Paris.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
OCCUPYING THE LEBANESE
What created a sensation in political circles in Lebanon was a report in one of the Syrian papers that
Emil Eddy, former Premier and one
of those most prominently mentioned
for the Presidency in the 1932 elections, had advanced the suggestion
while in Paris that Lebanon cede the
city of Tripoli to Syria as a sea outlet and because of the fact that the
majority of the population of the
city are Moslems. The true object of
this move is ascribed to the desire
of Mr. Eddy to insure for Lebanon
an overwhelming Christian majority
and eliminate religion as a political
factor in the affairs of the country.
The rumor was dismissed as ridiculous by the Lebanese press which
insisted that not only is the religious
question definitely divorced from politics in Lebanon but that the Lebanese
will never permit the loss of any part
of their present territory.
The Lebanese Government continues
to face a grave deficit in the budget.
Michel Zakkour, a progressive journalist and a member of the Legislative Assembly, advanced the tentative proposal that members of that
body agree to a reduction in their
salaries, but, as would be expected,
his radical suggestion met with very
little favor. The idea of reducing
materially the membership of the
Legislative Assembly in the interest
of economy is consequently gaining
ground.
�-
50
UNREST IN PALESTINE
During the summer months, particularly August, there was fear of
grave disturbance in Palestine arising
from the government's decision to
permit the erection of sealed arsenals
in Jewish settlements with a view
to allowing the Jews access to them
in emergencies. This natural'y incensed the Arabs who planned to stag 3
demonstrations of protest which the
government, however, took measures
to prevent. Owing to these precau
tions the month of August, which
witnessed the bloody massacres of
1929, passed uneventfully with the
exception of a minor encounter in
Nablus.
The apparent determination of the
Arabs to protest the government's
action, however, had an unnerving effect on the Jews. A large number of
them were reported to have taken an
extended holiday in Damascus and
other parts of Syria to escape possible strife, according to Syrian press
reports.
While conditions in Palestine are
quiet on the surface, there seems to
be nothing to indicate a permanent
solution of the racial problem between
the Arabs and the Jews. Joseph Levy,
in his dispatches to the New York
Times, reports that the Arab nationalist movement in Palestine is assuming tremendous proportions to the
extent of arousing the strongest political consciousness even among the
fellaheen. This would indicate that
tflie hopes of the Zionists for the
establishment of a truly national Jewish home in the country may never
be fully realized. Even were the Jews
to become a majority in the country,
according to this correspondent, such
a majority would be as a drop in
the ocean in comparison with the
millions of surrounding Arabs. And
these Arabs are now becoming fully
politically conscious. A strong element in Palestine is now agitating
THE SYRIAN WORLD
for a pan-Arab movement as against
a pan-Islamic movement with the
object of demonstrating Arab solidarity free from religious stigma.
Among the Jews, on the other hand,
there are those who oppose a political
Jewish homeland and urge an amicable understanding with the Arabs
for the mutual advantage of both
peoples. This the Arabs would only
be too willing to consider once they
are satisiied the Jews have renounced
all political ambitions. Arab leaders
have time and again declared they
would welcome the Jews as settlers
in reasonable numbers, and sanction
their establishment of a national cultural home in Palestine, providing
their activities are confined to this
idea alone.
SULTAN PASHA ATRASH
COMING TO AMERICA?
What some Syrian papers claim as
authentic, reliable information, is that
Sultan Pasha Atrash, leader of the
Syrian revolution of 1925-6 is coming
to the United States in person in
view of the gravity of the conditions
of the Syrian war refugees now in
the Arabian desert. The plight of
these brave Druze warriors who have
preferred voluntary exile to surrender
has aroused the pity and the admiration of the world. They have undergone the severest privations and hardships and for the past several years
have been subsisting mainly on contributions sent them from sympathizers in America. Lately, however,
contributions have been slow and
meager, reducing the refugees almost
to the point of starvation. Hence the
reported decision of their leader to
come to the United States.
The New Syria Party has started
a campaign for raising sufficient funds
to care for the refugees during the
coming winter, proposing regular donations of $1.00 a month by every
Syrian family in America.
�SEPTEMBER, 1931
51
TTTF
SYRIAN WORLD
NEWS SECTION
VOL. VI. NO. 1.
SECOND MAHRAJAN
HELD IN DETROIT
Syrians and Lebanese of Michigan and
Neighboring States Flock in
Thousands to Paris Park.
The Mahrajan has definitely become
a national institution for the Syrians
and Lebanese of the United States.
The growing success attending its
celebration on the first and second
years leaves no doubt of the popularity of the idea. The celebration has
been given also the official name of
Mahrajan since it denotes the spirit
of a national festival. -And such has
been the spirit characterizing the two
celebrations so far held on two successive years.
The Detroit Mahrajan was held at
Paris Park, a thirty five-acre picnic
grounds on the outskirts of the city
fully equipped for such purposes. The
celebration lasted the two days of
Sept. 6 and 7 and was replete with
enjoyable activities during every minute of the time.
The Mahrajan idea originated with
tht Lebanon League of Progress of
New York, a national organization of
the Lebanese in the United States.
The Detroit celebration was held under the joint auspices of the national
organization and a local committee of
St. Maron Society.
Sunday afternoon the formal opening exercises were held in the vast
open air auditorium of the park and
were presided over by Mr. Antoun
i-V-Xii
SEPTEMBER 1931.
Azoury of the local committee. Madame Fedora Kurban and John Fayyad sang the Star Spangled Banner
while the brothers Paul and George
Nasr sang the Lebanese anthem.
Speeches on this occasion were restricted to Arabic inasmuch as the
English function was set for the following day. The speakers included
Elias Gastin, President of St. Maron
Society for the Detroit committee;
Salloum A. Mokarzel, editor of the
Syrian World, representing his brother
N. A. Mokarzel, editor of Al-Hoda
and President of the Lebanon League
of Progress of New York; Rev. Elias
Asmar, pastor of St. Maron church
of Detroit; Rt. Rev. Antony Bashir,
editor of the magazine Al~Khalidat;
and Abbas Aboo Shakra of Detroit,
Emir Joseph Bellamah of Montreal,
Canada, Salim George of Detroit, John
Hindy of Detroit, William Farran of
Toledo, Ohio, and Philip Abraham of
Wheeling, W. Va., each of whom recited an original poem composed for
the occasion.
The American speakers on the following day were highly eulogistic of
the civic virtues of the Syrians and
Lebanese of Detroit. They included
Judge Joseph Gillis, representing the
Governor of Michigan; Miss Emilia
Schaub, representing the Mayor of
Detroit; State Representative J. Callahan; Clem Woodbury of the American Legion and others. Salloum A.
Mokarzel who presided at this meeting, responded and urged the Syrians
and Lebanese to maintain the high
�52
reputation they have acquired as law
abiding and industrious citizens.
Other speakers at this meeting were
Mrs. K. Ghosn, President of the Syrian-Lebanese Ladies' Society of Detroit, Joseph Youakim, editor of the
local Arabic paper Al-Ittehad, and
Sassin Roukos.
A fair-complexioned girl of about
eight years was led to the platform
with the request that she be permitted
to say a few words. Her name was
Gloria Abu Slaiman and was represented as an American child adopted
by a Lebanese family. She did speak,
but in such fluent Arabic as to put
to shame many a child of native Syrian and Lebanese parents.
During the two days the four thousand persons or more who entered the
park engaged in their favorite pastimes such as is possible to them only
on very rare opportunifiies. There
were the native dances, songs, sword
play, poetical improvisation and the
like. It was a festive occasion fully
enjoyed by all and one that afforded
many friends the only opportunity
they had of meeting each other in
years. Some of those attending came
from Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo, Lansing,
Flint, and many places in Canada.
SYRIAN TEXAS CLUB
DOING SPLENDID WORK.
Spirit Displayed Deserves Emulation
by all Syrian Clubs Throughout
the Country.
The actions of the Young Men's
Amusement Club of Port Arthur, Tex.,
belie its name. This society of young
Syrians may be given up to amusement activities, which is perfectlynatural and receives our hearty encouragement. But judging by the souvenir program of the convention of
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Syrian societies of the Southwest held
under its auspices July 4 and 5, its
amusements run along extremely serious lines. The spirit it shows is
worthy of emulation by any body of
mature adults and deserves the highest commendation. We not only are in
hearty accord with this society, but
are frankly proud of its spirit.
This Syrian Club of Port Arthur is
working towards a splendid ideal,
that of forming a federation of Syrian societies in the Southwest which
eventually would be merged into a
national federation. This is in complete accord with the proposition of
the Syrian World, advanced some
years ago, for a federation of Syrian
societies in the country. We would be
happy to consider the proposed regional federation of the Southwest
the cornerstone of the national structure. We are indeed heartened by
this renewal of interest in this all
important project. May the spirit
prove infectious.
We also take pleasure in reproducing from the program of the Young
Men's Amusement Club of Port Arthur, Texas, an editorial appearing
under the title "Pioneers" which indicates deep feeling and true understanding of the American social structure and of the Syrians' special position as compared to earlier comers.
The editorial follows:
PIONEERS
We who live in this country are
constantly reminded of the debt we
owe our pioneer fathers. As this is
a new nation we are forever commemorating some historical incident
and the persons connected with it.
All these things are commonplace to
the citizens of a young country as
ours, but none the less, praise and
credit will never cease to be poured
into the coffers of those who blazed
the trail for our comforts, convenj-
�SEPTEMBER, 1931
ences, and all that goes with our
modern America.
When we think of pioneers, we associate them with those rugged souls
who helped build our country. But
there is another pioneer to whom
we Syrian Americans have let pass
"unhonored and unsung." His name
is not shouted from the hill tops nor
praised in books. Unconciously, we
have relegated him to oblivion. He
is not a master of our rich civilization,
nor a certain individual that contributed to the enrichment of our lives
He lives with us today in America
Our fathers! They came here unaccustomed to the tempo of the new
life; the merits or demerits of their
heritage were buried in the quicksands
of a different land. They started life
over again; they dwelt in privation of
the necessities of life. By bundled
knapsacks they started business that
we, their children, might enjoy a
right to a comfortable life. Today,
some are merchant princes or high
in their professions, and some are
not, but their successes or failures
cannot be measured by commercial
standards, for the opportunities they
made possible for us are beyond our
fondest hopes to repay.
As members of the new generation
we can perpetuate their ideas and
ideals, tempered with our American
traits. It is through young Syrian
clubs that we can acknowledge the
debt we owe our fathers. Those who
serve the Syrian-American spirit also
serve their fathers. Ours can be no
ordinary venture, for via these clubs
we may let the world know who we
are and what we propose to do, for
we are but the products of our inheritance.
We also take the liberty of reproducing their appraisal of the Syrian
World as published in their program.
While we would hold up their friendly
attitude as the proper one to be taken
53
by every Syrian-American, we wish
to extend the Young Men's Amusement Club our hearty thanks for their
expressions of good wishes.
The following is their published
appraisal of the Syrian World and
its mission:
THE SYRIAN WORLD
If you were a merchant, doctor or
housekeeper, and were engrossed in
>our work, you would doubtless be
muchly interested in reading every!
thing pertaining to your trade, profession or vocation. Through the
Printed word you would find much to
add to your knowledge and interest
oi the game.
To fill such a need for h
generation of Syrian-Americans, the
wr„T
I ', 3 m°nthly m»Wzine
written in English dealing with Syrian
affairs and Arabic literature, was
launched in 1926 by S. A. Mokarzel or
New York City, ft therefore furnishes the young man or woman with
the same line of reading matter in
English which their parents have in
Arabic.
By virtue of it being the only magazine of its kind printed
i
«J
the Synan World becomes the official
organ of young Syrians in America.
Anyone having an iota of regard for
his race would grasp the first opportunity of becoming posted on things
Synan through this magazine.
Many have become ardent readers
of the periodical merely by the interest aroused in reading their first
issue. It is our magazine and it is
therefore our responsibility to see
that it continues in its publication,
for it reflects the very things we are
nghmg for.
The Y M. A. C. is interested in the
Syrian World and hopes that it will
overcome its present difficulties which
are due to insufficient support through
subscriptions.
�54
SYRIAN-AMERICAN SOCIETY
PLANS A FEDERATION
The Syrian-American Citizens' Society of Lawrence, Mass., has started
an active campaign to form a Syrian American Federation of the Syrian
societies of New England. It has invited all societies of the section to a
convention it has called for October
22, 23 and 24 to be held at the Lawrence State Aimory. In conjunction
with the launching of this movement
it has decided to conduct an Oriental
bazaar for the primary purpose of
raising funds to defray the expense
of the visiting delegates.
The Syrian World welcomes the
cumulative signs of the racial consciousness displayed by the growing
inclination for collective action. Regional federations of Syrian soeietes
in particular sections are the logical
first steps in the direction of forming
the national federation. We sincerely
trust the undertaking of the SyrianAmerican Citizens' Society of Lawrence will be attended with complete
success.
SYRIAN GIRL ACHIEVES
SUCCESS AS TYPIST.
Hailed as the world's most versatile
stenographer, Miss Olga Elkouri has
been engaged by the Remington-Rand
Company as a demonstrator of their
typewriter under a contract running
for a number of years. She is now
touring the country displaying not
only the responsiveness of the typewriter but her own extensive versatility.
Miss Elkouri is capable of writing
135 words a minute with music, a
feat that places her in a class by
herself. During the first week of September she was featured by Paramount Sound News under the significant caption "The Keys to Success."
She also has gone on the air teaching
THE SYRIAN WORLD
VERSATILE TYPIST
Miss Olga Elkouri
the touch system in operating the
typewriter in eight simple lessons of
an exclusive method she has devised.
Her versatility is carried to the point
where she can maintain her record
of writing 135 words a minute from
a given copy while singing in any
of the three languages she knows—
English, Arabic and Spanish.
Miss Elkouri was born in Jedaidat
Marj'youn but was brought to the
United States by her parents when
still in her infancy. She was brought
up in Oklahoma but now makes her
residence in Detroit, Mich.
SYRIAN PIANIST MAKES
REGULAR BROADCASTS.
Miss Louise Yazbeck of Shreveport,
La., may be heard every Sunday over
station KWKH, 850 kilocycles, at 10:45
P. M. Central Standard Time. She
specializes in Oriental
prograi. .s
either of her own composition or se-
�SEPTEMBER, 1931
lected from the works of Oriental composers, principally those of Mr. Alexander Maloof of New York. The appreciation of her entertainment is attested by a large number of letters
received from all sections of the country.
Miss Yazbeck spent the summer
months at Washington University
completing an advanced course in
music.
55
SYRIAN FLYER
SYRIAN GIRL WINNER
IN DISTRICT AUDITION
Shreveport, La. papers announced
that Miss Olga Maroun of that city
had won the unaminous decision of
the nine judges as the winner of the
district contest held late in July for
the National Atwater Kent annual
competition to be held in November.
This is the first time, it was stated, a
contestant has been so honored.
Miss Maroun is an ideal type for
the musical profession, according to
the opinion of critics, because of her
having a beautiful, rich dramatic
voice of wide range and deep feeling,
as well as being an accomplished
linguist, singing equally as well in
French and Italian. She is 22 and
has studied under the best teachers
both in Shreveport and New York.
SYRIAN GIRL FLIER
GIVEN PILOT'S LICENSE.
Miss Alice B. Coury of Hopewell,
W. Va., was awarded a Private Pilot's
License on Aug. 12, having passed the
U. S. Government requirements pertaing to aeronautics. The Government, however, gives two other licenses, those of Limited Commercial
and Transport., and Miss Coury expects to receive these remaining two
in the course of a year, when she
hopes to have acquired sufficient ex-
Miss Alice B. Coury
perience and flying time.
Miss Coury was born in Manchester,
N. H., in 1910 and was fascinated by
flying since she was in her early teens.
She could not, however, take up the
game seriously before the age of sixteen, and this interval she used in
acquiring a liberal education. She
is now the secretary of the Retail
Merchants' Association of Hopewell,
W. Va., where she is living with her
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Assaf George
Coury.
LEBANON NATIONAL BANK
UNDERGOES LIQUIDATION
The present economic depression
has weighed heavily on the Lebanon
National Bank of New York, forcing
it into liquidation. In fairness to its
management, it should be stated that
this move was consummated without
the slightest loss to depositors. The
�56
Manufacturers Trust Company of New
York took charge of the liquidation
at the request of the Board of Directors of the Lebanon National.
It is cause for genuine regret that
this once promising Syrian financial
institution should be forced to close
its doors. It was, however, in the category of the smaller banks operating
in a tremendously expanded market
and but scantily equipped for the
battle of strong competition. Nor did
the Syrian element give it the proper
support from the viewpoint of a racial institution.
THE SYRIAN WORLD
RESEARCHER
SYRIAN WORLD EDITOR
BROADCASTS ON SYRIANS
On Thursday, Sept. 10, the editor
of the Syrian World gave a radio
talk over Station WHN in New York
on the Syrians in the United States.
The broadcast was under the auspices
of the National Y. M. C. A. and the
Fellowship of Faiths. Both the present standing of the Syrians in America and their historical background
were covered with a view to giving
the general public a better understanding of our people.
SYRIAN GIRL ENGAGED
IN RESEARCH WORK
The local papers of Calumet, Mich.,
announce the appointment of Miss
Irene Nicholas, a Syrian girl of the
city, to membership in the national
committee on international affairs of
the Young Women's Christian Association. Miss Nicholas is said to be
the only Syrian co-ed in a mid-west
university and has been for a long
time connected with university and
Y. W. C. A. activities in research and
statistical work among the foreign
born. She also has given a number
of lectures on Syria and the Syrians
Miss Irene Nicholas
and other subjects with which she is
familiar, especially those pertaining to
the East.
SYRIAN M. D. ESTABLISHES
COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
There was apparently great joy in
Elk City, Okla., on Aug. 14, on the
occasion of the dedication of the Community Hospital which was hailed as
one of the major civic enterprises of
the city. Local papers devoted pages
to the description of the exercises
and the history of the undertaking.
All agreed that the enterprise was
made possible through the energy
and devotion of Dr. M. Shadid, founder of the Co-operative Health Association which is running the hospital.
It is always pleasing to hear of the
realization of an ideal of whatever
nature. Dr. Shadid has an ideal of
unselfish public service and he has
�SEPTEMBER, 1931
undertaken to realize it along the line
of his profession. He maintained that
medical fees and hospital charges
were high, far too high to be within
the reach of the average family, and
to provide adequate medical care at
reasonable rates became his obsession.
With characteristic energy he set
himself to work forming a cooperative
association for the establishment of a
community hospital where the charges
would not only be extremely moderate
but the patients assured the most expert attention. And he succeeded.
Dr. Shadid is a Lebanese from Jedaidat Marj'youn and a graduate of
Washington University in St. Louis,
Mo. Having had a succesful professional career, his love for public service prompted him to enter the field
of politics, receiving the nomination
for congress on the Farmer-Labor ticket in 1928. Later he went to Syria to
study the possibility of establishing
a hospital there or reclaiming land for
large scale farming. The community
hospital of his home town in Oklahoma, however, proved to have first
claim on his attention.
ARAB NATIONAISM
DISPLAYED IN RELIGION
For over two years the Syrian Orthodox church of Antioch was without a Patriarch because of internal
differences among its bishops. One
of the principal reasons of these differences, as stated publicly in the press
was the resentment of the Arab element of interference in Syrian church
affairs by "foreign" Orthodox influence, chiefly that coming from the
Greek element whose yoke the Syrians
had thrown off nearly thirty years
ago.
A similar state of affairs has lately
developed in the Orthodox church of
Palestine upon the recent death of its
57
Greek Patriarch. The Orthodox Palestinians are now agitating for the
e'ection of an Arab Patritrch, threatening to join another Christian body
if their wishes are disregarded. The
spirit of nationalism and independence
has been carried to the point of refusing submission to foreigners even in
church matters. The movement is
said to be general among the Orthodox of Palestine and it seems most
likely that their demands will be
granted. They have served notice on
the mandatory authorities that under
no circumstances will they afcceptj
other than an Arab Patriarch, because
of rumors that the British were favoring the status quo in the Orthodox
religious succession.
SYRIANS IN UPPER
AMAZON UNDER ATTACK
A town on the upper Amazon in
Brazil which the Syrians helped build
nearly twenty years ago, and where
they still remain the only merchants,
was recently attacked by Brazilian
outlaws and the lives of the inhabitants exposed to great danger, according to a special communication to
Al-Bayan, an Arabic newspaper of
New York, published in its issue of
September 2.
In giving the history of the town,
named Brazilia, the correspondent
stated that the Syrians first settled
it and established in it extensive rubber plantations. They remain to this
day the only element engaged in commercial activities in the town, and
their employees in various business
and industrial activities are counted
by the hundreds.
On the morning of June 14, according to the correspondent, an organized
attack by outlaws was launched on
the town and the authorities ordered
all stores closed, and hurriedly armed
�58
the citizens as best they could. The
local defenders, however, were unequal to the task of repelling the outlaws who were well armed and numbered several hundred men. Not until a strong Bolivian force came to
the rescue did the besieged inhabitants feel comparative'y safe.
The correspondent seems particularly concerned about future protection for himself and his countrymen,
especially since they have considerable
investments that excite the envy and
the greed of the lawless element which
abounds in the upper reaches of the
Amazon.
He asks if France, because of its mandate ovar Syria, would
be willing to afford the necessary
protection if it is appealed to, especially since it has consistently denied
the Syrians the right of foreign diplomatic representation.
ARABS OF THE DESERT
RENEW THEIR WARFARE
The end of hostilities between the
two powerful tribes of the Syrian
desert, the Hudaidis and the Mowalis,
does not appear to be in sight. The
Syrian papers of August report that
a new conflict has broken out in which
another emir of the Mowalis was slain
by his enemies, and but for the timely
intervention of the armed forces
which the French authorities had
stationed in the desert for the express
purpose of holding the two enemy
tribes at bay, the golden desert sand
over an extensive area would have
turned crimson.
And all this came about through
the unfortunate incident wherein a
young man of one tribe kidnaped a
girl of the other tribe and fled with
her in the trackless desert. To the
present time the pair have not been
apprehended, but the trail of blood
they have left behind them seems to
?HE SYRIAN WORLD
be endless.
And the French, who coined the
famous saying "cherchez la femme,"
are again finding justification of their
adage in the farthest ends of the
Syrian desert.
GANDHI CHAMPIONS
LEBANESE PAPER
When the Lebanesa governm:nt susTended Zah'e Al Fatat (Young Zahle)
its resourceful editor, Shukri Baccash
wrote to Gand'hi, the Indian leader, for
his support. Gandhi answered him as
follows:
"It has given me great pleasure to
receive yovr letter, and despite my
numerous dutiss imposed by my forthcoming visit to London, I hasten to
write to you that it affords me deep
satisfaction to listen to a tormented
spirit whose voice reaches me from
the Near East.
"Not only do I protest in the name
of Young India against the action of
those who caused the suspension of
Young Zahle, but I wish to declare,
and do hereby authorize you to make
declaration in my name, that life can
never be guaranteed any government
or people without the freedom of the
press."
PROMINENT SURGEON IN
THE AMERICAN NAVY
Al-Hoda of New York reports that
the surgeon of the U. S. Battleship
Wyoming, Dr. Wadih S. Rizk, is a
Syrian, the son of Mr. & Mrs. Salim
Rizk of Jacksonville, Fla.
The Wyoming is the ship that came
to the rescue of the submarine Nautilus when it was in distress while on
its way from the United States to
Europe preparatory to its projected
expedition to the North Pole under
the ice.
w
�SEPTEMBER, 1931
5g
HEILBRONN'S
5TH AVENUE AT 53RD STREET
BROOKLYN. N. Y.
| A METROPOLITAN DEPARTMENT STORE!
I
located in Bay Ridge, the most |
beautiful residential section of the §§
greater city.
g
p
| A LARGE MODERN STORE!
jj
j§
g
speedily reached by 4th Ave. Sub- 1
way (53rd St. Station) Busses and jj
several trolley lines.
a
| A FRIENDLY FAMILY STORE!
jj
jj
m
where every customer receives per- 1
sonal attention and individual ser- =
vice—making shopping here a 1
pleasurebale pastime.
j "Jsr^J'
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669814A
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
AUTHENTIC
ORIENTAL RUGS
THE A.
(S
SLEYMAN COMPANY, INC.
276 5th AVENUE
NEW YOFK CITY
|§)
Phone BOgardus 4-4345
George Haddad
Proprietor
Phone
CHickering 4-8878
ALEXANDRIA RESTAURANT
The new and beautiful uptown Syrian restaurant owned and operated
by a master chef, who summons his long experience to the
art of producing the most delectable Oriental dishes.
Small and large parties catered to
So Conveniently Located
21 WEST 31st STREET,
NEW YORK
m
IT IS YOURS
is the only Syrian publication printed
in English, and as such is the organ of the Syrians in Ajnerica.
You can help it continue and grow by subscribing to it yourself
and inducing others to subscribe.
THE SYRIAN WORLD
PUBLISHER, THE SYRIAN WORLD:
104 Greenwich Street, New York.
You may enter my name as a subscriber to "The Syrian World" for the term of one year, for which I agree to
pay the regular rate of $5.00 upon receipt of the first issue.
Address
City & State
�,
'"
".
-. -
—
:
SEPTEMBER, 1931
61
JERE J. CRONIN
FUNERAL DIRECTOR
MORTUARY CHAPEL
Local or Out of Town Funerals Personally Attended to
LADY ATTENDANT
Expense a Matter of Your Own Desire
115 ATLANTIC AVENUE
BROOKLYN, N. Y.
The large amount of business we do permits us to buy caskets
in large quantity which enables us to give the best funerals very
reasonable. We carry a complete line of the very best manufactured
caskets at $45.00 up. We pay no agents to secure funerals for us but
only give the family who has sorrow the very best of service, reverence
and economy. Our aim is to help those who are in trouble at a very
little cost. No charge for use of our services or funeral parlors.
Telephone—MAIN 1398-1399-8130-3655
SHEIK
RESTAURANT
HOW TO BREED MOTHS
Leave your rugs on the floor
with all the dirt and germs
they have collected during the
winter and which home methods cannot remove. Nature
will do the rest.
A well-appointed Syrian restaurant in the heart of the
Syrian Quarter, in lower Manhattan, where you and your
friends can enjoy the most
delectable
Oriental
meals
amidst the charm of an Oriental atmosphere.
RESTORATIVE: Call the
THE KOURI CARPET
CLEANING CORPORATION
Second Foor for Banquets and
Private Parties
RUG WASHERS
NEW YORK. N. Y.
10 West 33rd Street
Tel. LOngacre 5-2385
JERSEY CITY, N. J.
552 Johnston Avenue
Tel. BErgen 3-1085
KIRDAHY RESTAURANTS,
Inc.
65 WASHINGTON ST.,
New York
t
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'»TTT»^f>TT TtTtT<f?»»y^
�Indispensable
A,
kRABIC language publishers
in America find the Linotype indispensable and
have come to realize its great versatility. In the
United States they use it for both Arabic and
English, and in South America for Arabic, Spanish and Portuguese. The same machine could be
used for any language with the mere change of
type, and this without affecting its ability to
cast an innumerable variety of ornaments, rules,
borders and the like. The result is that all newspapers, magazines, books, pamphlets and other
such work with all borders and ornaments can
be done on the Linotype exclusively, insuring
economy in production and a clean, artistic
typographical appearance.
MERCENTHALER
J» TRADE
LINOTYPE^)
An illustrated descriptive catalog
of the Arabic Linotype sent free
upon request.
LINOTYPE METRC FAMILY
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yl ^ ^ 1 £~^ ^ *
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LINOTYPE
CO.
Brooklyn, New York, U. S. A.
Cable: LINOTYPE, NEW YORK
*L,y LjJl WAux)
�,
__——.
THE SYRIAN WORLD
64
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ATTENTION!
ek>
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FORWARD!
SAFE!
MARCH ON TO PROGRESS!
START A BANK ACCOUNT
IMMEDIATELY
LET
YOUR
MONEY
Accumulate for Future
NEEDS AND HAPPINESS
INTEREST
4 .%
Per zAnnum
ON TIME DEPOSITS
FROM
$10.00 Up
Checking accounts may be opened with $200.00 or more.
FAOUR BANK
D. J. FAOUR & BROS.
Established 1891
Under Supervision of New York State Banking
Department.
Capital and Surplus Over $500,000.00
85
WASHINGTON ST.,
NEW YORK CITY
I
�
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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TSW1931_09reducedWM
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Volume 06, Issue 01
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1931 September
Description
An account of the resource
Volume 6 Issue 01 of The Syrian World published September 1931. The issue opens with an editorial announcement of policy changes in the paper. The beginning of this issue primarily highlights upcoming changes, contributors, and plans for the future. What follows this introduction is more of Kahlil Gibran, including an account of the farewell ceremonies to his body in America by Barbara Young, and a farewell to Gibran from Salloum Mokarzel. While many of the same contributors are exhibited in this issue, such as Katibah, Salim Y. Alkzain, Thomas Asa, Dr. F. I. Shatara, and Salloum Mokarzel, there are also several new additions, including an entire section dedicated to the month's news. Some of the newer contributors featured are Bahia Al-Musheer and Edna K. Saloomey. The issue closes out the same as in the previous volumes by addressing political developments in Syria and other Syrian world news.
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.
1930s
Bahia Al-Musheer
Barbara Young
Edna K. Saloomey
F.I. Shatara
Habib I. Katibah
Kahlil Gibran
New York
Salim Alkazin
Thomas Asa
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/c87aa75085a72b7c3dcde9369dca3685.pdf
2ef3e807f6eb8117a0bc94ed7c14f1d9
PDF Text
Text
OCTOBER, 19y.
7ho
��THE
SYRIAN WORLD
Tublished monthly except July and August
by
THE SYRIAN-AMERICAN PRESS
104 Greenwich St., 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 lorkj
N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879.
VOL. VI. NO. 2
T
OCTOBER, 1931
CONTENTS
PAGE
Two Cities, Two Worlds. _
3
Habib I. Katibah
A Precocious Arab Child
10
News and Views.
11
By A Staff Observer
Child Marriages
Starvation in the U.S.A
Urn Kalthoum in Syria
When Mayor Meets King
Poetry, Edited by Barbara Young
Waiting, by John Burroughs
.."..
The Poetry of the Days, Haryot Holt Dey
Is Poetry a Business:
Lute-Strings, by Najla Sabe
Current Poetry
11
12
14
15
16
18
20
21
22
23
�CONTENTS (Continued)
PAGE
True Arabian Tales
The Choice of Su'ad
Arab Wisdom
24
27
Home and Family, Edited by Bahia Al-Musheer
Taste in Furnishing a Home
Laban as Ink Remover
How to Cook Vegetables
28
29
30
The Mystery of Aornholt (A Short Story)
Thomas Asa
31
Visitant (Poem)
41
Nada Sabirah
Our Younger Generation _
Edited by A. Hakim
Introducing a New Department
42
42
Reflections on Love
44
By Kahlil Gibran
Editorial Comment
What the Syrian World Represents
A New Poetry Department
Decorations
45
46
47
Questions and Answers
Iraqis and Syrians
Prof. Philip K. Hitti
48
Political Developement in Syria
49
Syrian World News Section
51
�ynan
t/
SALLOUM A. Mi
MOKARZEL, Editor.
VOL. VI. NO. 2
OCTOBER, 1931
Two Cities, Two Worlds!
By
HABIB
I.
KATIBAH
JT IS only about ninety miles from Beirut to Damascus, going in a
slight southeast inclination across a maritime plain, two chains of
mountains and a narrow valley between. In the days of muleteers
it required over four days to cross from one city to the other, with
many stops between for the rest of riders and mounts alike. Then
the diligence coach with its two teams of four horses harnessed ar
tandem came, and the distance was shortened to a day. The diligence was so prompt with its service that Syrian peasants in villages
along the newly laid route set their watches by its stops, and horses
were changed more than once to keep up the brisk pace. Again progress clipped a new record of speed when in the early sixties the present narrow-gauge railway connected the newly-developed port of
Beirut with the Syrian metropolis in the interior. And today, keeping abreast with time, Fords, Chevrolets, Hudsons and Dodges
whizz by in both directions along a macadamized, asphalted, modern
traffic road, making it possible for a busy merchant of Beirut to keep
a business engagement in Damascus and return home for supper before the sun has' Set in the Mediterranean.
It is but a four-hour ride between Beirut and Damascus, but a
world of ideas and traditions seperates them! Sometimes one thinks
that they are in two seperate worlds. Certainly, these two cities
differ in temperament^ and traditional associations more than New
York and Los Angeles, three thousand miles across the continent of
the United States, or New York and Houston, Texas, or Jacksonville, Florida. They differ more than New York and New"Orleans
�:
D
4
THE SYRIAN WORLD
which in point of history belong to two different civilizations.
In spite of all its Arabic blood, and the infiltration of Arabic
civilization and culture, Beirut is more of a Western city, a Western
colony on the coast of the Mediterranean. And Damascus, in spite
of all modern influences and invasions, has remained Oriental to the
core, perhaps the most typically Arabian city in the world today, a
stronghold of Semitic, Moslem culture and civilization that has persistently resisted capitulation to the West.
li ou have only to consider the location of these two cities and
reflect a little on their histories to understand this great spiritual
chasm that seems to saparate them.
Beirut is a seaport on the Mediterranean sea, a direct descendant of a Phoenician city that, for a considerable period of time,
was a Greek colony. From the middle of the 3rd Century A.D. a
law school flourished in Beirut which became famous throughout
the Roman World, and from which some of the most distinguished
legal minds of the age came forth. Itself on Syrian, Semitic soil
Beirut had its face turned outward towards the azure sea, and its
associations were those of all sea-faring folks, cosmopolitan and
xenophile.
But of Damascus one thinks in different terms and its mention
gives rise to other associations and memories. It is quite significant
that while Beirut can hardly name half a dozen remainsof Arabian,
Islamic antiquity, Damascus, the city of delight, is replete with
them. It ranks perhaps first among the Islamic cities for the richness of its historic Islamic sites and monuments, perhaps only outrivalled by Baghdad, the City of Peace and ancient capital of Ha~
roun al-Raschid. To the single mosque of any prominence in Beirut,the Omari mosque, you could name a score of mosques in Damascus that are hoary with historic traditions and that enshrine the
bones of men whose names were boldly emblazoned on the pages of
Islamic history. One immediately thinks of the Umayyad mosque,
on the site of which, it is claimed, Khalid Ibn Al-Walid and Abu
IJbeida Al-Jarrah, the Moslem invaders of Damascus, met, and on
the Western Wall of which one can still read the names of AbuBakr, Omar, Uthman and Ali, the first four caliphs of Islam. It
was.in this same mosque that the famous Moslem theologian, AlGhazzali, cloistered himself to write a large part of his monumental
work, the ReyivicaticHi of the Sciences of Religion.
Not less interesting are the tombs and mausoleums of this ancient capital of the Umayyads, the only truly Arabic dynasty of Islam, even if not truly Islamic. Here we come across the tomb of
�OCTOBER, 1931
QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS ARTICLE
Why is Beirut a city of the West while Damascus, less
than one hundred miles away, remains the most typically
Oriental center extant?
Do the people of Beirut adopt Western standards
through affectation?
Is the French official's observation about the inhered
difference between Beirut and Damascus true?
What has helped to make Beirut the cultural enter of
the Near East?
Abu Lbe.da h.mself, of Bilal al-Habashi, the muezzin of the Pro
phet Mohammad, of Fatima, the Prophet's own daughter, of the
great Saladdin and his brother Nur-ud-Din, to mention but a few
at random. The mausoleum under which the remains of Nur-ud
Din rest is about midway in the Bazaar of Clothes, (Suq aPKhayvatin ) a narrow canopied street joining al-Hamidiyvah with the Street
Called Straight, (Suq al-Tawil), which is said to be no less than six
hundred years old in its present condition.
It is only natural for a city which from ages immemorial has
been the metropolis of Syria to be so rich in historic associations,
lo many Westerners Damascus is the city where St. Paul was con
verted to Christianity, and to the present dav if vou go there you
may be shown the very spot of that historic conversion, the Church
of Hammyia m the Bab-Tuma quarter, built over the supposed site
oi the House of Ananias, who received St. Paul and baptized him
after his historic journey, from Jerusalem to Damascus. And long
before that, Damascus was the capital of Naaman the Syrian and
other Aramean kings mentioned in the Bible. Greeks and Romans
undoubtedly dominated this city as they did others of Syria but it
is highly doubtful that Damascus, for any appreciable'length of
time divested itself of its Semitic character or adopted the ways of
the Gentiles and Franks from across the Mediterranean.
Preeminently, perhaps, Damascus has been the oasis of the
Syrian Desert, the magnificent, luxurious haven of the weary bedouin shepherd or tradesman who crosses the arid wilderness ofSyri
"on the palm of the Compassionate" in persuit of his share of Al-
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
Jah's boon. No wonder he calls it his earthly paradise, and whoever named it the City of Delight must have been a bedouin himself
or one speaking the longing of his hungry, thirsty heart.
And today Damascus is still the bedouin's paradise and home.
You see him strutting proudly in its streets, in his outlandish garb,
or sipping his cup of coffee in one of its numerous cafes as if he
were as much at home as in his tent under the star-spangled sky of
his desert domain. Rarely do you find a bedouin in Beirut, and
whenever you spot him he looks so dejected and homesick, lost in a
foreign city with those ways and manners he is hopelessly unfamiliar.
The first time I was vividly struck with the marked contrast
between the people of Beirut and those of Damascus was on my last
visit. I was walking with a friend of mine in one of the streets of
Beirut when a typically Beirutian Moslem, with an old fashioned
shirwal and shawl girdle, approached us and asked us for the correct
time. It is so customary for the old people of Damascus and the interior of Syria to run their watches according to "Arabic time", which
is calculated on the basis of sunset, instead of the meridian. And
wishing to accomodate the gentleman, whom I assumed to be oldfashioned and "Arabic" in sentiments and traditions, 1 asked him
whether he wanted the "Arabic" or "Franji" time. To my surprise and amusement he blurted out in his Beirutian brash and frank
manner:
"Blankety, blankety blank Arabic time! Who cares for Arabic time nowadays!"
Yet this Beirutian, and many thousands like him of whom we
know, may be as ardent a nationalist as you may find in all of Damascus. And you can count many Damascene Moslems, with their
turbans and Kimbazes and all the appearances and appurtenances
of Arabic traditions, who are more lukewarm about "nationalism"
than any of the Christian inhabitants of Beirut, and some of whom
are positively Francophile. But the exception here does not prove
the rule, which, in this case, is that the great majority of the Beirutian Moslems, or at least a considerable part of them, favour a policy
of cooperation and understanding with the French. When I first
arrived at Beirut three summers ago it was election time, and Dr.
Halim QaddurahT a notable modern Moslem, had adopted a
platform urging the Moslems of his city to drop the policy of intransigence to the French and try to come to some understanding
with the mandated authorities guaranteeing the political rights of
�mm
OCTOBER, 1931
the Moslem population. Dr. Qaddurah won, and his nationalist
opponent, Anf al-Nimaam, lost.
The point which I wish to make here, however, is not whether
he inhabitants of Damascus or Beirut are more nationalists, but
that even Beirutian nationalists have more of a Western atmosphere
about them than Damascene Francophiles, and more sympathy with
W estern ways and methods. In their manners, conversations and
even mental habits you catch Beirutians adopting the Western attitude, interest and point of view. To casual Westerners, and particularly tourists, thi, is hastily noted down as "aping," and creates
a reaction oi disgust and revulsion against "imitators of the West »
I ei haps that >s what a French official of the High Commissariat at
Beirut had m mind when he replied to my question: "Which do
you like better Beirut or Damascus " Waving his hand in a characteristic brench gesture he said.
"Beirut! Bah! Beirut has no soul, but Damascus, ah' There
is a city for you!"
But what this French officer and other transient Western observers forget, or lack the sympathy and patience to observe, is that
this Westernization" of Beirutians is most often not affected by
any means and comes to them by right of historic descent as much'
as to any dweller on the banks of the Seine or Thames.
Beirut is not an Oriental city imitating the West. On the contrary, it is a Western city with Western traditions and associations
which has never completely been Orientalized. It is the outpost of
Arabian culture and civilization on the Mediterranean, one of many
such outposts, but certainly the most influential and important
Long long ago, a little less than a century before its invasion
by its Moslem conquerors, after Beirut was destroyed by a disastrous
earthquake and tidal waves, a native poet lamented it in a touching
poem of classical beauty. The poem was in Greek, the language
undoubtedly familiar to his fellow citizens. But more significant
than the language are the terms in which this disconsolate poet describes his native city in ruins, and the classical associations that were
uppermost in his mind.
"Here am I," he pictured Beirut as moaning, "the unhappy
city, lying in ruins, my citizens dead men. . . . The fire-God de
strayed me after the shock of the earth-shaker (Poseidon)
Where is Aphrodite, guardian of the city, that she may look upon
the shelterless haunt of the dead, once the abode of the graces' A
tomb of tombless men is the city, under whose ashes we lie, Beroe's
thousands,
Sailor, stay not thy vessel's course for me, nor lower
�10
"THE SYRIAN WORLD
thy sails. . . . To some other place free of sorrow shalt thou urge
with sounding car thy advancing bark!"
And now as Beirut's sad disaster which rocked the city to its
foundations and destroyed most of its inhabitants has become a
dis ant memory cf the past, and after all the vicissitudes of fire
and sword through which it passed, one wonders if Beirut has not
always risen frcm its ashes with its heart on the sea and what lies
beyond it. Like Aphrcdite herself, the ancient matron goddess of
this city, Beirut is born and reborn from the sea foam. And perhaps
it is not an accident, nor because it was the first city at which they
stopped, that missionaries of all descriptions and convictions cho:;e
Beirut for their base of operation, spreading Western culture and
civilization with ther gospel message and sectarian doctrines
throughout Syria and the Near East. That is why today Beirut is
the cultural metropolis of Syria, and the most congenial citv in the
Near East for one with a cosmopolitan mind and a international
point cf view.
Beirut may be a colorless city, lacking the Oriental glamour of
Damascus , it may be even a city without a soul, but it is a city with
a big and receptive heart!
A PRECOCIOUS ARAB CHILD
THE uncanny precocity of Ar-Rakkadh, when still four-year's old,
reached the hearing of Haroun i\.l-Raschid who commanded that
he be brought before him. As reported by contemporary Arab
chroniclers the conversation ran as follows:
Al-Raschid: "What would you have as my gift to you?"
Boy Prodigy: "Your valued counsel, as with it I would gain
the blessings of both this earth and the hereafter."
Al-Raschid: (After having ordered a pile of gold pieces and
a pile of silver pieces to be placed before the child) "Choose that
which you value most."
Boy Prodigy: "I value most the condescension of the Prince
of the Faithful, but since it is his command, I shall choose these",
and he grabbed at the gold pile.
The great caliph was extremely pleased and amused, and ordered that the boy be included in his household.
�.-<*&
OCTOBER, 1931
11
News and Views
By A STAFF OBSERVER
CHILD MARRIAGES
fcN AMERICAN woman missionary in Arabia was reported in
the daily papers of Sept. 28 as having told a congregation of the
Ketormed Church that child marriages form the chief problem with
which the Christian educator of girls in Arabia must contend "It
is not at all unusual," she was quoted as saving, "for the school
routine to be disrupted by the appearance of'an angry husband of
twenty-five m search of his 10-year old wife."
Equally interesting and significant was the statement in the
following paragraph of the report that the American missionary
lady in question "had organized one of the two girls' schools operated by the Reformed Church in Arabia and has seen it -row
from a venture begun on a capital of $35, with a student body of
nine, to a flourishing institution."
The purpose of the missionary lady is obvious and it would
appear futile to comment on it. She was drawing a picture of social conditions that would appeal to the Christian spirit of the sponsors of her project—those who hold the purse-strings. For had it
not been for such representations how could she have developed a
flourishing institution out of a venture whose initial capital was $35*
One may also venture the opinion that the Christian lady did not
tell her audience anything that would reflect the brighter side of
her missionary field. Otherwise they would cease to be interested
in contributing towards civilizing a savage people!
Oddly enough there was published, also in the metropolitan
press, and almost simultaneously, a report by Rev. Thomas A. Little
of H onkers, N.Y., wherein the assertion is made that "of 261 child
marriages in New York City forty-one -were married before they
reached the age of eleven years" The learned divine leaves no
room for ambiguity. The children were still ten years' old.
There were other important statements in the report of the
Rev. Little which indicate the urgent need for the application of
�12
THE SYRIAN WORLD
some missionary, zeal right here at home. "In some of the homes
I have visited," he asserted, "mothers of school children living in
close proximity to churches of all denominations have actually confessed their total ignorance of prayer, saying that they had never
heard of it before, and in these United States there are 28,000,000
boys and girls without any church affiliations."
This reminds the writer of having read some few years ago
of an American missionary who returned from China to preach in
New York "because the need here was much more urgent." Other
missionaries in different fields, including Syria, might do well to follow his example.
And speaking of Syria, there was perhaps no more wholesome
move than that of changing the name of the Syrian Protestant College to that of the American University of Beirut and severing the
management from missionary connections. President Bayard Dodge
proved himself a man of true wisdom and foresight by effecting
this change. Now whenever the University appeals for funds in
America it does so on the plain representation of helping the cause
cf education and none other. It has intrenched itself more strongly in the hearts of the Syrians by these methods.
The subjects of social and marital relations as they exist here
and abroad is rich field for comment, especially where the American
missionary lady refers to the twenty-five year old Arab husband
who comes to claim his ten-year old wife. She naturally wants to
infer that the disparity in age between husband and wife is such as
to be unheard of except in extremely so-called backward countries.
But she and her gullible audience fail to take into account rhe many
so-called "daddies" in America and Europe who look upon age only
as an imaginary line. Also our return to "paganism" is probably
something unheard of by the good Christian American missionary
lady. No, we here are perfect and the people of the lands where
civilization flourished when Europe was in darkness and America
had not yet been discovered are all savages! But of this more
later.
STARVATION IN THE U.S.A.
^PEAKING of misrepresentation, misinformation, misapplication
- -- and all - the other "mis-es" of similar termination that have in
them not only the elements of comedy but border on the ridiculous.
�OCTOBER, 1931
A certain correspondent in Syria wrote to ask lately whether it was
true that one thousand persons died in the United States every day
of starvation and whether the United States had gone bankrupt
because the Bank of United States was forced to dose its door's!
We who live ,n the United States make light of such rumors because we know how far they are from being true. But can we not
see how people abroad take them seriously and believe them?
I he same should hold true of exaggerated reports reaching us
from abroad. We hear of a great deal of distress and misery in
Syria; we hear that a rape or murder was committed; we hear that a
child was abducted and we conclude that the population is in danger of extermination or that it is lawless, savage and degenerate. The
trouble R that we are misinformed and the parties circulating such
reports are e,ther ignorant or deliberately malignant. We have no
more nght to accuse all the people of France of being cruel and
murderous because one Frenchman committed a ghastly murder by
cutting the body of his victim and shipping it by express in a trunk
than to form a similar opinion of the people of the United States,
or of the people of Chicago, for that matter, because one gang lined
up some members of a rival gang against a wall and riddled them
with machine guns. It is possible for such things to happen anywhere, anytime but it is a form of stupidity, indeed, to take singular instances of this nature as the standard of conduct of a whole
people.
Syrians themselves are not free from blame in spreading false
information and impressions about their country and people Therare some among them who capitalize on the ignorance of the American public to the detriment of their own kind. They go about
masquerading as actors of Biblical scenes and dress in'outlandish
styles which they represent as the accepted form of dress in their
country .Some of them go to the extent of portraying Syrian home
life as being very primitive and crude, citing the one 'illustration
that Syrians use the,,- fingers in lieu of forks and spoons in break
ing their fast, but no attempt is made to give an authentic inter
pretation of the custom. The deduction is that Syrians who still use
such crude methods of eating are benighted, to use a mild term ' '
There ,s another phase of the story,- A professor from one of
the principal. American universities who had spent considerable time
m; Syria,, together. With .a..Syrian" professor who is also cormect-d
with another of the principal universities, were guests on Vcertain
occasion at this writer's house. Be it said to the credit of the guests
that they felt completely at home and sat on the floor and partook of
�<*=*»«
14
THE SYRIAN WORLD
food with their fingers, with the ready explanation that they could
get more relaxation by stretching their limbs on rugs upon the floor,
while eating with their hands, using the native thin, pliable Syrian
bread, was more hygienic than the use of knives and forks and much
more delightful. There was no question of one being savage simply because he was natural.
There is a whole world between the two points of view.
UM KALTHOUM IN SYRIA
IJM! What a great time Um Kalthoum must have had during
the few weeks she spent in Syria this last summer. She created
a near-riot wherever she appeared in Damascus, Beirut or Aleppo.
She certainly proved herself popular and, incidentally, proved many
other things that were least suspected.
And, who is this Um Kalthoum? She is the Nightingale of
Egypt, a girl still in her early twenties who was discovered but a
few seasons ago. She is said to have been an itinerant singer who
performed anywhere, anytime, for a pittance. Now, she is the
singer par excellence of the Arabicspeaking world.
An enterprising impresario of Beirut induced her to visit Syria this summer under contract for twelve concerts. Yes, induced
is right, for he is said to have had considerable difficulty in persuading her to sign on the dotted line for twelve hundred pounds for
each concert. Lest we create a false impression, we hasten to specify that the sum is in Syrian pounds, and not Sterling. Nevertheless
the twelve hundred Syrian pounds mean the round sum of 1,000
good American dollars. Not so bad for one night, on a contract of
twelve nights.
What occured exceeded the impresario's wildest expectations.
There was a scramble for tickets in Beirut at one, two and three
pounds for the pasteboards, and there was a riot over them in Damascus. In the latter city the police were called in order to prevent
the mad admirers of the Egyptian singer from storming the theatre, and the streets leading to the theatre had to be roped off for
several blocks around. There was a faint protest from the conservative Moslem element against such "degrading influences,"
but their protest had the chance of a whisper against a gale. The
Damascenes simply went mad over Um Kalthoum, and in order to
accomodate all classes of her admirers a special concert was set a-
�OCTOBER, 1931
15
side for the Moslem ladies who are prohibited by custom from
mingling with men at any form of public entertainment.
Surely Urn Kalthoum proved her popularity. Also she proved
that the Syrians are a music-loving public. Also that they seem,
somehow, to find the money to gratify such expensive tastes
WHEN MAYOR MEETS KING
\^HEN our jovial and debonair mayor of New York, His Honor
James J. Walker, was visiting in Nice and creating fashions in
men s berets and multi-colored sweaters and trousers, another distiguished personage was to visit the famous French resort and the
two were expected to meet. The other visitor was His Majesty
King freisal of Iraq, hero of Lawrence's "Revolt in the Desert."
T ne tWain
AX7
°f distinguished personages of the East and the
J ,
West did not meet. Kipling's famous dictum had to be justified
-But this is not our point.
Press dispatches at the time reported our mayor as bewailing
that he did not know anything about Iraq. Before meeting its
king confines the report, the mayor of the Empire City of the Empire State of the United States had to beget himself to some sources
ot information so as to glean sufficient knowledge that would enable him to engage in intelligent conversation with the king.
This is not unusual, and even a mayor should not be held to
task for his apparent ignorance of geography. Does anvone recall
the incident of one of our Secretaries of State issuing an invitation to
the bwiss navy for participation in a pageant in American waters?
I he fact is "we" Americans feel too self-contained and selfsufficient, an attitude which cannot fail to reflect on the so-called
small racial groups in America who suffer from this lack of understanding, or shall we say lack of interest. Syrians in this respect do
not fare any better than others, if not worse. One can find any number of high-school and even college graduates who cannot locate
fcyna, some confusing it with Assyria and others making a wild guess
that it is somewhere in Africa.
But the fault is not all theirs. It is incumbent upon Syrians to
educate the American public 3S to their history, their rulture and
fine traditions, that they may be more respected through this diffusion qf proper and sorely needed knowledge.
�16
THE SYRIAN WORLD
BARBARA YOUXG,
Editor
Poetry is wisdom that enchants the heart;
Wisdom is poetry that sings in the mind;
- If we can enchant man's mind and at the same
time sing in his heart,
Then he will in truth live in the shadow of God."
Ka'hlil Gibran
^HEN Lord Bryce first came to these shores thirty years ago,
as ambassador from England, a gentleman,of the press asked him,
among other questions, this question: "What in your opinion, is the
outstanding need of the American people?" And without a moment's
hesitation the great man replied, "Poets."
If Lord Bryce had-been sent as ambassador to an Eastern land
he would have, perforce, made a different answer, for the East is
peopled with poets. Their poetry is expressed not only through the
medium of the pen; it permeates every sentence of their daily living.
In the West we make a gesture of assistance with the words, "Let
me help you." The Arabic world says "I would serve you with my
eyes." The grandfather, speaking of his beloved daughter's child
calls her "my heart which goes before.me." When wine is spilled
there is no exclamation of dismay, rather a smile and the words "And
for the table also a- port-ion of your generous cup."
A few weeks ago a poet of my acquaintance was dining with
one of the governors of perhaps the most powerful financial enter
pnse in America, and-the poet asked,_"What is your solution for the
dikmma which confronts-us and the world?" He replied, "I have
none. What is yours?" "You are laughing at me," she saicj. "No,"
he answered. "I am not laughing. If the poets do not come to our
aid now, then may God help us all."
�OCTOBER, 1931
17
Here is something to think upon. Is poetry made and read and
sung for beauty's sake alone? Is it solely a literary and not a living
force? If martial music carries the weary and homesick soldier-boy
into the battle with head high, may not poetry refresh and renew
the courage of the beaten and the disillusioned in the day's debacle?
The answer is, it can and it does. I have seen it work not once but
countless times.
The spiritual health of a nation is not maintained by one man
or by any group of men, but by the esprit de corps. It might be an
extremely interesting and salutary experiment to try lifting the
thought-life of the whole people into another world, the world that
the greatest of the poets have inhabited and revealed.
There is in the Arabic tongue and in the English—the two
languages in which readers of this magazine are peculiarly interested
—a wealth of poetry that should make any man lift his head and
look out upon the world with a new vision and a heightened purpose.
It is our hope that through these pages we may be able to remind
ourselves of some of the forthright poetry that we have forgotten
in the midst of the tumult and clamor.
Here is one; the word of a fine poet, a great naturalist, and a
person with whom an hour of talk and laughter and reading was
an event that does not pass from the memory.
Waiting
gERENE I fold my hands and wait,
Nor care for wind, nor tide, nor sea;
I rave no more 'gainst time nor fate,
For lo, my own shall come to me.
I stay my haste, I make delays,
For what avails this eager pace?
I stand amid the eternal ways
And what is mine shall know my face.
Asleep, awake, by night or day,
The friends I seek are seeking me.
No wind can drive my bark astray
Nor change the tide of destiny.
�pfc-J
18
THE SYRIAN WORLD
What matter if I stand alone?
I wait with joy the coming years.
My heart shall reap what it has sown,
And garner up its fruit of tears.
The waters know their own, and draw
The brook that springs from yonder heights,
So flows the good with equal law
Unto the soul of pure delights.
Yon floweret nodding in the wind
Is ready plighted to the bee.
And maiden, why that look unkind?
For lo, thy lover seeketh thee.
The stars come nightly to the sky,
The tidal wave unto the sea,
Nor time, nor space, nor deep, nor high
Shall keep my own away from me.
John Burroughs.
gAID a young English poet to a young American poet in my presence the other day, "True poetry is lyric. Vers libre is not true
poetry. To which the other replied, "Vers libre is probably the
only true poetry."
Perhaps the first assertion of our English friend was sufficient.
I rue poetry is lyric." For certainly the free verse form is lyricit lyric means singing—as are the waves and the wind and the rain
from which it is patterned. And though these cannot be scanned
and measured beat to balance beat, as the seasons, and day and night
and the swinging of the planets can be scanned and measured yet
their various and veritable singing is unquestionable.
Poetry has chiefly to do with beauty. If it has not then it is
not poetry. And we do not mean that it shall always be agreeable
and pleasant to the taste. It may be, and indeed it often is terrible
in its beauty, merciless and intolerable, but it may never be uglv nor
vulgar nor commonplace.
Another concern of poetry is singing. If it is not singing it is
not poetry. It may be brilliant and glittering with characterisation
and narrative; it may be delighful satire; it may tease the mind with
'T
..I.J.II HJlljllll
�OCTOBER, 1931
19
subtleties or vex the spirit with vague anachronisms or with an
amazement of technique, but these things have nothing to do with
poetry. There must be singing or it is all an outcast from the magic
circle.
Vers libre has been treated by many poets and their critics as
a stepchild, and it is not a stepchild. It is one of the two true children of the Muse. To be sure, there are miles of so-called free
verse that have no claim to the divine maternity. But no listener with
a real sense of rhythm, certainly no poet who lives and breathes
rhythm, can be deceived for a single moment. Perhaps many makers
of free verse, and surely most of the readers, do not listen at all,
they merely look. And that will not do. Poetry is not for the eyes
but for the ears.
But the fundamental reason why there is so little fine free
verse to be found in our contemporary poetry is that it is perhaps
the most subtle and exacting form to execute successfully. It must
swing, it must beat, it must make its music throughout the changefulness of its varying measure even as the tempest or the whisper
of the leaves make their music. Vers libre is the captured song of
the free elements of air and water.
What we have long been accustomed to regard as lyric is the
song with the evenly recurrent line and rhyme, and this is without
doubt the form in which, for the most part, the masters of the
golden word, in both the Arabic and the English, have spoken to us
out of the past. It is a form with infinite possibility of variations,
and will never lose its almost sensuous enchantment. It is the medium for the finer musical nuances. It penetrates and shakes the
heart with its persistent return to the same chord or half-chord and
its white economy of magic words, for it may never be prodigal as
its free verse brother may sometimes be. And in a peculiar fashion
entirely its own the rhymed lyric invests the soul with the assurance
of worlds beyond this world, formed as it is in the likeness of the
spheral music.
We have said the soul, not the mind, for pure poetry has little
to do with the intellect. A great poet said once, speaking of a little
poet—and the great poet was Gibran—"judge his work leniently,
remembering that it was all written from above his eyes." It was.
There was hardly a heart-beat in it all. Poetry is of and for the
emotion of living.
The function of the poet is not to instruct, nor to divert, nor
to persuade, though he may perhaps do all of these things frequently and incidentally. The function of the poet is to recall for-
�20
THE SYRIAN WORLD
gotten loveliness, to recapture the wonder and delight that were
from the beginning, and to restore the freshness to Beauty's garment
and the heavenliness to her voice; it is to pour the wine that shall
exalt the spirit. For this the poet sings and has always sung.
The Poetry of the Days
By
HARYOT HOLT DEY.
*
fRULY I do see poetry everywhere, everywhere where love and
joy and order and beauty exist. I see poetry in Luella Borgonia
the little growing plant brought to me by a poet one night not long
ago. I even see poetry in the color and orderliness of the teacups
and in the peaceful movement of an old lady's rocking-chair—an
old lady who feels young and pretends she thinks she is old, pretends
lest some call her names and reveal the secret first. Thus the pretending is a mere defense. I even feel poetry when the canary from
China, Mr. Caruso, sings the song of a new day at six in the morning, and joyfully defies us to sleep another wink. I see poetry in the
food Iseason with love. I feel poetry in the gift of a bag of sea-salt
—the salt of the earth—brought to me by a loving friend.
It's wondrous where poetry can be found even without looking
ior it. I see it in the faithfulness with which the people I know
meet their daily tasks. I feel poetry in all affirmative thoughts of
those who appreciate and put their thoughts on paper. I sense it in
the eyes of all my sons and daughters—my sons from the North
and my daughters from afar. Every dav I receive a love-letter
rrom somebody, sometimes in verse, usually in prose that is too
modest to line itself up with free verse.
I saw poetry yesterday when the young Italian painter who was
renovating for me, gave my Winifred a pressed flower, taking it
gravely from his wallet, telling her it is edelweiss and came from the
Alps and was difficult, to find and gather. Real poetry! Both young
contemporaries, recognizing the bond of youth, sunshine and poetry
and prophesy in both faces.
*
Haryot Holt Dey is a prominent figure in the American literary'world'
She was-for ten years president of the Women's Press Club of New York
W
Id" Ee/tm£!SSage
t0 the firSt JSSUe
°f
the P etry S6Cti0n
°
of the
Svrian
�OCTOBER, 1931
21
Real poetry—it is in all longing for the unattainable, the longing to make a poem, to paint a picture, and so, as none of these
things are mine as self-expression, I can only paint the days for
my friends So it's an old lady, a painter of days in an arm chair, a
gay old lady who is free, and grateful for the great blessing of
loving friends, especially of the poets. When a poet raps on my
door, then I know that sometime, somehow, somewhere I must have
done something right!
Is Poetry a Business?
pOR the benefit of some who seem not to have discovered the
answer to this question, even though they sit in what the smartest litterateurs call high places, let us assert crisply and without
quaincation, it is not.
Being inoculated with the insidious germ of chronic cleverness
and drowsing around in a fever of vernacularia, certain gentlemen
of the quill and shears would spread the uneasiness of their ailment
to the healthy and hearty-minded.
Mr. Mencken of the Mercury approaches poetry with a squint
and a chortle. He says the poets can no longer "make a crop" though
"time was when they did a brisk business." He asserts that the "American people are naturally poetic, as Rotary and Kiwanis so brilliantly demonstrate." He says that today nothing is offered (by the
poets) that they (the American people) can get their teeth into." He
proceeds, "one no longer hears that a certain poem is either swell
stuff or dreadful rubbish, as the case may be."
And there is more, all in the vein of in-humorous wisecrackery
that we expect, and get, from college freshmen. This method of
comment upon literary output should have long since fallen into
Mr. Cleveland's "innocuous desuetude," and has, in most mature
circles where it was found to be anything but a decoration.
It is altogether likely that Mr. Mencken cares nothing at all
for poetry, and comprehends it less; a silk purse is not woven from
hempen threads.
For the enlightenment of the Menckens then, let us repeat:
Poetry is not a business, and it is not a commodity. It is an ancient
and honorable art that antedated the first sneer and will outlive the
last scoffer. And it has not gone to pot, neither in the West where
it grows silently in the night, nor in the East where it was born;
�wmamsmmutmm
22
THE SYRIAN WORLD
C
nor will it, in spite of the truth in the statement that "most of the
sjtutt that makes the bottoms of the magazines pages is . . .baffling."
I his is the affair of the editors, not the poets.
Dignity and beauty live still in the sonnet and the lyric of
twentieth century poets even as they have lived in the poetry of all
ages, and clarity and simplicity still garment their expression. But
the names that are most shouted in the marketplace are the names
of the rhymsters and of clever artificers of words, not of the veritable poets. Sidney Lanier, a prince of song, once said, half a hundred years ago, "Art has no enemy so relentless as cleverness." And
every artist has learned this well, and has learned also to take the
dose without a grimace, even with relish, and with perhaps an occasional retort, for the fun of it. Which is what we are doing here.
Lute-Strings
Poets' dreams are crystals
That shine in the gloom, like stars.
* * *
My soul is like the sea-foam
That lives in evanescence.
"p
*T*
*f*
Yonder lofty star is my guardian angel
Who fills my path with light.
Let
Thai
The
The
Keej
Whe
For
* * *
The poet lingers near the sea
To hear the echo of his song.
* * *
Fir trees are nuns
Who live in silence.
Its t
1
And
1
Eartl
* * *
The flowers weep softly into sleep
And waken with tears still in their eyes.
Najla Sabe
j
And
May
And i
The
r
May
t:
* ".:;
�:he
-v w
OCTOBER, 1931
23
Current Poetry
A RIDE
You would have loved that wild wet Saturday
1
Lt,
.^f r°ad that ribb0ns our I"* valfey
Between stark sullen hills and bustling bay
The sun, with gray retreat and golden rally
Made war on roving cloud-banks in the sky
And wayside puddles mirrored the high battles
Scared rabbits bounded out as I sped by
Gray gulls cut vague arcs in the air and cattle
Stood numbly huddled in the chill green fields.
I drove up to the ridge above the ocean
Where fogs forever cling, and nothing shields
'
Yon ir°Vte Wi.nd'S Unending moan a»d motion.
You would have hailed the men and women bent
w^ ^ ^tlCh°keS °n
aU
h ed
0
sl
°Pes
t0
^her,
draWing boxes
BeHnd
, Jbowed
"' to the blowing weather
—t
Ben nd, th
their r
heads
As I swept past the last steep little farm
The soft mist thickened to a milky drizzle,
ine wind rose to a note of weird alarm
And mountains bared bleak beauty through the mizzle
I though you rode then, thrilling by my Le
You would have loved that day of sun Ind showers
Of tingling living, when I took the ride
From town to cover your cold grave with flowers.
Lori Petri, in The Forge.
CIOSE TO THE EARTH
Of surer songs than a bird ever
Let the brown lark fly
sings—
That has wings to fly.
Songs
slow with the pulse at the root
The ant, the beetle,
of things.
The mole and I
Margaret Emerson Bailey
Keep close to the earth
Where we like to lie.
STRONGHOLD
For close to the earth a beetle may
We are prepared, my love and I,
trundle
For Winter by the tarn;
Its treasure below in a claw-clipped
I
put
a saffron wing away,
bundle;
And
she a spider's yarn.
And close to the earth an ant may
I put away a rack of oak,
funnel
And she a cruse of oil,
Earthworks in turrets the length of
That friendliness might be obliged
its tunnel;
With credit to the soil.
And close to the earth the secret mole
We
are prepared, my love and I,
May fit to its body its cool dark holeFor Winter on a hill;
And I, who have never a wish to climb
The sky with a lilt or a whistling I stored a theme of song, and she
~ root of daffodil.
rhyme,
Edwin Quarles
May stoop and listen and mark the
in The New York Times
time
in Harper's Magazine
�24
THE SYRIAN WORLD
OmJEORIGINAL
ARABIAN
TALES
TRANSLATIONS
THE CHOICE OF SU'AD
TOE day was of scorching heat. Not a breeze ruffled the leaves
of the trees or rippled the surface of the water. The fountains
in the vast courtyard of the caliph's palace played incessantly but
brought no apparent relief. The caliph was extremely depressed.
He nnally ordered that immediate preparations be made for departure to the outskirts of the city, where the open spaces might entice a little coolness. Presently, the whole court repaired to a garden
in Al-Ghouta where the caliph seated himself in an open pavillion
commanding at once a view of the verdant gardens of the great
oasis of Damascus and of the vast arid plains marking the beginning
of the Syrian desert.
Chancing to look in the distance, Muawiya, the caliph, saw a
bedouin in rags trudging his way painfully in the dust and heat of
the open road. He turned to those about him and exclaimed- "Can
there be among Allah's creatures one more deserving of pity than
he who has to travel about in such torrid heat?"
And some of his courtiers replied: "Perhaps he is seeking
the
6
Prince of the Faithful."
"If this be the case," said the caliph, "I shall not turn him
back empty-handed if he is in need, nor shall I turn a deaf ear to
his plea if he is seeking justice." He then commanded one of his
attendants to post himself at the gate ready to admit the bedouin if
he shoulds seek entry.
The bedouin was duly admitted and the caliph asked him of
his name, his tribe and his mission, to which he replied that he was
°r L ?Zra tn^ and had come from the heart of the desert to seek
thC Faithful ustice fr
?u ?Si £n,°e
J
°m his agent in Iraq, Mirwan
lbn El Hakam.
He related his grievance as follows:
"Know O Prince of the Faithful, that I had a wife by the
name of Su'adwho. was the light of my life. I was not rich but
comfortable. My livelihood was derived from a drove of camels
:«*-
�r
OCTOBER, 1931
SO
WAS IT A DILEMMA TO SU'AD?
Forced by her merciless father to leave h er poor bedoum husband;
!l
the ^ ^
marrhge l
°
tke G0Vern r
° > *»»** *&ent of
~*. f°Ugh! « thSi P'eSeme °f the cal'^h who hi
f covetsher anaI offers her to choose between him, his agent, or
her poor bedouin husband;
Whom do you think Su(ad chose?
which I tended with much care and devoted ail my earnings to the
suppor and comfort of the woman who was to me all that/ife was
worth Lvmg for But in a severe drought I lost my cam Is and a
my possessions. I was reduced to a condition of actual want and mv
former friends shunned me. Then it was that my father££r £
claimed me and separated me from my wife. I was desperatl and
appealed to your agent Mirwan for justice. Mirwan LZ££
m- aw denied even knowing me. I asked Mirwan to havclnm pro
in-law denied even knowing me. I asked Mirwan to have him pro
duce his daughter and question her as to whether my claimTo^er
being my wife was true or false. This Mirwan did%utTmmedi
ately he set eyes on her he turned against me and ordered me to
prison He then proposed that her father give her unto hm in con
^deration of one thousand dinars and ten thousand dirhams The"
father consented and Mirwan proceeded to force me to divorce her
ntS t0 bCat me
U
a11
SelTv
, ^to"^
P°"life.
« But
2Mirwan
5
cruelty unll
until lLTr
I had to grant the divorce
save my
kept me in prison until the elapse of the stipulated time necessary
for her to remarry, and when the nuptials were concluded hTrl
leased me and banished me from the city. -Now I am appealm/to
you in the hope that you will restore her to me anS vo
Y
name as the dispenser of justice to the Faithful "
The bedouin was so overcome with emotion that he fell nros
trate on the ground and began to writhe as if in great pain Muawiva
was beside himself, with anger at the action of his agent"'and foT h
with wrote out an order to Mkwan to^the^Ss^
�26
THE SYRIAN WORLD
despatch her to Damascus with his two trusted messengers, Al-Kumeit and Nasr Ibn Zibian, who were entrusted with fhe message
At the appointed time the messengers returned with the woman and reported that Mirwan had divorced her with great reluctance and to the accompaniment of much tears. His letter to the
caliph also bore witness to his deep affliction
"Mirwan has well proven his obedience," commented Muawiya despite his professed admiration for the bedouin woman."
He then ordered Su'ad brought before him.
If
1
23 ° u, °f th°Se instances when reason is totally overcome
by an indefinable pass.on that defies every attempt to control. Muawiya could not restrain his admiration for the woman of the desert
and inwardly excused his agent for having fallen victim to her
n*lf?f ^ TK
V35/ re^ation eve» to one who had almost
nali of the then civilized world at his feet
Having recovered from the effect of his first shock, Muawiya
thought to test the woman as to her intelligence. He questined her
on many subjects and found her to be of flashing mind and captivating speech. Her conquest of his heart was then complete
Muawiya ordered that her former husband be brought before
him and thus spoke to him:
"O brother Arab! Your love for Su'ad should inspire vou
with solicitude for her comfort and happiness. You admit that you
cannot adequately support her, while if you cede her to me I will
have her surrounded with all forms of luxury. In return, I will
award you three virgin slave-girls, and with each three thousand
dinars, and shall grant you, besides, an annuity from the public
treasury sufficient to maintain you in comfort for the rest of your
But no sooner did the bedouin hear this than he fell in a swoon
from which he was revived only with much difficultv. Still the
caliph was unrelenting. He pressed the bedouin for an answer.
O powerful caliph," he finally replied. "To you I have appealed from the injustice of your agent, but to whom can I appeal
my
nam"
Tyou
^^
^^
name TAUTTU
of Allah, I beseech
to return
my wife°»—«
to me, for ^he
I will
surely d,e without her. Allah forbid that in appealing to you from
the arbitrariness of Mirwan I should be as ifescaping W Z
heat of the sun to that of the fire."
At this Muawiya became visibly disappointed, but with ap~
parent calmness said to the bedouin, "You have admitted havbg
divorced Su'ad, so has Mirwan. Now she is free and mistress of
!l'
�i
OCTOBER, 1931
27
her own destiny. She shall make her own choice »
Ihen addressing the woman: "Between the three O Su'ad
whom do you choose: the Prince of the Faithful wfth hb pomp
and glory and power and great palaces; or Mirwan, a imple £££
insecure in his power and notorious for his cruelty; or hTbedTn
who^has nothing to offer you but the prospej'of X«YZ
anSWen This bed0uin
P
of
or the"F^lf^f"the i aithful although he be in rags, is" preferable to> °
me thane
any man of wealth and power. Want with him is better Aplenty
0t he
palaceT
haveHhad
;S ??*
^him
'° «
^£3
palaces. II have
happyT
days" with
and ^
he begrudged
me
not his means in his days of affluence. I could not, inlusdfe f
sake him now in his hour of need after all the proofs of eenume
g
solicitude and devotion he has shown me »
At this answer from Su'ad, disappointment in the heart of the
caliph gave way to a feeling of unbounded admiration "Take back
your wife," he said to the bedouin, "and may you be happy with her
ZTJ te\ n°U T aSSUr6d °f «* fullest P-tectioi?aPnd no ot
Yo 1 !", t l m°leSt y°U- N°r Sha11 y°u be in want any longer
^ou shall have more than the former number of your came s fnd
^Xl^C^wil1 insure you against wJ"
Arab Wisdom
A
C
^RTAIN Arab Prince held open court one day and asked to
a!ne
fth Se
absenA^abTe
A H the
,nep
^^ pr°Ceeded t0 belit^ an
aosent notable. And
Prince° remarked:
"I judge the amount of your shortcomings by the amount of
Said Ibn Al-Ward: "We have been told that Wisdom is divided in decimal numbers; nine of which consist of silence and the
tenth in evading the company of men."
I
�28
THE SYRIAN WORLD
HOME AND FAMILY*
BAHIA AL-MUSHEER,
Editor
TASTE IN FURNISHING A HOME
O^R primary or what should be our primary object in building
V
8
furmshin
g a home is to have a haven in which we
mJ Z Tu
a
f S me f th6Se But how man
S^lulV
?
° °
y ti^ do
we fall short of our goal! I propose in what follows to discuss Sjust
one of the many causes of our failure.
On the surface of t,^ may
£ve t due IJ
;S "^ 3S Str°nf " itS W6akest link> ^ c-not but
give it due consideration as one of many ingredients that go into the
2S6£:£rLet
me then
->this
time
—tLgnta°bohu:
Directly upon entering some houses, we feel creeping over us
a sensation of spiritual, mental and physical relaxation. ^Ifee
ourselves enveloped by. an atmosphere that rests the nerves and
U
t0 hear a w
wetmrbvTl
t fr*E
^ of?the—
^d
welcome by the air° itself.
The type
furniture, the size
number, nature and mode of disposition of the different pie es in S
lation to the size and shape of the room; the colors the background
d many other things combine to reate the sensations to
which I have just alluded. The chairs or couch in4e u to the r
bef re dr Pping int
thaftU
wiTieaafford
ffd;r
°
°amount of° comfort
»* one °^hem
that they will
the greatest
and im
mediately realize that they were meant and are for use ' WheV"
words we find such a home "homey" and feel immediately at ou
ease, even without the slightest effort on the part of the host
On the other hand, m other houses we find the reverse The
furniture may be costly, the appointments rich, but we sensTa stiff!
ness^.snobbishnjss, rf you -please, in the air which no amount of.
graciousness on the part of the host can dispel. We feelThafhere
�OCTOBER, 1931
ould be ]ooked
fere t ajEM t ,
29
- -*
someone's pet corn. I amVot
7\dS aS lf he is StePPing °n
attitude of the owner £*£tt£<f1 *" ^ ^ and
mtUre Selected and
^ay ,n which it is arranged for I kn
K
th
1 kn W some
' fo be the soul of kjjSm'Id Z >T
°
People
lengths to afford their gues pletu ° P ^^ ^° WiU ^ to
Y
mf rt Whose
was defeated because they faikd o
u° ° '
P^ose
f the choi
of furniture the thought Ldtudv if"' ^f""^ °
of show and exhibit^ sweeps heir LlT^ Somet^es a Jove
'fry feet completely, or a sense of f^
J"deement off its imagtneir poor opinion of^Sn&* side-tracks them, or
.
them
I fully appreciate thrfaaTr^ ^ kads
-**
Tha k
^r that! But there shouldlbItVaS,
mon sense when one is thinkiW of ll /
not w
7'
?
ertZ
to hire an int^2c:2\oT
» ^ Lord
corn-
amount of
°ithings-
Y U do
°
have lt fitted according to periodsmL
"^ y°Ur home> "or
make if coz and
ortable and livable. Whafwonld
[^
y
comf the hous
tquip, her kitchen with cake pan^fn " ft °
-ife who
desSert f
before she ever thinks ofpo sCd'dTsheff *£?."*
°rks
>*g at: the essentials are funSame
^ * What * am driv"
comfortable a chair or a LcltlZt ^^^ knows ^w
And every one can form 17' ?"C fltS or stretches on it
article by careful examma 0T te "^ ^^ °f ^ l these
comes the shape the color 1' c ,
essentials? Then
mine but not impossible
Le7° /
Thl$
".
more difficu]
t to deter-
LABAN AS INK REMOVER
I HAD heard somehow, that Laban was veryettectne
effrrtW
ink from rugs. I was sk-ent^l k
>
m remov ng
evening when /dropped a bot Je of T ^f®6*"* ""til the othef
on one of my rugs.
' °f mk' SPllhn§ half of its contents
I confess that hid T U^A
have ran for It bi , I LV S0.m=P«ented slain remover I would
a bowl of z£& Lel-St'^r^ l"****
"3
th e tnCk b
Ispread the £ A* generomlv over r h ',
,
««ifullv.
of *e rUg and wa/ed it 3te^^*^*ȣ
m
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
morning I was unable to discover any traces of the ink
with /TSe /'u StainS that haVe drkd> cover the stain generously
with,Laban and allow to remain from four to five hour!. Should
the stam not disappear completely after first application, repeat
HOW TO COOK VEGETABLES
THE term Vitamins has become a household term relegating the
caloriesto the dark, dark background. Take vegetables for example: We are told that in order to get the full benefit of vegetables they should be eaten raw-especiallv the leafv vegetables
Heat will destroy those valuable Vitamins
vegetables.
If we are to cook vegetables, we should use no water or as
little as possible. In other words they should be steamed AL,
we should utilize the juices that escape. These and many anofh
g
r
bOUt
which W£ wil1
to
feTto
^
**"?"
^^
to re
refer
to mlb:
in subsequent
issues.
But when I think of
all this I
marvel at the wisdom-perhaps it should be called instinct or ex
pediency-of our forbears in preparing their food. To his s de
of the subject I will again have occasion to refer. At presen I
want to pass along a little something that may prove worS le
When you prepare stuffed cabbage leaves, you LLrally parb0Tl fe
eaves m order for them to become pliable and easy too
m boding the leaves, use as little water as possible and save the
wa er to use in cooking the dish. By so doing vou will not onlv
utilize the better part of the cabbage and incorporate k in he n e
oared dish, but you wi 1 find marked improvement in t flavor Yet
by all means use garlic but be judicious about it. It willTmprove
the flavor of the dish and it is decidedly beneficial AnTwhln
cooked it is not so objectionable. Now that I have mentioned et
lie, I recall with a great deal of amusement the attitudT of ae~
a P eOPh
rdS
atdtude
H
T°r
* fcWit ^
*** How Afferent ifthd
attitude to
today.
They are *using
extensively
Even some of the preserved tomato cocktail that has taken the
country by storm recently, is flavored with it
' '
"'
.
'
V
.
�OCTOBER, 1931
31
The Mystery of Aornholt
A THRILLING
««rg««nffir«D
By
BRILLIANT
THOMAS ASA
( Continued from the September issue )
A
h!Shad ^^ ^ ^^
h
a
thC SW1SS m Untain Villa
°
R of seasoge of Aorn-
tiJ t iu0°z i^: nt^r^°
of nature seemed Tmme^Tn
a
&
77 ^ '
S
-'«*£-
*£* * *
V&St
'^s
heavy peace and quiet of the village annals
^^
Ine short acquaintance of the
Forsvths
«rl
i\/r
•
3
y
Madame de Challons had «*- :"e/
.and Monsieur and
tha C0 sa
ul
understanding met dnenedr
/. " "g ^ty of feeling and
fnendsh
endure Wr
?han would
would have
U
*been exnert-prl
'P th^ TU,
was favored
to
, '&cr rnan
i i .
not passd uneventfully for them 7Z
,peCted-. The week had
his charming wife were to £ ?' I ^\ ^^^ the artist and
Friday morning dawned ominously. Maitre Pierre
artist qSSSS.
"" "**"
to Ve tUre
"
whn
I kv
°Ut *** «"«," the
with another ^^'Ih^^TSd '" "' *" ^^
AS the fat, good-natured inn-keener utte »H fk;*
u
i
Prophesy, it fenced to snow with aSdenn^thtt'd"!
�.,..
32
THE SYRIAN WORLD
cheated the impending climax of the elements of winter. A sharp,
swi/ZfT
swittly tailing
Urtkd
0Ugh the VaIIe
bd0W
^
snow in t
furious lateral flurries
' «** the "0-
tone^H8 ^ Makrf PielrreJhas said>" the artist reflected in underb£ deCP in th U ht for a few
then
he addressed
^ S£eni the
u f°inn-keeper.
,
° &
moments;
then he
aVe dCJ
r SerVCd b my r00m aS Usual Pierr
and
wSTA
?Tto
>
e;»
and with
that he ascended
the second floor
About eleven o'clock, Monsieur de Challons again went below,
this time accompanied by his wife, who, quite in contrast with the
dvTs ZTf °UT ^,WlS f Ch6erful SPiHts: As th£y seated themaWe bef
the onlv M
T thC firCPlaCe> the artist ticed ^at
r
CCU
r
the Venerable
BenoT
wh sat
,°at
rnttable
S thC
°°m WaS occupied
Monsieur
Benoit who
the
he habitually
Phall
P ty
-
"He WH
to m; .r;
^C
P
°°r
gen tkman
,
'
Raoul
>" ^marked Madame de
a 0W
J .TrCe' ^landng comPa^onately
Y StlH nabl e t0 roceed
"
,
P
at the old man.
°" his journey. It is strange
&
«t m ^WS °f hlS Pllght has been sent to his daughter."
«,
. j'^ ?'erre t0ld me that Mo eur Benoit did not wish to
cause his daughter any unnecessary distress, as he expected to resume
his journey as soon as the weather breaks," explained the artist
watching the aged traveller with covert scrutiny
'
m w tl eagr ^ entered the eyeS °f de Challo"s
he continued
M nSieUr Bendt being aware of
whIT
UAT
,°
* HJ* nght hand,
which was hidden from view, grasped a kg of the table, and under
the flSr
PrCSSUre eXGrted thC hard knUckks almost burst
'
soon -fUS impr°bable that we wil1 ** anything of Captain Forsyth
o ll
I'' r COntinues>" ^e artist said to his wife, wishing
to maintain the conversation as a means of hiding his observation of
Monsieur Beno.t, who, in the meantime, had withdrawn a soiled
paper from his pocket, and which he now read with stolid impas?
siveness with the aid of oddly fashioned glasses
, "T^ W?d S^mS.t0 have died doWn somewhat, Raoul. It b
quite likely that Monsieur Forsyth will come as he promised, for
tte was very eager to see your canvas."
The silence in the large room was unbroken, save for their
subdued conversation At this stage, Maitre Pierre emerged from
h s prevision roam, where he had been taking inventory of his supni
forward.0^1^
ieur de Challons and hi wife he
*
>
-ent ^y
"Good morning, madame," he greeted, with a solicitous smile.
�;
OCTOBER, 1931
33
WHAT WAS THE MYSTERY?
Capt. Forsyth had no inkling as to the purpose of the
French artist de Challons. __ Nor did de Challons's charming
and gifted wife.
But de Challons had a purpose. How he succeeded in
it and how near he came to losing his life at the hands of a
desperate criminal is graphically told in this chapter
"It is very rough weather we are having for early winter."
«-m. "G°°d morning> Monsieur Pierre," madame greeted in return,
lhe weather is exceedingly bad, but I believe that the storm is
gradually abating."
"Ah! it is but a lull in a worse storm that is soon coming, madame, the inn-keeper ventured with conviction, being well aware
of the vicissitudes of mountain climate.
The amiable Pierre was recalled to the provision room by the
approach of Jean, who was assisting him with the inventory. As he
passed the bar-counter, he nodded to Monsieur Benoit, who however, failed to notice him.
As the proprietor disappeared from the room, Monsieur Benoit
replaced his glasses in a worn leather case and put the soiled paper
he had been reading back in his pocket. He then arose from the
chair, apparently with some difficulty, and walked slowly towards
the enclosed stairway, which he ascended with still more deliberate
steps.
Monsieur de Challons observed the withdrawal of the old
man w;th the closest attention. His wife, looking up, saw the acute
tension of his features.
"Is there something wrong, Raoul?"~she asked, with slight
misgivings clouding her face.
"Nothing, Charlotte,—nothing," her husband replied, forcing
a smile.
With the passage of ten minutes or more, the artist threw his
half-smoked cigarette away and arose from the table.
mm
�34
THE SYRIAN WORLD
There « a-little matter I must attend to, Charlotte," he said,
assuming a nonchalant tone of voice. "I shall be back in a few minutes, he added, as he left the table and ascended the stairway} to
the second floor.
Madame de Challons sat almost motionless, gazing reflectively
at the fire. Her husband's peculiar behavior had disturbed her
equanimity, especially as she could not account for it
As she mused, somewhat desultorily, the tavern door opened,
and much to her surprise and pleasure, the snow-covered figure of
Captain Forsyth entered the room.
"Good-morning, Monsieur Forsyth," she said, smiling in her
charming manner, «I see that you did not allow the inclement
weather to break your promise to come."
"Good-morning madame," Forsyth returned in his cheerful
h,sCb7>orr«M}g mmdA*asSnd
n 1;?,
ZZ
severe ?>'
f ,
and
*
J
W Uld
°
UJSter and brushin
^
"0t
let
set
&
some snow
from
°« seeing Monsieur de Challons'
the St rm st
°
°P me> no matter how
a
Please be seated, monsieur," Madame de Challons invited;
my husband just went to his room, but will be back shortly"
Captain Forsyth sat in the chair vacated by the artist and
chatted very pleasantly with Madame de Challons, who found in
ST£2ii£
husband considerable
'
his
•*« » «? -
by a ^cZv^^l^^^^^y is-?look^htrmfacee
Chall nS
°
~ ^^l *""
her
^
a Startled
wav-^W ^°fSieUr!r-She exc^m^ Parting towards the stairway, 1 fear that something terrible has happened!"
o-Captam Forsyth quickly followed her up the carpeted steps
very much puzzled by her abrupt departure *nd nervous utterance:
Madame de Challons almost ran down the corridor on the
second floor She opened thedoor of her husband's room, wh ch
ShelC?r?
^ ^ C?amb-She -*upied, and found it'empty.
.^dtc^of ferrWmg f"r and indeOSi0n at ^ F°^h' ^
A muffled noise issued from the room at the extreme end of the
wl°'d t nghL ,MadamC de €hall°nS' Z ?mS the -Pain's arm
walked hastily in that direction. Forsyth took hold of the door-knob
of the roomand turned it forcibly. The door was locked. Again a
soaping sound issued from the inside, this.time distinct- and sharp
\
�urn
OCTOBER, 1931
I
35
"He is in that room!" Madame de Challons cried excitedly,
her eyes dominant with fear.
Captain Forsyth again tried the door-knob, but finding this
means ineffective, he drew back and threw his tall form against the
door. It did not yield. He drew back once more, and then hurled
himself against it with tremendous force. The door gave way from
its solid hinges with a splintering crash. Forsyth almost fell to the
floor inside, but managed to maintain his balance with great effort.
There before him sprawled on the floor was Gaston Benoit, who
completely covered the body of De Challons, straining with terrible
intensity to force a gleaming stiletto towards the latter's throat.
Captain Forsyth leaped forward and seized hold of the artist's
adversary and jerked him roughly away. Benoit regained his feet,
and whirling about struck at Forsyth with the stiletto. The captain
ducked the furious thrust and then struck with all his might at his
opponent's jaw. The fist landed with an awful jar, and Benoit was
knocked senseless to the floor, the knife slipping from his nerveless
hand.
De Challons had instantly arisen from the floor, and nov
leaped towards the fallen man. From his pocket, he hastily withdrew steel handcuffs and shackled the hands of Benoit, who was still
unconscious.
During this scene, which did not consume more than two minutes, Madame de Challons leaned against the shattered door, almost
faint with terror. The artist got to her in time to catch her frrom
falling to the floor.
"There is my pistol near the bed, captain," De Challons said,
indicating with his finger where the pistol had fallen in his struggle
with Benoit. "Watch this man; he is a dangerous criminal," he
cautioned, as he turned towards his room, still supporting his
wife, who was slowly regaining consciousness.
As they passed through the open door of his bed-chamber,
Maitre Pierre and his assistant, Jean, suddenly appeared, both
greatly excited.
"What has happened, monsieur! what has happened?" the
proprietor questioned in an astonished voice, being considerably
winded by his run up the stairs.
"It is over now, Pierre. I shall explain later," the artist said
briefly, closing the, door in the inn-keeper's face.
De Challons laid his wife on the bed. In a few seconds she
opened her eyes, and looked up dazedly in her husband's anxious
face:
�36
THE SYRIAN WORLD
"Gome come, Charlotte," he said, with great relief, gently
chafing her hands. "There is no cause for further worry."
As silent tears came from deep emotion, his wife flung her
arms passionately about his neck and drew him to her.
At the sight of her distress, the artist was almost unnerved,
but succeeded, after a few minutes, in calming her so that she sat
upnght on the bed, her arms still clasped tightly about him.
l
Be brave, Charlotte," he entreated tenderly, kissing her quivering l,ps repeatedly. "I must go to the assistance of Captain Forsyth ,who,s waiting for me. Remain here; I shall return soon."
De Cha Ions left the chamber, closing the door after him.
He entered the room that was occupied by Benoit, who was now a
state prisoner. He could not resist an amused smile at the bewildered
stare with which captain Forsyth greeted him. Maitre Pierre and his
assistant were kneeling on the floor beside Benoit, who had not yei
completely recovered from the paralyzing blow
i i^T a ,W°rd' De Challons took the pistol that Captain Forsyth handed to him. He replaced it in his pocket, and then clasped
l< orsyth s hand and shook it warmly-.
"I thank you for your timely service, captain. Be sure it will
not soon be forgotten."
Still bewildered and, needless to say, humiliated because of
his attack on the aged Benoit, Forsyth was more puzzled than ever
at the feeling of gratitude the artist expressed.
"I see that you do not understand, captain," De Challons said,
smiling again. "The man you have so neatly put away is known to
he police department as Gaspard Roman, and he has merely added
to his distinguished list of aliases by conveniently calling himself
Gaston Benoit. He ,s wanted for brutal assault and for the theft
or a diamond necklace, a famous and extremely valuable heirloom
owned by the Countess Saliny of Paris and Monaco. I shall now
dispel the sentiment of shame you undoubtedly feel in having
struck
&
so elderly a man."
The artist took a few steps forward and suddenly bent over the
recumbent figure of Benoit, who was now regarding his captors with
sinister hostility. He seized several locks of the prisoner's disordered
hair and gave a quick jerk. The ingenious wig, for so it proved,
came off readily, exposing a closely shaven skull
Captain Forsyth started back in great surprise at this disclosure,
while Maitre Pierre and the youthful Jean almost fell over in their
astonishment.
With a faint smile still lingering on his lips, De Challons-felt
/
�OCTOBER, 1931
37
tX^IZ'^l^rr^ Cn'minal> and Mediately withdrew a hollow leather belt, in which the stolen necklace was verv
StoTeL
C nCealed
HC
ct
cord "Lt^the
^"^
thC bdt in
V6
7/hankfuVf /0U
- sta^ &£?££%! °
- ^ P«*et, 3 the!
Wil1 b
f tHe
g me some strong
***«* -—i ^
The boy hurriedly left the room, and in a few minutes re
turned wjth enough stout line to secure'several Romans
With Captain Forsyth's assistance, De Challons tied the nris
oner beyond a 1 hope of escape, and 'afterwards, fo greater""-"
cunty he was locked in the empty room across the hall
Maitre Pierre had watched these proceedings with extreme
££?£ KTdy!?VfrC°me Wkh the £« that for two weeksTr
more he had been sheltering a notorious criminal.
*• rfttroom. "^^
arm in a
Wkh Ca t3in Fo
P
the donr^KT ^ " f°me.nt' Captain>"
llCVe madamC
us beW'
" SUfficientI^
againfhim Umed * * ** "*"* "**
hJS
^ to the
the artist
said, opening
—d to accompany
re
^
who J
—d lightly
"Charlotte thank Captain Forsyth for saving me from a most
ignommous end," De Challons said in a bantering tone but m,a
voice that was not devoid of feeling.
'
"You have put us forever in your debt, monsieur » madame
said, with emotion not altogether controlled
Approaching Forsyth, who was considerably embarrased at
this continued show of gratitude, Madame de Chains ookfhis
s ightly swollen right hand, which had so suddenly ended the
^V'u- ?reSSf1 k Wkh illde^ble gentleness. 7
peted!tePs
^
""^ * preceded them do
the carThe three seated themselves at the faKI*. ««„ » J
ago. Maitre Pierre had by this titne «£ffi h«d
SSffiSj " ^ aPPrMChed *eir *"* his S wasV£*
"You have, I believe, Monsieur Pierre, some very rate Amon-
�38
THE SYRHNWORW.
tillado, which I should greatly enjoy at this moment," said the
artist, with his searching smile.
"Amontillado, monsieur!" the inn-keeper exclaimed in surprise, a deep flush suffusing his Boniface features. "Ah! monsieur
is undoubtedly joking," he said, feigning complete incredulity.
"Surely, my good Pierre, a native of Spain does not deny his
own vintage," continued De Challons, still smiling, and mildly
enjoying the confusion of the proprietor.
Wthout another word, the proprietor turned away and disappeared in his provision room. He returned shortly, carrying a
fantastically shaped bottle, which he wiped with a clean cloth.
"You are very discerning, monsieur," Maitre Pierre admitted,
addressing the artist, as he placed the bottle and glasses on the
table. "I was born in Andalusia, and spent my early manhood there,
and never quite lost my taste for this excellent wine," he added, in
explanation.
"You are no doubt regarding me in the light of an imposter,
captain," De Challons said, smilingly, after the inn-keeper had left
them.
"No, no, monsieur!" Forsyth protested, good humoredlyj "but
I confess that I am still greatly confused in my ignorance of the circumstances leading to Benoit's capture."
"I shall explain, then, my dear friend. You will pardon me
if I seemingly diverge from the explanation by taking you back some
ten years before I had the good fortune to meet my wife." He
bowed to madame, who blushed happily. "At that time, I pursued
with considerable fervor the profession of painting. I had already
exhibited in public with some success. It was during this period that
I became acquainted with Monsieur Armand Fillon, the present
prefect of the Parisian police, and about ten years my senior.
Through his friendship, I acquired unusual enthusiasm in the study
of criminology, and, by the gradual process of theoretical assimilation and active experience, became proficient in that branch of research. Thereafter, I was more or less officially employed as Monsieur Fillon's assistant, and gained a slight reputation as criminal
investigator. Now to return to the present occasion. Two weeks
before the robbery had taken place, madame and I decided to spend
a belated holiday in Lucerne. On the twentieth day of our stay
there, I was notified from Paris headquarters of the robbery, which,
for reasons of expediency, had not been given out to the press.
Through the activity of the police, the man who was suspected of
being responsible for the felony was forced to quit the city, and, a
\
�OCTOBER,-1931 i' AiVs
39
few days later; he was reported to have fled to this district and nos
ably in disguise. I was instructed to take up the searchSflSnS nt
After travelling for almost a week though Sl^U K£
neighboring Lucerne in the person of aif artist Z*ng"SSS?
my wlfe accompanying me, and, being ignorant of my que^s Teat y
^Xldi:\Hl narldiSf "^ ! Wa§ inf—dbyqa »E
thC mail
d PaSS£nge;
Sta^e^tS^
the
stranger
in th, tu
A
, ', Tthf
Presence ofTan unknown
nh0k
the ITJnll hI?f °/PPineSS
- °n ** Seei1^ this man> dunng
t0 make y Ur
Forsvth T w
? 5
° acquaintance, Captain
*orsyth, I was greatly disappointed,-Which (you remember mv re
mark) caused me to think him a suitable subject foTa canv7 be
cause, of the trouble he had unwittingly given me I waT^teH
o prolong my stay in Aornholt in the LoS^eTf yaur^SS^
company, knowing it would do no harm, and with the not remote
gUISe f tHiS
Benoit
S
oold me
H° the
, mistake
^Tthe
tooled
me. But
But he
he made
third day °ofI^AS
our stav here -
-, ^
generally, we do not associate teeth so well n »
01 his apparent,y a<Wd
P
^txrrv
^ Thrand0SeI de-v:
ion, irrelevant as it may seem, awakened my suspicions
r n,
r ;partt0ofPthrrafthiS ^M^ ^ ^obligin8ly
^
,eft tt
his
^ff^wte^r ^
to breikinto hie -
, r,
lhlS
&ave
me an
opportun ty
draet,the^e0sndriStake °/ kaVr hiS^- K nlyT "he
transparent glass shaped ovally to conform^'thefra ^H
to further verify my SUSpicionSi , found after JgJ^ *s '<
strands of hair here and there about the room-some on the pillow
which indicated that he presumably slept with the wig on fo S
itTTT
Jehe Wa5.skePi»g. "»* a few strandsVn the w^h
stand. Th. condition, as ,s well known, is unnatural, for grav hair
does not fall out very easily. I then quitted the chamber Sd „en
immediately below where my wife was waiting for me MoJeU
,o
my return and a ha]f h ;
Ssr
"ft?
t was 'through a slight neclimwri,
»~ "
lie ascended to the second floor. It
on the part of Maitre Pierre's assistant that I was enabW f get
co„dus,ve evtdence against Gaston Benoit. Going over to the talk
�BBS-
40
THE SYRIAN WORLD
that Benoit had just left, I noticed, after a close but hurried examination, the distinct imprint of the thumb and forefinger of the
right hand. The impression was preserved in a small space of dust
near the edge of the table. The thumb mark, easily distinguished
by a rough scar on the ball, corresponded exactly with the thumb
print incautiously left at the scene of the robbery. This fortunate
discovery made further investigation unnecessary, and—well, it is
needless that I recount what little remains to be told, for you'were
very much concerned with it, captain."
Monsieur de Challons had given this detailed explanation without an interruption, and now leaned back in his chair with complete
relaxation..
Madame de Challons regarded her husband with eyes filled
with commingled pride and relief. Captain Forsyth had listened to
-De Challons' account with the closest attention.
"But, monsieur, you were certain of the man's identity! Why,
then, was he not apprehended in the customary way?" questioned
Forsyth, with a puzzled expression on his face.
T at WaS the dis ustin
TA ^" n
S
g Part of the whole matter, captain,"
De Challons answered, shrugging his shoulders. "Before I entered
his room I drew my pistol. Fortunately, the door was unlocked
Turning the knob noiselessly I threw the door open and leaped
inside. Benoit was so completely surprised by my abrupt entrance
that I had him covered with the pistol before he could turn around
I then locked the door for greater caution. Benoit realized by my
decisive manner that continued subterfuge would be futile. He
pretended to be overcome with dejection and fear. Drawing up to
him I began to search his pockets for concealed weapons. I was
deluded with this weak resistance j my attention lagged for a second
and that period, brief as it was, proved costly. In some inexplicable
way, and quite in keeping with the craft of his profession, he knocked
the pistol from my hand and threw himself violently against me
Losing my balance I fell to the floor with him on top. I was slightly
stunned by the fall, but I recovered in time to perceive that he had
drawn a stiletto. Exerting myself to the utmost, I caught his arm
as it descended with the blade pointed at my throat. I do not know
how long this position lasted, but I shall always remember the
terrible tension of the moment."
Madame de Challons visibly paled at the conclusion of the
recital.
"Why did you not shout for assistance, monsieur?" Captain
Forsyth asked.
/
�OCTOBER, 1931
41
"I had no thought of that, captain," was the somewhat laconic
answer from De Challons.
"Even at the point of death this man did not falter in the
stern regimen of the police," mused Forsyth inaudibly, his admiration for the artist-detective increasing boundlessly.
Early the following morning De Challons dispatched a messenger to the nearest large town southeast of Aornholt. Late that
afternoon the messenger returned, being accompanied by two specially commisioned gendarmes from the Canton of St. Gallen, who
immediately placed themselves under Monsieur de Challons' orders.
An hour later found the officers on their way back with the prisoner,
—Gaspard Roman, alias Monsieur Gaston Benoit.
A month later, Captain Geoffry Forsyth stood gazing reflectively through a window of his London apartment in Westminster
which overlooked Hyde Park. The sudden ringing of the bell at
the outer door recalled him from his reverie. Walking over, he
opened it, and confronted the smiling visage of a delivery boy from
the express office. He signed for the package that was handed to
him, and then closed the door. The package, which was large, but
quite light, and very carefully boxed, bore the postmark of Paris.
He loosened the top strips of wood and slowly removed the thick
paper and pasteboard covering with which it was wrapped. An extremely beautiful painting framed in handsome walnut, depicting
mountain scenery in a representation of winter solitude, lay before
him. A small white card was conspicuously wedged in a corner of
the frame, and picking it up he read, with considerable surprise and
pleasure, this legend:
To my esteemed friend,
Captain Geoffrey Forsyth
Raoul De Challons
VISITANT
By
NADA SABIRAH
The son of Beauty came
And where he walked
There is a path of light
Upon earth's floor.
There is a shining circle
Where he knocked
On earth's green door.
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
that Benoit had just left, I noticed, after a close but hurried examination the distinct imprint of the thumb and forefinger of the
right hand The impression was preserved in a small space of dust
near the edge of the table. The thumb mark, easily distinguished
by a rough scar on the ball, corresponded exactly with the thumb
print incautiously left at the scene of the robbery. This fortunate
discovery made further investigation unnecessary, and—well, it is
needless that I recount what little remains to be told, for you were
very much concerned with it, captain."
Monsieur de Challons had given this detailed explanation withreUlaxa1tionnte^rUPtl0n, ^ "°W ^^ ***
in his
°hair
with com lete
P
Madame de Challons regarded her husband with eyes filled
with commingled pride and relief. Captain Forsyth had listened to
JJe Challons' account with the closest attention.
"But, monsieur, you were certain of the man's identity! Why
then, was he not apprehended in the customary way?" questioned
forsyth, with a puzzled expression on his face.
r» r7n3t WaS the djsgusting Pa* of the whole matter, captain,"
De Challons answered, shrugging his shoulders. "Before I entered
his room I drew my pistol Fortunately, the door was unlocked,
lurnmg the knob noiselessly I threw the door open and leaped
ri! t l\ AT' ^ S(\ComPletely prised by my abrupt entrance
that I had him covered with the pistol before he could turn around.
l then locked the door for greater caution. Benoit realized bv mv
decisive manner that continued subterfuge would be futile" He
pretended to be overcome with dejection and fear. Drawing'up to
him I began to search his pockets for concealed weapons. I was
deluded with this weak resistance; my attention lagged for a second,
and that period, brief as it was, proved costly. In some inexplicable
way, and quite in keeping with the craft of his profession, he knocked
the pistol from my hand and threw himself violently against me
Losing my balance I fell to the floor with him on top. I was slightlv
stunned by the fall, but I recovered in time to perceive that he had
drawn a stiletto. Exerting myself to the utmost, I caught his arm
as it descended with the blade pointed at my throat. I do not know
how long this position lasted, but I shall always remember the
terrible tension of the moment."
Madame de Challons visibly paled at the conclusion of the
recital.
ForsyZkeA11
y U
°
"0t
Sh Ut f r aSSiSta Ce
°
°
" -
<
?" Captain
�'"
OCTOBER, 1931
41
"I had no thought of that, captain," was the somewhat laconic
answer from De Challons.
"Even at the point of death this man did not falter in the
stern regimen of the police," mused Forsyth inaudibly, his admiration for the artist-detective increasing boundlessly.
Early the following morning De Challons dispatched a messenger to the nearest large town southeast of Aornholt. Late that
afternoon the messenger returned, being accompanied by two specially commisioned gendarmes from the Canton of St. Gallen, who
immediately placed themselves under Monsieur de Challons' orders.
An hour later found the officers on their way back with the prisoner,
—Gaspard Roman, alias Monsieur Gaston Benoit.
A month later, Captain Geoffry Forsyth stood gazing reflectively through a window of his London apartment in Westminster
which overlooked Hyde Park. The sudden ringing of the bell at
the outer door recalled him from his reverie. Walking over, he
opened it, and confronted the smiling visage of a delivery boy from
the express office. He signed for the package that was handed to
him, and then closed the door. The package, which was large, but
quite light, and very carefully boxed, bore the postmark of Paris.
He loosened the top strips of wood and slowly removed the thick
paper and pasteboard covering with which it was wrapped. An extremely beautiful painting framed in handsome walnut, depicting
mountain scenery in a representation of winter solitude, lay before
him. A small white card was conspicuously wedged in a corner of
the frame, and picking it up he read, with considerable surprise and
pleasure, this legend:
To my esteemed friend,
Captain Geoffrey Forsyth
Raoul De Challons
VISITANT
By
NADA SABIRAH
The son of Beauty came
And where he walked
There is a path of light
Upon earth's floor.
There is a shining circle
Where he knocked
On earth's green door.
HH
�INTRODUCING A NEW DEPARTMENT
By A. HAKIM
'HE term "Younger Generation" is a relative one. One cannot
think of it without calling to mind the older generation of which
it is the offspring. Hence, obviously, the necessity of bearing in
mind the two when speaking of each. They are inseparable in all
treatment of social subjects and are more so here in the sense that I
believe this department of the SYRIAN WORLD is meant to cover. In other words, it is intended to treat of the Syrian home in
America insofar as it affects the relationship between parents and
children under the influence of radically different conditions which
the parents are forced to face and the children have to endure. It
is, indeed, a social problem of the first importance which exists nowhere in such virulent form as it does in the United States owing to
the flow of immigration and the necessity of moulding a homogeneous American nation out of heterogeneous elements that go into its
making. And the Syrians in America are perhaps more affected by
the operation of this amalgamation process than is any other race for
reasons that will be later explained.
For the editor of the SYRIAN WORLD to have invited me to conduct this department is both a compliment and a privilege, and both,
as I feel convinced, undeserved. The compliment is implied in the
assumption that I can properly treat this social problem with impartial analysis; the privilege, in the opportunity of addressing our
younger generation through the SYRIAN WORLD on what should be a
matter of concern to all of them. What a great privilege, indeed, to
realize that one could be instrumental in bringing a better understanding between bitterly opposed views; of restoring confidence
where there was suspicion; of mending relations that had been
mm
�OCTOBER, 1931
4S
foolishly broken through misunderstanding and ignorance; of keeping together a family union that was being threatened of falling apart; of substituting love for hate, understanding for mistrust and,
finally of bringing the two opposite camps—parents and children—
to the point of thinking out their problems in order to iron out their
differences.
The trouble with most of us is that we give little thought to
the study of the fundamental forces that go into the building of our
social structure. Perhaps it is the fault of the times. We are living
to the tempo of a world that is moving at a terrific speed. If we
stop for anything we are in fear of being left behind, and we fail to
stop even to think. It is a pitiable situation.
What I shall attempt to do in this department, if this meets
with the approval of the editor, is to survey our home life in America and analyze the forces that are agitating and affecting it, be that
constructively or otherwise. Every effort will be made to lay each
case in the most impartial spirit, in the hope of getting first to the
cause—diagnosing the symptoms—and then trying to discuss the
effect and prescribe whatever remedy would be possible. Readers
will please bear in mind that no claim of superior knowledge or infallibility is here advanced. The writer may be as wrong in his deductions as the individuals concerned in the presentation of the problem. What might be truthfully stated, however, is that this department will be conducted in a spirit of absolute fairness and with the
sole purpose of bringing better order to our fast disintegrating family life. This is an admission that the editor of this department feels
constrained to make at the outset as representing his honest and unshaken belief in the present condition of our home relations in America. Two opposing forces—two sets of diametrically different ethical conceptions and standards—are developing in our social order
which if not treated rationally and in time will threaten not only our
race entity but our individual happiness.
The subjects to be treated in this department will cover the
whole range of adult relationship, whether between the younger
generation and their parents or between the younger generation
themselves. Courtship and marriage will be given the fullest consideration.
And may it also be here stated that the editor of this department is not of the so-called younger generation. But although he
has reached certain convictions on our social problems which he will
gradually discuss, he will entertain whatever objections to his views
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
mrtmenfCn ^ ^ "^ and giVe them Publicity in this very dewlfh the 'eH-r001"^^6 Wth the tCrmS °f an understanding reache,
fo um wher?1" 0t th£ magazine- The obJect is to create an open
vaZs nrohl °Ur TTu- genfation could meet to discuss their
indeed is a Valuable
IhouMhjfl
A And tHlS
'
should be taken advantage
ofi to the fullest
extent opportunity that
Let us hope some good will develop from this effort
Reflections on Love
By
KAHLIL GIB RAN
toUchTeeL:rro7Lhra„itdy.tOUCheS
thC ha d
******
" °f
a W ma
° " **
bMh
Love is the veil between lover and lover.
******
Every man loves two women; the one is the creation of his
imagination, and the other is not yet born.
***** *
Men who do not forgive women their little faults will never
er
enjoy their great virtues.
******
in turLn7sWyd0eS " "" """ ^ *» ****** *
hMt
*"d
******
othe^0^^
CmbraCe tHat WhiGh iS betWCen them rather
than each
******
Love and doubt have never been on speaking
terms
&
******
page or%hta W°rd °f
%ht Writte
'
"
by a hand
°{ %h<> upon a
I
�OCTOBER, 1931
45
EDITORIAL COMMENT
WHAT THE SYRIAN WORLD REPRESENTS
T
A
RLD
n<>t thC Pr duCt
f an im uke
»ed toto bT°
° It is Pthe rh\]A
- «nf ^
aesignecl
be a mere" instrument °of gain
dea , a physical expression of a spiritual^ to^v nd.o pre"
ness to serve. But service most have a nkn and a m,l TU
T
here . the preservation of that priceless rad Uer tagethi* Zel
to us as the legacy of centuries of culture and advanfed 6vtZZn
^Jer27X^p:rd and carefully nurtured>
to greater glory with the opportunit.es at hand.
n
«"
This we take to he
ibU,i n t0
Aftei^allTN^i^f
° °" •***££
w lJi ' a
World was settled by immigration from the
K
:
New
flM
Old World, and regardless of the date of our coming and of our
t enb0es°tgthatXtraCt'OnS* ?*" Sh0Uld f«' *« -cessify f ^
US t0 tHe C0Untr
the way
w ofi opportunities.
>' that "i'hholds from us noimng
£
inn the
w„s if! T
th Se baS C c
u
'
a d
°nsiderations that the
SYRIAN WORLD
f
enterpri
f iit Tad
" ' the
? *test
^f^
^
****£
enterprise,
had toTo
to undergo
of time° and
the trial
of'stiwgkfor the establishment of its ideal. Its days of trial ate not yf.
, Tie
SYRIAN WORLD
is now in the early stages of its sixth vear
TJZl?:fCrm'°" °{ itSJ!fth y"r « h'ld a symposium on the
whethe? its ZTTg u' ^l" *" this should b= {° <* advisable,
e
of a str cril H^
M
^T ,d S° aS t0 lift i[ from "•« ^here
anneal TLverHPf*a°n, and t^reby inSUre for i£ m°re public
d tt f PUM C 0P m0n WaS t0
PS nlme.
' °
'
'
"»ti « i, und'er its
were I^dT the"'q8 S
"V^1 *£- eXPrcssio" of opinion
St n that the
Z «h^ f V
'°
P"blieation was not receiving
the share of public support which it deserves. Thev were hooeful
that with its continuation sufficient public sentiment migh be amused
�,
,—I—MWil
THE SYRIAN WORLD
may be taken by the readers and give them publicity in this very department, in accordance with the terms of an understanding reach*!
with the editor of the magazine. The object is to create an open
lorum where our younger generation could meet to discuss their
various problems And this, indeed, is a valuable opportunity that
should be taken advantage of to the fullest extent.
Let us hope some good will develop from this effort.
Reflections on Love
By
KAHLIL GIBRAN
,^?le,j; a ma?'s hand toU(*es the hand of a woman they both
touch the heart of eternity.
fnll
******
Love is the veil between lover and lover.
******
Every man loves two women; the one is the creation of his
imagination, and the other is not yet born.
******
t Men who do not forgive women their little faults will never
enjoy their great virtues.
******
Love that does not renew itself every day becomes a habit and
in turn a slavery.
******
Lovers embrace that which is between them rather than each
other.
******
Love and doubt have never been on speaking terms
******
page^fVHghta
W rd
°
°f
llght
'
Wntten by a hand
°f
Hght
' UP°n
a
�OCTOBER, 1931
45
EDITORIAL COMMENT
WHAT THE SYRIAN WORLD REPRESENTS
T
ifnedT KW°RLD " mSt
^
thC Pr dUCt
°
Ument of
ai
°f
an im ulse
P
' « is it
idealTnhvsi^l * S?
/
g "- * is the child of an
f a SpiritUal desire to serve
erve fc
^^T
^d role
to preserve.
The service,
on the °one hand, is to be in the dual
of
bringing to the young Americans of Syrian orig n a finer appreda
a med° um7 T* **$* *** «* Culture> ^^pSg
STfor,a deeP^ understanding by the general American pub
he of these inherent Syrian qualities; while on the other hand the
ld f0ll
aS th£ natUrd
tZV:^T7
r
°\
u
r
ness to serve. But service most have a plan and-ult
a goalof the
Theete
Lai
g
wh£h f
r
CentU ,eS
[
°f
Culture
«d-advanced civilization
CarCfUlly nU1 tUred Wil1 bl0 m
^Z^nT^
"^
"
to greater glory with the opportunities
at hand.
'
° -
This we take to be
our most distinctive racial contribution to our adopted count y
Old Wlf' 5C NCW W°rld Was settled °y imm gration from the
Old World, and regardless of the date of our coming andTour
e hnolog c extractions, we all should feel the necessity of g«
in U
Sw
V° thC C°Untry
in tne way of opportunities.
that Withh Id
° ^
was brouZZ^u" ^ j:onsiderati°ns that the
tXp
tcd
frcm
e
ns no" h n|
SYRIAN WORLD
f CV
h
Tntertisf
i 25
^ ^ the
? *test of
f time° and ^
**
enterpn e, it
had to undergo
the trial^'
of'struggle^ the establishment of its ideal. Its days of trial are noTyf t
The SYRIAN WORLD is now in the early stages of its sixth vear
Before the conclusion of its fifth year we held I symposium on the
necessity of continuing it, and in case this should be found advisable
whether its name should be changed so as to lift it from the sphere
.
lea
rLCvSSrbl,?tl0Mand thereby mSUre
P^sent name.
f
* ° ^°
Pmi n
°
for
*
re
Public
~ <° "* '* ^
its
w.reTi°Se/eSP°uding t0 °Ur appeal for an expression of opinion
were agreed on the question that the publication was not receiving
the share of public support which it deserves. They were honeful
that with its continuation sufficient public sentiment might be aroused
—;—._
�46
THE SYRIAN WORLD
to render the enterprise self-supporting, if not profitable.
To arouse this sentiment is now our immediate aim. We do
not advance any claims of popularity because that would be misleading. Nor do we care to win popularity in its accepted meaning
at the expense of deteriorating our standard. As announced in the
first issue of our sixth year we shall concede to the demand of popularity only insofar that it shall not be interpreted as a recession
from our main ideal.
To that end we have readjusted our editorial policy to what
we believe is a great step towards meeting popular demand. This
has been achieved so far by creating a number of new departments
in charge of most capable associate editors who are proving themselves unsparing in the contribution of their time and talent towards
the ideal for which the publication stands. Other improvements,
both editorially and in the typographical presentation, will be introduced gradually and progressively.
This, if at all, should be interpreted as an advance and not a
recession. It is in keeping with what we consider to be our duty in
the promotion of the ideal underlying the publication of the SYRIAN
WORLD.
/
A NEW POETRY DEPARTMENT
Edited by Barbara Young
^E ARE happy to announce the introduction with this issue of a
poetry department conducted by no less a figure in the American literary world than Barbara Young.
Not only recently, but since the first year of the publication of
the SYRIAN WORLD, Miss Young has been an occasional contributor
to our pages. To have her now as a constant contributor and an associate editor is, we feel confident, what our readers will concede to
be a distinct privilege.
Miss Young will be appreciated not only for her intrinsic poetical merit and fine literary discernment, but also for her genuine
love for Eastern culture in general, and particularly for her partiality towards all that is of Syria and Lebanon. Because of her deep
feeling of that sense of spiritual kinship that attracts and binds her
to all that is of those ancient lands, she asserts with pride and
sincerity, "My heart is Lebanese."
�r~
'-
"• "
""m
OCTOBER, 1931
ttlRZrc7:Z rePr°dUCed »*«« b»8
PhicalTtch
1
throughout the United States. Si,S SEj d^SME'
n W h °reuext»si« biographical account of hinfwhtch wi 1 be
h Ure f0rm
for
vembtt;"
3? B,s a,the
",0U
'Md
m t assuredly
vember 1 5. ShT
She most
one
person -leaselo«
best Qualifier] Nofor
such a task, and her work should prove authentic adaurtori ative
bhe now ,s the bterary executrix of Gibran and had bee, nis
1 iteirv
associate for many years before his tWh r, •
"7°
"terary
aeDr
of undying gratitude.
We heartily welcome Miss Young to our family circle 4nd
from her department as may be expected, shall "flow the wnefha
shall exalt the spirit," to make fitting use of her own word
/
DECORATIONS
and the name is that of the gifted American artist Mareerv
Haney who has implied volumes in the exquisite ske he she has
drawn for some of our titles. In this issue we introduce two of Hie
canvas replete with fine original conception and symbol smth
Jatter, a masterly visualization of Gibran's immortal mess^e to
Young Americans of Syrian origin wherein he sav^ tTs 0 ftand
before the towers of New York, Washington, Chicago and San
Francisco saying ,n your heart, <I am the d°scend .-Tf
i
that builded Damascus, and Biblus, «*$££*£ ITt
tioch and now I am here to build with you,'and with a will -
�48
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Questions and Answers
IRAQIS AND SYRIANS
A Question on the Iraqis' Origin Answered by Professor Hitti.
THE QUESTION
Submitted by David Zaily Los Angeles, Calif.
W ha
S the race
T
> (,10t nationality) of those born and reared
3 V, ,
in Iraq? Although both speaking the same Arabic tongue, it stands
to reason as is generally held, that a person born in Mosul or Bagdad who has never been in Syria, is not a Syrian.
THE ANSWER
By Professor Phils? K. Hitti, of Princeton University
1 he people of al-'Iraq are Semites. The original stock—whether Babylonian Assyrian, Chaldaean or Aramaean—was mixed with
the later Arab stock- but all these peoples were branches of one
lamily the Semitic family, which comprised, in addition to all that,
the Hebrews and the Phoenicians. The 'Iraqis are not a race, nor
are the Syrians. To speak of a Syrian race is wrong. The Syrians
are a separate nationality, and so are the 'Iraqis. The basis of
classification in nationality is political} in race it is biological. Even
when we speak of the Semitic "race" we are stretching the meaning
of the term "race" to include all those historical peoples who spoke
or still speak a Semitic tongue: Arabic, Hebrew, Phoenician, Assyro-Babylonian, Aramaean, etc} but we have no assurance that these
peoples were all descended from the same ancestors. Strictly speaking, "Semites" and "Semitic" are linguistic terms. The word "race"
therefore should be used very sparingly, and scientifically speaking
the race to which the 'Iraqis, Syrians, Arabs, etc. belong is the white
race.
Editor's Note—Scientifically speaking, Professor Hitti's restriction of the use of the term "race" is admittedly correct The
term however, has come to be used in a much broader sense especially in the United States. The American government classifies
immigration by "races" applying the term to all distinct groups of
immigrants coming from given countries. Hence "Syrian Race "
"American Race" etc; are explicitly used.
As inferred by Prof. Hitti, the Syrians and the 'Iraqis are two
distinct nationalities. Hence a person born in 'Iraq is not a Syrian
Nor are all those speaking the Arabic tongue Syrians. Almost all
. the Arabic-speaking element in the United States is of Syrian origin
but this is no indication of Arabic-speaking peoples elsewhere.
ii
�OCTOBER, 1931
49
Political Developments in Syria
SYRIAN NATIONALISTS
INSIST ON REPUBLIC
Refuse All Forms of Compromise and
Adhere to the Constitution
of 1927
The Syrian Question seems as
far as ever from a solution.
The
French are said to have laid a program which is expected to be acceptable to all the Syrian factions, but
the exact nature of the French proposals has not been learned. There
is one Syrian faction, however, that
has anticipated the new French declaration of policy by flatly rejecting
any form of government for Syria
that will not conform to its platform.
That faction is the Nationalist bloc
which 'is admittedly the strongest
party now in the political field in
Syria. From this quarter the French
High Commissioner may expect much
trouble in whatever attempt he might
make to settle the Syrian Question
upon his return from Paris.
The Syrian Nationalist Party held
a convention in Damascus in the middle of September to discuss their
stand upon the reported intentions of
the French to give Syria a monarchical form of government and establish
one of the sons of the late King Hussein of Arabia on the throne. At
the conclusion of the deliberations Hashem Bey Al-Atasi, Nationalist leader
and former President of the Constituent Assembly, gave a press interview in which he declared that the
unalterable decision of the Party representatives was to stand by the
Constitution adopted in 1927 by the
Constituent} Assembly as the only legal representative body elected by the
people.
This constitution declared
for a Republican form of government
for Syria.
Some Syrian papers, however,
stated on the authority of a prominent
Syrian Nationalist leader that the decision of the Nationalists might be
amended if a king can win for the
country more political rights than
they have been able so far to win
themselves in their bargaining with
France.
The Syrian press gives special
emphasis to the fact that the Nationalists' declaration followed immediately upon the return of King Feisal of
Iraq from Europe. This is taken to
indicate that they were in receipt of
authentic information that the new
French policy revolved upon making
a monarchy of Syria and establishing
former Kng Ali of Arabia, a brother
of King Feisal, on the throne. King
feisal, while in Europe, had numerous
conferences not only with several high
French officials but with a number of
prominent Syrian leaders Who met
him by special appointment in Vienna.
In other quarters the Nationalist
declaration is taken as an indication
not so much of the improbability of
establishing a monarchy in Syria as of
the impossiblity so far of King Feisal
and the Syrian Nationalists reaching
an understanding. The effect of
these latest developments has been
to further confuse the political situation in Syria which has resisted all
efforts at settlement for the last
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
twelve years.
As has been previously reported,
the so'ution now being considered by
France for the Syrian Question is to
give Syria a wide latitude of independence and enter into treaty relations
with it similar to those existing between Great Britain and Iraq. But
before any of the proposed conditions
are made public an undercurrent of
dissatisfaction is now evident among
the Syrian population especially as
regards the national army. According
to the special correspondent of AlAhram of Cairo in Beirut, whatever
form Syrian independence might take
conscription is inevitable, as there
would be little hope of raising an
adequate army by the volunteer recruiting system. The Syrians are
said not to have had undergone such
compulsory service for centuries and
they would naturally balk at conscription. On the other hand, France's
greatest inducement for relinquishing
her ho'd on Syria would be the assurance of having in the latter a
strong ally, possessing an army capable of national defense, as otherwise France would be at a disadvantage in maintaining a large army in
Syria for the protection of its territorial integrity against foreign enemies while enjoying no adequate political advantages in return.
There is, besides, the question of
mritary co-operation between Syria
and the Republic of Lebanon in national emergencies. This is expected to
prove another stumbling b'oc in any
effort to settle the Syrian Question.
COMING ELECTIONS IN
LEBANESE REPUBLIC
There are no less than eighteen
prospective candidates for the Presidency of Lebanon in the forthcoming
elections of 1932. It is now evident
that President Charles Dabbas will
not be a candidate for a third term,
and the scramble for the office has re-
solved itself into a free for all affair.
There seems to be an understanding,
however, that the office this time will
fall to a Maronite, inasmuch as representation in Lebanon is still based
on denominational considerations.
With High Commissioner Ponsot
still absent in Paris, the Lebanese are
now mainly occupied with internal
affairs. The only important incident
was the flurry caused by the supposed
declaration of Emile Eddy, one of the
more prominent Presidential candidates, that the logical solution of the
differences between Syria and Lebanon was for the latter to cede t'he
port of Tripoli to Syria and thereby
help create of Lebanon a preponderantly Christian country. This was
later emphatically denied, but it tended to show the undercurrent of sentiment prevalent in the country.
The little Republic is grappling
with a serious internal problem, that
of balancing its budget. Despite the
insistence of the native government
to have the French High Commissariat pay to it its proportionate share of
the customs' proceeds, the latter refuses to make any inroads on the reserve it has decided to maintain, with
the consequence that the Lebanese
government had to devise other means
of meeting the deficit. Its first step
was to decide on reducing by 10 per
cent, the salaries of small officials,
but this aroused such cries of protest
from press and public that the reduction was made to apply to all
government functionaries, from the
president down. The attack of the
press was directed principally against
the members of the Legislative Assembly who long have been accused
of exploiting the public treasury for
their own personal gain, to the extent of exempting their personal property from taxation. This victory of
the people over those whom the press
calls profiteers was received with a
good deal of elation.
P
�—"^
OCTOBER, 1931
51
TTTF
SYRIAN WORLD
NEWS SECTION
VOL. VI. NO. 2
FINDS CLUES IN SYRIA
TO CITY OF 1931 B.C.
French Archaeologist Believes Inscriptions Are Earliest Known
Literary Efforts.
TABLETS 3,300 YEARS OLD
How the history and arts of a
vanished people who flourished in
1931 B.C. is being pieced together and
corroborated through legends of forgotten wars told in unknown tongues
was related Oct. 9 before the French
Academy of Inscriptions by Professor F. A. C. Schaeffer of the University of Strasboroug, who reported on
the third season's excavations of the
royal tombs at Minet-el-Beida and
Ras-Shamra in Northern Syria, according to a special cable dispatch
to the New York Times from Paris
on Oct. 9 .
A wealth of new finds has been
made this year by a mission representing the French Academy, the National Museum and the Ministry of
Education, which a year ago attracted
the world interest of archaeologists
by the discovery of what was thought
to be the world's oldest dictionary, inscribed on stone* tablets in six languages, two of which were previously
unknown.
These tablets came from a library attached to the Ras-Shamra sanctuary, dating from the thirteenth or
OCTOBER, 1931
fourteenth century before Christ.
More of these texts, unearthed this
year, have added interest, constituting
what probably are the earliest efforts
in literature (and poetry thus far
brought to light.
"These new texts," said professor Schaeffer, "are composed of words
in two languages and divided into syllables, and they belong to a series of
epic poems written on large tablets
in several columns. They form a very
valuable addition to the episodes of
the astonishing poems read before this
academy by M. Virolleaud, their translator, who has shown their great importance as regards Semitic philology and the history of religions.
"Several of these tablets were
found incorporated in masonry of an
ancient construction, which indicated
they had already been discarded as
texts and which givesv us hope that
we shall later find texts even more
ancient than these and probably dating as far back as twenty centuries
before the Christian era." Professor
Schaeffer's expedition brought back
a large number of several thousand
art objects, utensils and images unearthed this season. Important among
these were six curious necklaces in
multi-colored glass, each bearing pendants of an unidentified nude goddess,
done in hammered gold.
"What greatly increases their interest," Professor Schaeffer said, "is
the fact that each is in a different
�52
form, showing the strange goddess,
from the simplest kind of representation down through various stages
of perfection until done w$th the
greatest faithfulness to nature.
"In one of these representations
she is shown standing on the back of
a lion on whose shoulder is placed a
rosette or solar sign. The goddess is
wearing a Hathorian headdress and
holds two bouquets in her hands, and
from her lips spring serpents in a
manner which recalls the famous goddess entwined with serpents found at
Gnossus.
"Three different techniques of
workmanship are found in these pendatives, which resemble in style relics
found in Egypt, Mesopotamia, Crete
and Anatolia. I would not hesitate to
recognize in this figure the divine
Astarte, if the epic poetry on the tablets at Ras-Shamra did not reveal the
pantheon of a goddess whose attributes were similar, and for that reason I deem it prudent to reserve identification until they are further investigated."
In the excavations at Minet-elBeida, on the site of an ancent harbor, where these necklaces were found,
no human bones have yet been discovered, but, because of the richness of the art objects, jars, vases and
utensils found, the investigators believe they surround the tomb of some
extremely
distinguished
princess
whose burial place will be found intact during the later researches.
More than four hundred objects
unearthed this season have been
brought back by the expedition, including what are believed to be vanity boxes and beauty accoutrements
of that princess. These consist, said
Professor Schaeffer, of a score of elegant little flasks and vases in alabaster of an Egytian type, together with
a number of little boxes for cosmetics,
done in ivory, whose covers all are
THE SYRIAN WORLD
carved with the head of a water fowl
finely executed.
At Ras-Shamra was found the
effigy of a princess identified by inscriptions as of the royal house of
• -&ypt. Princess Chnoumit Nofre,
whose tomb had been discovered near
the pyramid of Amenemhat II at
Dahshur. This statuette evidently had
been willfully shattered, probably by
hordes, who, coming from Asia Minor
in the eighteenth century B.C. conquered Syria and Palestine and finally
Egypt, which had dominated this region of Syria.
Further confirmation of this invasion was found in evidences of the
partial burning and destruction of the
tombs and a sanctuary at this date.
"This damage at Ras-Shamra
probably was a consequence of an invasion by the sea people of the Syrian coast in the thirteenth century B.
C. who were beaten back from the
Egyptian frontier by the armies of
Rameses III," said Professor Schaeffer. "These invaders probably used
the city as a base for operations and
only demolished Egyptian sanctuary,
as would be indicated by the discovery
we made of several rude native images
left intact. The city never recovered
its importance and probably was definitely destroyed in the course of the
thirteenth century by the Assyrians."
TURKY PLEASED WITH
PROPOSED SYRIAN SETTLEMENT
Reports from Angora indicate
that the Turks are highly elated at
the prospects of France granting Syria complete independence because that
would relieve them of the worry of
having to contend with a strong
neighbor. They claim to entertain no
further designs on Syria, but with
France out of the country they feel
that their Syrian border would require less of their attention for purposes of defense.
�OCTOBER, 1931
- 53
SYRIANS OF CAROLINAS
aim and object of this society was
GATHER AT COLUMBIA fully explained by President Mack,
A spirit of solidarity and co- who said this society, the first organoperation seems lately to have been ized in South Carolina, was the reawakened among the Syrians through- sult of several years' work.
out the United States. They are holdAn address of welcome in the
ing gatherings and festivals in wide- Syrian language was made by Miss
ly-scattered sections. But what is Olga Hykil. Interesting talks were
more significent is that they are hark- made by G. M. Hykil, vice president
ing to the appeal of patriotic organ- of Syrian-American society, and B. J
izations to form their ranks and learn Baroody of Timmonsville, who spoka
to work collectively for the better- on "Syria, Past and Present, and Its
ment of their standing.
Contribution to Civilization."
The
In the preceding issue of the founder of the Syrian-American soSyrian World we had accounts of ciety, and its past president, S. A
three extensive group meetings in Sabbagha, was then introduced, and
widely scattered sections. The Mahhe explained that his ambition of
rajans of Bridgeport, Conn, and Det- several years had become a reality in
roit, Mich, under the auspices of the organizing the society which was funcLebanon League of Progress of New tioning in an excellent manner. InYork, and the convention of Syrian teresting talks were also made by N
societies in the Southwest sponsored Arrab of Florence, and J. J. Bashere
by the Young Men's Amusement Club of Charleston.
of Port Arther, Texas, were notable
Dinner was then served after
events; while the forthcoming con- which Syrian music was rendered by
vention of Syrian, societies in the a quartet. Swimming and boat- ridEastern States to be held at Lawrence, ing was enjoyed by the younger set.
Mass., promises to be well attended. '
The officers for 1931-1932 areWe are now pleased to copy from E. S. Mack, president; G. M. Hykil'
a local paper of Columbia, S. Carolina vice president; S. Koosa, secretary
the following account of a Syrian George Wackym, treasurer, and J S
gathering which took place in that city Mack, F. A. Masad and S. N. Baron Sept. 6 last.
koot, trustees.
The Syrian-American society of
Columbia, S.C. was host on Sept. 6,
1931 to about 500 Syrians from all CHARITABLE EXPENDITURES
OF SYRIAN SOCIETY
over the State of South Carolina and
The published report of the Virof North Carolina.
This gathering, held at Duna- gin Mary Conference of St. Vincent
way's Place, near Pontiac, was for the de Paul Society, attached to the Virpurpose of fostering good-will and gin Mary Syrian Melchite Catholic
Church of Brooklyn, covering the fisfellowship among the Syrian citizens
cal year of June 1, 1930 to May 31,
of South Carolina and North Carolina.
George Wackym was master of 1931, shows receipts of $3,900 and
ceremonies for the occasion, and in- expenditures of $2,948. Receipts were
troduced the president of the Syrian- from individual contributors and the
proceeds of dances and entertainAmerican society, E. S. Mack of Lexments.
The report, published in Araington, who delivered the welcoming
bic
by
the Syrian-American Press
address on behalf of the Syrianlists
all
the individual contributions'
American society of Columbia. The
received.
�————, >
54
SYRIAN JOURNALIST
BECOMES FLORIST
Business is bad with the Syrian
papers in the United States. On previous occasions we referred to the recurrent complaints of the editors about the delinquency of subscribers in
remitting their dues. We mentioned
also that several papers had to reduce their size for reasons of economy.
Now the first casualty has occurred
by the As-Sayeh's implied admission
of defeat in the struggle against the
adversity of the times. As-Sayeh has
suspended publication for well over
half a year.
If hope springs eternal, there are
those who still entertain the notion
that As-Sayeh will some day resume
publication. The paper had an interesting and colorful career. It was
at first a weekly, then graduated to
a. semi-weekly, and for some time
joined the ranks of daily newspapers,
it was in the habit of publishing each
year a special number to which many
prominent literateurs in Syria, Egypt
and the United States contributed.
Gibran had taken As-Sayeh under his
patronage.
What portends ill for As-Sayeh,
but should augur a prosperous future
for its publisher, Mr. A. Haddad, is
the fact that the latter decided to
turn florist, catering the natural, fragrant and apparently the useful and
needed article in lieu of the poorly
appreciated intellectual product. We
are in receipt of a circular letter in
Which he makes the announcement
that he has joined the florist shop of
Santomarco at 6914 Fort Hamilton
Parkway, Brooklyn. The language he
uses is frank and flowery. After describing the artistic qualifications of his
Italian partner he turns to himself and
says: "As for myself, I have been
intrigued by the fascination of this
profession which now I am studing
seriously. It has for me the appeal
THE SYRIAN WORLD
of the fragrance and the delicate
coloring of the flowers. In the meantime, I attend to the actual management of the establishment."
There are only a few instances
when the newspaper profession among
the Syrians proved to be a paying
one, and for Mr. Haddad to have renounced it is no reflection on his
ability. He has our best wishes for
a flowery and fragrant future.
RELIEF MOVEMENTS
AMONG U. S. SYRIANS
Meraat-Ul-Gharb, a Syrian daily
of New York, is vigorously agitating
for the creation of a national Syrian
committee in the United States to
take care of relief work during the
coming winter. It emphasizes the
fact that the Syrians were never public charges during their whole record
in America, and advocates the maintenance of this record by having a
relief body composed of themselves
to take care of their own needy this
coming winter. Undoubtedly there
would be a number of Syrians Who
would feel the weight) of distress
which has fallen heavily on the country, but it is now proposed that they
should help themselves instead of depending on general relief agencies.
No tangible result has yet developed
from this press campaign.
The Syrian Ladies' Aid Society
of New York, an old organization engaged in charitable work, receives
funds which it employs judiciously in
helping needy families. Its funds
were recently augmented by a sum
of $1,291 representing half of the
proceed^ of a benefit performance
which the committee of Al-Kalemat,
an Aleppian organization, gave last
season.
The St. Nicholas Young Men's
Society of New York has announced
its willingness to devote half of the
�OCTOBER, 1931
proceeds of an entertainment which
it is giving on Oct. 17 towards public relief.
PATRIARCHATE QUESTION
REMAINS UNSETTLED
The Orthodox Church of Syria
has made little progress in its efforts
to solve the knotted problem arising
from the election of two incumbents
to the same office. Lately the French
authorities of the High Commissariat
are reported to have taken a constructive step towards a settlement
by inviting the two Patriarchs to appoint each two members of a mixed
ecclesiastical tribunal invested with
authority to settle church litigation.
Patriarch Arsanius of Latakia, refused to be a party to this arrangement on the ground that he alone is
the legally elected Patriarch and
should exercise supreme authority.
The Orthodox Arabs of Palestine
are still agitating for the election of
a native Patriarch to succeed the demised Greek Patriarch. The movement has spread to the United States
and has been given a purely racial
turn, since Christians and Moslems
of Grand Haven, Mich., united in
petitioning the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem to exert his influence in bringing about the election of a Patriarch
who would be Arab "body and soul."
LEP.ANESE IN URUGUAY
HIGHLY ESTEEMED
An exchange of courtesies has
been going apace lately between the
Western republic of Uruguay and the
Eastern republic of Lebanon. The
cause of this extreme cordiality is
the high position of esteem which the
Lebanese community in Uruguay enjoys with the people and the govern-
55
ment of the South American republic.
On Sept. 1, a new school was dedicated in Montevideo, the Uruguayan capital), which was named the
"School of the Lebanese Republic."
The President of Uruguay in person
attended the ceremony and complimented highly in his address the civic virtues of the Lebanese community. He touched on the fact that because of the high esteem in which the
Lebanese are held by the government
of Uruguay the latter decided some
time ago to name one of its principal streets after the republic of Lebanon, a compliment which the latter graciously returned by naming
one of the streets of its capital, Beirut, after the republic of Uruguay.
Now Uruguay wants to further prove
its love for Lebanon by naming one
of its new school after it.
Representing the Lebanese Republic at the ceremony was the French
Minister in Uruguay and a number of
local Lebanese notables, one of whom
made a fitting response to the address of the President.
During the exercises, according to
reports, 150 pupils of the new school
sang in chorus the Lebanese anthem
in the Arabic language, a gesture of
extreme friendliness which highly
touched the hearts of the Lebanese,
in view of the fact that the pupils
were natives.
Commenting on this latter incident, The Sphinx, a Lebanese paper
of South America, expresses surprise that the American Uuiversity
of Beirut has never shown such courtesy to Lebanon although located in
the Lebanese capital. We doubt that
the criticism is deserved, and an explanation of the attitude of the American University of Beirut by one of
its faculty or alumni will be cheerfully given space in the Syrian World.
�56
FATHER KILLS DAUGHTER
TO AVENGE HIS HONOR
Aleppo was the scene of a cruel
murder whose victim was a young
woman killed by the hand of her own
father. The details of the gruesome
tragedy can hardly be duplicated in
the wildest fiction.
As reported by the Syrian press,
Fatoum, daughter of one Mahmoud
Moakeh, went to live with a certain
Taher Hafiz as his common-law wife.
Fearing the wrath of her father, she
cautioned Hafiz against admitting him
to the house, and for further security
the two went to live in a distant
quarter.
The father soon found himself unable to stand the jeers and disdainful
locks of the neighbors and decided to
leave the city. He was all the while,
however, making secret inquiries for
the whereabouts of his daughter until he located her, his two sons in the
native police assisting in the search.
One day the father called at his
daughter's house and was admitted
by the brother of her lover who did
not suspect his motive. The daughter
remained in hiding until she felt sure
by her father's attitude that he intended no harm. When finally she appeared in the reception room the parent
returned her greeting with apparent
affability, but a few moments later he
asked for a glass of water which the
lover's brother hastened to go out to
bring. But during the brief moments
that he was absent the father savagely attacked his daughter with a dagger, inflicting mortal wounds. The
other man, upon his return, raised an
alarm and immediately two policemen
appeared at the door and seized the
murderer red-handed. They conducted
him safely through a howling mob until they reached a secluded spot in the
outskirts, and there set him at liberty.
They were his two sons who had wait-
?HE SYRIAN WORLD
ed at the door by prearrangement and
had encouraged their father to do the
deed that would blot out the family
shame with blood.
ARMENIANS IN SYRIA
A VEXING PROBLEM
Although welcomed after the war
as refugees and guests of the country,
the Armenians in Syria and Lebanon
now present a serious problem. Due
to their native industry and extreme
necessity, they have competed with
native labor in such manner as to
cause general complaint. The French
mandatory authorities and the native
governments are expected, furthermore, to contribute to the support
and maintenance of these strange
guests, and now that the economic depression is acutely felt in the country,
the Armenians are viewed in the light
of an unnecessary national burden.
When, therefore, reports were
circulated that negotiations were set
on foot to transfer the Armenians
now in Syria to Soviet Armenia, the
Syrians hailed the news with a sigh
of relief. Of the Armenians now in
Lebanon alone, it was stated, 3,000
have already signified their assent to
the transfer.
OTTOMAN PRINCESS
BURIED IN SYRIA
On Sept. 25 the body of the Turkish Princess Saniha arrived at Beirut
and was sent by train to Damascus
for burial in the cemetery of Sultan
Salim. The Princess is the daughter
of Sultan Abdul Majid, last of the
Turkish sultans who saw his dynasty
swept away by the tide of Turkish
democracy. She died in Nice, on the
French Riviera, and her grave will
adjoin that of her uncle Sultan Wahid
Ud Din.
�OCTOBER, 1931
KAHLIL GIBRAN
;
" The Man from Lebanon"
The man whose life and work form an epic of our age;
whom few knew in' his intimate life, and whom a vast host
of those who have felt his influence, desire to know.
The first authentic opportunity is now given to draw
near to a knowledge of Gibran as he lived and worked, as
he conceived and executed.
A biographical sketch by BARBARA YOUNG, American
poet,, who was closely associated with Gibran and is now
his literary executor, will be published about November 15.
>
This story of the great son of Lebanon, "The Poet of the
Cedars," will appear in the form of a brochure, and will
contain a wealth of detail concerning this rich life, illustrated
with hitherto unpublished photographs of the poet.
The first edition will be limited to 250 copies, serially
numbered, and autographed by the author.
Orders for this edition will be filled as received, and
may be sent in advance of publication either to the office of
THE SYRIAN WORLD, or to the author, at
The Gibran
Studio, 51 West 10th. Street, New York City.
The price of the brochure, First Edition, will be $2.50.
-
57
�58
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Gibran's Message
To Young Americans of SyrianOrigin
By C K. GlBRAN
Author of ''TJt* Prophet,'
M
/««j l/*e Son of Man,"
TW Srrua V«M, J«JT, |92«
I believe- in you. and I believe in your destiny.
I believe that you are contributors to this new civilization.
I believe that you have inherited from your forefathers an ancient dream, a song, a prophecy, which you can proudly lay as a gift of gratitude upon the lap of America.
I believe you can say to the founders of this great nation. "Here I am. a youth, a young
tree whose roots were plucked from the hills of Lebanon, yet I am deeply rooted here, and I would
be fruitful."
And I believe that you can say to Abraham Lincoln, the blessed. "Jesus of Nazareth
touched your lips when you spoke, and guided your hand when you wrote: and 1 shall uphold
all that you have said and all that you have written."
I believe that you can say to Emerson and Whitman and James. "In my veins tuns the
blood of the poets and wise men of old. and it is my desire to come to you and receive, but I shall
not come with empty hands."
I believe that even as your fathers came to this land to produce riches, you were born
here to produce riches by intelligence, by labor.
And 1 believe that it is in you to be good citizens.
And what is it to be a good citizen?
It is to acknowledge the other person's rights before asserting your own. but always to be
conscious of your own.
It is to be free in thought and deed, but it is also to know that your freedom is subject
to the other person's freedom.
It is to create the useful and the beautiful with yout own hands, and to admire what others
have created in love and with faith.
It is to produce wealth by labor and only by labor, and to spend less than you have produced that your children may not be dependent on the state for support when you are no more.
It is to stand before the towers of New York. Washington. Chicago and San Francisco
saying in your heart. "I am the descendant of a people that builded Damascus, and Biblus. and
Tyre and Sidon. and Antiocb. and now I am here to build with you. and with a will."
It is to be proud of being an American, but it is also to be proud that your fathers and
mothers came from a land upon which God laid His gracious hand and raised His messengers.
Young Americans of Syrian origin. I believe in you.
FREE TO SYRIAN WORLD SUBSCRIBERS. This beautiful message by
Gibran 13x17 indies, printed in large type on heavy paper with ornamental border suitable for framing. Every PAID subscriber whose term begins
with Sept. 1931 is entitled to a copy, mailed in heavy cardboard tube. Subscribers whose term begins before S2p. 1931 may secure a copy by renewal.
1
�OCTOBER, 1931
59
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MiiiimtiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiii
HEILBRONN'S
5TH AVENUE AT 53RD STREET
BROOKLYN. N. Y.
| A METROPOLITAN DEPARTMENT STORE!
m
s
3
=
§
located in Bay Ridge, the most £
beautiful residential section of the 1
greater city.
I
| A LARGE MODERN STORE!
|
9
speedily reached by 4th Ave. Sub- §j
way (53rd St. Station) Busses and
several trolley lines.
|j
I
I
| A FRIENDLY FAMILY STORE!
S
where every customer receives personal attention and individual service—making shopping here a
pleasurebale pastime.
j* (3i>uiJj ^r^1^ s^ a5m '-^ <y ,^* U* U»- ,j-a*^
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�THE SYRIAN WORLD
AUTHENTIC
ORIENTAL RUGS
THE A. SLEYMAN COMPANY, INC.
George Haddad
Proprietor
Phone
CHickering 4-S878
ALEXANDRIA RESTAURANT
The new and beautiful uptown Syrian restaurant owned and operated
by a master chef, who summons his long experience to the
-art of producing the most delectable Oriental dishes.
Small and large parties catered to
So Conveniently Located
21 WEST 31st STREET,
N£w Y0RR
—
IT IS YOURS
is the only Syrian publication printed
m English and as such is the organ of the Syrians in America.
lou can help it continue and grow by subscribing to it yourself
and inducing others to subscribe.
THE SYRI^ WORLD
PUBLISHER, THE SYRIAN WORLD:
104 Greenwich Street, New York.
You may enter my name as a subscriber to "The SyrJforld" for the term of one year, for which I agree to
pay the regular rate of $5.00 upon receipt of the first issue.
I
I
\
Address
City 6f State
mmjmmr
�OCTOBER, 1931
61
=n
JERE J. CRONIN
FUNERAL DIRECTOR
I
MORTUARY CHAPEL
Local or Out of Town Fimeralg Personally Attended to
LADY ATTENDANT
Expense a Matter of Your Own Desire
115 ATLANTIC AVENUE
BROOKLYN, N. Y.
The large amount of business we do permits us to buy caskets
in large quantity which enables us to give the best funerals rery
reasonable. We carry a complete line of the very best manufactured
caskets at $45.00 up. We pay no agents to secure funerals for us but
only glve the family who has sorrow the very best of service, reverenc.
and economy. Our aim is to help those who are in trouble at a very
little cost. No charge for use of our services or funeral parlors
Telephone—MAIN 1398-1399-8130-3655
SHEIK
RESTAURANT
^l^J!
HOW TO BREED MOTHS
Leave your rugs on the floor
with all the dirt and germs
they have collected during the
winter and which 'home methods cannot remove. Nature
will do the rest.
: A well-appointed Syrian restaurant in the heart of the
Syrian Quarter, in lower "Manhattan, where you and your
friends can enjoy the moat
delectable
Oriental
meals
amidst the charm of an Oriental atmosphere.
RESTORATIVE: Call the
THE KOURI CARPET
CLEANING CORPORATION
RUG WASHERS
Second Foor for Banquets and
Private Parties
NEW YORK, N. Y.
10 West 33rd Street
Tel. LOngacre 5-2385
JERSEY CITY, N. J.
-552 Johnston Avenue
Tel. BErgen 3-1085
Z
KIRDAHY RESTAURANTS,
Inc.
65 WASHINGTON ST.,
. New York
»t»TT«t>MTHTVfVTTTi
�t"
THE
MACHINE
ACE
The rapid advance of our age may be ascribed to one fundamental cause
— the application of man's mind to the scientific use of the machine.
Hence our characterization of our times as "the machine age," because
it was through the machine that increased production in all commodities
has been made possible, and the comfort and well-being of man more
fully realized.
The machine has proved to be the controlling factor in all human
activities, the typographical industry included. It was through the advent
of the type-setting machine that popular literature became available
and illiteracy gradually eliminated.
But for the type-setting machine it would never be possible to produce
the prodigiously large editions of many daily newspapers in Europe and
America, and the immense number of books that are constantly being
turned out by the presses.
Speed is the prime requisite to increased production, and speed is
made possible only through the use of the machine.
The Mergenthaler Linotype Company of New York, manufacturer of
the Arabic type-setting machine, wishes to present for the consideration
of Arabic publishers these basic truths, and to draw to their attention
specific instances where the Arabic Linotype is gradually bringing into
application in the Arabic printing industry those modern, efficient
methods which made the Western printing industry so highly advanced.
To this end, concrete statistical information will be given in a series of
advertisements in this publication which should call for serious consideration on the part of Arabic publishers everywhere.
MERGENTHALER LINOTYPE COMPANY
Brooklyn, New York, U. S. A.
Cable: LINOTYPE, NEW YORK
Representatives in the Principal Cities of the World
(LINOTYPE^
An illustrated descriptive catalog
of the Arabic Linotype sent free
upon request.
LINOTYPE METRO SERIES
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MERGENTHALER LINOTYPE COMPANY
Brooklyn, New York, U. S. A.
Cable: LINOTYPE, NEW YORK
Representatives in the Principal Cities of the World
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�THE SYRIAN WORLD
64
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FORWARD!
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MARCH ON TO PROGRESS!
START A BANK ACCOUNT
IMMEDIATELY
LET
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FAOUR BANK
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Established 1891
Under Supervision of New York State Banking
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Capital and Surplus Over $500,000.00
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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
TSW1931_10reducedWM
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Volume 06, Issue 02
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1931 October
Description
An account of the resource
Volume 6 Issue 02 of The Syrian World published October 1931. The issue begins with an article titled "Two Cities, Two Worlds!" by Habib I. Katibah, which discusses the differences between Damascus and Beirut. While both of these cities are in close proximity to each other, they have distinctive cultures, which Katibah explains in-depth in his article. A new feature of this issue is the section titled "New and Views," in which a staff observer discusses various headlining articles. This month focuses around the topics of Child Marriages, Starvation in the U.S.A., Um Kalthoum in Syria, and the Mayor of New York James J. Walker's meeting with King Feisal of Iraq in Nice, France. There are then a number of poetic contributions all edited by Barbara Young, followed by "The Choice of Su'ad a True Arabian Tale." There is also a new section titled "Home and Family" which discusses various domestic duties. Another work by Kahlil Gibran is also featured towards the end of the issue after a short story by Thomas Asa titled "The Mystery of Aornholt." The issue concludes with a question and answer section directed by Philip K. Hitti, an update on political developments in Syria, and the section on Syrian world news.
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.
1930s
Barbara Young
Habib I. Katibah
Kahlil Gibran
Lebanon
New York
Philip Khuri Hitti
Syria
Thomas Asa
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/7817bf7f737e9861155846112a1ca2a4.pdf
5080f93777a7bed6f649a9f76fc4fe39
PDF Text
Text
'OL VI
NOVEMBER. 1931
NO.
��npxrp
SYRIAN WORLD
Tublished monthly except July and August
by
THE SYRIAN-AMERICAN PRESS
104 Greenwich St., 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 lork,
N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879.
VOL. VI. NO. 3
NOVEMBER, 1931
=•=
CONTENTS
The Coming Generation of Syrian Leaders
SALLOUM
A.
3
MOKARZEL
Affluence, (a Poem)
9
EDNA
K.
SALOOMEY
The Deeper Pain
10
KAHLIL GIBRAN
Conditions in the Near East __
__
11
BAYARD DODGE
True Arabian Tales
The Slave Girl Whom the Grand Vizier Could
Not Buy.
14
�CONTENTS (Continued)
PAGE
Poetry, Edited by
BARBARA YOUNG
Soil, by JOHN STERLING HANEY
New Poetry
To Our Lyric Poets
Rubaiyat Au-Tayeb, by AMIN BEDER
Ode, by THOMAS ASA
A Moslem Saint of Damascus
H. I.
.....
j8
19
2n
........
22
23
24
26
KATIBAH
Books Received
-,,
Seek and You Shall Find (a Short Story)
32
By
CHARLES
J.
SASSEN
Our Younger Generation
30
Edited by A.
HAKIM
Conflicting Standards in the Syrian Home in
America
Youth Speaks
Beyond the Sun ,(a Poem)
38
,,
43
BARBARA YOUNG
New Egyptian Minister in A merica
44
The Traveler's Cloak, (a Poem)
47
DR. SALIM
Y.
ALKAZIN
Editorial Comment
AQ
Political Developments in Syria
TQ
Syrian World News Section
53
i
�SALLOUM A. MOKARZEL, Editor
VOL. VI. NO. 3
NOVEMBER, 1931
The Coming Generation of Syrian
Leaders
BREAKING THE BOUNDS OF AGE-LONG TRADITIONS
THEY SEEK TO LEAD THROUGH ENLIGHTENED
AND CONSTRUCTIVE EFFORTS.
By
SALLOUM
A.
MOKARZEL
ALTHOUGH the French might be partly responsible for the
of
pet
" ^? ^
°f °Utl°°kthat
°" Some
their
pet traditions
traditions, itr ,s, nevertheless,
incontestable
these youths
themselves have by their own process of reasoning reached the mo
mentous conclusions that are now carrying them^n the crest o,
aTX mWnal ^f0^^ ^ A of Syria and Sbano,
are becoming practical. They are seriously applying themselves to
oe Sft a"d aPP1,Cat]°" of methods that/in comparison withIheir
age-old traditions, might well be considered revolutionary^ What
» more significant ,s that this change of outlook is evident not only
among the masses but also amone
the classes Th7\ A
'
nrfinlN, kL-,'
..
r
, to
classes, the leaders are
actually blazing the way for this renaissance which augurs such a
nght future for the country. Enlightened leadership may wel
^considered an almost accomplished fact not in the very disTant
Where it had been the time-honored tradition to rely upon
anmaintain family prestige on the old accepted lines of hered tarv
leadership and authority, the scions of the nobility, so-ca led are
fitting themselves by industry in the acquisition of the technica
�4
THE SYRIAN WORLD
knowledge and training to improve their own conditions and those
of their followers. This radical transformation in viewpoint I was
able to observe in three widely separated sections, but with unmistakable signs of a singleness of purpose.
* * * *
Early in August, 1929, while visiting Latakia, capital of the
Alaouite State of Syria, I met Emir Muneer, son of Emir Jaber AlAbbas, President of the Legislative Council of the State and hereditary chieftain of the whole Alaouite nation by virtue of his being the
head of the principal clan in the country. It was through this meeting that my interest was first aroused as to the attitude and disposition of the younger generation of leaders in the country. The
aspirations and ambitions of the young man were a revelation.
Yes, he would succeed his father as the leader of his people. Such
was his hereditary privilege which he would not dream of relinquishing. But he would by all means justify his claim by enlightened leadership. The country is in a state of an ephocal transition
and transformation. Its population is almost completely homogeneous and its land is capable of great productivity. Its resources
must be exploited and husbanded and its political rights maintained.
Hence his sense of prime duty to equip himself for the task of true
leadership—leadership that would guarantee his people their rights
and privileges. And to that end he was taking up the study of international law.
It was a voluntary task he had set for himself, and he was determined to carry it through. He positively will not follow it as a
profession because he was amply independent in his own right.
But it was for the purpose of protecting his people in their rights
that he was foregoing a life of ease for one of study and research.
Already he has graduated from the law school of the Syrian University in Damascus and was now going to Paris for further study.
He was to be in Paris that very year.
Muneer Al-Abbas is in his early twenties but observes the
strict tenets of his religion, indulging neither in smoking nor in
drinking, but for all other appearances he does not differ from the
well-dressed Parisian of the boulevards.
Unlike some others, he was not reticent in giving his political
views. He believes in the necessity of the mandate and in a policy
of understanding and cooperation with the French. Independent
political actions, he also was frank to state, will not be productive
until the country achieves a decided improvement in its economic
�NOVEMBER, 1931
and social status. He entertains
no delusions as to the actual need
of the people in this respect, and
his self-imposed task is to safeguard the rights of the country
during this period of transition.
*
*
*
Another young Syrian leader
is iimir Hasan Al-Atrash, scion
of the psincipal Atrash dan in
Jebel Druze and the titular leader of the country. I met him in
Sueida, capital of the mountain
Syrian state and found him to be
equally determined as to his future ambitions. Although a faction of his people is still nominally at war wit,* the French, he believes that war is destruction if
not actually hell, and he would
apply himself to practical, constructive methods for improving
the conditions of the country.
Am- since agriculture is the principal industry in Jebel Druze,
Emir Muneer A I- Abbas
he is engaged in the conduct of
agricultural experiments on a Young Hereditary Leader of the
large scale on his vast lands near
Alaouites Who is Studying
Sueida. He has already bought
International Lazv.
several tractors and other modern
farm implements which, once he proves their value, he will recom
mend for general use in the country. The topography of TeTl
Druze and its individual agricultural problems wouJdseem to^u!
before reaching a decisi
^hXlinr/r'r
-~ &
metnoa or kind of machinery is most suitable
Lmir Hassan Al-Atrash also is in his early twenties
He
makes no secret of the fact that his literary properties are Tot
that
TFMTZE
to nis particular problems.
k6en
TJ-t
SS
m what Swith
Like his people,
he is endowed
ttlrl°f C°Ur^e Whkh b°rders °« recklessness ATL en
gaged in the war against the French in its earlier stages but came to
realize that the interest of the country would be b'e 'served by a
�6
THE SYRIAN WORLD
policy of understanding. Hence his present relations of amity and
cooperation with the French.
To one who had only book knowledge of Jebel Druze and its
people and rulers, the natural expectation was to see a prince in full
panoply and brilliant entourage moving about in state among his
subjects, especially that Druze princes in their forlorn mountain
still rule according to accepted feudal practices. Not so, however,
was the appearance of the young Atrash prince. The charger gave
way to the speedier and more reliable and comfortable automobile;
the flowing bedouin robes to European attire and the costly and
pompous entourage to a single attendant. Democracy and the spirit
of sportsmanship went further with our young Emir—he himself
was always at the wheel and his attendant did not appear in livery
or bear any outward mark of difference from his master.
The night my companions and I spent in Sueida we were, together with the Emir, guests for dinner at a Christian notable's
house. The Emir appeared not to have the least consciousness of
rank. He doffed his coat and rolled up his shirt sleeves and sat
to the board in the accepted native fashion. He is not of the 'Ukkal, and consequently had no scruples about smoking or drinking.
Nor was he unduly prudish. Everybody knows about his youthful
romance with the Jewish dancer which caused him to knock down
the French superintendent of the school he attended in Beirut and
escape over the fence, so why not tell it himself in its true details.
And he did tell it with apparently little remorse, rather with much
relish. It was but a youthful escapade and his view of it was
typically modern.
* * * *
The third promising young leader is in the Lebanon. Although still in his teens he has very decided opinions of his future
career. What if his forebears once were the absolute rulers of
the country and his branch of the family still holds an undisputed
position of leadership. He will deviate from the path of his ancestors and shape for himself a course of his own. Not for him a
life of empty dignity that spells inaction. He will rehabilitate his
fortune by industry and blaze a way of marked economic improvement in the country by the promulgation of modern producing
methods. If he himself, due to his tender age, does not express
himself altogether in such terms, his mother acts as his spokesman
with evident authority, because, in truth, she is the one primarily
responsible for his training along these lines.
�NOVEMBER, 1931
Front Viev> of 'he Palace of Sitt Nazira Janblatt in Lebanon, Which
u the Scene of Much Industrial Activity Along Modern Lines.
Kamal Bey Janblatt, son of Sitt Nazira Janblatt, who is concededly one of the outstanding feminine figures in'the Eas
s
doubly fortunate for being the scion of one of the principal Druze
families in Lebanon and for having such an able and e, lightened
mother to guide his footsteps. Ever since the child's infancy, when
a cruel fate struck down her husband in the discharge of his duties
as the governor of the southern district of Lebanon, she not only
has acted as mentor and guardian to her children but strove to maintain and bolster the position of the family. Nay, she has succeeded
n materially enhancing its prestige and improving its means. And
this despite the restrictions of her social status as a Druze woman.
So much, m fact, has been her success that she is pointed out as a
pioneer in many economic enterprises and a paragon and champion
of the Eastern woman's emancipation.
One of the enterprises of Sitt Nazira was the installation of a
hydroelectric plant utilizing the abundant water brought to her
palace at Mukhtara from a great distance and hitherto gone almost
total y to waste. With the power generated she is now able to run
a mill and a carpentry shop besides illuminating the palace and a
part of the town Her enterprise and energy deserve special treatment which will be given in an independent chapter.
�.la^B-v-f- -J^_
8
THE SYRIAN WORLD
But the mysterious generation of electricity and the wonders
of transformation it has wrought captivated the imagination of her
son who now resolved on seeking a career in electrical engineering.
The boy's mind is completely wrapped in his selected calling. His
mother often sends him in state to attend some official public functions which she, out of deference to her people's traditions, wishes
to avoid, and at which she feels her family should be represented.
But the boy's interest in these ostentatious functions is perfunctory.
His passion is electricity and its application. He even avoids play
to study on the subject.
Sitt Nazira led us from one of the elaborate reception salons
facing the spacious open court into the nursery. And there was the
boy Kamal Bey, unnaturally grave for a boy of twelve, watching
over his younger sister. He appeared to take but a mild interest in his mother's enthusiastic and admiring explanations. Rather it was the attitude of one who resented intrusion on his pet
subject and its being held up to public discussion. The look in his
eyes was more in the nature of an appeal to his mother to spare him
in his chosen profession, but his good breeding forbade any articulate objection.
* * * *
As good fortune would have it, my first visit to Damascus afforded me the opportunity to meet and study a typical young son of
the desert leaders in the person of Emir Fowaz, son of the celebrated Nouri Shalan of the tribe of Rowla. In him, too, were very
evident the signs of the great transformation, but not along the
lines manifested in the others. He was just a colt let loose and he
well acted the part. With a number of Damascene notables we
were having dinner at the roof garden of the Hotel Victoria Annex,
which in appointment and atmosphere is but another edition of a
high-class Parisian cafe. It is reached through a circular hall where
many of the principal social functions of the city are held. That
night it was the scene of a musicale and dance. Men and women
in fashionable evening dress packed the room, among them being a
large representation of foreigners. But there was a solitary figure
in glowing Arab costume who moved about with the nonchalance
of a habitue. A handsome young face protruded from under the
folds of a silken headdress with but a faint trace of a black moustache. Only his patent leather pumps and silk socks indicated a
concession to European dress. He was none other than Emir Fowaz
of the Rowla tribe, and although I did not personally interview him,
�f
WOVE MB ER, 1931
9
I learned from my Damascene companions that he had a town
house in Damascus and is frequently seen at social functions. ' He
once almost caused an unpleasant international incident when, true
to Arab temperament, he fell violently in love with an English
concert dancer and took the shortest cut to possessing her by kidnapping. He ceded her back only after several months of exciting life
of romance in the desert.
But for the present, at least, the nomad Arabs of the desert
do not seem to form an integral part of Syrian life. Nevertheless,
they are beginning to feel the inroads of modern influences, and
if one of their young leaders maintains a city home and engages in
social activities on such a large scale, a change is bound to come into their life. Already they have modernized their methods of
warfare and use automobiles in conducting their raids; other radical
changes will not be long to follow.
* * * *
A change looms on the horizon in Syria. It is bound to prove
more productive, and will surely be highly accelerated, through
the serious efforts of the young leaders who are fitting themselves
constructively for their future tasks.
Affluence
By
EDNA
K.
SALOOMEY
I shall embrace my poverty, and bless
Fate for willing me not the Midas touch.
Thus, am I spared from having to confess
Futility, a craving for death, and such
Desires as satiety brings to men.
When all need is fulfilled, what need to live?
What pleasure shall await to-morrow, then,
If today credit all life has to giver
From the vast depths of Stygian of the dawn.
Man's gratitude for the beauty of the dawn.
�f
'
THE SYRIAN WORLD
The Deeper Pain
By
KAHLIL GIBRAN
Editors Note—Through the courtesy of Barbara Young, li erary
executor of Kahlil Gibran, some of Gibran's original writings in English will be published exclusively in the Syrian Wor'.d from time to
time previous to book publication.The following is the first of the
series.
To burn but not to shine, that is indeed great pain, but to
burn not at all is the greater pain.
To have a full heart and an empty hand is pain indeed,
But to have both heart and hand full, and no one to receive
is greater pain.
To be a cripple at the foot of the mountain of your heart's
desire is a great pain,
But to reach the top of the mountain and find yourself
alone, that is the deeper pain.
To have a song in your spirit but not the voice to sing is to
know great pain,
But to have both the song and the voice, and none to listen,
is the greater pain.
Once I stood, a beggar, at the gate of the temple.
Night veiled all things, and my hand long stretched forth,
was still empty.
At that hour, my friend, I knew pain.
After seven moons I stood again in the portico of the
temple to tell of Spring in the forest,
And Spring in the heart of a maiden,
And Spring as the beginning of the race,
And behold, there was not one who listened to me.
That was the deeper pain.
-
�D
NOVEMBER, 1931
//
!
Conditions in the Near East
By BAYARD DODGE
President, American University of Beirut
(Excerpts from President Dodge's Annual Report for 1930- -31)
IKE THE rest of the world, the Near East has suffered from
the commercial depression, which has been the principal feature
of the past year. Overland trade through Syria has been cut down,
the tourist business in Egypt and Palestine has been at a low ebb,
and the Arab states of the Persian Gulf have been unable to sell
their pearls.
Persia has been making a heroic effort to introduce a gold
standard of currency, which has envolved such a large readjustment, that the trade of the country has been seriously affected.
Worst of all, there has been such an overproduction of cotton, that
Egypt, the Sudan, 'Iraq and North Syria have endured heavy
financial losses.
Ever since the University was founded, the surrounding districts have been sending thousands of emigrants to the West, and
these adventurers have sent back a constant stream of money to
their relatives in the East. The present economic crisis has stopped
these remittances, with a corresponding share of hardship for many
old parents and unfortunate children. Furthermore, emigration itself has been stopped to such an extent that the- poor can no longer
seek their fortunes in more prosperous parts of the world.
Mankind seems to be learning that war brings poverty and
peace gives prosperity.
Like America, Egypt did not feel the ill results of the war,
while the fighting was going on. The cotton crisis of the past
year has enabled the Egyptians to appreciate what serious readjustments war envolves.
In Syria, 'Iraq and Palestine the situation is very different. A
few weeks ago a friend said to me:—"We Syrians are the luckiest
people in the world; We've alreaciy struck the bottom, so that what
ever happens in other places, we can't go any lower."
The Mosul oil project, the exploitation of Dead Sea chemical
deposits, the new harbor at Haifa, plans for overland railroads to
"'
''
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^m
�12
ft
THE SYRIAN WORLD
bind together the Euphrates valley with the Mediterranean the
presence of foreign institutions, and the promotion of new industries are brining new hope for reconstruction.
A spirit of cooperation is springing up between the neighboring
states and in cooperation lies the future of the Near East. Men are
beginning to dream that some day there may be new irrigation systems and new cities, along the Orontes and the two rivers of Mesopotamia, where civilizations once bloomed and populations multiplied.
It was the wars of the Sassanides and the Tartar invasions
that wrought havoc and left behind a wreckage of broken canals
and ruined towns.
Twelve years of peace have already made it possible to develop overland motor routes and to open up new channels of trade
so that it is reasonable to believe that continued security and increased cooperation will result in reconstruction.
t
The Near East is the cradle of our monotheistic faiths. Oriental forms of religion are so old that they have become too much
matters of ceremony and sect, and too little a concern of the spirit
I he University does not wish to increase the confusion by adding
a new sect, but rather to rear up men and women, who are filled
with spiritual enthusiasm and anxious to make religion a bond of
fellowship, rather than a basis for hostility.
The states of the Near East have tried competition and war
tor over five thousand years. They have become so impoverished
that they form a great contrast to the states of the new world which
have developed prosperity as a result of team work. The 'contribution, which it is worth while for America to give to the Levant
is this idea of team work.
The city of Beirut is like the hub of a wheel, to which students
come from a great radius seeking education. Even in the third and
fourth centuries of the Christian era there was a great law school
at Beirut, which drew students from the Mediterranean provinces
and Western Asia. The Roman jurists, Ulpian and Papinian were
professors there. Nonnus, the poet; Saint Gregory of Neocesaria
the Miracle-worker; and the famous Saint Gregory of Naziansus
were students. Two of the professors, Dorotheus and Anatolius,
helped the Emperor Justinian to prepare his code of law
East and West; North and South; Anglo-Saxon and Latin:
Semite and Greek; Muhammedan, Christian and Jew; Roman
i>i
>
�\\
NOVEMBER, 1931
13
£5°liCK aud °rthodox> have
* and still meet on the bridge
g of
land, which joins together Africa, Asia and Europe
PU,t>
the
M r ~SS
chlldren re
ill
Syria haVe SCattered a11 ov
er
tQ study .n ^ ^
d and
thee wo
world
C
aSt
studv\:
Be0m;Cindepr6SSi0n
°f ,thG Pthan
W
study at Beirut
greater numbers
ever *«faS
before. have corned
The first essential for reconstruction in the Orient is to teach
the young men and women that thev cannot catch m, 7 V
of the West by political agitation 'and ^T^ V^ZfZ
working so hard, that they can measure up to theinteU^ at'
tainments of Europe and America
""eiiectual atmic
of
mur sards'
standards of
made the courses
France During
1
haS ad
T^vV
? UniVCrsity
°Pted the ^deNew York State
as minimum requirements
and
in medicine and pharmacy as long asXv are"n
the past year French and British Ictors from
of "he Schqooianof M dtine "^ aSSiStCd Wkh th£ 2-1
S-SS .
inC S
of Europt
' ° ^ f° aSSUre Standards e<iual to those
boundaries will be dead, dogmas Slt^dT^^^
The development of character and of consecration to spi-it
ual things on a campus radiant with friendship and g
good wU 1Ss"
the ideal of a modern university.
'
R ^AtuBeiJUt thTe 1S "° sectariai'1 religious society, but rather a
Brotherhood, in which men of all races and creeds havean eaual
Q
share to join in social service work and common worship
and women stand shoulder to shoulder in /h
f
^
these
"These things shall be,—a loftier race
Than e'er the world hath known will rise
With flame of freedom in their souls,
And light of knowledge in their'eyes."
V
-
"Nation with nation, land with land
_
Unarmed shall live as comrades 'free •
In every heart and brain shall throb
The pulse of one fraternity."
Tn
�14
THE SYRIAN WORLD
I
THE SLAVE GIRL WHOM THE GRAND VIZIER COUID
NOT BUY
\^HEN the caliph Haroun al-Raschid was on one of his visits to
the city of Al-Basra, his famous vizier and boon companion
Jaafar Ibn Yahya the Barmecide, was in his company. Jaafar,
however, could well afford to neglect the business of state and follow his natural bents in seeking his personal pleasure due to the extraordinary confidence he enjoyed with the caliph. So immediatey upon the arrival of the royal caravan to the city Jaafar called
to him Isaac Ibn Ibrahim, the famous singer and entertainer of the
caliph, and bade him seek information concerning a reputedly extraordinary slave girl the fame of whose charm had reached the
capital Baghdad. Isaac enlisted the services of the foremost slave
dealer in the city who readily gave his expert opinion about the unsurpassed qualifications of the girl in question, but added the further information that her master would never consent to exhibiting
her in public, and will let her be seen only in private and at his own
house.
Jaafar, undaunted, said that he would seek her wherever she
might be, be she in a palace or in a hut, in the city or the wilderness,
because his heart was set on viewing her vaunted beauty and hearing
her reputed unexcelled art in singing and playing the <oud He
therefore, immediately ordered that preparations be made for the
visit, and not long thereafter the three parties to the conversation
in disgu.se, were wending their way through the narrow, tortuous
streets of the city towards the house of the girl's master
In one of the poorer sections the slave dealer stopped at the
door of a dilapidated house and knocked. A young man, emanated
in form and with hollow eyes and pallid complexion, reluctantly
it
�NOVEMBER, 1931
that his robe was of a coarl m ,'
-f7 n°tlCed Parti larly
Finally the slave dealer eTvereT* • *"? aPPare»t]y very old
sion and ask to l^Z^ltl
" * ^^ ** miS"
exPre^7oTdgee7;uffel\n°hereP,ly-, **} *? d
h S Way to
room from which^shortly
H a*eirl
T*
'
VVIULIJ, snoruy aft-w
afterwards,
emero-eH
^ ,xrU
-d an
u^
an
*e ntost bLutifultXTwhe ttr £ EZ^faTf iT^
A2X
Ana what
SUCh l0nS
tad
£ t0appear
^ aftCr
""P^onship,in
tad fan
perpetually self-renewing
our relauonsh.p now become exposed to the dans"
of rupture through ageaanger
Never stall I forget that what now appears old was at
at
one time new;
Nor that the house which is now deserted was once
teeming and gay with life;
U? t0 mC
A/T°
,' ^ the dearest that ever trod on soil •
And I m my We, have consumed myself f„ the effort
to make myself worthy of your attention
The girl could proceed no further She t » H • •
• ,
robe, and reentered the inner room For a wh L .T'^ ? ^
-^i^n^tfr-f^SSr
companions waited a reasonable time and the, decided t"" "
robe, and while be V^Sg&SZ^g
5*
�16
THE SYRIAN WORLD
with the light of a strong determination. It was he who broke the
oppressive silence.
"You are my witnesses that I have set her free," he said,
"and that I now take her as my lawfully-wedded wife."
Jaafar was much grieved and disappointed at having lost the
opportunity to purchase this extraordinary slave-girl, but controlled
himself sufficiently to ask the young man the reason for his action.
The latter remarked that his story was a long one, but that he would
be willing to tell it if they were disposed to isten. They readily
assented.
"My father was one of the notables of the city," he began,
"and we lived in great opulence. To this the slave dealer will
testify. My mother had a large number of slave-girls, and because I had access to the hareem quarters I had occasion to mingle
with them all. The girl whom I have just freed was one of them.
She was young, intelligent and vivacious, and as we grew together
I came to love her passionately. We were tutored together
until such time that my mother decided she would give her a
musical education, but because I could not bear parting with her
we took up musical study together. Then came a time when my
mother decided to sell her because of the high price she would
bring, and no sooner I realized her intention than I begged her to
reconsider her decision as I could not bear to live without the girl
who had been my life companion and had now become the very
essence of my existence, and once my mother realized the situation
she readily granted her to me and we lived happily for a number
of years, during which time my father continually begged me to
marry whomsoever I chose of the daughters of the leading men of
the city, but I persistently refused because my heart would countenance no substitute for the slave girl, although my father interpreted my action as one of chastity. And in time my father
died and I came into such wealth that I thought would never be
exhausted, and I spent and squandered foolishly. The inexorable
sequence is the plight in which you now find me, with nothing more
than this single robe which she and I share between us."
The three men appeared transfixed with his story, and particularly did Jaafar feel pity for the gifted girl who was now reduced
to such pitiable circumstances. The young man cast searching looks
on them, as if to learn if they were interested in having him continue his narration, and when they requested him rather impatiently, to proceed, he took up the trend of his story as follows:
"I well realized that the situation could not be borne any furQ
�NOVEMBER, 1931
I
ther, and when I heard that the caliph had come to the city I
broached to her the idea of a sale, explaining that I could not further suffer subjecting her to such wretchedness. But when you
came to negotiate for her purchase and she realized that the hour
of parting was drawing near, she came to me weeping, in the manner in which you have seen her, and reproached me that if I only
reciprocated her feeling I would not be willing to part with her.
" 'But would you be willing to share my misery to such an extent
when you realize to what straits I have been reduced?' I pleaded.
'However, since this is your wish I will free you and marry you
legally,' I hastened to explain.
" 'If your love is true, this is what you should do,' she replied.
And immediately I agreed to free her and take her as my legallywedded wife, to which you are now asked to stand witness.' "
The situation was tensely dramatic, and the three disappointed
visitors made their way silently out of the house.
Said Isaac Ibn Ibrahim. "After having ridden a long way
in silence, I thus addressed Jaafar: 'You, O vizier, whose bounties
have flooded the land and saved many a destitute, will your heart
not take pity on these two lovers now that you have witnessed their
pitiable situation?'
" '1 es,' replied Jaafar, 'but my mind has been completely
distracted by the natural and acquired gifts of the girl.'
"Then turning to the slave dealer he asked; 'How much do
you carry?'
" 'Three hundred thousand dinars,' the latter replied.
" 'Return immediately and give the whole sum to the girl's
master, and bid him come to see me on the morrow,' he ordered."
In giving an account of what followed, Isaac Ibn Ibrahim
said that the young master went into transports of joy over this turn
of fortune, and when he appeared on the following day to express
his gratitude to the vizier, the latter presented him to Haroun AlRaschid, giving a complete account of what had occured, and the
magnanimous caliph was so pleased that he added the young man
to his retinue and made him gifts and grants that insured his happiness forever after.
ma&m
n
17
�smssmm^
18
THE SYRIAN WORLD
I
BARBARA YOUNG,
l°thnVv
the dictionary
a dml f j y
°
° ^
Editor
nin and W nder with a dash
°
>
of
KAHLIL GIBRAN
Poetry is for the ears and not for the eyes.
old custom of the minstrel, the bard, reading or
market-place is one of the lost delights. Today
compares of human beings who still reap a rich
aS,0n Whe
W
^ublXr
The enchanting
chantW in hf
there L small
g rnerbg f"m
" ^^ " ">^ud, if, som"
a
d
the ractice
be
extLZ^noT?
^ ^^
^ if and
Pcriticism-the
"light
be extended
not for i°°
the purposes
of discussion
time is moth-eaten with these two pastimes-but for she^r enjoyment and relaxation. There are certain poets and certain poems
reahPmrem th! S° * t*^ *"* *' ^ * sickening I'd "treshment that.a of actual economic value, notwithstanding the
somewhat general opinion to the contrary. Ahalf hour of 1 tin b*
to certain portions of Brooke or Masefield, Frost or Kipling No"!
or Gibson will add a sense of zest and vigor to the day wtichTe
ati n f the
atd
accelerate?tT
S5 MtS
*" Vibl
° ° not with
^
and accelerates
the H
blood-but
poetry
read" aloud,
the eves
a one for only
^
h „
y ^
& J
y
o± the muse communicated.
�By
JOHN STERLING HANEY
The soil is my mother
J am the child of the mountain
I am the son of the cleft in the rock
MTbr th ndIJn!.0f th£ swifdunning plain
jy sisters are the young vines of the uplands
Heavy with grape.
>/
The soil is my mother,
I shall not fear.
She speakes to me out of thec mnntu, £
^h« ,,Q
r
.
mouths or men
And the fingers of her hands
Are the longings in the heart of the crowds
Her voice is the words of men
When they are silent.
I am one with my fellowmen,
It cannot be otherwise.
All men are one with me,
The soil is our mother.
I and they shall return to her
They and I shall lie down together
When she calls.
�20
THE SYRIAN WORLD
New Poetry
"PRELUDES FOR MEMNON" by Conrad Aiken, (Scribl
ners, $2.50) is a book for a small company of the elect It is a
volume of some fifty-odd cantos which record with minute and
meticulous detail the daring intellectual adventure into a realm far
beyond the region of intellect. The poet-has not hesitated, as indeed why should he? to plunge into the labyrinths of the soul's
darkness seeking to pierce its gloom. The theme of the work seems
to be clearly stated in the following stanza:
"What did you see?
—I saw myself and God.
I saw the ruin in which godhead lives:
Shapeless and vast: the strewn wreck of the world:
Sadness unplumbed: misery without bound.
Wailing I heard, but also I heard joy.
Wreckage I saw, but also I saw flowers.
Hatred I saw, but also I saw love.
And thus, I saw myself.
—And this alone?
—And this alone awaits you, when you dare
To that sheer verge where horrors hang, and tremble
Against the falling rock; and, looking down,
Search the dark kingdom. It is to self you come,—
And that is God. It is the seed of seeds:
Seed for disastrous and immortal worlds."
Here is unequivocal and final pronouncement of the poet's
philosophy of life. It is a splendid and sweeping gesture The
great self of man is the supreme self. There is no mistaking the
clarity and the definiteness here. Unfortunately, this clarity does
not prevail throughout the length of the poem. Mr Aiken is a
master of subtleties that often rise up and defeat the communication
or his thought. There is too often a wordiness that amounts almost to incoherence, as if the poet were over-intoxicated with his
own ecstasy. The steed that he has mounted appears frequently
to run away with the rider.
There are passages in which we perceive the poet's meaning
not because of his fabulous expression but in spite of it: they seem
to struggle for breath, to wrestle for release.
%
*
�NOVEMBER, 1931
21
^^arealso
^
fpurepoetry;pureth
la„gl^ed:fhere "" ^ «- - *- which are not poetry
in my
The world centripetal—"
And these:
'What is a symbol? t* » +u~ t
pS shar
To clutch a paper tha 1 WS m the
L St°°
P
wind
It is the Wnf
i"
in the W
Light?^ corset?* , "<' ^
lf
^
'"
IS
£
&££*
t
* * ** of^thea
waning fire. There is ^aSS
,
T
h
friend befo
cerned with a Tale of ZeX^'
**,*" P°Cm is
nat morL
sons.
than our paltry three dimenConrad Aiken's is a powerful nen T^
•
the poet himself is
not
e^TlyZn^d
The ran th 0^P"d'
ck
and
"'"'"^ °tbm
* -reives
d he burdock
a
^ht
r'C
e: th
"'
P
And all that welcomes rain"" ' he Sp°tted st°
.
th
°»8h
�20
THE SYRIAN WORLD
New Poetry
"PRELUDES FOR MEMNON" by Conrad Aiken, (Scribner's, $2.50) is a book for a small company of the elect. It is a
volume of some fifty-odd cantos which record with minute and
meticulous detail the daring intellectual adventure into a realm far
beyond the region of intellect. The poet has not hesitated, as indeed why should her to plunge into the labyrinths of the soul's
darkness seeking to pierce its gloom. The theme of the work seems
to be clearly stated in the following stanza:
"What did you see?
—I saw myself and God.
I saw the ruin in which godhead lives:
Shapeless and vast: the strewn wreck of the world:
Sadness unplumbed: misery without bound.
Wailing I heard, but also I heard joy.
Wreckage I saw, but also I saw flowers.
Hatred I saw, but also I saw love.
And thus, I saw myself.
—And this alone?
—And this alone awaits you, when you dare
To that sheer verge where horrors hang, and tremble
Against the falling rock; and, looking down,
Search the dark kingdom. It is to self you come,—
And that is God. It is the seed of seeds:
Seed for disastrous and immortal worlds."
Here is unequivocal and final pronouncement of the poet's
philosophy of life. It is a splendid and sweeping gesture. The
great self of man is the supreme self. There is no mistaking the
clarity and the definiteness here. Unfortunately, this clarity does
not prevail throughout the length of the poem. Mr. Aiken is a
master of subtleties that often rise up and defeat the communication
of his thought. There is too often a wordiness that amounts almost to incoherence, as if the poet were over-intoxicated with his
own ecstasy. The steed that he has mounted appears frequently
to run away with the rider.
There are passages in which we perceive the poet's meaning
not because of his fabulous expression but in spite of it: they seem
to struggle for breath, to wrestle for release.
�KOVEMBER, 1931
21
Yet there are also passages of pure poetry,
pure thought
"Then came I to the shoreless shore of time
J* here never summer was nor any tree,
£or sound of water, nor sweet light of sun
"y-tWngand the shoreXo£b?
Above, around, below, and in my heart."
language" f
"" ""* *« *S
lhe world centripetal
And these:
Aese
** are not poetry in any
"
"What is a symbol? it is the 'man stoops sharp
To dutch a paper that blows in the wind- P
S bendi
in th wi
LhL
rOCUS
'«with
<= »<V
the
laght, S^l
that breaks
on \
the water
waves
'the
Wing, that <aeh,eve in the gust unexpected.' >
review^ V ££ bS «SS% ^ to ,he <°°ls °f *.
waning fire. There L^^^tiTeV ,! tr *""" ^ '
cerned w,th a Tale of somewhat mo^tha!
U1 ^r
our L rv SfJ? ^
sions.
paltiy three dimen- !
he dipTt^'y^ SSi?* .««• - -* in the ink
reason of overw^i ,g such w rds as "l? ""ST*"." T^ *
Ventricle ..5ometmKsHy oterltklaSn'0"
'"^
meanmg^t^on5:^ LrfiXbf d°7f *"* ** *e
"Beloved, let us once more praise the rain.
-Let us discover some new alphabet, .
The r 'S ^ °fuen, PI"aised' and be ou^lves
The ia,n, the chick-weed, and the burdock leaf
. lhe green-white privet flower < »,«
*I J '
And all that wdcoLTJ ' "* SP°"ed stone>
�22
THE SYRIAN WORLD
"Forget the proud in wisdom, those who fear
To know the things they do. We are the sons
Of that bright eight that knows no turning back;
We the prometheans who never die j
The crucified who scorn their crucifixion,
Because we know our fate was in ourselves.
We are the Jesus and the Judas, too."
To Our Lyric Poets
The world that listens to John Masefield, poet laureate of
England, embraces a vaster population than the world that listens
to plain John Masefield, poet.
It is a good and gracious event when a man who has wise and
wholesome recommendations to make to a people, finally achieves
the eminence from which he may be heard. What he says from the
heights is precisely what he had been saying in the valley of his
quieter days; but now the faces are upturned to his face, and they
wait for his lightest word, who were before, fully occupied with
their own words.
To The New York Times Herbert W. Horwill, writes from
.London :
"John Masefield suggests that there is a fine opportunity waiting for some of our enterprising young poets to-start poetry entertainments in London. According to his plan, poetrv written especially for the purpose would be read aloud in small halls
The
poets would be writing directly for their public, and this would re-suit in vigorous, vital work. They would have the advantage of
seeing its effect on an audience—an invaluable guide which is denied
entirely to the man who writes for books."
_ _ Why not this plan also for young American poets of Syrian
origin t
'
�NOVEMBER, 1931
23
Rubaiyat Au- Tayeb
Translated from the Arabic
1
By
AMIN BEDER
«-»- \f Y, %_^ ^
u Cj Vj
^ ^vi
^ ur ^, ^, ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
i-
v
u
^ ^
I neither blame the hand of fate, nor praise
The urgent guest who steals awa our days
It wants but little till we shall pass on
From earth to earth, for life is but a maze
Entongis.this life. ...the sages know
And yet the,r wisdom melts like April- snow
AnW 7 S02n/°rget 'tS witcheries arc false'
And Lo! we find them actors in the show.
\\—^Vl Uj|
tj*
C53
fjL-5"
cT
'iT uij
High aspiration is for thee a pest,
My soul, if thou be greedy in thy quest,
A A t YriY IS the one «"* suffers mostAnd 'neath the curse of sickness it must rest'.
;-ix« cT
Beauty that's false is surely in the lead,
Endeared to women like a noble steed1 o me the real appears a golden trait •
No dye nor paint will enter in my creed
>
^
�m**
24
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Ode
{From BOOK ON NATURE)
By
THOMAS ASA
Thou hast reclaimed the world's lost loveliness
0 wand ring dryad from Pierian bow'rs —
Revived rich beauty with thy soft caress
Imparted sweet perfume to scentless flow'rs
And stirred the dormant zephyrs with thy laughterRestored the music of the sylvan streams —
1 hy time today, and not the morrow or thereafter
No crude awak'nings in this life of dreams.
Ah! would I soon forget the world of men,
Io follow thee where'er thou mayest lead:
And through thine eyes divine the woodland ken,
And with my lips drink deep thy sacred mead
i-ead thou my spirit to thy safe retreat,
Show me what mortal eyes have never seen:
Reveal the secret of those silent feet
That walk the carpets of the woods unseen—
And now the sun has gone its wonted way
Teft o er the hours to twilight and the night,
And soon the earth in dreamless slumber lay
lo wake again but with the morning light— '
But in that mystic region of no sleepBut in that fabled realm of life unseen,
Which from the world its hidden borders keep,
And vanishes within the forest green
Beneath the drooping lilacs lost in sleep,
1 he woodland elves a noiseless revel hold
Arch schemers they, how sharp the vigil keep!
I hat no intruders might their sight behold.
Oh how delightful was that moonlit glade
Where reigned Queen Titania with her tr'ain,
And on her vernal throne of Flora's shade
Unseen by men, and ever thus remain.
�NOVEMBER, 1931
Fresh as the dew-drop on the morning rose,
basr as bright Hesper in the evening sky,—
And would thine eyes but for a moment close,
And all the world of beauty then would die
bam would I make my presence known to thee,
O wondrous queen of this sweet land I see
Now through the woodland sounds a trumpet note
lJear to the fairy queen it seemed to be
Might I have known it issued from Love's throat,
When came King Oberon his queen to seel
Immortal ruler of a cherished race'
With thy fair queen in lasting glory spend
Unnumbered days within this favored place
Ldemc peace and gladness without end
And never may the toll of future doom
find thee, sweet Myrtle, weeping dewy tears,
As thine oblatwn to the saddened gloom
Of crumbling Eros shrines that Venus rears ' '
And there bright Phoebe through the swaying eaves
Illumes with its soft gleam, the sylvan throne:
And with the faint rustle of Autumn leaves
Gentle Zephyrus sings its soothing moan
All this have seen, but not with earthly eyes
Hut m the inmost regions of the mind'
Where dwells the impish Genie of surmise,
Which rues the thoughts and wishes of mankind
Long shall I rove the verdant fields of thought
By gliding-streams of Love and Beauty steep '
My inward soul, until old age has brought
Me to the verge of unawak'ning sleep
*>
i
25
�-.IT' . I,U,III.U
/
26
THE SYRIAN WORLD
A Moslem Saint of Damascus
. AN INTIMATE GLIMPSE INTO THE DAILY ROUTINE
OF LIFE OF THE FOREMOST MOSLEM
TRADITIONIST OF THE AGE
• By H. I.
KATIBAH
JF SOMEONE had met you on the street and told you: "Meet
brother AbeJafd, just coming out from his lectures at the Priory
of Maisoncelle", or just as casually: "Let me present you to Saint
Ansdm, celebrated schoolman and author of the Proslogion » you
would realize something of the surprise which was mine when I
was presented, two years ago last summer in Damascus, to "the
Greatest Traditionist, Our Master Badr-Ud-Din al-Hasani.
For I had always associated a traditionist in my mind with
musty tomes of yellowed leaves and with the misty past of Moslem
history when both schoolmen and traditionists ruled the dav and
were influential figures in the world in which they moved.
As I pored over some ancient Moslem hagiographv such as arf frUTu°USre,7v.yah' °r Kitab ul-Luma'> or ^rned the rich pages
of the Ihya of al-Ghazzali, the vivid descriptions of the lives the
manners and idiosyncrasies of those spiritual paragons and ponderous
pundits of Moslem learning seemed to conjure them to life in my
imagination, and their quaint figures rose to meet me through those
yellowed leaves from the glamorous past to which they had receded.
'
Vaguely I realized that there were such men still living today
Somewhere m Mecca, in Baghdad, in Samarkand, in Kerbala, in
Nishabur and in Damascus itself, solitary men in their silent meditations were still saying their wirds, (devotions) or squatting on a
worn out mat reading their Qoran with a gentle sway of their bodies
Just as I knew that here and there in the moss-covered monasteries
o± Europe there were still monks whose outward appearance and
daily habits remind us of the days of St. Francis of Assisi and of
1 homas Aquinas, but I had met in person neither the former nor
the latter and they had remained in the world of my mental visions
enveloped by their aura of mystery and antiquated charm
-1
�—
NOVEMBER, 1931
27
It was therefore with some justifiable thrill and flutter th*t
ot'of rSfiedtthr0U^
DamaSCUS after an
^senceSIte
to meet in person
one who V "a '
Z£t7£%^T ^
"-
lbMalik A?i ^Modern ?"*>" a celeb^ed successor of
Sw^oStnlfcl
,anbaJ-' Abu-Ha"ifa -d the rest of
0skm tradltl0
nnn,W 1 !l •
^
ts and theologians. He was
to the Pope m the world of Christendom. Slmnite Moslems re
cognize no ultimate source of authority, save the Goran S
S
the
a,id
^ to *?
*» °l of
^life
"^
on of Haet
and their
their application
the "*
exigencies
from generation^
generat.on lies m the hands of the .radMonun, amo./whom Bad ?
0
tHC mynad
tl world
woHd'overT'
" fsupreme
°f His fo"—«nd admire s
me
over, is most
andJ exalted.
imagine an ordinary two-story buildine- of che un^ ,
Damascus rather dilapidated and its mud pwLg^Toff A
,h OU8h a
MS S« SS3&» "
^*
To one of those cells on the upper floor we ascended the stone
sta,rs and were ushered first to "the man" of Shaykh Badi ud D n
Shaykh Yahya al-Maktabi by name. He was hTspXnt nts
agent his publiast, and occupied a position simila tTthat Gfa
secretary to a great celebrity with us. He was the buffer that stood
between the saintly master and the mundane world
My -nend, an instructor at the American University of Beirut
and myself sought to interview His Eminence, Shaykh Badr ud
Ehn al-Hasam on a burning issue that had agitated nVonly Syria
and the Near East but the whole civilized world. For it was fo
f
S mCr 1929
SfwaUW^Tc T ° r r
'
' -cl thTname
5S MostmSnty^- ** ""* - *« "
�/ iff;
2R
"THE SYRIAN WORLD
v,
We made our mission known to Shaykh Yahya al-Maktabi
an affable gentleman with a typically Semitic face and neatlv
tnmmed
characteristic
dressTf aa M«£
Moi
em el black beard Hej wore the ^
^
r
Igl0US m
d we comed ug
Damascene congeniality of spirit which made us feel that we had
W known the man and had met him on familiar term before
He excused himself and went to another cell on the same row then
mtLas"S Mbr" he„retUnied SSSUrillg
US
** *^*t
minutes uur Master" will receive us o-lirH,,
u
•
i
making Turkish coffee for us S^ ml^cdL
as he requested us to wait until "Our Master" was through wi h
his dors or lecture. He squatted on the mat-covered floor totl v
unfurnished but for a few rush stools, while we sat on a nuple
one ^^^r fete flM ff£
gleaming with reverent pride, "and the rest of his time he spends
between the House of Tradition and the Umayyad Mosque'?
«. h
Lon
^befr,the *" ^" he continued, «heri£ up to
to the Umayyad Mosque, which is only a few paces away to attend
£e dawn prayer with the congregation. AfrJ that he goes to the
House of Tradition and prepares for his lectures which star n he
morning, and at noon he goes out again for prayer at the mosque
Then again he returns to his lectures, and in the afternoon after"
the prayer, a large circle of worshipers forms around himThe ex
pounds to them some topic from the Qoran or Tradi IT Back
again to his lectures he goes, and after the sunset prayer he breaks
his daily fast and immediately afterwards pores olhis books S
long after midnight, when after a few hours of sleep L rises UP
again and so begins another round of daily studies Pand prayer?
Hardly anything else occupies his mind or diverts his atfendon »
The coffee by this time had boiled over and we sipped it be
with age with an innocent ruddy face, almoft child lle Ld a
sparce little white beard. His attire consisted of a shabbybut clean
striped cotton kimbaz, open partly near the neck and held in nlace
with a simple white woolen girdle. A towel was tuckedIk heup
M
it i
�NOVEMBER, 1931
29
name of ^„, •ffl^itS.*' f^
spun socks and native yellow shoes SftZSffi?^^ homeno attendant with him and nobody to SI fc^W W ^ ^
crossed the threshold of the door He ',
Th° had a,ready
Badr-uI-Din al Hasani hW^whS fame for l r "^ S>kh
had spread from China to the'ij, i d sSL^^TS^. ^
Si^'k *** Severs ^ tm lacTtoYah ""an aXi^e^t^X^^ Wa
to move higher to a more^spectabl ^ '*"" ^^
g S
Ws
^
^"
Sun, or ^ammadan'm:^of D^" ** 'I0 "31 ^ °f *«
the Traditions of the ftonnet who
^' *? h'gh CUStodia" °f
Sa d t0 haVe heJd the
harite ulema (dons) SDdZ H
'
Az0
Whe
he dd
a lecture within the pec"cN of ^",1" T^' "
"
'«=red
Moslem world dism s, d h° that highest seat of learning i„ ,he
Palestine in a fewZTl taLT,±
^ °f the tr°"Mes in
religious legalistic ^ MSoiS " "' "^ "
called I'kTao^fwtfto1!^' "^ 3" "eighb°ri"S «*no one has anyrigtito 1, 5
l"V ^ P"bl,C pr°l'ert>' "*kh
use save *Jt£J2^?*^%£& °*£7 f=r
he
-raw ^39^-*
m the past some pci'vi'^in » ^tl^a1*
*«
signify that these privileges sive the ij .
i
,
,» " does not
fang, not even Our M25-OmS £Z T*, ^ "J^ to * No
today, could legalize the noss ,on hv th . "^ f[°m ,lle drad
al-Masjid ul-Aqsa. A M'O te^ "" r caiiphls n'"'5 P*".0'
an opinion on a religious matter Z Z^J^^tJ° *"*
cognized as the sunna (Qoranic law). On
STX&£
�30
THE SYRIAN WORLD
ditions declares that a Waqf is inviolable, from the seventh earth to
the seventh heaven. These latter-day arrangements cannot be concurred in by Moslem jurisprudence."
There was a note of finality to the words of the venerable
shaykh as he rose, excusing himself with the remark that it was
time tor mid-afternoon prayer.
As we bade Shaykh Yahya farewell and left the House of
lradition I could not help but recall another visit which I had made
a tew weeks previously to the summer residence of another religious dignitary, the supreme head of a Christian sect in Lebanon
tor the contrast was so vivid and significant to my mind.
At that other visit we were made to wait about an hour before
His Beatitude finished his breakfast. Then we were bid to stand
in the corridor with others who were also standing and waiting for
the appearance of the supreme religious head. Suddenly a gentle
venerable white-bearded old man, bent with age and walking with
the help of a stick, appeared in the corridor, followed by a train of
dignified bishops and priests.
_
He carried his title of "Saint," one of his official ecclesiastical
titles, as gracefully as he did his scarlet sottana and pelerine, which
he wore. A simple, black, turban-shaped cap, a heavv golden cross
hanging pendant from his neck and a big ring on the'fourth finger
of his right hand completed his informal ecclesiastical vestment
Almost a year after my interview with Shaykh Badr-ud-Din I
was also passing through Damascus. There was a wave of popular
murmur and rumble of resentment against the local native government headed by Shaykh Taj-ud-Din, son of Shaykh Badr-ud-Din
himself. I was discussing the general political situation with a
young nationalist, a modern Mohammedan graduate of the American University of Beirut. Among other things I askfd him
whether the fact that the head of the Syrian government was the
son ot the "Greatest Traditionist" gave him much prestige and influence with the general Mohammedan populace. He said:
"I will answer your question with an incident which I'myself
witnessed:
"Before the war, if you had passed through the Umayyad
Mosque after mid-afternoon prayer, you could have seen no less
*'
I
v
1
h
d
rr
N
iai
Ui
Jis
"P
Pn
To
vi A hle^° S'f hundred Persons in the halaqa (circle) of Shaykh
Badr-ud-Din, listening intentively to his lectures. Recently I passed
through and found only a handful, not more than fifty in number
Inen, as I was going out through the eastern gate I found two religious shaykhs also leaving the mosque, a young man and an elder-
ext<
clue
to :
Pre:
*> >i
�NOVEMBER, 1931
31
Jy °"e- I greeted then, saying:
"The l7eIy0U "0t
in the
Shaykh's circle!"
head rf the august Shaykh, addi",'
artistes-- """ **
dra
«
Y h1s son
^ ""P***-* on the
from the
^
-5oo/'j- Received
(To be revised in
lhe December
^
Printed fiStt^SSrftS^ ^'T *""• "««*
-'ographed by the autho,W. 10th St. New York
Pn " "M"' The
If^fe
"um^ and
G,b
> Studio, Jl
pubhsltd p^ptTf teotsr rh
who was closest to him and is now hi .',
Young ,s tne foremost li^^X ' ra
hith
-° -
V ,he Amerira
"
1 5, eKcutor
"
-
P<>«
Miss
LS
—*- oor sa^rs: sirs ass ^^ASSM^JJ^ * * Oimstead.
.
A dutiful volume on the hLfv / S' 'lluStrated- * 0
an conquest. The author is Prof°J °f S"a '" tbt MacedonUntversrty of Chicago and onetf (T f
"""'^ hist^ * *e
** The present work is „! ; I'T *""*" <"^^
^^^riSSf^ £» * H^haway, New
cJudtng Coolidge and Hoover. The book' h M"" Presid *, ind P
to students of American history Facs.mi
'e inValuab]=
»— - reproduced together ^"pen SSM&S
�32
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Seek and You Shall Find
A EUROPEAN RESIDENT OF BEYROUTH THOUGHT
HE COULD PROVIDE THE NATIVE POLICE WITH
A MYSTERY THEY COULD NOT SOLVE.
(A SHORT STORY)
By
CHARLES
J.
SASSEN
JT WAS a night in the Syrian Springtime, the time of night when
love longings reached their climax and revels were at their peak.
In the brilliantly lit cafes in the Street of the Cat in cosmopolitan
Beyrouth the haunting strains of the urgool tinged all love lilting
sadness. A fitting dirge for the dead—a bouquet to many a blushing bride—the haunting melody rose and fell.
Softly, sweetly pealed the bells of St. Daniel. From afar
came the voice of the Muezzin "La Ilah-a-Illa'l Lah; Wa Muhammad Rasoul Allah". In a room in a house nestling beneath
the tower of St. Daniel on the left and the minarets of the Mosque
on the right, a man lay dead. A neat little hole in the centre of his
forhead denoted the fact that his spirit had not danced out of his
body to the tune of a harp, but to the bang of a bullet.
The Chief of Police of the City of Beyrouth loved a mystery.
in fact, he would prefer being engaged to unravelling an intricate
crime far into the small hours of the coming day to lounging about
at ease in one. of the numerous Cafes on the waterfront, listening
to the throb of the tambouriyat and sipping the milky white arak.
Murders were his hobby, and a strange hobby it was. Nothing delighted him more than to ascertain how, why and when, and lastly
by whom, the foul deed had been committed.
At five o'clock in the afternoon of that day (European time)
i-he Chief of Police sat at his desk—a very puzzled man. A message
had just come over the wires to the effect that at eight o'clock he
should search the house between the church of St. Daniel and the
Mosque of Muhammad. The prolocutor gave no name and laughed
at the Chief's repeated requests for further information.
The Chief had more than half decided to regard the matter
as a joke, when he was interrupted in his reverie by one of his sub-
�»
.
NOVEMBER, 1931
^
ordinates. El Halabie was no ordinary man. Reared in the gutters
of Beyrouth, there was consequently fostered within him a queer
mi ed°P
Y
'-A
I
g
T£St
argUmeiU Was that the
P°or never com-
ed in h the
the
middle1 classes.
l'
' ^
?" I 1UXU1
'y indul^he
-d
the middle
Although
uneducated,
had Vgreat A*
wisdom
for he came of an Arab father.
r,.
Sl ch was the
; '
man who entered the office of the Chief
C iVersati
the fJ^fr °;
wisuom,
a
Tl
m
The
d
°° ^mediately decided to place
the facts of the afternoon before El Halabie with a request for his
opinion on the most advisable course to pursue
fte
t0 hin
"We^
7awhat
'7ating
Vhe meaSre facts the Chief demanded:
Well, and
do you adviser"
"Well » replied El Halabie, "as we have nothing to do this
evening why not visit the house? From what I know Joe Cordova
the wealthy tanner, occupies the place."
^-oruovan
"Good," replied the Chief, "meet me in front of the house
at about eight o'clock."
H.I-K d!Ht/d°Cku ^ SCCOnd the Chief> <^ompanied by El
Halabie, stood on the door step of the house of Joe Cordovan
Lookmg about and over the house the Chief remarked that he
could not notice anything unusual, but as they had come so far hey
nught as well enter the house under some pretext or other He
Whirtv "
H 1 thC d0°r *"«*• After an interval of
abou thnty seconds having received no reply, he knocked againthis time longer and ouder. After an elapse of another thirty
PoTared " II fh W *"* ^
t0 n
°^
T
«» ""accountable silence
Zse were om
T ""^ " ^^ "" the ^ b the
By this time the curiosity of the men had been awakened In
exasperation the Chief turned the handle of the door and to his' surprise found that the door was not locked. With El Halabie at his
thC bnlliantJy lighted
"Yahoo Y^ mt
Pass^e a»d touted
m °a stentor
ft
°
'an voice. Still no reply.
Ibis seems strange," muttered the Chief. "However let
us search the house."
' ie.
Room after room was searched, but though the lights burned
in all the rooms yet no trace of a living occupant could be found
Arnving at the last door the Chief tried the handle, fully expect ng
the door to swing back on its hinges revealing an empty interior
To his surprise the door proved to be locked* Bending^own he
placed his eye to the keyhole, but his vision was impeded by the
key ,n the lock on the inside. The Chief rapped at the door but
�34
THE SYRIAN WORLD
~d:irfeP,y- ? ^hhk^d6dded that > k=y y«
de could
prevent a determined officer of the law from manipulating it In
a farw»4 the lock of the door clicked and El Halabieftraight
reniai ed hrm With a puzzled air he turned to the Chief- "Must
be hoi ed on the mside" he remarked. The Chief merely nodded
After a few moments of indecision the Chief barked- "El Halabie
ZZ£2£££r
and
"
if
*» »» ~* » -r'vSote
fe» A a *], minutcs,E1 Hal*e returned with the disturbing news
hat the window was also locked and the blinds drawn. By thfs time
u ti?orderead
FTHI
lT*J*. ^ * ^ °f -patience
cu aopent0 trHd'abi StrUme"£ ^"T* *«
d^^Mta
forS
r
j , ,
,
open, m Malabie soon returned w rh 3
orS minU0ttr and ^ ^^ °f ^ d- " K*^*
The Chief and El Halabie burst into the room simultaneously
Th room was well furnished after the taste of a European resided
m the East. Numerous beautifully colored and hand worked
dlfaHnd S nY7Pet1 fl0°r- The intnCate workmanst;^
d van and Chesterfield was thrown into bold relief by the light cast
g
by a large electric chandelier in the centre of the room
\ neat' litHe hi
T"^ °f PU/e marWe a man ^ on h back.
foroner c^dd .'VlSl l"*" °f his f°rehead testified ** ^
natural ousel
'
" Pr°n°UnCe the Vei"dict °f death due •»
The two men stood rooted to the spot. The Chief's eaze
retired h°mfthC h°dy,t0 thC Wind°W a"d his bra- -chtifa J
registered the fact that this was locked on the inside. Slowly his
Y
gaze returned to the body, then to El Halabie.
^ Well, was his only comment.
"Murder!" was the laconic reply.
El Halabie tiptoed towards the body and fell on his knees be^
side the prostrate figure. A blotch around the wound showed that
the death weapon had been fired at close range.
"Smell anything?" questioned the Chief
"Burnt powder," answered El Halabie
"Who is he?"
"Joe Cordovan."
tried
tf!rwCaHting ai10t!ier J°0k at the bod^ E1 Halab* rose and
tried the window A close examination of the walls revealed that
the only mode of ingress and egress was through either the door
If
�A(OVEMBER, 1931
:*£?& £jaxjs
rsr
,
,
at£sR. S===. ?a.-3as
Willfully r„ fa'S " t°
°
"« - He
a d
Pped n t0 his k
from a few ,ersonn W
"f8 th/°Ugh ,he Pockets>
Now tnorl^ ]y LTd El Hi r a ¥Pf"! 'UtUre
s
b
« apart
""d-
s fo
Toe SffiteJS" riVettCd 2? °"e Sp0t-the left "-I
He picked it uPp a ,d r T rt^Tff *£" the *"* « «stfeatures as he SSZte^gSg*** "* "^ °» his
it eontamed" ^ "" ^ *"' «*
and
^ shall find," was all
"Who wrote this, I wonder?" asked the Chief
the saS'rejoint C"im"ey' "*?« ** "S
to
*** *">" was
notX ^ 'tfr^^siSI f°U,Hy "*$ "" »" ^ did
would certainly believe you "
""" " ^
in thc
«*
I
* * * *
wen fpp'oinSofficr0;;,:
Frida
rthc chief sat»«** - *
the office ples°«l rec Ld'^TH y'r"'*^!' "' the ~ a *air
Ms eyes and an ar,,,m,c Torkih
' 7'*, his hat tilted °
his lips.
' rUrklsh "Satette dangling iooxly between
c-^«fc^SJSdS* "Vm(
person or persons unknown "
afra d the demise f
;
"* °f "** °r
mUr<fe
°
**
J«/
=
pensefreSed t« Tl^
"* * *? at « "N*^ exadapt over feetg^o 'L^unTXnd" """ "* Withi"
«"•
f> «i
�BBS
1 I
36
THE SYRIAN WORLD
rwTagccounth:tTh" IE? t0Kd° S°
hOUSe
reWdffi
Z^T**?
i elapsed into an attitude
of repose -
P
e
investigation on his
^nt and
The Chief nodded as
and t Vh0Uf?t.ful m°°d E1 Hakbie we'^d his way to the house
Sen e he mfd hm "** *! ^ ^'^ * Headquarters t
silence he made his way to the death room which had not been His .
turbed since the fatal night. He realized that a sear"h woudit
«£ o^1V£d " ^^ himSdf ^" whitXi^
null ^tSTed himfeJf on the divan> lifted hi* ^et on to the table
pulled his hat over his eyes and folded his arms over hi chest An
nour two hours passed and yet no sign or movement from El Ha
t ing I„d Sf th£ r°°m darke-d - • %„ that the sun w s
S
F H,l
-u WaS, Creepin^ stealthiJy over gav Beyrouth
tH U h
f, ame
he re m Kd
anHisJSSS'.lS*
?
T
/
5
"
'
>'
«
' " everbecLT „T T. [
, '"e '^ stillness of the room.
of dlst urb
eves, became glued to the hreplace~he listened
Softlv ever
t0 hiS
thC Peali
follow el SZ
?"voice
'« mueyyin
°f the "ell
St &,e
f
followed
by the far
off
of the
«T »of D.u
rn !i
ad Raso 1
"oat^eltT„d
d
d
^\^*
tnc nrepiace and dropped
on h.s knees in front»££23
of the
h s edhisfeceroimds as
e fe
tts h,.'r d
mlf
° *°•«*"p<n c hi „:
remained m,n V CrePt 7" the grate and i,,t0 the «« He
P
hT at Sudde
,d h" "5L* Setmed Ws neck must b k with
T,t
V ^dden<y he withdrew his hand and regained his feet
tefore
Sed «1°0! O d
d' ^ "f
l^P
th OU8h
y0 **"
be dead 1 ^e grate ad mut
CatLJ' li I r"' t
"
Wy homage."
f
d
Srtnere into tL'street. "' ^ "* ^ » *'
« <^
Deliberately El Halabie seated himself in the office armchair
selected a cigarette and lay back with a sigh of conte," The Chief
being familiar w,th the idiosyncrasies of El Halabie, continued he
perusal of certain uninteresting documents on his desk
- f
A 'I TJ 'lCh'ef' did y°u realize that the room in which
W
^ *e ^ °l 3°rl Cr°rd°Van is absoiutdy -undproof""
driving S
"
""*• "«"*'** What hh -hordinate was
"Chief, listen, and you shall hear of as devilish a trick as ever
MHMaan
�H.OVEMBER, 1931
37
conceived by the mind of man. When in the room th\
realization came to me that no so,,nH f the'°°m
concluded that as the he Ik n«U
J
.u
. long nad Sly drivtole^
a out eight
inches of catapulf
mos
que.
evenm
S
the
1 thereupon
^etT f ^7-
ettSiel* ht"
ail,
S
r:dreedvoiy
ver. The magazine contained one live cartridse anrl rL 1
,."
eontamed an empty cartridge case. FrdnTtiS ifwaTbu^
f
Ut a sim ,e
matter to reconstruct the deed.
P
"Joe Cordovan sat on his heels in fmnt „f ,k
his arm up the flue and withdrawhereZl^ ^J^f
elastic as much as possible he pointed tL k
T1 LStretchmg the
forehead and fired Te fo ce ofthe bul .Tn ?$?. ^ °f his
PUShed him over
his back whilst the reWH
1
°» to
drawi1 U
by the elastic"
^ ^ ^
P the flue
There was a look of elation in the eves of Fl Hoi i :
continued: "Poor Joe Cordovan. He looked l£hS HaLll*fraa \e
thought he would even depart with a ioke He lh "T ^ ^
viding the police of Beyrouth with „ L^ble^^ °f ^
�38
THE SYRIAN WORLD
1
H
(
A.
HAKIM,
Editor
CONFLICTING STANDARDS IN THE SYRIAN HOME
IN AMERICA
REFERENCE was made in the opening remarks of this department to "Two opposing forces—two sets of diametrically different ethical conceptions and standards developing in our social
order, with a hint to the dire results which are bound to follow if
this condition is not treated rationally and in time. It is now the
purpose to amplify this statement and discuss all phases of this
social condition in an effort to devise means of alleviating its evils
and mollifying its effects. The subject, as can readily be seen, has
breadth which does not permit of full treatment in one article The
fundamentals, therefore, must be considered first, and with time
it is the hope of this writer to consider every phase of the conditions
attecting our family life in America.
The fundamentals are mainly cultural, and to a much lesser
degree economic. Old traditions are clashing with conceptions of
both parental authority and filial obligations as well as of moral
standards. The parents make demands to which the children cannot concede, and while this conflict of views brings distress to tlparents it also creates a considerable measure of unstability in the
characters of the children.
Syrian immigration into the United States is comparatively
recent and rarely does it go beyond the second generation The
first immigrants, therefore, are still the dominant factor in our home
Me. And they are imbued with certain ideals of conduct and rules
tor living which it could not be reasonably expected that they should
easily forego and relinquish. These ideals are so dominant in them
that they may be considered a part of their very being, and any dis-
y
�NOVEMBER, 193J
39
turbanee of the order which has governed their lit.
wake untold unhappiness
and* mler^
might
-ry Th?
T^
u dergo J*.
nix
-^'"
itS
{
st01cism
but for them to have complete neace JJTA 1
,
>
and standards must „ot Xl^X^ ^ "^ ^
sufficient gratification tftorfSdS^S^ * "* »', "-If
objective is to live their life aW ,h7
=**"*«. Their ultenor
condueive to happiness
These tJTfcH* COcertain
"CdVe f° be m°St
which have been imrrained i,»u
.
,
standards
ment of which thev cTnever Jl
^ a"d wkhout th<= f"lnll-
*? are .^STSSSS^ feather
imagination to reaLe the antoum ,',f f T"* "° Stretch of th<=
te forego the *£S«K£*&~2
School education seems to !
°f the school. American Public
duality of the chUdT^ ^ prepare hLT^ "*
th
f "**"
as an independent and sepfra^end y No effort' f ^ °f Kfc
and tram him as a unit in the family. Vde ath
t iTf H° 5 J
g
training the Syrian child finds himself at
.7.home
rfa
standard of
ferent influences InsteadI of k
, , J
g totally difentity he is cons dered a„ inte^ W °l ^ UP°n aS "" "'^ndem
The $
withholds notm gfromh ,s hold h^ T',.
*" **»
f the convi
he sacrifices all for h°s chi d ti '
" °
«ion that if
bis old age, the ^ZS&S^BSS •""* f"
will insure him against want. I„ olL7ZnhZY S,md?ds>
first generation count on their MJ
' y "f parents of the
part of the hm
semble throughout life a,n
I,
"*
'h enC
ngthemSelWS to admit tha
changes of cofdkL *'f wt aZt
'
V eWP ! tS shoU,d
their long prevalent standards
'° '
°"
^
lack oTf%pC.?tio8ne':fatnsVmole t" ^ '»— °f **
consider & ^MSA,*^ «££
�.
38
THE SYRIAN WORLD
A.
HAKIM,
Editor
CONFLICTING STANDARDS IN THE SYRIAN HOME
IN AMERICA
h
s
REFERENCE was made in the opening remarks of this department to "Two opposing forces—two sets of diametrically different ethical conceptions and standards developing in our social
order," with a hint to the dire results which are bound to follow if
this condition is not treated rationally and in time. It is now the
purpose to amplify this statement and discuss all phases of this
social condition in an effort to devise means of alleviating its evils
and mollifying its effects. The subject, as can readily be seen, has
breadth which does not permit of full treatment in one article. The
fundamentals, therefore, must be considered first, and with time
it is the hope of this writer to consider every phase of the conditions
affecting our family life in America.
The fundamentals are mainly cultural, and to a much lesser
degree economic. Old traditions are clashing with conceptions of
both parental authority and filial obligations as well as of moral
standards. The parents make demands to which the children cannot concede, and while this conflict of views brings distress to the
parents it also creates a considerable measure of unstability in the
characters of the children.
Syrian immigration into the United States is comparatively
recent and rarely does it go beyond the second generation. The
first immigrants, therefore, are still the dominant factor in our home
life. And they are imbued with certain ideals of conduct and rules
for living which it could not be reasonably expected that they should
easily forego and relinquish. These ideals are so dominant in them
that they may be considered a part of their very being, and any dis-
�ACOVEAfiERyl&ri
39
turbance of the order which has governed their life will bring in its
wake untold unhappiness and misery. Their economic fortunes
might undergo serious changes which they will bear with stoicism
but for them to have complete peace of mind, their ethical codes
and standards must not suffer any radical change.
It takes but little mental effort for any of us to realize what
the older generation values most in life. They have cleaved their
ties with the motherland seeking primarily economic opportunities,
but the realization of their ambitions along this line is not in itself
sufficient gratification of their subconscious motives. Their ulterior
objective is to live their life along the lines they conceive to be most
conducive to happiness. These lines follow certain standards
which have been ingrained in their nature and without the fulfillment of which they can never experience true happiness. Whether
they are totally justified in their reasoning, or rather in their natural inclinations, is beyond the point. The fact is that they were so
born and have so grown and lived, and it requires no stretch of the
imagination to realize the amount of stress this generation must endure to forego the things they consider almost inalienable to their
very nature.
Now this generation of first immigrants builds up homes and
brings forth children who grow under painfully conflicting influences. From early childhood the standards of the home would
seem to be at variance with those of the school. American Public
School education seems to concern itself simply with the individuality of the child, aiming to prepare him for the struggle of life
as an independent and separate entity. No effort is made to treat
and train him as a unit in the family. While against this standard of
training the Syrian child finds himself at home facing totally different influences. Instead of being looked upon as an independent
entity he is considered an integral family unit. The Syrian father
withholds nothing from his child, because of the conviction that if
he sacrifices all for his child and cannot in consequence provide for
his old age, the child, in conformity with Syrian family standards
will insure him against want. In other words, Syrian parents of the
first generation count on their children as part of the family ensemble throughout life, and cannot bring themselves to admit that
changes of conditions of life and economic viewpoints should alter
their lung prevalent standards.
The young generation, on the other hand, because of their
lack of appreciation of, or sympathy for, their parents' viewpoint,
consider these demands in the nature of an imposition. Why, they
"*-"** '
�40
TH'E SYZIAN WORLD
argue, should they be hampered in leading their own lives? It is
the individualistic principle as against that of family obligation and cooperation. It forms one of the most serious problems
of the Syrian-American home.
A phase of this problem is the attempt of parents to enforce
their standard of conduct on the children. Let it be conceded that
from the viewpoint of education the children have by far the greater advantage. Thanks to their parents, it must be remembered,
they were able to profit by the educational facilities generally provided in America and which in the motherland are available only
to a limited few. But be it also remembered that scholarly education is not character, nor culture, nor ethics, nor morals. - And
even when the parents are illiterate this is no justificatioa for disrespect or an attitude of overbearance or impatience. This condition in the Syrian home is a marked one at the present time, and
just where to draw the fine line of distinction in the relations of
parents and children should prove a subject for serious consideration.
But the clash is most serious in the enforcement of the moral
standard. Syrian parents view with unconcealed alarm the tendency
of their children towards so-called modernism, while the children
resent what they term undue and unwarranted interference in their
personal liberty. It is again the conflict of two codes of ethics which
subject the unity of the Syrian-American home to an immense strain.
And perhaps this particular problem is the most virulent and irksome of all.
* * * *
We do not presume to have covered here the entire range of
the problems confronting the Syrian home in America. We have
only alluded to the more pronounced complications, and that in a
general way. Amplification of the infinite details will ensue at another time. What we do hope for, however, is to arouse interest
and insure thought on the subject of our social relations to the end
that a better understanding might be promoted in the Syrian home.
Every family has problems peculiarly its own, whose solution could
come only through the serious consideration of the persons directly
concerned, actuated by a sympathetic and indulgent attitude of
each toward the other's viewpoint. After all, family ties should
be made to endure and they cannot be binding nor permanent unless
based on understanding. It is true that the period of transition
through which we are passing is a difficult one, but will not our
culture prevail in compelling us to hearken to the voice of reason?
�NOVEMBER, 1931
41
Youth Speaks
C
S
W
1
GE A BURN
T^^^ *
ING QUESTION
WITH THIS SOCIALLY-MINDED CORRESPONDENT
Editor's Note—Whatever agitates the minds of our younger generation ve invite them to write to this department about ft unreservedly. The department zvas created for their benefit and of
thts fact they may take full advantage This was the explicit understanding mth the editor in chief without reservations'as to the nature of the communications. The intention is to have the department serve as a public forum to reflect the actual thought of our
youth. 1 he following is the first received.
Dear Mr. Hakim
Q • !tw "IT1 xW'th ',ntereSt that 1 renew my subscribtion to the
Syrian World. Now that I am taking it I want to say tdat I would
not be without it for the simple reason that it is doing me a great
deal of good. I am learning much of our former civilization as
well as of current problems confronting the Syrians both here in
America and m our fatherland. I could go on to say many more
things regarding the benefits I am deriving from this magazine
arid of the great influence of our lost but not forgotten poet, Kahlil
Oibran, but to continue to do so would be to get farther away from
my particular discussion.
I write on the subject of the new department, "The Younger
Generation." My question is: "What is being done to bring The
younger generation together?» In my discussion and correspondence with the younger Syrian-Americans I find they are getting
away from each other instead of coming together. This is much
more evident in the smaller cities as far as I am informed. It seems
that fewer marriages are taking place among the Syrians and that
they are intermarrying with other elements with much more frequency than usual. To illustrate my point, I quote a few lines from
a correspondent in your own state. "Of the bovs ranging from
yr
n
girl at all.
4ge' he Says' "hardl>' ^ of them g° with a Syrian
There is just a couple of them that do. One couple
�42
THE SYRIAN WORLD
were married last week and they had a big wedding. We have a
lot of pretty Syrian girls here who don't even have a fellow. The
Syrian boys and girls don't stick together at all here. Most of the
boys I know go with American girls." These few lines are surely
self-explanatory.
As the saying goes: "There is something rotten in Denmark."
Some force is needed to bring the two groups together. What is it?
I am sure I don't have a solution but from observation I will lay
the greater extent of the blame on the parents. They prohibit their
daughters from going with boys until the latter show serious intentions of mariage. I can say that I certainly admire the girls for their
high standard of morality and ideals. There is nothing more to be
admired than a clean, decent, intelligent, and home-loving Syrian
girl. I can say wonderful things about many of the boys, too.
It is against mental and physical principles to suppress certain
natural emotions. I mean the clean, ideal emotions such as love,
joy, happiness. "The boys, having a much freer latitude than the'
girls, seek company that satisfies these emotions. This results in
the boys marrying American girls. Now what is there left for the
girls to dor They must do the same or become old-maids. If the
youth were taught more about Sex, Love, Courtship, and Marriage,
I think that this dilemma would be more readily solved. I am
now attending a series of lectures on this subject, and I find it of
much benefit. I was given a questionnaire to be used in the compilation of the ideals of the youth of today concerning these problems. Here are the questions.
I. In seeking for a wife would you prefer a home-maker or
a society woman:
II. Do you want a wife who smokes?
III. In seeking a wife would you consider sexual purity on her
part an absolute requisite?
IV. Which ar£ the most essential qualifications of a good
wife—physical beauty or genuine moral character?
V. What criticism in general would you offer of the young
women of your acquaintance?
VI. If you and your fiancee were both employed before marriage, would you want her to continue in her employment
after marriage provided your own income was sufficient to
provide for the home?
VII. If you establish a home of your own, do you want children?
I think that the conventions reported in^the Syrian World as
s-
l'
cc
so
Ii
al
F<
�NOVEMBER, 1931
43
being held in various places are doing wonders in bringing the
WnVS "' '^ th7 " StiH "^ * ** d°"e- * *> -te'som
I have trfed r * reOVerdomS
tters and developing snobbishness.
Up f b yS but have Jacked su
cooTra
• n or perhaps
"T my
* &,
° all° wet. I would like to^ent
cooperation,
plan is
have
ome comment on this problem by both yourself and the readers
If I am cockeyed with my ideas somebody please tell me so. After
all, 1 still retain many Syrian ideals at heart. So help me God!
r ,m
Thomas G. Ember.
T ,
bort Wayne, Ind.
Beyond the Sun
By
BARBARA YOUNG
Behold this vast incalculable ray,
Brighter than stars, more luminous than suns
More distant than all space beyond all space
In its beginning, if indeed there be
Birth or beginning to that principle
Man's mind hath never conjured, nay, nor will,
Perchance, with all his weighty conjuring
This side the glimmering secretive Veil.
Behold this ray, ineffable, informed
Beyond the sun, beyond these measurements
Of skies and firmaments and fashioned voids;
This uncreated, all-creating volt,
This unthought word, this might without a name
That shook Old Chaos into rhyme and rhythm
No single atom looted or laid waste
Unto this hour.
What hath God wrought indeed
Himself, and light and law and life and love.
These from the mist that moves beyond the sun.
The Times, New York.
�-
""
THE SYRIAN WORLD
New Egyptian Minister in America
"HE APPOINTMENT recently of His Excellency Sesostris Sidarouss Pasha as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Egypt to the government of the United States again
focuses public attention on the fact that Egypt is the only sovereign
Arabic-speaking state having diplomatic representation abroad. The
growing national consciousness of Egypt is making her forge ahead
rapidly as the leader among Arabic-speaking countries in the struggle
for world recognition. She also is nobly acquitting herself as the
leader among those countries of the renaissance movement in literature, the arts, and sciences.
This cultural movement the Syrians have had a strong influence in launching and promoting, as Egypt, for over fifty years,
has been the logical field for the display of their talents. The
proximity of Egypt and Syria, and their being bound by a common
language and common traditions, has given rise to the popular
reference to them as the "sister countries."
Abroad these cordial relations seem to manifest themselves as
strongly as they do in the home countries. Everywhere, especially
since the ushering of the era of Egyptian diplomatic representation
in foreign countries, the Syrians, particularly in America, look upon the Egyptian diplomatic representatives as their own in the sense
that they are representatives of a "sister country." The strong
bond of kinship and traditions between them transcends the limitations of time and space.
These bonds of cordiality and co-operation are expected to be
materially strengthened through" the influence of the new Egyptian
Minister at Washington. A man of broad vision and deep understanding, it cannot escape his observation that while Egypt enjoys the
distinction of being the only Arabic-speaking country maintaining
diplomatic representation abroad, the Syrians, at the same time,
form the only Arabic-speaking element in America. The necessity
of co-operation between the two would seem but obvious.
* * * *
> The record of Sesostries Sidarouss Pasha is one of brilliant
achievement. Born in Alexandria, he was educated at St. Andrew's
Scotch School and the Jesuits' College of St. Francis Xavier of his
-
K
<
> !TSfe=
�NOVEMBER, 1931
His Excellency
Sesostris Sidarouss Pasha
Egyptian Minister at Washington
45
�46
THE SYRIAN WORLD
native city. After having obtained his French degrees in Arts with
honors, he took up the study of law in Cairo and in Paris, and received his degree of Doctor of Laws in the latter city.
His first practice was before the Mixed Court of Appeal in
Alexandria as an assistant prosecutor in the office of the Attorney
General. Later he was appointed in the Ministry of Justice in Cairo
as private secretary to the Judical Adviser and secretary to the Committee of Judicial Surveillance.
In 1907, he was selected as Professor of Law at the Royal
Faculty in Cairo where he was given the Chair of Civil Law, in
both the English and the French sections. Later he was also entrusted with the direction of the Faculty, as Vice-Principal.
Asked to join the Diplomatic Service, he was appointed First
Secretary to the Royal Egyptian Legation in Paris in December
1923 and acted at the same time as Charge d'Affaires in Brussels
until December 1924.
In 1922 he was called to the Bench as Judge at the Mixed
Court in Cairo.
He was promoted to the post of Counsellor to the London
legation in 1925 and given charge of the Legation as Charge d'Affaires ad interim.
In September 1929 he left London to take over his post of
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Athens and
Belgrade. In May 1930 he went, in the same capacity, to Brussels
and The Hague, and from August 1930 until August 1931 he was
on a mission in London.
Sidarouss Pasha left England on August 1, 1931 to undertake
his duties in Washington and on August fourteenth he presented to
President Hoover the letters accrediting him as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Egypt to the Government
of the United States of America.
Sidarouss Pasha's services have been recognized not only by
his Government but also by several Foreign Countries. He holds,
among others, the highest Egyptian title, that of "Pasha," as well
as the Egyptian Orders of the Medjedieh and the Nile. He is
bearer of the Grand Cross of the Belgian Crown, of the Greek Order of the Phoenix and of the Yougoslav Order of St. Sava. He
is Commander and Officer of several other Orders: The Royal Victorian Order, St. Gregory the Great, the Legion d'Honneur, the
French Public Instruction, and St. Sylvester.
Sidarouss Pasha is not only a jurist and a diplomat but a writer
and a linguist as well. His Principal publications are: his famous
-
c
I
b
d
K
a
T\
Th-
Th(
�NOVEMBER, 1931
in the ottoma Em
^M^^sr'
" »- ^
"The Personal & S £ , Eg^S "7 2*?*
Legislation."
^eononne Potaque, de Statistique et de
*2aK£ *dtdSS^'wife'a daughter of *< »*
barrisS nel^ Ivatd c2t^' r^*
^
S<fa
»• «
a F^an KlfS^^^ So =£" *
7&? Travelers Cloak
By DR. SALIM Y. ALKAZIN
The traveler:
Kind tailor, through rough and hostile land
• For leagues and leagues Pve wended: '
And my cloak is torn and sorely worn
And would 'twere rightly mended.
Its fabric, you can see, is rare,
And should have met with better care.
The tailor's apprentice:
But master, why, since the gaping harm
1 ou have undone, you turn
Upon him your back? you hide the cloak
Away—why not return
The man his own? Or what I see
A secret of the craft may be!
The tailor:
Perchance of waiting he will grow
Fatigued, forget his cloak and go.
�48
THE SYRIAN WORLD
EDITORIAL COMMENT
^THOUGH we have set a definite plan for the New SYRIAN
VVORLD we do not propose that this plan should be so rigid as
W Uld be
o det^ T^T' 7H?** °
°^ *
«<*° Sri
m
Hence the
f^1?8^ *sPect °* "ew and varied material.
Hence the omission m this 1Ssue of some departments in order to
make room for the other material that does not fall under any pa -
nt e t- r nat!°n; bUt *"*> —rtheless, will be found equa Uy
P 3n
f
be S mewhat dastic
SSfve
i " of
Tant
° of life.
»"* hence indicative of
of .h?/
the freshness
new °currents
* *
READER.? will observe that the working of the arrangement
f
ThercTe
rlTtravel
Iffeatures
"* ^^
° travd
' ^^
^fiction.
1 here are two
m this issue
which
are admittedly
inent
lg Pa, ticularly Mr Katibah
tlTwni L f
r^Ti -
;
-
'* «*-£-
gll> aPPeaJ,Ug t0 b th SchoIar and
Wh e M
Y°Un
'
°
lavman.
While Miss Young is always resourceful in the choice of material
e
ngmal
is
atv
"" ^T
?" °^ ^^
^t
pauaty of
of he°r
her own poetry
m her department.
It is a sense
of *e
medesty
hat is depriving the readers of some of the loftiest poetry of all
^ • *£r JaSt Publ]shed Poem in the New York Times was f a
tured ,„ box form in the Literary Digest of November 14. We have
«IW P
I°Z ,,;dePcndent sources that the Thomas Moult
^est Poems of 1931» prints her "Requiescat" also from the Times,
in the , <;;iJy.p0enl/rom fhe American daily press to be included
*£$£2
We fear we sha11 have t0
«- °- *
bead
-
Fiction is also maintained, an original short story and an Arabian tale appeanng in each issue. But of fiction we premise even
more and we would especially invite that class of stories that shall
touch on our home life in America.
***** *
SOME
readers
med the impression from our anilouncemem
SiXth yC r hat by
-f th" WaH W ORI°Ur
! i
P°Pula
ig the material
D WC ,ntended
J I
}
'
^ lower its standard. They expressed themselves after perusing the two last issues as being pleasantly surprised that such was not the case. The fact is any question
i
�I
NOVEMBER, 1931
49
V
licy so far has been quite wh„k me
mo cumulative substantial results.
We
us
t
will L^f ft
translated
* * * *
^nubbi:;
A
f0l 0W the
,!
.
P
tice of
°« »«ive press, we would
scribers'o V Teremt" ^tT"
*° * we
^
hoWever
do n ^ * ^
Certain pract cesftfftft
'
>
<* P pose to do.
a Dec lift ft I
ft^" Prcss m,Sht be Pardonable owing to
a peculiar psychology. A Syrian subscriber, for instance is ft t„
and* « an insult, induced by lack of confide ft if Jh edtor
were to discontinue sending him the paper even though he igno e
the numerous statements sent him ana fails to make payme, f A
W Sh
tto
FftliTaft'
^aware
' ft?
°" the aSSUm
Ptio"will
thfte
refd
tnghsh and are
of American
practices
live
uo who
to them
atftftft'ftftldeci n"t0 dLntime "«P^ -Ci "ft;
k
reft4 for ftfe/ft
ft"
We wU1
«ladIy «««*"
Y
ftrft/of a^lftlftftft^ftfti-^ciaf lefts' £
of their -to^aat1'^.1:
S; r^sftvn ST^ ^ «" -»*- «^
every cty: ^Z^L^ZIt^^T "^ '"
* * * *
. Those who contend with the perennial problem of selecting
Chnstmas g,fts m.ght well consider the propriety of mnkhft ft
ubscnbfons of the Syrian World. Asidefrom being a ge tore 0f
on
ft' ftftrft/fta fift C°meS t0 *« -ipfentftroug
out the year for comparatively a nominal consideration Friends
holidays!
"
WOrU arC
^
t0
*"*
!t in rai d d
"
»
g the ftftg
�50
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Political Developments in Syria
SYRIA AND IRAQ UNDER ONE KING?
King F„isal „ R„e „ n^jprZ** M. Brother A*
fiege„t
,„
Bagdad.
The most sensational rumor to appear so far concerning a possible
solution to the Syrian problem is that
of the plan to create a dual kingdom
of Syria and Iraq with King Faisal
as ruler of both countries established
at Damascus and his brother AH acting as regent in Bagdad. Just how
much truth there is in this rumor it
is impossible at present to determine
because of the abundance of the rumor
crop on the subject of the Syrian
question with no indication of possible materialization. This latest rumor, however, seems to have enjoved
even more vogue than any other and
there are many responsible Syrian
leaders who apparently attach much
credence to it.
During the summer, King Faisal
was in Europe and spent much time
in Paris. High Commissioner Ponsot
was also in Paris, as were many prominent leaders who are not in the
habit of visiting,Europe for their
health. King Faisal had once been
king ,n Syria and owing to his popularity and influence it was commonly
accepted that he was attempting to
help the French solve their problem
m Syria by inducing them to revert
to a monarchical form of government
with his brother former King AH of
Arabia on the throne in Damascus.
The fact that King Faisal is the
better diplomat, plus the fact that
he still has a large following in Syria
where once "he was king, makes the
proposal of establishing him on the
Syrian throne instead of his brother
sound like a more logical solution
i^ngland is represented as favoring
this arrangement despite her rivalry
with France for the preponderance of
influence in the East because of the
stability it would insure for that
part of the Arabic-speaking worid
Especially that King Faisal has won
tangible results from his negotiations
for good will and amity with King
Ibn Saoud of Arabia, who had
forced the abdication of his father
King Al-Husain and later wrested the
throne of Al-Hijaz from his brother
King AH. It will also be remembere]
that King Faisal is a direct descendant of the Prophet and of the line
that had the custody of the holy
places of Islam. While his other brother Emir Abdullah is the ruler of
Trans-Jordania, making it possible,
with the proposed creation of the
dual Kingdom, to form one solid bloc
of homogeneous countries under three
brothers, extending from the Mediterranean shore to the borders of Persia, with the exclusion of the small
strip of Palestine.
All these considerations make the
proposed scheme of the dual monarchy
not only feasible but highly desirable
in the opinion of its proponents. What
would seem to lend weight to there
having been serious discussions of
<~
�NOVEMBER, 1931
\
•
51
such a possibility between the French
authorities and King Faisal is the
reference the latter made to his policy
m Syria during his rule in Damascus
m an official interview he gave to
newspapermen and notables of his
kingdom after his recent return from
Europe. This interview was described
by the correspondents as being in the
nature of a speech from the throne,
ine King's remarks about the Syrian
Situation were to the effect that his
hands were forced to assume the attitude he took towards the French in
1920 and which had such disastrous
results. The Syrians were too impatient, he said, and sought to gain
by force what they could have achieved by patience and a spirit of
conciliation, and this despite the fact
that they were too little equipped for
the military undertaking on which
they embarked.
There are those among the Syrians,
on the other hand, who disapprove
unequivocally of any plan to restore
the Syrian kingdom irrespective of
personalities. A considerable number
of the Nationalist leaders maintain
that Syria has a legal constitution
which declares for a republic, and that
the provisions of this constitution
must be enforced until amended, and
this amendment cannot be under^
taken except by the convocation of
a popular assembly enjoying the same
Powers vested in the Constituent Assembly which first drafted the contitution. Particularly are the Nationalist leaders of Aleppo bitter in
their opposition to any change, because of their professed belief that a
monarchical form of government would
be construed as a step backward for
the country. They further argue that
the French would naturally favor a
king because a single responsible person would lend himself more readily
as a tool in their hand.
In the face of all these rumors no
word has been forthcoming from
French official sources. All that the
natjive press could procure was a
statement by an official of the High
Commissariat who refused to be
quoted under his own name, and who
denied there had been any conversations of a concrete nature between
the French government and King Faisal while the latter was in Paris.
Meanwhile, High
Commissioner
Ponsot, according to the latest reports
of the Syrian press, was still in Paris.
His movements and plans continue as
mysterious as he is reticent. There
had been a report at one time that he
planned to return to Beirut the latter
part of October, but later advices indicated that his return had been delayed until late in November. His
return is naturally awaited with great
interest because of the expected announcement of the solution he might
have reached on the Syrian question.
The expectation is that he will order
new elections for a popular assembly
not only to determine the form of
government to be adopted but also the
relations Syria should assume with
France. This will naturally depend
on the conditions France will lay for
Syria by way of concessions to its
demands for fuller independence.
A logical reason ascribed to the
protracted stay of the High Commissioner in France is his desire to discuss the final arrangements of the
solution of the Syrian question with
Premier Lavale upon the latter's return from Washington.
CONDITIONS IN LEBANON
Lebanon appears satisfied with its
political destiny. Apparently the republic has come to stay and there is
less disposition at present to raise
the queston of union with Syria at
least until Syria is able to determine
�52
THE SYRIAN WORLD
its own political status. What would
seem to occupy most the attention of
the Lebanese at present is their acute
economic problem, with taxes weighing heavily on the people and the
government facing a crisis in attempting to balance the budget.
Emil Eddy, one of the prominent
possible candidates for the Presidency
in the 19S2 elections, has returned
from Paris and categorically denied
the rumors that he had sought,while
in France, to create of Lebanon a
national home for the Christians in
the East by an exchange of population with Syria. It was learned, however, that the French, in whatever
solution they might arrange for the
Syrian problem, are determined to
maintain the status quo in Lebanon,
both in its political institutions and
its geographic boundaries . They are
said to be unwilling to return to Syria
any of the districts formerly attached
to it and since ceded to Lebanon, although they would have no objections
to the formation of a union between
the other Syrian states. For the purpose of accelerating the solution of
the Syrian problem, it is further asserted, they would even be willing to
cede the port of Tripoli to the Syrian
government, but this would represent
the maximum of their concessions.
BEIRUT'S FINEST STREET NAMED FOR EGYPT'S KING.
On the occasion of the anniversary of the accession of His Majesty
King Fuad I to the Egyptian throne,
which faFs on Oct. 9, the Lebanese
government, this year, gave proof of
the growing spirit of good-will between the two peoples by naming the
fnest thoroughfare in its capital for
the King of Egypt. The dedication
ceremonies were attended by the
Prime Minister and many high government officials as well as by representatives of the French Army and
Navy and Civil Administration. The
occasion was hailed by the press as
emphasizing the traditional friendship between the two "sister countries."
The Consul General of Egypt in
Beirut, Muhammad Sary Bey, represented his Majesty the King at the
exercises. He expressed in the name
of his Majesty Egypt's appreciation
of this new gesture of friendship on
the part of the Lebanese and said that
it went far to strengthen the bonds of
brotherly relations between the two
countries. The Syrians and the Lebanese are at home while in Egypt, he
asserted, because they form an in-
alienable part of Egyptian life since
they have played an important role
in accelerating the renaissance movement in the Nile Valley. Such names
as Mutran, Jemail, Zaidan, Ridha,
Rafii, Sarrouf and Barakat, will ever
be remembered as those of men who
have marched in the van of Egypt's
movement of progress. Especially in
the civil administration and in their
early monopoly of the press will the
Syrians and Lebanese be remembered
as having rendered Egypt an invaluable service.
In responding to the address of the
Egyptian spokesman, the mayor of
Beirut appropriately remarked that
the strongest bonds between nations
are those of language, culture and
tradition, and all these conditions
are common property between the peoples of the two sister countries.
Other speakers stressed the point of
Egypt's leadership in the renaissance
movement among the Arabic-speaking
peoples. All agreed that co-operation
between the two peoples was essential
for their continued progress and their
proper recognition among the family
of nations.
-..'
-w* "" -..
„
�NOVEMBER, 1931
53
THE
SYRIAN WORLD
NEWS SECTION
VOL. VI. NO. 3
'PROPHET" OF GIBRAN
IN AMERICAN CHURCH
Impressive Memorial Services and
Dramatic Presentation Given in
St. Mark's in New York.
Gibran Kahlil Gibran, Syrian artist and author and "Poet of the Cedars," was hailed as a true prophet
from the pulpit of the church of St.
Mark's in the Bouwerie in New York
by Rev. William Norman Guthrie the
rector, during the memorial services
given on Sunday afternoon, October
25, as a loving tribute to the memory
of the departed poet. The Church was
packed to overflowing by Gibran's
friends and admirers who had come
from all parts of the city and many
of whom shed copious silent tears
throughout the touching ceremonies
The services consisted of two partsa devotional office composed entirely
of the earlier poetic works of Gibran
read alternately by Dr. Guthrie and
several assistants; and a dramatic presentation of the "Prophet" as devised
by Phoebe Anna Guthrie and presented by her with the assistance of a
carefully selected cast of participants
—dancers, enacters and a reader.
This is the fifth presentation of the
"Prophet" at St. Mark's, but although
not new it assumed prticular significance on this occasion owing to the
NOVEMBER, 1931
recent death of the author. The souls
of the vast audience were touched as
much by the symbolism of the work
as by the memory of the man who has
given the world this masterpiece of
power and beauty. The fact that he
was hailed as true prophet, and the
recurrent presentation of his work as
a self sufficient devotional service
gave rise to the thought that a cult
was m the process of formation around
the work of Gibran, now bound to
take additional momentum since his
demise.
Following the religious ceremony
a reception was held at the rectory
where tea was served. Later in the
evening Miss Laura Williams gave a
recital of Arab songs.
On November 8th, and at the same
church, a further service was held in
memory of Gibran, at which several
oi his unpublished poems were read
by Barbara Young, and following this
five leading American poets paid their
tributes to his spirit, in original contributions.
They were Robert Underwood Johnson, Dean of the Hall of
Fame, New York University, Anna
Hempstead Branch, Director of Cristadora House, Mary Siegrist, William
Griffith, President of the poetry Society of America, and Leonora Speyer.
It is but fitting that we reproduce
the sincere tribute of Dr. Guthrie to
our beloved countryman, as published
in a special leaflet distributed on the
occasion of the presentation of THE
PROPHET. It follows:
�54
THE SYRIAN WORLD
KAHLIL GIBRAN
By Dr. Wiltfam Norman Guthrie
Kahlil Gibran, prophet-poet and
painter from Mount Lebanon, had for
over twelve years moved among us
as one of us. To some he was friend
and comrade, as well as teacher—for
that he always was. Unpedantic and
unassuming, though never falsely modest, naively spontaneous, though
subtly constrained by beauty, in
speach and gesture, he represented to
us an almost racially distinct tradition.
For generations Christian in culture, he yet received his inspiration
and fashioned its expression instinctively in the Arab tongue, of which
the supreme music and magic are forever in the spells and oracles of Mahomet. So a strange gnomic quality,
a thrilling suggestiveness, mystifyingly concrete and logically unseizable, characterize all his utterances
in English.
,Was this the wedding gift of that
union in his soul of two tongues?
Languages of course not only express
but subconsciously impose, even as
deep as the insight and outsight of
the mystic.
He knew other European tongues,
but deliberately chose that of England
for the work of his maturity, which
aimed at a world hearing. Few have
achieved that, as he most certainly
did, while also retaining a provincial
loyalty. And how closeknit is that
earlier following of his, that great
reading public, throughout the Near
East, and even to the borders of China
as well as the heart of India, to Whom
Arabic is the holy tongue!
It was, then, in a four-fold capacity, of Syrian, of Arab singer and
seer, of English-American poet, and
always original illustrator of his
poetic work, that he made so wide
and deep an appeal.
O for a few more years! Not for
exactly the same reasons that we
would have given of our own to Keats.
How cruel, to have Kahlil Gibran arrested by the hand of death, at the
very gate of his Eden, so that he could
not take us with him, past the whirling sword of the cherubim, to the
sacred Tree of Life.
AMERICAN MISSION IN
EAST EDUCATIONAL
So Declares President Dodge of the
A. U. B. at Dinner Given in his
Honor in New York
By H. I. Katibah
Once more President Bayard Dodge
has given1 a clear and unequivocal expresson to the new spirit which
governs and guides the American University of Beirut and other institutions of learning made possible in
the Near East by the generous contributions of American philanthropists and humanitarians.
At a banquet in his honor and that
of Dr. Mary Belles Patrick, President-Emeritus and for fifty-three
years active president of Constantinople Woman's College, fittingly given
at the International House of Columbia Univelsity, New York, on Nov.
16, President Dodge declared that the
new attitude of the American colleges in the Near East has been one
,of cooperation with the peoples of
the respective countries where these
institutions of higher learning are
posted; to make the students who flock
to some of these institutions from all
quarters of the Near East realize their
vast opportunities at home and equip
them with the technical knowledge to
cope with them.
Dr. Dodge emphasized the amazing
speed with which conditions are
t
(
i
1
s
i
E
' C
V
B
S
a.
<> rv
�NOVEMBER, 1931
55
changing in the countries of the Near
nians, representing the six American
East, where formerly time had very
colleges in the Near East. About
little value. The next day the Herald
300 guests were present.
Tribune featured in bold letters an
Mr. William Fellowes Morgan preinstance which Dr. Dodge gave to
sided. Musical entertainment for the
illustrate his point, namely that Bedevening was provided by Madame Feouins of the Syrian Desert today carry
dora Corban, styled the Syrian Nighttheir raids by means of Hudsons and
ingale, who sang the Syrian national
Dodges, instead of horses and camels,
anthem in Arabic and some French
giving the chauffeur 25 per cent of
and English operatic selections, and
the booty as his share! Another sign
by the Quarles Sisters, Virginia, Marof this change cited by Dr. Dodge was
guerite and Alice who played the
that whereas formerly very few Turkpiano, the 'cello and the violin.
ish girls attended Constantinople Woman's College, today they form 80
per cent of the student-body.
As usual, Dr. Dodge's speech was SYRIAN BROADCASTING
ACTIVITIES IN AMERICA.
replete with witty and illuminating
remarks. One of these was that apThe first regular commercial Syrplications from Americans of Syrian
ian broadcasting effort which has come
origin, particularly of Brooklyn, for
to our knowledge is that of the Arabadmission to the American University
ian Eastern Broadcasting Co. operatof Beirut have been so numerous that
ing over station W. N. J. in New
the authorities of this University have
York and of which Mr. Salim Ayoub
decided to apply the brakes on them.
is the business manager. The comThe new spirit of the American inpany has engaged the services of
stitutions of learning in the Near
several well-known professional singEast is an antithesis of the spirit with
ers and musicians, whose repertory
which the crusaders, whom he called
embraces the classics as well as modthe most bigoted people that ever
ern popular songs. They can be heard
went to the East, invaded the Holy every Sunday at 9 P. M.
Land to wrest it from the hands of its
Miss Louise Yazbeck of ShreveMoslem possessors. It is also different
port. La. advises us that she believes
from that condescending spirit with
herself to be the first to have broadwhich some Western philanthropists
cast Oriental music in the United
and missionaries approached their
States. Her work was started in
work for the natives. It is, in short,
1924 when radio was still in its inthe American spirit of give and take,
fancy, and she has broadcast not only
of working together for one single
from her home city of Shreveport
aim.
Dr. Dodge would apply the
but from many other Southern and
American spirit of democracy which
Southwestern centers. She now broadallowed each nationality to develop,
casts regularly every Sunday evening
freely its innate culture, and yet
at 10.45 Central Standard time over
molds all in one loyal body when duty
station K. F. K. H. 850 kilocycles,
• calls for common action, to the whole
featuring
an Oriental program and
world.
using principally Prof. Alexander
The banquet itself was an embodiMaloof's compositions. She also makes
ment of this new spirit, for it conregular broadcasts every Thursday,
sisted of alumni of different nationover the same station, giving an Ameralities: Syrians, Greeks, Turks, Armeican program.
�56
THE SYRIAN WORLD
;
SYRIAN RADIO ARTIST
WAHHABIS OF NAJD
KILL ARABIC SCHOLAR.
Press dispatches from Jerusalem
reported on Oct. 27 that the Wahhabi
Arabs had killed the Danish Journalist and Arabic scholar Knud Holmbo
near Amman while he was on a pilgrimage to Mecca.
Although the exact reason for the
murder is not made clear by the dispatches, there would seem to be no
doubt that the fanatical Wahhabis resented the insistence of the European
scholar on making the pilgrimage to
their holy city, apparently doubting
the sincerity of his motives in becoming a Moslem.
Mjiss Louise Yazbeck
First to Broadcast an Oriental
Program
Miss Yazbeck is a recognized piano
teacher of high standing in Shreveport,
and lately has been elected
President of the Progressive Music
Club composed of the piano teachers
of the city.
INDIAN SPEAKER
"GUEST OF SYRIANS.
Miss Sumayah Attiyeh, the wellknown Syrian lecturer, invited the
Hindu speaker and companion of Mahatma Gandhi, Mr. Das Gubta, to
address a meeting held at the Wells
House in Brooklyn Thursday evening
November 19. Miss Attiyeh introduced the visiting Indian in glowing
terms and the latter gave a detailed
and comprehensive account of the private and public life of Gandhi based
on personal knowledge.
Knud Holmbo was but thirty years
fid and, had achieved considerable
distinction as an Arabic scholar. In
Scandinavia he was known as the
Danish Lawrence, and his love for
the Arabs prompted him to take many
adventurous trips in their various
countries. Two years ago 'he made
an automobile expedition to Tripoli
and was arrested by the Italians on
the suspicion of spreading Bolshevist
propaganda because of his open
championship of the Arab cause,
which in Tripoli is interpreted as sedition. He was released only after
persistent diplomatic representations
by the Danish government.
In the summer of this year he was
reported by the Syrian press as having reached Damascus on his contemplated pilgrimage to Mecca. He
openly embraced the Moslem faith and
adopted the name of Ali. Apparently
he could not proceed on his journey
any further than Amman which is the
capital of Transjordania.
The Wahhabis are the fanatical
followers of King Ibn Saoud and are
known as Al-Ikhwan, or the Brethren
•1
<
�NOVEMBER, 1931
57
A STUDY
of
KAHLIL GIBRAN
"The Man from Lebanon"
Barbara Young, the American poet who is now Kahlil Gibran's literary executor, speaks with authority in a 48 page
brochure con^ming his life and work, illustrated with
several hitherto unpublished portraits of the Poet of the
Cedars, and a reproduction of one pen and ink drawing and
one page of original manuscript.
A few copies of the limited first edition, serially numbered and autographed by the author, are still available.
The price for this edition is $2.50.
Owing to the wide interest in the brochure, a second
printing will be necessary. These will not be numbered nor
autographed, and will be procurable at $1.50 the copy.
Checks may be made payable to the Gibran Studio, 5 1
West 10th Street, New York City.
'mUHmmmmSS^mBSBSSSsBSm^SBm
�58
THE SYRIAN WORLD
S A E ENT
/ J ^
x?rF,'?HE.?WNERSHIP- MANAGEMENT. CIRCULATION
•f The Syrian World,
published monthly at New York, N. Y.f Oct. 1, 1931.
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 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 da.ly paper, the
circulation), etc.. of the aforesaid publication for the date shown in the
above caption, required by the Act of August 24, 1912, 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 A. Mokarzel,
104 Greenwich Street.
Editor, Salloum A. Mokarzel,
104 Greenwich Street.
Managing Editor, Salloum A. Mokarzel,
104 Greenwich Street.
Business Manager, Cecil J. Badway,
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 Street.
3. That the known bondholders, mortgagees, 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, 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,
the name of the person or corporation for whom such trustee is acting is
given; also that the said two paragraphs contain statements embracing affiant's full knowledge and belief as to the circumstances and conditions under which stockholders and security holders wKo 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 shown above is.
(This information is required from daily publications only.)
S. A. MOKARZEL.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 14th day of October, 1931
[Seal.]
Edna M. Huckner.
(My commission expires March 30, 1932.)
HHNHHII
�II
1
, 1
59
NOVEMBER, 1931
1
f
Gibran's Message
To Young Americans of SyrianOrigin
By G. K.
1
GIBRAN
Author of f'TAe "Prophet,"
"Jesus the Son of t\/a«,"
Th« Syrun
Syrii World, July. 1*26
I believe in you. and I believe in your destiny.
I believe that you are contributors to this new civilization.
I believe (hat you have inherited from your forefathers an ancient dream* a song, a prophecy, which you can proudly lay as a gift of gratitude upon the lap of America.
I believe you can say to the founders of this great nation. "Here I am, a youth, a young
tree, whose roots were plucked from the hills of Lebanon, yet I am deeply rooted here, and I would
be fruitful."
And I believe that you can say to Abraham Lincoln, the blessed. "Jesus of Nazareth
touched your lips when you spoke, and guided your hand when you wrote; and 1 shall uphold
all that you have said and all that you have written."
I believe that you can say to Emerson and Whitman and James, "In my veins runs the
blood of the poets and wise men of old, and it is my desire to come to you and receive, but I shall
not come with empty hands."
I believe that even as your fathers came to this land to produce riches, you were born
here to produce riches by intelligence, by labor.
And 1 believe that it is in you to be good citizens.
And what is it to be a good citizen?
It is to acknowledge the other person's rights before asserting your own, but always to be
conscious of your own.
It is to be free in thought and deed, but it is also to know that your freedom is subject
to the other person's freedom.
It is to create the useful and the beautiful with your own hands, and to admire what others
"have created in love and with faith.
It is to produce wealth by labor and only by labor, and to spend less than you have produced that yonr children may not be dependent on the state for support when you are no more.
It is to stand before the towers of New York, Washington, Chicago and San Francisco
saying in your heart. "I am the descendant of a people that builded Damascus, and Biblus, and
Tyre and Sidon. and Antioch, and now I am here to build with you. and with a will."
It is to be proud of being an American, but it is also to be proud that your fathers and
mothers came from a land upon which God laid His gracious band and raised His messengers.
Young Americans of Syrian origin. I believe in you.
.»A-,t A * A>;>K .*; A .*; A
Ml
FREE TO SYRIAN WORLD SUBSCRIBERS. This beautiful message by
Gibran 13x17 inches, printed in large type on heavy paper with ornamental border suitable for framing. Every PAID subscriber whose term begins
with Sept. 1931 is entitled to a copy, mailed in heavy cardboard tube. Subscribers whose term begins before Sep. 1931 may secure a copy by renewal.
.-—-. '
-
-
—-
�ft*
60
THE SYRIAN WORLD
AUTHENTIC
ORIENTAL RUGS
THE A. SLEYMAN COMPANY, INC.
{276 5th AVENUE
NEW YORK CITY
Phone BOgardus 4-4345
«SSKSESSSSK^SSS
George Haddad
Proprietor
Phone
CHickering 4-8878
ALEXANDRIA RESTAURANT
The new and beautiful uptown Syrian restaurant owned and operated
by a master chef, who summons his long experience to the
art of producing the most delectable Oriental dishes.
Small and large parties catered to
So Conveniently Located
21 WEST 31st STREET,
NEW YORK *
IT IS YOURS
is the only Syrian publication printed
in English, and as such is the organ of the Syrians in America.
You can help it continue and grow by subscribing to it yourself
and inducing others to subscribe.
THE SYRIAN WORLD
PUBLISHER, THE SYRIAN WORLD:
104 Greenwich Street, New York.
You may enter my name as a subscriber to "The Syrian World" for the term of one year, for which I agree to
pay the regular rate of $5.00 upon receipt of the first issue.
Address
City & State
Bft^BgMBais^BHiBmiMmiroM
�NOVEMBER, 1931
61
3S
•it
JERE J. CRONIN
FUNERAL DIRECTOR
MORTUARY CHAPEL
,
Local or Out of Town Funerals Personally Attended to
LADY ATTENDANT
Expense a Matter of Your Own Desire
115 ATLANTIC AVENUE
BROOKLYN, N. Y.
The large amount of business we do permits us to buy caskets
in large quantity which enables us to give the best funerals very
reasonable. We carry a complete line of the very best manufactured
caskets at $45.00 up. We pay no agents to secure funerals for us but
only give the family who has sorrow the very best of service, reverence
and economy. Our aim is to help those who are in trouble at a very
little cost. No charge for use o our services or funeral parlors.
Telephone—MA N 1398-1399-8130-3655
HOW TO BREED MOTHS
Leave your rugs on the floor
with all the dirt and germs
they have collected during the
winter and which home methods cannot remove. Nature
will do the rest.
RESTORATCVE: Call the
THE KOURI CARPET
CLEANING CORPORATION
RUG WASHERS
NEW YORK, N. Y.
10 West 33rd Street
Tel. LOngacre 5-2385
JERSEY CITY, N. J.
552 Johnston Avenue
Tel. Bergen 3-1085
ft»Ttynt»MttMM>TTV^
BH(HBPBHMMHHOHHHHsWsWBHiHHBHBMH
SHEIK
RESTAURANT
A well-appointed Syrian restaurant in the heart of the
Syrian Quarter, in lower Manhattan, where you and your
friends can enjoy the most
delectable
Oriental
meals
amidst the charm of an Oriental atmosphere.
Second Foor for Banquets and
Private Parties
KIRDAHY RESTAURANTS,
Inc.
65 WASHINGTON ST.,
New Yerk
%>ffTf4?fy
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�__
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—_______—_
---,-«»«.
The Arabic
Linotype in
EgyptAlthough the introduction of the Lino-
the very fact that governmental and
type into Arabic-speaking countries
corporate agencies were the first to
is comparatively recent, it is fast gain-
decide in its favor not only proves its
ing in popularity through the gradual
necessity but presages its ultimate
conviction of publishers and printers
general use. Because such agencies
that it is the type-setting machine of
reach their decisions only after thor-
the present and the future. It is not
ough investigation and comparative
only speedy but economical and ef-
study. This can be readily deduced
ficient. As is natural, the government
from the trend of Linotype installa-
and large corporate concerns were the
tions in Egypt which in the last few
first to realize its ultimate savings re-
years have
gardless of the initial investment. And
well-known printing establishments.
included
the following
Agricultural Bank, Cairo
1 Linotype
Government Press, Cairo
2 Linotypes
Egyptian State Railway Press, Cairo ...
2 Linotypes
Imprimerie Misr, Cairo
1 Linotype
MERCENTHALER LINOTYPE COMPANY
Brooklyn, New York, U. S. A.
Cable: LINOTYPE, NEW YORK
/ '
.
V; RDE LINOTYPE
A
MARK
».
0
•
.
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,,
An illustrated descriptive catalog
the Arabic Linotype sent free
u
P°n request.
of
Representatives in the Principal Cities of the World
LINOTYPE METRO SERIES
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MERCENTHALER LINOTYPE COMPANY
Brooklyn, New York, U. S. A.
fy** ij^-lf bal
<L<Vj <u»
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Cable: LINOTYPE, NEW YORK
(•""LINOTYPE -)
_AlaJl JU£ U UJ
Representatives in the Principal Cities of the World
JJid.1 ^Js. i_»_yiuw JZj&j ijulfolj V. ^ *-^->.r- 0* 0^*VI li* ^3 U j5
�VW"
64
THE SYRIAN WORLD
~»o~»»
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»
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J^U Clio
ATTENTION!
FORWARD!
SAFE!
MARCH ON TO PROGRESS!
START A BANK ACCOUNT
IMMEDIATELY
LET
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Checking accounts may be opened with $200.00 or more
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Established 1891
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-* -
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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
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TSW1931_11reducedWM
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Volume 06, Issue 03
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1931 November
Description
An account of the resource
Volume 6 Issue 03 of The Syrian World published November 1931. The issue begins with an article by Salloum Mokarzel detailing the coming generation of Syrian leaders. Within his article, Mokarzel comprehensively discusses the changes arising in Syria as a result of French control and a change in thought surrounding what constitutes a leader. This is followed by a poem titled "Affluence" by Edna K. Saloomey. Kahlil Gibran has a work presented next, as will occasionally happen thanks to Barbara Young a literary executor of some of Gibran's works. The work included in this issue is titled "The Deeper Pain." Bayard Dodge is also featured for their work titled "Conditions in the Near East" in which they have taken excerpts from their own annual reports from 1930 to 1931 in order to formulate a research based presentation on the current situation in the East. Barbara Young is featured yet again for her editing work on a number of poems. After a number of literary works by writers Katibah, Charles J. Sassen, A. Hakim, Barbara Young, and Dr. Salim Y. Alkazin, the issue closes with an editorial comment, an update on political developments in Syria, and the Syrian world news section.
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.
1930s
A. Hakim
Barbara Young
Charles J. Sassen
Edna K. Saloomey
Habib I. Katibah
Kahlil Gibran
New York
Poetry-English
Salim Alkazin
Syria
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/8770c3f6b9f149e74c0f97238ae4460d.pdf
aa670fa21f053c597c000f445a063ff0
PDF Text
Text
VOL. Mk m
m
DECEMBER 1931
NO. 4
��THE
SYRIAN WORLD
"Published monthly except July and August
by
THE SYRIAN-AMERICAN PRESS
104 Greenwich St., 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 "iork,
N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879.
VOL. VI NO. 4
DECEMBER, 1931
t
CONTENTS
Palestine of Religious Romance and Historic Realism
By H. I.
Christmas Altar (a Poem)
By ALICE
KATIBAH
11
MOKARZEL
The Great Recurrence
By
Poetry, Edited by
3
12
KAHLIL GIBRAN
15
BARBARA YOUNG
Blithesome Boy, by
BARBARA YOUNG
Christmas Poetry
Still There is Bethlehem, by
17
18
NANCY BYRD
TURNER
Carol, by GILBERT KEITH CHESTERTON
Second Coming, by ERNEST HARTSOCK.
18
18
18
�CONTENTS (Continued)
PAGE
News and Views
.. 19
By A
STAFF OBSERVER
Are These Great Men Really Syrians?
19
Origin of Chivalry
22
East and West
"... 23
Omar Khayyam—His Grave and Shiraz Wine
24
Promoting Religious Understanding
26
Home and Family ....'
Edited by
27
BAHIA AL-MUSHEER
The Dietetic Value of Syrian Food
A Menu For American Guests
Proper Roasting
How Ladies Could Use Idle Hours
A Party for Aneesa, (A Short Story)
By
EDNA
K.
27
28
29
29
30
SALOOMEY
Book Reviews
39
A Book of Sentiment and Fact on a Great
Syrian Poet
39
Resurrecting the Glory of Syria
41
Spanning the Nation's History
43
Peace and Good Will, Plus Faith
By
44
THE EDITOR
Political Developments in Syria
Syrian World News Section
.45
51
I
�,
—
\
Syrian
^^^^ f/
MOKARZEL, Editor
SALLOUM A. M<
DECEMBER, 1931
VOL. VI NO. 4
Palestine of Religious Romance
and Historic Realism
THE SUCCESSION OF EVENTS WHICH MADE A HOLY
LAND OF THE SMALL SYRIAN PROVINCE
LYING AT THE INTERSECTION OF
THREE CONTINENTS
By H. I.
KATIBAH
PALESTINE, to millions of our matter-of-fact, practical, realistic generation, is not a geographic term so much as a state of
mind and imagination. It suggests not so much plains, hills, valleys, rivers and stretches of gray, rocky, barren land as it does an
idyllic state of serenity, happiness, joy and eternal peace.
It is not surprising that such were the connotations and associations invoked by the word "Palestine" to the generations of
our grandfathers and great grandfathers in countries far removed
from that little country squeezed in the southern portion of a little
corridor between three continents—Asia, Europe and Africa. For
Palestine, to them, was something they learned about in the Bible
and from queer, multicolored maps of the Sunday schools. It was
studied always in connection with an ancient history that was always surrounded with a halo of sanctity and mystery, and often a
sense of taboo besides. Rarely was it ever, studied with any effort
at historic and geographic perspective. Great and mighty nations
as the Egyptians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Persians and Greeks, were'
just outlandish, distant names that gain significance only in that
�4
THE SYRIAN WORLD
they are brought in association with the name of the Hebrews the
chosen people of God.
There was such a thing as "sacred history" and "profane history," and our ancestors sincerely believed that the former could
be studied separately, encompassed as it was between the two morocco covers of a collection of books—the Bible. In the minds of
those pious forefathers of ours even profane history became "bibliocentnc," and the achievements and civilizations of great neighboring
countries was dwarfed and dwindled in contrast with the earnest,
religious message of the Hebrew prophets and psalmists. Socrates'
Plato and Aristotle, who came in the twilight of Hebrew history,
were perhaps unknown to most of the Hebrew learned men and
priests of their days, and Greek civilization, which at one time
threatened to swallow the Hebrew and other civilizations of the
East, was condemned as an unclean, heathen innovation. And to
most of those who read the Bible a hundred or fifty years ago, even
to many who read it today, this great ancient civilization meant
just as little. It mattered little that Greek philosophy stole through
the backdoor of Christian theology and square-footedly occupied
a secure place in the Bible, or that it was two great Jews, Philo and
St. Paul, who introduced this same Greek philosophy to the Semitic
practical religion of the Jews.
It is no wonder, we say, that our ancestors took such an exclusive view of Palestine and its history, and that to them Palestine
was an idealized term of religious sentiment and distant history.
In those days there were no cables to link far-flung countries of the
world together and make them seem like a little country town
where all the gossip of the day could be exchanged around the stove
of the country general store; there were no fast trains that devoured
space, no airplanes that annihilated time, and shrunk this globe of
ours to one tenth of its original size. For, after all, time and distance are relative terms, and only have sense in relation to our
capacity for turning them into subjective human experience.
But the wonder is that to a great number of people among us,
in this age of the cable, the fast trains, trans-Atlantic steamers,zeppelins and airplanes, Palestine still is-a term of religious romance
that has little historic realism and practically no geographic perspective to them.
I was strongly reminded of this in a little anecdote that a
friend of mine, a former research worker in the Foreign Policy
Association, once related to me. She told me that she was once
dictating a letter to a Jewish stenographer in the office, and when
�—
"DECEMBER, 1931
fntTrmrrrTmmmm' ,
5
the letter was finished she directed that it be addressed to a certain
gentleman in Jerusalem, Palestine.
The Jewish girl opened her eyes wide with sudden surprise.
"Jerusalem? /" she asked, her eyes shining with a mysterious,
distant gleam, as if the word suggested to her some golden dream
of romance and bliss.
"Yes, Jerusalem! " replied the research worker, smiling.
"Palestine? " again asked the surprised stenographer.
"Yes, Palestine " added the research worker.
"And will it reach there? " still persisted the puzzled questioner.
"Certainly it will! " assured the young lady whose job it was
to keep a great section of American public opinion fully informed
on the latest developments in Palestine, Syria, Egypt and the rest
of the Arabic-speaking world.
Not only to Christians, but to Jews and Moslems also, the
earthly Palestine, and particularly Jerusalem, is inseparably linked
with the heavenly one.
The Jews, among the followers of the three great monotheistic religions, were the ones to whom the earthly Palestine, the
earthly Jerusalem, was not only real, but the very centre of their
reality, and without which their hopes, aspirations, their history and
religion, were without significance or substantiality. At least that
could be safely said of the orthodox Jews. They had a feverish,
fanatic, almost fetichistic attachment to the actual soil, the actual
stones, the hills, valleys, trees, the very air that circulated in the
clear, translucent sky of that little bit of a Holy Land. This was
especially true after the second destruction of Jerusalem under
Hadrian who ordered the city rebuilt as Aelia Capitolina and prevented the Jews from even entering it again on the pains of death.
Jerusalem became then to the Jews the land of their lost dream,
their ultimate hope and salvation, when Jehovah would gather them
from their diaspora in every corner of the world and bring them
back in rejoicing and triumph to Zion.
Once the land came into the possession of a friendly Semitic
people, the Arabs, it was this same passionate longing for Palestine,
for Zion, that burned in the hearts of pious Jewish pilgrims and
made them leave sometimes comfortable homes in lands where they
had flourished and prospered, facing innumerable dangers "of seas
and lands, to arrive to the land of their happy dreams, even if it
were only to lay their hands on its sod and die. It was this inexplicable attachment for a land from which they were separated by
�WHtHHtmmmmm
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The Holy City of Jerusalem, as it appears from the Mount of Olives.
�DECEMBER, 1931
7
thousands of miles and almost as many years, that gave rise to
numerous legends and ceremonies which added more halo and romance to a country, otherwise less fortunate than many others in the
same neighborhood, and less favoured by Providence and nature.
Jerusalem became the city "in the middle of the world," and the
city to which all the dead will be gathered in the day of resurrection. Those who could not go to Palestine and die there, have to
walk in dark, subterranean passages when the archangel Gabriel
blows his horn, and every soul answers the roll call to appear before the Great Judge. In their superstitious yearning for "Eretz
Yizroel," it was considered a soothing compensation for Jews who
die outside Palestine to sprinkle a little of its sacred soil between
the legs of the dead—the seat of, life.
Perhaps no Jew gave a more intense, sublime expression to this
yearning than Jehuda Halevi who lived in the 12th century in Spain,
in the heyday of Arab supremacy. He himself wrote in Arabic as
well as in Hebrew, and was well off in the country of his sojourn.
But there was a mysterious unrestfulness about him which seemed
to egg him on and prod him to visit Palestine. Life to him was
worthless unless that object was fulfilled, and he sang in longing
and anguish of that land of his forefathers that sometimes rose to
the heights of the Hebrew psalms, and were shot through with
references to biblical passages and incidents. Legend has it that
as he was within sight of his cherished dream he was shot by an
Arab soldier with an arrow, and so the Jewish poet died within a
stone's throw, so to speak, of the Temple, of which he had sung
so majestically and pathetically. Here is a typical song, perhaps
one of his best, of Jehuda Halevi, from the English translation of
Nina Salaman:
"Beautiful of elevation! Joy of the world!
City of the Great King!
For thee my soul is longing from limits of the west.
The tumult of my tenderness is stirred when I remember
Thy glory of old that is departed—thine habitation which
is desolate.
0 that I might fly on eagles' wings,
That I might water thy dust with my tears until they
mingle together.
1 have sought thee even though thy King is not in thee
and though, in place
�IT
!
8
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Of thy Gilead's balm, are now the fiery serpent and
scorpion.
Shall I not be tender to thy stones and kiss them,
And the taste of thy soil be sweeter than honey unto mer"
But neither in Jehuda Halevi nor any of his compatriots who
wasted themselves for Palestine do we hear a celestial note. For
while it is true that Aelia supplanted the time-honored name (Jerusalem), as Margolioth remarks, and the latter name began to be
used exclusively for "the heavenly city of devotional fancy
painted in more gorgeous colours than before," the Jews still clung
to the earthly Jerusalem, while Christians, whose Messiah had already come and was with the Father in heaven, lost all interest in
the earthly Jerusalem and concentrated it on the heavenly Jerusalem, and often was the former transfigured beyond all recognition of its geographic and historic identity.
Thus when a Bernard de Morlaix, who was contemporary to
Jehuda Halevi, sang of:
"Jerusalem the golden,
With milk and honey blest,
Beneath thy contemplation
Sink heart and voice opprest"
we are, sometimes, not quite sure whether the hymnodist had in
mind the heavenly or the earthly Jerusalem, or perhaps both in some
mystic union of devotional fancy and fervour.
Perhaps the ones who held the most realistic view of Palestine
were the Moslem Arabs who occupied the country in the seventh
century, the first to fall under their control in their swift and brilliant series of conquest after they sallied forth from their Arabian
homeland.
Yet, even the Arabs themselves did not want to be outdone
by the Jews and Christians in their devotion to Palestine, "the resting-place of the prophets, the descent place of the angels and of
inspiration." It was this desire to rival its sister Semitic, monotheistic religious in pouring its tribute to the "Sacred House," that
was back of that most audacious "revelation" of the "Isra," or
"nocturnal journey," from the Holy Temple in Mecca to "the
Furthermost Temple" in Jerusalem. At the same time of that
revelation, one year before the hegira, many of the believers themselves cast serious doubts on the Prophet's claim that that distance,
which took a whole month to cover by swiftly driven camels one
�DECEMBER, 1931
9
way and another month back, was actually traversed by him in one
night. There were no airplanes in those days, of course, nor did
the Prophet say that he rode on a magical carpet of wind. On the
contrary, Mohammed asserted that Gabriel supplied him with a
green mount, a cross-breed between a donkey and a mule, called
al-Buraq. Once in Jerusalem, Mohammed tied his miraculous
mount to a window outside the Temple wall, and to the present day
the Mughrabite custodians of the Buraq quarter point to you that
very window without any qualms of doubt or trepidation. Then
he entered the Temple, and behold Gabriel had gathered for him
all the prophets from their graves, and he led them in a short prayer of "two kneelings!"
In this way the transfiguration of Palestine became complete,
and the real, earthly Palestine put on a sheen of myth and sanctity
more mythical and more sanctified than realistic history could possibly justify.
It took a long and arduous campaign of historic and critical
scholarship to restore Palestine to its realistic proportions. Whole
books and monographs have been written and are still being written
to remove an endless number of illusions about the Holy Land, illusions that have no origin in fact, but were generously supplied by
the pious imaginations of devotees to a country so intimately and
inseparably linked with the cradle of their religions.
Mark Twain poked satiric fun at those religio-romantic tourists
who travelled up and down the Holy Land gushing forth exaggerated and unbridled sentiment about its unmatched beauty and
'undying glory. He was, on the contrary, impressed especially by
its ardity, the sordidness of its environment and lack of scenic
beauty.
To bring the realization of its proper dimensions
nearer to his r.rtaers in America he declares that "the State
of Missouri could be split into three Palestines, and there would
then be enough material left for part of another—possibly a whole
one." That this reminder of Mark Twain was not unjustified or
uncalled for may be appreciated from an incident which I beg to cite
from my own experience. Travelling one day in Ohio, some fifteen
years ago, I was engaged in conversation with a pious old lady who
was trying to win me to her peculiar form of religious vagaries and
convince me that the second coming of Christ was very near, within a few years at most. She gave me some literature to read in
which the descent of the Heavenly Jerusalem over the earthly one
was vividly described. The heavenly city was to be three hundred
miles in length and three hundred miles in width.
-
�10
rHE SYRIAN WORLD
"Do you realize, my dear lady," I commented as I read that
description, "that the heavenly Jerusalem you speak of would cover
twice the size of Palestine, and a large part of it would lie in the
Mediterranean Sea!"
Singling out a particularly sentimental tourist who had written
more fancy than fact about Palestine, Mark Twain describes him
as one who "went through this peaceful land with one hand forever
on his revolver and the other on his pocket handkerchief. Always,
when he was not on the point of crying over a holy place, he was
on the point of killing an Arab." Then he adds with a touch of
indignant irony: "More surprising things happened to him than
to any traveller here or elsewhere since Munchausen died!"
Mark Twain did a great service to the people of his generation,
and his "Innocents Abroad" is a classic of debunking which every
tourist, particularly to the Holy Land, should read.
Nevertheless the stream of sentimental literature about Palestine still goes on. But the banner of fervid eulogizing and romancing vagary today is not carried by Christian monks and tourists,
but by so-called "practical Zionists," who refuse to believe that
Palestine is too small, too barren and utterly unfit for ethnic, industrial and military considerations, to be the seat of a revived
Jewish state. Nor would they even read their own history with
eyes undimmed by the wish-fulhllments of their harried, persecuted
career in Palestine itself and ever since they were driven out from
it.
To Zionists in particular, and to all others who cannot or
refuse to separate in their minds between Palestine of fancy and
Palestine of fact, Palestine of religious romance and Palestine of
historic realism, I sincerely commend a recent book written by a
Jewish rabbi, a scholar and gifted writer, who took upon himself
the task of redrawing the whole history of the Jews in deft and
broad strokes that restore its true picture to us and place it in a true
perspective of history and balanced reason. This book, "Srranger
than Fiction," by Lewis Browne, is a great work of popularization
which brings within our reach the painstaking labours of hundreds
of scholars and historians—that disquieting tribe of indefatiguable
workers who ever insist on bringing us back to our senses and destroy our cherished illusions ithat have no roots in fact, and often
not even in fancy.
One paragraph from this book, describing Jerusalem in the
days of David, is sufficient to illustrate the spirit and aim of the
author:
�11 !PS"
DECEMBER, 1931
i
11
"When David took hold of Jerusalem," writes Mr. Browne,
"it must have been much like any other Canaanite town. From end
to end its length was probably that of ten of our city blocks, and
surrounding it was a tremendously high wall of stone.
The
houses were flat-roofed, one story huts of stone plastered with
mud} and there was no furniture inside them. The people ate and
slept on the ground, and the animals ate and slept with them. Horrid smells filled every corner of the town, for of course there were
no sewers and no street-cleaning department. Nasty insects buzzed
around everywhere, for refuse rotted in front of every house.
Savage, half-starved dogs prowled about, and here and there dirty
little children, naked save for the good-luck charms hung around
their necks, with bellies swollen from drinking foul water, and
faces covered with sores and scars, played amid the filth or ran
errands.
"Such was Jerusalem that became the capital of David's empire. There he established his harem of twenty or thirty wives—
and right proud he must have been of it, for in those days the might
of a monarch was largely judged by the size of his harem—and
there he served as high priest and chief justice and king."
Christmas Altar
By
ALICE MOKARZEL
There is a holy quiet here—
A sacred stillness that breathes a calm
Unto the troubled heart} a balmy incense
That seeks the weary soul and bids it rise
And behold the comfort of a thousand years
Revealed above the glamour of this shrine.
There are the gifts of Magi here—
In leaves that twine the golden cross,
And candles, soothing the beloved dark
Like pallid, love-lit soldiers, guarding
This world-heart of the hearts of men.
There is an unsung carol here
That fills the breast of king and shepherd,
And quells the tired and aching heart
That finds its solace near His bed.
3L««^..-<-
.-*,» -
-.
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
12
The Great Recurrence
By
KAHLIL GIBRAN
Author of "Jesus, the Son of Man/' "The Prophet," etc.
MANY centuries ago they said that the humble shepherds
of Judea and the wise Kings of Persia came to a manger
to worship the infant Jesus. They also said that the shepherds sang of peace and good will, and of love that binds
man to man; and that the wise Kings laid gold and frankincense at the feet of the Blessed Babe.
Today we children of the vast yesterday come to a
manger, which is in truth our solitude; each one of us a
shepherd who would have peace in the pasture of his
thoughts, and the good will of all the other shepherds—and
each one of us a King of his own destiny, who would lay
gold and frankincense at the feet of his greater self: gold
for assurance and frankincense for dreams.
You and I and all our neighbors would kneel before
the anointed genius of mankind, which is in us all.
And they say that Jesus was born in a cave even like his
forerunners, Orpheus and Methra and Zoroaster. They
said this for they knew that only the secret depths can give
birth to great heights.
�!
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DECEMBER, 1931
13
II
I' I
And today, we, too, believe that vast souls, even as vast
worlds, move from darkness to light, and from oblivion to
recognition, from hidden roots to blooms that laugh in the
sun and dance in the wind.
But they said that the King of Judea decreed, in his
fear, the slaughter of all the newborn in the land, for he
was told even by the Persian seers that the infant Jesus
should overrule him and deprive him of scepter and diadem.
Today we in our fear of the unknown tomorrow would
slay the innocence in us that it may not be a stumbling block
in the path of our governing intelligence.
But, thanks be to the heavens above, there is for some
of us an Egypt for an escape and golden sands and palm
trees for safety.
If
We go there in faith, knowing that that which we
would save in us is the truth and the beauty which the angel
of our white nights so graciously taught us to love and protect.
Yea, it was in that distant yesterday when the genius
of our heart's desire was born, and the secret in our depth
was revealed to us, and the innocence in us sought escape
from the designing which is in us also.
And all this shall come to pass many times before we
reach our homecoming. It is the mystic recurrence of the
divine mystery before the face of the Son.
(Reprinted from the Herald Tribune, Dec. 23, 1928)
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Symbolic of The Great Recurrrence.
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to
�•DECEMBER, 1931
BARBARA YOUNG,
Editor
"The child is but a day old, yet we have seen the light of our God in
His eyes and the smile of cur God upon His mouth.
"We bid you protect Him that He may protect you all."
Kahlil Gibran
QOLD AND frankincense and myrrh
Never the celebration
of the Christmas holiday that these words do not ring in our
hearts like temple bells.
The poetry of the Yuletide is like the
poetry of no other time in all the twelvemonth of the year, even
as the poet whose birth we now remember, surpasses all other poets
who have lived and died upon this, planet; the Poet who lived his
poems and who left not so much as one written word on any parchment.
In that little bridge-country which has been an embattled field
since time began, in the midst of civil turbulence and inter-racial
violence, this Poet? and this Prince of Peace was born.
In the East, in the Arabic speaking countries, all princes have
been poets There were long ages when such a being as a king who
was not also a poet was unthinkable.
But the Poet of Nazareth, born, the churchlv reord reads "in
Bethlehem of Judea," has bequeathed to mankind a heritage of
poetry such as none other of any land, of any time, has left.
What he may actually have said reallv matters little after all
The divine beauty and power that invested his human person, the
mighty emanation from his ageless spirit lives and shall live a
persistent song in the deep heart of the race, and a golden word
upon its tongue.
�I I
16
THE SYRIAN WORLD
More poetry has been written in his name than in the name of
any other ten of earth's high spirits. And there is that in every remembrance of this Man which imparts a rhythm and a melody
even to the prose that takes his doings for its theme. The magic
of his being bestows a quality of music upon our common words
and every poet who puts quill to paper delights to ponder his ways
and nis comeliness.
"Then suddenly, one night,
I had a vision—we will call it so.
I saw a Young Man working with his tools,
Hammer and' plane and saw, beside a bench.
It was a room like this. Often he stopped
And looked away out through the open door
To the low hills. I heard him speaking, too
He was a comely fellow, very young,
Twenty perhaps, with eyes like mountain pools,
The kind you'd know would gather stars at night
In their dark depths. His hands upon the wood
And on the plane were like two conscious things
That breathed and thought and lived a separate life.
I've never seen two other hands like those,
Nor such a frame, compact like a young tree
And his face, Michael, it was like a god,
And like a child, and like a woman, too;'
But most of all it was a poet's face,—
A poet who could be a warrior
If need be, or a shepherd, or a king,
Or just a man, a village carpenter."
"T
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^
sfc
Today there is a great stirring in the world above this world.
This Christmas Eve when the choirs from our great city churches
gather around the living tree that comes to visit Times Square, and
when the people of Becharre, far away in the Lebanon hills, go
through the snowy night, singing and carrying their lanterns to the
village sanctuary there will be also a mighty convocation in the
ether of those freed spirits who have achieved the heights since
last the Christmas carols escended from the hearts of earth to the
great Heart of Heaven. And if we shall listen in the innermost
of our being, who knows that we too may not hear the echo of a
heavenly host chanting the poetry of that world beyond this world?
I
�DECEMBER, 1931
17
Blithesome Boy
I think he was a blithesome Boy.
I think his words were clear and free;
I think he was as straight and brown
As some young tree.
I think his laugh rang down the wind.
I think he tossed his tumbled hair
And flung a snatch of simple song
Upon the air.
I think he lingered on the hills,
And learned the magic of the grass;
And knew the heart of every tree
That saw him pass.
And heard upon the mountain-top
The distant singing in the sun
From cedar branches blowing green
On Lebanon.
I
I think he came to Mary's door
With eager homeward-running feet,
And to his hungry human mouth
Her bread was sweet.
Yet he himself was bread, and wine,
And olive-branch and cedar tree,
And grass, and star, and shining depth
Of Galilee.
Oh, he was laughter and delight,
And he was pain, and tears, and death,
And every suffering, and joy
Of Nazareth.
He was all silence, and all song;
He was a cross, a diadem;
The Man of Sorrows, and the Babe
Of Bethlehem.
BARBARA YOUNG
from The Keys of Heaven
�IS
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Christmas Poetry
STILL THERE IS BETHLEHEM
All love and mystery in one little face.
All light and beauty in a single
star
That rose among the shadows, pure
and far,
Above an humble place.
All heaven in song upon a lonely hill,
Earth listening, fain and still.
The long years go; the old stars rise
and set,
Dreams perish, and we falter in
the night.
Still there is Bethlehem; could heart
forget
That loveliness, that light?
Shadows there are, but who shall
fail for them?
Still there is Bethlehem.
Nancy Byrd Turner
in Good Housekeeping.
CAROL
The Christ Child lay on Mary's lap,
His hair was like a light.
(Oh, weary, weary were the world,
But here is all aright.)
The Christ ChUd lay on Mary's breast,
His hair was like a star.
(Oh, stern and cunning are the kings,
But here the true hearts are.)
The Christ Child stood on Mary's knee,
His hair was like a crown.
And all the flowers looked up at
Him
And all the stars looked down.
Gilbert Keith Chesterton.
SECOND COMING
He found us like the deathly thief
In all our night of unbelief;
A new star, like the Magi's gem
Above a blind new Bethlehem.
He lighted up the little way
Of men lost fearfully in clay.
Firefly or foxfire he was not,
But some eternal burning spot.
Some fagot that the gods forgot,
Some alien torch that dropped in place
From bonfires on the fields of space;
With beauty almost blasphemous
He aureoled and haloed us.
And we who had not known before
The white of daisies by a door,
The white of cloud and sycamore,
Knew suddenly the feathered frond
Of angel's wings—and worlds beyond.
Though some men craven with their
fear
Shaded their eyes when he grew near,
Some men who did not dread the
glow,
Went close and were translucent so,
With souls like hexagons of snow.
For we who once were darkened glass
Through which men's gazes could not
pass.
Each opened and a rainbow was!
Ernest Hartsock
in The Best Poems of 1931
Thomas Moult.
/
�"DECEMBER, 1931
19
News and Views
By A
STAFF OBSERVER
ARE THESE GREAT MEN REALLY SYRIANS?
/
pAR BE it from us to advance any preposterous claim calculated
to nourish an unseemly racial vanity. But we cannot very well
omit, for the purpose of historical record, reference to some facts
which every now and then creep into public print and have a direct
bearing on Syrian ethnology. Our excuse is that since others discuss such matters openly we are entitled to the same privilege." In
saying this we do not mean to be apologetic; simply modest!
Upon the visit of Premier Laval of France to the United
States reference often was made in the American press to the fact
that he was of Arab blood. A writer in the New York Sun was so
positive of this fact that he attributed to it not only the French
Premier's "extreme swarthiness of complexion but also the impregnable placidity he exhibited in trying circumstances." A Syrian
lady who attended the dinner given in the Premier's honor in New
York called the office of the Syrian World the following day to
break the glad news that M. Laval was not only Arab but Syrian.
The secret had been revealed to her, she said, by someone who was in
a position to know, and we knowing the lady to be of judicious discernment were strongly inclined to credit her report, but for fuller
confirmation sought information of one of our French friends in
New York, M. H. Jules-Bois, a scholar and author of standing who
had lectured at the French Institute on the career of M. Laval under the official auspices of the French consul. M. Jules-Bois neither
affirmed nor denied, simply confining himself to the statement
that he did not know sufficiently about M. Laval's ancestry to render
eoKtscientious judgment. He was positive, however, that the distinct in France in, which M., Laval was.born is known to have been
settled by Moors centuries back, and the report that he had Arab
blood in his veins might not be devoid of truth.
•
So much for the' Premier of France. The other great man of
�20
THE SYRIAN WORLD
our time who is persistently referred to as a Syrian, and sometimes is
attacked for being one, is Arturo Calles, the strong man of Mexico.
Reference was often made in the pages of the Syrian World to the
«?i -?at ^fiieS WaS frecluently called by his political opponents
111-lurco The Turk. Some Catholic papers in the United States
who resented Calles' attitude toward the church traced his genealogy and asserted that his father was a Syrian immigrant who had
started as a peddler and later settled in the interior of Mexico as a
farmer and trader. It must be borne in mind that all Syrians
whether in the United States or in Mexico, were formerly classed
as lurks in the immigration records. In declaring their country of
origin they were entered as Turks because they were under Turkish
rule. Hence the contention of a Federal Judge in one of the Circuit Courts of the South that the Syrians were not eligible to American citizenship because they were of Mongol blood, the Turks being
originally of Mongol stock, and the Syrians, because they were under Turkish rule, were consequently Mongols. This view would
appear preposterous on the face of it, but the Syrians, nevertheless,
had to carry the case to the United States Supreme Court to prove
their descent from the white race.
This is by way of demonstrating how public conceptions are
at times deceiving, and why Calles should be called a Turk although
a Syrian. Calles himself is not known to have ever denied it In
the face of all attacks levelled upon -him in the heat of political
campaigns, he is not known to have uttered a word of explanation
as to his racial origin. He took the attitude that if his opponents
chose to call him a Syrian or a Turk, let them howl to their heart'content. He is what he is, a true Mexican determined to bring order out of chaos in that troubled country. This he seems to have
succeeded in doing with a display of energy, generalship and statesmanship that have won him great admiration. Perhaps in later
years, when his biography as the political saviour of Mexico is
written, his descent will be traced back to its true origin For the
present let us be content to advance the claim as it stands While
not positively claiming Calles as a Syrian, we cannot help recording
the fact that he is "accused" of being one.
Altogether out of this class, but equally famous in his own line,
is another celebrity whom some claim to be a Syrian. We refer
to that undefeated champion in the pugilistic ring Mr Gene
Tunney, the battling marine of pronounced literary proclivities.
Ihe Arabic press of New York on several occasions made capital of
the rumor that Mr. Tunney is none other than the son of Peter
/
I
�'DECEMBER, 1931
/ i
nI
if
I)
21
Touma, one of the famous companions of the Lebanese hero Joseph
Bey Karam who fought the Turks to preserve the independence of
Mt. Lebanon. Touma is credited with having attacked a Turkish
mountain battery single-handed, and after putting to rout the gunners shouldering the cannon and carrying it triumphantly to his own
camp. There does not seem to be as much substantiation for Tunney's claim, however, as for the others.
Of more intimate relation to the subject under discussion is
the revelation of the extent of Arab influence in the Argentine
Republic which came about as a result of the last revolution in
that country and caused the downfall of President Irigoyen in the
fall of 1930. The President was represented as the last of the caudillos, the fierce Arab horsemen credited with having brought about the
Republic's existence. An account of their romantic activities was
published in the October, 1930 issue of the Syrian World, from
which we reprint the following extract as reported by a staff correspondent of the New York Times writing from Buenos Aires:
"*** The downfall of Dr. Irigoyen definitely marks a new
era in Argentine history m an even more romantic sense, for it means
the passing from history of the old caudillos (pettv chieftains),
who were a product of gaucho civilization on the Pampas. Argentine owes its very existence to these gauchos who were wild nomad
horsemen, whose fathers handed down to them the Moorish blood
they brought from Spain in the days of the conquest and whose
mothers were South American Indians.
"The gauchos retained many characteristics of their Arabian
ancestors who had overrun Spain, and they formed a barrier between
the tiny outposts of civilization and the wild Indians of Pampas
who until the late '80s resisted Argentina's efforts to establish herself as a nation. ****The caudillos led the numerous civil wars
which for so many years retarded Argentine progress until another
gauch caud]llo, Juan Manuel de Rosas, set himself up as dictator
and ruthlessly wiped out all other caudillos who opposed him, thus
paving the way for organized government in Argentine ' Dr
Irigoyen is the last of the caudillos."
Commenting on this news at the time of its publication over a
year ago, the Syrian World made the following observations: "Had
a Syrian or Arab writer laid claim at any time to the Arab's exercising such a great influence in the social and political order of a
new and progressive country in the New World such as the Argentine Republic, his claim would have been branded as preposterous
Immediately the accusation would be made that we would want
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
to claim everything for the Arabs, the Phoenicians and other Eastern
peoples ***In the present case the Arabs are not advancing any
claim of influence. They are accused of having it
****That
this influence did not prevail until the end is not the question as
much as its having existed and lasted for so long a time in the history of Argentine, and having been so strong as to be the cause for
the safety of the country while it lasted."
ORIGIN OF CHIVALRY
|N A SERIES of articles by Karl K. Kitchen on present conditions
in Soviet Russia now appearing in the New York Sun, this American writer offers what may seem a novel explanation of the Russians apparent lack of chivalry towards women as compared with
other European races. Here are his exact words:
"It might not be amiss to explain one reason for the equality
of the sexes in the Soviet Union. The bulk of the races that inhabited this part of Europe did not take part in the great crusades
durmg the Middle Ages. The idea of chivalry never came into
their lives. Consequently women were never placed on a pedestal '
as they were in many other parts of Europe. And that is why today
women are treated exactly the same as men, in every phase of life
as well as before the law.
"This also explains the bad manners, or at least the lack of
consideration, which the vast majority of Russians have for women
And, on the other hand, it accounts for the sturdy type of selfsupporting, self-reliant woman that is encountered on every side "
The plain deduction is that chivalry, as it is known in Europe,
originated in the East as a result of the crusades. And it naturally
follows that it originated in Syria since Syria was the theatre of
war m those days and the main object of the crusades was to free
the Holy Land from the domination of the Moslems, and the Holv
Land is a part of Syria. The crusaders learned the rudiments of
chivalry from their opponents and brought it back to their homeands where it bloomed into its present form. Russia apparently
lacks chivalry because it did not contribute its quota to the host of
the crusaders.
There is no dearth of English literature on this subject Onlv
recently our Syrian scholar, Prof. Philip K. Hitti of Princeton
wrote a treatise on this subject which appeared in the April 1931
!
mi
ll
�H
1
DECEMBER, 1931
23
issue of the Syrian World. Those of our readers who desire further
enlightenment on this interesting topic may profitably refer to that
article, or better still, they may refer to his lengthy work on the
subject entitled'the Memoirs of Usamah, an Arab Syrian Gentleman
and Warrior in the Times of the Crusaders, published by the Columbia University Press.
EAST AND WEST
The following is an editorial of the New York Times of
December 7.
£)EDICATION of a building at the University of Chicago devoted to the investigation of early man—a building which
"finds no parallel in any other University, either in America or
abroad"—draws the Near East still nearer to the West. It is
in the East that the origins of the civilization we have inherited
are for the most part hidden; and the Oriental Institute under
Western skies seeks now to help man in a literal sense to "orient"
himself—to get his bearings and see in true perspective the history
of the human race. Especially is it to help bridge the gap between
the savage of the paleontologist and the historian's story of the
people who emerge in Europe as "civilized" beings.
Dr. James H. Breasted, with his general headquarters in this
building, has an army of diggers not alone with spades but also
with modern excavating enginery, directed by an archaeological staff,
on a 3,000-mile front, stretching frpm Luxor in Egypt northward
past Sinai, through Palestine and Syria to the uplands of Anatolia,
eastward and southward across Mesopotamia to Persepolis in Persia.
Many other groups are making independent research, but for the
first time a single organization is able to "control and correlate" research and excavation throughout the leading early civilization in a
"single composite construction" of the pre-European course of human life, when for thousands of years man was advancing along a
front as wide as the United States.
Of special significance is the evidence that in this period man
in Egypt began "to hear remote voices that proclaimed the utter
futility of material conquest." It was then that "conscience and
character broke upon the world." The coffin lids of Egyptians five
hundred years after the Pyramid age and millennials B. C. revealed
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
Ldshelfen" "^
bey nd
°
** ***"*** of food and drink
In the spacious walls of the Oriental Institute the East walks
again „ its beauty and majesty, but with sobering if hot fHghtontS
rssa past srv*? r ?
every bject
° ~ssni
were mmona
Y!
^ °J *?&**** that dreamed they
I^llM" , k
• ^/^ earthen fact is touched by the spirit of
n deaf T * ^ * ^ °n aS a ^mbo1 of druggie towa^
an ideal. The great winged bull that looks with steady eazeTto
mlTLWOdd "^ ^ bUt aU ear1^ d
oi human ni|ht-th
aPPeanng ab Ve the WmgS the stre
Sstin/th
, u°
'
"gth ^ the bull sug
Strden. ^ °f ^ ""** ** ^ *** «« P^ of beasl
it k iVCn-if thCSe rdiCS °f ' dead past cause disquiet in these days
~TrZ t ^Th^"'- Wkh Mn Fosdi^ peaking m th£
5S SaHf hi» the.a»?n«uW Peril that develops the human
spirit that ,t has, been ,n times of instability and not in hours nf
£llife'o? m^ grT,teSt C°ntributi0- "-been made to the cul
presLSav nhT' k ' *? ^ tdls US' b the words of a great
OMAR KHAYYAM-HIS GRAVE AND SHIRAZ WINE.
A RECENT press dispatch from Teheran announces that the
Persian government had decided to raise a tomb over the grave
of her great national poet Omar Khayyam, of Rubaiyat fame
whose remains reposed for nearly eight centuries at aXtance of
about four miles from Nishapur, where he was born almost un
marked and ,n a deplorable state of neglect. This tore7of the"
Persians in their famous poet is comparatively ^^SSd^fe
through the greater interest displayed in him by hi Western ad
SatilofTr0
aPP
rr -hiS P^^-P^y through the master^
Z I
L Fitzgerald. It ,s a well known fact that the Tentmaker, although famous as a mathematician and astronomer did
not enjoy among his countrymen the reputation of Hafiz aTd Sa'di
as a poet. Actually it was Fitzgerald who established Omar'
ThlS ]S
the
SetSnltor^r^ °onnethe
°f original,
""*practicallv
-^ants create,
wTi
the translator, by his improvement
a luminous and glamorous spirit out of wta^JS£~£3T
This does not preclude the other fact that in most caL the transla-
�'DECEMBER, 1931
/
25
tion never comes up to the standard of the original.
In commenting on the proposed action of the Persian government, the New York Sun quotes Professor A. V. Williams Jackson
of the department of Indo-Iranian languages of Columbia University, as describing Omar's tomb as "a simple case of bricks and
cement. Vandal scribblers, found in Persia as in every other land,
have desecrated it by scratching their names and making random
scrawls. A stick of wood, a stone and some fragments of shards
profaned the top of the sarcophagus at the time we saw it. There
was nothing else**** There were no evidences of the roses which
Omar had wished might mark his burial place, neither was there
fulfillment of his prediction that roses would fall in showers upon
his grave**** We wished for a taste from that jug of wine made
famous by Omar's line. Our messenger returned after a search
round the town, only to bring a vile specimen of Russian vodka."
This condition finds its counterpart in the grave of the other
Eastern poet Abul'Ula whose English translator is our own Syrian
poet Ameen Rihani. The philosophy of the Syrian poet transcends
that of the Persian. He is styled by some of his admirers as the
Oriental Dante. He antedates both Dante and Omar, and even has
a work on an imaginary visit to the nether regions, Risalat al Ghufran, much similar to Dante's Inferno. He also gave expression
to much of Omar's later philosophical tenets, but he did not sing of
wine and women and roses in such manner as to appeal to the popular fancy.
Why these and other Oriental poets are more honored abroad
than at home provokes thought. They live and die in want, although their songs are on the lips of city dwellers and desert
travelers. They give out of the overflowing of their hearts and
do not invoke copyright laws. Just how much Western poets are
subject to the same lot would bear discussion. But we do not wish
to trespass on the Poetry Department.
The remark of Professor Jackson on Persian wine is equally
interesting. For vile vodka to supplant the fine Persian wine is
tragic. Especially that one of the finest brands of European wine
owes its fame and popularity to Persian origin. This is on the
authority of the late Khalil Bey Aswad, a Syrian scholar who died
a few years ago in New York and had resided for a considerable
time in Persia. Cherry wine, he explained, is not a concoction of the
cherry fruit, but was so named after a certain method of brewing.
Originally it was known as "cherries wine," which is a corruption of
the original name of Shiraz wine, the similarity of sound being ob-
>
�26
THE SYRIAN WORLD
wi
t°nL ShJnZ 7*- in °ther WOrds "Persi
"e," was famous
m olden times for its superior quality, and when h* Portw^
first began to trade with Persia they discovered these virtuf of
Sh.raz wine, "which flows in the veins like liquid fire" TheV im
underwent ttie
tet^ZT
^^ * *
unuerwent
process of corruption.
^^
namc which
^*
PROMOTING RELIGIOUS UNDERSTANDS
JHlF AMERICAN HEBREW, Jewish national ^ , is
per
'
I
between
3
'JT^
^ fo8terin
* better
ng
between Ch'ri
Christian
and
Jew in America
and has
given "nde^id
a gold medaf
to be awarded each year to the "outstanding cSributoTto TntrT
religious comity and understanding." The movement w!
The very tact that such a movement has been «fJ,^
J
meeting with the approval of leading m n m„ ,g cLr fanTand
Jews indicates the existence of an amount of ill-wifl and mfsundTr
^andmg that is bound to be harmful if allowed to go u"he ked"
check k{s
.he eEf/tT:::? ?
0
ry
* ****** ^ =5
m t,ga,e
Lan Hebrew sS :S"o°do '° '
"' ThiS " Wh« tfe A «
The gratifying feature of the movement is that \t « k :
done with a method. People of the West work along^e piLs and
their efforts are consequently rewarded with success W "f the
East conceive of brilliant ideas and act on them Siv i response
to sudden impulses, and fail to achieve lasting result's The ex
ample of the West should carry a lesson.
" "*"
the n.T thC pr°mulgation of the Ottoman Constitution in iyU
1908
the people went into transports of iov and Ch ,'
° .
°
Moslem Sheikhs were known to hav^em^c5ouS]f^ "
structure ot the btate. Representation n Lebanon also is deter
ter
mmed along religious lines.
"
.
ft
�DECEMBER, 1931
BAHIA AL-MUSHEER,
27
Editor
THE DIETETIC VALUE OF SYRIAN FOOD
Y^ERY often we hear Syrian parents remark (and some complain)
that their children have lost their taste for Syrian dishes and
speculate about the cause, advancing theories for it, sometimes
rational and sometimes otherwise. That a large percentage of our
children partake of Syrian dishes under protest is, I regret to say, a
fact. It makes it hard for the old folks because they enjoy the
dishes on which they were brought up, and they consider it an unnecessary sacrifice on their part to submit to the whims of their offsprings. To him who appreciates the value of diet, this attitude of
our young generation should be a cause of great concern. I say this
because of my conviction, which is based on study, that our dishes in
their dietary values and in their flavor, are second to none. Here
I want to take exception to the statement often voiced by some to
the effect that Syrian dishes are, as they put it, "heavy", meaning of
course that one's stomach feels overloaded after finishing with a
meal. As a matter of fact, it is not that the dish in itself is "heavy"
but that the portion of it with which they load their stomachs is excessive. I will admit one point, however, and that is this: By faulty
preparation, one will make any dish "heavy" and indigestible. For
instance, what can be worse than "Dawood Basha" served with a
half inch of fat floating on the surface of its gravy, and the rice
swimming in butter? So when I say faulty preparation I mean the
Jack of judgment in the balancing of the ingredients, and the
failure in cooking or rather curing of them. Then there is the
question of the combination of dishes. In this we often make
grave mistakes, especially when we have guests and are afraid lest
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
m olden times for its superior quality, and when the Portuguese
first began to trade with Persia the/ discovered these vTrufTTi
Shiraz wine, "which flows in the veins like liquid hre.» The im
gm
undent
T'corruption.
^ " itS °ngmal
underwent thet
the process of
1
name which
» *«
PROMOTING RELIGIOUS UNDERSTAND!MrMERIC AN HEBREW
TTe fn
f
' ^^o^^,
is
f r foSt
b
bet^L^SS^
^rr^l
°
.
-^
^ter underLnding
oetween Lhristian and Jew ,n America and has given a eold medal
to be awarded each year to the "outstanding contnbutor to mtra
religious comity and understanding."
The movement w,
fc
PiiritYv} iV. loin
J r
i
iuu\ement was inau-
Ihe very fact that such a movement has been «t*r^
J
izi
I eeffoi ^h';:;^ ?checkm * isgateby rec°»"
"g £££*£
TWS is Wh
the Am
ica!, Hebrew S«°OU "OT' " '"
"
"
"
The gratifying feature of the movement is rhit ;. ;. u„done w,th a method. People of the West wlT
f
their efforts are conseque^tlyfetrf d Uh sutsf "^rfthe
East co„ce,ve of brilliant ,deaS and act on them h dy in respo.se
Moslem Sheikhs were bi, to tl^S^SS^t^
n the course of popular demonstrations. This seems to have h" n
but a momentary flare which soon died out. wS, the firs,exdte
structure oi the bta^e. Representation n Lebanon also lb
is defer
deter
mined along religious lines.
"
�DECEMBER, 1931
BAHIA AL-MUSHEER,
27
Editor
THE DIETETIC VALUE OF SYRIAN FOOD
y/ERY often we hear Syrian parents remark (and some complain)
that their children have lost their taste for Syrian dishes and
speculate about the cause, advancing theories for it, sometimes
rational and sometimes otherwise. That a large percentage of our
children partake of Syrian dishes under protest is, I regret to say, a
fact. It makes it hard for the old folks because they enjoy the
dishes on which they were brought up, and they consider it an unnecessary sacrifice on their part to submit to the whims of their offsprings. To him who appreciates the value of diet, this attitude of
our young generation should be a cause of great concern. I say this
because of my conviction, which is based on study, that our dishes in
their dietary values and in their flavor, are second to none. Here
I want to take exception to the statement often voiced by some to
the effect that Syrian dishes are, as they put it, "heavy", meaning of
course that one's stomach feels overloaded after finishing with a
meal. As a matter of fact, it is not that the dish in itself is "heavy"
but that the portion of it with which they load their stomachs is excessive. I will admit one point, however, and that is this: By faulty
preparation, one will make any dish "heavy" and indigestible. For
instance, what can be worse than "Dawood Basha" served with a
half inch of fat floating on the surface of its gravy, and the rice
swimming in butter? So when I say faulty preparation I mean the
lack of judgment in the balancing of the ingredients, and the
failure in cooking or rather curing of them. Then there is the
question of the combination of dishes. In this we often make
grave mistakes, especially when we have guests and are afraid lest
�28
THE SYRIAN WORLD
1 Let
Set !" Ir^tfrf :;
h
r **« - * ^
of New England bXTdiJ.
«""H <=Tf at to a meal composed
and pie; We a e servil A
' JT hAed beans> roast beef
manner'they are ser-edf,, A"1"' " ^ * °Ur ,abJe in "><= -e
our guests and "ur ^ "^K? °T' * ,he °*»—« of
ment when we serve our native" dthes"°
* "' "* ""* J"^
I
dishes ^f nltrVVtU" and"" "'" ? ^ aS in fla
«
our forbears, by ns<meteSertce „ "^S" 'SS"e' ' hi"ted that
made us heirs to ,^3
exped,e„ency,or all of these,
feeding. TS statemet may stank Sot am0ng
°f '^
^ "» °*
us who are
ogetic about their race n nd „!
.
*Poling good coming ~ tf ^S^ETS^ £» &
starting po,„t and our younger eenerari
j u
°k to the
wards our native food I seeln rh, 7 i •"" the'r att,tudes t0"
a
down upon what is our own r
A
'°" °" ,he mV w J°ok
telligenf reflectionas!£
H * % ^^ a Study « *say that one shou d be bli, dlv J , "0t mea".f°r one mome'« *>
and his own ways and ta^hlv"' **?"* °^ °f himsdf
s
somewhat like this- "Fat what J
* ^T6 '" Arabic that
others." I should'modi^th fer^'v '
2* pk^
a
* simple as possible^ ft££5 SSfe* »
A MENU FOR AMERICAN GUESTS
I
they have m^J^iS^^T °^
°f °U![ kdish-> -d
01
were good for them I Xit IhTi
' J" ^^
w they
f the
al
a great deal of thought n ordt J makV > SImple
$"?**alatable
°
healthful. Perusal of the mCnU
mlnn ddleS not lve
' P
and
it is a fact.
°
S
^at impression, but
Supposing I should give a sample:—
I
�DECEMBER, 1931
29
Lamb broth with small meat balls, garnished with minced
parsley, and lemon juice.
Mushroom, or Okra, or String Bean Stew with side of rice
Broiled Kibbi
Vegetable salad, lemon juice and oil dressing.
Fruits in season.
15
PROPER ROASTING
JN ROASTING chicken or turkey, let me suggest placing the bird
in the roasting-pan first on one side, then on the other. When
two-thirds done, lay at breast up. This will brown it evenly and
prevent the breast meat and drumsticks from over-cooking and becoming too dry.
HOW LADIES COULD USE IDLE HOURS
i
I
\^/HAT are our young ladies and matrons who have time to spare
doing with it? Time was when they used to pride themselves
on the articles they used to make for their own personal use or for
their future or present homes. I realize that knitting, tatting and
embroidering are passe, still there is something not only beautiful
and useful when it is done, but is fascinating in the making, and
like a fine oriental rug, increases in value as the days go by Moreover it is very fashionable. I refer to needle point Patterns could
be bought with the required yarn for them. I recommend the renaissance design. Some of them have petit-point centers already
worked out and the finished pieces for a chair or cushion have nothing to be desired insofar as artistic effect and richness and durability are concerned. By the way, I read somewhere that there are
2,850 stitches to the square inch in the petit-point work.
But don't be frightened, this comes already worked out in the
pattern and all you have to do is to fill out the needle point part
of it.
*
The best part of it is that you can work on it while listening
to the radio.
°
�r
THE SYRIAN WORLD
30
A Party for Aneesa
A SHORT STORY
By
EDNA
K.
SALOOMEY
"THE SUN snuggled a bit in the misty horizon and then, as though
resigned to December bleakness, it flung its rays through the
morning haze, directly into the windows of the Faris kitchen.
Mariam, wife of Khalil Antoun Faris, was unaware of the
wonderful panorma without, so busy was she preparing Khalil's
breakfast. She hustled from the pantry to the stove, from the
stove to the table.
For twenty years she had been rising early for this daily task.
She would no more have dreamed of remaining asleep and letting
Khalil get his breakfast as best he could, than she would have
thought of being separated from him except by death. This task
was done not from a sense of duty; it was to her a ritual.
In her pink, cotton dress, with her curly black hair, which was
streaked with gray, and her rosy, fair complexion, she was indeed
a delectable housewife. Her black fringed, dark brown eyes had
a very naive, kindly expression which belied all her efforts to appear
as the ultra-modern wife of Khalil Antoun Faris, the successful
merchant. The only streak of vanity she had, was her pride in
having acquired enough knowledge of English to read newspapers.
Her reading was confined mostly to the social page.
Mariam was setting the table for two. Aneesa, a girl of
eighteen and the only child, never arose in time to breakfast with
her parents. By virtue of having completed her high school course
shortly before, which was a rare achievement in the eyes of her
parents, Aneesa was privileged to sleep late.
The glowing coals in the grate made the kitchen pleasantly
warm. On top of the stove, the coffee bubbled tempestuously in
the percolator. To one side was a frying-pan in which eggs were
sizzling in elive oil. On the table was a dish of fat, juicy olives
which had ripened in some Syrian grove; a dish of laban, and one
of dates stewed in sugar. There were small, flat disks of Syrian
bread, baked especially for Khalil. Mariam did not like to see him
"»
i\
�"DECEMBER, 1931
'.
I
I
31
making cartwheel of slices of American bread, which he did by removing the inner part and eating the crust.
When Khalil entered the kitchen, he found his wife placing
the frying-pan of eggs on a hot-pad in the middle of the table. He
greeted her perfunctorily and she answered him in the same vein.
Their love needed no verbal reiterations or effusive greetings.
"How do you feel this morning? Is your cold better?" she
asked solicitously.
"I'm much better. I didn't cough very much during the
night. This looks like a cold day. I expect we'll sell some blankets and oil stoves today. Are you coming down to the store?"
Khalil had a department store and always thought of the
weather in terms of his business.
"Yes. Aneesa needs a new hat, and she and I are going down
town together. I think I'll select a party dress for her at the same
time."
"Party dress? What, does she need another one already?"
Manam did not answer his question. Quite frequently since
he married her, she had surprised him with some new idea; and
this time, she took a round about way to do it.
"I was reading last night about the big partv the Morgans
gave for their daughter, and I think we ought to give a party for
Aneesa," she said.
"What, are you comparing us with J. P. Morgan?"
"No, no. Habeebi, do you think I've lost my mind? I mean
the Morgan family that owns the big laundrv in town. You've '
seen their ads, haven't you?"
_ "Certainly, I have; but I don't know all about their family
affairs."
"Well," she said eagerly trying to arouse his interest, "they
have a daughter the same age as Aneesa, and they had a wonderful dance for her last night at the hotel."
"If they sneeze, do we have to sneeze too?" He was not impressed by the information, nor convinced of the necessity of having a party for Aneesa.
"Every night I read in the papers about this family and that
having parties for their daughters. Why, do you suppose, they
have these affair*? Well, just ^o that their daughters ran meet the
nice kind of people. How do you expect Aneesa to meet anybody,
if she doesn't have a chance?"
"If that's the case," he answered, "what more do we want?
DonV. we have a lot of company? Weren't the Doumits here last
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
night, and wasn't the family nf R„u
and weren't Father Daher and ,1 ^J- i Tbn« us on Tuesday,
people come to cur house ''
^ ^ h$t Week! M V
II
frie„dsD° T
vZk^T !° ""* ''< ^ m«ts «* Y
d Mr Ab
bond's broeherh „ i; fotnseveenmeTre *??"
"
"
her t0 meet more
young people, and you know fh" /
JT
house, she can't become ,
!» We don < lnvite them to the
instan'ce, Peter Mansour" '"^ W'th them d*«*^- For
ft
TO
to
to vigour ^me^l'Stw » IT '"
^ "'duce him
enough for him wltolTvin7a X-^ °» ^ —
(
Wm
too obvi uTwav' "ifwe^ave """ 7' hI "S,
° "'"* w
» - «*
W,il see h
how pretty Aneesa is I,
I ^7' f
e live, and
Pretend„. we're
ha", J*
/ Vu^
"' *rfolks
^" dress' We'll
,
.f; aa trtv
Party lor
the young
I1
R
wished «o8have her'wifn us'a h7 1 " »' * f *»
when we have to do the courting »
" tlmesth«e are,
Ws
and
tor
needed!
^t^
^
^
«-«*
was necessary XllS' to obtan, his approval, which
asked for his approval if e
fnakm
fu-'"8 °' m°ney' She always
"We would,V I, T
""
S y expensive plan
the C
in
Sht
Si
"We h v;I « 2 ±S?! , T f'"
' "" P- ^"tly.
Why shou,d
different fron other people J^ ^^
We could have sucn ffc^S^ ** **
3 P raSan eVMin
25?FS
tdT I '
;
^ >*
Child
?
«" -W-W to him.
termed, he w'Lsplbl 0
^ he nThl'""' *
.T* * mi?ht b=
a d he
hospitalitywathtvpicalSvrh ! t T
^ "
dispensed his
a
S
He
than hava'ng a h, useful 0wl f'r - u fJ^ nothing more
perfect evening for na SSu off 'fF
'? "T ^^ A
feW fr,ends
dred or pinochle.
"
Paying two hum
So, as he arose from thp tiU]„ „„A
We
eoat, he said hurriedly "IV 1 '
'" t0 PUt on his hat and
P r per
Mariam, we're not worry ill
?'"'" f , ° - B"t, remember,
and all Peter Mansour's Ze
" ""t^ f°r 0Ur *««**
his family in ^Z^Zy
,"0'^ to ""• Wh« ~
to- "7Z^^m7£l^^^"^
'
>
wiJJ become worse."
ULir colcl
^^^^^^
-
-
'
•
i n
�DECEMBER, 1931
n
Mariam had obtained official approval of her plan. She bemmenT i^Y engrOSS'd 'm ^ranging the party as any socially proWJth the aid
mar
e for
^T*A
"^ ^
**""*»*
retaries
her daughter's
debut **'
at the
Waldorf-Astoria °* secAnd, after giving his approval, Mr. Paris completely forgot
X*e e,nt'rI matt5r' u»tiJ °
^ning, three weeks later, his
Hire reminded him of it.
^ordered a turkey for tomorrow night," she informed him.
J,, Cyr , loU r^°,ng to give us turkey for Christmas dinnpi,
nei * It s six days to Christmas."
"No, no. I ordered it for the party."
"Party? What party?"
''What? Have you fogotten that we're having a partyy tomorrow night for Aneesa?"
'-Would you believe it, I forgot all about it? Who and who
is coming: '
rfrf, ' oathec Pah"r' ?T/
Ph in
ATK
1 M
^ ' iT-
Mansour
> *** Khouri, the Milhim
Cr Sim0U and Nazira D Umit
r '
°
> and
Ihilip Abboud and his wife Helany. I asked Simon and Philip
especially for your sake so that you would have company when the
yoi-ng people dance. Father Uaher will have to leave early because he promised to see some people to-morrow evening " ' '
Are you prepared for such a large group? Shall I order
anything today:"
"Nothing is needed," his wife assured him. "Shall we hive
arak or imbeed?"
"Have both, and I've got something that Simon likes. What
are you going to have for the supper, turkey?"
His wife put his fears to rest regarding the pkntifulness of
food .he named six dishes, any one of which would have sufficed
tor the mam course.
He was satisfied with everything, until she said, "Khali!
take yorr tuxedo to the tailor today for a pressing "
^Tuxedo? What for? I'm not going to a banquet."
1 his is a formal party, and you should wear your tuxedo "
Suppose Simon and Philip come and- find me wearing a
tuxedo, when they surely won't wear one."
"Is this their party? You're the owner of this house, and
you re the one to wear a tuxedo tomorrow night. Peter Mansour
will wear one, I'm sure."
"Well," he drawled, "from now till tomorrow night
I'll
6
think about it."
'
�*"***•
34
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Mariam Fans had won her point again
UherVrU anticiPa,ted the Party wit" more pleasure than Aneesa.
It her mother was planning it especially that Peter Mansour might
open his eyes to Aneesa's charms, she was as ignorant of that plan
as nt was. Her joy was inspired by the anticipation of seeing Paul
Mumer whom she liked better than any boy she had evef met
She really loved him, which fact she would not have discussed eTe
ment wT° " 2? ^ ^ *"** j" loVe ^ one's engage
Z Ihter "n!10UnCfd- A"d Aneesa, being the typical, obedient
yP , C nSer VatlVe Parents l0Ved Paul from
Shes,whim
•
r K °on the
"far.
L street when ' passing with her mother
SAe saw h.m ,n church,
ind aiin '
T um at ChUrch S0daIs' hdd °»ce « winter
S Cials Paul alwaVS asked A
d cat h HSPnnWh,C
^- u^ th£Se
°
'
'^sa to
for n *rih
'
V?lS Possible as the dance was being held
to, a worthy cause, and he never danced with any one else
as sh< w-TT " C? u1 ab<i)Ut concealil^ hi* own affections for her
as she was her's for him because he wished to be certain that the
tUal
rC makmg PUWk th£ faCt he J
AsTLTn r
"d ° n
t,ng an inkli
from her
ca
of letting
11
T^
' ' take
*? its own course.
'^
caste of
the matter
oved her!
& was
Paul > was
wisea
n that rs F s was not
de
u"g7t:i
r
^
^
^^
of for a
salary
nhim fo, a son-in-law. HeHwas
wasearning
em edgoodly
at --
:; nd° rr^r- /
a
^ » £2^
too Seated on the outskirts of the town, and his only claim to
Wledge
P,a 1CS Which he had
"
H°
^/^a
of
l „I was
'" entrusted
; WaS rto81^
01 airplanes
him.
Bete/fenSS WaV10t intCrefed in
home Seated
TTf ^^
he JuS"" rt
' '
'~ £
>kiIlt>d aviator and the testing
PauJ
'* Prowess as she was in
°
P-ssive
h ldingS and his im
nCarJy thirt
>'^evc'b which to Aneesa implied that
His^ financial rise had made him a bit conceited and perhaps justifiably so, as he had earned his success by the dint of his own hrewd
ness and tireless efforts. He was much sought after by d signmg
and thc
the Catered
"a ^ et
r't^r
IT*
"^
««
"
°
d 1 I
l
f"^ He respected the Farises
Sh,e
from
a great deal, knowing that to Khalil Faris character and breeding
SUSpectin f r
e
M"
Tl?
« ° °»the
~S32
M.s. FarTwh
Fans, who "
was"""^
so Proud,
had even entertained
thought of
^B*"**mBJBBnHHHBHisF
�DECEMBER, 1931
35
his marrying Aneesa; so discreet had she been in her planning.
The night of nights arrived. Mariam Fans was too excited at
the prospect of having so many guests and by her efforts to carry
our her plans to perfection. She worked unceasingly from dawn
sweeping and dusting, washing the best china dinner set, laving out
her best linen cloth and napkins. She had cooked the entire meal
herself. Aneesa had shopped for fruits and had arranged the
flowers in the living room and dining room.
When Khalil returned from his store that night, he found
Mariam wearing a black velvet dress; her hair lovelier than ever;
her face rosy with excitement, and her eyes sparkling with the
thought of gaining many social laurels for the evening.
She scarcely said hello to him, she, was so anxious to have him
dress quickly.
"Yallah," she urged him, "everything is ready for vou
I
.pressed your tuxedo myself yesterday, and you'll find it on the bed
I our socks and tie are on the dresser. I purposely dressed early so
that we wouldn't get in each other's way."
"All right," was all he said. He knew that the occasion demanded acquiesence because Mariam was too intently thinking about
other things to listen to anything he might say. He didn't like to
rush, he preferred to contemplate everything slowly and to talk
matters over with her. But as they had no way of knowing how
soon the guests would arrive, it was necessary to be ready in time
to greet the first arrival.
By seven-thirty, every one would have come, except, perhaps,
the Doumits. Mrs. Doumit was a bit like Mariam in her desire to do
everything according to etiquette. She always insisted on her husband's delaying their arrival at any affair, because she was certain
that an early arrival was an indication of lack jf etiquette. The
more attention she gave to etiquette, the less she knew about it.
This evening Mariam was hoping and praving that the Doumits
would not be too long arriving, lest the food spoil from overcooking.
Scarcely had Khalil finished adjusting his tie, when the door
bell rang. Aneesa paused to greet her father, and was going down
to open the door when Mariam stopped her.
"Aneesa, you don't need to open the door. Let Flora open if
that's what I hired her for."
This was the first time that Khalil knew that his wife had
hired a maid for the evening. The thought of Mariam's piling
up so many expenses, all for a party, depressed him a little. His
�mm
36
?
THE SYRIAN WORLD
regrets were compensated, however, by the sight of Mariam looking so charming in her black velvet dress with its dainty lace yoke
andi sleeves; and his heart filled with pride because Aneesa was so
lovely m her white tulle dress with its rose sash.
lhe bell rang again.. Mariam was provoked. «I knew that
VC bC a hdp She thinks Pm
wwash
T dishes
dT r
I ^ P^g her J«st to
tonight. Aneesa, open the door, while I speak to
The guests were certainly convinced of Mariam's culinary
skill that evening. The dinner was excellent; it was a meal for
the imbeed
(wine
and the
lu^Zl- uil r?^ ^
^
"something
else which khalil brought out inspired much speech making. Father Daher spoke eloquently of the host. Mr. Doumit attempted
a lengthy toast in his best classical Arabic, and Philip Abboud was
content to say a brief wish for the health and happiness of all.
Manam was highly elated. The party was proving a huge
success. She was wondering just how to arrange for the rest of
the evening, after everyone had finished eating. Of course, Aneesa
must play a few piano selections.
The guests gathered in the living room. The men sat in a
group near Father Daher, and were soon engrossed in a political
discussion. The young people commenced to feel restless. The girls
talked together and the young men listened dutifully to Father
aher. U hen father Daher arose to leave, every one arose to bid
him good-night.
evn, fWhik unm 7S listening to Father Daher's appreciative
expressions, Khali] took matters into his. own hands.
tUrnmg to
1
ui'" hWill
x^SMdyou
play
pinochle.
playf"
to pkC>e>rtainJy'" ^^
b th
°
Phili
agreed
'
P
and Simon
"We
Want a fourth
"Do you know how to play pinochle, Paul?"
he arranged the bridge table.
2juh * d'd- ^Ut' 1
y U WOn,t be
Peter?"
°
donh kn0w the ki
a hel
P
then
-
Doumit, "Let's
Person
Khalil asked, as
"g from the jack."
about you, Mister
How
wurtalniy'-Mn Faris" VU be glad to Play with you."
\\ hen Manam re-entered the room, after seeing Father Daher
off, she found her husband and his three friends seated around
the table, intent on bidding. She was angry at Khalil for having
suggested the card game,.which she was certain from past experience
he had done. This was. not her idea. If. Peter Mansour spent the
j)
�'DECEMBER, 1931
57
evening playing pinochle what was the good of having this party?
She spoke to Mrs. Doumit and to Mrs. Abboud. The vbung
SoLT ****** kughing,. seated in a circle neaV thf
VKtrola Aneesa was sitting next to Paul, which didn't relieve her
mother's consternation.
Mariam thought of calling Khalil out on a pretext. She went
into the kitchen, and called to Aneesa, asking her to te 1 Kha
that he was wanted. -Aneesa went to her father
"Papa mother wishes to see you for a minute."
But Khalil had an excellent hand and he wanted to score as
^ri^er
erj Philip Abboud
>
TO
i
^ ^* i-s?5
"See what your mother wants, Aneesa. Tell her I'll be
through in a few minutes. Let's see what we can do, partner." He
became oblivious of everything but his game.
Aneesa told her mother that Khalil would come in later
Kh,l^ai]r WaS PrOV(*ecL What was the use of trying to call
Khalil s attention to anything, now that he had started. ' She Jjoined
her friends, Nazira and Helany.
The guests had divided into three groups: the ladies were
grouped by themselves, Khalil and the older men, including Pe
Mansour, were busily playing pinochle, and the younger people
were dancing. Paul Munier was having the best time of a^ he
was dancing to his heart's content with Aneesa
'
ty
Sa
1
one assured
Paris that
tlatesuch
,renjoyable
Ti^
^^
Mariam
*ans
such an
time ^
was had
only rarely. Khalil
felt
grateful inwardly; it had been so pleasant to have had a house fu 1
tS and
feClmg
piilinehhad
H won ^
-Philip
the^
game.
eSpedalJ
^
Cheerful be
--e"e fa,d
her se^tTm^rlf ^^
\^
•* W°uld be P6^ to mention
SC
hlS haVmg draWn Peter
a Ld T
' T r Jf
Mansour into
a card game; and she did not wish Aneesa to know that she had
deliberately planned the evening in order to have Pete- become
better acquainted with them.
income
%
Aneefa^hed Tan^ R^S ^"t "f
5'
"Yes" and W was about ^t^^^^
conversation, which lasted only three minutes or so
"Who was that?" her mother asked, curious to know who
could be calling them after midnight.
"Paul Munier. He called up to say goodnight."
�18
THE SYRIAN WORLD
"What's that?" her father questioned. "He was just here
saying goodnight.
"Well," she answered evasively, "he wanted to call me up to
say it again."
"He certainly must have rushed home," Mariam said.
"He wants to come over tomorrow night," Aneesa announced
shyly. "He wants to speak to you, papa, and to mama. He asked
me if I would like to have him speak to you, and I didn't say no;
I didn't say anything."
"What's this? What's this?" Khalil asked.
"Why, he wants to marry Aneesa and he will come over to get
our approval," Mariam replied, impatiently and resentfully. She
was blaming this turn of affairs on Khalil's card party, which had
thrown Paul and Aneesa together and deprived Peter Mansour of
an opportunity to observe Aneesa's charm. She was tired by the
thought of having done so much in vain.
"We'll discuss the matter tomorrow," she told Aneesa. "It's
very late, we should go to bed. I have to be up early to get your
father's breakfast."
"I'll get up early tomorrow, mama. You stay in bed," Aneesa
urged her. She felt that she would want to be up early, there was
so much to look forward to; and she knew how tired her mother
must be. .
"Don't you believe it," her mother answered firmly. "When
I have a fever of 102, I'll stay in bed. You go up to bed now, else
you will be too tired tomorrow to help me with the work that
needs to be done."
"Good night, papa. • Good night, mama," Aneesa said, kissing
them.
"Good night Aneesa. By the way, what time is Paul coming
over tomorrow night?"
"He didn't say, papa. But he told me to tell you that he will
learn to play pinochle and that at present all he knows is a queen
when he sees one. He means me, papa."
�39
.BER, 1931
VECF
100K REVIEWS
JANei
A BOOK OF SENTIMENT AND FACT ON A GREAT
SYRIAN POET
A Study of Kahlil Gibran, by Barbara Young. Privately
printed First Edition limited to 250 copies numbered and autographed by the author. The Gibran Studio, 5 1 West 10th Street,
New York. $2.50.
In this handsomely printed brochure on her friend Kahlil
Gibran, Barbara Young writes not as a dry biographer citing facts
in chronological order, but as a poet who records her impressions of
the great epic poem that was Gibran's life. Dexterously she outlines his racial background, giving a glimpse of the rustic surroundings, almost feudal conditions in which he was born and reared,
but does so subtly, almost unconsciously alluding to the facts only
as details in the broad scheme depicting the many-sided genius of
Gibran. And of the intimate details of his earlier and later life she
has copious knowledge, gained through her long friendship and literary association with this gifted son of Lebanon who has won by his
innate goodness of character and consummate perfection of his art,
both of pen and brush, the love and admiration of so many kindred
spirits among the children of the West. Even to us, his own countrymen, some of the details weaved into the mosaic of the account
came as a revelation of the author's vast store of accurate and intimate knowledge. It is apparent that only Gibran himself could
have supplied the information, in reminiscent moments when the
two friends discussed their earlier lives and later aspirations. And
this Miss Young now uses so well in producing this "Study of
Kahlil Gibran," which is as much a fitting tribute to his greatness
as a monument to her own great devotion.
1
PHHHBnHHnnRMHpnn
�40
THE SYRIAN WORLD
KAHLIL OIBRAN
Photographed in his studio by Mrs. Pliny Fisk a few
weeks before his death. From "A Study of Kahlil Gibran."
�DECEMBER, 1931
41
The, illustrations in the booklet, some consisting of hitherto
unpublished photographs of Gibran, and to which only Miss Young
seems to have access, span the whole life of the poet-artist from
his early youth to his closing days. A facsimile of an original manuscript and a pen-and-ink sketch by Gibran done in his student days
in Paris add considerably to the value of the work.
It is evident that Miss Young does not intend her present
work to be a complete biography. It is an appreciative study, but
nevertheless factual and illuminating. It is most welcome as an
authentic, and so far the only literary treatise extant, on Gibran's
life. For this Miss Young can lay just claim to the gratitude of
Gibran's countrymen, who surely wish to assure her of it unstintingly. In years to come, it is their hope that she will accomplish
her announced task of making a fuller study of Gibran with a viewto a more complete biography.
RESURRECTING THE GLORY OF SYRIA
History of Palestine and Syria, by Prof. A. T. Olmstead, New
York, Charles Scribner's Sons. 644 pp. Illustrated. $7.50.
pHERE IS a group of men in the West whose devotion to the
cause of scientific research, backed by the wealth of organizations
and individuals who appreciate the importance of retrieving the
hitherto lost record of human progress, is bringing untold blessings
to human enlightenment. These men are practically recreating
history. They have resurrected the East and restored to it its
prestige as the cradle of the race and the birthplace of civilization.
In the words of Prof. James H. Breasted at the dedication of the
Oriental Institute, "It was in the Near Orient that man began to
hear remote voices that proclaimed the utter futility of material
conquest, and conscience and character broke upon the world."
Professor Olmstead is a co-worker with Professor Breasted
at the Oriental Institute. His latest book on the history of Palestine and Syria is a companion volume to his earlier History of Assyria and represents the summary of all historical records, whether
long known or of recent discovery, in Syria and the Near East from
the beginning of time to the Macedonian conquest. The work bespeaks the most exhaustive thoroughness and scholarly research.
As a book of reference it is invaluable, but it can also be highly
�42
THE SYRIAN WORLD
recommended as a readable book on general historical information.
The author has the happy faculty of creating "atmosphere", of
treating what would be generally considered dry, technical material in a manner readily understood and relished by the layman, although never swerving from his objective and incorporating in his
account all the scholarly information he means to convey. As
such it proves useful not only to the scholar but to the general
reading public. Those whose racial origin is rooted in Near Eastern
countries should be particularly interested in this work.
Porfessor OJmstead covers t\e whole range of the history of
the land and its people from all angles. He treats the physical,
political, social, ethnological and religious evolution in its various
stages. His account of the origin of Eastern mythology, the relation between the Syrian and Egyptian conception of a deity, and
how several forms of Eastern worship were borrowed from the
East by Western Europe will prove particularly illuminating. He
displays a keen sense of appreciation of some concepts in Syrian mythology whose poetical value modern rationalists spoil by matterof-fact interpretation.
The chapter on "Ships of Gebal", which is exceptionally interesting, is partly based on the author's personal survey of the
Syrian coast which once was the scene of the flourishing civilization
of which he writes. Of exceptional interest also is the fact he establishes that monotheism was known to Syrians and Egyptians
Jong before it was adopted by the Hebrews. So were "the races
which were to enter into the composition of the Hebrew people
established in Syria a millenium or more before the conquest of
the Promised Land. The very language in which our Old Testament is written was spoken by Canaanites and Phoenicians from
these same early days. Already Syria possessed a high culture,
mixed to be sure with foreign elements, but made its own; before
the Hebrew conquest, its civilization might be compared without
disparagement to that of the great empires."
The dedication is made to Professor James Henry Breasted,
Director of the Oriental Institute in the University of Chicago, and
the author's predecessor in the chair of Oriental History in the
University.
The book is profusely illustrated and has been given the utmost of typographical care by the publishers.
�'DECEMBER, 1931
43
SPANNING THE NATION'S HISTORY
The Book of American Presidents, by Esse V. Hathaway, New
York, Whittlesey House. Illustrated. 367 pp. $2.50.
JN THIS book of close to four-hundred pages, Miss Hathaway
not only gives a biography of the Presidents but records the history of the nation. She starts from the assumption that the Declaration of Independence required of the President only to do his
best to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United
Spates, and emphasizes the fact that in the choice of president there
was no question of family, fortune, education or past experience.
This she deduces to be proof positive of the unswerving faith of the
founders of the nation in American manhood.
It is along this line that the author reconstructs the lives and
achievements of American Presidents. She brings out in each the
quality for which he was most noted and gives to the chapter on
each president a title indicative of that quality. Thus Washington
is "Starting Right"; Thomas Jefferson is "Extending Boundaries"}
James Monroe is "On Guard"} Abraham Lincoln is "Welding"}
until the end of the list is reached with Harding, Coolidge and
Hoover "At the World's Cross-Roads".
Nothing but the author's deep-rooted love for her country and
her pride in the achievements of her nation and its heads could have
induced such painstaking research and study. And she has certainly
accomplished her task well. We wish to applaud the success of her
efforts especially because her Americanism is not of the narrow provincial sort. She has been a reader of THE SYRIAN WORLD and
often has expressed her approval of our method of approach to enlightened Americanism. We therefore feel confident that our
readers of young Syrian-Americans will derive great profit and
pleasure from her book.
The pen-and-ink illustrations of all the Presidents appearing
in the book are by Samuel Bernard Schaeffer. There are also facsimile reproductions cf all the Presidents' signatures.
i
mwaw
�" **,; Iin; y ' •"
'44
--
:
-
•
..
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Peace and Good Will, Plus Faith
By
THE EDITOR
^HE ECHO of the angels' glad tidings of peace and good-will
still reverberates among the hills of Judea and is heard
round the world: That distant voice of centuries continues to increase in volume and velocity as the message of Christianity is
carried to an increasing number of men with the passage of each
year. That message brings comfort because it reminds man of
his divine origin, his hope of redemption and his ultimate perfection.
No single event in human history bears as much significance as
the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, because no other single event has
wrought so much change in man's conception of his destiny.
The small land of Palestine, a geographical part of greater
Syria, owes its importance chiefly to the birth of a child in a manger
on a cold night in the little town of Bethlehem.
Three Magi kings were guided to that humble spot on the
night of the great event by a star; now the thoughts of hundreds
of millions of believers in the teaching of that child of Nazareth
and .Bethlehem are turned with love and devotion to the land of
the child's birth on his anniversary, their hearts throbbing with
ineffable joy and the echo of the message of the angels filling
their ears.
The commemoration of the great event has ever been a source
of joy and hope and spiritual solace. In the present crisis through
which the world is passing it should prove of greater significance
and effect. Men now need hope and courage as they never did before, and the spiritual fortitude which the Christmas season brings
forth should impart steadiness to wavering souls. The present
economic crisis is an aftermath of the World War's cataclysm, and
if the world was '? to emerge safely from the war crisis, so' will
it find the courage to weather the resulting economic crisis. Peace
and good-will and hope and courage are now sorely needed, and
the commemoration of the one who preached this doctrine should
inspire the believers in him to practice his teachings. Now of all
time, is the need to practically apply the Christian spirit to the needs
of civilization so that the work which had its birth in the little town
of a Syrian province nearly two thousand years ago, and which
Christendom the world over commemorates each year might be
carried on.
—_
r
�DECEMBER, 1931
45
NEW ELECTIONS ORDERED IN SYRIA FOLLOWING RETURN OF
HIGH COMMISSIONER—PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT DEPOSED
The Syrian problem at last appears to have entered the final stage
for a definite solution. With the return of High Commissioner Ponsot
to Beirut on November 15 and h"s
swift action in ordering new elec
tions in Syria, together with the apparent cordiality which character'zel
his conversations with the leaders o2
the Nationalist party who were in
frequent conferences with him, it b2comes ev'dert that some common
understanding has been reached fDr
composing the 7ong drawn out differences between the Syrians and France
on the poltical future of Syria. Ad
cLtional pre of of the High Commis
sicner's determinat'on to speedily end
the present uncertainty in the political situation may be deduced from
his having lost no time in depos'ng
the pre visional government of Sheikh
Tajeddin Al Hasani preparatory t:>
holding the new elections and assum
ing in person the conduct of government ad inter'm and supervision of
the elections.
M. Ponsot's arrival in Beirut was
attended by much ceremony despite
his having banned any form of os
tentatious disp'ay. Official delegations from a'l parts of Syr'a flocked
to Beirut to take part in the recaption, presumably at the bidding of
Sheikh Tajeddin, according to press
reports. There was a representative
delegation also of the Nat:onalist
party headed by its veteran leader
Hashim Bey Al-Atasi. The delegations were received by the High Commissioner at his private rrs'dence and
there was evident cordiality marking
his conversations with the Nat'onalists.
Only two days later the High
Commissioner proceeded to Damascus
and immediate"}' went into r Lngthy
conference with the head of the prov'sional government. Later the two
went together to the S iraya where
the High Commissioner announced to
the officials of the Syrian government his dec'sio: s on his future policy.
Following these moves three offi
cial communiques wjie itoiied ty the
High Commi3sion?r set.ing forth his
decis'ons as fellows:
Assumption by ;he High Commissioner of direct government in
Syria pending the daemons for the
Constituent Assembly wh\h ware set
for the middle of December. An executive secretary will r .> >r s ni the
High Commissitner in the conduct of
[roverrment. Most of the members of
the provisional cabinet were reta'ned
Appointment by the High Commissioner of an Advisory Counci1 to
supervise the elections with a % iew
to insuring their fairness and impartiality. All former heads of the
Syrian government since the beginning of the mandate are appo:nted to
membership in the council, including
Sheikh Tajeddin. The High Commis-
HIIHMPf
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
46
Chambers of Commerce or" Damasens
and Aleppo end several others.
The third communique deals with
ths coming clectic;:s and S3ts for.h the
ccrdhions under which ths primary
r,nd final elections are to bo hod in
the different districts an.l among the
various clisscs of the population.
This appears necessary in view cf tin
spes'al conditions of the population,
seme being nomad:; or semi nomads.
Ths HigAi Commissioner assumes the
right of exercising direct supervision
cf the elections in his ca;?aei y of
head of the government.
Although the Nationalists appear
to be on the friendliest terms with
the French authorities, no official declaration of their stand has yet boon
g-'ven. Cut immediately following the
announcement of the action taken by
the High Commissioner the leader of
•the Nationalists, Hashim Bey Al Atasi, issued a call to all d'strict leaders and former members of ths Ccnstituent Assembly to convene for a
party conference at Dsmascus to discuss their future policy. It is hinted
in Nat:onalist newspapers, hc-wever,
that tie Party will rssume an attitude of co-operatic n w'th the mandatory authorities and participate 5n tha
coming e^ctions since they have been
convinced that the High Commissioner has earnestly secured the maximum
terms for the Syrians, and that there
SHEIKH TAJEDDIN AL-HASANI
are some rights wh.'ch France in hsr
For three years Provisional Presi- role oi mandatory cannot relinquish.
dent of the State of Syria, who was
These new developments would
deposed by High Commisslonere Pon- seem to mark the beginnng of the
sot in November.
end of the Syrian prbolem. At least
;
sicner reserves the r ght to appoint they appear to pave the way for a
to membership all outstanding per- new approach to an understanding if
sonalities whose presence induces con- rot a permanent solution. If present
fidence. He has consequently ap- plans are carried out acccrding to
pointed several leaders of the Na- schedule, the new Constituent Astionalist party, '"neluding Al-Atasi, the s:mb"y should convene in the midJ'e
judge cf the Supreme Court of Da- of February to del'berate on ths new
mascus, the President of the National form of government to be adopted for
Syria.
University, the Presidents of the
»
�DECEMBER, 1931
With these developments agitation for a monarchy in Syr'a, or even
the creation of a dual monarchy to be
•composed of Syha and Iraq with
King Faisal on the throne, S3ems to
have subsided. The wish of the Syrian people was expressed in the first
Assembly which formulated a constitution and declared for a republic.
Now with the Nationalists maintaining their former strength which insures their control of the coming Assemby, their often expressed adherence to their republican principles
is expectd to be mainta:ned.
LEBANON OCCUPIED WITH
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
N. A. Mokarzel, New York Editor,
Proposed by Influential Group as
Logical Candidate.
The paramount occupation of the
Lebanese at present seems to center
on the ccming Presidents elections.
In this connection some unexpected
developments have taken place which
in some respects indicate the desperate stage of discontent among the
Lebanese w'th present methods of
adminstration
One (f the curiosities of the Lebanese Republic is that representation
in the Legislative Assembly is still
maintained by re'igious denonvnations
along the lines obtaining :n the form
er regime. And this despite the fact
that the structure of the government
is supposed to be republican. The
first President, however, was chceen
from among the minorities, presumably owing tc< the impossib:lity of agree
ment on a candidate of the majority.
President Dabbas has now had two
terms, and while Hwre are rumors of
the possib*'lity of his election for a
mam
47
third term, such a possibility seems
to be remote.
The Maronites, who cempose the
largest single group in the country,
pre now clliming the Presidency as
their right in accordance with the law
of majority representation, but as on
previous occasions, they are not agreed on a candidate, the two most
prominenty mentioned at present being Emil Eddy and Bishara Khoury,
bo.'h former Premiers. As an alternate propositii 7i the suggestion has
been advance:! that the Presidency be
w'thheld from all the larger groups
and given to one from among the
minorities.
In this connection the
or.e mrst prominently mentioned is
Dr. Ayoub Thabet, former Minister of
the Interior who is credited with hav
ing inaugurated many reforms. Dr.
Thabet is a Protestant.
But what appears t(- be the most
starting suggestion is that coming
from an influential group in Lebanon
who advocate the e'ection of N. A.
Mokarzel, the veteran Lebanese editor
cf Al Hoda, to the Presidential office.
The suggestion was first advanced by
the Lebanese notable Sheikh Edmond
Belaibil, :n an open letter which h^
sent to Lebanese papers and was received by a considerable number of
editors with much favorable comment,
eliciting from sc me even enthusiasm.
The grounds on which the suggestion
is based is that Mr. Mokarzel, being
above local po itics and having had
a lorg record of distinguished service
to his mother country, together with
his tireless energy and adminstrative
ability, would be the Moses who wou'd
save Lebanon from the wilderness of
its present chaotic condition.
Commenting rn this proposal, the
editor explains in detail in the issue
of Al-Hoda of Dec. 12 the reasons for
his refusal to entertain the suggestion.
Whi'e expressing appreciation fcr the
generous gesture and the proffered
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46"
— .„...:.,.:...,„.,;,..,
_ ..,.,
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7HE SYRIAN WORLD
PROPOSED FOR PRESIDENT OF LEBANON
N. A. MOKARZEL
Veteran Lebanese editor of AI-Hoda, oldest Arabic-language newspaper in the United States, who is offered the Presidency of the Lebanese Republic
�DECEMBER, 1931
honor, 'he reiterates hfs oft expressed
decision not to accept office in any
form. He takes the occasion to criticize the present form of government
in Lebanon and calls attention to Irs
advocacy since 1911 of the appoints
ment cf a governor in Lebanon for
life, preferably a Frenchman without the right of hereditary succession.
France, of course, is to retain the
mandate over the country, but to enjoy less than the right she now exercises in its administrative affairs.
These principles constitute the demands of the Lebanon League of Progress, a political organization in America, which the editor of Al-Hcda
founded twenty years ago and of
Which he still is president.
PAN-ISLAMIC CONGRESS
HELD IN PALESTINE.
dealt chiefly with the activities of
the Moslem Congress which convened
in Jerusalem the middle of December. It was attended by delegates
from all the Moslem countries, including Egypt and India. The question of the caliphate was not given
much consideration and the deliberations seem to 'have entered on Zionists' aims in Palestine, despite the
assurance of the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem given to the British authorities that politics would net be discussed at the sessions of the congress.
Joseph M. Levy, special correspondent of the New York Times in
Jerusalem, reports that a 'heated controversy took place between the Indian delegate on the one hand, and
the delegates of Syria and Iraq on
the other, over the question whether
^Moslem opposition should be confined
to the Jews or made to include the
mandatory power in Palestine. The
Indian protested against the congress
going on record as opposing England,
but his opponents won.
49
Delegates also bitterly criticized
the aclr'on of Italy in condemning to
be hanged Omar Mukhtar, the Senussi rebel chieftain in Tripoli.
Considerable opposition developed under the leadership of Ragheb
Bey Nashash'bi, Mayor of Jerusalem,
to the Grand Mufti's ambitions to
Moslem leadership. A meeting of
protest was held at the Mayor's call
which is said to have been attended
by 1000 representatives from all Palestine.
Resolutions finally adopted by the
congress, according to The Times' dispatches, include, first, a protest to the
League against the establishment of a
Jewish national home in Palestine and
the ousting of Arabs; second, a boycott by Moslems throughout the world
of all Jewish goods manufactured in
Palestine; third, to broadcast to the
Moslem world that Zion;sm is a catastrophe for Palestine; fourth, to reject the Wailing Wall Commission's
decisions, and, fifth, to prop&gate
throughout the world the Palestine
Moslems' claims to independence. It
was unanimously resolved to< form a
$5,000,000 corporation with shares to
be subscribed by Moslems throughout
the world for constructive purposes in
Palestine to counteract the Jewish nationalist activities.
Aecord;ng to press dispatches,
the session of Dec. 12 was characterized by violent attacks on the British
mandatory policy, delegate after delegate rising to deliver a fiery speech
on the subject. Mohammad AH Pasha
of Egypt discussed at length Zionist
aims in Palestine as well as economic
depression among Moslem peasants,
alleging that Jewish leaders h?d made
statements that it is the Jewish plan
to colonize Palestine wth Jews, ousting the Arabs and restoring the ancient Jewish temple on the site of
the Mosque of Omar.
�50
His Excellency Sesostris Sidarouss
ing greeted by Salloum A. Mokarzel
dinner given in the minister's honor
America.. Nasib Kalaf, a member of
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Pasha, Minister of Egypt (left) beeditor of the Syrian World at the
by the Syrian Friends of Egypt in
the committee, is shown in center.
�»i.
51
DECEMBER, 1931
THE
SYRIAN WORLD
NEWS SECTION
VOL. VI NO. 4
NEW YORK SYRIANS
HONOR SIDAROUSS PASHA.
New Egyptian Minister in Washington Reviews 71st Regiment.
i
His excellency Sesostr;s Sidarouss
Pasha, the new Egyptian Minister to
the United States, was received with
much acclaim by official and social
circles upon his first visit to New York
since his appointment as Minister
Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary of His Majesty the King of
Egypt at Washington in August. He
arrived in the city November 29 to
review the 71st. Regiment of the New
York National Guard at its armory
on Park Ave. The nvlitary review
was fo'lowed by a reception at the
private quarters of the commanding
officer in honor of the minister.
His Excellency was the guest of
honor on the following day at a dinner
given in his honor by Mrs. George
Washington Kavanaugh. He was also
officially received by Acting Mayor
McGee at the City Hall and entertained at an official luncheon which
was attended by many prominent c:ty
officials.
Profiting of the presence of His
Excellency in the city, the newlyformed committee of the Syrian
Friends of Egypt in America invited
him to a dinner which was held at
the St. George Hotel in Brooklyn Dec.
DECEMBER, 1931
1. Despite the limited time, approximately one hundred guests were present. The response was a spontaneous expression of the genuine
friendship which the Syrians of America entertain for the Egyptian nation
and ^ts diplomatic representative.
Salloum A. Mokarzel, editor of
the Syrian World and Chairman of the
committee, opened the speaking program with a few words of welcome in
the name of his colleague on the committee and inv'ted Mr. N. A. Mokarzel, editor of Al-Hoda and dean of
the Arabic press in America, to preside as toastmaster. The speakers
were selected to represent the various
professions and classes of the community, and included George A Ferris,
dean of the Syrian legal fraternity,
and Dr. F. I. Shatara both of whom
spoke in English, and Rev. Mansur
Stephen who spoke in Arabic. The
Minister responded in both languages
expressing h;s deep appreciation of
the friendly sentiments displayed towards his government and himself.
The toastmaster introduced between speeches Madame Fedora Kurban who sang operatic selections in
both Arabic and English, and Professor Alexander Maloof who played
several solo piano selections.
The committf^ sponsoring the
dinner was compose^ of Dr. Salim Y.
Alkazin, Dr. F. I. Shatara, Nasib Trabuls;, Nasib Kalaf and S. A. Mokarzel.
Those in the Minister's party were
�52
Major and Mrs. Thomas MacDonald,
Wajih Rustum Bey Secretary to the
Legation, Mr. H. K'hatib, acting Egyptian consul in New York, Abdul
Latif Hannawy and Mr. Osman ffilmy
of the Egyptian consulate.
The guests included.
Mr. & Mrs. J. M. Abbott; William Abouchar; Dr. & Mrs. S. Y.
Alkazin; Mrs. C. Arb; E. J. Audi;
Mr. & Mrs. Selim Ayoub; Mme Fedora Kurban; Mr. & Mrs. George C.
Dagher; Dr. Najib Barbour; Miss
Daw; M4ss DeMoor; Saleem Hatem
representing Al-Bayan; Mme. Marie
El-Khoury; Mr. & Mrs. D. J. Faour;
Peter S. George; C. H. Griffith; Miss
Daisy Hamad; S. J. Hermas; Dr. A.
Himad*; Jamile B. Holway; Major &
Mrs. Howard Hutter; Mr. & Mrs. B.
M. Jabara; Mr. & Mrs. F. M. Jabara;
Bfiss Gl&dys Jabara; Mr. & Mrs.
George Jebaily; Miss Laurice Jebaily;
Mr. & Mrs. N. Kalaf; A. G. Khouri;
Mr. & Mrs. P. Kohlhaas; Edward
Leon.
Also', N. Makanna; Fred Malhame; Elias Mallouk; Prof. Alex. Maloof; Assad Milkie; Mike Mobarak;
N. A. Mokarzel Editor of Al-Hoda;
Mr. & Mrs. S. A. Mokarzel; Miss Mary
Mokarzel; Miss R< se Mokarzel; Miss
Alice Mokarzel; Dr. & Mrs. H. Rasi;
Najeeb Sah'adi; Selim Sahadi; Mr. &
Mrs. Michael Saydah; Dr. & Mrs.
F. I Shatara; Mr. & Mrs. Robert
Shephard; Mr. & Mrs. Abdullah Sleyman; Albert Staub; Rev. Mansour
Stephen; Mr. & Mrs. John Stephen;
Mr. & Mrs. Selim Totah; Mr. & Mrs.
Nes;b Trabulsi; Miss Barbara Young;
Fuad Zrike representing Meraat UlGharb; Mr. & Mrs. P. Zrike.
EGYPTIAN MINISTER VISITS
ARABIC LINOTYPE FACTORY.
.While in New York His Excellency Sesostris Sidarouss Pasha, Egyptian Minister to the United States, was
THE SYRIAN WORLD
invited to inspect the Mergenthaler
Linotype factory in Brooklyn which
manufactures the Arabic Linotype.
He was accompanied by Major Thomas MacDonald, Wajih Rustum Bey
of the Legation staff, Mr. H. Khatib
acting Egyptian consul in New York,
Mr. Abdul Latif Hanawy and Mr. Salloum A. Mokarzel editor of the Syrian
World who acted for the Mergenthaler Company in extending the invitation.
The party was entertained at luncheon in the Company's dining room
by the President Mr. Norman Dodge,
Mr. Joseph T. Maekey, the Treasurer
and Mr. C. H. Griffith, Assistant to
the President. Later the minister and
his
companions
were
conducted
through the vast factory and the
various processes of production and
inspection demonstrated to them. It
was explained to the Minister that the
Mergenthaler Company manufactures
composing machines for nearly fifty
languages and that it has given special care to the manufacture of the
Arabic. Linotype whch now has been
in use in America for almost twenty
years as the only method of Arabic
composition, and is being gradually
introduced into all Arabic-speaking
countries, including Egypt.
Earlier in the day the Minister
visited the Empire State Building as
guest of former Governor Alfred E.
Smith.
CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
AMONG N. Y. SYRIANS.
The needy among the Syrians of
New York will not want of Christmas
cheer this year despite the prevalent
depression. Churches, organizations
and the press are working along one
form of rel;ef or another, the response
being gratifyng.
Leading the movement among the
press are the two important dailies.
?•
�DECEMBER, 1931
",
Al-Hoda and Meraat Ul-Gharb. The
Syrian Ladies' A'd Society has sent
an appeal by mail to a select list of
over one thousand individuals. St.
Nicholas' Club is planning a Christmas
party for the needy Syrian children
of Brooklyn.
The American Syrian Federation
held a cabaret and dance at its clubrooms on Dec. 15 the proceeds of
which are to be devoted to Christmas
baskets.
Featuring the entertainment was Ted Black and his orchestra
who are in demand by the principal
hotels and restaurants of New York.
Ted Black is a Syrian whose original
name is Aboussleman. He donated
his services.
A musicale and entertainment was
given at the Wells House in Brooklyn
on Dec. 17 by the Syrian Chrstmas
Fund Committee to raise funds for
providing Christmas baskets.
The
principal sponsors were Mrs. Victoria
Z. Shehab and Miss Sumayah Attiyeh.
GIBRAN'S WORKS DRAMATIZED
AT AMERICAN CHURCH
Scenes from "Jesus" ably presented
at St. Mark's
By Alice Mokarzel
St. Mark's on the Bouwerie was
the scene on Sunday, December 13,
of a vivid and living interpretation of
excerpts from Kahlil Gibran's Jesus,
the Son of Man, under the capt'on
"Liturgical Mystery of Jesus the Prophet." This performance marked the
second of Gibran programs presented
by St. Mark's Church since the recent death of the Syrian poet-prophet.
The host of faithful and loving
friends of Gibran who filled the church
to capacity, wept silently during the
scenes that were enacted with consummate beauty and feeling.
ji-i
51
Fitting music for the occasion
was composed by William Arthur
Goldsworthy, who also conducted the
choir assisting the performers and
cantors. Dr. William Norman Guthrie, rector of St. Mark's Church, and
Lester Leake Riley alternated in reading portions from Jesus, the Son of
Man. They were assisted in this by
Bryce Fogle, who interpreted in singing some of the parts. Fedora Kurban, the Syrian singer of merit, opened the musical program with an appropriate Arabic song.
Mary Magdelene, revealed in the
first scene by Phoebe Anna Guthrie,
is filled with the vision of Jesus whom
she beholds for the first time, and
'obsessed by an alternate hate and remorse when Jesus fails to recognize
her. When again she sees him "sitting under the cypress tree" across
her garden, she goes to Him and
pleads with Him to come into her
house. But Jesus grants not her request. "And when He had walked
away," Mary Magdelene, remembering the "sunset of His eyes," feels
no hate but only the lofty spirit of
the woman born anew in her being.
In the second scene, Judas (Gordon Place) reveals to a friend his
betrayal of Jesus, and finds no comfort for his anguish even in the confession of h;s treachery. After ceaseless torment of spirit, Judas realizes
an end to his suffering in self-destruction and goes forth thus determined.
Ann Elizabeth Stroud portrayed
with sincere and fervent feeling the
character of the Woman of Byblos
who is burdened with sorrow and
anguish and "unable to see beyond
grief" in the realization of her "personal loss" in the fate of Jesus.
Bertha Kunz Baker, whose art
has already exceeded itself, cannot
be praised sufficiently. She gave the
character of Mary, Mother of Jesus,
a living imprint upon the hearts of
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i
THE SYRIAN WORLD
54
the audience. The depth of the feeling she wrought, although created by
her voice and expression, was more
so in the silent yet speaking movements she made as Mary, the Mother
who sees with "spiritual understanding Jesus' death" and "through sorrow and vision, the calm acceptance
of God's way." This was a living
and sufferng Mary, who hears in
silent angu;sh the crash that marks
her Son's death and who "at dawn
is still standing among us like a lone
banner in the wilderness wherein
there are no hosts."
In the concluding scene, Phoebe
Anna Guthrie, assisted by St. Mark's
Choreographic Group, characterized
the High Priestess who sees in His
death only "exaltation and glory."
Many interpretations of Gibran's
works have been given in St. Mark's
Church, but never, more than on this
occasion, has Gibran seemed so living
and beautiful and so appealing and
touching to the human heart.
GIBRAN TO REPOSE
IN LEBANESE MONASTERY.
Gibran's life-long wish is to be
partly gratified. He had often confided to his friends that it was his
supreme ambit1 on sometime to retire
into the seclusion of Mt. Lebanon,
there to spend the remainder of his
days in the shadows of the Cedars,
amidst the surroundings of his youth
Which influenced his life work and
for which he felt an ever growing
longing. The Cedars, the Sacred Valley, and Becharre his home town, all
in close proximity, held associations
extremely dear to Irs heart.
The Lebanese press now reports
that Gibran's wish in this respect is
to be respected. Having learned from
his sister who accompanied his remains to his native land that he had
—
wished to acquire for his retreat in
his old age the Monastery of Mar (St.)
Sarqis, Gibran's countrymen opened
negotiations with the owners of th;s
monastery to purchase it and convert
it into a museum for Gibran's works
and a resting place for his remains.
The monastery ;s ideally sfituated
above Becharre and below the Cedars,
perching on a ledge in the mountain
overlooking the Sacked Valley.
The Syrian World is in receipt of
information that M:ss Mariana, Gibran's sister, intends to purchase privately the monastery that is to be dedicated to ier brother.
GIBRAN'S MESSAGE
READ TO D. A. R.
Mr. Roderick Donley, a neighbor
of the Syrian World, whose wife is
an active worker in the Daughters of
the American Revolution, admired the
spirit of Gibran's Message to Young
Americans of Syrian Origin which we
had specially printed for framing as
a gift to our subscribers. We gladly
gave him a copy to take home. His
wife alsc« admired the sp;rit and made
excellent use of her admiration. During the State Convention of the D. A.
R. lately held in Paterson, Congressman Hamilton Fish of New York deVvered an address on the pernicious
activities of foreign communists in
America. Mrs. Donley, in making her
report as committee chairman, took
the occasion to declare that not all
foreigners should be classed in the
same category. The Syrians, she said'
were law-abiding and useful citizens.
As proof she read to the convention
Gibran's Message.
DR. SHATARA LECTURES
ON ARAB CIVILIZATION.
Dr. Fuad I. Shatara of Brooklyn
was the principlal speaker at the
y.
\
k
j
�M.
v-n
he
"DECEMBER, 1931
H
55
LEBANESE AVIATOR PROMOTED.
Baltimore Open Forum before an audience of 700 at the Baltimore Auditorium on Sunday, Dec. 13. His
subject was the Arabs' contribution
to civilization, and he defended Islam
aga;nst the charge of having been
spread by the sword, as reported in
the Baltimore Sun of Dec. 14.
Dr. Shatara encompassed the
whole history of the Arabs and enurnei-ated their various c( ntributions to
science and education. We are fortunate ?n having secured the copy of
Dr. Shatara's lecture and shall publish
illuminating excerpts from it in a
ccming issue of the Syrian World.
YOUNG PEOPLE'S CLUB
GIVES ENTERTAINMENT.
The Young People's Club of the
Syr'-an Prc.testant Church of Brooklyn gave an entertainment at its clubrooms connected with the church on
the last Sunday of November. President Shibly Kassis asked Philip Kahwajie, chairman of the entertainment
committee, to direct the meeting. A
varied program of song, music and
games was prcv;ded.
The educational feature of the
evening was an address by the editor
of the Syrian World who spoke on
the special role of the Syr'an-American
generation and related some experiences of his recent trip abroad. Dr.
K. A. Bishara, pastor of the Syrian
Protestant congregation, also spoke in
corroboration cf the editor's remarks.
THOMAS MOAWOOD MOKARZEL.
Appointed Deputy Sheriff in charge
of aviation in Dutchess County, N. Y.
sheriff in charge of aviation in Dutchess County. The appointment was
made on the recommendation of Senator J. Griswold Webb, chairman of
the New York State legislative committee on aviation, and County
LEBANESE FLYER MADE
Judge Flannery:
FIRST AIR DEPUTY.
Mr. Moawood is regarded as the
The Eagle-News of Poughkeepsie, leading pilot in the Hudson Valley,
New York, in its issue of October 10, according to the News-Eagle. Alcarried on its first page an account though he has been a licensed pilot
of the appointment of Thomas Mo- for over six years, he has never had
awood Mokarzel, the first licensed pi- a serious mishap. On the two oclot in the Hudson Valley, as deputy casions when he had minor accidents
�,
36
he has shown admirable presence of
mind. So far he is credited officially
with 21,000 flying hours. Last year
he won a race held at the Poughkeepsie Airport in which sixteen pilots
took part, some of whom enjoy
a national reputation. The cup he
was awarded on this occasion appears
in the accompanying picture.
Mr. Moawood is also known as the
"Lebanon Eagle". He is proud of
his Lebanese descent and one of his
greatest ambitions is to make a nonstop flight to Mt. Lebanon once he can
secure sufficient backing.
DISTURBANCES MARK
SYRIAN ELECTIONS.
A special cable dispatch to the
New York Times from Damascus dated Dec. 20 read in part as follows:
The situation here in connection
with the elections today became so
serious and demonstrations of opposing factions so turbulent that at 2
P. M. the Government decided to halt
the elections to avert bloodshed.
Although in some quarters everything passed quietly,;t was regarded
as expedient to postpone further polling in Damascus and Hama until some
indefinite date, but in Aleppo and
Homs as well as adjoining locations
they were allowed to continue until
completed.
After the voting places were closed
Damascus was comparatively peaceful and the demonstrations ended,
but until 2 o'clock this afternoon the
city was actually in a state of rot,
all parties fighting one another.
While the polling proceeded at the
Town Hall stones were hurled at its
windows, doors were smashed and
trolley cars also were stoned. Pclice
and troops, with the aid of the fire
brigade, tried to repulse the mobs.
ii«i*r-^
?HE SYRIAN WORLD
The police were obliged to open fire
to frighten the rioters and the fire
brigade dispersed them by turning
their hoses on them.
Women and students joined in the
uproar and general excitement by
issuing manifestos, driving automobiles to all quarters of the city and
urging the people to vote for Nationalists. Many students were arrested for throwing stones.
The Nationalists here and in Aleppo continue to send one protest after
another to High Commissioner Henri
Ponsot. The latest one is aga-nst
the officials in charge of the polling
boxes. One was sent yesterday asserting that the Syrians,
having
placed confidence in the High Commiss'oner's earlier declarations, 'had
decided to participate in the elections
in expectation that the elections would
be fair and free. The telegram protests that "measures were taken by
government authorities to instigate
Government officials to transgress
personal liberty and arouse trouble in
the country by opening fire on the
public." The telegram further requests M. Ponsot to submit the complaint to the League of Nations and
the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Communication with Damascus
today was practically cut off, as no
one was allowed to enter or leave
town and private long distance telephone calls were not permitted, the
telephones being reserved for the Government.
Disturbances occured yesterday
in the Kurdish quarter here, when at
a meeting, a Nationalist speaker was
attacked, beaten and ejected. There
was a clash also at El Kuneitra, between Royalists and Nationalists resulting in several persons being
wounded.
» ft
�DECEMBER, 1931
SIXTEEN ARAB STUDENTS
IN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY.
A correspondent of Meraat UlGharb reports that in the University
cf Michigan in Ann Arbor, there are
sixteen Arab students this year, drawn
from Syria, Palestine, Lebanon and
Iraq, the newest comer being Miss
Wadad K. Mackdici, who is specializing in sociology.
Miss Mackdici is the daughter of
Prof. Jurius Kho/iri of the American
University of Beirut and had graduated with honors from the latter institution. She spent a year teaching
in Baghdad and is now completing
her advanced studies on a scholarship.
CO-OPERATIVE HOSPITAL
OVERCOMING DIFFICULTIES.
The co-operative hospital of Elk
City, Okla., opened in the fall of this
year, and marking the success of
several years of strenuous efforts on
the part of the Syrian physician Dr.
M. Shadid, was described by a feature
article appearing on the frcnt page of
' the Daily Oklahoman of Oklahoma
City as the only institution of its
character in the United States.
The writer lauds the courageous
enterprise and tireless energy of the
founder and declares . that he is on
the way of overcoming the financial
difficulties resulting from the failure
of some subscribers to complete payment for their stock. The writer also
hints that through professional jealpusy some private practicians had
lodged charges against the co-operative hospital w-'th the State authorities. The principal cause of complaint is that the hospital is dispensing medical services much below the
customary fees, and providing medicines at one-third less than the prevailing prices.
This is branded as
socialistic, but is exactly what the
57
founder of the hospital intended when
he launched 'his enterprise. He is
defending his practices with unwavering courage.
DICTIONARY CORNERSTONE
OF MOSLEM RENAISSANCE.
In a debate on Moslem culture
in one of the sessions of the Moslem
Congress in Jerusalem, Mohammad Ali
Pasha cf Egypt declared that the Arabic dictionary, when compiled, will be
the cornerstone of Moslem revival. He
emphasized that although the Arabic
language was replete with classical
terms it did not embrace modern
scientific words, which now are borrowed from English and French. A
dictionary, he said, is vitally essential
to bring about the Moslem renaissance. He suggested that Egypt's
geographical position be utilized to
concentrate on the preparatory work
of this dictionary particularly in view
of the fact that the Egyptian government had started organizing a special
academy for the same purpose.
FORMER EGYPTIAN KHEDIVE
FOR SYRIAN KING.
Contrary to previous advices, it
now seems evident that the royalist
agitation in Syria has not died out.
The elections now taking place disclosed the existence of a strong element favoring a monarchy.
The latest personage mentioned
as a propable candidate for the throne
is Abbas Hilmy, former Khedive of
Egypt, who will arrive in Jerusalem
on Dec. 23 enrcute to Syria, where
he will be received by the French High
Commissioner. A dispatch from Jerusalem says that rumors are persistent thafthe ex-Khedive is coming
to Syr'a on the explicit understanding of being placed on the throne.
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
W$®&®MB&MF^
Gibran's Message
To Young Americans of Syrian Origin
ft
I believe in you. and I believe in your destiny.
I believe that you are contributors to this new civilization.
I believe that you have inherited from your forefathers an ancient dream.a song, a prophecy, which you can proudly lay as a gift of gratitude upon the lap of America.
I believe you can say to the founders of this great nation. Here I am. a youth, a young
tree, whose roots were plucked from the hills of Lebanon, yet I am deeply rooted here, and I would
be fruitful."
And I believe that you can say to Abraham Lincoln, the blessed. "Jesus of Nazareth
touched your lips when you spoke, and guided your hand when you wrote: and I shall uphold
all that you have said and all that you have written."
II
I believe that you can say to Emerson and Whitman and James. "In my veins runs the
blood of the poets and wise men of old. and it is my desire to come to you and receive, but I shall
not come with empty hands."
I believe that even as your fathers came to this land to produce riches, you were born
here to produce riches by intelligence, by labor.
And I believe that it is in you to be good citizens.
And what is it to be a good citizen?
It is to acknowledge the other person's rights before asserting your own. but always to be
conscious of your own.
It is to be free in thought and deed, but it is also to know that your freedom is subject
to the other person's freedom.
It is to create the useful and the beautiful with your own hands, and to admire what others
have created in love and with faith.
I
It is to produce wealth by labor and only by labor, and to spend less than you have produced that your children may not be dependent on the state for support when you are no more.
It is to stand before the towers of New York, Washington. Chicago and San Francisco
saying in your heart. "I am rhe descendant of a people that builded Damascus, and Biblus, and
Tyre and Sidon. and Antioch, and now I am here to build with you. and with a will."
It is to be proud of being an American, but it is also to be proud that your fathers and
mothers came from a land upon which God laid His gracious hand and raised His messengers.
Young Americans of Syrian origin. I believe in you.
nmmnmmmemn
FREE TO SYRIAN WORLD SUBSCRIBERS. This beautiful message by
Gibran 13x17 inches, printed in large type on heavy paper with ornamental border suitable for framing. Every PAID subscriber whose term begins
with Sept. 1931 is entitled to a copy, mailed in heavy cardboard tube. Subscribers whose term beg-'ns before Sept. 1931 may secure a copy by renewal.
\ '
�wmmmmmmmm
59
DECEMBER, 1931
A STUDY
of
KAHLIL GIBRAN
THIS MAN FROM LEBANON
T
>
Barbara Young, the American poet who is now Kahlil Gibran's literary executor, speaks with authority in a 48 page
brochure concerning his life and work, illustrated with
several hitherto unpublished protraits of the Poet of the
Cedars, and a reproduction of one pen and ink drawing and
one page of original manuscript.
A few copies of the limited first edition, serially numbered and autographed by the author, are still available.
The price for this edition is $2.50.
Owing to the wide interest in the brochure, a second
printing will be necessary. These will not be numbered nor
autographed, and will be procurable at $1.50 the copy.
Checks may be made payable to the Gibran Studio, 51
West 10th Street, New York City.
HMHW^'
�60
THE SYRIAN WORLD
AUTHENTIC
:»
ORIENTAL RUGS
THE A. SLEYMAN COMPANY. INC.
{276 5th AVENUE
NEW YORK CITY
Phone BOgardus 4-4345
George Haddad
Proprietor
1
I
Phone
CHickering 4-8878
ALEXANDRIA RESTAURANT
The new and beautiful uptown Syrian restaurant owned and operated
by a master chef, who summons his long experience to the
art of producing the most delectable Oriental dishes.
Small and large parties catered to
So Conveniently Located
21 WEST 31st STREET,
NEW YORK
'Y'I^SWSV'/WN/SV
IT IS YOURS
is the only Syrian publication printed
in English, and as such is the organ of the Syrians in America.
You can help it continue and grow by subscribing to it yourself
and inducing others to subscribe.
THE SYRIAN WORLD
PUBLISHER, THE SYRIAN WORLD:
104 Greenwich Street, New York.
You may enter my name as a subscriber to "The Syrian World" for the term of one yeary for which I agree to
fay the regular rate of $5.00 ufon receipt of the first issue.
Address
City & State
mimmmmAiMiM^vMJMniM
�ECEMBER, 1931
61
JERE J. CRONIN
FUNERAL DIRECTOR
MORTUARY CHAPEL
Local or Out of Town Funerals Personally Attended to
LADY ATTENDANT
Expense a Matter of Your Own Desire
115 ATLANTIC AVENUE
BROOKLYN, N. Y.
The large amount of business we do permits us to buy caskets
in large quantity which enables us to give the best funerals very
reasonable. We carry a complete line of the very best manufactured
caskets at $45.00 up. We pay no agents to secure funerals for us but
only give the family who has sorrow the very best of service, reverence
and economy. Our aim is to help those who are in trouble at a very
little cost. No charge for use of our services or funeral parlors.
Telephone—MAIN 1398-1399-8130-3655
SHEIK
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The ARABIC
LINOTYPE
in MOROCCO
Although the adaptation of the Linotype
to Arabic composition is comparatively
recent, the Arabic Linotype has already
been introduced into all Arabic speaking countries, whether in the Near or
Far East. And wherever it is used, it is
found to be a revelation in its efficiency
and economy of operation. This is but
natural since in all Western languages
the Linotype is now the standard method
of type composition, and hand composition has been almost entirely discarded
in the book, periodical and commercial
printing field for quantity production.
Impr:merie Officielle, Rabat
G. Pfister, Algiers . .
"La Renaissance", Tunis .
"Le Petit Matin", Tunis .
* TRADE
In our kst advertisement in this publication we gave a list of Arabic Linotype
users in Egypt. This month we list the
Linotypes now in operation in Morocco.
It will be seen that not only is it used
in the Government Press but in many
commercial printing establishments.
This testifies not only to the superior
merits of the Arabic Linotype but also
to the spirit of progress in the country.
The printing industry is one of the fundamentals of progress, and the Linotype is the machine which accelerates
the progress movement.
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An illustrated descriptive catalogue of the
Arabic Linotype sent free upon request
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�THE SYRIAN WORLD
64
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ATTENTION!
FORWARD!
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Established 1891
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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
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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
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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
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Identifier
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TSW1931_12reducedWM
Title
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The Syrian World Volume 06, Issue 04
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1931 December
Description
An account of the resource
Volume 6 Issue 04 of The Syrian World published December 1931. This issue begins with an article by Hatib I. Katibah discussing Palestine and how it became the small Syrian province lying at the intersection of three continents. Katibah breaks down exactly how this was possible through a succession of historic events. Following it is a poem by Alice Mokarzel titled "The Christmas Altar." There is also another Gibran work titled "The Great Occurrence," which speaks about the miraculous nature of Jesus Christ. The rest of the poetry in this issue, edited by Barbara Young, is also entirely Christmas related. After a discussion of current news, Edna K. Saloomey's short story titled "Party for Aneesa" is featured, followed by book reviews. The editor closes out the issue with a piece titled "Peace and Good Will, Plus Faith." The issue concludes with excerpts from the Syrian Press and an update on 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
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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.
1930s
Alice Mokarzel
Barbara Young
Christmas
Edna K. Saloomey
Habib I. Katibah
Kahlil Gibran
New York
Palestine
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/bb339b721721392304e4195fa9481a93.pdf
c8b476d624a25fcf17e37bd67a2da09b
PDF Text
Text
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THE
SYRIAN WORLD
"Published monthly except July and August
by
THE SYRIAN-AMERICAN PRESS
104 Greenwich St., 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 \ ork,
J
N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879.
=£
VOL. VI NO. 5
JANUARY, 1932
CONTENTS
Aden as Seen by a Syrian Traveler
3
AMEEN RIHANI
The Prophet (a Poem)
\
6
THOMAS ASA
A rab Contributions to World Civilization
DR.
Poetry, Edited by
F. I.
SHATARA
BARBARA YOUNG
Love is Enough
Issa, a Poem, by
Frontiers, by
7
14
15
ROBERT NORWOOD
16
ALICE HUNT BARTLETT
17
Islam Faces the Challenge of Liberalism
H. I.
KATIBAH
18
�CONTENTS (Continued)
PAGE
A Legal Opinion
22
FARIS
S.
MALOOF
Death of the Maronite Patriarch
23
Who Are the Maronites
27
MICHAEL ABOUSSLEMAN
Syria in Romance
32
The Brethren
RIDER HAGGARD
Sayings of Alt
".
3g
True Arabian Tales
39
The Lajdy Prisoner Who Enslaved Her Captor
Book Reviews
The Wanderer, by
/
42
KAHLIL GIBRAN
To Bagdad and Back,
By JOE MITCHELL
The Maronites of Lebanon,
By REV. PAUL
43
CHAPPLE
45
ABRAHAM
Political Developments in Syria
45
Syrian World News Section
49
�yrian
«/
SALLOUM A. M<
MOKARZEL, Editor.
JANUARY, 1932
Aden as Seen by a Syrian Traveler
The Once Beautiful and Hospitable Arab City Has Lost its Charms
Despite the Century of English Occupation.
By
/
AMEEN RIHANI
WE approach Aden in the morning and turn into the harbor,
the city is seen crouching at the foot of Mt. Shamsa, which is
like Gibraltar in form, and which rises sheer, abrupt, behind a half
circle of buildings in the heart of Steamer Point. Black masses, coal
piles, are in the foreground; the forts on the hilltops are conspicuous; the harbor-light rises in the center of the picture, and all
around is a scene as dull and drab as any port in the British Isles
But to our left, when the clouds are completely dispelled, another
skyline looms behind the first, a little higher, but similar in form;
and the two mountain summits, a sort of duet, rise together and fall
rhythmically, harmoniously, and vanish in the north. It is a compensation for the commonplace of Steamer Point.
The distance from Steamer Point to Aden proper, or Aden
Camp is about five miles along the coast. We go through the
Somali village of Ma'alla, past the custom-house there, and up a
winding road to what seems like, a blind wall. But soon we reach
the tunnel, which is an opening in the mountain, wide enough at the
bottom for a carriage road and almost closing at a height of about
sixty feet where it is spanned by a bridge. This is the gate of
Aden, and suddenly, as we go through it with a crash, we come upon
the city which is set in the midst of a circle of hills, in the very
crater of a long extinguished volcano.
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
The crater, thanks to Time, is now habitable. The heat is
not as it was before the deluge or many thousand years before the
"before." For since then the volcano had some geological reverses,
was in fact dissipating its fortune; and having eventually gone bankrupt, it is now enjoying a temperature of one hundred degrees Fahrenheit (in summer) and a mixed population of thirty thousand
souls. Some of these souls—the Bunias—are reincarnated in dogs,
cats and peacocks; others—the Parsis—return to the primal fire;
still others—the Moslems—await the Paradise where the houri is
ever a virgin and the garden of each man's happiness is ever filled
with houris; and there are those who care not what becomes of
their souls so long as their capital is safe, and others who pretend
to have charted the whole sea of the Hereafter and found therein
isles of eternal bliss—for themselves alone. They all live in the
crater in peace; but they are as barren of sympathy for each other
as the hills around them.
What abodes of eternal hope and joy are in the crater. The
Bunias have a cremation station; the Parsis have a temple of silence;
the Mohammedans have a mosque and dervish circle; the Jews
have a synagogue and a fellow Jew who is worth thirty million
pounds; the Capuchins have a shop and a confessional; the Episcopals have a church on the hilltop, to which the soldiers march
every Sunday headed by a brass band; and Tommy Atkins has a
dance hall, a cinema and a football field. The hospitable crater!
In the bazaar the town dozes under a canopy of calm. Considerable business is nevertheless transacted; and in spite of the
rivalry, commercial and religious, between four of the shrewdest
and most self-righteous people in the world, the Bunia, the Parsi,
the Bohra and the Jew, nothing ever disturbs the even tenor of security and peace. God save the King! I do not know who of these
four Orientals is the shrewdest!
As a servant the Arab is faithful and trustworthy; but he is
lazy. As a merchant he is honest and reliable; but he has not the
energy of the Parsi or the Bunia. As a man of means or a man of
learning, he is modest and unassuming; but he lacks the curiosity
of the Bohra and the ambition of the Jew. But whatever he is, he
is seldom wanting in dignity and poise.
Many things are done in the crater for the good of the soul,
among them the performance {haiaqali) of the Rashidiyah cult.
We attended this halaqah, which was run at that time by an Egyptian who survived many scandals in Aden. The choir of boys, who
/
�JANUARY, 1932
stood in line facing the men, clapped their hands while singing
melodiously the lines of the Sun poet Al-Fared.
"Thou hast taken but my heart—a part of me;
Is there any harm if 1 were all with thee?"
t
The men cried, Allah, Allah! while swinging their bodies
violently and swiftly to and fro; some of them swooned with devotion—their eyes were all white with ecstasy; and everyone seemed
but a senseless vibrating unit in a mystically animated group. But
there was nothing mystical in the singing, which was all about love.
Hence, I think, the scandals.
On our way back we passed through a narrow lane which was
dimly lighted by a few rays from the electrics in the square; and
I was startled by a figure seated on the ground, against the wall,
and pulling at something with his hand. It was a rope which hung
from a window on the third-top-floor of the house, and the figure
was a punkah boy fanning his master, up in that room, to sleep.
We were passing by the house, under the window, of the Jewish
millionaire, who lived in fear of being assassinated. Besides, he,
a man of eighty-five, had recently taken unto himself a young wife,
a girl of fifteen, who had pinned her hope, it was said, upon the
smallpox epidemic, and he would trust no man, not even the punkah boy, within the house.
The punkah is not the only antiquated thing in this outwardly
modern and progressive city; for in spite of the fact that the
English have now been in Aden eighty-seven years, the streets are
still sprinkled by a man carrying a skin of water on his back, and
the drinking water is still distributed in barrels on carts drawn
by camels. Now, we are told by an Arab historian, who does not
kowtow to the Jinn, that one of the governors of Aden in the 15th
century, Abd'ul-Wahhab by name, had aqueducts built for the conveyance of water to the city from a well ten miles away, where now
is the town of Sheikh Othman. But there are the reservoirs, a
superb monument to the enterprising spirit of the ancient Arabs.
Even in modern history, a hundred years before the English
occupation, Aden was a flourishing and attractive city, a city of
wealth, refinement, hospitality, and picturesque beauty. In 1709
a French expedition, sailing around the Cape, stopped at Aden on
its way to Mokha, to negotiate a treaty for the importation of coffee
into France. A gentleman named La Roque accompanied the expedition and left a record of its voyage and its experiences in an
interesting little volume.
�6
THE SYRIAN WORLD
They remained two weeks in Aden, and the pages of Le Sieur
La Roque glow with enthusiasm. He tells of its handsome buildings, its mosques, its fortifications, and its aqueducts, about a league
from the city, which furnished all the inhabitants with excellent
water. But nothing did he admire so much as the domed public
baths, which were lined with marble or jasper, and adorned with
galleries supported by magnificent pillars.
This was the Aden of those days, an Arab city with a dash of
the splendor of ancient Bagdad. The Bunia traders had already
come from India, and La Roque speaks of them as the Jews of the
Bazaar. But the dominating manner was Arabic; the governor was
a learned Zaidi, who had written a treatise on coffee; the people
dressed in flowing elegant robes and spoke in a flowing elegant accent the language of the Prophet; and, moreover, they practiced
hospitality. But what they wear today would baffle, besides shocking a costumier; what they speak is a hodge-podge of Ordu and
Italian, Persian and English, Turkish and Gujrati, with Arabic as
a background; and hospitality is fast becoming an effete tradition.
The Prophet
Dedicated' to Kahlil Gibran
By THOMAS ASA
i
A trackless empire hearkened to thy word,—
Rose from primordial dust to dreaming spires;
Infused it with the voice of Godly lyres,—
Lead by the vision of the sacred Bird
Of Heaven, whose high message thou hast heard;
And from thy heart emerged the fusing fires,
And love divine in sodden minds inspires;—
Rule thine own people, in one nation gird.
And thou hast formed in thy short span of life.
From Sedrat's shaded desert thou hast made,
An ever-shining beacon to thy fame;
That all the world may wonder that the strife
Of thine own musing, God-like soul hast laid
The enduring wisdom of thy noble name.
This poem was originally published in a former issue of The
Syrian World. It is now reprinted by request in commemoration of
Gibran's birthday which falls on January 6.
"—"'
" " «" —
-
�I
JANUARY, 1932
7
Arab Contributions to World
Civilization
{Excerpts from an address delivered before the Baltimore Open
Forum to a distinguished audience on Dec. 13)
By
DR.
F. I.
SHATARA
THE average person in whose mind the word "Arab" conT'Ojures
up a desert, a camel, a horse, a tent, or a movie Sheik, the
discussion of "Arab Contributions to World Civilization" would
sound fantastic. To many Longfellow's lines are familiar:
"Shall fold their tents like the Arabs,
And as silently steal away
,..."
I
The story writer or the scenario author in their description of
an Arab or of Arab life must of necessity portray the odd and rather grotesque features. Who then is the real Arab? Has he ever
been civilized, and what has he contributed to the world civilization?
The first reference to Arab civilization is that of the Bible to
the visit of the Arab Queen of Sheba, who ruled Southern Arabia,
and who visited King Solomon bringing with her magnificent gifts
of "spices, very much gold, and precious stones."
As early as 800 B. C. the Yaman or Southwestern Arabia was
one of the great marts of the Eastern world. The Himyar Arabs
carried the torch of civilization through the channels of trade and
commerce. They excelled in architecture and engineering. It
will interest you to know that the skyscraper is an Arab invention.
The palace Gamdan, which was constructed for one of the Himyar
Kings, was twenty-two stories high, and was crowned with a belvedere, whose roof was covered with alabaster slates so thin and polished that one could distinguish through them the color of the
birds that flew above the palace. The Tanks in Aden are products
of their engineering skill. Various industries flourished in Yaman
such as weaving, dyeing, carving in marble, rope-making, forging
arms, and masonry.
The Arabs prior to the advent of Mohammed were pagans.
During this period, known as Al-Jahilieh, the Mualaquats were
produced. These poems, or odes, are said to have been the best
�8
THE SYRIAN WORLD
selections in the literary bazaars, and as such were then suspended
on the Ka'ba at Mecca. It is probable, however, that these Mualaquat, of which there were seven, were selected by Hammad ar
Rawiya, one of the most famous professional reciters in the 8th
century A. D.
The Hamasa and Mufaddaliyah are other poems of this period.
The Prophet Mohammed unified the scattered tribes of
Arabia, fired them with a religious zeal and national consciousness
and sent them out to conquer the world. Their conquest carried
them over Syria and Palestine, Asia Minor, Persia, Egypt, India,
China, Northern Africa, and Spain.
Mohammed hurled his followers into the face of a decadent
civilization which was stunned by the terrific blow and brought
tottering to earth. The mighty empires of Byzantium and Persia
met their speedy doom under the blows of the Arabs. The wave
of conquest went as far as India and touched the shore of the Caspian Sea. The Gates of Hercules were renamed Gibraltar, a corruption of "Jabal Tariq" the mountain of Tariq, the Arab General
who invaded Spain. Northwards the wave broke through the passes,
of the Pyrenees, and the plan to shake hands across the Bosphorus
was frustrated by Charles Martel in the Battle of Tours in the year
732 A. D.
Mohammed died in 623 A. D. leaving a united Arabia.
Let us then move on to the Islamic period. Mohammed and
Islam would furnish an immense topic, but only a passing reference
to them can be made.
Whatever the merits or demerits of Islam may be, students
of history must admit that it was a great step from paganism to the
unitarianism of Islam; that many of the tenets of Islam were wisely selected to meet the existing circumstances, that it was the religious spark of Islam which set the flame of Arab nationalism and
civilization, and that Mohammed has left an indelible impression
on world history, and that his followers today are a great force with
which one must reckon.
There is a notion commonly held that Islam was spread by
the sword. This is a false impression, for while it is true that Arab
conquests had to depend on the sword the adoption of Islam was
generally by free choice. Thus says Dorsey in his Man's Own Show:
Civilization:—"Islamism spread with dazzling speed- because the
Christians of Syria and Egypt had had a surfeit of theology and
oppression. They embraced the new religion! They could live with
and under their new masters and enjoy life as they could not under
\
�——
JANUARY, 1932
'
9
their Christian Masters. Free thought, Moslem's crowning glory
for eight centuries and to which our civilization is so greatly indebted, was destroyed by its own orthodox clergy. From the blight
of rive centuries of intellectual sterility the world of Islam is just
now beginning to try to emerge."
Among the Orthodox Caliphs, Umar, the conqueror of Jerusalem, was an outstanding figure. His conquests extended the realm
to Syria and Egypt. It is related that after appointing his governors he went out to bid them farewell. His orders to them were
as follows:
"I have not appointed you over the people of Mohammed
that you may drag them by their hair and scourge their skins,
but in order that you may lead them in prayer and judge between
them with justice, and divide the public money amongst them with
equity. I have not made you lords of their skin and hair."
This indeed would be a good motto for our twentieth century
rulers.
The student of history cannot but be impressed with Arab contributions to all branches of Medieval knowledge. They not only
served as the preservers of civilization after the decay of Rome
and Greece, but they contributed richly to human knowledge and
finally transmitted it to Europe, thus rendering possible the great
Renaissance. Let us briefly consider some of these contributions:
EDUCATION:
I
Wherever the Arab went he carried enlightenment and education. Thus Nicholson says:
"This material expansion was accompanied by an outburst of
intellectual activity such as the East had never witnessed before.
It seemed as if the whole world from the Caliph down to the
humblest of citizens suddenly became students, or at least patrons
of literature. In quest of knowledge, men traveled over three
continents and returned home, like bees laden with honey, to impart the precious stores which they had accumulated to crowds of
eager disciples, and to compile with incredible industry those works
of encyclopaedic range and erudition from which modern science,
in the widest sense of the word, has derived far more than is
generally supposed."
The Arabs built schools on a sound financial basis. Our ideas
of endowing institutions of learning must have been inspired by
the practice prevalent among the Arabs. Wherever a school was
'
�10
THE SYRIAN WORLD
founded some kind of productive investment was made for it.
Thus Saladin endowed al-Madrassah al-Suyufiyyah in Cairo with
thirty-two shops, and al-Salahyyah in Jerusalem with a whole street,
the rentals from which maintained the school.
The Educational contributions of the Arabs are thus summarized by Totah in his thesis:
1 The Arabs contributed a great deal to the content of education
during the Middle Ages.
2 They introduced the system of Arabic notation and the decimal
system. Every school child should bless them for relief from
the Roman notation.
3 They introduced textbooks.
4 If the Renaissance is a contribution to education, then the
Arabs are to be credited as educators for their share in that
movement.
5 It was a worthy contribution to education for the Arabs to
have saved the world for several centuries from ignorance
and barbarism.
6 Arabic colleges provided an example for European universities.
7 The Arabs made a substantial contribution to the social education of Europe. They taught Europe the use of fabrics and
textiles, such as cotton, damask, gauze and muslin deriving
their names from Damascus, Gaza, Mosul (respectively) and
thus made life a little less primitive.
They made the homes more attractive by the introduction of
brasswork, woodwork, rugs and mattresses. Food was enriched
and made more palatable through the introduction of sugar, coffee,
oranges, candy, spices and other delicacies. Such words as the following, which are derived from the Arabic, tell the tale: alcohol,
amber, atlas, azure, camphor, candy, carat, coffee, crimson, cumin,
divan, jar, lemon, lute, mattress, saffron, sherbet, syrup, sofa,
spinach, and sugar.
•
The baths of Cordova, street lights, and general comforts of
Arab cities provided lessons in the amelioration of the existing conditions in Europe.
Of Arab ideas of education, some of which are ultra-modern
even for the twentieth century, the following quotations are illustrations:
,33=
�JANUARY, 1932
11
"Do not impose your ideas upon your children—for
they are created for an age that is not your age."
Al-Ghazali: "The child is a trust with his parents, and his pure
heart is a precious stone, guileless and free of every
mark or form. It is receptive to whatever might be
inscribed on it."
Said Ali:
ASTRONOMY AND MATHEMATICS:
Astronomy sprang from a humble origin—astrology. The
Arabs' interest in the stars began at a very early date in their history. They understood and improved the system of Ptolemy.
They made important astronomical measurements and calculations.
They built observatories in Baghdad, Damascus, Cairo and Seville.
They used astronomical instruments, and Al-Kindi (850 A. D.)
wrote a treatise on weather predictions.
In mathematics, besides introducing the system of Arab notation and the decimal system, they did serious mathematical work
and passed it on to Europe. Algebra is an Arabic word. They developed trigonometry and introduced the sines. In the time of
Al-Ma'num mathematicians measured the degree of the earth's
circumference. Al-Khawarazmi introduced a new computation
system, the Algorist, which word is a corruption of Al-Khawarazmi.
PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY:
Al-Hazen (965—1038) wrote a work on optics enunciating
the law of reflection and making a study of spherical and parabolic
mirrors. He also devised an apparatus for studying refraction and
was the first physicist to note the magnifying power of lenses. He
gave a detailed account of the human eye, and attempted to explain
the change of the apparent shape of the sun and moon when approaching the horizon. The Arabs employed the pendulum for time
measurement and tabulated specific gravities of metals. (Wiedermann)
Their skill in chemistry enabled them to prepare new chemical
remedies and form many combinations of those already in use.
They produced the first pharmacopeia and established the first apothecaries' shops. Many of the names and many forms of medicine
now used, in fact the general outline of modern pharmacy, except
so far as modified by modern chemistry, started with the Arabs.
(Encyclopedia Brittannica).
�._ .
10
THE SYRIAN WORLD
founded some kind of productive investment was made for it.
Thus Saladin endowed al-Madrassah al-Suyufiyyah in Cairo with
thirty-two shops, and al-Salahyyah in Jerusalem with a whole street,
the rentals from which maintained the school.
The Educational contributions of the Arabs are thus summarized by Totah in his thesis:
1 The Arabs contributed a great deal to the content of education
during the Middle Ages.
2 They introduced the system of Arabic notation and the decimal
system. Every school child should bless them for relief from
the Roman notation.
3 They introduced textbooks.
4 If the Renaissance is a contribution to education, then the
Arabs are to be credited as educators for their share in that
movement.
5 It was a worthy contribution to education for the Arabs to
have saved the world for several centuries from ignorance
and barbarism.
6 Arabic colleges provided an example for European universities.
7 The Arabs made a substantial contribution to the social education of Europe. They taught Europe the use of fabrics and
textiles, such as cotton, damask, gauze and muslin deriving
their names from Damascus, Gaza, Mosul (respectively) and
thus made life a little less primitive.
They made the homes more attractive by the introduction of
brasswork, woodwork, rugs and mattresses. Food was enriched
and made more palatable through the introduction of sugar, coffee,
oranges, candy, spices and other delicacies. Such words as the following, which are derived from the Arabic, tell the tale: alcohol,
amber, atlas, azure, camphor, candy, carat, coffee, crimson, cumin,
divan, jar, lemon, lute, mattress, saffron, sherbet, syrup, sofa,
spinach, and sugar.
•
The baths of Cordova, street lights, and general comforts of
Arab cities provided lessons in the amelioration of the existing conditions in Europe.
Of Arab ideas of education, some of which are ultra-modern
even for the twentieth century, the following quotations are illustrations:
�JANUARY, 1932
11
"Do not impose your ideas upon your children—for
they are created for an age that is not your age."
Al-Ghazali: "The child is a trust with his parents, and his pure
heart is a precious stone, guileless and free of every
mark or form. It is receptive to whatever might be
inscribed on it."
Said Ali:
ASTRONOMY AND MATHEMATICS:
Astronomy sprang from a humble origin—astrology. The
Arabs' interest in the stars began at a very early date in their history. They understood and improved the system of Ptolemy.
They made important astronomical measurements and calculations.
They built observatories in Baghdad, Damascus, Cairo and Seville.
They used astronomical instruments, and Al-Kindi (850 A. D.)
wrote a treatise on weather predictions.
In mathematics, besides introducing the system of Arab notation and the decimal system, they did serious mathematical work
and passed it on to Europe. Algebra is an Arabic word. They developed trigonometry and introduced the sines. In the time of
Al-Ma'num mathematicians measured the degree of the earth's
circumference. Al-Khawarazmi introduced a new computation
system, the Algorist, which word is a corruption of Al-Khawarazmi.
PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY:
Al-Hazen (965—1038) wrote a work on optics enunciating
the law of reflection and making a study of spherical and parabolic
mirrors. He also devised an apparatus for studying refraction and
was the first physicist to note the magnifying power of lenses. He
gave a detailed account of the human eye, and attempted to explain
the change of the apparent shape of the sun and moon when approaching the horizon. The Arabs employed the pendulum for time
measurement and tabulated specific gravities of metals. (Wiedermann)
Their skill in chemistry enabled them to prepare new chemical
remedies and form many combinations of those already in use.
They produced the first pharmacopeia and established the first apothecaries' shops. Many of the names and many forms of medicine
now used, in fact the general outline of modern pharmacy, except
so far as modified by modern chemistry, started with the Arabs.
(Encyclopedia Brittannica).
�12
"THE SYRIAN WORLD
Arabic chemistry attempted to find a way for prolonging life
to which the work "Elixir" testifies.
Arab chemists experimented with the transmutation of the
baser metals into the precious ones. They discovered certain acids,
and converted poisonous minerals into soft and salutary remedies,
lhe outstanding figure in Arabic chemistry is Jabir Ibn Hayyar
known to Europe as Geber.
MEDICINE:
The subject of Arab contributions to Medicine may well occupy
an entire afternoon. It is both interesting and extensive, but time
permits only of a brief description.
When the Bedouins left the desert, their notions of medicine
were naturally crude and primitive. The early Caliphs at Damascus
and Baghdad turned to Christian and Jewish physicians. To the
medical knowledge which they borrowed from the Greeks, Hindus
and Persians, they contributed liberally. It is significant that in the
beginning of the tenth century A. D. Arab doctors had to pass an
examination and possess a license before they were permitted to
practice Sinan was the chairman of the Board of Examiners in
Baghdad and that city boasted of more than one thousand physicians. Al over the Arab Empire were scattered numerous hospitals. The inhabitants of Baghdad, Mosul, Aleppo, Hamah,
Hums and Damascus enjoyed full hospital and clinic facilities.
Ibn Sina, (Avicenna) and Ar-Razi, are the shining stars in
the firmament of Arabian Medicine. Avicenna was called the
Second teacher—Aristotle being the first. His Quanon, the predecessor of Osier's Principles and Practice of Medicine, was the
guide for medical study in European Universities from the twelfth
to the seventeenth centuries. The Quanon was still used as a text
book in the universities of Louvain and Montpellier up to the year
1650.
The most striking characteristics of Arab physicians were their
keen sense of observation and their diagnostic acumen. Handicapped by the lack of X-ray, laboratory, and other modern aides
in diagnosis, they compensated by developing to the highest degree
their human senses.
PHILOSOPHY:
According to a story told in the Fihrist the Caliph Ma'mun
-earned that he saw the venerable figure of Aristotle seated on a
�JANUARY, 1932
13
throne, and in consequence of this vision he sent a deputation to
the Roman Emperor, Leo the Armenian, to obtain scientific books
for translation into Arabic. The Caliph's example was followed
by private individuals and thus the works of Aristotle, Plato, and
other Greek philosophers were translated. Later Avicenna, though
a physician, wrote extensively on philosophy. Al-Kindi and AlFarabi were other prolific writers on this subject, but the greatest
contributor and moulder of philosophy was Ibn Rushd—Averoes,
the Father of Averroism or positivism, the archskeptic and great
liberal. Rihani says: "Whatever may be the debt of the world to
the Arabs, one thing is a sun-like certainty. In the change from
the theological to the rational and historical method in philosophy,
they played the principal part."
CONCLUSION:
In summing up and assessing the contributions of the Arabs to
world civilization I can do no better than to quote from Dorsey's
"Man's Own Show: Civilization":
"Baghdad alone did more to keep the torch of learning alight
than all the churches of Christendom. Ptolemy, Archimedes, Euclid, Hippocrates and Galen, all could have found chairs waiting
them in Baghdad's eighth-century university. And while Christian
Oxford was trying to digest the first five propositions of the first
book of Euclid, Moslem Cordova and Toledo were working out
spherical trigonometry and the theory of numbers. Nor would
Oxford have had any Euclid at all had not the Rabbi, ben Ezra,
carried Greek algebra and Hindu decimal notations from Spain to
London in 1158.
"Moorish, Arabic, science slowly trickled, or rather was smuggled, into Christian Europe, and after studying, translating, and
assimilating it for five centuries, Europe began to build her own
structure on those Arabic foundations. But there is not a single
great name in science in all Christian Europe before 1600 that
cannot be matched by an Arabic precursor."
,- --.:,.
�»-»•
.r1"
14
THE SYRIAN WORLD
BARBARA YOUNG, Editor
"This day has ended.
It is closing upon us even as the water-lily upon its own tomorrow.
What was given us here we shall keep.
And if it suffices not then again must we come together
And together stretch our hands unto.the giver."
KAHLIL GIBRAN from THE PROPHET.
£S WE WRITE, the year of our Lord nineteen thirty-two is ten
days gone. It has come to us garmented with gray mist and fog
even with driving rain. The poets are disconsolate for snow. How
shall they weave the pattern of their rhymes in the winter season
it snow be wholly lacking?
Wise editors of a flock of magazines will smile. They know
that now the canny rhymster is penning verses running over with
roses noting, and a gold June moon. For the loveliest of snowy
lyrics written in mid-winter must wait a full twelve-month ere it
can be born into print upon the pages of Good Housekeeping or
bcnbner's or the Atlantic Monthly.
It is a curious and fascinating fact that regardless of wind or
weather a phrase or a word, or even a wisp of thought whose origin
we can by no means discover, may waken suddenly, in this whispering gallery that is the poet's laboratory a flood of echoes that bring
him unheralded ecstasy and a new song. The song may be of tha'
young Maid, "eternal April, wandering alone," and snow be falling
whitely outside the sill! Or it may be a gust of wild and wintry
singing, whilst the plum petals lie white upon the grass.
Poetry is a perverse and an enchanting mistress. She mav
come upon you as you sit a little drearily at vour window, gazin^
down upon the dizzy lines of traffic speeding and stopping; and sh?
may smile and shake her head a little, and whisper in your ear something like this—
ft
—- T
�JANUARY, 1932
15
"O night, O darkness, house of love and sleep,
Home of the pilgrim, keeper of the sheep,
Sower of dreams and harvester of pain—"
And something catches in your throat; your breath quickens;
you are oblivious to the cars speeding and stopping, to your window,
to your very self. 'Something has happened. That which is the
essential you is freed from the domineering senses, and you neither
hear nor do you see nor feel in the every day normal fashion. It
is a moment of divine release. Keep this moment, prolong it if you
can. It will not come often, but when it does come be sure it is the
veritable presence of some heavenly visitant taking no account of
time nor season, nor snow nor ruby-budded maple, but only of a
door of consciousness open and waiting for a guest.
Love is Enough
_
Hearken, ye people. There is a thrilling word
Borne on the wind of morning, a white message
Falling like snow upon the rusty hills
And the gray hearts of men.
It is a word
Simple and common as a wayside flower;
A word that once was clothed in childly guise,
Waxed and grew strong in beauty and in wisdom.
In Nazareth, long gone, Love walked his way,
Worked at his bench, and raised his ringing voice
Among the Syrian hills. O memory,
Fragrant with cedar, redolent with myrrh,
Shaken with starlight and a chanting choir,
And visions of young Mary and her Son,
Bring Love to earth today!
If Love shall walk again—
Or carpenter or merchant, priest or prince—
If only Love shall lift his lofty voice
Among the nations, Noel shall be kept
In very deed and truth, and all men's woe
Be salved with solace and with confidence.
Love is enough to heal a thousand worlds.
_ ,M
.
BARBARA YOUNG
Reprmted from The Times, December 23, 1931.
�r
16
"THE SYRIAN WORLD
ISSA, A Poem, by Robert Norwood.
(Scribner's, $2.50)
r,hl ^e m0rnuin£ a knight ago, a book came to my breakfast
table bearing the above title and the poet's signature. Opening it
at random my imagination was caught by the first words that met
my eyes.
r
"I see a window where
The curtained sky
Is caught, is framed, and there
A tree so high
That all the morning's gray and gold and blue
Between its web of branches filter through.
I hear the fluted call
Of hermit thrushes,
The far-off waterfall
That roars and rushes
To turn the moss-green wooden mill-wheel
slowly
As though the world sang, 'Holy, Holy, Holy!' "
These lines of simple beauty tempted me to turn page after
page unt.1 the seven cantos and ninety-five pages were completed.
*ht j*11 the autobiography of a Flame.
be ma
7kTh° Td P°etry f°r an indescribable warmth
f
TT>
blessedness, who will give the volume ready
There wU it
MAIM?
wlf
r
P etry
aS 0ne reviewer
curlZTh1
I''
r^10USpoetry
°
^marks,
curling his lip,
then religious
is"'that which, to use Dr
Norwood s own words, "celebrates" the beauty and power- of those
things which impart to life its vigor and vision and richness. Here
106
ArthUr
dema ds
noetrr"^
*T° Whidl
*»<««"And
» is°*free
true
poetry,
a sense off*exultation
and exaltation."
here
tl of magT
* lyHC *"* ^ mUSic' ** »«* a sudde»
Dr. Norwood, rector of St. Bartholomew's Church, in New
* ork was born and lived through his childhood in Nova Scotia.
m tHat N rthern W0dd is COU led w
s^rit thrti"/,
,' ^
° out of the 'ancient PEast. ^hHea
spirit
that thn Is to
a consciousness
has made a book wherein the homeliest things are revealed to be the
holiest and the fineness and fragrance, and alwavs the-power of
m a
IS SUn
Page t0
ZL^Av
;? K' we
5 fl
"°m gratitude.
P^' with the unerring
word and line "which
read
with
There is arising from this poem a gracious incense of gratitude
�,-;;--*^
JANUARY, 1932
17
to life for the wealth that the race has gathered from those men
of old.
It is the symbol of fundamental soundness, this recognition
of today's debt to yesterday. It is the flowering branch that lifts
in blessing above the dark-rooted earth.
There are many passages I would like to quote. One must
suffice j
"What folly is in man,
What thin disguise
And pretext of corban,
That holds the eyes
From visions of the Masters who have won
The light that pales the splendor of the sun!
Our learning is not worth
The heavy pains
Of study, if the earth
Regard its gains
Only as aeons doomed at last to dust—
The miracle of man, but moth and rust."
Frontiers
When the storm of life has passed from the frontiers
of the spirit,
And the clamor and the clang turned to whisper of
a dream,
And the sacrifice and splendor, the torture and the
blessing—
Is a disappearing gleam—
.
There will be a mighty quiet on the ramparts of new
measures,
There will lift the same persistenie which has stirred
in every place,
There will be the breathless hurry and the long drawn
urge of seeking—
For the light of Beauty's face.
Alice Hunt Bartlett
Mrs. Bartlett -s the distinguished American editor of the Poetrv Review
of London, and -the author of WASHINGTON PREEMINENT, a drama of
the life of the first President, which has been adopted by the government as
its bas:s for the historical pageant to be given in the National capitol early
in June.
�18
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Islam Faces the Challenge of
Liberalism
By H. I. KATIBAH
IN MY EXTENDED stay i„ Cairo I came ,0 know ma„y of the
w"fc 1^, religious dignitaries, scholars, e/ucato^
me f these were ro se
^waS
rh, orthodox
;h°Saffaway
"rS- of
'r°the
°forefathers- some
" were
"'aaves waltangin,, the
^fAteld forarefCaU8ht t ^ °f "* * ^"
8 0 Which Sp
8 ! the
f n cuiy
ury n..
{ D
' "some were nut-snot^,
' "
1^. inrtl'Lart
tne heart ofT
of the d^
desert;
"ftt';ehboteakgtinSt the,hf-hea-d> equivocal^ hSt
nrelen
"i COnClk ***"*" the dead Past and the living
present, some were altogethre indifferent to religion, holding to
the needs of the present age lie in another direction and that Xion
has brought in the past more woe than weal to the millions of3
who neglected this world and held to the illusory promises "ofThe
l ha
e h
ld pkaSUre t0 k ow
Zaki
TT a'and
" of the
Ahmed
^aJciiP^hfttT
asha, the geniali V\
Arab scholar
popular leader
nan
Arabic movement His home in Giza,a substantial Oriental"
mansion with a little garden in front, facing the Nile about three
hundred yards from the modern bridge, cabled after he orm
£tSfc IS^W^^L" a Mecca to aI] those wh' sss
Oie Arabic hast and work for the restoration of its old glorv and
Clkh
if *
i u
,°f Araby • And a she'kh in the best sense
of he word he certainly is. His hospitality is spontaneous and T,
cere ; his beaming, ruddy, round faec and sparkling eyesTonce
reveal a charming good nature and integrityof emotions that are
always ^ted in our minds with the true Arab gemkman and
without which the outward hospitality is a mocking^kits
a .nan about sixty, but his unusal exuberance and remXble^L
ity make you forget his gray, partly bald head and cl selv clmoed
moustache. At home when with friends, he prefers toapS
the comfortable and loose Jullabiyyah, always immaculLl^white
and a Persian woolen aba or white Arabic gold-br,ided burno"
�JANUARY, 1932
Jg
While on his head lies lightly a skull cap, embroidered around in
golden letters with two lines of Arabic poetry, the purport of which
is a call on the Arabic nation to arise from its slumber of indifference
and dissension. Wherever you turn in his spacious home you find
yourselr face to face with some precious souvenir from some Arab
sovereign or admiring leader, that you sometime wonder if you
are in a miniature Arab museum. The backgammon board he plays
on—and the pasha is an expert backgammon player— is the handiwork of Sultan Abdul-Hamid, exquisitely inlaid with ivory by the
hands of the late Ottoman despot, while in the dining room on the
second floor attractive bureaus and secretaries from the deft cabinet
masters of Damascus line the wall.
While Ahmed Zaki Pasha is a devout Moslem, as may be interred from his life-desire to leave for perpetuity a little mosque
of l<atimide architecture only a few paces away from his residence,
he is primarily a scholar and a genial man of the world. His library
in the Gunyyah Mosque in the city is one of the best private col'
lections of rare Arabic manuscripts and printed works. He tends
to liberalism in his religious views, but not enough to satisfy some
modern Moslem liberals, and a little too much to please the old
reactionaries. Yet to all he opens wide his hospitable arms, and all
are welcome to his home—be they liberals, radicals or dyed- inthc-wool conservatives—provided they are Arabs or lovers of the
Arabs.
t
°?Z ^I I ?amC f° my pension t0 find a telephone message
from Ahmed Zaki Pasha. I called him back and found that he
wanted me to have dinner with him at his home and spend the
evening there.
"Be sure to come", he pressed, "for there is a gentleman from
India I want you to meet, and Ismail Mazhar Bey and others will
be present."
Enquiring of the nature of the meeting, the pasha informed
me that there was going to be an old-fashioned, honest-to-goodness
catch-as-catch-can religious argument. No quarter was to be given
no deference to touchy sensibilities, no mincing of words
The opportunity was a rare one and I could not afford to miss
it for anything Besides, it was the first time I was to meet Ismail
Mazhar Bey the Bob Ingersoll of Egypt, of whom I had heard
a great deal from my Egyptian friends, and with whose published
works and current articles in his outspoken radical magazine I was
already familiar.
The gentleman from India turned out to be an Ahmadiyyah
�20
SSdnS
THE SYRIAN WORLD
aUd th Suh
%
rCt
of his
^
<« was whether the
expected Christ, as predicted in a Tradition of the Prophet, had
actually returned as the Ahmadiyyah sect holds. For the informaec inT 1C
VT b£ Sald that the Ah diyyah is a recent
sect m Islam, going back to the middle of the nineteenth century
and owes its rise to a certain Mirza Ghulam Ahmed of Qadian in
the 1 unjab who claimed that he was the expected Christ. The Ahmadiyyah claim to be strict Moslem orthodox, but discard a lot of
traditions that do not coincide with their peculiar teachings Their
zeal as missionaries is well-attested to by the many converts they
have already made not only in India, but also in London, Paris,
Berlin and our own Chicago. In the Arabic-speaking world, however, they have not been so fortunate. Their activities in Damascus
only brought about their expulsion recently and some rough maltreatment at the hands of pious, orthodox Moslems
Ahmed Zaki Pasha had prepared for the occasion. On a table
m the guest parlour facing his study, he had piled formidablelooking, yellow-leaved tomes of Moslem theology and exegisisIe-R I!""' " ?PI °f al~?aidawi's Commentary, the Traditions of
al-Bukhan and other standard works. It was the strategy of Ahmed
Zaki Pasha and his supporters to show that a certain authenticated
Iradition makes Mohammed say that Christ, the son of Mary
was the expected Messiah to return on earth, and that just preceding
the Last Day. The Ahmadiyyah missionary and his two supporters,
converts from Damascus, on the other hand, made a strenuous
effort to prove that Mirza Ghulam Ahmed of Qadian fulfilled in
his person the prophetical conditions and prerequisities of the returning Messiah.
As the argument waxed hot, Ismail Mazhar Bey grew impatient his massive, thick-built body squirming under the sultry
heat of an oppressive Spring evening in Cairo. Outside, only a few
paces away, the limpid Nile was placidly flowing on in front of the
pasha s mansion, reflecting the myriads of fluttering lights of the
gay Oriental city. But inside the mansion itself serious business
was going on. It was one instance out of countless others in which
Islam was facing the challenge of critical, devastating liberalism.
>u
rSV n \TJS this meSS °f irrelevency you are wading
through: ', finally blurted out Ismail Bey, after a few futile effort!
to make the contestants define their terms at each stage ®f the
argument before trying to prove their points by pointless quotations
He wiped the perspiration off his brow and leaned forward in his
chair.
|1
�JANUARY, 1932
21
"Why waste time", he continued, "delving into niceties of the
Traditions and interpretations of theologians who lived a thousand
or more years ago, and who talk a language we no more understand?
Before we discuss whether Ahmed of Qadian is the expected Messiah or not, let us first see what this Messiah idea is, and whether
it has a place in our modern conception of society and religion.
Gentlemen, we are assuming too much that must first be authenticated in fact and justified by reason. We quote the Qoran and
Traditions as if they were infallible scientific axioms, when even
scientific axioms themselves stand in need of proof and demonstration
There were voices of protest. Ahmed Zaki Pasha insisted
that since the Ahmadiyyah were confessed believers in Islam, all
that was necessary was to argue the relevant point whether Ahmed
of Qadian could be the expected Messiah when an authenticated
Tradition specifies the returning Christ to be the Son of Miriam,
and whether the appearance of the founder of Ahmadiyyah did
fulfill those signs and events which prophecies associated with the
return on earth of Christ the Son of Miriam.
But the point of interest to me was that no one present seemed
to resent the remarks of Ismail Mazhar Bey, devastating as they
were of the very foundation of Islam and all revealed religions.
He was not denounced as a zindiq or mulhid (atheist), and
no voice was raised to tar and feather the brazen heretic and run
him out of Cairo.
True, this was partly due to the fact that Mazhar Bey was a
privileged character in Cairo, whose taunting tirades against ortho-'
doxy have come to be taken with a little gracious smile and a little
pinch of salt. The good-hearted, honest Mazhar Bey could mean
no serious harm by his strutting vaunts of liberalism; they are part
and parcel with the liberal convivialities and amusements of the
easy-going, pleasure-bound city of numerous cafes, vaudevilles and
theatres.
Partly, however, it was due to the fact that times have changed
considerably since the War, and momentous cataclysms which have
made the world shock-proof have had their effect on Egypt and all
other countries of the East.
What heresies could be considered surprising now to the orthodox Moslems of Egypt or Syria after the sweeping heresies of
Mustapha Kemal Pasha and his followers? What socialistic Utopian
vaguaries could be considered impractical when a former absolute
monarchy is engaged today in putting into practice the most radical
ft
�22
7HE SYRIAN WORLD
teachings of Marx and Lenin? And yet, I heard once a great
feminist leader, a prominent Moslem lady of Cairo, call Mustapha
Kemal Pasha the real saviour of Islam, and praise his reforms in
the most enthusiastic, unstinting fashion.
In every day, and in a thousand and one ways, Islam is facing
the challenge of the liberal spirit. The issue can no more be ignored
or dodged by turbaned theologians or ecclesiastical hierarchies which
claim a heavenly source of authority. The decided trend to realism among the college and university students of the East, the
frankly agnostic spirit of the literati, the insistence of the man in
the street that religion should primarily be a matter of conduct
and ethics, and the disregard or even complete discard of the trappings of creed and ritual by thousands of otherwise good churchgoers and honest religionists, are but signs of the age which ushers
in the automobile and talkies to the Lands of the Near East, the
cradle of religion and the descent-place of inspiration.
A Legal Opinion
Mr. Faris S. Malouf, a Syrian lawyer of Boston, Mass., expresses his opinion of the Syrian World as follows:
"la undertaking the publication of the Syrian World, you
have addressed yourself to the noble service of your people. You
have dedicated yourself to a difficult task among very difficult people. Yet, the loftiness of your purpose and the worthiness of your
methods as an editor and publisher have merited the respect and
admiration of your fellowmen.
"You are to be sincerely congratulated upon the literary value
and style of the Syrian World. When the history of the Syrian
people in America is written, the Syrian World and its editor and
publisher will occupy their place among the best and most beautiful achievements of our people. May your excellent publication
always be the open door between the best of what is Syrian and the
best of what is American for our young generation."
�mrawn—i
m
JANUARY, 1932
23
Death of the Maronite Patriarch
JHE DEATH en Dtecember
24, 1931, of His Beatitude Elias
J eter Howayek. the Maronite Patriarch, at his see at Bekerkv
a few miles north of Beirut in Mt. Lebanon, brings to a close a long
md extinguished career of public service both in civic leadership
and ir, presiding over the destinies of one „f the oldest Christian
churches of the East.
Patriarch Howayek was held in reverence and esteem not
alone by hi s own foil
owers but by all the people of Lebanon of
every religious denomination. He was called not simply the Maromte Patriarch, but the Lebanese Patriarch, in gratitude for the
many signal services he rendered the country out of purely patnofic motives, and without distinction for section or creed. During
the World War he was persecuted and threatened with exile by
the lurks, but despite the trying ordeals through which he passed,
he managed to bring considerable relief to the starving and suffering people of Lebanon. At the close of the war, he was unanimously chosen to represent the people of Lebanon at the Versailles
Peace Conference.
Patriarch Howayek lived to the ripe age of eighty-eight, having been born on December 20, 1843 at the village of Hilta, in
the District of Batroun, Mt. Lebanon.
The Patriarch's parents were of modest means, but managed
to give him the education he craved even at a tender age. For
years he plodded five miles on foot every day to attend the school
oi bt. John Maron, until his parents were persuaded to send him as
a boarder to the Jesuit College at Gazir.where he took up the study
of French Latin and Greek, having already mastered Arabic and
byriac. Not content, however, with the limited educational facilities available in Lebanon, he applied on his own initiative for a
scholarship at the Propaganda College'in Rome. The Cardinal
Iretect of the College ,s said to have so admired the ambition of
the young student that he wrote to the Maronite Patriarch recommending a grant of scholarship to him. He spent in Rome seven
years and graduated as a Doctor of Theology and Canon Law
His ordination to the priesthood took place in Lebanon at the
hands of Bishop Joseph Jahjah in 1870. His elevation to the
honorary bishopric of Arka was in 1889, and his choice for the
Patriarchate was reached twelve days after the death of his pre-
�24
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Patriarch Elias Howayek
December 20, 1843—December 24, 1931
Acclaimed as the "Lebanese Patriarch" by adherents of all
religious denominations.
�\\
JANUARY, 1932
25
decessor, Patriarch John Haj, on Dec. 24, 1898. For seventeen
years he had been private secretary to the Patriarch and in that
capacity gained much useful experience in the conduct of the exalted office which later he was to occupy.
While bishop he visited Europe and had private audiences
with many rulers, including Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria and
Sultan Abdul Hamid. He also raised funds for the restoration of
the Maronite College in Rome which owes its present flourishing
condition to his tireless efforts and sustained interest.
The most trying years of the Patriarch's life were those of
the World War when one hundred and fifty thousand of his people
perished through starvation said to have been purposely brought
about by the Turks in their efforts to exterminate the Christians of
the East and thereby eliminate them as a cause of the constant
meddling of Europe in the internal affairs of the Ottoman Empire
The Patriarch made every effort to stave off the disaster, donating
all the funds and selling much of the property of the Patriarchate
for relief purposes. His activities were curtailed by the relentless
persecution of Jamal Pasha, the Turkish military governor of
Syria, who had him arrested and sought to exile him to a distant
place in the Empire where he would be out of touch with his people.
The Patriarch was saved from such a fate only through the intercession of the Pope and of Emperor Franz Joseph who was his
personal friend.
At the conclusion of the war the Patriarch, despite his advanced
age, undertook the journey to Paris to claim for Lebanon the benefit
of independence which would Irft from it the heavy hand of continued Turkish rule. In this capacity he acted as the national representative of, the people of Lebanon without distinction of creed.
Surely, for a country still basing its political institutions on denominational representation, the unanimous selection of the Patriarch
of one creed as the national representative at such a momentous
occasion as that of the Peace Conference was a notable tribute to
the man's broad and high conception of patriotism. The Patriarch's
efforts culminated in the declaration of the independence of Lebanon in 1920, and the formation of the Republic of Lebanon in
1926, when he was specially invited to attend the official ceremony
on the latter occasion, being accorded a reception by the people
of Beirut, the capital, such as is given only to great national heroes.
The late Patriarch was most solicitous for the well-being of
the Maronites of America, according to the editor of the Syrian
World who published in the March, 1930 issue of the magazine
3
�26
THE SYRIAN WORLD
The Patriarch at Home
his
^^"VkC^iTTr hehadheWith
Beatitude late
TOS reported t0
exclaimed, "Is i not strai«rh °r"fTS?
h^e
have now'migrated totX^/K? « °l T, "^
\
t„:uSSSTS,^
* 'he
Ugh fifteen ce turi
redous
which has come do
P
»^cy
i» a generation."
" es should be lost
Even at that time he was rpmrt.j
j
8
other journey to Paris to TaLuard I" T^ * ,U"dertake *People, this time "against the Seed of '
" °f Ws beloved
interests who were E^^$£ZT?**»* fo gn
e Ilttle the
economic resources."
y Possessed of
1e
�JANUARY, 1932
27
Who Are the Maronites
Having received their Christian faith from the Apostles, they maintained it against all -persecution throughout the centuries They
were allies of the Crusaders and were granted special protection
by France.
By
MICHAEL ABOUSSLEMAN
PRACING BACK their history to remote times, the Maronites of
V
Lebanon can claim direct descent from the ancient Phoenicians. They came to be known by their present name, however, only
since the fifth century of our era. Of course, this should not be
taken to mean that they embraced Christianity only at that late age
because their conversion dates back to the time of the Apostles
themselves. But in the first half of the fifth century, when' the
church was torn with internal dissension, a monk-priest known then
as Maron the Hermit, and since as St. Maron, caused them to hold
steadfast to the Roman faith and formed of them a solid unit of the
Cathohe church in the East. Since then they came to be known as
his followers, otherwise Maronites.
St. Maron was an accomplished theologian, an eloquent orator
and above all, a saintly man who was held in the highest esteem
by his contemporaries among the Fathers of the Church, especially
by St. John Chrysostom with whom he exchanged correspondence.
Maron the Hermit had attracted to his monastic life a large following who established themselves on the banks of the Orontes near
Horns. The strife then rampant in the Christian church led to
severe persecution and acts of cruelty, which once resulted in the
massacre of 350 disciples of Maron and caused him to seek refuge
in the fastness of North Lebanon. There he continued his championship of the Nicean Creed, and aside from strengthening the
Christians of the mountain in their faith, he encouraged them in
their struggle for independence and became their natural leader
in all civic enterprises. From that time until our present day the
Maromte clergy has played a leading part in shaping the destinies
oi their peopk, both in their spiritual allegiance and in their political and economic affairs.
Such was the condition of the Maronites in the middle of the
seventh century, and when, shortly after the appearance of Islam,
�.&
26>
7*#£ SYRIAN WORLD
Omar Ibn Al-Kattab was proclaimed caliph (A.D.635) and the
Arab wave of conquest swept over Palestine and Syria, the Maronites, who were in occupation of a large part of the plains, retired to
the fastness of then- mountain stronghold and there resisted the
efforts of the invaders to subdue them. It may here be mentioned
»2Lf "°K
j\hlstory wras ^is proud and valiant people completely subjected by any of the many powerful foreign invaders
who dreamed of world conquest and had to travel to it over the
Syrian highway Persians, Greeks and Romans all stopped short
of the impregnable mountain, as much owing to its natural strength
as to the valor and determination of its inhabitants who in all history
S
rheerMeVer -JC
°f thdr indePenden«=- Thus the ancestors of
the Maronites were ever treated as a privileged people so that by
agreement and understanding only could conquerors continue their
march either to the north or to the south without endangering their
lines of communications.
^
h
Wkh
had
lodJc\
LAByzantine
KhS' ,h°Werulers
T' "?°
°ne miof
^ht
y stroke
dislodged the
from the plains
Syria,
did not deem
it expedient to treat the Maronites as other invaders had treated
hem before, a mistake whose enormity they realized only after
the Maromtes had resisted their onward march to the conquest of
Constantinople for forty years, rising in their way like a brass wall.
It was to be exact, forty two years later, A. D. 677, that the Umav
vad caliph Abdul Malek Ibn Marwan, becoming t^loLt Unites (Maronites of that period) raids on his newly conquered domains and fearful of the ill effects of their hampering tactics on
Islam's stabilization and further progress, contrived to arrange an
armistice with Justinian, the Byzantine Emperor, by which the Caliph engaged himself to deliver to the Emperor, daily, one thousand
dinars, one slave and one pedigreed horse, on the express condition
that he relieve him of the Meredite menace. Thus the youthful
Emperor partly through love of gold and partly through his ignor-
ubt e d
of ri al mtn
?0of cttheeh°e Moslems
M i andrr
° r ^> 3** £?« ^23.
by ruse and treachery succeeded in expatriating twelve thousand of the flower of the Meredites' warriors thus
hSI °Z\ A ^ °W»handS ?C braSS Wdl Which stood between
him and the Arabs. History does not record where this valiant
army settled or what disposition the Emperor made of it In some
accounts, they are said to have been forced to settle in Armenia
while other accounts represent them as having been removed- to
Ulicia. Some historians are positive that they were transported
to Albania, in the Balkans, where their descendants are said to be
{
») ."' ' '
�—
JANUARY, 1932
!
29
A typical scene in the Maronite country of Northern Lebanon.
1 hrtvtng villages rise on the massive shoulders of high mountains
almost on the brink of yawning valleys.
still blown as the Meredites. Whatever the case, the fact remains
hatthedeportatIon0f these warriors from Lebanon opened to the
Arabs the doors of Asia Minor and sounded the death knell of the
Byzantine Empire in the Near East.
Justinian's action had a calamitous effect not only on the
Empire but on the standing of the Maronites who composed the
most cogent unit of Christiandom in the East. Because as a consequence they had to further retrench in their mountain where
they remained for the three succeeding centuries on the defensive,
being continually harassed by Arab raids. It was only in 1098 A
D when the Crusaders invaded Syria and for a time held it against
"rr A thCrM*rTeS fdt thdr PrestiSe stored, inasmuch as they and the Crusaders were fighting for a common cause
and they acted in the country as guides and allies to their co-religionists from across the sea.
The Maronite country became a part of the Crusaders' kingdom, but the Crusaders respected its autonomy and political traditions by allowing its own emirs to remain in power. This condition of security for the Maronites lasted throughout the Crusaders'
occupation of Syria, and proved to be the foundation of the strong
�30
THE SYRIAN WORLD
historical record to'a.'vTh
K ^LoL Jxtf Fn " " 2*7 rf
became St. Louis landed with!,,
France, who later
Simaan, the X of the M, h,.sf army **<« (St. John D'Acre),
KM£SSSJS£S5S
ty of purpose h„weveerX- wl^bfe\f sunt^^ "» ^
Inis condition of persecution and unrest lasted ,,nt;i rf.
bloodiest episode in the h storv of T el
tervene in their hehoif£
Th.nrnferfi^n «f •
r?
rFrance
^T^0"/
If w
^ the
,
caused them to m> as the protector of the Eastern
/i
placing ot the Lebanon under the
the Worid War when ¥117^°" **Tt T' the 0Utbrak °f
lot with
European
•
•"? ^'i""
*<= !.Centarf
,.'? Power!
rowers, SdI
and hbeing
suspicious
of the nrn All,,
•
MMHI
,
�JANUARY, 1932
31
Waik Kadisha (Sacred Valley) where St. Mar on and his disciples
first settled when they came to Northern Lebanon. Some of their
early monasteries may still be seen faintly on the slopes.
1
ade of the Syrian coast by preventing provisions to reach them from
interior points, caused 150,000 of the population to perish from
starvation. In this the whole Lebanese population fared equally,
Moslems, Christians and Druzes, because of the Turks' suspicions
of their pro-Ally sentiments.
The heavy price the Lebanese paid in blood, however, brought
about their freedom from the Turkish yoke. During the peace
conference in Paris the Maronite Patriarch, as the delegate of the
Lebanese at large irrespective of creed, argued for the liberation
of Lebanon and its placing under the French mandate. In 1920
Greater Lebanon was declared in fulfillment of one of the demands
of the Lebanese for the return of their country to its former boundaries, and in 1926 Lebanon was declared a republic as a further grant
of national independence. The Maronites form the largest single
unit of the population of Lebanon, and the present political status
of the country is considered a triumph of their ideals.
�-
THE SYRIAN WORLD
!'
Syria in Romance
Editor s Note—As announced at the opening of our current year, it is part of
our new policy to give an cutline of all works of fiction related with Syra,
in the belief that such a step would further carry out the'policy of the magazine and enrich our readers' stoie of nformation en Syria's place in literature
Suggestions from our readers on available works for this department will be
appreciated.
The Brethren
By
RIDER HAGGARD
Condensed by Dagny Edwards
PROLOGUE
\
J
YUSUF SALAH-ED-DIN, thrice in succession dreamt that his
niece, who dwelt in England, daughter of his dead sister, Zobeide, and a Frankish lord, Sir Andrew D'Arcy, would by her presence
at Saladin's side, in a way not yet revealed to him in his dreams,
withhold him from much bloodshed, and save the world from
great misery. Upon the interpretation of this dream by his holy
Imams and Diviners, Salah-ed-din commanded a certain false
knight, Sir Hugh Lozelle, a Frankish spy who knew the Sultan's
niece, also another spy, disguised as a Christian, and one of his
most trusted and greatest Emirs, Prince Hassan, to capture the
maiden by force, if she refused to come willingly to Syria.
That her dignity be worthy of her high blood and fate, Salahed-din decreed that she become the Princess of Baalbec, ruled, before her, by her grandfather, Ayoub, and uncle, Izzedin. A stout
galley of war, under the command of Prince Hassan was purchased
and with a royal gift of jewels to the lady, his niece, and a letter
to the English lord, her. father, Sir Andrew D'Arcy, the company
set sail for England, with orders to return with the maiden or never
again dare look on the face of the Sultan.
Thus did Yusuf Salah-ed-din, ere he waited patiently till
God should fulfill the vision which He had sent him in his sleep.
1
*
�JANUARY, 1932
33
THE STORY
t
RETURNING quietly from an afternoon of gathering marsh
^ flowers along the sea wall on the coast of Essex, Rosamund
D'Arcy and the twin brethren, her cousins, pale, stately, dreamy
Godwin, and bold-fronted, blue-eyed warrior Wulf, were startled
from the calm of the peaceful ride toward their castle nine miles
away, by a band of armed men who approached them by boat, surrounded the party and barred all paths of escape.
"To the boat," shouted Godwin.
But sails and oars were gone, and mocking voices bade him
let Rosamund into the boat and save them the trouble of carrying
her there.
"Give her up now and go your way with your arms and horses,
for you are gallant young men, whose blood we do not wish to
shed."
At this, the brethren laughed together. "We will give her up
with our last breath, but not before. Who has such urgent need of
the lady Rosamund?"
The answer came, "Lozelle." Now the knight Lozelle, Essex-born and powerful, once had sought Rosamund's hand in marriage. Being rejected, he had voiced many threats, until Godwin
as the elder of the twins, had fought and wounded him. He had
then disappeared, fully a year before.
Rosamund begged them not to let her fall into Lozelle's
hands; she would rather that Godwin kill her there, then to attempt
their escape after her death. One chance remained for the lady
Rosamund, and Godwin spoke these words, "The gray horse you
ride is strong and true. Turn now and spur him into the water of
Death Creek and swim it. It is broad, but the incoming tide will
help you and perchance you will not drown. Bless us and be gone."
Rosamund made the treacherous leap and as she headed for the
bank the woman-thieves shouted in wonder for a deed such as this
they had thought a girl would never dare. Then with a rush the
band came upon the two tall twin warriors whose long swords smote
their faces as swiftly as they came toward them. Three fell and were
killed; three were pushed in the water below; two drowned; several
were wounded, and others made their escape. The battle was not
yet over, when the brethren turned about and saw Rosamund safely
near the opposite shore. Suddenly, one whom the brethren thought
dead, leapt upon Godwin with a bloody sword and smote him to the
ground. Wulf fiercely assailed the man, killing him with two
�34
d
THE SYRIAN WORLD
blows; then lifting Godwin to his saddle, made a swift dash for his
own horse, and shouted aloud the war-cry of the D'Arcy's "A D'Arcyl a D'Arcy] Contre D'Arcy! Contre Mort!" Thus in a flash
they made their way through the ranks of the foe, to safety, and
until the shouts had died away behind them, and the sound of their
horses hoofs was the only sound heard, did darkness fall upon the
minds of Wulf and Godwin.
A-month or more later when Godwin had regained his senses
and was slowly gaining his strength, the strange tale of Rosamund's
escape and their day's battle was retold to Godwin by Sir Andrew
who was so pleased with the bravery and knightly deeds of the brethren that he presented his tale to the king with the prayer that he,
the king, would grant Sir Andrew a command in writing to knight
Godwin and Wulf. This the king did.
Another month'went by, when on the last day of November,
after much preparation, ceremony and feasting, the brethren were
publicly knighted. Now, for the first time, the brethren felt the
cold grip of jealousy pulling at their hearts. Both were in love
with Rosamund, but neither knew which she preferred. Sore at
heart, they finally decided to gain Sir Andrew's permission that each
might speak to her on the same day, Godwin first, asking the lady
to give her answer within a day. To further seal the amity and
love the brethren bore each other, they swore an oath before God
and the I nor, that they would abide by Rosamund's decision, and
that as far as possible, they would suffer neither bitterness nor
jealousy to come between their love because of this woman.
After pleading their cases before Rosamund, the brethren
anxiously awaited her decision, which came the next day. Lovely
Rosamund refused both, but gave her promise that if all were living
in two years' time and if they still wanted her for wife, she would
choose one and marry him at once. She declared they were all still
young for marriage and since it was so difficult to make a choice between two such men, she might in truth learn which was the better
knight. There the matter amicably stood, while the brethren felt
their lives now had a purpose which fired them to dare, do and win
As the brethren left Rosamund, there came up the steps a tall
man clad in pilgrim's hood and carrying a palmer's staff He
sought shelter for himself and mule, also a word with Sir Andrew
1: Arcy, for whom he had a message. His name, they learned, was
JNichoJas of Salisbury, who brought from his master, Salah-ed-din,
a chest of jewels for Rosamund, and the message which told the
tale of his dream, bidding his beautiful niece, whom he had never
n
�'
JANUARY, 1932
35
seen, come to Damascus. Rosamund would not be forced into any
marriage or even to change her religion, but come she must, or
within a year from the day he received her answer, Rosamund would
be lead to him, with honor, if willingly, by force, if unwilling.
The precious gifts and titles of Princess of Baalbec were the bait
to tempt her, but in answer to her father's query, "Will you go and
queen it there?" her only word was, "nay," which answer was
written to Salah-ed-din. At the conclusion, Sir Andrew told the
story of his meeting with Zobeide; how when he was a young man
some twenty years ago, he was wounded and taken prisoner in the
capture of Harenc. Ayoub was governor, and Sir Andrew was
taken to Damascus where he was lodged in Ayoub's palace and kindly treated. There he became a friend to the young Salah-ed-din
and his sister, Zobeide, who although half Sir Andrew's age, loved
him as he loved her, changed her faith and offered to flee to England with him. Luckily, Sir Andrew had once, in battle, saved the
life of one Jebal, young chief of a terrible and cruel people. Their
castles were at Masyaf in Lebanon. Jebel swore that if ever Sir
Andrew needed help, he had but to summon him, and in token of
this oath, Jebal gave Sir Andrew a signet ring which would give
D'Arcy power in Jebal's dominion, equal to the ruler himself. True
to his word, when Sir Andrew sent word that he needed help to
escape to England, Jebal provided such swift horses for Zobeide
and D'Arcy that the cavalry of Ayoub could not overtake them.
Upon reaching Beirut, they were married, and there too, Zobeide
was baptised as a Christian. Before arriving safely in England,
however, a message was brought Sir Andrew from Ayoub and his
son, Saladin, who swore they would recapture Zobeide. Later,
upon her death, Rosamund took her mother's place in the oath in
the heart of the Sultan, Salah-ed-din.
And so the story told, they sought to question the palmer,
whom they did not trust. Early next morning, seeking to rouse him
they found the palmer gone, and though they hunted far and wide
for three hours, Nicholas could not be found.
As time passed on and nothing happened to disturb them, they
soon forgot their fears, although a guard was set every night,
twenty men slept in the Hall and they had arranged that on the
lighting of a signal fire upon the tower of Steeple Church, their
neighbors should come to their assistance.
Towards Christmas, Prior John told them he was going to
Southminster to buy wine for the Christmas feast. He had heard
that a ship laden with wine of Cyprus of wonderful quality had
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
n r
Ge rgi S dreW the wi e
horncunso?
° Rosamund
°
» > andany
filledThen
the
horn cups of all,Tpresent*' except
who refused
hftmg ha own cup, he bade them drink As he
aDDeareHL J
his beaker nil fr,!! ,^ u,
^ ne appeared to drain
meT C*VSo1h.Tn ^^ged m° *an a score of armed
par iaX d L5 Sir A,?H
I I fierce struggle with them, the
Pnnce Hassan,) assumed a^^S^SS?^^
R~
J ?,0!'thS paSSed by- and th<: brethren in their search for
of TehT, ' :h° '" th,e m?'7hile> had <« capture bva band
were in her h« use i^
P
7
Wlth Ut Masouda
°
'* aid, since they
^^,£* -]ied S°» °f the Sand, the'hne't Ped'
u iwnib, i lame and Smoke; and after assuring
4*1
�JANUARY, 1932
ft
: W
37
the Arab that the brethren could ride, and would be kind masters
their bargain was sealed.
But Godwin was troubled for it seemed to him as though in a
dream, that when they were on the treacherous trial ride, with
Masouda in back of him, and Son of the Sand on Wulf's steed, that
as they leapt through the air from one sheer cliff to another, Masouda pressed her lips close upon his cheek.
The next day being the forth day agreed upon, Godwin and
Wulf sought out Masouda, and although once again she warned
them of the danger facing them, she consented to guide them to
Sinan. Leaving at nightfall, with Masouda disguised as a servant
lad, they covered several nights and several days on the mountain
side, when one night they lay down to rest in a spot where many
lions were. Masouda and Wulf slept, while Godwin kept watch
before the fire*. Suddenly as Godwin sat musing and thinking of
the lovely Masouda, he heard an agonized cry, and springing to her
side, he found Masouda hanging from the jaws of a great yellow
lioness. He hurled a burning cedar bough at it, whereat the beast
dropped Masouda, and fought Godwin until he fell, a senseless
mass beneath the heavy weight of the lioness. When his senses
returned, Godwin found Masouda safe, cleaning his wounds. Wulf
had finally wakened from his slumber and half asleep, had smote
the beast dead with his sword. After a few days rest they finally
reached the city and castle of Al-Jebal.
Before the presence of the terrible Jebal, the brethren told
their tale, but even as they finished, messengers entered, followed
by a veiled woman. As she unveiled, the brethren stared, for there
stood Rosamund
Pretending to be her half-brothers, for thus
only could they hope to remain with her, the brethren received the
counsel and assistance of Masouda, who laid plans for their escape.
Fired by the insolence and sneers of Lozelle, Wulf challenged him
to a combat which Jebal sanctioned. After a furious fray which
took place in the moonlight on a narrow bridge, Lozelle was killed
by Wulf, and the brothers made their escape to a cave shown them
by Masouda, before any knew what they were about. Rosamund
and Masouda joined them later, and then followed a desparate
flight to Emesa, swiftly pursued by Jebal's men. All seemed lost,
as the Assassins were directly upon them, when suddenly, from in
front of a hill, rushed squadrons of turbaned cavalry, shouting
"Salah-ed-din Salah-ed-din!"
Too late did the Assassins turn to flee, and but a few lived to
tell their tale to Jebal, the furious, who was himself in love with
�aaas
38
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Rosamund, and now doubly infuriated at her escape.
It was Prince Hassan who came to the rescue, and thus they
followed him to Saladin, who kind though he was, and though he
listened well to their tale, was firm in his resolution that Rosamund
should stay with him; moreover, if the brethren should attempt to
steal her, they would die ; and should she escape from him, and
Saladin recapture her, then she should die. Thus with the greatest
of honour did Godwin and Wulf remain in peace at the palace of
Salah-ed-din. Once indeed, the brethren, thanks to Masouda's
good counsel, saved the Sultan's life from a band of Assassins who
entered his palace in disguise. Salah-ed-din gratefully offered the
brethren, each in turn, the hand of Rosamund in marriage, if they
would accept his faith, but the twins refused. Then it was that
Saladin announced they must choose between staying at the Castle
and fighting for him in the coming war between the Cross and the
Crescent or go forth to fight with the Franks... leaving the choice
to Rosamund, who bade them serve the Cross. So giving them safe
conduct to Jerusalem, the Sultan, Rosamund, Masouda and the
brethren, bade their farewells, not daring to think that they would
see each other again alive.
( To be continued in the February issue)
Sayings of Ali
Birth is but the herald of Death.
* * *
A rich miser is poorer than an open-handed pauper.
* * *
The blow is more painful coming from one's beloved.
* * *
Your gray hair is your obituary announcement.
* * *
The thirst for gold is stronger than the thirst for water.
* * *
The victor is he who escapes the iniquity of his own soul.
*
*
T1
A meeting place for the exchange of knowledge is a corner of
Paradise.
.
~.-
�*- A sm
" """'
JANUARY, 1932
-
1-IWMWIIMMIJilL.. -
39
TRVE ARABIAN TA
THE LADY PRISONER WHO ENSLAVED HER CAPTOR
WHATEVER MAY BE said of the Arabs' unscrupulous attitude
toward raiding, robbing of caravans and the murdering of men
and enslaving of women, there are any number of instances which
prove that they are exceedingly responsive to impulses of chivalry
and the grand display of the magnanimous, even when they are engaged in the very business of despoiling innocent travelers of their
property. Such an incident is recorded of Mohammad Ibn Saleh
El 'Alawi, who lived in the reign of the caliph Al-Mutwakil, and
had caused that caliph considerable anxiety by his seditious activities.
Obviously with the intention of recording only his love experience, Mohammad relates the following incident which befell him
while an outlaw and a price placed on his head. It is here recorded
as it is told, in the first person, with the exercise of but little license
in the translation wherever an elucidation of the original would
seem necessary, but with no radical divergence from the general
meaning of the text. Said Mohammad:
When I was a rebel against the caliph I sought by every possible means to rouse the country against him and cause general disturbances of the peace. While thus engaged I once intercepted the
great caravan which had gathered for the annual pilgrimage to
Mecca, and my men were anticipating an immense prize in loot.
The goods were to be distributed on the spot and I sat on a stool in
the open to supervise the division, when from the immense circle
that was drawn about me the curtains of a hawdaj (litter) on one
of the captured camels were parted and the soft voice of a woman
was heard asking about the leader of the raiding party. I looked
up and saw a sight of beauty that held me actually spellbound. For
the lady was not only beautiful but had an air of dignity and refinement which proclaimed her a person of the highest breeding.
�40
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Such an apparition could not fail but elicit a sympathetic response,
and to my answer that I was the leader of the party she thus addressed me:
"I am Hamdouniah, daughter of Issa Ibn Moussa, whose high
standing in the court of the caliph you will not fail to recognize.
I am not questioning your motives nor uttering a threat; I only wish
to ask a simple favor as an appeal to your chivalry. You may retain everything you have seized and I promise to further grant you
the sum of thirty thousand dinars, on condition that none of your
men abuse my privacy or seek to uncover my face. As an Arab I
feel sure you will protect the honor of the daughters of families."
I neither argued nor bargained, but immediately called my
men together and issued to them orders to this effect:
"Everything taken from this caravan must be returned, even
the victuals. Whosoever retains even an ighal will lay himself
open to punishment."
I respected the wish of the lady to the extent of not holding
even personal communication with her for the rest of the time she
was in my captivity. When all that had been taken from the caravan was returned to their owners my men and -I escorted them to
the nearest place of safety and departed. It had been for my men
a great disappointment, but for me it was a great triumph in that I
had been able to protect a lady in distress and save her honor.
Time passed and the wheel of fortune took a different turn.
I was taken a captive by the army of the caliph and incarcerated
in prison. Every day I expected to be hanged as the caliph was
bitter against me, and I realized that no appeal to mercy would be
heard. The days I passed in prison were full of sinister portent.
One day, however, the prison keeper came to me with the
news that three ladies were without asking to see me. They appeared, he said, to be persons of importance because one of them
had bribed him with a valuable bracelet for the privilege of admittance. He was coming to have me prepare to meet them.
Presently the ladies came, and no sooner they approached than
the one leading the way exclaimed: "By the head of my father, it
is he!" She then raised her veil and I recognized her as Hamdouniah whom I had protected on the occasion of the raid on the
pilgrimage caravan. Her tears now told an eloquent story of her
affliction at my condition. "I am grieved at thy situation," she
said, "But I dare not undertake to do anything overtly in thy behalf
because of the caliph's bitterness against thee. Thou mayest rest
assured, however, that I shall take all possible means within pru-
�JANUARY, 1932
r,
\\
4j
dence to effect thy release."
She then ordered her two attendants to leave the gifts she had
brought to me, consisting of five hundred dinars in coin, together
with excellent clothing and food and perfumes. Her messengers
continued to call on me almost every day during my imprisonment,
and through her sustained interest I Jacked of nothing in the way
or food and comfort. I was also constantly cheered bv the knowledge of the fact that she was mobilizing every influence to bring
about my pardon from the caliph.
But she herself never called afterwards, a fact I attributed to
her tear of notoriety which would defeat her efforts in effecting
my release. I became desolate because the kindness she now displayed only accentuated the love I felt for her from the moment
of our hrst meeting. Truly, the imprisonment of her love was
exceedingly harder for me to bear than any consequence I felt from
my political offense.
In time, however, the caliph granted me a pardon, partly as a
result of Hamdouniah's efforts. I again became a favorite in court
and my property which had been confiscated was restored to me
1 here remained nothing to complete my happiness except the possession of the one person who had done so much to restore me to
liberty.
What I thought would be the natural course was for me to
ask her father for her hand in marriage, but every time I was met
with positive refusal because of the notoriety the case had assumed
since it was known that I had released her and her escort from captivity Still I would not give up hope, and as a last resort I appealed directly to the caliph, explaining the circumstances of the
case and my despondency over her father's persistent refusal Now
the caliph was much touched by her devotion and the intensity of my
love and he forthwith rode in person to the house of Hamdouniah's
father and would not leave until the latter gave his consent to our
marriage, the caliph himself acting as one of the witnesses and
contributing all the expenses of the wedding festivities.
�c
THE SYRIAN WORLD
42
B00K REVIEW
QiHAjicy
A NEW BOOK BY GIBRAN
77z<? Wanderer, by Kahlil Gibran, New York, Alfred A.
Knopf, 92 pp. Illustrated with original drawings by the author.
$2.50.
The Wanderer was one of the books on which Gibran worked
feverishly when he realized the approach of the end. And he won
in the race with death. The book was finished, text and illustrations, although publication was posthumous. We understand there
are other books on which Gibran was working and which his publisher will bring out in time. Indeed, Gibran must have hastened
the end, when he realized its approach, by summoning his last reserve of energy to give expression to the word which struggled for
freedom from his inner consciousness.
The Wanderer would seem a compromise between The Prophet and Gibran's other books of parables. There is evident in The
Wanderer a desire to create a cohesion of thought and continuity of
action as in The Prophet, by presenting a single person who discourses on diverse subjects. The connection, however, is not maintained as successfully as in The Prophet, which leaves the latter
work' preeminently Gibran's masterpiece. The variety of parables,
philosophical deductions and subtle studies of life and morals as
contained in The Wanderer suggest Gibran's other works, but this
being his latest it would naturally follow that it is also the more
mature and profound. Suffice it to know that it is an addition to
Gibran's works, and one in the creation of which he summoned the
ripe experience of his later years.
The Wanderer is illustrated with reproductions of seven original drawings by the author, one of which is in colors. They are
wmm
�sea
'
.
i<i.
am
mm
JANUARY, 1932
43
all in the symbolic vein characteristic of Gbiran's art. The frontispiece is a beautiful portrait of the Wanderer "with a veil of pain
upon his face."
AS AN AMERICAN SEES THE EAST.
To Bagdad and Back, by Joe Mitchell Chappie.
lishing Co., Boston. Illustrated. 298pp.
Chappie pub-
Not to many is accorded the gift of translating their impressions into word pictures that pulsate with the activity of life. Nor
are there many whose imagination is so vivid as to conjure from the
past and set before the eyes of the reader as in a motion picture incidents of the past, whether of fact or fancy. With such who are
so gifted it is a source of constant pleasure to sit and commune, because they are forever interesting; always resourceful and full of
action and never dull.
Such a writer is Joe Mitchell Chappie, editor of the National
Weekly, who traveled extensively in the Near East and recorded
his observations and experiences in a beautifully gotten up volume
to which he gave the appropriate title "To Bagdad and Back." To
this he was prompted, as he infers in the preface, by the influence
of the immortal Arabian Nights, of which he had a copy as a prized
companion on his journey, and which he constantly read to relive
the age in which the tales were written in their very locale. The
result of .this attitude of mind is most pleasing in that the author
was able to write in a consistently romantic vein and with a true
appreciation of the color of the East. He further adds to the pleasing scheme by "curtaining" his chapters with selections of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, who, although writing in Persian, is said
to have had his inspiration for the immortal poem under the limpid
sky of Bagdad.
The reader feels as he travels with the author that he is his
actual companion on the journey, seeing with him the charms, and
sometimes the disillusionments, of the East, in a most realistic manner. Whether in Iraq, Syria, Palestine, or Egypt, the continuity of
action is invariably sustained.
Only in the description of some of his flying excursions, where
�44
THE SYRIAN WORLD
apparently he lacked the time to make a full investigation, and had
to depend wholly on the information supplied by guides, did the
author commit some discrepancies, sometimes in the recording of
facts and at others in the transliteration of names. In Chapter VII
for instance, "the mountains looming up back of Beirut" were represented to him as being the Anti-Lebanon range, when in fact
this range is invisible from the city. Further on he states that a
detour was made at Shortia (evidently Shtowra) to the famous ruins
of Baalbec, when during the ride, the party came upon some trees
which the guide declared were a few of the remaining two hundred
and fifty of the original 'Cedars of Lebanon'—the trees used in the
construction of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem". Here the guide
was doubly wrong, because the remaining original Cedars are
much more than 250, and furthe.r because the original Cedar Grove
is on the slope of Lebanon facing the Mediterranean, hence invisible
from the plain of Baalbec. So was the guide obviously wrong when
he told the party that "there was a block of stone (in the acropolis
of Baalbec) two hundred feet long", when in fact the extreme
length of the longest stone in the famous Trilithon does not exceed
sixty-four feet, a length sufficient in itself, for one block of stone
it may be judged, to cause wonderment.
There is ample compensation in that same chapter, however
to offset these trivial discrepancies. For Mr. Chappie sheds interesting light on the far-reaching influence if the people of Syria on the
spiritual life of Europe and America since the remotest times.
Speaking of "prehistoric" times, he thus epitomizes the extent of this
influence: "The worship of Baal (the Syrian god after whom Baalbec was named) was practiced in England, Ireland, and America.
I he blood altars of sacrifice at Baalbec are duplicated in Yucatan to
the god Chacmool; in the hills of Wales and in County Clare Ireland Baal's Bridge in Dublin and in Limerick City are titles imported from Lebanon. Huge Druid mounds of the Magi are found
in such places as Saltburn, England, and the Danejon inside the
very city walls of Canterbury, as well as all over Ireland, and there
are several exactly similar in Central America-all catalogued
as
c
'prehistoric' ".
The numerous and splendid illustrations of the book further
he p the reader to visualize the land which the text so well describes.
B
�i mil
JANUARY, 1932
45
A HISTORY OF THE MARONITES IN ENGLISH
The Maronites of Lebanon^ by Rev. Paul Abraham, P. P.
Wheeling, W. Va. 190 pp.
In this book the Rev. Paul Abraham, pastor of Our Lady of
Lebanon Church of Wheeling W. Va., has achieved the most noteworthy success that has so far attended any effort to produce a history of the Maronites in English. The book has all the marks of
exhaustive scholarly research, yet it is adaptable for popular reading and should find considerable appeal among the younger generation Maronites in America for whose benefit the book is obviously meant in the first place. It should also prove a source of correct
information for all those interested in studying the historical background of a people who, although few in numbers, have already
given their adopted country many prominent figures in literature,
the arts, the professions and commerce.
A pre-publication notice of the book which appeared in the
Catholic Observer, the official organ of the Wheeling Diocese, and
is reproduced in the book, contains the interesting information'that
"Father Abraham****was offered a chair of Syrio-Caldaic languages at the Catholic University of America, but this honor was
sacrificed as he preferred to remain among the Syrian people of
Wheeling and serve them in their parish needs."
Especially at this time when Lebanon, the homeland of the
Maronites, is convulsed with the interest attending the death of one
Patriarch and the election of another, should the material of this
book prove interesting to the descendants of the Maronites in America because of the light it throws not only on their past history but
on the many contemporary dignitaries of the Maronite church. A
comprehensive biography of the late Patriarch Howayek is also included.
�46
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Political Developments in Syria
ELECTIONS IN SYRIA RESULT IN
NATIONALIST
VICTORYBLOODY RIOTS ATTEND ELECTIONS IN DAMASCUS AND
OTHER LARGE CITIES.
Another blcody chapter apparently
has come to a close in the recent political annals of Syria. A wireless dispatch to the New York Times from
Beirut dated January 10 features the
fact that the Nationalists had nominated Subhi Bey Barakat, who headed
the Syrian Government in 1925, for
President of the potential Syrian republic. The despatch also mentions
that the Nationalists form an overwhelming majority of the new Parliament.
The plain inference is that the elections were resumed after that the first
balloting resulted In bloody riots in
Damascus and other large cities of
Syria, causng the French High Commissioner to take direct action and
declare martial law. No d:spatches
had previously come from Syria announcing such a development.
If the information regarding the
Nationalists' victory at the polls
proves correct, as in all likelihood it
seems to be, there would seem to be
grounds for the;r complaints that the
election officials in the first balloting
were interfering with the right of the
voters in the free exercise of the^r
franchise. This reported interference,
which led to serious rioting in Damascus during the first election, is what
L-aused their postponement.
The latest Syrian papers to reach
the United States contain no reference
to this development. They give, how-
ever, detailed accounts of the happenings during the first elections. What
tcok plafce on this occasion leaves no
room for doubt that the Syrians have
become militantly conscious of their
po!it:cal rights, and that the strong
grip held by the Nationalists on publie sentiment has not been broken.
The Nationalists complained early
during the electfon that agents of the
native government were stuffing the
ballot boxes. Public demonstrations
took place in which women and students participated. Riots in Damascus were the order of the day and the
objectors forcibly entered the polling
places and destroyed the ballot boxes. The clashes with the police and
military forces resulted in many casualties, estimated in some reports as
high as ten dead and fifty severely
wounded.
High Comm-'ssicner Ponsot, when
notified of the unfavorable turn of
affairs in Damascus, hastened to that
city from Beirut and took personal
charge of the situation. He ordered
the city placed under martial law and
soon French forces were patrolling the
streets and raising barricades, while
tanks moved about ominously in the
principal streets or took up strategic
positions. In the accounts of some
of the native papers, the situation was
compared to that of the war preparations of 1925, when Damascus was
subjected to a severe bombardment
�^H
if
I1
JANUARY, 1932
and many quarters in the city were
laid in ruins. In th;s instance, however, there was no necessity to have
recourse to such extreme measures
and the precautions taken by the
authorities resulted in the ra.nid establishment of order.
As a protest aga'nst the illegal interference of the authorities in the
free conduct of the elections the merchants (f Damascus closed their shops
for a day and the populace held popular demonstrations which, however,
passed without incident.
One of the major incidents attending the protest of the Damascenes was
that which took place at the residence
of Fakhry Bey Baroody, one of the
prominent Nationalist leaders and reputedly the guiding spirit of the youth
of Damascus. According to reports,
the opposition party sought to stage
a demonstration in front of the Baroody residence, and he appealed to
the authorities for protection. It is
cla;med that despite his repeated appeals the authorities treated him with
indifference, and as a result he was
forced to bring into the city a number
of his henchmen from Duma ostensibly for the purpose of self-prttection.
Duma is an agricu^ural town owned
exclusively by Baroody, in the manner of olcl feudal lords, and particularly all the population, inasmuch as
they are tenant farmers dependent
upon the:r landlord, are at all times
ready to comply with his bidding.
About fifty strong men came to Damascus at the call of Baroody and
were stationed at his palace ready for
eventualities. An encounter soon developed between them and the local
police *n which the latter fired several
shots and wounded a number of Baroody's adherents. A French military
detachment soon appeared on the
scene and an (fficer called upon Baroody for an explanation of the presence of the strangers on his pre-
47
mises. Baroody was bold in stating
that inasmuch as he could not secure
adequate protect'on from the authorities he had to take means to protect
himself.
He was never molested
thereafter.
Disturbances of a similar nature,
but on a smaller sca'e, took place in
almost all other cities of Syria. The
blood:est were those which occurred in
Aleppo, where many casualties were
reported to have resulted from clashes
with the police. The funerals of the
victims were witnessed by tens of
thousands of people in every city,
but passed without incident.
In the accounts of sc me papers
doubt is created as to whether the
Nationalists or the Administration
Party were victors at the polls. Subhi Bey Barakat :s said to have been a
candidate of the Opposition, and as
such his election would mean a victory for the government forces. In
all there are sixty-nine members to
be elected to the Constituent Assembly, and of this number forty-nine
candidates of the Government Party
are said to have won in Aleppo and
other districts, leaving a minority for
Damascus which if it were all to be
conceded to the Nationalists it would
not affect the election's result. Subhi Bey Barakat, whom dispatches stated as having been nominated for the
Presidency, is represented in thesa
accounts as a candidate of the Moderates, who uphold the government. The
fact that he was nominated for the
Presidency may, after all, only mean
that the v;ctorious party has commit
ted itself to the republican form of
government, in an effort to dispel
any doubt about its entertaining monarchical designs. The former Egyptian Khedive Abbas Hilmy was much
in evidence in Syria during the elections, but he emphatically denied any
ambition to the throne.
�48
PONSOT PLEDGES
TREATY WITH SYRIA.
THE SYRIAN WORLD
CONTEMPLATE AMENDING
LEBANESE CONSTITUTION.
Prior to holding the national elecWhat some usually well informed
tions, High Commissioner Ponsct consources
assert is being contemplated
voked in Damascus the Advisory
by
way
of
amendment to the Lebanese
Council composed of all former execconstitution
would seem to affect the
utives of the State cf Syr-'a and other
whole
structure
of government, leadnotables of the country. The spirit
ing
to
a
drastic
curtailment in exof the meeting was one of extreme
friendliness, especially that the High penses. The complaint has ever been
Commissioner left no room far equi- that the little Lebanese republic was
vocation as to the future relations emulating its bigger sisters to its
which France proposes to establish own detriment and irrespective of its
with Syria. He prefaced his formal resources. The whole population of
remarks by thanking those present for the country barely reaches 800,000
their past services and called for their yet it has a President, a full-sized
co-operat;on in shaping the future cabinet, and a Representative Ascourse of the country. The purpose sembly composed of 46 members The
of the new elections, he declared, was expense cf maintaining such a huge
to establish a de jure government in- adm.mstrative organization resulted
vested with authority to bring about in such increase in taxation that some
a definite solution of the Syrian ques- responsible statesmen began to question. "I need not repeat," he em- tion the wisdom cf having adopted the
phatically stated, "that the permanent republican form of government at all
solution of the relations between Some even wished for the return of
was
France and Syria shall take the form the conditions when Lebanon
:
autonomous
under
Turk
sh
rule
with
of a treaty in conformity with my
but nominal taxes to pay.
several previous statements on the
As now contemplated, the amendsubject."
ments
would reduce the number of
The High Comnr'ssioner then reRepresentatives
to sixteen, and make
minded his hearers that as far back
it
possible
for
the
President to apas Feb. 10, 1928, he made a declarapoint
his
cabinet
of
one or more
tion to that effect before holding the
mm-sters
at
his
discretion
for the
first elections to the Constituent Asconduct
of
the
whole
government;
sembly, and later, on May 14, 1930,
he also made a similar declaration the government is to be deprived of
when he submitted to Foreign Sec- the right of appoimynent to the Legretary Briand the draft of the Syrian islative bedy, and the Chamber will be
constitution. Nor was he ambiguous curtailed in ?ta privileges of interin the position he tcok on the matter ference with the Executive branch of
the government.
before the League of Nations, he said.
;
What appears to be the most wholeAll of wh ch "will prove to you that
some
change in the Constitution is the
my silence does not imply indifference
proposed
elimination of any reference
or neglect."
to
toe
right
of representation by reThe High Commissioner then urged
ligious denominations.
upon those present the necessity of
From the same source it is learned
clearing the polit;cal atmosphere so
that
the contemplated amendments are
as to pave the way for energetic acto
take
effect before the coming Pretion in the economic field and hasten
sidential
elections which fall in May
the rehabiliation of the country
of the present year.
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JANUARY, 1932
49
THE
SYRIAN WORLD
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NEWS SECTION
VOL. VI NO. 5
JANUARY, 1932
PATRIARCH ELIAS HOWAYEK DIES IN LEBANON;
BISHOP ANTOUN ARIDA ELECTED SUCCESSOR
Dead Patriarch Was Great Patriot—Government Declares National Mourning and Accords Him State Funeral** Mandatory Authorities and
Neighboring States Represented.
"
Successor also Known for His Unflinching Patriotism and Leadership in
Economic Rehabilitation.
The venerable old man of Mt. Leb- the physicians' bulletins for the apanon, its leading patriot and the head proach of the end, and when the bells
df the largest single religious group of Bekerky tolled out a d-'rge to anin the country, who was lovingly call- nounce the passing of the Patriarch,
ed the Lebaneses Patriarch in ap- the message was spread in like manpreciation of the universality of his ner from the belfrys of the churches:
character, died at his see at Bekerky, of neighboring villages until it reacha short d'stance north of Beirut, on ed the farthest seetfems of the counthe evening cf December 24. As a try. The fifteen bishops of the Maronmark of universal respect a day of ite hierarchy were notified and alpublic mourning was declared and he most all reached Bekerky the followwas accorded a national funeral. ing day. Notables of the country reFlags were lowered to half mast on presenting all denominations, and deall government buildings and on these legations from every town and village,
of the foreign consulates. According swarmed to Bekerky to express the
to newspaper reports, the display of gref of the whole people. The nainterest manifested at the Patriarch's tive authorities of Damascus and other
death and the honors attending his fu- large Syrian cities sent official reneral were unprecedented in the his- presentatives to condole with the Matory of the country.
ronites over their loss. The NationThe Patriarch was in his eighty- alist Party, as an organized political
ninth year, and although he was con- body of Syria, also sent a special delescious unfr'l the end he could not sum- gate from Damascus headed by one
mon sufficient vitality to shake off his of its principal leaders Fakhry Bey
last illness. He was confined to his Baroody.
bed only for a week.
News of the Patriarch's death
The country had been prepared by reached the Legislative Assembly of
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
Lebanon while it was in session, and
the Pres-dent recommended a tenminute period of silence as a tribute
to the memory of the great national
figure who had passed. Upon resumption of the session it was turned
into a memorial meet;ng with the representatives cf all religious creeds
paying high tribute to the one man
whoby general consent had done more
than any other during his long and
active career for the welfare of the
country. .Sheikh Muhammad Al-Jisr,
a Sunnite Moslem and President of
the Assembly, led with a most glowing elegy to the Patriarch's patriotism and unswerving devot:on.
It was recalled that the loving
title of "Lebanese Patriarch," as distinctive frcm the Maronite Patriarch,
g:ven the dead prelate and political
leader, was first suggested by the
foremost Druze leader of his day in
Lebanon, Nassib Bey Janblatt.
Other expressions of condolences
were received frcm His Holiness the
Pope and the President of France.
The funeral was held on the following Saturday, Dec. 26 and was offic-'ally attended by the President of
the Republic and by the French High
Commissioner, as well as by the commander-in-chief of the French army
in the East and the Admiral of the
French fleet in Syrian waters. The
French authorities of occupation sent
a contingent of soldiers and marines
as a further mark of official participation.
After the Patriarch's burial, and according to the customary practice on
such occasions, the b-'shops held a conclave behind closed doors for the election of a new Patriarch. Two ranking notables of the Alkazin family,
who by ti-adition are accorded such
honor, were assigned as guards to
prevent all communication with the
outside as a safeguard against interference. They are also commissioned
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to burn the ballots taken until a decision ;s reached by a two-third
majority.
Although the proceedings of the
council are supposed to be absolutely secret, it was rumored that several
ballots were taken which showed almost an equal division of votes between Bishop Abdullah Khouri and
Bishop Ignatius Mobarak The situation had almost come to an impasse
when the bishops realized the gravity
of the consequence of a disagreement,
in which event Rome would have the
right to intervene and appoint a regent of its own choice. A compromise was then effected whereby Bishop
Antoun Arida of Tripoli was elected
unanimously and the two leading
candidates knelt before Bishop Arida
and kissed trs hand as a sign of submission.
THE NEW PATRIARCH
A STAUNCH PATRIOT
Patriarch Antoun Arida is a native
of Becharre and had his higher education at St. Sulpice in Paris, and at
other seminaries of Europe. His record is without blemish and he is
especially noted for his enterprise,
charity and unbending patriotism.
During the war he not only mortgaged
all the property of his diocese to relieve suffering among all denominates but went to the extent of offering to pawn his episcopal cross. For
this purpose he approached a wealthy
Moslem of Tripoli who, upon discovering the bishop's intentions, advanced
him the money without security.
The new Patriarch has been active
in the economic rehabilitation of the
country. It was through his efforts
that the Kadisha Hydroelectric Co., a
purely native organization sponsored
by the people of Becharre and Northern Lebanon, was made possible. He
was elected President of its board of
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His Beatitude Patriarch AntounArida, the new head of the MaroniteChurch in Lebanon.. He is the
center figure with the staff. This is an official photograph taken after the ceremony of installation.
To the Patriarch's right is the French High Commissioner and thePapal Nuncio, While immediately to his left is the President of the Republic of Lebanon.
(Courtesy Al-Hoda)
Cr,
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
directors and had devoted much time hopes were an illusion. We now have
to its promotion. One of his other come to realize that they only want
constructive enterprises is the Leban- to exploit us for their own benefit."
on Cement Co. which operates at
Shekka and was ha-led upon its forma- LEBANESE OF U. S. A.
tion as a major step in the exploitaMOURN PATRIARCH
tion by the Lebanese of their naturThe first news of the death of Patal resources and the encouragement riarch Elias Howayek came in a cable
of industrial enterprises in the coun- dispatch to Al-Hoda of New York. It
try.
was a "beat" that Al-Hoda scored
Perhaps no better evidence can be and was much in keeping with the
g;ven of the new Patriarch's construc- journalists enterprise characterizing
tive and practical patriotism than that its whole career. The election of the
to which he personally gave utterance new Patriarch was first announced in
in an interview he granted the editor America in the same manner.
of the Syrian World duting the latThere were expressions of genuine
ter's visit to Lebanon in the summer grief among all classes of Syrians
Vf 1929. At that time Bishop Arida and Lebanese in America over the
was in his native town of Becharre death of the late Patriarch, because he
attend1 ng the annual meeting of the was held in as high esteem by the imKadisha Company, which was about migrants as by those in the hometo open its first power plant. This in- land. Very Rev. Mgr. Stephen Elterview was reported exactly two
douaihy of Boston, the Ma.roivte Vicar
years ago in the January, 1930 issue Patriarchal in the United States, isof the Syrian World and reads in part
sued a call to the Maronite priests
as follows:
in the country to hold special requiem
"We want to prove that collective masses for the Patr-arch on Sunday,
action among our people is possible, January 10. Rev. Mansur Stephen,
and to that end we are now conduct- pastor of Our Lady of Lebanon of
ing the first experiment of any mag- Brooklyn, invited to the services in
nitude. The country is ours and we his church all ministers of the Christshould have first claim to the right ians denominations in the city. Chorof exploiting its resources which are, bishop Francis Wakim, pastor of St.
at best, very meager. We are a homo- Joseph in New York, carrying out the
geneous people in this part of Leb- traditions of centuries between the
anon. We have held together for French and the MaronUes, invited the
centuries past in defense of our right French Ambassador in Washington
to life and freedom of worship. Now to the services held in his church. The
we want to prove the same solidarity Ambassador sent a telegram of re^n the face of economic danger. Our gret and delegated the consul genepeople are now awaking to the neces- ral in New York to represent him.
sity of working together for con- The eulogy on the latter occasion was
structive effort instead of mere de- delivered by Archimandrite Bernardos
fense. We are determined to prove Ghosn, pastor of St. George Melchite
both our initiative and our fitness.*** church in New York.
It was cur hope that those responsible
Reports reaching Al-Hoda from all
for the shaping of our destinies would parts of the country indicated that
be helpful to us in our constructive ef- requiem masses for the dead Patriarch
forts instead of placing all forms of were held in every one of ttie fifty
hindrances in our way.
But our or more Maronite churche».
.
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�JANUARY, 1932
EXHIBIT OF GIBRAN'S WORKS;
MORE MEMORIAL SERVICES
53
anese extraction and had lately v'sited
the United States, and several others
delivered tributes to the genius of
Gibran's Studio at 51 W. 10th. St.
<Jibran.
New York, was transformed into a
In a long communication to Almuseum for an exhibition of his works
of art scheduled to last from January Hoda cf New York from Johannes21 until February 7, inclusive, for berg, Transvaal, South Africa, an acthree hours every day between 2 and count TS given of the elaborate me5 P. M. This is done by the execu- morial service held for Gibran in the
tors of Gibran's estate more for the Maromte church of Our Lady of LebOf
purpose of satisfying the many ad- anon in that city on Nov. 15
mirers of his works of pen and brush Jciating at the requiem mass was the
than for the sale of any of his sketch- Rt. Rev. Dav-d Orley, bishop of Transes and paintings, although each and vaal, who delivered a eulogy in which
all of his art works are subject to he appraised the character of Gibran
from first hand knowledge of his
purchase.
Through the loving care of Miss English works and said he was posBarbara Young, Gibran's literary ex- sessed of the true universal love which
ecutor, under whose direction the ex- is as far from the modern conception
hibition is being held, much of the of the term as heaven is from earth
work of our celebrated artist was re- During his address the bishop procovered from the dust of years and duced a copy of the Syrian World and
displayed to the proper advantage. read from it extracts from G'bran's
I* all fifty six paintings and drawings Message to Young Americans of Syrare on exhibition, including portraits ian Origin, declaring that message
of Edward Markham and Albert Ry- tc be of the stuff of immortal literader and a sketch of a sleeping child ture, and that it should apply to the
done by Gibran in 1896 when he was younger generation of Syrians and
Lebanese in every part of the world.
but fourteen years old.
Officially attending the services
Considering the interest displayed
were the consuls of the United States
in the exhibition, Miss Young said
France and Belgium, the Apostolic
that it might be extended for months Legate in South Africa, the mayor of
so as to afford all an opportunity to
Johannesberg and the presidents of
visit it. After the first three days
various chambers of commerce and ciit was open to the public.
vic organizat;ons.
Meanwhile, memorial services for
Gibran continue to be held in various
parts of the world, especially wherever the Lebanese have large settle- PRIEST SAVES CHALICES
AT RISK OF LIFE
ments. A communicat;on to Al-Bashir
(Jesuit Arabic paper of Beirut) from
Braving a raging fire that was fast
Australia gives an account of a me- consuming the frame structure of St.
morial meeting held there on Nov. 15 Joseph's Syrian Catholic church on
that was officially attended by the con- Wooster Ave., Akron, Ohio, in the
suls of France and the United States early afternoon of Sunday Jan. 24,
and four members of Parliament. Of- Rev. Agabios Riashi, the pastor, heedficially representing the government less of the great danger and despite
was the Minister of the Interior.
all efforts to restrain him, dashed
Alexander Alam, M. P. who is of Leb- through the smoke and flame and sue-
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eeeded in saving the sacred vessels.
In giving an account of the fire
and the priest's act of heroism, the
Akron Beacon Journal of Jan. 25 said
that firemen were making a desperate
effort to save the building, but it
was an old frame structure and the
crash of the roof or of weakened supports seemed certain. It would be
foolhardy to risk one's life inside the
flimsy waiis.
But Rev. Riashi, continues the paper, had handled with loving touch
the sacred vessels around the altar
that same morning, and could not bear
to think that they were at the mercy
of the flames.
"Let me through, please," said the
priest quietly, and he darted suddenly toward the smoke filled doorway.
There were cries of protest and
many hands sought to detain him but
he disappeared inside—and a little
later, it seemed a long while, came
staggering out bearing the sacred
cups. He was choking with smoke
fumes but was uninjured.
A cheer broke out from those assembled near the front of the building, and as Rev. Riashi, shielding the
chalices, walked through the lane that
was formed, men removed their hats
respectfully.
Two fire companies fought the blaze
and afterwards, with the walls still
standing and the damage confined
largely to the interior, it was said the
loss might be about $1,200. The processional crosses,several beautiful pictures and other sacred fittings on the
altar were destroyed.
Placing of the incensers too close
to woodwork in the church was said
by firemen to have been responsible
for the fire.
The damage is only partly covered
by insurance, but Rev. Riashi said that
repair work will be started immediately.
THE SYRIAN WORLD
SYRAMAR GOLF CLUB
HOLDS ANNUAL DINNER.
True to the spirit of their fraternity, the members of the Syramar
Golf Club (contraption for SyrianAmerican Golf Club) are incorrigible
optimists. The year 1932 does not
hold any terrors for them, and they
ushered it in with a rousing jolly
celebration at a dinner dance held at
the Park Lane in New York on Jan.
30. There were about 230 guests and
all shared in the high spirit (s?) of
the occasion.
The golfer's philosophy of life is
essentially a buoyant one, an attitude
that was ably expounded by the President of Syramar, George A. Tadross,
in the pedantic dissertation he delivered at the opening of the speaking exercises. His remarks, however, were
interspersed with many witty comments and observations that met with
appreciative response from the sympathetic audience. And the whole affair
was carried out in conformity with
this policy. The setting, in the Louis
XIV Room of the Park Lane, lent itself admirably to the execution of the
elaborate program.
Richard A. Macksoud acted as master of ceremonies and proved himself
master of the situation. He promised
many surprises and began to unreel
them one after the other. In the
arrangement of the entertainment
program, he said, the committee in
charge, was assisted by one whom he
termed "the youngest manager on
Broadway," Miss Morse. But when
the young lady was later introduced
she corrected that impression by disclaiming the distinction of being the
the "youngest,"—quite exceptional of
a lady— and explained that she was
the only woman manager. Her ability
was amply proven.
Other distinctive features of the
program were several dance numbers
i
�JANUARY, 1932
by Papino and Rhoda, Broadway
favorites, and a number of classical
and popular songs by Gigi of the Metropolitan, all of which were rewarded
with resounding applause and necessitated several encores.
A former President, Henry Hadad,
invaded the green fields of poetry
and proved himself as able in the
manipulation of words as in the creation of ladies' dress designs. He
drew a vivid picture of the happy life
of the golfer and made a bid for membership.
The Club championship is now a tie
between George A. Ferris and Nat
Mallouf, and the final issue will be
settled in the 1932 tournament.
The Entertainment Committee is
composed of Henry Hadad, Chairman,
David G. Malhame, Cecil Saydah.
Richard E. Macksoud, George Shamyer and Nat Mallouf.
In the words of Syramar's poet,
Syramar, long may it prosper
And expand throughout the
nation.
SYRIANS OF BRAZIL
BUILD FINE HOSPITAL.
In a ceremony that was attended by
high officials of the state and city
governments, and by representatives
of civ?c, patriotic, benevolent and
athletic Syrian and Lebanese organizations of the city, the cornerstone of
the new Syrian Hospital was laid in
Sao Paulo, on November 22 and hailed as the crowning achievement of
the Syrian community in Braz'l.
The project was started in 1923
tinder the auspices of the Syrian
Ladies Society of Sao Paulo and the
active leadership of Mrs. Basil Jafet.
The initial move was in purchasing
a twenty-thousand square meter plot
of land for a sum of 350 contos,
which served to bind the project. Lat-
55
er contributions raised the total subscriptions to one thousand contos, or
the equivalent in normal exchange of
$110,000.00.
According to the architect's plans,
the building consists of three stories
and has 140 rooms. The operation
rocm will be fitted out with the most
modern equipment and there will be
a charitable ward open to the needy
of all nationalities. The 'hospital will
be a purely charitable institution not
to be operated for profit. It will be
in charge of the Sisters of Charity.
The Syrians of Braz:l, especially
the Sao Paulo community, have been
most active in civic enterprises calculated to enhance their racial prestige in our sister South American republic. On the occasion of the centenary of Brazil's independence, the
Syrians presented the national governwith a magnificent monument erected
through popular subscriptions exclusively from among themselves. The
government at that time assigned one
of the most prominent plazas of the
capital for the erection of t'he monument and the President of the republic in person officiated at the dedication.
SYRIAN ORGANIZATIONS
ACTIVE FOR CHARITY
The Syr;an Junior League of New
York will give a play at the Booth
Theatre on Sunday evening. Feb. 21,
the proceeds of which will be devoted
wholly to charity. Talent has ,been
recruited from among the members
and their friends, so that the box office receipts, together with the revenue
from the Souvenir Journal, will remain almost intact.
The Junior
League has been in the habit of making annual contribut:ons to. welfare
societies and hospitals catering, to
Syrians.
�66
The Ameriean Syrian Federation,
the largest civic organization among
the Syrians in New York, has ca led
a special meeting for Feb. 4 to discuss ways and means for raising
funds for needy Syrians.
A CHARITY BAZAAR
SPONSORED BY AL-HODA
As its contribution to the relief of
distress among the Syrians and Lebanese cf New York, the Lebanon
League of Progress will hold a bazaar
during the three days and evenings
of Feb. 27, 28 and 29, at Columbus
Hall in Brooklyn, the proceeds of
which will be distributed through the
agency of the Syrian churches of the
city of ail denominations. The Bazaar
is being actively sponsored by AlHoda, the Arab-c daily of New York,
which devotes to its promotion considerable space both in its editorial
and news columns.
CONCERT BY FEDORA KOREAN
Mme. Fedora Korban, popularly
known as the Syrian n-ghtingale, will
give a concert at the Roehric Museum, 103rd. St. and Riverside Drive,
New York, on the evening of Feb. 27.'
The concert will be under the auspices of the Museum management who
entertain great promise for the future
of our noted singer. The program
will consist of a large variety of selections, and it is to be hoped that the
Syrian attendance will be large as a
mark of appreciation and encouragement.
SYRIAN FOOTBALL STAR
The Daily Oklahoman of Oklahoma
City features as the principal attraction of the charity football game to be
THE SYRIAN WORLD
played between the University of
Oklahoma and Oklahoma City University, "Iron Mike" Massad, fullback of the Sooner team, whom the
paper describes as being a tower on
the defensive. Massad is a senior of
Oklahoma University and an American-born Syrian whose father is a
merchant in Ardmore, Okla., and a
native of Marjioun.
We 'have to
thank Miss Ruth Shadid of Elk City
for having sent us the newspaper
clipping and the additional information about this Syrian football star.
PRINCETON WILL UNEARTH
TREASURES OF ANTIOCH
Antioch, the only one cf the four
great centers of the ancient world
which can be almost completely unearthed without disturbing buildings
that have been erected above its ruins,
will be excavated by Princeton University in collaboration w-th the
Musees Nationaux of France, the
Baltimore Museum of Art and the
Worcester Art Museum, according to
an announcement in the Princeton
Herald, organ of Princeton University
on Jan. 29. Our friend and compatriot, Dr. Philip K. Hitti of Princeton,
sent us the clipping of the University
paper containing the announcement.
A five year program for the excavation has been planned and funds for
'ts consummation have been guaranteed, it is further stated. Field surveys
are now being made and the actual
digging will start in March.
Antioch ranks with Rome, Constantinople and' Alexandra as an ancient
center of culture and commerce. "The
excavation of Antioch." said Professor C. Rufus Morey, Chairman, of the
Princeton Department of Art and
Archaeology, "will be of paramount
interest and importance because
buried in its ruins is material relating
I'i
�JANUARY, 1932
to the history of Christianity and the
Seleucid Kingdom, to the solution of
the problems of the part played by
Syria in the evolution of the mediaeval culture of the Mediterranean
and the Crusades. If one adds to this
the prospect of recovering' even a minute pcrtion of the works of art for
which the luxurious city was famous
for a millenium of its existence, from
its beginning around 300 B. C. to its
final florescence just before the Arab
conquest, it is not difficult to understand why the eyes of the field archaeologists have constantly been
turned toward this little Syrian village."
Antioch was founded about 300 B.
C. by one of Alexander's generals. It
became the commercial, political, cultural and literary center of the Near
East. When Syria became a Roman
province in 64 B. C. each Roman ruler
endeavored to surpass Irs predecessor
in beautifying Antioch. . After an
earthquake in 115 A. D. it was restored by Trajan and in the sixth century Justinian repa;red the damage
done during a Persian raid.
LOCAL PUBLICATION FOR
LOS ANGELES SYRIANS
A four-page leaflet in English to
serve the Syrian community of Los
Angeles, California, published monthly and called "Community Newls,"
has made its appearance under the
editorship of Mr. Samuel M. Mamey.
In his prefatory announcement, the
editor admits that the step he has
taken is a "bold venture," and that
he intends to conduct the experiment
for a period of six months, and only
if it proves to be successful and selfsupporting will it be continued.
We believe this to be a wise policy,
but hope the response of the Los
Angeles Syrian community which the
57
editor estimates at about 10,000, will
justify the continuation of the publication,
A copy of Gibran's Message to
Young Americans of Syrian Origin
having been received as a gift from
the Syrian World by the Syrian
Young Men's Society of Los Angeles,
Community News expressed a desire
to publish it in its columns once permission is granted from the publishers.
The Syrian World hereby gladly
grants such permission. It is our aim
that the spirit of the immortal message be carried to as many readers
as possible.
The following news items are copied
from Community News owing to their
general interest:
SYRIANS IN FOOTBALL
Influence in football is being felt
everywhere and is enchanced by the
fact that Syrian students play on college teams.
Tom Kassis, student at Notre Dame,
played All-American, season of 1930.
Glen Edwards, recognized as one of
the best football men in the Pacific
Coast Conference, attends Washington State College. All-American in
1930.
George Haik's name appears on the
roster of Tulane College. Considered
one of the best passers in the Southern Conference.
FEATURED IN FILMS
George Book-Asta, 14, and Basil
Book-Asta, 12, sons of Mr. and Mrs.
Herman Book-Asta. of 8007 Highland Trail, Hollywood, are the two
youths who are prominently identified
in motion picture productions.
Basil, typifying junior parts, has
played in a number of pictures. His
brother George, feature artist, played
important parts in two recent pictures, "Hell's Harbor" and "The Unholy Garden."
�58
THE SYRIAN WORLD
STATEMENT OP THE OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT. CIRCULATION
•f The Syrian World, published monthly at New York, N. Y., Oct. 1, 1931.
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 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 da.ly paper, the
circulation), etc.. of the aforesaid publication for the date shown in the
above caption, required by the Act of August 24, 1912, 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 A. Mokarzel,
104 Greenwich Street.
Editor, Salloum A. Mokarzel,
104 Greenwich Street.
Managing Editor, Salloum A. Mokarzel
104 Greenwich Street.
Business Manager, Sailoum A. 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 Street.
3. That the known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding 1 per cent, or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other secur.ties are: (If there are none, so state.) None.
4. That the two paragraphs next above, giving the names of the owners, stockholders, 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 bocks of the company as trustee or in any other fiduciary relation,
the name of the person or corporation for whom such trustee is acting is
given; also that the said two paragraphs contain statements embracing affiant's full 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 shown above is.
(This information is required from daily publications only.)
S. A. MOKARZEL.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 14th day" of October, 1931
[Seal.]
Edna M. Huckner.
(My
commission expires March 30, 1932.)
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59
JANUARY, 1932
n
Gibran's Message
To Young Americans of SyrianOrigin
By G. K.
GIBRAN
Autijor of ilTke Prophet,"
"Jesus the Son of Man,"
I believe in you. and I believe in your destiny.
I believe that you are contributors to this new civilization.
I .believe that you have inherited from your forefathers an ancient dream, a song, a prophecy, which you can proudly lay as a gift of gratitude upon the lap of America.
I believe you can say to the founders of this great nation. "Here I am. a youth, a young
tree, whose roots were plucked from the hills of Lebanon, yet I am deeply rooted here, and I would
be fruitful."
And 1 believe that you can say to Abraham Lincoln, the blessed. "Jesus of Nazareth
touched your lips when you spoke, and guided your hand when you wrote; and I shall uphold
all that you have said and all that you have written."
I believe that you can say to Emerson and Whitman and James. "In my veins runs the
blood of the poets and wise men of old, and it is my desire to come to you and receive, but I shall
not come with empty hands."
I believe that even as your fathers came to this land to produce riches, you were born
here to produce riches by intelligence, by labor.
And I believe that it is in you to be good citizens.
And what is it to be a good citizen?
It is to acknowledge the other person's rights before asserting your own. but always to be
conscious of your own.
'
i
It is to be free in thought and deed, but it is also to know that your freedom is subject
to the other person's freedom.
It is to create the useful and the beautiful with your own hands, and to admire what others
have created in love and with faith.
It is to produce wealth by labor and only by labor, and to spend less than you have produced that your children may not be dependent on the state for support when you are no more.
It is to stand before the towers of New York, Washington, Chicago and San Francisco
saying in your heart. "I am the descendant of a people that builded Damascus, and Biblus, and
Tyre and Sidon. and Antioch, and now I am here to build with you. and with a will."
It is to be proud of being an American, but it is also to be proud that your fathers and
mothers came from a land upon which God laid His gracious hand and raised His messengers.
Young Americans of Syrian origin. I believe in you.
itrnMnvwrntommtsmisMmumti
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FREE TO SYRIAN WORLD SUBSC RIBERS. This beautiful message by
Gibran 13x17 indies, printed in large type on heavy paper with ornamental border suitable for framing. Every PAID subscriber whose term begins
with Sept. 1931 is entitled to a copy, mailed in heavy cardboard tube. Subscribers whose term begins before Sept. 1931 may secure a copy by renewal.
�60
THE SYRIAN WORLD
AUTHENTIC
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THE A. SLEYMAN COMPANY, INC.
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PUBLISHER, THE SYRIAN WORLD:
104 Greenwich Street, New York.
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Address
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Local or Out of Town Funerals Personally Attended to
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little cost. No charge for use of our services or funeral parlors.
Telephone—MAIN 1338-1399-8130-3655
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BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, U. S. A.
Cable: LINOTYPE, NEW YORK
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Linotype Metrolite and Metroblack
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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
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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.
Dublin Core
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Identifier
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TSW1932_01reducedWM
Title
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The Syrian World Volume 06, Issue 05
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1932 January
Description
An account of the resource
Volume 6 Issue 05 of The Syrian World published January 1932. The issue opens with a travel journal entry from Ameen Rihani detailing his experiences in Aden, which he describes as a “once beautiful and hospitable Arab city.” This piece is followed by a poem titled "The Prophet" by Thomas Asa, a regular contributor to the Syrian World. This specific poem is dedicated to Kahlil Gibran, who passed away the previous year. After an article by Dr. F. I. Shatara discussing Arab contributions to World Civilizations, there is a collection of poetry edited by Barbara Young. H. I Katibah follows with a discussion on the challenge of liberalism for Islam. There is also a focus in this issue on the Maronite Christian religion due to the death of the Maronite Patriarch Elias Peter Howayek. This topic is followed by classic pieces of Arab literature and three book reviews. The issue closes with an update on political developments in Syria and a collection of articles on Syrians world news.
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
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
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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.
1930s
Ameen Rihani
Barbara Young
F.I. Shatara
Habib I. Katibah
Kahlil Gibran
Maronite Church
New York
Poetry-English
Thomas Asa
Travel
Yemen
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/a075a21267ffe42e1041437683c9d85d.pdf
a2b0bea9449fc1c4b80bab869b1675a5
PDF Text
Text
VOL. VI
HH
FEBRUARY, 1932
OUR PRIDE IN OUR ANCESTRY
REV. W. A. MANSUR
SEiJ
BLUE BLOOD
A TRAGEDY OF ARAB TRADITIONS
H. I. KATIBAH
POETRY
BARBARA YOUNG
OUR YOUNGER GENERATION
W-.
EDNA K. SALOOMEY
A CHANCE MEETING IN THE OASIS
*&
A TRUE ARABIAN TALE
POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN SYRIA
THE COPY 50c
NO. 6
��=3=
I
THE
SYRIAN WORLD
Tublished monthly except July and August
by
THE SYRIAN-AMERICAN PRESS
104 Greenwich St., 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,
Xj. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879.
FEBRUARY, 1932
VOL. VI NO. 6
CONTENTS
PAGE
...3
Our Pride in Our Ancestry
REV.
W. A.
MANSUR
12
She Is Not Dead (Poem)
ALICE MOKARZEL
13
Ya Baity (Syrian Folk Song)
DR. SALIM
Poetry, Edited by
B
Y.
ALKAZIN
BARBARA YOUNG
The Poetry of Labor
14
A Man Bereaved
17
PADRIAC COLUM
17
Scarcity
LIZETTE WOODWORTH REESE
Sonnet
18
JOHN MASEFIELD
onaBMMIBBBBSBiS
�CONTENTS (Continued)Our Younger Generation, Edited by
Do You Agree?
EDNA
K.
A New Era
SALOOMEY
PAGE
19
21
Al-Jirn
22
Blue Blood
23
H. I.
KATIBAH
Water and Flowers (Poem)
27
AMEEN RIHANI
Excavations in Syria and Iraq
28
DR. HAROLD INGHOLT
Syria in Romandxey The Brethren
36
RIDER HAGGARD
Condensed by
DAGNY EDWARDS
True Arabian Tales
40
A Chance Meeting in the Oasis
Freedom and Slavery
43
KHALIL GIBRAN
Editorial Comment
Apology
Hard Times
Which Shall Survive?
And Now Our Case
Departments
Political Developments in Syria
Syrian World News Section
44
ft
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4
'
47
�&%>
ynan
«/
Editor.
SALLOUM A. MOKARZEL,
Mi
FEBRUARY, 1932
VOL. VI NO. 6
Our Pride in Our Ancestry
HIGHLIGHTS IN OUR RACIAL HISTORY WHICH
EVERY SYRIAN AND LEBANESE BOY AND GIRL
OUGHT TO KNOW
By
REV.
W. A.
MANSOUR
"One of our chief objects," said S. A. Mokarzel, "in helping
Syrian-Americans discover themselves is to breed in them a consciousness of appreciation for their racial qualities and inheritances
so that they may comport themselves with a befitting sense of honor
as citizens of this great American nation.
It is, then, in such a spirit of service that this publication was
conceived, and it is with a sense of reverence that we dedicate it to
the memory of a race whose contributions to the progress and wellbeing of mankind shall ever be valued as of paramount importance,
and whose descendants should feel proud of keeping forever alive
their sacred memory." (Syrian World, Vol. I, No. 1, Page 3).
I write deliberately to awaken Syrian Lebanese boys and girls
to the appreciation of their racial ancestors—the Phoenicians. I
wish to keep alive through them the sacred memory of their forefathers—the Phoenicians. I hope to create a realization of their inherited racial talents from their illustrious ancestors—the Phoenicians.
When Syrian Lebanese boys and girls know of their race greatness, they will be thrilled from within. It will open the springs of
their racial soul. They will understand the call to become foremost among modern races. They will assert with confidence their
place, pride, prosperity, and progress in the world.
J
�4
THE SYRIAN WORLD
I write that you may know the greatness of your blood, the
power of your abilities, and the far reaching importance of your race
in modern times. When you appreciate your racial qualities and
inheritances you will then be better able to comport yourselves with
a befitting sense of honor as citizens of this great American nation,
or any nation on earth. It is for these reasons that I thought it
good to write of some things every Syrian Lebanese boy and girl
ought to know about their Phoenician ancestors.
I.
PHOENICIAN ORIGIN OF SYRIANS AND LEBANESE.
It is very important that every Syrian Lebanese boy and girl
ought to know that they are descended from the Phoenician race.
They will find the Phoenicians to be Semitic, Caucasian, white.
They will discover the independent character, progressive nature,
and cosmopolitan type of people to which they belong. They will
realize their ancestors were foremost among the civilizing races of
ancient times.
"Now to what race belonged these -first Lebanese at the dawn
of recorded history?" Philip K. Hitti asks. He answers, "Undoubtedly they belonged to the Semitic race. Some unquestionablyy
were Canaanites who were akin to the Arameans,—both being of the
same Semitic stock. As regards the Phoenicians, they are none other
than the Canaanites who lived on the sea coast and who were called
Phoenician {blood red) by the Greeks who knew the Phoenicians
as traders in purple. The history of the Phoenicians began in
Lebanon about 2000 B. C. Traces of the Phoenician temples, tombs
and forts are still evidenced not only in Tyre, Sidon, By bios, Amrit
and the rest of the coast cities, but also in Afqa, Samar Jubail, Bait
Miri, Hermon and other localities situated far in the interior of
the country." (Syrian World, Feb. 1931, Page 9).
The Phoenicians were a hardy, resourceful, and adaptable
people to conditions and times. They maintained the spirit of independence, while situated in a land which was a thoroughfare of
conquering armies. They were talented in improving things. Their
alphabet has become almost the alphabet of the whole world. Although one of the smallest nations of antiquity, the Phoenicians became the most illustrious people of ancient times. Every Syrian
Lebanese boy and girl ought to know they are descended from the
Phoenicians—a foremost race of ancient times.
�FEBRUARY', 1932
5
//. THE GEOGRAPHICAL HOMELAND OF THE PHOENICIANS.
To understand the character, the nature of their movements
in history, and their relation to the surrounding nations, it is absolutely necessary to know the geographical location of the homeland of our Phoenician ancestors. Their physical environment partly explains the reason for their independent character.
Their
mountainous country partly reveals their interest in navigation.
Their central location partly shows the reason for their developed
adaptability in their relation to adjoining nations, races, and cultures.
S. A. Mokarzel says, "Old Phoenicia is none other than the
Lebanese^ Republic of today. Syria contains within its natural geographical bounderies Palestine, which we know as the Holy Land,
and Phoenicia, the home of the great navigators of old and the
land whose people have given us that great instrument of knowledge and progress, namely the alphabet." (Syrian World, May
1930, Page 37).
Every Syrian Lebanese boy and girl ought to locate and study
the geographical position of Phoenicia on the world map. It will
reveal the amazing smallness of the land of Phoenicia. It will
magnify the importance of Phoenicia and Phoenicians in the history
of mankind. It will emphasize the degree to which the Phoenicians,
though small in number, have served the progress of mankind. It
will establish the importance not of numbers, militarism, or bigness,
but of talent, achievement, and progress of a people in its service
to humanity.
Every Syrian Lebanese boy and girl ought to know that Phoenicia is a foremost motherland of the progressive urges for the betterment of the nations, races, and cultures of earth.
III.
THE PHOENICIANS WERE THE FOREMOST NAVIGATORS OF ANCIENT TIMES.
Our Phoenician ancestors were the foremost navigators of
ancient times. Hemmed in between desert and sea, they developed
the art of navigation. The forests of Lebanon provided them with
lumber for ships. Without chart or compass Phoenician navigators
followed the Pole Star.
"Along the eastern end of the Mediterranean," says H. G.
Wells, "the Phoenicians, a Semitic people, set up a string of independent harbour towns of which Acre, Tyre, and Sidon were the
�I
II
6
THE SYRIAN WORLD
chief; and later they pushed their voyages westward and founded
Carthage and Utica in North Africa. They were great seamen because they were great traders." (The Outline of History, page 157)
The exploits of the Phoenicians are celebrated in the annals of
navigation. They were the first to push out far beyond the mainland. They passed the pillars of Hercules down the coasts of
Africa, circumnavigating it; along coasts of Europe; and possibly
crossed the Atlantic to the New World. Their navigation took them
to India, Ceylon, even China, and the Far East. These seafaring
people brought the peoples of the earth together through their inter-oceanic navigation and commerce.
Arthur Brisbane says, "Inscriptions found on rocks in the valley of the Amazon revive the belief that the seafaring Phoenicians
from the far end of the Mediterranean discovered America long
before Columbus and the earlier Lief Ericson. Archaeologists think
the Phoenicians went up the great Amazon with their ships and
founded a South American city 4,000 years ago." (See Associated
Press dispatch from Rio de Janeiro, Jan., 1, 1930. Given in full
in Syrian World, Dec. 1929, Page 53).
Every Syrian Lebanese boy and girl ought to know that their
Phoenician ancestors were the greatest mariners of antiquity They
ought to know that it was Phoenician galleys that taught the nations
the importance of sea travel and sea commerce. They ought to
know that Phoenician ships carried the goods of the nations which
proved oi civilizing influence upon all. They ought to know that
1 hoemcian genius in ship building laid the foundations of interoceanic travel and commerce of all nations and times.
IV. THE PHOENICIAN ANCESTORS AS THE GREATEST
PEACEFUL COLONIZERS OF ANCIENT TIMES.
Every Syrian Lebanese boy and girl ought to know that their
Phoenician ancestors were the greatest peaceful colonizers of the
ancients. The Phoenicians, because of their small number, made
it impossible to extend their possessions by conquest. They secured
their possessions by more peaceful means than any of the ancientsthrough mutual trade and benefit.
"The colonies and foreign possessions of the Phoenicians," says
the author of T^ RE, "were most extensive and valuable, far exceeding those of any other state in ancient or modern times, possessing m its original territory no larger amount of the world's surface
than ancient Phoenicia. These colonies were not obtained by con-
�FEBRUARY, 1932
i
7
quest, or, as in the case of many other nations, by the forcible removal of the original inhabitants; and the settlement of others from
a distance in the vacant territory; but thei-e were peaceful emigrations
of enter-prising traders to such localities as were discovered from
time to time by bold navigators, and which were considered to present opportunities for originating and maintaining commerce"
Every Syrian Lebanese boy and girl ought to know the romantic story of the colonies of the Phoenicians among the Islands
of the Mediterranean, the coasts of the Mediterranean countries,
the west coast of Africa, the western coast of Europe, Ireland, England, on the Persian Gulf, the Far East, and possibly along the
Amazon.
I write that Syrian Lebanese boys and girls may be thrilled by
the greatness of their Phoenician ancestors; that they may comport
themselves as worthy descendants of a great people.
V.
THE PHOENICIANS GAVE THE WORLD THE ALPHABET.
Every Syrian boy and girl ought to know that the alphabet
was the gift of the Phoenicians to the world. It is the alphabet of
the Phoenicians which makes possible modern intercourse; the
mediation for the highest type of written language for science, art,
literature and what not; and the possibility of international characters everywhere.
The Phoenician alphabet is the greatest secular gift which any
people has ever made for the progress of mankind.
William A. Masson says in "A HISTORY OF THE ART
OF WRITING," of the Phoenicians, "They carried with them
their wonderful alphabet as -a necessary part of their civilization,
using it in conjunction with their trading enterprises and imparting
it to the Hellenic people among whom they sojourned. No tradition seems ever more thoroughly substantiated, both by internal
evidence and external fact, than that recorded by the Greek authors
that the alphabet used in Hellas came from the Phoenicians.
"The classic authors differed in their opinions as to the origin
of the Phoenician letters. Herodotus the Greek, and Pliny the
Roman, believed that the Phoenicians invented the letters; while
Brosius attributed them to the Babylonians and Tacitus to the Egyptians. But practically all the world now believes that it was the
Phoenicians who introduced the letters into Greece proper."
"What an honor," exclaims Masson, "it confers upon this little
�-
8
THE SYRIAN WORLD
nationality of Phoenicia, nestling along the shore of the Mediterranean Sea twenty-five centuries ago, that her written and spoken
alphabet, modified to the extent that we have indicated, is used today practically the world over, up to the wall of China and the land
of the Rising Sun."
Every Syrian Lebanese boy and girl ought to know that the
Phoenician alphabet marks one of the greatest eras in the development and evolution of the human mind. It is the greatest instrument for the human mind. It is the greatest enlargement for the
range of thought and intercourse for humanity. It is the finest
means for the continuity and preservation of man's thought by
writing.
Every Syrian Lebanese boy and girl ought to know that measured by its effect upon the human mind, human history, and human
progress, the alphabet of our Phoenician ancestors marks an achievement without any superior in the progress of man and mankind.
VI.
THE PHOENICIANS' GENIUS FOR TRADE.
_ Every Syrian Lebanese boy and girl ought to know of the
genius of their Phoenician ancestors for trade. They were a great
seafaring people because they were great traders. They developed
trade routes, sea navigation, and inter-oceanic commerce to extend
their trade. Their country, centrally located between great empires
of the Mediterranean, became a market place for sale and exchange.
Their ships carried their wares, and those of other nations, to every
part of the world.
"The genius of the Phoenicians was for trade," says W. Warde
Fowler, "and the splendid position of Carthage, near the modern
Tunis, with a rich corn-growing country in the rear, had helped
her merchant princes to establish by degrees what may loosely be
called an empire of trading settlements extending not only along
the African coast, but over that of Sardinia and southern and eastern
Spain, and including Sicily, as we have seen." (W. Warde Fowler
in ROME).
Cunningham Geike says in "HOURS WITH THE BIBLE,"
"—Phoenicia lay in the centre of the Old World, and was thus the
natural entrepot for commerce between the East and the West. The
trading routes from all Asia converged on the Phoenician coast;
and the centres of the commerce on the Euphrates and Tigris forwarding their goods by way of Tyre to the Nile, to Arabia, and the
West; and, on the other hand, the productions of the vast regions
�FEBRUARY, 1932
9
bordering the Mediterranean, passing through the Canaanite capital
to the eastern world." (Vol. Ill, page 344).
I hereby challenge Syrian Lebanese boys and girls with the
genius of their glorious Phoenician ancestors—for trade. I challenge them with the heritage which is in their minds and hearts
and destiny. I challenge them toward achievement in trade, commerce, mutual welfare among modern nations.
Let every Syrian Lebanese boy and girl be thrilled by the
glory of our ancestors to create pride in our ancestry, appreciation
of our genius, and the will to move forward to the forefront among
the nations.
VII. INDUSTRIES OF THE PHOENICIANS.
Every Syrian Lebanese boy and girl ought to know of the industries of their Phoenician ancestors. They developed their own
materials through manufacture. They drew raw materials from
other peoples and manufactured them into fine luxuries, or food,
or clothing. They improved many things so that their products became popular objects of desire. The Phoenicians at home and abroad became builders and organizers employing vast numbers of
people in their industries.
George Adam Smith says, "Her armour, bowls and webs are
sung by Homer.. Hebrew and Greek writers acclaim the wealth of
Phoenician industries and the size and the range of Phoenician ships.
—The Phoenician markets drew ivory, scented woods, silk and
other stuffs from India and China, and passed them to the West.
Conversely Chinese writings of an early time rate the products of
Syria, which they call Ta-tsin, above even those of Babylon. The
incense of southern Arabia reached the temples of Greece and Italy
through the port of Gaza."
The Phoenicians brought silver and gold from Spain, tin from
England, incense from the east, corn from Egypt and Syria; they
brought the products of all countries to their land and from their
country to every other.
The Phoenicians had productions and inventions of their own:
the celebrated Tyrian purple, glass, ornaments, utensils, toys and
things for the bazaars, inlayings with ivory, and hundreds of luxuries were made and sold to luxury loving people everywhere.
Every Syrian Lebanese boy and girl ought to know that Phoenicia and Phoenicians and their colonies became centers of industries
to the peoples of ancient times.
�^..
M. III..-——„, „„—
10
THE SYRIAN WORLD
VIII._ THE PHOENICIANS AS AGENTS OF CIVILIZATION.
Every Syrian Lebanese boy and girl ought to know that among
those who laid foundations for international civilization in ancient
times were their Phoenician ancestors. Their trade, through exchange of products of every nation, became a means of civilizing
influence. Their language, their alphabet, became a bond of union
between their colonies and their peoples. Their ships transported
peoples of all nations to one; another's land. The Phoenicians became great agents of civilization.
C. F. Keary says, "But of course the Phoenicians must still be
reckoned as the great transporters of civilization from Egypt and
from Asia to the rest of the world. They could hardly be said to
possess a country} but they possessed cities of vast importance and
no small significance along the coast of Palestine—Lamyra, Aradus,
Byblos, Sydon, Tyre. From these centers went out that boundless
maritime enterprise which made the Phoenicians the trading people
of the world. Very early—in pre-historic ages—the Phoenicians
had possesseed themselves of Cyprus. From that point to the
Grecian coast of Asia Minor, or to the coasts and islands on either
side of the Aegean, was an easy transition} then on to the Mediterranean, to Sicily and Italy, but more especially to the island of
Sardinia} or again to Egypt and the farther coasts of Africa on to
Spain, and finally, through the pillars of Hercules, to the far-off
"tin islands" of the west, which were, it is likely enough, the British
Isles. This is, in brief, the picture of the doings of the Phoenicians long before the days of history had begun to dawn upon the
Aryan nations of the Mediterranean." (The Dawn of History,
pages 315-316)
Herein lies one supreme glory of our Phoenician ancestors,
their civilizing influence upon the world. They are entitled to rank
forever as the greatest of all civilizers. Their influence upon the
world of the ancients marked the beginning of a new trend in the
history of mankind. Their influence opened new thoughts, new
cultures, new modes of writing, new commerce, new principles, new
navigation, and new international relations.
IX.
THE PHOENICIANS AS THE DISSEMINATORS OF
THE SUPREME ETHICAL PRINCIPLE.
Every Syrian Lebanese boy and girl ought to know that their
Phoenician ancestors developed through trade the supreme ethical
�FEBRUARY, 1932
11
principle. Fair dealing, mutual gain, and abiding confidence were
essentials developed by Phoenician traders. They established trading posts on the basis of right dealing, the continued satisfaction to
buyer and seller.
"The Semitic peoples, we may point out here," says H. G.
Wells in THE OUTLINE OF HISTORY, "are to this day counting feo-ples strong in their sense of equivalents and reparation.—
Other races and peoples have imagined diverse and fitful and marvellous gods, but it was the trading Semites who first began to
think of God as a Righteous Dealer, whose promises were kept, who
failed not the humblest creditor, and called to account every spurious act."
The Semitic Phoenicians were foremost among the Semites to
plant in human thought the ethical principle of right dealing between man and man. They thought of God as a Righteous Dealer.
They spread this idea among the nations.
It is this contribution of the Semitic Phoenicians of right dealing, this supreme ethical principle, that makes faith in God, in man,
and in the universe of paramount significance to mankind.
Every Syrian Lebanese boy and girl ought to know that Phoenicia and Phoenicians are the land and people whose contribution
of right dealing to civilization should awaken pride in their ancestry,
arouse self-esteem, and urge them to high achievement in modern
times.
X.
FIRST TO EMIGRATE TO THE NEW LAND.
Every Syrian Lebanese boy and girl in America and the New
World ought to know that they are the descendants of the Phoenicians. They ought to feel the urge of their racial splendor. They
should discover the latent talents within them. They will be filled
with worthy sentiments about themselves and their posterity.
"From the oldest country in the world," says S. A. Mokarzel,
"to' the land known as the New World, they bring their priceless
racial distinction as heirs to the culture of the ages. They come
with the gifts of all the attributes of varied but virile blood—Phoenician, Semitic, Roman, Grecian, and Arabian. And it is a significant fact that the first of the Syrians to emigrate were the Lebanese
of the north who claim direct lineal descent from the Phoenicians.
It would seem that the law of atavism seeks to assert itself and here
finds complete vindication. The great sea-wanderers of old have
bequeathed their wanderlust to their long line of descendants."
�12
THE SYRIAN WORLD
(Syrian World, May 1930, page 39).
Every Syrian Lebanese boy and girl ought to know that again
the Phoenicians, through their descendants the Svrian-Lebanese,
are spreading themselves among the nations. The Syrian Lebanese,
the modern Phoenicians, are now establishing themselves through
trade, new homes, and new achievements in many parts of the
world. The Syrian Lebanese are proving themselves, through
leadership, achievement, and endeavor, the worthy heirs to their
illustrious ancestors the ancient Phoenicians.
I write deliberately that Syrian Lebanese boys and girls may
be awakened to appreciate their descent from the famous Phoenilans I wish every Syrian Lebanese boy and girl to feel proud of his
racial heritage. I expect them to rise to a renown similar to that
achieved by their Phoenician ancestors.
Every Syrian Lebanese boy and girl ought to keep alive the
sacred memory of our glorious ancestors the Phoenicians, should
appreciate their racial qualities and inheritances, and through race
pride comport themselves as worthy descendants through splendid
achievement.
She is Not Dead
She is not dead, who lies so silently
Where drooping flowers guard her rest;
She is not dead, beloved child,
Whom angels watched, whom God has blessed.
One muted string in quiet song
Above the mundane rafters sung;
One fallen star come home again
Where deeds in holy light are hung.
Weep not, then, child, for heaven's gain,
For peaceful rest, for ended pain;
Though tears will come and laughter go
Within each aching heart, we know '
She is not dead
ALICE MOKARZEL
)
�f
FEBRUARY, 1932
13
Ya Baity
Translation by
DR. SALIM
Y.
ALKAZIN
c^*—<# ki err"- ^
O^-J dL9j J5\ dLi
0>tt ^j ^L*
^L,
c~-->^r_5 o-*—!_j
A
i
>
- <j^*3 (y^^r &
d^
^"UJic
I
J
0.
I
(_5^,
3
J C5~?
C)_j^J dL9 j I j>o (iL9
Home, my unpretentious humble home,
To you to hide my faults I come;
In you I drink, in you I eat,
In you I rest my weary feet.
Though humble, still you fill my need.
(As dear as to my soul its creed.)
Born in you, in you I grew,
In you I'll train my tender crew.
I've built you of my heart and bone,
And mixed the mortar with my blood;
Since our souls have become one,
To glory you've become a throne.
No matter what my fate may bring,
You'll see me smile and hear me sing.
Or fair or foul, I take them both,
Embrace what joy or nurse the sting.
My own and my forefathers' toast,
My pride and my children's boast;
In you I'll live, in you I'll die,
From you in dust my bones shall fly.
�J:
Hn
14
THE SYRIAN WORLD
BARBARA YOUNG,
"Work is love made visible."
"We only live to discover beauty.
Editor
All else is a form of waiting."
Gibran
The Poetry of Labor
JN GEORGE MOORE'S "Confessions of a Young Man" we
find a paragraph which reads like a clipping from yesterday's
editorial. He says: "The world is dying of machinery; that is the
great disease; that is the plague that will sweep away and destroy
civilization. Men will have to rise against it sooner or later. . . I
say that the great revolution will come when mankind rises in revolt and smashes machinery and restores the handicraft."
In the East, Gandhi is saying the same thing. A year ago AE
George Russell, the Irish poet came from his little island to urge
upon this wide land of ours a return to the farmland and the timberland. Count Keyserling lecturing in Paris said, "The United
States is dead emotionally, because of machinery." Anne O'Hare
McCormick writing in the New York Times, asserts that "the fate
of all the present issues lies in the lap of the gods of the machine "
Will Rogers, that keen and kindly sage to whom we might
listen with great profit, has said in his own delectable fashionEvery invention during our life time has been made just to save
time, and time is the only commodity that every American both
rich and poor, has plenty of. Half our life is spent trying to find
something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying
to save. Two hundred years from now history will record- 'Amer-
J
�FEBRUARY, 1932
)
15
ica, a nation that flourished from 1900 to 1942, conceived odd notions for getting somewhere, but could think of nothing to do when
they got there.' "
In the minds of all these thinking persons there is more than
meets the eye, and the ear. They have not simply been tossing off
phrases for the sake of making copy. They have been expressing,
in one way or another, a basic principle of human existence, and an
essential tenet of the faiths of our fathers, living yet, that man
shall not live by bread nlo.ie.
Beauty if a saving grace^xnto all people, and there is beauty in
the weaving o: the cloth, in the modeling of the bowl, in the tooling of the leather. »
In a news item ofrecent date I read: "An effort to counteract
the machine-made art of the present time and to revive the old
craftsmanship of the Middle Ages is being carried on by the Greenwich House Workshops at 16 Jones Street. There under the five
hundred-year old apprenticeship system as it was practised by
Michaelangelo and other Masters, youths are being trained in the
arts of stone-cutting, wood-carving, cabinet-making and bronze
work."
Why not multiply 16 Jones Street by a thousand, in all parts
of the land and see what happens? Why not add spinning and
weaving, the making of pottery, hand-blown glass, laces, embroidery and smocking, the making and binding of fine books, the
tooling of leather and the cobbling of sandals, to a wide circle of
16 Jones Street, the country over?
And this I propose not for the employment and rehabilitation
alone of the economic man and woman, though that might very
naturally ensue, but for the quickening and refreshment of the
mind, and for the very sustenance of that element of the human
being which our forefathers were wont to call the immortal soul.
Can we not conceive that happy condition which may be attained if the man or woman who has the soul of a weaver may earn
a contented and competent livelihood beside the loom? When the
man whose fists ache to grip the handles of a plough shall have his
own small acreage and till the generous soil? And when the sandalmaker may sit at his bench and fashion the simple foot-gear of the
pilgrim? This is the poetry of labor, and it can be lived.
This can be done. Nothing is impossible to a civilization
which has achieved the diabolical material and mechanical success
of the past five decades.
�U
16
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Do not misunderstand me. I have no such absurd idea that
steel is a vice and a destroyer in itself; nor that wheels and cogs as
such, imperil the breath and sinews of the nation. The menace
lies in the destruction of balance which the unbridled multiplicity
of the essentially innocent machine has brought to pass.
We have the disease of steel, and it is the cancer of the soul.
Sometimes it is steel for steel's sake, and sometimes it is steel for
gold's sake. They are equally fatal. A sliver of the shining stuff
in the mind is as imminent a danger as the sword hanging by a
thread over our couch.
The poets have always been telling the world whither the
crafts of State.were drifting. But the world would not listen. Will
it listen now? It is extremely doubtful. But there is a fistful of
men who have the vision of the poet as well as somewhat of the
fanaticism of the prophet, and these may suffice. Let them fill the
hands of men and women with good raw products and they will
work out their simple destinies to their own pleasure and profit and
to the redemption of the Commonwealth. Put the adaptable resources of this nation into the promotion of handicraft, turn the
idle shops and factories into housing centres for instruction in these
pursuits, encourage the individual selection of the art or trade
which will excite the liveliest interest and pleasure, and in which
therefore, the artisan will the sooner acquire a deftness and skill;
and place as instructors the multitude of men and women among
us who are of the East, and who have by rightful inheritance both
the knowledge and the love of these works of the human hand.
Our education seems to be toward the suppression of this racial
endowment. We do not educate, we inculcate. It is an outsidein process when it should be an inside-out operation. We are sure
that John will make a first-class lawyer, because we are sure that
John will make a first-class lawyer. And it just as absurd as it
sounds, for John himself knows perfectly well that he wants to
farm or to garden or to forest. But we whip him through college
and law school and State Bar examinations and turn him out a very
third rate counsellor- at-law who has still a great yearning for the
soil. This is malpractice upon the human entity, and it has produced
the conditions which stagger us today.
A day or two ago a man who is in the midst of the melee
said, with great weariness, "I can forget the desperateness of the
situation only by listening to my daughteer playing Brahms or
Schubert to me, or by reading some of Masefield's sonnets." And
Hi
i
�:
n
FEBRUARY, 1932
/
17
then he said, "I envy the shepherd on a hill in Judea—if there is
such a being left as a shepherd, today."
There will always be men and women who are potters and
lace-makers at heart, and there will be always, the wheel and the
gadget men. But let us cease this thrusting of lever and throttle into the hand of the poet and the spinner and the wine-presser.Thus
has been our colossal error. All men are not born free and equal, nor
are they born with like tastes and gifts. This is the writing on the
sky, if we shall turn our eyes and read.
A Man Bereaved
My wife and my comrade
Will not come at all
Though the pine tree shall flourish,
The green rush grow tall,
And its cone to the ground
The larch tree let fall.
And I'll not hear her sounding
Songs over the din,
Where the people are crowded,
The harvest being in;
Nor see her come lilting
From the field or the fold,
Nor plaiting her long locks
In the young or old.
PADRIAC COLUM
in Old Pastures
Scarcity
Scarcity saves the world,
And by that it is fed;
Then give it hunger, God,
Not bread.
Scarce things are comely things;
In little there is power;
November measures best
Each vanished flower.
j i
(
�18
THE SYRIAN WORLD
If you dig a well,
If you sing a song,
By what you do without
You make it strong.
And life as well as art
By scarceness grows,
Not surfeit. Theirs must be
The hunger of the rose.
LlZETTE WoODWORTH
REESE
in White April
I
Sonnet
I never see the red rose crown the year.
Nor fed the young grass underneath my tread
Without the thought "This living beauty here
Is earth's remembrance of a beauty dead
Surely where all this glory is displayed
Love has been quick, like fire, to its high ends;
Here, in this, grass, an altar has been made
For some white joy, some sacrifice of friendsHere, where I stand, some leap of human brains
Has touched immortal things and left its traceThe earth is happy here, the gleam remains:'
Beauty is here, the spirit of the place
I touch the faith which nothing can destroy
I he earth, the living church of ancient joy."
JOHN MASEFIELD.
\
J
�(
•I
FEBRUARY, 1932
EDNA
19
K.
SALOOMEY,
Editor
"I will not shut me from my kind,
And lest I stiffen unto stone,
I will not eat my heart alone,
Nor feed with sighs a passing wind.
Tennyson.
With the exquisite words of Tennyson, this department
is dedicated to the younger generation, including all those
vohose hearts are young regardless of their years.
Do You Agree!
i
J
pODAY'S younger generation of Syrians is in a category all by
itself. Some reader will elaborate this statement by adding,
"in more ways than one." By all means, say that; for we are different in more ways than one, to the regret of some of our critics,
and to the joy of others.
We have in mind one fact which distinguishes us from those
who preceded us and those who shall succeed us. This fact is characteristic of this younger generation, which is composed of those
individuals who have been growing up with the twentieth century.
This distinguishing mark is our predicament.
We are wedged tightly between tradition and experiment. Always there has been a struggle between these two to conquer, but
for us, who have been transplanted into surroundings entirely new,
the battle has been keener than any before. We are at a loss whether
to succumb to tradition, or die for experiment. There are some
A
�I "I
20
THE SYRIAN WORLD
amongst us to whom the experience has been so overwhelming as
to cause their reason to be dazed; and they wander about with an
expression like that of Elihu Vedder's painting, "The Sorrowing
Soul Between Doubt and Faith."
In our case, we have been wandering in a desert partly our
own creation and partly a creation of circumstance. Though we
have much in common, as far as problems are concerned, we have
made no effort in common to solve them. We have become so disintegrated by an increasing barrenness of our social life that our
young people go to all extremes looking for a satisfaction to their
gregariousness.
Our progress, individually and collectively, is hindered immeasurably by the lack of unity. There have been occasions when we
have had to pay dearly for this deficiency.
Unlike every other nationality represented in the United
States, we have no organization, social, fraternal, or educational,
of nation-wide scope. Even a mythical unity does not exist amongst
us. We need some such unity for the- three purposes mentioned
above, for social, fraternal, and educational benefits.
Some may contend that they have found their places in the
sphere of existence. All power to them; they are to be congratulated if they have so succeeded. But, it must be remembered that
for every high diver, there are hundreds who have not learned yet
to swim.
It is these people who are groping to adjust themselves that we are thinking of, when we claim that some bond should
exist amongst us. Even those who are self-satisfied will not deny
that genius itself thrives better on sympathetic understanding.
Up to the present time in the history of Syrians in this country,
there has been only one meeting-place, figuratively, for the younger
generation; and that is "The Syrian World." Within its pages we
have learned about "the rest of our world" and what our compatriots are doing elsewhere. We have spanned the entire distance
of the globe, and communed with those in far distant lands. This
magazine is the nearest approach to a means of uniting our common
interests and, we hope, shall be the chosen voice of the younger
generation.
We give you our hand in welcome in hope that together we
may bring understanding out of the chaos engendered by our inarticulateness, passivity, and indifference. Let us be united h§re, that
whatever is noble in us, as a people, may be registered on the consciousness of all. Let us not stiffen unto stone.
r
�23
FEBRUARY, 1932
A New Era
yHE ECONOMIC disaster,vwhich has tremendously influenced
our lives during the past thref. years, needs no retelling, because all of us, more or less, have been uprooted by it from what
we had, in blind, youthful optimism, believed was permanent
security, and thrown helter-skelter into places not of our choosing.
None of us has escaped from the effects of this disaster; for those,
who may not have suffered financially, have, nevertheless, been
distressed by the flaws in the economic system which are like so
many jabs at man's sense of security.
The repetition of this discussion about depression is like poison
to some people, especially to those who think the entire matter may
be settled by psychologists. We think differently for we can not
stifle what is suffocating us, and we depend neither on pyschologists,
nor psychiatrists for that matter.
All of us, before the advent of the depression, had been
dreaming over the chapter of romance and success and joys unending, when life turned the page to the next chapter. It is this chapter in which we are now engrossed beyond our power to escape. For
the first time in our existence, we have come close to an understanding of some of our economic lessons which looked so harmless and
uninviting in the pages of text-books. We know now that our
economic system is a hundred times more vulnerable than Achilles'
heel, and that it is perfect only in so far as the natures of the individuals who create it, are perfect.
Does all this make us feel downhearted? No!
This event in our country's economic history is of immeasurable
importance to us, for its cessation in due course, shall mark the beginning of the second era in the history of Syrians in the United
States.
The immigrant period is over. Our people have no longer to
contend with problems of languages and customs. Even though
the immigration bars were to be removed entirely, which is quite
unlikely, the newcomers would never need to fare as did those who
came here first.
Our younger generation has been given ample opportunity to
avail itself of educational facilities. The opportunity-has been at
the cost of a sacrifice to some parents, but has been given unbegrudgingly. That the old order has changed is proven by the pre-
�I
20
1
THE SYRIAN WORLD
amongst us to whom the experience has been so overwhelming as
to cause their reason to be dazed; and they wander about with an
expression like that of Elihu Vedder's painting, "The Sorrowing
Soul Between Doubt and Faith."
In our case, we have been wandering in a desert partly our
own creation and partly a creation of circumstance. Though we
have much in common, as far as problems are concerned, we have
made no effort in common to solve them. We have become so disintegrated by an increasing barrenness of our social life that our
young people go to all extremes looking for a satisfaction to their
gregariousness.
Our progress, individually and collectively, is hindered immeasurably by the Jack of unity. There have been occasions when we
have had to pay clearly for this deficiency.
Unlike every other nationality represented in the United
States, we have no organization, social, fraternal, or educational,
of nation-wide scope. Even a mythical unity does not exist amongst
us. We need some such unity for the- three purposes mentioned
above, for social, fraternal, and educational benefits.
Some may contend that they have found their places in the
sphere of existence. All power to them; thev are to be congratulated if they have so succeeded. But, it must be remembered that
for every high diver, there are hundreds who have not learned yet
to swim.
It is these people who are groping to adjust themselves that we are thinking of, when we claim that some bond should
exist amongst us. Even those who are self-satisfied will not deny
that genius itself thrives better on sympathetic understanding
Up to the present time in the history of Syrians in this country,
there has been only one meeting-place, figuratively, for the younger
generation; and that is "The Syrian World." Within its pages we
have learned about "the rest of our world" and what our compatriots are doing elsewhere. We have spanned the entire distance
of the globe, and communed with those in far distant lands This
magazine is the nearest approach to a means of uniting our common
interests and, we hope, shall be the chosen voice of the younger
7
&
generation.
We give you our hand in welcome in hope that together we
may bring understanding out of the chaos engendered by our inarticulateness, passivity, and indifference. Let us be united W, that
whatever is noble m us, as a people, may be registered on the consciousness of all. Let us not stiffen unto stone
I
�FEBRUARY, 1932
A New Era
THE ECONOMIC disaster, i^which has tremendously influenced
our lives during the past three- years, needs no retelling, because all of us, more or less, have been uprooted by it from what
we had, in blind, youthful optimism, believed was permanent
security, and thrown helter-skelter into places not of our choosing.
None of us has escaped from the effects of this disaster; for those,
who may not have suffered financially, have, nevertheless, been
distressed by the flaws in the economic system which are like so
many jabs at man's sense of security.
The repetition of this discussion about depression is like poison
to some people, especially to those who think the entire matter may
be settled by psychologists. We think differently for we can not
stifle what is suffocating us, and we depend neither oh pyschologists,
nor psychiatrists for that matter.
All of us, before the advent of the depression, had been
dreaming over the chapter of romance and success and joys unending, when life turned the page to the next chapter. It is this chapter in which we are now engrossed beyond our power to escape. For
the first time in our existence, we have come close to an understanding of some of our economic lessons which looked so harmless and
uninviting in the pages of text-books. We know now that our
economic system is a hundred times more vulnerable than Achilles'
heel, and that it is perfect only in so far as the natures of the individuals who create it, are perfect.
Does all this make us feel downhearted? No!
This event in our country's economic history is of immeasurable
importance to us, for its cessation in due course, shall mark the beginning of the second era in the history of Syrians in the United
States.
The immigrant period is over. Our people have no longer to
contend with problems of languages and customs. Even though
the immigration bars were to be removed entirely, which is quite
unlikely, the newcomers wrould never need to fare as did those who
came here first.
Our younger generation has been given ample opportunity to
avail itself of educational facilities. The opportunity has been at
the cost of a sacrifice to some parents, but has been given unbegrudgingly. That the old order has changed is proven by the pre-
�_
__
,
THE SYRIAN WORLD
oi families in our midst, where one or both parents are ili-ate, whose children are college graduates. In some families,
i.nere are as many as four or five children who hold degrees from
colleges.
What significance has the comparison? It means that we have
not been idle j that we are better fitted for the life here.
The second era shall find us more largely represented in the
field of professional activities. The benefits derived in this field
are computed not so much in terms of money, as in the benefits
which accrue to mankind's welfare. Those engaged in this field
shall deserve unbounded appreciation, for our people shall inevitably reflect their glory.
When the pendulum, that symbol of the trend of the times,
reverses its movement, we shall be prepared to write the second
chapter of our! existence here. May it be as excellent in spirit as
that written by our predecessors who fought against odds, greater
even than a depression.
We know that the younger generation shall not fail. If you
wonder at our power or divination, here is the answer:
"Strange friend, past, present, and to be,
Loved deeplier, darklier understood 3
Behold, I dream a dream of good,
And mingle all the world with thee."
Tennyson.
"AL-JIRN"
In the magazine's January issue, Mr. Faris S. Malouf, who is
deservedly one of Boston's favourite sons, characterized us as being a difficult people.
Coming from Mr. Malouf, who ranks high in the field of
jurisprudence, and who sees with clarity and speaks with discrimination, that characterization merits consideration.
We challenge Mr. Malouf to prove that we are any more
difficult than the rest of God's children.
*r*
*F
T*
Aunt Mary, aged four-score plus, to grandniece: "I want to
dance at your wedding. When shall it be?"
Her grandniece: "We can't say just yet. Selim and I are
saving now for a ten-piece-walnut dining room set."
�—-
rri -r-rwm-irfiirw
23
FEBRUARY, 1932
Blue Blood
A RECENT TRAGEDY OF LOVE AND DEATH CAUSED
BY A BREACH OF A SOCIAL TRADITION AMONG
THE ARABS
By H. I.
KATIBAH
AN AMBITIOUS young man of Baghdad, wealthy and cultured
but of humble origin, who had attained through his application
and brilliancy to the high post of General Director of the Ministry of the Interior, paid with his own life the price of aspiring to
marry into a noble family much higher than his own.
He had returned from a honeymoon trip with his bride to
lovely Lebanon, a month spent with blissful oblivion to the sombre
shadow of tragedy that was dogging their steps, and was attending
to his duties at the ministry when an enraged member of the bride^s
family forced his way to the director's chamber and emptied his
pistol point-blank into the body of his unsuspecting victim.
And the report of that shot has reverberated in every Arabicspeaking land from the furthermost limits of the Land between the
Two Rivers to the furthermost limits of Somaliland and the AngloEgyptian Sudan. It has been reechoed in ever further countries, in
the United States of America, in Canada, in Argentine and Brazil,
in Chile, in Australia, in Transvaal, in Dahomey and in the Malay
Peninsula—in every place where the ubiquitous Arabic newspaper
has found its way.
For it is not an uncommon tragedy, and its implications are
very far-reaching. A great issue hangs in the balances, and the
shot that was heard three months ago was the sign of the challenge,
the challenge of the old to the new, of archaic, decadent aristocracy
to aspiring, vital democracy. Since then the challenge has been
met, and the defendant has been condemned to death for his most
daring crime. The attenuating circumstances, the appeal to the old
nomadic traditions of the desert, were brushed aside, and another
victory for democracy and progressiveness in the East has been
won.
The story of that murder would make interesting reading in
some of our sensational newspapers. It has all the elements of
�24
THE SYRIAN WORLD
violent passions, of deep-seated emotions that spring from centuries
of tribal notions and clannish traditions. It belongs properly to
the glamorous pages of the Arabian Nights and the travel books of
the Arabian Desert and Bedouin life.
The characters of the tragedy are Abdullah Ibn Falih al-Sa'doun, scion of one of the noblest families of Iraq, and Abdullah alSani', son of an ambitious commoner who had risen to wealth and
influence through his own efforts and those of his father and grandfather before him, and a young Sa'doun girl whose father was dead
and whose mother is of Turkish origin.
For over a hundred years the Sa'doun family had ruled Iraq.
From it sprang governors and viziers in the days of the Ottoman
Empire j and it had sent representatives to the Turkish parliament
when the Young Turk regime overthrew Sultan Abdul-Hamid and
introduced a constitutional form of government to Turkey. So
powerful indeed was the Sa'doun family that the Turkish Government in the days of Abdul-Hamid held some of its members as
hostages, educated them in a special school for the nobility and occupied them with government tasks in Constantinople, as it did with
princes of the Sheriffs of Mecca and other scions of noble families
from its far-flung empire. When the World War was over, and
the British succeeded the Turks in Iraq, the prestige and power of
the Sa'douns were recognized by the agents of His Britannic Majesty, and one of the premiers of Iraq a few years ago was a Sa'doun,
Muhsin Bey al-Sa'doun. He was a sincere patriot, but his effort
to reconcile between the intransigent nationalists and the demands of
the British led many to suspect him of treachery.
So heavily
did this charge weigh on the sensitive soul of this noble Arab that
he ended his own life by a shot in the head rather than stand the
stigma of a traitor.
The Sa'douns migrated to Iraq over seven hundred years ago.
They come from a pure Arabic stock, and can trace their ancestry
to the Sheriffs of Mecca. In this way they are distantly related to
the same family from which Feisal, King of Iraq, sprang.
Most of the Sa'douns still lead the nomadic life of the Bedouins in the Muntafik district, named after an ancestor of the Sa'doun family, where they have always been recognized as emirs
and shaykhs of their tribe. But many of them moved to the cities
of Baghdad, Basra etc. where they soon established their influence
and became principal characters in the checkered life of Oriental
cities. But never, neither as Bedouins nor as settled citizens, did
�FEBRUARY, 1932
25
they allow themselves to forget that they are a distinguished clan,
members of a blood nobility that never permitted the admixture of
other inferior blood with that of their family.
Marriage customs among the Arabs go back almost to the prehistoric days of the taboo and totem conceptions of religious restrictions. A Sa'doun would never dream of giving his daughter in
marriage to any but a Sa'doun. Theirs was the noble blue blood,
the pure blood of chivalrous warriors and governing rulers, and
under no condition should it be contaminated with that of other
species of the human race.
On the other hand, the family of the bridegroom in this strange
tragedy was not only of humble origin, but, as the name indicates,
menial artisans who, in the eyes of the Arab nobility, were only
a hairbreadth removed from the status of slavery. The ancestors
of the Sani' family were servants, it was claimed in the defense of
Abdullah al-Sa'doun in the Baghdad court, to the Sa'doun family.
Be that as it may, they were artisans, and in the eye of a full-blooded Sa'doun that amounted to the same thing.
True the Sani' family travelled far on the path of progress,
and many a Sani' was superior in wealth and social accomplishments
to many a Sa'doun. The grandfather of Abdullah al-Sani' was a
prosperous merchant of large means, and his descendants intermarried with the shaykhs of al-Kuweit, whose nobility cannot be
denied. He himself was offered a large capital by the Al-Ibrahim
family, rich pearl merchants on the Persian Gulf, who were also
counted among the nobility of the Arabs. Abdullah al-Sani' was
a man of undisputed worth and high ambition, and like Muhsin
al-Sa'doun had won his promotion through his friendship to the
British.
But all that did not change the situation. Al-Sa'douns were
Qubeili, a genuine tribal Arabs, and al-Sani's were Khudairis, mere
artisans, men who attached themselves to the tribe, and whose origin
was dubious.
And that's that. Abdullah al-Sani' might have succeeded so
brilliantly as to become the premier of Iraq, or he might have devoted himself to some science and distinguished himself as a great
scientist, recognized by the universities and academies of Europe
and America, thus bringing glory to himself and all the Arab race.
Still he was a Sani', and considered beneath any Sa'douni. On the
other hand a Sa'douni might so degrade himself as to become a
burden on society, or he might be a dull clout whose total life would
•or
�26-
1HE SYRIAN WORLD
amount to nil, and in his heart of heart think himself superior to
all the Sani's in existence.
This sort of mentality is not strange to those who know the
old traditions of the East. We all know of Emirs who are cab
drivers and boot-blacks in the streets of Damascus, Beirut or Baghdad.
One of the men who always attracted my attention in Beirut
was an eccentric peddler who usually stationed himself on the corner
of Bab-Edris. He sold candy and displayed a banner with queer
writings on it. I asked about him, and was told that he was an Ayyoubi, a descendant of the great Saladin! On another occasion I
was leaving Baghdad, and a beggar approached my automobile for
charity. Before I had chance to drive him away, a fairly respectable fellow came forward and chased the beggar. Then after a
minute or so he himself asked for a tip. I was surprised, and said
to him: "Only a while ago you chased that other beggar, and now
you are begging yourself, what does this mean:".
Suavely the second beggar replied: "But 1 belong to Ahl alBeit." I "understood what he meant but rebuked him and drove him
away just the same. For those who do not know what Ahl al-Beit
means, we will inform them that it means the descendants of the
Prophet Mohammed.
The blood of the Sa'douns, we are assured, is blue, very blue
indeed, and that of al-Sani's perhaps is red, or black, or whatever
the blood of slaves and artisans may be characterized.
But just here comes science to dispel another antiquated notion,
to disillusion the pride and equanimity of the master class in the
East.
For biology is positive on one point, whatever it may be on
others. It is positive that the blood of the mother has as much to
contribute to the blood constituency and color of the offspring as
that of the father.
According to the marriage customs of those aristocratic families
of the Arabs, it is not necessary for a male member of those families
to marry into the same family, or one of equal rank, not even one
of the same race. From the earliest days of Islam we have records
of marriages between noble Arabs and Greek or Persian captive women; and some of the greatest figures in Islam are children of such
unions. Even today we have members of such noble families as alBakris and Huseinis married to European ladies, and the bride's
own mother in this celebrated case is a Turk, according to account.
�27
FEBRUARY, 1932
But, according to biology, when a Sa'douni or a Bakri is married to a woman of foreign blood, or one not quite as blue, the
blood of the children is undoubtedly determined by that of the
mother and her ancestry. The old conception that a woman is
only "a vessel" for the transmission of the male's inheritable characteristics, is completely exploded and confuted by modern science;
What then becomes of the blue blood of the Sa'dounis and
others who for generations have taken for themselves the liberty
to marry wherever their fancy chose and denied that right to the
female members of their families?
A certain scholar who once undertook the fantastic task of
studying the royal family of the reigning Ottoman sultans came
out of his investigation with the assertion that not one drop in a
million in the blood of that long lineage could be called "royal."
It seems to us like a recrudescence of barbaric notions that in
this day and generation there are still people in the East who seek
to determine the destinies of half of their genre by high-handed
and arbitrarv manners that have no foundation in fact or reason.
Water and Flowers
By
AMEEN RIHANI
Here are flowers, O my Beloved,
Here are flowers;
Let us lay our hearts today
Among the flowers
Let us not be led astray
By the mirage far away;
Here is verdure, and in verdure
Love embowers.
Here are springs, O my Beloved,
Here are springs;
Let us rest and build a nest
Near the springs;
Let us cease our weary quest
For the mountains of the blest;
Here is water, and in water
Blessing sings.
�i
28
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Excavations in Syria and Iraq
Important Recent Discoveries Have Materially Added to Our
Knowledge of Origin and Progress of Civilization.
Editor's Note:—Al-Kulliyat, organ of the American University of Beirut,
summarizes in its December issue four public lectures on the progress of excavation work in Syria and Iraq delivered by Dr. Harold Ingholt, Professor
of Archaeology at the Univers;ty. The lectures epitomize almost the whole
history of these ancient lands and are here reprinted by courtesy of our esteemed Beirut contemporary with whom we heartily join in the praise of
the "generousity of the Syrian lady who established the chair of archaeology
at the American University of Beirut" and made possible the addition of
this most important subject in the University's curriculum.
By
DR. HAROLD INGHOLT
EXCAVATIONS AT PALMYRA—
JT SEEMS strange that Palmyra, now a small oasis with only
about 2000 inhabitants, once was the undisputed mistress o£
Syria, Mesopotamia, Egypt and the greater part of Asia Minor,
powerful enough under the famous queen Zenobia to give Rome
a hard fight for the supremacy of the whole of the Near East.
The abundant springs in Palmyra must early have attracted
settlers and the first mention of the city does in reality go as far
back as 1100 B. C, when it was sacked by the Assyrian king TiglatPileser. It was then called Ta-ad-mar, the exact equivalent of its
modern name, Tedmor. For many centuries nothing is heard of
the city but when it reappears in history, in Hellenistic time, it is as
a city of considerable importance. Its location between the Parthian
and Roman empires was of great political significance and during
the first three centuries of the Christian era, it became commercially
important, being one of the chief junctions for the caravans, which
brought goods from China, India and Persia to the Occident The
Palmyrene merchants were assured protection in the dangerous
desert-district by means of the famous mounted Palmyrene archers
and m return the city levied a heavy duty on all the goods which
passed through: silk, perfume, oil, etc., and also made the caravans
�to
to
>3
a>
Main Entrance to the Great Colonnaded Street in Palmyra, Once
Queen of the Syrian Desert.
.
-
.:.
.___
.
, -. -
s
�30
THE SYRIAN WORLD
pay for the right of watering their camels. As the wealth of the
city grew, magnificent buildings were erected, the ruins of which
still bear witness to Palmyra's glory. A big, colonnaded street went
through nearly the whole length of the city, the columns being
adorned with statues of prominent citizens, and the main sanctuary
of Palmyra, the temple of Bel, competed in size and splendor with
the temples of Baalbek and Damascus. The chief authority rested
with the "Senate and the People," but in the latter part of the third
century the Odainath family became more and more prominent and
finally took absolute control. When the Persians in the year 260
A. D. defeated the Roman army in Northern Syria, Palmyra's existence was also in danger, and it was the younger Odainath, who
with his Palmyrene army and the remaining Roman troops, drove
the Persians back to the other side of the Euphrates. Odainath was
later murdered in Horns (266 or 267), but at that time the whole
of Syria and Mesopotamia virtually was under Palmyrene domination, even if it nominally still belonged to Rome. Odainath's widow, Zenobia, famous for her beauty and learning, took advantage
of the next years, in which the Roman emperors had more than
enough to do in the West and having added Egypt and the greater
part of Asia Minor to the possessions of Palmyra, she felt strong
enough to declare war against Rome in the year 271.
The new Roman emperor Aurelian was a much more formidable adversary than his immediate predecessors and in spite of
heroic efforts the Palmyrene armies were defeated near Antioch
and near Horns. Palmyra was besieged and taken in March, 272,
after Zenobia herself had been taken prisoner at the end of her
audacious camel-ride across the desert.
The first excavations in Palmyra took place after the great
war when two French-Danish archaelogical missions worked there
under the direction of Durand and Ingholt (1924) and Gabriel
and Ingholt (1925).
UR OF THE CHALDEES—
A systematic excavation of this most important site, the paternal city of Abraham, was not undertaken until 1923, when an archaeological expedition, financed by the British Museum and the University Museum of Philadelphia, under the direction of the British
archaeologist, C. L. Woolley, started work on the huge mound.
The oldest layers were found in the 1929 campaign, on the
bottom of a 12 nr. deep shaft, containing flint artefacts and pottery
�FEBRUARY, 1932
31
with geometric decoration on a characteristic brown or greenish surface. Above this level lay for 2^m.a layer of homogeneous clay,
free from any foreign particles. This layer can only have been
deposited by a huge flood, which may be the same as the Biblical
deluge.
The most impressive building cleared by the excavators was
the "Ziggurat," the tower-like temple of Ur, built by king UrNammii, who lived about 2300 B. C. The building, which is all
made of brick, sundried in the core, burnt bricks on the outside, consists of three rectangular platforms with tapering walls, the lowest
black, the second red, and the top one blue. Fragments of a stele
were found in another temple representing the king, Ur-Nammu,
sacrificing to the moon-goddess, Ningal, and the moon-god, Nannar, and receiving the order from this last deity to build just that
same "Ziggurat."
The richest and most surprising finds were made in an old
necropolis, in which Woolley discovered a number of royal tombs
dating from about 3200 to 3000 B. C. A beautiful gold dagger,
the lapis-lazuli handle of which was studded with golden beads and
the hilt done in exquisite filigree-work, bore witness to the marvelous skill of the Sumerian goldsmiths, as also a golden helmet,
found in the tomb of a certain Meskalamdug. In another tomb a
beautiful mosaic came to light, mounted on two pieces of wood and
representing the Sumerian army in action and a feast at the royal
court. The most interesting tombs, however, were those of Abargi
and his queen Shub'ad, in which for the first time clear evidence
was found of human sacrifices as part of the Sumerian funeral rites.
In Abargi's tomb no less than fifty-nine skeletons were found in
definite and appropriate positions, so that one might suppose that
the soldiers, the grooms, and the court-ladies had been marshalled
in order and cut down where they stood. The ladies had very
ornate head-dresses: gold-ribbon, four wreaths of gold leaf pendants and one of lapis lazuli and gold beads were wound around
the head and at the back a large "Spanish comb" of gold, its seven
points ending in rosettes with gold and lapis centres. Beautiful
fluted gold vessels, gaming boards, harps, a silver boat for the king's
last voyage and a very naturalistic donkey and bull, respectively
of electron and silver, originally placed as mascots on the rein—ring*
of the chariots, further rewarded the careful excavators. Similar
finds were made in other tombs and as the excavations are still
going on, we may expect still many finds of importance for the
early history of Mesopotamia.
-
�*C£S •*.
**" "'
US
Co
ft
5
The Massive Sarcophagus of King Ahiram Discovered at Jebeil in
Lebanon. The Cover Bears the Oldest Known Inscription in the
Phoenician Alphabet and Dates Back to the Thirteenth Century B.C.
o
to
i
�.
to
Pa
S
Pa
Some of the Archeological Treasures of the National Museum of Beirut.
m - N WHiPI .-i*.-J»:
t*4
�I
-"
34
THE SYRIAN WORLD
BYBLOSWhen Renan arrived in Syria in 1860 the first place he chose
to excavate was Byblos, the present Djebeil, no doubt prompted by
the most important role Byblos had played in antiquity, not only
as the chief sea-port for the export of timber to Egypt, but also
as center of the Osiris and Adonis cult in Syria, the temple of Byblos being known as one of the oldest in the world.
Excavations on a larger scale were, however, not undertaken
until after the great war. From 1921 to 1924 the French Egyptologist, Montet, worked there, after him Dunand, and it is not too
much to say that no excavation in Syria has produced richer or more
important results.
Besides tomb deposits of about 3000 B. C, Montet found
what probably is the site of the old temple, and there a number of
most interesting foundation deposits containing vases, cylinders,
ivories, bronzes, scarabs, jewels, all dating from before 2000 B. C.
Several sculptures representing gods or kings of Byblos were also
found within the temple enclosure.
A landslide revealed in 1922 a royal tomb belonging to the
king Abishemu, contemporary with the Egyptian pharao Amenemhet III (1850-1800 B.C.). Even if it had been robbed in antiquity
several interesting pieces were still left: a beautiful obsidian cup
set in gold, the silver "tea-pot," a pair of silver sandals, a golden
weapon in form similar to a sickle, the so-called "harpe," etc ;
the remarkable golden jewels, which by way of Jerusalem and Chicago have come back to Syria and were acquired by the National
Museum in Beirut, probably also have come from the same tomb:
bracelets, rings, a pectoral with the sacred Hathor-cow, and a gilded
bronze bull. Other royal tombs were found near by; one belonged
to king Ypshemuabi, son of king Abishemu, and contained a beautiful obsidian casket, a golden pectoral and pendants, a magnificent
harpe inscribed with the king's name, a silver knife and a silver
mirror with papyrus-handle of gold. The fifth tomb of the group
proved to be the most important of all. It was built for king Ahiram, who lived in the first half of the 13th century B. C. and
whose sarcophagus was found unimpaired in the funeral chamber.
Represented on the sarcophagus was found the king himself, seated
on a throne and receiving homage from his servants; on the two
small sides wailing women tear their hair and beat their breasts.
On the lid the king is seen blessing his son Itoba'al. The sarcophagus in itself, with its mixtures of Assyrian, Egyptian and Phoe\
�FEBRUARY, 1932
35
nician influences, is a most important archaeological document, but
its importance is further enhanced by the Phoenician inscription
engraved on it. The oldest inscription in alphabetical letters was
until then the one on the Mesa-stone, from about 850 B. C, but the
Ahiram one goes back still 400 years and gives us the oldest
alphabetical inscription known, the prototypes of the letters, which
we use today, and with which this article is written.
MINET EL-BEIDA AND RAS SHAMRA—
A subterranean tomb, built of large stone slabs, was found in
1928 by a farmer ploughing his field at Minet el-Beida, a small
natural harbour 13 k. m. north of Lattakiah. The Cypriote vases
left in the tomb and the Cretan character of architecture seemed
to justify further researches, and in 1929 work was begun there by
the two French archaeologists, Schaeffer and Chenet. The excavations soon revealed the great importance of the site in antiquity,
when it was the chief harbour on the Syrian coast for the Cypriote
export of copper, to the Near East.
In Minet el-Beida two burial-grounds were found, one with
many animal bones, deposits of pottery, dating from the 13th centuary B. C, and near a small wall two bronze statuettes of the
Egyptian falcon, the one inlaid with silver, a statuette of a god,
may be the Phoenician weather-and-war-god Reshef, and a gold
pendant of a nude goddess, probably Astarte. In the other necropolis the excavators found tombs similar to the one brought to
light by the fellah, and in one of these a beautiful ivory lid, probably of a toilet-paint box, representing the Cretan goddess of
fertility, flanked by two goats.
On Ras Shamra, the acropolis of Minet el-Beida, the excavators cleared a temple, in and near which a number of interesting
Egyptian sculptures were found, as also two steles with representation of the Bacal and Ba'alat of Sapuna, the ancient name of the
city. But the most important find was that of the library, with
tablets written in Akkadian, Sumerian, and an enigmatic language.
These last tablets have now been deciphered (Bauer, Dhorme and
Virolleaud) and proved to be written in the Phoenician language
with twenty-eight alphabetic signs taken from the cuneiform signsyestem. An epic poem of eight hundred lines is among the texts
discovered, and it will, when published, no doubt give us most welcome information about the Phoenician civilization of the 14th
tentury B. C.
\
\
�Sa
36
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Syria in Romance
The Brethren
By
RIDER HAGGARD
Condensed by
DAGNY EDWARDS
(Continued from December)
Days went by and one hot July night the brethren sat in their
.camp gazing from the mountain top across the plains toward Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee. The next day they were to advance
across the desert plain to battle with Saladin, who lay above Tiberias. As they sat there, Godwin had a vision wherein he saw Saladin walking to and fro alone in the royal pavilion. Godwin read
his thought.
It was: "Behind me the Jordan and the Sea of Galilee,
into which, if my flanks were turned, I should be driven, I and all
my host. In front the territories of the Franks, I have no friend;
and by Nazareth their great army. Allah alone can help me. If
they sit still and force me to advance across the desert and attack
them before my army melts away, then I am lost. If they advance
upon me round the Mountain Tabor and by the watered land, I
may be lost. But if, oh! if Allah should make them mad, and they
should strike straight across the desert then, then they are lost, and
the reign of the Cross in Syria is forever at an end. I will wait
here. I will wait here."
Awaking, Godwin told his tale to the king, and all his pleading
prayers, and those of the bishop and Wulf, who saw truth in the
dream, could not change his mind to hold the army. Advancing in
war, the dream was fulfilled terribly, to the extent that one of the
most hideous rights in the history of the world took place, on the
battlefields of Hattin, which broke the power of the Christians in
the East. Wulf settled his score with Prince Hassan for the killing
of his uncle and the poisoned wine, by killing Hassan on the battlefield. But before death took him, Hassan in all friendliness toward
Wulf gave him the badge of his House, the famous star jewel,
that was to stand the brethren and Rosamund in good stead, later,
when they sought to make their escape.
�FEBRUARY, 1932
2?
Awaiting her chance, Masouda instructed the brethren how
Z?M8ht,efape.fr°m.Sakdin's camP> ^ which they were to
pay Masouda s assistant in the plot, the jewel of Hassan. Rosan0t
Slightest detai1 lest in a cas
ToliT
Z before
?Td they
°u thewere
»y Abdul
* they
should be caught
well away. ' That night,
ih°,reckei!ed ^he jewel, was captured and confessed that he
f
th£ P n
C6rtain arden 0
cal
Wh morning
°
"gcame,
?, f ?, f° awas
the
camp. When
Abdullah
dead,g he gave^
no more
of the plan away, but Godwin, Wulf, and the ladies were brought
before the wrath of Saladin, who, however, could not punish them
since there was no direct evidence against the brethren. Finallv
an imam of the Sultan consulted with him. Saladin was pleased
paving the court the imam returned presently with two small'
couTd f°jISa"dalwood tied with silk and sealed, so alike that none
ky thC JeWd kll Wn aS the Star
d
Luc rf I W aPar^ HaS
JB 0nC' m
°
the ther
a ebble of
wlh,
V
7was asked
f "j to give° a box^
P of herthe
same
weight. Rosamund
to each
cousins.
He who had the jewel should die. Beseeching Saladin to be less
cruel and spare her the task, Rosamund was forced to present the
boxes to her cousins, each taking the box nearer to him Opening
nf'w?^
Ileanu"g enchanted Star of Hassan fell to the feel
oi Wulf, as Rosamund cried out,
"Not Wulf! Not Wulfl"
Then it was that the brethren knew which she loved
Later that afternoon, Godwin offered Saladin his life as the
guilty one in place of Wulf; and though loathe to believe him, the
h S Wi8h
biddi
^a
he T^T
ThCnMasouda
"S farewdl
^ Rwho
"d
(as he
thought, for ,t' was -really
in disguise,
again
planned Rosamund's escape, and showed her love for Godwfn
t0 SPeak
Wdf Wh
the d
when'sld° Cntered
^that
vault,'
when Saladin came "in, andi°spoke to them
both saying
he
refused such sacrifice as Godwin was about to make, andfmce thev
were brave men, he would much prefer to kill them in war. Making them a gift of fine horses, he bade them go to Jerusalem where
they might meet again within its streets, in war
agai R0SamU id made her CSCape thr0U h the
of
,
> was£ brought
-genuity
J
of MSoud
Masouda. R
Rosamund; dressed
as Masouda,
by the
latter's uncle Son of the Sand, to Godwin and Wulf in Jerusalem
Ihey placed Rosamund ,n a sanctuary with the nuns of the Holv
Cross, where none would ever dare drag her. Then Godwin fear-
camo Lhefeh °\ ^TSleft behi»d> -turned to Saladin's
camp, for he felt a strange love for that fearless young woman who
\
X
�=—?m
38
THE SYRIAN WORLD
braved death for love of him. Through the trickery of the Sultan
and his imam, who led Godwin to believe that Masouda, though
their prisoner, was well and alive, he entered the prison vault, and
there to his horror and grief found Masouda dead. Then he knew
that he truly loved her, even as she had loved and died for him.
Stung by the mockery of the imam, the same who had planned the
casting of the lots, Godwin smote his eye out with a silver lamp,
then falling across the corpse of Masouda, he lay sick for a long
time.
The siege of the Holy City had begun, and slaughter waged
on both sides. As Godwin lay resting in camp, wondering what the
outcome of the struggle would be, he remembered Saladin's vision,
that through Rosamund much slaughter should be spared. Seizing
an opportunity, Godwin broached the subject to Saladin, who greatly vexed, would not listen to him, although as he left the tent, he
pondered the matter.
Several days later, Godwin by his own wish, though still in
the camp of Saladin, was ordained a priest by the hand of the Bishop
Egbert, amidst the triumphant servants of Mohamet, who rejoiced
at the approaching downfall of the Cross.
Misery and despair settled over the tens of thousands of
fugitives within Jerusalem, and finally the Sultan declared that
only on condition that Rosamund surrender to him that he might
deal with her as she deserved, would he have anything to say to
the embassy sent to discuss terms with him. Then was Rosamund's
hiding place discovered, and the men came to plead with her to return, but she staunchly refused.
The battle went on and on, the people ever suffering new terrors, fearing momentary death. Again they pleaded with Saladin;
again he refused to deal with them till Rosamund surrendered, but
even as he listened to their pleadings for mercy, did he think that
this was the massacre of which he dreamed—eighty thousand lives.
Prayers and sobs mingled with the cries of the people outside
the convent, came to Rosamund as once more they besought her
to go to Saladin. A final message came to her there, from him, telling that if she came to him willingly he would consider the question
of the sparing of Jerusalem and its inhabitants. If she refused,
everyone, save those women and children who might be kept as
slaves, would be put to the sword. Listening to the pleading all
around her, from the Queen Sybilla, the women, children, knights ;
and lords, Rosamund asked Wulf, would he have her die. "Alas!" '
�I
FEBRUARY, 1932
30
he answered, "It is hard to speak. Yet they are many, you are one."
lhen Rosamund of her own will declared that that too was her
wish, and prepared to go. But Wulf declared that he must die with
her, and thus they made confession of their sins before the priest
received absolution and the sacrament for the dying, while all in
the church knelt and prayed, as for souls that pass. So the solemn
ritual ended, and they entered the presence of the Sultan, kneeling
to
before him.
The Sultan heard them speak that Rosamund was ready to pay
the price, to fulfill his vision, and spare the city, and for its blood
he should accept hers as a token and offering. Then did Salah-eddin show his mercy. The terms of his treaty were fair; he was just
and kind, even paying out of his own treasury the ransoms of hundreds of ladies whose husbands and fathers had fallen in battle.
_ For forty days, Rosamund and Wulf lay in separate prisons
awaiting death, while the ransoms outlined in the treaty of peace
were being paid; and when it was over, Saladin took possession of
me city. 1 he Crescent had triumphed over the Cross in Jerusalem
As the camp broke up at length, Rosamund and Wulf were
summoned before the Sultan. Dressed in festive robes, Rosamund
knew not what to think as the ladies of the court clad her in fine
linen and put over it gorgeous, broidered garments and a royal
mantle of purple, and brought her to Salah-ed-din. As she stepped
within his presence, trumpets blew, and a herald cried: "Way for
the high sovereign lady and Princess of Baalbec'" And again they
med, "Way for the brave and noble Frankish knight, Sir Wulf
D Arcy!
And thus Saladin restored to Rosamund her title and
estate, and further, led them to the Convent, where stood a Christ1
P
st t0 PCrf rm the marria e servi
M u-I
°
S
ce. As the service ended the
old bishop withdrew, and another hooded monk uttered the benediction. His hood fell back, and there stood Godwin, the priest!
Once again they stood before Saladin, and this time he declared
that they had drunk the dregs of their cups; the doom which he
decreed for Rosamund had been accomplished, and now that they
were man and wife, they were free to do as they wished, whether
they desired to enjoy their rank and wealth in the East or return
to England. Bewildered and happy the pair chose to return to their
home across the sea, but Godwin, in his newly found joy in the
Cross, declared that he would stay in Jerusalem, and serve the
Cross, that was down, but not forever.
Then bidding Wulf farewell, Godwin was gone.
T-,
Ml HHM
�40
THE SYRIAN WORLD
TRVE ARABIAN TA
W. I+AM6
THE CHANCE MEETING IN THE OASIS
TRIBE of 'Uzra was renowned among the Arabs for the
THE
intensity and purity of its love. " 'Uzra love" was synonimous
with Platonic love in the highest sense. It was a sacred tradition
among the 'Uzraites to love intensely, but in a manner that would
exact the strictest abstention from physical indulgence. No other
Arab tribe had the reputation for devotion in love to equal that of
'Uzra.
The tales of love among the men of 'Uzra are many. Often
they ended in stark tragedy because of the fierce stoicism which
would countenance no weakening in the traditional abstinence. The
following tale, however, is a happy exception. It is related on the
authority of the well-known Arab traditionist 'Amru Ibn Rabi'a
and is here retold in his own words.
Said 'Amru:
Ju'd Ibn Muhje', of the tribe of 'Uzra, was a young poet who
enjoyed a wide reputation both for his intense love as well as for the
traditional reserve of his tribe. He was in the habit of making an
annual pilgrimage to Mecca, where his appearance was anxiously
awaited by a group of poetry lovers and intellectuals who formed
a steadily growing circle about him. For he was also a prolific entertainer with erudite and well authenticated Arab folk tales.
One year, during the pilgrimage season, Ju'd failed to make
an appearance and his absence was greatly felt. I took it upon myself to make inquiries about him and sought the camp of the 'Uzraites for the purpose. I made my object plain to the first group
upon whom I came, and a man from among them emitted a sigh
�FEBRUARY, 1932
41
and quote the well-known verse which signifies desperation in love:
By thy l,fe I swear that my love for Asma
Will neither drive me to die in despair,
Nor set me free to live in peace.
Alarmed I asked the man if anything had befallen Tu'd and to
"or ZTl "^ m~*a*?> he -plied in a spirit of contemptTat
±or me to be so anxious about him only meant that I was of his ilk
wandering in a trackless desert of corruption and ignorance
'
And who may you be to so condemn my friend?" I asked
1 am his brother," was his curt reply.
The year following, at the same season, I found mvself at
Urfa among a group of pilgrims from the <Uzra trite and I
noticed particularly a young man who had almost become un'cog
mzable through his emaciation. Although erect, he seemed noting
but skin and bone, a shadow of his former self. I was Tie tf
recognize him as Ju'd only through his familiar came]T When I
greeted him and asked him of his condition, he emitted uch a deen
sigh that I-thought his soul would depart with it. I hen Lght to
divert him by impressing on him the sacredness of the occasion and
the necessity of prayer. He prayed until sundown, and when he
had finished I heard him exclaim,
"O Allah, the compassionate' the mercifull Be thou mv <mn
The oL^
thC ,Md thM ta
«*«» «P0« « sint thela^f
to me tot he would confide all to IZ^T^^*
That evening, when we were alone, I again asked him £
explanation as to the cause of his exclamatic££t Itmenhat'
he unburdened his heart and recounted to me' the folWing story
my mater,Ml u
8
tribe
KjbC who,
l ^T^
**?
»*s are
tribe J
of Kalb,
aside from
being men of renuhtin,,
f of.uthe
•
them custodians f my
up zfe as?
° p p-y -dts
lay in my path. I had food and drink in sumrienrv 27 £
having partaken of my needs, I reclined to e^yfeme ^
�42
THE SYRIAN WORLD
of the hospitable palms, when from the distance rose a commotion
that attracted my attention. I looked, and there was a horseman
who was chasing a gazelle with such dash and dexterity as to excite
my admiration. For a time I watched the chase with interest, and
finally the hunter not only gained on the quarry, but felled it with
a lance thrust, as if disdaining the bow and arrow. Nor did he,
to my surprise, occupy himself with the task of recovering the carcass, as if his only interest was in the love of the sport. And to
my further surprise, the hunter, having achieved his aim, came
trotting leisurely in my direction apparently seeking the shelter of
the oasis.
"Our first meeting was most cordial. The young man, for
such he appeared to me, proved of most charming presence and conversation. He was not only erudite and conversant with Arab poetry
and folk lore, but of such captivating demeanor as to betray a
feminine charm. Thus we spent a pleasant hour until the hunter
arose to adjust the saddle of his horse, in which operation his armour
partly shifted, displaying the beauty of two breasts that put
ivory to shame in their firmness and translucency. The attempt to
a hasty concealment was abortive, and to my question if she were a
woman the reply came in the affirmative, but with the qualification
that she was one of extreme chastity, although not averse to liberal
conversation.
"And in this we indulged. The scope of the maiden's knowledge
was a revelation to me, and the charm of her manner had on me
the effect of intoxicating wine. Sometime later, overcome by the
heat of the day and the effect of her strenuous labors, she reclined
and fell into peaceful slumber. For a long time I watched over
her, drinking in her beauty with an avidity that was heightened by
the quiet of the place and the strangeness of the occasion. I want
to confess to you that often did I resolve to forswear chastity for
the strong temptation that lay before me, but recalling the tradition of my tribe, and invoking the honor of manhood, I finally
overcame the weakness.
"When she finally awoke and was preparing to leave I asked
permission to visit her, but she protested that her father and brothers were exceedingly strict and of high temper, and all I could
hope for was a chance meeting.
"She then departed, and never since have I seen her. But her
memory lingers with me and my love for her has reduced me to
a skeleton, as you see. It was because I was so weak last year that I
could not attend the pilgrimage."
" : :
.
-,:
-
'•
�FEBRUARY, 1932
43
The tale of the love-stricken young poet touched my heart
and I resolved to contrive for his salvation. I prevailed upon him
to accompany me to the tents of his uncles and there sought the
father of his beloved. I had provided myself with a thousand
dinars in money, a silk robe and a beautifully designed green tent.
The preliminary exchanges of salutations were brief and I hastened to explain to the father that the purpose of my mission was to
ask the hand of his daughter in marriage, to which he replied that I
was more than welcome.
"It is not for myself that I make the request," I protested,
"but rather in favor of your nephew whom I consider to be equally
as worthy."
"Unquestionably he is," he parried in a rather impatient manner, "but if you must insist we will leave the final choice to the
maiden."
I was about to interpose an objection when Ju'd motioned
me to acquiesce, and to my great relief and elation, the girl did express her preference for her friend.
Immediately I made a gift of the silk robe and the tent to the
father and presented the thousand dinars as the girl's dowery, insisting that the marriage ceremony be performed forthwith.
Early on the morrow I met Ju'd and asked him how he had
fared. "No man can be happier than I," he said, "because Selma
expressed towards me a reciprocal feeling that made me forget all
my past sufferings."
With this I felt that I had been amply repaid. I extended to
the young lovers my congratulations and departed.
Freedom and Slavery
By
KHALIL GIBRAN
You are free before the sun of the day,
and free before the stars of the nightj
And you are free when there is no sun
and no moon and no star.
You are even free when you close your
eyes upon all there is
Hut you are a slave to him whom you
love because you love him,
And a slave to him who loves you
because he loves you.
�44
THE SYRIAN WORLD
EDITORIAL COMMENT
APOLOGY
Although every possible effort
has been made to maintain the
regular publication schedule of
the Syrian World, unavoidable
difficulties have retarded the appearance of the February number
to the middle of March. The
lapse will be corrected with the
coming issues.
HARD TIMES
One would like not to discuss
the economic depression. It is
unpleasant to be reminded -of
such painful subjects. The effect is to depress the spirit and
undermine the energy. After
all, the wise ones will tell you,
our ills are only psychological.
The coffers of savings banks are
overflowing with money, only it
needs" to be put in circulation.
Talk prosptrity and you will
have it!
All of which is very good if it
were only practical.
Closed factories, stagnant markets, empty cupboards, with millions of unemployed and hundreds of thousands dependent
upon public charity, are all too
serious and concrete matters to
be treated lightly and delegated
to the class of the ephemereal
and psychological.
Such crises the world has experienced before and emerged
therefrom safe but wiser.
It
would be ridiculous to expect that
the result in the present case
would prove otherwise. In the
commonest way of expressing it,
the world is not coming to an
end. A solution will eventually
be found, although the world
will have to readjust itself to
new conditions. But just what
form the solution will take no
one has yet been able to tell. The
Bolsheviks claim that in their
formula lies the world's only
salvation, while the rest of the
world still hold a diametrically
opposite view. One thing is certain, and it is that such conditions as those which brought about the abnormal and unsound
prosperity which led to the correspondingly heavy depression
cannot be suffered to remain.
There was an orgy that had to
come to an end sometime, and
people who had settled down to
the snug assurance that the bubble could continue along the process of inflation without bursting
will have to face the painful task
of disillusionment.
The important question is:
What will happen in the mean-
mmem
�FEBRUARY, 1932
time?
The economic pressure is already straining heavily at family ties. Parents who cannot now
provide as was their wont, and
children who fancy themselves
deprived of what they had been
accustomed to having as a matter of course, although they
themselves are not productive,
suffer a painful present and vision a dark future. In this case
it is safe to assume that the development of a sorely needed
sturdiness in character will prove
a welcome result from the travail of the depression.
Then there are the national
governments that are sorely
pressed in the task of balancing
their budgets. Large corporate
enterprises, with national and international ramifications, who
had been looked upon as towers
of strength in the world financial
structure, are facing a similar
predicament.
But the most pathetic case is
that of the small man, the one
who through systematic savings
and self-denials accumulated a
small capital with which to open
a shop, a store, or some other industrial or commercial undertaking. He had felt the security of independence through the
individual enterprise he had
painstakingly built up. By the
assiduous cultivation of personal,
contacts and the assurance of
honest individual service he had
45
every reason to believe that he
had a claim on the constant patronage of his clientele. We may
imagine such a man's distress
when through the forced curtailment in expenditures on the part
of his customers, he is reduced
to a position of utter helplessness. For he is neither fit by
training nor capable by former
connections to find other means
of earning a livelihood.
The Syrians in America fall
mostly in the latter category.
Their native initiative prompted
them to seek independent means
of gain which in the majority of
cases were confined to individual
enterprises. That they have not
suffered severely so far may be
attributed principally to their
sense of thrift and their mutual
helpfulness.
During the past few months
a score or more public affairs
were held by the Syrians of New
1 ork City for purposes of charity, and many more are planned.
Similar activities are being constantly reported from almost all
sections of the country.
This constitutes about the only
cheerful news in the otherwise
dark situation. But people would
much prefer to give work in exchange for money than be the
recipients of charity. It may be
said for the Syrians that their
pride would prevent them from
appealing for charity except at
the last extremity.
The fact
�mam..
46
that public affairs are being held
so frequently with the avowed
purpose of alleviating the distress of needy Syrians would indicate that that point of desperation has already been reached.
WHICH SHALL SURVIVE
THE SYRIAN WORLD
tion, edited by Miss Najla Bellamah of Canada, and the only
Arabic feminist publication in
North America, was forced to
suspend before it could run out
the cycle of a full year. It must
be said to its credit that it reimbursed paid subscribers for the
difference due them, but this act
of extreme honesty is poor consolation for the lack of adequate
support for a worthy publication.
Character, a literary Arabic magazine of New York, now in its
tenth year, will suspend "until
such time as conditions warrant
resumption."
During the past few months
the scythe of the depression has
mowed down several worthy and,
in some instances, long established Arabic publications, both
in America and abroad. By virThe daily papers so far have
tue of long and meritorious ser- not been affected except in that
vice some of the defunct period- they are issuing continuous apicals had come to be looked peals, which alternate between
upon as established institutions. threats and pleadings, for the
Most of them, however, had the collection of subscriptions. One
misfortune of being serious or- of them has set a premium of
gans of opinion or scholarly re- 10% discount for payment of
search.
back accounts within a given perLughat-Al-Arab - (The Arabic iod. Another is willing to give
Tongue) of Baghdad, announced as much as 50%.
its suspension because of lack of
When, on the other hand, one
support, although it was consi- reads that such old and supposeddered over a long period one of ly popular publications in the
the foremost sources of authority American field such as Judge and
on Arabic phylology.
The Police Gazette are forced inAl-Khalidat, of New York, to bankruptcy, one is surprised
could not weather the economic that the ratio of mortality among
storm although its editor, Rev. Arabic publications is not higher
Archimandrite Antony Bashir, as than what it has proved to be so
a prolific writer and itinerant far. But we have not yet reachmissionary, was considered to en- ed the end, as the wise ones who
joy exceptional advantages.
view the depression dispassionAl-Fajr, a bi-lingual publica- ately will tell you.
n
�FEBRUARY, 1932
47
AND NOW OUR CASE
DEPARTMENTS
Perhaps it would not be malThe Poetry Department has
apropos to make an allusion here been as regular in its appearance
to^the predicament of the Syrian as the great nocturnal luminary
World. We seem to fare none which is the poet's inspiration.
better than the publications pre- Ever since Miss Barbara Young
viously mentioned. As a pioneer assumed editorship of the departin its field, The Syrian World ment not a single issue has apmay even be going through a peared but had the beautiful faharder struggle than all the miliar heading and the varied
others, owing to the necessity of but consistently excellent materconducting virgin missionary ial. And may we not reiterate
work. Some day we might give that this is a labor of love that
out the full secret of -how we Miss Young has imposed upon
manage to keep the flickering herself and adheres to faithfullight of life burning. That day ly? In plain words, she who commight come either when we reg- mands a handsome price for her
ister a decisive triumph or have literary work has been willing
to lay down our arms in defeat. to make this regular and sustainWe are now navigating the tur- ed contribution free out of her
bulent, eddies of the midstream, deep feeling of friendship for
—the exact middle of our year
the Lebanese and Syrians whom
and between now and the end of she came to know and appreciate
the year we should know how the through our great Gibran of
tide will flow.
whom she was the devoted
One thing is certain. It is that friend . In a future issue, we
we shall never give up if only we expect to make an important anare shown reasonable support. nouncement relative to Miss
Not, to be sure, to make the con- } oung's forthcoming trip to Betinued publication profitable, but charre, Gibran's native town in
only to make the loss bearable. Lebanon.
Delinquent subscribers can ease
the task by prompt remittance,
With this issue the editorship
and those of our enthusiastic
of "Our Younger Generation"
friends who were shocked at the
department will change hands.
possibility
of | discontinuance
To the former editor, Mr. A.
when we put the question to a
Hakim, is due our sincere expublic referendum last year,
pression of thanks for his connow have occasion to validate
scientious and able efforts during
their promises of effective supthe period of his. incumbency,
port.
and it is with reluctance that we
-
' f-'-
HHH
�48
have to concede to his wish to relinquish his self-imposed task.
He has been a constant and loyal friend of the Syrian World,
and there could be no reason to
doubt the validity of the reasons
prompting his resignation.
We are happy to announce,
however, the substitution of an
equally able editor in charge of
this department in the person of
Miss Edna K. Saloomey. To
hear each laud the qualifications
of the other when the two met
in the office of the Syrian World,
one would have difficulty in
choosing between them. What
we consider the more weighty
argument is the one advanced by
the retiring editor in favor of his
successor. Miss Saloom'ey, he
pointed out, is the more logical
person to conduct the department because she is American
born and retains nevertheless all
those finer racial qualities that
are characteristically Syrian.
With a deep understanding of
and appreciation for our wholesome traditions, combined with
her natural sympathy for her
generation and her keen insight
into their problems, her personal advantages as well as her
greater possibilities for service in
the department become obvious.
We can appreciate the reasons
which have caused some irregularity in the Home and Family
Department. We are glad, how-
THE SYRIAN WORLD
ever, to communicate to our
readers the promise of the editor,
Sitt Bahia-Al-Musheer, to be not
only punctual in future, but even
more generous with her excellent
material.
Rev. W. A. Mansur lives up
to his reputation of mentor of
the Syrian-American youth. In
his article published in this issue,
the first he has contributed for
our current year, he brings out
the high lights of Phoenician history which he points out as a
rich heritage of which our younger generation should feel proud
and which it behooves them to
remember. Neither the learned
divine writes, nor do we publish,
such material in a spirit of boastfulness. It is authentic history
that has a direct bearing on our
racial status, and of which we
should be reminded for the very
excellent raesons given by the
author.
The poet in Dr. Salim Y. Alkazin will not be downed. His
inspiration this time is the popular Arabic song which corresponds to the English "Home,
Sweet Home." In rendering it
into English verse, Dr. Alkazin
has succeeded not only in making
almost a verbatim translation, but
has also preserved the exact
rhythm of the original so that
the English version may be sung
to the tune of the Arabic with
the same melodious effect.
n
�MB
FEBRUARY, 1932
ELECTIONS IN SYRIA
LEAD TO BLOODSHED
The general elections which High
Commissioner Ponsot ordered held in
Syria following his return from Europe with a view to the establishment
of a stable government able to enter
into negotiations with France for the
definite stttlement of the Syrian question, and which resulted in bitter and
bloody struggles between the National;sts and the Moderates, were postponed in Damascus and other Syrian
cities pending the return of order.
According to reports in the latest
Syrian mail, the resumption of the
elections was tentatively set for the
early part of March, but so far the
French H-'gh Commissioner has not
committed himself to any definite date.
The troublesome question is whether
the Nationalists will concede the legality of the returns if the elections
are conducted by the present government, inasmuch as they claim that
undue influence is being exercised by
the authorities to support the government t;cket. Apparently reliable reports from Damascus indicate that
the Nationalists have finally decided
to take part in the elections because
the three principal cities where the
elections have been deferred, namely
Damascus, Hama and Duma, are their
conceded strongholds.
That the Nationalists have reached
such a decision is an indication that
they have conceded defeat in the elections, as the general results cannot be
materially altered by the returns of
the three remaining cities. But on
49
what conditions they have agreed to
participate remains unknown.
Disturbances cont;nue to be reported in various parts of the country
as a result of the elections, especially
in Aleppo. Demonstrations of a violent nature are reported to have taken
place in the latter city resulting in a
score of casualties. The Nationalists
are said to have reciuited school
children of tender age to stage antigovernment demonstrations.
Because political demonstrations
often are organized after religious
services in the mosques, where agitators take advantage of unrestricted
right of congregation and speach to
arouse the crowds, police have taken
unusual precautions to deal with this
kind of disturbances. Some police
units have been fitted out with helmets and breast-plates to ward off
missiles such as clubs and stones, but
to further enchance their effectiveness, they have been supplied with
overshoes which they are required to
carry as a part of their regular equipment. To those unacquainted with
the traditions of the East this action
may seem puzzling, but the purpose
becomes obvious when it is recalled
that Moslems, upon entering the
mosques, are required to shed off
their shoes, and in the case of visiting strangers, they are required to do
likewise or to don overshoes. Naturally it is quicker and more convenient for the police to sl;p on their
overshoes when forcing entry into the
courts of the mosques to quell disturbances. Hence the regulation of
carrying this apparently indispens-
�1 <
50
THE SYRIAN WORLD
able adjunct to the maintenance of
peace and order in the East.
Conditions in Aleppo have taken
such a serious turn that French military authorities have had to take over
the handling of the s4tuation. A state
akin to martial law now exists in the
city with military detachments patrolling the streets and tanks and machine
guns stationed at strategic positions.
The commercial activities in the cityare at almost a standstill and men of
all classes are said not to dare to venture out except armed.
Each of the so-called moderate and
extreme Nationalists have protested
to the authorities against the alleged
provocative actions of the other, and
what was expected to be the free
expression cf the will of the people
at the polls threatens to develop into
bloody partisan feuds.
A regrettable incident which threatens to cause international complications was the murder of a Franciscan
monk of Italian nationality, who was
set upon unawares and felled by a
dagger thrust in the back. The Italian consul immediately lodged a protest with the mandatory authorities.
POLITICAL FUTURE
M. Lavastre, accredited representative of M. Ponsot in Aleppo, is reported to have declared in a speech he
made to a political assemblage in
that city that France entertains only
the friendliest feelings for Syria;
that it proposes to have it enjoy much
more than the degree of national independence granted to Iraq, and that
only the stubborn obduracy of the intransigent Nationalists for the past
ten years has stood in the way of
France carrying out sooner its benevolent intentions. As proof of France's
sincere intentions he cited the fact
that she had actually effected the
liberation of many nations, including
Poland. He expressed the belief that
the time for the execution of France's
plans in Syria cannot now be far distant since the moderate' Nationalists,
who were victors in the elections, have
displayed a better understanding of
the only policy which will redound to
Syria's interest and be compatible at
the same time with that of France.
COMING PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTIONS IN LEBANON
Cond;tions in Lebanon seem to be
dragging along in the same manner
existing ever since the establ-'shment
of the republic. During the past six
years the people have come to realize
the benefits of the republican form of
government and to rest on it the:r
pclitical future. About the only serious reason for complaint has been
the excessive taxation necessary to
support a top-heavy administrative
structure wh'ch seems out of keeping
with the size and the resources of the
country. For a country of less than
a million population there is a Representative Assembly composed of fortysix members, a full-sized cabinet patterned on the order of those of the
great powers, a nr'litary organization
and an army of employees most of
whom are admittedly sinecures. The
pressing problem of Lebanon at present would seem to effect the administrative reforms necessary to bring
about the sorely needed economy. This
issue is figuring prominently in the
platforms of the fispirants to the
Presidency, with all indications pointing to the success of M. Enrle Eddy,
a former Premier Who had devised
such a program and was defeated by a
coalition of deputies who had much
to lose by the success of his policies.
It must be remembered that the Lebanese constitution follows closely that
of France in that the Chamber elects
the President. This circumstance, in
�FEBRUARY, 1932
51
the case of Lebanon, would give the
official summer residence.
mandatory authorities the decid-ng
During the stress and uncertainties
voice in the choice of the President
of
the World War, however, the late
inasmuch as half the deputies are
Patriarch
Howayek was forcibly reappointed by the mandatory power
moved
from
his official residence by
and it may be taken for granted that
Jamal
Pasha,
then Turkish military
those deputies follow instructions.
governor
of
Syria,
and was about to
The elections will be held about
be
sent
to
exile
but
for the timely
May 20 at the close of the second
intervention
of
the
Pope
and the
term of President Chas. Dabbas. The
Austrian Emperor.
constitution has been amended so that
At the close of the war Patriarch
m future the President's term will be
Howayek
deliberately broke the tradisix instead of three years.
tion of confinement and seclusion by
going in person to attend the VerPATRIARCH VISITS BEIRUT
sailles negotiations for peace land
there plead for Lebanon's secession
The newly elected Maronite Patfrom Turkey and its placing under
riarch followed the precedent esta- French mandate.
blished by his predecessor in making
When, later, upon the appointment
personally an official visit to the
of
Gen. Gouraud first French High
French High Commissioner at the capital. The visit was made on Feb. 11 Commissioner for Syria and Lebanon,
and was attended by a great popular Patrarch Howayek considered the dedemonstration. While in the city, velopment a triumph of his political
the Patr-arch also returned the visits program, he further broke the tradiof the Christian Patriarchs and digni- tion by proceeding to Beirut to extaries Who had personally offered him tend in person his felicitations to the
their felicitations upon his accession High Commissioner. Thus he established for Irmself a precedent
to the Patriarchate.
whien he consistently followed upon
Although in the strictest sense the
the appointment of each succeeding
visit of the Pariarch is a denominaHigh Commissioner.
tional gesture, much political signiAn incident worthy of note in this
ficance is attached to it in view of
respect was the attitude of Gen. Sarthe fact that the Maronites are the
rail, who was a professed anti-cleric.
largest single religious unit in LeThe Patriarch visited Irm as he had
banon and have been the traditional
vis-ted the others, but the General was
friends of France in the East and
reluctant in returning the visit, and
those most responsible for France's
did so only after heavy pressure from
presence in the country. The move
Par^s. His reception by the Patriarch
assumes further importance in that it
on that occasion was as frigid as that
constitutes a definite break in a tradihe had given him upon his visit. Only
tion long held inviolable for Maronite
the tact of de Jouvenel, Sarrail's sucPatriarchs.
The Patriarch occupies
cessor, prevented a complete break.
m his own sphere a position similar
Upon the death of the late Patrito that of the Pope of Rome, and at
arch Howayek, the question arose as
no time was it known that any into whether the old tradition should be
cumbent of the high office has ever
maintained or the precedent establishleft the confines of his see except to
ed by the late Patriarch followed. The
make the annual journey from BekerFrench High Commissioner had come
ky to Al-Diman, the latter being the
in person to extend his felicitations to
�HP
THE SYRIAN WORLD
52
the new Patriarch, and the country
was all set aguessing as to whether
the Patriarch would return the visit
in person. There was a division of
opinion, according to reports, among
the college of bishops on the question, but the Patriarch finally decided
in favor of the course set by his predecessor. The great popular reception he received in Beirut gave proof
of the popularity of his move.
trip he had taken to Palestine by
special invitation. Openly, no political object is admitted for the visit,
but the extraordinary interest displayed by both the British and French
mandatory authorities in receiving the
Egyptian Prime Minister with state
honors is being generally interpreted
as indicating the existence of a deep
political purpose.
EDITOR OF AL-HODA
ON POLITICAL MISSION
SYRIAN NATIONALISTS
PUNISH FAIZ KOURI
N. A. Mokarzel, editor of Al-Hoda,
the Arabic daily of New York and
founder of the Lebanon League of
Progress, was to sail for Paris sometime in March supposedly on a political mission, the exact nature of
Which was not disclosed. Our readers
will recall that Mr. Mokarzel has been
most active in Lebanese politics, and
through the political organization
which he founded was responsible for
many noteworthy reforms in the home
government. It is conjectured that
his present mission must have some
bearing on the coming presidential
elections. It can be positively stated,
however, that the veteran editor has
no personal ambitions inasmuch as he
has repeatedly and publicly rejected
the proposals put forth by his many
admirers respecting his candidacy for
the presidency.
Reports from Damascus coming
with the late mail indicate the continuance of the bitterness resulting
from the national elections. Subhi
Bey Barakat, leader of the victorious
Moderates and their candidate for the
presidency, arrived in Damascus on
a political mission and there met Faiz
Bey Kouri, formerly an outspoken
Nationalist, and brother of the wellknown leader Faris Bey Kouri, who
was at one time suggested for president of the Syrian State. The action
of Faiz aroused the Nationalists to a
high pitch of indignation and it was
decided at a party caucus to strike
his name from the ballots in the supplemental elections. Faris Bey Kouri
is said to have taken part in the meeting at which his brother Faiz was impeached and banished from the party.
SUDKY PASHA IN SYRIA
Sudky Pasha, the Prime Minister of
Egypt, arrived in Beirut Feb. 11 and
was ofncially received by the French
High Commissioner, who gave a state
dinner in his honor, and by the Lebanese government. His visit to Syria
and Lebanon was an extension of a
Subhi Bey Barakat is a former
governor of Syria and the one Charged by the Nationalists with having
advised the French to bombard Damascus during the 1925 rebellion. The
Nationalists are said to be bitterly opposed to his candidacy, and failing
the election of their leader Hashim
Bey Al-Atasi, they are said to be
willing to throw the weight of their
support to Ahmad Nami Pasha the
Damad, another Moderate.
IWWWWB—MMBlimHIMWirilBW"T
�. FEBRUARY, 1932
SB
THE
SYRIAN WORLD
NEWS SECTION
VOL. VI NO. 6
GIBRAN NOW RESTS
IN PERMANENT TOMB
Remains Removed with Great Ceremony to the Monastery of Mar
Sarkis Which Will Serve as
Permanent Shrine.
Gibran's remains repose at last in
the ideal spot which he had long
hoped to make his home. To many
of his friends he had expressed the
wish to return to his native land and
there acquire ownership of the monastery of Mar Sarkis, located below
the famous Cedars and overlooking
the Sacred Valley of Kadisha, a spot
which even in his early boyhood he
had come to admire and love, and
where he had hoped to spend the closing days of his life.
That wish has been gratified only
to the extent that the monastery of
Mar Sarkis now serves as Gibran's
permanent home, only it was not given him to again see the beauty of the
place with his mortal eyes.
Gibran's remains had reposed temporarily in the church of St. John, in
his native town of Becharre, pending
arrangements for the acquisition of
the monastery. Issaf George Rahme,
Gibran's cousin and devoted companion, who had accompanied the body
from the United States, finally bought
the monastery from the Maronite Carmelite Missionary Order and converted
I
FEBRUARY, 1932
it into a shrine for the great poet.
The tomb, as described in the Lebanese
papers, is a natural grotto opening
on the chapel, the interior of which
was permitted to remain in its natural state, with exquisitely shaped stalactites pending from the domed roof,
reflecting a myriad of dancing colors'
from the bright electric lights. A view
of the interior is permitted through
a large plate glass encased in a frame
of cedar and olive wood, revealing
Gibran's coffin resting on two Corinthian pillars. Atop the chapel, overlooking Becharre and the Sacred Valley, the large cross bears the following inscription:
"Here Repose the Remains of the"
"Prophet Gibran Resting Under the"
"Wings of the Angel of Peace."
The removal of Gibran's remains
took place on Sunday, January 10.
with almost as much ceremony as that
attending the reception of the body
upon its arrival from America. Seven
thousand mourners marched in the
procession, and again there were the
poetical improvisations in the vernacular as well as recitations of original
literary poems and speeches. Both
the government and the clergy were
well represented.
GIBRAN'S SPIRIT
Writing apparently with the utmost
conviction, Emil Zaidan, editor of AlHilal, one of the oldest and most re-
�f
54
spected monthly magazines of Egypt,
claims to have had communicat;on
with Gibran's spirit during a spiritualistic seance he attended this summer while visiting Syria. The editor
admits that he had been indifferent
to the claims of the spiritualists until he was induced by one of his
friends to attend one of their meetings
from which he emerged fully convinced of ail their claims. The spirit of
his father, the famous Arabic scholar
and historian, spoke to him and gave
him much practical advice concerning
the policy of the paper. He was also
able to communicate with the spirit
of Gibran who dictated a message
which the editor published as being
in Gibran's accepted style, but which
literary critics take as a poor imitation. Gibran is said to be happy, in
the "higher spheres", but he wants
his sister Mariana to put a check to
her grief. Gibran also mentioned the
celebrated Syrian writer who uses the
pen name of "May" with whom he
had been in correspondence but whom
he had never met. "May" is a resident of Egypt and at the time of
Gibran's death published a personal
letter which he had written to her.
Hence the natural association between
Gibran's spirit and this lady.
Strange as it may seem, Gibran
has forgotten all his friends of a lifet;me in America. Mrs. Mary Haskel
Minas to whom he willed all Irs art
works he did not choose to mention
(obviously because the medium did not
know of his relationship with her),
nor did the sensitive and generous
spirit of Gibran remember Barbara
Young, his most loyal and devoted
friend, and the host of other friends
he had come to know and love during
the long years, comprising all his
adult life, he had spent in America.
Gibran also referred to the reception
given his body upon its arrival in
Syria, but not a word did his grate-
THE SYRIAN WORLD
ful spirit mention of the memorial
meetings, the church services and the
many other signs of affection shown
him in America.
Truly, for such a respected organ
as Al-Hilal, founded by the practical
and discriminating scholar George Zaidan, to have espoused the cause of
spiritualism and attempted to prove
it in such fash;on, is a sign of decadence from its former high scholarly
standard.
SYRIAN JUNIOR LEAGUE
PRESENTS FINE PLAY
No one who attended "The First
Year", presented by the Syrian Junior
League at the Booth Theatre in New
York Feb. 21, had cause to regret the
time or the money spent on the occasion. The cause was for charity, it's
true, and all those contributing to
the program or investing in tickets
would feel amply repa;d considering the purpose alone. But there was
a good deal more than this spiritual
compensation: the play itself was well
worth seeing and the actors acquitted
themselves like veteran professionals.
To some visiting Syrians who were
not aware that all the actors in the
play were Syrian amateurs, members
of the League and their friends, it
was almost inconceivable that the
young men and women who displayed
such talent were not actually Broadway old timers.
Madeleine Malouf, Nedda Uniss and
John S. Macksoud did full justice to
their roles, although the other actors
acquitted themselves most creditably.
The cast, besides these mentioned,
was composed of Fred Shamas, Adele
F. Macksoud, Victor Hamati, Fred
Zrike, Alfred Zrike and Lyla J. Mabarak.
The attendance was not up to expectations, which is through no fault
of the organization giving the play.
N
i
a
c:
�FEBRUARY, 1932
We venture to predict, however, that
if the League were to make a second
presentation of the same play, the attendance would be more than doubled
in view of the general approval expressed by those who witnessed the
first performance.
Miss Selma Milkie, president of the
Syrian League, made a short appearance before opening of the play to
outline the purpose for which it was
being given and to welcome those supporting the cause.
The League, in its elaborate program, made special acknowledgment
for helpful advice and assistance to
the following: Mr. Nicholas Macsoud,
the artist; Miss Gertrude Wainwright,
the dramatic director of the play;
and Messers. Elias Aboarab, Suhail
Hermos, Basil Couri and George Mabarak for assistance given the program committee.
The Dramatic Committee was composed of Mrs. George Saliba, chairman, and the Misses Lou'se Dibbs,
Mary Mokarzel, Louise Mussawir and
Selma Uniss.
The Program Committee was composed of Miss Madeleine Zaloom,
chairman, and the Misses Alice Diab,
Lyla Mabarak, Najla Macksoud, Mary
L. Milkie, Mary Trabulsi and Selma
Uniss.
LEAGUE OF PROGRESS
HOLDS CHARITY BAZAAR
The Lebanon League of Progress of
New York held its charity bazaar at
the Knights of Columbus Hall on
Clinton St., Brooklyn during the three
days of Feb. 27, 28, and 29. The admission was $1.00 for the three nights
and the varied program of entertainment provided for each night was enthus;astically received by the large
attendance.
The bazaar was especially sponsored by Al-Hoda, whose editor, N. A.
55
Mokarzel, is the founder and the president emeritus of the Lebanon
League. The proceeds of the bazaar,
according to announcement, will be
distributed to the Syrian and Lebanese
needy of the city through the agency
of the various churches irrespective
of denominations.
__
SYRIAN FEDERATION TO
GIVE CHARITY BALL
The American Syrian Federation
of Brooklyn will give a Charity Ball
and Entertainment at the Grand Ballroom of the Elks Club in Brooklyn on
the evening of April 16. The affair
promises to be the most brilliant Syrian social affair of the season. The
proceeds will be devoted to charity.
The Federation carried out th;s
Year its annual practice of distributing Christmas baskets although primarily it is not a charitable organization. Realizing, however, the extent
of distress prevalent this year, it has
decided to extend its char;table activities and is planning the entertainment and ball. The pcsit-on of leadership Which the Federation occupies
in the community insures full success
for any of its undertakings.
The chairman of the committee on
arrangements is Mr. Jos. W. Ferris,
the well known Syrian lawyer and a
former president of the Federation.
A souvenir program is planned for the
occasion and should be well patronized.
Earlier this month, the Federation'
gave a special entertainment at its
clubrooms for the members and their
families, and in honor of the retiring
president, Mr. S. J. Akel, who took
occasion to remind the gathering in
his brief remarks that the Federation
building has actually become the civic
center of the Syrian community in
the city. President George Dagher
was master of ceremonies.
�ill
56
THE SYRIAN WORLD
MME. FADWA KURBAN
MAKES FORMAL DEBUT
SYRIAN COLORATURA
By Alice Mokarzel
Fadwa Kurban, "The Syrian Nightingale" and coloratura soprano of merit,
gave a New York recital in the Roerich Hall of the Roerich Museum on
Saturday evening, February 27.
Miss Sumeyeh Attiyeh, the wellknown Syrian lecturer, formally introduced Mme. Kurban.
The program consisted mainly of
difficult and technical numbers that
were performed with beautiful and
exacting skill.
The famous Mad
Scene from Lucia de Lammermcor, a
favorite of Mussolini and of operalovers, gave Mme. Kurban an opportunity to prove the exceptional
quality of her voice. The other numbers were exceedingly pleasing because of their variety and served to
demonstrate the versatility and range
of Mme. Kurban's vocal powers. Some
had the del:cate and appealing accompaniment of the flute. Included among the numbers were Liebestraum
by Lizt, the Japanese Love Song by
Brahe and The Bell Song from Lakme.
Mr. Alexander Maloof, who was in
the audience, was asked to accompany
Mme. Kurban in two Arabic songs
which were requested after the recital.
In these numbers, sung in her own arrangement, she is very much at ease
especially in the melancholy and languid strains of Wailee Min al Ghoramy.
This recital served to introduce
Mme. Kurban formally to the American public as well as to give her
many friends further opportunity to
hear her. It was indeed an appreciative audience that applauded her efforts, requesting encore after encore
which she rendered graciously, convincing them that' she is justified in
seeking an operatic career.
Mme. Fadwa Kurban
ALEFPIAN FRATERNITY
GIVING ENTERTAINMENT
The Aleppian Fraternity of New
York will give an entertainment at
the Knights of Columbus Hall on the
evening of Sunday, April 10, for the
benefit of Al-Kalimat charities in
Aleppo which extend from maintaining an orphanage and a home for the
aged to the distribution of food and
clothing to the needy of the city without discrimination as to religious denominations. The program is expected to be exceptionally entertanrng as
has been that of all other affairs arranged by this society, which has
command of a large variety of native
talent.
i
<i
�FEBRUARY, 1932
SYRIAN BOY MAKES
MUSICAL DEBUT
Although less than three years ago
he could not distinguish one musical
note from another, Sam Kiami, a Syrian boy of sixteen whose talent was
discovered and trained by Prof. Alexander Maloof, gave a recital on Sunday, March 20, at the Maloof Studio
in Carnegie Hall, which thrilled the
large audience of critics and lovers of
classical music.
Young Kiami played selections from
well known composers like Chopin,
Dilibes and others. H;s teacher feels
certain that the boy has all the qualities necessary to become a concert
virtuoso.
At the concert Mme. Fadwa Kurban sang several operatic selections.
Mme. Adele McCormick, a Syrian by
birth and a noted singer, also rendered
several pleasing numbers.
The three-score or more who were
present at the concert, mostly Syrians, were agreed that the formation
of a Syrian musical club would be
well received by the community to
foster the love of good music and
hold regular private concerts fortnightly and one or two public concerts once or twice a year.
SYRIANS OF BOSTON
CELEBRATE BICENTENNIAL
From a Correspondent
The Syrian-American Club of Boston celebrated George Washington's
bicentennial anniversary, on Sunday
Feb. 28, in the Hall of the Municipal
Building, at the corner of Shawmut
Avenue and West Brookline Street.
Over twelve hundred were present.
Mr. Louis A. George, prominent
Syrian attorney of Boston, was the
master of ceremonies. The invited
guests were, Governor Joseph B. Ely
of Massachusetts, Honorable U. S.
57
Senator David I. Walsh, Mayor James
M. Curley of Boston, Mayor Michael
C. O'Nieil, Jr. of Everett, and ex- congressman, Joseph Conry. The following Syrian organizations were represented by two official delegates:
The Syrian-American Club of Worcester, The Syrian-American Association
of Lawrence, The Syrian Young Men's
Association of Pittsfield, The Mount
Lebanon Society of Fall River, The
Syrian-American Society of Brockton,
The Sons of Lebanon of Quincy, and
The Syrian-American Society of New
London, Connecticut.
Senator Walsh was the principal
speaker of the afternoon. He emphasized the fact that liberty, equality,
and justice is what Washington fought
for, and a government which does not
permit these is not a good government
but a tyranny. The meet;ng was opened by the president T. N. Maloof. A
short talk on Washington's life was
given in Arabic by Mr. Faris Maloof,
prominent Boston attorney.
The musical program was lead by
our well known singer Madhat Serbajy, ass-'sted by Miss Josephine Latturny of Boston. An orchestra of
local Syrian talent furnished the music to an appreciative audience. A
very attractive feature was the appearance on the platform of Bessie
P. Edwards Post American Legion
Drum and Bugle Corp, dressed in
beautiful uniforms. This is a ladies
unit.
One special instance deserves particular mention. In introducing the
Senator, Mr. George suggested that
he was well qualified to be the president of the United States. This remark created quite a stir in the local
press which featured it under this caption "The Syrian-American Club nominates Walsh for President". Unquestionably, this was one of the most
outstanding events in recent years
among the Syrians of Boston.
�JC
58
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Gibran's Message
To Young Americans of Syrian Origin
By G. K.
GIBRAN
Author of I'-The Trophel,"
"Jesut the Son of d4an,"
I believe in you. and I believe in your destiny.
1 believe that you are contributors to this new civilization.
1 believe that you have inherited from your forefathers an ancient dream, a song, a prophecy, which you can proudly lay as a gift of gratitude upon the lap of America.
I believe you can say to the founders of this great nation. 'Here I am. a youth, a young
tree, whose roots were plucked from the hills of Lebanon, yet I am deeply rooted here, and I would
be fruitful."
And 1 believe that you can say to Abraham Lincoln, the blessed. "Jesus of Nazareth
touched your lips when you spoke, and guided your hand when you wrote: and I shall uphold
ail that you have said and all that you nave written."
I believe that you can say to Emerson and Whitman and James. "In my veins runs the
blood of the poets and wise men of old. and it is my desire to come to you and receive, but I shall
not come with empty hands."
I believe that even as your fathers came to this land to produce riches, you were born
here to produce riches by intelligence, by labor.
And 1 believe that it is in you to be good citizens.
And what is it to be a good citizen?
It is to acknowledge the other person's rights before asserting your own. but always to be
conscious of your own.
It is to be free in thought and deed, but it is also to know that your freedom is subject
to the other person's freedom.
It is to create the useful and the beautiful with your own hands, and to admire what others
have created in love and with faith.
It is to produce wealth by labor and only by labor, and to spend less than you have produced that yonr children may not be dependent on the state for support when you are no more.
It is to stand before the towers of New York, Washington. Chicago and San Francisco
saying in your heart, "I am the descendant of a people that builded Damascus, and Biblus. and
Tyre and Sidon. and Antioch. and now I am here to build with you, and with a will."
It is to be proud of being an American, bur it is also to be proud that your fathers and
mothers came from a land upon which God laid His gracious hand and raised His messengers.
Young Americans of Syrian origin. I believe in you.
vmmnmtmmmmmmmmms^mimmmsmmmmvmimimmmmmm^^m^m^^^mm
FREE TO SYRIAN WORLD SUBSCRIBERS. This beautiful message by
Gibran 13x17 inches, printed in large type on heavy paper with ornamental border suitable for framing. Every PAID subscriber whose term begins
with Sept. 1931 is entitled to a copy, mailed in heavy cardboard tube. Subscribers whose term begins before Sept. 1931 may secure a copy by renewal.
jmm
'4
�FEBRUARY, 1932
59
A STUDY
of
KAHLIL GIBRAN
THIS MAN FROM LEBANON
Barbara Young, the American poet who is now Kahlil Gibran's literary executor, speaks with authority in a 48 page
brochure concerning his life and work, illustrated with
several hitherto unpublished protraits of the Poet of the
Cedars, and a reproduction of one pen and ink drawing and
one page of original manuscript.
A few copies of the limited first edition, serially numbered and autographed by the author, are still available.
The price for this edition is $2.50.
Owing to the wide interest in the brochure, a second
printing will be necessary. These will not be numbered nor
autographed, and will be procurable at $1.50 the copy.
Checks may be made payable to the Gibran Studio 51
West 10th Street, New York City.
WorldC°PieS
arC
aiS
°
f r Sak at the
°
°ffice °f
the S rian
^
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
60
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
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�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
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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
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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
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>
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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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Identifier
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TSW1932_02reducedWM
Title
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The Syrian World Volume 06, Issue 06
Date
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1932 February
Description
An account of the resource
Volume 6 Issue 06 of The Syrian World published February 1932. The issue opens with an article by Rev. W. A. Mansur that discusses the racial pride Syrian and Lebanese people should have as a result of the historical accomplishments of their ancestors. Following it is a somber poem by Alice Mokarzel titled "She is Not Dead," which discusses how even though the subject of the poem has passed she lives on in spirit. This is followed by a Syrian folk song translated by Dr. Salim Y. Alkazin as well as another collection of poems edited by Barbara Young. Edna K. Saloomey opens her discussion on the younger generation with Tennyson's poetic words. H. I. Katibah then discusses how a breach in social tradition caused a recent tragedy of love and death in his article titled "Blue Blood." Within its pages he recounts the murder of a man who married outside of his social class. Dr. Harold Ingholt then discusses excavations in Syria and Iraq, which have materially added to knowledge of past civilizations and their origins and progress. After two classic Arab stories there is a poem by the late Kahlil Gibran titled "Freedom and Slavery." Following the editorial comment on the tardiness of the February issue, it concludes with more on the political developments of Syria and excerpts from Syrian world news.
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
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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.
1930s
Alice Mokarzel
Barbara Young
Edna K. Saloomey
Habib I. Katibah
Kahlil Gibran
New York
Poetry-English
Reverend W.A. Mansur
Salim Alkazin
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/84831ff1efb2b40ef0033e1fda69eb78.pdf
9a2f9b9ac3a28dbda13d563e1cb26512
PDF Text
Text
OL. VI
APRIL, 1932
7ha
A GREAT SYRIAN LEADER PASSES
(N. A. MOKx\RZEL)
GIBRAN A YEAR AFTER
A CHALLENGE TO THE YOUNGER
GENERATION SYRIANS
H. I. KATIBAH
AMERICAN POET TO LIVE IN SYRIA
THE PORTRAIT
(A MODERN SHORT STORY)
THOMAS ASA
THE REWARD OF KINDNESS
(A TRUE ARABIAN TALE)
THE COPY 50c
NO. 7
��—,
i I
i
TTTR
SYRIAN WORLD
Tublished monthly except July and August
by
THE SYRIAN-AMERICAN PRESS
104 Greenwich St., 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.
VOL. VI NO. 7
APRIL, 1932
CONTENTS
PAGE
A Challenge to the Younger Generation Syrians
H. I. KATIBAH
Poetry Department, Edited by
... 3
BARBARA YOUNG
Poetry and the Stars
Song of Annaik
While the FJax Crieth
9
\Q
12
JOHN STERLING HANEY
A Lost Dream
13
ALEXANDRIA FADDOOL
A Great Syrian Leader Passes
14
A' Notable Career of Achievement
18
Tributes to a Leader
22
Pioneer and Seer
24
REV.
W. A.
MANSUR
Eternal Guidance (Poem)
ALICE MOKARZEL
?5
�CONTENTS (Continued)
i
Gibran a Year After
.
PAGE
26
On First Viewing Gibran's "The Prophet" (Poem)
GERTRUDE
33
MAGILL RUSKIN
Gibran the Artist
34
DAGNY EDWARDS
American Poet to Live in Lebanon
37
ALICE MOKARZEL
True Arabian Tales
The Reward of Kindness
Our Younger Generation, Edited by
According to Dun
We Have Been Told That
Al-Jirn
42
EDNA
The Portrait (A Modern Short Story)
K.
SALOOMEY
49
'.'...........'.............. 52
[_ S3
*
55
THOMAS ASA
Editorial Comment
N. A. Mokarzel
No March Issue
67
Political Developments in Syria
59
Syrian World News Section
73
68
NOTICE
Owing to insurmountable difficulties it was impossible
to issue the March number. The increase in the volume
of this number is intended as partial compensation. Fuller details appear in the Editorial Comments.
�ffi-
ynan
t/
MOKARZEL, Editor.
SALLOUM A.. Ml
APRIL, 1932
VOL. VI NO. 7
A Challenge
To the Younger Generation Syrians
By H. I.
KATIBAH
QINCE THE CLOSE of the World War a revival of interest in
the civilizations and cultures of the East has made its appearance among reflecting and intelligent men and women in Europe,
England and the United States. And this interest has waxed and
grown ever since. People of sensitive minds and keen perception,
whose souls rebel against the tyranny of iron-clad traditions and the
accepted authority of convention and mass orthodoxy, turned their
faces away with deep humiliation and dismay from the appalling
tragedy with its gargantuan holocaust of human lives and irreparable loss in untold millions of dollars. They turned away sadly to
examine more searchingly and thoroughly the grounds and premises on which such a civilization which would permit of such a
terrific breakdown and denouement is based.
How could these
things be in the Twentieth Century and in countries which profess
to follow the benign, peace-loving gospel of the gentle Nazarene?
Has Western civilization declared its bankruptcy to the whole
world? Has the "White Beast" in the descendants of the Vikings
and warriors of the Norsemen triumphed at last over the White
Christ? Has Western civilization proved itself to be what Sigmund
Freud bluntly declares to be a veneer to cover the deep-set animal
instincts lurking in the breast and heart of the city denizens? or is
there something essentially wanting in what we call Western Civi-
v.
�4
THE SYRIAN WORLD
lization; an element of human development that makes for stabil- \
ity, harmony and peace?
Or, to put the question in a different form, has the West had
time enough to grow and acquire a stock of human experiences that
will give it that perspective of wisdom and grace necessary for a
rounded existence? Has not its progress been lopsided and disproportionate, like that of an overgrown boy with a man's body and
a child's mentality?
These questions and many others of like nature have engrossed
the minds of hundreds of thinkers who have shown solicitous concern about the future of Western civilization. And many divergent
answers have been given.
Some of those answers, like that of Oswald Spengler, an ast
German philosopher and student of history, have been extreme
gloomy and pessimistic. Spengler, and many of his followers, ha
come to the discouraging conclusion that our Western civilizatic
has run its course, has nothing more of its cultural and spiritual n.
ture to give anymore to the world, and for any hope of a new creative culture one should turn to the East, which the German believes is making a new cycle of existence fraught with immense potentialities in the spiritual and cultural fields. The West is bankrupt, Spengler believes, and turns eastward with a dismay tempered
with hope and expectation. Others, less pessimistic, find in the West
all the elements necessary for a wholesome, well-balanced civilization, if only the right adjustment is made in time between its materialistic and idealistic forces. Science, thinkers like James Turslaw
Adams, Prof. John Dewey, Bertrand Russell and the late George
Dorsey believe, has grown way beyond our human needs, while life
itself has been neglected. There has been little attention paid to
the proper application of these sciences and the wonderful progress
in the material and economic worlds which it has evoked and made
possible to a betterment of human life and the elevation of social
conditions to the same level which science has attained.
Be that as it may, it is pertinent to our purpose to point out
here that a strong and acute interest in the East and things Eastern
has been stirred in intellectual centers of the West. And the East,
with its more mature view of life, with its instinctive emphasis on
those human values which make for happiness and contentment,
with its renewed vigor and forward-looking progressive outlook on
the future, with its determined efforts to create local cultures preserving all the good elements of progress which have carried the
�I
^fPRIL, 1932
5
West a long distance ahead of the East in material comfort and supremacy, is more and more in the minds of serious Western thinkers
and writers of our present generation. Back of that interest, we
think, is the feeling that East and West have mutually supplementary forces and elements necessary for a complete and wholesome
lire, be it social or individual.
If that is the case, and there is no doubt in our mind that it is,
then a special duty, a special moral obligation, we believe, rests on
the_ shoulders of a class of people who live amongst us in these
United States, a class of people for whom this magazine, out of all
the publications in this far-flung young continent, was specially designed, and whose particular interests it specially serves. If this
duty, this obligation, is shirked by them, then a great spiritual opportunity would have been missed by them, an opportunity which
others, perhaps less qualified, would take up and exploit. More
than that, a great chance for creative thinking and for contributing
something worthwhile to the heterogeneous and rich culture of
this country, will pass from their hands. And of them will be true
what the Gospel says of the "sons of the Kingdom of Heaven" who
were thrown out into the outward darkness, while others from the
Hast and West will come and lie in Abraham's bosom.
It is needless for me to say that I have in mind the younger
generation of Syrians born and brought up in this country. I have
in mind the second-generation Syrians of whom the late Gibran
said:
_ aI believe that you have inherited from your forefathers an
ancient dream, a song, a prophecy, which you can proudly lay as a
gift of gratitude upon the lap of America"
It is the new generation of Syrians in whose veins the blood of
the intrepid adventurous Phoenicians and proud Arabs courses
through, and whom the beloved poet of the Cedars earnestly and
pleadingly charged «/0 stand before the towers of New York
Washington, Chicago, and San Francisco saying in your heart <I
am the descendant of a people that builded Damascus, and Biblus,
and Tyre and Sidon and Antioch, and now I am here to build with
you, and with a will.' "
The once accepted view of Americanization, still prevailing in
some circles, which essayed to melt the different racial characteristics and differences into one homogeneous amalgam, and for which
the melting pot" was an appropriate symbol, is giving way to a
more natural, more vital conception, one truer to life and its laws of
i
.' <
�wmmm
0
THE SYRIAN WORLD
growth. According to this latter conception the racial differences
are not considered as undesirable elements to be eliminated, but as
desirable ones to be incorporated in the living body of the American
nation. The colorless, standardized unity gives place to a rich
variety in unity. True assimilation of the foreign groups within
the body politic of this country, which this writer has consistently
and persistently advocated, does not mean the absorption of one
racial element by another. It means, rather, the interaction of those
different elements, to produce therefrom a wholesome unity rich in
the contributions of the best and most beautiful in all the races that
threw their lot with the New World.
1
"
;
'
Hegel once predicted in his Philosophy of History that the
destiny of the world will one day be determined on the shores of
the New World. This prophecy is being fulfilled in our own days,
and before our own eyes, but not for the same reasons advanced by
the German philosopher. Instead of a bloody war contending for
the only land still available for conquest and exploitation by overcrowded nations, a new world idea, a world unity through international understanding and international amity is the one distinguishing mark of American leadership today which is holding the
only ray of hope to a distracted and haggard world. And what a
role the different nationals enrolled under the banner of the Stars
and Stripes could play in this gripping drama, in the realization of
this glorious dream, could be left to the imagination of the perspicacious reader. But it is only those who have travelled in Europe
and the different countries of the East and studied for themselves
the amazing and tremendous penetration of American influence
abroad who could fully realize the extent of that influence. Undoubtedly the lion's share in this spiritual conquest of America falls
to American citizens of foreign extraction who had returned to live
m the countries of their origin or those who have translated into
their different national languages the spirit and technique of American democracy and American culture, the spirit of youthful adventure, of buoyant optimism and undaunted courage. One of the first
things that attracted my attention in the East was "the Americanization" of the Arabic press, an Americanization which is effected
not in a semi-conscious effort of imitation, but with a fully conscious
realization of the process of adaptation and its application to local
needs and local problems. The Arabic illustrated weekly, patterned
after the popular American publications, is blazing its way, brushing
aside the cobwebs of tardy traditions, enlightening the popular mind
�14PR1L, 1932
7
to social evils, oddities and scandals, arousing the dormant conscience
of reform in serious-minded citizens, and reaching quarters of human response which the more literary organs left completely untouched.
This is a phase of the Americanization or democratization of the
world for which the younger Syrian-American generation, happily
or unhappily, is not called upon to shoulder. Most of the second
generation Syrians born in this country hardly know enough Arabic
to carry on a kitchen conversation with their grandmothers, and perhaps a limited few could pen a letter in Arabic to their cousins in
Syria or Lebanon without committing a dozen mistakes or more on
the same page.
But this does not exempt the younger Syrians from a service
which they owe to the country of their adoption, a country to which
they have pledged fealty and undivided loyalty.
Paradoxical as it may seem, this service consists in their being
better Syrians than they usually like to admit. It is in assimilating,
as they alone can admirably do, the spiritual culture of the East, in
whose subsoil their very roots are deeply imbedded, and presenting
it in their daily lives, their social intercourse, the spoken and the
written word, in such a manner that the average American can readily understand and appreciate. This is a huge task which may well
challenge every ounce of energy and creativeness in the souls and
bodies of ambitious and highly-aspiring Americans of Syrian abstraction.
Is it not pathetic that while American university students, boys
and girls of Puritan origin, or descendants of American pioneers who
trekked to the Middle West and the Pacific Coast states in their
covered wagons ransack the musty books of history to write about
Mohammed All Pasha, a Tamerlane, a Harun-ar-Rashid, our
younger Syrian generation should avoid the study of Arabic and
things Arabian from a subconscious feeling of inferiority, or lest
their Americanization be challenged? Is it not a sorry comment on
our sense of value and discrimination that while American Orientalists subscribe to the SYRIAN WORLD, as an indispensable magazine
from which they may.draw most valuable information on the current history and thought of the Arabic-speaking East, our younger
Syrians should find little to choose between it and such sensational
piffle as "the Smart Set » "Ballyhoo," and a hundred and one other
oddities temptingly exposed for sale on the magazine stalls at evervJ
street corner?
•:
�8
THE SYRIAN WORLD
A few weeks ago I happened to speak informally before a
group of second-generation Syrians in Boston. I told them sketchily
and briefly of the tremendous renaissance movement going on today
in the Arabic-speaking countries, notably Egypt. It was encouraging and inspiring to see their eyes open wide with interest and amazement as I told them of the trend in religious liberalism in Islam, of
the feminist movement in the land of harems, of the inroad of'industrialism into the ancient lands of artisan guilds and enslaved fellahin, of labour unions and agrarian cooperative societies in the Valley of the Nile, in Damascus, Beirut and Baghdad, of the introduction of the motor pump and labour-saving machineries into countries
where the human hand did all the work before. They asked intelligent questions, and took down names of books dealing with such
subjects. But what surprised me in turn was the fact that these
things had not been known to them before; that they showed as
little knowledge, or if we are inclined to be less charitable, as much
abysmal ignorance about the countries of their forefathers and ancestors as the average American boys and girls from Maine or Vermont.
Forget for the nonce that you are Syrians or of Syrian extraction. Let us assume that you are as American as George Washington and Calvin Coolidge themselves, and that there is not the least
trace of foreign accent or mannerism in your speech and behaviour,
that you are perfectly predestined and preconditioned to the American social life. Let us assume all this and keep in mind that there
is today in America, in Europe, in England, a keen interest in countries and cultures which just happened to be those of your fathers
and forefathers. Is it not the most logical thing in the world that
you should be the ones of all God's creatures to take advantage of
this interest, to exploit it to its utmost limits, to take hold of assets
which were given you as a birthright, and make something of a talent handed you by Providence instead of burying it timidly in the
soil looking furtively to the right and left as you do lest you be
caught with that talent in your hand?
This is a thought which I like to leave with readers of this
magazine which has put up such a valiant and deperate fight to keep
up interest in the East where it was most natural to look for it, but
alas, where the response has been most discouraging and disheartening.
-
�*APRILy 1932
BARBARA YOUNG,
Editor
Poetry and The Stars
J\S THIS month of April passes—the month whose name has been
more upon the lips of poets than any other, the month which
gave to the world the Bard of Avon, and Wordsworth—we turn
from the pressure and the problems of the streets, and look away to
the trees, to the hills, to the stars. The exigencies and the expediences of every day crowd our hearts beyond endurance when Nisan
returns to the earth. Our minds wander from the considerations of
t0 a lon
W.& A
,
& yesterday, and forward to a distant tomorrow.
We find ourselves thinking with streams and stars
A day or two ago a young friend asked me "What have the stars
to do with us anyway?" That question is the reason for the brief
things I shall have to say upon these pages. Needless to record, I
have no answer Who knows what or how much the stars do influence
the destinies of individuals and of nations? But this thing I have
discovered: Turning the leaves of a calendar issued by Sainf Mark's
it8:? ' ^c " T10US ^y 0f "ames ** down upon
the dates between the first of May and the first of June, great poets
Ins 1ZZX grCaf tCaChfS ua?d Philos°Phe-> teat* humanitar-'
lans. And to those of us who believe it, all these lives were an expression of the supreme poetry of the universe. Let me recount the
names: Tagore • Tschaikowsky and Brahms born upon the selfsame
day, St Stanislaus, Schiller-these five born uponfour conse cutrve
1
Florence N
ale
S^^n^r
^^
^
fcSHrn
May 12th; Dante Aliggien, Richard Wagner, Abdul Baha,
Emer-
�10
THE SYRIAN WORLD
son, Bishop Augustine of Canterbury, Venerable Bede, Voltaire and
finally Walt Whitman. Just over the line, and a little into June,
but governed by the same general zodiacal conditions were born
Schumann, Charles Kingsley and Gounod. What had the stars to do
with this bright company:
In no other forty days, I believe, can we discover such a roster
of names denoting genius and power as these. Surely in the destiny
of worlds these are not happenings. There is a pattern woven by
the "versed Fingers", and whether the pattern is indeed set in the
stars, who shall say? Certainly not I. This is but a fragment of
wonder tossed to you in passing.
From immemorial time there have been men and women who
trusted in the firmament for direction and guidance, for comfort
and for consolation, and none more than the poets of the ages. And
with reason—if reason be necessary.
. We have long heard of the "music of the spheres"; the great
composers, the masters of interpreted harmony and symphony have
lived in its ecstasy and intoxication; the masters of the golden word
have caught the words of the songs and set them down upon the
parchment and the printed page. A sound that is no sound has come
since the beginning of time from the stars to the inner ear of man,
and I do not hesitate to assert that all the greatest poetry of the planet, that which has endured and will endure, is poetry that had its
origin from among the heavenly bodies, and not from earthly stir
and circumstance. Suddenly, out of the night, out of deep sleep,
poems are born—from darkness and a strange and high excitement
of the spirit, which has not anything to do with daily round and
common task. From the day's affair we glean, perhaps, a handful
of small grain, and without knowing or intention, we sow it among
the stars when we lie down to sleep. And tomorrow—or another
tomorrow, as dawn breaks, there is a budding and a flowering, and
we say, "The little moment that we now remember has blossomed
through some heavenly magic, into a poem."
The sophisticates among modern poets require that we shall
eliminate all allusion to stars and moon (and roses) from our poems.
Do not listen to them. In a moment they will die and be forgotten
but roses, and stars and moon will endure as long as the earth stands
and poets sing.
\A
�^PRIL, 1932
11
SONG OF ANNAIK
It will not matter
When the song is ended;
It will count nothing
In the last deep stillness—
The long fearsome waiting
For you, O late-in-coming,
The calling to the sky
For you whom I knew not.
It will not matter
That youth went slipping over,
That ashen threads came weaving
My brown braided hair.
It will not matter
That April left my garden,
That now the blue leaf-smoke
Of Autumn stabs the evening.
O lover, O my lover,
The barren winds are crying,
The wild gray geese
They are southward long agone;
The bleak night is jeweled
With one star only,
Yet, I, so long aweary,
Take laughter to my pillow.
All the dark bread
My pale lone mouth has eaten,
All the bitter brew
Is forgotten in a moment;
I walk abroad in beauty
In the deep grass going;
The haw blossoms white,
And the heather-bell is clear.
�12
?HE SYRIAN WORLD
It will not matter
That all the gathered roses
Have lost their singing fragrance
And withered on the stem}
For there is a rose here
That shall not fall nor scatter,
A budding in the hedge here
To open at your bidding—
O lover, O my lover!
O head of dusk and starlight,
O eyes like woodland shadows
In brown shaken water ;
O mouth of wine and honey,
Sweeter than the clover
That's flowering in the meadows
Wherever heaven is!
BARBARA YOUNG
V
WHILE THE FLAX CRIETH
From the snow upon the height
Trickled the waters of Fulfillment,
And there walked among the people
One who burned with a voice.
And the people gathered about him
And they implored:
"Speak unto us we pray thee
Of happiness."
And he stood upon a stone
At the roadside, beyond the Outer Gate,
And he spoke:
"Ye seekers after the Lesser Things,
Ye idlers to the sunward of a wall,
Why clothe ye yourselves in cast-off garments
While the flax crieth unto thee from the fields,
And the loom mourneth in thy hearts?
�*APRIL} 1932
13
Of a truth
I say unto thee,
And my word shall prevail:
There is no happiness. . .
There is only understanding.
And there is no sorrow. .
There is only preparation."
JOHN STERLING HANEY
A LOST DREAM
I lost my dream;
The mystic web I spun
Has lifted; alike are gone
Hope in future's blank wall,
Warmth in today's sullen garb.
I fret for rosy hues.
I lost my dream;
A lonely star longed for
A thought, and seeing
Mine, drew to its solitary
Heights my fantastic notion
Of what should be.
I lost my dream;
No longer do I feel the
Throb of life roused by its
Glamorous scenes; I am become
Again a stumbling, gray-faced
Being; a planet without a sun.
'
I want my dream!
But it has flown.
Would that I too
Could follow, to make
It again my own and watch
It grow into reality.
ALEXANDRIA FADDOOL
I
�,i^^a.^,i^^;.;:v.fi,i;.^iv---v'
14
?HE SYRIAN WORLD
A Great Syrian Leader Passes
Editor of Al-Hoda, Dean of Syrian Journalists in America, Succumbs in Paris While on a Political Mission for the cause of
Better Government in the Motherland.
A WAVE OF consternation swept over the thousands of Syrian
and Lebanese communities throughout the United States at the
receipt of news from Paris that the foremost leader, reformer, literary figure, and dean of Syrian journalists in the United States, Mr.
N A Mokarzel, editor of Al-Hoda, had passed away on April 6
in the French capital whither he had gone on a political mission tor
his motherland. The news was as shocking as it was unexpected.
Upon sailing on the Olympic from New York on March 18, Mr.
Mokarzel appeared to be in the best of health. Despite his sixtyeight years, he was still as vigorous and energetic as a man half his
age. His indomitable will and energy, so manifest in all his writings, was also evident in his physical appearance. The scores oi
admirers who congregated at the pier to bid him farewell, little
realizing that they would not see him alive again, represented the
hopes of thousands of Lebanese immigrants centered on the veteran
editor in his voluntary mission to promote the cause of good government in a nation, though small in size and resources, was rich in
historical prestige, and to the service of which he had devoted his
whole life.
The Lebanese republic which claimed the life devotion culminating in the supreme sacrifice of Mr. Mokarzel is the tiny land on
the shore of the Mediterranean forming in its geographical boundaries and historical traditions what is known in history as the
land of the Phoenicians. It has given the world the great spiritual
and cultural heritage which includes the alphabet and the art of deep
sea navigation and many other basic improvements thus laying the
cornerstone of human progress. Throughout the centuries of
recorded history this small country has been the focal point of nations, forming the center of human interest and activity. As an integral geographical part of Syria and the Holy Land it was closely
associated with the rise of Christianity and played a leading part
M
�^PRIL,1932
jo the crusades.
S
h
But owing to its numerical and geographical resWkh
CCntra Wi n in the
S S rWaS SubI!?ec
ion hvT
'
.
J Vt0
!
°
the rava es
&
PolitifalSei of
and vicissitudes of inva-
0118
Greeks Ro
PfersianVanTTL""
- ?$**"*>
****"«>
>
msians and Turks succeeded
one another
in the occupation
of ->
its
11
If*! AHils
6 W rId W
°
"
br Ught ab Ut itS del
°
°
P
-rance at the hands
r „K1 Tkf r^ °f tThe,Phoenicians was then transformed into the Reto^ther^luT
To"' and7aS given 0Ver t0 French mandate
together with the rest of Syria of which Lebanon forms an integral
^graphical.unit. For nearly twelve years Lebanon has b en mak
fas7o e?M°! r? ltse
? *&* itSdf t0 the neW SCheme of worId ****
fam Jv of
^new m the position it deserves among the
family of nations. The present republican form of government
was promulgated in 1926, and Lebanon thus became fhe firsHe
public among Arabic-speaking countries. But the legacy of ages
of subjugation with its attendant misrule could not be eradicafed
S
e g
Sa fiCe Th£re WaS eed
a"d
win
f,
7
"•"
7 -would break the
" bounds
*<* "nsdfoh
and whole-hearted devotion which
of servility and corruption characterizing former regimes
There
were men m the motherland capable of putting the new households
order if properly sustained and supported. And the Lebanese emigrants, who had tasted of the sweet fruit of orderly republican government in their lands of adoption, were most anxious to see Zs
condition brought about. N. A. Mokarzel was the mouthpiece the
leader and protagonist of this new reform movement.
'
Consequently, when the new presidential elections for the Lebanese Republic were about to take place, Mr Mokarzel iT !t
tempt t0 SUp rt Mr. Emil Eddy? Ph£ liWal j^^J » £
of a constructive program of progress and reform, waged a vigorous
11
1
brin
Al
HM
? nelection.
TTPer A
tlpetition
-H0d* t0
£
""fl-nce
for
Mr Eddy's
was circulated
among thefota
Leb
anese elements in the United States, Mexico and Canada"expreW
their preference for this liberal candidate as the next pre ident The
response was both immediate and generous-thousands of signatures
being secured in support of the candidate favored bv Mr MokarzeT
a fU
r
th C C3USC f g od
Lebanon
W0rt to
° °Mr. government
in
Lebanon bbyv rhe"
the election
offW
the liberal, candidate,
Mokarzel decided to carry to France in person the petitions of the LebaneseTmm grants and impress upon the mandatory power the necessity o^n
proving their interested choice.
But alas! in his arduous pur-"
i'
�16
'
:;
*s
;
THE SYRIAN WORLD
suit of public reform he sacrificed his own life. It was indeed the
end which he would have chosen for himself, and which his whole
life of public activity presaged—that of laying down his life only
to raise aloft the standard of civic reform, and to consecrate his life
to the service of his people to the very last breath.
During his long career of public service he was as tireless in his
energy as he was sincere and ardent in the prosecution of reform
campaigns. He often expressed himself in his fiery editorials as
hoping to die like a soldier on the battlefield. And thus it was given
him to meet his end, his last illness having lasted but a single day,
following an operation for intestinal adhesions.
Mr. Mokarzel's death was announced by Al-Hoda in its issue
of April 7. And as the paper widened its circle of travel, bearing to
its readers the news of the editor's sudden demise when they had
anticipated only tidings of his success and early return, a condition
bordering on pandemonium pervaded the Syrian communities
throughout the country, expressed in the many scores of messages of
grief and condolences which daily swamped the office of Al-Hoda.
They came from civic and patriotic organizations, the clergy and representatives of the professions, as well as from thousands of personal friends and admirers. It was evident that the death of the
veteran editor and reformer formed an epochal event in the life of
the Syrian people in the United States, because he symbolized not
only the struggles and aspirations of the pioneer immigrants but
proved himself during his long career of public service the greatest
and the most spectacular, yet the most constructive leader, the Syrians have yet produced in the whole history of their immigration.
Nor were expressions of the sense of great loss in the death of
Mr. Mokarzel confined to the Syrians of the United States. Press
dispatches had carried the news to Lebanon simultaneously with the
announcement of his death to America, and the passing of the editor
was viewed in the motherland as a national loss. The President of
the republic cabled his condolences while the President of the Legislative Assembly tendered sympathy in his own name and in that of
the nation. The Maronite Patriarch and a number of church dignitaries, deputies and government officials also cabled their condolences, while public demand for the return of the body to the native land finding expression immediately upon the publication of the
news of the editor's death, gave indication of the high place he occupied in the hearts of his countrymen.
�PHOTO BY MARTAR. N. Y.
NAOUM A. MOKARZEL
1864-1932
�I
I
I
�Sftlps;
*APRIL} 1932
17
-
PK Howrani /J
N. A. MOKARZEL ON HIS DEATHBED
Sketched by Mr. Philip Mourani, a Lebanese Artist Resident in
Paris for Thirty Years
Mr. Mokarzel died without issue. Aside from his wife Rose,
nee Princess Bellamah, he is survived by a brother Salloum, editor
of the SYRIAN WORLD, and two sisters Mrs. Catherine Libbus and
Mrs. Liza Rahid of New Bern, N. C.
At the time of Mr. Mokarzel's death his wife was on her way
to Syria for a summer visit. She was reached by wireless, however,
and landed at Lisbon from whence she traveled overland to Paris
and will bring back the body to the United States on the Olympic,
the same steamer which he had taken for Europe only a month previous. The arrival of the body in New York is expected on May 3.
Direction of the funeral arrangements has been left in the
hands of the Lebanon League of Progress, the reform society which
the editor had organized twenty years ago. This sad duty was ceded
to it by the family in response to insistent public demand that the
funeral of the great leader be in keeping with his prestige, although
his expressed wish was for a simple funeral. This is further made
necessary by the fact that from present indications scores of delegations representing Syrian communities throughout the country will
come to New York on the day of the funeral.
�18
THE SYRIAN WORLD
A Notable Career of Achievement
The Life of the Late N. A. Alokarzel Was one of Distinguished
Service and Sacrifice for His Country and People
gEHIND THE daily Al-Hoda, the institution which the late Mr.
N. A. Mokarzel built and which is expected to endure as a living monument to his ideals, stands a record of achievement unparalleled in the annals of Syrian immigration in the United States.
Through long years of bitter struggle, in which he displayed a prodigious capacity for work and a passionate love for his chosen profession, this Lebanese editor was able to establish a daily paper in
Arabic that became not only the moulder of public opinion among
the Syrians abroad but a power to be reckoned with in shaping the
political destinies of the motherland. Not a campaign did he wage
but resulted in signal success, so much so that the mere fact of his
supporting a cause came to be associated in the public mind with its
ultimate triumph. For this two factors were mainly responsible,
namely his undoubted sincerity and the relentless vigor which characterized his every word and action.
This driving force in the famous editor's life was sustained till
the very end, since his fatal illness lasted but a single day. During
his life he had many narrow escapes from death, all attributed by
physicians to his indomitable will.
But almost in every case the
cause of his ailment was ascribed to overwork. Every waking hour
meant to him an opportunity for creative activity. He chose to live
near his office for no other purpose than to economize in time, but
in so doing medical opinion was agreed that he was wasting his life.
To all their pleadings and admonitions, however, he turned a deaf
ear, and no sooner would he feel strong enough to move a hand than
his uncontrollable passion for work would assert itself in feverish
activity.
Nor was this extreme devotion caused by necessity. He could
have retired from the active management of his paper apparently
without financial injury to it. But Al-Hoda was to him all that life
held worthwhile. Not content with writing the editorials, he chose
the material for translation and edited it thereafter and supervised
every detail of the production of the paper. It may sound incredi-
�<JPRIL, 1932
ble that a single man should read every line appearing in every ediY aP Cr
v I °L\
? u f*"**?*1? and ^ough choice, but this actually held true of the late editor of Al-Hoda. Not to mention the
multifarious details of management to which he attended in person
Truly the late Mr. JVJokarzel's career is one of exceptional disWkh achievement
beW to" irCP
> ^ ^ it been given him to
belong to a larger group of people than his limited own he would be
he also took phylosophically, and his expressed conviction which he
applied to his small Lebanese people may well apply to himin that
it is best to be small and independent than large^nd subse^ient
th Jthn7^ °f a Mar°nke fri6St °f a higher educational standard than
M v
f aTage Pansh pnest of Lebanon in those days, Naoum
Z
7 £nJOyed thC adVa tagC f
a^d
2
P^reSsive
su^unding"
and the
the win
willingness to spare no effort
or° expense
in giving
him the
U
e
WaS Wn in
g
Autsl
' He
F-ike,
MtgLebTn
0n
August B
15, ?S
1864, "f?
and almost
as soon as he could
formulate
sounds
was taught to read. When still in his early teens he wa'r Stered a
a boarder In Madras* Al-Hikmat in Beirut, then considered one 0|
nLant,dg",A,tKt,0nSi°;adVanCed eduCati°»
*« country He
speaalized in Arabic and French literature and was esneciaJlvLf
cent m Arabic which he studied with the foremoTArTbic"MarIf
modern t.mes, the late Abdallah Bistany who died in 1930 TJnon
graduating from this college he entered the Jesuit University orBd
rut to take up advanced studies in French. The Jesuits receded
hd rSeSi;? offercTd him the chair °f
SSBSS^
h position he filled
tneir University in Cairo. This
for over a vear
but upon being stricken with fever, his father went to Egjt to
administer unto him and induced him to return to Lebanon for re
operation, later prevailing upon him to remain there
Haying started on an educational career, the youn? professor
decided to establish a school of his own, and owingTh^pracS
methods of teaching and fame for strict disciplinf, hischoo the
first year attracted over a hundred boarders and day pupfls frl
duced the young schoolmaster to undertake tbc'jZZ££g£
I
1
�.
20
i
iiTifiTniiwmin
THE SYRIAN WORLD
them they raised a substantial capital which, in those days, was in
itself a fortune. But Naoum was anxious to raise a larger fund to
increase the capacity of his school and he welcomed the opportunity.
This ideal of establishing a native Lebanese school of higher education he consistently cherished throughout his life, and only a few
years before his death he was known to be negotiating for the purchase of a suitable site for such an institution. He also was known
to be planning to pledge all the resources of his paper to its maintenance.
The two partners left the homeland in 1887 and while in France
bought such religious articles and fancy notions represented to them
as being then in demand in the American market. But the commercial venture proved disastrous, and Naoum again reverted to his
earlier calling and was engaged by the Jesuits as French instructor in
one of their colleges in New York.
A year later saw the young professor engaged in his first journalistic venture. He issued a mimeographed sheet in Arabic under
the name of Al-'Asr, (The Age), but soon discontinued it to take up
the study of medicine. For this purpose he moved to Philadelphia
and it was there that in 1 897, and before finishing his medical course,
he established his newspaper Al-Hoda which was destined to become
under the driving force of his dynamic energy, the leading Arabiclanguage newspaper in America and one that compares favorably
with the foremost in the Arabic-speaking world.
Mr. Mokarzel from the beginning of his journalistic career waged a relentless and sustained campaign against corruption in every
form. His bitter attacks on the despotic government of Sultan Abdul Hamid caused him to be condemned to death and his property
in Lebanon confiscated. His father, the Rev. Antoun Mokarzel,
was sought by agents of the Turkish government in Lebanon, and his
life would have been held forfeit had he not taken refuge with the
Maronite Patriarch who finally convinced the government that the
father was not responsible for the actions of the son, nor was he in
sympathy with his attacks.
After five years of publication in Philadelphia, Al-Hoda was
moved to New York where it changed its frequency from semi-weekly to daily and has been so maintained ever since.
In 1922
the silver jubilee of Al-Hoda was celebrated as a milestone
in Syrian cultural progress and achievement in America at a
banquet attended by the most notable Syrian gathering ever to
come together in America, N. A. Mokarzel was hailed on that oc-
l
HI
�'^fPRIL, 1932
21
casion by common agreement of all factions as the greatest leader
the Syrians in America have yet produced.
His publication was the late editor's consuming passion. He
spared no effort to continue its improvement not only in content matter but in typographical appearance. His progressive spirit was evident from his having adopted every new device calculated to further
efficiency and typographical beauty. Al-Hoda was the first Arabic
publication in the world to use the Linotype, and the first in America
to use a webb printing press. It also was the pionerr in the liberal
use of display captions in its make-up, setting the standard which was
later followed by the Arabic press throughout the world. He often
expressed himself as anxious to prove to the Arabic-speaking world
the advantages of adopting American methods of efficiency.
When in 1912 the convention of Arabic-speaking nations was
held in Paris Mr. Mokarzel attended as the delegate of the Syrians
in the United States. During the Versailles Conference at the close
of the war he was present in the same capacity, while during the war
he helped recruit the Oriental Legion which was being raised by
France to effect the liberation of Syria. He also was instrumental in
sending to Syria through secret channels during the war hundreds of
thousands of dollars from Syrian immigrants to their starving relatives in the homeland.
The Lebanon League of Progress which he founded in 1911
was the instrument through which he sought action on political reforms. He was ever consistent in his demand for an independent
Lebanon under the protection of France, and he is credited with having been the author of the suggestion to make the French tricolor,
with the cedar appearing in the center white stripe, the official flag
of Lebanon.
His last trip to France, which resulted fatally, was also in the
interest of his beloved Lebanon. His avowed purpose was to serve
the cause of good government in that country by inducing the
French authorities to sanction the choice of a liberal candidate in
the forthcoming presidential elections. The news of his untimely
death occasioned genuine and universal sorrow both in America and
in the motherland, and almost simultaneously with the first announcement of his death came the demand from Lebanon that the
body of this illustrious son be permitted to repose permanently in
his native country which he so nobly served. In all probability, this
mandate of the nation will be gratified.
�.....
22
r_,
-immmmk
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Tributes to a Leader
EDITOR'S NOTE—
flool^trJes^lu0** md°JtHe Syrim W°Hd " li^ally
ian World feels equally%^^MZ^^ ^^ ?f ^ Syr~
number of message, rJh
Y sympathisers, only a limited
done fr^y7nglelLtuVrZd
"7*"
^ "* ** b
f eC rdand
as
^des^eadJefaroLeTbZ; ° / °
*» indication of the
editoHn Am^lr
J
*"* °f ** dhti^ished Lebanese
CABLED TRIBUTES FROM LEBANON
Rel>ublk Leh
ZZtlZfdTof theORK
°f
-
Irfhr^V
(OFFICIAL)
F
EXCEEDINGLY GRIEVFD AT TUC
TTT^
PLEASE ACCEPT MSSS "^
CHARLES DABBAS
J
Sit PTeSidem °f ^ *«***» *< *h of the ReMUc of
MOKARZEL, NEW YORK
MOHAMMAD DJISR, PRESIDENT
From
p d n of the Prsss Ass cM n B
4^
7i : L
° ° ->» ' >CEES^G^^E^ ^S^CIATION WAS EXOF OUR GREAT COLIEArnp^ S^£ OF THE DEMISE
M
WITH SSSKALIL KSEIB, PRESIDENT.
From /^ Maronite Patriarrh
SINCERE REGRETS AND CONDOLENCES
PATRIARCH ANTOUN ARIDA.
�IfPRIL, 1932
23
THE GREAT LoIsND°LENCES- * SHARE WITH
V
fhZ ^ me"ller °f «** ****>*» AssenMy Sheikh Joseph Sle-
From the editor of Ad-Dabbour, Beirut
ON CLl^fN^S^8 BEFALLEN
US
-
LEBAN
"
TRIBUTES FROM AMERICA
of Progress.
natem, Prestient of the Lebanon League
Mr MoLTe^T"?^,'he
m St C rdial
°
°
««-*» with
h S eraste
the cause of Right and Lk*y Plf'
' P
« =«<>«s in
PW
dolences.
'
^P1 "V "*» sincere con-
WSJ:CgfJrCy
SeS S,riS Siia
P
°
and the Arabic world at large
">>«- *W*» ***r i.
m
&?** °'DamM'Assis,mt Basin
^^\y served his country
U
^ of * "« r«*
:::; LTafsir^rYour brother -*"-««' <*-
�24
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Pioneer and Seer
r
IT IS WITH profound regret that I read of the death of the greatest Syrian Lebanese of our race in America: N. A. Mokarzel.
He was the symbol of our race in America. He was the prophet of
the new era of our race and the leader of the educational, moral, social, political, and philanthropic movements of the Syrian Lebanese
pioneer period in the New World.
N. A. Mokarzel's passing marks the end of the Syrian Lebanese
race pioneer period, and the beginning of the development period
of the race with America as the new homeland. His life story is the
life story of our race in America. His death marks a prominent
date in our race history. His name, place, and achievements and
dreams symbolize the name, place, achievements, and dreams of our
race.
N. A. Mokarzel is the outstanding Syrian Lebanese pioneer in
the history of the Syrian Lebanese race in America. He was the
moulder of the thought life of the younger generation. He led in
the forward movements of the period. He pointed the way to future progress through education, inspiration, and publicity. He lived
what he taught, he exemplified what he wrote, and he led where
he desired others to follow.
He founded institutions of far reaching influence in America,
in our motherland, and wherever Syrian Lebanese dwell, as well as
among the Arabic-speaking peoples. He established the foremost
Arabic newspaper in the New W7orld, the influence of which has
blessed our race. He founded the Lebanon League of Progress for
the aiding of the motherland. He organized the Educational Association for the spreading of enlightenment, culture, and progress.
He initiated the Syrian Lebanese Mahrajan for the perpetuation of
our race culture, solidarity, and progress.
N. A. Mokarzel lives, though dead. He lives in the mind of our
race, in the consciousness of our generation, and he lives in the leadership of today and the rising tomorrow. He was a dreamer of the
better dreams of our race. He was a seer of the better days ahead.
He was a shepherd of his people. He was a beacon to guide the
masses. He was a true statesman of his people. Young and old,
rich and poor, wise and ignorant, people of all classes, religions, parties, and conditions followed his benevolent leadership. He was
�^4PRIL, 1932
25
unselfish, devoted to the welfare of others, and spent his life in doing good.
N. A. Mokarzel is glorious in death, the glory of serving Lebanon: our race, our motherland, and our future. In his death he
challenges us to match ourselves with his ideals, his achievements
and his hopes We Syrian Lebanese shall dream the dreams of the
betterment of our race; we shall uphold our race legacies, and we
shall promote the Americanism, the loyalty, and the progress of our
citizenship in America. We Syrian Lebanese youth shall honor his
name place, and achievements by accepting his ideals, challenges,
ments°PeS'
C Urage
°
'
ViSi n
° ' ^
eff rt t0 greater achieve
°
"
... N- A- Mokarzel's name will live through the ages, his influence
will inspire greatness in others, and his achievements will awaken
progress in the mind, heart, and life of the present and future gcn^ZlT
A-grCatneSS WiU gr°W and glow more and
to bless,
awaken, and inspire our generation, our motherland, and our future
1
xrm^ J^gment that history> experience, and posterity will"
acclaim N. A. Mokarzel the GRAND OLD MAN of the Syrian
Lebanese pioneer period in America.
^
w.
. , __ ,
W inside, Neb.
REV.
W. A.
Eternal Guidance
TO MY UNCLE
The light that glowed a thousand years
In human benevolence, has softly gone,
And silent voices and unseen tears
Mourn this passing of a paragon
Of men and minds j this human heart
That God inspired to guide the way for men;
And now, in claiming, hath spread the glow '
He cast unto these humble children
Of a kindred world, who kneel in reverence
Their torch held high above his pallid face
To cast upon his blessed brow the eternal glow
Of love, that passing years will not efface.
ALICE MOKARZEL
MANSUR
�ua
m
26
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Gibran A Year After
The First Anniversary of the Lebanese Poet's Death Reveals Him
a Universal Figure Beloved and Honored in Every Land.
A YEAR ago this month, the month of Nisan, the month of budding blooms and running brooks, the month in which nature
stages its annual victory over death, the month of Resurrection, of
love and hope, of youthful aspirations and longings, the beloved
poet, artist, sage and mystic, Gibran Kahlil Gibran passed away.
It was, to be exact, on the 10th of April, at ten minutes to
eleven on Friday night that the great soul which had comforted
many a soul in its weary march through the Vale of Tears, that had
brought courage and hope to many a faltering step, itself had to face
the dreadful, the glorious ordeal of its own release to the Great Beyond.
There is something touching and beautiful about the last days
of Gibran's earthly life, and the last journey which his body took
before it rested in eternal peace under the shadow of the Cedars he
so much loved, and which so much mingled with his soul's dreams
and visions. Something that reminds us of the fortitude of a Socrates drinking his cup of hemlock in a dismal cell of an Athenian
prison j something that is reminiscent of the Gospel narratives about
the last days and death of the great Nazarene. For to these and all
kindred souls in whose bosoms burns the divine fire of Another
World, in whose eyes shines the light of immortality, death is but
an accident in the Larger Life. They looked at body and all the
material world that surrounds it as so much impedimenta.
Theirs is the motto which one of them, the great German poet
Goethe, enunciated: "Es ist der Geist der sich den Koerber baut",
"It is the Spirit which builds unto itself the body!" And well may
Gibran himself have sung, not only to one of his devoted friends
and followers, to whom he had ascribed the lines, but to all the
thousands of his admiring, revering readers:
"Nay, go fast, faster,
Bride of my dreams,
For the valleys and the higher hills
�^PRIL, 1932
27
That I feared but yesterday,
Now I would cross and climb."
w en Death beck ned Gibran
thiSwtidnwn,vhgf rnt,that
\
° and a11 sentien
to Hd
S mUCh a
his friends
be „« o hu rim
7
°
L ^
' ^
<
I i ^ *?<* SpaCe Were his friends), those who gathered
the ChOS£n f6W Wh
U n his
T„TA
rl kLsTed ^
° ^ P°
"
a ay mt etermt
££L /
T
°
>'' were of the ^ sex? That was
fitting and proper for one who, like the Master, had much of The
feminine in him and whose fine spiritual message found more re
MisTfiarbf* "nderStandin^ heart -d -tholic intuition of worn n
Miss Barbara! oung, poetess, Mrs. William Brown Malonev writer
e
Gibra
nT'HMlSS ^ ^^ MrS" L€0n°bel SC
Gibran, his devoted sister, Mrs. Rose Diab, a cousin, were the min
istenng angels who hovered around the deathbed of al-Musfafa
S^S^SS men present'a friend Mischa Naim^a?d a
hteV
ibran KahH1 Gibran was
to
^l^
ff ?
to Blt7ti7t
Boston, the home of
his early
dreams and struggles- thecarried
home
where he was so misunderstood, yet so loved by thosfwho were nTr
est and dearest to him; the place which he never ceased teca 1his
hi bel0 ed BeCharre
mTe
Stt-**
V
' ^d£^s£
in the world to him. For l
New ;
York which recognized
his eenius
and showered its largess of success on him was only fwo sfon
den from which he contemplated the universe and Zught ?his
houghts after his Godheart. Meticulous in his appearance dmo
like a suave diplomatist, cosmopolitan in his tastes and manners
in
SOdal aCC
aTa^tJat
herrt
°*^s, Gibran MGKS
a ascetic at heart a mystic who set on his journey for the ereat
y fr0
C
a11
£T<Sv
h H his
?° aloneness,
f^ f° *
^ his
«
m" to Only f/ew
a few shared
his ^
silence and
innermost
musings. To those alone, out of the teeming millions of the citv of
skyscrapers, subways and congested thoroughfares the ctv of^n
lofh
Sr7yVheTrned hlS. ^^ ln that ^^studJofhi"2 5 W
1 Oth Street That was his Kaaba, his haram, his retreat from th,'
efficient
^
*"*
SUCC£SS and intoxicated
with
And in Boston, where Gibran looked forward for his annual
varation, for his temporary relaxation from the round of routine and
work, he was received with heavy hearts and reminiscent tenderness
•
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
And here again we see the gentle touch and solicitude of women
which followed him wherever he went. After the bier was met by
a group of distinguished Syrians and former friends of the mystic,
headed by Msgr. Stephen al-Douaihy, it was carried to the home of
the Syrian Ladies' Aid Society on W. Newton Street; and on the
following day services were held for him at the Maronite Church
of Our Lady of the Cedars on Tyler Street, the same street where
his sister's home is, and where in his vacations he spent long hours
in informal conversation with his many friends and visitors.
Right here a word may be said about Gibran's attitude to conventional religion. For it does seem incongruous to many that this
man whose iconoclastic tirades against conventional sectarianism,
which would limit and monopolize the grace of God to an initiated
few, aroused the animosity of some religious officials in high places,
should finally receive the obsequies and approved funeral rites of a
sectarian church. But in truth there was nothing incongruous or improper about it. Like all great mystics, Gibran was intensely religious. And it was because he was intensely religious that he rebelled against all bounds and limitations which would estrange the
soul from its legitimate and free share of participation of the divine.
The same wrath that burned in Jesus who drove the traders and
money-changers from the Temple, burned in Gibran who, in one
of his parables of "the Wanderer" makes a lightning fall on the
head of a bishop who repulsed a non-Christian woman who came to
him asking if there be salvation for her from hell-fire. And as Jesus
justified the poor tax-gatherer who humbly confessed his sins before God and condemned the proud Pharisee who vaunted his righteousness, so also Gibran counted among the saved many millions of
all races, languages and creeds who had never been baptized by the
water and the spirit. Hundreds of years before him the great Arab
mystical poet, Ibn al-Farid, of whose mystical Taiyyah he was so
fond, had sung:
"And if to a stone a Buddha worshiper doth bow,
His fellowship in faith I still forsooth avow."
And with an equal majestic sweep of universal love also Ibn
al-Arabi, perhaps the greatest Arab mystic of all time, also sang:
"My heart is capable of every form;
A cloister for the monk, a fane for idols;
A pasture for gazelles, the votary's Kaaba,
The tables of the Torah, the Qoran.
Love is the faith I hold, wherever turn
His camels, still the one true faith is mine."
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JtPRIL, 1932
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Both of those mystics were Moslem, but there was more kinship and affinity between their souls and that of Gibran than between
his and those of many Christians.
But if those mystics, Sufis, could sincerely call themselves Moslem, so could Gibran sincerely call himself a Christian, as indeed so
called themselves innumerable Christian mystics before him, like
Meister Eckhart, Boemhe, Sausa Tanler and the anonymous author
of Theologica Germanica, who were equally bold and radical in their
pronouncements, equally universal in their conception of salvation
and faith.
There can be no doubt that Gibran was truly Christian, and if
he were a xMoslem he would be truly Moslem, or a Hindu he would
be truly Hindu. For to such, and not to priests and clerics, as
it was to Jesus and not to the Pharisees and Scribes of his day, that
it is given to interpret religion properly, and transmit it sympathetically and understanding^ to their fellow men and women.
But Gibran was not only a Christian. In a beautiful sentimental way he was a Maronite. There was something in the associations and memories of that church that attracted him to it It
meant so much to him. It symbolized his early childhood, memories of his father and mother, sisters and brother, dear relatives and
friends who enveloped him with their love and tender care in the
early years of his life in that beautiful village on the edge of the
Qadisha Valley in Northern Lebanon. Its ceremonies and festivals
mingled in his treasured memories of joyous crowds in colorful
festive clothes, solemn moments, impressive processions of blackrobed priests, and an occasional visit of a bishop, or perchance the
Patriarch himself which turned the village into a veritable carnival.
Io be a Maronite, to him, meant not merely or necessarily subscription to certain definite creeds and dogmas, but to belong to an ancient and historic people who shared the same memories, the same
aspirations, the same baptism of suffering and blood, the same rejoicings and the same sorrows. The chanting of its Syriac litanies,
the smell of incense, and the elaborate rites of its priesthood conveyed a certain mystic significance to him that no literalist can understand.
In short his association with the Maronite Church was
what the American philosopher Josiah Royce called "group loyalty"
and which transcends in spiritual value all adherence to creed or
dogma.
So much then for Gibran's particular sectarian attachment. But
in truth Gibran belonged to the whole world. Some of his books
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
have been translated into as many as twenty languages, including the
Japanese. If it is incongruous that he was a Maronite, still more
incongruous is the fact that his writings are read by Buddhists and
Shintoists, and that his Arabic translator is a Greek-Orthodox archimandrite!
Many memorial services were held for Gibran—services which
illustrated the variety of people who held him in high esteem, who
revered his spirit, although most of them had never seen his face
in life.
The first of these memorial services was the one held in the
East Hall of Roerich Museum, 103rd Street and Riverside Drive,
New York, on April 29.
It was an intimate group of American and Syrian friends and
admirers of the great dreamer, wanderer and prophet. Dr. Charles
Fleischer introduced the various speakers who included Barbara
Young, Salloum Mokarzel, Claude Bragdon, Syud Hossain, Leonora Speyer, Mischa Naimy and others. It was a beautiful blend of
East and West coming to do honor to one who, perhaps more than
any other, succeeded in interpreting one to the other. It was also
fitting that a Christian and a Mohammedan, a Syrian and an Arab,
supplied the music for the occasion. Prince Mohiudin played "Du
bist die Ruh", on the 'cello, and Anis Fuleihan, who had set some
of Gibran's pieces to music, sat at the piano while Hubert C. Linscott sang.
About a month after, May 24, ar-Rabitah al-Qalamiyyah, the
literary circle which Gibran himself had founded, and in which he
had always been the guiding spirit, held another memorial meeting
for him in the building of the American-Syrian Federation at 123
Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn. At the same time Gibran's friends
and countrymen in Boston were holding another memorial meeting
in the Municipal Building on Shawmut Avenue. The eulogistic
articles and poems in Arabic which poured from every quarter of this
country, and for which al-Hoda had opened wide its columns, are
too numerable to mention. The local American press printed obituaries of him, some of which gave an account of his life and works
at length, and the Associated Press carried the news of his death
to all parts of the world.
Of especial interest are two memorial meetings held in two
cities separated by thousands of miles.
The first of these took place in Sydney, Australia, and was attended by the consuls of the United States and France, four mem-
\
�\APRIL,1932
\
31
bers of the Australian Parliament, and the Minister of the Interior.
m Senator in
j' r "„
'
the New South Wales Parliament,
and a fellow Syrian, was one of the speakers.
The other was held in Johannesberg, Transvaal, South Africa,
and took the form of an elaborate service in the local Maronite
church of Our Lady of Lebanon. Rt. Rev. David Orley, Bishop of
1 ransvaal, delivered the eulogy in which he declared that Gibran's
Message to Young Americans of Syrian Origin" was "of the stuff
ot immortal literature, and should apply to the younger generation
or Syrians and Lebanese in every part of the world."
Among the many American admirers and devotees of the Syrian mystic was the Rev. Dr. William Norman Guthrie, pastor of St.
Mark s on the Bouwene. Often did he read selections of the Prophet
and other works of Gibran from his pulpit, as supplementary to the
Bible reading and often did he present them in pantomime and
tableaux on the stage of his church. It was, therefore, fitting and
proper that Dr. Guthrie should hold a special memorial service for
PrnXf"1 fu4anlagain °n N0V'8- ImPressive scenes from "The
Prophet" and "The Wanderer" were presented in that historic little
church in the heart of Manhattan. The church was crowded with
American and Syrian friends of the great departed spirit
But more impressive than all was the final scene of this moving
drama which took place in the homeland of the Syrian seer and
spiritual hero-in Lebanon the home of the Cedars, where the Poet
ot the Cedars first opened his eyes to the light of day.
The steamship Sinaia, of the Fabre Line, sailed from Provihv ZTY1AgA
T u6t A
f
wL N A M r* |\
Whkh the b d
.
and °
y of
Gibran Ka
Wil Gibran
Lebanese flags. At the pier
were N. A. Mokarzel, the able editor of al-Hoda, a man of action
SinCC ined Gib
wlr fidd'r0^ hiS r^
^
J°
S?mtU
develo me
^ne
Sitor of fh/s
*t
*}
P ^ S. A. Mokarzel,
Fabre Line
^°f "J^ of
*Z "Character
^ SyHan
^ent of the
^
^abre
Line, JI fT
G. Raphael,
editor
Magazine"
Rev Mansur Stephen of New York, Barbara Young, Marfana' he
poe 's sister and many other friends and relatives from Boston as
well as a delegation of Syrians and Americans from Providence'kOn the other side of the Atlantic extensive and impressive nre
parations were being taken to receive the body in a mS fitti^
the greatness of his spirit, and the unique place whicTL occupied
in the literary and spiritual history of our little country Ddegl
�32
THE SYRIAN WORLD
tions came to Beirut from all parts of Syria, from ancient Damascus, from Aleppo, from Horns, Hama, Antioch, Sidon, Tripoli,
from the Holy Land, and from every little town and hamlet in
Lebanon. Especially prominent in their picturesque native dresses,
and the genuine expression of sorrow on their proud faces, were the
men and women who came down from Becharre, the hometown of
Gibran Kahlil Gibran in Northern Lebanon.
The body was received with official pomp and ceremony. Government representatives in official dress were present at the pier,
priests and high church dignitaries in their clerical • robes, and a
large multitude of just plain men, women and children, who were
dearest and nearest to the tender heart of the dead poet.
The body was landed in Beirut on August 21, and from there
removed in ceremony to the Maronite Cathedral of St. George,
where the Rt. Rev. Ignatius Mobarak, Maronite archbishop of Beirut, and his clergy received the body with the chanting of Syriac
songs for the dead.
On the same evening a great civic memorial meeting was held
for Gibran in one of the largest theatres of the city. Hon. Charles
Dabbas, President of the Lebanon Republic, presided in person. The
speakers who eulogized Gibran Kahlil Gibran on that memorial occasion were: Ameen Rihani, poet and scholar, Khalil Mutran, famous Arabic poet, Khalil Kussayyeb, President of the Press Association of Beirut, Mohammed Jamil Beihum, President of the Young
Men's Moslem Society, Representative Michael Zakkour, poet and
editor, Ameen Taki ud-Din, poet, and many others representing
civic and religious bodies.
And then the triumphal march to Becharre, the touching scenes
of mourning women singing sorrowful dirges before the bier, like
the old mourners we read about in the Bible j the different stops on
the way, particularly at Jubail, the ancient Byblos, where a company
of maidens with flowing hair and gowns, sang paeons in praise of
the dead hero, as though he had been alive and was received in
triumph by those who awaited his "home coming."
And when the noise of all this pomp and ceremony had died
away, the body of the mystic who was so fond of silence and solitude
was laid quietly in the little Monastry of Mar-Sarkis (St. Serjius),
of which Gibran was so fond, and in which he often expressed the
wish to Spend the last years of his life. Now his earthly remains
rest there as long as anything in this mutable world of ours may
rest. In a little crypt in the chapel of that monastery, a visitor to
�M. Fromkes, A.N.A.
Copyright 1932, by Marie el-Khoury
GIBRAN
KAHLIL GIBRAN
Collection Madame Marie el-Khoury
Who contributed the engraving in memory of our great artist and p.et and
through whose courtesy it is included in this issue of the SYRIAN WORLB
in commemoration of the first anniversary of his death.
�_j
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to-
,,
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;
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�cAPRIL, 1932
33
that picturesque town that overlooks the awe-inspiring Valley of
Qadisha, and lies at the foot of the serene grove of Cedars at the
top of the mountain, may read on a small tablet at the entrance
these words in Arabic:
"Here Repose the Remains of the Prophet Gibran Resting under the Wings of the Angel of Peace."
And thus the drama of the young dreamer and reformer who
as a young lad raised his voice in angry protest against the injustices
and cruelties of the social system under which he lived, who migrated to a new country where his genius could bud and develop undisturbed, whose star rose in the West, who returned in triumph like
a conquering prince to his own country and people, came to an end.
And the land which ever stoned its prophets and turned its
back against its seers received with a great display of love and appreciation one of its greatest and sweetest prophets.
ON FIRST VIEWING GIBRAN'S
"THE PROPHET"
Today I clasped God's hand
And evermore shall walk
Within the shadow of His Majesty.
It was a picture on a wall;
A bit of paper and a few drawn lines.
It was a face
Of misty outline and suggested form.
I stayed my step and gazed
And bowed my soul,
Before this shrine of genius.
Only a pictured face upon a wall,
But I well knew
That I had touched God's hand.
GERTRUDE MAGILL RUSKIN
�9HMNMNNI
34
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Gibran The Artist
Exhibition of His Works in America Attracts a Distinguished
1 hrong of Admirers—Permanent Exhibit to be in Lebanon
By
E
DAGNY EDWARDS
fHE ART OF living beautifully} being, rather than doing, was
m St es sential thin
ur> -,i
°
.
& in life to Gibran, and in his words:
Build your own ivory .tower and let the rest of the world take care
t
' \e S^a standard f°r himself, as well as for others, while
on this earth Reticent about his work he refused to exhibit publicity his countless paintings and sketches for fear that his "people"
would want to buy them". But one of his dearest dreams was that
alter his death,.some fifty or seventy-five of the paintings would be
hung m some gallery in a large city where people might see them,
and perhaps love them!" This dream has materialized under the
loving guidance and tireless effort, of his friend, Miss Barbara
Young who acting as his literary executor, has held an exhibition of
the works of;GIbran m the Studio at 51 West Tenth Street, New
York City, where he lived and worked for eighteen years.
th before the
ai penin whkh to k
TJanuary
i
,
^
° ^
° p*«* °n
anu3r9r°r.
21, all the actual work of preparation,.which included selecting, framing, and arranging the portraits, was accomplished by
a group of young people who assisted Miss Young, without thought
of recompense, but amply as a token of the honor and love thev held
lor Gibran. It had been planned to hold the exhibit open until Feb-
thTLt' thT^ *ft Uu "*i PUblidty fr°m the P-s> and ^spt
eached he S?T ^ 1^ had t0 be dimbed befo^ one
XtfX
?K ' ^.^ly.more than one thousand persons
v twed the exhibit with mingled feelings of appreciation, awe and
pleasure so that the time was,extended until April 10.
Visitors
a W
hfe
d6Claring there
if
Fd
wM
\°K
T*
> exhibition a"
it Edwin Markham who recently celebrated his eightieth birthday
stood before a portrait of himself, drawn by Gibran many years ago'
and proclaimed with spirit, "There's something in that picture tf at'
I know is in me but that no one else has ever seen!" So with the
other sketches and paintings, Gibran, with vivid imagination, vital
force, and a few deft strokes, created a beautifully vibrant picture
of poetic imagery, profound in its fundamental depth. People came
�UPRIL, 1932
35
again and again, reverently, as to a rite, seeking they knew not what,
and found spiritual contentment, emanating from the godly serenity of the silent portraits on the walls. The place had acquired the
tremendous consciousness of Gibran, and as one poorly dressed, rather uncultured woman wonderingly exclaimed, "You know thev all
mean something! They're not just pictures, are they?"
As a child, his tiny fingers modelled in snow and stone. He
needed no master, he had no master, and it is a remarkable fact creditable only to his rare genius that Gibran was entirely self-taught in
art When he painted, he drew with most unbelievable rapidity.
Uften, when he was drawing, he had a habit of standing off at a distance getting down on his knees, gazing at,his work for minutes,
then back again at the canvas, he would fly at work,until finished!
Une of his most beautiful drawings, the first "Prophet", (a face he
had carried in his mind for years, before he could give it life with
draWn
half an h Un
Gibran the artist
unlike"?'
V Wl
° inseparably
> linked in> his
waspernot
unlike Gibran
the poet, "l
the two being
sonality ; yet Gibran the man, though utterly different from other
people, was a delightfully charming, always gracious, most loving
PerS n
SeSSed Wkh a
rand seilse of
Pelrlleaving !K
' Ef at his feet, walked
S
humor?
People,
their °troubles
from him
with
light heart and step, comforted, relieved,,exalted, but left Gibran
sore at heart worried with their worries, piled before him in a heap
so high that he could see nothing else!
RvHe?-arph ^hafdt> 4? 9eorge Ru^ell, Debussy, Rodin, Albert
Sdn R^
Klet\Mar?am> Masefield, Ruth St. Denis and
Abdul Baha,are but a few of the notables whom Gibran sketched at
his Studio, and a number of these paintings will be presented to va-
r^d theH8- \he,Mr?Puolit- Museum of Arthas already ac-
S A K JVA hfd °f J°hn Masefie^> poet laureate of England j Albert Ryder, American Painter; "Toward the Infinite", (Gibran s mother in death) ; "I Have Come Down the Ages", and the
smallest pencil drawing taken from his book, "Tesus the Son of
6 LIf£ GrCle
SeVeral
2?£\
^
M^
"of his parting wm go
to the Boston Museum; two or three to the Fogg Museum at Cam
bridge, as well as one each to the Brooklyn Museum, Z Sk
Museum, and International House on Riverside Drive
The exhibition attracted many persons well known in the realm
of art and letters, including Rose O'Neill, American illustratorand
poet; Frederick Diehlman, of the National Academy and Cooper
Union; Bryson Burroughs, Curator of Art, MetropoliL Museum
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
36
Dr. Serafini, Vice-Consul of Italy; Signor Paolo Abbate, sculptor;
Edwin Markham, "dean of American poets"; Floyd Starr, Director
of Starr Commonwealth, Albion, Mich.; Dr. Fischer, Curator of
Astronomy at the Museum of Natural History; Paul Stirneman,
Eastern Mystic; Mr. and Mrs. Harry Edmunds, founders of International House; James Oppenheim, American poet; Mrs. Alice
Hunt Bartlett, American editor of the Poetry Review of London;
Dr. Douglas Wild, of Rutgers University; John S. Eland, English
painter and etcher; Mrs. James Lees Laidlaw; the Princess Matchabelli; and the Princess Sava-Goiu.
The last day of the exhibit, Sunday, April 10, also marked the
first anniversary of Gibran's passing, and an informal group of about
thirty persons paid loving tribute to his memory, with Miss Young,
at the Studio. Softly lighted candles, sprigs ,of laurel, and roses
graced the room, while the remainder of the beautiful paintings and
exquisite drawings made an appropriate setting for the occasion. The
silvery patter of dripping rain, and a grey, cloud-swept sky outside,
proved a fitting accompaniment for the opening poems read by Miss
Young who told of Gibran's innate love for the rain, which, in his
own words: "seems to release something within me."
In a brief resume of the last days and hours spent with Gibran,
Miss Young declared that he never mentioned his approaching death
to the friends about him, thus lessening their sense of loss before
the final curtain-fall. Miss Young read several of Gibran's earliest
works, written before he was fourteen, while but a student at the
Madrasat Al-Hikmat in Syria (School of Wisdom). These unpremeditated writings show fascinatingly and clearly the remarkable
philosophy, the rare genius of the true artist, unusual in one so
young, yet indicative of the genius of Gibran we know today. Following the short interlude of selected poems, parables and thoughts
of the youngster Gibran, Miss Young concluded the reading by giving a few pages of the introduction and conclusion of his last book,
"The Garden of the Prophet", and also the last few, beautiful pages
of "The Prophet".
In parting, Miss Young suggested to the group that the friends
of Gibran who join that "inner circle" of those who love him, meet
from time to time to read from his works, to discuss and to remember
Gibran, our well-beloved friend; thus to perpetuate the memory of
him who has so enriched this world with his life and works.
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UPRIL, 1932
37
American Poet to Live in Leban on
'Barbara, Young, Friend of Kahlil Gibran, to Make Her H...
ome in
Becharre and Write a Biography of the Poet of the Cedai s
Plans Annual Dramatization of "The Prophet" in English for tht
Benefit of Pilgrims
By
ALICE MOKARZEL
JN HER STUDY of Kahlil Gibran, Barbara Young has written:
"In Becharre, a half a world away, near the Cedars of the Lord,
the body of Gibran is lying—he who was more than any other the
Poet of the Cedars." And it is near these hallowed elements of
Beauty and Truth that Miss Young has chosen to make her permanent home.
Although the decision to live in Lebanon was made after Gibran's death, Miss Young cherished the hope of such a thing years
before, and now, almost coincident with the first anniversary of the
poet's death, Barbara Young will take leave of these Western shores
and after a short sojourn in Europe will settle in the little town of
tfecharre There, where Gibran as a precocious child drew and modelled, and where the youthful Gibran fully determined to carry out
his artistic career, Miss Young will live, a Lebanese among Gibran's
own people.
"I feel that I am returning home to stay", she said. "The fact
that often, unconsciously, I say, 'When I go back to Lebanon,'
proves my love and desire to live there. It is absolutely the most
wonderful thing that has happened to me. In Becharre I will have
my own little Syrian home with its vineyard and olive tree The
house will have a flat roof-top, so that sleeping there on a warm
night, I can reach up and pluck a star and tuck it 'neath my pillow."
"So many people have prophesied that I will return in a few
years she continued, "but I am sure I won't. I have never been in
sympathy with the Western code of existing, with its gadgets and
devices, whereas the beautiful and simple Lebanese life has always
fascinated me."
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
'
There is a lovely Eastern warmth in Barbara Young's voice
that spells of Lebanese tranquility and contentment. What a beautiful picture she would make in Lebanon, in native robes that would
beautifully emphasize her height and stateliness.
She went on to relate how completely at ease she feels among
Syrians and Lebanese and how she loves to hear them call her Barbara in the Arabic way with the accent on the second syllable. Even
now she has a vocabulary of Arabic words which she can say with a
good accent and without the difficulty the average American experiences with Arabic. As Gibran used to say to her, "I feel that you
will burst into Arabic any moment."
It will not be as spontaneous as that, Miss Young is assured, but
will take a few years of serious and conscientious study which she
intends to proceed with as soon as she is settled in Lebanon, so that
she will be able to translate the Arabic works of Gibran into English.
(Only portions of these works have been translated but the translation is not Gibran and the lover of his English will not accept it as
being true Gibran.) What makes Barbara Young especially qualified
as the translator of Gibran is that she has the perfect conception of
his English. Gibran himself has told her, "If anyone can translate
my Arabic works into English, it is you." Even when he was dictating "Jesus, the Son of Man," in feverish ecstasy, he would pause
now and then and recite his parables in Arabic and then translate
them freely into English. Fearful at the time lest she break the
spell of his inspiration, Miss Young refrained from asking him to
repeat them so that she could make note of them. But they are remembered in her heart and wrill find expression upon the leaves of
the volumes of translation.
However, the whole time will not be spent in studying and
translating. For it is for the perpetuation of Gibran's name and the
revelation of his works to those who still do not know him that Barbara Young has so unselfishly pledged her life. To this end she
has planned, among other things, to reproduce in Becharre the Studio
in which Gibran lived and worked in New York for eighteen years.
There will also be in Mar-Sarkis a museum for the purpose of displaying his works—pencil sketches, portraits, oil paintings, woodcarvings and the wealth of art treasures and relics that Gibran collected and cherished throughout his life.
As a perpetual and beautiful tribute to the memory of the "Poet
of the Cedars", Miss Young is putting her most ardent hopes in the
future dramatization of "The Prophet". This to be performed an-
�*APRILy1932
39
BARBARA YOUNG
Friend and Literary Executor of the
Poet of the Cedars
�______£___!
-
40
'.'*? '
THE SYRIAN WORLD
nually, upon his native Lebanon soil and by his own people. The
dramatization will be in English for the benefit of the pilgrims and
because of the universality of the English language. The countless
followers of Gibran all over the world will welcome the opportunity
of witnessing the "Prophet" under such auspicious circumstances.
Whatever profits accrue will go to the materialization of the hopes
and dreams that Gibran constantly cherished for his country. He
dreamed of immense agricultural improvements for Lebanon and
other developments which Barbara Young has also noted in her heart
and which will find release in their realization.
As a youth, Gibran travelled on horseback to every place in the
Holy Land that Jesus is said to have visited. Miss Young hopes to
follow the same path and to visit the favorite places that Gibran
frequented. She plans also to visit his college, "Al-Hikmat", where
Father Haddad taught and whom Gibran described as "the only
man who ever taught me anything." There is a plate in the college
proudly bearing the inscription that Gibran had been a student there.
So many of Barbara Young's numerous admirers here have expressed the fear that she would abandon her own work entirely in
the execution of her unselfish plans, and thus deny them the beauty
and inspiration that pervade her poetry and prose. But Miss Young
is sure that she will not neglect her own writing. The peculiar beauty and climate of Lebanon, she feels, will inspire her to still greater
mediums of inspiration and thought. Her recent book, "Judas, the
Man Who Could Not Die", which had its setting in Lebanon, is a
powerful and stirring dramatic poem and is particularly remarkable
because she has written so vividly of a land she has not known. How
much more then, will be her "Book of Adam" and other works that
she has in mind and which are concerned with the Holy Land.
The energy of Barbara Young is tireless and knows no satiety.
The remarkable thing is that it is always in the interest of others.
Aside from the works of Gibran and her own, she will write a
series of articles about the people, culture and traditions of Lebanon
to convey to the Western world, and about which she believes nothing informative has been written since the middle of the nineteenth
century. The discovery was made by Miss Young after thorough
research in the libraries and institutions and is appalling when one
considers that almost no subject is overlooked by the countless writers of the English language.
On May 4th, Miss Young will sail for England where she and
her daughter will be the guests of Sir Henry and Lady Japp in Lon-
�'*APRIL, 1932
41
don. The "short vacation" she will have while there will be utilized, as usual, in arranging a small exhibit of seventy-five of Gibran's pencil drawings in London. In Paris, where Gibran is known
and esteemed essentially as an artist, the drawings will also be displayed. No oils are being taken to Europe but are being shipped
directly to Lebanon.
A strange and incomplete world it will be for the many friends
of Barbara Young, some of whom have known her for many years
and others for only a short while, but all of whom have been fortunate enough to have known and to become effused by her beautiful and unselfish spirit.
"There is a richness in remembrance and an assurance of eternity that we may not question", she has written, and it is with this
beautiful consolation and the hope that we, too, may be with her in
Lebanon that we bid Barbara Young farewell, rich in the remembrance of her friendship and with the assurance of our devotion for
her which distance cannot dim or diminish.
NEW IRAQI CURRENCY
One sign of sovereignty is the power to issue national currency.
It is, therefore, not surprising to learn that the government of Iraq,
whose complete independence and sovereignty have been recognized
lately by the League of Nations and other international conventions,
has at last taken the step to issue its own legal tender.
The smallest denomination in the new Iraqi coinage is the "fils",
which corresponds to our "cent". It bears en one side the likeness'
and name of King Feisal, and on the obverse the Arabic numeral 1,
to the right of which are inscribed the words in Arabic, "The Iraqi
Kingdom", and to the left the date of issuance in the Christian and
Moslem eras.
The grades of the coins include issues of two, four, ten, twenty,
and fifty fils, the last two being of silver. The paper issues start
with a quarter of a dinar up to 100 dinars. The paper used is said
to be of the best, and the inscriptions, besides the picture of H. M.
King Feisal, are in Arabic and English.
�,. „
Hi
m-Tl--—i
42
THE SYRIAN WORLD
TRVE ARABIAN TA
IYV H-A«£
Tfe Reward of Kindness
Like so many words in the Arabic language the word ma'rouf is very
hard to translate into English. Literally it means "the thing that is known",
and signifies that a good act should be proclaimed by its recipient.
Sometimes the word jamil, or the "beautiful act", is g;ven as a synonym.
The
Druzes in Syria and Jebel-Druze call themselves Bern" Ma'rouf", or "sons
of kindness", implying that they devote themselves to kind deeds, or that
they value this virtue above all others. But the Arabic word has a wider
and subtler connotat:on than the English word "kindness". It means not
only a kind act, but one which entails some sacrifice and magnanimity on
the part of the doer, an altruistic deed wlrch may involve the doer in some
trouble or danger.
The following story is a classical illustration of the highest exemplification of ma'rouf, which was rewarded in no less magnan'mous and chivalrous manner. With some modification it is taken from a collection of Arabic wisdom literature wlrch, it is hoped, will appear in English sometime
in the near future.
Ed.
{T IS RELATED of old that in the reign of the great and noble
Caliph al-Mamoun, illustrious son of Haroun ar-Rashid and the
greatest patron of Arabic culture and literature, there was a chief of
the royal constabulary by the name of Abbas. One day this chief of
constabulary was called to the Caliph's palace, and on his arrival and
appearance before the Caliph, behold! he saw a prisoner securely
bound by hand and foot. As soon as Abbas entered and made his
obeisance to the Prince oi the Believers, the latter called out to him,
saying: "Oh Abbas!" And Abbas replied: "Behold! here I am at
your service O Prince of the Believers."
"Take this prisoner", commanded the Caliph, as he pointed to
the man lying helplessly on the, floor, "and keep him in your personal custody till tomorrow. Take special care of him, and beware lest
tht
�UPRIL, 1932
^
he escape, for I shall surely request him at your hands »
At once Abbas called for some of his men and commanded them
to carry the prisoner away, for he was so heavily bound that he could
not move. Then the chief said to himself: "Since the Caliph is so
anxious to guard this prisoner, there is no securer place for him than
m my own house", and so he gave orders that the prisoner be carried
to his own house.
When this was accomplished and tht prisoner was resting in a
LTZ
th£ Chief S h USe Abbas went to hl
' ° >
d
inquired of
him about the nature or the accusation against him and from whence
nc C3.IX1C
«I am from Damascus", replied the prisoner.
•
i 7 ^!kh r£Ward Damascu« and its people with goodness"
ejaculated Abbas. "Of what part of the city do you come and to
what people do you belong?"
'
"
The prisoner looked at the chief quizzically and saidUi whom ask you in particular?"
<|Know you so and so", inquired Abbas anxiously.
And how did you happen to know that man?" ttaB
asked
the prisoner in turn.
'
-cu- LUC Prii>
long;ISe\SSaSLWith
him Whi
* '
M1
— forget as
«he m efis::„d %£&*?guard te"of h!s—•*
"° m**t unfortunate one! a long time ago I was in the service
of the governor of Damascus when one day "a rebel! on broke out"
carious that the governor was smuggled out of al-Haj jai's Palace
Zl ajamong ^ "« "*" ^ * ^ -P-nfaid rettS
"Then while scurrying forth in one of the narrow streets of the
hidi
i
^itra T&zr - - * £=»^Help me, may Allah help you!", I cried out to him
stirringWhirsSr7 ^' * ^ U*P—bably, not even
"When I entered, the man's wife led me to the inner court of
P
g OUt PriVate
Said: <G into
"Pr^ntlv
H a 'commotion
^^^
S?had
"
Presently T^
I heard
outside. My°pursuers
�44
THE SYRIAN WORLD
entered the man's house, and he was accompanying them as they demanded in angry voices: 'By Allah he has surely taken refuge in
your house!' "
" 'Behold the house before you', the man retorted, 'go in and
search for yourselves.'
"They searched everywhere and could not find me. There
was no part of the house left save that inner room in which I was
hiding, and the man's wife was there with me. They stood at the
door hesitating, as they said to one another:
" 'Verily he must be in there, for he could not have left the
house.'
"As I heard them I trembled with fear, for I realized that my
doom had come. But as they made a motion to enter the room, the
man's wife cried out from inside that it was the harem, and commanded them to leave at once.
"They went away immediately without much ado, and the woman comforted me and told me to sit down and compose myself, for
my legs were shaking with fear, and were not able to carry me anymore. As for the man, he went out to the gate and sat watching.
After an hour's time, he returned and said to me:
"Fear not, for Allah has diverted away their evil from you,
and with Allah's permission you are in safety and security now.'
"I thanked him profusely, saying: 'May Allah reward you with
goodness.'
"Four months I stayed with this man, during which time he
treated me genially as a boon companion, setting aside one room in
the house for my use, and never suffering me to miss anything of
my daily needs, and asking after me all the time. Then when the
rebellion had subsided and conditions returned to their normal
course, I said to the man:
" 'Will you permit me to go out to see what has become of my
men?'
"He consented, but only after extracting from me a promise on
oath that I would return to him.
"I went out into the city, but found no trace of my men, and so
returned to my host, who had done all this to me without knowing
my name or asking any information regarding me, addressing me
only by my filial title (Abu so and so.) But on my return he asked
me what I had planned to do, and I told him that I had set my mind
on leaving for Baghdad. He said:
�I
lAPRIL, 1932
,ou >" 'ThC
45
CaraVan Wij] leave after three d
*ys>
be
hold, I have told
"Again I thanked him warmly, saying: 'You have been very
considerate and generous to me, and I shall never forget vour kindness which some day I hope I will be able to repay as best I can '
ihen my host called to one of his black slaves and ordered
him to groom a steed and prepare it for a long journey, and everybody in the house was set busy buying and preparing the necessary
provisions for the journey. I thought to myself that the man was
about to visit one of his villages in some neighboring district. But
when the day arrived for the Baghdad caravan to leave, my host
came to me in the early dawn and said:
" 'Arise, for the caravan will leave in an hour's time.'
"I was taken by surprise and knew not what to say, for I had
not the wherewithal to buy the necessary provisions or to hire a
mount But when I had risen, behold, I saw my host and his wife
come to me carrying a big bundle of the most gorgeous clothes, with
two new pairs of shoes, and all necessary articles for a long journey.
Then the man brought me a sword and belt and girded my waist
therewith After that he showed me a mule over-loaded with two
wooden chests and a bed. Then he delivered to my hand a bill of
the contents of the chests, which included five thousand dirhams
and leading me to a steed already saddled, he said:
'
" .'Ride and this black slave will serve you on the way and
groom your mount', apologizing at the same time for his and his
»ife s shortcomings toward me. And not content with all this, my
host rode out a long distance to bid me farewell, and I proceeded
with the caravan to Baghdad.
proceeded
renort^f lbeh°ld' t ?T* ^V haVe been on the watch for s°
maU
mSy rCdeem Part f
to him.''
° ^ debt of gratitude
When the prisoner had heard all this, his countenance brightened up, as he said: "Verily Allah has enabled you to repay andreward your man without any effort or cost on your part "
How sor" asked the chief of constabulary in surprise
ma y U are seeki
th, A- 7°' T
T °
"&"> the prisoner replied, "but
the distress I am in and the hardships I have endured have obscured
my appearance from you, so you do not recognize me "
_
Ihen the prisoner related several details which left no doubt
in the chief's mind of his prisoner's identity.
At this Abbas could no longer control himself. He rose up and
I*
i
�46
/
THE SYRIAN WORLD
kissed the head of his prisoner, saying: "What has brought you to
such a pass?"
"Another rebellion, like the one which broke out in your days",
related the prisoner, "took place in Damascus, and it was attributed
to me. The Prince of the Believers dispatched a force thither which
pacified the city, while I was arrested and beaten to the brink of
death. Then I was bound and-sent to the Prince of the Believers,
and behold, my case is a grave one, and my guilt towards him is accounted great. Surely he shall put me to death, and I had come out
of my house without making my will. If, therefore, you wish to
reward me, go to such and such a house (naming the house of a certain man in Baghdad) and fetch me my slave who has followed me
secretly from Damascus, that I may convey my will to him. If you
do so you would have discharged all your obligation towards me."
To this Abbas replied: "Allah will manage what is best."
Then when night fell he called for a blacksmith and ordered
him to remove the chains from the prisoner's hands and feet. After
that Abbas comforted the prisoner and bade him enter a bath, and
gave him suitable clothes to wear. Then he dispatched someone to
fetch the prisoner's slave. And when the latter arrived he fell at
his master's feet, and the prisoner wept, as he dictated his will to his
slave.
As for Abbas, he lost no time, but called for one of his slav«s to
prepare such and such horses and such and such mules, naming ten
of each. Then he ordered ten chests of clothes and provisions, all
that was necessary for a long journey, and when everything was
ready, Abbas brought out a bag of ten thousand dirhams and another
of five thousand dinars and delivered them to the prisoner. Then,
turning to one of his trusted men, his lieutenant in the service, he
said:
"Take this man and see him safely off to the borders of alAnbar."
But the prisoner would not have it thus. He turned to his host
and keeper and said:
"My guilt with the Prince of the Believers is great, and my
calamity is unbearable. And if you excuse yourself to the Caliph
that I have fled he will dispatch after me all the men at his gate and
they will not rest till they bring me back and I shall surely die."
"Escape with your soul", insisted Abbas, "and I will fix the
matter with the Caliph my own way."
The prisoner refused, saying:
�<APRIL} 1932
47
come?/ A1Iah'p Sha,]1 n0t kaVe Baghdad til] l know what will bewiS comeT'
^ y°U ^ m6' y°U may Send after me ««i I
Then Abbas, addressing his lieutenant, saidCarry him to a place of safety since it is his wish to stay, and
would
wTth hi
of hi
TT^V
But
' u
!??ue
ded hi
r
Wkh my life
'
1 Sha11 let him
h my own life as he
T Charge
r
uCafe *
y°U ^
>
Alkh th
know!'then
^^
*t not a dirham
^a^^dS^^ th" ^ Wil1 d° ^ *"»« » "
safety1" ^
lkutmant
Prcm''^d, and led the prisoner to a place of
On the morrow Abbas said his morning prayer scented himself
with balm and prepared for himself a shroud' m'aki>gd the "e e
sary preparations of one going to certain death.
his door^dSsaidfaWn ^
mCSSengers of the
Caliph knocked at
<avs flTlnffT-^ '^ ^^
* Y at this very hour, and
says for you to bring your man and proceed to him at once "
Abbas rose and went alone with the Caliph's messengers carrv
mg his shroud under his arm. And when they reached the Calinh's
palace behold, he was already dressed and sitting in hi usual seat
at
awaiting their arrival.
>
without WhCn
thC C
fPh
SaW that his Chief of
Xtls^urm^" ^ ^
Cnraged and Cned
constabulary came
«* "W°e * *»>
treated AbbIasy°U * ^ * ^ ° **« °f the
°
>" ~
"I pledge my word to Allah", swore the Caliph, interrupting,
your head?
n
'°
^ ^^ ^
fled ! sha11 stri
^ off
Abbas assured the Caliph that the prisoner had not fled and
proceeded to tell all that had passed, and how the prisoner had aved
his life ,n Damascus years back. Then he added in conclusion
"Behold, I and my lord the Prince of the Believers are between
two alternates: either that you pardon me, and in that case I wluld
have repaid my debt of gratitude to that man, or that you give your
command for my execution, and thus would I have defended him
with my own life as he defended me with his. Verily I have alretdv
scented my body with balm and brought mV shroud with me »Y
When al-iMamoun heard this he was greatly moved, and said:
�KB..
48
THE SYRIAN WORLD
"Woe to you, and may Allah not reward you with goodness.
Has he done all that to you, and you only reward him with that
little after having recognized him! Why have you not told me of
him that I may have rewarded him properly in your behalf, and not
have stinted in our reward."
When Abbas heard this, he replied with joy: "Lo, O Prince
of the Believers, for he has sworn that he will not move from his
Dlace till he is assured of my safety."
"Verily", exclaimed the Caliph, "this is even a greater sacrifice
than the first one. -Go to him and calm his spirits, then bring him
hither that I may take charge of his reward."
Abbas was prompt in carrying out the command of the Caliph
and proceeded directly to where the prisoner was hidden and said
to him:
"Be done with fear! The Prince of the Believers has said thus
and thus", recounting to him what the Caliph had said in pardoning
him.
/
At this the prisoner uttered a sigh of relief, as he exclaimed:
"Praised be Allah, save whom none is praised for good or evil
alike!"
Then he rose and knelt twice in prayer, after which he rose in
company with Abbas and proceeded to the Caliph's palace.
And when the two arrived there, and the man was ushered to
the presence of the Prince of the Believers, the latter went over to
him and drew him near to his own seat and engaged him in kindly
conversation. And when it was time for dinner they ate together,
and al-Mamoun bestowed on him robes of honor and offered him
the governorship of Damascus. But the man humbly declined the
honor, at which the Caliph commanded that ten steeds with their
saddles and bridles, ten equipped mules, ten bags of gold, and ten
slaves with their mounts be bestowed on the erstwhile unfortunate
prisoner. Besides, the Caliph wrote his agent in Damascus to show
him special consideration and free him from all taxations in the
future. Then, turning to the man himself, the Caliph commanded
him to write him reports of the affairs of Damascus.
And so it came to pass that whenever the bag of mail arrived
from Damascus and in it a letter from this man, al-Mamoun would
turn to his chief of constabulary and say:
"O Abbas, here is a letter from your friend of Damascus."
�\APRIL, 1932
49
EDNA
K.
SALOOMEY,
Editor
According to Dun
|^
G. DUN and Company, the nationally renowned credit research firm, has compiled some interesting facts on fundamentals of credit. Of the many vital subjects discussed, we quote two
because they are particularly important to us.
"Illiteracy is a serious handicap to overcome and while higher
education is not an essential in business life, an illiterate person cannot expect the same consideration from a credit standpoint as one
with a fair education."
On first thought it may seem unfair to base one's judgement
of an individual's merits on illiteracy. The idealists among us may
argue that a man's worth should be determined by his morals. The
materialists may contend his worth should be determined by brawn
and native talent. Both groups disregard, but cannot deny, the importance of illiteracy as a determinative of a man's worth.
Illiteracy does not indicate lack of morals, intellect, or physical endurance any more than literacy implies the possession of these'
dualities. Yet, it is true and iust to consider illiteracy as heincr a
«enous handicap to one who desires to receive hif>h consideration
from a credit standpoint. It is self-inflicted handicap. The contention is this: an illiterate nerson has a more difficult time "mitring
himself across." He may be Shakespeare for wit. or have the salary of a financier: but unless he express himself, the talent in
him is entirelv lost. The undaunted ones who nrove bv their final
success that they will not be deterred by their illiteracy, onlv prove
�50
THE SYRIAN WORLD
fi
even more vividly that their illiteracy is a handicap for it is only
after years of struggling that they receive the consideration which
was rightly theirs from the start. Success only revealed the ability
We believe the same as did Priscilla, beloved of John Alden, that
a man should speak for himself and write, too.
At present illiteracy, in any case, can scarcely be justified for
there are many opportunities of overcoming it, such as night schools,
libraries, study clubs, and home study courses offered by universities
One needs but to choose discriminatingly, and to determine to pursue as far as possible whatever course is chosen. We have used the
words illiteracy and literacy, in a wide sense. By literacy, we mean
not only the ability to read and write buf also the constant use of
that ability. We firmly believe that the darkness of ignorance be
it our own or the ignorance of others regarding our character,'can
be dispelled by knowledge.
If this problem of illiteracy is faced at the beginning, it shall
solve itself in the end. It is a river which flows in one predetermined course, whereas, literacy is a river with many branches. In the
case of illiterates circumstance in the form of a helpful townsman
or a relative usually determines the career for illiterates. Thev are
prevented from selecting the career best suited to their native ability
havag started in one path, be it factory labour or keeping shop
mav Zll
V t0 thf Cnd " * l0St Th°U^h illiterate*
may be the most exemplary persons, no one in this machine age
with its; hurrying and scurrying, is willing to take time to unearfh
the candle of fine character under the bushel of illiteracy Selfexpression in word as well as deed is a modern requirement Is not
his the age of communication? Recall the radio, telegraphy, wirelessed telephone, all of which prove that this is the age
of 7Ze
mumcation.
wh^Y mSy aSk'-^ WC wHte ab0Ut ilIiteracV
these pages
*hich shall remain a void to illiterate persons. We speak here to
those who are literate, hoping that they shall make an effort to entourage all of the younger e-eneration to take advantage of everv
yto uire
kin f knowied e which
sT^rrm
r
T
,, make
° their *days happier
^ «* on£
serve them in business, but will
June m approaching and the spring term examinations are probably working havoc this verv minute in the minds of some of the
grammar and h,rfi school pupils. Some of them are debating whether it ,s worthwhile to go on.
A word of encouragement may
h
�^APRIL, 1932
51
mean much to these students. Some of them, for lack of a more
convincing reason, will use the need of employment as an alibi for
leaving school It is usually the ones who actually leave because
of a real need for aiding the family's finances, who are spurred on
to night schools and libraries because deprivation whets their appetites for knowledge. But those who use employment as an alibi
need to be shown how the world looks on inadequate knowledge A
sympathetic understanding will show them that four years in high
school or college are not the four centuries that seem to loom on
their horizon.
We crave literacy in its fullest sense for all our people, not so
much that we may be rated highly from a credit standpoint, or a social one, but that life may be meaningful to us. For, just as the
stars reveal their secrets to the astronomer, so shall they reveal
themselves to whoever shall follow the astronomer's course.
Knowledge is a pathway leading to the stars.
"The Nationality of the members of a concern sometimes has
an important bearing on the credit
the standards of business
morality of various nations decidedly differ from ours."
During the course of several years we have known many business men, and we can truthfully say that our nationality merits
highest consideration by virtue of the conduct of the maioritvJ of
our business men.
Men of moderate means prevail among us. T'>ev have won
for themselves honorable names, if not great fortunes." Now and
then we find there is one who has amassed a fortune, but is honored
neither with respect nor confidence which many less affluent persons
k
•
As we are comparatively very few in number, the slightest
shortcoming on the part of even one individual is made to reflect on
our national standing. It behooves each individual to be careful
lest by his action he may jeopardize the welfare of all.
On the whole our people have been bearing the brunt of the
present economic distress with phenomenal strength. Thev are
keeping not only the word of business law, but also its spirit
We salute our business people. To date, in spite of the very
trying situation prevailing our business mortalitv has been as low as
our business morality has ever been high.
�52
THE SYRIAN WORLD
WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT
LONG YEARS ago when the earth was in its infancy, the donkey
was considered to be the wisest of animals.
An old sheik owned a great herd of these, beasts, and their sagacity was the joy of his old age. Other sheiks came to listen and
marvel at the intelligence of the herd.
At such a time there came the prophet himself, the most learned of all the wise men of the East. He was welcomed by the old
sheik with due respect, who immediately led him out to see the
herd, saying, "Behold, O Prophet, these wise and talented donkeys
Converse with them, and judge if they are not truly wiser than all
other animals."
Then, the Prophet addressed the donkeys, saying, "Let us
test your wisdom. Answer this question: what does a donkey require tor a three days' journey?"
They replied, "For a three days' journey, O Prophet, any
donkey should have six bundles of hay plus three bags of dates "
"Very well," said the Prophet. "That sounds like a fair price "
Whereupon, the sheik broke out into loud chuckles, and said,
iJid I not tell you they are truly wise?"
The Prophet answered him, "Wait." Again he addressed the
donkeys.
I will not give you six bundles of hay and three bags
stlnd forth!"""
C
yS
' J°Urney-
Let Wm Wh
°
Wil1
S°
for le
-
And, behold, they all stood forth and commenced to talk at
once One would go for six bundles of hay and two bags of dates:
another, for five bags of hay and one bag of dates. So they argued
until, finally one donkey, whose ears were particularly long, agreed
to go for only one bundle of hay.
Then spoke the Prophet, "Fool, you cannot live for even three
days on one bundle of hay, much less profit by the journey."
THE"oRDEReSlied ^
long earcd
~
011e
' "BUT
l
WANTED
Since that far-off day to this, when earth is no longer in its infancy donkeys have been deemed stupid, and price-cutters have
been known as donkeys.
-
�<JPRIL, 1932
53
"AL-JIRN."
A
^S^TJn t0 US ab°Ut thG
Unha
PPy kddent of the hold-
able OMT
f uY tW°y°UnS NCW Y°rkers' sons of * ^spectaS t0 the
a^ for
for'such"
^committed
^ ^ °Ur
cause
such an actM''
being
by "P
these boys, whoseP-^le
father
had tried so hard to give them the benefits of a public 2Z educa"holier ldn?h° ^igh infentAof this sort> we
* cast aside the
holier than thou" attitude. Our older generation is so proud of
acts w^h hSeymnSHhaVe ^outstanding for their infrequent conacts with the guardians of the law), and now the younger generation threatens to besmirch that record.
It is LOTLl ~
youth, regardless of nationality, has been found to be increasing
its percen age of wrongdoing. Recently reports from Great Brkan
and the New |ork City Police Department showed that delinque K"
Q
among j uveniles is greatly on the increase.
*
It is true indeed, that if the younger generation would follow
the precepts of its elders, respect traditions, and benefit by the wisdom of parents, the police records would be far different.
1 he world in which we are living is such that a parent has to
be more than a devoted and self-sacrificing father; he must be a
lawyer, doctor, sociologist, psychologist and saint... and then some
The average father, though he may be a perfect example of all
that ^excellent in manhood, can scarcely prevent the infinite harm
wrought by bad associations, trashy literature, harmful movies, and
the demoralizing present day disregard for doing the right thing
for its own sake. It is no easy task for any parent to combat the*
influences.
On the other hand, the child finds it no less easy to cope with
the times. Like these two boys, who committed a series of rob-
^Sil^dtSSrous spirit'which is greatest durmg add—>
sion 0^^' ^H ^ *" °f US these ^ is our misapprehension of the meaning of higher standards of living. It has signified
to many that one must have money, plenty of it. Some think that
the more expensive the car, the higher the standards of a person
Some want expensive clothes, a lavishly furnished home: and all
want money.
'
�54
THE SYRIAN WORLD
The father of the two Syrian boys was content in his youth
to earn his meagre living, and his chief aim was to preserve his selfrespect. The sons, blinded by false ideals—rather, we should sayideas—craved money, and being unable to earn it fast enough, did
what so many of their age have done they resorted to robbing
their fellowmen.
It is, as far as we can understand this case, just another case
where the environment outside the home was stronger in influencing
the boys than the goodness of their father.
But, we are not in despair. For every one, who is so weakwilled as were the two brothers, there are a thousand who cherish
honour and self-respect as highly as do their parents.
* * *
IN SPRING A YOUNG MAN'S FANCY
Sing a song of springtime j
In 1932.
Had to go, fall in love;
And don't know what to do.
Can't buy a Wool worth ring;
So, here's farewell to you.
It's no joke to be broke—
My heart's now broken too!
* * *
We hear and read constantly about reasons for being proud of
our ancestry. Let us put aside for awhile our ancestors' achievements, and do something ourselves.
In 1933 at the Chicago World Fair, there shall be an international exhibit of the homelife of people abroad. Other people are
preparing to take part in that program.
How, if at all, shall we be represented? Where are the leaders amongst us, and what are they doing to make Syrians better
known? Why not make a concerted effort to be represented?
We should like to hear from organizations and individuals,
who have any suggestions as to whether we should avail ourselves
of the opportunity offered by the World Fair next year.
�wmsmmm-- m
UPRIL, 1932
55
The Portrait
A MODERN SHORT STORY
By
THOMAS ASA
JN THE comfortably appointed rooms on the second floor of a
_ fashionable brown stone apartment house in the Rue Romondre,
withm short walking distance of the Quartier Latin, two students
who were in their early twenties, and both enrolled for the second
term in the Medical College, sat one evening in the utter solitude
or their study.
Maurice Barany, who was seated at the right of the long mahogany table, looked up from his tract on bacterioscopy and stared
languidly at the high ceiling.
The other student, Eugene Armand, who was somewhat shorter and less robust than Barany, did not notice his friend's lapse into
abstraction, but continued in his close application to the book before
him.
Barany's eyes drifted from the ceiling downward to his companion s face, where they rested with peculiar tenseness.
friPnH?"f^^ ^ TuT^ suddenly> "^ you know your
inend?"
he murmured, half-dreamily.
Eugene Armand started up from his book and looked in surprise across the table.
questioY11^ d° y°U
mean
'
MaUrice?
"
was the
somewhat bewildered
pearanS"6 ^ "" ^^ * ^^ *" ^'-^
my aCti ns
° - aP~
Armand's bewilderment vanished at this more lucid inquiry.
His attractive features relaxed into a pleasant smile. He was weH
acquainted with his friend's romantic moods.
hnlH Tdl' yScholarl
c\ a, T7ascom
Plete happiness seems to have taken
ir
fhT K iT
yr P ations, perhaps, or, as spring is at hand,
the absolute conquest of some pretty soubrette, so charmingly de
scribed by our French novelists," he jested, in good humor.* Y
hi
s
companion
d
TO ZL^4^
~>*^
B
With7dgtd Wty!°
Seri US
° ' ^
friend?
" **"* ^tioned,
�iirnnirririTTiiiriiirmaiifii rut i>f~irrr ,iwiinmf::
\
56
THE SYRIAN WORLD
"You have my word, Eugene," Barany affirmed, rousing himself from his dreamy stupor.
"So I am to felicitate you," Armand continued, with awakened
interest. "Who is the fortunate lady, my dear Maurice?"
"Henriette Ronsard, of good family and substantial fortune,"
was the enthusiastic reply.
"Ah! a lady of fortune,—of twice your age, perhaps. You are
mercenary, my friend; a quality I thought unknown to you," Armand added, in his jesting vein.
"Enough, enough, Eugene!" his companion protested, laughing m his joy. "Mademoiselle Henriette is not yet twenty and
the most beautiful girl in Paris. I met her at a reception given in
honor of the lately returned Countess de Camdon, who, as you
know, is a distant relative of mine. She was attended by her aunt
Madame Ferrande, with whom she is visiting, a charming lady who
seems to be well disposed towards me. Ah, you will love her yourself, Eugene," he added, relapsing in his dreams
"Don't move, Maurice!" exclaimed Armand, arising from his
chair with considerable alacrity. "In a moment I shall have the immortal lover on canvas."
He walked to a near-by closet and, opening it, withdrew an
artist s easel, a tight y drawn canvas, and a box of sketching pencils. He immediately placed the easel in position so that it faced
his companion's profile.
"Maurice, fancy that you have just come from your beloved "
he instructed, smiling at his friend, who readily adopted his sueee'stion without apparent difficulty.
With the sure stroke of the practiced draughtsman, Eugene Armand commenced to fill in the blank canvas before him with his pen' and> with the passage of ten minutes or more, the perfect likeness of Maurice Barany lay revealed on the canvas
Barany's curiosity finally compelled him to partly rise from his
chair and gaze intently at his inanimate features as created by the
truly remarkable talent of his companion.
"Eugene! you flatter me. Am I so distinguished?" he asked
simulating a gratified air. i
'
M JH°- Lif ^?U Brumn3e11 beware- No one could possibly blame
Mademoiselle Henriette for throwing herself at you " Armand
mocked inwardly pleased with his efforts at portraiture
,' Eugene' \*&« the time you waste in the morbid atmosnU
done
ffi
A extravagantly,
J
" m?dlCexamining
°- Le°nard
° Csketch
°uld have
added
the
more closely better," he
�D
UPRIL, 1932
l-
^A\ "Y«- know.my father's wishes, Maurice," Armand said, halfsadly His surviving parent, Monsieur Alphonse Armand, was the
•e
s?
son ^T P YuCmn V\C ?r°VinCe °f Norm^dy, and wished his
son to continue his established practice at Rouen, where he resided."
Honor his wishes, Eugene; but do not neglect your talent.
Capricious fate may yet turn your future in the predestined path "
Barany spoke m the manner of an elderly counsellor, which he
belome W
** •**** ^ ^^ ^
which did not
^
;„ P Y°" eXa?S.f ale m>' ability, Maurice. There are a dozen as good
InTV T S ,Ec°le,^t. Did I not see the deformed Ray
mond Bergault, who really looks as if he lived on nothing but bread
and cheese, draw a line that surpassed Martini's in its perf ectness?"
Eueene It }! Suh°rd)n^ m^lY a Piece de resistance, my dear
Eugene. It is no work of art. Your acquaintance Bergault commands more technique than heart, which is the soul of aft "
t0 ics of no les
terestbut
«tthe
I hour
h
^
f^Vf
'° the
°ther
P
interest but as
was already
late,
two friends,
a half *hour
or so later, retired for the night.
th* 'JheJ°nowfS
da
y
was Sunda
y- The slowly rising sun flooded
ltS
rayS
e^of WhfaTh H "I"
I
' f°rminS "rable patch
es of light and shade along the tree-bordered pavements As it was
still quite early, the street was almost desertedof any mting objlct
gHmmere f the sun
etrateteui^
""*"•
!! *" of
H*
£~
etrated
through the open
windows
the chamber.° His companion, who slept m the same room, was still soundly sleeping The
dressed quietly, not wishing to disturb him
The beautiful morning did not appeal in vain to Armand for
P0CketS
mergS
itT"
7°" "?
^
' ^immediately
Thortiy emerged from
the apartment
house
into "the^street. He
turned his footsteps east towards the Place de la Con orl in the
LuL^neElySCeS'
WhCre hC t0 k
°
^ «*«
baro
^e to the Bois de
Arriving at his destination, he dismissed the carriage after mv
ing the fare The section of the Bois in which hTZnT^i
wa provided with numerous benches, and one of these, which flank
ed the smooth roadway he selected with a keen sense of enjoyment
The immense park, with its forest-like stillness and placid lakTaJ'
ways reminded him of the valley of the Orne in No^mTndy which
explained the strong fascination the Bois held for hinT
For a half hour or more he sat almost motionless ^azine- il
ternately at the lucent sky and then at the crysj^^llt
�58
THE SYRIAN WORLD
rored the vast blue firmament. A heavy peace prevaded him.
y
r otte
He
hat he Was to attend
ChJu f J° #
V .
^ormng services at the
Church of St. Eustache with his friend. The boundless dome of
heaven held mute communion with him, and imbued in him a spirit
P
of sublimity that the Church could never hope to inspire.
I he staccato hoof beats of carriage horses awakened him from
ceive^Z' "K g/ancing somewhat confusedly about him he perceived that a bench near him was occupied by a grave, elderly inB^vardkr0
*
atte tlVely reading an illus
"
^ted edition of the
A gust of wind, that came with fitful suddenness, blew through
the park and passing by them greedily snatched a loose section of
the paper that the man was reading and carried it whirling
to the
s
roadway, a few feet away.
At that moment a handsome carriage, drawn by two coal-black
horses, rounded the curve in the road and swiftly approached the
th£ Sheet
^ardLTf?
^d listlessly
rTf in
• SuddenJy
'rthfBout
vardier, that stirred
the middle of the road,
was caught
It* C*{nCl0US Wn!d and whirled daringly in front of the car^T /l SU/pnsed Jorses reared in bright at the unknown menlv tn t
tUPu 'thC Camage aS they SWUn& mad]y and violently to the right the mutinous paper still supported by the breeze
against their quivering legs. Subdued gasps of nervous fear soun^
ed from the back of the vehicle as the coachman was partly
thrown
y Lnruwn
from his seat by the plunge.
Eugene Armand instantly came to life and bounded towards
the carriage. With a quick upward thrust of his arm, and at cont0 h
hmbS h
SSt aPnd Jerked
' 5 gfaSped the bHdle 0f the horseon
t L
downward
"S
s with all his strength
d Wn!
respondThi*^^ °
" h? shouted> « he felt the horse
respond to his straining arm, and almost instantly the other animal
ceased its plunging, which enabled him to pick up the sheet of nws
paper from under them and crumble it in his hand
Perceiving that the coachman had regained control of his chareS e hlS h
th£ bridle and Ste
£d back t0
men?
t he intention
t f °%
*c pavfment, ;th
with the
of resuming his seatPP
Avoice, however, from the carriage arrested him
Oh, monsieur! be so gracious as to permit us to thank von for
S^f the efe 0f *« - octants, a hfndtriad0;
tone "turn W STST '**• madame'" said A and, « an embarrassed
tone, turning to the carnage and removing his hat; "the service was
�'tAPRILy.1932
59
nothing."
"Indeed, monsieur, I am sure that you saved us from a very
likely'accident, and find myself unable to thank you enough/'
the elderly lady continued, smiling at the attractive Armand, who
bowed in a somewhat diffident manner at this further acknowledghnrJ^i/i^ monsieVr> why y°u shouted 'Guichard' at the
horse you held?" mquired the other occupant of the carriage a
young woman who was extremely lovely in her early maturity
1 own a horse by that name, and it came unconsciously to my
ma em
lk
Ww
H and
Tsmiling
', ^atanSWCred
' dwdlin
g With
^certainty on me
last
word,
the lovely
face of
the girl
sistedlf eld^y" ^ ** ^ "^ ~'" P*
returl^wlng^n * * °f *"*
t0
^ ^^'
the lady said in d
mg EZ&gsr-*
A
rd
«d
~> ° -
"Good-morning, mesdames," Armand said, with another bow
but this belied his mental agitation.
1
'
h*d nl^ f^^ Wh° °CCUpied the bench a ]ittle distance away
hk SUr rise at the swift
of
"T^
or e^entfthTf
events that almost/resulted
in ^
an accident.P He arose from^
his
seat and^proachedArmand, nervously rolling his papTr tocher
Ah! to think that it was due to my carelessness, monsieur " the
elderly gentleman said, striking the newspaper lightly again'st Ss
"You were scarcely to blame, monsieur," Armand protested
smiling in sympathy at the old man, who was evidentlyy taking'the
incident quite to heart.
<-iK.mg me
"Indeed, I hold myself responsible, monsieur. Your brave
actions alone averted a serious mishap," and nodding, with an <Z
pression of gratitude on his thin, deeply lined face, he passed
on to
P
wards the other side of the lake.
Eugene Armand immediately forgot the old man as he disappeared from view, for the beautiful features of the younger of the
two occupants of the carriage were envisioned before htdream n*
eyes, as he imagined that she was again speaking to him drCammg
�I
\
60
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Still dreaming, he withdrew the sketching pad from his pocket,
and, taking a pencil from another, he began to draw with feverish
haste, as if fearful of losing his inspiration.
It was almost midday when Eugene Armand returned to his
rooms in the Rue Romondre. Maurice Barany was out, as he expected. The excursion to the Bois had so sharpened his appetite
that he almost decided to visit the "L'Ecole," a restaurant in the
Latin quarter that catered to students exclusively, without waiting
for his companion's return. But an inner prompting dispelled this
feeling, and, as he removed his jacket and boots to employ the more
comfortable lounge-jacket and slippers, his eyes centered on the
pencil-sketch of his friend which he had not as yet removed from
the easel.
Armand replaced the finished canvas in the closet and withdrew one which was still untouched. He then withdrew an artist's
palette and a wooden case in which he kept his pigments and brushes. He adjusted the canvas on the easel and immediately began to
spread the pigments on the palette. He remembered the sketchbook in the discarded coat, but he felt that he had no need of it. His
hands trembled slightly as he applied the base to the canvas. Gradually, however, his nerves settled under the habitual instinct of the
artist, and soon he was working with the earnestness and ease of one
familiar with his medium.
At two o'clock that same afterncvn, Maurice Barany walked
into the study with a barely perceptible smile on his lips.
His
thoughts so prevailed over his perceptions that he did not at first
notice his friend, still very much immersed in his work.
"Oh! a Gargantuan worker thou art becoming, O desecrator
of the Sabbath," he greeted in his airy fashion.
Eugene Armand looked up from his canvas and gave his friend
a somewhat embarrased smile.
"Explain your running off this morning, my dear Eugene?"
demanded Barany, with assumed severity.
"Your offence was
doubly rude, for this ^norning it was my intention to introduce you
to the best and most beautiful girl in the world."
"Being ignorant of your kind intentions, I hope you will forgive me," answered Armand, smiling again, and reflecting that there
were at least two queens of beauty in the world.
"Well, being unfortunately both poet and artist, you could
hardly be blamed for succumbing to the beautiful morning, so you
are excused, my friend," Barany pronounced graciously, as he advanced towards his companion.
1
�V
^APRIL, 1932
61
«j
Not now; some other time, Maurice," Eugene Armand said,
holding his hand up as if to stop his friend's advance. His voice
quivered slightly and his face flushed uncomfortably
"Ah! something unusual, Eugene?" Barany questioned, his interest awakened.
"Yes; you shall see later," the other said, evasively, forcing
his attention to his work, and all the while uncomfortably conscious
ol the piqued curiosity of his companion.
The following week proved to be very exacting for the two
friends m the Rue Romondre. Several foreign professors and lecturers were scheduled to appear at the Medical College during the
week which necessitated extra hours of annotative work. It was
therefore not strange that Maurice Barany grew alternately despondent and djsgusted because he could not devote more of his time
to Mademoiselle Ronsard, who, to his further chagrin, did not al-
iJr '° T ,an *rr
fr m WS W rL
°,
°
His
companion, on the
other hand, developed a peculiar reticence that so differed from his
generally equable disposition that even Barany, in mental anguish
at the short separations from his betrothed, noticed the changef and
remarked about his frequent absences from the college
environs
6
during recess periods.
During these absences, Eugene Armand would either hurry to
his rooms to devote a feverish hour or two to the near-completed
canvas, or have himself driven to the Bois, where he wandered about aimlessly, peering anxiously at the numerous carriages and
witTtheyh
,T,nd' nStqUfntly' had fallen ^sperately in love
with the beautiful girl he had met under so unusual circumstances,
and visited the park with the hope of seeing her again. But in thf
teZST"" ' "** "" *"" ^^ " ^ ^Ve**^
h. m?\e/ftern°t?n' returning from ^e Bois to the lecture hall,
he met Maurice Barany m the corridor, and greeted him with foreed cheerfulness.
Barany frowned as he recalled that he had not seen his comvtn!T A°V I
^ tW° hJ°UrS °r m°re- But this sentiment instantly
vanished when he noticed the flushed features of his friend, and the
nervous movements of his lips and hands
he J^W6' T 3/e T T11'" hC Said> his uneasiness increasing as
he felt his friend's forehead, which was hot and dry. "Come with
me, he commanned, taking Eugene Armand's arm with the intention of returning to their rooms in the Rue Romondre
Oh, I am quite well, Maurice; you are mistaken," Armand
�\
62
THE SYRIAN WORLD
protested, mildly; but under the vigorous persistence of his companion he went along, without will enough to resist.
In their rooms, Maurice Barany assisted his friend in removing
his clothing, after which he gave him a mild paregoric to alleviate
the fever. He then forced Armand in bed. During all this time
he 'chattered incessantly, scolding his companion for abusing his
health with his mysterious absences, for he ascribed his condition to
that source.
"No reading, no meditating," he ordered his friend, who could
not resist a weak smile at these precise instructions. "This-will be
difficult, Eugene, for man is essentially a meditating animal," Barany
continued, in his prosy way. "Relax as our eminent countryman
Delsarte has taught us and you will be as well as ever in no time."
After Barany had left to return to his lecture periods, Armand
relaxed in bed as best as he could, but as to stop meditating, he not
only found it difficult, but impossible. For a half hour or more he
moved about restlessly, for as soon as his thoughts would dwell on
the ever-persistent memory that haunted him, he would determinedly change his position in bed in an effort to forget. Realizing the
utter futility of his intentions, he finally arose from his bed, and,
clad in his robe de chambre, he made his way slowly to the study.
He unlocked the door of the closet in which he kept his supplies
and withdrew the almost completed canvas. For several minutes
he gazed with passionate longing at the beautiful features that were
delineated in the pure lines of maidenhood. An ethereal fragrance
seemed to emanate from the lifeless face, and he trembled as he
visualized the proximity of his infatuations.
With an effort he aroused himself from the enervating stupor.
Methodically, he adjusted the canvas on the easel, and, taking the
palette and brush in his hands, he began without pause to apply the
careful sympathetic touches that mark the perfect finish.
The time passed so swiftly under the dominant influence of
the work before him that he was almost startled to hear the deskclock strike the hour of four. With a last, barely perceptible touch
of his brush, he hurriedly replaced the evidences of his labors and
returned to his bed in the next room.
He did not realize his utter exhaustion until he had pulled the
bed covers over him. A great weariness, accompanied by a benumbed sensation of his limbs, enveloped him. As he felt himself succumbing to a lethargic drowsiness, he heard the outer door open.
Maurice Barany rushed into the study, threw his books aside
on a table, and entered the bedchamber with a smile on his hand-
M
u
II
�^^/Z, 1932
63
some face.
large'^v^'fro^t"^: "If* m^"^ withdrawing a
bedsid
"Never^e
Man'rice> tjT'^
VS '"^
erT Mau
his old
spirit.
Eugene rephed,
with a touch *-of
T
? W°ndered> •*"»»
whatlZed'lr^t^^r-
tographers, wh"e 1 had eft Zt
T ff my lb r PhsSy's> the Ph°P
ment The s,Vh?nf (,
li L
'° °
« othed for enlarge0
0
he added, ncintfofa^le^J
^' > am P°sit»<'
aS he "^
hdrw
ments from the envekpe
'
<
of the enlargeuprigh? h,nbyedmiled
a8am
"
hC h3nded h
<°
his
*<=nd, who now sa,
paUorESlfffu:ed a„ird\teekPsh0tdTPh, ^ ha"dS'
ed with fever-strickXestthrplctu;: ^ "^
A d
^y
aS he
^
her Wdi
friend," excrmed%
w^hVeThelmed With
"-> Y
Kis a entio from
other photographs which he 1 """""I
"
"
*e
Do you wjsh to see the rest, Eugene ?»
Pardon, Maurice j I feel tired "
P
ed and^ef ZeotXS ^ *> ""** "* ^
fa
« -rt-
xiety"Irk"" ^ ^"^ E^>" Ba J -id, his anI
f r a m Unti f
took
L^cSk
Mdtf
Mrs
T
^
° „ ° "« »«
from him. As the hour of d
'
"8 " °"ght of rest
d,Spe,1,
I;
If
1
a
th
had become so rri al tha, he tl apP ached> Ar "d>s condition
sieur Alphonse K^£ 'Sto"^ 3 ,d**n * M°-
h
se
5
rushed from the apart
">«ttte
Si»ce
:ra
Sv^
r
I doctotoZf. Physaan.
h
summons for the
Loving a hurried
the nearest tel^aph office wheT^ P'^TT'^ PTOeeded to
to Monsieur Armand
d,spatched a detailed message
|-*&?Xtt3»JM; n
had responded somewhat to his treatment
ound th doc
P
°°r
? ;
fnend
�64
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Towards noon, Barany received a laconic telegram from Monsieur Armand to the effect that he could be expected to arrive by
motor at the earliest possible hour.
Having by this time recovered a degree of his wonted composure, and knowing that his companion was in good hands, he left
for the Medical College, where he explained his friend's absence
and obtained for himself temporary leave of absence from his lecture periods. Finding that he could spare a little time from his
friend's bedside, he paid a hurried call at Madame Ferrande's residence, where his betrothed was visiting.
Late that night, an expensive motor sedan stopped suddenly
before the apartment house in the Rue Romondre. A tall, distinguished-looking man emerged from the tonneau and immediately
ascended the short series of concrete steps that led to the apartment
entrance. Before he could ring the bell, however, the door was
opened, and to his surprise and evident pleasure he was admitted by
Maurice Barany, who had been patiently waiting for his arrival.
"My dear boy, I am indeed glad to see you," Monsieur Armand greeted, embracing Barany with fatherly affection. "But my
son—how is he?" he broke off, a worried look in his eyes.
"As well as could be expected, Sir," Barany answered, leading
his friend's father up the carpeted stairs. "The fever is checked,
and he is resting quietly."
The meeting of father and son, after the later had awakened
and with difficulty recognized his parent, was tender, and to Barany's
sentimental nature almost unbearable to witness.
Under the skillful care of his father and the local physician
who first attended him, and who was still nominally in charge of
the case, Eugene Armand was out of bed in a week's time and apparently on the way to complete convalescence.
Monsieur Armand, with the usual acumen of medical men,
had in part guessed the real cause of his son's illness, for though
Eugene seemed to improve rapidly his spirit and former jovial disposition was very evidently affected by some secret burden. To his
further enlightenment, it did not require much persuasion to get his
son to return with him to Rouen.
Maurice Barany missed his friend's presence very deeply, but
being under an even more potent influence, that of Mademoiselle
Ronsard, whose stay in Paris was drawing to a close, he did not feel
his companion's absence as he might have.
The following Sunday Maurice Barany assisted his fiancee from
Madame Ferrande's carriage, which was driven to his apartment-
i
i.
Ii
li
�g^wnwiiiiijjmi', aim xmu
-APRIL, 1932
65
house after church services, where they had gone without Madame
Merrande, who, because of a slight indisposition, had been unable
to accompany them. Getting Henriette's approval, Barany dismissed the carnage with instructions that they would follow later.
Maurice had promised his fiancee that he would show her the
penal portrait his friend had executed some time ago, and had
chosen the present occasion to fulfill the promise. They were both
relieved that the hall-ways were deserted, for both laughingly realized their utter disregard for propriety.
Reaching his rooms on the second floor, Barany unlocked the
outer door that led into the study, which they entered, leaving the
door open. After drawing a chair for his companion, he went to
the closet in which Eugene kept his supplies. He withdrew what
he thought to be the canvas he was looking for, but to his surprise
it proved to be two canvases tightly bound together. With a small
pocket knife he cut the cord as he walked back to where Mademoiselle Ronsard was seated.
As Barany parted the canvases, a sheet of folded stationary
paper dropped to the floor. He bent over and picked it up, and
seeing his name written in his friend's handwriting on the paper
knew that it was intended for him. Placing the canvases on the
mahogany table, he began to read the letter, for so it proved to be,
while his companion regarded him with questioning eyes.
A look of astonishment and pain overspread his fine features
as he continued to read, as if fascinated by the intelligence that was
being revealed in the letter.
The sheet of paper suddenly dropped from his nerveless fingers.
"What is it, Maurice?" Mademoiselle Ronsard cried, her
beautiful face becoming pale.
Without replying, Maurice took up in his hands the uppermost canvas and turned it over. His incredulous eyes stared blankly at the exquisitely painted delineation of Henriette Ronsard
Meeting the bewildered gaze of his betrothed, he handed the canvas to her without uttering a word. As she examined her portrait,
her bewildered comprehension growing on her, Barany went to the
next room and returned immediately with a recent photograph
of
to
Eugene Armand.
_
"Do you know him, Henriette?" he asked, in a voice not entirely under control.
Mademoiselle Ronsard's face tensed as she took the photograph in her hand.
�66
THE SYRIAN WORLD
"Yes, I know him, Maurice," she answered slowly, with dawning understanding. "It is the young man who bravely came to our
assistance in the park." Her breast rose gently and her eyes filled
with tears.
"Then it is to him, unknown to me all this time, that I owe
your precious life," Barany exclaimed with tender passion, taking
his sweetheart in his arms and clasping her to him.
After a while Barany regained possession of the letter from
the floor and gave it to Henriette.
_ "My dear Maurice," she read silently, her bosom still heaving
with emotion, "be not astonished when the full meaning of this
letter dawns upon you. Through a capricious turn of fortune I
was happily able to render a slight service to Madame Ferrande and
her niece Henriette Ronsard, of whose identity at the time I
was totally 111 ignorance. In a lighter mood, you will remember,
you predicted that I should fall in love with your fiancee, and so it
proved. Losing my head completely, I fell madly in love with
f Cr.'ua t°v j ?!?,nger' U"erly unknown to me, but apparently, even
to the blind Milton, an angel of goodness and beauty. It was during that chance meeting in the park that I conceived the idea of preserving her likeness on canvas, the morbid perseverance of which
was the ultimate cause of my illness. Being unable to possess the
original, I cherished, with ever-increasing passion, the form and
spirit that I had transposed to the lifeless canvas. Learning her
identity, on that fateful day, I was levelled to the earth with remorse and pain and, being already in a weakened state, succumbed
to the fever. The memory of the pure love that was inspired by
her, your future wife, has finally cleansed all taint of my passion.
It is because of the supreme joy that I now feel in the most
deserving happiness that has come to both of you, the finest of women and the best of men, my friend, whose friendship I value above
everything else, that I have written this confession to you "
Henriette was crying softly as she finished the letter, and lookSSnovS*0
C mpanion S face saw that
°
'
motion had not left him
&JS »S PlightC(i US aS ?° Priestly father could h*ve done,
Henriette," Barany said in a soft voice, clasping his sweetheart again
her hlw7 /? f°r Y°Z S!k£' Maurice>" his betrothed murmured,
ineffable
" ^^ ^^^^~^thcr^l-l
Is
I i
i
Ifi
I mon
I the <
�*4PRIL, 1932
67
EDITORIAL COMMENT
NAOUM A. MOKARZEL
The editor of the SYRIAN
V\ ORLD mourns in the editor of
AJ-Hoda not only a beloved
brother but the pioneer and dean
of the Syrian journalistic fraternity m America. His loss is irreparable. He not onlv built a
great institution but was himself
a Jiving one in the life of the SyrS18 and ^^ese immigrants.
He was first and foremost in
nnfV ^°Vrement of social and
political reform, of spiritual or
Ju
^,ckeni»g, of charity
and benevolence, of moral uplift
and guidance. He was as brave
as he was kind. If ever he succumbed to human weakness, his
readiness to make amends, even
his Augustinian humility in making public confession, constituted
sufficient atonement. The pages
of Al-Hoda, though masterpiece*
I or Lterary creations, are even
r t0 be ad
I
\
red for reflecting
II cruZdmgandunrele^nginhis
a usades against corruption, yet
t.reless_ m his prosecution and
promotion of those causes which
redounded to the benefit and
I happmess of his fellowmen.
To mourn a relative is human,
but it is equally within the sphere
or the higher human concept to
sense the loss of one who was
near and dear to the heart of the
greater humanity. N. A. Mokarzel was such a man. He be Wto
imme°Hre,t0 ^mily
?f°ple than
He toiJehis
that his public might rest: he
suffered that they might enjoy"
he exposed himself to danger
hT h
5
" is who? ,"?ight
-
d
be
P
Jiis whole life was an epic of devofcon to the public weal. Such
men are rare, and their lofty example is a guiding beacon for
those who follow in the arduous
*ay of public service. Their
Jives are an inspiration.
Thev
supply the influence that shapes
he destinies of nations and spSr
^o worthler and higher achieve
Sltuatlo
suW
»s, the family
submerges lts personal feelingl
m the greater gHef wh.ch g_
euJf a nation. There is consolaJ.on m the fact that the sense of
loss is universal.
N
ay, there can even be a
contentment and elation in the
realization of having giVen £
Wwild such
a worthy man Be
who T °f *? men' those men
ptsist
rlndSerVeandachieve
Persist on the earth by their in
s-dered ever hvmg. Such public
g«attenuates the persona" lo
of the immediate family
Perhaps it is not for the edi-
�II IIIMIIMill I
\
68
tor of this publication to acclaim
N. A. Mokarzel the greatest
public figure yet produced by the
Syrians in America, but historyis bound to render such a verdict.
Trained under his able guidance, and having served with him
for nearly two decades in the exacting and trying duties of publishing Al-Hoda, the editor of
the SYRIAN WORLD shall ever
cherish the memory of N. A.
Mokarzel, not only as a beloved
and only brother, but as a guide
and mentor in the bitter-sweet
duty of public service. The
means might be varied but the
goal is' the same. That which is
planted in the heart early in life
will continue as the controlling
motive throughout the years.
Self-dedication to public service,
in the cause of which the late editor of Al-Hoda laid down his
life, a voluntary martyr to selfimposed duty, should be the most
fitting testimonial to the love and
admiration for the unselfish patriot, the able leader, and the beloved brother.
?
B
THE SYRIAN WORLD
NO MARCH ISSUE
Insurmountable difficulties rendered
impossible the publication of the
March number of The Syrian World
on time. Under the circumstances we
had planned to issue a double number
combining these of March and April,
but it was discovered that Post Office
regulat;ons did not permit if such an
arrangement for publications enjoying second-class postal privileges,
and in conformity with these regulations the March issue had to be omitted, and the serial number of that issue "made applicable to the April issue, thus insuring the proper sequence.
For the loss of the March number
we have made an attempt to compensate subscribers by an increase in
the volume of the present number,
with the further intention of making
whatever additional compensation in
the future condit;ons will permit.
Our readers will realize that we are
straining every effort to live up to
our obligations despite adverse conditions. But we feel that in this there
must be some display of reciprocity.
We would be in a much better position to fulfill their highest expectations of punctuality were they equally
punctual in living up to their obligations. Even the stronger publications
are feeling the weight of the depression, and with a class publication like
The Syrian World, having only a limited appeal, conditions must be proportionately harder. But it is up to
A SAD DUTY
It was our intention to make this that class to vindicate its public spirit
issue a memorial number to Gibran and culture by adequately supporting
on the occasion of the first anniver- its public institutions in times of
Surely no public enterprise
sary of his death. Fate, however, or- stress.
dained that the same issue should can forever be maintained by the limserve as double memorial to the two ited resources of an individual, and if
distinguished Syrians who died with- the Syrians in America look upon
in a year of each other. We trust The Syrian World as a worthy pubthat the two portraits in color in- lic enterprise, they will realize that it
cluded in this issue will be especially cannot thrive on mere lip approbation.
appreciated by our readers.
�*APRIL,1932
69
Political Developments in Syria
SYRIAN NATIONALISTS
WIN DEFERRED ELECTIONS.
Conflicting reports have reached this
country about the Syrian elections
which took place on the 31st of March.
According to an Associated Press dispatch, riots broke out in Damascus,
several persons being killed and many
more wounded. But this seems to be
unfounded, or else must have referred
to later events, following on the fateful elections.
On the contrary, from the Damascus
correspondent of Lisan-ul-Hal (Beirut) it appears that the elections were
carried on peacefully, with no disquieting incidents to disturb the election day, despite the military precautions taken by the Mandatory government. Indeed, it seems that the government in control had anticipated
riots and bloodshed, as actually took
place on the deferred elections on the
20th of Dec. Soldiers in full arms
were stationed in groups at short distances in the different streets and
quarters of the ancient city; machine
gun detachments, mounted on armorplated cars moved through the crowded thoroughfares and bazaars, and
heavy guards surrounded the election
booths to protect the election officers
and prevent any violent interference
with the balloting.
Whether these extreme precautions
in themselves were an effective deterrent of violence and bloody disturbances, or were altogether exaggerated, if not unnecessary, cannot be determined at this distance. It should
be said, however, that M. Henri Pon-
sot, French High Commissioner in
Syria, declared more than once
through 'his representatives, and in an
official communique several days before the election, that the French authorities have no intention whatsoever
of interfering in the pending elections,
which it was solemnly promised will
be allowed to proceed freely, to determine the true wishes of the Syrian people.
The result was that, with the exception of five candidates, one of them a
thorcugh-going Nationalist on an independent ticket, the winners of the
Syrian election were all candidates of
the "Nationalist Block". The three
independent candidates who also won
are: Haqqi Bey al-Azm, Mohammed
All Bey al-Abed, Nazih Bey al-Muayyad, Farid Effendi al-Hajjar and
Fawzi Bey al-Bakri. Of these Nazih
Bey al-Muayyad was until less than
two years ago an exile in Cairo,
Egypt, being one of the leaders of the
revolution which raged in Syria for
two full years before it was finally
put down. He is also a brother-inlaw of Dr. Abdul-Rahman al-Shahbandar, the foremost civilian revolutionary leader often referred to as the
"brains of the Syrian revolution."
This in itself is evidence that the
French authorities were earnest in
their promise of impartiality.
Although there is also ample evidence
that representatives of the Mandatory
held numerous conferences, negotiations and pourparlers with leaders of
the Nationalist Block before such a
promise of impartiality was given out
in an unmistakable manner.
�70
-
-
A few days before the elections, a
Damascus correspondent of a Beirut
daily, announced "the good news" to
his paper that final and definite agreement between leaders of the Nationalist Block and representatives of the
Mandatory representatives in Damascus had been reached on the candidates
to be put in the field. On the basis of
this "agreement" the Nationalist
Block decided finally "to enter the
elections", and some of them at once
declared their candidacy publicly.
With nr'sunderstandings and difficulties thus removed, the candidates of
the Nationalist Block sailed into an
easy and triumphant victory.
One result of the elections wh'ch
occasioned some surprise was the ignominious defeat of Shaykh Taj-udDin al-Hasani, son of the influencial
religious leader of Damascus, Shaykh
Badr-ud-Din al-Hasani, sometimes
styled "the pope of the Moslems", a
title he has won as the foremost Muhaddith,
or
traditionist
and
authority on Moslem jurisprudence.
Shaykh Taj-ud-Din himself was chosen
by the French authorities, with the
supposed approval of the Syrian Nationalists, as head of the Syrian Government after the revolution. But his
equivocal position caused him to be
accused by the Nationalists as an opportunist anxious to be always on the
safe side with the French authorities.
It is almost unbelievable that this influential citizen of Damascus, whose
star of ascendancy was so 'high in the
political sky of Syria up to six months
ago, d:d not receive a single vote, not
even in his own electoral district. But
such 1S the report from Damascus,
which, it is said, "attracted attention
and amazed many."
Another who failed of election was
Riza Pasha al-Rikabi, a dubious character in Syrian politics, who, it was
declared on several occasions, was
THE SYRIAN WORLD
working for the monarchist cause, and
the placing of a member of the Sharifian family, presumably ex-King AH,
son of King Husein and brother of
King Feisal and Emir Abdullah, on
the Syrian throne. At one time it was
rumored that the French authorities
themselves were in favor of such a
solution to the Syrian question, but
later reports contradicted this rumor.
It is, however, quite poss:ble that the
French were and are still in favor of
such a solution which would win them
the powerful sentiment of pan-Arabism throughout the Arabic-speaking
world. But the Syrian Nationalists
have so far steered clear of monarchical entanglements, and declared emphatically for a republican form of
government in Syria. Even in Aleppo,
where the monarchical sentiment is
said to be strong, the Syrian monarchists are in a decided m'nority.
Now it remains to be seen what the
Nationalists will make out of their
victory in the secondary elections.
Will they come to another impasse
with the Mandatory Power, resulting
in another dissolution of the Syrian
parliament, or will they continue their
friendly understanding with it? Much
of the latter alternative depends as
much on the attitude of the French
Foreign Ministry in Paris as on the
attitude of the Syrian Nationalists
themselves. For the latter have not
renounced their fundamental purpose
of attaining complete independence for
Syria, on the basis of substituting the
mandatory form of control for an amicable treaty between independent Syria and the French Nation, a status
which is already in existence and operation in neighboring Iraq, formerly
under British mandate and now an independent state, recognized as such by
the League of Nations, with British
interests and prerogatives in Iraq
guaranteed by an iron-clad treaty.
�'<JPRIL, 1932
LEBANESE POLITICS CENTER
ON THE PRESIDENCY
71
group in that country and claim that
it is only right that a president should
be
chosen from among them. For alThe race for the presidency is monothough
church and state are supposed
polizing the field in Lebanese politics
to
be
separated
in that mandated rethese days. There are agitated, ferpublic,
sectarianism
still constitutes a
vous, almost frenzied activities which
center on one single idea, one single large and important factor in the fashand undivided purpose: Who shall be ioning and direction of political opinion where for untold generations polithe next president of the Republic?
tics
was recognized as a sectarian isSince its creation in 1926, the Lebsue,
and
where officials were chosen to
anese Republic has had one president,
Hon. Charles Dabbas, who has ful- represent their different sectarian confilled the functions of his office as stituencies instead of the people at
large.
best as can be done within the numerBesides these three in the circles of
ous hedges and limitations imposed on
Lebanese
politics there are others who
him from inside and outside—from a
might
be
termed
as "dark horses," and
constitution patterned on that of the
who,
in
case
of
a
deadlock, may turn
French which leaves little for the chief
the
balance
in
the
favor
of one if them.
executive to do, and from the ManTwo
of
these
dark
horses
whose names
datory Power which has not completehave
been
mentioned
oftenest
in the
ly relinquished its authority on that
1
little republic even in internal matters. press are Hon. Mohammed al-Jisr,
The original presidential term of the President of the Chamber of Deputies,
Lebanese Republic was three years, and Dr. Ayoub Thabit. The first is a'
in accordance with which Hon. Charles' Moslem with a powerful backing of
Dabbas was reelected in 1929. Now, the Moslem constituency in Beirut,
an amendment has been made in the Sidcn, Tripoli and other centers where
constitution extending the president- the Moslem population is large or preial term to six years, and the prem- dominates. The latter is a Protestant,
ium for that office has consequently representing minority groups in Lebrisen in the market of politics in a anon, an intelligent and progressive
country where "the office" has always gentleman who spent a number of
meant so much, and where a govern- years in the United States working for
ment official is vested with a halo of the cause of Lebanon and the French
dignity and importance foreign to our mandate during the war. As soon as
conceptions and ideas in this country the war was over he left for Lebanon
where business leads and politics fol- where he played an important role as
iov.'.
a minister of the interior a few years
ago.
According to the welter of political
And while the chances of Dr. Ayoub
articles incessantly pouring out from
ThaMt may be called at this writing
the editorial offices of the Beirut press,
only nebulous, those of Shaykh Mothree names loom out as those of the
hammed al-Jisr are taking more and
loading candidates. These are: Hon
more definite shape, which fact has
Emil Eddy, Hon. Bishara Khoury and
given much apprehension to the three
Habib Pasha al-Saad, all former premoriginal candidates.
iers and members of the Chamber of
That is how the situation stands
Deputies. All also happen to belong
among the Lebanese politicians themto one sect in Lebanon, the Maronites,
selves, and within the circles of the
who constitute the largest sectarian
members of the Lebanese Assembly
�I
If
I!
Si-
I
7.2
One may legitimately ask, "But what
is the popular opinion of the people
themselves?" And since the election
rests not on popular choice but on
that of the Assembly, following the
French system where the Chamber and
Senate choose the president, the question is merely an idle one. However,
one ingenious and progressive newspaper, al-Ahrar, taking a clue from
cur illustrious Literary Digest, undertook a popular or straw-vote campaign
in Lebanon to determine the degree of
popularity of the different candidates
among the Lebanese people themselves, with the following tabulated
results:
Candidates:
Number of Votes:
3781
Emile Eddy
1936
George Bey Thabit
139
Shaykh Mohammed al-Jisr
Dr. Aycub Thabit
279
Habib Pasha al-Saad
167
Shaykh Bishara al-Khoury
67
Jibran al-Tweiny
282
Scattered Votes
399
From which it is only fair to deduce that were it left to the people's
choice Hon. Emile Eddy would most
likely be the next president of the
Lebanon Republic. He has been the
choice of progressives not only in Lebanon but here in the United States
among the Lebanese immigrants who
still feel a strong attachment to, and
sympathy with, the little home of
their origin on the other side of the
Atlantic.
His candidacy was ably
championed by the late Naoum Mokarzel, lamented editor of al-Hoda,
who had never ceased up to the last
minute of his life to wage a bitter war
in his widely read paper against the
reign of chicanery, nepotism, unjustified extravagance and shameless graft
and favouritism that have held the
historic home of the "Maradites" in
the grip of their hands.
THE SYRIAN WORLD
An insight into the honest minds of
the poor tax-payers of Lebanon who,
like Atlas of old, carry the pompous
and onerous burden of what has rightly been called a farcical republic on
their bent shoulders, may be surmised from a casual conversation
which Shikri Bakhash, a progressive
journalist of Zahle and formerly a
resident of New York City, with a
former of al-Buka'.
"And who is your choice for president?", inquired the editor of the
Lebanese farmer.
The latter looked up quizzically and
said: "What have we poor farmers
to do with the choice of a president.
This is a matter in the hands of the
Assembly in Beirut."
"But suppose you were given a voice
in the coming elections, whom would
you vote for," insisted the editor.
"I will vote for the man who will
ease the burden of our heavy taxation, the man who has already demonstrated his solicitous interest for
the common farmer and labourer in
this Mountain, and who firmly carried
out a program of administrative reform and economy when he occupied
the office of premier—and who is this
man save Emile Eddy."
,
FRENCH BARGAIN FOR VOTES?
A Damascus correspondent of a
Beirut newspaper reports on what he
terms a "knowing authority," that the
French authorities have come to a preliminary agreement with the Syrian
nationalists of Damascus to allow the '
latter putting six candidates in the
field for the coming elections, one of
whom would be a Greek Orthodox
candidate, and that the French authorities themselves would name
four candidates, one of whom would
be the other Greek Orthodox candidate!
�tAPRIL, 1932
73
THE
SYRIAN WORLD
NEWS SECTION
VOL. VI NO. 7
SYRIANS RESPOND TO
APPEALS FOR CHARITY
It has been truly said that the present severe depression has been a
blessing in disguise. It has brought
out to the surface our charitable and
brotherly qualities, and made us feel
more keenly and intimately the sufferings of others. Everywhere we go we
see signs and manifestations of this
splendid spirit with which true Americans are combating depression, and
driving the hungry wolves from the
doors of unfortunate ones.
To this general showing of a truly
humanitarian and Christian spirit the
Syrians have made admirable response.
Several Syrian affairs and entertainments whose receipts were designated
for charity and relief purposes have
been held lately all over the United
States, two cf which were held last
month in Brooklyn.
Charity Ball of
American Syrian Federation
The principal affair in the interest
of charity and the creation of a Syrian relief fund, was that held under
the auspices of the American-Syran
Federation at the Elks Club, Brooklyn
on April 16. It was a charity ball and
entertainment, generously supported
by complimentary advertisements to
its souvenir program, and well attended by Syrians of Brooklyn, New York
APRIL, 1932
and the Metropolitan area. The sum
realized by this gala affair for Syrian charity has not been announced,
but it is expected to be commensurate
with the generous donation of time
and labor by the volunteer workers of
the organization.
St. Vincent Holds Dance
On May 1st the Virgin Mary's Conference of St. Vincent de Paul Society
will give a dance and entertainment
in the auditorium of the Knights of
Columbus building. An elaborate program of Syrian music will be supplied,
featuring the talented young singer of
Boston, Miss Najeebee Morad.
Al-Kalimat Entertainment
On the 10th of April al-Kalimat Society, Inc., held an entertainment and
dance at the ballroom of the Knights
of Columbus headquarters on 1 Prospect Park West. The affair was well
attended, the proceeds going to alKal-mat charitable projects in Aleppo.
SYRIAN POLITICIAN HONORED
Our friend George Dagher is a wellknown figure among the Republican
workers and politicians of the city.
He is recognized as a man of ability
and promise. He is the leader of the
1st. Assembly District, Brooklyn, a
high position in local ploitics, and re-
�74
THE SYRIAN WORLD
cently his Assembly District gave a
brilliant affair in Irs honor at the Elks
Club Auditorium in Brooklyn. But
more singular still was the honor tendered him by Republican electors of
his district when it was announced
lately that he has been appointed a
delegate to the Republican National
Convention to be held in Chicago for
the presidential nomination.
A SYRIAN SCIENTIST
-
Among the Syrians who distinguished themselves in the United
States is one who only a few years
ago came to the country as a simple
seeker of knowledge in its many institutions of higher learning. Today
he is a dispenser of knowledge in one
of its principal universities, a promising authority in his field of endeavor,
although still in his thirties.
Michael G. Malti, Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering at Cornell University, is an unassuming,
noiseless busy man, like most members of his scientific clan. That is why
little has been heard about him. And
we are happy to tell of some of his
achievements.
Chief of these is a book which he
had published in November of 1930,
called "Electric Circuit Analysis,"
and which in this short time has already been adopted as a text-book by
ten colleges and universities, including his own, Cornell. One authority
calles it "one of the best things in its
line that has ever come out."
It is not for us to tell of the contents of this bcok, for it is a technical one dealing with every phase of
electricity. But it has been well received by various reviewers and authorities in the field of electrical engineering, and is declared especially
adaptable to the needs of students.
DRUZE GIRL STUDENT
WINS FELLOWSHIP
Among announcements of the Vassar College faculty, published recently in the New York Times, is one in
which the name of Najla Izzeddin appears as the recipient of an Alumnae
Fellowship of that famous college for
women.
Although Miss Izzeddin is listed as
an Egyptian, she is known to us as a
Syrian by descent. She is the daughter of a Syrian official in the Interior
Department of the Egyptian Government at Cairo. A few years ago,
when she came to this country to continue her studies, American newspapers featured her as "the first Druze
girl to seek a college education." She
made a good record at Vassar, where
she was popular in the social and academic activities of the college. By
her accomplishments, Miss Izzeddin
has helped to dispel a lot of mollycoddle nonsense about the backwardness and helplessness of the women of
the East!
ARABS BOYCOTT
ZIONIST EXPOSITION
A proclamation addressed to "all the
Arabic-speaking peoples in East and
West,': appears in Filistin, an Arabic
paper published in Jaffa, and in other
papers of Palestine and Syria. It is
signed by Rasim al-Khalidi as President of the First Congress of Arab
Youth in Palestine, and contains an
appeal to Arabs everywhere to boycott a proposed exposition to be held
by Zionists in Tel-Aviv. Arab merchants and manufacturers in particular are urged not to enter samples of
their products in the anticipated exposition, nor visit it or hire any space
in it.
�f
-APRIL, 1932
CHARLIE CHAPLIN CAN'T
MAKE SPHINX LAUGH!
On March 10 Charlie Chaplin, dean
of the fun-makers in the movies, paid
his first visit to Egypt., and was "as
'happy as a child," according to his
statement to the newspaper reporters
who met him at Alexandria.
Wherever Charlie went he attracted
big crowds of Egyptian admirers and
curious on-lookers. So much so, the
^gyptian press reports, that he had
to enter Shepherd Hotel, where he
stopped in Cairo, by a ruse, through
-e bac*-door, after climbing a fence.
Somebody told Charlie that there
was one feUow in Egypt who had
never laughed at his jokes, and never
WiH. Charlie did not believe it, and
75
The tragic note in this bankruptcy
;s that investors of large sums had
their loans to the bank secured by
heavy liens, while small investors
had placed implicit trust solely in the
integrity and business ability of the
bankers.
INDUSTRIAL, AGRICULTURAL
EXPOSITION IN BAGHDAD
The Iraq Government contemplates
holding in Baghdad during April according to press reports, an extensive
exposition said to be the largest ever
held m the Near East.
The proposition is said to have been
received with enthusiasm by native
k
v Zas„made- Then th*y t«ok merchants, industrialists and proCnarhe to Giza, made him ride a docile camel, as all tourists do, and ducers, and extensive preparations
were made to insure its success. As
brought him in front of the Sphinx!
an
encouraging sign, of cooperation
Moral: Charlie lost his bet'
among Arabic-speaking countries, it
is further stated that the agriculturists and industrialists of DamasSYRIAN BANK BANKRUPT
cus have given hearty approval of
the Baghdad exposition, and announcWhat is regarded as the "biggest
ed their intention to participate in it.
bankruptcy in Beirut in a long timeOne interesting feature of this exhas been disclosed lately in reports
position will be a baby parade to
coming from that city.
choose the most handsome and healMore than 900 depositors, a large thy specimen of Iraqite babyhood and
proportion of whom of limited means,
crown it "King of Iraqite Babies."
are involved in the sensational bankWho said that Iraq is behind in the
ruptcy of Kiryakos and Zuhair a
race of progressiveness and modernnative bank which had enjoyed the ization ?
confidence and trust of the business
And if Iraq holds a Baby Health
circles of Beirut and other Syrian
Contest, it still has some distance to
cities.
go to catch up with Turkey, nominally
Many of these investors are Syrian
a Moslem country, but which last year
emigrants who had amassed what held a ueauty contest to determine the
would be considered in Syria modest most beautiful girl in the country for
fortunes, and were confident that the
entry in the International beauty conincome from the native bank will en- test.
able them to spend the rest of their
There is no telling what the East
Jives m comparative affluence and secL
is capable of doing now that it has*
urity.
started on its forward march
�76
THE SYRIAN WORLD
gpawaBnaajs^^
Gibran's Message
To Young Americans of SyrianOrigin
By G. K.
GIERAN
Author of "The Trofftel,"
"Jnus ike icn of JSian"
1 believe in you. and I bcliei'e in your destiny.
I believe that you are contributors to this new civilization.
I believe that you have inherited from your forefathers an ancient dream, a song, a prophecy, which you can proudly lay as a gift of gratitude upon the lap of America.
1 believe you can say to the founders of this great nation. 'Here I am. a youth, a young
tree, whose roots were plucked from the hills of Lebanon, yet I am deeply rooted here, and I would
be fruitful."
And I believe that you can say to Abraham Lincoln, the blessed. "Jesus of Nazareth
touched your lips when you spoke, and guided your hand when you wrote; and I shall uphold
all that you have said and all that you have written."
I believe that you can say to Emerson and Whitman and James. "In my veins runs the
blood of the poets and wise men of old, and it is my desire to come to you and receive, but I shall
not come with empty hands."
I believe that even as your fathers came to this land to produce riches, you were born
here to produce riches by intelligence, by labor.
And I believe that it is in you to be good citizens.
And what is it to be a good citizen?
It is to acknowledge the other person's rights before asserting your own. but always to be
conscious of your own.
It is to be free in thought and deed, but it is also to know that your freedom is subject
to the other person's freedom.
It is to create the useful and the beautiful with your own hands, and to admire what others
have created in love and with faith.
It is to produce wealth by labor and only by labor, and to spend less than you have produced th3t your children may not be dependent on the state for support when you are no more.
It is to stand before the towers of New York, Washington. Chicago ?nd San Francisco
saying in your heart. "I am the descendant of a people that builded Damascus, and Biblus, and
Tyre and Sidon. and Antioch, and now I am here to build with you. and with a will."
It is to be proud of being an American, but it is also to be proud that your fathers and
mothers came from a land upon which God laid His gracious hand and raised His messengers.
Young Americans of Syrian origin. I believe in you.
:>/. «•«!
FREE TO SYRIAN WORLD SUBSCRIBERS. This beautiful message by
Gibran 13x17 inches, printed in large type on heavy paper with ornamental border suitable for framing. Every PAID subscriber whose term begins
with Sept. 1931 is entitled to a copy, mailed in heavy cardboard tube. Subscribers whose term begins before Sept. 1931 may secure a copy by renewal.
1
/
�^PRIL, 1932
77
w
AUTH ENTIC
ORIENTAL RUGS
s
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Local or Out of Town Funerals Personally Attended to
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Telephone—MAIN 1398-1399-8130-3655
s:
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�THE LINOTYPE
IN TURKEY
The spirit of progress that is permeating the thought and action of
modern Turkey is nowhere better illustrated than in the decision of the
Turkish government to use the Linotype for type composition. The government's lead in installing two Linotype machines in its printing office
was quickly followed by the leading publishers of the country, so that
within the course of a year, twelve Linotypes were put in operation in
four of the principal printing establishments in Istanbul. In one particular instance, a battery of eight machines are now in operation, the
first unit having been bought in 1928, followed by the addition of four
machines in 1929, and three in 1930-eloquent proof of the thorough
satisfaction of the publishers with the operation of the Linotype.
The following is the significantly imposing list of Linotypes now in
operation in Istanbul, which is a sure indication of the Eastern nations'
awakening to the most potent means of accelerating progress by the
spread of culture through the printed word:
Government Printing Office
Yunus Nadi Bey, "Cumhuriyet"
Journal D'Orient
Kazim Chinassi Bey and Necmettin Sadik Bey "Journal
Akcham"
Hamit Matbaasi
2 Linotypes
8 Linotypes
2 Linotypes
i Linotype
l Linotype
^TRADE ^| f^ DTYPE MARK*)
r
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An illustrated descriptive catalog
Cable: LINOTYPE, NEW YORK
of the Ambjc Unotype Mnf
Representatives in the Principal Cities of the World
Set in Metro No. 2 Family
upon request.
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Brooklyn, New York, U. S. A.
Coble:
LINOTYPE, NEW YORK
Representatives in the Principal Cities of the World
Set in Metro No. 2 Family
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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
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
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
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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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TSW1932_04reducedWM
Title
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The Syrian World Volume 06, Issue 07
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1932 April
Description
An account of the resource
Volume 6 Issue 07 of the Syrian World published April 1932. The issue opens with an apology for the absence of a March issue, and an explanation that as a result the April issue is longer. The first article featured is by H. I. Katibah in which he discusses the challenge to the younger generation, specifically in relation to Western ideals and philosophies. This is followed by poetry edited by Barbara Young. This issue specifically features several articles related to the death of Al-Hoda editor Naoum A. Mokarzel, who is described as a great Syrian leader for his literary and political accomplishments. Following a number of tributes and a poem by Alice Mokarzel dedicated to her uncle, N. A. Mokarzel, there is an article that discusses the anniversary of Kahlil Gibran's death, followed by a number of other articles that discuss Gibran and his works. Following a classic Arab tale, there is more of Edna K. Saloomey's discussion about the younger generation. Thomas Asa closes out the issue with a short story titled "The Portrait." The issue concludes with more on political developments in Syria and excerpts from Syrian world news.
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.
1930s
Alice Mokarzel
Barbara Young
Edna K. Saloomey
Habib I. Katibah
Kahlil Gibran
kk
New York
Poetry-English
Thomas Asa
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/fda41f6a9f740b736da69f6b29a7fffe.pdf
38e5c969bebfb97c57bf5b4b0ae96f32
PDF Text
Text
-
'OL. VI
MAY, 1932
NO. 8
7ho
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A VISIT TO THE CEDARS OF LEBANON
SALLOUM A. MOKARZEL
LAST TRIBUTES TO A GREAT LEADER
H. I. KATIBAH
„
DARK PICTURE
BARBARA
YOUNG
THREE THOUSAND YEARS OLD ARE WE
EDNA K,. SALOOMEY
CEDAR OF LEBANON (POEM)
THOMAS ASA
A TRUE ARABIAN TALE
THE COPY 50c
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��THE
SYRIAN WORLD
Tublished monthly except July and August
by
THE SYRIAN-AMERICAN PRESS
104 Greenwich St., 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.
VOL. VI, NO. 8
MAY, 1932
CONTENTS
PAGE
A Visit to the Cedars of Lebanon
SALLOUM
A.
3
MOKARZEL
Cedar of Lebanon (A Poem)
15
THOMAS ASA
Modern Beauty (A Poem).....
Poetry Department—Edited by
16
BARBARA YOUNG
Dark Picture
17
The Singer to His Lady,
THEODORE MAYNARD
Night at La Napoule, France, C. J. M.
An Open Letter to Subscribers
THE EDITOR
TURNER
20
20
21
�CONTENTS (Continued)
Page
26
Last Tributes to a Great Leader
H. I.
KATIBAH
Our Younger Generation,
EDNA
K.
SALOOMEY,
Editor
Three Thousand Years Old Are We
How Have the Mighty Fallen
H. I.
32
35
KATIBAH
True Arabian Tales
Jabla Ibn Al-Ayham
41
A Lebanese Orientalist
45
Political Developments in Syria
45
Syrian World Nezvs Section
55
READERS OF THE SYRIAN WORLD
Should be particularly interested in the
OPEN
LETTER
Appearing on page 21
I
�Avian
^^^^ */
SALLOUM A. MOKARZEL,
M(
Editor.
MAY, 1932
VOL. VI, NO. 8
A Visit to the Cedars of Lebanon
What the Editor of the Syrian World Experienced and Observed
on His Visit to This Great Shrine of Antiquity
By
SALLOUM
A.
MOKARZEL
ETOR THE visitor to Lebanon not to make the journey to the famous Cedars is to neglect the most interesting item in the itinerary. The road is steep and the Cedars comprise but a small grove
of trees, set In bleak and bare surroundings, at an elevation of almost 9000 feet, but the panorama they unfold, both symbolical and
scenic, is such as to fully,compensate those venturing on the journey.
Because, despite their prosaic setting, in a sheltered depression amidst
bare mountain peaks, they inspire a sense of reverence for living
majesty that all other relics of antiquity seem to lack.
But the visitor must needs have some knowledge of the historical
background of the Cedars in order to more fully appreciate their
importance. Then it would become his advantage to review, like the
Cedars themselves, a procession of the most impressive and significant events in recorded history. The march of endless armies,
whether to victory or defeat, and the successive rise and fall of civilizations, would unfold themselves before his imagination like one
great tableau of glamorous colors. The greatest names of history
would be evoked like passing phantoms against the unchanging background of these seemingly everlasting trees, which from their vantage point on the great highway of old empires, have stood unmoved
while time and events passed on, and not unlike the sphinx of Egypt,
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
were able to witness the enacting of the drama of human life for
thousands of years, and to be the custodians of the secrets of the
ages, although they themselves remain inscrutable.
Modern Lebanon is proudest of these trees and holds them
sacred. They are reverently called the "Cedars of the Lord" and
an outline of a cedar tree has been chosen as the national emblem in
the middle white bar of the French tricolor. Because to the Lebanese the Cedars represent not only a living page of history but those
racial characteristics which lend them the position and prestige they
Jack by virtue of numbers. The simile can be many-sided.
The
Cedars, now only few, once were immense forests that covered the
slopes of Lebanon and supplied timber for great navies and innumerable temples and palaces. So were the Lebanese who once controlled the seas and brought the nations of the earth in closer contact by their maritime commerce. That now they have been reduced to a pitiably small number as compared with other nations does
not diminish their pride, because, like their Cedars, they claim recognition on the basis of merit alone.
And as the Cedars are hardy and mocking of storms, so are
their valiant custodians who have maintained their national integrity
despite the tempestuous upheavals of the ages and the vicissitudes
of events. The Cedar, his national tree, is to the Lebanese the symbol of fortitude, of an inherent quality of durability that cannot be
crushed out or eradicated, of tenacity that cannot be dislodged or
•jiprooted. And as the remaining Cedars have been spared by the
inaccessibility of their mountain shelter, so has the remnant of the
Lebanese who claim direct lineal descent from the Phoenicians.
Their Mountain stronghold was made doubly impregnable by the
valor they displayed in its defence, and throughout the ages they
are known to have enjoyed at least some degree of independence.
With such an appreciation of their historical background, further emphasized by their biblical association and the glowing adjectives of beauty and glory conferred upon them by the ancient
Hebrew prophets, the Cedars of Lebanon are looked upon as a sort
of shrine, and the visit to them somewhat in the nature of a pilgrimage.
It was in such a spirit that I made my visit and found myself
amply compensated by the richness of the actual evidences of ancient
glory the Cedars furnished as well as by a wealth of entertaining
incidents encountered on the journey.
* * *
�..
MAY, 1932
5
The road to the Cedars winds up a steep mountain almost bare
of vegetation for nearly three thousand feet from the starting point
at Becharre. It follows the old foot and bridle path used for countless centuries. This new motor road was opened to the public only
a fortnight before our visit, which was on August 4, 1929. But not
much more should be expected of it than would ordinarily be of all
mountain roads of seasonal and limited use. Then too, one must
keep in mind that the country is poor and deserves credit for even
this initial effort which it is hoped will in time culminate in a beautiful scenic highway to the famous Cedars. As it now stands, it is
a rough stone road unguarded on the open side and of ominous perspective. One of my companions was unable to conceal his nervousness at riding on the side of the car nearer the unguarded end of the
road because his power of imagination was too vivid to stand the
sight of the yawning valley which lay at every turn. One of us had
to exchange places with him.
Halfway up the mountain the rough road took its toll of our
tires and we had to stop to make a change.
We stopped on the
wrong side of the road so as to be able to work in safety. In the
meantime a large seven-passenger car, one of the few in the country
because of their inability to negotiate the sharp bends in the narrow mountain roads, bearing a party of Egyptians, came to a stop
behind us. The driver, a giant Nubian, offered assistance, and when
assured it was not needed, began to survey the distance between our
stalled car and the edge of the road. There was no mistaking his
intentions and we tried to dissuade him with the assurance that we
would not be long at our task, but no pleading could move him. He
jumped into his seat and was off in a minute with the roar of the
motor going at full speed. His axle almost brushed ours, while on
the open edge of the road we saw that his wheels were half on the
ground and half in the air.
It was a frightful moment for us
watchers, but as for the Egyptian driver, we could hear his chuckle
even above the roar of his motor as he cleared the danger point Nor
did his passengers seem to mind. They had the satisfaction of beating us to the Cedars!
It was dusk by the time we reached the Cedars and we had to be
content with viewing them from a distance, deeply etched against
the dark grey background of the surrounding mountains. But the
fact that we were there gave us a sense of relief after the arduous
journey and we repaired to the hotel for rest and refreshments We
were anticipating a quiet and contemplative evening in view of the
�jtf
'THE SYRIAN WORLD
The Cedar of Lamartine Showing the Comtnemorative Plaque of
the Youth of Becharre. This Tree is One of the Oldest and
Most Majestic of the Grove
solitude of the place and the nature of the surroundings, but we were
treated to a surprise entertainment the like of which could not have
been staged anywhere else, and it was most thoroughly enjoyed.
This entertainment was made possible by a combination of ideal
circumstances which do not happen together except by a special whim
of the gods. On the one hand our arrival was on a Sunday eve
when the goatherds of the district gather at the Cedars to attend
mass at the little church within their enclosure. Then, too, the approach of Lord's Day, falling two days later, inspired both natives
and visitors with a holiday spirit. Lord's Day in that section of
Lebanon is synonymous with Cedars' Day because of the reverential
association of the trees with divinity, in that they are called the
Cedars of the Lord, and on that particular day, even before the
opening of the motor road, thousands of celebrants came to the
cedars to engage in native festivals reminiscent of the most ancient
traditions of the country. Added dignity is lent to the occasion by
the presence of a bishop to celebrate the high mass. This particular
year Most Rev. Paul Akel, the Patriarch's secretary, was to be the
HHB
mm
�Ml
SI AY, 1932
7
visiting prelate. He had broken the news to us when we met at the
Patriarchal See of Ad-Deeman, situated in the same district, and
insisted that we remain until the holiday and be his guests. This
exceptional opportunity we had to. miss because of the pressure of
time, but we were not denied a foretaste of the celebration through
the courtesy of a fellow visitor in the person of Kanaan Bey Daher,
one of the notables of the country who is said to have enjoyed exceptional prestige with the authorities during the war.
After dinner, which consisted mainly of the fresh wholesome
products of the country—fresh-killed poultry, laban, goat milk,
cheese, olives, and cooked figs—we adjourned to the open terrace
flooded with the silvery rays of a bright moon in the limpid, cool
atmosphere of an altitude of 9000 feet. The terrace directly overlooked the Cedars and afforded an excellent view of their compactness. Daher Bey looked comfortable in his shirt sleeves and invited
us also to waive ceremony.
The Egyptian party, as well as two
other couples who had arrived later and appeared to belong to the
diplomatic corps, were not averse to the suggestion and a spirit of
companionship was thus quickly established. But the score or more
goatherds remained at a respectful distance, though noticeably curious. The Bey soon put an end to their restiveness by pressing them
to execute the dabke. And a typical dance it was, by natives in their
original costumes, animated by the vigour of muscular bodies made
lithe by a continual life in the open and the necessity of following
their herds in all sorts of difficult terrain, as only mountain goats
can lead to.
The men formed in a semi-circle, and with measured step,
slowly at first, began to sway in a rhythmic motion to the tune of a
reed pipe. The pace quickened gradually until the dancers seemed
lost to their surroundings and were only conscious of their effort.
The occasional shouts they emitted indicated that they were under
the full influence of the spell.
Perhaps for a score of centuries the tradition of this dance, as
executed in this typically native setting, has been kept up uninterrupted. A vision of the god Pan, with the strains of his music echoing among the hills and forests of Lebanon, could be easily evoked
by such a scene as was now enacted in the shadow of the venerable
Cedars.
The dance leader, as if inviting approbation, made the customary gesture of asking the watchers to join the dance circle. I
protested that I did not know how, but at that moment the eighteen-
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General View of the Cedars of Lebanon from One of the Surrounding Hills
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�MAY, 1932
year old niece of the hotel keeper, a picture of glowing health and
sparkling youth, volunteered to show me. Such an invitation was irresistible and so it came about that my only dance in Lebanon was
not to the music of a jazz band in the gaudy salons of Beirut or the
fashionable summer resorts with a sophisticated city dame, but to
the tune cf a reed pipe on an open terrace overlooking the Cedars
under the canopy of the stars, and holding hands, at a respectable distance, of course, with a typical young girl of the mountain.
But while on the subject of sophistication I may say that I did
no, nave to go far m search of it. It was present wherever city bred
people were to be found, and here I came upon it in a most unexpectecl rorm.
It was on the following morning when, with one of my companions, I was scanning the open scene from one of the verandas of
7 • u i
, obserVlll£ Particularly a curious row of stone huts
furnished With rusty iron cots, and all having no roofs in the im'
mediate neighborhood of the hotel. I became suddenly consdSL
of someone coming noislessly close to me, and looking around, saw
a the hotel, apparently with no one checking on her time, because,
as I learned later, she and her sister were chambermaids doing the
work on contract. 1 asked her about the row of huts and shf expained that these provided the hotel accommodations for visitors"
the Cedars before the erection of the modern hotel two years since
There was no need tor shelter because of the complete absence of
privacy. But the new hotel was truly modern, because despite its
isolated location, it was one of the few in the'country'to bo
o
bath tubs and running hot and cold water in every room A lt
other conveniences were up to this high standard, and its ratefwere
certamlv reasonable
Blelsed
$2.50 a day on the American p n
be the man who built it, a native Maronite priest of Becharre
we were'a^d te aid w ^ "?"* '° further c—ersation, and
we were avid for more information. And please, dear reader do
not despise the lowly source from which this information comes'be
cause it touches on those very intimate things which we do not reti
about in books, and which cannot be had from the seat of he
mighty Meanwhile, they do not fail to supply that proof of so
P
phistication which I started to tell you about
Now this from the chambermaid: "We meet all sorts of people
in this queer place. My Slster and I come from Batroun-by-theTea"
�I
w
THE SYRIAN WORLD
The Lebanese Goatherds Gathered on a Sunday Morning to Hear
Mass at the Little Church of the Cedars
and we spend the few summer months here, but although we are
accustomed to refined people we have to put up with a lot of simpletons. Some nice men come here and many women wearing hue
clothes, but along with them come some fellaheen who don't know
their shoulder from their elbow. Only the other day a woman came
up here walking all the way from one of the distant villages of the
district, and before visiting the Cedars she took off her shoes, because she had vowed to enter the holy precincts barefoot. Holy,
bah' I think she wanted only to save shoe leather. You in America
must be more civilized. I wish I could go to America! Can you get
me in, please' I think New York is half-way to heaven."
Just then the bell of the little church of the Cedars began to
ring "its call to prayer and we hastened to join the knot of goatherds who had gathered by the door. They scrutinized us as curiously as we did them, with evident reciprocity of good feeling and
all made our entry to the church together.
It was evident that
their clothes were not as clean as their hearts but they were not repellent, because their soft smiles more than counteracted the im-
�A/AY, 1932
pression of their hard features. They were true sons of the mountain and it was even with a feeling of delight that one read in their
eyes and saw m their general features the unmistakable signs of
hardihood and determination. Even in their prayers they gave indication of this hardy nature. There was no softness in their voices
nor any trace of gentle supplication. They had been brought up in
a constant struggle with nature and when they invoked God in
prayer they aJmost assumed the tone of command. Even the officiating priest bore no tone of softness, his words in the act of consecration being hurled with a certain emphasis that sounded ominous to ears accustomed to hearing English. "Khoso Dam Itaw,
Khoso Dam, being the words in the old Syriac language in which
the Maromte mass is sung, and which tradition assures us is the very
language which Christ Himself spoke.
But all this can be explained only by the fact that the people
partake of the nature of their surroundings. How could they be
other than hardy and unbending when for centuries they kept alive
their traditions of fierce self-reliance in their continuous struggle
against nature and man, and when they hold the Cedars in such love
fo.titruderenCe
y bCCaUSe thCT S mbolize
>'
to them
stamina and
The church itself naively portrays the character of the people
who because of their love for France have painted the interior of
the church red, white, and blue in broad stripes that are far from
presenting an artistic appearance. While hanging on a wall almost
facing the only door is a plaque commemorating the visit of General
Gouraud to the Cedars in 1920.
,v, Vtt l°Vu °fuhe Maronites for *« ^ench is proverbial, to the
extent that they have come to be known as the Frenchmen of the
i^ast, and to be accused of being more French than the French themselves. For this there is a tradition of relationship between the two
nations that goes back for more than a thousand vears, and that was
tried and strengthened during the period of the Crusades, when the
enemv
A T "ati«?ns Wht *ide * *k against the common
enemy, and the Franks found m the mountain stronghold of the
Maronites a haven of safety and refuge when driven from the Syrian plains. This friendship has been nurtured and cherished until
it culminated ,n the Maronites' insisting on France becoming the
mandatory power m their country after the World War, hoping that
as they had preserved its friendship in their hearts aU these hundreds of years, it would show them its appreciation in the protection
�12
THE SYRIAN WORLD
expected by a small nation from its more powerful ally.
As we emerged from the church I asked the mountaineers to
line up for a photograph. In so doing I chanced to look up a dead
tree by the door of the church and to my surprise found that it
served as a belfry, perhaps the only one of its kind in the world, in
that the bell was suspended between its bare branches, and the work
of nature made to supplant for devotional purposes the work of
man.
Then began the tour of inspection of the famous Cedars. The
first tree one is shown is that of Lamartine, the famous French poet
who visited the Cedars with his daughter, Julia, in 1832, and sang
their praise in immortal words, declaring them to be "divine beings
in the form of trees", constituting a "temple, an altar almost touching the heavens". The tree is one of the twelve largest in the grove,
fifty feet in diameter and about 150 feet in height. It was dedicated to the memory of Lamartine in 1925 by the youth of Becharre
and is proudly referred to as the queen of the forest.
The visitor is then shown another large tree to which are attributed miraculous properties in that it has a pocket that gives a constant supply of water. It is called The Hermit's Tree because a recluse lived among its branches for a number of years and was provided for with the miraculous supply of water. One is told" that
a certain incredulous Egyptian visitor^wagered that he could dry
up the water pocket and actually drained it of every drop and placed
a trusted guard over it, but when he returned to inspect it on the
following morning he discovered to his great amazement that the
pocket was again full.
A curiosity is then pointed out as one of the natural wonders of
the Cedars. Two old trees, at some distance apart, have intergrowing branches that, judging by their size and the slow growth of the
Cedar tree, must have been joined several hundred years ago. The
fusion is so perfect that the point of jucture is unnoticeable, the limb
appearing as being integral to both trees.
In all there are about four hundred trees in the grove, some of
which are judged as being from five thousand to six thousand years
old. It is the age and the natural properties of these trees that has
given them their eminent place in the record of civilization. Their
wood is light, durable, incorruptible, and seemingly indestructible.
Beams of cedar wood have recently been discovered in the ruins of
Nineva, and found to be still serviceable. The association of the
Cedars of Lebanon with the building of Solomon's Temple is a
�^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^M
MAY, 1932
13
matter of biblical record.
As we strolled in the enclosed precincts of the Cedars, I picked
up a dead branch that lay on the ground. The guide politely warned
me that under the strictest orders nothing was permitted to be carried
away from the Cedars. The purpose, he explained, was to discourage
vandalism which at one time had threatened the trees. Every tourist
and visitor wanted a souvenir and the branches were ruthlessly
broken off. There was a twinkle in the guide's eye, however, that
encouraged me. I want to admit that I am a strict adherent to the
letter and the spirit of the law, and under no circumstances would I
abuse a privilege. I realized that the law was laid to prevent wanton
destruction but could not see how it should be applied to a dead and
fallen branch that was more or less of an encumbrance. And this I
told the guide, and informed him furthermore that Bishop Akel had
presented me with a singular cedar branch bearing eighteen cones
presumably smuggled from the Cedars. Not that I was a privileged visitor from America, I insisted, that I wanted the piece of
wood, bu; because I wanted him to explain how the general rule
which he sought to enforce applied to it.
I could see that the situation was becoming uncomfortable to
him, and although I did not mean to embarass him I did want
the stick, because, somehow, it held a special fascination for me by
its peculiar designs. And designs they were that seemed executed by
a master artist. When later I showed it to our celebrated Gibran
he marveled at the uniformity of the carving and the obvious floral
and arabesque motifs. It was the work of the worms which ate
about the surface and could not cut deep into the core. And therein
lies the secret of the durability and incorruptibility of cedar wood
because ,t contains a substance repugnant to worms, causing it to have
been in such great demand in the past for construction purposes.
The reader now realizes that finally I gained possession of the
stick, but how that was managed is a secret between the &guide and
me.
an ,°neLleaves ther enclosure of these famous trees thrilled and
hlled with a sense of deep veneration for their silent majesty Their
living form seems to quicken the dead past. They provide the connecting link of human evolution and progress for thousands of years
Age holds no terrors for them because their youth and virility are
perennial Their guardians have a right to feel proud of them
and to point out their symbolical significance. They truly are in
the words of Lamartine, "divine beings in the form of trees " '
�14
THE SYRIAN WORLD
A Typical Tree of the Famous Cedars, the Size of Which May Be
Judged by Comparison With the Human Figure to the Right.
�-
-~w^r,
MAY, 1932
15
Cedar of Lebanon
Dedicated to S. A. Mokarzel
By
THOMAS ASA
Five thousand years have wended thru thy shades,
From seed immortal thou hast sprung to grace
The tow'ring mountain side and sun-lit glades,—
Thou seemest ever old, of youth no trace.
From thy proud eminence the world lies bare
To thee; below, the sea-rimmed barren plains,
On which once flourished kingdoms, cities rareTyre, Sidon, Berith, these, how earthly fair!
Dreaming by emerald seas, what now remains?
The antique splendors of that wondrous past
Have bowed in lifeless dust to conquering TimeBut thou limb of Heaven fain would'st outlast
Unbending Time—eternal change! thou seed sublime I
And as of yesteryear, where then thou stood,
bo wilt thou witness in the future years
Mutations strange; kingdoms shall rise and fall
And o'er their crumbling piles thy branches would
inspire them with funereal shade and pall
And o'er their fate thy dewdrops change to tears.
Lebanon has not always been thy home
Thy ribs of steel have hearkened to some' handAnd o'er the boundless deeps of waters roam '
To touch thy prow against some foreign strand;
I here left the Darkness with God-given light
Thy pungent breath, like incense burning, blest
Man's covenant divine; the slumb'ring West
Shall soon arise to fruitfulness and might.
Back to thine ancient home—Edenic East
Where Man to his full stature first attained,
�16
THE SYRIAN WORLD
There spend thy earth-bound days till life has ceased
To stir within thee;—be thou well contained.
Well-favored wert thou in thy sheltered prime,
The gods were kind to thee, thou nature's priest!
And 'neath thy shade sweet Antar mused in rhyme.
Down from thy lofty mountain heights you came,
And, in a distant temple where thou dwelt,
Saw King Solomon's worldly pomp and fame;—
Divined the gentle Christ, who, dying, sent
His Godly message to mankind. Who felt
Not His passing from sea to firmament!
Time's glorious epics passed before thy ken;
And if, one day, thou wilt no longer be,
Repine not o'er thy fate, O Cedar tree,—
Thus goeth the greatest and least of men.
MODERN
BEAUTY
I am the torch, she saith, and what to me
If the moth die of mer I am the flame
Of Beauty, and I have neither joy nor shame,
But live with that clear light of perfect fire
Which is to men the death of their desire.
I am Yseult and Helen, I have seen
Troy burn, and the most loving knight lie dead.
The world has been my mirror, time has been
My breath upon the glass; and men have said
Age after age, in rapture and despair,
Love's poor few words before my image there.
I live and am immortal; in my eyes
The sorrow of the world, and on my lips
The joys of life mingle to make me wise;
Yet now the day is darkened with eclipse;
Who is there lives for Beauty? Still am I
The torch, but where's the moth that still dares die:
ARTHUR SYMONS.
�.
_
MAYy 1932
17
BARBARA YOUNG,
Editor
"I go with the wind, people of Orphalese, but not down
into emptiness; and M this day is not a fulfillment of
your needs and my love, let it be a promise till another
day."
Gibran.
DARK
PICTURE
•pODAY IN The London "Morning Post", read before a glowing fire in a charming 15th century house in Shaftesbury, England, we find the new Kipling poem which has been heralded for
days in the English press. It is a statement of stark realism concerning world conditions at the moment, and of the poet's conviction
that—in plain prose—man's estate must grow worse before it grows
better.
The poem, called THE STORM CONE, is written from a
depth of pessimism which may express Mr. Kipling, but does not,
I feel sure, express England. In a brief fortnight spent in this town
of little more than three thousand souls, scanning the London papers
every day, listening to the talk of a goodly number of men and women, folk from the local county, Dorset, from Devon, from Kancashire, from the Isle of Wight, even from Scotland, I have come upon no word of discouragement nor of fear from these people. England seems to have read and digested the words of that wise old
fellow Epictetus who said, "If we cannot get what we like, let us
like what we can get."
Not so Mr. Kipling. He takes the present situation with a
wry face which is not becoming to a poet of his eminence and mature
experience. He writes in part:
�18
THE SYRIAN WORLD
This is the midnight—let no star
Delude us—dawn is very far.
This is the tempest long foretold—
Slow to make head but sure to hold.
"Stand by! The lull 'twixt blast and blast
Signals the storm is near, not past,
And worse than present jeopardy
. May our forlorn tomorrow be.
"She moves with all save purpose lost,
To make her offing from the coast j
But till she fetches open sea
Let no man deem that he is free."
This is perhaps no over-estimate of the curious and difficult problems which confront the whole civilized world today, but I could
wish that Mr. Kipling had gone at least one stanza further and
given forth a word of assurance along with his gloomy prognostication 5 for while we know full well all that lies behind this arraignment of these times, who among us does not have a persistent and invincible certainty that this too must pass? Suppose the dawn is far?
what of it? Are we sniveling children afraid of the dark or whose
toy is broken: Have our years of prosperity and security robbed us
of the courage and the stamina bequeathed to us by our forefathers,
be they Syrian or American or English? Shall we whine because
our soft living has been taken away, and sit down to brood upon the
inconstancies of fortune? If we do so we are distinctly and definitely
unworthy of our heritage as citizens of the earth and sons of men.
Perhaps all this seems a little hard on Mr. Kipling. It does
not wish to be. But he is a type, so it seems, that is disastrous in the
curious dilemma in which the world finds itself. And we would not
have our poets give way to bitterness and wailing. If, in our blindness and perversity, we have created a puzzle and a riddle which is
hard to solve, let us go after it with keen brain and ready wit, and
unravel the mystery. If they in the marketplace and in the halls
of learning and in the tribunal of justice have lost their vision and
their hope and dream, let not the poets follow like led sheep. For
the earth still rides the firmament unperturbed.
The stars and
moons have taken no note of a senator's sharp word that "we are on
the verge of collapse." Life is good, there are still harvests of grains
and fruits, and rain still falls and sunlight is shed upon the just and
�{MAYy 19 52
19
the unjust; nothing is changed but man's inconstant thinking.
Consider the words of Almustafa, the chosen and the beloved,
where he says that "comfort and the lust for comfort" have become
"a tamer, and with hook and scourge makes puppets of your larger
desires. Though its hands are silken, its heart is of iron. It lulls
you to sleep only to stand by your bed and jeer at the dignity of the
flesh. It makes mock of your sound senses and lays them in thistledown like fragile vessels. Verily the lust for comfort murders the
passion of the soul, and then walks grinning in the funeral."
This is our predicament. We have grown accustomed to the
thistledown, and we grasp for it, even at such unseemly cost.
Shall we take defeat sorely who were so elated in our victories?
We would not have our poets do so. And they will not, for poets
have known of old that "you, children of space, you restless in rest,
you shall not be trapped nor tamed
And though of magnificence
and splendor, your house shall not hold your secret nor shelter your
longing. For that which is boundless in you abides in the mansion
cf the sky, whose door is the morning mist, and whose windows are
the songs and the silences of the night."
Here is one poet who knew of a certainty that though "these
things are so"—failures and desolation, war and crime and injustice
of man unto man upon the face of the earth—none of these things
shall be able to interrupt the great stream of human life and true
progress.
A red may-tree grows just outside this ancient mullioned window house through which I look out upon the dark thatched roofs
of little English homes, and lovesome gardens, and past them across
the beautiful Blackmore Vale to distant hills. The window was set
in this old stone house five centuries ago, the may-tree has blossomed
and faded perhaps a hundred years. Life goes on and will go on.
Let the poets reassure all weary and affrighted hearts. The gods
of our fathers have never left the high places. Singing must not
cease though princes fail and judges depart from equity. Perhaps
the dawn is very far, but the dawn is, and that is enough. And let
us not forget that the only potion, inexhaustable and imperishable,
with which to medicine the sickened v/orld is the cup that has been
poured and drunk by all the good and great of the earth, the wine
of love.
�—fr
h.
I'
I!
!
20
THE SYRIAN WORLD
THE SINGER TO HIS LADY
If any song I sing for you may be
But made to please a poet's vanity,
A richly jewelled and an empty cup
In which no hallowed wine is offered up;
A thing of chosen rhyme and cunning phrase;
If love in me grow only soft and sweet,
Remembering not with what worn and weary feet
It journeyed to your fields of golden grain,
The quiet orchards folded in the rain,
The twilight gardens and the morning birds;
If love remembers not, and brings you words,
Words as your thanks; if in an idle hour
It breaks its sword and plays the troubadour—
Then may high God, the Universal Lord
Break me, as I false knight have broken my sword.
If I who have touched your hands should bring eclipse
To love's nobility with lying lips,
Having seen more terrible than gleaming spears
Your gentleness, your sorrow and your tears.
THEODORE MAYNARD
NIGHT AT LA NAPOULE, FRANCE
The darkened outline of the hill,
The evening star, the holy still,
And tired men returning home
From the day's service on the loam!
Against these quaintly fashioned walls
The sea's rich foamy music falls,
And all the house stands here at rest
Against the drowsy, crimsoned west;
So much of peace and beauty lie
On lawn and home, on sea and sky,
So much of art, so much of God
Is here that e'en the dusty sod
Is hallowed, as the night drops down
Her simple loveliness of gown
And cloak, and o'er each dreamy vine
Comes sleep, and lights no longer shine.
C. J. M. TURNER
�I
MAY, 1932
21
An Open Letter
TO THE SUBSCRIBERS AND FRIENDS OF THE
SYRIAN
WORLD
By
THE EDITOR
pOR the second time in two consecutive years I am placing the
fate of the SYRIAN WORLD in the hands of its readers and
friends. But realizing our peculiar Syrian psychology, which is
inclined to regard the support of every intangible, idealistic enterprise as an act of charity, especially when that enterprise is in
the field of journalism, I wish to emphasize at the outset that I
am not appealing for charity, that I will not accept charity, and
that I will not entertain any proposal from anyone who thinks he
is doing me a personal favor by lending support to the publication.
The appeal is a challenge to those among us who are publicspirited and racially-conscious, and who view the enterprise as a
public institution, in which they are personally concerned because
it affects their standing as a people, regardless of whether they
"make money" or not from their investment of $5.00 in the subscription.
For over thirty years I have been following a journalistic
career among the Syrians in America, and never have I bent the
knee to the Baal of servile catering to misconceived notions—notions of patronage and an attitude of condescension to the newspaper profession on the part of some shallow thinking individuals.
If in some cases there is reason to condemn a Syrian newspaper
man for unethical conduct, the onus should not be placed on the
whole profession. I, for one, stand on my record, and for those
of short memories I will mention that as far back as 1912 I started
a newspaper which for personal reasons I later had to discontinue.
But I repaid every subscriber the full amount that was due him,
although none expected or demanded payment. Now the twenty
years that have passed since that incident have not caused me to
change my principle in such matters. Rather, I have become more'
determined than ever to maintain my self-respect and to serve
Mi
mmmmtfc.
�22
THE SYRIAN WORLD
r;
the public in an unservile capacity—to sell my service on its merits
only and to give equal, if not more value, for what I receive I
would consider myself unworthy of the place I now occupy if I
were to act otherwise.
This much for my personal attitude towards support of the
SYRIAN WORLD. And when I tell you, dear reader, in a few brief
words how I have managed to keep the magazine going for almost
six years, 1 hope you will agree with me that I have gone to the
limit of unselfish sacrifice and personal denial. I have my records
to prove that never was the magazine self-supporting. Hence I
could never earn a living, let alone make a fortune, from the
magazine But in spite of dwindling subscriptions, I was determined to keep it up. I considered it a blot on the name of our
people if the only publication in English ever attempted by us
were to be adjudged a failure. My courage was also greatly sustained by the expression of approval and admiration coming from
SvrR, Xnt Tu uT1^ If eVCr 1 haVe t0 discontinue the
\\ ORLD I shall always remember with heartfelt satisfac.on and pride that not a single Syrian intellectual of substantial
standmg but admired the work and encouraged me in it. What
more proof is needed than the fact that every Syrian writer of
o e in America is a contributor to the magazine, a contributor
not for remuneration, but doing so in support of the only enterprise that has done more to enhance the moral prestige of the
Syrians ,n America than anything ever before attempted. These
SYRIAN
va°ueesTr
W m
Wh Sh W SUCh insi ht into true
° Wh
T Se
° ° WU1 live in^ histor as ^Wtual
nam
I ifZ
h
°T °
?
of the honor and promoters of the
y "Polders
prestige of their race. Not
indeed, those materialists who are indifferent to anything except'
piling up fortunes, and who think that simply to have monty with
£5S8T °f * * «"** « -^ ^ - respJct and
Now the promised word as to how I managed to keep the
alive in the face , f such great handicaps I will
now reveal part, but not all. I have done, personally, most
of the literary and physical production of it. Everything unsigned I write, and aside from being editor, news gatherer, proofreader and office manager, I also personally attend to the actual
SYRIA. WORLD
1]
�MAY, 1932
23
making up and printing of the magazine, even having at times
to do part of the type composition. The work sometimes necessitates my working in these various capacities two consecutive days
and nights, 36 to 48 hours, without sleep!
And all this without the magazine bringing sufficient revenue
to pay for its physical production were I to pay for having it done,
let alone allowing remuneration for literary contributions.
The question naturally arises as to how I could continue in
the face of continued loss. Here is the answer: 1 use the facilities of the Syrian American Press, which I own, to produce the
magazine without charging anything against the publication, and
whatever deficit occurs in the accounts of the magazine I make
up from personal work.
But now I in turn will ask a question: Is it fair that this
condition should continue? And I say, even if it is fair it is now
nearing a stage where it will be no longer possible, with the printing buisness affected just as any other by the general depression.
The logical deduction being that the SYRIAN WORLD must either
be made self-supporting or given up.
Taking the latter alternative the question naturally arises:
Is the SYRIAN WORLD needed: Is it a credit to us? Does its continuance help our prestige as a racial element in America : Does
it have a mission towards our own younger generation:
If the answer be in the affirmative we come to the other alternative of making it self-supporting and face the question as
to how this could be done. To the latter question there is but
one answer, and that is: Public support.
This appeal is now addressed to that part of our Syrian public who wish the SYRIAN WORLD continued and are willing to lend
it the needed support. I personally am willing to give to the enterprise as much time, as much energy and devotion, as I have
given it heretofore, without any expectation of reward. In other
words, I am not aiming to "make money" out of the magazine,
but I must emphatically assert that I am no longer in a position
to continue losing money on the venture. I am but one of the
community, and against the $5.00 of the subscriber I am willing
to contribute $5000.00 in personal services. Can a man do more-
�24
THE SYRIAN WORLD
I am even willing and ready to turn the whole management
of the publication to any responsible public body that may want
to take charge, simply to "save our face" as a people by keeping
the publication alive. Such an attempt was made when the SYRIAN WORLD Corporation was launched and found no backing,
thus throwing the whole burden back on my shoulders.
This
burden, as before stated, I cannot further carry alone, and I find
myself forced to pass it on to the public. Hence this appeal.
Now I earnestly ask: Are there not a few thousand Syrians
in the United States and other English-speaking countries who
would pay a $5.00 yearly subscription to the magazine?
I am convinced that there is that number and much more The
question is how to reach them. Solicitors cannot be sent out because of the expense, nor would it be possible for me to travel
and make personal contacts because, confidentially, mine is a oneman business, with the shadow of loss continually stalking it and
immediately I go out, loss enters.
It is my belief that under present conditions there is but one
way to salvation, and that is by a reasonable display of interest on
the part of those who have the vision to realize the immense benehts of the publication if it is helped to weather the present crisis.
Io each of these I now appeal to constitute himself a trustee of
the late of the SYRIAN WORLD, and to realize that its continuance
depends on him. If the magazine should go, that fact would be
taken as proof that we are not a people of culture, all assertions to
the contrary notwithstanding. Can we afford to stand such an accusation? Can't we, with our united effort, insure a few thousand
subscriptions to the SYRIAN WORLD and thereby insure its life?
1 hat question is for you to decide.
As a helpful suggestion to friends of the publication I will
invite consideration of one of the following propositions:
Subscribe now if not already a subscriber;
Pay your subscription if in arrears,
Make a gift subscription if -possible, or
Solicit a new subscription by all means.
i:
c
ii
n
b
P
b
h
�MAY, 1932
25
I am willing to make a substantial concession in the rate of
subscriptions to promote interest in the magazine The onces
S^$]*££* SUbSmber **"**** subscnp^on ; U
ft he makes no m
many and tlto
TneW
°n ^
'
^ how
6ach
subsc*
whl'h
n
,
nption coming through him
o^::ztz
T
W subscriber if he
desires But subsc
^
tions must be paid n advance to save time and postage. Further-
sTi bV^itkdto
erS
'-falthrgh
Paying the
This offer is open until September 1 191?
will enter IK 7th , .
'i T
SYRIAN WORLD
been I h
/
anty
'
but In consid
ACT^MVD,^^
HELP
"educed
wi1
At th,,,-•
.u
that t,me the
eration of value received
IT LIVE;
PLEASE
Yours for the cause
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER
HHMSJ
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
26
Last Tributes to a Great Leader
Thousands of Lebanese and Syrians From Greater New York and
Distant Cities Gather to Pay Tribute to the Editor of Al-Hoda
in the Alost Impressive Syrian Funeral Yet Held in America
By H. I.
KATIBAH
'THE LAST funeral rites and obsequies of the late Naoum A.
Mokarzel, famous Lebanese leader and editor of Al-Hoda of
New York, were symbolic and characteristic of his life and spirit.
They partook of the nature of the old and the new, and linked two
worlds, the ancient and the modern. They were fit and proper tributes to a man who, since he left his beloved motherland in his early
twenties, had never returned to it in the remainder of his life, but
who, in the forty-five odd years he spent in this country of liberty
and opportunity, had devoted every ounce of his energy and acumen
to the service of little Lebanon, small in area but great in spirit.
Conceding to none a greater degree of loyalty and devotion in
the service of his adopted country, America, Naoum Mokarzel believed implicitly in the wisdom of that homely proverb: "Charity
begins at home." He knew at heart that no one who is a renegade
to the country which gave him birth, to his homeland, could be anything but a renegade to his adopted country. He loved and cherished
the ideals and principles which made this country great, and he
dedicated his life to the task of inculcating these ideals and principles
in the minds and hearts of his Lebanese and Syrian countrymen who
had remained behind in the beloved homeland. At the same time
he construed it his duty to instill in the tender and impressive souls
of the young generation of Lebanese and Syrians born and brought
up in this country that tried and true heritage of the East, the beautiful and stolid virtues which have stood the test of centuries, which
have survived the ravages and ruthless devastations of untold generations of war, persecution, want, misery, success and triumph.
In his dual role as messenger to the young, adventurous spirit
of Americanism to the East, and of the spiritual, mellow spirit of
stability, serenity and poise of the East to young America, Naoum
Mokarzel amply deserved his title to leadership among his own
people, here and abroad.
�"**»
$1 AYy 1932
27
And it was no surprise that in his funeral both spirits met to
depa'n^heT' *T? ** **.**»* °' ^'^ ^"
Mokarzel and Svr7"^
"^ * ^ * * ^ "oum
The New York Herald Tribune, finding the imposing- fu
neral ceremon.es of the departed Lebanese ilde SSL of
H
£ "T
Val
featUred the fact that
u raJ^'w
4 centurie old comithe serviced
as did f he dead
« 31 FDhr ;r ;
^ ' ^ * > "
SviS is S v/h SymC' ,an d that the ^uage used in the
l
l
k til? Pract,ca]1y ^e same which Christ spoke on this earth and
- -till spoken ,n some of the towns of Syria and Mesopotamia'
he
fact
erecl
that~ ^tyr J^t^[^;^
y
~**
, ,
at his bier, and m the nnumenrile
fe
puts
puonsnta
uem
a d
ii,
AI'HS" andH
Al-Hoda
ri ra tu
rrv
^ papers^-in
all the Arabic
the MWester,,
d
- saa^a s,r,?„r„',t,f*- - »'••
the nT11" ^^T ^
the earthl
>'
remains
of Naoum Mokarzel
special permission from the collector of Iht
? 7 ^ re«' d
P r
at quarantine, together with he H
n ° ' S b°ard the shiP
Ge rge Da her
leader and presidfnt of t^ i
?
°
« > Poli»«l
ing the Syrfa, 5 „ ony £ A££T I^K!^ ' rePrcse"<'
Anthony Mrtn 3 M<£^a^ W,T ^'7° Lebanese fcs>
the giant ship and dropped tafc rf tirs ^ ^ ab<>Ve
had accompamed ^i^^^^l
,„'
-rl,.7«i.1mitt*.
�28
THE SYRIAN WORLD
family and some close friends. While at the pier were fully 1500
of the editor's countrymen with bowed heads and heavy hearts. At
the head of this large crowd was the committee of the Lebanon
League of Progress, whose founder and honorary president was Naoum Mokarzel himself. The committee received the body, covered
it with the American and Lebanese flags and removed it to the waiting hearse.
Then the procession started to Washington street, the first home
of the Syrians in this country, a home dear to the heart of the departed Lebanese leader and mentor, and where for years the office
of his paper, Al-Hoda, has stood. The procession was preceded by
a motorcycle squad from the city, and followed by the mourning
friends, followers and admirers. The office of Al-Hoda, on 55
Washington Street, draped with black and purple, seemed as though
conscious of its great loss and vacancy, now that its moving spirit
and tireless master had passed away.
On the following day thousands, of all classes, representing
Lebanese and Syrian citizens from Greater New York and every
section of the United States, came to the Al-Hoda building where
the body lay amidst a bower of flowers. The bells of St. Joseph,
the neighboring Maronite .Church of New York, tolled their plaintive notes. It was, as an editorial writer of Al-Hoda eloquently put
it, as if the heart of the Syrian colony was sighing in grief and sorrow for its departed son. Mrs. Rose Mokarzel, the widow, and
Salloum Mokarzel, the brother, received the long line of condolers.
The funeral procession started from Al-Hoda building at 12.30
the spacious Catholic Church of St. Peter, on Barclay and Church
Streets, in the neighborhood of the old Syrian quarter and Al-Hoda
building.
The funeral procession started from Al-Hoda building at 2:30
P.M. It was an imposing procession, the like of which has never
been witnessed in the memory of Syrians in this country, and the
line of mourners extended from the middle of Washington Street
to Barclay Street, a distance of eight blocks. According to police
reports there were no less than 250 automobiles in the procession,
besides thousands who followed on foot.
At the head of the funeral procession were six policemen, followed by sixteen arch-bishops and priests of all denominations from
New York and other cities.
Then came the hearse, flanked by the honorary pall-bearers who
were chosen from distinguished Lebanese and Syrians in all walks of
�tMAY, 1932
29
life. They were: Dr. Fuad Shatara, Attorney Joseph W. Ferris,
Attorney Peter George, Emir Joseph Bellamah, M. J. Howatt, Nasib Trabulsi, Joseph Morin, and Fuad Dirani.
Following on foot was a long line of delegations from the numerous Lebanese and Syrian societies and organizations in New York
and various cities of the United States, near and far. Among these
were the Syrian-American Federation of Brooklyn, the LebaneseAmerican Club of Poughkeepsie, St. Nicholas Young Men's Society
of Brooklyn, the Kisrawanite Society of Brooklyn, the Syrian-American Club of New Bedford, Mass. etc.
And behind these the
long line of automobiles carrying the large numbers of those who
were paying the last honor, who were bidding farewell, to one they
had always recognized as leader among his people, patriot and servant of the public.
The streets leading to St. Peter's Church and those adjoining were
soon filled with a huge crowd of participants and watchers. Over
120 traffic policemen, under several inspectors, controlled and guided the traffic. In a few minutes the auditorium of the church, where
the eulogies were delivered, was filled to capacity. The auditorium
has a seating capacity of two thousand, and in the corridors and
spaces behind the church benches hundreds were standing; while
outside almost as large a crowd pressed at the doors to listen in.
The ceremony in the auditorium of the church was under the
auspices of the Lebanon League of Progress, whose acting president,
Shaykh Naoum Hatim acted as master of ceremonies and delivered
a touching speech in which he thanked the mourners and distinguished guests on behalf of his association.
The eulogists who paid their last tribute to the deceased were:
Emir Joseph Bellamah, who came especially from Canada for the
occasion; Mr. As'ad Milkie, well-known writer and speaker, who
had assisted in the editing of Al-Hoda and was a regular contributor
to its pages; Mr. George Dibs, representing Miraat-ul-Gharb, a
sister Arabic newspaper, and its editor Mr. Najib Diab; Hon Anis
Azir Bey, Egyptian Consul General, speaking on behalf of a sister
Arabic-speaking country; Hon. Count Charles de Fontnouvelle,
French Consul General; Mr. Bendali Hafiz, of Washington, who
spoke in Arabic and English; Dr. Khalil A. Bishara, minister of the
Syrian Protestant Church in Brooklyn, and an old friend and admirer of Naoum Mokarzel. At the conclusion Salloum Mokarzel
brother of the deceased, said a few words in a choked voice thanking the eulogists and those who attended the ceremony on behalf of
�30
THE SYRIAN WORLD
the family.
There were others whose eulogies, for lack of time, could not
be delivered, but which appeared later in Al-Hoda. Those were: Dr.
Philip Hitti of Princeton University; Mr. Sa'id Harfoush, on behalf of the Jazzinite Society; Mr. Jacob Raphael, editor of the
Character Magazine and a long-standing friend of the late editor
of Al-Hoda; and Archimandrite Hanania Kassab, and Nasib Arida,
of Al-Hoda staff.
The final and crowning scene in this impressive drama, however, was the religious service in the church. To the plaintive notes
of the organ, the huge crowd of mourners filed in. In a few minutes every seat in the spacious church and its balcony were filled,
and hundreds, who found no seats, stood patiently throughout the
long and solemn service.
The priests, fifteen in number, formed a semi-circle in front of
the sacristy, facing the audience, with Arch-Bishop Francis Wakim,
in his purple robe, his stole and his beret, standing in the center. He
was assisted by Rev. Mansur Estephan, Archimandrite Bernardos
Ghosn, Archmandrite Paul Sanky, Iconomos Thomas Fayyad, Rev.
Nicola Ariktinji, and the rest of the Syrian Catholic clergy in New
York and Brooklyn. Other priests in attendance were: Rev. Joseph
Komaid of Cleveland Ohio; Rev. Silwanos Abu Jowdy of Niagara
Falls, N. Y.; Rev. Francis Lahood of Easton Pa. Rev. Joseph Eid
of Fall River, Mass; Rev. Michael Abu Saab of Springfield, Mass;
Rev. Peter Hawasabian of Paterson, N. J.; and Rev. George Zwein.
Especially impressive was the intonation of the 51st Psalm by Miss
Najibah Morad, accompanied on the organ by Mons. Louis Zwein.
The service was mainly in the Syriac language, the language
which Christ spoke and which has been preserved in the rites of the
Maronite and other Eastern churches. It was interpolated by the
reading of the scriptures in Arabic. And when the chants and responses were over, Father Mansur Estephan ascended the pulpit and
delivered a eulogistic sermon based on a text from Joshua Bin Sirach, "And he rose like fire, and his words burned like a torch
"
It was a truly eloquent sermon by one who knew and loved the
departed editor. Father Estephan, a writer and poet of high calibre,
struck a responsive chord when he emphasized in his sermon the
sincerity of the departed leader as his most prominent characteristic, a sincerity which inspired the forceful editorials of Naoum Mokarzel, which urged him on to a career of ceaseless energy and devotion in the interest of the country he loved above all countries,
vault
ment
editor
ran K
loved
theL
from
comm
(
Mich.
ton, C
tine, .
Okla.,
May :
�MAY, 1932
I
31
Lebanon, and the people he loved above all peoples, the Lebanese.
He pictured intimately scenes from the life of the departed leader
which illustrate this saving virtue of sincerity, and which, we have
no doubt, was the secret of Naoum Mokarzel's great success and
popularity. Whatever his view, political or otherwise, and however strongly and staunchly he differed from those who had other
views, people realized that in Naoum Mokarzel they found a man
on whom they could depend, and who could be implicitly trusted as
a champion of their cause.
It was this sincerity which seemed to nourish his unfailing
energy with a tenacity and strength that amazed his physicians. And
it was this sincerity which made the doctor who performed the operation on him in Paris cry out with amazement: "This man is a gianthad he not been that he would not have lived so long."
It was indeed this sincerity, this devotion to an ideal which had
become part and parcel of his very nature, that impelled him weak
as he was physically, to leave the quiet protection of his editorial
office at 55 Washington Street and take a ship to France, in order
to convey personally to the French authorities the urgent desire of
the Lebanese immigrants that an upright and sincere man be chosen
-President of the Lebanese Republic.
The remains of Naoum Mokarzel lay now temporarily in a
vault ,n St. John's Cemetery in Brooklyn. There is a strong movement afoot among the numerous admirers and devotees of the late
r,n K.hlfr^
'u0 trailSP°rt H1S b°dy t0 Lebano»> that> l^e Gibran Kahlil Gibran, he may rest in peace under the shade of that beloved mountain for which he lived and died.
The great popularity which Naoum Mokarzel enjoyed among
the Lebanese and Syrians all over the United States may be gathered
from the numerous memorial services held for him in the different
communities. Space permits only the mention of a few
iv/r u ^ od\°hi°' May 22' Cin nati, Ohio, May 15- Detroit
Mich. May 8; Mexico City, May 20; Bristow, Okla, May 15 Ca„
^M^Y r0i LHanSng^t-'May 17^ B-noUir'es 'Arge _
oil M
,'c if" ?TdS' M'Ch-' May 29> Oklahoma City,
Okla., May 15; Port Arthur, Texas, May 10; Houston, Texas,'
�32
THE SYRIAN WORLD
EDNA
K.
SALOOMEY,
Editor
EDITOR'S NOTE—The following article was the subject of an address given
by the editor of this department on the occasion of the presentation of a painting made by the Syrians and Lebanese of Boston. Massachusetts, to the Immigration Department at Boston. A complete description of the occas-'on is
published elsewhere in this issue.
THREE THOUSAND YEARS OLD ARE WE
QOD, THE GIVER of gifts, wove an infinitely lovely pattern.
He made as the weft a land, fertile and spacious, and endowed
it with the grandeur of mountains, rivers, and valleys, and with all
the fruits of earth.
He bounded it with vast ocean.
His hand,
which holds eternity within its clasp, wove designs of effulgent colours which surpassed in beauty the land, sea, and sky. These colours God wove out of the hearts and minds of the people which He
brought here in succession to adorn the pattern, and, finally, to inherit its loveliness. This divine creation, we call America.
Such is the Syrian immigrant's conception of his adopted country. Do you wonder now why we hope that nothing shall ever permanently mar that conception? Do you wonder at our resentment
when either our own failing or that of our fellow Americans threatens to distort the beauty of that conception?
We who are Americans by birth have much to learn from immigrants who are Americans by choice. We can learn from them a
lesson which is especially pertinent to our needs during these times
of fear and unrest. If you desire to know the true meaning of fortitude, faith, loyalty to God and country,—you have onlv to consider
the unflinching manner in which immigrants met the challenge of
the prolonged economic distress which was theirs after their arrival
here, without knowledge of the language and without the possibility
�•.-.
MAYy 1932
33
of resorting to family or friends for sustenance. The" very loneliness of their existence would be unbearable to most of us. ' Yet, they
are not to be pitied; rather they are to be envied, because that man
who sets for his goal perfection—be it perfertion of self or country,
shall always find something worthwhile in any struggle.
The Syrian immigrants*, like their predecessors in this country,
were devoid of pseudo-patriotism and sophistry. They looked not
to the state for the solution of their problems, economic or social.
They believed that as the state was composed of individuals, it was
the task of each individual to solve his own problem. This they
deemed was a right which freedom in its fullest sense intended, and
they exercised this right with the spiritual and physical endurance
which sane thinking inspires. We might well emulate their example.
It is distressing that at times immigrants as a group should be
condemned for the faults of a few. We must not let our having
been spared the trials of living in foreign surroundings, make us
smug or intolerant in our opinions. When a surgeon performs an
appendectomy, he does not also sever a patient's arms and legs. For
the very reason which guides the surgeon, we should be more judicious in our assertions.
Mr. Edward Corsi, Commissioner of Immigration of the New
York District, recently addressed the Neighborhood Teachers Association of New York, and gave as the reason for the bulk of America's juvenile delinquency, the lack of understanding between immigrants and their American born children. He advocated teaching
immigrant mothers. Mr. Corsi said, "Our emphasis is entirely on
the child. We do very little to enable the parent to catch up with
him. I have seen the child leave his home, look down on his parents,
and live the life on the streets. Parental influence is completely
destroyed." What a strange influence educators must have if placing emphasis on educating the child has resulted in disintegration of
home life.
As for blaming juvenile delinquency on immigrant
mothers, this assumption, so frequently expressed, is unjust; for
though they do not know the language and customs, they certainly
can distinguish beween right and wrong, and are capable of fulfilling
the demands of motherhood. We relate Mr. Corsi's statements because it matters a great deal what a man of his integrity and authority thinks.
Dr
- Jane clark of Barnard College, through the cooperation of
K
By Syrian immigrants, we mean all those who have come from that
country which geographically has been called Syria from 1400 B. C.
�..
*»**-.«
,:-::
34
THE SYRIAN WORLD
the Department of Labor, made an extensive study of deportation
laws and one of her findings serves as a direct reply to all who
would shunt the entire blame for wrongdoing on immigrants. Dr
Uark said that the social causes of crime are not attributed to the
alien; the roots lie deeper. Also, "the assumption often current in
the United States that aliens are malefactors because of the mere
tact of their alliance has not been borne out in the investigations of
criminologists, who have shown that aliens have not contributed
more than their proportionate share of crime in the population The
task infinitely more difficult than lumping together persons who are
not citizens in the United States and assuming because of that accident of birth they are lawbreakers is to study the social causes of
crime, and the cure for them."
we M\£T<[brOUghtuthhLPhase °f Emigration before you because
we feel that it is worthy of consideration from the viewpoint of natives and immigrants alike. This situation, which Dr. Clark aptly
described, is a rift between natives and immigrants which tends to
break the unity of national thought.
Let there be no misunde staiidu^between us. Let there be only a concreted effort to do our
Syrians are justly proud of the racial heritage which they bequeath to their American-born children. The significance of that
heritage is perfectly expressed by the late Cardinal Newman, eminent theologian and English scholar. He wrote: "Looking at the
countries which surround the Mediterranean Sea, as a whole, I see
hem to be from time immemorial the sea of an association of in,
M ,eH TimS ' such^s deserve to be called the Intellect and the
Mind of the Human Kind. Starting as it does and advancing from
certain centres, till their respective influences intersect and conflict,
and then at length intermingle and combine, a common Thought
has been generated and a common Civilization defined and estabrTredfh V * TJ
^ suchJstarting Point-" Cardinal Newman
traced the trend of conquest and colonization, and he concluded thusold" "not A C1VlllZat^n ?f modern times remains what it was of
old not Chinese, or Hindoo, or Mexican, or Saracen. . .but the
lineal descendant or rather the continuation of the civilization which
o^ountrr
CStine
GrCeCe
-"
^^ '* *' *"*"* ^
son tnat Th^ l^f-''""****:to the h^ of the immortal Emerson, that the foundation of culture, as of character, is the moral
•-,
�MAYy 1932
35
sentiment. Ask, not what is the complexion of a man, or what is
his financial standing, or how much knowledge has he acquiredrather, ask what is his moral sentiment. The country of our forefathers was the birthplace of Christianity and on its teachings do we
base our ethics. These constitute our moral sentiment
Please remember that Syria was very old long before this nation of ours was conceived; that long before Greece and Rome were
inscribing their fame on history's scroll, Syria was creating her endowment for her children, of religion, philosophy science, literature, and commerce. These are the gifts which we bring to this our
country. We bring them as did the wise men of old who came to
the Infant Jesus, with humility, love and solicitude. .
these qual
ities which age has ever manifested in the presence of a child whose
birth personifies continuation of life. We pay homage to a young
nation which we wish to serve in unison with all its children, striving
that the spiritual and material potentialities of the United States
may be fulfilled to the everlasting glory of its name.
M
?^ Chnsrt whose birth in our ^rmer country has hallowed the
name of Syria forever, find His place here in the hearts of all nationalities represented.
As a mark of our devotion and gratitude, we present to our
government through you Mrs.Tillinghast, its worthy representative
this painting. May it ever serve as a memorial of Syrian and Lebanese immigrants who by their courage, self-respect, honour, love
of God and country have taught us their children, native sons and
daughters of the Umted States, to be better citizens! We are happv
a^nTnopt8 ^^ ^^ ' " ^ *»<**>
wil1
^
"AL-JIRN."
A series of articles written by members of the younger generation
'„
tlTj the/dJ- S7e-Yn,10Vati°- -e plannedfwhfch shou d
make this department of vital interest.
This is your department. Whatever may be vour opinion re
garding it, we shall be glad to receive an expision'of Z opinion.
* * *
,l,,MMr:
Far
u
S
*£%%?*
r,^
alouf has
yet answered this
y ,5sue «*We
wo,,der if his
-
department's
m
**£ —
�WMBMW.M
I
36
THE SYRIAN WORLD
How Have the Mighty Fallen
Syrian Poet Likens America to a Modern Ulysses Who Bends the
Bow of Energy to Its Utmost, Steps Aside and Invites the Rest of
The World to Do the Same.
By H. I. KATIBAH
JT WAS AFTER that historic crash of 1929, that memorable and
never-to-be-forgotten day when the high stack of American prosperity, which, like the Tower of Babel, seemed to have reached to
heaven, and to have almost laid hold of its golden gates and pavements, began to tumble down. It was a terrific crash, a stupendous,
spectacular catastrophe j and who does not recall it without a creeping feeling of ominous horror? Yet few there were amidst the very
din of its deafening detonations that truly realized what it all meant.
Few realized that terrible as the crash was, it was nothing to the
mounting crescendo of subsequent reverberations, that followed upon it like the approaching booms of distant thunderings on the heals
of a thunderbolt. And few could even pierce with their inward
vision the flood of misery, poverty and wretchedness which inevitably followed, and which has swept thousands, nay millions, of unfortunate victims before its angry tides. Only today are we beginning to understand some of the inner and deeper implications of
that historic denouement, that terrific crash. The voice of couragous
prophecy that raised itself feebly in the wilderness of those days,
and the mad days of the prosperity frenzy that preceded them, fell
unheeded on deaf ears. Men and women, yes, even children in
their teens, were too occupied with the mad rush for quick profits,
for fabulous wealth that multiplied itself over and over again while
those happy, excited, scrambling speculators dreamed golden and
rosy dreams. It was the day of the Great Opportunity, and people
thought that by some mysterious alchemy they all would become
rich without putting in an equivalent of hard labour and earnest
planning. And now that the piper has led us beyond the fabled
hills of sudden-wealth, and the hills have closed upon those of us
who tripped behind the soothing charms of its notes, we are looking
about with dismay and dejection to find ways and means to pay the
MM
mmmmmmmmmm
�MAY, 1932
37
deceiving piper. We are beginning to remember that it is against all
laws of human nature to take out of a pot more than we had put
into it; and that it is not possible to eat one's cake and still have it.
We are also beginning to see that the rich few, the powerful few
in places of trust and responsibility, cannot keep on eternally robbing
our poorer brethren and still expect them to pay the taxes which
keep those few in the Arcadian palaces of luxury and felicity. It
may be that the rich and powerful will always be with us; but almost two thousand years ago a Hebrew prophet and seer reminded
•us that the poor will also be always with us, and commended them
to our solicitous care and charity. It may be, further, that man at
heart is a beast of prey; but even a beast of prey has enough instinctive wisdom not to kill his prey ruthlessly and wantonly, to find
itself in a few days without any victims to prey upon. The big fish
take heed not to swallow all the little fish at one gulp. And men
in their superior acquired knowledge, have often, too often, lacked
the instinctive wisdom of the beast of prey in the jungle and the big
fish in the depth of the sea. So it has been in the past and so it will
be in the future, until men realize the first elemental lesson that
God or Nature, or whatever you like to name the superior power
that controls and fashions our destiny, first sought to instill in the
heart and mind of the first errant member of the human race mme
ly, that MAN IS HIS BROTHER'S KEEPER,
if th£ broX
er is our slave and victim.
It was in those hectic days following the crash that I found myself sitting next to the famous Syrian poet Khalil Bey Mutran at a
dinner table in the home of my friend and forme/college mate"
Emil Zaydan, m the fashionable quarter of Cairo known as Garden
t'::
,ffaWKhf] Bey ^Utran is a typical Syrian and a ^^1 poet. His
In t ft"1 andua^ marrS' his S°ft V0ice' his genial conversation, sparkling with wit and wisdom, and punctuated with those in
imitable gestures for which Orientals, and'syrians in ^a dcuk are"
famous, the changing expressions of his face that ai equallydo!
th
Smile
KTfS
h-1"11profound
^ Zfwisdom
f SUPPrCSSed
his face and gives his
a spirituality all3
its suffuses
own at
once mark him as an oracle to whom all ears are at once aZ'ed
the cynosure to all eyes that were fixed upon him. He is a proohet
and the son of a prophet, sprung from the land of prophs ands'eer
and through years of reflection and contemplation,^ n the m^
of Ins busy duties as an expert economist in the AgriculturdSo'ety
�28
THE SYRIAN WORLD
of Egypt, he had learned the subtle and beautiful art of conversation. No wonder he is so lionized at every public occasion he attends,
and no wonder we almost forgot to eat as we listened to him in enwrapped attention.
And as the sensational tumbling of the New York Stock Exe
y t0ngU£ in thoSe days k was natural e ou
T?inT?
T Mutran,
rf
gh
that
Khalil Bey
an economist and 'a sage, was led to»speak
r
on that topic.
It was from Khalil Bey Mutran, at that dinner in the serene
atmosphere of Cairo on a clear day in the autumn of 1929 that I
heard the most succinct and brilliant criticism of the American philosophy that I had ever heard before. Its aptness and inevitability
struck me like a bolt from a clear sky, and I have since made use of
it in one of my feature articles for the American newspapers that I
was then serving. I wish to repeat it here for the sake and edification or the readers of this magazine
-hi ,tTHCt' Sdd KhalU Bey Mutran' emPlo^g a picturesque parabe that makes unnecessary a volume of explanation and reasoning
is like a huge giant who bent the bow of human energy to its utmost
and let the arrow fly to its furthest limit. Then hf stepped a7de
and invited the rest of the world to do the same. Few the able
and powerful, could emulate this giant, but the rest of us poor humanity, when we bent the bow to its utmost it snapped in ouV hands
did no?t
I'' Until.Very recently> Khalil Bey explained, people
did not know what a crisis meant. In days of plenty they stored for
in proS
kn^t?1*' '
^Y. they prepared for depression. They
knew by long experience and inherited instinct that prosperity never
lasts, nor depression, and they acted accordingly. When a llZ
m
retrenChed
the
lZTdtdTlT
^ d^
" ^ts
er and did with less rfu
food than was their> usual;
they took
out tightfrom
then- stored provisions sparingly. No one lost all his fortune witT
one sroke, for people in the East followed the wisdom of their
yoTrefer°Verb: ^
aCC rdanCe With the k
°
^th
of
y
-t stretch
But now we speculate on our fortunes years ahead and live
way beyond our income. Our fortune is mo Jy hypothetical if no
fictitious. And when the least setback comes, it tumbles downtfke
a house of cards and melts away before our eye"
Although he did not specifically say it, Khalil Bey Mutran must
m
Tmd th£ "&** UlySSeS -d his strong tow S sTory
« quite familiar to readers of Homer's Odyssey, how Ulysses^
1S?u,W
�MAY, 1932
39
hi
!irSB? aft£r his long meandenngs in the waters of the Aegean
and Mediterranean Seas, to his home in Ithaca, found the drunken
feasting suitors of his beautiful wife Penelope, pressing her for her
hand, while she by a clever ruse, was putting them off from day to
day. Suddenly Ulysses appeared, like a ghost, in the middle of the
orgiastic revelries The revelers did not recognize him at first, but
when he reached for his powerful bow, that none but he was supposed to be strong enough to bend, and, standing to his full length
bent it before them, they realized that their hero and king
had res
turned.
The ideal of individual success, and the philosophy of rivalry
and competition which lies at its roots and foundation, Khalil Mutran pointed out, work out successfully for the few. For the majority
ot humanity it brings only disaster and ruin in its wake. For it is
obvious that while many may compete, only few are destined to succeed ; while all may run, only one wins the race.
And what about the huge number of those who compete and
do not succeed; what about the great majority who exert then
selves in the race, only to fall exhausted by the race-track? Are we
to overlook them, with a disdainful turn of the head as ignoble
failures unworthy of our attention? Are we to leave them behind
nursing their bruises and fatigues, while we press on unconcernedly tor the goalr
The similie would be apt if life were merely a race, and all
those engaged ,n it were racers. But life is too complex to be encompassed by one simile, too intricate for one magical formula to
cover it And besides, it is humanly and physically impossible to
ignore the large majority of humanity, and only concern ourselves
with our own fortune and destiny.
But it happens that in this
strange race of life, the strong owe their strength to the weak: they
are strong be«use the weak are weak. What one has, he has because
he has taken it from someone .who had it or is entitled to it. It is
therefore, sheer folly for the strong to think only of their strength!
and to pay no heed to the weakness of the weak. For that weakness
is the source of their strength.
More fitting than the beast of prey as a symbol of the strong in
the human race, is the shepherd who watches over his flock by nijht
and eads it to the green meadows and the still waters by day not
simply out of compassion, but because only thus does he ensure
he utmost efficiency and results from his sheep. The shepherd who
neglects his sheep, who looks only after his pleasure and comfort,
�iujiifrrhT'ni-Tiitl
40
THE SYRIAN WORLD
who abandons his sheep to the devouring wolves, to the heat of the
noontide and the cold of the night, finds at the end of the season
that his stock of wool and butter is dwindling, and that the sheep
which should give so much milk give less than they should. Practical sagacity dictates that he should be a good shepherd, unless he
is a hired shepherd, and the sheep do not know his voice. Even
then, a better shepherd is hired, and the careless shepherd goes begging for a job in foreign quarters where he is not known.
That is what is happening today in the pastures of Wall Street,
the stock markets and the marts of prodigious profits, where millions of poor sheep are milked and sheered, and then left by to starve
in the dark of poverty and distress. And these sheep, unlike the
dumb ones, have the power of speech and feelings. They can reason, ever so crudely and inarticulately, and their reasoning maychange them to devouring wolves who turn around and rend their
goading masters. Such things have heppened before our eyes in
other countries, and it is not inherently impossible, or even improbable that they may not happen in these American pastures of ours.
The whole question of "success" should be scrutinized more
carefully. Furthermore it should be so construed as to cover the
whole range of human nature. For today it is also true, as it was
two thousand years ago, and as it was from the beginning of time,
that man is not only the body, and happiness does not consist of
food and raiment, and man does not live by bread alone. If the
higher things of life are not taken into consideration, then success
itself is indeed a dismal failure, and the successful are the ones to
be pitied most.
When we think of the thousands who lost their fortunes, who
have become destitute after great riches, who have committed suicide because life proved so empty to them, because it meant to them
only material prosperity and pleasure, we are apt to utter the la
mention of the Hebrew prophet: How have the mighty fallen!
But let us not forget the nameless and countless millions who had
never risen above the level of mere subsistence to know what falline
6
means.
The giant may draw the bow of human energy to its utmost
and let the arrow fly to its farthest destiny, but time comes when
he bow snaps even in the hands of the giant, and the catastrophe
then is great And now the American giant stands with bowed head
bowed ,n shame and contemplation, with the bow broken in his
�JABLA IBN AL-AYHAM
The Story of a Christian King of the Ghassanide Arabs Who EmwZ\l ITT ^2? °f. °mar> A***
* ^cause His DignTty
Was Skghted at the Pilgrimage of Mecca, and Finally Retired I
Live in Constantinofie.
sulaCwaryi°W-0mm0n
beli6f
'
thG
Chris
«*n Arabs in the Arabian Penin-
an arrangement similar to that resorted to ny'thfTurks at er^"A t 7"
war with the Greeks, following the World War
and for*„! 1 Anatollan
sons. But there were manv rhr.;»t", warf and ±or muc,h the same reaPeninsula, who fTkedTlLm0JLt
' ifS "* "^ the Arabian
ious considerations or btauSe 0f fntel ctu^ convictlon
^l' "IT mw* fr°m "**"
ia! and social considerations rZ
,
> but rather for mater-rks of Moslem ^H ^^£Z^J^
* °» ff
tory. It is not here our purpose to ana W
* e7den<* to make it satisfacso much as to present ^2^^^^^^^ C°ntentS °f the ^>
sible mirror of the early days of Mam and tS
I,magaZme as a P1 '
Moslems and Christians of ZS S who I T?** relati°nS between
tions, tribal notions and affiHatLs 1oC'iaT ha t
?" Same radal tradi'
dents.—Editor.
anmations, social background and cultural antece-
A
S1*- ^b P"-s who ruled in Damascus
heart and haughty dignity
When Td
' * P Td
rU er of stout
'
�42
THE SYRIAN WORLD
empire waned from those lands, and the shadow of the cross receded
before the shadow of the crescent, many of the Christian princes and
their followers embraced Islam. Considering that to most people
religion is a traditional loyalty in which intellectual conviction plays
a very small, if not a negligible, part, and in view of the economic
advantages and great social prestige which accrued to the Arabs who
embraced the new, victorious religion, it was not surprising to find
Jabla, the Christian prince of Damascus, temporise on his religious
convictions and embrace Islam.
But Jabla soon discovered that he was mistaken in his mercenary and worldly calculations; that instead of enhancing his royal
prestige with the Moslem Arabs, he was invited to join a democratic
brotherhood in which every Moslem was looked upon as a brother
to every other Moslem, at least in theory, and often in practice.
Kingship and its trappings were foreign to the spirit of the new religion, often repulsive to those fanatic nomads who swept out of
Arabia, with hungry hawk eyes, riding on lean, swift steeds, to subjugate the effete and profligate armies of the heathen and polytheists to the simple, ascetic tenets of Mohammed the son of Abdullah, of the tribe of Qoreish, the first successful organizer of the
Arabs, the Arabian Prophet of Allah.
It might have been different, and our story would not have
been recorded, if Jabla had come fifty or a hundred years later,
when the Arabs had become inured to court life and to the pomp and
glamour of royalty, causing the edge of the democratic, ascetic zeal
of Islam to become somewhat dulled.
But it was Jabla's misfortune to have lived in the days of Omar,
the second Caliph of Islam. And Omar, of all the early protagonists of Islam was the most austere, the most upright and the most
democratic. Innumerable stories are related of his implacable justice and severe simplicity of life. And Omar took Islam very seriously, while Jabla conceived of it as a means to carry him still higher in social esteem and glory among the Arabs. It was inevitable
that the two ideals would soon clash, and that is what we are told
actually happened.
When Jabla declared his Islam, he wrote Omar informing him
of his desire to visit him. Omar was elated and wrote back welcoming him, and so, around the pilgrimage season, Jabla, with five hundred of his retainers and followers of the tribes of Ghassan and Akk,
proceeded to Medina, the first capital of Islam, where Omar had
his simple, nomadic court. And about two stages before Jabla's
mmm
�04AYy 1932
caravan was to arrive at Medina, he again wrote to Omar, and the
latter commanded that the people give him a fitting reception
Everybody m Medma had heard of the conversion of Jabla to £
am, and they were now anxious to see how a Ghassanide king looked
like, what he wore, and how he carried himself.
For the pomp
and glory of the Ghassanide court, as well as that of HL^Z
1
ry
thC kaSt
al
T ^oftl
«**»*«
with Islam
his nationrr Two
al Wu
iterature
the^
foremost Arab
poets before
AlthG
Sflbnll I??"
^
^
^
*** P-gySs of
y am
118 DamaSCUS C UrtS
Ibn ThaL ."I, ?
J
°
- Moreovef, Hassan
Ibn rhabit, the favoured panegyrist of Mohammed the Prophet
who had renounced heathenism and embraced Islam, was also the
beginner, Hassan had extemporized a magnificent poem in the praise
of Jabla so at least one literary tradition has it, in which he enu
merated the virtues of the royal clan of Jafna, gathered around the
tomb of their father, the son of Maria, their pompous cour^nDa
P
ffl Ua
mascus, their prodigous liberality.
~
a b
t0 ente A1 Medina
emissaries to
the
,
;king,
" with provisions
' °mar S£nt
et
the c~
convertedd °rn
Christian
and presents And
tha two hun dred of his picked me
ffiSTSE !
,
" *%* £*
best silken clothes and put on their complete armours.
He himself
r0yal r beS f PUrpk SUrmOU ted
cro^
" hh,!two
°
°
" down
^ hifrom
* beje"
w precious
crown, w
with
stones
that' had come
Maria
his royal ancestress. The blooded steeds of Jabla and his men were
CaPa
mLotsgnThently
Tn.Cd Wkh g°ld
gr
med thC r yal Part
La
°°
'
°
d
f
^, th 171 tS
>' ° Jabla «oved into Me
No wonder, then as chroniclers of those days tell us there was
not a single unmarried or married woman in Medina but adorned
herself in her best clothes and ornaments and went ou ^
ent0U a ge fr
DamaSCUS and l00k at
stvler1tt
; ff
°Tfrom
' thev hid PWP
^eir po^ouJ
styles. It was so different
anything
a out which they had only read or held SffillLTpo^
of praise dedicated to the royal houses of the ri,,.
J P ?
Mundhirites of Al-Hira.
Ghassanides or the
Omar welcomed Jabla as befitted his royal rank and prestige
He drew him near to him, and was elated at heart at this mora v!c
ory of Islam, which had won to it a Christian Arab kng
of suchn
&
lame and renown.
Then on the pilgrimage day, Omar wanted to lead the pilgrims
�Tusmmr-
44
.»
THE SYRIAN WORLD
in the circumambulation of Al-Kaaba, the sacred stone of Al-Haram
enclosure, and he invited Jabla to accompany him. One of the ceremonies of the circumambulation (tawaf) was to discard one's ordinary clothes and that all pilgrims dress alike in a loose, white
wrapper or shroud. Jabla in compliance with the prescribed custom
discarded his regal robes and put on the white izar. On that day,
in the august presence of the sacred Kaaba, all were alike before the
sight of Allah. There was no great or small, no high or low, no
nobleman or serf. All alike were brethren in Islam. Jabla complied with the outward ceremony, but at heart his proud nature rebelled against it. He was a king, and he wanted everyone to know
it. The idea of dressing like the rest of the rabble, sawaqa, ruffled
him. But he said nothing, seeing that the Caliph Omar himself, the
Prince of all the Believers, commander of the armies of the faithful that had conquered all the lands between Asphahan and the
Cataracts of the Nile, was himself dressed in the same simple fashion, like the humblest of his subjects.
It was a memorable pilgrimage, and thousands were pressing
for the ceremony of the circumambulation. The crowd was immense, the Kaaba was congested. And it happened that while Jabla
was moving slowly in the procession, a man of the tribe of Fizara
stepped on the king's garment, and it got loose. Jabla turned angrily to the man and struck him on the face, bruising his nose.
The Fizara man went to Omar and made a complaint against
Jabla, and Omar sent for Jabla and enquired of the incident. Jabla
still angry at the uncouth conduct of a mere subject, corroborated
the story, adding:
"O Prince of the Believers, he did purposely intend to unloosen my wrap. And if it were not for the respect of Al-Kaaba I
would have cloven his face with this sword of mine."
To this Omar calmly replied: "Verily you have confessed. Now
either satisfy the man, or I shall take his side against you."
"And what will you do in the latter case?" anxiously asked
Jabla.
"I shall have your nose bruised, as you bruised the man's nose."
This was beyond Jabla's comprehension.
"How so, O Prince of the Believers", he protested, "when he
is one of the rabble and I am a king?"
To which Omar replied: "Yea, Islam has made you equal.
Verily you have no preference over him except in righteousness and
well-being."
�v
MAY, 1932
45
"I thought", objected Jabla, "that in Islam I would be more
honorable than I was in my pre-Islamic days."
"Let that alone", retorted Omar, "for if you do not satisfy
the man, I shall surely exact the strictest penalty from you."
"Then I would turn to Christianity again", finally threatened
Jabla.
But that was not to move the implacable Omar, who merely
replied:
"Then I would strike off your head. For you would then be
considered an apostate, and death is the punishment of apostasy."
Jabla was cornered. He requested a respite of Omar till the
next day, which Omar granted.
But during that very night, when all the people of Medina
were asleep, Jabla and his men pitched off and stole out of the city
It is further related that, years later, in the reign of Mauwiyah
who was much more worldly and diplomatic than Omar, Jabla, who
had taken refuge in the Byzantine court of Constantinople, was approached by a messenger of the Umayyad caliph and invited to return to Damascus, where he would be given as fief all the famouOnuta. But Jabla refused, and died a Christian and an exile
A LEBANESE ORIENTALIST
A modest Maronite priest who has quietly devoted himself to
a lite of study and research has been pointed out in a recent article
in Al-Basir as one of the outstanding Orientalists in Europe.
Mons^ Michael Faggali officially is the nuncio or vicar of the
Maronite Patriarch in Paris. But in an unofficial, and to the world
at large a more important sense, he is a learned scholar, a lecturer
on Arabic literature in the University of Bordeaux and a fellow in
the Oriental School of Paris, which is attended by hundreds of the
diplomatic corps and others for a thorough training in Oriental
languages, literatures and cultures.
On various occasions Mons. Faggali was sent on scientific missions to Moroco, and was the official French delegate to the Orientalistic congress recently held in Holland
�46
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Od,
CONSTITUTION IN LEBANON SUSPENDED
Presidential Election Crisis Leads to Drastic Action By High Commissioner—Ministry Dismissed and Government Conducted by
Bureaus Under Direction of President.
pOR A LONG time the political issue in Lebanon has been hanging
fire. There were gathering clouds that threatened to break out
any moment into a violent storm. It was only a question of time
when the elements would loosen themselves and give vent to mounting and impounded reactions against evils which cried loud to heaven
for redress, and which everybody decried but apparently could not
correct.
It was, therefore, hardly surprising when Havas cabled from
Beirut on May 9 that the High Commissioner, M. Henri Ponsot,
had announced officially the partial suspension of the Lebanese Constitution, promulgated on May 22, 1926, the suppression of numerous offices in the native government and drastic retrenchment in public expenditures, until a satisfactory revision is made in the said constitution before it is resubmitted to the League of Nations.
There was a rumor at first, based on some cables from Beirut
that M. Ponsot had annulled the constitution, following the same
course he had pursued in the case of the Syrian Government in Damascus in 1928, as a consequence of the intransigence of Syrian nationalists and their refusal to withdraw the six objectionable articles
in the Syrian constitution. But it appears from later communications and reports in the Syrian and Lebanese press lately reaching
this country, that the step which M. Ponsot has taken was in response
to deep-set criticism of the flagrant extravagance in the Lebanese
Government, made necessary by the grandiose and elaborate governmental machinery of a country hardly larger than Vermont, and
much poorer in natural resources and industrial development There
might also have been a political reason for the sudden decision of
M Ponsot to take the executive reins into his own hands The rivalry for the office of president had gone so far, and had become
so bitter, that it was creating a political crisis.
The Mandatory
^H
of the
al
�ddAY% 1932
PRESIDENT CHARLES DABBAS
of the Republic of Lebanon, Who Has Been Appointed Provision
4 Execute During the Suspension of theConstiuZ
47
�48
THE SYRIAN WORLD
power seems to have made up its mind that the coming President
of the Lebanese Republic should be a Maronite. There was little
opposition to this desire until His Eminence Shaykh Mohammed alJisr, President of the Lebanese Parliament, announced his candidacy
on behalf of the different Moslem sects, supported by some Christian factions. It is said that the French authorities intimated to Mohammed al-Jisr that his candidacy would be regarded unfavourably
by them, and that it is the decided policy of both the French authorities in Paris and in Beirut to effect an election of a Maronite
president for the coming term, pince the Maronites, as the largest
sectarian group in Lebanon, are entitled to this honor.
It appears that Mohammed Al-Jisr had persisted in his determination to
run for the presidency, and the Mandatory authorities were faced
by an impasse, from which there was no logical or legal exit except
by the temporary suspension of the Lebanese constitution.
Of this latter surmise there is no indication in the official communique suspending the Lebanese Parliament and holding the Lebanese constitution in abeyance. Only the economic motive is put
forth and emphasized. The communique follows:
"Article 90 of the Constitution of the Lebanese Republic declares that the powers approved in this constitution may be executed subject to the rights and duties of the Mandatory Power constituted in accordance with Article 22 of the League of Nations
Covenant and with the Mandatory Convention.
"Now, whereas the economic crisis which threatens the finances
of Lebanon has created a strong tendency and desire to revise the
constitution and put it in such form as will lighten the burden of
the taxpayer, after it appeared that it is too onerous and expensive
in view of the resources of the country,
"And whereas this wish is in line with the observations made
public by the League of Nations in June 1931, at the 20th convention of the Permanent Mandatory Commission,
"And whereas the need for the realization of these observations
has become more urgent because of the world crisis, which will not
pass away without affecting Lebanon,
"And whereas this condition has become especially clear before
an election which should have taken place in a way calculated to assure and establish order for a new period of six years, with the postponement of necessary reforms to some other time,
"And whereas in time of necessity it is incumbent on the Mandatory Government to assume responsibility for immediate means
�MAY, 1932
49
with due consideration of the interests of the country, which is the
essential object of the mandate, providing that it will give an account
thereof to the League of Nations, in accordance with Article 17 of
the Mandatory Convention,
"Be it therefore decreed:
"Article one—That the enforcement of the Lebanese Constitution, in what relates to both the legislative and executive branches of
government, is hereby temporarily suspended.
"Article two—That in this transitional interval the president
of the government, appointed by a decree of the High Commissioner, shall undertake the executive duties, with the assistance of
the Mandatory Power. The president shall have the support of a
council comprised of the heads of the government departments.
"Article three—That the government functions shall remain
as before distributed among the departments of justice, interior, public works, education, agriculture, public health and public relief.
With this council there will be technical advisors and competent experts.
"Article Four—That the President of the Government has the
right to issue legislative decrees in this transitional period which relate to the balancing of the budget, according to the opinion of the
Council of Directors. These measures, on approval of the High
Commissioner, will become executable law, and this statute shall become effective from the day of its publication."
Subsequently M. Ponsot by decree appointed M. Charles Dabbas, the former president, President of the temporary government,
in accordance with the above articles.
< Receiving the Hon. Mohammed Al-Jisr, President of the Legislative Assembly, and other Representatives, the High Commissioner informed them formally of the measures taken explaining
that the pressing economic crisis and the clamor of the people for
reform have constrained him to take these extraordinary measures.
The after effect of the Lebanese upheaval could be described
at a state of high elation and unbounded optimism, tempered in some
responsible quarters with a cautious and watchful outlook on the
future. On the whole, it may be said that the common people, the
oppressed tax-payers who had to foot the bill for the extravagant
style in which the Representative Assembly and the native government lived, were almost bitter and vindictive in their denunciation of
the discredited representatives and rulers.
Almost in a spirit of rebuke Al-Bashir, which considers the pre-
�50
THE SYRIAN WORLD
sent Lebanese upturn a form of dictatorship, declares editorially that
the suspension of the constitution and of the representative government should have been received in a different spirit than that of rejoicing, because the Lebanese are a liberty loving people by instinct,
and because the republican form of government had many supporters who asked for it and still want it. Nevertheless it was at the
request of the people themselves that the present order supplanted
the constitutional one. The important thing now is to demand the
execution of that measure of justice and economic relief which the
present regime promised. Towards this end Al-Bashir suggests that
the government make a survey of conditions in the country that its
reforms may be of general application to all Lebanon, and not be
satisfied with reforms in Beirut and environs.
In quite a different vein Lisan Ul-Hal warns the public against
undue optimism, and takes the voters to task for their vindictive attitude towards the deposed representatives. Heading the article
with the strange title, "Mary Magdalene and Judas Iscariot", Lisan Ul-Hal says that it is excusable and understandable to cry out,
as the populace has done. "Let the sinner be stoned, let the traitor
be hanged on a wood." But it is also a measure of caution and wisdom to remember that whereas in the former regime we knew where
the money from our taxes went, today we face a dictatorial government which collects these taxes and spends them without any supervision by representatives of the people. The editor gives expression to his misgivings that one man, even as upright and highminded as Hon. Charles Dabbas, could guarantee the equitable collection of taxes and their distribution among the different districts
of Lebanon.
The same paper published an interview by President Dabbas
himself with one of its editors, Zaydan Zaydan, in which he assured
the people that his government had already taken steps for effecting
drastic economy in the salary of the officials and the budgets of the
various departments. The President, setting a good example to
others, reduced his own salary 33%. Similar reductions are contemplated for other officials, especially high ones, while safeguarding the interests of smaller officials.
But now that the blow has fallen and a program of economy
sefcms imperative the native press is crying out that salary cuts
should not be confined to native officials to the exclusiin of the highly paid French advisers. But so far no action is known to have been
taken affecting the latter suggestion.
-
�MAY, 1932
51
TTTF
SYRIAN WORLD
NEWS SECTION
VOL. VI, NO. 8
SYRIANS OF BOSTON
PRESENT SYMBOLIC PAINTING
From a Special Correspondent
A memorable gathering of Syrians,
Lebanese and Americans witnessed a
ceremony in which the loyalty and
patriotism of our fellow countrymen
in this country were given beautiful
expression.
At the suggestion of Mrs. Anna C.
M. Tillinghast, Commissioner of Immigration in New England, American
citizens of Lebanese and Syrian descent presented a symbolic painting
to be hung in the immigration office
in Boston, following the example of
other nationalities.
Accordingly on Sunday, May 15, at
2 P. M., a large group of Lebanese
and Syrian citizens met in the John J.
Williams Auditorium on Shawmut
Ave. and West Brookline Street, Boston, for the ceremony of presenting
their gift.
The picture, a creation of Carin
Elias Rihbany, architect and artist
graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, emphasizes the influence of Christianity on American
freedom and civilization In the foreground, at right, is a representation of
the landing of the Pilgrim Fathers,
to the left Abraham Lincoln emancipating the slaves and in the centre
an outline of a Phoenician ship, suggesting the evolution of a huge trans-
MAY, 1932
Atlantic steamer. While in the background the majest;c figure of Christ,
with outstretched arms, is rising out
of the clouds and blessing the scene
before him.
Mr. Salloum Mokarzel, editor of the
Syrian World, was invited espec;ally
from New York to give the principal
address at the presentation ceremony.
He spoke first in English and then, in
compl;ance with a request from the
audience, in their native tongue.
The chairman of the meeting was
Mr. Elias F. Shamon, a prominent
Lebanese lawyer and public figure of
Boston. Before introducing the editor
of the Syrian World, he asked for a
standing tribute of silence in memory
of the departed leader, N. A. Mokarzel.
The speakers included Miss
Edna K. Saloomey of Milford, Conn.,
who was accorded the honor of making the presentation on behalf of the
Lebanese and Syrians of Massachusetts to the Commissioner. Miss Saloomey is the editor of Our Younger
Generation Department in the Syrian
World.
Her speech was warmly applauded.
A presentation of a beautiful basket
of flowers by Miss Frances Bousard,
President of the Junior Auxiliary of
the St. George Ladies Society to Mrs.
Tillinghast followed. Other speakers
were: Mrs. Margaret Leon, President
of the Syrian Ladies Aid Society;
Agatha Gabaily, representing St-
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
George Ladies Society; Richard Saba,
representing St. George Antiochian
Society; Fred Assad, representing the
Syrian Melchite Society; Miss Lena
Haddad, representing the Syrian Ladies Melchite Sodality; Joseph Thomas, representing the Young Men's
Syrian Association of Norwood; Mr.
George Shagoury, lawyer, representing the Caravaneers Club and Elias
J. Michael, representing the Mass.
Syrian Association of American Citizens.
Among the guests of honor were:
Hon. Anna C. M. Tillinghast; Hon.
William Sterling Youngman, Lieutenant Governor; Hon. Gaspar C. Bacon,
President of the Massachusetts Senate; Hon. Leverett Saltonstill, Speaker
of the Massachusetts House of Representatives; Major Judson Hannigan, President of the Republican Club
of Massachusetts; Shukry Khoury;
Wadie Shakir, Syrian editor of Boston and Dr. Nasim A. Khouri.
Prominent visitors included Mr. Joseph Kaheel, Syrian artist and portrait painter of Portland, Maine; Attorney Michael Aboodeely of Worcester, Mass., and Attorney John A. Ganem of Lawrence, Mass., whose presence testified to the true spirit of
cooperation and patriotism among our
people.
Musical entertainment was supplied
by a forty-piece band of the James C.
Shea Post, American Legion. Midhat
Serbagi rendered solos in French and
Italian, while Salem H. Ataya sang
the Syrian National anthem in Arabic- Thomas Malouf played the lute,
and Nassour Abraham rendered a lyric in Arabic. Popular numbers were
sung Dy Crandon Samya and Miss
bcphie Jurdak, accompanied by Miss
Marion Thayer Hiltz.
Commissioner Tillinghast and other
prominent visitors were guests at dinner of Mr. Philip and Miss Rose Maloof at their home in Bay State Rd.
SYRIANS RECEIVE PRAISE
FROM AMERICAN PAPER
The Syrian American Club of Jacksonville, Fla., celebrated its twentieth
anniversary the last week of May.
A feature of the program was a speech
given over the radio by Mr- Joseph
K. David, prominent Syrian of that
city and popular among Syrians and
Americans alike. Mr. David stressed
m his speech the loyalty and devotion of American citizens of Syrian
extraction to; the country of their
adoption.
Commenting on this speech, the
Jacksonville American, a weekly, said:
"One of the finest utterances on
Americanism and what it can mean
to people of foreign birth was J. K.
David's recent radio address on the
occasion of the 20th anniversary of
the Syrian-American Club held recently in this city.
"Mr. David's remarks breathe the
purest patriotism and devotion to the
country which has adopted him and so
many 0f his countrymen. It should
serve as an inspiration and guide to
all Americans, who in these times of
stress find their faith slipping and
their love for country weakening.
"The really significant thing to remember is that these people exemplify
m their daily lives the aspirations
which Mr. David has so fittingly described. They are a people of good
morals, of keen business ability, of
sterling integrity, of high ethics, who
look upon their citizenship as a rare
privilege, to be expressed in all movements for the public good. America
and American institutions will be forever safe at the hands of such as
they."
AMERICAN FIRM GETS
SYRIAN PIPE ORDER
The McKeesport National Tube Co.
of Pittsburgh, Pa., recently received
�MAY, 1932
5$
an order for 8,000 tons of seamless
tubings to be used in the construction
of a 1,300-mile pipe line, said to be
the longest in the world, to be built
from the Tigris River, on the MDSUI
borders, to Syrian and Palestinian
ports on the Mediterranean Sea.
SYRIANS OF ST. PAUL
HOLD ENTERTAINMENT
A varied and lively program was that
of the entertainment and dance given
last month in Saint Paul, Minn., for
the benefit of St. George Syrian Orthodox Church of that city.
The affair was under the direction
of Miss Lamese Hamati whose father
Rev E- M- Hamati, pastor of the
church, opened it with a speech of
welcome- A one-act play, "The Rich
Economist" in Arabic, was given as
well as musical selections in English
and Arabic, followed by a dance.
Those appearing on the program
were Miss Lamese Hamati, Albert
Abdella, Jim Hafiz, Mrs- Milhim Farah, Sam Owen, Michael Hafiz, Johnny Zien, Albert Jerry, William Ziton,
Misses Louise and Catherine Hanna,
Miss Evelyn Haddad and Miss Elma
Owen.
YOUTH HAS GREAT
SCHOLASTIC RECORD
The Times, of Palm Beach, Fla.. in
its issue of May 20, published the folowmg account of the brilliant scholastic record of a Lebanese boy of
that city.
"Young Joanna Xenos of Chicago,
who went through the eight grades of
grammar school in two years, has a
rival here. He is Elias Chalhub, 16year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. John
Chalhub of 1156 Elizabeth Street
A little over five years ago Elias
came over from Havana and started
in the first grade. He could not even
speak the English language, much less
read and write it. He had had three
years of schooling in Havana—all in
Spanish.
"Elias spent only two weeks in the
first grade here. Then he skipped
to the fifth, where he spent two months
before going to the sixth. After three
months there he went into the seventh
grade where he spent a year, after
which six months in the eighth grade
brought him into high school for three
and a half years and will graduate
next month.
J7h^ he h°Pes t0
and study medicine."
g0
t0
Harvard
RIOTS BETWEEN ARABS
AND JEWS IN YEMEN
Sixty persons were injured in communal riots that took place on May
25 when Arabs attacked Jewish inCrater district
Aden
/ S thG
of
Aden, Arabia,
according to an As-
sociated Press despatch.
The riots resulted when Arabs accused Yemenite Jews of defiling a Mosem mosque. Jewish shops were looted,
the attackers hurling stones and
bottles at the occupants. Armoured
cars patted the quarter, and a newly
formed force of armed police, mostly
Arabs, quieted the rioters. The s^tua
t">n remained tense, and more than
PaStddS6848
WerC made the
'
*»
ARMENIAN IMMIGRANTS
MOVE TO NEW HOMES
The number of Armenian immigrants and refugees in Lebanon and
Syria has been estimated in an official
report of the French Mandatory Government at 130,000. Of those about
�m
THE SYRIAN WORLD
90,000 have already moved from their
ramshackle wooden slums to permanent stone homes, erected through
grants from the American Near East
Relief Fund and the League of Nations, It is stipulated in these grants
that Armenian occupants shall pay
for their new homes on the installment basis over a period of ten years.
The chief locations of Armenian concentration are Aleppo, Beirut, Horns,
Hama and Tripoli.
It is said that Armenians have given
names to their new permanent settlements after the cities of their origin,
e- g., the Marash Settlement, the
Adana Settlement etc
WHO IS IBRAHIM PASHA?
A Lesson in History to Young Syrians
If you are among those fortunate
ones who have old-fashioned Syrian
parents or relatives, you may occas;onally hear them allude in their conversations and remhr'scences of old
times in Syria or Lebanon to a certain "Ibrahim Pasha." And if you are
inquisitive enough to ask: "Who is
this Ibrahim Pasha?", do not be annoyed or exasperated if they look at
you askance and say: "Don't you know
who Ibrahim Pasha is; What then do
they teach you in school?" For verily
knowledge or ignorance are relative
terms, and to the Syrians and Lebanese Ibrahim Pasha has as much
right to be remembered as George
Washington or Thomas Jefferson. Only history so willed it that these succeeded and Ibrahim Pasha failed.
And now to wise you up on Ibrahim Pasha so you would not look so
foolish to your old man or your grand
dad,
Ibrahim Pasha was the son of Mohammed Ali Pasha, founder of mod-
ern Egypt and its first Khedive, Mohammed Ali Pasha had great aspirations. Nominally he was the military
governor of Egypt on behalf of the
Sublime Porte (the Ottoman Sultan),
but secretly he harboured ambitions
of independence and reform. He was
commanded to fight the Wahhabis in
Arabia, and for that purpose sent his
son Ibrahim at the head of a great
military expedition. Once the Wahhabis were subdued, however, Ibrahim Pasha, at the instigation of his
father, started on a campaign of conquest in Syria and Lebanon. His military success was so great and swift
that he drove the forces of the Sultan to the heart of Anatolia. His able
ally was Emir Bashir Al-Shihabi, famous ruler of Lebanon at that time-During the brief period that Ibrahim Pasha held sway in Syria his rule
was a model of justice and efficiency.
Syria never saw a more prosperous
time, and to the present day we call
money in the Syrian vernacular "masari", i.e. Egyptian coins, a reference
to the time when Egyptian money was
so plentiful in the land, and to the
prosperity which came in the wake of
Ibrahim Pasha's invasion.
Many fclk tales and anecdotes about
Ibrahim Pasha are still current among
the people of Syria -and Lebanon, who
have never forgotten the golden age
of justice and equality among people
which he initiated, and often do they
end the recital of those tales and anecdotes with the expression, "sa'allah 'ala iyyam Ibrahim Pasha", (wish
that the days of Ibrahim Pasha would
return)!
And now we fancy some youngester
ask, "but why tell us of Ibrahim Pasha
now; what is the occasion?"
The answer, dear youngster, is that
this is the one-hundredth anniversary
of his invasion of Syria, which took
place in 1832.
�li
MAY, 1932
IRISH EARRINGS IN GAZA
LAID TO PHOENICIANS
Syrian Writer Cites Authorities to
Prove Contention That Phoenicians
Traded With Ireland as Early as
1400 B: C:
A dispatch to the New York Times
from London stated that Sir Flinders
Petrie, upon his return to London
May 13, announced the d;scovery of
primitive gold earrings "probably of
Irish origin," on the site of the ancient Gaza in Palestine. The earrings,
two bent sticks of gold soldered together to resemble a flattened letter
X, are of a pattern on which gold ornaments previously had been found in
Ireland, England and the site of ancient Troy. They date from 1400 B:
C, about the time of the fall of Jericho .
Commenting on the above discovery,
Rev. W. A. Mansur, of Winiside,
Neb., and well known to readers of
the Syrian World, wrote to the New
York Times under date of May 30 as
follows:
The news item in a recent issue of
The New York Times, regard;ng the
primitive gold earrings found by Sir
Flinders Petrie on the site of ancient
Gaza in Palestine, will prove after
careful study to be very important.
That they may be of "Irish origin"
is* the part that will bring to the attention of historians the relation of
Ireland to the ancient peoples of the
Mediterranean Sea.
May I bring to the attention of your
readers some significant thoughts on
the possible relation of Ireland in ancient times to those who possibly first
discovered the island? The following
quotation is taken from Justin McCarthy's book
"Ireland, and Hjer
Story:" I believe it will interest your
readers.
55
"As the child is the father of the
man, so the legend is the parent of
the history. If we would understand
the story of a nation we must begin
by a study of its legendary lore. We
cannot thoroughly comprehend the
character of a people unless we have
made ourselves well acquainted with
the legendary forms that people has
accepted as the pictures of its progenitors .
"One of the most characteris!£c
legends in the earliest history of Ireland is that which tells us the island
was originally peopled by some race
who came from an eastern climate to
the small island lying to the west of
Great Britain. This theory has no. thing inherently improbable in it,
seeing that mankind in its earliest
and most unsettled days was much
given to wandering.
"The natives of Phoenicia, on the
coast of Syria, were among the earliest and most famous navigators and
traders known to the antique world,
and were always wandering in search
of new homes and founding new colonies. Between the nineteenth and thirteenth centuries before Christ they
established many colonies along the
shores of the Mediterranean, and are
believed to have spread their settlements so far as the British islands.
One of the favorite theories of early
Irish history is that they alighted upon Ireland and were the first strangers
who made a home there."
This find by Sir Flinders Petrie will
cause us to restudy the history of the
Phoenicians. George Rawlinson's "The
Story of Phoenicia" is one of the best
on the subject.
The Phoenicians brought the ends
of the world, the world surrounding
the Mediterranean Sea, together.
Their civilizing influence was their
great contribution to mankind.
My opinion is that further study of
�56
the gold earr'ngs will probably convince us that Phoenician traders
brought these from Ireland.
W. A. Mansur
Winside, Neb:, May 30, 1932.
ALL QUIET ON
THE SYRIAN FRONT?
"No news is good news", says the
English proverb, but in polit:cs this is
often the reverse. Lack of news
then becomes an ominous sign of
sinister forces working under cover
before they spring their surprse on
the unsuspecting public. We wonder
if that is the case in the Syrian situation, about wh:ch we find so little
aside of hazy allusions and innuendo
in the Arabic press.
Legally Syria has had an election,
and by all legal precedents the elected
representatives should have convened
right after the election to choose a
president of the Syrian Republic from
among them. But nothing of this sort
has taken place, and Syria today is
without a representative government
to translate the wishes of those who
elected them into legislation, and
without an executive head to carry
out this legislation into actuality. In
fact Syr'a is governed today directly
by the French Mandatory authorities,
through officials appointed by the
French High Commissioner.
This situation 'has not failed to
create an atmosphere of anxiety and
unrest, not to say suspicion, among
pclitically-minded national:sts in Syria. It was rumored, and this rumor
has been reflected in many an article
in the Syrian press, that M. Henr
Ponsot, in view of the drastic steps
he was compelled to take in Lebanon
to save it from an orgy of economic
catastrophe and balance its budget for
the coming year, nrght take a similar step in Syria. But in this latter
THE SYRIAN WORLD
case the impasse is not so much economic as political. It was with reluctance, long-drawn negotiations, political bargaining, wire-pulling and,
some claim, int'midation and highhanded measures, that the Syrian elections were finally conceded. The Mandatory was loathe to hand over the
power to recalcitrant nationalists who
were out of sympathy with its policy,
and were stubbornly insistent on carrying out to the full the program of
the Nationalist Cartel. A compromise
was understood to have been reached,
and some moderate nationalists favorable to the French, were elected in
Aleppo, Horns and Damascus. It was
thought that that would remove the
;
mpasse and sever the Gcrdian knot of
Syrian politics. But evidently it has
not. It seems that either the Mandatory has not been quite satisfied
with the Nationalists' guarantee, or
that the Nationalists are too cautious
and intransigent in their demands.
The trouble, as it seems evident, is
that there is not enough mutual confidence between the Syrian Nationalists and the Mandatory.
ITALIAN FLOTILLA
VISITS BEIRUT
In the last week of April Beirut was
agog with excitement over the v;sit of
an Italian flotilla to its waters.
Among the large crowds who viewed
the Italian ships, or welcomed the
Italian admiral and h-'s men, were
many who remember another visit of
Italian war vessels which created a
different kind of excitement, and was
by no means welcome. That took place
in the spring of 1912 when Italy was
at war with Turkey over Tripolitania,
in Northern Africa.
Two Italian
cruisers accompanied by some destroyers, suddenly attacked Be:rut,
and sank two Turkis'h vessels of war
�MAY, 1932
and fired a few bombshells on the
defenseless city, creating considerable
damage and some less of life.
SYRIAN REVOLUTIONISTS
APPEAL FOR ASSISTANCE
The remnant of the Syrian revolutionists, numbering about 3000, including men, women and children, who
'have retracted to Wadi-1-Sirhan, on
the borders of Transjordania and
Nejd, are said to have been reduced
to the last extremity of need.
For seven years those brave and
unyielding warriors, with the colorful figure of Sultan Pasha Al-Atrash
at their head, have turned down one
plea after another to throw down their
arms and surrender to the French
authorities. Amnesty and repatriation were pronrsed them, but they
held before them single-mindedly one
object, from which they swerved not
a hair's breadth to right cr left. That
object is the complete and unconditional independence of the Syr:an nation .
During these seven years, the "heroes of the Syrian revolution" have
depended for their subsistence on the
voluntary contributions of patr:otic
countrymen, mostly those of them who
-.re in the United States, and thousands of dollars were remitted each
year to the Mujahideen of the Desert.
But the economic depression which
touched the pocket of every businessman and wage-earner ;n this country
has had its far-reaching effect on those
"Strugglers" also.
In a recent appeal published in AlBayan, a pitiable state of dire need
and poverty from which those unyielding revolutionists now suffer, is graphically described by Ajjaj Nuweihid,
Secretary of the High Islamic Council
of Jerusalem, who has acted as in-
57
termediary in transmitting relief to
the desert heroes. The appeal is
broadcast to all friends and sym,pathisers of the former revolutionists
that they may not forget them now in
their times of greatest suffering and
stress: The suggestion is made that
monthly remittances be sent that a
steady relief may be depended upon
to secure the bare subsistence of those
needy warriors.
COMMUNIST ORGANIZATION
DISCOVERED IN ALEPPO
From time to time we hear of communistic activities and plcts unearthed
in Syria: The latest of these, according to a dispatch to Aleph-Ba (Damascus) from Aleppo, came to light
with the arrest of an Aleppian laborer called Samuel, who was discovered hanging a red flag on a telephone post in a suburb of the city.
Under police pressure the laborer devulged the names of his colleagues.
From their names it appears that the
Aleppo communistic organization is
composed of Armenian communists
acting independently cf other Syrian
or Lebanese organizations, but with
evident affiliation and communication
with Moscow.
Inflammatory literature in Armenian was found at the headquarters of
the organization, as well as propaganda paraphernalia, such as a gelatine press, pamphlets, emblems etc.
The arrest also brought to light the
strange, activities of a certain Badi'
Ibn Al-Hajj Sabri, who calls himself
Karimoff, and who is counted among
the most versatile and dangerous Syrian comnrunrstic workers. It is said
that he made extensive travels, with
falsified passports, through Italy,
Austria and Turkey, whence he came'
to Beirut, where he carried on his
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
58
activities under cover. In Beirut he
met an Armenian rebel against the
social order, Moses Gazirian, whom
Karimoff persuaded to go to Aleppo
and form a communistic organ;zation
there. Comrade Karimoff is accredited with fluent knowledge of the
Turkish, French, German, Russian,
Italian and Spanish languages, bes:des
Arabic, his mother tongue!
BENEFIT PLAY GIVEN
IN TORRINGTON, CONN:
"Oh Maw-th-er!," a four act comedy
drama written and directed by David
W. Narsiff of Torrington, Conn, was
well presented at Rialto hall the evening of May 24, and was appreciatively received by a large audience. The
proceeds were for the benefit of St.
Maron's church.
Entertainment numbers were presented between the acts, including
Oriental dancing by Miss Dabine
George; dancing by Dante and Mayo;
and vocal and guitar numbers by
Charles Favali, New York vaudeville
star. A sociable, with music by Koury's Majest'c Orchestra, followed the
performance.
George J. Ganem served as master of ceremonies, and brief remarks
were made by the author, Mr. Narsiff,
and the Rev. Paul Abi-Rezk, pastor
of St. Maron's church, who expressed
appreciation to all who had helped
make the event a success.
The cast of characters included
Daniel Cimmino, Joseplrne Haddad,
Alice Stevens, Anthony George, Ramon Cervilla, Frances Joseph, Josephine Narsiff, Etalo Bredice, Dabine Georye, M:ke Karam, Louis Ganem, Joseph Vercillini, Roger Neri,
Stlomon Narsiff, George George, Joseph Azar and David W. Narsiff. The
usherettes were Eileen Sark's, Whadia Narsiff and Lillian Stevens.
J
YOUR SUMMER READING
Among books you are taking with you to your summer resort do not fail to include, "OTHER ARABIAN
NIGHTS" and "ARABIAN ROMANCES AND
FOLK-TALES", by H. I. Katibah, both published by
Charles Scribner's Sons and beautifully illustrated by the
artist William Berger. Thousands of American children
and adults have enjoyed the quaint charm, whimsicality
and subtle wisdom of these Oriental tales. They are tales
about your own country and people by one who knows
them.
If you have read them you would certainly like to
make presents of them to friends. Order them through
this magazine.
—
<
�MA Yt1932
59
Gibran's Message
To Young Americans of SyrianOrigin
By G. K.
GIBRAN
Author of "The Trophel'1
"Jrsus the Son of Atari,"
Th. S,run W«Ui
lumimi i
Ttu Srri
I believe in you. and I believe in yout destiny.
I believe that you are contributors to this new civilization.
I believe that you have inherited from your forefathers an ancient dream, a sons a orooh
ecy. wh,ch you can proudly lay as a gift of gratitude upon the lap of America^
' W
tree vj
bt ieVC y U
'
TfM-
f Und ! f thiS gr
° "", 2 f, r""
- "'
WCre
m °he hi"S °f Uban
n y«""">m d'""' » '">•d> youth. . young
"
° *
" °
° - " ' ' «^ <°°« ""S and I Zld
,„„,., /"d I,bclievJ ,h-« V°u c« say to Abraham Lincoln, the blessed. "Jesus of Nazareth
touched you. hp, when you spoke, and guided your hand when you wrote: and I shall uX
d
P
all that you have said and all that you have written."
blood J !£"" ^ T°U "" "* ?
EmerSOn ,nd Whitnun
>nd J* »- "I» m »« « runs the
n.tmetrmpry^l"'" " * ^ " ^^«-»--Vou a^i rLve. but 1^
Here to ^J^^rl^T" » » *- * -—» ^hes. you were born
And 1 believe that it is in you to be good citizens.
And what is it to be a good citizen?
conscious of rurkon;:,ed8t "* "^ ^^ ^
M
°" ""^
yOU
' "* b"< «*»* » * .
.o .he oth;: TJi'(z£:zht and dred-but " is au° to kn°w *>< ^«-—»-**
It is to create the useful and the beautiful with your own hands, and to admire what others
have created in love and with faith.
aomire wnat otners
.I..-, ,}\" '" P^" Wea'th bV J2*?' a"d °n'y by Iabor- and to $I*nd " '"an you have produced that your chtldren may not be dependent on the state for support when you are no more.
It is to stand before the towers of New York. Washington. Chicago and San Francisco
bui ded D
d
?vregand
ands7
H' Annoch.
2 Zf".and
T^T
I ""*"<
Pwith
' you. and
"<K
Tyre
Sidon. and
now I am*here
to build
with a»will."
It is to be proud of being an American, but it is also to be proud that your fathers and
mothers cam. from a land upon which God laid His gracious hand and raised HUm"
Young Americans of Syrian origin. I believe in you.
FREE TO SYRIAN WORLD SUBSCRIBERS. This beautiful message by
5! Z*
VM
With
Sent T<S
with Sept
1931
J P?ted
in large type
EVGry PAI
°n
heay
y PflPer
with
ornament-
SUbSCriber Wh0Se te
be
J^T*'
^
is entitled
to a copy, mailed° in heavy cardboard tube. Subscribers whose term begins before Sept. 1931 may secure a copy by renewal
'
�60
THE SYRIAN WORLD
S
PME.NT OF THE OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT. CIRCULATION
m The Syrian World, published monthly at New York, N. Y., April 1. 1932
STATE OP NEW YORK
COUNTY OP 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 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, 1912, 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 A. Mokarzel,
104 Greenwich Street.
Editor, Salloum A. Mokarzel,
104 Greenwich Street.
Managing Editor, Salloum A. Mokarzel,
104 Greenwich Street.
Business Manager, Salloum A. 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 Street.
3. That the known bondholders, mortgagees, 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.
\Tl^^}e two ParaeraPhs next above, giving the names of the owners, stockholders, 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,
the name of the person or corporation for whom such trustee is acting is
given; also that the said two paragraphs contain statements embracing afiiant s full knowledge and belief as to the circumstances and conditions under which stockholders and security holders whTdo 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 shown above is.
(This information is required from daily publications only.)
S. A. MOKARZEL.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 7th day of April, 1932
[Seal.]
Said Boulos
(My commission expires March 30, 1933.)
s
�61
AUTHENTIC
ORIENTAL RUGS
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JERE J. CRONIN
FUNERAL DIRECTOR
MORTUARY CHAPEL
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BEST SYRIAN FOOD
You will experience a real touch of the East, exemplified by unexcelled Syrian cuisine, at the ARABIAN
SHEIK RESTAURANT, under the expert management of Elias Esper. Take special note of the name
and address. Bring your friends for a real and extraordinary treat.
ARABIAN SHEIK
73 WASHINGTON ST.
TEL. BOWLING GREEN
NEW YORK
9—9837
r
�r
THE ARABIC LINOTYPE
IN THE FAR EAST
Wherever the Arabic language is spoken or Arabic characters used, the Arabic Linotype has found its way into progressive
printing establishments. The Arabic Linotype now is past the experimental stage. In Arabic publishing plants in America it has been in use
for over twenty years, and in other parts of the Arabic-speaking world
its use extends over periods of five to ten years. And the fact that
repeat orders are being received from actual users indicates their complete satisfaction. This should be conclusive proof that just as the
Linotype has long been the accepted standard for type composition in
America and Europe, so is it rapidly becoming the standard in the
Arabic-speaking countries throughout the world.
The use of the Arabic Linotype has spread from America and the
Near East to the Far East, as can be seen by the following list:
FEDERATED MALAY STATES
Government Press, Kedah
3 Linotypes
STRAITS SETTLEMENTS:
Government Press, Singapore
Government Press, Johore
Printers Ltd., Singapore
1 Linotype
1 Linotype
1 Linotype
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Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A.
Coble: LINOTYPE, NEW YORK
Representatives in the Principal Cities of the World
*
An illustrated descriptive catalog
of the Arabic Linotype sent free
upon request.
SET IN METRO NO. 2 FAMILY
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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
TSW1932_05reducedWM
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Volume 06, Issue 08
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1932 May
Description
An account of the resource
Volume 6 Issue 08 of the Syrian World published May 1932. The issue opens with an account of editor Salloum Mokarzel's travel experiences when visiting the Cedars of Lebanon. This article is accompanied by a poem by Thomas Asa titled "Cedar of Lebanon," dedicated to Salloum A. Mokarzel. Barbara Young is again featured for her editorial work on another collection of poems. Salloum Mokarzel then includes an open letter to the "Subscribers and Friends of the Syrian World," in which he places the fate of the Syrian World in the hands of its readers. H. I. Katibha then continues the tribute writings to Naoum A. Mokarzel with an article titled "Last Tributes to a Great Leader." Following that is Edna K. Saloomey's continuation of her discussion on the younger generation. A classic Arabian tale titled "Jabla Ibn Al-Ayam" closes out the issue before the usual conclusion featuring updated political developments in Syria and excerpts from Syrian world news.
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.
1930s
Barbara Young
Edna K. Saloomey
Habib I. Katibah
Lebanon
New York
Poetry-English
Thomas Asa
Travel