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THE
SYRIAN WORLD
SALLOUM
A.
MOKARZEL,
Editor.
PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE SYRIAN-AMERICAN PRESS
104
GREENWICH STREET, NEW YORK,
By subscription $5.00 a year.
N. Y.
Single copies 50c.
Entered as second-class matter, June 25, 1926, at the post office at New
York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879.
VOL. II.
No. 9.
MARCH, 1928.
I
CONTENTS
PAGE
Gods, Jinn and a Hall of Fame
3
AMEEN RIHANI
The Perfect Brother
8
DR. SALIM
Y.
ALKAZIN
Development of Dairy Farming in Syria and Lebanon
9
GEORGE KNAYSI
Said a Blade of Grass
11
G. K. GlBRAN
Recent Developments in Palestine
12
To a Female Cup-Bearer (Poem)
J. D. CARLYLE
17
�CONTENTS
(Continued)
PAGE
Syrian Naturalization Question in the United States
JOSEPH W. FERRIS
18
The Ameer and the Palace Maid (Poem)
DR. N. A. KATIBAH
24
The Meeting (Short Story)
25
HARRY CHAPMAN FORD
Arab Proverbs
34
The Clemency of Mu(awiyah
35
Notes and Comments — By
39
THE EDITOR
Spirit of the Syrian Press
43
About Syria and Syrians
48
Political Developments in Syria
56
* «B» »
ILLUSTRATIONS IN THIS ISSUE
Jaffa, Principal Port of Palestine
Tel Aviv, Palestine
The Plain of Al-Bekaa, Lebanon
Costes and Lebrix among Friends
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SYRIAN WORLD
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VOL. II.
MARCH, 1928.
No. 9.
Gods, Jinn and a Hall of Fame
Jt Study in the Traditions of the Arabs and Their Mythology
By AMEEN RIHANI
of pre-Islamic Arabia is in keeping with
the temper of its soil, the history of its land, and the romantic
spirit of its people. The invisible world, described in the Arabian
Nights, is reflected in the visible forces of nature, which, to a
desert dweller, are as real in their supernatural attributes as the
weal and woe he experiences under them. The simoom is the
smokeless fire of which the Jinn are born; the columns of sand,
rising and whirling in the shimmering spaces, are the ghosts of
Afrits and Ghouls; the mirage is the sardonic laugh of Iblis;
the oasis is the verdant and bounteous hand of some otherwise
invisible deity; the well or spring in the trackless waste flows
direct from the streams of Paradise; a necropolis, fancied to
have been once the city of a mighty tribe, is transformed into a
habitation of evil giants; the subterranean channels found in AlYaman, which were constructed by one of the extinct civilized
nations of antiquity, are represented in Arabic lore as the underground ways leading to the palace of one of the sovereigns of
the Jinn.
Thus the mythology of pre-Islamic Arabia evolved. Every manifestation of nature had a tribe of spirits, the Jinn, behind it, animating it, urging it forth, giving it destructive or
creative power. Whatever they could not fathom or explain
was a token of the spirits or a guide-post to their land. In pagan
times the Jinn were everywhere. A bedouin once found them
THE MYTHOLOGY
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
in his porridge and took a solemn oath never again to taste of
liquid food. King Solomon, as we shall see, had a deal of trouble
with them. Unlike Arab authors, however, I shall endeavor to
maintain a little chronological order. Later then about King
Solomon.
The gods of Arabia in the days of the Jinn were continually increasing in number; for over each tribe of spirits ruled a
deity, who was not always on good terms with the kings of the
land. They even fought for independence. Hence, the wars
and the treaties of peace with them, which are recorded faithfully and solemnly by the Arab historian. Hence, too, the crowded condition of the Kaaba, which was a kind of divine hall of
fame before the advent of the Prophet. For they were always
adding to their idols, the Arabs, in self-defense or as a means
of further protection; and when they could not conquer in battle a certain Jinn nation, they would get around its supreme ruler
diplomatically and offer him a niche in their hall of fame. Every Arab tribe, in fact, aspired to a place in the Kaaba for its
god or gods. But many of these, be it said to their credit, were
excluded because they were either commonplace local deities or
mere symbols of lust and plunder. Nevertheless, their votaries
argued and fought for their recognition.
Nor does it seem that they were jealous of each other, these
gods. There were no Jehovas or Allahs among them. More
laudable than this divine tolerance, however, was the staunch
fidelity of the Arabs themselves, who were always faithful to
their alliances as well as to the gods of their allies. A delegation of one of the tribes once came to Mecca, walked into the
Kaaba, and took its terra-cotta god away, because the god of their
friendly neighbors was excluded. The Sheikh of another tribe
was once asked what he worshipped. "A god made of dates
dipped in sugar and honey," he replied; "and sometimes we eat
him and make another." Strange that such a god was not more
popular; for the Arab was given a sweet, a very sweet tooth, to
compensate, I suppose, for his bitter tongue. He is as much at
home in a pastry shop as in a quarrel. Although he loves his
smoke, too, and his coffee. I do not remember having ever read
(
of any one in the Divine Conclave of the Kaaba that included
the famous herb and bean, or anything similar to them, in his
scheme of eternal bliss.
But there still remains, in spite of Wahhabism, something
�MHBMI
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MARCH, 1928
5
of the pagan in the; Arab of to-day—the Arab of the desert who
anticipates a good and generous host in Allah. For is he not a
sort of Super-Sheikh with an inexhaustible supply of tobacco
and coffee and sweetmeats? Of what worth his heaven, if he.
were not? It is the bedouin's boast that if he find no coffee and
sweetmeats, at least, in heaven, when he gets there, he would
leave it anon.
The pre-Islamic Arabs were avowedly pagan and often
grossly material. One of their mighty kings was once warned
by a prophet who preached the doctrine of monotheism, praised
Allah the one and only god, in whose paradise flowed streams
of milk and honey and wine. But the unrepenting and blaspheming Shaddad ibn 'Aad disdained the warnings of the prophet. Apparently, he was on good terms with the Jinn- for he
summoned them to build for him a terrestrial paradise, which
should surpass in magnificence and splendor any paradise to
come. The Jinn obeyed} but Shaddad ibn 'Aad did not live
to enjoy the enchanted fruits of their labor.
The invisible spirit-world was indeed as real, as palpable
to the pagans of Arabia as the visible and material} for in their
legendary history, as later in the Arabian Nights, many wars
with the Jinn are chronicled,—the battles are graphically described. Gradually, half of them were conquered, and they
fought with the Arabs as their allies against the other half.
Hence, the good and the evil Jinn we meet with in legend and
tale and creed—in the chronicles, in the Nights, and in the Koran.
Hence, too, the great service they render to the mighty and wise
of the sovereigns of the world. Sometimes they make a mistake, as in the case of King Shaddad, and regret it. But King
Solomon, uour Lord Sulaiman", was the greatest and wisest of
their masters. He was their patron and their friend. For him,
the good Jinn, by the command of Allah, built the temples of
Syria and the palaces of Al-Yaman. Following is the testimony
of the Koran: (1)
1
!
"And unto Solomon," (Allah is speaking to the
Prophet Muhammad) "did we subject the wind, which
travelled in the morning a month's journey, and a
month's journey in the evening; and we caused a fountain of molten brass to flow for him. And of the Jinn
(1) Surat Saba (Chapter XXXIV). — Rodwell's Translation.
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
were some who worked in his presence by the will of
his Lord
They made for him whatever he pleased
of private chambers, and images, and dishes large as
tanks, and cooking pots that stood firmly."
The fountain of molten brass herein mentioned was built
for King Solomon in the desert,—was carried there, in fact, by
the Jinn. This is corroborated in the Muhammedan Traditions,
or Commentaries of the Koran. The Jinn, say the Commentators, having transported the fountain to the desert beyond the
city named Andalus (Andalusia)—their geographical knowledge
is amazing—built there a great city twelve miles in length and
twelve in breadth around the fountain. Later, one of the Khalifs of Damascus, who must have doubted the words of the corroborating witnesses or suspected them of exaggeration, sent one
of his generals, Musa ibn Nusair, on an archaeological expedition. Musa's report is recorded in the Arabian Nights. That
city in the Sahara is called the City of Brass, and the Commentators did not misrepresent the truth or exaggerate it. Indeed,
Musa returned to the Omaiyad Khalif with material for a most
thrilling story, as well as the material evidence of that enchanted land. He brought back with him a specimen of the bottled
Jinn of King Solomon and mermaids which were preserved, he
tells us, in wooden tanks.
This then is atmosphere and flavor of pre-Islamic Arabic
mythology. It is difficult to see how it can be of either Persian
or Indian origin, as some Orientalists maintain. That it is indigenous is, on the contrary, quite obvious. I have dwelled
briefly on the subject, therefore, only to emphasize the fact that
the mythology of The Nights is the very soul of illusion incarnate in the living agencies of nature,—of scenes and elements
peculiar to the Peninsula. In it also, to the dreamer of the desert, the grandiose is as common as the sand and the infantile is
as marvelous as the sun.
This attitude towards the miraculous and supernatural, vested as with Teutons in the anthropomorphic, ascribing to it human feelings and passions, is as strong to-day as it was in the
past. For the Arabs, like the Celtic people, have always resisted,
and are still to a certain extent resisting, their times j and even
though they wear themselves out in the defense of desperate
causes, they never yield absolutely to a superior power or understanding. They are, as a race, more assimilative than pliable.
J
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2SS2
MARCH, 1928
7
What they yield to the outside world is much less than what
they take from it. Their own customs and traditions, for instance, were as binding wherever Arabic was spoken in the times
of the Prophet as they were in Arabia proper. Even a native
conqueror had to adopt the manners and assimilate to a certain
extent the traditions of the conquered tribe.
Thus, when they resisted the Prophet Muhammad and
finally surrendered to Al-Islam, they brought with them into
the new creed something of their pagan mythology, which the
Prophet had to accept. The maleficent and the beneficent Jinn
were, therefore, designated as believers and unbelievers, that is
half of them was converted to Al-Islam while the other half
remained pagan. They themselves testify to this in the Koran,
which devotes to the subject a whole Chapter entitled the Jinn.
Says the Prophet:
"It has been revealed to me that a company of the
Jinn believed and said: 'Verily, we have heard a marvelous discourse (The Koran). It guideth to the
truth; therefore, we believe it*"
«
I
The faithful Commentators, who have written a Sahara of
books on the Koran and the Traditions (Sayings of the Prophet),
must have had a subtle sense of humor or they deemed it their
business to elucidate and instruct in an entertaining manner. The
Prophet Muhammad, they assure us, met the Jinn in person,
addressed them admonishingly, and offered them the alternative
of either Al-Islam or eternal perdition. They also had a penchant for detail, the Commentators, and not a little appreciation
of local color. They would seem, nevertheless, in this particular instance, accurate in their report; for they set down the time
and place of that historical meeting. Those of the Jinn who
hearkened not to the Prophet, who preferred in their perversity
eternal damnation to a new religion, became enemies of those
who accepted Al-Islam, and civil wars among them ensued. Some
of these wars are recorded in Arab history, as I have remarked,
and chronicled in The Book of a Thousand and One Nights. No
spice of Arabia, no miracle of faith or romance could sweeten
the bitter enmity that existed between the Jinn.
For they were not only human—they were Semitic. Their
serenity in the face of danger, their impetuousness in moments
of security, their ghoulish, unearthly passion, their magnanimity,
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
8
self-restraint and self-sacrifice, all the contrarieties of their nature are quite consistent with the flamboyant spirit of the Arabs,
whose fancy, like their faith, is fed upon rhapsodies. The delicate beauty, the soft shadings which characterize the Celtic romances, for instance, are wanting in the climate of Arabia as in
its Koran, its poetry, and its literature.
Every moment, whether under friendly or unfriendly influences, the Arab lives fully, intensely, religiously. For him,
the elemental value of things is never lost. Everything essential to the daily task must necessarily mean life or death. Hence,
the exaggerated vesture of his thoughts, the poetic magnifications of his soul, the humorous impossibilities of his vision. To
a city dweller, what is a flower, what is a star, what is a cup of
water? But to one who has often thirsted in the arid waste, who
was often swept to the verge of the grave by the desert storm,
the flower, in the sheer ecstasy of discovery, becomes a magnificent garden, the trickling brackish spring a flowing stream of
crystal water, and the twinkling little star a radiant but friendly
sun!
i
;
The Perfect Brother
Translation of
DR. SALIM
Y.
ALKAZIN
Once I had a brother in Allah, and what made him great
in my eyes, was the smallness of the world in his eyes. He was
beyond the tyranny of his desire, so much so that he did never
covet that which was beyond his reach j and toward that which
was within his reach he was never avaricious. He blamed no
man, so that he would not have to find excuses if found in a
like situation. He never complained of pain until he was cured.
He did whatever he said, and said not what he would not do.
He was never forced to keep silent, though he might be forced
into speech. His eagerness to hear surpassed his desire to be
heard. When confronted by two opposing motives, he sought
to find which was akin to the lower passions, and that he shunned.
Seek ye these principles , and cling to them, and boast of
themj and if ye should fail, know that to gain only the few
is better than to lose all. — Ali.
er.
�.- -
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MARCH, 1928
Development of Dairy Farming
In Syria and Lebanon
By
GEORGE KNAYSI
Instructor of Bacteriology, Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y.
In a previous article I have discussed in a very general way
the agricultural situation in Lebanon and Syria. I have shown
that the troubles are, so to speak, physiological in nature and
are due to the wrong functioning of the system as a whole. The
treatment should be supervised by vigilant and competent men
and should consist of educating the farmer in the best methods
of soil management suitable to his conditions. Not until every
thing is functioning well can we think of carrying out ambitious
plans for further development of the country's resources. The
present article is intended to call attention to a type of farming
almost unknown in the East, but which seems to have great possibilities in the agricultural development of our country, namely
dairy farmnig.
By dairy farming is meant those methods of soil management which aim principally at the production of food for dairy
herds which in turn transform part of it into milk. Dairy farming, as I said, is almost unknown in our country where grain
and fruit farming are the predominating types and where milk
is produced as a side line in quantities hardly exceeding the needs
of the farm. The milk producer, in our country, is not the farmer but mainly the shepherd with his numerous goats and sheep.
The dairy cow is relegated into a minor position. But the country can sustain only a limited number of shepherds and that number will naturally decrease as the country is developed, and the
major part of their goats and sheep will have to be fenced in
what becomes virtually a dairy farm. I doubt, however, whether, inside of a fence, any of those romantic creatures can compete with the dairy cow in an essentially unromantic age, and,
sooner or later, that animal will survive which will give the
largest amount of milk with the least possible expenditure, and
I believe that certain good breeds of dairy cows will ultimately
win as milk producers.
�1
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
I know, however, of no actual data to support or invalidate
my statement, and a thorough study should be undertaken on
an experimental basis. The goat may hold its own for certain
purposes, for instance the production of milk for making certain types of native cheese, but on the whole, it can be hardly
doubted that to develop in our country successful dairy sections
requires the importation of efficient breeds of dairy cattle which
snould be fed scientific rations for their maximum production,
and the elaboration of a scheme of soil management in which
the native hay plants should be studied with respect to their
food value and their effect on the soil, and, if necessary, new
plants should be introduced. If then we find a steady outlet
for, the milk produced, nature, which is extremely generous with
Syria and Lebanon, will furnish the rest, namely, good soil, cool
climate and plenty of cold water, factors very important for a
successful dairy farming. Of all the sections I have known in
my various travels, the western slopes of the Anti-Lebanon and
the beautiful plains of Al-Beqa{, the Ccelesyria of the Greeks,
will have my choice for the dairy farms of which I am dreaming and have dreamt for the last few years.
The necessary outlets for the milk produced may be many.
Fluid milk consumption should be encouraged and the public
should learn the advantages of milk in the diet especially when
it can be safely used without boiling. Pasteurization plants will
therefore have to be erected, with adequate means of refrigeration in storage and transportation. Beirut, Zahle and various
Lebanese towns could be easily supplied with a high-grade milk
produced in that marvelous section for dairying which lies near
Zahle. The surplus milk could be easily absorbed by the various dairy industries for the manufacture of butter, condensed,
evaporated and powdered milk, ice-cream, various cheeses, milk
sugar, and finally casein which is now extensively used in various
industries. I must not forget to mention also the various sour
milk drinks including our national laban.
Thanks to the researches conducted in various countries
during the last thirty years, the dairy industries are no more
empirical. Every process has been investigated and many are
now well understood. An example will make things somewhat
clearer: Swiss cheese has always been manufactured in Switzerland. Nobody knew why a duplication of the process of manufacturing in the United States, for instance, did not yield any-
\
�MARCH, 1928
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thing resembling the classical Swiss cheese, with its so-called
"eyes" and its characteristic flavor. Switzerland, therefore, continued to supply the world with its much coveted cheese until
the investigations of Dr. Y. M. Sherman, then at the United
States Department of Agriculture and now head of the Department of Dairy Industry at Cornell University, showed that the
"eyes" of Swiss cheese and its flavor are due to certain bacteria
which live in the absence of air. Dr. Sherman was able to isolate
those bacteria and to grow them in the laboratory. Excellent
Swiss cheese is therefore made in the United States. All the
American manufacturer has to do is to add the "eye" producing
bacteria at a certain stage of the manufacturing process, and he
is more certain of success than the Swiss manufacturer who is
still using his old empirical methods. There is no end to similar
examples.
If such industries could be developed in Syria and Lebanon,
what a source of wealth our people would have.
Let us hope that men and the necessary investments will
soon be available to make out of the country of our fathers the
land that flows with milk and honey that it used to be.
Said a Blade of Grass
By G. K.
GIBRAN
Said a blade of grass to an autumn leaf, "You make such
a noise falling! You scatter all my winter dreams."
i
Said the leaf indignant, "Low-born and low-dwelling!
Songless, peevish thing! You live not in the upper air and you
cannot tell the sound of singing."
Then the autumn leaf lay down upon the earth and slept.
And when spring came she waked again
and she was a blade
of grass.
i
And when it was autumn and her winter sleep was upon
her, and above her through all the air the leaves were falling,
she muttered to herself, "O these autumn leaves! They make
such a noise! They scatter all my winter dreams."
I
�12
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Recent Developments in Palestine
(Based on Reports from American Consul Oscar Heizer, Jerusalem, and Commercial Attache James F. Hodgson, Cairo,
and Published in Commerce Reports of Feb. 20, 1928.)
Although under a different mandate, Palestine, nevertheless, constitutes an integral part of Syria, bound to it by race, language and traditions. The problems of the part, therefore, are the problems of the whole,
and in reprinting the following account of conditions in Palestine by the
Department of Commerce we are acting on our policy of giving accurate
and complete information on all subject of interest affecting Syria as a
whole.
The Editor.
Recent reports from Palestine indicate an improvement
from the crisis that prevailed in 1926 and the greater part of
1927. Industrial activity has increased, and the orange crop is
more satisfactory. The unemployment problem, however^ is
still serious, in spite of the increased industrial needs and relief
afforded through additional requirements of labor for construction work on the new Rutenberg hydroelectric project.
The country had made rapid progress during the period
1921-1925, and the reaction which set in during the latter year
was a natural result of overexpansion. This reaction, however,
has not been without certain beneficial effects. It has eliminated
the less stable factors from the economic structure and has resulted in a general readjustment of the country to its increased
population and changed conditions, thus paving the way there
for further constructive work.
Rapid Growth of Population Caused Inflation—Depression Follows.
The population of Palestine at the end of 1926 was estimated at 890,000, as compared with 737,000 in October, 1922.
This increase demanded an urgent demand for housing and gave
impetus to certain small industries, which provided employment
for many immigrants. When the reaction set in during 1925,
however, the labor released from these activities could not be
absorbed by agriculture, which had not progressed so rapidly as
had industry. Moreover, about this time the immigration into
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�MARCH, 1928
13
Palestine was at its peak, so that a rather difficult situation developed—unemployment increased, the purchasing power of the
people declined, and industries dependent upon the home market
reduced or ceased operations. This situation marked the beginning of the readjustment that has continued through 1926 and
1927.
Funds from abroad had contributed largely to the rapid
development of the country, so that a diminution of this supply
during the past two years has had an important effect on the
credit situation. Money has been tight and the banks have adopted a very conservative credit policy, a condition that has resulted
in numerous failures of concerns established during the peak
of prosperity. These failures, however, are not an accurate index of general conditions in the country, since these concerns
were the first to feel the effects of depression, whereas the more
stable institutions have been able to survive the reaction.
Budget Position Improved.
A satisfactory condition is noted in the progress of public
finances in Palestine. From a deficit of £E72,000, in the budget
of 1922-23 a surplus of £E187,000 is indicated in the 1926-27
budget, leaving a surplus for the period 1922-1927 estimated at
£E500,000 ($2,500,000).
Large Areas Barren—Research Aids Agriculture.
Of the total area of approximately 9,000 square miles, about
one-third is barren land capable of little, if any, agricultural
development. Fully 1,800 square miles more are of questionable agricultural use. The remainder, an area of somewhat more
than 3,000,000 acres, has definite agricultural possibilities, but
in some large sections irrigation and other more or less expensive
operations are necessary for profitable farming.
The chief development in agriculture has been the settlement of Jewish immigrants under the auspices of the various
organizations. Large sums have been spent for the purchase
of land for settlement purposes, considerable areas of swamp
land have been drained, and agricultural experiment stations
have been established; all this has resulted in the introduction
of new crops. A special study of live stock husbandry has been
undertaken, with a resultant improvement in the care of animals
and their breeding; also, an educational campaign has been
launched for the purpose of introducing modern methods of
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
14
poultry farming. A survey was also made of soil conditions, fertilizer requirements, and underground water supply, with a view
to placing agriculture on a more scientific basis.
Fruit Growing Increases—Oranges Most Valuable Crop.
The climate and soil of Palestine are particularly well
adapted for fruit growing, and its development has received
special attention. Oranges constitute the most successful crop
and their culture has developed rapidly since 1921, with large
increase in acreage planted in 1925 and 1926. In the latter
year oranges represented approximately 44 per cent, of total
export values and a small gain over 1925.
Exact statistics of production are not available, but the following estimates have been made for oranges and lemons combined:
BOXES
1921
1922
1923
830,960 1924
1,234,250 1925
1,365,540 1926
BOXES
1,589,330
2,146,450
1,887,500
Watermelons also constitute an increasingly important item
in the fruit production of Palestine. Other fruits grown in commercial quantities are apricots, figs, plums, and raisins, but their
exports are relatively unimportant.
Wheat, barley, durra, and sesame constitute the major grain
crops of the country. Local production, however, is not sufficient
for domestic needs, and certain quantities are imported regularly. This condition has resulted in an increase of area sown to
grains.
Manufacturing Unimportant—Mineral Resources Limited.
Manufacturing is relatively unimportant in Palestine. A
few industries have been introduced, with varying success; but,
temporarily at least, the lack of raw materials and the absence
of coal for fuel handicap the establishment of manufacturing on
a large scale. The fuel need, however, is expected to be substituted by power from the proposed hydroelectric projects under
the Rutenberg scheme. Among the older and more important
industries of the country may be mentioned flour milling, production of silicate bricks (made of sand and lime), vegetable oils
and soap, cement, wine, cigarettes, etc.
The mineral resources of the country have not been fully
t
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MARCH, 1928
15
investigated, but partial surveys indicate that the only potential
mineral wealth is contained in the waters of the Dead Sea. The
deposits of this sea represent a valuable asset from a commerdal
point of view, and negotiations for their exploitation have been
carried on for some time.
Commercial Centers Developing—Rapid Growth of Tel-Aviv.
1
s
Jerusalem, with a population of 70,000, is the capital and
prindpal inland trading center of Palestine. From a commerdal point of view, however, it is not of outstanding importance,
although it is the center of the growing tourist traffic of the Holy
Land. Jaffa, the principal port of the country, is the leading
commerdal dty. It is the center for the export of oranges, and
a number of small industries are located there. An outstanding
handicap is the lack of an adequate harbor; ships are forced to
anchor about a mile offshore in an open roadstead, and the loading and unloading of cargoes is effected by lighters. Jaffa is
connected with Jerusalem by a motor road and by rail.
Haifa (or Caiffa) is another growing port. It commands
the hinterland, with which it is connected by rail} is the terminus
of the Cairo-Kantara-Lydda-Haifa line, and is the center of
many good motor roads that radiate from it. It also lacks a
harbor, but it is estimated that less expense would be involved
in developing this harbor than the one at Jaffa.
Tel-Aviv, the center of the Jewish colonies in Judea, has
grown under the impetus of Jewish immigration from a suburb of Jaffa to a munidpality of 40,000 population. The largest
orange and almond groves and vineyards are located in its vidnity. Until 1925 the expansion of Tel-Aviv was such that the
demand for houses was greatly in excess of the buildings available, and an extensive building program was launched in order
to keep pace with the influx of workers and residents. As a consequence, the dty was greatly overbuilt in antidpation of a permanent inflow of population, and the economic crisis which Palestine has been undergoing since October, 1925, has been particularly acute in the dty of Tel-Aviv.
The development of cheap electric power by the Rutenberg
power plant is expected to be a boon to manufacturers in TelAviv and the surrounding country. Though many of the industries have been shut down on account of the present economic
crisis, it is antidpated that, as the crisis subsides, these will reopen.
�16
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Hydroelectric Project Will Aid Industry.
The Rutenberg plan, which has the official sanction of the
Palestine Government in the form of a concession for 70 years
to the Palestine Electric Corporation (Ltd.), Tel-Aviv, Palestine,
calls for the harnessing of the Jordan River at intervals from
its source to the point where it empties into the Dead Sea, in addition to the utilization of the waters of the Yarmuk River in
the same manner. The first dam will be constructed at the point
where the Jordan River leaves Lake Tiberias (the Sea of Galilee)
with a power house at the town of Abadieh. Between these two
points there is a fall of 40 meters in 8 miles.
It has been estimated that when the first stage of the development is completed a supply of 70,000,000 kilowatt-hours of
energy per year will be provided. As consumption, according to
the present requirements, will be 20,000,000 kilowatt-hours a
year, there will be a considerable surplus for new industrial enterprises.
In addition to the hydroelectric development, the Rutenberg scheme also calls for the construction of a system of irrigation ditches, which would convert many large sections of arid
land into farms.
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Railway Improved—Motor Roads Extended.
The economic development of the country has been accompanied by a general improvement and extension of communications. There has been no new railroad construction of any importance, but the existing roads and rolling stock have been improved considerably. The network of motor roads has been so
extended that good roads are now available to all points of intesest in the country, including Bethlehem, Hebron, Nazareth,
the Sea of Galilee, Nablus, Jericho, the Dead Sea, the River
Jordan, Es-Salt, Amman (Transjordania), Damascus (Syria),
Tyre, Sidon, Acre, Haifa, Jaffa, and Tel-Aviv. The Government's program of road construction anticipates further extension to all centers of population in the country. It is of interest
that of 2,123 motor vehicles registered in 1926, 85 per cent, were
of American make.
The streets in the principal cities, particularly in Jerusalem
and. Jaffa, are .not in satisfactory condition, but contracts have already been let for macadamizing the main thoroughfares. It is
planned to resurface all the city streets in the near future.
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�JAFFA, PRINCIPAL PORT OF PALESTINE
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The open roadstead of Jaffa makes the construction of a modern harbor a more expensive
than the development of the port of Haifa, which is fast gaining on Jaffa. (See Article
Developments in Palestine.)
'
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undertaking
on Recent
�TEL AVIV,
PALESTINE
Center of Zionist colonization activities in Palestine which rose within the last few years from a
mere suburb of Jaffa to a city of 40,000. (See Article on Recent Developments in Palestine.)
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�MARCH,
1928
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Imports Exceed Exports.
The balance of Palestine's foreign trade has been consistently unfavorable, varying in amount between $18,000,000 and
$30,000,000 per annum. It is impossible to state to what extent
this adverse balance is compensated by invisible exports and
money remittances from abroad, as even rough estimates of these
amounts are not available.
Imports consist chiefly of textile goods, wheat flour, government stores, colonial products, automobiles, benzine, and vari <ous manufactured goods. Exports include oranges, soap, watermelons, wines, curios, etc.
1
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American Sales Well Maintained.
The depression has had a marked effect on general imports j
ithese declined about 20 per cent, in 1926 as compared with 1925,
•and a further decrease is indicated for 1927. Imports from the
United States, nevertheless, have been fairly well maintained,
:and the fact that most of the funds contributed for development
work in Palestine originate in this country should have a favorable effect on this trade. Although Palestine itself has a limited
capacity for absorbing foreign manufactures, it is a valuable field
for the introduction of many products that may ultimately find
a market in the adjoining territory.
To a Female Cup-Bearer
Translated from the Arabic by J. D. CARLYLE
Come, Leila, fill the goblet up,
Reach round the rosy wine,
Think not that we will take the cup
From any hand but thine.
A draught like this 'twere vain to seek,
No grape can such supply;
It steals its tint from Leila's cheek,
Its brightness from her eye.
I;
�18
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Syrian Naturalization Question
in the United States
CERTAIN LEGAL ASPECTS OF OUR
NATURALIZATION LAWS
By JOSEPH W. FERRIS
PART II.
The Syrians were most anxious to act on the suggestion of
Judge Smith and they immediately carried their appeal to the
Circuit Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit, the title of the case
being DOW vs. UNITED STATES, et al (226 Fed. Rep, 145
Sept. 14, 1915.)
It was argued before Pritchard, Knapp and Woods, Circuit Judges. Woods delivered the opinion of the Court. It was
most intelligent and comprehensive.
After reciting the fact that Dow was denied naturalization
upon the sole ground that a person of Asiatic birth is not a free
white person within the meaning of the naturalization statute,
the learned Judge reviewed the Statute at length, stating that
if it be assumed that the preponderance of the argument was
strongly in favor of the conclusion that in 1790 the popular understanding was that people of European nativity or descent
were white, nevertheless, however, the popular conception of
race division became more distinct as time went on, and that such
a construction in 1790 would not be conclusive to the present
statute, because the legislators of later years could not have supposed that the term "free white persons" would carry the restricted meaning as held by Judge Smith, and that the controlling factor in ascertaining the moving intention should be given
to the words as they stand in the present law. He pointed out
that in addition to the amendments at various times, there was
a repeal and a new statute in 1802, and new statutes in 1824 and
1828 ; that in 1870 there had been vigorous debate on the proposition to amend the law by striking out altogether the limitation
to "free white persons" so that all aliens without regard to race
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MARCH, 1928
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could be naturalized. This proposed amendment was defeated,
but it resulted in the extension of the privilege of naturalization to "aliens of African nativity and African descent". That
in 1873 the report of the Committee on Revision of the Laws
omitted the limiting words "free white persons" and that this
report was adopted and the limitation was thus removed, being,
however, reinstated in 1875j and that certainly after all this
Legislative discussion and reconsideration and enactment, the
present statute must be construed in light of the general opinion
now existing that the inhabitants of a portion of Asia, including
Syria, were to be classified as white persons.
With respect to the argument that Syria and the contiguous
countries of Asia near the Mediterranean had been subject to
many changes in their inhabitants through conquests and other
causes, he held that the consensus of opinion at the time of the
enactment of the Statute now in force was that they were so
closely related to their neighbors, on the European side of the
Mediterranean, that they should be classified as white, and must
necessarily be held to fall within the term "free white persons"
used in the statute.
Reference was made by the Court to the opinion of later
writers who are in accord with Blumenbach that Syrians are to
be classified as white people, citing Pritchard, Natural History
of Man, 1848; Pickering, Races of Man 1851; Figuier, the
Human Race, 1872; Jeffries, Natural History of the Human
Race, 1879; Brinton, Races and People, 1901; Keane, Worlds
Peoples, 1908; and the Dictionary of Races as contained in the
reports of the Immigration Commission, 1911, which says:
"Physically the modern Syrians are of mixed Syrian,
Arabian and even Jewish blood. They belong to the
Semitic branch of the Caucasian race, thus widely differing from their rulers, the Turks, who are in origin
Mongolian."
The Court then held that in accordance with this construction of the Statutes, a large number of Syrians had been naturalized without question and that it was significant in view of these
decisions and this practice of the Courts, that Congress had not
seen fit to change the law.
Thus the decision of Judge Smith in the lower Court was
reversed and Dow's petition for naturalization was granted.
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�THE SYRIAN WORLD
20
The Government did not see fit, and this is regrettable,
to appeal. Nevertheless, the decision of the Circuit Court of
Appeals in the Dow case is unassailable.
It is believed, however, that the question has been decided
for all times by the decision of the United States Supreme Court
in the case of UNITED STATES vs. BHAGAT SINGH,
THIND, 261 U. S. 204, (October Term, 1922).
It is true that in the last mentioned case the question pertained to a Hindoo, nevertheless, the opinion of Mr. Justice
Sutherland, delivered on behalf of the United States Supreme
Court, very pertinently answers any contention such as made by
Judge Smith.
It was held that the words "free white persons" imparted
a racial and not an individual test and were meant to indicate
persons of only what is popularly known as the Caucasian race.
This is in direct contravention of the holding of Judge Smith.
It is further held that the mere ability on the part of an
applicant for naturalization to establish a line of descent from
a Caucasian ancestor did not ipso facto and necessarily conclude
the inquiry. "Caucasian" was a conventional word of much
flexibility as the study of literature dealing with racial questions
disclosed and while it and the words "white person" are treated
as synonymous in some of the cases, yet they were not of identical meaning—idem per idem.
The Court held that the word "Caucasian" not only was
not employed in law but was probably wholly unfamiliar to the
original framers of the Statute in 1790, and that when it was
employed by the Court, they did so solely to ascertain the legislative intent.
The United States Supreme Court then went on to hold
that during the last half century, especially, the word by common usage had acquired a popular meaning, not clearly defined,
to be sure, but sufficiently so to enable the Court to say that this
popular, as distinguished from its scientific, application was of
appreciably narrower scope and that it was in the popular sense
of the word, therefore, that it was employed.
The words "White persons" implied a racial test, but the
term "race" was one which for-the practical purpose of the Statute, must be applied to a group of living persons now possessing
in common the requisite characteristics and not to a group of
persons who were supposed to be or really are descended from
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�MARCH, 1928
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some remote common ancestor, but who, whether they both resemble him to a higher or lower extent, had at any rate ceased
altogether to resemble one another.
The question for determination was not, therefore, whether by speculative processes of ethnological reasoning a probability was presented to the scientific mind that persons had the same
origin, but wether such persons can satisfy the common understanding that they are now the same or sufficiently the same to
justify the interpreters of a statute—written in the words of
common speech for common understanding by unscientific men—
in classifying them together in a statuory category as white persons.
The Court further held that the Aryan theory as a racial
basis seems to be discredited by most, if not all modern writers
on the subject of ethnology, and that the term, Aryan, had to
do with linguistic and not at all physical characteristics and that
it would seem reasonably clear that mere resemblance in language indicating a common linguistic root buried in remotely
ancient soil, is altogether inadequate to prove common racial
origin.
As to the word "Caucasian", the Court said that this was
in scarcely better repute and was' at best a conventional term with
an altogether fortuitous origin, which under scientific manipulation had come to include far more than the unscientific mind
suspected.
It said that the various authorities were irreconcilable as to
what constituted a proper racial division and that, for instance,
Blumenbach had five races; Keane, following Linnaeus, four;
Deniker, twenty-nine; and that the explanation probably is, that
the numerous varieties of mankind run into one another by insensible degrees. Therefore a given group cannot be properly
assigned to any of the enumerated grand racial divisions.
The Court then held that the words "free white persons"
are words of common speech to be interpreted in accordance
with the understanding of the common man, synonymous with
the word "Caucasian" only as that word is popularly understood.
In the conclusion of the United States Supreme Court decision, there appears a very important statement which supports
the interpretation that Syrians fall within the provisions of the
Naturalization Law.
The United States Supreme Court said that it was not with-
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�OOOOE'S SEf
THE SYRIAN WORLD
22
out significance that Congress by the Act of February 5th, 1917,
Chapter 39, Sec. 3, 39 Stat. 874, had now excluded from admission into this Country all natives of Asia within designated
limits of latitude and longitude, including the whole of India.
This, in the opinion of the Court, not only constituted conclusive
evidence of the Congressional attitude of opposition to Asiatic
immigration generally, but was persuasive of a similar attitude
toward Asiatic naturalization as well, since it was not likely that
Congress would be willing to accept as citizens the class of persons whom it rejects as immigrants.
While at first blush this statement might seem to be derogatory to any contention that Syrians fell within the provisions
of the Naturalization Law, yet on inspection of the Act of Congress which is now commonly known as the Restrictive Immigration Act, it will be found that Syrians were not one of the excluded class of immigrants because Syria does not fall within
the designated geographical area, from which immigration is
excluded. To the contrary, a fixed quota was established by
Congress for Syrians.
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— BASHA CASE —
It may be further interesting to note that the same Judge
Smith above referred to, had occasion in 1923, on the application of one F. W. Basha, to again raise the question in face ot
the reversal of his decision in the Dow case. He denied the
petition of Basha, assigning as a reason that the passage of the
Restrictive Immigration Act in 1917 showed an intention on the
part of Congress to exclude Syrians from naturalization.
The writer had occasion to deal with this decision at length
and on an application for a rehearing, it being pointed out that
Syria was not within the restrictive territories, Basha's petition
for naturalization was granted.
The geographical limits as fixed by the Act of Congress
of 1917, insofar as they applied to the present question, are as
follows:
On the West — longitude, 50 degrees east of Greenwich Meridian,
On the East — longitude, 110 degrees east of Greenwich Meridian,
and within these East and West longitudes, south of
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islands not
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�OOOOE'S SERIES OF BASE MAPS AND GRAPHS: ASIA ON LAMBERT'S EQUAL AREA PROJECTION; M0.--2Q5
Fee Cka U» n CHOW**. H«*V CIVH Eennomin. «c Prepared by J P*ul Goodt.
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UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 8, SUB-DIVISION (n)
Unless otherwise provided for by existing treaties, persons who are natives of
islands not possessed by the United States adjacent to the Continent of Asia, situate
south of the twentieth parallel latitude north, west of the one hundred and sixtieth
meridian of longitude east from Greenwich, and north of the tenth parallel of latitude
f
'south, or who are natives of any country, province, or dependency situate on the Continent of Asia west of the one hundred and tenth meridian of longitude east from
Greenwich and east of the fiiftieth meridian longitude east from Greenwich and south
Aof the fiftieth parallel of latitude north, except that portion of said territory situate
between the fiftieth and the sixty-fourth meridians of longitude east from Greenwich
and the twenty-fourth and thirty-eighth parallels of latitude north, and no alien now in
,any way excluded from, or prevented from entering, the United States shall be admitted to the United States.
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:
the fiftieth-degree" bf North latitude, excepting the
. part between-longitude 56 degrees and 64 degrees
East and''Between latitude 24 degrees and 38 degrees
-north.
<!;
Thus we see that no part of Syria extends even anywhere
' near the fiftieth degree East of Greenwich, which is the Western
limit of the barred area of immigration, and is over nve hundred miles outside of the nearest exclusion limit.
In addition the conclusive fact is, that Syria was assigned
a quota under the so-called Restrictive Immigration Act.
It is hoped that the question has been settled once for all
and in closing, it might be best to quote the words of Raymond
F. Christ, Commissioner of Naturalization, who in referring to
Syrians, said:
"/ am sure that such evidences of loyalty and patriotism to the Country can have no other than a highly
stimulating effect * * * upon all other nationalities and
American citizens, as well."
The Ameer and the Palace Maid
by DR. N. A. KATIBAH
Translated from the original Arabic of Abu Nawas
A lass hailed swaying down the palace hall.
Half drunk, half sober, winsome, coy and tall}
Her flowing mantle, now let loose, I won;
Her girdle, too, unguarded, came undone.
I pressed the advantage, veiled by sable night;
"Black night," she scorned, "vouchsafes but blind delight.
Nonplussed, I prayed her bind her love to test;
She sweetly breathed: "Tomorrow thou'rt my guest.
But on the morrow when I sought her graces,
,»
"Daylight," quoth she, "the word of night effaces.
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�MARCH, 1928
25
The Meeting
A SHORT STORY
By
HARRY CHAPMAN FORD
Author of "Anna Ascends" etc.
The mystery is still discussed at Khoury's Coffee House,
where, when in town, it is my wont to have my evening meal.
I refer to the strange and sudden disappearance from the Syrian
Quarter of Froscine Sibyan, "Heavenly Froscine" as she was
called, and she was heavenly—divinely so in every possible way.
Beautiful, very dark brown hair, thick at the roots and reaching
to her knees, crowned an oval madonna-like face with cheeks
that seemed to have been kissed by the rose petals of old Syria.
Eyes as deep and as clear as the old wells in the Coele Valley—
a mouth as warm and as sweet as the summer zephyrs which
play around the slopes of Lebanon, and a body as straight and
as graceful as a date palm. Such was Froscine. "The Spirit of
Syria", I called her, transplanted and flourishing on American
soil.
Yes, the mystery is still frankly wondered at and discussed.
She vanished one day and never a trace of her has been heard
of since. Everybody has his version of the affair. The fat little
oil merchant, the lace man, the doctor, the lawyer and all the
rest, have some sort of theory about it. Perhaps, you, too, have
heard of the case and have your own particular ideas concerning it. But now I feel it time to state that all those ideas and
theories are quite wrong—and the true story of it is known only
to me. I, the Anglo-Saxon, who sat at the corner table and
listened, quite amused, at the arguments and discussions, am the
only living being who has the true story of Froscine, that is,
I am quite sure it is the true story, and I should like to hear
from any of my readers and get their opinion on my tale. They
may deride and scoff at it, but let me say that I have gone to
considerable expense, and I hope not waste of much valuable
time, to prove my case, and I am telling this little story with
the fear that you will call me a superstitious and ignorant fool,
wmmm
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
but I will put the facts before you and you can deduct from
them what you will and come to your own conclusions. I lay
my reputation before you and you can weigh and judge it as
you will weigh and judge the story—not story, no, for the tale
is true.
Before I unfold the matter before you, I will digress for
the moment and mention to you an historical and recorded fact.
It should allay some of the doubt you might entertain when you
have done with the story. Here is one thing I want you to remember before you condemn my narrative as impossible and ridiculous and consign it to the waste paper basket. It is this.
Somewhat over one hundred and fifty years ago, near the
old city of Damascus, the wife of a well-to-do Syrian merchant
bore him twins. These children were linked together by a cartilage or gristlei at the hips, like the well-known Siamese Twins,
but in the case of the Syrian children the attachment was not hopeless and the doctor separated them a few weeks after the birth.
However, the surgeon's knife could not separate their souls and
they grew to manhood linked in heart and soul, never out of
each other's sight and with a strong and beautiful love for each
other. At the proper time these boys were, sent to Paris, France,
to complete their education. This finished, they entered business
there and prospered. The First Consul had been proclaimed
Emperor by the Senatus Consultum and plans were being made
to crush Syria under the iron heel along with other weak countries, when Cadoudal, Pichegru, the two Polignacs and others
entered into a plot against Napoleon with the object in view, viz,
the restoration of the Bourbons. Naturally, the two Syrians entered into the plot, which was discovered and proclamations
placarded their names, in large letters, on every street corner,
accompanied by the word, "Trattres a la Republique". The
brothers were forced to flee for their lives, but with a goodly
sum of gold they escaped in disguise and returned to their native
land, separating, however, to help the escape. They never met
again, but to the end they kept in touch with each other, lived
and died as all men should, leaving families. Of course, they
changed their names to avoid arrest, even in their own land,
the arm of the emperor being long, but when the "murderer
of Europe" was safe at St. Helena, they resumed their family
name again. Now, bear in mind, the name was Sibyan. The
incident I have, quoted above may seem, at the present moment,
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MARCH, 1928
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to be vague and involved to you, but I think it will prove my
story beyond a doubt. Let us get ahead with Froscine.
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Froscine's father had been a very good friend of mine and
at his death, I sort of looked after her, or, I should say, she
positively looked after me. I had a studio in New York at the
time, commuting from my home in the country and arriving
there at nine in the morning, I would work until about three
in the afternoon and then go home. Froscine, who held a very
good stenographer's position, would work for me, part time,
getting to the studio sometime after five in the afternoon and
doing odd jobs for me, such as mailing scripts, recording rejections or acceptances, copying plays and that sort of work. Hence,
I rarely saw her, except on Saturdays when we would meet at
one o'clock and spend the rest of the day together, taking in
two performances at the theatres and having dinner in some
little strange eating place. Those were banner days for us. We
both enjoyed them and the scheme of things might have gone
on to no end had not a fatal thing happened. Froscine fell in
love—fell in love suddenly, and to my mind without cause. It
happened in this wise. One Saturday, as we were about to leave
the studio and go to a show, there was a knock at the door. Froscine answered and on the threshold stood one of the most pleasant and wholesome youths I ever saw. In very perfect English
he stated his business. He was a confectioner. The maker of
sweet cakes of all sorts and was soliciting orders to be delivered
twice a week. Would we please taste his wares? And if we
liked his concoctions, would we give him an order? He lifted
the cover of a strange looking basket and there before us on spotless linen were his creations. I recall now that Froscine wasn't
particularly interested in his sweetmeats. Rather did she look
steadily into his face—and after a few words between them, she
gave me the shock of my life by asking him inside. One could
not help liking the boy. What a smile he had. What a smile.
His body was like that of a Greek God, and he was tall for his
race, very tall. We sampled his wares, and as Froscine used to
boss me unmercifully (and I liked it) she ordered cakes for my
particular diet twice a week.
Suddenly, without rhyme or reason, the two burst into their
native tongue. The conversation waxed fast between them, mak-
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TH£ SYRIAN WORLD
ing Froscine and I quite late for the matinee, but I didn't care,
as they seemed so animated and keen toward each other and from
time to time Froscine would throw me a sentence in English and
put me wise to the trend of their conversation. It seemed, by
a strange chance, that they were of the same name—Sibyan—but
probably in no way related, as their parents came from distinct
districts in Syria.
All things must end but love, and so with their first meeting. Amine, that was the boy's name, had customers to seek and
we had a matinee to see. We parted with him and I did not
see Amine for another week. Not so with Froscine. She told
me she saw him every day. It was a true case of love at first
sight. He was her man and she was his woman. There was
no chance of getting away from that fact for either of them.
Love came into their hearts, love all powerful and conquering.
It was thrust upon them without their seeking and they were
dazed by its strength and beauty. The whole affair was beyond
understanding to me. I had never seen anything like it before
and can never hope to again. It was a love that happens once
in a lifetime—five lifetimes. I haven't the words to express it.
It was beyond adjectives. A gift from God. At first it left
me with rather a chilly void in my heart. Something seemed
to have gone out of my life, because Froscine was giving most
of her time to her boy, but my fears were quite groundless, for
instead of having only her I had them both, and the Trinity, as
we dubbed ourselves, spent many a happy hour together.
Matters progressed smoothly. Amine had over seven hundred customers, (his smile was not to be resisted) and had opened a shop, a little shop tucked away on a side street but well
patronized. They were to be married at once and spend their
honeymoon at the studio. Everything was cut and dried.
The three of us were very happy, when America entered
the World War. That awful war which warped men's souls or
ennobled them. Amine did not wait for the draft. He couldn't
nor would Froscine let him. He enlisted—and God only knows
what it cost the two of them. Life ahead of them so clear and
beautiful, but they never hesitated for a moment, even when I
advised it. The die was cast but they would be married at once,
no matter what happened. Arrangements were rushed and there
was need for it as Amine was called to report and given only
twenty-four hours to do so. Twenty-four hours! They were
I
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�MARCH, 1928
29
married inside of five. Of course I stood up with them. We
returned to the studio where they were to spend the few bridal
hours that were left and I remained only a short time to make
necessary arrangements. I shall never forget those last few hours
I spent with them. They sat together, close, on the big divan,
with the moon shining through the window upon them making
the lovers—mates—appear as one, undivided. The conversation was rather vague to me, outside of the little business matters we had to clear up, but, aside from those, I remember Froscine giving Amine a tiny little cross on a threadlike chain, which
he placed around his wrist, swearing never to remove it. It had
been her mother's. I have, too, a very vivid recollection of a
solemn promise made by Froscine, that, no matter the outcome,
dead or alive, they would seek each other out. A strange vow,
dead or alive. Nothing could part them. God was good. Life
was only life, but love was everything else.
I left them to the few hours they had before he was to go
away. I never saw the boy again. He went away early the next
morning and very soon Froscine and I were back in our regular
routine again with slips of rejections and plays. From the time
Amine went away Froscine wrote to him twice a day. Never a
day was missed and the boy answered in kind. The poor dears
seemed to get a lot of happiness out of life though they were
three thousand miles apart. Absence; the space of ocean wide;
the lonely hours which slowly crept apace could net dim a love
like that, but rather enhanced it, if such a thing were possible.
Days passed into months and the months into years. It seemed
strange to me that the wrorld didn't give up trying during that
harrowing time. It was a surprise to me to see the sun rise every
morning, while such awful things were occurring. Yet men continued to barter and sell. Politicians still lied; men still hated
and loved—and some even laughed. Yet again, some even made
money.
Exactly ten days before the Armistice, I (one of the men
who laughed) had attended a heavy dinner down town, where
heavier wine was served. I tired of it and soon left the place,
which was only around the corner from the studio. A little tipsy
I should call myself, not drunk, but just a trifle too much of
wine, which had gone to my head in the overheated dining room.
Once in the street, tke thought came to me it would be wise,
owing to the several holdups that were occurring at the time,
�30
THE SYRIAN WORLD
that I had better stop at the studio and leave my platinum cuff
links, watch and chain and other trinkets of considerable value,
before I walked across town to the ferryhouse four blocks away.
I would leave them with a note to Froscine. I fancied how pleased she would be when she discovered I had done something she
would want me to do. Her dear old absent minded guardian
remembering to save his valuables from possible footpads.
I opened the door and walked in. There was no light in
the vestibule. I went into the studio proper and switched on
the lights. God of Heaven, I shall never forget that sight.
Froscine was there sprawled out on the floor: her head and shoulders resting against the heavy brass coal box. Her beautiful
hair in gorgeous disarray about her, seemed to be trying with
modesty to protect her. Her eyes were wide open, staring cold
and lifeless ahead. In her left hand was an official looking
document, which I recognized at once as from the War Department. I had seen enough of them to know.
ShQ did not recognize me, could not answer me. Her whole
body seemed turned to stone. I picked her up and carried her
to the couch, then called a doctor friend of mine. He worked
all night over her and at last brought her to normal.
Did I say normal? No. Back to life but not normal. For
three months the poor girl hovered between life and death.
Silent and still. Never a word from her, but I felt that she
was going to live 5 that she wanted to live—for some serious object—I knew not what. At last, one day, she arose from the
bed and dressed. Still beautiful, even with her deep set eyes,
hollow cheeks and wasted form. A few articles she packed in
a bag, then she turned to me and said:
"I'll go to Amine, now. He needs me."
Instantly, I feared that she intended to do away with herself.
"Don't do anything so foolish, my child." And as gently
as possible I added:
"Amine would not want you to do that."
She smiled at me wanly.
"You mistake me, dear friend. I will do nothing like you
think.
She mused: "What would be the good?"
And she cryptically added: "It won't be long, now, anyway."
"What won't be long?" I asked mystified.
MM
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�MARCH, 1928
si
"They cannot keep us apart. We have promised. I sail
for France. Will
will you see me off?"
There was no use arguing with her. She must sail for
France, and sail she did. I stood on the dock and watched the
ship disappear over the horizon, with the tingle of her warm
and chaste kiss still on my lips. That's the last I ever saw of
Froscine in life and that's the answer to the mystery of her disappearance. But that's not the end of my story.
*
\i\
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'•if)
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They reached the brow of the hill—the man and woman—
and reciprocally paused for rest. The man removed the cigarette from his lips and pointed the stained and wet end in a
vague manner towards the fast setting sun and spoke.
"It was there, Madame." He gazed at her keenly, expecting a correction by word or sign concerning the madame, but the
woman remained silent and still. He continued:
"It was there. You observe the stone wall? Oui? You
also see the large grey rock where the wall ends? There is a
brook there. At the end of the rock, reaching the water's edge,
is where—where it happened."
He replaced the cigarette in his mouth, puffing contentedly, as if to convey the impression that his information was given
—his work done and it was now the woman's move. Still she
was silent, her eyes fixed steadily on the spot he had indicated.
The man impatiently continued:
"Night is well on us, Madame—and I have passengers—
a bridal couple, to convey to Messincourt by nine—bridal couples
should not be disappointed with all the happy years before them."
He paused a second for a reply but none came, then he
continued— "We are twelve miles from Sachby—will Madame
be so gracious
" The woman seemed to come to life. She
spoke with a strained voice, "The water's edge—at the rock, you
say?"
"Oui, Madame, but nothing was found of him. Not a
button. The shell struck at his feet. The rest of us had fallen
prone, but not he. As a shell bursts fan-shaped w'e escaped, but
he "
"Take this," she almost whispered. She handed him her
full purse, "There is more than enough. Please go—and thank
you"
�32
THE SYRIAN WORLD
The man looked with surprised pleasure at the small but
well stuffed hand bag and then at the woman.
"But, Madame," he objected, yet secreting it in some mysterious pocket under his smock, "you without
er
but
shall I wait for you?"
The woman's eyes had returned their gaze to the rock. I
will have no use for the gold—or for you. You may return
to Sachby."
"As you say, Madame," returned the man, backing towards
the road they had just left. "If Madame finds herself without accommodations, Jean Richard will no doubt lodge her. That
is he, with his two sisters, working in the field beyond the wall."
She glanced toward the three peasants, hoeing lettuce in
the other field. They were working fast, as the lights were turning to black and grey shadows. She answered the man without
looking at him, "I will need no accommodations," then with a
cryptic smile she added, "Return for me in the morning. I |
shall be somewhere near the rock."
"Oui, Madame." He definitely decided that she was crazy.
Fool, that he had been, himself, not to have suspected before.
This tall, dark woman, dressed entirely in black, who seemed
dead all over, save her burning eyes, which were live enough to
drag the rest of her through life itself. She had sought him
out only that morning at Sachby and without any preliminaries,
asked his name—his company and regiment during the war—
and his part of a small skirmish that had taken place near Sachby.
She had brought a letter from headquarters in Paris, so he had
answered all her questions readily enough. Yes, he had reached
Sedan with the American troops after the Hindenberg line had
been broken. Yes, he, as a Frenchman, had been assigned to
such and such company. One or two Frenchmen had been placed
with each company of American troops, to show them the ropes.
Yes. Yes. Yes. He remembered Amine Sibyan, very well.
Nice boy. Wore a gold cross on a small chain around his wrist.
Yes, he knew exactly where he had been killed, but it was useless for Madame to go there. Nothing was found of him. Was
Madame Amine's sister? Yes, yes, he would convey her to the
spot on the morrow. Not today, Madame, it was too late. Time
for supper, nearly. Yet if Madame insisted he would go_ with
her now, but nothing could be seen in the dusk of the evening—
and it would cost her eighty francs. Petrol was so very dear,
*1
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and there was just enough in the tank to take them to the spot
and back—the spot where Amine Sibyan had so unfortunately
been blown to pieces, ever so little pieces. Not a button was
left of him. Those things would happen. He had seen it occur many times during the war.
And so he had brought this strange and ghostly woman to
the place—and she intended to remain through the night. Very
well, let her, but he intended to hide behind the large Lombardy
Poplar and find out just what crazy thing she was up to. From his
place of concealment he saw the woman descend the hill slowly,
her eyes fixed seemingly on the rock he had indicated. When
she reached the spot, she lifted her face toward the sky, her
arms upraised, too, as if she were praying—or, perhaps, giving
thanks for something—yes, that is what it was, for the next instant she was on her knees at the rock, groping through the grass
with her hands, as if searching for something. This seemed to
the man in hiding to take a long time and he was about to stop
his spying, go to his car and drive back to Sachby and the wedding couple, when suddenly the woman stopped her search. She
sat on the grass, her upper body nesting against the rock. A tired
resignation, yet triumphant attitude, told him that she had been
successful in her search—whatever it was for. She laid there
as still as death. Then the watcher was attracted by the actions
of Jean the peasant and his two sisters. Jean, with a cry, pointed toward the wall in an agitated manner with his hoe and the
girls stood transfixed with awe and fear. They could not see
the woman in black. The watcher was sure of that, because the
wall and rock hid her completely from the lettuce workers, hence,
what was causing the stir in the other field? The two girls,
dropping their implements, backed down the row of lettuce, then
turned and ran, Jean following them at a more dignified gait.
The watcher came from his hiding place to meet them and hailed them cheerfully, so as not to frighten the girls, who seemed
to be at their wits' end. The little group reached him.
"God of Heaven," Jean panted, "but we have just seen
something—saw it with our own eyes." The girls were crying
softly with fright.
"Yes, Monsieur," said the man from Sachby, noncommittingly. "With our own eyes," Jean repeated. "A soldier in an
American uniform and a woman dressed in black appeared from
behind the wall near the old grey rock—appeared, I say, and
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
34
walked toward the sun-strange-strange-they were ghosts,
I am sure, for they walked right into the setting sun and disappeared again." He paused, pearing through the gloom at the
man from Sachby in a threatening manner, as if to dare his disbelief. "Do you believe me? Ask Sophie and Annetta, here.
i
1
They
ThaeVwaltrand rock were now hidden in the darkness of
night. The man did not answer. He turned to the road toward
HlS
^iTeinhTtruth," insisted Jean. "We saw them, arm in
arm, like lovers, young and true lovers, walk into the sun.
The man turned to answer him. "Perhaps your imagination,
or the black bread you eat. Get into my car and I will drive
you to your cotta.ee." So they went their way
The next morning the woman was found dead—just as the
man had seen her last. Her face was so beautiful in death with
a heavenly smile that seemed to promise her so much in^ that
mysterious life that is to come. Nothing was found on the wo"an to identify her, save in her left hand tightly d..sped to
her heart, was a little gold cross on a thread-like chain of gold.
They buried her with it—neath the rock.
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Arab Proverbs
Two things only those who have lost appreciate most: Youth
and Health.
Better be silent until you are asked to speak, than speak
until you are asked to be silent.
The wise man is he who makes his own breast the repository of his secrets.
Poor sight is not so much of a shortcoming when one is
blessed with insight.
To ask for undeserving praise is the worst presumption.
The supposition of the learned man is superior to the assertion of the ignorant one.
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35
The Clemency of Mu'awiyah
His Great Forbearance with Zarqa, the Koufite woman Who
Exhorted the Followers of (Ali to Resist Him.
ADAPTED FROM THE ARABIC.
The years immediately following the death of the Prophet
Mohammed were turbulent days for Islam. The issue of succession led to bloody warfare among his followers even though
they were relentlessly pursuing their ever widening plan of conquest. Mu'awiyah had firmly established himself in Syria and
was formulating his plans for a world empire. He was not only
an able general but a master statesman and administrator. He
contested the right of 'Ali to the Khilafat and resolutely went
to war in defense of his claim. The Day of Saffeen, in which
was waged the great battle which was to decide the issue, witnessed one of the bloodiest, most desperate engagements in the annals of the Arabs. Mu'awiyah won and firmly established his
rule* in Damascus. For nearly a hundred years the dynasty which
he founded was master of the destinies of the Islamic Empire
which had expanded to a larger extent than that of the Roman
Empire at the height of its power. Even during the lifetime
of Mu'awiyah most of the conquests were accomplished.
Following the battle of Saffeen, Mu'awiyah one day called
to him his principal lieutenants and supporters to discuss matters of state. The conversation naturally ran first into reminiscences of the signal victory achieved. Some of those present
were bitter in their denunciation of the instigators of the struggle and those responsible for the continuation of the battle after
the preliminary stages. They all agreed that had it not been
for the impassioned appeal of a certain Koufite woman of the
opposing camp the battle would not have lasted so long or taken such a heavy toll in blood.
"I well recall," said a member of the council, "how this
woman, mounted on a conspicuously red camel, harangued the
enemy and urged him on to battle. She is the Zarqa, daughter
of Adee and hails from Al-Koufa. She was indefatiguable on
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
the day of Saffeen. Wherever the lines of the enemy wavered
she drove her camel to their midst and steadied them. Her
words carried such magic force that the cowards were inspired
by them to new courage, those attempting to flee were turned
back to fight and the scattering ranks of the enemy were held
together so much longer. But for her, the friends of 'Ah would
have never resisted our onslaught for the length of time they
did or caused us so much loss."
All those present who had taken part in the memorable
battle acquiesced in the statement of the speaker, and in reply
to Mu'awiyah's question as to what they would advise should
be done to Zarqa, all favored putting her to death.
But the wise Mu'awiyah was indignant at such counsel.
«Fi on you and your ill advice," he said in reply. "Would you
have me, in the consciousness of my power, wreak vengeance on
a woman because of her loyalty to a doomed cause? Such, by
Allah, shall never be." And Mu'awiyah forthwith summoned
his secretary and dictated a letter to his agent in Al-Kouta ordering, him to have Zarqa sent to him to Damascus with some ot
the principal men of her tribe and that all should be provided
on the way with all possible conveniences of travel. Mu awiyah
was determined to again show the magnanimity of character, the
clemency, the benevolent statesmanship which made his reign
one of the most glorious periods of early Islam.
At the appointed time Zarqa reached Damascus and appeared before Mu'awiyah who greeted her most kindly and inquired after her comfort during the journey. The preliminary courtesies over, he asked her if she knew the reason he had sent tor
her and if she had entertained any fears, to which she replied
that she was at the mercy of the Caliph for him to dispose ot
her in accordance with his conception of justice.
"I have sent for you," said Mu'awiyah, "to ascertain from
vou if you were the woman who rode the red camel in the battle of Saffeen and harangued the followers of 'Ali to fight against
me, causing thereby so much more bloodshed among the faithful'?"
"Truth cannot be denied," replied Zarqa.
"But what prompted you to such an act?" again asked Mu'awiyah. ^^ ^ ^ Faithful," she replied, "the head has
n9w been severed and the body mutilated, so why revive dis-
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�MARCH, 1928
if
cussion in a subject that is only iiabie to cause sorrow and pain?
Just as night succeeds day, so do events succeed one another and
bring about different conditions. Whosoever gives a little thought
to different matters will not fail to discover the reasons thereof."
"What you have stated is all true, O aunt," said Mu'awiyah.
"But I would like, to have you repeat your harangues to the followers of 'Ali on the day of Saffeen. Can you recall them?"
"No," she replied.
"Then let me repeat them as best as I can recall that you
may be the judge of their authenticity. You were heard to say:
'O men, candle light cannot eclipse the sun, nor the rays of the
stars dim the brightness of the moon. You know that the mule
cannot outdistance the fleet horse, and that only iron is strong
enough to break iron. You are now fighting for a sacred and
just cause. Let anyone ask us our stand and we shall tell him
that Truth was seeking its course and has now found it in our
defense of our cause. Now you who claim the distinction of
being Immigrants and the Supporters of the Prophet, can you
not see that Justice has been established and that Truth has prevailed? Can it be that the righteous should be on a parity with
wrongdoers and the believers stand on equality with the unbelievers? To battle, then, in defense of right and justice, and
let your stand be that of men who are not found wanting in
courage! Fear you to be smeared with blood? Why, blood is
the ornamental dye of men just as henna is the ornamental dye
of women. Hold then your ground and let not the cohorts of
usurpation and injustice overcome you, for this is the day that
is pregnant with all the possibilities of the future, after which
there shall be no other day in which to retrieve a lost opportunity!'"
Having thus quoted the woman's words, Mu'awiyah asked
her if the quotation was correct, and upon receiving from her
an affirmative reply he said to her: "By your own admission, O
Zarqa, you have become a partner to 'Ali in all the blood he has
shed."
But to the surprise of Mu'awiyah and all those present, the
woman replied: "May Allah amply reward you, O Prince of
the Faithful, for the extremely good news you have just imparted to me in classing me with 'Ali. Truly, you are the fit
bearer of joyful tidings and the one who knows exactly what
most pleases his guests."
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
38
And upon recovering from his surprise, Mu'awiyah, still
the patient, forbearing, wise ruler he was reputed to be, asked
her: "Have my remarks truly caused you joy, and you would
feel" proud in sharing with 'All all the responsibility of the blood
he has spilled while fighting me, I who now show you such consideration?"
"Aye, by Allah," replied the woman, "your words have
pleased me exceedingly and I only wish that they could be made
" Mu'awiyah would want no more proof of the loyalty of
Zarqa to her chosen cause, but instead of wreaking vengeance on
her he expressed his admiration for her in no uncertain terms.
"By Allah," he said, "I admire more your loyalty to 'Ah after
his death than your love for him when he was alive. State now,
O Zarqa, your wants and they shall be granted."
But Zarqa would not state her wants. She seemed to further aggravate matters by saying that she had vowed not to ask
a favor of anyone save 'Ali.
"But do you know," said Mu'awiyah, "that many of those
who have checked up on your actions advised me to put you to
"Had you followed their advice, O Prince of the Faithful,"
she said, "you would have degraded yourself to their mean natures and lowly station."
_
"This we shall never do," replied the wise Caliph. Rather,
we shall pardon you and grant you our most favored protecL
* At this great display of forbearance, the haughty spirit of
the woman gave way to an expression of extreme gratefulness
and appreciation, and she replied: "O Prince of the Faithful,
this is but another indication of your great magnanimity. It is
only the likes of you who substitute forgiveness for revenge,
who overlook human faults and who give without being asked.
Whereupon, the great Mu'awiyah ordered that the woman
be given money and clothes in large quantities, that she should be
escorted back safely to her home city, that all her tribe be treated with consideration, and that she should be alloted, for lite,
the revenue of a plantation which amounted to sixteen thousand
dirhams annually.
�MARCH, 1928
39
NOTES AND COMMENTS
By
A
THE EDITOR
of honest service has the salutary effect of
stimulating the desire to continue, to improve, and to increase.
This about represents our reaction to the many expressions of
approval received over the service being rendered by THE SYRIAN WORLD. It more than repays for the unsatisfactory financial return in the publication of the magazine.
And what is more gratifying
is the fact that appreciation
comes not only from individuals but from public bodies as
well. We can point with pride
to the fact that many organizations and patriotic groups not
only in the United States but
abroad also have shown tangible
proof of their appreciation by
making gift subscriptions to editors, legislators, government
officials and others whom it is
to the interest of Syrians to enlighten on their past history
and present conditions.
But the service of THE SYRIAN WORLD seems to be destined to cover a much wider field
than that confined to its English-speaking readers. The appreciation 'of some Arabic editors of the distinct value of the
original contributions appearing
PPRECIATION
in the publication is what makes
this possible. This is best illustrated in the case of AL-HODA,
the oldest and most widely circulated Arabic paper in America and one of the foremost in
the world. Mr. N. A. Mokarzel, editor1 of AL-HODA, proves
his appreciation of the quality
of our subject matter by having
whole series of articles translated and republished in his paper,
giving thereby double value to
the service THE SYRIAN WORLD
is rendering.
We point to this fact with a
certain degree of elation because
we see in it proof that our labor
is bearing fruit of a certain
kind. So far we cannot testify
truthfully to receiving the hoped for amount of popular support. It was on that account
that we asked for a referendum
on the question of the subject
matter of the magazine. What
was determined by the replies
was that the policy and purpose
of the publication were overwhelmingly approved by the
educated class, but unfortunately this class, in point of numbers, is proportionately small.
What they can do,—what they
are doing,—is to consider themselves partners in the enterprise
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
countrymen to collective action.
He personally attended the
trial before Judge Smith in
Charleston and had several
private interviews with him.
Now, apropos of the publication in THE SYRIAN WORLD of
a historical review of the case,
Mr. Mokarzel writes reminiscently of an interesting conversation which he had with Judge
Smith on the ethnological qualifications of the Syrians for adJVAR. N. A. MOKARZEL, editor mission to America and their
of AL-HODA, contributes an eligibility for citizenship. On
interesting detail to the history general grounds, Mr. Mokarof the fight which the Syrians of zel reminded the judge that
the United States waged to es- the Syrians were a branch of
tablish their eligibilityf or Amer- the Semitic race and that Christ
can citizenship. As can be de- was a Semite. "Would the
duced from the history of the learned judge, therefore, excase given by Mr. Jos. W. Fer- clude from America the racial
ris, the fight was precipitated by kins of the One who gave to
the obstinacy of Judge Henry America its very religion?"
A. M. Smith in refusing to, adMr. Mokarzel states that
mit that Syrians were free white
persons within the meaning of there was no hesitation on the
the naturalization law. That part of the judge in declaring
was in 1914, and the Syrians emphatically that "If Christ
all over the country were arous- Himself were to apply for cited as never before in their his- izenship he would deny it to
tory to defend their national Him."
Quite a strong statement inhonor. They wanted to prove
deed.
The judge must have
themselves deserving of the
high privilege of becoming made it during the heat of argument in a moment of extreme
Americans.
A leader in the fight at that vexation. We would not at
time was Mr. N. A. Mokarzel. this late moment bring him to
Both through his influential pa- bar; for having delivered himper and by his personal efforts self of an expression so irrehe helped crystallize Syrian sponsible. But it is interesting
public opinion and arouse his to learn the extent of passion
so that financial returns will
make possible the continuation
and the widening of the service
—this service which is considered by them indispensable. In
time, we hope, we shall be able
to announce that the business
side of the enterprise is proving
equal to the appreciation it is
now receiving from the educated class.
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�MARCH, 1928
which prompted the jurist to
assume the attitude which precipitated the controversy. At
that' time there had been no revival of the Ku Klux Klan
movement, but those were the
smouldering fires which were
destined to burst into flame
later.
41
he treats the subject mainly
from the American, Western,
point of view.
We feel sure our readers will
enjoy the short stories of Mr.
Ford as much, or even more,
than they enjoyed his serial,
"Anna Ascends", which was
published in the original play
form as it was given on the
And what
J-JARRY CHAPMAN FORD, who New York stage.
should
be
of
particular
interest
is well known to readers of
is
that
we
have
Mr.
Ford's
THE SYRIAN WORLD, contributes to this issue an original promise to contribute liberally
short story which savors much of these fine stones in the fuof the spiritual and mystical. ture.
We can well imagine that Mr.
Ford's account is not that of QLOZEL and its vicinity have
an actual experience. His fersucceeded in gaining a good
tile imagination as an author deal of publicity. Perhaps the
and playwright may well be American press did not care to
depended upon to supply a plot. publish about the incident conBut it is interesting to study his nected with that French town
trend of mind in the roles he other than the details of the
assigns to the Syrian heroines scientific pontroversy which split
of his plays and stories. He the learned men of Europe into
is always picturing them of two hostile camps. Otherwise
highly intellectual and educa- we would have learned long
tional aspirations. A few im- since some of the reputed causes
aginary circumstances are, of for the perpetration of the
course, necessary to lend at- great hoax.
mosphere and complete the
We now learn from the Syrscheme, as, for instance, in the ian press, which in turn claims
case of the waitress in "Anna to have gained its information
Ascends" and the part time from the European press, that
stenographer in Greenwich Vil- those originally responsible for
lage. But we may be sure that the Glozel incident had carethe author's object is to bring fully engineered the scheme
out the finer intellectual quali- for purposes of publicity. They
ties of the Syrian girl as he has were interested in promoting
come to understand her, albeit the locality as a winter resort,
�"'wmii i
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42
and to add to its many attractions they concocted the scheme
of making it a suitable field
for archaeological research.
If this be true, little did the
sponsors of the move dream
that their scheme would lead to
such a bitter controversy where
scientists of rank are now concerned more in the vindication
of their reputations than in the
intrinsic virtues of the place.
The way matters seem to be
now going, the dispute is bound
to be settled in court.
As descendants of the old
and honorable Phoenicians,
whose great contributions to
civilization are being challenged
by the Glozelians at such a late
hour, we can but assume a policy of watchful waiting.
It
seems/ unnecessary for us to put
up any defense of the claims
of our ancestors, as developments in the Glozel controversy seem to amply take care of
that, the latest development
being that a sudden raid on a
certain farm in Glozel by an
anti-Glozelian savant and seven
officers of the law yielded unmistakable evidence that some
of the discoveries bore inscriptions of very modern origin.
The spurious nature of the finds
is not contested by the Glozelians, but they ascribe it to underhanded methods by their
opponents to discredit them.
So, in the end, both the pros
THE SYRIAN WORLD
and cons are reaching a point
where they will both agree that
beneath the whole affair there
is a streak of fraud.
There is an Arabic adage
that says: "Let pottery break
up itself." The moral of this
is that pottery being fragile,
hollow and possessing no inherent strength, will wreak easy
destruction upon itself when it
collides. This seems to be the
destiny of Glozelian aspirations,
while the claims of the Phoenicians seem to be moulded of
something much more substantial than baked clay.
of economic possibilities in Syria and Lebanon
cannot fail to appreciate the
value of the articles contributed
by our countryman Mr. George
Knaysi, of Cornell University,
and of which the one published
in this issue is the last of the
series. Mr. Knaysi is eminently qualified to give an expert
opinion, and he gives it without reservation, on the possibilities of dairy farming in Syria.
Just as the writer suggests, this
may prove to be a most profitable enterprise for the investment of capital. But technical
knowledge is also required and
that is where the scientific
training of such men as Mr.
Knaysi should prove to be most
valuable.
CTUDENTS
�MARCH, 1928
43
Spirit of the Syrian Press
I
Under this caption we hope to present from time to time a microcoamic picture of the Arabic press, not only in this country, but wherever
Arabic dailies and magazines reflect the opinions of responsible, thinking
writers who are treating the different problems that confront the Arabicspeaking world from all conceivable angles. Needless to say, we will take
no part in the discussions reproduced, nor assume any responsibility. Our
task will simply consist in selecting, to the best of our knowledge and
with utmost sincerity, what we think is representative of the public opinion as expressed in these editorials.
Editor.
HOW
THEY UNDERSTAND
AMERICANISM
in the nation of which he has "become" a part, even though he were
to sew the naturalization certificate
into his skin!
You who have just been invested
with the new cloak of Americanism;
Go to any museum and ascertain
who belittle yourselves and your anfor
yourselves how the Americans
cestors; who mock of your customs
take
so much pains in preserving
and traditions; who make no secret
of your disgust with life and cir- everything Oriental, be it of manucumstances simply because you were scripts, statues, extiles, books, coins
not born in a country other than and all other objects of art. Can
Syria, we ask you to check your you not stand before these relics
speed a little and give matters some and recall that you are the descendants of a people who were the misconsideration.
Tarry, O please tarry a while and sionaries and apostles of civilization
reflect on the folly of your actions, and progress to the whole world
for what you are doing is altogether in their days ? While you who were
foreign to the true spirit of Amer- not able to regain your lost glory
icanism. Can you not realize that have scattered in all parts of the
Americanism which requires the world adopting now the citizenship
renunciation of your former citi- of this country, and then that of
zenship and allegiance does not the other, much like water which
necessarily require that you renounce takes on the color of the vase in
also the virtues of your race and which it is placed.
whatever you have of worthy cusVerily we say unto you, now, totoms and traditions? Can you not morrow and forever, that he who
see that this nation which you so fails to find in the history of a coungreatly admire is composed of noth- try such as Syria sufficient cause
ing less than various racial elements for pride in the face of the whole
extracted from the Old World from world, will not be of much gain to
which you also have come?
Americanism in such a case. Be*** The man who fails to appre- cause every true American is a true
ciate the beauty spots of the nation man, and the true man is he who
of which he "was" a part may nev- loves the beautiful wherever it is
er be expected to detect these spots found. Hence, the Syrian who is
�44
ashamed to proclaim in public his
racial origin will only give cause
to America to be ashamed of him.
Respect yourselves, then, you
who do not understand the true
American spirit either in whole or
in part.
And you may well be sure that
if you are unable to feel proud in
being Syrians you will be equally
unable to feel proud that you are
Americans.
(Meraat-Ul-Gharb, N. Y.,
Feb. 14, 1928.
PURITY OF LEBANESE BLOOD
There is a sprinkling of foreign blood in every nation, but the
Lebanese are among those nations
whose blood is purest, and this because of a manifest reason: They
were never in the direct course of
conquerors in their sweep over the
country, but were always at a safe
distance, entrenched in the fastness
of their mountainous strongholds.
Even Alexander the Great would not
attack Lebanon because of the
strength of character of its inhabitants and the resoluteness of their defense of their mountain. The Egyptians, Chaldeans and others followed
the same course in the ebb and tide of
their military movements and were
satisfied at all times to seek their
way along the shores, at the base of
the mountain, refraining from any
attempt at subduing the inhabitants
by a determined pursuit to the summits.
(Al-Hoda, N. Y., Feb. 23, 1928.)
IN MEMORY OF WASHINGTON
We Orientals mays well profit
of the three outstanding characteristics of Washington: his loyalty,
sacrifice and perseverence.
THE SYRIAN WORLD
How salutary it would be for our
leaders to forget everything but
these three virtues and take them
as their guiding torch in the service
of the nation. Then it would be possible for us to point out the leader
and say: "Behold the Washington
of the East and the honest servant
of his people," instead of simply
saying: "This is the great leader,
the pen and sword wielder... etc."
And well may our pseudo-leaders
remember that it would have been
possible for Washington to have
himself declared king with the right
of succession reposing in his heirs,
but he resolutely refused, while they
only use their avowal of patriotism
as a means for obtaining appointment to office or seeking personal
gain.
They would do well to learn a lesson in nobility of character from
Washington when he wrote on the
occasion of his election to the presidency: "I feel as though I were a
condemned man being led to execution."
(As-Sayeh, N. Y., Feb. 20, 1928.)
THE CHRISTIAN POWERS
FAVOR MOHAMMEDANS
Fidelity to truth compells us to
state that the Christian powers,
without exception, favor the Mohammedans and show extreme solicitude for their interests whether
they be in Syria, Arabia, Russia,
Afghanistan, or any other country.
Christians, therefore, who lull
themselves into the belief that this
or the other of the Christian Powers will give them protection and
champion their interests are laboring under false hopes.
Every one of the Christian Powers
is bent on the promotion of its
I
�MARCH, 1928
own interests and will sell the
cause of the Christians who
place their hopes in her at the cheapest price when it comes to a question
of self interest.
You say that the English protect
the Christians. Pray, can anyone be
blind to the partiality of the English to the Mohammedans? Who,
then, furnished the Druzes with
arms and ammunition in their last
revolt ? Would it have been possible
for the Druzes to procure arms
from outside of Syria had it not
been for the helping hand of the
British?
»1
And the French. Do you think
they are much better than the English in this respect? Study them
in Syria and find out for yourselves
how they sell a thousand Christians
for the mere smile of a Druze or
Moslem leader. Just see how they
treat the notorious Druze rebel, Ali
Oryan, while they turn a deaf ear
to the piteous appeals of the Christian sufferers of Druze barbarities.
The same applies to all other
Christian Powers, including Germany
and Italy, Who can forget the stand
Emperor William took with the Mohammedans ? His words at the tomb
of Saladdin in Damascus in which
he challengd the right of Christians
to remain in Mohammedan countries
are history.
It behooves you, then, O Christians of Syria, to be courageous and
firm in the defense of your national
interests and to place no dependence
upon this or that power because,
as the adage goes, none can better
scratch your skin than your own
nail. And if you do not rise in defense of your own rights your cause
will be surely lost and you will be
facing certain destruction.
(Syrian Eagle, N.Y., Feb. 10, 1928.)
45
OUR STAND IN THE
CONTROVERSY
There remains no further excuse
for us in maintaining silence. AlBayan is with the revolution on an
-ancompromising stand.
Why do some simple-hearted people want us to assume a passive attitude when we find anarchy rampant in the ranks of the revolutionary workers? There is not a mail
from abroad but is filled with circulars from this or that faction each
denouncing the other and blaming
it for the continuation of the controversy.
Now that we have pursued these
circulars and acquainted ourselves
with the causes of dissension among
the ranks of the Nationalists, we
can categorically declare that the
failure of peace negotiations must
be placed directly at the doors of
the Lutfallahs and their followers.
We would not hesitate, therefore,
to declare that complete separation
from these people is imperative.
How long do those who counsel
silence want us to maintain an impartial attitude? They would want
us to suppress the facts from our
readers for fear of arousing the
ire of our enemies. This we shall
not do in the face of all that we
read in the Egyptian press of what
is going on abroad. We declare ourselves unequivocally to be on the
side of those whose say should be
the first in such matters, and they
are those who persevered in the
field incurring daily danger and untold privations, and not those who
live in Egypt and Palestine enjoying all luxuries of life from riding
automobiles to sleeping in silken
beds...
Is it possible that thousands of
valiant patriots should be undergo-
�SSHHB
46
THE SYRIAN WORLD
ing the direst privations and the however, that a cable was sent to
constant dangers of warfare in the the Committee from Detroit conveydesert, while others are safely lodg- ing the decision of the New Syria
ed amid the luxuries of civilization, Party in America to revoke its auand that the latter should claim thor zation of Toufic Yazegy to repthat the say is thoirs and the shap- resent it before the Committee.
ing of national policies their privil- (Yazegy was a delegate to the conege? And in face of all that they vention of the New Syria Party in
would have the brazenness of de- Detroit in 1927.) While another
claring that they have deposed the cable communication was sent the
Syrian Delegation in Europe and Committee from Argentine forbidcable the League of Nations that ding Dr. Shahbandar from reprethey would soon send to Europe a senting the Arab National Party of
new delegation to represent the Syr- Argentine so long as there was division in the ranks of the Nationalian Nationalist Party?
Thisr indeed, is more than could ists.
In view of these facts, we find
be borne with honor. It is for this
reason that we cannot agree with ourselves unable to adhere to any
those who would have us maintain policy of silence. We have seen
silence. And why the silence when enough acts of bad faith calculated
news of the dissension between the to bring injury to the Nationalist
Nationalists has covered the earth. cause. We therefore believe it is
To mainta-n silence in view of the our duty to stand by the faction
situation would be construed as rank Which is true to the cause and is
prosecuting the struggle for the
cowardice.
One of the most ridiculous acts liberation of the country. We are
of the Lutfallahs and their clique with the delegation which for years
was their deposition of Sultan Pasha has represented the cause in Europe
Atrash as leader of the Syrian re- competently and honorably and
volution. In one of the statements whech is composed of Emir Shakib
given out by the Syrian Bureau of Arslan, Ihsan Bey Jabiry and Riadh
Information in Cairo, the agency of Boy Sulh. We will not recognize any
the Lutfallahs, we read the follow- other which the Lutfallahs may aping: "The Executive Committee of point to enter into bargaining negothe Syrian Revolutionary Party does tiations with France to the detrinot recognize a man by the name ment of the country. The Lutfallahs
of Sultan Atrash or one by the name have no object in view but to exof Adel Arslan, nor does it recog- ploit the Revolution to their own
nize the existence of the so-called benefit. They would give all the
committee of the revolutionary victims of the Revolution as a price
for a throne in Lebanon.
high command."
(Al-Bayan, N. Y., Feb. 20, 1928.)
In another statement the Bureau
announces that it is in receipt of
WHY IS IMMIGRATION
cable advices from Europe, America
RESTRICTED
and Syria approving the action of
*** It is not conceivable that the
the Committee in revoking the auUnited States should harm itself
thority of the Syrian Delegation in
in order to accommodate the immiEurope to represent it.
grants who are flowing into it from
The facts of the situation are,
ft
)
\
�MARCH, 1928
1/
n
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en
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exown
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128.)
; the
tself
nmifrom
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B
all parts of the world. Economic
conditions in the country are not
what could be desired, and to permit unrestricted immigration would
only tend to make them worse.
The United States could not be
held to blame for adopting this
policy any more than England,
France, Italy or Germany. We hear
no voice raised in protest against
any of these countries.
Is it not strange that the Syrian,
for instance, should blame the United States for barring him from entry into the country and not blame
his own government or that of the
Mandatory Power which heaps indignities upon him and drives him
out of his own country while letting
down the bars and permitting the
influx of shiftless strangers to come
and establish permanent homes in
the land, as is the case with the
Jews in Palestine and the Armenians in Lebanon?
(Meraat-Ul-Gharb, N. Y.,
Feb. 8, 1928.)
f
/
.
*
',
AS IN THE EAST,
SO IN THE WEST
Our steamer stopped at Charleston, W. Va., on its way to Jacksonville» Fla. Here the tourist is treated to a strange sight. No sooner
does the ship weigh anchor than the
longshoremen swarm about dancing
the Charleston and vociferously asking for tips. When small change is
thrown to them they scramble for it
like a pack of street urchins. Some
even go to dangerous limits in leaning over the dock to catch a piece
of money thrown to them.
Nothing worse than this is seen
in any of the ports of the East.
Where in the East poverty-stricken urchins clamor for the "bakshish"
we find here in Charleston men who
receive good wages for their day's
47
work stoop to this low level.
Though the subject may seem
trivial, I feel I owe this in defense
of the East against the preposterous
representations of some American
tourists and missionaries who feel
no scruples in exaggerating what
they witness of these superficial incidents in the East with the object
of promoting their own personal interests and creating a market for
their books.
Nations are not judged by their
longshoremen and urchins, nor by
their muleteers, camel-drivers and
even dragomen.
Every nation has its intrinsic
character which should be sought on
its proper throne and in its native
abode, and not in alleys and by-ways,
or in the plains and the forests of
the country.
(Al-Hoda, N. Y., Feb. 20, 1928.)
SELF-INTEREST VS.
PATRIOTISM
The clift in the ranks of the Syrian Nationalists, as represented by
the Executive Council of the SyroPalestinian Committee, gives us a
sorry lesson in patriotism as against
self-interest.
Although we differed with this
committee in principle, we had cherished the hope that this might be
the forerunner of a new era in collective action among the Syrians.
It has now become evident that
at the bottom of all these efforts
there was the motive of personal
benefit. Even Emir Shakib Arslan
had proposed terms of a treaty with
France which M. de Jouvenel thought
preposterous. Now we are treated
to some revelations which make us
despair of any such hopes as we
had previously cherished.
(As-Sayeh, N. Y.f Feb. 16, 1928.)
�•—
THE SYRIAN WORLD
48
About Syria and Syrians
he spent visiting historical places
of interest in the city and in the
afternoon attended the military review held in his honor.
President of Republic Takes Part in
Nine o'clock in the evening was
Ceremony at the Syrianthe time set for his visit to the
Lebanese Club.
Syrian-Lebanese Club. He was received at the door by the President,
The Syrian-Lebanese colony of Mr. Naman Turk, and other officers
Santo Domingo feel justly proud of of the organization and escorted to
the distinction of being the only the main reception hall under a
foreign group in that capital to have triumphal arch entwined with AmerColonel Chas. Lindbergh pay them ican, Dominican and Lebanese flags.
a special visit at their club rooms
Ten minutes later the President
while in the city, on Feb. 4. The of the Republic appeared in person
description of the event as given by unannounced and unexpected at the
the secretary of the club and pub- club rooms of the Syrian-Lebanese
lished in some of the Arabic papers Club to the great embarrassment of
of New York runs as follows:
the officers and members who were
Saturday, Feb. 3, word was receiv- profuse In their apologies for not
ed that Col. Lindbergh would take having received the President in
off from San Juan, Porto Rico, for proper ceremony. The President,
Santo Domingo and immediately the however, said that he decided he
capital was astir with preparations would take part in the reception of
for his reception. He arrived on the Syrian-Lebanese colony to Col.
schedule and was welcomed to the Lindbergh in testimony of his percity and country by the President sonal esteem both for the hosts and
of the Republic and high officials of their guest.
the government.
The Club had a special medal
The public celebrations staged struck in honor of Col. Lindbergh
for the visiting King of the Air which was pinned on his breast by
were memorable. When he was es- the president. The medal bore on
corted to the American Legation one side the date of Col. Lindbergh's
there was a procession in his honor visit and on the other the official
in which thousands of young women emblem of the Club, the Cedar of
took part in the most alluring cos- Lebanon. Accompanying the medal
tumes.
was a scroll testifying that the ColNext morning, Col. Lindbergh at- onel was elected an honorary memtended a special service at the old ber of the Club for life.
church of the Holy Virgin which was
In reply to the speeches of welbuilt during the time of Columbus,
come,
Col. Lindbergh said that he
and from there he visited the great
regretted
the limited time of his
landmark which is said to have been
stay
in
the
city but that he heartily
built by Columbus himself for his
appreciated
the demonstration of afresidence. The rest of the forenoon
II
SANTO DOMINGO SYRIANS
WELCOME LINDBERGH
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THE PLAIN
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AL-BEKAA,
LEBANON
Favored by fertility of soil and climatic advantages as the most suitable section of Syria for
dairy farming.
(See Article on Development of Dairy Farming in Syria and Lebanon.)
Jl
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COSTES AND LEBRIX AMONG FRIENDS
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�MARCHy 1928
fection shown him by the Syrians
and Lebanese and that he would carry pleasant recollections of his visit
to them all his life.
The Colonel later attended the
official ball given in his honor by the
government and on the morning of
Monday sped away in the Spirit of
St. Louis in the direction of Haiti.
SYRIANS EVERYWHERE
GREET FRENCH FLIERS
\
"You may quote us unreservedly
that wherever we went we were received most cordially and enthusiastically by the Syrian-Lebanese colonies. We shall never forget their
cordiality and their expressions of
friendship and admiration on every
occasion we met them. I should say
that the Syrians and Lebanese were
more than cordially enthusiastic —
their receptions to us were simply
marvelous."
This was the statement made by
Captain Dieudonne Costes and Lieutenant Joseph Lebrix to a representative of The Syrian World who interviewed them upon their arrival in
New York on their epochal air flight
around the world. The Arabic newspapers of Brazil, Argentine, Uruguay, Mexico and other Latin American countries had published accounts of the reception of the Syrians and Lebanese of those countries to the French fliers, and although the Syrians of New York
did not organize any public demonstration in their honor owing to the
heaviness of their program in the
city, The Syrian World sought to interview them to learn their impression of their receptions by Syrians
and Lebanese in other cities. Their
statement, reproduced above, given
with all the fiery enthusiasm of the
49
French nature, bespoke their earnestness.
The French fliers were presented
with a special medal struck in their
honor by the Syrian-Lebanese colony
of Mexico City, and were feted and
given many tokens of love and admiration by the Syrians of other
countries of South America where
they made stops. In Panama they
were presented with two fine gold
fountain pens.
Syrian papers of South America
state that had it not been for the
limited time at the disposal of the
French world fliers many more testimonials of honor and welcome
would have been shown them.
GIBRAN'S PROPHET
A RELIGIOUS SERVICE
On Lincoln's birthday, Feb. 12,
the church of St Marks on the
Bowerie in New York was crowded
to overflowing for the afternoon
services when, according to previous
announcement, there was to be an
enactment of the scenes of Gibran's
book, The Prophet, The services
were conducted by Dr. Guthrie, the
well-known modernist of the Episcopal Church who has introduced in
his program of church services classical interpretive dancing in defiance
of his superiors. The actor impersonating the Prophet was Mr. Reynolds, while the leader of the group
of female dancers was the daughter
of Dr. Guthrie.
The Prophet is the best known
work of our gifted author and artist, G. K. Gibran. It is ranked among
the best sellers in works of its class.
Rather, according to As-Sayeh, an
Arabic newspaper of New York, it
is considered by some to be Becond
only to the books of revelation in
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
50
its spiritualistic, mystical and ethical teachings.
The large audience was visibly
moved by the excellence of the interpretation, and at the conclusion
of the performance Mr. Gibran received the hearty congratulations of
his numerous admirers.
a personal friend of Gen. Calles,
President of the Republic, and one
who enjoys the highest esteem of
government officials and the better
class Mexicans.
OLD TYRE SEEKS TO ENLARGE
Tyre, the one-time mistress of
the seas and the commercial capital
of the world in the days of the
AMBITIOUS PLANS OF
Phoenicians, seems now to have outLEBANESE IN MEXICO
grown its old boundaries.
If the new program of the LebaSituated or;ginally on an island
nese Chamber of Commerce in Mexi- connected with the mainland by a
co City is carried through, the Syr- narrow causeway it cannot find
ian-Lebanese colony of Mexico would sufficient room for expansion along
achieve the greatest result of col- modern lines within its ancient conlective effort so far done by any fines. The population, therefore,
similar community in America.
have signed a petition praying the
Al-Khawater, an Arabic paper of Lebanese Government to sell their
Mexico City, is authority for the city the vast dunes along the shore
\\
statement that the Lebanese Cham- which they would reclaim for buildber of Commerce, following the in- ing a new, modern city of Tyre,
duction into office of its new presi- which would follow the lines of a
dent, Mr. Jacob Simon, has announc- Western land development project.
ed that the main features of its new They only ask that the price of the
land be made reasonable inasmuch
program are the following:
as it is now a total waste and of
1—The formation of a special
committee for the promotion and benefit to no one.
The Lebanese press of Beirut reprotection of Syrian-Lebanese comports
that on the 22nd of January
mercial and industrial interests in
a delegation representing the TyriMexico.
ans waited on the President of the
2—The founding of a banking in- Republic as well as on the Minister
stitution which would be affiliated of the Interior and asked that their
w<th the National Bank of Mexico. demands, embodied in a petition
/
3—The publication of a daily news- signed by almost all the inhabitants
paper in both the Arabic and Span- of the city, be given favorable conish languages to defend the Syrians sideration.
and Lebanese in case of attack and
At present the population of
promote a better understanding of Tyre is about twenty thousand, but
them by the Mexican public.
with the revival of civic interest
The newspaper making this an- and pride in their old city they exnouncement adds that the new pres- pect that in a short time it will
ident of the Lebanese Chamber of grow into a flourishing port of
Commerce in the city of Mexico is Southern Lebanon,
;
�MARCH, 1928
NEW ENTERPRISES
GAINING IN SYRIA
Ancient Land Taking New Place
as an Economic Factor in
the Near East
A correspondent of the New York
Times, writing from Jerusalem under date of Jan. 20, gives the following summary of economic conditions
in that part of. Syria covered by the
French mandate.
Slowly but surely, he says, through
the aid of Government and individual enterprise, Syria is taking its
place as an important factor in the
economic development in the Near
East. New industries are being
founded, and the roads and general
condition of transportation are being
constantly improved. Part of the
fund formed from the revenue of
customs, which had been set aside
for the payment of the Ottoman
debt, is now to be used to carry into
effect and extensive scheme of public utility works, mainly road construction and irrigation. Good communication between the principal cities of the French Mandated States
and Iraq, and repair of the already
existing routes are included in the
program of construction that is to
be begun soon. Extensive irrigation schemes are also contemplated.
It is expected that about 25,000,000
francs will be used for these construction and irrigation projects.
Bee-keeping is one of the industries that shows prospects of a
bright future. As yet it is still carried on along primitive lines. Modern hives are practically unknown.
Those in use are usually made of
myrtle or basket work, and sometimes of clay. The largest yield of
51
honey is supplied from the section
around Alexandretta. The rich melliferous flora of the country really
permit of a much larger yield than
is now being obtained, and with the
gradual introduction of modern
methods, a large field for export
can be created.
It has been discovered that most
of the Syrian wheats are of the
hard grain varieties, and are therefore most suitable for the manufacture of macaroni. This industry was
first begun in Syria as far back as
1875, when a small and primitive
workshop was established at Beirut.
The article produced was of an inferior quality. Today, factories for
the manufacture of macaroni, vermicelli, and similar products exist
in Beirut, Damascus and Aleppo.
Although the local product cannot
yet compare with the Italian, nevertheless the quality is constantly
improving, and there is an increasing tendency on the part of residents
to give preference to the local product.
What will serve better than anything else in bringing Syria to the
fore is the increasing development
of the Lebanese Summer resorts.
Mount Lebanon has been found to
be a most desirable Summer place,
and each season brings more and
more visitors, chiefly from Egypt
and Iraq. A Government Tourist
Development Committee has been
appointed, which is looking into the
matter of the improvement of conditions and facilities. It is estimated that about 12,000 tourists visited
the Lebanon last Summer, and with
the aid of an extensive campaign
which is soon to be launched, it is
expected that the results of the
coming season will prove even more
satisfactory.
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
52
and my worship for the Arabic
language would prevent my consenting to take in marriage any other but a Syrian even if I have to
Meraat-Ul-Gharb, an Arabic daily spend my whole life unmarried.
paper of New York, has been con- Second, because the Syrian has the
ducting a contest as to what the highest consideration for his honor
Syrian girl would require of a hus- and loaths by his very nature the
band and what the Syrian man would extremes and excesses of Western
require of a wife. On Feb. 24 the civilization and the many pitfalls
contest was closed and the winners that are lurking in it. He would not,
announced, one from among the men therefore, permit himself or his wife
and one from among the women. The to follow the radical customs of this
winner in the choice of a wife de- civilization which are bound to lead
clared hia preference for the woman to unhappiness and perhaps separawho would retain the modesty, virtion.
tue and home-loving qualities of the
2—I would require that he be a
Eastern girl but who would at the
lover of Syria above all else with no
same time be endowed with sufficient
object in mind other than to work
human qualities to make life worth
for its progress and for its liberaliving with her. His essay could not
tion. He should be alive to this
be described as containing anything
prime duty towards his country realradical.
izing that she expects his assistance
But the girl adjudged the winner
as well as that of all other Syrians.
among the female participants in the
3—He should be well educated,
contest was a certain Miss Najla
imbued with advanced ideas and conwhose reply savors more of a paceding to the woman her inalienable
triotic essay than a discussion of a
rights. He must also be possessed
purely matrimonial problem. The
of the poetic gift and loving music,
judges may have been swayed more
although I would not require him
by these considerations than by the
to possess these gifts to the highest
intrinsic merits of the reply in ardegree. I would by that be assured
riving at their decision. It would be
that he is of a mild and sweet teminteresting to learn the real sentiperament and endowed with a senment of our girls of the SyrianAmerican generation on such a sub- sitive nature.
The young woman then goes on
ject, especially those who have been
to enumerate further requirements in
raised in purely American surroundthe man of her preference which are
ings. Could it be possible that the
prime qualifications of a husband to of a general character.
WHAT SYRIAN GIRL
REQUIRES IN HUSBAND
them would be those which the prize
winner in the Arabic paper gives expression to?
Following are extracts of the conditions which this Syrian girl lays
down as being of prime necessity in
a husband:
1 I want him to be a Syrian for
two reasons. First on patriotic
grounds because my love for Syria
J
LEBANESE PUBLICATIONS
NUMEROUS
Official statistics disclose the surprising fact that in the small Lebanese Republic, with a population
not exceeding six hundred thousand,
there are no less than ninety peri-
?(
�MARCH, 1928
odicals, or at the rate of one publication for about every 6,500 inhabitants.
In the city of Beirut, the capital,
there are 17 daily papers, 23 triweekly papers and 21 monthly magazines, while in the rest of the
country there are 17 weekly or semiweekly newspapers and 12 magazines.
I
il
ii
5
i
Statistics for other parts of Syria
are not available.
Judging by these figures one would
be inclined to believe that the Lebanese are voracious readers. The
fact is that with the exception of
a few old established newspapers
all others are of minor importance
commanding a circulation of hardly
a thousand each. Many of those
published outside of the capital are
in the nature of country papers
whose main dependence is on their
circulation among the town emigrants abroad. And, may it be remembered, there are many unemployed literati who find the publication of a newspaper the easiest profession.
53
Arab families and made many
friends. She also spent some time
on a farm among the Bedouins,
where she was received with great
respect.
Since a Moslem woman cannot
leave her home without the permission of her father, husband or other
male relative, Dr. Essenberg realized that it would be necessary to
win the favor of the men first. This
she succeeded in doing. Her idea of
opening an American school for
girls was received with enthusiasm
by the Arabs. The Moslem men
were especially pleased to hear that
the founder of the school had no intention of taking the veils from the
women or of attacking their religion.
After long, patient waiting permission to open the school came.
Although the rebellions of 1925-26
were a great drawback, because so
many families fled from the city,
nevertheless Dr. Essenberg stuck
bravely to her post, and is now gaining rapid headway in her work. She
already has an enrollment of more
than 100 students.
She has been urged to undertake
similar institutions in other towns
of Syria and Palestine.
MOSLEMS OF SYRIA
EAGER FOR EDUCATION
How an American woman educator ingratiated herself with the Moslems of Damascus and established
there a thriving school for girls is
described by a correspondent of the
New York Times in Jerusalem
writing under date of Feb. 2. The
American woman is Dr. Christina
Essenberg who, according to the
correspondent, in order to better
acquaint herself with the home life
of the people, for the first five
months after her arrival she lived
at the home of a prominent Moslem.
Here she met most of the prominent
/;
(
END OF A HOAX
At last it would seem that the
rumors concerning the existence of
thousands of Arab and Syrian war
prisoners in Singapore, under conditions said to be worse than slavery, have been put to rest. A reputable Syrian merchant of Horns who
recently returned from Singapore
ridiculed the rumors as being utterly
without foundation. He based his
assertion on personal investigations
conducted by himself and other Syrian merchants of Singapore when the
rumors reached them.
�=
=
THE SYRIAN WORLD
54
EGYPTIAN MINISTER
ENTERTAINS OFFICIALLY
Syrian Violinist Plays Before
Distinguished Audience
in Washington.
The society columns of Washington and New York papers of Jan. 29
last carried long reports of the elaborate dinner-entertainment given by
His Excellency the Minister of Egypt
and Mme. Samy Pasha in honor of
Vice-Pres. and Mrs. Dawes the evening previous, and at which the visiting Syrian violinist to America,
Mr. Sami Shawa, gave selections of
Oriental music which were declared
to have met with much favor by the
distinguished audience.
Besides the Vice-President and
Mrs. Dawes, other guests were the
Secretary of the Navy and Mrs.
Curtis D. Wilbur; the Secretary of
Agriculture and Mrs. William M.
Jardine; Senator and Mrs. Hiram
Jones; Senator and Mrs. Royal S.
Copeland; Senator Arthur Capper;
Representative and Mrs. John Q.
Tilson; Representative Edith Nourse
Rogers; Representative and Mrs. Sol.
Bloom; Lady Drummond Hay, of
London; Mrs. Mayo; Mr. and Mrs.
Peter Drury; Mrs. Fitzsimmons; the
Secretary of the Legation, Ramses
Bey Chaffey; the Attache of the
Legation Mr. El-Eissy and Mr. Nour.
Mr. Shawa had been invited to
other receptions of a similar nature
where his recitals were highly appreciated as giving a most favorable
interpretation of Oriental music.
Mr. Shawa has returned to Egypt
the latter part of February, and it
is expected that he will pay another
visit to the United States within the
present year.
LEBANESE OPPOSE
LEGALIZED GAMBLING
Strenuous efforts are being made
by a group of financiers to obtain a
concession for public gambling in
large hotels at different Summer resorts in the mountains of Lebanon,
according to the Jerusalem correspondent of the New York Times.
It appears that several attempts
have been made by a small group
of Parliamentarians to pass a bill
through the Lebanese Parliament
for legalizing gambling, and on each
occasion the bill has been defeated
through the sentiment of the people.
Public opinion is now alarmed,
owing to the attitude of some French
high officials at the Haut-Commissariat, who, notwithstanding the denials of the French representatives
at the League of Nations, appear to
approve of the measure. Only lately
the Secretary General, while acting
as High Commissioner pro tern, as
well as the French representative to
the Lebanese Government tried to
influence Parliament to make gambling legal. The matter is still
pending, however, and with public
opinion so strongly opposed to the
plan that it is believed such concessions will not be granted.
i
w
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN
THE GLOZEL CONTROVERSY
The controversy over the Glozel
relics which are claimed to prove
the discovery of the art of writing
long before the times of the Phoenicians has, according to Paris dispatches of the latter part of February, caused so much bitterness
among two factions of French savonts that definite charges of fraud
in the matter have been taken to
court.
',
I
-*-..-Ji <*SSSBB ' & --'—-• J3SM SmmKStalmmKmttmtSSifi^i**S i
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�MARCH, 1928
I
Dr. Felix Regnault, President of
the Prehistoric Society of France,
declared that the society has given
him full powers to file the complaint
on its behalf. The society has been
discussing this action for the past
three months, he explained, for since
last August it has been fully satisfied that frauds were being perpetrated at Glozel. Finally, being anxious to check the discredit which
discussions of Glozel were bringing
upon French science as well as exploitation of the public, the society
decided on action.
In his recourse to the law, Dr.
Regnault, in company with seven
policemen, raided the Fradin farm
at Glozel and there discovered idols
and other objects which had just
come from the oven and were apparently made by a novice. They also
came across a stone supposed to
have Glozelian inscriptions but which
the owners of the farm said had been
used around the farm for knocking
down nails...
4
1
'
.
I
f
rail communications in Syria, but it
is stated that the French High Commissioner is reserving this right to
the Lebanese Government in the hope
of launching building operations immediately an agreement can be
reached with the government of
Syria on the question of allotment
of costs which are to be drawn from
the joint customs receipts of the
two countries.
Late reports indicate that work
on this important line will begin not
later than Spring of the present
year. It is being represented to the
government of Syria that the new
railroad will be the means of drawing a large number of tourists to the
country who are now prevented from
visiting it by lack of direct communications between Syria and
Egypt and Syria and Europe. The
line will extend along the coast of
Lebanon and connect with the existing lines in Palestine and those of
northern Syria, thus affording the
means of continuous rail travel
from Calais in France to Cairo,
Egypt.
THE TRIPOLI-NACOURA
R. R. IN LEBANON
Will Supply Link for Direct Rail
Communications Between
Europe and Egypt
Si!
55
The Lebanese Government has under advisement the construction of
a Railroad to connect the city of
Tripoli, in the north, and Nacoura
which is one of the southern borders
of the country below Tyre and only
a short distance from Haiffa in Palestine. A group of capitalists known
as the Sursuq-Lutfallah syndicate
is negotiating for the concession of
building and operating the new line
which is considered a vital link in
NEW IMMIGRATION
QUOTA FOR SYRIANS
President Coolidge submitted to
the Senate on Feb. 27 revised figures
for the "national origin" basis on
which immigration quotas would be
founded, beginning with July, 1928.
Under existing law, immigration
quotas after that date are to be fixed
according to tables worked out by
a special committee under the supervision of Secretaries Kellogg, Hoover and James J. Davis.
Such "national origins" estimates
were sent to the Senate in January,
1927, but, after criticism, were withdrawn and on Feb. 27 the President
submitted the revised figures.
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
56
Under these figures the Syrian nition of Lebanon. The Lebanese
quota is raised from 100 to 125. press of Beirut reports that the cable
Turkey's quota is raised from 100 had been received and ordered entered in the records of Parliament,
to 233.
Palestine, although geographical- but action on it had been deferred
ly a part of Syria, enjoys a separate until the Mandatory authorities
quota, being given the minimum fig- would have studied the matter.
ure of 100. Previous to the World
War both Syria and Palestine were
SYRIA NATIONAL HOME OF
cited under the general classificaARMENIANS?
tion of Turkey.
The Syrian press reports that the
Readers of The Syrian World will
Commission of the League of Narecall that the Lebanese newspaper
tions studying the conditions of ArAl-Hoda, published in New York
menian refugees in Rumania, BulCity, had advocated that Lebanon be
garia and Greece advises the removassigned a separate quota inasmuch
al of some fifty thousand Armenians
as it is politically indepenednt of
to Syria, Palestine and TransjordaSyria and should be recognized as
nia. A section of the Syrian press
such in making immigration allotcomplains that Armenians already
ments. Al-Hoda has also been agiin the country are more than it can
tating the question of the political
absorb with safety and asks if
recognition of the Lebanese RepubFrance and the League of Nations
lic by the United States and other
wish to make Syria a national home
Powers. No announcement has been
for the Armenians and bring on it
made lately by Al-Hoda of the result
additional economic complications to
of its efforts.
aggravate the conditions which have
It will be recalled that Mr. N. A.
Mokarzel, editor of Al-Hoda, had en- prompted a serious increase in emitered into correspondence with the gration. The fear is expressed that
French Ambassador in Washington the Armenians will soon become not
and also cabled the Lebanese Par- only an economic problem but a
liament on the matter of the recog- political problem as well.
Political Developments in Syria
A New Syrian Government
A special cable dispatch to AlBayan of New York, organ of the
Syrian Nationalist Party in the
United States, carries the announcement that Sheikh Taj Ud-Deen AlHusni, one of the prominent leaders of the Nationalist movement, has
been appointed President of the
State of Syria to succeed Ahmad
Nami Bey, styled the Dmaad, or the
Sultan's son-in-law. The news was
hailed in Nationalist circles as a
signal victory for their cause, because of their opposition to the former president who was accused of
being a tool in the hands of the
French, while the new president is
reputed to be a staunch Nationalist
and one who had formerly refused
the same office except on his own
terms.
BHHMHv-
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�MARCH, 1928
I
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It is impossible at this moment to
set down the exact conditions under
which the new president accepted
office. In Nationalist circles it is
claimed that even since the time of
the former High Commissioner, M.
Henri de Jouvenel, he had held out
for a free hand in the conduct of
the government and for a complete
consent by the French to the Nationalist demands. The latest mail
arriving from Syria indicates that
negotiations were going on between
the former President, Ahmad Nami
Bey and the French High Commissioner, M. Ponsot, but these negotiations were supposed to have for object only the formation of a new
ministry whose personnel would be
more acceptable to the Nationalists
and at the same time be in sympathy with French policy. That the
friend of the French should be removed altogether and replaced by
one who is an outspoken Nationalist would indicate the advent of
something radical in the policy of
France in Syria.
The Syrian Nationalists naturally
hail this as a signal victory to their
cause, and judging by the comment
of their organ in the United States,
they welcome it as a sign of a new
era of peace for Syria. This, after
what the country has gone through
during the critical period of the
revolution, appears to be the paramount desire in the minds of the
Nationalists, especially those who
had been engaged in actual hostilities.
The new President is described as
having a forceful personality who
had long been active in the politics
of his country. He is the son of
the Sheikh Badr Ud-Deen Al-Husni,
head of the Ulemas of Damascus.
During1 the French bombardment of
Damascus he opened his house to
57
refugees and did much to allay the
fears of the population. It is recounted that during the World War,
when Syria was held in the greatest suspicion by the Turks, Jamal
Pasha, the Turkish military Governor, held the elder Sheikh Al-Husni
in the highest veneration and respect and was in the habit of kissing
his hand when greeting him. The
younger Al-Husni, the new Governor of Syria, was then comparatively a young man, but even then he
was of a rebellious character and
would not approve of the Turk's
policy as applied to his country.
Jamal Pasha confided to some of
his friends at the time that this
young man would some day be the
man of the hour in Syria.
If, according to present indications
and to representations of Syrian
Nationalists, the new President of
Syria was able to dictate his own
terms in accepting office, then the
people of Syria are to have free
elections for their National Assembly, complete independence in the
conduct of government with France
supplying advisers only on the approval of the National Government,
and a promise by France to evacuate
the country at the expiration of the
treaty which would be entered into
by France and Syria for a limited
period of time. This is the gist of
the Syrian Nationalist program, and
how much of it has been granted
Syria by France will be more fully
known upon receipt of Syrian mail.
Nationalist Dissension.
The controversy among the executive committee of the Syrian Nationalist Party, with headquarters
in Egypt, is waxing hotter than before. Now echoes of the differences
have been brought to the attention
�5*
THE SYRIAN WORLD
of the League of Nations by the act term political agitators and now
of the Lutfallah party which cabled claim to represent the Nationalist
the League that the Committee had cause without incurring the risks of
deposed its former delegation in Eu- battle. In a manifesto signed by
rope and would appoint a new dele- the Druze leaders and generals adgation to represent it in the near dressed principally to their supfuture. This came as the climax of porters in America, they complain
the bitter controversy which all ef- bitterly of the inaction of the Daforts to settle amicably failed. It mascenes and inhabitants of other
was brought about by the accusa- sections of Syria who are now claimtions of some members that the ing to speak for the Nationalists
chairman of the Committee, Emir "while they are engaged in the purLutfallah, had entered into bargain- suit of their business interests both
ing negotiations with the French in Syria and abroad and living in
to effect a compromise on the de- safety and luxury." The manifesto
mands of the Nationalists. He is shows no hesitation on the part of
accused of aspiring to barter the in- the Druzes to claim all the credit
terests of Syria for the throne of for the uprising in Syria for themLebanon. Lebanon, according to the selves, stating that they were the
defenders of Emir Lutfallah, could ones to suffer in lives and property
not be so tempting to a man of such and that the Syrians would not have
aspirations, as the country has al- even attempted to make a show of
ready committed itself to the repub- force had it not been for Druze relican form of government and is now inforcements. The Druzes, it is furstruggling in the most approved ther stated, had destroyed large
democratic fashion for the balancing French armies attempting to invade
of the budget, its latest move in this their mountain before anyone in
direction being its reduction of the other parts of Syria rose to arms.
ministry from seven to three mem- They held out later in the face of
great odds because they were loyal
bers.
As analyzed by some students of to their demands covering Syria as
the situation, the Syrian Nationalists a whole. Even when France offered
have now split into two distinct par- them advantageous terms following
ties, extremists and moderates. The the battle of Mezra'a they turned
faction of Emir Lutfallah, counsel- them down because of their loyalty
ing an amicable understanding with and single-mindedness. For these
the French to win as much as pos- considerations they show bitterness
sible of the Nationalist demands, towards the Syrian Nationalist leadare opposed by the other faction of ers of Damascus who would divert
the Executive Committee who would the financial succor coming from
continue the struggle to the bitter abroad to helping the remnants of
end in spite of the fact that the the Ghuta rebels instead of permitarmed revolution has been suppres- ting such assistance to reach the real
fighters who are now in exile in
sed.
An interesting development in Transjordania. Many instances are
these internal differences is that the cited where Druze revolutionists lost
leaders of the armed forces of the all their property and cattle and had
revolution are now showing extreme to borrow money on their personal
bitterness towards those whom they guarantee to purchase mounts and
I
�MARCH, 1928
H i
\
ammunition. This they mention as
one of their principal grievances because of the dire straits to which
they have been reduced.
On the face of it, this would indicate the appearance of a new element of difference between the
Druzes and their Mohammedan allies in Syria. It would seem that
the revolutionists of Syria are conducting negotiations with France on
terms unacceptable to the Druzes
and without consulting the desires
of the latter. There is also a plain
accusation of tampering with relief
funds because the Druzes emphasize
the fact that they have implicit
confidence in their relief committee
and would want their friends abroad
to place similar confidence in it so
that relief funds would be forthcoming uninterruptedly.
Incidentally, the Druzes state that
their losses in battle during the revolution amounted to three thousand
killed, not including women and children who met their death by causes
directly resulting from the war. The
number of those permanently disabled is also said to be large but
their exact number is not given.
The Situation in Lebanon.
A stormy session was staged in
the Parliament of Lebanon when
the new ministry took office. Dr.
Ayoub Tabet, Minister of the Interior, asked for a vote of confidence
and approval by Parliament of the
Ministry's program* and upon some
members favoring delay in taking
such a vote on the, plea of requiring
an extension of time for the proper
consideration of the program, the
minister threatened to resign and for
three times in quick succession left
his seat with the ministry and resumed his place as a plain member
59
of Parliament. Finally the President
declared a recess during which hurried arrangements were made to insure confidence being granted the
ministry.
Although accused of being a little
too impatient, the new Minister of
tihe Interior is, nevertheless, conceded to be a man of vigorous action
and energy. He is on good terms
with the press which lauds the
measures he plans to introduce for
the quick achievement of needed reform. He has already served notice
that court calendars must be cleared
within two weeks and invited the
public to call directly to his attention any flagrant cases of delayed
justice. He has also put an end to
public begging in the city of Beirut
and ordered all beggars from neighboring countries, such as Transjordania, Syria and Palestine, deported
from Lebanon forthwith.
The country appears to be still
restless under the frequent changes
taking place in the form of government. No sooner was the amendment to the Constitution approved
permitting tihe reduction of the
Council of Ministers from seven to
three than a movement was set
afoot asking for the dissolution of
Parliament in that it has ceased to
be constitutional. Immediately a
counter-petition was circulated accusing the makers of the first petition of pernicious motives and expressing confidence in the existing
republican form of government and
in Parliament. Some claim to see in
this move the hand of some conspirators who aspire to become princes
over Lebanon. The net result of these
moves and counter moves has been
to introduce a new element of uncertainty in the country which adds
to the demoralizing upheavals and
changes of the last few years.
�—-
60
THE SYRIAN WORLD
and endangering thereby a future
for the country full of promise. He
specifically refers to actions which
The latest mail reaching us from
in their nature would be incompatiParis furnishes partial details of the
ble with "political realities".
news already received by cable on
The dispatches conveying this inthe change of government in Syria.
formation
were sent from Beirut on
It would seem that conditions in the
Feb.
17,
and
on Feb. 20 other discountry have at last returned to norpatches
reported
that the new Presmal. Ahmad Nami Bey, the Damad,
ident
of
the
Provisional
Government
as already stated, has resigned, beof
Syria
had
in
turn
issued
another
ing succeeded by Sheikh Taj Udproclamation
promising
to
hold
the
Deen Al-Husni as Provisional Govgeneral
elections
for
the
Constituernor of the State of Syria, known
in the political division of the coun- tional Assembly at the earliest postry as the State of Damascus-Alep- sible date and that they would be
po. The French High Commission- conducted with the fullest freedom
er, M. Henri Ponsot, issued a pro- so that a constitution could be forclamation in which most of the na- mulated which would meet the
tionalist demands are granted. He wishes of the country and be in acpromises the early convocation of the cord with the obligations of the
National Assembly under a free Mandatory Power. He also advocates
electoral system and with full liber- the creation of an Interstate Comty to decide on the form of govern- mission to be charged with the regument for the country most acceptable lation of the economic relations beto the electorate, providing it does tween the different States. The new
not conflict with the duties of the Government is also in favor of abolMandatory Government as entrusted ishing the existing system of septo it by the League of Nations. At arate States and would replace it by
the same time, the censorship of the a centralized system of government
press is lifted, martial law abolished which would tend to foster a feeland a general amnesty declared, the ing of unity and cohesion. This, howHigh Commissioner explaining that ever, according to the proclamation,
the Mandatory Power had only should be undertaken in the friendawaited the opportune moment to liest spirit with no resort to coerprove to the people of Syria its good cion so that the ultimate result may
intentions by accelerating the return be achieved through complete wilof normal conditions now that the lingness and conviction. The wishes
armed revolt has been suppressed of the population of the different
and peace established on a stable States will be strictly respected and
basis. While setting no definite date if a general referendum should
for the general elections, the High prove abortive the Mandatory PowCommissioner assures the country er will be made the final arbiter.
The proclamation concludes with
that they will be undertaken as soon
as the proper machinery can be set the expression of the hope that the
Mandatory Power will enter into a
in motion.
There is, however, in the High treaty with Syria defining the mutuCommissioner's proclamation a note al obligations of the two nations
of warning to the Syrians against and setting a definite limit to
abusing their present opportunities France's occupation of the country.
LATEST INFORMATION ON
THE SYRIAN SITUATION
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Newspapers
Description
An account of the resource
<h4>Biographical/Historical Note</h4>
<p>Salloum Mokarzel, a Lebanese American intellectual, founded<em> The Syrian World</em> in 1926. Salloum Mokarzel was the younger brother of Naoum Mokarzel, the publisher of the Arabic-language newspaper <em>Al-Hoda. </em>Together, the Mokarzel brothers ran Al-Hoda Publishing, and in 1909, they published <em>The Syrian Business Directory.</em> </p>
<p>Mokarzel created <em>The Syrian World</em> in order to document and celebrate the culture and history of "Syria." At the time, Syria referred to the modern-day countries of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. The publication was primarily aimed towards second-generation children of immigrants, but Mokarzel hoped that it would also appeal to the general American public.</p>
<h4>Scope/Content Note</h4>
<p><em>The Syrian World</em> was published between 1926 and 1932 as a journal. In 1932, the format was changed from an academic journal style to a newspaper style, which continued until the periodical's end in 1935. After the death of his brother Naoum, Salloum took over the publication of <em>Al-Hoda.</em></p>
<p>The articles in <em>The Syrian World</em> cover a variety of topics spanning from the practical to the theoretical. Practical subjects include international and domestic travel, historical and contemporary Arabic and Arab-American art and literature, and the mental and physical health and hygiene of immigrants. More theoretical, philosophical, and ideological subjects include ideologies of race, the changing role of women, the formation of Syrian and Lebanese-American societies, and the political and psychological relationships between immigrants and their countries of origin.</p>
<p>All issues of <em>The Syrian World</em> are available, along with full indexes for the first four volumes. For volumes five and six, there are tables of contents at the start of the issues.</p>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabs--United States
Arabic periodicals
Newspapers
Arab American Newspapers
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1926-1935
Relation
A related resource
<em><a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/41" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Syrian Business Directory</a></em>
<a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/44" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mokarzel Family Papers</a>
<a href="http://hdl.handle.net/11299/175685" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Annotated Index to the Syrian World, 1926-1932</a> at the University of Minnesota Immigration History Research Center Archives
<a href="https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/58" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Al-Hoda Newspapers</em></a>
Language
A language of the resource
English
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Processed by Claire A. Kempa, 2015-2017. Collection Guide written by Claire A. Kempa, 2017.
Collection Guide updated by Laura Lethers, 2023 August.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
These materials are digital copies of an original resource held by another institution. The KCLDS Archive often works with other institutions to make digital materials available online to the public. KCLDS is not able to grant permission to use or reproduce these materials. The KCLDS Archive strongly encourages users to contact the holding institution for permission to use or reproduce materials from their holdings.
Identifier
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
TSW1928_03reducedWM
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Volume 02, Issue 09
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1928 March
Description
An account of the resource
Volume 2 Issue 09 of The Syrian World published March 1928. The first article presented in this issue, written by Ameen Rihani, discusses the traditions of Arabs and their mythology, specifically Gods and Jinn (nature's tribe of spirits). Next is a short story translated by Dr. Salim Y. Alkazin. Titled "The Perfect Brother," it is a story that discusses Allah. Next is an informative article by George Knaysi about the development of dairy farming in Syria and Lebanon, a continuation of his discussion on the agricultural situation in the Middle East. Following it is a poem by G.K. Gibran titled "Said a Blade of Grass," a poem about nature and the seasons changing. Following it is an article detailing certain reports on the developments in Palestine specifically industrial, population, economic, and agriculture improvements. Next is part two of the article discussing Syrian naturalization in the United States by Joseph W. Ferris. There is a short story titled "The Meeting," and another story adopted from Arabic called "The Clemency of Mu'awiyah," Second Caliph from the Umayyad clan. The issue concludes with excerpts from the Arab press and political developments in Syria.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabic literature--History and criticism--Periodicals
Arabs--United States--Periodicals
Lebanese-Americans--United States--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Syrian-American Press
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
104 Greenwich St., New York, NY
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text/pdf
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
1920s
Ameen Rihani
George Knaysi
Harry Chapman Ford
Kahlil Gibran
New York
Palestine
Poetry-English
Salim Alkazin
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VOLUME III No. 11
SYRIAN WORLD
A MONTHLY MAGAZINE IN ENGLISH DEALING
WITH SYRIAN AFFAIRS AND ARABIC LITERATURE
m
SYRIANS' FUTURE IN AMERICA
GEORGE A. FERRIS
URBAN ARAB AND BEDU
AMEEN BIHANI
THE SUDANESE SOLDIER
§
DR. NEJTB A. KAXIBAH
A CHAPTER FROM USAMA
DR. PHILIP K. HITXI
IX THE ROSE SEASON
DR. SALIM Y. ALKAZIN
G. K. GIBRAN
DR. GEORGE KXAYSI
LABEEBEE A. J. HANNA
THOMAS ASA
II
i
POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN SYRIA
THE COPY iOc.
��THE
SYRIAN WORLD
SALLOUM
A. MOKARZEL, Editor.
PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE SYRIAN-AMERICAN PRESS
104 GREENWICH STREET, NEW YORK, N. Y.
By subscription $5.00 a year.
Single copies 50c
£»t*r*d as second-class matter, Jane 25, 1926, at the post office at N«w
York, N. Y., under tke act of Maroa 3, 1879.
VOLUME III
MAY, 1929
No. 11
CONTENTS
PAGE
Syrians' Future in America
George A. Ferris
3
The Justice of Nour-Eddin
8
Urban Arabs and Bedu
9
Ameen Rihani
Out of my Deefer Heart
Kahlil Gibran
..14
The Sudanese Soldier
Dr. Nejib A. Katibah
15...
The Place of Poetry
20
A Chapter from Usama
Dr. Philip K. Hitti
21
A Comparison
25
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�CONTENTS (Contimud)
PAGE
In the Rose Season
26
Dr. Salim Y. Alkazin
From the Arabic
.... Labeebee A. J. Hanna
28
Sonnets
30
Thomas Asa
Man is Potentially Immortal
.
Dr. George Knaysi
wTo My Mistress
31
32
J. D. Carlyle
Books and Authors
33
Editorial Comment
Future of the Race
35
37
Collectivism
Trash
39
~
40
Readers' Forum
43
Spirit of the Syrian Press
Political Developments in Syria
*
49
About Syria and Syrians
News of Societies
—
—
ILLUSTRATIONS IN THIS ISSUE
Ex-King Hussein of Arabia
Dr. Ibrahim G. Khairalls
._ 55
�THE
SYRIAN WORLD
VOLUME in
MAY, 1929
No. 11
Syrians' Future in America
By GEORGE A. FERRIS
•
|T IS well nigh impossible to predict what the future of the Syrian race in America will be, except insofar as we can by a study
of the past, partially lift the curtain as to the future. In studying
the history of foreign minorities in the United States, it would
seem to indicate that seperate, distinct, racial groups are doomed
to be absorbed into the body politic leaving little, if any, traces of
their racial characteristics.
In spite of the persistence of the "Pennsylvania Dutch" in
a small section of Pennsylvania and a few French-speaking groups
in Louisiana and Northern New York and New England, the racial minorities that existed a hundred years ago have disappeared.
There are still, of course, colonies of aliens, many of which
are in the cities. New England has a rural population of Polish,
Italian and Portugese origin. In portions of the Dakotas, the
Scandinavian element persists. Michigan has a colony of Hollanders. Elsewhere are other racial groups cherishing the language of their fatherland, or, as in the case of the Irish, still keenly interested in the current affairs of Ireland. New Mexico and
Arizona have large Spanish populations. Yet a glance shows
how, with the exception of the Spanish, the French and the "Pennsylvania Dutch", the separate racial groups have gradually been
amalgamated.
New York State has long been an example. The descendants of the earlier settlers combine in their veins English, Dutch,
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German, French, Irish, Scotch, Scandinavian and Jewish blood.
Long Island, west of Brooklyn, and Flushing have been peopled
largely by the English 5 the Hudson Valley by the Dutch; the
central Mohawk Valley by the German Palatinates, and the region about Johnstown by the English. It is most interesting to
note that, although the city and state of New York were settled
by people of different racial origins and possessing different languages and in many instances professing different religions, yet
the blending of Germans, Hollanders, English and other races
has been such that there is a complete amalgamation of these various races and the creating of a composite of all of them. Even
though in the process of amalgamation there is a liberal fusion
of Irish and Scotch blood, and in recent years additional contributions from many other nations in Europe are bringing fresh
material, still the process of complete amalgamation is relentlessly going on. In view of what has happened in New York State
and elsewhere, the surprising thing is not so much that racial ties
with Europe have been lost as it is that three language groups
that are the exceptions—the Spanish New Mexican, the Pennsylvania Dutch and the French Canadian or Lousiana origin—
have managed to maintain their separateness so long.
These settlers came to America with historic backgrounds of
distinct types. In most instances they did not have the community
of language, yet in the process of time all racial and other similar
characteristics have been practically obliterated.
The historic background of the Syrians is most interesting.
Our native country is the birthplace of the two great religions,
Christianity and Judaism, and is closely related to the growth of
the third large monotheistic religion, Islam. The alphabet was
given by our forefathers, the Phoenicians, to Europe. It was they
who, long before the Christian era, carried the products and wares
of Tyre and Sidon as far as the Canaries and the West Coast of
Africa. Mathemathics, the basis of all sciences, was the product
of the genius of our forefathers.
Despite the fact that Syria has been the battlefield of the
world from the dawn of history and has been the objective of
those seeking world conouest from Thotmose. the Ee-vptian, down
to Allenbv, the Englishman, she still survives. Although unable to achieve national unity, yet it has been of greater signifi-
�MAY, 1929
3
cance to mankind, spiritually and materially, than any other single country.
That the race still survives is striking proof of our vitality
and our power of adaptation to changing conditions and circumstances.
It is this heritage that has been handed down to us, and no
peoples that have sought America for their permanent home have
a historic background equal to ours, and it is difficult to bring oneself to the conclusion that a people possessed of such qualities, intellectual and spiritual, are doomed to complete absorption into
the body social of the United States. Yet the writer, analyzing
the situation dispassionately, has arrived at this conclusion.
What is it that induced Syrians to immigrate to the United
States? Undoubtedly, because of economic conditions, lack of opportunity and religious and political oppression. During the greater part of the nineteenth century, Syrians sought other fields of
opportunity and endeavor. Egypt, because of its close proximity
and the fact that it has a common language with Syria, first beckoned to Syrian manhood, and immigration to that country assumed
extensive proportions. It may well be said that the future of the
Syrians in America may be indicated by their experiences in Egypt.
But an analysis will demonstrate the basic differences between the
situation in Egypt and that in America.
In the first place, Syrians immigrating to Egypt had a community of language. Secondly, the proximity of the two countries
did not necessitate the severing of social ties with the homeland.
Syrians spent their summers in the Lebanon hills and intercourse
between the two countries, commercial and otherwise, rendered a
severing of ties unlikely. None of these conditions obtain with
regard to the Syrians in America. It is only necessary to point
out the radical differences between the two situations to demonstrate that We can draw no analogy from the Syrians in Egypt. In
America, a different language is spoken. It is obvious that the
younger generations of Syrians in America are rapidly losing contact with the native tongue of their parents. Many of them, educated in the public schools and in colleges, although able to understand the Arabic language, yet are unable to read or write it,
and, as indicated by the recent discussion in the pages of the Syrian World, the Arabic language among those of Syrian descent
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is doomed to extinction, or near extinction. The remoteness of
America from the homeland renders it difficult for Syrian-Americans to visit the land of their ancestors, except at rare intervals
and for short periods of time, and as in course of time families—
a part of which is here and a part in Syria— disappear, the necessity for other than a casual contact will disappear also.
A study of conditions in America under which Syrians live
will be interesting in the determination of the subject in hand.
Syrians are not confined to any one particular locality in America.
Wherever there is a village, town or city, you will find at least one
or more Syrians, and it is only in the larger cities that colonies of
them are established where contact between them is intimate. It
is said that there are some three hundred thousand Syrians in the
United States, and it is a fair guess that at least half of them are
scattered in smaller communities where they have no opportunity
for social intercourse with their countrymen and are by force of
circumstances dependent entirely on social intercourse with Americans. As to that portion of our countrymen, there can be no
doubt that in the process of time, and in a comparatively short one
at that, they will rapidly lose their identity as Syrians and become
in every sense of the word Americans.
In the cities, however, the process is bound to be a little
slower. There colonies, numbering in the thousands, are gathered
in particular neighborhoods. There social intercourse is largely
confined to themselves, but there, again, because of the great business acumen that they possess and the rapidly expanding field of
endeavor in which they are engaged, their contacts with Americans
are becoming of greater frequency and intimacy. There, again,
the younger generation of Syrians are coming in contact with Americans and contracting friendships with them that are bound to
wean them away from exclusive social contact with their countrymen.
Syrian immigration to the United States commenced in the
80's of the last century. The reasons for their immigration here
has already been adverted to hereinabove. Despite radical differences in environment,customs and language,and despite the handicap of inexperience, they have truly accomplished wonders in selfadvancement here. It was through hard work, perseverence and
a desire to be law-abiding that they were able to advance from the
�humble beginnings of the 90's to their present position in the
community, and as they expand their field of endeavor they are
bound to come into more and more intimate relations, business
and social, with the general community and less with their own
race It is interesting to note that while for the first two decades
they confined themselves strictly to business, they are latterly invading various professions. Many physicians are to be found
amongst them, and it is among the Syrian-Americans that men
of the type of Gibran, Rihani, Dr. Hitti and Rev. Mansur have
been developed. The lawyers of Syrian-American origin number
at least thirty or forty. This is a most encouraging sign and demonstrates the quick adaptability of the race. But, in connection
with the subject in hand, doe$ it not point unerringly to the conclusion that as our contacts broaden we are bound in the process of
time to lose our racial identity?
Of course, that does not mean that no traces of us will be
left in America. As each foreign element has been introduced into the body politic, while the element may have lost its racial characteristics, still it has left its impress upon the character of the
people, the institutions of the country and an indelible mark upon
its history.
The Syrians bring to America a proud heritage of historymakers of the past. They come possessed of an inherent love of
justice and the desire for truth that successive generations of oppression have failed to obliterate. They have come with the innate desire to abide by the law of the land and an unconquerable
love of home and family and the maintenance of the purity thereof, and, lastly but not least, the true Oriental godlike spirit of
hospitality that has been handed down for countless generations.
Can anyone say that these qualities will not make their indelible impress upon this beloved adopted land of ours? The passage
of time and the constant changing conditions cannot obliterate
characteristics that the past has failed to change, and the Syrians
will make their contribution, and a very important one, to the upbuilding of the country, its people and their character.
The analogy has been drawn between Syrians in America
and those in Egypt to demonstrate the conclusion attempted to be
expressed in this article. We may with profit study the effect of
Syrian immigration on Egypt to determine the effect of their im-
i
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
migration to America. In Egypt the Syrians have attained a dominant position in industry, finance, the professions and letters,
only through sheer native ability and capacity for work; and the
Syrians in America, in the process of time and by dint of the same
qualities, are bound to achieve a comparatively similar position
here. To accomplish the greatest possible result, isolation cannot
be endured. The best thing for Syrians in America is to avoid colonies where social and other intercourse is confined to themselves.
Their capacity for usefulness will be greatly enhanced by the widest contacts. We Syrians in America are here to stay. We are
not Americans by accident of birth, but by choice. That we are
true Americans in the highest meaning of the word is beyond
doubt, as has been amply established by the contribution of Syrian-Americans, both in men and in money, in the late war, and no
more fitting exposition of the ideals of Syrian-Americanism can
be pointed out than that made in the able article by the Rev. Mansur, published in the April issue of the Syrian World.
Limitation of space prevents a further discussion of the question here, and this article will have served its purpose if it gives
rise to independent thought amongst our people on this subject,
and if it creates a discussion amongst them which is bound to prove
interesting and profitable.
THE JUSTICE OF NOUR-EDDIN
Abu'l Faraj, one of the best known Arab chroniclers, relates
the following as the highest standard of justice and integrity in
office set by any of the Arab caliphs in history.
The caliph Nour-Eddin, he states, would never permit expenditures to exceed the lawful income from his personal possessions. One day, his wife complained to him of the meagerness of
her allowance, and he assigned to her the revenue from the rent
of three of his stores in the city of Horns, which amounted to
twenty gold pieces each year. Upon her protesting that the sum
was insufficient, he replied, "This represents the whole of my
lawful income. Funds in the treasury I could never permit myself to use because they are a sacred trust for all the Faithful.
This trust I shall never betray and thereby render myself deserving of the fire hell for the sake of thy extravagance."
�\
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EX-KING HUSS EIN OF ARABIA
The only photograph of him given out to the world.
(See article by Ameen Rihani)
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MAY, 1929
9
Urban Arabs and Bedu
By
AMEEN RIHANI
Editor's Note—This is the second of a series of articles by Mr. Rihani
describing the first leg of his trip to Arabia. The author's observations
on some phases of Arab life and psychology are distinctly original and
should add greatly to our knowlege of Arabia. This material was never
before published.
LJORSES and groom and bishas (1) were waiting outside} and
when we got into the saddles, the bishas walked ahead of us,
their guns slung butt rearward on their shoulders. They wore
short brown smocks, black ighals over red headkerchiefs, and were
barefoot. The grooms in white smocks and blue sashes carrying
bamboo sticks, walked alongside. A crowd of people had collected in front of the Quarantin Building, but they did not follow.
As we passed by the city gate the Mayor excused himself,
saying: "I must go to the noon prayer." We proceeded to the
madhif (guest house), a two-story building, in front of which is
a parched-up garden and two drooping tamarisk saplings; and
going up the stairway covered with mats, we came to a vestibule
which led to three rooms, a dining room and a bed room right
and left, and a reception hall, the length of the building, in front.
The walls are practically windows, connected by three or four
feet of masonry, commanding a view of the sea to the west and the
lagoon to the north; and in each window, the lower half of which
is fitted with lattice, the upper half with blinds, is a sort of diwan
about a foot high and three feet deep, spread with carpets. The
floor was covered with one large Tabriz rug, and all around were
rush bottom chairs, a few upholstered armchairs, and two sofas
on opposite sides of the room. The oval marble table in the centre was another incongruity, and in one of the windows was the
telephone.
About an hour after we entered the house, the telephone
rang and the servant who answered it announced that His Majesty
had arrived at Hadda, which is half way between Jedda and Mecca. Another hour, and an ebony black soldier in blue kirtle and
(1) Soldiers of the King's Guard, ori ginally from Bisha,
At-Taief.
southeast of
I
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
red head-dress entered the room, saluted German-fashion, and
said: "The automobile of the King has entered the city gate."
So, we all went down and walked over to the Palace, which is
but a few steps from the guest-house. A multitude of robed and
turbaned citizens, sherifs, sheiks, saiyeds and military officers in
khaki and ighals, coming from every direction, gathered in front
of the Palace. We were standing on the steps when the automobile arrived.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, who was the first to step
out, was followed by two other officials; the Ameer Zeid then preceded his father, a man of short stature in a green jubah and headkerchief and ighal of cream-colored silk. Thus on the 25th. of
February, 1922 my feet first stepped on Arab soil and my eyes
first beheld the most famous of the Kings of Arabia, the only
Arab King, in fact, that was then known to Europe and America.
I came from New York with a lingering uncertainty in my
heart, caused by the saturnine countenance of His Majesty as
revealed in the picture given to the world during the War, the
only picture of him known; and he came from Mecca with a picture in his mind of fame and distinction drawn for him somewhat
rhetorically by my two friends in his service, the Foreign Minister Fouad'ul-Khatib and Captain Yanni. That we were both disappointed at first, I cannot say. But I soon discovered that the
lingering uncertainty which I carried with me from New York
was not justified.
I shook hands with His Majesty as he stepped out of the
automobile and behind him into the Palace. But as we were ascending the stairs he looked back to see where I was, and, taking me
courteously by the hand, made me walk by his side. The furniture in the Palace is not superior to that of the guest-house. The
usual diwans covered with cotton cloth, the usual rush-bottom
armchairs, and the usual, if not more inferior, rugs. It is Arab
democracy, which is not unpleasant to one coming from America.
There are other signs of it, outward signs, in King Hussein, as in
his dress for instance, and his manner of living.
His picture does not do him justice, and I have it to thank
for my second pleasant surprise in Jeddah. Here is a suavity rather
with an undercurrent of sadness, and a serenity coupled with genial grace. He is, of all Arab Kings, the most kingly, if not also
the most spiritual and the least clannish. Nor is this strange.
�MAY, 1929
I\«l
11
For he is a descendant of the Prophet and he has lived twenty
years in Constantinople. His charming personality, therefore,
has two sources, innate and acquired—the Prophetic and diplomatic.
In his face is an eloquent expression of both. His white
beard is not flowing and vagrant; his delicate white skin has in
it veins of pink; his straight nose is not formidable; his soft brown
eyes are fortified with a ring of blue around the pupils; and his
brow is shown to advantage when he wears a turban instead of a
sumadah{ 1) and ighal..- Withal, he has a smile than which I have
not known a more captivating, except it be the smile of his enemy
Ibn Sa'oud, King Abd'ul-Aziz; and his voice—it is softer than the
light in his eyes; and his hands—they are more eloquent of blood
and more cogent in their proof of a noble, nay, an apostolic ancestry, than all the books of lineage in Arabia. Besides, these
excellences were more enhanced in my eyes, because they were
devoid of pomp and pose. The King, when traveling, is not distinguishable from any other Arab sheikh exce- t by the yellow silk
ighal and the lighter yellow silk sumadah under it. The ighal is
an heirloom of the Numaiy, the King's immediate ancestry—the
crown of its ruling house. But the turban he wears is distinguishable from other white turbans by a few inches of the end falling
over his right ear. This democratic tenu is common to all the
Kings of Arabia.
His Majesty sat in a corner of the diwan Arab-fashion, that
is with one knee folded under him, the other raised as a rest to his
arm, and offered me the seat to his right. Something very strange
then happened. I said that his was, outwardly at least, democratic. But the citizens of Jeddah came in to prove that in the salaaming ceremony he was not; and I wondered whether the Turkish
manner in urban Arabia began or ended in Al-Hijaz.
They entered, the distinguished citizens of Jeddah, and came
up in a line, silent and head-bowed, their hands folded across
their breasts, to make salaam; and every one bent reverently over
his Majesty's hand, kissing it once, twice, three times, back and
palm. Some kissed it multitudinously in rapid succession- stopped a second for breath, and bussed it a last buss for good measure.
Others, not satisfied with the hand, rubbed their lips also against
(1) Sumadah in Al-Hijaz, Gutreh in Nejd, Kufiyah in Syria, is the headkerchief worn under the ighal or cord.
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
the royal knee. His Majesty in return kissed a few of his subjects on the cheek, and from a few ethers he withdrew his hand.
These were royal cousins, sherifs of the ruling house. Thus are
the various degrees of servility and royal favor made manifest,
made public. Every one knows his rank in servitude and is not
ashamed to betray it by kissing , for instance, the royal knee or
by just attempting to kiss the royal hand. These are the urban,
the Turkefied, Arabs.
But the Turkefying process did not reach the Bedu, who remain free of all the Abd'ul-Hamidian ceremonies imported into
the Hejaz. The beduin comes into Jeddah, stands in the street
under the Palace window, and calls out "O thou Abu-Ali!" And
he makes his demand in forthright speech, as man to man, without preliminaries or embellishments. In his tone is the spirit of
equality, the spirit of the desert. King Husein accepted this as
he accepted from the civilized, the Turkefied, the kiss of reverence and loyalty. Aye, he accepted with a smile the mark of servitude as he accepted with a smile the liberty-and-equality manner
of the Bedu. He did not change in either circumstance. Does it
astound you, this royal and apostolic conduct?
The urban Arab is usually a merchant, the beduin is usually
a fighter. Both are necessary for the welfare of the State and
the maintenance of the throne. We take from the one to give to
the other j and sometimes we have to humiliate the one that we
might be able to take and give, especially if the other be hardheaded and carries withal a gun. Indeed, the Bedu understand
but two languages—money and arms;—the language of force
pre-eminently, and King Husein unfortunately did not or could
not speak forcefully in either tongue. He was firm in the belief
that the smile of the descendant of the Prophet was riches to the
Faithful, and that his frown was force sufficient. Besides, he always thought well of the Bedu.
"The Bedu, O worthy one, are simple, and poor, and ignorant. But they are honest, and they stand by their word."
There is much to doubt in the last half of His Majesty's
statement. But I learned afterwards that he was speaking, as he
often did, in inuendoes, and that he meant to cudgel the English
who, in their diplomacy and their pledges, are not even like the
Bedu. In the many political conversations that followed he recurred frequently to this subject, and he was always woefully
�MAY, 1929
13
cryptic. He spoke in symbols and riddles and proverbs. Seldom
did he think a straight thought or express it in a straightforward
manner. But in our first conversation he touched but the rings
of politics, preferring, in a public majlisy to hold forth on religion and the Arabs, illustrating his words from the Koran and th^e
Hadlth ,(Sayings of the Prophet).
"The Arabs and Al-Islam are one—who supports the Arabs
supports Al-Islam—cling to the bond of Allah and disperse not—
Al-Islam, O brilliant one, fights only those who fight it—we fight
only in self-defense. Al-Islam teaches simplicity, faithfulness,
equality and contentment
It were well if the Syrians of America came to Al-Hijaz to live. They could continue to trade
and be happy—I say, happy. They would also help us in building an Arab kingdom based upon Arab unity."
I had conveyed to His Majesty the salaams of my Syrian
friends in New York and of certain Arabs and pro-Arab Egyptians in Cairo.—"We greatly appreciate this visit, O worthy one,
and we thank thee—I say—the greatest— to a country which is
poor and unattractive, with seas between it and civilization. But
thou hast come in obedience to a call of the heart. Thou hast
returned after a long migration to the cradle of the highest virtues. Allah keep thee, Allah enfold thee in His blessings."
His silken voice drops into inaudibility at times. Whereupon, he repeats his word, preluding it with an 'I say', or 'I say,
0 worthy one'; and sometimes, in emphasis, he repeats his words.
The lI say', aqoul, is common with the Arabs, however, as with
the English.
The distinguished citizens of Jeddah, as His Majesty spoke,
were seated all around on the diwans like so many statues of reverence and silence; and when the most ancient among them got
up to ask for permission to leave, they all followed suit, performing again, with the same energy and exactness, the ceremony
of "kissing hand." Thinking that it was time for me also to leave,
1 made a vain attempt to get up; for seated Arab-fashion in my
European clothes, I felt that I was tied into knots and that I had
to go through the slow process of untying before I could resume
my ambulant habit. But His Majesty motioned with his hand,
'Stay'; and so I availed myself of the opportunity to change my
position and thus facilitate the untying process. He then spoke
�14
T::E SYRIAN WORLD
a word of apology, which was most gracious and sincere,—both
eloquent and true. "We are a simple people, and within our
crude way of living we offer all that is available. Let this love
and devotion intercede for us."
I tried to emulate him in the like expression, and I failed.
For when I said something about his condescending to come from
Mecca to meet me, he silenced me with a motion of his hand and
added to my confusion and shame:
—"Shall we not traverse a few leagues to meet him who has
crossed many seas to visit us?"
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Out of My Deeper Heart
By
KHALIL GIBRAN
Out of my deeper heart a bird rose and flew skyward.
Higher and higher did it rise, yet larger and larger did it
grow.
At first it was but a little swallow, then a lark, then an eagle,
then as a vast spring cloud, and then it filled the starry heavens,
Out of my heart a bird flew skyward. And it waxed larger
as it flew. Yet it left not my heart.
O my faith, my untamed knowledge, how shall I fly to your
height and see with you man's larger self pencilled upon the sky?
How shall I turn this sea within me into mist, and move with
you in space immeasurable?
How can a prisoner within the temple behold its golden
domes?
How shall the heart of a fruit be stretched to envelop the
fruit also?
O my faith, I am in chains behind these bars of silver and
ebony, and I cannot fly with you.
Yet out of my heart you rise skyward, and it is my heart
that holds you, and I shall be content.
I
..
�MAY, 1929
13
The Sudanese Soldier
By DR. NEJIB A. KATIBAH
Editor's Note — The following is a reminiscent account of the time the
writer served with the British forces in the conquest of the Sudan. He had
then just graduated from the American University of Beirut and was out
looking for a career and adventure. He succeeded well in both. His other
equally interesting account of his experiences and observations in AbuHamed was published in the March issue of the Syrian World.
The Sudanese is not endowed with considerable intelligence
or wit, much less the Sudanese soldier who is noted for blind
obedience to orders accompanied by an innate tendency to gravity
and barbarism. I have not known of a single incident where real
witticism exhibited itself in the Sudanese, and so far as my personal experience is concerned, I have discovered that the greatest
attempt at humor on his part consisted of merely making the
greatest fool of himself. Those who wish to classify the following incident under "wit" might do so, but I know for certain that
the party in question merely hit upon the reply accidentally.
Once a Sudanese soldier applied through me to the Commandant for a day's absence from the camp to see his wife and
children. It might be said in passing that the Sudanese batallions
in the Egyptian Army are given the privilege of taking their wives
and children with them whenever ordered to change camps j but
they are not allowed, for the sake of military discipline, to live
with their families in one camp. Women, children and non-combatants are invariably alloted separate barracks more or less under
military supervision. This soldier's request was accorded by the
commanding officer and I communicated the approval to him in
the usual military terms of "You are granted twenty-four hours'
leave." He, however, did not respond to the roll-call for three
consecutive days, neither did he appear at tatoo, retreat or reveil,
t
�16
THE SYRIAN WORLD
and in consequence his name was given as an absentee. He showed
up on the fourth day and was brought up before the officer to give
an account of his conduct. His explanation was 'that he always
asked what time o'clock it was and was told that it was either one,
three, nine and even eleven and twelve but never twenty-four
o'clock.'
There are two contradictory characteristics in the Sudanese,
but which are nevertheless co-existant in him, viz: sensitiveness
and impassiveness. The latter attribute, I am sure, is considered
a well established fact and I need not dwell long upon it to prove
its existance in him. I heard and read hundreds of stories where
the Sudanese slave underwent physical punishments of the most
atrocious nature with unflinching endurance 5 and I have seen
black soldiers sentenced to corporeal penalties stand the cutting
lash with stoical calmness. Probably when hurt physically the
Sudanese suffers it from a sense of pride. I have seen them several times laughing heartily at Egyptian soldiers who cried and
twisted their bodies in anticipation of pain before the lash touched
their backs. But when the Sudanese is hurt morally the consequence becomes quite different—he cannot brook an insult. The
following incident will illustrate this as well as his extreme vendictiveness:
A Sudanese soldier of the 9th batallion was one day brought
up before the commanding officer of the corps for summary trial.
His crime was neither great enough to entail detention, fine or
physical punishment, nor yet light enough to be remitted. The
officer was quite at a loss what award to give and finally gave vent
to his hesitating mind in the somewhat forcible reprimand to which
most men of the army are addicted and told him that he was a
d—d fool. The Sudanese thought this too derogatory to his personal honor and at once retorted in similar language for which the
offended officer sentenced him to ten lashes and 168 hours' imprisonment with hard labor. Three months later, at the engagement of Abu-Hamed against the Dervishes, the soldier in question took advantage of the disorder occasioned by the complete
rout of the enemy and murdered the officer in the fray by shooting him in the back of the head.
I could quote several instances of this nature where trivial
insults occasioned serious trouble and sometimes mutiny, but the
�MAY, 1929
17
incident given above is one of the most glaring that was ever
brought to my notice. I will, however, relate another incident
which occurred to me in person and which will further illustrate
the above characteristics of the Sudanese:
In the year 1897, when I first joined the Anglo-Egyptian
forces in the Sudan, I took my sporting gun one afternoon and
went out shooting. I was after small game such as pigeons, quails
and turtles, and I necessarily had to go into the fields in quest of
them. I crossed one field after another taking great pains not to
tread on the herbs and to confine my way to the paths assigned to
wayfarers. I finally came to a solitary tree where I thought I
could at once take rest and watch for the birds. A Sudanese old
man— the only person I saw in the open that day— was languidly occupying himself with his sickle at weeding at a short distance from the tree; but I took no notice of him. He, however,
as soon as I attracted his attention, got up, shook his sickle menacingly and ordered me to clear out of the place at once. I did not
know much of the people at the time and naturally took offense at
his demeanor and told him to keep quiet and mind his own business. What followed took less time than it takes to relate—his
bloodshot eyes were eagerly fixed upon me as he ran with all his
might towards me shaking his sickle in the air. His intention was
quite plain, and to intimidate him I immediately levelled my gun
in his face and covered him; but my action did not have the least
effect upon him. In a moment I understood that I had only one
of two alternatives: either shoot him or take to my heels, and'l did
the latter for which I am sure my readers will appreciatinglv
commend me.
These characteristics are considered by the British military
authorities excellent attributes in the Sudanese soldier especially
during active service, and this has been greatly justified during
the war for the reconquest of Sudan. I can quote hundreds of
stones from the history of this war which will verify this, but I
wish to speak of my personal experience and observation. "
At the battle of Atbara, a detachment of Sudanese -soldiers
was ordered off to reinforce a body of Egyptian Infantrv which
was being seriously embarassed by odd numbers of the" Dervish
Light Gavali-y. Off wem the Sudanese lads quite happv to render assistance and prove their courage. Thev had to crtts a small
�18
THE SYRIAN WORLD
jungle to reach their destination, but as soon as they were fairly
iri the thicket they were surprised by an ambush of Dervish Lancers which sprang up in their very faces. The black lads did not
falter but at once charged upon the enemy with their bayonets.
It was a terrible conflict, but one in which victory was due solely
to numbers. The unhappy detachment would have been completely annihilated had not the enemy been scared by a false alarm
and fled away. The detachment was reduced to a dozen or so
disabled men who in compliance with their orders were subsequently detected limping off on the other side of the thicket and
loudly exhorting the Egyptian Infantry, (who were already losing heart), that they were coming to reinforce them. It must be
recorded that this again alarmed the Dervishes and their cavalry
at once wheeled aside and retreated with heavy losses into a neighboring ravine.
Then again at Karrari, the decisive battle which determined
the fate of the Sudan, I was an eye-witness to another exhibition
of bravery which has impressed itself strongly upon my mind.
This time it was on the part of a banner-carrier of the Dervishes.
In fact, the Dervishes manifested great bravery, perhaps recklessness, in this battle, and I do not know what the result of that engagement would have been had they organized their defense according to the modern military system. As it were, they left
Omdurman in hordes under various chiefs and huddled into one
great mass unmarked by lines or divisions and devoid of any order
or organization. We saw before us but a vast assemblage of men
armed with swords, spears, old rifles and sporting guns indiscriminately mixed up. Hoisted flags of various colors patched up
with texts from the Koran, and round which the pressure of men
ostensibly thickened, were seen here and there flying above the
heads of this great crowd and indicated the exact number of chiefs
under whom this medley of humanity was to make battle. When
we opened fire, this gigantic body made a convulsive internal
movement by rallying round the flags and splitting itself into so
many centers. At our second volley they gave a vehement shout
of "La ilaha ilia lah" and rushed madly forward precipitating
themselves upon our fire.
My attention was dragon to one of their hordes which moved
forward mindless of our showering bullets. Their number was
?
�MAY, 1929
19
being quickly diminished but they kept leaping over their fallen
ones and trotting forward with their flag flying in the center. Onward they dashed and one by one they fell, but the flag kept advancing. Finally the whole body was annihilated and not a single
man could be seen accompanying the solitary flag that was proudly flying towards us. Everybody shouted to the man to surrender
and let down the flag, but we heard him shouting in reply "I prefer death." A little later his left arm was seen hanging helplessly to one side, but he still advanced. Shortly after he fell on his
knees but he clung to his flag and crept energetically onward. He
at last fell dead at a few yards from our lines and was carried
to the camp hospital where it was discovered that his body was
fairly riddled through with bullets.
The Sudanese is, moreover, very jealous over his rifle, ammunition and uniform. I know of several cases where, owing to
old age or unfitness from wounds or illness, a black soldier would
feel greatly humiliated when pensioned off and made to part with
his beloved arms and kit. The following incident will, however,
bring this characteristic into greater light:
Shortly after the hoisting up of the British flag side by side
with the Egyptian flag at Khartoum, the Egyptian officers and
men took serious exception to the attitude of England in the matter, and it was rumored that they planned an insurrection. The
British authorities were anxious to avoid being drawn into fresh
diplomatic difficulties over the Egyptian Question and naturally
looked for some means whereby they could disempower the Egyptians. It was finally considered expedient to disarm the men temporarily pending the arrival of an adequate British force to Khartoum. In order to make this measure pass under the pretext of
a bona fide military expediency, a general order was passed to
both Egyptian and Sudanese batallions to return their arms, which
have become old, to the Ordnance Store for checking and control,
and to await a new issue of arms later on. The Sudanese soldiers,
however, refused to give up their arms and insisted upon the new
issue being first distributed. When a little coercion was used they
actually mutinied and the authorities were compelled to let them
have their way. The Egyptian soldiers, on the other hand, with
a little pressure, delivered their rifles. That was all that was
wanted.
"Arm a Sudanese and order him to shoot—were it at his fa-
�,~
20
THE SYRIAN WORLD
ther—and he will do it," is a widespread saying among the Egyptians and British officers in the Sudan. This is not an exaggeration, but to those who are inclined to disbelieve it I will quote the
following occurrence:
The 11th., 13th. and 14th. batallions Sudanese are noted for
their close relation and friendliness to each other. Intermarriages
among the Sudanese batallions have been going on for some time,
but more so amongst the above three corps where it is not an uncommon occurrence to have the male members of one family attached solely to them. Once at Omdurman, it happened that two
officers' sons of the 13th. and 14th. batallions, respectively, were
circumcised on the same day, and according to custom, the event
was celebrated in noisy ceremonials. Both boys were mounted on
horses and followed by two long processions of women and children of the batallions who sang, danced, pranked and beat their
tambourines as they marched along. The two processions met in
one of the streets and each expected the other to make way for it
to pass. This occasioned a dispute and a scuffle ensued in which
hair pulling was the main feature. The shrieks of the women
alarmed the men in the camps who immediately took their rifles
and ran to the spot. The two officers, the fathers of the two boys,
at once assumed leadership and a real skermish followed. They
shot at each other in earnest and peaceable means could not make
them cease. Finally the British officer in command at Omdulman
ordered the 11th. batallion to the scene and fired at both. The
firing on all sides took some time and occasioned heavy loss before
peace was at last established. Amongst the killed and injured
were several members of one family who fell at their own kinsmen's hands.
THE PLACE OF POETRY
Al-Nabigha, the poet laureat of the tribe of Beni Ja'da,
could not compose a single refrain for forty days, and his admirers were in despair. At that time, the tribe undertook a ghazu
and were successful. Upon hearing the news of victory, Al-Nabigha was so thrilled that he began forthwith to pour out verses
in torrents. And his people exclaimed, "In truth, we are happier
for the return of your poetical inspiration than for having achieved victory."
�21
MAY, 1929
A Chapter From Usama
By
DR. PHILIP
K.
HITTI
Their lack of sense.
Mysterious are the works of the Creator, the author of all
things! When one comes to recount cases regarding the Franks
he cannot but glorify Allah (exalted is he!) and sanctify him, for
he sees them as animals possessing the virtues of courage and
fighting, but nothing else; just as animals have only the virtues
of strength and carrying loads. I shall now give some instances
of their doings and their curious mentality.
In the army of King Fulk, son of Fulk, was a Frankish reverend knight who had just arrived from their land in order to
make the holy pilgrimage and then return home. He was of my
intimate fellowship and kept such constant company with me
that he began to call me "my brother." Between us were mutual
bonds of amity and friendship. When he resolved to return by
sea to his homeland he said to me:
"My brother, I am leaving for my country and I want thee
to send with me thy son (my son who was then fourteen years old,
was at that time in my company) to our country, where he can
see the knights and learn wisdom and chivalry. When he returns,
he will be like a wise man."
Thus there fell upon my ears words which would never come
out of the head of a sensible man; for even if my son were to be
taken captive, his captivity could not bring him a worse misfortune than carrying him into the lands of the Franks. However,
I said to the man:
"By my life, this has exactly been my idea. But the only
thing that prevented me from carrying it out was the fact that his
grandmother, my mother, is so fond of him and did not this time
let him come out with me until she exacted an oath from me to
the effect that I would return him to her."
Therefore he asked, "Is thy mother still alive?" "Yes,"
I replied. "Well," said he, "disobey her not."
....
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
22
Their curious medication.
A case illustrating their curious medicine is the following:
The lord of al-Munaytirah in Lebanon, wrote to my uncle
asking him to dispatch a physician to treat certain sick persons
among his people. My uncle sent him a Christian physician
named Thabit. Thabit was absent but ten days when he returned.
So we said to him, "How quickly hast thou healed thy patients!"
He said:
~~" "They brought before me a knight in whose leg an abscess
had grown; and a woman afflicted with imbecility. To the knight
I applied a small poultice until the abscess opened and became
well} and the woman I put on diet and made her humor wet.
Then a Frankish physician came to them and said, "This man
knows nothing about treating them." He then said to the knight,
"Which wouldst thou prefer, living with one leg or dying with
two?" The latter replied, "Living with one leg." The physician
said, "Bring me a strong knight and a sharp ax." A knight came
with the ax. And I was standing by. Then the physician laid the
leg of the patient on a block of wood and bade the knight strike
his leg with the ax and chop it off at one blow. Accordingly he
struck it — while 1 was looking on — one blow, but the leg was
not severed. He dealt another blow, upon which the marrow
of the leg flowed out and the patient died on the spot. He then
examined the woman and said, "This is a woman in whose head
there is a devil which has possessed her. Shave off her hair."
Accordingly they shaved it off and the woman began once more
to eat their ordinary diet — garlic and mustard. The physician
then said, "The devil has penetrated through her head." He
therefore took a razor, made a deep cruciform incision on it, peeled off the skin at the middle of the incision until the bone of the
skull was exposed and rubbed it with salt. The woman also expired instantly. Thereupon I asked them whether my services
were needed any longer, and when they replied in the negative
I returned home, having learned of their medicine what I knew
not before."
I have, however, witnessed a case of their medicine which
was quite different from that.
The King of the Franks, Fulk of Anjou, king of Jerusalem,
had for treasurer a knight named Bernard who (may Allah's curse
�____
MAY, 1929
f
23
be on him!) was one of the most accursed and wicked among the
Franks. A horse kicked him in the leg, which was subsequently
infected and which opened in fourteen different places, livery
time one of these cuts would close in one place, another would
open in another place. All this happened while I was praying
for his perdition. Then came to him a Frankish physician and
removed from the leg all the ointments which were on it and began to wash it with very strong vinegar. By this treatment all
the cuts were healed and the man became well again. He was up
again like a devil.
New Frankish arrivals rough.
Everyone who is a fresh emigrant from the Frankish lands
is ruder in character than those who have become acclimatized
and have held long association with the Moslems. Here is an
illustration of their rude character.
Whenever I visited Jerusalem I visited the Aqsa Mosque,
beside which stood a small mosque which the Franks converted
into a church. When I used to enter the Aqsa Mosque, which
was occupied by the Templars, who were my friends, the Templars would evacuate the little adjoining mosque so that I might
pray in it. One day I entered the mosque, repeated the formula
"Allah is great," and stood up in the act of praying, upon which
one of the Franks rushed on, got hold of me and turned my face
eastward saying, "This is the way thou shouldst pray!" A group
of Templars hastened to him, seized him and repelled him from
me. I resumed my prayer. The same man, while the others
were otherwise busy, rushed once more on me and turned my face
eastward, saying, "This is the way thou shouldst pray!" The
Templars again came to him and expelled him. They apologized
to me, saying, "This is a stranger who has recently arrived from
the land of the Franks and he has never before seen anyone praying except eastward." Thereupon I said to myself, "I have had
enough prayer." So I went out and have ever been surprised
at the conduct of this devil of a man, at the change in the color of
his face, his trembling and his sentiment at the sight of one praying towards the qiblah, (direction of the Ka'bah in the holy city
of Mecca.)
�'
THE SYRIAN WORLD
24
Naive conception of God.
I saw one of the Franks come to al-Amir Mu'in-al-Din (May
Allah's mercy rest upon his soul!) when he was in the Dome of
the Rock and say to him, "Dost thou want to see God as a child?"
Mu'in-al-Din said, "Yes." The Frank walked ahead of us until
he showed us the picture of Mary with Christ (may peace be upon
him!) as an infant in her lap. He then said, "This is God as a
child." But Allah is exalted far above what the infidels say about
him!
Franks lack jealousy in sex affairs.
The Franks are void of all zeal and jealousy. One of them
may be walking along with his wife. He meets another man who
takes the wife by the hand and steps aside to converse with her
while the! husband is standing on one side waiting for his wife to
conclude the conversation. If she lingers too long for him, he
leaves her alone with the conversant and goes away.
Here is an illustration which I myself witnessed:
One day a Frank in Nablus went home and found a man
with his wife in the same bed. He asked him, "What could have
made thee enter into my wife's room?" The man replied, I was
tired , so I went in to rest." "But how," asked he, "didst thou
get into my bed?" The other replied, "I found a bed that was
spread, so I slept in it." "But," said he, "my wife was sleeping
together with thee!" The other replied, "Well, the bed is hers.
How could I therefore have prevented her from using her own
bed?" "By the truth of my religion," said the husband, "if thou
shouldst do it again, thou and I would have a quarrel." Such
was for the Frank the entire expression of his disapproval and
the limit of his jealousy.
Consider now this great contradiction! They have neither
jealousy nor zeal but they have great courage, although courage
is nothing but the product of zeal and the ambition to be above
ill repute.
Here is a story analoguous to the one related above:
I entered the public bath in Sur (Tyre) and took my place
in a secluded part. One of my servants thereupon said to me,
"There is with us in the bath a woman." When I went out, I sat
on one of the stone benches and behold! the woman who was in
�25
MAY, 1929
'!
the bath had come out all dressed and was standing with her
father just opposite me. But I could not be sure that she was a
woman. So I said to one of my companions, "by Allah, see if
this is a woman," by which I meant that he should ask about her.
But he went, as I was looking at him, lifted the end of her robe
and looked carefuuly at her limbs. Thereupon her father turned
toward me and said, "This is my daughter. Her mother is dead
and she has nobody to wash her hair. So I took her with me to
the bath and washed her head." I replied, "Thou hast well done!
This is something for which thou shalt be rewarded (by Allah)!"
Another curious case of medication.
A curious case relating to their medicine is the following,
which was related to me by William of Bures, the lord of Tiberias, who was one of the principal chiefs among the Franks. It
happened that William had accompanied al-Amir Mu'in-al-Din
from Acre to Tiberias when I was in his company too. On the
way William related to us the following story in these words:
"We had in our country a highly esteemed knight who was
taken ill and was on the point of death. We thereupon came to
one of our great priests and said to him, 'Come with us and examine so and so, the knight.' 'I will,' he replied, and walked
along with us while we were assured in ourselves that if he would
only lay his hand on him the patient would recover. When the
priest saw the patient, he said, 'Bring me some wax.' We fetched
him a little wax, which he softened and shaped like the knuckles
of fingers, and he stuck one in each nostril. The knight died on
the spot. We said to him, 'He is dead.' 'Yes,' he replied, 'he
was suffering great pain, so I closed up his nose that he might
die and get relief.' "
A COMPARISON
A proud Arab poet was told that his ability was belittled by
some of his wealthy enemies, and he replied, "Our times are like
the sea. Pearls settle at the bottom while dead carcasses float on
the surface."
�26
In the Rose Season
By
DR. SALIM
Y.
ALKAZIN
The rose is king, and his kingdom is in the garden!
It is the rose season.
It is love's season,
And thou art its queen, and thy kingdom is in my heart.
Give me thy hand and I will lead thee to the garden.
Like Al-Motawakkil, we will don robes of the color of the
rose,
On our heads we will sprinkle the essence of the rose,
We will cool our hands and faces in the water of the rose;
We will lay us on a couch of the petals of the rose.
We will gaze at the stream,
We will cover its breast with roses, and the roses will float
down to the sea.
It is love's season, and our love shall have the color and the
scent of the rose.
We will gaze at the day,
We will cover its bosom with wishes, and our hopes shall ascend even unto the zenith of the future.
O, come with me to the garden and I will tell thee the story
of the weaver,
The weaver who lived in the days of Al-Ma'moun, the son
of Haroun,
The weaver who, of all the flowers of the earth, most dearly loved the rose.
Day in and day out, on Fridays and holidays, the weaver's
loom ne'er stopped its click,
But when the earliest May rose pursed its lips to kiss the
morning breeze,
The weaver left his loom and sped him to the garden, singing:
"With happiness the days are rife,
For are not the roses here?
�MAY, 1929
27
O, let us greet the sun with brim-full cups,
Let us rejoice as long as roses live—
As long as maiden roses from their chambers venture
forth,
And roses fully grown the secrets of their flaming
breasts expose."
And when the wine warmed his heart he sang:
"Thirty days and ten and five—
Such is the rose's life.
Then let us greet its birth with song,
And turn its short life to a jubilee,
Its progress mark with wild festivity.
The rose will hence! O, come with me,
And on a bed of roses quaff the clear red wine,
As long as roses live."
Such was the weaver's custom every year,
And thus he sang.
And when his story was brought to the hearing of Al-Ma'moun, this prince admired the sentiment and ordered his treasurer
to present the weaver with ten thousand pieces of silver as often
as the rose season made its appearance.
It is the rose season,
It is love's season—
What will be thy gift to me
In the rose season,
In love's season?
i»i
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
24
From the Arabic
By LABEEBEE A. J. HANNA
Editor's Note — The translator of the following poems from the Arabic
is a teacher of English in a Junior High School in Boston. Although born
in America, she has seriously takien up the study of Arabic, and with her
gift for poetry, is able to make excellent use of her knowledge of the mother
tongue of her parents. We hope to give our readers later some original
compositions of Miss Hanna.
A MAN IS DEAD
"Ah! embalmer," said I
"Withhold your water.
Is he not washed
With tears
That the eyes of praise and honor
Have shed at his .demise?
"Ah! embalmer," I cried,
Withhold your perfumes
And embalming fluids.
Is not the memory
Of noble deeds
Sufficient substitute?
"Let his pallbearers be
The holy angels.
Do you not see
They encircle him?
"This is more fitting
Than to burden the shoulders of men
With his weight—
For they are already heavily laden
With his benefactions."
MA:
�>ic
rn
er
ier
lal
29
MAY, 1929
IBN EL-JAWZY REPLIES
\
Ibn El-Jawzy, preacher and mystic
Of Islam, of long ago,
Was noted for his cutting repartee—
As everyone must know.
Upon a certain occasion
He was called upon to speak,
And one of his audience heard a remark
That made him very weak!
Ibn El-Jawzy recited a poem
Of verses one or two
About the zephyr and the flowers
And the morning dew:—
"When I have become like the zephyr,
Dainty and soft,
As it passes over the flowers in the fields,
And whispers aloft,
"When I have become sensitive
That I feel
The intangible
And my senses reel.
"I drink the wine of subtle meaning
And find delight—
And enjoy to ecstacy every sound in Nature,
And all is right."
And everyone listened and was thrilled
But one suddenly cried,
"And what if the sound be the braying of an ass."
At which Ibn El-Jawzy replied:
" 'What if the sound be the braying of an ass?' "
You boldly ask.
Why, then, if you wish to know, I would say,
" 'Be quiet, you ass!' "
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
3G
Sonnets
By
THOMAS ASA
Dedicated to Gibran K. Gibran
TO FRIENDSHIP
Proceeding with the march of passing years
With friendship's beacon light to mark the way,
From early morning's breath till close of day,
And though its joy is not without its tears
Its imprint on the knowing mind endears;
While Time has cast its thorns and weeds away,
And wrought for it a mold without decay;
And strenghtened with the ebbing tide, and rears
Itself a throne within the heart of man.
And a passion more worthy to possess
Has never graced the flowing stream of life—
The surest path o'er which the soul may span
The reaches of divine perfection, unless
God's whole existence is not worth the strife
TO A FOND MEMORY
How like the ling'ring fragrance of a flower,
That implants its chastened breath upon the mind;
And the exquisite fancy of its form will find
The human heart a perennial bower
Of calm repose, and which no earthly power
Can change, nor Time's erratic flight can bind
It with the chaff of all the worldly kind,—
The purest gift that God to man endower.
And though the clutching hand that strife commands
While yet the bitterness of worldly tears
Would taint the mortal mould of natural birth;—
The fondness of a memory that knows all lands;—
Has drunk the waters of all joys and fears,
Is yet the sweetest treasure of our earth.
�m^
31
MAY, 1929
Man is Potentially Immortal
By
DR. GEORGE KNAYSI
Editor's Note — The subject of this article was suggested to the author
by a conversation with the editor of this publication upon the former's visit to New York. Dr Knaysi being an instructor in bacteriology at Cornell
University, a discussion of the progress of his research work naturally led
to the subject of longevity of human life. Such an opinion, in the nature
of the case, must only be a bare outline. In giving it, however, he took the
precaution to express the hope that "readers will understand from the close
of the article that it veils no atheistic tendencies. On the contrary, it pictures the continuous struggle of man against the unknown which he is and
in which he is placed, with man's usual slow but sure conquest."
The phenomena of life and death, youth and age, have baffled the human mind for ages. Generation after generation have
seen the babe develop into man and the man gradually wane and
disappear. It was a law, universal in its application, governing
both the plant and the animal kingdoms. Youth, age and death
seemed to be the corollaries of life.
Although the problem of life is still far from being solved,
and, indeed, only our faith in human progress gives us hope that
some day the human mind may penetrate the secrets of life as it
did penetrate the mysteries of space and those of the atom, yet
man's attiutde toward life and its manifestations has changed
considerably during the last hundred years. The year 1828 will
always be remembered as the year during which Wohler, a German chemist, accidentally synthesised urea, a substance known
then to be produced only by living matter. The mystery was
gone forever. Since then many such substances have been prepared in the laboratory, some of which are very complex indeed.
Another significant advance was made toward the beginning
of this century when the late Jacques Loeb, then of the Rockefeller institute, was able to fertilize eggs of sea urchins, frogs,
etc., by chemical and physical means. Sexual fusion is therefore
merely a type of chemical or physical stimulation.
The above two great discoveries, however, should not ec-
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
lipse many less important ones which enable us now to understand more or less thoroughly the basis of heredity, the nature
of youth, age and death, and the behavior of the living matter
toward various agents and under various conditions. We now
know, for instance, that life processes go on exactly according
to the laws of physics and chemistry, that age is manifested by
structural and chemical changes in the cell under the influence
of environment, and that death is a gradual process beginning
with age. The old theory that death is a corollary of life can no
more be accepted, in the light of modern investigations, and man
should be looked upon as potentially immortal.
For all these invaluable informations we are indebted to
experimental sciences, a century of which did more to enlighten
us than ages of speculative philosophy. We are justified, therefore, in looking hopefully into the future for a more complete
understanding of living matter, its nature and its properties. The
foundation is laid, and we can depend on the man of tomorrow
to contribute his share of honest and intelligent effort.
As to the question of the origin of life, it is likely to remain
a mystery for many years to come, for the simplest living system that we are able to observe shows a very complex organization. The attempts to prepare artificial systems endowed with
certain properties of life have, so far, yielded meager results. It
is significant, however, to note that all living systems are built
according to a general plan which, so far as the writer was able
to see, suffers no exceptions.
TO MY MISTRESS
Translated from the Arabic by J. D. Carlyle
Ungenerous and mistaken maid,
To scorn me thus because I'm poor!
Canst thou a liberal hand upraid
For dealing round some worthless ore?
To spare 's the wish of little souls,
.The great but gather to bestow;
Yon current -down the mountain rolls
And stagnates in the swamp below.
...
�I
MAY, 1929
j I
*
I*
Books and Authors
If*
SYRIAN FOLK-SONGS
33
The Smell of Lebanon, Francis Walterson, Talybont Dyffryn, North Wales. 50pp. $5.50
This is a book of twenty-four Syrian folk-songs collected
by S. H. Stephan, the English versions of which are by E. Powys
Mathers. Most of the songs are of the variety more in vogue in
Palestine, and while some are comparatively old others are fairly
modern. The English rendition is generally true to the letter
and the spirit of the original and the author is to be commended
for his painstaking ability.
These songs, however, cannot stand favorable comparison
with the selection of similar songs published in the Syrian World
in 1926 and 1927 as translated by two of our noted authors and
poets, G. K. Gibran and Ameen Rihani. The song of Marmar
Zamani (my days are bitter), occurring in both collections, may
be taken as an illustration.
A laudable feature of the book is that the Arabic original
and the English translation are printed on opposite pages to facilitate comparison. This scheme had also been followed by the
Syrian World. The Arabic characters of the Walterson book
which was printed in Leipzig, Germany, although clear, are of
an obsolete face which would have never been used had the book
been printed either in Syria or Egypt, or in America. The Arabic
faces of the Linotype in which all Arabic composition in America
is now being done have been used to infinitely better advantage
tage in giving the book a better typographical appearance.
USAMA APPEARING SOON
We acted on wrong information when we announced in the
preceding issue of the Syrian World that the Book of Usama,
which is being published by Columbia University Press, will appear next fall. Professor Philip K. Hitti, the translator of this
rare Arabic manuscript which sheds interesting light on certain
phases of the Crusaders' stay in Syria, assures us that the book
�34
THE SYRIAN WORLD
will be on the market the latter part of May. This we consider
good news which we gladly impart to lovers of worthwhile books
and admirers of the versatile talents of Dr. Hitti.
In making the statement in our last issue that Usama was a
delightful character, we had relied on fragmantary oral information about the nature of his work. We are now glad to give
a substantiation of the statement by the advance publication of
some chapters which Dr. Hitti has kindly given us. The installment published in this issue deals with the author's appreciation
of the Frankish character. In the subsequent installment which
will appear in the June issue, he gives a wondrous tale on the reward of honesty which does justice to the highest type of Oriental imagination.
Some allowance will have to be made for the frank language
employed by the author. Moslem writers are not generally prudish and the translator, true to scholarly ethics, was minutely
faithful to original. It should be remembered that Dr. Hitti is
making his contribution by the translation of this work on purely
scholarly lines, and it is by strict adherence to the original text
that an adequate appraisal can be made of the standards prevailing
in the particular period under discussion. It should be further
stated to the credit of Dr. Hitti that he has given the world an
English translation of Usama even before the appearance of the
original in print in the native language.
CONSTANTINOPLE
Stamboul, by Col. George A. Haddad, Shreveport La, 48pp.
The author of this little book is a Syrian rug merchant in
Shreveport, La., who has seen active service in the American Expeditionary Forces during the World War. He has dedicated the
work to his wife and young child and has apparently made every
attempt to make of the book a little work of art by a profusion
of illustrations, some of which are in colors. If he should decide
to issue further editions in the future, he will surely have the
language revised to fit more properly the subject matter. No
price is mentioned for the book, which fact prompts to the conclusion that the author intends the copies for private circulation as
gifts to his friends.
V
>
.
�.—.
MAY, 1929
35
EDITORIAL COMMENT
FUTURE OF THE RACE
The able article of Mr.
George A. Ferris on the future
of the Syrians in America
should be provocative of interesting and constructive discussion. While many hold the opinion expressed by Mr. Ferris,
to wit, that the action of the
melting pot is bound to take its
course and that a complete fusion of the different racial
strains in America shall eventually take place in course of
time. Mr. Ferris here gives a
clear and concise presentation
of conditions which is to be expected of a man of such long
legal training. Mr. Ferris, it
will be remembered, is the dean
of the Syrian legal corps in New
York and the United States, he
having been the first Syrian to
take up law as; profession. For
his pains in writing his opinions
for publication in the Syrian
World we feel that we owe him
full measure of thanks.
Mr. Ferris makes no effort
to conceal his belief that the opinions he has set forth are highly controversial. He must have
in mind the persistent sentiment
obtaining among certain elements of ethnic groups that the
survival of their racial entity
is not only possible but desirable. With the exception of a
few isolated cases, as he points
out, this has proven totally impracticable.
His deductions are that
"while the Syrians are bound,
in the process of time, to lose
their racial entity, ***the passage of time and the constant
changing of conditions cannot
obliterate characteristics that the
past has failed to change, and
the Syrians will make their contribution, and a very important
one, to the upbuilding of the
country, its people and their
character."
Further continuing his argument, he states that while each
foreign element may lose its racial characteristics in the process
of amalgamation, still it leaves
its impress upon the character
of the people, the institutions of
the country and an indelible
mark upon its history.
Here, according to this reasoning, we are driven by inexorable forces to lose our racial
entity while our potent characteristics are bound to remain. It
is a situation that could stand
further elucidation. How, for
instance, is it possible to perpe-
�36
tuate, for the good of the American nation, those characteristics of each racial element
which is destined to lose its
identity and entity? Does it behoove these elements to make
serious efforts, as distinct ethnic ^oups, to cultivate in their
new home that which is valuable of ,their customs and traditions, or would that action on
their part be construed as alien
to the spirit of America? Is
there a distinctly American culture which all newcomers
should strive to acquire in the
interest of homogeneity, or is
American culture still in the
making and it is the duty of all
elements to contribute to its
building in a conscious effort?
Pride in one's origin and
fealty, to certain valuable traditions do not necessarily mean
treason to one's adopted ,country. If in every element there
are certain laudable characteristics which are worthy of preservation for contribution to
America, the question which
then presents itself is how these
characteristics should be preserved. If, according to Mr.
Ferris's reasoning, only a small
proportion of Syrians in the larger cities is able to resist for a
longer period the action of amalgamation, while the larger
proportion scattered in smaller
THE SYRIAN WORLD
communities is bound to speedily lose its identity as Syrian,
how are we to reconcile the desirability of loss of racial identity and the advisability of preserving native characteristics?
It is a fact that many will disclaim their origin because of
lack of knowledge about their
racial extraction, particularly in
smaller communities where the
natural tendency for the weaker elements to merge both socially and religiously with the
dominant element. Is it advisable, under the circumstances,
to bring to these scattered elements what they now lack of
the necessary knowledge of
their ancestral background so
that those valuable traditions
that are a distinct racial contribution may be assured of perpetuation?
Aside from these isolated instances where the native language itself was possible of preservation so far, there are in
many sections of the United
States elements whose influence
transcends in the community
owing to their numerical preponderance despite the loss of
the original language. In other
instances, as in the case of the
Greeks, who are as widely scattered as are the Syrians, with
perhaps even less opportunity
for exclusive social life, organ-
MHHHHWHNIHHI
i
>
�I
MAY, 1929
ized efforts are being made to
perpetuate the memory of their
ancestors out of sheer racial
pride.
In the confusion attending
the present period of transition, with racial animosities
being fanned even by some
members of Congress who are
swayed by racial prejudice and
animated by un-American motives, it is difficult to ignore racial divisions. It seems to be a
question of pure self-assertion
on the part of the different racial elements. Now it is for the
Syrians to determine what their
future status and influence will
be as a component element in
the making of the American nation. Shall we drift aimlessly,
letting maters take their course,
which we may well admit is
being determined by the organized efforts of other groups,
or shall we make an equally
conscious effort to assert ourselves?
This is a question we would
like to throw open for discussion. We are contending with
two extreme elements, one ultra
Syrian and the other which
tends to ignore altogether its
racial extraction and heritage.
Is there a middle course that
should be defined and adopted,
and what are the logical methods of procedure for the at~
37
tainment jbf such an end? In
other words, are we to ignore
or to assert our racial characteristics, and in the latter case,what
are the best means for the achievement bf such an object?
Opinions are solicited on this
questoin to the end that our
position and disposition may
better be elucidated and defined
COLLECTIVISM
Syrian writers often complain that their countrymen are
highly individualistic with almost a total lack of capacity for
collective action. This trait is
said to have been imported by
the Syrians to America where
we find them successful in almost all jfields of endeavor as
individuals, while not having
yet acquired from their new environment the faculty for cooperative effort. The Syrians,
being given chiefly to commercial pursuits, this deficiency is
particalry noticeable in the lack
of corporate business undertakings amongst them.
Admitting this to be the case,
every attempt at co-ordinating
efforts for collective action must
necessarily be a difficult one.
Native characteristics bred in
the race throughout the course
of centuries would seem impos-
�%
38
•ible of eradication in one generation.
There is now evident, however, a healthy sign of a more
amenable disposition on the part
of Syrians toward collectivism.
Many inherent obstacles, it is
true, will have to be overcome
before the successful operation
of a new order of things which
is more in the nature of an experiment, but with the existence of the will to act on a firm
conviction, success is bound to
result in the end.
Within only the last few
months, there seems to have developed a violent outburst of
passion among Syrians for all
sorts of co-operative activities.
Several large Syrian kimono
houses in New York are reported to be conducting active negotiations for consolidation j retail Syrian grocery establishments in Detroit are planning
the formatoin of a co-operative
association for their trade; several leading Syrian newspapers in New York are facing
actualities and openly discussing the necessity of consolidation; a number of Syrian clubs
in New England have come together in a federation, while in
Paterson local civic organizations, with the approval and assistance of the clergy of all denominations^ have co-operated
THE SYRIAN WORLD
in forming a general society.
The agitation for the federation of Syrian societies in the
United States as advocated by
the Syrian World has, of course,
been going on for some time.
The progress of the movement
has been regularly reported in
our pages. It is cause for genuine satisfaction to state that
never before has a public movement of this nature met with
such success among the Syrians.
With the additional pledge received this month, the number
of pledged members reaches
twenty. Given this substantial
number as a nucleus, and with
the application of proper efforts
to the propagation of the movement once the federation is formed, the increase in membership should be rapid and continuous.
The important announcement
we had promised for this or the
subsequent issue was in reference to the proposed convention
of pledged societies to bring
forth the federation. A questionnaire had been sent to all
members calling for a choice
of date and place of meeting.
The answers so far received are
insufficient to determine a course of action. Due allowance
must be made for the fact that
all corporate action must of necessity be slow, especially when
�%
MAY, 1929
I
i
,
m
;
the movement is in the experimental stage and where the
members are scattered throughout the length and breadth of
the land. The announcement,
therefore, will have to be deferred to the coming issue.
In reviewing the situation,
one cannot escape a feeling of
elation at our steady progress
in the way of collective action.
We are not so sanguine as to believe that the ultimate goal has
been reached, but there is sufficient cause for elation in the
fact that we are headed in the
right direction, and that proof
of our progress is steadily accumulating.
Such signs as we see appearing simultaneously in different
localities and in various forms
indicate a growing conviction
and presage fruitful action.
Our greatest need, under the
circumstances, is to further prosecute this advantage in an effort to accelerate this healthy
movement. The tendency of
the times is towards cooperation
and it behooves us to be abreast
of the times and not behind
them. We would especially
urge pledged members to the
proposed federation not to falter in their determination to see
the movement culminate in the
hoped-for success, because they
are the custodians of the destinies of the race and theirs will
be the honor of achievement in
proportion to the effort they
bring to use in this crucial and
initial stage.
TRASH
If the different raeal elements in America were to indulge in acrimonious reciprocal accusations, there would be fine
prospects indeed for the sympathetic understanding and harmony which are so essential to
America's welfare.
Senator
Reed of Pennsylvania is surely
doing his utmost to serve the interests of his constituents by
hurling indiscriminate accusations at an element of the American nation. His attitude is
about the best that could be conceived for the fostering of a
spirit of harmony.
We may be sure that the Senator only proves his ignorance
when he brands (the Syrians as
trash. For the responsible position which he holds, he would
be expected to be better informed,not only on the achievements
of the Syrians in the past, but
on their present contributions to
the upbuilding of America.
Perhaps the Syrians will learn
from this deplorable incident
the necessity of organizing their
forces to take proper action in
such emergencies.
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
40
Readers' Forum
RECONCILING VIEWPOINTS
OF PARENTS AND CHILDREN
Girls are Restricted Beyond the
Normal Supervision
Editor, The Syrian World,
their attitude here in America. It
is very difficult for a grown-up to
adapt himself as readily as a young
person. He brings with him, almost
entirely, the atmosphere of his native country. He even goes to the
extent of continuing to speak his
own language to his children all
through their life so that his children in turn may speak to him. He
tenaciously holds on to all those native things which are dear to him:
his language, his food, his religion,
his ideals, his culture, his home life.
In reading the 16-35-year case
which Miss Mary Soloman cites, one
would think he were reading a story
peculiarly American. It is not uncommon to learn of May and December unions, or unions where the
The first generation born here,
groom of fifteen years or more older naturally enough, attend the Amerthan the bride.
ican schools and daily come in conThe type of people that she had tact with American life. They learn
in mind when she wrote that letter of American ideals from the school
must have been the kind who regard teacher and the school book. Outtheir daughters as instinctively help- side of the home they learn of Amless children. Their outlook on the erica; but inside of the home they
world is that it is a hard place to must live in an old-world atmosphere.
live in, and their girls should be Sometimes there is a marked conshielded from all harm. They have trast. Not infrequently the result
the right idea, but they carry it a is confliction. They find it difficult
to adjust themselves to every sudlittle too far.
Fortunately, there are Syrians, and den change. Questions arise: Shall
they are many, who have struck a the girls play with boys and girls,
happy medium; who believe in al- or shall they play with girls only,
lowing their children enough inde- and shun the boys? Shall they go
pendence to develop their character to the movies, or shall they not?
and, at the same time, the parents Shall they attend the dance with
hold out a guiding hand.
other young people, unchaperoned, or
There has been too much of a ten- shall they not ? Each question must
dency to blame parents, especially be answered depending on the indithose of us who are the first gene- vidual case. However, when some
ration born here in this country. We some of our parents are ignorant
must take in consideration that they of the benefits of a certain thing
come from an entirely different they prohibit it to their children racountry as regards customs, free- ther than take a chance that it might
dom, dress and climate. All these do their children harm. It is only
things have something to do with a natural thing for them to do. It
�MAY, 1929
is the idea of protection which
prompts them to prohibit. Consequently, some of us rebel, and some
don't, depending on the courage we
have, or the freedom we have, or the
strength of our convictions. Then,
there ensues friction, because there
is misunderstanding. The children
do not understand the parents, and
the parents do not understand the
children, and neither one makes an
effort to understand the other. Must
there be submission?
I say, no.
There should be an intelligent discussion by both parties. The parent
should give his view and opinion, and
the child have his turn to speak.Then
a satisfactory decision might be
brought about. If so, the parent
can continue to live his way happily,
and the child will in all probability
have a much more wholesome outlook on life ond will be much more
content in the assurance at least,that
his parent is really concerned with
his, the child's, well-being and happiness. • There are parents, however,
who do not value the child's opinion.
Then how can they expect the child
to value their opinion when they do
not show respect by example?
I am in sympathy with Mary Soloman, although she has made many
statements which inspire lenghty discussions, pro and con. She cites a
case which is, fortunately, not universal. Nevertheless, the freedom
she asks presents an almost serious
problem among many of our young
people. It is true, though, that there
are girls who are hampered in the
development of their mental and
physical growth.
Certain things
which might prove beneficial to their
well-being are prohibited, and these
very things which are denied them
are allowed the boys- Why is this?
It certainly is a problem which has
risen before my very eyes many
times, and which I have always been
trying to solve. Whether or not I
shall come to an intelligent solution
I have yet to know. I feel that I
must still dwell upon it and study it
before I can state any.
Some parents lay too much stress
on behavior, and the girl's conduct
in the presence of people, and forget
the higher, nobler purposes of life,
so much so that she becomes selfconscious. Consequently, she does
not act natural and the result is suppressed desire or an inferiority complex. It will be difficult for her to
make and hold friends. If she does
not act in a natural and wholesome
manner people will not be anxious
for her companionship, and soon she
realizes this. So, she goes into seclusion rather than face being shunned. Who loses out? The girl, of
course, and not the parent. In the
meantime, the boy is leading a much
more normal life. The parent has
lived his life and has made of it
what he could. But what of the
young girl? Hasn't she a right to
live, too ? Hasn't she a right to mingle amongst all kinds of people so
that she may develop the ability to
discriminate? Some parents, in their
desire to shield their daughters, have
lost sight of the fact that their daughters are emotionally the same as
the boys, only a little more sensitive.
We do not know how different black
is from white until we see them both.
Hasn't she a right to substantiate
her parents' ideals by going out into
the world? However, I do not mean
that she should go out into the world
without being fortified with intelligence and whatever strength of character that her parents have helped
her to develop.
The girl's life should be just as
�42
happy and normal at her mother's.
I think that some parents have a tendency to lay too much stress on some
things and neglect atiher things
which are necessary in the development of one's character. A good
many have not struck a happy medium as yet. There is either one extreme or the other. Fortunately,
these extremes are gradually passing. As the first generation here
grows, marries and have children,
they will surely direct the growth of
their young ones in a much more
satisfactory manner; as they will
have profited by the mistakes of
their parents.
,
We all know the result of no freedom at all. When they go out into
the world the freedom which they
experience is a new sensation to
them and tlhey run rampant. The
parents have neglected to teach the
child to walk with a steady gait.
There are stones strewn on the roadway. One may trip and fall and the
result in all probability, will be bruises which may or may not leave
scars, depending on how hard the
fall.
Then, there is the other extreme.
Not too much freedom, but too little
education and intelligent discussions
in the home on the part of the parents in the presence of their children. Gross neglect!
The home lacks discipline. The
system in the home is loose. There
is no orderliness.
The parents'
world is so small that they cannot
see beyond their own selves, and
the children, therefore, are in want,
morally. When they do go out into
the world they never appreciate the
fine points of life. They mock, they
scom, and laugh at the honorable
and worthy "character. They do not
understand because they have never
been taught. How unfortunate for
THE SYRIAN WORLD
them- They do not know what they
are missing!
There is a light which I can see
through the darkness. It is the hopeful thought that, as the first generation grows and the second generation takes its place, the problem
of adjustment which have confronted the first generation and their parents will have been gradually solved, and the darkness will have been
changed into broad daylight.
Anna F. Shire
Roxbury, Mass.
>
AGAINST MIXED MARRIAGES
Editor, The Syrian World,
In the question of marriage, we
think we should follow the customs
of our forefathers. One very seldom
hears of our people divorcing, which
is something to feel proud of.
We would ask Miss Soloman if she
remembers one particular reason for
the Pilgrims' coming to America.
Their children began to marry the
Dutch and they did not like it, so
they left. By this you can see that
the Syrians are not the only people
that do not like for their children to
marry into different nationalities.
When you said that a mother will
advise her daughter not to go out
with boys as the Syrians will gossip
you speak as though the Syrians are
the only ones that gossip. Others
gossip as well and even better. When
your mother advises you, she is doing so for your own good. A girl
can find a suitable Syrian fellow easier than one of a different people.
Why not adhere to our Syrian
ideas. We know that, after all, they
are best for our own good.
Olga Aurady
Josephine Farris
Charleston, W. Va.
�..„
MAY, 1929
43
Spirit of the Syrian Press
Under this caption we hope to present from time to time a micrt
mic picture of the Arabic press, not only in this country, but wherever
Arabic dailies and magazines reflect the opinions of responsible, thinking
writers who are treating the different problems that confront the Arabicspeaking world from all conceivable angles. Needless to say, we will take
no part in the discussions reproduced, nor assume any responsibility. Our
task will simply consist in selecting, to the best of our knowledge ana
with utmost sincerity, what we think is representative of the public opinion as expressed in these editorials.
Editor.
SYRIANS AS TRASH
The Syrians of Massachusetts have
sent vigorous protests against what
they term an insult to their race in
the remarks of Senator David Reed
of Pennsylvania during the debate
on the national origins Bill when he
referred to the Syrians as the "trash
of the Mediterranean". This action
on the part of our countrymen in
New England is praiseworthy and
commendable; but rebuke and protests are not in themselves sufficient,
and we would expect of our able lawyers to devise some other effective
means of action in similar situations.
Perhaps Mr. Joseph W. Ferris, leader of the American-Syrian Federation of New York, will volunteer his
opinion in the matter. Al-Hoda and
the Lebanon League of Progress.on
their part, retained a well-known
lawyer in Washington a long time
since to follow up the proceedings
on the immigration and similar questions and report to us on the result.
We expect his report soon.
There are still among us those
who have an inordinate infatuation
for office and constitute themselves
on their own authority public lead-
ers. They organize societies, collect dues, hold meetings and entertainments and require the press to
give them full measure of publicity
gratis; but when it comes to actual
public service these pseudo-leaders
are not there.
What have these so-called SyrianAmerican societies done so far? Do
they not consider themselves under
obligation to take up the fight for
the rights of the Syrians—who also
comprise the Lebanese—whom Senator Reed considers not only of the
trash but of the scum?
—Al-Hoda, N. Y. May 3, 1929
STATUS OF SYRIANS IN
AMERICA
Many Americans, including some
members of Cpngress, still show
helpless ignorance of the historical
background of the Syrians and are
therefore prone to belittle them. The
debate on the national origins Bill
and the insulting remarks of Senator Reed of Pennsylvania furnish a
recent illustration.
We wish to congratulate the Syr-
�ians of Boston on the action they
have taken in protesting against the
utterances of Senator Reed.
The moral we should draw from
this incident, however, is tihat it is
now time for us to form a national
association of Syrian citizens which
would take upon itself the defense
of our people against such attacks.
We should realize that we can prove
ourselves a potent political factor
if only we can organize our strength
This national organization should
confine its activities to the promotion of the interests of the Syrians
in America to the total exclusion of
affairs abroad. We have often commented on the imperative necessity
of such an organization and believe
the time now propitious for its realization.
—Ash-Shaab, N. Y. May 3
ANOTHER INDIA
There was a time when the most
potent political excuse in the vocabulary of the English was their
claim of the necessity of protecting
the route to India. Now there must
be some ironic satisfaction in the
English losing the monopoly on this
term. France has now resorted to
the same diplomatic expediency and,
according to a high official of the
Committee on Foreign relations in
the French Parliament, France must
remain in Syria to protect the safety
of its communications with IndoChina! To this gentleman it appears
imperative that France establish an
aerial station in Syria for the safety
of its communications with its Far
Eastern possessions. Gradually we
are given to understand that the
mandate in Syria is not what it ap-
pears on the surface, but that it is
only a link in the great scheme of
European colonization.
Why, O Lord, hast thou created
India a curse on the weak, that the
strong may take possession of everything in its nameWhoever dreamed that Indo-China
would become an excuse for France's
perpetual occupation of Syria? Are
we supposed to offer our country as
a sacrifice for that far-off land?
Why should our country be the open
door to outlying French possessions
and we become slaves on account of
Indo-China ?
—Meraat-Ul-Gharb, N. Y. April 19
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ALLAH,
We are informed by the Arabic
press of Damascus that the police
of the capital city of Syria arrested
seven men for publicly breaking the
fast of Ramadan and held them for
trial.
y
tf
It is most commendable that the
government be actuated with the
highest spiritual motives and strive
to revive piety in the souls of its
subjects. But the surprising thing
is that the government should resort
to force in imposing pious observances.
Would that the government of
Syria leave the arrangement of matters of this character to the discretion of Allah, while it occupy itself
with the enforcement of civil laws
and regulations as, for instance,freeing the country of outlawry and
guaranteeing the inviolability of the
home,
It would behoove the Syrian government, in its excess of pious zeal,
to stop and consider the fact that
'
:
�MAY, 1929
Imposing piety by force is transgression on the prerogatives of God.
God may expect governments to
teach people the voluntary practice
;of pious observances, but not to
resort to force in compelling people
to practice that which affects only
their individual souls and for which
He alone should be the judge on the
last day.
—As-Sayeh, N. Y. April 8
ISLAM IN VOGUE
It is very seldom that we hear of
a Moslem in Syria or Lebanon becoming Christian. But we do, at
frequent intervals, hear of Christians embracing the Moslem faith.
What can be the reason for this onesided action?
It has been reported lately that
two prominent Christians, both of
whom are adherents of the Orthodox
church, have renounced their mother
religion and embraced Islam. One
is Fayez Bey Khouri, a prominent
leader in the Syrian Nationalist Party, and the other is Elias Bloudani,
a notable of Rashayya.
During the Turkish regime, Islam
was upheld by force and it became
natural for some Christians to seek
personal benefit by a change of faith.
But Syria is not under Turkish rule
today. The mandate is Christian
and the form of government democratic, where opportunities ,6re supposed to be equal. Why then do
some Christains choose to change
their religion?
Especially is such a condition deplorable on the part of a prominent
Christian of Rashayya where the
Orthodox still suffer from the effects
of tlno catastrophe! which befell
4S
them from their neighbors.
The truth of the situation is that
several factors combine to make
such a condition possible. Personal
grievances are partly responsible,
but the main cause of such defections
from the ranks of Christianity is the
weakness of the mandatory administration and of the native government. The Orthodox, in particular,
have become awarei that the country
is headed for Islam and not for a
true patriotic spirit; while those in
charge of the mandate show manifest partiality to the Moslems because of their numerical preponderance. Consequently they say to
themselves, "Why should we waste
our days in an unprofitable struggle
in a country which is admittedly
Moslem? We will, therefore, embrace Islam!"
This is not written in a spirit of
enmity to our brother Moslems
whose unity we greatly admire, but
we cannot fail to comment on the
sad situation where religious belief has become the main avenue for
political and social opportunities.
—Syrian Eagle N. Y. April 24
FOR RELIGIOUS REFORM
Our spiritual conditions in all of
our countries of immigration are
deplorable. While we of the United
States may fare better than our brothers of Mexico, still it cannot be
denied that we are headed for the
same result unless we take energetic action to bring about an improvement.
The immigrants represent that
progressive element which sought to
improve its conditions in new surroundings. Their main object having
�46
been achieved, self-interest steadily
works to increase their attachment
to their adopted country and to gradually forsake the old.
Having in mind particularly the
spiritual condition of the Maronites
in the United States, we can conscientiously state that conditions almost border on the chaotic. Some
priests openly rebel against the Patriarchate and their direct and lawful superiors. They find themselves
somewhat in the anomalous situation of being between two authorities, the Eastern and the Western,
and they have recourse to either one
as best suits their convenience.
Some missionary priests are a disgrace to their vows and should be
recalled, while most are mercenaries who are seeking only to enhance
their personal interests.
We know, of many cases where
Maronites have joined other religious
denominations owing to the unethical practices of some of their nat've
clergy, and in this we do not' hold
them at fault.
In view of this situation, we would
propose that the Maronite Patriarch
delegate as visiting prelate to the
United States the Rt. Rev. Archbishop Ignatius Mobarak who, we
feel confident, will be enthusiastically
received and whose mission is bound
to be fruitful of the most good. He
may succeed in inducing many parents to send their children to Syria
for their education and, besides, put
the Maronite house in the United
States in such order as to guarantee the perpetuation of the valuable
traditions preserved by the Maronites throughout centuries.
—Al-Hoda, N. Y. April 15
THANKFULNESS!
Arab authors invariably open their
THE SYRIAN WORLD
prefaces with praise and thanks to
Allah. It is the only occasion they
have for offering thanks.
—As-Saye'h, N. Y. "April 24
BREACH OF PROMISE
A Syrian young man was sued by
an American young woman for
breach of promise and the complainant awarded a verdict of $3,401
Such eases are not only rare but
almost totally unknown among Syrians. The Syrian girl does not believe in forcible marriage, nor does
she relish living with a man where
there are no prospects of maintaining the happy traditions of the Syrian home.
This, however, does not preclude
the fact that the Syrian and Lebanese young women in America are
Traced at a disadvantage. They are
hidden pearls whose beauty is not
permitted to be brought to light by
proper social contact. Due to this
deplorable condition, the number of
unmarried girls among us is steadily
mounting. Such a condition could
be remedied only by the active interest of the press, the clergy and
social organizations who have the
welfare of the race at heart.
The custom of seclusion has given
rise to a distorted conception of the
Syrian young woman by the Syrian
young man. Her reticence is interpreted as meaning excessive financial demands. Exceptional and isolated cases of this character may
have taken place, but they surely
cannot apply to the whole.
Tt would behoove Syrian young men
to employ some discretion in their
choice of companions and not give
promises promiscuously and run the
danger of court action.
—Aslh-Shaab, N. Y. April 80
�HI
MAY, 1929
47
Political Developments in Syria
What supporters of the Nationalist cause in Syria hail as a new
lease of life for their cause is the
announced return of the organized
Nationalist group to active participation in politics. Substantial results are expected to develop from
this move, principal among which is
the defeat of the several schemes
which are being concocted to reach
a compromise with the French which
defeat the aims of the Nationalists.
Ever since the proroguing of the
Constituent Assembly, many political leaders nursing personal ambitions have been engaged in formulating programs aiming at the solution of the problem. Almost all these
programs are said to be willing to
barter away the sovereign rights of
the nation, as denned by the Nationalist draft of the Constitution, for
the sake of compromise. One would
instijtute new elections under the
supervision of the government in the
hope of reposing representative authority in a new Assembly more
agreeable to an understanding with
France; while another would form a
permanent government by appointment, and invest it with authority
to enter into treaty relations with
the Mandatory Power on conditions
agreeable to the latter.
Realizing, it is said, the danger of
permitting the destinies of the nation to be shaped by their opponents,
the Nationalists decided to forgo
their policy of aloofness and again
enter the field of politics in an active
and agressive manner. They are
said to have decided previously on
a policy of passive resistance, resting
on the assurance that they had the
support of the nation in that they
were the lawfully elected representatives to the Constituent Assembly,
which authority they do not admit
having lost by the peremptory action
of the High Commissioner in proroguing the Assembly. But realizing that they were doing njury to
their cause by their continued withdrawal from the political field, they
were forced by developments to resume their former activities.
The stand of the Nationalists has
not undergone any change: They
stand for the Constitution as drafted and approved by the Constituent
Assembly. They are said to be ready
to resort to extreme measures for
the enforcement of their demands,
and to oppose particularly all attempts to enter into treaty relations with the Mandatory Power before the ratification of the Constitution. The Constitution, on the
other hand, by the establishment of
the sovereign rights of the nation,"
would place the mandate in a different status than that which it now
claims and automatically change the
aspects of the situation in favor of
the Syrian nation.
The resumption by the Nationalists of active politics has not apparently caused any change in the policy of those directing French affairs
in Syria. High Commissioner Ponsot is said to be playing a game of
watchful waiting in an effort to wear
down Syrian resistence. Some observers think that the French have
stolen a leaf from the English book
of colonial administration and are
�:
THE SYRIAN WORLD
48
counting on tihe lack of staying powers among Orientals to help them
gain their ends by continual delay.
A responsible official of the High
Commissariat is reported by one of
the Damascus papers to have said
that the French will never again resume negotiations with the Nationalists owing to the excessiveness of
their demands Which are incompatible with France's obligations as mandatory. This is taken to mean that
the French are striving to eliminate
the Nationalists as an active force
in Syrian politics in the hope of inducing the formation of a moderate
party.
The only disturbances reported in
Damascus by the latest issues of the
Syrian newspapers to reach the United States are the demonstrations
of the Syrian University students
in protest against the reduction by
the government of about $75,000
from the University appropriations
for the current year. Native students in the school of the French
Freres in Damascus having joined
the student strikers of the University they were expelled, wlv'ch added
to the bitterness of feeling both
against the French and the native
government of Sheikh Tajeddin.
ELECTIONS IN LEBANON ..
The Presidential elections in Lebanon were held on March 27 and resulted in the re-election of the first
President of the Republic, Charles
Dabbas, for a second term of three
years. The vote of the Representative Assembly was almost unanimous, 42 out of the 43 votes being
cast for the President while the single dissenting vote was cast in favor
of Sheikh Al-Jisr, President of the
Assembly.
Followng the elections, th« man-
datory authorities are said to have
fostered a proposition to extend the
term of office of the President to
six instead of three years, the amendment to take effect upon the expiration of the present term. Other
amendments are said to include the
right of the President to appoint
Ministers from without the ranks
of the Assembly and to adjourn the
Assembly on his own authority. Already the signatures of seventeen
Representatives are said to have been
secured to this proposed amendment
which, however, has been received
unfavorably by the press.
Upon his re-election, President
Dabbas paid a personal visit to the
Maronite Patriarch as an act of appreciation and courtesy.
President Dabbas was born in
Beirut in 1884 and received his educaton in the Jesuit University of
Beirut, going later to Paris for his
law degree. He was at one time
editor of the French-language newspaper La Liberte published in Beirut
and was sentenced to death by court
martial for his liberal activities during the war. He filled several positions of trust in the Lebanese government and was for several years
Minister of Justice. When Lebanon
was declared a republic in 1926 he
was elected first president. He married in 1919 a Frenchwoman, Mme.
Marcel, who is said to take a leading part in charitable and philanthropic activities in Lebanon.
No developments of any consequence have been reported from Wadi
Sirhan, the refugee camp of the
Druze revolutionists in the desert.
Emir Adel Arslan arrived at Jerusalem ostensibly to recuperate from
illness and it was denied for him that
he had broken with Sultan Pasha
Atrash.
�'"» —
mmi———
Dr. IBRAHIM G. KHEIRALLA
(1850—1929)
The Syrian who first brought Bahaism to the United States.
��MAY, 1929
!!
49
About Syria and Syrians
DR. I. G. KHEIRALLA
DIES IN SYRIA
Noted Religious Teacher Was First
Missionary of Bahaism in
America.
By Ameen Rihani
The recent death in Beirut, Syria,
of Ibrahim G. Kheiralla brings to
mind the early days of Bahaism in
this country. It was through the
efforts of this Syrian Arab, whose
country is the cradle of two of the
monotheistic creeds, Judaism and
Christianity, that the first American
converts to Bahaism were made.
Ibrahim Kheiralla was born in Mt.
Lebanon, Syria, November 11, 1850,
and he was the first graduate of the
American University of Beirut, heading the class of 1870. He afterwards
came to Egypt, where he met some
of the Persian Bahaists, who were
at that time persecuted in their own
country. With these refugees he
studied the tenets of the new sect
and was accepted by Ba'ha'-Ullah in
an especially written tablet as one
of his pupils and followers.
In 1893 he came to the United
States to attend the Congress of religions, which opened to the Western
mind new vistas of the spiritual
philosophy of the Orient. Dr. Kheiralla was an enthusiastic and discriminating student of this philosophy,
which found its embodiment in Bahaism. He was its evangelist. And
in a comparatively short time over
three thousand converts were made,
and several assemblies were orga-
nized in Chicago, the headquarters,
and in Kenosha, New York, Cleveland, Philadelphia and other cities.
It is paradoxial that the first scholar and graduate of the American
Missionary schools of Syria should
come to America to convert thousands of Christians to the belief that
the Arabian Prophet Mohammad was
one of the truly inspired Prophets
of God. It was, moreover, a labor
of love with him, for he preached and
taught without remuneration.
In 1895, six years after the death
of Baha'-UHah, Dr. Kheiralla returned to Acca or Acre, Syria, the present seat of Bahaism, with some
prominent American converts.among
them the late Mrs. Phoebe Hearst.
The Bahaists were then split into
two factions, one of which was headed by Abbas Effendi, called Abd'ulBaha. He was Baha'-Ullah's eldest
son, and while professing attachment to him, he refused to publish
his works and did not strictly adhere to his teachings. "He offered
the world a bland cafeteria programme of take what you wish," as Dr.
Kheiralla put it. The other faction
was led by Mohammad Ali Effendi,
and it represented the fundamentalists who insisted upon the promulgation of Bahaism as set down by
Baha'-Ullah. In this dispute Dr.
Kheiralla supported Mohammad Ali
and proved to be as staunch an opponent of Ab'ul-Baha as he had been
a faithful follower of his father.
Dr. Kheiralla wrote several books
and pamphlets dealing with Bahaism, mental science and philosophy.
His book "Baha-Ullab," published
�50
thirty years ago, contains a comprehensive and thorough study of
Bahai theology. His latest booklet
on Immortality was published a few
months ago, before he sailed for
Syria, where he had hoped to spend
his last days. But he died very soon
after his arrival.
He was a man of strong and imposing personality, with a sincerity
of conviction and an eloquence of
speech that carried his word and
his faith to the hearts of the thousands of people he preached to during his thirty-five years of residence
in the United States. His deep and
clear knowledge of mental philosophy, in which he excelled, was overshadowed, however, by his Bahai
mission.
Orientalists like Baron Rosen,
Count Gobineaux and Professor
Browne have studied Bahaism and
written sympathetically upon it, but
its spread in the West is due solely
to the zeal and untiring efforts of
Dr. Kheiralla who made it his supreme lifework.
As Wahabism represents the Puritan movement in Islam, Baharsm is
the expression of the Protestant reform of it. Baha'-Ullah taught that
Budha, Jesus and Mohammad all
strove for the amelioration of human conditions and the elevation of
mankind. In his eye, all the faiths
are inspired and should be the means
of promoting harmony.
Bahaism cannot be better summed
up than by the words of Baha'-Ullah
himself as quoted by Professor
Browne after a conversation he 'had
with him: "That all nations should
become one in faith and all men as
brothers; the bonds of affection and
unity between the sons of men should
be strengthened; diversity of religion should cease and difference of
THE SYRIAN WORLD
race be annulled. What harm is
there in this? Yet, so it shall be.
These fruitless strifes, these ruinous
wars shall pass away and the most
great peace shall come. Do not you
in Europe need this also? Let not a
man glory in this, that he loves his
country. Let him rather glory in
this, that he loves his kind."
SYRIANS OF MASS.
PROTEST INSULT
Hold Meetings in Boston and Lawrence and Send Telegrams
During the debate in the Senate
on the national origins Bill the latter
part of April, Senator David Reed
of Pennsylvania made a broadside
attack on the peoples originating iD
Mediterranean countries, branding
them as "trash of the Mediterranean" the "Syrians and other immigrants from the Turkish provinces."
This specific reference to the, Syrians must have been given particular prominence in press dispatches
to New England papers which accounts for the display of indignation
among our countrymen in that section. No action is reported by the
Syrian press to have been taken on
the matter by Syrians in other parts
of the United States.
The resentment of New England
Syrians took the form of public
meetings of protest and the sending
of telegrams by representative Syrian individuals and organizations to
Senators Walsh and Gillett of Mass.
defending their countrymen against
the attack of Senator Reed and calling for retraction. The Boston Herald of May 1 prints the text of such
|!
�MAY, 1929
51
a telegram sent by Elias F. Shamon, brave to dare to utter such words
a prominent Syrian and lawyer of concerning a people whose number
Boston, in which the remarks of Se- is almost negligible in a country of
nator Reed are characterized as this size.)
Where did he get this impression?
"false, biased and slanderous." While
Have
we been asleep? Has somein Lawrence, Mass., the Syrian-Amething
been happening of which we
rican Citizens' Society took the inhave
not
been aware? What is this
itiative in calling a special meeting
insidious
weapon
which we have not
of protest and adopted strong resorealized?
What
has
made the honorlutions, copies of which were sent
able
senator
from
Pennsylvania
soto Senators Walsh and Gillett and
blunt,
so
harsh,
so
unfair,—so
blustto Representative William F. Connery. Farris Morad as president, rous, so cocky?
Hurried meetings of protest have
and A. John Ganem, a young Syrian
been
held in several cities of Massalawyer, acted for the Lawrence sochusetts,
notably Lawrence and Bosciety in this instance.
ton.
Miss Labeebee A. J. Hanna, a SyrThe Boston meeting was to seian High School teacher of English
riously
discuss the matter of the inin Boston, sends the following acsult
to
the Syrian by Reed. All of
count of the Boston meeting of prothe
speakers
touched upon the subtest and of how she feels the Syrians
ject,
although
from various points
should react to the situation.
of attack. The most important facts
brought out are as follows:—
SHALL WE DESPAIR?
America will not appreciate fully
who we are and what we are until
By Labeebee A. J. Hanna
she is shown. We must prove ourAll over the country, more powerselves. We cannot dwell on our
ful than a forest fire, more turbu- past, but look to our future — being
lent than the stormy seas, has spread
Americans, loyal always and showthe news of the terrible insult upon
ing it, while retaining the best of
the Syrian by Senator Reed of Pennour Syrian heritage.
sylvania at Congress during the deWe have faith in our Youth and
bate concerning National Origins
must do all we can to keep our
and the quota on April 30, 1929.
Youth worthy and proud of his SyrShall the Syrian be stigmatized?
ian heritage as he proves himself a
Has some horrible force been on foot real American.
that has already tended toward stigWe have not harmed America. We
matization of our race?
have probably been misunderstood.
Have our fathers dared the seas Few are now the third generation
and ventured into strange lands to here, but we must forge ahead quickfind this?
ly so that we shall not be a target
Let us say that Senator Reed does for swaggerers.
Our way is strewn with many
not know what he is talking about.
Let us say that he is an estimable thorns, chief of these being the thorn
man, for he must be. Let us say there of lack of representation. We have
is no man more self-respecting. Let no ambassador to appeal to in time
Ought not
us say he is brave, (He must be of stress and insult.
�52
France, having a mandate over Syria, do something here—or, can't she
be relied upon ? Of the senators from
Massachusetts, Gillett semed to dodge the issue by saying, according to
Mr. Shamon, "that there must be an
error."
The Honorable David I.
Walsh, in response to telegrams,immediately took steps to reply in our
favor to Eeed.
Every Syrian knows, and those
who have troubled to investigate
know, that Syrians come to this
country of immigrants (for are we
not all of us immigrants, no matter
how many generations back?) Syrians come here to make homes. They
do not come to acquire wealth and
leave. They are here to stay. They
are peaceful and law-abiding, and
they love America. They give fairness and demand fairness.
All the speakers were agreed that
we must forge ahead and prove ourselves, but we cannot do much in the
face of damning stigmatization.
ARABS CAN BOAST
EARLIEST SKYSCRAPER
The Arabs are being given credit
for distinction in many fields, not
the least of which is architecture
and building ingenuity and creativeness. For, according to our Dr. Ph.
K. Hitti of Princeton University,
they were the ones who built the
world's first skyscraper. This information is contained in a letter by
the professor to the editor of the
New York Times and published in
that paper in its issue of April 25.
It would seem to bear out the familiar saying that there is nothing new
under the sun, only it takes a man
who knows to dig out from the ruins
of the past proof to fit every instance.
"THE SYRIAN WORLD
Following is the letter of Dr. Hitti
to The Times:
In reply to the question "What
was the world's first skyscraper,"
raised in The Times editorial, that
edifice stood in a part of the world
where it is least expected—in Yemen
of Southeastern Arabia. Ghumdan
was its name. Its height was 200
feet and its floors twenty.
If we are to believe reports of alHamdani and other early Arab geograpders, this palace was built of
granite, porphyry and marble in
San'a the ancient capital of al-Yemen
by a Himyarite King who flourished
in the first century of our era. The
King installed his court in the uppermost story, the roof of which he
covered with such transparent slabs
of stone that one could look through
it skyward and tell the difference
between a crow and a kite. An early
Moslem poet refers to the clouds as
the turban of Ghumdan, and the fog
as its belt. The structure survived
until the rise of Islam in the seventh
century and its ruins may have been
the ones discovered some sixty years
ago by the French archaeologist Edward Glaser.
If modern New York wants something over ancient San'a, it has to
look for it in some other field than
that of skyscrapers.
ANOTHER SYRIAN
IMMIGRANT FORWARD!
(Special correspondence)
Boston—It isn't every one who is
willing to devote all his evenings to
study after a hard day's work—and
pass the Bar, even though at the
start he could hardly write his name!
The information has just come to
I
�MAY, 1929
our attention of the passing of the
Bar examinations by Faris S. Malouf, a naturalized Syrian in his late
thirties, and resident of Jamaica
Plain, a suburb of Boston.
About twenty years ago, Mr. Malouf arrived in America with no
knowledge of the language. He first
attended evening school in Boston
and on graduating, was the speaker
of the eveningIn June, 1924, having attended
both summer and winter classes, he
was graduated from Northeastern
Preparatory School where he completed a four year course in two and
a half years. It is creditable that
he was never absent from school. His
courage led him still further. Why
not study law?
There was none to help him. He
realized he would study and strive
alone. That would not be an easy
task. He was not wholly at home
with the language, and many would
be studying and rubbing elbows
with him who were at a much greater advantage.
Mr. Malouf studied and was again
successful. He received his L.L.B.
Degree from Northeastern University Law School in June 1928.
However, that was not all. He
must pass the Bar. He redoubled
his efforts and continued neglecting
his social life to study—every night
and all day Sunday. Such courage
is deserving of the highest awards.
He passed the Bar on December 31
1928 and took the oath May 1, 1929.
GIRL PLAYS TUNES
ON HER TYPEWRITER
The following news item, together
with a picture of Miss Olga Elkouri,
appeared in the Washington Post of
il
April 14:
"Miss Olga Elkouri, formerly of
Detroit, Mich., who held the world
champion's title as stenographer-typist for three years, has moved to
Washington where she is employed
by the Immigration Bureau.
"In addition to her title as champion stenographer-typist, Miss Elkouri, who is of Syrian descent, is
an accomplished pianist. She is 21
years old and began her career of
rapid typing when of high school
age.
"Miss Elkouri is planning a number of typing exhibitions at schools
of the capital and probably will give
recitals at the piano as well. One
of the favorite numbers of Miss Elkouri's program is playing tunes on
the typewriter."
The Syrian World further learns
that this able Syrian young lady
has attracted the attention of motion picture producers and that she
has already given an exhibition on
the typewriter for the Pathe News,
where not only she can be seen operating but is also heard producing
on her machine well regulated tunes.
SYRIAN COLLEGE GIRL
HAS MANY ACTIVITIES
Both the Milwaukee Journal and
Calumet News publish glowing accounts of the many activities and
versatile talents of Miss Irene Nicholas of Calumet, Mich., said to be
the only Syrian co-ed in a Mid-West
University.
Miss Nicholas is now at the Wisconsin University and recently has
received many honors. She was elected a member of the Wisconsin Y.W.
C.A. International Institute's Foreign Committee which is conducting
�„^-^^...a^—f§MMMff
*
1 |
THE SYRIAN WORLD
S4
a survey of foreign nationalities. She
is in charge of the Syrian group. The
purpose of this survey is to ascertain
the race's accomplishments in the
literary, artistic and scientific fields
as well as to study their living conditions, employment opportunities
and other contributions that the race
has made to America.
SYRIAN-AMERICAN PRIESTS
Up to the present time, and owing
to the comparatively recent date of
Syrian immigration, all Syrian missionary priests of all denominations
were educated and ordained in the
mother country and sent here by the
religious authorities abroad to minister to the spiritual needs of the immigrants.
A change in this method is bound
to take place, according to Al-Hoda,
the leading Arabic newspaper of the
United States, in commenting editorially on the recent ordination of
a Maronite priest drawn from the
ranks of "the immigrants themselves.
The newly ordained priest was
formerly Far is Nasr Jowdy, who
was raised in Niagara Falls and was
later sent to a seminary in Cleveland, Ohio, and finally to Switzerland to complete his theological
studies.
Al-Hoda also recalls that the Catholic Archbishop of Portland, Me.,
sent an immigrant Maronite \>oy
back to Lebanon to study Arabic and
Syriac so as to be able to continue
here in America the rites of the old
Maronite church. The paper points
to these cases as an indication of a
new order of things which should
be seriously looked into for suitable
arrangement between the American
1
and Maronite ecclesiastical authorities.
TWO PRIESTS PASS AWAY
At about the same time early in
May, two Syrian missionary priests
in the United States passed away.
Father Louis Letaif, Maronite, of
Utica, N. Y. died of a sudden heart
attack, while Father Malatius Fihani, Greek Orthodox , of Pittsburgh,
Pa., died of pneumonia.
SYRIAN GIRL LEADER
IN MUSICAL ACTIVITIES
Readers of the Syrian World will
recall our numerous references in the
past to Miss Louise Yazbeck of Shreveport, La., who is establishing a
name for herself in musical circles
in that Southern city.
We are now pleased to further
state that Miss Yazbeck continues to
forge ahead in her chosen profession. An important recital was held
recently at the ball room of the Washington Hotel of Shreveport for
the benefit of the Holy Trinity Rectory in which this Syrian young woman was chairman and in which assisted many of the most noted artists
of the South.
SYRIAN GIRL WINS HONORS
The Elk City News-Democrat of
Elk City, Okla., publishes in its issue
of April 11 a list of the high school
pupils elected to the Oklahoma High
School Honor Society, which election is conducted under very rigid
rules. Among the seniors receiving
the honor this year was Miss Bessie
Shadid, daughter of Dr. and Mrs.
M. Shadid of Elk City.
�mm
55
MAY, 1929
DISTURBANCES IN HOMS
imposed they were placed under a
rule bordering on martial law.
The French are accused of enacting in Homs, a city of Syria, the
iniquitous practices which were supMOSLEMS IN AMERICA
posed to have been the monopoly of
Al-Bayan, a daily Arabic newsthe Turks of the old regime. Words
paper
of New York, reports in its
to that effect were contained in a
telegraphic petition by the Homsians issue of April 18 the holding of an
important meeting of the Moslem
to the High Commissioner.
The recent misfortunes of the city Young Men's Society of New York
were brought about by the depreda- City which was attended by many
tions of a few bandits who terrorized delegates from other cities and at
the whole countryside and foiled all which the conditions of the Moslems
attempts of the military authorities in America were discussed at length.
Resolutions were adopted to join
to apprehend them. The authorities ascribed this failure on their hands with other Moslem organizapart to the sympathetic attitude of tions throughout the world for the
the population toward the bandits defense of Islam, and the society
and retaliated by imposing heavy went on record as favoring the tafines on the while city. This policy king of the necessary steps for regulating religious observances by
the Homsians resented, and when
they refused to pay the penalties Moslems in America.
NEWS OF SOCIETIES
ANOTHER SOCIETY
JOINS FEDERATION
Editor, The Syrian World,
We wish to add our name as anther link in your chain of organizations, and are heartily in accord with
the fundamental idea of a National
Federation.
A small group of Syrian young
people met on April 12, 1927, with
the idea of forming an organization
which would prove to be of social
value among the Syrians.
Insofar as we have succeeded to
a certain degree, we are still, notwithstanding, constantly on the alert
for opportunities that will further
enhance the sociability of our society. Therefore, it is only natural that
we should express our desire to join
you in extending this chain, and to
help make it stronger.
a
We take this occasion to pay tribute to the parents who sympathetically encouraged us to form this
organization; as it was they who
so graciously helped us get together,
and who readily grasped our purpose of comradeship and good fellowship.
We are conciously trying to retain
the culture and ideals of our Syrian
parents, and to couple them with the
spirit of patriotism in an effort to
attain the highest type of American
citizenship.
i
One way we can develop and grow
in this respect is by learning of other
organizations through the Syrian
World ;for to isolate ourselves is to
remain provincial.
The Syrian Young People's
Association
Anna F. Shire, Secretary
�SPSS!
THE SYRIAN WORLD
SYRIAN- AMERICAN
SOCIETY IN PATERSON
Up to about two months ago, there
was in Paterson, N. J. no general society for the large Syrian community
which is said to number between
four and five thousand, although numerous societies of a local character
had long been in existence.
A number of public-spirited Syrians of Paterson sought to remedy
this apparently awkward situation
by working for the federation of the
different local societies in an effort
to provide means for more collective
action. Their efforts resulted in the
formation of the Syrian-American
Society which was officialy launched
on Sunday, April 21. The hall in
which the mass meeting was held
was filled to overflowing, and among
those present were the pastors of
all the Syrian congregations of the
city.
Mr. Kareem Maroon, Vice President of the society, presided. The
speakers were the Rev. A. Gorab,
minister of the local Protestant Syrian congregation; the Rev. Abdallah
Khoury, pastor of the Greek Orthodox church; Salloum A. Mokarzel,
editor of the Syrian World who, after having spoken in Arabic, was
also called upon to speak in English
for the benefit of the Syrian-American group; the Rev. Cyril Anid, pastor of the Greek Catholic church;
Joseph Khoury, editor of the daily
Ash-Shaab of New York; George
Hamid and Salim Barakat.
The officers of the new organization are: John Isaac President; Kareem Maroon, Vice President; Farid
Gorra, Secretary; Michael Seergy,
Treasurer; Shafik Wanly, Recording
Secretary, and Wadih Hatem, Sergent at Arms.
-
i
CARD PARTY FOR CHARITY
The Syrian Junior League of New
York held a card party and dance at
the hall of the American Syrian
Federation in Brooklyn on Saturday,
April 20, which were attended by
over three hundred. Two floors of
the spacious building were used for
the purpose. The proceeds were
donated to the Brooklyn Bureau of
Charities.
PARENTS' MEETING
HELD IN BOSTON
The Caravaneers Club, a Syrian
student organization, held a parents'
meeting on the evening of Monday,
May 6, which was well attended. It
had been originally as one of the
frequent educational meetings and
social entertainments of the Club,
but owing to the remarks of Senator
Reed on the Syrians, it took on the
nature of a meeting of protest.
The speakers were: President Al
Aboud, on the Club Constitution;
Louis George on the aim of the Club;
Elias F. Shamon on Protest against
Unfairness; Labeebee A. J. Hanna,
on Enlightening America; Nicholas
Samaha, on Praise of Faris S. Malouf; Grace Friedinger, on the Syria of Tomorrow.
Miss Hanna's talk, by unanimous
request, was given in Arabic, which
proves that those born here do not
neglect their fathers' tongue.
Mrs. Elias F. Shamon, Miss Labeebee A. J. Hanna, Saleem Attyah
and Faris Moses supplied the musical entertainment.
For refreshments, the Social Committee prepared wheat with nuts,
ammmmem >;-::<. '
�MAY, 1929
served like tea in cups, and macaroons. This was styled as distinctly
"different."
SYRAMAR GOLF CLU3
ELECTS OFFICERS
loum and K. J. Nassiff advisory
council.
After the meeting, the delegates
attended a luncheon at the Wendell
Hotel.
Information regarding the Association can be had from either the
President Box 1467 Pittsfield, or the
secretary Box 1097 New London.
Joseph S. Hage, Secretary.
In a communication dated April
19, the secretary of the Syramar Golf
Club of New York advises that the
following officers were elected for
the current year: Nat Mallouf, Pre- CALIFORNIA SOCIETY
ELECTS OFFICERS
sident; Henry Haddad, Vice-President; Ferris M. Saydah, Treasurer,
Los Angeles, Cal. April 20— The
and Richard E. Macksoud, Secretary. Syrian Young Men's Society of this
Syramar is a compound word ad- city held a meeting for the election
opted by the Club to indicate its of officers for the current year, the
Syrian-American composition.
result being as follows: Elias ShaMr. George A. Ferris was appoint- heen, President; Leon Saliba, Viceed chairman of the Golf Committee President; Samuel Mamey, Secretary
which is now working on final arran- and Wm. Baida, Treasurer.
gementp for the Spring TournaThe Executive Committee is comment. He was referred to as the posed of the following-.Lester Peters,
Club's champion.
Andy Abdo, Edward Gillett, David
Zail, Samuel Mamey, Leon Saliba,
Elias Shaheen.
David Zail
FEDERATION OF CLUBS
.
New London, Conn.—Representatives cf Syrian-American clubs and
societies in New England met in a
preliminary convention at Pittsfield,
Mass. on April 14 to form a national
association. The organizations represented were those of Pittsfield,
New London, Torrington and North
Adams. They called the new federation the Syrian-American Association of the United States and the
following were elected officers:Louis
Habib, President, Pittsfield, Mass.;
Michael Karam, first Vice-President,
Torrington, Conn.; Edward Karam,
second Vice President, Pittsfield,
Mass.; J. S. Hage, Secretary, New
London, Conn.; George Abalan, Treasurer, Hartford, Conn.; Michael Sal-
INAUGURAL DANCE
Canton, Ohio, April 12—The Young
Syrian-American Club of this city
held an inaugural dance of which the
two main features were a prize waltz
and a fox trot with a loving cup as
a prize for each.
Two Akronites claimed the cup for
the waltz, Genevieve Nahas and Ned
Attella, while Nellie Smith of Canton and James Attella of Akron
danced away with the cup for the
fox trot.
The officers of the club are: Geo.
Nickolas, President; Florence Namey, Vice President; Mary Sliman,
Secretary; Lucy Karam, Treasurer.
A. Shalala
�STATEMENT OF THE OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, CIRCULATION.
ETC, REQUIRED BY THE ACT OF CONGRESS OF AUGUST 24,1912.
Of The Syrian World published monthly at New York, N.Y,April 1st, 1929
STATE OF NEW YORKCOUNTY OF NEW YORK,
Before me, a Notary Public, in and for the state and county aforesaid,
personally appeared Salloum A. Mokarzel, who, having been duly sworn
according to law, deposes and says that he is the publisher of the The
Syrian World, and that the following is, to the best of his knowledge and
belief, a true statement of the ownership, management (and if a daily paper, the circulation), etc., of the aforesaid publication for the date shown
in the above caption, required by the Act of August 24, 1921, embodied in
section 411, Postal Laws and Regulations, printed on the reverse of this
form, to wit:
1. That the names and addresses of the publisher, editor, managing
editor, and business managers are:
Name of—
Post office address—
Publisher, Salloum Mokarzel
104 Greenwich Street.
Editor, Salloum Mokarzel
104 Greenwich Street.
Managing Editor, Salloum Mokarzel
104 Greenwich Street
Business Managers, Salloum Mokarzel
104 Greenwich Street.
2. That the owner is: (If owned by a corporation, its name and address
must be stated and also immediately thereunder the names and addresses
of stockholders owning or holding one per cent or more of total amount of
stock. If not owned by a corporation, the names and addressee of the individual owners must be given. If owned by a firm, company, or other
unincorporated concern, its name and address, as well as those of each
individual member, must be given.)
Salloum A. Mokarzel 104 Greenwich St.
3. That the known bondholders, mortgages, and other security holders
owning or holding 1 per cent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages,
or other securities are: (If there are none, so state.) None.
4. That the two paragraphs next above, giving the names of the owners, stockholders, and security holders, if any, contain not only the list of
stockholders and security holders as they appear upon the books of the
company but also, in cases where the stockholder or security holder appears
upon the books of the company as trustee or in any other fiduciary relation,
en; also that the said two paragraphs contain statements embracing affiant's
the name of the person or corporation for whom such trustee is acting, is givfull knowledge and belief as to the circumstances and conditions under
which stockholders and security holders who do not appear upon the books
of the company as trustees, hold stock and securities in a capacity other
than that of a bona fide owner; and this affiant has no reason to believe
that any other person, association, or corporation has any interest direct
or indirect in the said stock, bonds, or other securities than as so stated
by him.
5. That the average number of copies of each issue of this publication
sold or distributed, through the mails or otherwise, to paid subscribers during the six months preceding the date shown above is.
(This information is required from daily publications only.)
S. A. Mokarzel.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 1st day of April, 1929
[SEAL.]
EDNA M. HUCKER,
(My commission expires March 30, 1930)
'
�
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.
Identifier
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NS 0002
Access Rights
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This digital material is provided here for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
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TSW1929_05reducedWM
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Volume 03, Issue 11
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1929 May
Description
An account of the resource
Volume 3 Issue 11 of The Syrian World published May 1929. The issue begins with an article by George A. Ferris which discusses future of Syrians in America and the possibility of losing Syrian culture while assimilating into American society. The next piece is a travel journal by Ameen Rihani which details his trip to Arabia and his encounter with King Hussein of Jordan, a supposed direct descendant of Muhammed. It is followed by a poem by Kahlil Gibran titled "Out of My Deeper Heart," a discussion of faith. Next is a poem by Dr. Najib A. Katibah titled "The Sudanese Soldier," a piece reminiscent of the time that the writer himself served with the British Armed forces in the conquest of Sudan. Philip K. Hitti has a chapter excerpt from Usama. Dr. Salim Y. Alkazin is featured next with a poem called "In the Rose Season," which discusses the time of year where roses bloom, and which the poet states is also "love's season." Another poem, translated from Arabic by Labeebee A. J. Hanna, follows, titled "Man is Dead." A collection of sonnets by Thomas Asa dedicated to Gibran K. Gibran primarily follow the theme of friendship. The final article presented is written by Dr. George Knaysi, an instructor of bacteriology at Cornell University. The article is titled "Man is Potentially Immortal," and it discusses the uncertainty and curiosity that accompanies the unknown territory of life and death in a scientific sense. The issue concludes with the Reader's Forum, excerpts from the Arab press, and more on the political developments in Syria.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabic literature--History and criticism--Periodicals
Arabs--United States--Periodicals
Lebanese-Americans--United States--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Syrian-American Press
Source
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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
Type
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Text
Rights
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The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
1920s
Ameen Rihani
George A. Ferris
George Knaysi
Kahlil Gibran
Labeebee A.J. Hanna
Najib A. Katibah
New York
Philip Khuri Hitti
Poetry-English
Salim Alkazin
Science
Travel
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/782d1bfa2a69f2bcc7dcf632bd52e5e3.pdf
d9158c0c06efe6f169ccca978cf3ffab
PDF Text
Text
VOL. Ill No. 12
•• .lift Ufi£
JUNE, 1929
THE
SYRIAN WORLD
A MONTHLY MAGAZINE IN ENGLISH DEALING
WITH SYRIAN AFFAIRS AND ARABIC LITERATURE
i
EDUCATION AND CATASTROPHE
DK. BAYABD DODGE
RIHANI'S EXPERIENCES IN ARABIA
AMEEN RIHANI
THE GREATNESS OF JOHN HASBANI
REV. W. A. MANSUR
THE REWARD OF HONESTY
DR. PHJLIP K. HITTI
OTHER ARTICLES AND POEMS BY
Rev. Dr. K. A. Bishara, Dr. George Knaysi, Labeebee A. J.
Hanna, Thomas Asa, Josephine M. Crick
mm
��THE
SYRIAN WORLD
SALLOUM
A.
MOKARZEE,
Editor.
PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE SYRIAN-AMERICAN PRESS
104
GREENWICH STREET, NEW YORK,
By subscription 55.00 a year.
N. Y.
Single copies 50c.
Entered as second-class matter, June 25, 1926, at the post office at New
York, N. Y., under the act of March
3, 1879.
JUNE, 1929
VOL. Ill No. 12
CONTENTS
PAGE
Education and Catastrophe
3
Dr. Bayard Dodge
RihanPs Experiences in Arabia
12
Ameen Rihani
Will You Come Back? (Poem)
....
18
Labeebee A. J. Hanna
The Greatness of John Hasbani (Short Story)
19
Rev. W. A. Mansur
Wings (Poem)
27
Thomas Asa
lu
.r..,-_
-.
_..,
.
. ,f „_.,_,.
�CONTENTS (Continued)
PAGE
The Reward of Honesty
28
Dr. Philip K. Hitti
The Green of Innisfail (Poem)
32
Josephine M. Crick
The Biological Significance of Youth and Age
33
Dr. George Knaysi
Music—East and West
35
Rev. Dr. K. A. Bishara
Editorial Comment
Changing Frequency of Issue of The Syrian World 37
The Federation
39
Spirit of the Syrian Press
40
Readers* Forum
43
About Syria and Syrians
45
News of Societies
55
THE SYRIAN WORLD WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED
DURING JULY AND AUGUST
(Read Statement On Page 37)
Ett
�THE
SYRIAN WORLD
JUNE, 1929
VOL. Ill No. 12
Education and Catastrophe
By
DR. BAYARD DODGE
President American University of Beirut
I
The popular English writer, Mr. H. G. Wells, has written
the phrase, "History — a race between education and catastrophe."
If there was any place where education flourished in the ancient world, it was around the Roman forum. Philosophers gathered from all parts of the Empire to ennoble the capital with
their learning. Ancient superstitions disappeared in the light of
new wisdom, and crude ideas of religion changed to the lofty
idealism of Epictetus and the Emperor, Morcus Aurelius.
Science developed to make possible the construction of magnificent buildings. The forum became a wonder of the ancient
world, because of the beauty and size of its temples, triumphal
arches, and amphitheatres. From the marble palaces beside the
forum, the Caesars sent forth their soldiers to conquer the world,
by means of their science in constructing ships, engines of war, and
weapons of defense.
At the same time, their imperial engineers set out to build
gigantic acqueducts, and a network of highways and post routes,
which reached the North Sea and across the sands to the borders
of Iraq and Arabia.
' Orators held the Roman mob spellbound in the courts of the
forum. Drama flourished in the theatres; music and art were
there, as well as poetry. The heart of the Roman Empire was
adorned with a brilliancy of culture.
Education transcended differences of race and sect. Egypt-
�4.
4
THE SYRIAN WORLD
ian devotees of Sarapis; Syrian worshippers of Adonis; Greeks
fresh from the Hall of Mysteries at Eleusis, and eunuch priests
of Cybele met with giant warriors of Gaul and ebony chiefs of
Ethiopia in a common appreciation of that culture, which blossomed on the Seven Hills of Rome.
From the marble porticoes of the forum, there radiated out
a sparkling enlightenment, which shone in marked contrast to
the dark ignorance of the Huns, Vandals and other tribes that
harrassed the frontiers of the Empire.
Today the glory of the forum is faded, the life of its courts
has perished, the temples and palaces are ground to dust. Plundered are the treasures, overturned are the columns, and forgotten are all but a few of the men of learning. Ignorant hordes
'of illiterate barbarians broke the proud spirit of Rome and left
her a ruin, bereft of power and learning.
Education lost and the struggle was won by catastrophe.
If we study the cause of Rome's fall, we discover an unexpected truth. It was not because of the strength of the barbarians
on the frontiers that the Empire collapsed. As long as the Romans kept strong and brave, their legions were able to scorn the
wild tribes that threatened them.
Rome rotted from within, and that very culture and education, which seemed to be her glory, was really her nemesis.
What was true of Rome was equally true of Baghdad. At
one time mistress of half the world, pride of the caliphs, and
centre of culture, she symbolized learning and enlightenment.
Her scholars kept alive the best thought of the East and transmitted the lost learning of Greece to later generations. In an
age of religious sterility, her Arab masters awakened faith in God.
Because of education, Baghdad shone out as a beacon light in the
East, whose brilliancy lit up Europe and helped to start the Renaissance.
Yet amid this atmosphere of learning and culture, the people
of Baghdad grew lazy and weak. Slaves robbed them of their
heritage of true manhood and foreign servants did their thinking
for them. Thus Baghdad too was ground to dust by ignorant
Tartars from the bleak steppes of Asia, her education being overtaken by catastrophe.
In order to understand why Rome and Baghdad fell, let us
ask,—what are the effects of education?
In the first place, peasants leave their farms to seek the at-
�JUNE, 1929
5
tractions of the great cities. As formerly they passed from the
gardens of the Orontes to the busy markets of Antioch, today
they abandon their Lebanon terraces to flood the streets of Beirut.
In the second place, enlightened people shrink from the sordidness of commerce and industry, to spend their money for social pleasure. Once a landlord might have farmed out his lands
to slaves, so that he could mount his chariot and drive to the villas
of Pompeii. Today a man will abandon his farm and business
house, to spend his fortune on motors and new pleasures from
abroad.
In the third place, an educated man loses the rugged strength
of farm life and becomes too weak of limb and too fond of luxury to be a soldier in time of war. If there is hard manual labor
to perform, or fighting to be done, he hires ignorant mercenaries
to do it for him.
In the fourth place, humble faith in old traditions of religion is turned to materialism and unbelief. Formerly an Epicurus could deny the powrer of gods over nature and exalt pleasure
as the end of life. 'Omar Khayyam could flaunt the faith of the
'Ulema in orthodox religion and sing the praises of women and
wine in his enchanted rhapsodies. Thus today many a man is losing faith in the traditions of his fathers, before the inexorable
advance of science.
In the fifth place/simpie home life gives way to public meetings and amusements. In Rome, education drew men from their
quiet homes to classic dramas, pageants of the arena, and political discussions in the market place. Today history repeats itself
as so-called "enlightenment" empties the homes and fills the
cinemas and places of recreation.
In the sixth place, educated women demand freedom. The
cultured daughter of some proper Roman matron would break
away from her mother's housekeeping, to mingle naked with
the elite of Roman society in the imperial bathing clubs of the
Caesars. Today educated girls cast off their veils and mingle
gaily in the enjoyment of European amusements.
Lastly, as education gives freedom from ancient prejudices
and social traditions, it inevitably brings moral laxity. The
iron physique of ancient Rome was rotted by venereal disease, as
simple virtue gave way to vice. Today the educated peoples of
great western cities are too often scorning old notions of morality
and creating new centers of shame, that outdo Babylon herself.
�f-l
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Since the cannons of the great war ceased to roar, a new
day has dawned for the Arabic speaking lands. No longer are
they isolated and content to be cut off from the fruitage of science and invention of the West. They are anxious to partake
of so-called "modern progress' and to gain prosperity as people
of Europe and America have attained it. In this hour of rejuvenation the Eastern peoples have come to believe that education is a cure-all for weakness and a basis for progress.
New systems of government certificates are being adopted.
Many private and government schools are being built up in Palestine and Syria. New universities are forming at Cairo and
Damascus. The Shah of Persia is sending over a hundred students to be educated in Europe and Iraq is developing an active
system of state schools.
On all sides you hear people saying that there will be prosperity and progress, if there can only be enough educated men to
understand modern methods and to enjoy the advantages of
science. Statesmen feel that differences of race and sect will
disappear, as soon as education becomes common j that superstition and bigotry will fade away as soon as the people become enlightened. It is a popular belief held by cabinet ministers and
peasants alike, that public wealth, national unity, and workable
democracy depend upon education and that education is the one
means of avoiding catastrophe.
What a challenge this situation offers, both to teachers in
schools and to educated people themselves!
Is our education to be truly a blessing, or is it to sap our
manhood, to rot our morality, and to create materialism, until
modern civilization is wrecked, as were those of Baghdad and
Rome?
At this point it is important for us to appreciate three fundamental things about education: In the first place it is a weapon
of tremendous power. "The pen is mightier than the sword."
Ability to think deeply and to set down those thoughts for all to
read wields an influence of great force. In these days when
printing has given even the poor a chance to read, the masters
of men are not the military rulers, but the men of education, who
formulate public opinion by power of the pen.
In the second place, education may be a force either for
good or for evil. Like electricity, if it is controlled, it will give
light, but if unharnessed as the lightning, it will strike to destruc-
r
,,:>
�JUNE, 1929
'
tion. The problem of our age is to use our culture and enlightenment to strengthen manhood, to purify morality, and to quicken
progress, so that we can enjoy civilization to the utmost, free
from danger of catastrophe.
In the third place, we must realize that our modern civilization cannot exist without education. Today a taxi chauffeur must
have a more practical knowledge of physics and machinery than
did Archimedes and Galileo of old. When I was a child in New
York City, a ditch for a water pipe used to be dug by newly
arrived immigrants. When I visited New York last winter, I
noticed that ditches were no longer being dug by ignorant men.
Today a ditch is made by a great steam shovel, which accomplishes the labor of scores of uneducated immigrants. To manage the shovel a highly trained mechanic is necessary.
In ancient days an ignorant brute could sit in a gallery, with
lash in hand, and force his slaves to pull their oars and drive the
ship ahead. At the present time it requires the graduate of an
intricate engineering course to manipulate complicated engines,
which propel the ship across the waves. If we examine the Temple of Baalbek, the Colosseum at Rome, or the great aqueducts
of ancient times, we realize that in spite of their huge size these
structures could have been built merely by master mechanics. To
construct them required artistic designing, accurate measuring,
and expert stone fitting. Higher mathematics, chemistry, and
advanced physics were not needed.
In our modern times, when a tunnel like the Simplon is
built, it is necessary to drill through a mountain for twelve and
a half miles, so as to reach a certain point without error of
more than a few centimeters. Only engineers of unusual training can perform such a feat of measurement. When a great steel
skyscraper or bridge is built, chemistry is needed to mix the metal;
strains and stresses must be determined by intricate forms of
mathematics; and physics is needed to make allowance for the
expansion and contraction of steel, due to changes in temperature.
The people of Tyre manufactured their famous purple dye
by crushing shell fish. To make modern dyes demands a knowledge of chemistry such as only a few countries have developed.
Once the village barber cared for teeth and old women prescribed
their herbs to heal disease. Today a self-respecting dentist or
physician must have a knowledge of science, such as Hippocrates
and even Avicenna never possessed. If Napoleon could once
�——
8
THE SYRIAN WORLD
more draw up his long lines of infantry and brilliant ranks of
cavalry, how helpless they would be before clouds of mustard
gas and volleys from giant tanks!
Modern life has become so much more complicated than
ancient civilization, that higher education is necessary, whether
we wish to seek defense in war, or to enjoy the fruits of peace.
Furthermore, ignorance was not a serious drawback, under
the despotisms of ancient Persia and the Caesars of Rome. Slaves
did the work; few dared to hold original thoughts; and initiative of action or sharing in civic responsibility was discouraged.
Things depended upon the command of a despot or one of his
underlings. Even at the time of the great caliphs, progress was
due to the ability of a few military rulers, rather than to a general participation in the responsibilities of community life.
In modern times it is not so. Rulers are elected and not
born. Legislation depends upon the will of men and women
who can read. Progress is based upon team work in community
service. Democracy is a farce, unless the people are well educated.
Thus, although education may have paved the way for
moral breakdown and military weakness in times gone by, it is
absolutely essential for a modern people. Military defense no
longer rests upon physical strength, as much as upon chemistry
and engineering. Industry, transportation, and democratic government depend altgoether upon education.
Accordingly, there can be no thought of getting on without
education. We must face the question squarely—as to how we
can make education in our modern life a support for morality
and progress, rather than an incentive to decay.
True education should contain three main elements—technical training; culture broadening, and character building.
If the young are taught how to do some one, useful thing
in a thoroughly skillful way, it will give them a desire to work,
rather than to be lazy. If education can so stimulate pride in
technical efficiency that it will cast a stigma upon idleness and
superficiality, it will do much to avoid degeneration.
But technical skill alone, without breadth of culture, is apt
to lead to narrowness and materialism. A doctor, for instance,
who has great professional ability, but no other interests, may
be a skillful physician, but he can never become a very influential citizen. He will have few points of contact with people who
•„„
b
t
<
1
�JUNE, 1929
y
are not also doctors and find it hard to mingle with persons who
belong to races and social groups other than his own. Uncultured people find little in life to live for, except for mere money
making by means of professional skill. They seldom attain to
an international point of view. It is only as men and women
read books of all kinds, travel about, and feel the refining touch
of poetry, music and art, that they can learn to live for something more than money, and feel a sympathy for mankind as a
whole.
.
.
Yet breadth of sympathy and aesthetic emotion cannot alone
save active, successful men and women from worldliness and its
resulting decline. Only as civilization is fused with some deep
moral purpose, will it escape catastrophe. Unless men are public spirited and feel social responsibility, they will degenerate.
What is needed in education as the third and most important element is to provide an unselfish motive, so that a skilled
and cultured man will net use his influence for personal gain,
but rather for social good. As students are given skill and
breadth of culture, they must be made to feel that their energies can contribute to something more than transitory, worldly
gain, for they can cooperate with the divine power, that is working out a great purpose for the world.
If education can lead to service of God and the public good,
it will indeed bring our modern civilization to a rich fruitage and
save us from the catastrophe that overtook civilizations of the
The question arises, then, how are we to breathe into education some higher purpose, to bring forth moral vigor and love
of service, as one breathes into a nay to bring forth tones sweet
and clear?
There is no mechanical or automatic means of accomplishing this task. If the divine power flooded mankind with spiritual
refreshment every year, as the Nile floods her banks, we might
be sure that generation after generation would yield a harvest
of moral virtue, without effort on the part of men themselves.
But it is not so. Moral vigor depends upon the active care
of men, just as an ordinary garden cannot yield unless it is conscientiously watered and tended. In the days of the Rashedin
and Beni 'Umayya, Wadi of el-Kura, for instance, provided
rich crops, as landowners used the spoils of jihad to enrich their
gardens and maintain series of wells. But when revolt and dis-
�10
THE SYRIAN WORLD
order set in, the wells were neglected, the gardens became covered with drifting sands and the Wadi lost its fertility. So it is
with civilization. Neglect means decay.
It is a solemn truth to ponder over, that only as men themselves train their children to value public welfare and virile morality, can they avoid degeneration and final catastrophe.
It is not necessary for teachers to be versed in theological
learning or to try to force their own peculiar ideas of doctrine
upon their pupils. Education need not be prostituted to the
propaganda of a sect. In fact, it is not always imperative that
religion should be taught as such in a school curriculum. Sometimes children become hypocritical or even revolting, when they
feel that their schooling is being used as a means of inducing
them to subscribe to some particular sect or dogma.
What is absolutely essential is that the teachers should so
value spiritual things that by every act and word they spread
the contagion of true religion among their students.
How sad it is that although many states spend hundreds of
thousands of pounds for roads, hospitals, and parks, they support their schools so meanly, that education is entrusted to incapable teachers, who are too often chosen because of political
pull, rather than because of moral character. In the same way,
many a parent devotes great care to business and social engagements, but leaves the children to be trained by ignorant servants.
Only as the citizens of a country realize that the welfare of their
state depends upon inspiring the young with lofty ideals, can
the state escape decline.
Such ideals cannot be imparted to the rising generation by
empty phrases or lessons from books. They must be exemplified
by contagious personalities, who actually live them. As the
Arabic speaking peoples open up a new chapter of scientific advancement and contact with the West, it is timely that they
should realize that true national strength does not rest alone
upon technical efficiency or economic wealth, for even the empire
of the Caesars fell to pieces, because of lack of moral strength.
Great Britain is far more powerful than was the vaunted
Empire of Rome. Even the Pharaohs and the Caliphs never
dreamed of wealth, such as exists in America. Yet the AngloSaxon civilization is doomed to the fate which overtook Rome
unless private morality and public service can be preserved by
the untiring care of the people. What is true of Anglo-Saxon
�JUNE, 1929
u
culture is equally true of Arab civilization
Our present age is an especially critical one. The Orient is
being deluged with new thought from the West
Boy and
tils are revolting from the simple traditions of their parents
3S&2vsrM«££»s
blatently exploited in every eastern ^> J^hfskv is in eve y
hidden in the lands across the sea. English whisky is.in every
snoD window the beauty of the English home stays behind in
cottajof B Htain. French dances and theatres are also in eviH,nrf but the subtlety of French music and art cannot be appreoat d ^SndSnas thrill our Oriental youth with extrava
gant passion and adventure, but they fail to portray that respect
for labor which has made America prosperous.
How Important it is that children of the Orient should not
sell tSrirthright for the superficial things from the West, and
That the shoulcflearn to appreciate those elements of civilization
which have made the 20th century the great age that it is!
Thus our modern generations must be tested just as truly
as were the generations of the past. Education is indispensable
a modern life is too complicated to exist without it. If the people
oiZr day use their education to grow rich and in turn employ
therWeaTth for the enjoyment of idle pleasure education will
not prevent catastrophe, but on the contrary will invite degeneration.
The challenge of modern life is to train our youth, that
education will sustain a strong moral basis for continued progress and thus ward off calamity. It is a challenge that comes to
each one of us as individuals, for it is only as. individual men
and women live for ideals that are spiritual, that one generation
can leave to another a heritage of enduring strength.
':. .
�12
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Rihani's Experiences in Arabia
A LESSON IN ZOOLOGY AND HEALING
By
AMEEN RIHANI
KING HUSSEIN believes firmly in the principle of reciprocity,
whether in politics or in ethics; and he finds, as usual, in the
Koran the strongest argument for his belief. It is ordained, for
instance, that the Muslem should pray and fast and pay the
zakci money; in return for which Allah promised him Al-Jannat
(Paradise). This is reciprocity in duties and rights. Now, the
English exacted a pledge from the Arabs to fight with the Allies
during the World War, which pledge the Arabs made good. The
English in return pledged themselves to help the Arabs to achieve
unity and independence; but they were not, alas! faithful to
their pledge.
When His Majesty mentioned or thought of the English,
he got the blues. He did not always succeed even in concealing his anger and indignation. But he had in those days a man
from Hadhramout, who was his Minister of Finance, and whom
he would call into his presence for amusement whenever the pall
of the English was upon him. The Hadhromunt Minister was
a man of weak nerves, very sensitive to strange voices and motions, and quick to react to the least adventure of insects and
creeping things. In plain words, he was a coward, the first coward
in the Hashemite Government. There was another, the poet;
for His Majesty believes that every poet is a coward.
But neither strange voices nor shadows, nor the bugaboos
of politics affected King Husein in a manner unbecoming of man.
He is strong of sinews, firm of heart. When the Turks were
bombarding Mecca and the Kaaba, their shells fell on his palace, piercing the walls of his private majlis when he was therein.
But he did not move or show the least sign of perturbation.
As for the Turks, they were in his sight but like insects and
creeping things, over which he shed his pity and with which at
times he frightened people. He is, I learned, particularly fond
of little animals and is familiar with their nature and habits.
Moreover, they were in those days of especial benefit to him; for
�JUNE, 1929
13
with the help of the Hadhramout Minister they dispersed all
royal cares and killed the greater monster, which darkened his
hall at the mention of the English.
One of his black slaves came to me of an evening and said.
Saiyedna desires thee—forthwith. I hastened to the palace,
where I found, seated opposite his Majesty on the diwan, the
British Consul. Evidently the Hadhramout Minister was_ not
within reach of the black slaves. But am I, the thought was irresistible, to act in his stead, am I his understudy? No, King
Husein could not be so ungracious to a guest.
He started his conversation by giving me another surprise.
He spoke of the weather! He, the Descendant of the Prophet,
the Grand Sherif of Mecca, the King of Al-Hijaz, the Great
Emancipator,—these and more titles graced the communications
of the Foreign Office to His Majesty—he condescended to talk
about the weather. The English have taught him the trick of
talking about the weather! I do not think, however, that he
has learned from them anything else, except it be a few syllables in the phraseology of diplomacy. But this phraseology can
better be acquired in'Stamboul, and King Husein is a master
of it, as we shall see.
The weather was the general topic that day, however, for
it rained the first time, I was told, in twelve years. It rained a
drizzle in places for about fifteen minutes, and the joy was great.
The King told us that along the sixty-mile front, between Jeddah and Mecca, there were spasmodic and local cloud-bursts—
a feeble barrage, fired here and there by the East wind. After
all, His Majesty's talk about the weather was not perfunctory.
He held forth on the clouds, the winds, and the seasons in eloquent and lucid speech. Indeed, he is most charming when he
is not on his favorite topic, the politics of Arabia and Great
Britain.
"Hast thou not witnessed, O brilliant one, the way of the
clouds?—their idiosyncracy, their false promise of rain, their
stinted bounty, and their generosity at times when it does more
harm than good?"
The British Government again, thought I. But he was
quick to come down to what did not seem to have any symbolic
significance—to the seasons of the year. There are, it seems,
five seasons in Al-Hijaz. To the traveller, however, there is
but one, which is neither summer nor winter nor autumn nor
�14
T::E SYRIAN WORLD
spring, but a colorless and not infrequently a most exasperating
combination of all four.
—"The Arabs of these climes, O worthy One, divide summer into two parts, the first, which is evil, the second, which is
good. In the first, that is in May and June, the rain is a calamity because it brings out of the earth a certain worm which devours the grass. Finished, no pasture." His Majesty stroked
one hand against the other and continued. "But the latter summer rain there in truth is the white hand of Allah. The winds
are our enemy, in all seasons for they drive away from AlHijaz the blessings of the rain-clouds. But the mountains south
of Mecca hold them back at times, and At-Taief, the garden of
Al-Hijaz, catches the blessings of heaven ... of the nature
of our soil, as of our people, is contentment. Our soil requires
but a little rain, and the fields are verdant with thankfulness."
He then asked me, of a sudden changing the subject, if I
had ever seen the dhab. The dhab is an animal we meet with
everywhere—in Arabic books; in poetry, in prose, in history,
sacred and profane. I have always wondered what it is like,
for I have never come upon a description of it; Arab writers
thinking, I suppose, that he who knows Arabic must know the
dhab. My ignorance, however, was doublefold, so too my humiliation, because I did not know its name in English.
But the royal and benign gentleman, who will give us a
lesson in zoology, will not only tell us what the dhab is, but
actual]v, billah! he will show us the animal. The poet, the second Minister of Fear, was present; and when His Majesty
clapped for one of the slaves, he seemed as if he would jump out
of the window.—"The dhab, the dhab is coming."
The King did not say whether it was a year old or a hundred, whether it was the size of a rat or as big as a crocodile.
But the black slave soon dispelled my fear; for he came in holding something in his hand.
"Bring it here!" said His Majesty, and the slave placed it on
the diwan between him and myself. The British Consul was
on tiptoe with excitement. He even rose from his chair, forgetting all formality, and came nearer to see the animal.
"This is a chameleon," he said, and I translated chameleon
to the King.—"No, no," said His Majesty, "the chameleon's
back is round, the back of the dhabt see you, is flat. The cha-
�JUNE, 1929
IS
meleon's tail is soft like his body, but the tail of this one—give
me, O worthy one, thy hand."
I do not think His Majesty's intentions were honorable;
for he took the Consul's hand and pressed it against the rough
spinous portion of the animal. The Englishman felt the sting
and showed it in his face. His Majesty laughed. I too now
know how rough and sharp are the thorne in its tail} and I know,
thanks to King Husein, something of its nature. But I still
ask what is the dhab? Is it a lizard? Is it a species of crocodile, or is it a chameleon gone wrong? I still am in a confounding smatter,—and I'd like to know what in the language of
Shakespeare and Shelly is the dhab. But my royal Professor
from Mecca has something: more to say about it.
—"This is a small dhab, O thou esteemed Consul. I have
seen others that long," opening his arms, "which might be called
the dhab of politics. Its tail is half the size of its body, and it is
very knotty. The Arabic proverb, Knottier than the tail of the
dhab, is true; and this tail is his sword; with a few blows he kills
his opponent. But this is a small dhab—there is neither good
nor evil in him."
The slave at the door announced the Hadhramout Minister.
The King quickly hid the animal under his jubbah, saying,
"Yes, yes, there is some good in him."
His Excellency the Minister of Finance entered and took
his usual seat, three or four spaces down. The King motioned
to a place near him, and turned towards me with a furtive smile.
The second Minister c>f Fear, the poet, knowing what was coming, moved toward the door; for no sooner the Hadhramout
Minister took his seat than the hand of His Majesty, with the
dhab in it, stealthily, quietly placed the animal in his lap. The
poor man uttered a cry, "O my Master O my Lord!" screaming
like a frightened child; and he jumped from the diwan shaking
his jubbah, and towards the door running against the black slaves
there on guard.
His Majesty laughed—we all laughed merrily, like children. Even the poet who was still seated with his arms folded
across his breast, as usual, and who had been attempting all along
to repress a smile and control withal a fear, surrendered at last
to the general mirth, giggling like a school girl. But His Maiestv, becoming serious again, turned to him and half-mockingly
said: "Thou hast no right to laugh—no, no:—no right hast thou
�16
THE SYRIAN WORLD
until thou art willing to ride a horse or go up in an aeroplane."
The poet-Minister feared the two as much as his contemporary from Hadhramout feared the dhab.
When we left the King's majlis that evening the Consul
said to me: "It is the most interesting hour I have yet spent
with His Majesty. He is, outside of politics, a brilliant conversationalist, and a gracious host." The which from a consul,
though not devoid of truth, was, I thought unfair. Do not all
people in politics speak at times only with the purpose of concealing their minds? But I learned afterwards what the British
Consul and Agent in Jeddah had to suffer in unravelling the
skeins and solving the riddles of the Hashemite Secretariate's
communications, which were often written by the King himself.
I too realized during my stay of a month in Jeddah how capable
was His Majesty in knotting his ideas, and how wonderfully
proficient in ambiguity and evasion. He would make the circuit
around a certain point, as if it were the Kaaba, seven times without touching it; coming alarmingly near it; and then quickly
receding from it; but his hearer, in an attempt to follow, becomes giddy from the circumambulation; knocks his head against
a wall or against a door in the temple of mystery; and, turning
around to see where he is, finds himslef, alas! very far away from
Majesty and completely mortified, not knowing what to say. Nor
is there a better refuge in silence. Should he say: I understand,
O my Lord, he will set himself down as one of his official sycophants; and should he keep silent, his silence might be misconstrued. Therefore, to escape both difficulties, he nods, and nods,
awaiting patiently the end.
I have often been attracted by a beautiful gesture of His
Majesty's to the mysterious something in his hand and expression; aye, I have been like one enchanted by the magnetic flow
from his fingers and his eyes. For what is diplomacy, and what
is truth, and what is wisdom as compared with the magic of one
who makes you oblivious of the theatricalities of men and the
pyrotechnics of nations?
Indeed, my Lord of Hashemite eminence and diplomatic
nodosities hath pauses in his speech, which humiliate all elormenee; and gestures which can solve even the riddles of the
ancient priests; and glances which enthrall his hearer's mind and
heart. He holds out the palm of his right hand or both in em
phasis, when he feels that he has proven his point; he folds
�JUNE, 1929
17
his arms when he pauses for a reply; he rearranges his ighal
or his turban when he thinks you are dubious or losing interest;
he changes his position on the diwan when he starts, as it were,
a new paragraph; and he lays his hands on his knees tilting the
head, when he makes an argument irrefutable. Follows, a smile,
and silence. What matters, therefore, his meaning and purpose, when he himself is there before you, a personification of
majesty and magic?
At times, when he changed his seating position, I would
avail myself of the ooportunity to ask a question that has no connection with the subject, stating, in apology for my indecorum,
<"hat I was a traveller seeking knowledge.—"Indeed, O thou
learned one, there is still left of Qoraish (the tribe of the Prophet
Mohammad) about five thousand. They are of three sections
of the tribe, one section of which lives near At-Taief; and there
is still between them and the descendants of the Prophet much
sympathy and good feeling. ... As for Benu Sa'd, those whose
ancestors nursed the Prophet, their dirah is also near At-Taief,
and there is a family among them and of them who have a wonderful knowledge of surgery and medicine. Thev inherit it one
from the other. . . . Do vou know, ayuha'n-napb (O thou brilliant one, that fever can be cured by cauterization? Ben Sa'd
the surgeons thus cure it."
His Majesty held out the proof of it in himself. He had
the fever once and he was cauterized. He showed me the marks
of the two actual cauteries, one in his right arm, the other in his
left leg.
"The secret is in choosing the place for the burn, and that
reouires a good knowledge of anatomv. The surgeons of Benu
Sa'd do not leave the cautery open for a discharge of matter,
as others do. They seal it (help it to heal) with a little salt—
I say, a little salt, which they strew upon it."
Having then observed a twitch, indicating pain, in my arm,
the King inquired about it and continued: "Allah mav cure thee,
O dear one, through the medium of a surgeon of Benu Sa'd."
A dav after, of a certainty, the surgeon arrived from Mecca.
He had come bv order of His Maiesty to treat my neuritis. He
did not examine me professionally,. Allah be praised! bat he
asked me three questions only, and then said: "Cauterization will
not benefit thee. Hast thou some butter, mix it with a little
mashed garlic, and rub thrice a day. Thus wilt thou be cured
�a
18
THE SYRIAN WORLD
by the help of Allah, and thou wilt remember me with kindness." Saying which, he salaamed and walked out.
In sooth I do remember thee, O Brother Arab, O thou
camel-herd and royal surgeon, O thou prince of all the doctors
I have met! And I shall ever remember that simplicity of thy
manner, and that brilliance in thine eye, and that grandeur in
thy voice and gesture. I shall remember too that thou didst not
prescribe for me thy special treatment as do the specialists in
civilized lands. But thou hast coupled Allah with thy remedy
and thus art thou an honest leech and a true sage. I shall always
remember thee, O thou royal surgeon and camel-herd, because
in the remembrance of thee I forgot my pain. And this, by the
life of Allah and thine, is the best cure, the balm that truly heals.
Will You Come Back !
By
LABEEBEE
A. J.
HANNA
Will the summer bring you back—
Bring you back again?
Must I only dream of the past—
And dream but in vain?
The old house is all in ruins—
Is all in ruins now.
Gone is the porch and the parlor—
(Gone the fevered brow).
There we sat each afternoon,
Just before darkness fell.
There we trembled at every step
That broke our magic spell.
I can still see the wistaria,
I smell its odor sweet,
The blackberries in profusion,
Whose brambles tore our feet.
I hear you whisper still:
You hardly dared to talk—
Hand in hand—with flowers and berriesBack in the garden walk.
�19
JUNE, 1929
The Greatness of John Hasbani
(A Short Story)
By
REV.
W. A.
MANSUR
"One of the greatest Syrians of modern times is John
Hasbani," said I to my friend as we were evaluating the great
men of our race.
"That is saying a great deal," he replied. He mentioned
many famous Syrians: patriots, preachers, merchants, editors,
poets, doctors, writers, lawyers, travelers, educators and others,
but among them was not Hasbani's name.
"I will support my statement," I volunteered, "if you allow
me to relate the story of Hasbani's struggles, achievements and
influence."
"Glad to hear about him," said he. Briefly this is the story.
The Family Tradition.
The American Hasbanis came from a healthy, intelligent,
industrious and liberty-loving family. Tradition says the Hasbanis withstood fire, sword and lash in the days of autocracy.
The father received his education at an American Mission school.
The mother, daughter of prominence, attended another American
Mission school, married one she "respected, was educated, and
had a future." The wanderlust of Phoenician ancestors was
in them. In America they proved to be loyal citizens, hard
workers, and ample providers for their growing family. The
Hasbani children received their education at a public school.
They grew up knowing little of their native land, its customs,
language, and history.
When America entered the World War, Syrian-Americans
supported her giant crusade for democracy. Syrian youth, not
waiting to be drafted, enlisted in army or navy. Because they
received their intellectual equipment in America's public schools,
their outlook was wholly American. On hearing America's martial airs; on seeing American soldiers on parade; and in feeling
�"TriL
20
THE SYRIAN WORLD
within their hearts the stir for liberty, they rallied to support
their beloved land.
"America has been a mother to us," father Hasbani often
said; "we have enjoyed her freedom, her protection, and her opportunities. We show our gratitude to our American homeland
by being loyal Americans."
The Innocent Abroad.
Our interest centers about the post-war period with its political campaigns, economic deflation, and race struggle.
It was during the American race agitation that young John
Hasbani began to come to himself, his Syrian self. He heard
and read much about the "scum of Europe," "aliens," "Asiatics,"
"foreigners" and "inferior races." It was claimed that inferior
races were hindering America's progress. This led to hurried
Americanization, inquisitorial patriotism, and race prejudice.
Young Hasbani, like all Syrian-American youth, was busy
being a good American, getting an education, choosing a vocation, and thinking of a home. Although he knew, read and heard _
about the fierce race struggle, he felt it did not apply to loyal
Americans such as he. But this conviction was not to remain
so very long.
The Great Disillusionment.
Disillusionment came during his senior year at the University. He had been taught that all Americans have the right to
life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; that all men are created free and equal; that character is the measure of the man.
The climax of the disillusionment came when the University
was highly agitated over the race question. This is how it came
about. On the way to the sociology class, Hasbani was about
to pass a group of classmates.
"There comes Hasbani now!" exclaimed Dick Wilson.
"Hello, Dick! what's the argument about " inquired John.
"We are discussing Americanism and the race question," said
Jim Oneill.
"Are you a foreigner, or were you born in the United
States?" asked Howard Jones.
"I am a loyal American," answered John as he tried to evade
the purpose of the inquiry." Where a man was born has nothing
to do with true Americanism."
�JUNE, 1929
21
"Tell us where you were born," demanded Henry Lewis.
"I was born in Syria," John challenged. "I want you fellows to remember that Americanism has nothing to do with one's
birthplace."
"Syria!" exclaimed Fred Maxwell. "Where's that country
located?"
"It's the Bible country about which you study in Sunday
school, on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean sea," said John.
"Mediterranean Sea! Why are you a Mediterranean?" shot
Howard Clay.
"I am a Syrian by birth, and an American by choice. Don't
you know Syria, the Bible country?" John asked.
Dick, Jim, Howard, Henry, Fred and others who had gathered gave each other an understanding look.
"Well, Hasbani," said Henry Lewis, "we were talking
about those inferior races about the Mediterranean Sea. We
didn't know you were a Mediterranean." Just then Dick jostled
Henry to let Mary Khouri, a Syrian classmate, pass by. This
afforded opportunity to disband for classes.
The Divine Inspiration.
"What difference does A make where a man was born so
long as he is a loyal American," John kept asking himself as he
reflected upon the remarks of his classmate; "these inferior races
about the Mediterranean Sea," and "we didn't know you were
a Mediterranean." There was evident a changed attitude toward him. Like all Syrian-American youth, he knew America's
historical background, the rise of the American nation ,and America's political philosophy; but he did not know his Syrain race
history, race talents, and race achievements. He knew of no
expression of Syrian race solidarity, no Federation of Syrian
societies, and no- Syrian leaders to whom he could point with
pride.
As a Syrian, John Hasbani felt himself to be an orphan
among the races in America. His mental agony increased from
day to day at the hands of his classmates. It was Mary Khouri
who gave him the much needed sympathy.
"John," said Mary, "what do you know about Syrian history?"
"That's what I've been trying to find out," laughed John.
"Why do you want to know about Syrian history:"
"Lucille Jackson asked about what country I came from,"
said Mary. "I told her from Syria. She asked about where
�I
_- .:_
22
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Syria was and I said it was on the eastern shore of the Mediter ranean Sea. Since then she avoids me, and so do other classmates.
Since there must be something awful about being from Syria, I
thought of inquiring into Syrian history."
John could contain himself no longer. He recited his experience with his classmates. The similarity of their experiences
brought mutual understanidng and sympathy.
"But, John," exclaimed Mary, "a country that produced
Jesus, Moses and influenced Mohammed must have a great
history."
"Mary, you give me an inspiration," said John. "Let us
make some research together into the origin, history, and achievement of the Syrian race."
"I agree," said Mary; "the University library will be great
help."
The New Light.
It was in June when John and Mary began to see each other
in a new light. Never did Mary appear so charming. Never did
John look so manly. Something was being born in their hearts.
Mary inherited from her father the endurance of the Orthodox,
from her mother the courage of the Maronites. The Khouris
stood for their rights, fought for their liberties, and upheld the
honor of their race. Mary, an only daughter among five sons,
was the pride of the Khouri household.
During their research they seemed to hear the voice of
God saying, "Let there be light," and they received light. They
found the greatness of the Syrian race. They realized a changed
attitude in their minds. And a deeper admiration was growing
for each other.
Occasionally they would digress to discuss current topics.
"Jazz" did not charm them. "Companionate marriage" they
scorned. "The strictness of Syrian parents," they commended.
"Race prejudice" was repulsive to their finer feelings. In their
hearts they felt something nobler, bigger, and of superior worth
to race, color, creed and birthplace. They decided and planned
to bring the discussion of the race question out into the open in
the University.
It was a sunny day toward the end of the school year that
John and Mary were walking together to the sociology class.
�JUNE, 1929
'4
23
"I hope," said Mary, "that we can bring the discussion about so
we can work our plan."
"The chapter on The Immigration Problem fits well with
our plan," said John.
"Strange, I, too, thought the chapter appropriate," agreed
Mary. "Something tells me that today is the day. I am anxious
about the outcome."
"Why the anxiety?" John asked.
"I am a representative woman of the Syrian race," explained
Mary. "I represent the childhood, manhood and womanhood
of the Syrian race. The honor, rights and happiness of future
generations of the Syrian race are at stake. John, you and I
must stand up
"
"I will stand up for our Syrian race," he answered.
"I will stand up_ for the future of our race," she added.
"Let us stand together," he asked.
"I am glad to stand by you," she answered.
"Why the gladness?" he inquired.
"It's a secret," she said, her face blushing; "I will tell you
later."
Facing the Issue.
Professor Charles Case was a scholar, honest to the facts of
history, and well informed in education, philosophy, and science.
He was of American Revolutionary stock. He refused to be
swayed by popular prejudice, accept the unproven theories of science, and be domineered by flag waving patriots.
"We continue," he said in opening, the class period, "the
study of The Immigration Problem. Fred Lawrence, What consequences are there of immigration on the social evolution of
America?"
Lawrence. "The process of migration has been a socializing
factor; it brought intermingling of races, mixture of cultures, and
awakening of the races to a consciousness of their kind."
Prof. Case: "George Hess, what is the effect of the races
upon American nationalism?"
Hess: "It is generally held by students of social history that
migration exercises a selective factor in favor of the stronger,
more energetic, more restless types of people."
Impulsive Henry Lewis secures permission to speak. "While
what has been said is true of the Old immigration," he said ner-
�«--—.
24
THE SYRIAN WORLD
vously, "it is not true of the New immigration. I refer to the
races bordering the Mediterranean Sea."
Prof Case: "Explain your position."
Lewis: "The races comprising the New immigration are inferior to the races included in the Old immigration. The Mediterranean and Slavic races, biologically, belong to the sub-races
of the white race. They have not shown capacity for self government. By habits of centuries they are enslaved in their mentality. Cultunfjly, they are illiterate, ignorant, and superstitious.
Socially, they are clannish, tend to form colonies, and propagate
their customs, ideas and language. I am convinced of their inherent inferiority, their detrimental influence, and the necessity of
prohibiting their further entrance into the United States."
Hasbani felt a quickening, a call, and a decisoin to meet the
issue.
Prof. Case: "Lewis, you made an able presentation of your
side. If we had a statement of the other side, we could pass intelligent judgment. Yes, Hasbani
"
Hasbani: "I am an immigrant of the New immigration. May
I present the other side?"
Prof. Case: "To be fair you may proceed."
Hasbani: "I wish to maintain, with the help of my notes,
that the coming of the Syrian race to America is a worthy addition
to America's national life. I hold a Christian philosophy of the
race question in relation to America. No man chose his color,
creed or birthplace at birth. Such may be due to parental choice,
they are never due to personal choice. They may be due to accident of birth in a given time, place or circumstance, they are never
due to individual choice, thought or plan. They are due to divine
will, but never to human prerogative. A man is either ignorant
or a fool to pride himself in that which he is by birth, and in
which he had no thought, no choice and no will. It is what a man
is by choice, growth and achievement that counts, and not that
which he is by accident of birth.
"I believe there is no respect of persons, color, creed, race
or place, with God. I believe in the Fatherhood of God, the infinite worth of man, and the brotherhood of mankind."
"My philosophy is working out successfully in America.
Biologically there is no basis in fact for any claim to race superiority. Socially, the races of the Old and New immigration are
living happily together. Peace, prosperity and happiness are in-
�JUNE, 1929
25
creasing daily. The last presidential election proves conclusively
the Americanism of the New immigration in self government and
free institutions. Culturally, you must judge a people by not
whence they came, but to where they are going. Among those
who signed Magna Charta were illiterate men who signed their
names with a cross mark. Remember that the American language
is spoken, written and read by over 120,000,000 people. They
have the same language, ideals and flag. Remember the children
love, know and defend only America.
"I will now uphold the honor of my race, the Syrian race, by
giving three arguments. First, the Syrian race stock is of the
highest character. It is a branch of the white race. Scientific scholarship says there are no pure races. All races, due to repeated migrations, are highly mixed races. Several strains make up the
Syrian race, chief of which are the Phoenician, Aramean, Greek,
Arab and European Crusaders. Syria, situated between Asia,
Europe and Africa, became a land-bridge, often making it a
battlefield, market place, and highway for trade, culture and migration. The Syrian race survived the vicissitudes of centuries j
resurging armies, changing civilizations and repeated migrations.
"Second, the Syrian r*ce has ontributed some of the greatest
things to human progress. Our ancestors the Phoenicians improved the alphabet, created sea ship-building, sea commerce, and
emigrated for trade. Our forefathers propagated the highest
thoughts of man in religion, morals and society. They organized
schools of religion, philosophy, law, science and education. Among
the foremost of earth are Syrian Roman Emperors, Popes, philosophers, lawyers, poets, scientists, soldiers, prophets and preachers. From Syria, as a pivot, learning spread to Africa, Europe
and America.
"Third, we Syrian-Americans are loyal Americans j we uphold the Constitution, we reverence the flag, and we are ready
for the nation's defense. Our World War record is unexcelled
for patriotism. We are, perhaps, the most law-abiding, Godfearing, and liberty-loving citizens. We may not be Americans
by birth, we are Americans through appreciation, choice and sacrifice. We are a worthy addition to America because of our intelligence, industry, loyalty and achievements.
"Therefore, I claim for the Syrian race an equal place among
the races which make the Amercian nation."
When Hasbani took his seat, Prof. Case led his class by vig-
�26
THh SYRIAN WORLD
orously applauding the statement of the courageous youth.
Lawrence: "Hasbani's remarks make me feel I am ignorant
of the true character of other races."
Jones: "Hasbani's presentation is a revelation to me."
Lewis: "I feel I have been swayed by prejudice. It seems
that the races are endowed with different talents. The weaving
of various race contributions would make for greater America.
I recall my previous remarks."
Prof. Case: "Fairness and open-mindedness are American
virtues. You have been practicing them today. The day has come
for Americans of various races to respect each other on the basis
of Americanism, humanity and character. Through you I see a
new America."
After class, Mary Khouri and Henry Lewis were the first to
greet John. Prof. Case and classmates gathered about him to
express their approval of his Americanism. Hasbani became the
talk of the University. The Bugle, the University newspaper,
lavished its praises upon Hasbani. The metropolitan city newspaper broadcasts Hasbnai's Americanism to the nation. The happiest person on the University campus was Mary Khouri.
The Secrets of Happiness.
"Mary," whispered John one evening, "what about the
secret?"
Eyeing him lovingly, "Are you anxious to know it?" she
teased.
"Certainly. Eventually—why not now?" he pleaded.
"You have been patient. I said if we succeed in upholding
the honor of our race, I will say the beautiful word," Mary answered smiling.
John approached her. "Say the beautiful word now," he
coaxed.
"I—I—would,—that is—if father and mother—" Mary
spoke softly.
John laughed the happiest laugh of his life. He knew he
won Mary's heart. "You are right. We are Syrian-Americans.
Syrian fathers and mothers ought to have a part in saying the
beautiful word."
A deep respect had grown between John and Mary. They
were healthy. John was prospering in business. Mary learned
the art of homemaking. They attended church. John became a
^
IMPPfeM
,-,-- -,:.
I
�.
27
JUNE, 1929
leader in his community. Common sense, friendliness and adaptability were their common virtues.
Not longer after the wedding of John and Mary was announced.
*
*
*
"John Hasbani is a symbol of the enlightened Syrian soul,"
said I to my friend. "Hasbani defended the Syrian race, upheld
the honor of the Syrian home, and vindicated the right of the
Syrian race to an equal place among the races. He is one of the
greatest modern Syrians because in his life we have the personification of Syrian race virtues; realization of Syrian race inheritance; and prophecy of Syrian race progress. My story is a
parable of the rising tide of Syrian race greatment."
"Reverend, your philosophy of the rising tide of Syrian race
greatness wins my heart," exclaimed my friend. "Do I understand that Hasbani's enlightenment, prospertiy and influence symbolize the awakening, progress, and leadership of the modern
Syrian race?"
"You understand me perfectly," said I.
"I heartily agree that Hasbani is one of the greatest Syrians
of modern times. Hasbani is truly an ideal representative of the
modern Syrian race."
Wings
By
THOMAS ASA
Oh! were the clouds my own exalted wings,—
No idle thought has made me utter this,
Without erotic dreams of undreamed bliss,
But for the nonce to shake the sordid things,
To quench the thirst at those Pierian springs;
No earthly stream, but where its waters kiss
The virgin banks, where God had left amiss
The touch that ceaseless march of time soon brings.
Where the stress of years has left no broken hours,
With the dawning morn no thought to meet desires,
And where the vault of heaven shows no hidden way;
While the inner soul emerges with full powers,
And its seeking heart, without consuming fires,
Wrought with the Hand, and never knows decay.
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
28
The Reward of Honesty
And Other Anecdotes Related in the Book of Usama
"An Arab Syrian Gentleman and Warrior of the Crusades"
By
DR. PHILIP
K.
i
HITTI
The following story was related to me on unimpeachable authority:
In the course of my pilgrimage as I was making the tour of
the Ka'ba I found, all unexpectedly, a pearl necklace, which I
tied to the end of my pilgrim's robe. An hour later, I heard a
man seeking its recovery by making inquiries in the sanctuary
(haram) and offering twenty dinars to him who would restore it.
I asked him for a sign proving that the lost article was his, and
he gave it to me. So I delivered the necklace to him. Receiving
it, he said to me, "Accompany me to my house so that I may pay
thee the reward I had promised." To this I replied, "I have
no use for that reward, nor have I given the necklace back to thee
for the sake of the prize. For, thanks to Allah, I live in great
bounty." He asked, "Thou hast not then returned it except for
the sake of Allah (mighty and majestic is he!)?" "Yes," I replied. "Let us, therefore, turn our faces," said he, "towards the
Ka'ba and thou shouldst say 'Amen!' to my prayer." Accordingly,
we turned our faces towards the Ka'ba and he prayed, "O Lord,
forgive him (and me) our sins and grant me means to repay him."
Then he bade me farewell and departed.
It happened later that I undertook a journey from Mecca to
the land of Egypt and took a boat to al-Maghrib (Mauretania).
Our boat fell into the hands of the Byzantines and I,among others
was taken captive. My lot fell to one of the priests, in whose
service I remained until the hour of his death approached, upon
which he willed that I be set free.
Consequently I left the land of the Byzantines and made
my way into a certain region of al-Maghrib, where I was employed as a clerk in a baker's shop. Among the baker's customers
was one of the great landowners of the town. At the beginning
of the new month, a servant of the landowner came to the baker
and said, "My master calls thee to make the account with him."
1
�JUNE, 1929
:
I
'
29
The baker asked me to accompany him, and we went together
to the landowner, who settled the account according to his bills.
Impressed by my knowledge of arithmetic and my beautiful handwriting, he demanded me from the baker. The landowner
changed my clothes and intrusted to me the collection of the levies
from his estate, he being the proprietor of a vast piece of land.
In the meantime, he vacated for me a special apartment on one
side of his mansion.
After the lapse of a short period of time, he said to me,
"Abu-Bakr, what thinkest thou of marriage?" I replied, "My
master, I cannot stand the expense of my own living; how can I
stand the expense of a wife?" He said, "I shall provide in thy
behalf the dowry, the dwelling place, the clothing and everything
else that thou needest." I said, "Thy order is done." Then he
said, "My boy, here is a wife that has a great number of defects,"
and he did not leave a possible physical defect from her head to
her foot which he did not enumerate, while I replied, "I am satisfied." In fact, I felt satisfied internally as I claimed I was externally. Then he continued, "That wife is my daughter." He
called a group of people and the contract was closed.
A few days later he said to me, "Prepare thyself to enter thy
home." He ordered for me superb clothes, and I entered into
a house luxuriously furnished and equipped with the best outfit.
I was placed on a high seat and the bride was brought covered
with a colored woolen mantle. I immediately arose to meet her
and, pulling aside the cover, found a coutenance prettier than
which I never saw in the world. I fled out of the house. The
old man met me and asked me about the reason for my flight, to
which I replied, "This wife is not the one thou hast described to
me as having the defects which thou hast enumerated." Hearing
this, he smiled and said, "Yes, my boy, she is thy wife, and I
have no other child but her. But I described her the way I did
to thee so that thou mayest not be disappointed on seeing her."
And the proper ceremony of unveiling the bride was conducted in
my presence.
The second morning, as I was admiring the jewels and precious gems she wore, I saw, among other things on her, the necklace which I once found in Mecca. I was amazed at that and was
absorbed in the thought of it. As I was leaving the bedroom my
father-in-law called me and asked me about my condition, repeating the verse, "Legitimate enjoyment has mutilated the nose
�30
THE SYRIAN WORLD
of jealousy." (Meaning, I can now ask you without arousing jealousy, as she has become your legitimate wife). I thanked him
for what he had done for me and then felt possessed with the
thought of the necklace and how it got to him. Noticing that,
he asked me, "What art thou thinking of?" I replied, "Of such
and such a necklace. For in such and such a year I made a pilgrimage and found itself in the sanctuary, or found some other
necklace very similar to it." The man exclaimed, "Art thou the
man who returned my lost necklace:" "Yes," said I, "I am he."
He said, "Rejoice at the good news, for Allah has forgiven me
and thee, for I, at that moment, prayed Allah (worthy of admiration is he!) to forgive me and thee our sins and to grant me
means to repay thee. And here now I have delivered into thy
hands my possessions and my child. And I have no doubt that
my end is near at hand.
He later drew his will in my favor, and after a short period,
he died—may Allah's mercy rest upon his soul!
A funny race between two aged women.
I found myself in Tabarayyah at the time the Franks were
celebrating one of their feasts. The cavaliers went out to exercise
with lances. With them went two decrepit, aged women whom
they stationed at one end of the race course. At the other end
of the field they left a pig which they had scalded and left on a
rock. They then made the two aged women run a race while each
one of them was accompanied by a detachment of horsemen urging her on. At every step they took, the women would fall down
and rite again, while the spectators would laugh. Finally one
of them got ahead of the other and won the pig for a prize.
Their judicial trials. A duel.
I attended one day a duel in Nablus between two Franks.
The reason for this was that certain Moslem thieves took by surprise one of the villages of Nablus. One of the peasants of that
village was charged with having acted as guide for the thieves
when they fell upon the village. So he fled away. The king sent
and arrested his children. The peasant thereupon came back to
the king and said, "Let justice be done in my case. I challenge
to a duel the man who claimed that I guided the thieves to the
village." The king then said to the tenant who held the village
in fief, "Bring forth someone to fight the duel with him." The
tenant went to his village, where a blacksmith lived, took hold of
�JUNE, 1929
31
him and ordered him to fight the duel. The tenant became thus
sure of the safety of his own peasants, none of whom would be
killed and his estate ruined.
I«saw this blacksmith. He was a physically strong young
man, but his heart failed him. He would walk a few steps and
then sit down and ask for a drink. The one who had made the
challenge was an old man, but he was strong in spirit and he would
rub the nail of his thumb against that of the forefinger in defiance, as if he was not worrying over the duel. Then came the
viscount, the seignior of the town, and gave each one of the two
contestants a cudgel and a shield and arranged the people in a
circle around them.
The two met. The old man would press the blacksmith
backward until he would get him as far as the circle, then he
would come back to the middle of the arena. They went on exchanging blows until they looked like pillars smeared with blood.
The contest was prolonged and the viscount began to urge them
to hurry, saying, "Hurry on." The fact that the smith was given
to the use of the hammer proved now of great advantage to him.
The old man was worn out and the smith gave him a blow which
made him fall. His cudgel fell under his back. The smith knelt
down over him and tried to stick his fingers into the eyes of his
adversary, but could not do it because of the great quantity of
blood flowing out. Then he rose up and hit his head with the
cudgel until he killed him. They then fastened a rope around
the neck of the dead person, dragged him away and hanged him.
The lord who brought the smith now came, gave the smith his
own mantle, made him mount the horse behind him and rode off
with him. This case illustrates the kind of jurisprudence and
legal decisions the Franks have — may Allah's curse be upon
them!
Ordeal by water.
I once went in the company of al-Amir Mu'in-al-Din to
Jerusalem. We stopped at Nablus. There a blind man, a Moslem, who was still young and was well dressed, presented himself before al-Amir carrying fruits for him and asked permission
to be admitted into his service in Damascus. The amir consented. I inquired about this man and was informed that his mother
had been married to a Frank whom she had killed. Her son used
to practice ruses against the Frankish pilgrims and co-operate
�32
THE SYRIAN WORLD
with his mother in assassinating them. They finally brought
charges against him and tried his case according to the Frankish
way of procedure.
They installed a huge cask and filled it with water. Across
it they set a board of wood. They then bound the arms of the
man charged with the act, tied a rope around his shoulders and
dropped him into the cask, their idea being that in case he was
innocent, he would sink in the water and they would then lift him
up with the rope so that he might not die in the water; and in
case he was guilty, he would not sink in the water. This man did
his best to sink when they dropped him into the water, but he
could not do it. So he had to submit to their sentence against
him — may Allah's curse be upon them! They pierced his eyeballs with red-hot awls.
The Green of binisfail
By Josefhine M. Crick
The cooling-green of willows as they wave above the stream,
The tender green of poplar leaves that hold a starry gleam—
The green of fragrant apple trees, fruit laden, bending low—
The green of growing meadows with the sinking sun aglow.
The green of mist-clad mountains 5 when the sun lifts up the veil,
Is the green that I remember, the green of Innisfail.
The green of rain washed pine trees with the light just glinting
through,
The green of young grass shining in the early morning dew.
The green of great rocks rising where the moss, sea-splashed
climbs high 5
The green of mist clad mountains, when the sun lifts up the
veil,
Is the green that I remember, the green of Innisfail.
�JUNE, 1929
33
The Biological! Significance of
Youth and Age
By
unit of living matter is the cell, that is, as far as we now
certainly know, any living system is made up of one or more
units or cells which, when destroyed or injured beyond a certain
degree, life is destroyed. The smallest known living systems
consist of one cell only, which carries on all the complex functions
of nutrition, reproduction, etc. In some unicellular organisms
the cell may be very complex. Higher plants and animals, such
as the human body, are made up of billions of cells presenting
great variety of form and associated into tissues. In these cases
each cell and tissue is dependent on other cells and tissues to
carrv on its function. We commonly say that, on account of long
specialization, due to association, these cells have lost the power
of living: independent^. Aside from its extreme organization
and the intimate interrelation of its parts, the human body is, in
a biologic"1 sense, a mere agglomeration of cells, subject to the
same laws and presenting similar problems to a colony or a culture of bacterial cells. The similarity is very striking.
Suppose now that we take an actively growing bacterial cell
and that we put it in a suitable environment, for instance, in a
solution containing all of the necessary nutriments. The cell soon
increases in size and multiplies rapidly, and the daughter cells
grow and multiply until a large number of cells has been formed
from the single cell we put in. The majority of these cells presents characteristic form, size, structure and physiological behavior that we recognize as being the form, size, structure and
behavior of vouth. This rapid rate of nutrition and multiplication cnnnot, however, go on indefinitely, for soon the culture becomes crowded and a shortage of food may take place. At the
same time, the products of life processes accumulate and begin
to produce a harmful influence. The rate of multiplication falls,
rtierefore, is the cells consume the reserve food material, ? *><*
their shape, size, structure and physiological behavior change corTHE
1
DR. GEORGE KNAYSI
�54
THE SYRIAN WORLD
respondingly into the shape, size, structure and behavior of age.
Finally multiplication becomes impossible, and the cells present
an appearance of poverty, starvation and disorganization.
If now we take one of these old cells and transport it into
a favorable environment such as the one we started with, it does
not stare multiplication immediately. Several hours may elapse
before the first reproduction takes place. This period is commonly referred to as the "lag" period. The writer has suggested the use of the term rejuvenation period, for the cell is then
most active repairing its injuries and recovering from the influences of its environment. Before any multiplication takes place,
the cell must present again the characteristics of youth.
The same phenomenon takes place in the human body. Our
cells, like those of bacteria, take their nutrients from the blood
which is for us what the nutrient solution is for the cells of bacteria. It is, furthermore, endowed with the remarkable power
of self-purification and self-enrichment. Our cells should therefore be constantly bathed with a fresh nutrient medium which
should make it possible for them to remain young and multiply.
Now multiplication cannot go on indefinitely and is automatically
limited by factors known "to the biologist. We are thus confronted with the universal problem of the density of population,
referring to the cells that make up our body rather than to the
individuals inhabiting a country. Fruit, flies, bacteria and all
other living things are confronted with the same problem, and
the question arises as to whether it is possible for the cells, while
not multiplying, to remain young. Theoretically, the answer
should be in the affirmative. The writer, who is now investigating the question, will have something more definite to say before
lone- Under actual conditions, however, we know that our cells
gradually assume the characteristics of age and, when enough of
the cells of an indispensable organ become so old that that organ
can no more carry on its vital functions, death follows immediately. Thus the death of one fundamental organ brings about
the death of other organs relatively young. Man pays dearly
for his complex and efficient organization.
It seems that a more thorough understanding of the properties of living matter should enable us to live much longer, if
not to render ourselves immortal.
�JUNE, 1929
35
Music — East and West
By REV. DR. K. A. BISHARA
Like beauty and electricity, music is a mysterious something
that can be neither comprehended nor defined. Science may hover
over its circumference, but can never enter into the center, or the
Holy of Holies. Having to deal mainly with the affections, music must cling to Nature, never allowing itself to be unduly artificialized. Oriental music, chiefly the Arabic, is more thrillingly
effective than other systems by reason of its contiguity to the
bosom of mother nature. It is readily enjoyed by the heart, while
other systems are admired by the intellect. It is interesting to
notice how the European music has gradually been subjected to
the process of orientalization through the efforts of a worthy
group of masters in Spain, Italy and Germany. One of the greatest Spanish musicians in Portugal has openly avowed the superiority of Arabic music in melodiousness and scope. He went so far
as to declare it the mother of all modern music after the Renaissance. In his words, "The Arabic music is the mother of the
Spanish, which is the mother of all modern music in the world."
Outside of Spain and Italy, Mozart was the first great musician
to enrich modern music with the thrilling beauties of Arabic airs.
Others followed, including the great Beethoven whose masterpieces can competently vie with the sweetest melodies ever heard
in the halls of Baghdad, Cordova and Damascus.
The golden age of Oriental music was inaugurated in the days
of Haroun-al-Raschid and his son Al-Macmoun in the celebrated
metropolis of Baghdad. Mausali was the Beethoven of those
days. A little later on Andalusia, (Spain under the Arabs) became the music hall of all Europe. The age of retrogression
set in after the fall of Baghdad in the East, and Grenada in the
West, until the most widely developed system of music in the
world, which had integrally appropriated and preserved in its
bosom the genius of China, Persia and Greece, welded into that
of resourceful Arabia, was reduced to a dilapidated patchwork
of Tarn Tarns.
', .:.;_
,
,
;
•
�36
THE SYRIAN WORLD
The modern Renaissance took its incipiency in the ancient
land of Egypt, which has already given to the Oriental world
such illustrious names as Hamooli, Salameh, Hilmi, Manilawi,
Mahdiah and Um-Kalthoum.
Ash-Sham, including Lebanon, Syria and Palestine, has already rendered a remarkable co-operative service in this great
enterprise of reconstruction. Madame Fadwah Kurban is an
outstanding example, while Mr. Alexander Maloof is making
steady progress in his efforts to make Oriental music accessible
to the West by the application of the note system. The motto of
all these agencies concerned seems to be. Back to the days of Haroun Al-Raschid, then up and on, if possible, to a higher level!
Maybe, it's a long way to Tipperari; but—
As a modest amateur of small stock, but one intensely interested in music, I feel inspired through my affections to proclaim the fact that music is originally intended to rouse the subconscious in man on his way to a fuller realization of himself as
the most glorious visible image of the Creator. For this purpose,
the minor keys of music are more effective than the major keys.
This secret the Orientals have known for many centuries. And
this fact is accentuated, to my mind as well as to my heart, by the
psychological fact that man has long been, as he still is, oscillating
between "the two well-known factors of self-pity and self-conceit,
the former of which being childish while the latter is ridiculous.
Now, this ill-developed man is still in need of pity, rather than
ridicule. And when music does, as it seldom does, succeed in
rousing both the conscious and the sub-conscious in man, he at
once, and almost unawares, reasserts and recognizes his inherent
dignity—though for a moment, and through indignation and
when he is fully roused, whether at home or on the battle-field;
just keep off the grass! Man is great and noble and mighty; but
he never knew it before. It is at such a moment of transcendent
ecstasy that we witness a real case of "Deutchland uber alles!
Superman-king-angel, ad infinitum. There is the horizon of the
spirit, the realm of the ideal homos, where are to be found the
mystic poets, the musical sufis, the seers, the prophets, the apostles
and what is higher—where the chosen few may stand and say:
After all, the Master didn't ask much when He said. "Be ye perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect."
�. rngt/gt/Kj^
JUNE, 1929
37
EDITORIAL COMMENT
CHANGING FREQUENCY OF ISSUE OF
THE SYRIAN WORLD
i ,!
For reasons which I shall enumerate below, I have decided
to suspend publication of The Syrian World during the months
of July and August. This decision applies only to the present
year so far as I can now see, but future developments might make
it advisable to continue this policy, in which case the regular year
of The Syrian World would comprise only ten issues. This step,
if finally decided upon, will be announced in due time.
Subscribers who have already paid in advance on the basis
of twelve issues per year will be adequately compensated either
by advancing the dates of their subscriptions or by other suitable
awards in books to the value of the two omitted issues.
The Syrian World has completed its third year of publication with the present (June) issue. During all this time it has
appeared punctually at the beginning of each month without a
single omission. The difficulties which I have encountered were
many and tremendous, and, I feel constrained to add, cumulative.
I need not go into a detailed discussion of these difficulties at the
present time. What I can conscientiously state, however, is that
these difficulties served only to add stimulus to my determination
to carry on the work which I felt from the beginning was destined to endure. In this my energy was sustained by the wholehearted encouragement of a group of loyal friends who gave
unstintingly of their moral support.
If, therefore, I am now suspending publication of The Syrian World for two of the summer months, the action should not
be misconstrued as a sign of faltering determination or weakness.
On the contrary, it is but a respite to lay plans not only for a
more enduring publication, but for a stronger and a more progressive one.
This step is made necessary by my coming trip to Syria and
other parts of the Near East, principally in the interest of the
Syrian World. The tour which I have sponsored and agreed to
conduct is in harmony with the fundamental principle of the
magazine in providing better knowledge of Syria and the Syrians'
�38
THE SYRIAN WORLD
historical background. An educational tour to Syria is obviously
a complement to the educational mission of The Syrian World.
But the principle object of the trip is to gain first-hand
information of present conditions in Syria in order to better serve
our readers. A general survey will be made covering the political, social, educational and economic fields. Special attention
will be given to the taking of a photographic record which will
graphically portray the country and its different phases of life in
its present crucial stage of rapid transition. Leaders in various
fields of activities will be interviewed and their opinions recorded
without prejudice or bias. Personal observations will naturally
be made and faithfully transmitted to our readers.
This is but a mere outline of the general purpose of the trip,
but once on the ground many more points of interest might develop which will widen immeasurably the scope of service. These
possible developments will be left to the future.
Three years experience in the publication of The Syrian
World having brought the conviction that this step had become necessary in order to make the service of the magazine more effective and beneficial, the next problem was how to make the undertaking possible under the conditions governing the publication of
the magazine. Ever since its inception, The Syrian World has
been an individual enterprise depending mainly on personal efforts. Only in the literary field has any assistance been forthcoming to a limited degree. By this qualification I do not wish
to intimate lack of appreciation of this valued co-operation. On
the contrary, Iwould fully emphasize that but for this liberal assistance on the part of the loyal friends of the magazine the task
would have been rendered doubly difficult. The point in view is
that all work aside from this partial assistance had to be performed personally.
Such being the case, and there being no substitute to carry on
the work of editing and publishing in my absence, it became necessary to decide on the only remaining alternative, which is to suspend publication during July and August.
During my absence the publication office will remain open
for the transaction of routine business, Our friends are invited
to avail themselves of this opportunity whether for the purchase
of books and back numbers, or for the payment of past accounts
and other matters.
Enthusiastic friends of The Syrian World are urging the
f«
�39
JUNE, 1929
formation of a corporation to fully promote its service which has
come to be viewedas indispensable. This and other matters^wi
be discussed in the coming issue which will appear in September
upon my return.
Editor & Publisher
THE FEDERATION
Although proportionately substantial the replies so^ far received to our questionnaire on the proposed federation of Syr an
societies in the United States do not warrant a decision as to the
tm and place of the convention. Hardly three agree on any
given question, and because of the length of tune neees^or
' bringing about a general and uniform acceptance, it has been
£Ed wiser to defer further action on the matter un^efeU.
\s regards the ultimate results, our faith remains unshaken. Added reSon for this optimism is contained in the rephes r^eivedto
the questionnaire. In each case the responding society pledges
tself anew to the support of the cause and voices enthusiastic
hopes for the expected benefits to be derived from such a move
It is a situation which, having been nursed to its present stage of
development, should be handled with extreme care lest its fai ure iniure irreparably all attempts at collective action in the tuZc ItTs for this reason that it has been deemed more advisable
not to take any peremptory action at the present stage.
In the meantime, pledged members may further prosecute
missionary work for the cause of the Federation. They are honorbound to see the work culminate in complete success, not merely
for the personal prestige involved, but out of devotion to the
basic principle of unity. We have long been unmindful of our
future and our racial status, and the example of other ethnic
croups seems to have had little effect in rousing us to action 1 he
strongest hope now lies in federating our organized bodies for toe
promotion of national policies, and although this work shou d
proceed with caution, it should, nevertheless, be prosecuted with
relentless energy.
-
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
¥)
Spirit of the Syrian Press
Under this caption we hope to present from time to time a microcosmic picture of the Arabic press, not only in this country, but wherever
Arabic dailies and magazines reflect the opinions of responsible, thinking
writers who are treating the different problems that confront the Arabicspeaking world from all conceivable angles. Needless to say, we will take
no part in the discussions reproduced, nor assume any responsibility. Our
task will simply consist in selecting, to the best of our knowledge and
with utmost sincerity, what we think is representative of the public opinion as expressed in these editorials.
Editor.
CONSTITUTIONAL
MONARCHY
FOR LEBANON
In view of the persistent factional
strife among the Lebanese, we are
all the more confirmed in our belief
that they are still unfit for complete
independence. But for the French,
Lebanon would be the slave to either
the Turks, the Arabs or the English.
And this condition would be brought
about as the natural result of the
internal strife which would tear Lebanon to pieces and reduce it to a
state of complete impotency.
Take for illustration the Presidential elections. What greater farce
could there be than the manner this
is brought about ? Nor are the members of the Representative Assembly
of such caliber as to command confidence and respect. They are all
there for their personal gain while
the French look on in an attitude of
total indifference. For this policy
we believe France has a well defined
reason, which is to prove to the Lebanese that they have not yet grown
to the responsible age of being trusted with complete independence.
Our program for the government
of the country remains as heretofore
announced; that a constitutional
monarchy be adopted for Lebanon,
at whose head would be placed a
French prince who would have first
embraced Lebanese citizenship. He
should rule for life, but his throne
should not be hereditary. France
should remain the protector of the
country, as otherwise Lebanon would
become the prey of its greedy neighbors because of its inability to defend itself.
—Al-Hoda, N. Y. May 24
THE PARADOX OF LIBERTY
The celebrations in Paris for Joan
of Arc, the Maid of Orleans, during
the month of May, were intended to
recall with pride the great struggle
of this patron saint of France for
the cause of liberty.
It is altogether fitting and proper
that the French pay honor to this
great heroine. She has succeeded in
liberating her country from the grip
of the foreigner after an occupation
�JUNE, 1929
M>
of a hunderd years, and was reward- ty and come to sympathize with us
ed for her deed with burning at the in our demand for freedom, instead
stake. It is only now that the full of assuming the paradoxial attitude
meaning of her great sacrifice is of preaching one form of liberty at
being appreciated. France should be home and practicing another abroad.
proud of having produced such a
—Meraat-Ul-Gharb, N. Y. May 15
heroic Character in the shepherd girl
who was instrumental in regaining
for her country its independence and
LEARNING FROM EUROPE
freedom. She was later consecrated
a saint and well is she deserving of
It is reported that King Ibn Saoud
the honor; she met her martyrdom of Arabia intends to visit Europe in
in the cause of her country just as the near future in the hope of gainthe saints faced death in their de- ing practical knowledge for the upvotion to the cause of God.
lift of his own country. The time
Not alone the French, but all liber- is surely opportune, and the Arab
ty-loving nations should join in pay- King's observations abroad should
ing tribute to the lofty patriotic spir- serve him to good purpose at home.
it of Joan of Arc.
We may be confident, however, that
*** We have often heard our coun- he will not rush matters and commit
trymen sing the praise of the French the mistake of king Amanullah of
and their great love for liberty. We Afghanistan, because not everyone
have listened to their panegyrics of can emulate the example of Mustathe shepherd girl and their expres- pha Kamal Pasha of Turkey with
sions of unbounded admiration for the same success. Turkey 'had been
her. One hearing them would ima- prepared for the reforms which Kagine that she belonged to them for mal Pasha had the courage to introthe extent of pride they take in her duce, while this cannot hold true of
achievements. At the same time, Arabia. The degree of difference is
they seem oblivious to the fact that at least a hundred years, and the
they are trailing the chains of bond- Arab king would do well to introage and slavery. Cannot the Leban- duce such reforms as would gradualese say to the people of France that ly bring his subjects to the point of
Lebanon before their occupation was accepting Western ideas in full. He
a free country while now, although could encourage steady settlement
having a republican form of govern- and agricultural pursuits to the end
ment, it is shackeled to the point of that the ghazu, or raids, will come
being a republic in name only? How to an end in Arabia. And perhaps
comes it that the French glorify he will learn in Europe the fundaliberty in their own country and erect mental lesson that stability is the
monuments in its name, while in prime requisite of a progressive goforeign lands they destroy its temp- vernment, while ambition for agles and shrines and make every at- grandization may react to the injury
tempt to smother it completely.
of a government that is structurally
We heartily join the French in weak. If King Ibn Saoud should
honoring their great patron saint succeed in achieving internal reform
Joan of Arc, but we hope they will he would be deserving of more credit
live up to the principle of true liber- than Mustapha Kamal Pasha him-
- ""°| • ' ' *'
i
n
�42
self, in that he would have laid the
proper foundation before raising the
structure, thereby evading the disastrous mistake of Amanullah.
—As-Sayeh, N. Y. May 27
HAS THE SYRIAN
BECOME A NEGRO
The tragedy of Lake City, Fla.,
in which the Syrian Nicholas Romey
and his wife were killed should
arouse the Syrians everywhere in
the United States to action. The
details of the lynching of this Syrian
are revolting. From whatever angle
we view the case we can find no justification for the barbarous treatment visited by the police and the
mob oh this Syrian family. A full
investigation of the circumstances
surrounding the tragedy should be
made and those responsible brought
to justice. The Syrian is not a negro whom Southerners feel they are
justified in lynching when he is suspected of an attack on a white woman. The Syrian is a civilized white
man who has excellent traditions
and a glorious historical background
and should be treated as among the
best elements of the American nation.American sense of justice should
not permit such lynchings without
the benefit of a trial, as was done
in the case of Romey. Even the
anarchist murderer of President
McKinley was protected from the
fury of the mob and given all the
benefits of a judicial trial.
We are not making any direct accusation, but we feel that a thorough
investigation of the circumstances
surrounding the tragedy should be
instigated so that those responsible
should reap the reward for their
I
THE SYRIAN WORLD
cruelty.
-Ash-Shaab, N. Y. May 24
SULTAN PASHA ATRASH
TRUE TO PRINCIPLES
More than three months have now
elapsed since the Havas Agency
broadcast to the world the news that
Sultan Pasha Atrash , military leader of the Syrian revolution, had
offered his unconditional surrender
to the French in the hope of returning to his native country from his
desert exile. No better proof is
needed to demonstrate the falsity
of this report than the fact that it
has failed of materialization in spite
of all this length of time. The elation
which the Francophile papers displayed at that time is obviously unjustified.
We are in a position to affirm that
the hero, Sultan Pasha Atrash, never
contemplated submission to the
French; nor will he ever return to
Syria except on the conditions he
laid as the basis for the armed revolution, namely the complete independence of the country from foreign
control. Those who know Sultan
Pasha Atrash best never wavered in
their belief that his loyalty to the
sacred cause of the country would
remain unshaken to the end. We,
as well as many other true patriots,
are in constant receipt of letters
from the Commander in Chief of the
revolutionary forces indicating his
tenacity of purpose and unfaltering
loyalty to the cause. This should be
sufficient proof to unmask the lying
intentions of the Havas Agency and
brand with shame the foreheads of
sympathizers with the colonization
policy.
—Al-Bayan, N. Y. May 25
•
�43
JUNE, 1929
Readers' Forum
tional Origins Plan are the product
of brains steeped in race-consciousness and full of racial prejudices.
Senator Reed protests that anyone
Comment on his Recent Remarks who undertakes to debate the subject
in Congress
of immigration restrictions "will be
accused of a raaial prejudice of
which
he is wholly unconscious." We
Editor, The Syrian World,
can imagine such a thing happenIt is a curious fact that proponents ing under existing rules of politics
of the Anglo-Saxon racial culture in this country. But Senator Reed
in America never fail to manipulate cannot claim immunity from critithe Declaration of Independence to cism for racial bias on that plea.
suit or cover their own prejudices. His utterances have been too outSenator Reed's earlier statement spoken to admit of an alibi. Only
clearly speaks of the "trash of the last month, in the course of a naMediterranen" as "all the Levant- tion-wide broadcast, in defense of
ine stock that churns around through his favorite brain-child, the Natonal
there and does know what its own Origins Plan, Senator Reed said that
ancestry is." And as if these words the plan gave a fair limitation "in
did not clearly delineate the parties strict accordance with our racial
mentioned, the honorable Senator make-up," because, according to it,
went on to specify the countries of "each year's immigration will be in
origin of the "trashy stock" and miniature a counterpart of the whole
added, "It came here in large num- population of our country." And even
bers from Syria and the Turkish those interested in the merits or deProvinces.." It would be the sheer- merits of the National Origins Plan
est sort of sophistry for Senator will not fail to take notice of the
Reed or any one who thinks like scar of racial prejudice that this
h;m to explain away the pointed valiant "defender" of the Declaramention of Syrians as an undesirable tion of Independence, and proponent
stock of immigrants. The truth is of the dictum that all men are born
that he meant exactly what he said, equal, inflicted on the charter of hufor he does clearly look upon Syria man liberty which is the foundation
and the Turkish provinces and dif- of the Constitution of the United
ferent countries of the Balkan Pen- States, when he defiantly challenged
insula and that part of southeastern the non-Anglo-Saxon races by sayEurope" as the habitat of the trash. ing, "We will not permit our racial
I have followed from its begin- composition to be changed by imning this controversy of the restric- migration." Shades of Thomas Jefton of immigration and have no he- ferson and Abraham Lincoln!
sitation in asserting that all preObserver
tense of fairness and equality notNew York
withstanding, measures like the Na-
SENATOR REED'S BRAND
OF AMERICANISM
>
�44
THE SYRIAN WORLD
A CLERGYMAN ANSWERS
Editor, The Syrian World,
May I give my opinion of "Senator
Reed's 'trash' " ?
The more I think of this gentleman's designation of the Syrians as
"trash", the more I admire William
Shakespeare's play "Much ado about
Nothing". The zealous senator must
be comparing us, not with other nationalities, his own not excepted, but
with ourselves two, three, or four
thousand years ago, when we were
busy, on a gigantic scale, laying
down the foundations of this wonderful American civilization.
Instead of wasting valuable time
by way of self-defense, —on mere
words,— let us get busy making
"works" speak louder than words.
Nothing is too big for us. We ought
to feel proud that our neighbors
voice their disappointment when we
come short of their expectations.
At any rate, Senator Reed should
be reminded of the fact that he is
counted among the "white trash"
by his Southern negro neighbors.
I imagine, however, that he pays
no attention to this appelation, seeing the source it comes from. Let
us learn wisdom from the honorable
senator!
K. A. Bishara
Pastor, Syrian Protestant Church
Brooklyn, N. Y.
AGAIN THE QUESTION
OF DISCRIMINATION
Editor, The Syrian World,
The outburst of Senator Reed only
substantiates what I have repeatedly
asserted in what I have contributed
to previous issues of The Syrian
World, that the Syrian people are
discriminated against in this country
on account of racial prejudice. Let
me repeat, therefore, that the Syrian
is better off in his own country living on bread and milk and enjoying
the good opinion of his neighbor,
than to live sumptuously in a palace
and be socially ostracized and discriminated against as a citizen.
M. Shadid, M.D.
Elk City, Okla.
Editor's Note — The controversy
v/aged over previous assertions by
Dr. Shadid will be recalled as having
drawn strong rejoinders from many
quarters on the question of social
ostracism. As regards his advice
to Syrians to return to their motherland for economic considerations, Dr.
Shadid himself later altered his
stand as a result of personal observation of condition abroad.
NEW ZEALAND SYRIANS
ORGANIZE
Editor, The Syrian World,
*** All those in New Zealand who
came in contact with The Syrian
World were delighted with its contents and the manner in which it is
being edited and published. Allow
me also to congratulate you upon
the success attending your efforts in
forming the Federation of Syrian
societies in the United States. The
prospect of such federation has already influenced the Syrian young
men of Wellington, N. Z. to form the
Syrian Social Club which was launched with great enthusiasm and under the most favorable auspices. I
doubt whether this could have taken
place had it not been for the influence of the Syrian World.
K. E. Alexander
Wellington, N. Z.
�^ Mi
JUNE, 1929
45
About Syria and Syrians
POLITICAL SITUATION IN
SYRIA UNCHANGED
The summer lull seems to have
affected political activities in Syria.
During the month covered by the
latest Syrian mail hardly anything
of consequence was entered in the
political record. Following the announced re-entry of the Nationalist
Party into the political arena, matters continued to drag in the same
manner prevailing since the abrogation of the Constituent Assembly.
What seems to have been the direct
result of the prolongued negotiations
on the political problems in Syria
was the wider divergence of opinion
as to the possible solution to a point
bordering on confusion. According
to present indications, no agreement
seems possible of being reached this
summer.
Syria was visited lately by many
high French officals presumably for
a further study of the political situation. In every instance Syrian
leaders were interviewed and their
opinions sought as to an acceptable
compromise. Most of the visitors
have returned with voluminous notes
but no decision, and what augurs
further delay is the forthcoming departure of M. Ponsot, the High Commissioner, for France in the middle
of June. Naturally all negotiations
will have to be suspended pending
his return.
NEW MINISTRY IN LEBANON
Following the Presidential elections in the Republic of Lebanon the
latter part of March, the Cabinet
of Habib Pasha Saad tended its resignation owing to the growing antagonism to its policies in the Representative Assembly. President Dabbas immediately called on Bishara
Bey Khouri, a former Premier, to
form a new cabinet. This move resulted in the reduction of the ministries to three in the interest of economy. At the same time, the Assembly passed the new amendments to
the Constitution empowering the
President to adjourn that body on
his own authority and call for new
elections. New elections are scheduled for June.
This measure has been severely
criticised by the press in that it reduces the Assembly to the role of
mere figureheads, but inasmuch as
it was sponsored by the mandatory
authorities it was approved.
SYRIAN AND WIFE
KILLED IN FLORIDA
Woman Fires at Chief of Police in
Defense of Husband and is shot
and Killed—Man Later Taken
From Jail and Killed by
Mob
One of the saddest tragedies in
the history of the Syrians in America was the brutal murder of Nicholas Romeo and his wife which occurred in Lake City, Fla., on May 16
and for which the Chief of Police
of that town and his men are said
to be responsible. From the many
�i;
46
accounts published by the Syrian
press of New York and coming from
various sources, the events preceding
and following the tragedy appear
to be substantially as follows:
In the town of Lake City, Florida,
there are but two Syrian families,
one of which is that of Romey, corrupted into Romeo. The family cons:'sts of the father, mother and four
children, the eldest, leer, a lad of
seventeen years.
On Thursday, May 9, leer took his
two younger sisters out for an automobile ride around the lake. They
were struck by another car emerging
suddenly from a side street at excessive speed. The occupants of thi.-;
car were found at fault and arrested.
It was discovered later that they
h-id concealed weapons under the
front seat and that the car had been
stolen, Which seems to account for
the!r reckless haste. They were
held under bond and a sum of $240.
found on their persons was taken
by the police. The Syrian boy was
not only absolved of all blame but
was even promised, according to
testimony, to have the cost of repairs to his car met out of the sum
seized from the occupants of the
stol"n automobile.
This supposed promise to make
good the cost of repairs seems to
have been the cause for the tragedy
which followed. For no sooner leer
Romeo had the damage repaired than
he cpllsd on the Chief of Police to
sett'e with the repair man who had
refused to deliver back the car unless paid or guaranteed the amount
by the Chief of Police. But when
the latter was called upon to redeem
'his promise he disclaimed all knowledge of the matter and flatly denied having guaranteed the cost of
repairs. It transpired later that
THE SYRIAN WORLD
the men responsible for the accident had been released and permitted to leave town.
A week later, Mrs. Romeo met
the Chief of Police and reminded
him of his promise to her son, and
upon denial by the chief of his ever
having made such promise Mrs. Romeo called him a liar.
Later the Chief of Police and a
number of his men came to the Romeo store and asked for Romeo or
his son, and upon being informed
that neither was there he ordered
Mrs. Romeo in harsh tones and with
the use of abusive language to remove from the sidewalk the vegetables she had on display there. She
protasted that other storekeepers
in the immediate neighborhood had
their goods on display on the sidewalk also, and when she refused
compliance with his order the Chief
of Police and his men attempted to
drag her forcibly to their car which
they had parked across the street.
At this a crowd collected and the
woman was released on the protest
of some leading citizens.
While all th:s was taking place
Nicholas Romeo, the husband, was
absent in Georgia on business. Upon
his return on May 16 he was informed of what had occurred and
in his anger called up the Chief of
Police and remonstrated with him
for his action. It is claimed that
he used harsh language and invited
the chief to come over and see if
things were as he wanted them.
Some state that in his anger he
even threatened the chief with violence.
' Taking the man at his word, the
Chief of Police, with four of his
men came over immediately and all
entered the store with drawn guns.
Mrs. Romeo, fearing just such re-
�JUNE, 1929
suit, had concealed her husband's
gun. Consequently, Romeo was defenseless against five armed men
who are said to have begun firing
without the least provocation, but
presumably for purposes of intimidation oniy. But when Romeo made
an attempt to steal behind the counter, a policeman is said to have struck
'him with a blackjack and felled him
to the ground where he lay unconscious with blood gushing from his
wound.
Mrs. Romeo came rushing to the
front of the store at the sound of
firing, and seeing her husband prostrate and wounded imagined he had
been killed. She thereupon fired at
the Chief of Police and wounded
h:m, the latter returning the fire
with the same result.
Just then the son, leer, came rushing to the side of his mother who,
fearing he would meet the same fate,
was admonishing him not to offer
any resistance, when one of the policemen, bending over her, is said
to have again shot at her several
times with a curse and the exclamation "Aren't you dead yet?"
Mrs. Romeo was removed to the
hospital and her 'husband taken to
jail. The son leer was also arrested,
and while being taken to jail is said
to have been threatened with lynching "because that is what is going
to happen to his father". That same
night a mob is claimed to have broken into the jail and taken Nicholas
Romeo to a spot several miles from
the town and killed him. Thirteen
bullet wounds were counted in his
body, some of which are said to
'have been dry, indicating that they
were inflicted after death.
Two negroes occupying cells adjoining that of Romeo are said not
to have heard any sound during the
47
whole night in question, which would
prompt to the conclusion that the
mob, if such was the case, must
have acted very efficiently and without encountering the least resistance.
On that very night Mrs. Romeo
died in the hospital.
The Governor of Florida was petitioned for the removal of the son
leer from the local jail owing to prevailing prejudice. The other children were also removed to Georgia
where they were given over to the
care of relatives.
The tragedy has aroused intense
feeling among the Syrians throughout the country, principally among
those in the Southern States where
several individuals and organjizai
tions have interested themselves actively in the matter. The Syrian papers of New York all carry long accounts of the circumstances surrounding the tragedy, of which new
details seem to develop every day.
Al-Hoda, the principal Syrian paper, announced that it had retained
Mr. Joseph W. Ferris, a Syrian
lawyer of New York, and Mr. F. S.
Rizk, another Syrian lawyer of Jacksonville, Fla., to study the circumstances of the case and report on a
suitable course of action. Mr. Rizk
went to Lake City and made a personal investigation of the whole affair and interviewed many prominent citizens of the town—bankers,
merchants, newsnapermen, etc.—
and embodied his findings in an exhaustive report to Mr. Ferris which
was published by Al-Hoda and contains substantially the facts as given
above.
Al-Hoda is of the opinion that the
Syrians should proceed with extreme
caution in this matter and await the
results of a thorough and impartial
�48
investigation before forming judgment. A certain feeling of prejudice undeniably exists against the
Syrians in some parts of the South
and any rash action on their part
might tend to aggravate matters unnecessarily.
STAND OF SENATOR
REED ON SYRIANS
He Amplifies his Statement on 'the
Trash of the Mediterranean"
Congress
The statement of Senator David
Reed of Pennsylvania that the Syrians were of the "trash" of the Mediterranean 'has aroused intense indignation among Syrians throughout the country with the result that
scores of protests were sent to many
Senators in Washington. One such
protest came from the Syrian American Club of Cleveland, Ohio, and
was read by Senator Burton on the
floor of the Senate and published in
the Congressional Record of June 7.
Later on during this debate not only
was there a recapitulation of the
original charges of Senator Reed,
but an amplification by him of his
original remarks which cannot be
termed a retraction.
As reported in the Congressional
Record, Senator Burton prefaced his
speech by reading What he termed
the "pertinent portion" of the remarks of Senator Reed made in the
Senate during the debate on the National Origins clause of the Immigration Bill on April 29, which were
as follows:
"For a long time before the war"
"broke out in Europe this country"
THE SYRIAN WORLD
"was the trash basket of Europe."
"We were sent thousands of immi-"
"grants who were excused from"
"penitentiary sentences on condi-"
"1jion that they would emigrate"
"to America. We got the trash of"
"the Mediterranean, all that Le-"
"vantine stock that churns around"
"through there and does not know"
"what its own ancestry is. It came"
"here in large numbers from Syria"
"and the Turkish provinces and"
"from different countries of the"
"Balkan Peninsula and from that"
"part of southeastern Europe."
"This sweeping condemnation,"
said Senator Burton, "seems to include the Syrains, and very naturally
the community of Syrians in northern Ohio have protested against
such an attack as this. Of my own
acquaintance with them I shall wish
to speak in a few minutes, but I
would ask at this t:me that the clerk
read the protest filed by the Syrian
American Club of Cleveland."
At this point an able exposition
of the clean record of the Syrians
in the United States, prepared by
the Club above mentioned, was read
by order of the Vice President. It
was signed by the Good and Welfare
Committee of the Club consisting
of Jess. N. Saba, chairman, James
Solomon and Michael Caraboolad.
Senator Burton then continued:
"I am acquainted with many of the
Syrian people of northern Ohio, and
I may say for them that their names
very rarely appear in the criminal
court records. As soon as possible
they become naturalized American
citizens. Their children are taking
an honorable place in the public
schools and they, whether as merchants, laborers or in whatever capacity, are becoming an integral and
helpful part in otfr cosmopolitan
�mmmmmm
JUNE, 1929
49
population. I much regret the state- ever made on immigration that we
ment made by the Senator from can treat this question only in the
Pennsylvania, and at the same time spirit of the Declaration of IndepenI must say that the letter just read dence that all men were born equal,
is a little stronger in some of its and that remark is always included
adjectives than I would altogether and invariably an effort is made to
approve, but it is very natural that . introduce questions of race prejuthe writers should be extremely sen- dice. If America is to legislate
sitive about the attack and should soundly on this subject it can not
answer with some degree of bitter- be done in that spirit."
ness."
SYRIAN PROTESTS
In defense of his own stand, Senator Reed made the following reSenator Reed's remarks gave rise
ply to the remarks of Senator Burto one of the rare occasions when
ton.
the Syrians throughout the United
"It seems impossible to discuss States were aroused to action. The
immigration without arousing the Syrian press of New York publishes
feelings of a great number of sen- the text of many protests sent by
sitive and hypersensitive groups. Syrian organizations and individuals
I never said that the Syrian people in various cities. Miss Lila Manwere the trash of the Mediterra- dour, born in Pennsylvania, Senator
nean, and anyone who reads my Reed's home state, wrote the Senastatements will see that I did not. tor a strong letter of protest to
I said that from all around the which he replied with the explanashores of the Mediterranean came tion that his remarks were not inthe trash of that region and that tended to include all Syrians. He
they came from the Turkish Pro- makes no retraction of his statevinces and from Syria and from all ment in Congress, but promises Miss
other countries which I could have Mandour to read the book of Dr.
listed. That is true. Everyone who Philip K. Hitti "The Syrians in
hears my voice at this moment knows America" which she had sent him.
that it is true. But it is equally
Owing to the identical nature of
true that I made no reflection what- the protests, we are omitting their
soever upon the Syrians as a race or publication textually. Senator Hias an* immigrant strain.
ram Bingham of Connecticut, ack"Anyone who undertakes to de- nowledging the protest of Joseph
bate the subject of immigraton res- Hage, Secretary of the Syrian Amertrictions will find himself the un- ican Association of the United States
lucky victim of that kind of mis- with headquarters in Connecticut,
construction. He will be accused iadvises that "the subject having!
of a racial prejudice of which he been considered on the Senate floor,
is wholly unconscious. Sometimes I am of the belief that it has now
the accusation will be made to curry received sufficient official cognizance"
favor with the people in question This advice is timely as regards
and sometimes it will be made be- perfunctory protests sent to Senacause of their hypersensitfveness. tors, but it is equally obvious that
I have said in every speech I have the Syrians should learn a lesson
�=====
so
from this incident and seriously con-"
sider means for improving Ijhercr;
status as a component element in
the make-up of the American nation. Senator Reed plainly accuses
them along with other Mediterranean
"trash" of not knowing what their
own ancestry is. This is a direct and
open challenge to Syrians to develop a little more knowledge of their
ancestral background that they may
be able, when the necessity arises,
to defend and prove their racial extraction. The young generation Syrians in the United States should be
especially interested in such poignant remark which seems to be directed squarely at them, and it
should arouse them to take interest
' in those matters which affect their
status as a racial strain in the country.
SYRIAN GRADUATES
OF COLUMBIA
Six Syrians graduated from Columbia University in New York this
year, one of whom being a Syrian
girl of Boston who had specialized
in the study of ancient history.
The graduates are:
David Kasir of Mosul, Ph. D. in
mathematics and education.
Shafik Nafash of Horns, Syria and
Union City, N. J., M. D.
Miss Theodora Scoff of Zahle, Lebanon and Boston, Mass. M. A. in
history.
Ibrahim Dada of Damascus, M. A.
in education.
Iskandar Harik of Shwair, Lebanon, M. A. in education.
Jamil Esterabadi of Bagdad, M. A.
in business.
THE SYRIAN WORLD
DR. HITTI SUCCEEDS
PROFESSOR ROGERS
A special despatch to the N. Y.
Times from Princeton on April 27
carried the announcement that Dr.
Robert William Rogers, professor
of ancient literature on the Paton
Foundation at Princeton University
and a specialist in ancient Oriental
literature, will retire at the end of
the academic year. Professor Rogers' course will be conducted next
year by Associate Professor Philip
K. Hitti, who has been a member of
the Department of Oriental Languages and Literature for three years.
MEANING OF "SYRIA"
Philip C. Sabbagha, a Syrian high
school boy of Columbia, S. C, availing himself of the offer of Dr. Philip
K. Hitti through the Syrian World
to answer historical questions on
Syria, has written to Dr. Hitti asking the meaning and the philological
derivation of the word "Syria". Dr.
Hitti's answer follows:
The English word Syria comes
from the Greek Suria.. Arabic Suriah comes also from the same Greek
word and is nearer to it than the
English word because Arabic got
it directly from Greek, whereas English got it through Latin and other
Romance languages. The first Greek
writer in whose works we find Suria
is Herodotus, the historian who lived
in the fifth century before Christ.
In Septuagint, the Greek translation
of the Bible, the word Suria is also
used. But Homer, the early Greek
poet, used "Arameans" for the people
of Syria.
The Hebrews did not know the
word Suria. They use "Aram" in
?
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—
7LW£, 7929
r\l t /
it
'
the Bible. This is the word translated by the Greek Septuagint Suria.
Likewise, before the Arab conquest,
the Syrians called themselves Arameans, and their country Aram. After
the Arab conquest the land was called al-Sham.
Now the question is where did the
Greeks get the word Suria from?
They got it from the ancient Babylonians. In cuneiform, the ancient
writing of Babylonia, all the land to
the west including northern Syria
and northern Mesopotamia is called
Suri.. What Sufi means in Babylonian is not certain. Some scholars
think it means "the west", others
"the highland."
English Syria and Arabic Suriyah,
therefore, come from Greek Suria.
Greek Suria is from Babylonian Suri,
meaning "the west" and possibly
"the highland".
Those who say that Syria is derived from "Assyria" or from "Sur"
(Tyre, meaning rock,) are wrong.
They are deceived by the superficial
similarity of sound.
DINNER IN HONOR
OF FADLOU HOURANI
The Alumni Association in New
York of the American University of
Beirut gave a dinner at the Hotel
McAlpin on June 13 in honor of Mr.
Fadlou Hourani, now touring the
United States with his family.
This public testimonial to Mr.
Hourani was in recognition of the
fact that he was largely responsible
for the success of the Alumni movement which he had sponsored and
financed in its earlier stage. Himself an alumnus of the A. U. B. and
having achieved considerable success
51
in his commercial enterprises in
Manchester, England, Mr. Hourani
gave liberally of his time and money
to educational, social and church
work. He was appointed a member of a delegation of six laymen
representing the Presbyterian church
of all England at the general convention of that church to be held in
Boston.
Mr. Nesib Trabulsi, president of
the Alumni Association of New York,
after briefly welcoming the distinguished guest in the name of the
Association, requested Dr. Philip K.
Hitti of Princeton University and the
foremost representative of the alumni body of the American University
of Beirut in America, to act as toastmaster. The speakers were: Dr. R.
G. Haddad, prominent physician of
Brooklyn; S. A. Mokarzel, editor of
the Syrian World; N. M. Diab, editor
of Meraat-Ul-Gharb; Albert Staub,
American director of the Near East
Colleges Association, and Mobadda
Rashid of Chautauqua.
SYRIAN TO CONDUCT
.. PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
During every summer, the Philharmonic Orchestra holds a series
of concerts at the Lewisohn Stadium
in New York. This year three of the
performances will feature Ruth St.
Denis, Ted Shawn and their ensemble. Of special interest to us is that
all of these three performances will
be conducted by our talented pianist
Mr. Anis Fuleihan. On each of
these occasions the full orchestra
will be used, and the pieces to be
played are of Mr. Fuleihan's own
composition.
We are further informed that one of
�52
the numbers will represent a North
African scene depicting certain Arab
ceremonies and rituals.
CONCERT IN NEW YORK
BY FEDORA KURBAN
The first concert in New York by
Mme. Fedora Kujrban, styled the
Syrian nightingale, was given under
the auspices of the Rev. Dr. and
Mrs. K. A. Bis'hara at the Brooklyn
Academy of Music on the evening
of May 16. Mme. Kurban was assisted by Mr. Alexander Malaof and
his Oriental orchestra, and the proceeds of the concert were to help
the institutions for the blind and
the orphans in Syria.
Mme. Kurban gave selections in
several languages, and her art was
well appreciated by the audience of
over five hundred. Miss Amelia Hall
was at the piano in several numbers.
Dr. Bishara spoke in both Arabic
and English on this occasion. The
text of his English address appears
in this issue of the Syrian World.
SYRIAN BOY WINS
ORATORICAL CONTEST
Louis Dakhil, 18, of McAlester,
Okla., and sophomore at the University of Oklahoma, has for the
second time won first place in the
State Oratorical Contest on the subject of "World Peace." Besides the
honor of being state champion, the
winner also received a cash prize
of $100.00.
Mr. Dakhil is a graduate of McAlester High School and is now
studying medicine.
THE SYRIAN WORLD
LEBANESE POET
DIES IN FRANCE
The Syrian press reports the death
on April 3 of Chukri Ganem, famous
Lebanese poet, at his villa at Anteib,
France, at the age of 67.
The best known work of M. Ganem
was 'his play "Antar' which was acclaimed with great enthusiasm when
it was first presented at the Odeon
in Paris. This and other works entitled M. Ganem to a high rank
among the contemporary poets and
writers of France. * He was decorated with the Commandant medal
of the Legion d'honneur.
M. Ganem was born in Beirut and
educated at the Lazahist College at
Aintoura, Lebanon. He early in life
chose to live in France and in a short
time came to move in the highest
literary and political circles of Paris.
During the World War and after,
he was special adviser to the French
government on Near Eastern affairs,
especially those of Mt. Lebanon and
Syria. He counted among his intimate friends M. Raymond Poincare,
the French Premier.
In recognition of his distinguished
services to his motherland, the Lebanese government, at the suggestion of Gen. Weygand when French
High Commissioner in Syria, made
him an annual allowance of 30.000f
for life.
i
i
SYRIAN GIRL OFFICER
OF SPANISH CLUB
We copy the following item from
the Worcester Evening Post of
June 1.
"Miss Helen G. Agbay, a junior
at Emanuel College in Boston, has
�^^••-• -
JUNE, 1929
been elected president of the Spanish
club, El Club Espanol, for the coming college year. Miss Agbay served
as treasurer of the club in her sophomore year and was its secretary in
her junior year."
SYRIAN INVENTS
CARDING MACHINE
A machine which has long been
the hope of manufacturers of hatters' fur has finally been perfected
by a Syrian fur manufacturer, Mr.
Joseph Morin of Newark, N. J.
Mr. Morin has been in the hat fur
manufacturing business for a considerable time, and enjoyed the advantage of having learned the industry from the ground up. Realizing both the danger and the waste
of the old-style machines used in
the application of nitrate of silver
to the pelts he conceived the idea of
making a machine that would automatically do the work without injury to the quality of the product.
He perfected the machine and secured the necessary patents for it in
1928, and this year he placed it on
the market by renting it out to hat
manufacturers.
While the old style machines required the services of almost ten
men who ran the dangers peculiar
to the industry, Mr. Morin's machine
is so simple and practical that it can
be operated by two children with
absolute safety and accuracy.
STORY OF SYRIAN
PRISONERS A HOAZ
For the past year or so the Syrian
press both at home and abroad had
been greatly agitated over the supposed existence in Singapore of some
-—
33
twenty thousand Syrian prisoners
who were said to have been taken
by the British during their Mesopotamian campaign and held in Singapore in conditions resembling penal slavery.
It has now transpired that the
whole story was a hoax concocted
by one Sadik Abbas of Bagdad for
exploiting patriotic sentiment. The
British authorities of Palestine, although having categorically denied
the truth of any such reports, continued, nevertheless, their persistent
efforts to trace them to their source.
Finally Sadik Abbas was arrested
and questioned. He denied that he
was acting for any foreign government maintaining that his sole object was to secure easy money by
this means. He was sentenced to
three years' imprisonment and deportation from Palestine at the expiration of his term.
A Jewish accomplice, also a native
of Iraq, was sentenced to only three
months' imprisonment and subsequent deportation.
NOTED ORIENTALIST AT
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
Professor A. T. Olmstead, noted
American Orientalist and formerly
Professor of History and Curator of
the Oriental Museum at the University of Illinois, has accepted a position as Professor of Oriental History in the Oriental Institute of the
University of Chicago. The Oriental Institute is especially interested
in the earlier history of the Near
East, and has excavations and other
work going on in the field in Egypt,
Palestine, Asia Minor and Mesopotamia. It has, besides, much research work going on at home at
.
�54
the University of Chicago. This
Institute is one of the foremost
American institutions specializing^
in such work, and many discoveries
and field expeditions on a large scale
may be laid to its credit.
Professor Olmstead is the author
of several authoritative works on
the history of Assyria and has spent
several years in Syria engaged in
field work and study. Readers of
the Syrian World will recall his generous assistance in the translation
of articles describing the many interesting antiquities in the Beirut
Museum.
NEAR EAST RELIEF
COMPLETES ITS WORK
Further Efforts will be to Help Near
East Peoples Help Themselves
In a report issued the latter part
of May by the American Near East
Relief, covering a period of ten years
and an expenditure of $100,000,000,
an account of its stewardship is given together with recommendations
for the discontinuance of all relief
emergency work after present commitments are met.
The report is declared to "mark
the virtual completion of the tragic
chapter of massacre and exile,
brightened only by deeds of mercy
done on such vast scale as the world
had »never known before. It marks
the beginning of a new chapter—one
of constructive helpfulness through
education to those who sit in the
ancestral house of Christendom that
new woes may be prevented."
The conclusions of the survey, as
reported by the New York Times of
THE SYRIAN WORLD
May 21, are partially as follows:
"American effort in the Near East
has been of splendid service in helping in the task of rehabilitating the
countries that make up the area.
"Unfortunately there has been
too much tendency to institutionalize
and to consider the institution as an
outpost of civilization carrying a
message to barbarians.
"Great need exists for wholesale
training of the masses in ways of
earning their daily bread, safeguarding against sickness and appreciating the values of life."
,
A significant statement in the report is that alluding to the status
of the Armenians residing outside
Armenia and making suitable provisions for them as "minorities in
populations often keenly antagonistic."
Another significant statement is
the comment on the nature of education heretofore prevailing in Near
Eastern countries. While acknowledging the services rendered by
American institutions of higher education in the Near East, it points
out that their work is badly needed
along the line of developing native
leadership of the highest type. The
outstanding need, it is pointed out,
is for "boys and girls with the kind
of practical education that will equip
them for leadership in the small villages in which the bulk of the population of the Near East lives, not
the kind of education that will cause
them to turn their backs upon the
people from which they came."
The main recommendations in the
report have already been approved
at a conference of American agencies
in the Near East, held at Constantinople, a summary of which is contributed to the report by President
Bayard Dodge of the American Uni-
i
i
s
�JUNE, 1929
55
versity of Beirut, who was chairman
of the conference.
Cleveland H.
Dodge, it was said, heads a committee now working out a program
to put into effect the recommendations of the survey.
SYRIAN PHYSICIAN CLAIMS
IMPORTANT DISCOVERY
A paper by Dr. M. A. Shadid of
Elk City, Okla., appearing in the
May, 1929 issue of Clinical Medicine
and Surgery published at Chicago,
gives the result of a treatment discovered by Dr. Shadid which is said
to be an effective cure for influenza
and pneumonia.
Dr. Shadid received his medical
education in the United States and
is the founder of Elk Sanitarium at
Elk City.
NEWS OF SOCIETIES
i
!
PLEDGE FROM TEXAS
Editor, The Syrian World,
At the regular meeting of the Syrian American Club of this city, held
on May 5th., the Federation movement was brought up for discussion
and I wish to advise you that the
entire membership gave it their
whole-hearted endorsement.
We are of the conviction that this
is the first and only logical step toward organizing Syrian-Americans
into federated societies, which may
ultimately causa co-operative and
unifying action among our people.
There exists no doubt that we are
in dire need of leadership.
Our club is still in its infancy; it
was organized on April first of f this
year, and we now have a substantial membership.
We feel that the Syrian WTorld has
justified its existence in undertaking
the federation movement. Therefore
we are happy to extend our congratulations and profound good wishes
to your magazine for its most valued
and remarkable enterprise.
S. J. Ackels, Pres.
Dallas, Texas.
AMERICANS SPEAK TO
SYRIANS ON SYLIA
(Special Correspondence)
Boston, Mass.—The members of
the Caravaneers Club of this city
had an especial treat when Miss
Grace Freidinger and the Rev. Mr.
Lawrence McGuffin entertained them
with stories and stereopticon views
of Syria on Monday evening, April 1
And it was no April Fool joke,
either! for Miss Freidinger and Mr.
McGuiiin know Syria very well, 'having lived and taught there.
The Caravaneers were very much
thrilled to find Miss Freidinger singing Syrian songs written in Arabic.
Mr. McGuffin, who is a product of
East Lynn, Mass., taught for three
years at Suk-el-Gharb, and, while
visiting his boys during the summer,
took many interesting pictures and
had many fine opportunities to know
the country.
Miss Freidinger, who taught for
nine years in the Lebanon Mountains
is a product of Springfield, 111. Since
her return in December 1927, she
has been longing for an opportunity
J
�$9
THE SYRIAN WQRL&
to mingle with Syrians in this country. She is very much interested in
Syrian affairs and considered that
she had discovered a "gold mine"
when she became acquainted with
Miss Labeebee A. J. Hanna, a Boston
school teacher of Syrian descent,
through whom she was introduced
to the Caravaneers Club.
This informative and entertaining
talk held the interest of the members
for two hours, not only because of
Miss Freidinger's enthusiasm, but
because it was about a country of
which many of the members had
heard but had never seen.
PLAY BY LADIES' SOCIETY
ENTERTAINMENT AND DANCE
The Daughters of the United Maronites Society of New York held
their fifth annual entertainment
and dance at the St. Paul Council
of the K. C. in Brooklyn on Saturday
evening, June 1st. The affair was
thoroughly enjoyed by a large attendance.
The Ladies' Syrian Association of
Spring Valley, 111., gave a three-act
play on the afternoon of Sunday,
May 12. for the benefit of St. George
Orthodox church of that city.
The whole cast was made up of
the younger members of the society
and were complimented for their
display of talent.
Addresses were delivered by the
Rev. Seraphim Nassar; Mrs. Sam
Aboud, President; Miss Elizabeth
Abrahams, Secretary, and Miss Ameline Jacobs.
LEBANESE CLUB FORMED
On April 13 the young people of
Adams, Mass. formed an organization to which they gave the name
of Lebanese Boys' and Girls' Social
Club. Their first entertainment was
held during the latter of May and
was attended by over 250 persons
from Adams and neighboring cities.
Writing of the purpose of the club,
Miss
Edna Shakar, the president,
NE(WS OF CLEVELAND, OHIO
said that "until the formation of the
A dance and card party for the club there was little social enterbenefit of St. Maron's church was course among the Syrian community
held at the K. of C. Hall on June 1. of the city, but now there has been
The committee in charge reported created a common interest."
the affair a financial success.
The club would like to correspond
—The play "Rabeebat Al Gibal", with similar organizations in New
given by the Zahle American society England for the promotion of soof this city at! the Metropolitan cial activities. Its address is 87
Theatre on May 12 was well acted Commercial St., Adams, Mass.
and consisted of a cast wholly comOne of the first official acts of
posed of members under the able the club was in making a gift of a
direction of our Dr. H. B. Khuri.
year's subscription to the Syrian
During one of the intermissions, World to the local public library bethe Rt. Rev. Msgr. Riashi of Akron cause "we want Americans to come
gave some appropriate comments to know us as we really are through
on Mother's Day.
the medium of this wonderful organ
A. J. Shalala of Syrian culture."
�Memoirs of Usamah
By Dr. PHILIP K. HITTI
Who was Usamah?
»'
Usamah was a warrior, a hunter, a gentleman and a
poet who sojourned in the courts of the Fatimite caliph in
Cairo, of Saladin in Damascus and of Zanlci in al-Musil. His
Memoirs, of which only one copy is preserved in the Escurial
Spain, open before us a wide and new vista into medieval
times and constitute an invaluable contribution to our knowledge of Arab-Syrian culture in itself and in its relation to
Western thought and practice.
Usamah gives us a first-hand description of the battles
in which he took part in defense of his castle, Shayzar, against
the Franks and native enemies. He then devotes a section
to rare anecdotes more delectable than which can be found
nowhere in Arabic literature, and closes with another on falconry as practiced in Syria, Egypt and Mesopotamia. Long
paragraphs are devoted to his impressions of the character
of the Franks and their methods of medication and judicial
procedure. In their simplicity of narrative, dignity and
wealth of contents and general human interest, these Memoirs stand unexcelled in the literature of the Crusades.
They acquaint us with the Syrian methods of warfare, hawking and medication, and usher us into the intimacies of
Moslem court life as well as private home life.
This book is published by the Columbia University Press.
We rust our readers will show their apprecaition of Syrian scholarship by the liberal purchase of copies both for
their private libraries and for gifts.
THE SYRIAN WORLD has been appointed sales agent
for the Syrians, and sells the book at the publishers' regular
price of $4,50, plus 25c for postage.
ORDER YOUR COPY NOW
JL.
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T:
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»
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A BOOK YOU SHOULD HAVE
MAKER OF MODERN ARABIA, by Ameen
Rihani has proven a literary sensation. Never before
has a more accurate, extensive and authoritative picture of central Arabia been presented with as much
power. It is an epic of the desert j an up-to-the-minute
"close up" of the cradle of the Arabian race.
*
The author of this great work is a Syrian of whom
everyone of his countrymen should be proud. A copy
of his book should be found in every Syrian home of
culture.
"Mr. Rihani's pieture of the Wahabis is the sort of firsthand authoritative stuff that puts this book above and wholly
outside the range of the usual treatises either of travel, observation or politics."
N. Y. Herald-Tribune.
f a
II
"The command over the subtleties of our anomalous language revealed in these pages, is uncanny. To read is to enjoy
the pleasure of music. From Ameen Rihani we have what can
scarcely fail to be a final portrait of that formidable chieftain,
Ibn Sa'oud, by right of conquest King of Mecca."
New York Times.
II
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ORDER YOUR COPY FROM THE SYRIAN WORLD
AT THE PUBLISHER'S PRICE
$6.00 postpaid.
-J
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A
GLORIOUS HOLIDAY
AND
A
GREAT EDUCATION
is no better way of spending your summer vacation
than by taking our tour leaving New York July 2nd,
escorted by the Editor of THE SYRIAN WORLD, Mr.
Salloum A. Mokarzel, through
THERE
I
LEBANON, SYRIA and THE HOLY LAND.
*
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Visits will also be made to
CONSTANTINOPLE, ORAN
and
LISBON, NAPLES, ATHENS,
MADEIRA.
CONGENIAL COMPANIONS
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COMFORTABLE ACCOMMODATIONS
SURPRISINGLY LITTLE COST
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For booklets and details as well as for membership
in this tour write to
A. K. HITTI & COMPANY
60 Washington Street
NEW YORK CITY
Telephone—BOWLING
GREEN
2765-9754
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<<«<«<<<<4'<<<<«<<<-<<<<<«<<<<<<<*<<<«<<<«<<<<4<44<«-f
THE LEBANON NATIONAL BANK
319 FIFTH AVENUE,
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DOWNTOWN OFFICE
59 Washington St,
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LEGAL DEPOSITORY OF The United States—New York StateNew York City.
MEMBER OF The Federal Reserve Bank—New York State Bankers Association—American Bankers Association.
*
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We invite the accounts of Individuals, Firms, Corporations, Banks, and Trust Companies j offering all facilities consistent with conservative banking.
INTEREST DEPARTMENT
AT 4%
Deposits made on or before the ten days of January,
April, July and October, and the third day of any other
month, will draw 4% interest from the first of these
months, compounded quarterly.
Certificates of Deposit, an attractive short-term investment, if left for six months or longer will bear interest for the full term of deposit, at such rates as may be
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Personally conducted tours insuring maximum pleasure and eomIfort at moderate costs.
Our experience covering a period of fifty years enables us to
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For information on rates and itineraries address
S. K. HAIEK & CO.
Winter
No 2 Sharia Kamel
Societe Orientale de tourism©
Cairo, Egypt.
Cable address: Haiek Potiphar
Summer
Beit Cbabab,
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Cable address: Haiek.
l)^<gs>£\^^/CN<CvCV^^/e^^/^^<;5^^
The Syrians in America
By Philip K. Hitti, Ph. D.
*f
A book that is encyclopedic in
its information about the Syrians
—their origin, history, progress,
faiths, racial peculiarities and
particularly their present status
in America.
Dr. Hitti is an authority on this
subject. His book should be read
by all Americans of Syrian descent and all Americans interested
in Syria and Syrians.
Price, $1.25 postpaid.
On sale at the office of
"The Syrian World"
Sheik Coffee
is the master coffee made to
meet all the requirements
of the strict coffee connoisseurs. It is genuine Arabian
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Ground fine for the Turkish
Cup and coarse for
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if from your grocer, order
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ARABIAN COFFEE
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220 5th
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NEW YORK CITY
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�The Arabic
Linotype in
the Far East
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From as far as the Federated Malay States have come orders
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machine for composition in all languages using Arabic as their
basic characters. Late in 1928, an order for such a machine was
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satisfaction with the first machine during its long period of trial.
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industry in the East, where the Linotype is bound to revolutionize methods of composing type just as it did in the West.
The Model 14 Arabic Linotype is capable of composition not
only in Arabic and all other languages using Arabic characters,
but in all Western languages as well by the simple change of
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Newspapers
Description
An account of the resource
<h4>Biographical/Historical Note</h4>
<p>Salloum Mokarzel, a Lebanese American intellectual, founded<em> The Syrian World</em> in 1926. Salloum Mokarzel was the younger brother of Naoum Mokarzel, the publisher of the Arabic-language newspaper <em>Al-Hoda. </em>Together, the Mokarzel brothers ran Al-Hoda Publishing, and in 1909, they published <em>The Syrian Business Directory.</em> </p>
<p>Mokarzel created <em>The Syrian World</em> in order to document and celebrate the culture and history of "Syria." At the time, Syria referred to the modern-day countries of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. The publication was primarily aimed towards second-generation children of immigrants, but Mokarzel hoped that it would also appeal to the general American public.</p>
<h4>Scope/Content Note</h4>
<p><em>The Syrian World</em> was published between 1926 and 1932 as a journal. In 1932, the format was changed from an academic journal style to a newspaper style, which continued until the periodical's end in 1935. After the death of his brother Naoum, Salloum took over the publication of <em>Al-Hoda.</em></p>
<p>The articles in <em>The Syrian World</em> cover a variety of topics spanning from the practical to the theoretical. Practical subjects include international and domestic travel, historical and contemporary Arabic and Arab-American art and literature, and the mental and physical health and hygiene of immigrants. More theoretical, philosophical, and ideological subjects include ideologies of race, the changing role of women, the formation of Syrian and Lebanese-American societies, and the political and psychological relationships between immigrants and their countries of origin.</p>
<p>All issues of <em>The Syrian World</em> are available, along with full indexes for the first four volumes. For volumes five and six, there are tables of contents at the start of the issues.</p>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabs--United States
Arabic periodicals
Newspapers
Arab American Newspapers
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Source
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
TSW1929_06reducedWM
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Volume 03, Issue 12
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1929 June
Description
An account of the resource
Volume 3 Issue 12 of The Syrian World published June 1929. The issue begins with an article by Dr. Bayard Dodge titled "Education and Catastrophe," which discusses the importance of education as an internal measure of preventing catastrophe in society. Following it is a continuation of Ameen Rihani's travel experiences in Arabia, this time a "Lesson in Zoology and Healing." Rihani spends time with King Hussein, and in doing so sees how much the king enjoys the company of small animals and takes an interest in traditional medical practices. The king enlists one of his own surgeons to help Rihani with arm pain, which disappears after a simple salve of butter and garlic. The next piece is a poem by Labeebee A. J. Hanna titled "Will You Come Back!" which discusses the pain of remembering times lost. The short story "The Greatness of John Hasbani" by Rev. W. A. Mansur is next. A continuation of Dr. Philip K. Hitti's discussion of Book of Usama follows. Dr. George Knaysi writes about the relationship between science and the biological significance of youth and age. The issue concludes with excerpts from the Arab press, the Reader's Forum, and news on the Syrian societies from around the U.S.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabic literature--History and criticism--Periodicals
Arabs--United States--Periodicals
Lebanese-Americans--United States--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Syrian-American Press
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
104 Greenwich St., New York, NY
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text/pdf
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
1920s
Ameen Rihani
Education
George Knaysi
John Hasbani
Labeebee A.J. Hanna
Medical
New York
Philip Khuri Hitti
Reverend W.A. Mansur