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�THF
SYRIAN WORLD
SALLOUM
A.
MOKARZEL,
Editor.
PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE SYRIAN-AMERICAN PRESS
104
GREENWICH STREET, NEW YORK,
By subscription $5.00 a year.
N. Y.
Single copies 50c.
Entered as second-class matter, June 25, 1926, at the post office at New
York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879.
VOL. II.
No. 11.
I
MAY, 1928.
CONTENTS
PAGE
Word-Borrowing in English and Words Borrowed from the
A rabic
j
PROF. BYRON SMITH
BeVs Lions (Poem)
§
DR. SALIM
Y.
ALKAZIN
Keyserling on the East
A Special Interview.
9
Racial Origins
12
The Bedouin Child (Poem)
13
THEO. WATTS-DUNTON
Cross-Currents in the East
14
THE EDITOR
'-^ -t-r--*"~"----
'~-~~—«——-—— — *--+ -~..,-~~— -:Tt _
�CONTENTS
(Continued)
PAGE
2
War and the Small Nations
^
KAHLIL GIBRAN
24
The Scar (Short Story)
DR.
N. A.
KATIBAH
Amara and her Master-Lover (Arabian Tale)
SI
Arab Proverbs
JJ
Arabic Newspapers in America
36
An Arab King at Home
40
When I Am Dead (Poem)
43
RAMSAY MOOREHEAD
Spirit of the Syrian Press
44
Readers* Forum
49
Political Developments in Syria
51
Missionaries Among Moslems
53
About Syria and Syrians
55
|
�THE
SYRIAN WORLD
VOL. II.
No. 11.
MAY, 1928
Word-Borrowing in English
AND WORDS BORROWED FROM THE ARABIC *
By
BYRON SMITH
Professor of English in the American University of Beirut.
It is my purpose in this paper to discuss the vocabulary of
the English language, especially in connection with the words
borrowed from the Arabic language.
As new ideas arise in the history of a progressive people,
new words are needed to express these ideas. These new words
may be obtained in three ways, they may be invented, they may
be borrowed from other languages, or old words may be used
in modified form, or in form unchanged, to fit the new meaning. ^
The method of invention belongs historically in an early
period of language development and comparatively few words
enter the English vocabulary in this way in modern times. It
was once believed that our ancestors had a peculiar power, or
gift, of invention which modern man has lost, but we now know
that when the situation demands a new word the word will be
forthcoming. A well known example is the word "kodak" invented by an American manufacturer of cameras who is still living, yet the word is so well-known that it has been adopted into
* In the December, 1927, issue of The Syrian World an article by Prof.
Smith entitled "Arabic Words in the English Vocabulary" was the
first of a series of three articles on the subject of which this is the
second. The third, dealing more specifically with words borrowed
from the Arabic, will appear in a coming issue.
�4
THE SYRIAN WORLD
several foreign languages. A brief study of the advertising
pages of any American magazine will reveal a number of newly
invented words to describe manufactured articles. Most of these
words are doomed to a short existence and early oblivion, a few
of them will find their way into the dictionaries as members of
the vocabulary in good and regular standing.
Old words given a new meaning form a small but important class. In an earlier article I mentioned the word "broadcast", which once denoted the sowing of grain by hand, but now
is used to mean the sending, out of radio impulses in all directions from a distributing center. The great war clothed a number of old words in new meanings. Those of us who were in
Beirut during the war may remember how we were puzzled by
a statement in the newspapers, to the effect that the "tanks" used
by the Allies were not very efficient after all. After a time we
learned that a tank, which once meant a large vessel to contain
water, had come to mean a movable steel fortress, a land battleship. Sometimes a new word is formed by compounding several
old terms. A fine example of this is the word "folklore", made of
the two old English words, "folk" and "lore", and meaning the
study of ancient customs and superstitions. The German language is given to this kind of word formation, adding word to
word, till the result is as long as some sentences. Sometimes
these long words are reduced to useful form by reducing them
to a short word made of the most prominent consonants or sylThe method most favored by the English language for the
increase of its vocabulary is the adoption of foreign words. In
the case of scientific terms, these foreign words are almost invariably of Latin or Greek origin, usually a compound ot two
words One has only to run through the list of words ending
in "-ology", a Greek word meaning "word" or "science", to see
how heavily the scientific vocabulary is loaded with these borrowings from the classical languages.
By these various methods the English vocabulary is increased It has been estimated that 20 new words are added on
the average, every year. But by far the more frequent method
is that of borrowing, from the dead languages of Greece and
Rome, or from living languages of the world at large.
Otto Jesperson (pronounced Yesperson), the great Danish
student of languages, says that in his opinion the English Ian-
�MAY, 1928
guage is decidedly masculine in its characteristics, as opposed to
feminine or infantile. He points to its clearly denned sounds
e
m
d8
haS the
to7ZZ
T^°nofTdany
T
' * * klanguage,
^
number of monosyllables
European
its logical
word order, and, above all, to its vastness ancfwomofW
bulary as evidences of its masculine character. Its vocabulary
I
has th argest number of words of
guile'
-r Women
"guage. m,
I his, says V
Jesperson, is a masculine trait.
as
e fe words than men but
Ltf^ho se c
> -—*« s *
the Fnllfrrf°m °f V0Ca^ulary J^person means the ability of
the English language to borrow words from any source. Any
combinations of sounds that can be pronounced by the English'
enCa
Tat^ome
. T
H l^
'* the ^^
and
beat
home in the
English
language.
If some ^**5
part of a new
word represents a sound that is not known in English, the nearest substitute is accepted in its place. The word "sheikh" has
been used in English since the days of Queen Elizabeth. It firs
appeared in print in 1577, but it remained as an inconspicuous
word
a few ars ago when a
boT^il
^
, mader its appearance. As^^
book with this word for title
English
has no sound corresponding to kh £ the sound of k was substituted and the word "sheek" is now a popular term to describe
a person addicted to violent and unscrupulous love-making
^* Purf^ly no Wuage now spoken on earth has failed to
contribute to the English vocabulary, and many dialects have
supplied new words. When Americans first explored the Indian names of plants and animals were used and many have
survived to the present, as, potato, tobacco, opossum, etc. When
the South Seas were entered by Europeans they brought back
such words as taboo, kangaroo, tattoo, etc.
Turning now to the words contributed to English by the
Arabic language, we find that, though th& Arabic words are much
fewer in number than those borrowed from the languages of
modern Europe, they are, on the other hand, much more numerous than those picked up by explorers in newly discovered
IZv^t V? *'«"****** importance historically in
the light they shed on the connection between Europe and the
Near East from early historical times.
We have first to decide what words we shall consider as
definite contributions to the English vocabulary. We must, first,
�6
THE SYRIAN WORLD
eliminate proper names and words derived from them. Proper
names include the names of persons and places, with their derived adjectives. Although these proper names and adjectives may
be in familiar use in English, they are not, strictly speaking,
English words, any more than the names of kings and cities
of Europe which would not be included in counting the words
of the English vocabulary.
Another class of Arabic words that must be eliminated is
the names of stars. It is an interesting fact that, while the
groups of stars, or constellations, bear Greek names, the names
of the heroes and heroines of Greek legends, the names of individual stars, for the most part, bear Arabic names, though the
pole star, and several of the brightest stars in the sky, Sirius,
Canopus, etc., bear Greek names. Yet the names of stars are
proper nouns, like the names of persons and of countries, and
they enter into the vocabularies of few but astronomers.
Of Arabic words we shall expect to find no pronouns or
prepositions, as they belong to the early history of a language,
few verbs for they belong to the more native element of any
languages,.and not many adjectives with their corresponding adverbs, but the majority of words will be nouns, the names of
things.
When I began to investigate the word borrowings from the
Arabic I found that no complete list had been compiled and
there were several disagreements in the partial lists that had
been made. This brought up the question of how to go about
the compilation of such a list. The popular method of assuming that an English word is derived from an Arabic word because they look or sound alike, is as trustworthy as the popular
classification, of the bat as a bird because it flies in the air, of the
whale as a fish because it swims in the sea, or of the sponge as
a plant because it grows fast to the rocks below the water. The
only valid method is the historical one, to trace the history of
a word back as far as it is possible to go, to observe when and
by whom it was used in the past, and what forms and meanings
it has taken on in the course of its history.
Fortunately for the student of English words, there is now
in existence a full and accurate history of every word in the
English language. This is the New English Dictionary, also called
the Oxford Dictionary, from the place where it is being written,
and the Murray Dictionary, from the name of its great editor.
-< mm
�MAY, 1928
I
7
This great work, begun a generation ago, is not yet complete,
though only a small part of the last of the alphabet remains to
be published and the literary world is expecting at any time
the announcement of its completion. This historical dictionary,
the only one of its kind in the world, attempts to give the history of every word that has ever been used by any English
writer. Quotations, illustrating every form or use of a word
are given in full, with the name of the author, the date, and the
page reference of the work. Words of English origin are traced
back to their ultimate root, words of foreign origin are traced
back, sometimes through several intermediate languages, to the
word from which they sprung. Because of its scholarly completeness, this dictionary is the' indispensable reference book for every
student of the English language.
It was to this dictionary that I turned when I undertook
to prepare a list of the Arabic words in English. It was obvious
that there was only one way to collect the words, the simple but
laborious method of going through the dictionary, page by page.
Where the New English Dictionary was incomplete, I made
use of other books of reference.
The harvest' that I gathered was smaller than I had expected. I found 217 words in current use, that is, in use as accepted
English words. Some of these are in daily service, such as "jar,"
"sugar," etc. Others such as "realgar," "varan," "naker," "fardel," etc., would defy definition on the part of the average person.
I found 45 obsolete words, words that once had been in
current use but now are buried in the dictionary and forgotten
by living speech. I found 183 unassimilated words, that is,
words, for the most part, picked up by travellers and used in
their travel records, but not really accepted and used generally
by English writers or speakers. Then there was a little group
of ghosts that were both obsolete and unassimilated, still-born
babes born into the English language long ago but never receiving any currency beyond the usage of a few ancient writers.
This collection of about 450 words represents the contribution of the Arabic language to the English language. I do
not claim that it is complete, for I may have overlooked some
words, and others may have been used by English writers that
have not been discovered by the compilers of the dictionary, but
it may stand as a fairly representative list.
ms
�H ..
77/£ SYRIAN WORLD
*
I do not know how many words the New English Dictionary
will contain when it is complete, but I notice that a popular,
one-volume dictionary of the English language, recently published, claims to contain the definition of 400,000 English words.
Assuming that the English language contains at least 400,000
words, we can easily compute the approximate percentage of
words coming from the Arabic.
In another paper I hope to discuss some of the more interesting of these borrowings from the Arabic in the light of the
cultural relations between Western European and Arabian culture.
Bel's Lions
By DR SALIM Y. ALKAZIN
(Instead of thy making a new deluge, let lions apfear and
reduce the number of men. — Ea to Bel in the Chaldean tablets of the deluge.)
But what of him who shuns the jungles wild,
Who stalks, not in the darkness of the night,
But proudly o'er the bosom of the day;
Who snarls, but through a smile benign and bright,
The while his teeth are sunken in his prey;
Who growls, but in melodious tones and mild?
(Lion-strength—Such is the stuff that will succeed,
They say: and we are urged by word and deed
T' embrace the Lion-man's faith and creed.)
Which is Bel's curse, the flood's fell substitute—
The shrinking beast that hides him in his lair,
Or, hunted, starves upon the arid waste?
Lion-strength, inspiring and fair,
How oft, like liberty, the pure and chaste,
Abused, grows shameless, wanton, dissolute!
MMMMMM m
�MAY, 1928
Keyserling on the East
zA Special Interview *
Turning for a brief respite from the subjects more intimately connected with his American lecture tour, Count Herman
Keyserling, the famous German philosopher now in New York,
consented to discuss with the editor of THE SYRIAN WORLD
some of the major problems besetting the East. His observations encompassed the whole of Asia from semi-European Turkey to China and Japan. For the East in general he entertains
the hope of a bright future, but would not commit himself as
to the time this could be achieved. The attainment of this object, he maintains, is dependent upon certain definite conditions
whose fulfillment alone will determine the acceleration or the
protraction of the ultimate inevitable result.
On general grounds, Count Keyserling believes in the ultimate attainment by all classes of the human race of the supreme object they are all striving and struggling for, namely,
the desire to live in happiness and comfort. The coolie of
China is animated by this desire as much as the laborer of Europe and America. To some groups of the same class in different countries this desire may be nearer of attainment than
it is to others, but the urge being equal among all, the process
of evolution from one stage to another until the supreme goal
is reached will continue to supply the onward movement with
continual energy.
The outstanding condition Count Keyserling lays down for
the more rapid advance of the East is the development of Character, as would be expressed in a firm belief among the people
of the East of their ultimate destiny and their will to force its
fulfillment. The Count is an admirer of mass action and a firm
believer in the virtues of discipline. He concedes that the initiative should come from a few leaders with well-grounded, positive authority, but he would not have reform come by decree
as if ordained by divine right, as was the case with the initiation
of reform in Japan. Rather, he is in favor of leadership that
* This interview was published in the Sunday Edition of the N. Y. World
of April 29.
�10
THE SYRIAN WORLD
derives its authority from public sanction, as exemplified in the
recent case of Turkey under the able leadership of Mustapha
Kamal Pasha.
Amplifying on the subject of Turkey, Count Keyserlmg
gave it as his unqualified conviction that recent developments
in that country are the greatest political evolution in the world
since the federation of the German States into the German Empire. Kamal Pasha is to Count Keyserling the outstanding figure of
the age. The several reform movements he has inaugurated are
without parallel in history both in nature and extent. They are
bound to exercise a far-reaching effect in shaping the course of
affairs in the East, and will undoubtedly stimulate to quicker
action the will of Eastern races to attain their lawful aspirations.
In other words, the Turkish reform movement under the
driving will of Mustapha Kamal Pasha is the greatest incentive
to the acquisition by the people of the East of that primary condition laid down by Count Keyserling for their full development, namely, Character.
Further analyzing the Turkish situation, Count Keyserling
attributed the success of the reform movement in Turkey to two
major causes, the first being enlightened and resolute leadership, and the second orderly submission by the people. Mustapha Kamal, according to Count Keyserling, is especially fortunate in having able lieutenants who share his ideals and work
wholeheartedly with him in carrying out his policies. Such
gigantic upheavals cannot be the work of one man. They were
not so in Russia and cannot be so anywhere else, although the
guiding mind may be single. Among Mustapha Kamal's most
able aides Count Keyserling mentions Ismet Pasha, the formidable diplomat who negotiated the treaty of Sevres and won
his points against the ablest statesmen of Europe.
To the second requisite Count Keyserling attaches no less
importance, for he attributes to the Turkish nation what he
terms one of the finest national characteristics, namely, that orderly submission to authority which is bred of long military discipline. The Turks are a fighting race who came to the country
as invaders and held their conquests against superior numbers
by cohesive action. Their turning of defeat in the last war into
a signal victory is a feat without parallel in military annals.
Count Keyserling concludes that the Turks have character, his
fundamental condition for success, and it is for that reason that
\
'
�MAY, 1923
i
n
they are blazing the way for other Eastern races in the pursuit
of their common goal.
For the Arabs, also, Count Keyserling holds prospects of
a brilliant .future. The Arabs are a hardy race and fiercely independent. What they lack in the way of cohesive action as induced by military discipline is amply counter-balanced by the
intensity of their religious zeal. This, in time, will serve its
purpose of consolidating their ranks and establishing their power, later giving way to a more tolerant attitude which would be
more in keeping with modern thought and action. Already signs
of this rejuvenation are appearing in the disciplinary religious
movement of the Arab King Ibn Saoud. The motive behind
the Wahabi movement, it is true, is religious, but the end is
nationalistic and political. Had it not been for the fact that
the Arabs were in a state of complete isolation in their peninsula,
the, growth of the movement would be exceedingly rapid and its
effect much more far reaching.
Reminded that the Wahabi movement, both in its inception
and its application, is reactionary and retrogressive in that it
seeks to apply to the present age conditions that obtained during the times of the Prophet, Count Keyserling expressed it as
his belief that Islam was as great an evolution in religious thought
and practice as the reformation movement in Christianity. For
the Arabs to advocate the return to the pristine purity of Islam
would be to reduce it to its simpler element and have it revert
to its primary function. The early followers of the Arab Prophet were first actuated by religious motives, but once their creed
was established they turned to the more peaceful methods of
civilization and progress. History may well repeat itself in the
present case also. For Ibn Saoud will first seek to coordinate
his forces by the only expedient at hand which now is religion,
and once the solidarity of the race is established civilization will
be promoted along the accepted lines of modern methods.
Religion shall cease to be a determining factor in the lives
of nations. As men develop more fully the realization of the
primacy of their material well-being over all other considerations, they shall evince less concern over matters which hamper
them in the pursuit of their supreme ambition. This ultimate
state of the human race is inevitable. It shall apply to the East
as well as to any other section of the globe. The process of
evolution will be gradual but positive. When, however, this final
�12
THE SYRIAN WORLD
condition will be reached is beyond the ability of anyone to determine.
Count Keyserling here gave a plain definition of his understanding of the term East. What is popularly called the "mysterious, unfathomable East" is to him not a mystery at all. The
whole world, to a greater or lesser degree, is striving for the
common goal of material well-being as expressed in the desire
to live in the greatest possible safety and comfort. China in
this respect is not different from Russia, and where in the latter
European country some progress has been made towards this
end in one masterly, decisive stroke, in the former Asiatic country a war has been progressing for the last twenty years for the
attainment of the same object. But if the result has been long
in materializing, there should be no doubt of its realization sooner or later.
Count Keyserling would, however, make a clear distinction
between the Near East and the Far East. The latter is the real
and,only East and begins only with India, while the Near East,
or those countries bordering on the Mediterranean basin, are as
much an integral part of the West as any country of Europe.
In speaking of the countries of the Near East and their
ultimate destiny, Count Keyserling delivers a dictum based both
on profound reaspning and intimate association and knowledge.
The German philosopher was in the south-eastern Mediterranean countries only a few years since, and plans another visit
to Turkey, Syria, Egypt and contiguous countries in the opening
months of the coming year.
RACIAL ORIGINS
Commenting on the unveiling of the statue of Louis Kossuth, the Hungarian patriot, which was held in New York the past month, the N. Y.
Times recalls the great celebration accorded Kossuth when he arrived in
the city an exile from his country inj 1851. New Yorkers, it states, turned
out in unprecedented numbers to welcome Kossuth, and the papers of the
day record not) only the great public enthusiasm but the speeches delivered
by the leaders of the American nation at the dinners and receptions given
in his honor.
In recalling the speeches made at the press dinner tendered Kossuth,
the Times says editorially in its issue of March 15: "Especially notable
was the speech of Charles A. Dana of The Sun, who thanked God that
we had no exclusive origin but had in our veins 'the blood of a ^thousand
tribes' and in our language a thousand idioms, and insisted that all races
are capable of noble development under noble institutions."
�MAY, 1928
13
Tie Bedouin Child
Among the Bedouins, a father in enumerating his children
never counts his daughters, for a daughter
is considered a disgrace.
Ilyas the prophet, lingering 'neath the moon,
Heard from a tent a child's heart-withering wail ,
Mixt with the message of the nightingale,
And entering, found, sunk in mysterious swoon,
A little maiden dreaming there alone.
She babbled of her father sitting pale
'Neath wings of death - 'mid sights of sorrow and bale,
And pleaded for his life in piteous tone.
"Poor child, plead on," the succoring prophet saith,
While she, with eager lips, like one who tries
To kiss a dream, stretches her arms and cries
To heaven for help, - "Plead on: such pure love-breath
Reaching the Throne, might stay the wings of death,
That in the desert fan thy father's eyes."
The drouth-slain camels lie on every hand;
Seven sons await the morning vultures' claws'Mid empty water-skins and camel-maws
The father sits, the last of all the band.
He mutters, drowsing o'er the moonlit sand,
"Sleep fans my brow; Sleep makes us all pashas;
Or if the wings are death, why, Azreel draws
A childless father from an empty land. "
I
"Nay," saith a voice, "the winds of Azreel's wings
A child's sweet breath hath stilled; so God decrees; " A camel's bell comes tinkling on the breeze,
Filling the Bedouin's brain with bubble of springs
And scent of flowers and shadow of wavering trees
Where, from a tent, a little maiden sings.
Theodore Watts-Dunton.
�*l
THE SYRIAN WORLD
14
Cross-Currents in the East
By
THE EDITOR
A titantic struggle is now being waged in the Moslem world
between the forces of progress and the forces of reaction.
The
conviction of each faction in the vitality of the issues involved is
so deep-rooted that most extraordinary methods of coercion are
being resorted to.
With so much animus and desperation prevalent the final clash cannot be long delayed.
When it comes
there is bound to be such a tremendous upheaval in the NearEast
as will completely change the existing order of things and submurge in one great tidal wave the traditional heritage of the "Unchanging East" . And this cataclysm is inevitable, in spite of the
fact that the main points of difference are neither more nor less
than those existing in the West between fundamentalists and advocates of reform. The animus of the orientals may be trusted to
carry the controversy further than that of verbal debate. Whereas, in the United States, the question of prohibition is disposed of
by legislative methods, in the East, issues of even a less serious
nature will be settled only by recourse to arms.
What makes this struggle particularly ominous is that it is being
waged between the two most powerful factions of the Islamic
world, those representing two distinct nationalities, the Arabs and
the Turks, while the theatre of conflict is so restricted that only the
comparatively small country of Syria separates the two opposing
forces. The Turks, under the leadership of their dictator Mustapha Kamal Pasha, are the protagonists of the reform movement
while the Arabs, whose most powerful potentate is King Ibn Saoud
of Nejd, are being driven by him to uphold the most puritanical
principles of early Islam. Where ultimate victory will rest is not
difficult to guess, for the Turks may be trusted to be launching
their movement in no spirit of enmity to Islam but rather in a
spirit of conformity to the requirements of modern times. As
devout Mohammedans at heart as any that can be found, they also
* This article was published in the "Commonweal", New York, a weekly journal of opinion, in its issue of April 11. It is reprinted with
some additions by special courtesy.
I
�MAY, 1928
15
have an eye on economic development and realize that they can
not well apply methods of a thousand years back or more to the
needs of the twentieth century. The Arabs, on the other hand,
have not come into as close contact with the West as have the
Turks and consequently are not as much affected by modern influences. Hence the possibility of such principles as those advocated by Ibn Saoud and his followers finding so much support. It
seems only a matter of time before the contagion of the modern
spirit will penetrate into Arabia and change the aspect of the situation. When this change will be affected, however, is beyond
the ability of any one to prophesy.
What the Turks have done so far in the way of emulating the
West is too well known to need repetition in detail. Briefly, the
1 urks have torn themselves loose from traditions heretofore considered well-nigh inviolable. Not only in the religious domain,
but in the realm of social and civic reform as well,, they have effected a complete transformation almost overnight. The Caliphate was abolished and left to go begging among the potentates
oi the Mohammedan world, with utter desregard for the prestige
of Islam. Prayers were ordered recited in the native Turkish
language with total indifference to Arabic, the sacred language of
the Koran. Polygamy was no longer tolerated and even personal liberty was invaded by decreeing that the tarboosh, formerly
considered the national headgear, should give way to the European hat. In short, such radical changes were introduced as to make
one standing on the threshold of this transition stare aghast at the
rapidity of the transformation.
Whaty on the other hand, has been the Arab contribution to
the situation? It must be confessed that an earnest effort has long
since been undertaken by an enlighted section of the Arabic-speaking people to foster a movement of reform. This, of course, is
meant to apply to the Mohammedan element of the population.
Of recent instances may be cited the campaign being waged by the
Mohammedan women of Syria to discard the veil, while in Egypt
we know that several decades back such a movement was advocated by the late Kasim Ameen. Now we find Mohammedans
in ever-increasing numbers sending their children to be educated
in the professions in foreign schools both within their respective
countries and abroad. We even have the rare instances of Mohammedan men marrying Christian wives and strictly practising monogamy. In some sections of the Mohammedan East, especially in
�16
THE SYRIAN WORLD
those sections bordering on the sea and brought into close touch
with western influences, it may be truly said that the same degree
of culture and modernism obtains as can be found anywhere in
Europe or America. But what about the real Arabs, the Arabs of
Arabia, and the masses of Arabic-speaking peoples and others of:
Moslem faith who form the main body of Islam? Are they sympathetic to modernizing influences or even passive in their attitude? Or are they so set against any infraction of their centuriesold traditions as to fight tooth and nail any attempt to swerve
them from their old practices ?
The answer to these queries is only too evident to anyone following the trend of events in the Moslem world, especially that
section of it comprised by the countries of the near East. Par' ticularly in Arabia, the home and the stronghold of Islam, the
Arabs not only live the life they had been leading for innumerable centuries, but they show unmistakable signs of resenting
any change. Any deviation from their prescribed course would
be sure to meet determined opposition on their part.
In support of this contention it does not seem necessary
to carry the reader back decades or even years. The occurrences
of the closing months of the last year are quite sufficient to
demonstrate the facts of the situation. They are little known to
the general reader of American newspapers, but the native Arabic press abounds in news items that shed interesting light on
the situation.
One, for instance, lately reported by news dispatches in the
United States, is the account given by the Cairo correspondent
of the Daily Express of the stringent restrictions laid down to
his subjects by the Arab King Ibn Saoud. This dispatch was,
in turn, based on a consular report of the Egyptian government.
It states that among the things forbidden are smoking, use of
alcoholic liquors, use of perfume, wearing of gold and silver
ornaments and silk garments.
It is further stated that immediately the muezzin's call to
prayer is heard, all must at once abandon what they are doing
and hasten to the mosque, for "prayer is better than work or
sleep".
Shaving of the beard has been decreed a crime for which
both the wielder of the razor and the person shaved shall be
severely punished.
Usury, meetings of men and women, and gathering of re-
MM
i
n
�I
i
MAY, 1928
1?
latives to bewail the dead, also are forbidden.
Ibn Saoud, it must be remembered, is at present the most
powerful of all the kings of Arabia. He was able to reach this
degree of power only through the support of his zealot followers who are known as the Ikhwan, or the brothers, for whom the
bunna is as essential a guide as the Koran, not only in their daily
religious practices, but in all the business of life. Of this group
Ameen Riham, the Syrian author who, through special courtesy
was permitted to visit Riadh, the capital of Ibn Saoud, only
about a year since, wrote as follows:
"What the Prophet Mohammed said and did, from the
broadest rule to the minutest detail of conduct, from the loftiest
to the most frivolous - how, for instance, he prayed and how
t'
*18 beard and his finger-nails — that is the Sunna.
lhe Wahabi lives and dies by it. Everything he says and does
he must be able to justify by the Sunna and the Koran — more
by the Sunna ,n fact, than the Koran. He bows the head only
to Allah — Sunna. He wears no silk garments — Sunna. He
retrains from decorating his mosques — Sunna. He does not
kiss the hand of imam or sultan — Sunna. He associates with
Allah, m his prayers, no prophet or saint or other mortal. Said
the Prophet Mohammed: "Say not 'By the help of Allah and
u y»°ph^'- but Say' 'By the helP of Allah and then the Pro<i mVf- preCept finds its aPP>ation in the daily speech
of the Wahabis. "Were'it not for Allah and then for thee (the
sultan), we should have lost the battle. Writes the master of
ceremonies in his daily list: "So-and-so has arrived and he desires of Allah and then of thee (the sultan) a busht, a zuboun
and some coffee and rice."
^
j
"About the Ikhwan," further states Mr. Rihani, "are related strange, heroic deeds and rare stoic achievements. Also
unspeakable atrocities. The demons of religion, they are called
by some the heroes of Islam, by others. Summoned to a jihad,
they dash forth, hearing and gleaming, sam?m, lamtin—so runs
the traditional cry—seeking the heads of the Mushrekin, frantically fanatical Unitarians, puritan copperheads. And the Sultan Abdul-Aziz is a Cromwell in the sense that he has made
these people and fired them with inextinguishable enthusiasm
for Allah and for Nejd. Their faith, a living, glowing faith,
makes the blood of a Brother fallen in battle sacred m theeyes. Through it they behold Jannat—their paradise; and with
�18
THE SYRIAN WORLD
pious ecstasy they put their fingers in the wound and stain the
edges of their garments. The winds of Jannat are blowing!
Ye seekers, in haste for the sowing! Ye seekers, in haste for
the mowing!"
This, it must be borne in mind, is the account of the Ikhwan by a friend who may be trusted not to have recourse to
exaggeration in describing the creed and the dominant factors
in the life of those Arabs ruled by the king who had tendered
him protection and hospitality.
Quite a contrast, this, to what has taken place in Turkey
only a few hundred miles away, also among followers of the
Arabian Prophet.
Further glimpses of what is agitating the Near East may
be had from other sources as laid open to us by seemingly casual
notices irt the native Arabic press during the last few months.
In their efforts at regeneration in Iraq, over which rules
King Feisal, some Syrian teachers were asked to fill positions
in local schools who had been educated in foreign institutions.
The population of Iraq is predominantly Shiite, or followers of
Ali. A certain teacher, however, saw fit to publish a book in
which he upheld the claim of Mu'awiyah to the Caliphate
against Ali in what he considered a pure contribution to historical
knowledge. Immediately there was an uprising in Bagdad which
resulted in much bloodshed and the offending historian was
finally banished from the country, thanking Allah that he was
able to escape with his life.
Quite recently, also, some enterprising book dealer in Egypt
saw fit to order from Europe a shipment of the Holy Book of
Islam, the Koran, translated in one of the European languages.
The customs authorities of the country would not pass on its
eligibility for entry into a Mohammedan country and referred
the case to the Ministry of Justice which ruled that the book
could not be lawfully admitted and permitted to be sold in
Egypt inasmuch as it is sacrilegious to translate the Koran into
the languages of the infidels.
Egypt, it should be remembered, is one of the most progressive among the Mohammedan countries and surely if the
matter were left to the judgment of the educated class no such
incident would come to pass, but the trouble is not with the educated few but with the masses, who are still swayed by religious
considerations as by no other influence.
I
�v
l
MAY, 1928
• "
*«. !PeQi I d° the Af!*8 resent any missionary effort, and
his not only because they believe in Islam but lore because
n Isl m
both
. 7°
^.^ Sto
Pedal
"***>»
both their
duty andl privilege
uphold
it.
of
Arabia and it is
estineRlertly' ?6 ^ -?aper ^"Yannouk, published in Paln Christkn
S^eral and
1°*^
?**
Nonaries in
nd Th
th Se' f
them who
ar °
Sri"uj
° °
* English in particular, for
heir misrepresentation of conditions" in Arabic-speaking countries. As quoted by this paper, the circular reported to have
been prepared by these missionaries calling for volunteers for
missionary work in Arabia does not seem to be in good taste
nheteSHn ^m rCC W°rds b CallinS M^ammed the False Pro-
m th m
US kngUa e the
and c7lZ f ?f m>
*BUt the
T SCUrril
°
S
******
Str ng P int brou ht
h
paoer
Zt ^
•
°
°
^ °* Y ^e
toTdJffln W I" miSS1TneS Seeking COnVerts are attempting
PrlwMa am°ng thf Very pe°Ple who claim ^e Arabian
Prophet as their own, and take pride in him not only as the
founder of a religion, but as their greatest patriot.
e]lgi
r' k W°Uid Seem' is a sacred
wher?
Precin* to the Arabs
where no foreign influence may be permitted to trespass. No
better illustration of this fact could be cited than the case of the
to^T K rhCharkS Cran/' Wh°Se rePUtati0n ^r fn-dles:
world Re
u £enetTit]?e fartheSt Corners of ^e Arab
Td L 5 S fu V^ hlgh/St CSteem for h^ Philanthropy
and the solicitude he displays for the uplift of the Arab race
His efforts toward assisting Arab students in acquiring education
abroad are much appreciated. Especially do the Mohammed^
elements, particularly of Syria, feel grateful to him for Tc
political agitation he has engineered in their behalf. But when
tters of reli
IT'8 t0
gion he is frankly and plainly told
that his meddling tactics are unwelcome.
A, Z!£
Arab
folI
°r
°
n
g
account
"
of Mr. Crane's recent travels in
taken fr m
°
**
Arabk paper Fztz ,{
~ -
"Much of Mr. Crane's speech to the members of the EastW f?'! Cair° ItCTll haS bccn Pushed in the press,
but the Society may finally deade on publishing this speech in
book form. I have learned, however, from authentic sources
that the trip of Mr Crane to Arabia was undertaken for a
double purpose, the lesser of which is to study the prospects of
the Pan-Arab movement and whether it is possible of realiza-
�J
20
THE SYRIAN WORLD
tion. On this subject Mr. Crane has refused to make any statement to the press.
"The primary object of Mr. Crane, however, was the survey of educational possibilities in Arabia and whether it would
be possible to establish American schools in the coast regions
such as Mr. Crane had established in China out of funds from
American Educational foundations. Of special importance is
the fact that Mr. Crane had an aunt by the name of Gertrude
Crane who died a few months ago and left a fund of one million dollars to be spent on American missionary enterprises in
the East. For this purpose also, Mr. Crane's aunt has set aside
the revenue of some of her rich land holdings. It appears that
Mr. Crane was undertaking to apply the conditions of his aunt's
will to Arabia, but his personal studies and observations in the
districts of Yemen, Asir and Hejaz struck his plans a forceful
blow. The Arab rulers, plainly declared to him that they would
never accept this kind of educational institutions. Where he
received the stunning blow, however, was in Yemen. Here Imam
Yahya absolutely refused even to discuss the subject of Christian schools."
It is true that now that the revolution in Syria has been
suppressed some Syrian leaders are accusing Mr. Crane of having incited them to revolt and then neglected them, withholding
from them, as they claim, the material aid he had promised.
But it may be said with much truth that Mr. Crane is to the
Moslems of the Near East the outstanding figure among their
many European and American friends. And still we find that
when it comes to matters of religion all his prestige and all the
high esteem in which his friends hold him avail naught.
Bearing on Mr. Crane's standing among the Arabs, as well
as on his tactics in gaining their friendship, the following correspondence exchanged between King Ibn Saoud and himself on
the eve of his departure from Arabia may be of special interest.
In justice to Mr. Crane, it may be said that he must have had
3n Arab secretary write the letter for him while he jotted down
his signature on the dotted line, as no matter how much of an
Arabic scholar Mr. Crane could be, he could never have mastered the purely Mohammedan style with which the letter is stamped. But as to the contents of the letter, only Mr. Crane can
tell whether-they conformed to his beliefs or not. Certainly,
the spirit of the letter cannot be much in agreement with the
——
MA
conv
nent
to M:
read:
]
I
1
i
i
e
t
a
j
1
reply,
Mr. C
�MAY, 1928
2l
convictions of an American, let alone the fact that he is prominently identified with educational and missionary activities
Here is the literal translation of Mr. Crane's letter:
His Majesty King of Hejaz and Sultan of Neid
and its dependencies, Abdul Aziz As-Saoud, Medina.
Before departing from your holy land I beg to
express to your Majesty my deep gratitude for the consideration which I received at the hands of your son
and the men of your government, especially Sayyed
Mohammed Nasif, praying to Allah that He assist you
in the task of unification of the Arabs particularly and
the Moslem in general. We trust that you will regard
with sympathetic eye all those who, striving in the obedience of God, are watching your actions with utmost
interest. Your glorious peoples with their vast desert
in which they are immune against the corruptions of
the outside world, have a sacred mission to perform,
namely that of keeping religion in its pristine purity
and restoring it undefiled to the world.
Sincerely
Dated Rajab, 1345.
(Signed)
Crane.
. **ThZ Amb P°tentate was quick ^ reply, for he despatched
to Mr. Crane an answer to his letter bearing the same date which
read:
Mr. Crane.
I thank you for your good opinion in us and our
people, and am grateful for your noble sentiment of
love towards our nation as well as your solicitude for
its progress. It is an added proof of the purity of your
nature and the sublimity of your ideals. May Allah
exalt the truth and establish it. It is a matter of regret
to me that I did not have the opportunity to meet you
and therefore content myself with wishing you a happy
journey.
(Signed)
The king of Hejaz and the sultan
of Nejd and its dependencies,
Abdul Aziz.
The Arab sultan, as may be seen, is very courteous in his
replyy but he is also very honest and straightforward. For when
Mr. Crane, the American, tells the sultan that he has a sacred
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
mission to perform by keeping ^^.V^^^T^^
the sultan does not disagree with his statement, because
he understands the American's words to apply to Is km andhe
s^ys "amen" to his vows, beseeching Allah to exalt the truth
and e^tabl^ ^^
^
y ^
can be no misunderstanding the nature of the truth that Allah
is called upon to exalt. The Wahabis, as we have seen, are the
pu^tans of Islam, and Ibn Saoud's recent stringent restrictions
le^ve no doubt as to the strictness of their religious views. If,
foTLtance they deem it anatema to shave and wear silks and
Soa^S^muskal instruments, and if, furthermore, they
class evTn Moslems who do not adhere to their beliefs on a panfv with infidels, it should not be hard to judge the degree of
mimlcal attitude they assume towards everything extraneous to
Islam and their narrow comprehension ot it.
Now this sect of Moslems is in absolute control ot Arabia,
and so long as they are in power we can imagine the amount ot
modern reforms that can be tolerated to filter nito the country
Also we can imagine the leniency with which they woidd deal
with matters contrary to their conceptions and belief if their
Tower were to extend outside the limits of their country
A further instructive glimpse of present conditions in Arabia
mav be had from an account of Dr. Wolfgang von Weisl, a German investigator who made a tour of the country in the course
SL year" Slavery, according to him, still flounshes.n Ante.
In this he corroborates recent reports submitted to the League
of Nations on the same subject. He states that no less than two
lusand slaves are imported into Arabia from Abyssinia every
year, in spite of the vigilance of the Powers against the traffic
A human being is still considered in Arabia as so much chattel with a defined market value. Some of the revelations of Dr.
Weisl on the subject are interesting and read like a description
of conditions thousands of years ago:
"King Ibn Saoud has the ambition of creating a whole bair
of slaves * * * Today Ibn Saoud has a bodyguard of
tO^ckecfSves upon who/he can depend under-rfidrcum
stances who are absolutely devoted to him. In Arabia 120 slaves
re^esenTnot only wealth but power also They are the only
represent nuy
If a king is defeated his slaves fall
to thaT*^f the victor and afe divided, like horses and
,
I
i
�MAY, 1928
I
21
dogs. * * * In Arabia the attempt of a woman slave to escape
is punished by death."
Such is Arabia and such are the Arabs of today. The land
of the Prophet is still the isolated stronghold of Islam and the
Arabs its uncompromising defenders. Between Arabia and Turkey is but a stone's throw, judging by modern standards of distance. Yet the, Arabs and the Turks, although of the same religion, remain as distant as the poles.
Ultimately, no doubt, the Arabs are destined to bend to
modern influences and detach themselves from many of their
old traditions. But when this change is to be effected it is not
given anyone to foretell. Arab pride and love for independence,
Arab fatalism and belligerency, Arab passion and desperation,
cannot be questioned. But to what extent these will carry them
in the defense of their traditions and what is to them the immutable prescriptions of Divine revelations, cannot be conjectured.
These factors make the situation extremely dangerous and deserving of the closest attention.
War and the Small Nations
By KAHLIL GIBRAN
Once, high above a/ pasture, where a sheep and a lamb were
grazing, an eagle was circling and gazing hungrily down upon
the lamb. And as he was about to descend and seize his prey,
another eagle appeared and hovered above the sheep and her
young with the same hungry intent. Then the two rivals began
to fight filling the sky with their fierce cries.
The sheep looked up and was much astonished. She turned
to the lamb and said,
"How strange, my child, that these two noble birds should
attack one another. Is not the vast sky large enough for both
of them? Pray, my little one, pray in your heart that God may
make peace between your winged brothers."
And the lamb prayed in his heart.
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
24
The Scar
A SHORT STORY
By
DR.
N. A.
KATIBAH
"I must ask you to bear with me," began Moore, as if
addressing the cigar-stand by his side, at which he gazed absentmindedly, and over which he kept tapping the ashes of his cigarette. —"Please bear with me—I mean be indulgent, I mean
well
I do not know how to begin my story. It must have
had a beginning somewhere, sometime—but I know nothing of
that. Even the end—at least the end I must give it—is the only
end you and I must accept. The rest—God forgive me if by
relating it to you I should have unwittingly betrayed any one's
secret:"—
In the year 1897, I found myself in the Anglo-Egyptian
Sudan. A youthful penchant for adventure had prevailed upon
me to join the expedition for the Reconquest of Sudan under
Kitchener—then neither Lord nor Earl.
On the morning of my third day at Wady Haifa, I was
directed to supervise the unloading of railway material—engines,
rails, sleepers, fishplates, etc., from a Nile steamer. They had
not yet had hauling machinery in the Sudan at that time, and
that work was done by convicts.
The morning was calm and sultry—not a breath of air was
stirring. The weather was rendered infinitely more oppressive
by the thick clouds of coal dust that arose from a Nile collier
discharging its cargo immediately to the South of us. Immense
volumes of black clouds rolled heavily upward and listlessly
hung over our heads, raining soot over everything around.
And in the midst of it all, the poor convicts toiled and
strained in sweltering perspiration that was constantly begriming their faces, necks, chests and arms. All was hustle and
bustle, punctuated now and then by a violent outburst of profanity, loud enough to soar over the continuous clanking of
�MAY, 1928
25
working machinery, over the boisterous vociferation of shouting
labor, and over the monotonous rythm of "Yal-la-ho' Yal-laho!" chorused by a couple of hundred lusty convict throats to
lighten their task.
i
I had not yet had time to reconcile myself to life in the
Sudan. The unfavorable impression I had of the place had not
yet had time to wear off, nor were my first experiences in it of
such a nature as to promise immediate mitigation of that impression The burning sun, the barren sandy wastes and dunes,
the muddy water of the Nile, the utter absence of vegetation
except for the miserable attempt at cultivation along the puny
strip of alluvial soil on our side of the river, the black, shiny
skins of the half-naked natives, and the intolerable odor of
grease kneeded into the kinky hair of their women—surely could
not have created a feeling helpful to conciliation. Then again
the heavy toll of cholera among the troops, the harsh discipline
of military life in active service, the necessary restriction of diet
principally to tinned rations, the herding together into one mud
hut of several beings of varied tastes and standards, whose enforced association was determined by the exigences of the moment and by the availability of space, and the thousand-and-one
inconveniences and hardships incident to the initial onrush of a
military expedition in a barbarous tract of African soil—all militated against a nature that had some claim to refinement and
cultivated taste.
It was at that time and under these circumstances that I first
met Mr. Aristidi Panas.
He was standing on a knoll to my left, facing the coal vessel. I cannot forget the contrasting spectacle he made with the
displeasing scene around him—a tall, stalwart man faultlessly
appareled in white duck, strangely silhouetted against the black
volumes of smoke. As I approached him I was struck by his
remarkable strength as evidenced by the pillar-like shape of his
limbs, the breadth of his shoulders, the athletic size of his neck,
and the lion-like manner of carrying his figure. Coming closer
I could not fail to note the noble contour of his profile. The
forehead, nose, mouth and chin seemed to have been molded for
a pattern of beauty and dignity, not unlike Apollo in the general design and much resembling Neptune in address, though his
beard was restricted to the size of the more gallant nineteenth
century imperial.
�n
THE SYRIAN WORLD
26
"Good-morning," I said, negotiating an introduction.
He slowly turned and faced me.
Heavens! — what a gash above his left eye! It was deep—
much deeper than the surface of the bone around it; and curled
upon itself like a huge question-mark the tail of which broke
the continuity of the eyebrow into two equal segments and terminated at the ruined eye below,—the protruding white pupil
serving for the dot. It had already healed. How long?—Who
knows? The valley of the cut was thin and of pinkish hue.
I have since then seen many a wound, scar and mutilation, but
none that impressed me like this one. It was a peculiar scar,
an eloquent scar, a scar that looked you in the eye, that cautioned
you, that whispered: "BEWARE!" Yet it was neither ugly
nor repulsive. It seemed to belong to the face, and did not
mar its dignity and beauty.
"Good-morning," he returned, and, as if to divert my attention from his scar, he added: "Les pauvres diables!" pointing to the convicts.
"How miserable!" I put in.
"Yes," he replied, "I wonder if they have any hope to
live for."
"I wonder, too," I said, "if they had completely forgotten
the many hearts they have so cruelly broken—those of sisters,
mothers and wives!"
Suddenly a frown gathered between his eyes and the scar
turned pale.
«Qh!—I must be off," he said, and abruptly walked away.
*
*
*
Soon Panas' figure became familiar to me. As a matter of
fact, who in the whole camp had not often seen the 'inscrutable
man', alone, cane in hand, brisk, neat and ruddy, taking his
walks along the bank of the Nile to Tewfikieh and back again
before the sun was up.
Of course you understand that the inmates of a military
camp are like fellow passengers on a ship; in both communities
familiarity makes barbarous short cuts, and curiosity often rides
roughshod over one's privacy.
But Mr. Aristidi Panas was no ordinary traveler.
He was one of the very few individuals furnished with a
permit to do business within the walls of the camp. He dealt
in liquors, soda and general merchandise.
"••^^H
�MAY, 1928
man rfcX^^ 2"" °f ^ a Greek by tonality, a
and read Several lan
guages^inc uTnaF
"S?
TJ*" ^
"
g
ghSh Itdlan
Fre
SSy welf
'
^
^-the latter parOf his personal habits all knew that he was an early riser
He generally left hls bed at dawn, drank a couple of raw eS
^br,and[' *«* ««1 ^rted out for hiscustomary wfE
211 £ WhT- he part00k of a social cup of Turkish coffee
b
fnend imi in the iatter
tT
Nii:
x
h
^ man
~ffl
the Nile. By the way,' ^
this s
Dimitri was the' only
known
W
the la
oalle"him°"so
^T'
^ Cndcanncnt
"called him son""' and
in return Dimitri
respectfully uncled
him.
lire coffee finished, Mr. Panas would walk back to his shon
dU ing thC day but indul ed in a
lastin^tTS
^ or
[
'
^
siesta
lastnig until three
later
in the afternoon,
the effectsW
of which
he hastened to shake off by a strong demi-tasse.
He again attended to business between four and six
His days activity having ended, he would have his'vard
swept and sprinkled,and his favorite marble-topped tlble mo^ed
under the large shade-tree. There he would ?sk seekingTace
and inspiration at a bottle of whisky or me***, chasing down
now a green olive, now a bit of cheese, now a radish, now a
staf^
and now a saited
ie
•*** --Ew
^°TimeS at this h°Ur' he Would be seen with a Greek
paper which no sooner would he glance over than fling away In
?orofanstht.°Ut t0 ^ S£rVant' AchmCt' t0 ** k "P and P*
At twelve, midnight, he retired.
K^atUra lly' ^ thLiS °r the ^^ Part of * ^s passed to
me before IT made the
acquaintance of Mr. Panas; and when
iar'as it^nt!0
"" ^ ' f0Und the ****
Shall I tell you of our first tete-a-tete?
wh,n0TnteVe?ing 1 haPPen,ed t0 be Posing'in front-of his place
when I heard someone calling me by name. Turning around
I saw Mr. Panas hastening toward me with open arms
'
You are a strange man,"he exclaimed, "you don't visit
with your.fnends." Then putting his strong aJaround me he
�—
28
THE SYRIAN WORLD
fairly dragged me bodily toward a chair at his table. "Goodness'" he added, "here such a long time and not come to see
Papa Panas! Sit down, man, sit down. Let us kill a couple ot
hours together."
,
It flashed upon my mind then that the man was hungry tor
company and that it would be rude to disappoint him.
I found Mr. Panas a truly well-read gentleman, well-informed and an excellent conversationalist. I was greatly impressed by the depth and extent of his knowledge especially ot
current political events. His keenness of observation and his
logical analysis of conditions in South Africa, in Japan and in
Russia at that time were later fully corroborated by the RussoJapanese and the Boer wars. He spoke with perfect familiarity
about Bryan and the American silver question. And with it all
he did not appear self-conscious of his excellent parts; no attempt was made by him at creating an impression.
I was so fascinated by the charm of his personality and by
the wealth of his knowledge that the time passed by unnoticed.
However, from half past ten on, I made several attempts to
leave, but he would not hear of it, and pleaded with me in that
characteristic oriental whole-heartedness that shamed me and constrained me to stay, even to my disadvantage, lest I should hurt
his feelings by appearing to slight his hospitality. He frequently poured out the contents of my glass as having become stale,
and replenished it from the icebox.
He finally permitted me to leave at midnight.
After that, it was I who sought Mr. Panas' company. But
we were not always alone.
The experience I have just related was only a specimen
of what others, officers as well as civilians, had had. His liberality approximated lavishness, and his hospitality, sacrifice. Sometimes there were as many as ten or a dozen of us each enjoying the sociability of the evening to suit his taste: here a couple
discussing big game hunting, there a trio criticizing the last engagement with the Dervishes, and yonder a few indulging their
fpirituous appetites and rambling about from topic to topic catching their cues here and there or from the confused inspiration
that the volume of liquor invoked. At these gatherings Mr
Panas was in the height of complaisance. His eye sparkled his
face beamed, and a cheerful flow of good spirits radiated from
him to animate us and chase the devils of ennui helter-skelter
i
�MAY, 1928
\
29
to the remotest parts of the earth. An admirable host!
Let me hasten to correct one wrong impression I may have
inadvertently conveyed of this remarkable man. By describing
him as an excellent conversationalist, I, of course, did not intend
to imply that he was talkative. I only wished to say that when
interested he felt at home and discussed his topic fully and
clearly Otherwise, and especially as regards his personal affairs, he was reticent and even distant. But this by no means
marred the charming character of his disposition. All he needed
when the subject was distasteful or uninteresting to him, was a
pleasant digression, a clever interpelation or a dexterous expedient and all was smoothed over to your heart's satisfatcion.
There was, however, one particular theme upon which Mr
lianas was extremely hypersensitive—woman. Let but the remotest reference be made to this subject, and he would immediately withdraw from the company and busy himself about this
or that thing. Sometimes even his scar would turn pale, and
his usual self-mastery and expected sang-froid seemed to desert
him. 1 could then detect the symptoms of a struggle within
him to suppress some perturbed emotion, and in order to prevail
upon it he resorted to whistling. In time, we all learned to respect this peculiar attitude of his mind. Love songs, love affairs
wedding announcements, divorce cases or spicy jokes—in short
any casual reference to the other sex was considered taboo in his
presence. This was not always easy or possible, considering that
most of us were still in the romantic age, and in a military camp
to boot. Hence the occasional 'breaks' that afforded me closer
observation.
Mr. Panas and I took a mutual liking to each other, perhaps because of a seriousness of outlook upon life that both of
us shared Our private conferences grew more frequent and
we were fast becoming—well, amis. I do not know why I am
unwilling to use the English equivalent, friends. Perhaps because the word friend in English connotes, to me at least, a sentiment, an impulse that rushes in and pulls at the heart-stringsnot so amis which, though possibly having the gush, will always
stand aloof and studiedly polite awaiting the formality of an
introduction. I think I can now tell why. It was the scar—that
question-mark of a scar. So long as that scar remained silent
we were only amis.
'
*
*
*
�30
THE SYRIAN WORLD
One night, when the company were all gathered and Mr.
Panas was unusually pleasant and communicative, in came Dimitri. He was not quite his natural self. There was something
upon his mind that constrained his movements and made him
look both shy and foolish. Of course, Mr. Panas heartily voiced his welcome, but even that failed to dispel the cause of Dimitri's nervousness and timidity. Without further ado, Panas
threw his arm over his friend's shoulder and drew him to his
bosom, and in the most solicitous and paternal manner led him
to a side table and enquired of the cause of his 'son's' embarrassment.
(
Dimitri's account was in a subdued voice and in Greek,
hence, not for us. Presently I noticed Mr. Panas' face turning
pale and the scar on his forehead gleamed like a white satin
ribbon. By and by his hand relinquished its hold on the younger man's shoulder and fell heavily on the table before him.
His handsome features gathered into an expression of painful
despondence. When it was his turn to speak he seemed merely
to give vent to his contempt and repulsion, and finally waved his
friend from his presence in a spasm of utter disgust, as he would
a most loathsome object.
Dimitri was completely crestfallen, and as he passed by us
on his way out, I noticed his eyes were brimming with tears.
At the gate he hesitated, paused and turned back. He looked
appealingly at his friend, but Panas was relentless, and again
waved him out. At this, Dimitri looked at us and sobbed out
in English:
"Say, gentlemen, is it wrong to marry?"
"Marry!" thundered Panas jumping to his feet, his whole
gigantic stature shaking with wrath that almost choked him.
From an ashen color his face suddenly turned crimson, and giving way to the passion that raged in him, he swung tensely to
one side, clenched his fist and violently struck the marble slab
in front of him breaking it into two.
"Ska-ta!" came hissing from between his set teeth.
(To be continued).
Beware of superfluous speech, for it will disclose your defects and give your enemy weapons against you.
(Arabic)
�MAY, 1928
31
dmara and her Master-Lover
zAn Authentic Arabian Tale
Translated from the Arabic Original.
KrJ^X
D
/Td ^-A*8** the celebrated author of the
Abdullah Ibn Ja'far, relates the author was a m»»* A^k
estate in Iraq to enjoy the blessings of peace. L TO still in
the prime of manhood and had fathered uThi/ut
number of concubines either by ^rchat l^ TO ^5
he W men of his
AJ! i , °
ha«m a particular slavePgM called
deft fingers produced from the few strings of the <oud Thl
scenes thus staged m the desert wilderness brought back to Tbn
Ja'far memories of his sumptuous ease at home
�32
THE SYRIAN WORLD
At last the end of his journey was reached and the master
and his retinue settled in one of the luxurious palaces of Damascus allotted to them by the caliph. But to Ibn Ja'far no business could be sufficiently urgent to deprive him of the pleasure
of Amara's company which to him meant life itself, ^sides,
the congenial atmosphere of the great capital city lent additional charm to the rapturous and consummate art of Amara in both
song and music.
Soon the news of the singular case of Ibn Ja'far and his
slave girl went abroad in the city until it reached the ears ot
Yazid, heir-apparent to the great Mou'awiyah who was noted
for his great love for wine, women and song. And the impetuous Yazid lost no time in launchnig on a new expedition of exploration of new fields of pleasure. He condescended to pay
a personal visit to Ibn Ja'far, and as a marked sign of esteem
for the future caliph the latter had Amara sing and play tor
him Yazid's susceptible disposition was immediately overcome
and he forthwith formed the resolve in his heart that this
supreme enchantress must be his. But he had learned from hiS
sagacious father the great necessity of caution and he decided to
abide his time. Ibn Ja'far, therefore, was permitted to leave
Damascus and return to his home unmolested and unmindful
of the designs of Yazid.
It was not long thereafter that Mou'awiyah died and Yazid
ascended the throne. His first concern was to devise means to
acquire the incomparable slave-girl Amara
He confided his
desire to a few of his most trusted friends and advisers but
they warned him against using forcible methods with such a
powerful chief who was known to have been a great friend oi
his father. Such rash action at the outset of his reign, they
argued, would spell ruin to his administration and create such
an unfavorable impression throughout the land that might be
fraught with the gravest consequences.
But what could not be gained by force had to be secured
by stratagem, and both Yazid and his advisers were incessantly
concocting schemes to win possession of Amara by whatever
means, 4 or foul. Until, finally Yazidperfected the detai
of what to him was an unfailing plan and proceeded to put it
into action.
. . T
.
He first called into consultation an artful Iraqi, a man possessed of great resourcefulness, and confided to him his secret
�MAY, 1928
33
and the details of his plan and trusted him to carry it through
to a successful end.
The Iraqi was of the same country as Ibn Ja'far, and proved to be both an able strategist and an honest and faithful messenger.
Having been given a free hand in the promotion of the
scheme, he first requisitioned a large quantity of merchandise
oi great value and took from the treasury his needs of money
and jewels. Thus amply supplied he equipped a suitable caravan and set out on a journey to Iraq in the guise of a traveling
merchant.
In due time he arrived at the home town of Ibn Ja'far and
hastened to seek his protection and favor and made him gifts of
richly embroidered cloths and precious jewels to the value of a
thousand dinars. Ibn Ja'far was much pleased and showed the
pseudo merchant every sign of consideration, placing him while
in the city under his especial protection.
As the days went by, the agent of Yazid increased his gifts
to Ibn Ja'far in both value and frequency, until he had gained
his complete confidence and was invited by him to join his intimate circle of boon companions. This was to the Iraqi the
very thing he had been wishing as it enabled him to share in
the social pleasures of Ibn Ja'far, to whom, as previously mentioned, no pleasure was complete without the presence of his
favorite Amara.
The Iraqi merchant was the personification of good taste
and gallantry. No sooner had he heard Amara sing her heavenly melodies to the accompaniment of her incomparable 'oud
than he went into the wildest transports of joy and expressed
his unlimited admiration in the most glowing terms.
In his capacity of merchant, however, he could indulge in
e
judging anything and everything by its monetary value, and he
was quick to seize on his opportunity to ask his host the price
of this otherwise priceless slave girl.
"Verily," he said, "I had never suspected the existence of
such matchless art and such consummate grace. And in my capacity of merchant seeking always to ascertain values, I would respectfully ask you what the value of this slave girl is to you."
Ibn Ja'far was quick and decided in his reply: "The value
of Amara to me is no less than that of the caliphate itself."
"I can well appreciate your admiration for this incompar-
�34
THE SYRIAN WORLD
able jewel," replied the wily merchant. "But to put her on a
parity with the caliphate in value appears to me but an exaggerated figure of speech meant only to indicate the demand of a
very high price. As you well know, I am a merchant who gains
his wealth by the dirham, the smallest monetary denomination,
but if you will sell the girl to me for ten thousand gold pieces
I shall buy her."
fc
On the impulse of the moment Ibn Ja'far said that he
would conclude the bargain for the stipulated amount.
Immediately, and so as to exclude any further exchange
of argument, the merchant left the house of his host and presently returned with the actual gold. Ibn Ja'far was nonplussed
and disconsolate. He remonstrated with the merchant that his promise was only in the nature of a jest and that he would not part
with his beloved for any amount of money, but the merchant
was firm in the demand of his right, claiming that according to
the ethics of merchandising even a jest was a binding contract.
Besides, how could a gentleman in the position of Ibn Ja'far
forfeit his promise and consequently his honor. Of course he,
the merchant, would have to make his grievance public and seek
redress and he would greatly loath the ill repute that would
attach to the integrity of the illustrious and exalted Ibn Ja'far
if the true circumstances of the case were to become known.
By this and similar arguments Ibn Ja'far was shamed into
ceding his beloved slave girl to the supposed merchant, and to
describe the terrible anguish and contrition gnawing at his heart
after parting with her is a task beyond human possibility.
Elated at having successfully carried out his mission, the
agent of the caliph Yazid hastened to carry his prize back to
Damascus. But fate so decreed that upon arriving in the city
he was met with the sad news that the caliph had died and the
merchant found himself in a perplexing dilemma.
In the meantime, he had acquainted Amara with the facts
of the case and treated her as befitted an intended member of
the caliph's harem, and she had veiled and secluded herself
against him. His only alternative under the circumstances, he
bethought, was to lay the facts before the new caliph and await
his decision. Yazid's successor, however, proved to be an upright and virtuous man who would entertain no proposition conceived in such perfidy, and he ordered the merchant to leave
the city with his slave girl forthwith.
4
�! SH
MAY, 1928
35
Facing this further unpleasant turn of affairs, the merchant
again had to make a new decision, and in acquainting Amara
with the new developments, told her that by right she had now
come to belong to him, but that in justice to her he stood ready
to relinquish his right. She was, he admitted, destined to be a
fat ornament for the palaces of kings and princes, and for him to
take an undue advantage of the present turn of fortune would
be a miscarriage of God's will. He therefore would return her
to her old master.
And true to his word, he tarried not in carrying out his
decision. He further made to Ibn Ja£far a complete confession
of all that had transpired and returned Amara to him without
condition or consideration.
Ibn Ja'far was overjoyed beyond measure at the return of
Amara, and when he saw her set foot again within his threshold
he was so overcome with emotion that he fainted in her arms.
Amara, too, was happy at this reunion beyond expression.
And again the sun shone brightly in the life of Ibn Ja'far,
and revelry reigned supreme in his house. Everyday of his life
thereafter was an occasion of great merriment and jubilation,
and he added permanently to the intimate circle of his boon
companions the Iraqi merchant who was the cause of the return
of his happiness.
Arab Proverbs
In this world there is work without an accounting, and in
the other world there is an accounting without work.
Men are reserved for days of trial.
Only the great can develop humility.
Only a fool believes in his infallibility.
God created you free, so why be a slave to greed?
If you do a good deed conceal it, but if a good deed is done
to you publish it.
�36
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Arabic Newspapers in America
Although the oldest Arabic-language newspaper in the United States barely exceeds the age of thirty years, a serious discussion has now developed as to whether the Syrian press has not
reached the end of its usefulness. There seems to be a concession in all quarters that the life of Arabic-language newspapers
in America has become very limited, and as this consciousness
takes greater hold on the minds of publishers and editors, serious consideration is being given to the discussion of the future.
Never in the history of the Arabic press has the subject been
more generally and more frequently discussed than at the present time.
Up to a few years ago it was considered unpatriotic, to say
the least, of even intimating the possibility of the extinction
of the Arabic language in the United States. Syrians were reluctant to admit that this last tie binding them sentimentally to
their country of origin should be suffered to be severed. The
World War, with its attendant vicissitudes to their mother country, focused the attention of Syrian immigrants on the fate of
their relatives at home and served to increase the interest which
had been fast waning under the influence of long absence. Political developments abroad, with the fate of Syria continually
held in the balance, served as a further reminder of a country
long held in affection.
It must be admitted that a considerable element of Syrian
immigrants had cherished serious intentions of returning to the
mother country after the World War if conditions were found
favorable to such a move. But the social unrest, political upheavals and depressing economic conditions prevailing soon put
an end to such intentions. The net result is that the Syrians
in the United States are now as determined as never before to
make this country their permanent home.
Naturally, such a determination will bring about the inevitable result of a progressive loss of interest both in the mother language and in all matters pertaining to the mother country,
although the process may be an unconscious one on the part of
the immigrants. A close study of present conditions among Syr-
�fas>...
MAY, 1928
37
ians will not fail to reveal a great psychological change during
the last few years.
What undoubtedly has accelerated this movement is the restrictive immigration law which may be said to have definitely
halted any increase in the numbers of Arabic-speaking elements
in the country. The number of those permitted entry being
limited to one hundred annually, the increase is far exceeded by
the mortality ratio among the older immigrants, and the new generation, being neither born in Syria nor brought up in the Arabic
language, is free from those influences, sentimental or otherwise,
which affect the older generation.
All these considerations make the position of the Arabic
press in the United States increasingly precarious. It is becoming more forcibly evident to editors that their span of existence
as a medium of service is being dangerously restricted. Hence
the serious discussion of the future and the outspoken conviction
that the Arabic language as a medium of speech or writing is
destined to be doomed.
Extracts from the comments of the Syrian press in New
York, all within the limits of a single month, will serve to shed
further light on the subject.
An "observer" writing in Al-Hoda of April 13 states that
it is ominous "that the discussion of the future of Arabic newspapers in the United States has become so frequent of late."
He bases his remarks on the assumption that Arabic should remain a living language in America, but finds an excuse for the
Syrians, Lebanese and Palestinians not being able to preserve
their identity in the fact that they are so helplessly few in number and so widely scattered in a country a hundred times larger
than their own. He suggests, however, that the wealthy among
the Syrians support Arabic schools, by a concerted national movement. The papers he would consolidate into two dailies which
should be ample to meet the needs of Arabic readers in the
country.
At the present time, there are six Arabic dailies in New
York, one daily and one semi-weekly in Detroit, Mich., and one
weekly in Lawrence, Mass. And of monthly magazines there
are two in New York and two in Detroit.
More outspoken in its pessimism is the New York paper
Ash-Shaab which says editorially in its issue of April 9, "The
danger to Arabic papers in the United States is becoming more
�38
THE SYRIAN WORLD
threatening. This is a direct result of the restrictive immigration
law which in time will cause the complete extinction of the Arabic language in the country. It must be conceded that with the
prevalence of such conditions no Arabic newspaper in the United
States will live more than two decades, as by that time there
would not be left a sufficient number of readers to support a publication in the mother language."
Ash-Shaab advocates the establishment of Arabic schools
and takes the Syrian clergy in the United States to task for having neglected this apparently cardinal duty.
For different reasons and by the advocacy of different
methods Meraat-Ul-Gharb, also of New York, urges the necessity of learning Arabic. In its issue of April 11, this paper surveys the expanding fields of American commerce and declares
that the knowledge of Arabic would be most useful to the young
generation of Syrians in following American commercial enterprise in foreign countries. It is now being considered essential,
according to this paper, to teach at least one foreign language,
besides English, in high schools and colleges, and it would be
to the advantage of the Syrians to choose Arabic as that language.
In thus preserving their mother language alive they would be
making an invaluable contribution to America.
This latter suggestion is in conformity with a proposal put
forth by the editor of THE SYRIAN WORLD in an article published in several American trade papers in the latter part of
1918 following the close of the World War. The argument
then advanced was that America was seeking expansion in foreign
markets to provide an outlet for the surplus products of its greatly enlarged industries. The knowledge of foreign languages
would therefore be deemed a necessity in paving the way for
such penetration and the immigrant would become, under the
circumstances, the logical American salesman in his homeland.
America being a newcomer in those markets, it would be difficult
for her to gain a foothold without salesmen trained in the ways
of the different foreign peoples, but its advantage lay in the fact
that among her own sons were men of all nationalities who could
be trusted to carry out the initial work to better advantage.
What is evident from the recent discussions, however, is
that the Arabic papers feel that they are losing hold of their
readers. Even during the war, when all means of communication, let alone immigration, were closed, there was evinced no
�-
MAY, 1928
39
such pessimism nor was there any intimation of the approaching doom. The outburst of fear manifesting itself almost spontaneously at this time would indicate the advent of a new element
in the situation. Can it be that because many newspapers who have
of late taken recourse to the expedient of sending representatives to the interior with a view to increasing their circulation
have discovered a growing apathy among the Arabic reading
public, or is the cause that advanced by the "Observer" when he
inferentially stated that Arabic newspapers were too many and
should be reduced to just two?
What may be explained is that while most of the Arabic
newspapers in the United States are published in New York,
this city is not their only field of circulation. On the contrary,
it may be safely stated that the local circulation of almost every
newspaper does not exceed 10% of the total, and estimating
that another 10 per cent, of the circulation is in foreign countries
Arabic papers are consequently dependent for their existence on
their domestic circulation throughout the United States. In this
larger field they should have about fifty thousand potential readers among a population of approximately 250,000 Syrians. Their
frequent complaints indicate that they are nowhere near realizing any such results.
One of the reasons advanced by the editor of Al-Hoda for
the failure of Arabic newspapers to make marked headway is
the lack, on the part of Syrian editors, of what he terms "personality". This would indicate that among Syrians a newspaper
remains a personal enterprise the personality of whose publisher
is a determining factor in success. In support of his contention
the editor sees no reason why Arabic newspapers should not be
published in leading American cities other than New York. "As
a literary production," he says, "a newspaper should prove a success even if it be published in the wilds of Africa." He makes
this conditional on personality and ability.
Among the comments of the Syrian newspapers on this
question, these latter remarks furnish the only cheerful note and
give hope that although Arabic papers are beset with many hardships and difficulties which some are inclined to interpret as a
sign of approaching doom, there still remains the hope that some
Arabic paper of character and ability will survive, if not as a
local organ, then at least as a literary production of universal
appeal.
�40
THE SYRIAN WORLD
An Arab King At Home
In advertising a new book on Arabia, a well-known American publishing house makes the statement that "Arabia has
caught the American imagination like a spell".
The statement is essentially true and applies to all classes
of Americans. The popular elements are caught by the spell
of Sheik love stories and Sheik movies conceived in a high-tension spirit of fanciful romance. The intellectual classes are thrilled by the accounts of such exploits as those of Lawrence, Palgrave, Doughty, Burton, Burkhardt, and our own Rihani. This,
undoubtedly, is due to the fact that for countless centuries the
Arabs and their country remained a mystery and every glimpse
at conditions whether in the vast stretches of their trackless deserts, or in their more hospitable oases, provided a cause of interest to the outside world. It may be safely surmised that
many more brave attempts will be made at exploring Arabia,
and the shifting nature of this mysterious peninsula and its inhabitants will continue to supply the world with fresh news and
views of interest.
Such being the case, any new information on Arabia is bound
to be received with avidity. The bedouin in his desert tent attracts
as much curious interest as the ruling potentate in his palace, although, judging by seemingly authentic accounts, there is little
difference in the primitive mode of life of the one or the other.
This morbid curiosity in things Arabian may be partially
satisfied by a recent account published in an Arabic magazine
of Cairo, "Rose Alyousef". The account is woven in a mixture
of politics, war and domesticity, and the information given therein is said to have been supplied by an Arab historian who has
specialized in the study of the more contemporary developments
in the Arab Peninsula.
The salient feature of this new account is that the favorite
wife of King Ibn Saoud, the supreme ruler of Arabia, is the
former wifd of his arch-enemy. Events leading to this singular
development are described as follows:
Between the Saouds, who ruled in Riadh, capital of Nejd,
and their neighbors the Rashids, who ruled in Hail, there was
continual warfare, such as only the Arabs can wage. There was
�-
MAY, 1928
41
not a year but some outbreak plunged the two countries in a
bloody struggle after which each side retired within its own borders to continue preparation for taking up the struggle anew.
Until finally in 1892 Ibn Rashid decisively defeated his enemy,
then Prince Abdul Rahman Faisal, father of the present King
Ibn Saoud, and occupied his capital Riadh, forcing him to flee
for his life and seek refuge in the principality of Koweit on the
Persian Gulf.
At the time of his father's defeat Abdul Aziz Ibn Saoud
was but a child. But as he grew older he developed a fierce
passion for revenge against the arch-enemy of his house, and
in the year 1902 staged a surprise nocturnal attack with a small
band of his loyal followers and succeeded in driving Ibn Rashid
from Riadh.
Thereafter, and all during the World War, Ibn Saoud was
laying his plans and making preparations for the invasion of the
principality of Hail. He succeeded in completely overcoming
his enemy and entering his capital city in 1921 and all the
treasure of the once rich country of his adversary became his.
But Ibn Saoud learned that one of the wives of Ibn Rashid
was a woman of surpassing beauty and intelligence who would
be the crowning prize of any conqueror according to Arabian
ethics, and he made to her proposals of marriage. She, however, adroitly refused by reminding the conqueror of the admonition of the Prophet contained in the following quotation:
"He not only invaded his country but wanted also to usurp his
wives."
A year later Ibn Saoud again repeated his offer of marriage
and this time she accepted. He now has a son by her of whom
he is especially fond.
In this connection Ibn Saoud is said to disclose one of his
most human characteristics. He is described as being equally
affectionate not only to his own son by his new wife, but also to
the latter's half-brother who is the son of his wife by his former enemy. At times, it is said, he takes the two youngsters
on his lap together and caresses them with marked tenderness.
Not only did Ibn Saoud himself "invade" the harem of
his defeated enemy but his two elder sons followed his example
and each took for himself one of the former wives of Ibn Rashid.
Says the historian: "King Ibn Saoud is notoriously polygamous, counting among his wives one Armenian and one Leba-
�42
THE SYRIAN WORLD
nese, besides the many other concubines which the law permits."
By his legal wives King Ibn Saoud has twenty-seven children, 14 boys and 13 girls. It is stated that on many occasions
he cannot recall the names of some of his offspring.
Of the further characteristics of Ibn Saoud it is stated by
the same authority that this Arab king loves to lead the strenuous life of the bedouin away from all pomp and ostentation.
Force of early habits, it is remarked, still has an unrelenting hold
on him. Never while in his capital Riadh, or anywhere else in
his native country Nejd, does he indulge in the luxury of footwear. Even on such a ceremonial occasion as his victorious en
try into Mecca after his defeat of king Hussein he rode into
the city barefooted.
At times, we are further informed, he conforms to the requirements of modern civilization, especially when he meets
representatives of foreign powers or takes up his residence in
the seacoast town of Jeddah, but once he is back in the desert
he feels himself again in his native element and reverts to the
rigorous life of the bedouin. Under the circumstances, it seems,
he assumes an almost different nature and sets himself up as
the upholder of the faith dealing punishment unmercifully to
all who dare go counter to the Wahabi conception of the true
teaching of the Koran.
This peculiar characteristic of Ibn Saoud, according to the
Egyptian publication, is the original cause of the differences
arising between him and the Egyptian government which caused
the latter to refrain from sending its annual gift to the Kaaba
two years ago and cancel Egyptian pilgrimage to Mecca.
The Egyptian writer further attributes to the Arab king
dictatorial qualities quite different from those supposed to be
attached to his absolutism in power. He takes counsel with his
advisers only in a perfunctory manner and as a matter of form,
but is never swayed by their objections. He is known to listen
patiently to suggestions but his decision, once formed, can never
be altered. His decisions are usually arrived at before any
effort at consultation is made.
It is commonly known that Ibn Saoud is a strict disciplinarian. Once he issues his commands they must be carried out to
the letter and he is known to personally follow the execution
of his orders to the minutest details. One of his strict orders
to his representatives abroad is that no vise should be issued to
�MAY, 1928
43
any foreigner wishing to visit Arabia through the port of Jeddah under any circumstances without his personal sanction and permission. This is interpreted to mean that he is solicitous of affording protection to the foreigners themselves against any hishap
befalling them while in his dominions. The Wahabis are known
to be extremely fanatic, and even unto this day they look upon
their country as sacred ground which would be defiled by the
presence of an infidel.
From other sources, however, it is learned that Ibn Saoud
is extremely democratic. He does not exact from his followers
the outward expressions of obeisance as would an absolute monarch who has the power of dealing death without the formality of a trial. But his Arab subjects are not the type who indulge
in any such manifestations. When they greet him it is by his
first name and the bedouin of the desert who is not sure of his
day's meal speaks to him as he would to an equal. Such is the
nature of desert life which has the tendency of dispensing with
all formality. This utter freedom from conventionality has been
known to be a characteristic of the Arabs from time immemorial,
and it remains as virile now as at any time before. The surroundings of the Arab are known not to have changed for thousands of years, and it is but natural that the Arab's nature should
remain in keeping with his environment.
When I Am Dead
I
11
By RAMSAY MOOREHEAD
When I am dead and nervous hands have thrust
My body downward into careless dust,
Methinks the grave would not suffice to hold
My spirit prisoned in its sunless mold.
Yea! the very thoughts of you would be
The resurrection of the life of me.
I shall be patient in the common grass,
That I might feel your footfalls, should you pass.
I shall be pure and gentle as the dew,
A loving spirit 'round the life of you.
And when your cheeks by perfumed winds are fanned,
It'll be my kiss and you will understand.
But! when some red storm bleared sun has set
I shall be lightning if you dared forget.
j
�—
44
B£a._
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Spirit of the Syrian Press
Under this caption we hope to present from time to time a microco*mic picture of the Arabic press, not only in this country, but wherever
Arabic dailies and magazines reflect the opinions of responsible, thinking
writers who are treating the different problems that confront the Arabicspeaking world from all conceivable angles. Needless to say, we will take
no part in the discussions reproduced, nor assume any responsibility. Our
task will simply consist in selecting, to the best of our knowledge and
with utmost sincerity, what we think is representative of the public opinion as expressed in these editorials.
Editor.
BEWARE OF SWINDLERS
There is abroad in the land a certain type of swindlers who prey on
our simple-hearted countrymen and
in many cases escape without being
brought to the bar of justice.
These rogues are usually of the
honey-tongued type, fluent talkers
who represent themselves as collectors for any number of patriotic
and charitable enterprises. They are
parasites in the community who
should be dealt with with all the
rigor of the law.
Their usual method of procedure
is to seek out a prominent member
of the community, one who would
be susceptible ta flattery and convince him by their adroit methods
of the benefit of their supposed
charity. Once their man is convinced, they use him as a wedge to force
their way into other homes and
pocketbooks. Syrians being noted
for their hospitality, the rogue would
be treated as an honored guest.
But when the swindler accomplishes
his ends he leaves his victims to
their sorrow and regret at the loss
of their money, and sometimes many
other valuables, and vanishes from
sight seeking other fields for his
activities.
- :-
'
The depradations of these swindlers have reached such a point
where energetic measures should be
taken immediately to frustrate them.
We would suggest, as a ready and
effective remedy, that Syrian communities firmly refuse to entertain
any proposition coming from a
stranger until it had been thoroughly investigated. To this end each
community should appoint a special
committee of investigation to pass
on the merits of the claims of strangers seeking assistance for any cause
whatever. If, upon investigation, the
cause should be found deserving,
then there would be the weight of
the recommendation of the committee to support it. Otherwise no member of the community would run the
danger of being mulcted out of his
good money.
We believe the suggestion is worthy of the serious consideration of
our countrymen everywhere.
(Al-Hoda, N. Y., April 2, 1928.)
I
/
SYRIA ASYLUM OF OUTCASTS
The newspaper "Palestine" reports that the government of Turkey
had ordered deported all prostitutes
and public dancers and that Europ-
�MAYt 1928
',
I
ean and Balkan governments (had
refused them the privilege of entry
into their respective countries, consequently, they decided on seeking
asylum in Egypt and Syria.
This immediately brings to mind
Bismark's famous words: "Woe to
the defeated!"
Defeat should not necessarily be
taken in a military sense. It can
apply to any person or nation in a
helpless state, and with no arms or
other means for self-defense. A
case for illustration is the Syrian
nation whose country has become the
refuge and asylum of outcasts and
persons of questionable character
from all countries. It is evident that
ever since Syria was occupied by
the Allies it became subject to all
sorts of other occupations.
The Zionists have occupied Palestine in defiance of the wish of the
native population.
The Armenians have occupied
Syria and Lebanon and felt themselves lords and masters of the
country.
Missionaries have come to aggravate the occupation and have gone
about their task without mandate or
other authority.
And now we find the country open
to another kind of invasion by prostitutes who have been deported
from other lands and found no better
place of refuge than Syria.
What is more aggravating is that
this class of invaders never becomes
of any consequence until they settle
in Syria. It then develops that the
Powers hasten to their protection
with their armies and navies, and
the whole world becomes extremely
sensitive to their grievances and
solicitous of their well-being, so
that in case one of them is stung
by a bee in Syria such would be
considered a barbarous offense re-
45
quiring redress in the form of burning Syrian cities and towns and
murdering women and children with
poisonous gases!
It seems to us that if conditions
should continue along this line for
ten years longer the children of the
land will continue their exodus by
the tens of thousands every year
and the country will in time become
the home of its foreign elements.
ThoBe of its native sons who would
choose to remain would be decimated either by the sword or by epidemics. And if any of them should
survive they would be in the most
abject state of servility.
Woe, then, to those who are defeated!
(Meraat-Ul-Gharb, N. Y.,
March 30, 1928.)
NATIONALISTS WIN ELECTIONS
The news just received from the
Syrian Nationalist Committee in
Egypt indicates that the Nationalist
Party has won a signal victory at
the primaries held in Syria on April
12, in spite of the irregularities
which the Minister of the Intrior
committed to hinder the free expression of the will of the people.
This is a most wholesome sign that
the Syrian nation has become conscious of its rights and is electing
the proper men to defend them.
No liberty-loving Syrian immigrant
but rejoices at this welcome news.
We take this occasion to congratulate the Nationalist Party in Syria
upon its success and trust that this
will prove the first step in the way
of accomplishing concrete reforms
which will in the end gain for the
country its lawful demands.
(Al-Bayan, N. Y., April 26, 1928.)
�46
THE SYRIAN WORLD
THE PRINCELY ASPIRANTS
COMPETE AND DON'T GRUMBLE
The native Syrian press abounds
The Daily Express of London pubwith expressions of misgivings over lishes an interview with Habib Bey
Armenian competition in Syria. For
Lutfallah and describes him as an
a long time we have been listening Arab prince who is immensely wealto those wailings of the Syrians thy and a descendant of a royal
who complain that the meagerness
family which ruled in Antioch two
of their resources are not even sufthousand years ago. This is but one
ficient for themselves, while the of the means employed by the LutArmenians who have been thrust on
fallahs to gain a standing among
them come to snatch this miserable
royalty, because this prince knows
pittance from between their hands. in his heart that all the information
Play fair, brothers! You are only he gave in the interview with the
evincing detestable selfishness by
English paper is a tissue of lies.
such complaints. Is it not a fact Under the circumstances we would
that you are migrating to other
like to hear from the pro-colonial
lands and enacting the same role papers about these new fantastic
that you accuse the Armenians of
claims of Lutfallah. Will they dare
playing? Would you not fill the air
to give publicity to this incident, or
with your complaints if the natives
will their fear of losing their subof the countries where you go to sidies prompt them to maintain
seek a living were to accuse you of
silence ? It seems to us that money
unfair competition and close their
covers a multitude of defects.
doors in your faces?
(Al-Bayan, N. Y., April 26, 1928.)
We would call the attention of
our brother Syrians to the latest
statistics on the funds sent by Syrians abroad to their native country.
BETWEEN THE TWO
The government report discloses the
COUNTRIES
fact that millions of dollars have
We are loath to deny the truth
been pouring annually into the country from emigrant sources. Syrian even though it goes against our
papers themselves comment on the journalistic interest. For this infact that, had it not been for these terest is to discourage or to retard
contributions the country would be as much as possible the process of
in the direst straits. How, we ask, amalgamation. But our faithfulness
can we reconcile this with their loud to the cause of public service imcomplaints of the competition of pels us to declare the truth in the
Armenians? If there is sufficient hope of benefiting the public. We,
work in the country for the immi- as Syrian journalists, have but a
grant Armenians to thrive on, why couple of decades more to go at the
were the natives blind to it? The most, because the inevitable result
real trouble, in our opinion, is the of complete amalgamation is fast
inertia of the Syrians who could approaching.
But our particular interest does
make the country yield them ample
not
prevent us from stating that
wealth if they only had the will
our
greatest
curse has been our
to work as do their countrymen in
policy
of
indecision.
Our first imforeign lands.
migrants
lost
many
a
valuable op(As-Sayeh, N. Y., April 25, 1928.)
i!
�1
MAY, 1928
I
•
portunity by not firmly and quickly
making up their minds. They would
engage in those undertakings which
could be speedily liquidated, because
the?r original intention was to remain in the country only a limited
time. Some of them did return, and
after having squandered their gains
decided that for them their country
of choice was better than their country of birth.
It is only lately that the minds
of Syrians seem to have been definitely made up that their destiny
is inalienably bound with this
country. It is well that they come
to this conclusion because in this
country of effort there is no room
for the vacillating and the undecided.
Here there is fearful stress and
competition and only those endowed
with true determination and singleness of purpose can succeed. We
are anxious for our countrymen to
gain their due portion of success and
for that reason enjoin them against
the disastrous consequences of indecision.
(As-Sayeh, N. Y., April 11, 1928.)
ARAB VS. SYRIAN
CIVILIZATION
Advocates of Pan-Arabism who
would federate Hejaz, Iraq, Palestine, Transjordania, Syria and Lebanon should realize by this time that
such a dream only occasions derision on the part of liberal thinkers
and men of extended vision. Sincere
students who appreciate the benefits
of modern freedom and liberty contemplate such a move with awe and
apprehension. ,For to them it is obvious that the so-called Arab civilization is as distant from modern
civilization as the East is from the
West, and the people of Syria and
Lebanon have nothing in common
47
with the people of Arabia whether
in customs, principles or psychology.
The present day Arab is an incorrigible fanatic whose principal
concern in life is to fight all those
who do not agree with him in his
religious views. Not so the Syrians
and Lebanese who, in spite of their
factionalism, are well on the way
to modern progress and feel only
coniempt for the primitive condition
in which he finds the Arab.
Take, for instance, Ibn Saoud,
the supreme lord of Arabia today.
Where is his civilization or where
are his principles of which the Arab
could be proud? Can he point with
pride to his fanaticism which urges
him to fight the Iraqi simply because
the latter is of a different religious
denomination ? Or is there any cause
for pride in the Arabs remaining
steeped in their centuries-old conditions which are utterly incompatible with modern requirements?
We are prompted to these remarks
by the speech which Ibn Saoud is
reported to have made to his followers on the occasion of the latest
disturbances in Arabia. In this
speech he urged them to war against
the inhabitants of Iraq, Koweit and
Transjordania "because they had
transgressed against the true teachings of the Koran." He further said
that he had hoped for these Mushrikin a return to the straight path
of Islam but they would not listen
to peaceful reasoning and it therefore becomes necessary to have recourse to the sword.
Now, if Ibn Saoud considers
those who belong to other sects of
Islam itself infidels what could be
his degree of toleration towards
Christians? And these are the
Arabs whom they would want us to
join in a federation.
M" ian Eagle, N. Y., April 9, 1928.)
�—
48
IMMATURITY FOR
INDEPENDENCE
THE SYRIAN WORLD
understanding of such a privilege.
(Ash-Shaab, N. Y., April 28, 1928.)
We would be among the first to
ask for Lebanon complete indepen- DEGRADING DEMONSTRATIONS
We are surprised to read in the
dence if such a condition were deemed favorable at the present time. Syrian press accounts of the many
But students of the psychology of demonstrations which every hamlet
the Lebanese realize the fact that and town in the country stages at
they are not yet fit to be the masters the arrival of a governor or any
of their own destiny in political other public official. One would be
matters. The Lebanese, on the oth- inclined to believe that officials had
er hand, are concededly much more no other occupation but to make
advanced than their neighbors the tours of the country, and the popuSyrians whether morally or educa- lation had nothing else to do but
tionally, and if they could not be engage in demonstrations.
Here in New York, the greatest
trusted with complete independence
city
in the world, the President,
and permitted to have absolute conGovernor,
Secretary and other functrol of government without supertionaries
each
of whom has more
vision, how could such liberties be
to
do
than
all
the
officials of Syria
given the Syrians?
put
together,
enters
and leaves the
It may be within the range of
city
without
the
least
ostetnation
possibility for Lebanon, Syria and
the Druze Mountain to form a fed- and the population, whether they
eration of states for common de- know of the visit or not, continue
fense and the promotion of their each at his work.
These vain and senseless demoneconomic interests. But when this
condition will become possible of strations are, perhaps, what attract
realization is conditional on actual the Syrians to public office. They are
proof that both Syrians and Leba- hungry for praise and manifestanese have come to understand the tions of pomp. While here in America only the man's record is counted
true meaning of patriotism.
Now what have our neighbors the as his most eloquent eulogy.
They say that foreigners enter
Syrians shown so far of their unour
country like lambs and leave it
derstanding of tolerance and patriotism that we may deem them fit to like wolves. Is it any wonder when
we find our countrymen there doing
be completely independent?
Where, in other words, is the tan- things at the wrong time and hastengible proof of the readiness of the ing to show servility every time they
Lebanese and Syrians to co-operate are visited by a man of position?
in a true spirit of loyalty for us to Have they forgotten that prodigalisay to France: "Now that we have ty in praise and free-for-all demonproven that we are fit for indepen- strations inspire inordinate dedence we consider your mandate mands? Therefore, when a foreignfrom the League of Nations to guide er finds the people so free and effuus in the shaping of our destiny at sive in rendering him homage he
develops in time contempt for them
an end"?
because
they would have degraded
Every nation has a claim to freethemselves.
dom, but this could not be had un(As-Sayeh, N. Y., April 14, 1928.)
less that nation had proven a true
\
�MAY, 1928
49
Readers' Forum
AN AUTHOR IN
HIS OWN DEFENSE
Eugene Jung, Author of "L'Islam et
l'Asies Devant l'lmperialisme",
Replies to His Critic.
Editor, The Syrian World:
The review of my book, "Islam
and Asia in the Face of Imperialism", by Mile. Simone France appearing in the February issue of
your magazine has interested me
greatly. I always like to know the
exact opinion of my neighbors, but
I believe that the charming writer
of these pages has not encompassed
all the intended meaning of my
book. I would therefore ask her
permission to answer her in the
following.
I am a veteran of diplomacy and
politics, having been in the company of Gambetta ever since the
age of 10. I grew in this atmosphere
under the judicious direction of my
father, General Th. Jung, the universally known historian of "Bonaparte and his Times". Later I was
a resident of the Far East for 17
years and since then have been in
continuous journalistic contact with
the Oriental, Arab and Islamic
worlds. Today, alas, I am 64 years
old!
Well, I do not have to tell that
France had built bridges, roads,
etc., but at prices twice as high as
those proposed in the bids of the
inhabitants.
That is not the question. The
question is much higher and much
more general.
Have we Frenchmen acted according to right and justice? Have we
not brought upon our heads grave
dangers? Are we not dragging
these Arabs of the Orient into the
general system of Asiatic defense?
What must we do to again rally
around us those populations which
only lately held us in the highest
esteem ?
Further, what should Europe and
even America do in the face of these
conditions? It is not sufficient to
speak in a spirit of pan-Americanism and pan-Europeanism, for it is
equally important to speak in a
spirit of pan-humanism. Asia contains more than a billion souls, or
two-thirds of the population of the
earth. Now, should this billion of
human beings be conserved only for
the growing appetite of European
and even American powers?
In grouping all the facts of the
situation in Asia and mixing in with
them the affairs of the mandated
territories I have succeeded in producing an imposing, mass of material
which scares the diplomatic and
political circles and gives much
food for thought. In thus serving
my country I have also served the
cause of the Lebanese, the Syrians,
the Palestinians and the Iraqians,
a cause which can never now be
separated from that of other Asiatic nations.
Let us be just in all matters. This
is the only true program of univer-
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
50
sal peace which I have attempted to
A TALE FROM NOAH'S TIME
elaborate by exposing the true facts
in the situation, and this by scrap- Editor, The Syrian World:
ing all the wounds as with a scalIn a haphazard way I met with
pel. This, indeed, is a grievous
this
following Syrian story—hisoperation, whether for the patient
toric
or prehistoric, God alone
or for the one performing the operaknows.
I thought, amid the irregution, but the operation is, neverthelarities
of
these days of Prohibition,
less, necessary.
it
would
be
of beneficial interest to
There is my book which receives,
the
readers
of
our Syrian magazine.
wherever it is understood, a warm
Now
if
Noah
himself
was the first
reception. However, in order to
fully understand its purport, it is to tell this story, we may at least
necessary to profoundly comprehend hope that he closed the episode of
the history of each people, its eco- his slanderous act by saying: Never
nomic necessities, its ethnic possi- again!
When Noah was planting the
bilities, its peculiar mentality, its
particular ambitions, and to have vine, Satan came forth to make a
traveled and seen much, be gifted call.
with an encompassing philosophy and
"What art thou planting?" asked
to have in one a deep feeling and Satan.
love for justice and the exact com"A vineyard," replied Noah.
"What fruit dost thou expect to
prehension of the right.
I trust that Mile. Simone France bring forth?" asked his majesty
will excuse these digressions. I again.
am not the less thankful to her for
"It will yield a fruit that will be
having so minutely read every page. sweet to the taste and make the
Only the grand scheme of the book heart joyous," was Noah's reply.
seems to have escaped her, unless it
"Let us then cultivate the vine
is my own fault that I was unable together, in equal partnership," sugto express myself plainly enough in gested Satan.
Noah assenting to the proposal,
my book.
Satan
departed, returning later with
E. Jung.
Paris, France.
a lamb, which he forthwith killed
and poured its blood upon the roots
P. s. — It never occurred to me
that it was necessary for Syria to of the vine. ;
After a wh le he repeated the
have more administrators and less
same process with the blood of a
politicians, and I have never written anything to that effect. Syria lion.
The blood of an ape he used the
should be—and will be—a free
third time; and lastly, the blood of
country with only a few French tech.
nical advisers chosen by the local a pigBy irrigating the vineyard m this
Syrian authorities. All other French
manner, Satan indicated the four
functionaries must be sent back
stages a man passes who comes unhome. Syria will conclude with us
der
the influence of wine.
a treaty of alliance. Such has always
The first cup makes him act like
been my sentiment and it is my
a lamb—meek and depressed.
hope that the same shall also apply
The second cup makes him bo:sto Lebanon.
r
�MAY, 1928
1
terous, bragging1 of his prowess as
if possessed of a lion's strength.
After the third or fourth cup, he
commences to behave like an ape,
performing all sorts of unsightly
pranks.
And when he reaches the state of
dvunkenness, he behaves... well,
everybody knows how he behaves!
Just a word about the "St. Columbus" controversy:—
For one thing, I am very thankful for the spirit of courtesy mani-
?
iV
fested in it. But, on the whole, I
could not but recollect the anecdote
related about that zealous countryman of ours who championed the
cause of St. Mamah; how in making
a comparison between him and the
other worthies severally, he finally
came to the Almighty, and said:
"Allah is all right, to be sure. But
to compare Him with Mar Mamah
is a pretty thick and clumsy proposition."
Dr. K. A. Bishara.
Brooklyn, N. Y.
Political Developments in Syria
NATIONALISTS WIN
SYRIAN ELECTIONS
While Protesting Against Election
Laws, They Agree to Co-operate
With Mandatory Power.
\
51
The elect;ons which took place in
Syria during April gave the Syrian
Nationalist Party an overwhelming
victory. Returns from all over the
country indicated that the Nationalists were swept to victory on the
crest of a popular wave which
smashed all opposition. Details of
the final elections which were held
on April 24 have not yet reached
the United States, but the primaries
which were held on April 10 indicated the trend of popular sentiment.
Furthermore, the popular enthusiasm
wlrich attended the elections and
their freedom from any disorder
caused unbounded elation in the
country which manifested itself in
spontaneous public demonstrations in
the principal cities.
Prior to the elections, the Nationalists held a party convention in
Damascus which was attended by
delegates from Aleppo, Homs, Hama
and other districts. They issued a
manifesto couched in the most re
spectful but firm language setting
forth their grievances and their
hopes. Their principal complaints
were that the High Commissioner,
in his declaration of February 15,
failed to meet the lawful demands
of the Syrian Nationalists by declarSyria a free country having the
right to choose its own form of government and that the proposed treaty between Syria and France would
be entered into as between equals
and for a defined term. Furthermore, the election laws which were
lished later failed to define the
exact status of the delegates to the
Consitutional Assembly or the duration of their incumbency, while the
laws, as promulgated for the present
elections, retained many of the objectionable clauses which endangered the free expression of the will of
�52
THE SYRIAN WORLD
self a Nationalist, but the Arabic
press reports that he ran on an independent ticket together with many
other members of his cabinet some
of whom were accused of tampering
with the ballot boxes.
The unanimity of the papers, however, in declaring that the elections
in general were free from any irregularity indicated that the government lived up to its promise of noninterference. There was even a report that M. Ponsot personally visited many of the polling places m
Damascus to satisfy himself of the
regularity of the elections.
tions.
The number of voters in Damascus
Another grievance of the Nation- was a fraction over fifty thousand.
alists was the exclusion from gen- Here as elsewhere in Syria, repreeral amnesty of many Syrian lead- sentation is based on the numerical
ers the loss of whose services they proportion of religious denominadeplored because of their ineligibili- tions. It is interesting to discover
ty for office under the terms of the that the next largest faction after
electoral laws.
the Mohammedans whose voters in
With the declaration by their Damascus total 27,012, are the imleaders that they would not advise migrant Armenians who command
boycotting the elections, the Syrians a voting strength of 11,058. The
swarmed to, the polls on election largest element among the native
day and gave their unqualified sup- Christians is the Armenian Catholics
port to the Nationalists. Only minor with 3,051 voters. Minorities which
disturbances took place which, nev- do not control sufficient strength for
ertheless, did not interfere with the independent
representation
are
elections. Full freedom was given grouped together for collective repfor the expression of the popular resentation.
will and only in one instance was
The Druze Mountain did not take
there any complaint of irregularity part in the Syrian elections because
when the Minister of the I^erior in it enjoys an independent government.
Damascus was accused of unlawful Nationalist papeTs disclose the exisinterference to influence the voters. tence of a strong movement of some
While preliminary reports thus Druze elements to join Syria, this
indicated the Nationalist victory m being one of their principal revoluthe provinces, there is intimation tionary demands, but a referendum
Uhat the election was hotly contested held lately in the Mountain proved
in the capital where the Provisional that a safe majority among the
President and many of his ministers Druzes prefer their present state of
were candidates for election. It is independence, although the Nationeven stated that the final count may alists accuse the French in this case
upset the early estimate of Nationof using coercive tactics to intimialist majority in Damascus.
date the Druzes.
The Provisional President is him-
the voters. Principal among these
clauses was that permitting government officials to seek nomination for
office, placing thereby at their disposal all the machinery of the government for the control of the elections. Nevertheless, and as proof of
their trust in the promise of the
High Commissioner, the Nationalists
declared their willingness to take
part in the elections in the hope that
the Constitutional Assembly will enjoy the free exercise of its power
to shape the destiny of its country
to conform to its national aspira-
�I
MAY, 1928
In support of this argument the
Nationalists point to the fact that
the movement for Syrian unity is
gaining strength even in Lebanon,
a delegation from Al-Bekaa having
waited on the Provisional President
of Syria to present a petition signed
by thousands of the inhabitants of
this district requesting a return to
their former status of being under
the jurisdiction of Damascus. The
delegation was composed of three
w
i\ I
53
notables representing the principal
Christian denominations of the district, namely a Maronite, a Greek
Catholic and a Greek Orthodox.
A curious incident attending the
Syrian primaries was that a Greek
Orthodox priest entered the field as
a candidate of his coreligionists in
Horns, but no sooner did his patriarch learn of his action than he ordered him to withdraw.
Missionaries Among Moslems
Cabled reports of the sessions of
the International Missionary Council held in Jerusalem the latter part
of March gave only a faint intimation of the demonstrations staged by
the native Moslems against the
Christian missionaries. Not only did
the Moslems take all possible measures, peaceful and otherwise, to
register their protest against Christian missionary activities in Palestine and other countries of the Near
East, but the native Christians
themselves are said to have joined
their Moslem neighbors in protest in
some instances. This action is interpreted by some to mean that a
live patriotic spirit among Arabicspeaking peoples is superseding religious influences, but by others it
is considered only a sign of fear on
the part of Christians of possible
reprisals by the Moslems against
them for the activities of the missionaries.
For some time past, Arab Moslems have shown growing indignation over attempts at Christian
penetration in their countries. Finding themselves helpless against foreign political designs, they turn to
the only other available method of
protest and vent their anger on the
missionaries. This action is not
restricted to the uneducated masses
but is shared with them to a very
large degree by the educated laymen
and, quite naturally, by the ulemas.
A leading Arabic paper of Cairo,
whose publishers are a product of
American missionary schools, is not
overstating the fact when it declares
that when the Moslems are attacked
in their religion they are touched
on the very thing they consider as
valuable as life itself.
Disturbances attending the holding of the International Missionary
Council in Jerusalem as reported by
the Arabic press of Egypt, Palestine
and Syria are partly as follows:
All missionaries in Transjordania
have been expelled from the country
and delivered under military escort
to the Palestinian authorities. This
action followed on serious uprisings
in As-Salt and other principal towns
of the country which endangered the
lives of the missionaries and forced
the authorities to take action. Still
it is reported that one missionary
had his nose cut off and another one
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
54
most virulent language the Prophet
of his eyes plucked. A surprising
and his mission. Had it not been
feature of this incident is that the for the intervention of the police
native Christians joined their Mosthe appearance of an air squadlem neighbors in objecting to the
ron blood would have flowed in the
presence of the foreign missionaries.
streets of As-Salt like rivers. Now
On the occasion of the annual
we want to admit that free thought
pilgrimage to the grave of Nab, and speech are essential and benefiMoussa, about three thousand pil- cial, but only when they are exererms from Nablus engaged m a cised in conferences of learned men
violent demonstration in the square
and not among people who have
facing the residence of the High
been nursed in their religion with
Commissioner in Jerusalem protesttheir mother's milk and to whom any
ing against the holding of the Mis- attack on their religious beliefs is
sionary Council. Bloodshed was as heinous a crime as an attack on
averted only through energeac ac- their family honor. If, under the
tion by the authorities.
circumstances, our Arab governA certain faction of the Moslem
ment is impotent in putting a stop
inhabitants of Shafa Amir were re- to the pernicious activities of these
ported to have embraced Christianimissionaries, then we would ask the
ty after some differences with other
Mandatory Authorities to take the
factions which, by the way, is a necessary means to eradicate the
common procedure in the East
evil, because if they think the matwhere religion still remains the ter simple they will soon discover
pivot on which revolves all human to their regret that it is most seractivities. Public indignation at this
ious and the fault would be theirs
action, however, seems to have so for having encouraged it by not supawed the converts that they formed
a committee to wait on the Mufti pressing it."
A public demonstration against
of Haifa and assure him that they
the missionaries was held in Gaza
shall ever remain true Moslems bewhere the police wounded four Moslieving in the Prophet, his BOOK, and
lems in attempting to quell the dishis Apostles".
turbance. No sooner news of the
To reproduce the editorial com- incident reached Jerusalem than the
ment of the Moslem press on this
Mohammedan business quarter was
topic would only go to prove tfeeir closed in protest with the approval
unanimity in condemning foreign
of the High Moslem Council.
missionaries. What may be consiThe National Committee of the
dered a fair indication of the genMoslem Young Men's Association in
eral sentiment is the following comEgypt, an organization similar to the
ment of "The People's Voice
ot
Y. M. C. A., upon receiving numerous
Amman:
protests against the International
"American missionaries continue
Missionary Council, sent a stronglytheir penetration in Transjordama
worded cable of protest to the Westleaving in their wake strife and disern Powers against the activities of
sension. The other day they nearly their nationals. Special exception
caused a riot in Ma'an and omy
seems to have been taken to the
three days ago the inhabitants oi
fact that the head of the missionary
As-Salt rose in a body against them
movement is an American and a
when they heard them attack in the
:
�MAY, 1928
55
high executive of the Y. M. C. A.
which the Moslem association had
hoped "would exercise its influence
for religious tolerance instead of
spreading bigotry".
A curious development in the situation is that Moslem opposition to
missionary activities does not ex-
clude even Moslem missionaries.
Arabic papers of Transjordania report that some converts to Wahabism, attempting to spread their newly acquired doctrines, were arrested
and threatened with expulsion if
they persisted in their efforts among
the people of Transjordania.
About Syria and Syrians
EMIGRANT REMITTANCES
IN TWO YEARS
The Bureau of Economics in the
Lebanese government had requested
the principal banks and exchange
houses of the country to furnish it
with exact figures on the remittances
of Lebanese emigrants during the
years 1926 and 1927. Two banks responded immediately giving the following figures:
Through the Syrian-Lebanese Bank
in Beirut.
1926
1927
£38,500
£20,700
$248,700
$254,600
f 3,176,000
f 3,432,600
Through the Bank of Alexander
Haddad in Beirut.
1926 £342,884 $1,619,630
1927 £329,628 $1,565,979
This makes the total of remittances through the government bank
approximately
$2,141,020
and
through the private bank of Alexander Haddad $6,548,169, bringing the
grand total to $8,689,189.
It should be borne in mind that
these sums cover only remittances
through two banks, although it may
be safely stated that these are the
principal ones of the country. An-
other point for consideration is that
they represent remittances from
Lebanese emigrants only and do not
include remittances of Syrians.
What may be further deduced is
that the remittances in English
money come from the English colonies, those in francs from French
colonies, and those in dollars from
the United States.
Commenting on these figures, the
Beirut
newspaper
Lisan-Ul-Hal
points out that they represent only
remittances of the last two years,
while emigrant remittances during
the five years immediately following
the war exceeded by far the above
amounts. The natural and logical
deduction is that that the people of
Lebanon are still supported by revenues from abroad, which does not
show a healthy condition in a country striving for economic independence.
The paper further remarks that
there should be no objection to the
liberal flow of emigrant money into
the counry, but this should be in the
form of capital for investment in
productive enterprises and not for
reckless spending on necessities and
luxuries which should be amply covered by native production.
�u
-~
36
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Druzes, was asked to accept £40 as
blood money for her two relatives.
She indignantly refused, saying to
the Commission that if tihey consiFor some time past the Lebanese
dered blood so cheap then why not
authorities have been making every
let
her take the life of the murdereffort to effect a reconciliation beers of her father and brother and
tween the Christians and the Druzes
she would be willing to pay £100
of Southern Lebanon whose old eninstead of £40. When she was told
mity was aggravated by the revoluthat general amnesty would soon be
tionary excesses in 1925. The latest
declared and she would receive no
such attempt to be launched was the
compensation whatever she replied
appointment of a mixed French and
that she would be willing to take
Lebanese Commission in March to
her chances at revenge and later
conduct a final investigation and
receive amnesty rather than accept
bring about a settlement. The Commoney. She was so overcome with
mission discovered that in four
emotion that she had to be led out
towns *he invading Druzes had killed 45 Christians: 22 in Kawkaba; of the room.
7 in Hasbaya; 4 in Abi Camhah and
12 in Rashayya. The Commission
sought to have the relatives of the
CHRISTIANS OF RASHAYYA
victims drop their claims for a conAPPEAL TO POPE
sideration of £20 for each victim,
The Arabic newspaper Al-Basir of
and to that end levied the amount
of the settlement on the Druze popu- Alexandria, Egypt, publishes what
lation which the latter promptly purports to be a copy of the petipaid. But the Christians would not tion which the war sufferers of Rabe satisfied and at first held out shayya sent to His Holiness the
against any settlement in any form, Pope through the Maronite Patrideclaring that the blood of their arch. The petition is a long documurdered relatives could not be pur- ment setting forth in detail the
chased with money. Later it was re- grievances of the Christians of Raported that the Commission explain- shayya and of other southern towns
ed to them that the money was sim- of Lebanon who suffered most durply in the nature of a fine which ing the last revolution and beseachthey could accept as proof of the ing the Holy Father to use his good
guilt of the murderers, while they offices with the Mandatory Power
would be extending pardon to their to give them redress. The petitionenemies out of a spirit of magnani- ers state that although they are
mity. The latest advices are to the mostly adherents of the Orthodox
effect that all claimants had signi- faith, the great solicitude for the
fied their acceptance of the terms welfare of their Orthodox brethren
offered with the exception of one of Russia displayed by the Pope
prompts them to the belief that he
family.
A pathetic scene was enacted dur- will also show the same consideraing the investigation of the Commis- tion in their case. Especially, they
sion when Miss Wadiah Kalil Nasr point out, that the Holy See had
of Kawkaba, whose father and young been from time immemorial the
brother had been killed by the great moral influence for the pro-
CHRISTIANS AND DRUZES
IN SOUTHERN LEBANON
�MAY, 1928
tection of the Christians of the East
regardless of their denominations.
After relating in detail the circumstances of their misfortune, the
petitioners ask the Pope's intercession with the Mandatory Power for
granting them full indemnity for
their property loss and providing
for them safe living quarters where
they would not be further exposed
to the danger of massacre. If, they
state, the authorities insist that they
return to their home town, then
they would ask that the Druzes be
banished from it and other Christian elements from the Druze Mountain who fared just as ill during the
last revolution be substituted for
them. Otherwise they would ask
that the authorities build them a
new town at a safe distance from
their hereditary enemies.
The petition is said to be signed
by the heads of the families of Rashayya and approved by the local
bishops of the different Christian
denominations.
DEFLECTION OF LEBANESE
EMIGRATION TO IRAQ
Mgr. Paul Rizk, an enterprising
Maronite clergyman of Jezzine who
had been a resident of Mexico before his return to his mother country, conceived the idea of deflecting
Lebanese emigration from America
to Iraq and went to the latter country to study conditions and report to
the Lebanese government. His proposition met with much favor in
some quarters and the Iraq government proved sympathetic to the
move. The reasons advanced in
favor of the proposition were that
Iraq was an Arabic-speaking country
57
and offered unequaled prospects for
colonization, while the Lebanese
were industrious and enterprising
and could bring much benefit to
themselves and to the country in
Which they settle.
The Council of Ministers of the
Lebanese government rejected, however, the proposals of Mgr. Rizk on
the ground that they do not favor
Lebanese emigration under whatever
conditions. In support of this contention Dr. Ayoub Tabet, Minister
of the Interior, who had himself
been an emigrant in the United
States at one time, argued that there
were ample resources in the country
if only the people would avail themselves of the opportunities. As an
illustration, he stated that at one
time the government needed a hundred workmen and could find only
Armenian immigrants willing to
work while the natives remained
idle rather than work for the low
wages offered.
PALESTINE ZIONISTS
ANTAGONIZE NATIVES
What is reported by the Damascus
newspaper Aleph Ba as the most
recent Zionist outrage against the
native population of Palestine was
the carnival scenes enacted in Tel
Aviv, the principal Zionist colonial
center situated near Jaffa, during
Holy Week. In this instance, the
Arabic paper reports, the Zionists
not only ridiculed the natives but
sought to mock their principal religious customs and observances.
According to its report, the Zionists made their carnival this year a
mockery of other religions including
Christianity and Islam. They had a
scene representing Christ being
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
58
driven to Calvary by Roman soldiers
who showered blows on Him to the
delight of onlookers. Islam they
ridiculed in the form of a Moslem
funeral where a corpse was borne on
the shoulders of the pallbeares
preceded and followed by a line of
blind men, one leading the other,
shouting in Arabic "La Hah Ilia Allar" (There is no God but Allah").
Coptic rites were also mimicked by
having black-faced monks pound
cymbals and sway in delirium as the
Copts are wont to do in their Easter
celebrations.
The paper comments that the
police witnessed all this without the
least attempt at interference, giving
the natives the impression that the
auhorities were in league with the
Jews against them.
The editor of The Syrian World
was invited to address both gatherings and also extended the courtesy
of acting as chairman.
SYRIANS OF CONNECTICUT
ENJOY HIGH STANDING
On two successive Sundays during
April the Syrians of Connecticut
held two successful entertainments,
the first being on the 22nd. in celebration of the 18th. anniversary of
the American Syrian Society of
Torrington, and the second on the
29th. by the Lebanon American Club
of Waterbury. At both affairs the
mayors of the respective cities together with other high officials attended, and visiting delegations
came from many other Syrian centres in Connecticut, Massachusetts
and New York.
Acting Mayor Fitzgerald of Torrington and Mayor Gilfoil of Waterbury spoke of the Syrians in the
highest terms of praise. They described them as industrious, lawabiding citizens who would be a
credit to any community.
•mm
MHi
SYRIAN DELEGATE TO
SOCIALIST CONVENTION
The Socialist Party of Oklahoma
elected Dr. M. Shadid of Elk City
its delegate to the National Convention of the Party held in New York
City last month. Readers of The
Syrian World will recall this Syrian
physician around whose charges of
social ostracism grew the controversy which was debated in The Syrian
World for several months. It now
develops that Dr. Shadid made the
charges in all good faith and through
profound conviction as he has now
sailed for Syria in company with his
eldest daughter to study conditions
in the mother country with a view
of settling there if the results of his
observations prove favorable. Dr.
Shadid, in his article, advanced the
proposition that Syrian emigrants
should return to their mother land
and help upbuild it now that conditions are more favorable to economic development, and more especially
because in their own country they
would enjoy privileges and amenities
of life that could not be had in other
countries.
LEADER OF REVOLUTION
IN DIRE STRAITS
Persistent reports appeared in the
Arabic press that Sultan Pasha
Atrash, leader of the Druze revolution against the French in Syria,
had negotiated with Sultan Ibn
Saoud for the sale of his arms and
I
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,
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i
59
ammunition to him in consideration
of £60,000, but the Nationalist press
ridiculed the report on the ground
that the Druze leader is still unshaken in his determination to continue the armed struggle and that
he is making additional purchases
of arms. These same papers, however, make no secret of the fact that
Sultan Pasha Atrash and his band
of loyal followers are in the direst
financial straits and are appealing
to Syrian patriots, especially in
America, to send liberal and immediate contributions.
FIVE THOUSAND
TOURISTS IN LEBANON
The Tourist and Summer Resort
Bureau of the Lebanese government
announced that it had received from
tourist agencies abroad information
to the effect that five thousand tourists had been booked to visit Syria
and Lebanon immediately following
the Easter season.
Other reports reaching the Bureau
indicate that the tourist season
promises to be exceedingly gratifying this year.
LUNHAM & MOORE
INCORPORATED
ESTABLISHED 1882.
l
c
Regular Service to Beirut, Tripoli, Alexandretta,
Aleppo, Acre, Jaffa, etc.
C
S
a
"72
LUNHAM & MOORE, INC.
11 BROADWAY
New York.
WE SHIP GOODS TO ALL PARTS OF
THE WORLD AT LOWEST RATES
^Phone Bowling Green 5900
Cables LUNHAM New York.B
�1
STATEMENT OF THE OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, CIRCULATION.
ETC., REQUIRED BY THE ACT OF CONGRESS OF AUGUST 24.1912.
Of The Syrian World published monthly at New York, N.Y„April 1st, 1928.
STATE OF NEW YORK.
COUNTY OF NEW YORK,
. ^
_
Before me, a Notary Public, in and for the state and county aforesaid,
personally appeared Salloum A. Mokarzel, who, having been duly sworn
according to law, deposes and says that he is the publisher of the The
Syrian World, and that the following is, to the best of his knowledge and
belief a true statement of the ownership, management (and if a daily paper, the circulation), etc., of the aforesaid publication for the date shown
in the above caption, required by the Act of August 24, 1921, embodied hi
section 411, Postal Laws and Regulations, printed on the reverse of this
form, to wit:
1. That the names and addresses of the publisher, editor, managing
editor, and business managers are:
Post office address—
Name of—
104 Greenwich Street.
Publisher, Salloum Mokarzel
104
Greenwich Street.
Editor, Salloum Mokarzel
104
Greenwich Street.
Managing Editor, Salloum Mokarzel
104
Greenwich Street.
Business Managers, Salloum Mokarzel
2 That the owner is: (If owned by a corporation, its name and address
must be stated and also immediately thereunder the names and addresses
of stockholders owning or holding one per cent or more of total amount of
stock. If not owned by a corporation, the names and addresses of the individual owners must be given. If owned by a firm, company, or other
unincorporated concern, its name and address, as well as those of each
individual member, must be given.)
Salloum A Mokarzel 104 Greenwich St.
3. That the known bondholders, mortgages, and other security holders
owning or holding 1 per cent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages,
or other securities are: (If there are none, so state.) None.
4 That the two paragraphs next above, giving the names of the owners, stockholders, and security holders, if any, contain not only the list of
stockholders and security holders as they appear upon the books of the
company but also, in cases where the stockholder or security holder appears
upon the books of the company as trustee or in any other fiduciary relation,
en- also that the said two paragraphs contain statements embracing affiantfs
the name of the person or corporation for whom such trustee is acting, is givfull knowledge and belief as to the circumstances and conditions under
which stockholders and security holders who do not appear upon the books
of the company as trustees, hold stock and securities in a capacity other
than that of a bona fide owner; and this affiant has no reason to believe
that any other person, association, or corporation has any interest direct
or indirect in the said stock, bonds, or other securities than as so stated
By su
Entel
VOL
i
Love
Arab
Leba
Arab
7
B^at the average number of copies of each issue of this publication
sold or distributed, through the mails or otherwise, to paid subscribers during the six months preceding the date shown above is.
(This
information is required from daily publications only.)
v
S. A. MokarzeL
Sworn to and subscribed before me this third day of April, 1928.
[SEAL.]
Salem J. Lutfy.
(My commission expires March 30, 1929.)
\
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Newspapers
Description
An account of the resource
<h4>Biographical/Historical Note</h4>
<p>Salloum Mokarzel, a Lebanese American intellectual, founded<em> The Syrian World</em> in 1926. Salloum Mokarzel was the younger brother of Naoum Mokarzel, the publisher of the Arabic-language newspaper <em>Al-Hoda. </em>Together, the Mokarzel brothers ran Al-Hoda Publishing, and in 1909, they published <em>The Syrian Business Directory.</em> </p>
<p>Mokarzel created <em>The Syrian World</em> in order to document and celebrate the culture and history of "Syria." At the time, Syria referred to the modern-day countries of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. The publication was primarily aimed towards second-generation children of immigrants, but Mokarzel hoped that it would also appeal to the general American public.</p>
<h4>Scope/Content Note</h4>
<p><em>The Syrian World</em> was published between 1926 and 1932 as a journal. In 1932, the format was changed from an academic journal style to a newspaper style, which continued until the periodical's end in 1935. After the death of his brother Naoum, Salloum took over the publication of <em>Al-Hoda.</em></p>
<p>The articles in <em>The Syrian World</em> cover a variety of topics spanning from the practical to the theoretical. Practical subjects include international and domestic travel, historical and contemporary Arabic and Arab-American art and literature, and the mental and physical health and hygiene of immigrants. More theoretical, philosophical, and ideological subjects include ideologies of race, the changing role of women, the formation of Syrian and Lebanese-American societies, and the political and psychological relationships between immigrants and their countries of origin.</p>
<p>All issues of <em>The Syrian World</em> are available, along with full indexes for the first four volumes. For volumes five and six, there are tables of contents at the start of the issues.</p>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabs--United States
Arabic periodicals
Newspapers
Arab American Newspapers
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1926-1935
Relation
A related resource
<em><a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/41" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Syrian Business Directory</a></em>
<a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/44" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mokarzel Family Papers</a>
<a href="http://hdl.handle.net/11299/175685" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Annotated Index to the Syrian World, 1926-1932</a> at the University of Minnesota Immigration History Research Center Archives
<a href="https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/58" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Al-Hoda Newspapers</em></a>
Language
A language of the resource
English
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Processed by Claire A. Kempa, 2015-2017. Collection Guide written by Claire A. Kempa, 2017.
Collection Guide updated by Laura Lethers, 2023 August.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
These materials are digital copies of an original resource held by another institution. The KCLDS Archive often works with other institutions to make digital materials available online to the public. KCLDS is not able to grant permission to use or reproduce these materials. The KCLDS Archive strongly encourages users to contact the holding institution for permission to use or reproduce materials from their holdings.
Identifier
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NS 0002
Access Rights
Information about who can access the resource or an indication of its security status. Access Rights may include information regarding access or restrictions based on privacy, security, or other policies.
This digital material is provided here for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
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TSW1928_05reducedWM
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Volume 02, Issue 11
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1928 May
Description
An account of the resource
Volume 2 Issue 11 of The Syrian World published May 1928. The issue opens with another discussion about words borrowed both from Arabic and English by Byron Smith. There is a poem following the article titled "Bel's Lions" by Dr. Salim Y. Alkazin. Next is an interview conducted with Count Herman Keyserling by Salloum Mokarzel
the interview primarily focuses on the major problems besetting the East. There is yet another piece by Salloum Mokarzel discussing the process of progress in the Moslem world. Following it are two short stories, one discussing war in small nations by Kahlil Gibran and another called "The Scar" by Dr. N.A. Katibah. The last two articles have no given author. One discusses Arabic Newspapers in America and the second discusses how Arabic figures like King Ibn Saoud are portrayed in American literature. The issue concludes with excerpts from the Arab press, the Reader’s Forum, and political developments in Syria.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabic literature--History and criticism--Periodicals
Arabs--United States--Periodicals
Lebanese-Americans--United States--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Syrian-American Press
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
104 Greenwich St., New York, NY
Format
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Text/pdf
Type
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Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
1920s
1929
Ameen Rihani
Dr. George Knaysi
George A. Ferris
Kahlil Gibran
King Hussein of Jordan
Labeebee A. J. Hanna
Mokarzel
Najib A. Katibah
New York
Philip K. Hitti
Salim Alkazin
Salloum Antoun Mokarzel
Syrian-American Press
The Syrian World
Usama
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/af33fc06699bf8fe5c3cd4474b402a3f.pdf
d6c7a1f91dbeedb2b9657f09a6fea0e1
PDF Text
Text
VOL. IV. No. 5.
SYRIAN WORLD
A MONTHLY MAGAZINE IN ENGLISH DEALING
WITH SYRIAN AFFAIRS AND ARABIC LITERATURE
I
ft
m
MODERN SYRIANS' CONTRIBUTIONS
TO CIVILIZATION
REV-. W. A. MANSUR
I
m
SALLOUM A. MOKARZEL
I
grig
THE AHLEYAH SCHOOL OF BEIRUT
m
THE CHANGING EAST
AMEEN RJHANI
THE STRANGE CASE OF HASSAN AND HUSNA
(AN ARABIAN NIGHTS* STORY)
THE WAGER-A SHORT STORY
I
m
Ml
AREF EL-KHOURY
m
THE COPY 50c
wBssr
m*
��^^^__^________
SYRIAN WORLD
Tublished monthly by
SALLOUM
A.
THE SYRIAN-AMERICAN PRESS
MOKARZEL,
Editor.
104 Greenwich St., New York, N. Y.
By subscription $5.00 a year.
Single copies 50c.
Entered as second-class matter June 25, 1926, at the post office at New
York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879.
VOL. IV. No. 5.
JANUARY, 19 JO
CONTENTS
PAGE
Modern Syrian'' Contributions to Civilization
REV.
W. A.
7
MANSUR
From the Arabic
14
The Changing East
15
SALLOUM
A.
MOKARZEL
Advice to a Lover (Poem)
LABEEBEE
27
A. J.
HANNA
The Master-Builder (Poem)
DR. SALIM
Y.
28
ALKAZIX
The Tzvo Learned Men
KAHLIL GIBRAN
29
�HHHHK
CONTENTS (Continued)
PAGE
The Last Leaf (Poem)
30
MISCHA NAIMY
The Ahleyah School of Beirut
31
AMEEN RIHANI
The Strange Case of Hassan and Husna
33
(AN ARABIAN NIGHTS' STORY)
Arab Wisdom
38
The Wager (Short Story)
39
AREF EL-KHOURY
The Greatest of These Is Charity (Poem)
41
ALICE MCGEORGE
Editorial Comment
Beauty Contests
On the Nature of Cursing
42
43
Spirit of the Syrian Press
45
Political Developments in Syria
49
About Syria and Syrians
53
ILLUSTRATIONS IN THIS ISSUE
A Minister of Lebanon at Home
A View in North Lebanon
An Enchanting Scene in North Lebanon
Miss Lebanon in International Beauty Contest
A Flourishing Native School
Physical Training for Syrian Girls
�IN THIS ISSUE
1
REV. W. A. MANSUR contributes a splendid appraisal of
the Syrians' Contributions to
Civilization. This patriotic minister's writings have been uniformly inspirational, and we
feel sure that those anxious to
learn things of value of their
ancestral background will feel
grateful to him for the wealth
of material he takes so much
pains to provide for them. We
urge a careful reading of his
current article.*** SALLOUM
A. MOKARZEL discusses in
this issue some of the changes
now taking place in the East,
with partiuular emphasis on the
fundamental orientation in the
character of the people. He tells
of the birth of a new spirit of
co-operation which is showing
unusual manifestations, especially in the economic field. The
great hydroelectric project of
Nahr Kadisha, wholly native in
conception, execution, capital
and management, is here described at length, together with
detailed accounts of special interviews with Archbishop Antoun Arida and the prominent
leaders connected with the undertaking. The account of the
obstructive tactics of inimical
"foreign interests", and how the
natives succeeded in overcoming
them with grim determination,
is worth reading.*** AMEEN
RIHANI writes a vivid account
of the inception and growth of
the Ahleyah School in Beirut.
Miss Marie Kassab, the founder, is now in New York in the
interest of the institution.***
DR. SALIM Y. ALKAZIN
has another beautiful poetical
contribution which carries a fine
moral, as usual.***AREF ELKHOURY, an aspiring young
Syrian writer of Welch, W. Va.,
has an original short story
whose scene is laid in Damascus
and whose characters are a Syrian-American boy and girl. It
boldly emphasizes the spirit of
American daring.*** OTHER
CONTRIBUTORS include:—
Kahiil Gibran, Miss Labeebee
A. J. Hanna, Mischa Naimy
and Alice McGeorge. The department of political developments in Syria for this month is
particularly interesting, as well
as that of the Spirit of the Syrian Press. The reaction of the
Arabic-speaking elements to
European diplomacy is gaged
here as it can be nowhere else.
JOIN
THE GREAT
SYRIAN WORLD
CONTEST
NOW
J
�Great Syrian
For a FREE TRIP to
i
k.
The editor of THE SYRIAN WORLD having made a trip to Syria in
the summer of 1929, -which he is now describing in a series of articles in
the magazine, came to realize not only the great educational and cultural
advantages of such a trip, but its unrivr.lled possibilities for pleasure and
recreation. In our enthusiasm for the benefits of such tours, we decided to
offer one as a prize to our readers. This is on a par with the most liberal
offers made by the biggest American publications, whose readers are hundreds of thousands and even millions. Needless to say that this is unprecedented in the history of Arabic journalism, whether in America or abroad.
THE SYRIAN WORLD, in making the great prize offer in spite of
the heavy sacrifice involved, considers that in so doing it is promoting the
cause of sympathetic understanding of the motherland. This is in keeping
with the main object behind the publicati >n of the magazine. Whether the
winner be a boy or girl, American or Syrian, the purpose would have been
served by the actual contacts established with the great scenic beauties
and places of immense histork:il interest in our country of origin.
The proposition is unprecedented, the advantages great, Lhe conditions most liberal. It is surely the opportunity of a lifetime for the ambitious.
t<
rc
a!
t!
2.
3.
ITINERARY OF TRIP
4.
The free trip offered by THE SYRIAN WORLD takes the same route
fol'owed by :
or in his recent trip to Syria. Fassage will be Cabin
class on the luxurious steamer Providence, of the Fabre Line, sailing from
New York July 2nd. Stops on route and shore excursions will be made at
Ponta Delgada, Azores Islands; Lisbon, Portugal; Naples, Italy; Palermo,
Sicily, and Piraeus and Athens, Greece.
In Syria and Lebanon the winner may remain as long as he desires
and return on any of the Fabre Line steamers to New York, a>so Cabin
Class.
Sailing from New York will be under the direction and full assistance
of the firm of A. K. Hitti & Co., the well-known steamship ticket agents.
The Beirut Branch of the same firm will render the winner all necessary service and advice free. The editor, thanks to the contacts contracted
on his last trip, will also give the winner letters of introduction and recommendation to many influential friends who would render all necessary
courtesies. The winner, representing THE SYRIAN WORLD whose services
are fully recognized in the motherland, will be assured of the most friendly
reception by the authorities and the public.
6.
f,
/
I
I
�World Contest
SYRIA and RETURN
SYRIAN WORLD OFFER
The prize offered by THE SYRIAN WORLD to the winner in the contest is free passage, Cabin Class, both ways from New York to Beirut and
return, together with a liberal cash allowance for the shore excursions
Jove mentioned on the outward passage. Is this not a worthy prize to
try to win?
CONDITIONS OF CONTEST
1. THE SYRIAN WORLD prize of a Free Trip to Syria and return will be
awarded the individual securing the largest number of New subscribers to the magazine at the regular price of subscription.
2. Considering the great value of the prize offered, the minimum number
required to win the award must be not less than one hundred.
3. Every contestant, other than the winner, securing more than one huntt, T* sllbscriJ,ti0RS> wil1 be awarded a special cash premium of
$1.50 for every subscription. Those securing less than one hundred will
be given S.liO for every subscription. In the event of two or more contestants tying for the Grand Prize, all will receive identical prizes.
4. The contest closes June 10, 1930. Letters post-marked later than this
date mil .:ot bs counted. Announcement of the awards will be made
June lo.
5. Every subscription must be a new subscription, and must be accompanied by a remittance of the full price of $5.00.
6. Gift subscriptions will be counted as direct subscriptions. For instance
if a contestant succeeds in inducing a friend to make gifts of a year's'
subsection to each of five individuals, he will be given credit for
five individual subscriptions. Multiple subscriptions to the same person
will not be counted by the number of years; as, for instance, a single
individual subscribing for two years will not be given credit for two
subscriptions.
7. Those wishing to enter the contest must write to register, in which case
they will be furnished with special blanks and helpful literature.
8. The contest is open to all friends of THE SYRIAN WORLD anywhere
in the United States and Canada.
�IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
ON THE SUBJECT OF THE
SYRIAN WORLD CONTEST
fYWING to the appreciation by the public of our liberal offer
of a free trip to Syria as a first prize in the current Syrian
World Contest, and in compliance with numerous requests to
this effect, we have decided to extend our offer as follows:
1—While the minimum number of subscriptions required to win
the Free Trip remains at one hundred, any contestant, besides the winner, procuring one hundred subscriptions has
the option of receiving either the cash prize or a one-way
free trip to Syria.
2—If a contestant should procure two hundred, he receives a
free round trip.
3—For all subscriptions above two hundred the winner, as well
as any other contestant, receives a cash premium of one
dollar for each subscription in excess of two hundred.
4—Organizations are permitted to enter the contest and award
the prize to any individual member.
5—Contestants working for the limited prizes of either a oneway trip or a round trip may withdraw once their goal is
reached and sail on any Fabre Line steamer, cabin class,
before the date set for the close of the Contest.
Registered contestants to date are the following:
Mr. H. John Hashem
63 Thompson St., Poughkeepsie, N. Y.
Miss Evelyn Assmar
181 - 79th St., Brooklyn, N. Y.
Mr. Richard Hajjar
180 Warren St., Brooklyn, N. Y.
Mr. Hafey Abood
179 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn, N. Y.
Mrs. Rose A. Hamrah
56 Scott St., Naugatuck, Conn.
FOUR MORE MONTHS
IN
WHICH
TO
WIN.
�VOL. IV. No. 5.
JANUARY, 1930.
Modern Syrians' Contributions
to Civilization
By
REV.
W. A.
MANSUR
1*HE MODERN Syrians, descendents of the famous Phoenicians, are now making significant contributions to civilization.
The rise of the Syrian race through the renaissance of the Syrian spirit, the emigration of the Syrian people, and the progress
of Syrian talent marks a new era in the progress of civilization.
The modern Syrians' contributions to civilization are based on
prosperity, commerce, welfare, progress, and not on military conquest, colonial exploitation, or racial aggression.
The world needs enlightenment regarding the origin, history, character, talent and progress of the Syrian race. Tames
Bryce says in The Holy Roman Empire: "During the Middle
Ages, Western statesmen and churchmen, Western thinkers and
writers, took little note of the Eastern Empire which stubbornly
held its ground at Constantinople down to A. D. 1453." "Even
in later times the part played by the people and rulers of New
Rome was inadequately appreciated, and it is only in our own
days that history has begun to atone for this long neglect." We
must inform the world regarding Syrian race history, Syrian race
talent, and Syrian race contributions to mankind.
Through knowledge about the awakening of the modern Syrian race we shall plant intelligent information, arouse sympathetic understanding, and win cordial appreciation. "Fundamental in every search for entrance into the mind of a race other
than our own," says Bishop Francis John McConnell in Human
Needs and World Christianity, "is straight-forward justice."
I i
�8
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Bishop J. H. Oldham says in Christianity and the Race Problem^
"In order that the different peoples may enrich the life of the
world by the contribution which each is best fitted to make, each
must have freedom to develop a distinctive life of its own."
When president, Calvin Coolidge said, "All peoples have points
of excellence and are justly entitled to the honorable consideration of other nations." The present awakening of the Syrian race
is bringing to the forefront an illustrious race whose native land,
contributions to humanity, and racial talents are again to bless
mankind. The world will soon acknowledge the "straight-forward justice," recognize with appreciation the "distinctive life,"
and grant with regard "honorable consideration" a prominent
place to the Syrian race and its benevolent influences on civilization.
The following modern Syrians' contributions to civilization
are meant to indicate the trend of the modern Syrian race, the
legacies it is making to human welfare, and the vindication of
the race's awakening, vitality, leadership, civilization and progress.
/.
The Modern Syrians Are Contributing Leadership for the
Arabic-Speaking World.
"Syria and Syrians," says Talcott Williams in an introduction
to The Syrians in America, "constitute the first land and the first
people in Southwestern Asia who have entered into modern civilization."
Remember that for centuries Syria was under military suppression, autocratic control, and devastated condition. The expression of racial talent was hindered, the exchange of learning
was stopped, and intercourse with the outside world prohibited.
Three impulses helped bring the Syrian renaissance: the Napoleonic invasion, European interest, and contact with the outside
world.
"The twentieth century found the Syrians," says Philip K.
Hitti in THE SYRIAN WORLD, "the teacher and literary leader
of the Arabic-speaking world." (July, 1926.) In a masterful
article on "Syrian Leadership in Arabic Affairs" he says, "Not
only have the Syrians in recent times supplied a large part of the
leadership throughout the Arabic world in progress, in commerce,
in education and in literature but in nationalistic movements,
too." (Aug., 1927.)
The character of the modern Syrian leadership will deter-
i
�mine largely the nature of the rising civilization in Arabic-speaking lands. The modern Syrian is moulding the thought life, inspiring emulation of modern democracy, and awakening the talents of Arabic-speaking races and nations.
77.
The Modern Syrians Are Giving Original Religious and
Moral Impulses for World Welfare.
The leadership of mankind is already recognizing the superior religious and moral capacities of the Syrian race for world
civilization. "The destiny of the Near and Middle East will go
far to determine the trend of the new world's life," says Basil
Mathews in The Riddle of Nearer Asia. "For those lands between the Aegean and the Nile on the one hand, and the Caucasus and mountain buttresses of Persia on the other, are strategically a pivot on which world issues swing, while immeasurable
possibilities lie undeveloped in their human and material resources, and, above all, in their spiritual capacities."
The modern Syrian is awake to his religious, moral and racial
inheritance. He recognizes his native talents. He realizes the contributions his ancestors made to humanity. He feels the urge to
intellectual, cultural and humanitarian achievement.
The world is again to be led by the religious and moral enthusiasm of Syrian prophets. The truth will be heard through
silver-tongued Syrian heralds. Righteous dealing will be advocated by golden-mouthed Syrian statesmen. Human brotherhood
will be preached by divinely-inspired Syrian missionaries.
7/7.
The Modem Syrians Are Promoting True Inter-Racial
Idealism Toward Sympathetic Appreciation, Human Brotherhood, and World Civilization.
"As for the Asiatics," says Tyler Dennett in A Better World,
"they have, from the dawn of history, been the great creative
religious folk. They have given religion to the world: Judaism,
Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Mohammedanism. A Roman
or an Anglo-Saxon may be the organizer, but it takes an Oriental
to write a psalm or to make a prophecy.—When Christianity is
restored to the Orient from which it came it uncovers energies
and vitalities such as were characteristic of the Apostolic days."
The world is in great need of the Syrian gospel of inter-racial
appreciation, brotherhood and civilization. The world suffers
from race prejudice, color discrimination, and national aggression.
�y
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
The modern Syrian is promoting the true gospel of interracial equality. Equality of the races, equality of the rights, and
equality of privilege will be preached to mankind. Equality of
human worth without regard to race, color, creed, time, clime or
place will be heralded to human minds, hearts, and life everywhere. The modern Syrian will blast the Syrian evangel of interracial brotherhood to humanity: from Syrian hearts the equal
love of God will be preached, from Syrian minds the universal
truth of God will be proclaimed, and from Syrian tongues the
even righteousness of God will be heralded for human brotherhood to every race, nation and tongue. The modern Syrian hearts,
minds and tongues are already promoting the new order of human
brotherhood. The world everywhere awaits with expectation the
regenerating power of the Syrian Gospel of inter-racial brotherhood!
IV.
The Modern Syrians Are Disseminating the Principles of
Freedom: Intellectual, Religious and Political.
S. A. Mokarzel, editor of THE SYRIAN WORLD, in writing
of the Syrian community in New York as an example of the Syrians in America, says, "It has helped plant the love of America
in the hearts of millions of people speaking the common Arabic
language, and it has proven its gratitude and loyalty to its adopted
country by responding in vastly more than its proportionate quota
to the appeal of the government either for financial aid or for
man power in times of national crisis." (Syrian World, Nov.,
1927.)
What is here said of the Syrians in America applies equally
to Syrians in every country in the world. Modern Syrians are
carrying to the ends of the earth the ideals of intellectual enlightenment, political liberty, and religious freedom. Wherever
the Arabic language is spoken Syrian leadership is broadcasting
the principles of democracy. Wherever Syrians dwell there is
founded a radiating center for modern human freedom.
The modern Syrian will act as mediator between the old and
the new civilization, between the old and the new generation,
between the ideas of Arabic-speaking millions of the meaning
of liberty, its proper uses and its benefits upon mankind. He will
give personal testimony to the uplifting influence of religious,
intellectual, and political freedom as evidenced in his adoption,
prosperity, and progress in the lands of liberty.
%»fti
�JANUARY, 1930
V.
The Modern Syrians Are Carrying Forward the Means of
Civilization: High Standards, Beneficial Commerce, Progressive Living.
Like his famous ancestors, the modern Syrian is an advance
agent of civilization. George Adam Smith says in Syria and the
Holy Land, "Hebrew and Greek writers acclaim the wealth of
Phoenician industries and the size and the range of Phoenician
ships. Long before the Christian era these galleys had passed
the Straits of Gibraltar as far at least as the Canaries and Sicilies;
and had sailed down the Red Sea and along the coast of Africa."
The modern Syrian is disseminating modern trade, commerce
and high standards of living. S. A. Mokarzel says in THE SYRIAN WORLD, "He is in Paris, London, Manchester, Berlin, New
York, Sao Paolo, Buenos Aires, Shanghai, Yokahama, Manila,
Sydney and every leading commercial center that you may think
of. And he is there a trader, a purveyor to the needs of the public, an. agent for the cause of civilization! But let us not stop
at that. Let us delve deeper into the interior of the five continents and we will find the Syrian there—in the jungles of Brazil,
in the wilds of Africa, in the wastes of North America—a trader,
a merchant, a practitioner of the art of peaceful penetration, an
advocate of higher standards of life through the art of trade
and commerce." (Issue of Aug., 1926.)
J. Ray Johnson, editor of The Interpreter, organ of the Foreign Language Information Service in New York, says, "The
modern Syrian merchants advanced into almost all the maritime
cities of Europe and carried their trade across the seas to South
Africa, New Zealand, Australia, the Philippines, South America, Mexico, Canada and the United States." (The Syrian World,
June, 1928.)
The modern Syrians, descendents of the illustrious Phoenicians whose civilizing influences forwarded the progress of mankind, are rising to claim similar fame by contributing to the progress of humanity. They are becoming the merchant princes of
modern times. They are forwarding friendship, mutual-welfare,
and civilized life wherever they dwell. They are the exchangers
of merchandise, culture and high standards. They examplify in
their lives industrious living, patriotic loyalty, law-obedience and
love of liberty.
�12
THE SYRIAN WORLD
VI.
The Modern Syrians Exemplify Loyal Citizenship to Their
New Homelands: Patriotism, Loyalty, Gratitude, Service.
The modern Syrians are, perhaps, par excellence the most
loyal citizens in their new homelands.
Let it be remembered that love of our new homeland is compatible with love of our motherland. We modern Syrians will
stand for our race virtues, proclaim our love for the motherland
of our race, uphold the splendor of the Syrian race legacies to
humanity, and claim for our race a rightful place among the
races of earth. We modern Syrians believe in our new homelands, are loyal to their laws, and work for their welfare. The
true Syrian-American believes in America First} the Syrian-Argentinian in Argentine First} the Syrian-Brazilian in Brazil First}
the Syrian-Australian in Australia First.
A. Hakim, "The Sage of Washington Street," expressed the
true sentiment of the Syrian-Americans toward their new homeland. He says, "
that we are in America to stay} that we
owe it our allegiance whole and undivided, and that whatever
assistance we render the motherland is prompted by humanitarian, sentimental considerations only." (Syrian World, Oct., 1928.)
The modern Syrians are vindicating their pure patriotism,
loyal citizenship, and sincere gratitude to their new homelands.
Capt. Emilio Carranza, the Mexican air hero, said at a reception
held in his honor by the American Syrian Federation of New
York, "The cost of my plane was raised by popular subscription.
The Mexicans and all other racial groups contributed two-thirds
while the Syrians of Mexico alone contributed the other third."
The Syrian Bolivians decided to show their gratitude with a
full-sized statue of General Bolivar, the Father of Bolivian liberty, as their snare of the centennial celebration of the Independence of Bolivia. The Syrian merchants of Sao-Paolo, representing the Syrian community in Brazil, decided to show their
loyalty by presenting President Washington Luis, with a golden
tray with a message of loyalty engraved thereon. The SyrianArgentinians responded generously toward the purchase, from
the French Government, of the house in which Gen. San Martin,
the Argentine Liberator, died. The Syrian-Americans are, as
shown by their record during the World War, perhaps the most
loyal, patriotic and devoted among the races in America, and
"unexcelled—even by the Americans themselves."
n
�JANUARY, 1930
VII.
13
The Modern Syrians Represent the Most Benevolent Kind
of^ Emigration: Enter-prising Trade, Mutual Welfare,
Righteous Dealing, Loyal Citizenship.
The modern Syrian immigrants represent the most benevolent
type of race emigration in the modern world. They represent
a peaceful emigration which carries with it enterprising trade,
mutual-welfare, and cultural influence. They are following in
the footsteps of their ancient ancestors the Phoenicians. H. G.
Wells says in The Outline of History, "The great trading cities
of the Phoenicians are the most striking of the early manifestations of the peculiar and characteristic gift of the Semitic peoples
to mankind, trade and exchange."
The writer of Tyre: Its Rise, Glory, and Desolation says of
the colonies of ancient Phoenicia, "These colonies were not obtained by conquest, or, as in the case of many other nations, by
the forcible removal of the original inhabitants, and the settlements of others from time to time by bold navigators, and which
were considered to present opportunities for originating and
maintaining commerce."
The modern Syrians are dependent upon peaceful, prosperous and friendly intercourse for their welfare as well as that
of the people among whom they live. Other races, nations, and
peoples may make progress through exploitation of the material
resources of others, military domination, and numerical superiority. The modern Syrian immigration is free from aspiration
for establishing colonies advantageous to a particular religion,
free from ambition for founding centers for selfish exploitation
of other lands, and free from desire for political domination of
other countries.
Through the modern Syrian immigrants every race, nation,
and people are enriched by their wholesome influences. The Syrian communities in their new homelands are prophetic of the rise
of prosperity, peace, and progress to their respective communities, countries, and nations. Syrian communities everywhere are
centers of beneficial trade, mutual welfare, and progressive citizenship.
The modern Syrians' contributions to civilization are bound,
in their cumulative effect, to draw the intelligent attention of
mankind, awaken sympathetic appreciation of the race's civilizing
influence upon humanity, and command a high position of leadership among the races, nations, and peoples of earth.
A
�14
THE SYRIAN WORLD
The knowledge of these contributions will enlarge the vision
of growing Syrian youth, appreciation will spur the rising Syrian leadership to greater achievements, and propagation will
arouse Syrian race consciousness, Syrian race solidarity, and Syrian race pride.
From the Arabic
TRUE GREATNESS
Meeting one of the retinue of the Vizier Ibn Al-Ameed, AlAsjadi asked him: "How find you our lord the Vizier?" and the
man replied: "He is a branch whose sap has dried, and he has
become so adamant that no charitable impulse finds its way into
his heart. Instead, his position seems to breed in him extreme
suspicion." "But," insisted Al-Asjadi, "see you not the pomp
of the court, and the imposing palace, and the luxurious furnishings, and the great fame that goes with power?"
And the man replied: "Power does not necessarily imply magnanimity, nor good fortune signify glory. If you were to have
proof of a man's true greatness, note the number of his visitors
and the seekers after his munificence; and how they leave his
court, if in a thankful and appreciative mood,—and what is the
nature of their comment after they leave, whether their praise is
prompted by fear or by a spirit of earnestness. Truly, such are
the signs of popular leadership and inherent magnanimity of
character and well-deserved glory."
THE THREE VICES
The three most detestable of cardinal vices are the following:
Pride that leads to inertia, miserliness that is impossible of eradication, and vanity that insists on displaying itself under all circumstances.
TRUE FRIENDSHIP
Your true friend is he who hastens to your aid when you fall;
who spares not criticism when you err; who is pleased to see you
clothed in virtue, and is grieved to see you fall in the esteem of
men. But he is not your friend who shows unconcern in your
fate, and it is immaterial to him whether you go astray or find
your way.
fir
�JANUARY, 1930
15
The Changing East
By
f'
SALLOUM
A.
MOKARZEL
yHE EAST, after all, does change. That part of it which I
visited the past summer is undergoing a rapid, almost phenomenal transformation. People of the East do not seem to be
any more given up to that passiveness which springs from their
belief in kismet. True, one still comes across the petty merchants
squatting in their stalls smoking their water-pipes and waiting
for the favor of Allah—and a customer; but there is also noticeable abroad in the land a spirit of strong initiative, even to the
point of aggressiveness. And the change is not confined to the
physical appearance of the country; it is permeating the character of the people and effecting a radical change in their lives
and traditional viewpoints. Changing economic conditions are
responsible for this transformation, and although the peoples
of the East are still novices at the task, they are showing marked
progress in their earnest efforts to adopt from the West its methods of organization and its principles of cooperative, collective
action in economic pursuits.
When I landed at Beirut, the city was hardly recognizable to
me after an absence of thirty years. I actually had to search for
those scenes and places which are typical of the East, and found
only a faint vestige of them to have remained. Almost gone
were the narrow, covered bazaars and their Oriental picturesqueness. Work of demolition was going on everywhere and new,
well-paved, broad streets, flanked by buildings of pleasing uniformity, were rising everywhere. I was told that a native architect, who, although having studied in Europe, had retained his
appreciation for the charm of Eastern architectural designs, was
responsible for the happy blending of Eastern and Western effects which characterize the new Beirut. The colonnade arrangement over the broad sidewalks predominates, and serves as a
protection from both sun and rain. Those who recall the Rue de
Rivoli in Paris can draw from it a picture of the modern streets
of the Syrian city.
Women circulated freely in the streets. Those of the Mos-
2
—
�16
THE SYRIAN WORLD
lems who had discarded the habara and the veil, were dressed in
the latest fashion creations much like their Christian sisters. I
was told that the newest Parisian styles reach Beirut almost at
the same time, if not before, they reach New York.
I was expecting to encounter everywhere the sherbet venders
or sweets peddlers with trays balanced on their heads tinkling
their cups and saucers and singing the praises of their refreshments and wares in their peculiar and inimitable way, as they
were wont to do in times of old. Instead, I saw many sellers of
ices pushing about wheeled carts, while the peddlers of sweets
had, instead of the exposed tray, closed boxes with glass tops as
a protection against dust and flies. The change was brought about
as a result of a vigorous, systematic public health campaign waged
by Dr. Ayoub Thabet at the time he was Minister of the Interior
in the government of Lebanon. Dr. Thabet had his education in
the United States.
The policemen of Beirut give an indication of the general
transition from old conditions. They are dressed in trim navy
blue uniforms with holster belt. Those who are on traffic duty
carry a short, white club. But the most conspicuous thing about
them is their helmet. The Oriental, especially a Moslem, clings
to his headgear as his most revered sartorial tradition. He may
change into Western garb, but he must never forgo his turban
or tarboush. I saw the policemen of Egypt keeping their posts
under the torrid heat of a tropical sun with no head protection
other than the close-fitting, unbrimmed, tarboush. Such being
the attitude towards the tarboush, the change to the helmet must
be considered as of a revolutionary character. And so it is, and
the way it was brought about is even more startling considering
the prejudices of the East.
The man responsible for the change from the tarboush to
the helmet was Dr. Thabet also. I visited him at his summer
camp near his native town of Bhamdoun, in Lebanon. He was
leading the life of a semi-recluse, and although he was out of
office he was not out of the reckoning in politics. He belong:, to
a religious minority in a republic which still adheres in its form
of representation to sectarian traditions, but his admirers and followers among all denominational factions are legion in consideration of sheer merit and ability. I discussed with him the different
phases of the transition movement now taking place and inquired
particularly about the circumstances attending some of the revo-
�mmtm^-
A MINISTER OF LEBANON AT HOME
This intimate snapshot of Dr. Ayoub Thabet was taken of him at his summer camp near his native town of Bhamdoun in Mt. Lebanon during The
Syrian World editor's visit to him last summer. Dr. Thabet is responsible
for many notable reforms while Minister of the Interior. (See article "The
Changing East.")
A VIEW IN NORTH LEBANON
The steep mountain from which gushes the abundant water of Nahr Kadisha above Bcharri, now harnessed for generating electricity. Along the
side of the mountain runs the narrow canal described in article "The Changing East."
�AN ENCHANTING SCENE IN NORTH LEBANON
The whole district of North Lebanon is dotted with thriving villages. This view was taken from a point
overlooking the town of Hasroun.
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�JANUARY, 1930
n
lutionary changes he had inaugurated. Here is how he explained
"The East is not unreasonable," he said. "What it needs is
men of intelligent, unselfish leadership whose motives are above
suspicion and who have the courage to act on their convictions
Unce a step in the proper direction is taken and the reform n^
into effect, objection will cease. But the curse of our country has
been the policy of temporizing. Our public opinion has not yet
reached the stage of coalescence. Our public affairs are still governed by the personal influence of factional or religious leaders
whose main concern is to preserve their traditional prestige.
Our great bugaboo is our sentimental consideration for tradition especially when it affects our brother Moslems. I have
proved by my ordinance inaugurating the change from the tarthan red
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COnsiderations are more
imaginary
"What I did was to act on my authority as Minister of Public
Health peremptorily and without submitting the matter to public
discussion. I had secretly ordered bought all available helmets
in the city and issued them one summer morning to the police
men as a complement of their regular outfit. The Moslem members of the force welcomed the change with even more alacrity
than did the Christians. The general public, although at first surprised, soon came to realize the benefits of the change and heartily
approved of ,t. Not even from the ulemas did we encounter any
objection."
To one who was born and raised in Syria, the modernization
processes now rapidly working in the country are amazing. In
Beirut I saw a furniture factory employing several hundred men
run on Western industrial principles and employing modern machinery, even to the individual motor for every unit. In Damas
cus, supposedly the stronghold of conservatism, modernization in
industry is just as evident. The Syrians are awakening to the
realization that the exigencies of modern economic life cannot
be met with antiquated methods, and they are fast adopting thnew processes which enable them to successfully compete with
foreign industries.
u?neB°f fi£ ^r°min1e,nt leaders of ^e Syrian Nationalists,
Pakhry Bey Baroody, illustrated to me the progress of Syrian
industry by pointing out that every article of clothing he was
wearing, from the fine broadcloth suit to the underwear socks
IT
�18
THE SYRIAN WORLD
and shoes, were of native manufacture. The Syrians have even
developed a match manufacturing industry. They now have about
three hundred young men in Europe and America receiving technical education in different lines. They are not, as it seems, inalienably bound to tradition.
Breaking down the barriers of tradition, especially as it affects
the status of women in Syria, is most obvious in Beirut. The first
customs official I met upon landing at that port on July 21st was
a native woman. Later, upon visiting the Saraya to pay my respects to Mr. Chas. Dabbas, President of the Lebanese Republic,
I discovered that the head of the Information Bureau also was a
native woman who had at one time been a resident of the United
States. I was interested in discovering the extent to which the
women of the East had progressed in their movement for emancipation and asked that lady for information on that point. She
told me that in the government service alone there were no less
than two hundred young women, while in the city of Beirut much
over five hundred native women were employed at various gainful occupations. I was not surprised, therefore, when later in
passing through one of the principal streets, I came across a large
sign in Arabic and French reading: "Girls' Business School—
Courses in Typewriting and Stenography."
What further caused me much pleasant surprise was the discovery in Beirut of several Arabic Linotype machines imported
from America. They had been in operation for several years and
were satisfactorily manned by native operators.
But the greatest transformation I was able to observe was
in the psychology of the people. A deep appreciation of the necessity of collectivism seems to be gradually dawning upon them.
Where in the past every undertaking was the result of personal
initiative and individual management we now find the people of
Syria seriously attempting collective action. This disposition is
being demonstrated both in political and economic undertakings.
In the political field, we have as proof of this phenomenon the
solidarity of the Nationalist Party in Syria which has held together in the Constituent Assembly in face of the most trying
conditions. While in Lebanon it has actually given birth to the
first republican form of government to be established among
Arabic-speaking peoples. Trials there are, of course, as would
be natural in any first experiment, but the attempt itself attests
the existence of an awakening which disproves the contention that
the East never changes.
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�JANUARY, 1930
/p
What I would advance, however, as the most cogent proof
of the new order that is invading that portion of the East which
is closer to the West and coming into more intimate contact with
Koropean and American influences, is what the Lebanese term
the great corporate enterprise for the generation of hydroelectric power ,n Northern Lebanon. This undertaking is onehundred per cent, native in conception, execution, control and
operation. It has been watched for the last fifteen years bv natives and foreigners alike as a test of native initiative and fitness tor group action. I was fortunate in having been in that
part of the country when it was first put in operation and the
historic town of Bcharri lighted by electricity through the enterprise and determination of its own citizens.
THE HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT
OF NAHR KADISHA
It was Saturday, August 3, when I decided to visit the famous
Lectors ol Lebanon which are reverentially called by the people
of the country the "Cedars of the Lord." I had until then hard
very little of the hydroelectric project of Nahr Kadisha, or the
Sacred River, which was being developed in Bcharri, the highest
point of habitation in Lebanon on the way to the Cedars, and
nestling snuggly on a ledge of the mountain at an altitude of
1230 meters Certainly at the time, my interest in the town was
confined to the fact that it was the birthplace of my friend and
countryman Kahlil Gibran, author of "The Prophet," and consjdenng die limitation of time, I thought that an hour at most
would be all that I could reasonably tarry at the place
We reached Bcharri at four o'clock in the afternoon, and
stopped at the principal square by the church to take some refreshments. The cafes on all sides were crowded and the shops
doing a bustling business. WTe took our places around a running
fountain in the basin of which floated many watermelons and
baskets of grapes and other fruit to be cooled.
When my companion, Joseph Mokarzel, insisted on having
our presence announced to a certain Father Tanius Jahjah of
whom he had spoken in the highest terms of praise, I immediately realized that such a course irretrievably defeated my
purpose of staying only a short time in the town, knowing the
open hospitality of all the people of that locality.
V
. » <
�20
THE SYRIAN WORLD
The priest presently came and joined the circle which had
formed about us. He was a man of about fifty, tall and slender,
his steady gait showing poise and determination, and his keen
eye and high forehead denoting unmistakable signs of intelligence and latent energy. He was, however, sincerely modest,
for when my cousin introduced him as the father of the hydroelectric project of Nahr Kadisha, he blushed like a child. Attempts to draw from him an account of the trials and sufferings
attending the earlier stages of the promotion of the project were
futile. My cousin whispered to me that we could get that account
later from other sources. Besides, in going over the ^rrain which
lay on our way to the Cedars, we would be in a better position
to understand the enormity of the task.
That same afternoon, despite the importunities of the good
folk of Bcharri, we resumed our journey to the Cedars over the
new motor road, opened to traffic only two weeks before. The
road left much to be desired, but the Minister of Public Works,
Hussein Bey El-Ahdab, who had made an inspection only the
preceding day, promised to provide the essentials of safety before
the coming season. What it needs most is a stone parapet to
give nervous motorists a feeling of security in negotiating the
steep sides of the mountain which rises to almost three thousand feet. In all this distance not a tree is to be seen, nor even
a small terrace such as are common in other parts of Lebanon
to break the smoothness of the even slope. It is indeed bad travel
for those who suffer from a weak heart or unsteady nerves. But
the panorama of Lebanon from the eminence is most beautiful to
him who entertains no fear.
From the side of this mountain, directly below the famous
Cedars of Lebanon, gushes forth from a cleft in the rock the
abundant spring which waters the successive valleys until ft
reaches the city of Tripoli by the sea, and is known as Nahr
Kadisha, which is now harnessed for generating electricity.
Due to the lateness of the hour and the dangers of the road,
we decided to defer inspection of this master feat of engineering
till the following day. So next morning, on the way down, we
stopped at the reservoir by the road, built on a direct line a thousand feet above the power station. The guard, a lad of not more
than twenty in native garb, was standing unconcernedly on the
edge of the precipice. He told us that to get to the grottoes we
must follow the concrete-covered canal of only two feet width
skirting the mountain to a distance of a mile. We must balance
/,
�-
JANUARY, 1930
2/
ourselves well, he admonished, because the over-hanging rocks
were very low in places.
vi
t
)
s
«, !u° 7* thJhree «>mpanions we filed singly along the narrow
walk. As the guard had predicted, we almost had to crouch to
the ground in places to negotiate the passage. In other places, the
canal was carried through completely covered tunnels where seeping water made walking extremely slippery. But for the most
part it formed just an open, unprotected footpath in the side of
the smooth, pyramid-shaped mountain. The grottoes were never
reached from this side of the mountain before, but only by a
trail runnmg through the other and more accessible side of the
valley.
In covering the whole distance of a mile we never thought of
looking behind once. We glanced to the side; we looked directly
ahead; we watched every step we made, but the one coming behind had to be satisfied with the oral assurance of the one ahead
It was as if one were balancing himself on a tight rope.
Imagine our surprise, therefore, when upon reaching the
broad clearing at the entrance to the grottoes and looking about,
we beheld two sturdy men trailing us and of whom we had not
heard a sound. They proved to be workmen who had once been
employedI in the cutting of the canal in the side of the mountain.
lhey had attended early mass that Sunday morning and had
come on a picnic to the scene of their former labors, where we
thought the angels would fear to tread.
"You must have had a trying time completing this difficult
work, I a ked one of the men. He laughed and proceeded to
explain.
"For five years," he said, "we worked incessantly hewing
the side of the mountain. At first we had to be let down by ropes
until we could cut for ourselves a foothold. We labored from
dawn to nightfall and slept at our places. Some of us did not
return to our homes for weeks at a time and had food lowered
to us in baskets. But Father Jahjah is a saint for whose sake
we are willing to risk anything. He and the engineer used to be
lowered down by a rope, too."
The laborer, in his simple words, had given the most eloquent
description of the character of the father of the project of Nahr
Kadishah. Here was a dynamic leader of the community, a priest
who sensed the needs of his people and led them by word and
example to constructive efforts. He realized the intense respect of
the people of that section of Lebanon for their clergy and directed
�».' I
22
THE SYRIAN WORLD
it to the improvement of their crying economic needs. I had been
told while at the Cedars that the fine modern hotel built there
even before the opening of the motor road was also made possible through the initiative of a Maronite priest of Bcharri. But
that is not all that can be told of the efforts of the Maronite
clergy along that line. A greater surprise was in store for me
upon my return to Bcharri that memorable Sunday of August 4.
At the northern entrance to the town, on a sharp bend in the
road of descent, we were stopped by Father Jahjah who had been
awaiting our return since early morning:
"It's an insult to pass through our town without giving us
an opportunity to break bread with you," he said, "Besides, our
Archbishop Antoun Arida is visiting us today and upon being
informed of your presence he expressed the wish to meet you."
Meeting the Archbishop I could not refuse, and I was led by
Father Jahjah to the modern home of that dignitary's sister
where he was staying.
I found the outer court full of people, while the spacious
reception hall within was packed to the door. Rising voices reaching the outside betrayed a heated discussion, and when I was
led to where the Archbishop was seated in the extreme center the
tumult was immediately hushed. The Archbishop led me to an
adjoining room for a private conversation.
From him I learned that this was a general meeting of the
stockholders of the Kadisha Hydroelectric Power Co., called to
discuss two important questions, viz: raising of the capital stock
from £75,000 to £100,000 and consideration of the proposition
to consolidate the Kadisha Company with a similar project known
as the Nahr Abu Ali Co., now controlled by the sheikhs Estephan, also of the North Lebanon district. The latter project was
organized to furnish power, while the former was chartered only
to furnish light. The market for both companies was the district
of North Lebanon and the city of Tripoli. So those fostering
the spirit of corporate enterprises in that Eastern land of traditional individual initiative proved still further the degree of
their progress along those lines by sponsoring the movement
for the merger of the two companies.
"This is our first attempt at corporate action, and we must
carry it on to success," they argued. "All the resources of our
country are being developed by foreign capital and management
because of our lack of co-operative effort. This being our first
attempt at a collective undertaking, we cannot under any circum-
�JANUARY, 1930
23
stances suffer it to fail. A merger will be positive insurance against
failure because of the economy in management and the substitution of co-operation for competition. We owe this not only to our
interest as stockholders but to our sense of self-respect and patriotism. Our failure in this will spell the doom of every future
collective enterprise undertaken independently by the natives. We
are under moral obligation to push on in the only logical course
open to us, which lies in a combination of the capital and management of both enterprises."
This argument carried the day for the proponents of the
merger. Archbishop Arida, who was the moving spirit in the
initial enterprise, was continued as honorary president of the
amalgamated companies.
The multiplying signs of this new spirit of co-operative enterprise were a revelation to me. I was more surprised to learn
that the pioneers in these new realms of Western principles were
members of the clergy. It was gratifying to witness that the
. efforts of these enlightened clerics, who have been from time
immemorial both the religious advisers and the political leaders
of this solidly Maronite section of Lebanon, were now directed
towards promoting the economic welfare of their people. To
me this was cogent proof of the contention that the crying need
of the East is intelligent, enlightened and unselfish leadership.
"How did you succeed in raising the necessary capital for
this project?" I inquired of the Archbishop. His answer was
much broader than my restricted question.
"You will realize," he said, "that if any co-operative effort
were to succeed in our section of the world its success is more
likely in the district of Northern Lebanon than anywhere else.
And we want to prove that such success is possible. The country
is ours and we should have first claim to the right of exploiting
its resources which are, at best, very meager. Foreigners should
step in only in case of our failure to carry out the work properly,
and this we are not willing to concede. We are a homogenous
people in these parts of Lebanon. We have held together for
centuries past in defense of our right to life and freedom of worship. Now we want to prove the same solidarity in the face of
economic danger. Our people are now awakening to the necessity of working together for constructive effort instead of mere
defense. We are determined to prove both our initiative and
our fitness.
"The Kadisha enterprise is 100 per cent, native in control
" — umnmmmm
�24
THE SYRIAN WORLD
and operation. The concessionnaire is Father Jahjah, one of my
priests. The engineer is Albert Naccash, one of our countrymen.
The capital was raised wholly by subscription from native sources.
Foreign interests did their utmost to impede our efforts, both
before the grant of the concession and after, but we would not
go down in ignominous defeat. It was our hope that those responsible for the shaping of our destinies would b« helpful to us
in our constructive efforts instead of placing all forms of hindrances in our way. But our hopes were an illusion. We now
have come to realize that they only want to exploit us for their
own benefit."
Archbishop Arida could not be induced to go into more explicit details of this "foreign interference." He would only
reiterate that it was evident in every enterprise that the natives
undertook. He mentioned another new project of his for the
manufacture of cement on the same lines that he had organized
the hydroelectric undertaking, and asserted that before being
granted the concession he was subjected to the most determined
interference. The supposed reasons for this policy on the part
of "foreign interest" I was to get later from other sources.
In the meantime, I listened to the Archbishop's account of
how he was able to raise capital for the Kadisha project.
"America has had a telling influence in the shaping of our
destinies," he resumed. "We owe her not only a large part of
our working capital but the credit for bolstering up our spirit of
initiative as well. And think not that I am complimenting America because of her being the land of your adoption. The people
of this very town, Bcharri, were the first Syrians to migrate to
America, and their enterprise has resulted not only in benefit to
themselves but to their home town also. We were able to draw
on the citizens of Bcharri abroad for a considerable amount of
our capital, and we feel confident that we can draw on them for
a good deal more once they realize that they can profitably invest
in their homeland. We are also hoping that they would return
to further benefit the country by their wealth of commercial and
industrial experience. Some of them have already done so. You
must have noticed, while coming up the mountain at the parting
of the road near Tripoli, the large, modern factory building on
the coast. Well, that represents not only American capital but
American industrial methods also. The owners are emigrants
from this section who returned to study manufacturing possibilities here and concluded that they were justified in establish-
�JANUARY, 1930
25
ing a textile mill utilizing the products of the land in silk, cotton
and wool. Their modern methods brought them success and they
will be enabled to effect further economies, and consequently
earn more profits, when we supply them with cheap electric
power."
I felt that the Archbishop spoke with good economic sense,
and being unwilling to further keep him away from his stockholders' meeting, I took leave to join the engineer of the Kadisha Company who was to conduct me on a tour of inspection
through the plant, situated on the outskirts of the town.
The plant consists of a huge stone building with two generators and a control room in the rear. The water descends through
a 600-meter pipe having a perpendicular fall of 275 meters. In
the so-called dry season, the power generating capacity is 1200
H. P., while in the abundant or flood season, comprising eight
months of the year, the capacity is on a basis of 3600 H. P. With
the consolidation of the Kadisha and Abu Ali companies the total
capacity will rise to 10,000 H. P. This is more than ample for
the light and power needs of the section.
Mr. Naccash, the engineer, was bitter against the French and
outspoken in his condemnation of their tactics of opposition to
native enterprise. I learned from him that which the Archbishop
had alluded to only guardedly. While I am not accepting his explanation of conditions as being true in toto, I can conscientiously
state that the grumbling against the petty, obstructive tactics of
the French were evident in all parts of Lebanon and Syria, particularly in the district of North Lebanon which is considered
the bulwark of French influence in the country.
Here is the gist of the complaint, whose warp is politics
and woof is economics.
"French interests have heavy investments in Syria and Lebanon, and for that reason wish the continuation of the occupation. There is in France, on the other hand, a strong faction
opposing this policy because of its strain on the national budget.
To create, therefore, as strong a sentiment as possible for the
policy of occupation, French officials are working assiduously and
systematically to increase the investment of French capital in the
country, and to that end, they place every hindrance in the way
of native projects in order to make way for the employment of
French capital. In such eventuality there would be justification
for the continuation of French occupation, and the swarms of
French officials now finding lucrative employment in Syria would
i
�»>:>.^.gi—loiiai
26
THE SYRIAN WORLD
feel secure in their jobs. Besides, Syria's strategic value to France
would be safeguarded by the increase of invested capital."
Apart from the difficulties placed in the way of native projects
in North Lebanon, the accusers of the French charge that this
studied policy of impediment on their part is also the real cause
for the continued delay in beginning work on the truly gigantic
project of deflecting the course of the Orontes river in the interior of Syria. This scheme was proposed several years ago and
had been hailed as the greatest step for the economic rehabilitation of the country. The Orontes is the largest river of Syria
and was once navigable for a considerable distance. Hence the
importance of the ancient city of Antioch, once the rival of Rome.
The English, previous to the opening of the Suez Canal, had
seriously considered opening a water route to India by widening
the Orontes and connecting it by eanal with the Euphrates. It
can be reasonably deduced, therefore, that a river of such size
can be employed to irrigate immense areas whose productivity is
curtailed by lack of water. This is made impracticable at present
owing to the great depth of the valley through which the river
flows almost the whole length of its course. Water for drinking
purposes and for partial irrigation is drawn in many places by
water-wheels, which are most numerous in the city of Hama.
While if a dam were built near the source of the Orontes, and
its course deflected so that it may run in irrigation canals in the
vast plains which are now arid, immense wealth would accrue
to the country from the development of its greatest latent resources, namely agriculture.
The reason for the delay in carrying out this irrigation scheme,
as it was explained to me in the course of my discussion of the
economic problems of the country with many leading men, was
that the French had not an irrigation engineer big enough to
qualify for the job, and rather than entrust the task to the English, who have many competent specialists in this line, they preferred to hold it in abeyance regardless of the country's welfare.
Whether these accusations be true or not, they represent, nevertheless, the current native opinion of the economic policy of
the French in the territory under mandate. The French are
openly charged with a systematic attempt to stifle all native initiative in the economic field.
But the success of the hydroelectric project of North Lebanon, not to mention numerous lesser enterprises being undertaken in all sections of the country, proves that the Syrians are
1
�JANUARY, 1930
27
determined to shape their own destinies in the way of economic
rehabilitation. Furthermore, they are marchalling for the task
the strength that comes from collective effort. Such evidences
of co-operative action were never before so evident in the East.
It is the sign of a revolutionary change in the character of the
people which is pregnant with immeasurable possibilities.
Advice to a Lover
By LABEEBEE A. J. HANNA
Keep heaping coal on the fire
Or else it will go out:
The fire of love needs fuel,
Or else it will go out!
Keep nearest to your loved one,
If you would have her love youj
Take a walk in the moonlight,—
Gaze at stars above you.
Keep thinking of your loved one,
And she will think of you.
Even if you go away:
Just write a line or two.
Keep heaping coal on the fire
Or else it will go out:
The fire of love needs fuel,
If it must not go out!
(/
i
�.
2€
THE SYRIAN WORLD
The Master-Builder
By
DR. SALIM
Y.
ALKAZIN
^H, Master-Builder, sayest thou the task is done,
And wouldst have the king survey the house thou hast built for
him and his posterity?
Wouldst have him mount its roof, and from that dizzy height
observe and speak his praises and thanks?
Wouldst have him view his city at his feet, a crowned queen,
stately, fair and rich;
The plains beyond—a page in nature's Diwan, illumed with gold
and emerald;
The river, crowded with a thousand sail, washing the feet of
yonder cloud-beturbaned mount?
Be it so, Master-Builder!
Tis as my heart would have it—praise be unto Allah!
My gratitude to thee, Master-Builder,
For hath not thy hand also engraved my name on nature's page
in terms gigantic,
So, when king and builder are no more
And time unfolds the future's breast,
Wrhen in the streets the fall of stranger's feet resound,
And in their dusty crevices strangers' voices stir the echoes
They may see and read my name?
Dost envy me?
Nay, Master-Builder, begrudge me not this!
I have watched thee at thy work—
I've seen the daughters of thy imagining spring to life,
And watched thy hand unveil their charms and robe them in
splendour:
And as higher and more spacious grew the noble pile,
As halls spread out their wings and towers their heads reared high,
As angle emphasized a curve and arch to pillar added grace,
As massiveness seemed to enhance the charms of slenderness,
As strength with beauty vied,
Master-Builder, I envied thee.
I
�n
JANUARY, 1930
29
But what of thy boast in market-place,
Of a keystone for destruction thou hast arranged,
Which, once displaced, reduces all this wondrous work to ruin.
Is it true, Master-Builder?
Hast thou no other loves than for reward,
Seest nought in a child but service for his sire?
Nay, Master-Builder, but thou hast erred!
He who builds should ne'er of ruin think except to guard
against it,
And, a Builder once, to die while still one 'twere better!
Thy reward?
To save thee from thyself, Master-Builder.
The king hath spoken.
The Two Learned Men
By
KAHLIL GIBRAN
Once there lived in the ancient city of Afkar two learned
men who hated and belittled each other's learning. For one of
them denied the existence of the gods and the other was a believer.
One day the two met in the market-place, and amidst their
followers they began to dispute and to argue about the existence
or the non-existence of the gods. And after hours of contention
they parted.
That evening the unbeliever went to the temple and prostrated himself before the altar and prayed the gods to forgive his
wayward past.
And the same hour the other learned man, he who had upheld the gods, burned his sacred books. For he had become an
unbeliever.
�30
THE SYRIAN WORLD
The Last Leaf
V
By MISCHA NAIMV
QN a lonely bough
- Of a lonely tree
Sits a lonely leaf
Lost in reverie. .
While the sky is but one heaving,
Grim, unending cloud j
And the wind is deftly weaving
For the earth a shroud.
Neighbors, friends and mates
Left her long ago.
None came back to tell
Of the world below.
Nightingales no longer flutter
Gaily round her bed.
Only ravens come to utter
Dirges o'er her head.
Dry is now the breast
Whence she sucked the sap;
Frozen now and cold
Is her mother's lap.
Yet she neither joys, nor sorrows,
But serenely sways,
Knowing that all her to-morrows
Are but yesterdays.
For upon her face,
Shrivelled though and wet,—
As within her heart,—
All the seasons met.
�JANUARY, 19 SO
31
The Ahleyah School of Beirut
u
}
i
By
AMEEN RIHANI
of the mysteries of life is that calamities are not without
0 NE
compensations; and of the compensations of the calamity of
Syria during the World War is one which continues in its benefits to grow and spread. It started like a candle lighting a little
circle of education and developed in ten years to a torch of enlightenment in a nation.
And this is due to a Syrian woman is whose heart God kindled
the fire of true patriotism—the patriotism that combines the love
of country with the love of humanity—and endowed her with
an inexhaustible energy and an undying faith.
Marie Kassab, a peerless daughter of Syria, carries high the
lighted torch and goes forth bravely in the interest of knowledge
and education.
When darkness came upon Syria during the War, the foreign
schools in the country were closed, and Marie Kassab realized
the opportunity, saw the compensation in the calamity.—The day
has come when we must cease to be the beneficiaries of foreign
education.
She took the burden—a divine calling—upon herself and
started to teach a few small boys and girls in her own home.
The few very soon increased and the class became a regular
school, which she called the Ahleyah, or National School.
But a school can not exist without a house. The native teacher
appealed to the Turkish authorities at that time and succeeded
after some difficulties in realizing her desire. The Ahleyah School
occupied the house of the English Schools for Girls in Beirut.
It was not, however, in the manner of British occupation. For
the English Principal returned after the War to reopen the
School, and Marie Kassab had to give up the house. Were it not
for her indomitable purpose, her energy and faith, she might
have also given up the struggle.
The English lady said to the Syrian: Now that we have reopened our School there is no longer any need for yours, and
you should transfer your pupils to ours.
The Syrian lady replied: No, Madame. The war has
�32
THE SYRIAN WORLD
taught us and tried us, and we should depend upon ourselves
for the education of our boys and girls.
And she went out to look for another house for her school.
The second house was also an English property—the property of
a Scotch Mission—and when she rented it from the agent, she
hoped that she could hold it forever.
Marie Kassab, therefore, summoned all her resolution and
faith in the will to purchase the house. Her School was becoming very popular and she saw no reason why this popularity cannot be materialized. With text book and tackle she went forth.
—Blessed are the benefactors who opened their purses to her.
"Miss Kassab's School," says Dr. Bayard Dodge, President
of the American University of Beirut, "is the best example that
I know of what the people of this country can do to help themseivse."
Marie Kassab purchased the house, which soon became too
small for her rapidly growing school. So, she added an extension to it, thereby adding to her financial worries. But she did
not despair. Difficulties doubled her energy and sharpened her
resolution.
She came to Egypt, where the Syrians and Lebanese responded to her appeal; and a month later, returning to Beirut, she
bought the building and the property around it, which are now
the legal and permanent estate of the Ahleyah School.
And the work goes on in its development and progress. But
so many are the applicants—even from Egypt and Palestine and
Iraq many girls seek this national fountain in Beirut—that a new
worry has come upon Marie Kassab. She is reluctant to refuse
and she is reluctant to accept; for in the first instance she would
be denying the benefits of education to hundreds of young girls,
and in the second she would be crowding her school and rendering it less efficient.
But geniuses do not readily surrender to difficulties. A new
thought sometimes suffices for a new victory. Marie Kassab
crossed one sea—she came from Beirut to Cairo—and her school
acquired the ownership of one building. Now she crosses two
seas—she comes from Beirut to the United States—that the one
building might become two or three.
�A FLOURISHING NATIVE SCHOOL
A partial view of the campus of the Ahleyah School for Girls in Beirut,
showing students in trim uniform during recreation period.
PHYSICAL TRAINING FOR SYRIAN GIRLS
Exercises at the Ahleyah School for Girls in Beirut conducted by a competent instructor along modern methods.
I 7U
��JANUARY, 1930
33
The Strange Case of Hassan
and Husna
t
!
AN ARABIAN NIGHTS' STORY
(Translated from the Arabic Original.)
["HERE once lived in Baghdad a comely youth by the name of
Hassan who owned a slave-girl the like of whom there was
to be found none other in all the world. Her name was Husna,
and not only was she surpassingly beautiful, but she was gifted
with an exceedingly dulcet voice and had mastered the art of
music to such a point that hardly could it be imagined within
the gift of mortals. And her master was of such appreciative
soul that he prized her possession beyond all other perishable
things. He devoted himself exclusively to her and could not
bear parting with her for the shortest length of time. And although at the time he came into possession of her he was exceedingly rich, he neglected all his affairs and spent lavishly on her
maintenance, so that soon he was reduced to a dire condition of
want. When he awoke to the realization of his state the day
turned into night in his eyes and he gave himself into weeping
and lamenting over his unhappy lot.
During his affluence he could count his friends bv the score,
but once his plight became known he was evaded and shunned,
and all the help he could expect of his pseudo-friends was that
of oral advice. Claiming not to have the means to assist him
financially, they counseled him to sell his slave-girl as the only
way out of his difficulties, but he preferred death to parting with
her. Still he could not let her starve, even though he himself
was willing to undergo the direst privations, because his love for
her was too great to let her suffer. He reasoned that it would
not be love, but selfishness of the basest sort, to have the one he
held so dearly suffer for his sake, and as the result of his own
foolish prodigality. And when he came to her with tears in his
eyes and informed her of the advice of his friends, he found
her not unwilling to approve of this solution. "Because," she
said, "you can never bear having me sing for the entertainment
of strangers as a means of profit, due to your intense jealousy;
�34
THE SYRIAN WORLD
whereas if I were to be offered for sale, none but a rich man
could afford to buy me because of my accomplishments, and the
price is bound to be large, and it will insure your comfort to
such extent that I would feel sufficiently compensated for the
anguish of your loss."
Realizing there was no other solution to his predicament, he
finally consented to the sale, and took her to the public slave market, where she was heatedly bid for by many anxious aspirants
to her possession. In the end she fell to the lot of a rich Hashimite of Al-Basra, who paid for her the high sum of one thousand five hundred dinars.
Although he had received for his slave-girl a fabulous price,
Hassan was disconsolate over her loss. He could not return to
his own residence because of the many associations in it which
reminded him of her. And in his distracted condition he wandered about the streets until the time of the evening prayer,
when he happened to be in the neighborhood of a mosque, which
he entered in the hope of finding some spiritual consolation. He
was exhausted by his sorrow and and long wanderings, and
placing the bag of money on the ground, he rested his head on
it and soon fell asleep.
It was early morning when he awoke, only to find that a
stranger had snatched the bag from under his head and was about
to make away with it. He attempted to follow him, but discovered that his feet had been tied, and before he could undo the
knot the stranger had made his get-away and disappeared in the
tortuous alleys of the great city.
This proved the last straw in the load of his misfortunes,
and in his despair he attempted to do away with himself. Bent
on carrying out this resolve, he directed his steps toward the
Tigris where he hesitated but for a minute to bind a kerchief
around his eyes, and then plunged into the water.
But fate had written that he should be saved. Some passers-by
had seen him fall into the water and hastened to his rescue, not
doubting that he had fallen by accident. But he protested that
he wanted to die and recounted to them the whole story of his
misfortunes, whereupon some pitied and some blamed. An old
man, however, took him aside and began to scold him for his
lack of trust in the justice of Allah ; "Thou art not the first to
lose his fortune. And dost thou not realize that thy condition
is the creation of thine own folly? Why, then, despair: Thou
wouldst not only lose thy life and possible future worldly pleas-
�/
JANUARY, 1930
35
ures, but thou wouldst also gain for thyself the eternal tortures
of Gehennam by such a rash deed."
This had the effect of bringing him to his senses, and he
promised the kindly old man not to make any further attempts
at self-destruction. But return to his house and the scene of his
former joy and affluence he could not, and he resolved upon
migrating to another city, far away from anything that could
remind him of his former condition. And he again sought the
river bank and borrowed from a compassionate friend the pitiable
sum of fifty dirhams aand awaited a ship that would sail for
Wasit, midway between Baghdad and Al-Basra.
Now it happened that a ship was about ready to sail for his
destination and he sought the captain and asked him for passage.
He was told that the ship was privately owned and not in the
passenger traffic, but if he would pay a certain sum and disguise
himself as a sailor, he would be permitted to go aboard.
Hassan was so desperate as to be willing to go to any extreme,
and he readily consented to buy a sailor's garb and pay the sum
required. But how great was his astonishment when he discovered that the owner of the ship was none other than the buyer of
his beloved Husna. He then thanked Allah for His great mercy
in having spared his life.
Presently a feast was spread and a curtain raised behind
which the slave-girl was placed and asked to sing. But she was
in the most dejected mood, and only after the most earnest solicitations could she be induced to take up her oud and sing a
refrain. And this song was of the most plaintive nature, so that
she had no sooner finished than she fell in a swoon and could
be revived only with difficulty. Seeing which, Hassan was so
overcome with emotion that he himself fell to the deck in a faint,
and no sooner was he brought to his senses than the owner of the
ship asked of his captain, "How could you permit a demented
man among the crew? Throw him overboard." This had the
effect of sobering Hassan so that he comported himself thereafter
with more restraint, until the ship sailed far away from Baghdad
and was being carried by the stream swiftly towards Al-Basra.
Towards evening, the merry company had feastad and drunk
and so reveled at the exotic strains of Husna's music and the
enchantment of her voice, that they decided to land on an inviting spot on the shore where they could roll merrily on the grass
and have the open spaces of the country as a stage for their
hilarity. They were away for several hours, during which time
�36
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Hassan seized on the opportunity to arrange the strings of the
oud in a manner known only to himself and to Husna, and he
then repaired to the sailors' quarters.
When, upon their return, they again asked Husna to sing
and she took up the oud and felt its strings, she uttered a strange
cry and swore that her former master was even then with them,
as only he could have arranged the oud in the manner in which
she found it.. And her new master then said: "If what you say
be true, we shall only be too happy to have him as a boon companion, for then you will be in a better mood to give us the best
of your art, and we shall be exceedingly glad."
The master then asked his captain if he had taken any stranger
on board, and before the latter could reply Hassan made his
presence known, and the master said to him: "Know, my son,
that I am a man to whom Allah has been most generous. He
has given me not only material wealth but the spirit of contentment. And I swear to thee that I have not known Husna, nor
have I bought her as a concubine. Now if thou wilt only consent to let her entertain me and my friends by her song, from
behind a curtain, we shall feel amply satisfied, and I shall give
her back unto thee and join thee with her in marriage and thou
wilt be relieved of all want."
Hassan was overjoyed at this turn of fortune, so was Husna
who now began to pour out her melodies with such emotion that
the whole company was transported with ecstasy, while Hassan
urged her on all the more by suggesting new songs and airs
which she rendered in the most perfect manner.
Thus the first night was spent, in a steady ship gliding softly
over the smooth waters of the Tigris, with the low-hanging
moon casting its silvery reflections over sail and sea and lending
an air of sweet mystery to the enchanted scene. A cool breeze
inflated the sails and carried the ship in a steady motion, and the
soft swish of the water only added to the beauty of the music.
Hassan had all this, together with his meeting again with his
beloved Husna, to induce him to indulge in drink, so that towards
morning he had almost lost possession of his senses and felt as
one living in another world.
As a matter of fact, the whole company was in a similar
state, and being bent on making more merry in every manner
conceivable, whether there was reason for their actions or not,
they decided on making another landing, and this time Hassan
also went along.
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37
Now it so happened that Hassan detached himself from his
companions, and being heavily under the influence of liquor, he
laid himself on the cool grass and fell asleep. When he awoke
his friends had departed and there was no trace left of either
them or their ship.
Hassan was desolate. He cursed his luck and foreswore drink.
For what greater misery could befall him coming after such good
fortune? He had sought death and found life, and no sooner
had he felt his grip tighten on it than it slipped from his hands.
But now Hassan saw in life a ray of hope. Husna was not
lost to him forever as he had at first imagined. For had not her
master given her back unto him on the most generous of conditions? All that he now had to do was to seek Husna and her
master, and to that task he resolved to dedicate the rest of his
life.
He hailed a passing ship and begged for transportation to
Al-Basra. Once there, he roamed the streets in the hope of finding the rich Hashimite who bought his slave-girl, but only met
with failure. He entered a store to buy some provisions with
what little money he had left.
Now the storekeeper was of a kindly disposition and took an
interest in him, and Hassan complained to him of his misfortune,
and told him he was a stranger in the city without funds, but took
care to conceal from him the true circumstances of his plight.
Seeing that Hassan was of good education and beautiful handwriting, the storekeeper offered him employment and showed
otherwise in him genuine fatherly interest. After the lapse of
a month, the storekeeper found that Hassan had caused him considerable savings by his honesty and accuracy, and he became
greatly attached to him, so that at the end of a year he took him
in partnership and gave him his only daughter in marriage.
But Hassan was not reconciled to his new condition; he still
longed for his beloved Husna aand hoped some day to find her.
He seemed only to live with that object in view.
One day the streets began to fill with crowds carrying palms
and candles in a form of religious celebration. Hassan was moved
by a strange feeling and inquired about the nature of the event,
and was told that it was the Palm Sunday of the Christians.
Something vaguely told him that among the surging multitude
he would find his beloved, or a trace of her, and he asked leave
of his father-in-law for the day.
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
Hassan went home and dressed in his best. He then joined
the crowds and began to scan their faces, and very shortly his
search was rewarded by meeting the very same company with
whom he had traveled from Baghdad that fateful night in which
he was lost.
"Praised be Allah!" exclaimed the rich Hashimite who had
bought Hassan's slave-girl. "Our happiness at finding you cannot be limited within bounds. We had given you up for dead,
believing you had been drowned in attempting to regain the ship.
And how pitiful was the condition of Husna upon realizing your
disappearance! She absolutely refused to be consoled. She donned the dress of mourning and sat day and night weeping by a
semblance of a grave. Hasten now to her that she might rejoice
at finding you still alive."
The meeting of the two lovers was most pathetic. Husna
raised a great cry of surprise upon seeing Hassan and swooned.
She was revived with difficulty by the sprinkling of rose water.
Now the Hashimite requested Hassan to remain in the company of Husna and never to leave her again, and Hassan forthwith returned to his father-in-law, the storekeeper, and having
explained to him all the strange circumstances of his life, divorced
his daughter and returned to live in happiness and peace with
his beloved Husna.
Arab Wisdom
Let your faith be above your knowledge; your deeds greater
than your words, and your dress below your rank.
There are four manifestations of ignorance: To show anger
when displeased j to associate with evil company j to plead poverty to one equally poor, and to meddle in matters not of one's
concern.
The truly wise is he who receives the censure of the adviser
more readily than the praise of the flatterer.
�.
JANUARY, 1930
The Wager
A SHORT STORY
By
AREF EL-KHOURY
P)AMASCUS lay squatted on the plane, its stone walls giving
the appearance of bas-relief on emerald-green, deep sea Chinese majolica among the overlapping orchards and gardens; and
up on the balcony of the Victoria Hotel, a group of Syrian-American girls stood looking at the panorama. Suddenly Edna spoke:
"That dragoman took us to every place in the city except
that section behind the big railway station."
"Every place worth seeing," commented Ruth.
'Of course he knew best," added Mary, the self-appointed
guardian for the group.
"Well," answered Edna," I am going to explore it,—and
how!"
"It may be the dirtiest section in Damascus; better be careful, dear," came Mary's advice.
"You may go, but how about your coming back?" asked Ruth,
allowing a sardonic, bravado smile to pass across her crimson lips.
"I am old and wise enough to take care of myself."
"I'll bet you a dollar that you won't venture five yards behind the avenue, over there," said Ruth.
"Who—I? Show the color of your money, baby," said Edna
with enthusiasm.
Ruth opened her compact and took out a powdered dollar
and handed it to Mary. Edna did likewise.
"But remember," Mary added, "our cars will leave for Beirut in about thirty minutes."
"These drivers will never know what punctuality means. If
we are on time, they are late," Edna flung this back over her
shoulder as she departed in the direction of the station.
"She was a fool and I made a bigger fool out of myself when
I let her go," said Mary regretfully.
"Don't let that worry you; she is exactly as the Arabs say
I
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
'Throw her in the sea and she will emerge with a fish in her
mouth,' " philosophized Ruth.
Edna reached the first alley leading into the residential section, and soon developed a feeling of suspicion that perhaps the
dragoman may have been correct in leaving this area out of his
itinerary. As the alleys became narrow and twisted and surrounded by high walls, she quickened her steps until she reached
a market place. Continuing ahead, she passed market after market until she was in the western section of the Straight, not far
from the Inn of the Cheese. Hesitating momentarily, she was
suddenly confronted by a slender youth.
Edna now realized that this was no place for a self-respecting girl to be. Presently a tall figure left the cafe on the opposite
side and ran toward her, and the youth made an effort to stop
him. A throng soon gathered around them, rogues, half-naked
urchins, half-caste girls, and lawless women. Edna looked around
for help, but the khaki uniform of the Damascus police was
not to be seen. The tall man unceremoniously seized her by the
hand to lead her away, brushing the youth away with a gesture
of impatience.
The youth backed away to a vegetable stand and began pelt ing his adversary with whatever came to hand. A true Damascus
street battle was soon in full swing as men and women sided
with this or the other. In the excitement Edna attempted to
escape, but the milling crowd blocked her way.
At the end of the street appeared two horsemen.
"Let us watch the battle," suggested one, a native of Damascus by the name of Mahmud.
"Great," answered Walter Ayoub, who was his classmate at
the American University of Beirut, and of Syrian parents born
in America.
"Look," they exclaimed simultaneously and spurred their
mounts through the milling crowd. Mahmud struck with his
bamboo wand the latest man to seize Edna while Walter lifted
her to his saddle. Mahmud faced the throng and shouted:
"Whelps, terriers, mastiffs, go to your kennels or Wallah! I shall
make seives out of your bodies." Recognizing a scion of one of
the leading families of the city they slunk away.
"Where to, Madam?" asked Walter as Mahmud hailed a
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JANUARY, 1930
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carriage, which seemed to appear magically at the wave of his
bamboo wand.
"To the Victoria, and I certainly am much obliged to you
both," replied Edna, as Walter and Mahmud saw her safely
out of the district.
"Well! That's that," said Walter as they watched the cab
disappear.
A few minutes later Walter, with a suddenness which Mahmud could never understand, spurred his mount and clashed off.
Mahmud followed with astonishment until they approached the
Victoria, when a knowing smile passed over his face. At the
hotel they were told that the girls had already left for Beirut.
"We must go. 1 forgot to tell her something," said Walter.
"Are you in earnest or is this another of your crazy American ideas?" asked Mahmud.
"Earnest: Yes! This is serious. We must rush."
Together they galloped to the home of Mahmud, where the
latter directed his Armenian chauffeur to bring out the Rolls.
Walter brushed him aside and took the wheel with the remark
that this was a time for some one to drive who could drive. They
overtook the girls near the frontier of Lebanon.
"Come here, sister," said Walter, singling Edna from the
group, "I forgot to tell you something."
"Oh!"
"Come," he insisted and held out his arms.
"Say, Ruth, I won my bet," said Edna, smiling over Walter's
shoulder.
"Just as I said—Throw her into the sea and she wouid come
out with a—Oh! I must buy you a wedding present."
Mahmud shook his head. "These Americans!!!"
THE GREATEST OF THESE IS CHARITY
By
ALICE MCGEORGE
No matter if the day be short, the sun be garmented in grey,
Sweet Charity will fill each hour with plenteous kindly deeds
Today.
No matter if the rainbow bright, fades out at setting of the sun,
Sweet Charity will pierce the clouds, and through the rift
God smile: "Well done."
11
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42
THE SYRIAN WORLD
EDITORIAL COMMENT
BEAUTY CONTESTS
THEY are now introducing
beauty contests and all other
forms of modernistic practices
in the East. The stronghold of
conservatism seems to be gradually giving way to European
and American innovations. Under the circumstances, the logical question imposing itself is:
How far will these modern
fads go, and how long will they
last? Coming, as they do, as
the immediate result of the
World War, will they be just
a fleeting phenomenon or will
rhey take a permanent hold on
the people and produce a genuine change in their manners
md customs? These are relevant questions that cannot be
massed lightly.
It is well to ponder the nature of the transformation now
taking place. Indeed, while this
transformation encompasses the
whole manifestations of the
people's life, it is most significant and noticeable in the social
sphere. The first barriers to
crumble before the onslaught
of modernism seem to be those
of human relationship.
Heralding the coming of the
new order was the tendency to
discard the veil. In Turkey the
transition was sudden and complete, while in Egypt, Syria and
other countries of the Near East
coming more or less under
European influence, the struggle for emancipation is being
waged vigorously by the disciples of modernism, with all
the odds in their favor so far.
It seems but a question of time,
say another decade or the coming of another generation, when
the old social order in the East
will be history.
What seems to overshadow
anything else as an indication
of this transformation is not the
change in garb, but rather the
change in the viewpoint of the
status of women in the East.
The. traditional viewpoint was
that women were created for
the home, and to that capacity
they have been heretofore restricted. Hence the harem and
the veil and absolute seclusion.
When, considering the traditional strictness of these social
customs, we find the women of
the East now engaging in beauty
contests, openly and with no
apparent compunction, then the
term "radical" would seem conservative in describing the
change.
With the sanction of Mustapha Kamal Pasha, a Turkish
newspaper recently launched
a beauty contest in which hundreds of Turkish young wo-
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men participated. And be it remembered that all these were
Moslem young women who
have discarded the veil only a
few years since. Modernism is
certainly making rapid strides
in Turkey.
But let us concede that Turkey is an exceptional case; that
the modernization policy of
Mustapha Kamal would place
nationalism above religion, and
in an effort to more quickly Europeanize the Turkish nation,
would force these new methods
on an otherwise reluctant population regardless of tradition or
moral code.
But what about Egypt where
the dramatic arts are flourishing as never before, and where
illustrated publications are full
of photographic reproductions
of native beauties, and where a
native moving picture industry
is fast developing along the
most advanced Western lines?
Then, too, we have the case
of Syria, hitherto the stronghold of conservatism, where
there seems to be no objection
taken to the launching of a national beauty contest. Rather,
the objection taken was to the
choice of Miss Lebanon from
among the Parisian colony,
whereas the contention is held
that the choice should be from
among resident Lebanese. They
seem to vie for the honor.
Considering these develop-
43
ments, the logical deduction
would be that the East is undergoing a modernistic craze, something of the nature of indulgence to excess after a long period of forced abstention, as
otherwise it would be expected
that transition be slower and
more orderly.
But the Arabic East is bound
to check itself in due course of
time. The novelty of these indulgences will wear off sooner
or later and the effect of centuries of tradition will compel
a more rational and conventional course. The East, it is true,
cannot escape adopting some of
Europe's customs and Europe's
ways, but not to the extent of a
complete change of its character. A middle course will be
found which will be neither
wholly Western nor altogether
traditionally Eastern. The East
will profit by these evolutionary
tendencies to develop a character all its own.
ON THE NATURE OF
CURSING
THE BRITISH authorities
in Palestine have deemed it
necessary to hold cursing a misdemeanor punishable by a
heavy fine. In this they are
actuated not by a desire for
moral reform but by purely
political motives. Theirs is a
hard task keeping Arabs and
Jews at peace, and in their study
�*""—-"-••
44
of the basic causes of enmity
between the two factions they
have introduced the anti-cursing
ordinance as a possible deterrent from, further trouble. How
this apparently simple measure
can effect the maintenance of
law and order may be better
understood when the [nature of
cursing in the East is explained.
It may be held axiomatic that
the nature of cursing denotes
a people's character and trend
of thought.While these remarks
ar& not intended as a scholarly
dissertation on the subject, a
few illustrations are bound to
be helpful in drawing a conclusion.
While all cursing is intended
as an expression of contempt, it
is expressed in different terms
among different peoples. The
English invoke God's damnation, or otherwise address an insulting remark directly to the
person involved. The French,
in their anger, call one a pig or
a beast. But in all cases the insult is personal and very rarely
is anyone implicated other
than he who is directly concerned. In the East, however,
one is not cursed himself, but
his religion is, or something
pertaining thereto which he
holds sacred. Hence the Prophet, or his beard, or the holy
places, or the cross, or heaven
itself are showered with imprecations, while the one at whom
THE SYRIAN WORLD
the curse is directed personally
escapes.
One of the most ready excuses in the East for collecting
an angry crowd or inciting to
attack is to accuse one of having
cursed another's religion.
Consequently, because religion in the East is held in such
sacredness, a devilement of it is
calculated to hurt one in his
most vulnerable
sensibility.
Especially does this apply to
the land which has given birth
to so many religions, and which
has been, and still is, the subject
of so much contention for none
else than purely religious motives. An Emir of M. Lebanon,
over a hundred years ago, realized the benefits of such a policy
and ordered every one heard
uttering a curse fined a quarter
of a Mejidi. A certain elderly
person noted for his profanity
restrained himself as much as
he could, then called a law officer and said: "Here is a whole
Mejidi—I must relieve myself.
The words in my throat are
choking me."
The British would lessen
causes of dissension among the
people of Palestine by an effort
to stamp out cursing. It is to be
hoped that they will succeed in
this effort, as they would be
changing the very character of
the people even jwithout offering a substitute for the expression of one's anger.
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JANUARY, 1930
Spirit of the Syrian Press
vl
I
Under this caption we hope to present from time to time a microcosmie
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 Arabic-speaking
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 aa expressed
in these editorials.
Editor.
BRITISH JUSTICE
NON-EXISTENT
When the British Government
sent its commission of investigation
to Palestine, it gave it explicit instructions not to invade the realm
of politics, but to confine its activities to the ascertainment of the
causes of the disturbances. The commission went to Palestine, then returned to England, without accomplishing anything of consequence,
and a full month has now passed
without it presenting its report on
the main causes of the uprising. The
reason for this delay is quite plain:
the British Government wants to
temporize in an effort to smooth
over matters by delay, as it cannot
be in ignorance of the real causes of
the uprising, which are the Balfour
declaration and the encroachment of
the Jews on the rights of the original inhabitants of the country.
If Great Britain wished to settle
the Palestine question in a true spirit
of justice it would not have found
it necessary to send a commission of
investigation to the country, because
self-evident facts should not be held
subject to inquiry. But England had
/already committed herself to a prom-
,
5l
ise of a national homeland to the
Jews and she feels loath to break
her promise, especially because the
Jews are financially and politically
strong, while her own interests require that she maintain a strong
foothold in that part of the world.
It follows that "British Justice"
is a myth and all hope for its operation a dream. Proof of this is in
the fact that no sooner had the commission of inquiry completed its
labors than England proposed the
appointment of an international commission in which there would be no
British representation, and this even
before the publication of the findings
of the special commission sent to
Palestine. In truth, we fail to understand the reason for all these manoeuvres when there should be no
question of self-evident facts. But
Great Britain, like all other colonial
powers, uses the well-known strategy
of dilatory tactics to gain her ends,
and when she fails in this she has
recourse to fire and sword, mean*
while accusing those who seek liberty and justice of being savages
and barbarians.
,
This has been the bane of Palestine
and all other Arab countries who
have the misfortune of being under
�46
mandate. It follows that our dependence on "British Justice" will avail
us no more than if we depended on
the very devil. On this point we
wish to make ourselves clear and
do not hesitate to state that "British
Justice" exists only in. Britain, and
applies only to the British people.
The same may be said of French
justice and French liberty. These
Colonial powers acknowledge justice and liberty only in their own
lands and among their own peoples
but abroad they interpret these virtues into oppression, treachery and
injustice. They believe that all nonEuropean nations should be held
under subjugation and prevented by
all possible means from rising and
progressing, while the irony of the
situation is that these self-same
European nations seize their preys
on the pretext of civilizing these
peoples and preparing them for the
task of independence and self-government.
Such is tiie truth, whole and unadulterated-, and it follows that if
we were to appeal to the so-called
"British Justice", we would be in
the position of htm who has recourse
from the heat of the sun to the fire.
Because both Britisher and Jew are
in league against us and our country: the first with the object of affirming his foothold in Palestine
under the pretext of protecting the
Jew, and the second with the object
of seizing our country under the
protection of Britain. Let us then
forget all about this misapplied
"British Justice", for even though it
may be tangible and real in Great
Britain, it is but a farce and a lie
in Palestine as well as in other similarly weak countries.
Our brothers in the homeland are
awakened to the realization of this
truth and learned to place no more
THE SYRIAN WORLD
trust in this counterfeit "British
Justice" in the attainment of their
just aspirations. For this reason they
have resolved upon boycotting the
new commission which His British
Majesty proposes to send to Palestine for investigating the question
of the Wailing Wall, as if Moslem
sacred places were public property
subject to adjudication. This new
move, indeed, is but another BritishJewish plot to distract attention
from the real causes under controversy.
"Nothing like your own nail will
scratch your skin" says our Arabic
adage, and our dependence upon the
benevolence of this one or the other
for the attainment of our rights of
liberty and honorable existence is
manifestly wrong. Let our dependence be upon ourselves alone and
none other.
Al-Bayan, N. Y., Jan. 27, 1930.
'I
TRUE GOVERNMENT
We understand by the Lebanese
Government the native government
which SHOULD be the supreme
authority in its own country exaept
in matters requiring expert advice or.
where France should exercise the
role of an honorable ally and a
powerful guardian. But if the functions of the government should be
restricted to levying taxes as a
means of revenue for salaries, and
disregarding thereafter all the inherent rights of the people in such
manner as to deny the natives all
access to the resources of their own
country, then it were better that
the country be annexed to the mandatory power and let matters rest
at that. In such eventuality, it should
be understood that the Lebanese and
not the French must be held respon*
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JANUARY, 1930
sible for the outcome. But what redress can there be to such a situation when greed for office is at the
root of all our woes in Lebanon?
Al-Hoda, N. Y., Feb. 6, 1930.
THE BALFOUR DECLARATION
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The English press is awakening
to the danger attending the insistence upon carrying out the Balfour
Declaration. The Daily Mail, that
great English paper which is noted
for its uncanny foresight, and which
had warned Great Britain of the
approaching war with Germany
many years before 1914, has now
taken the lead in warning its country
of the dangers attending its policy
of disregarding the dictates of honor
m dealing with the peoples of the
East.
The Daily Mail is absolutely justified in its predictions. The findings
of the Shaw commission of investigation into the causes of the last
riots in Palestine have revealed the
extent of the conspiracies which the
Zionists have framed against the
country on the flimsy pretext that
their ancestors had been In possession of it thousands of years back.
Lord Balfour should be reminded, it
seems, that his Declaration in favor
of a homeland for the Jews cannot
be taken as the pivot of British policy. It would seem timely to remind
the people of Great Britain that antedating that famous declaration
were other declarations which should
be held just as valid. In truth, they
should be held more valid in view
of their priority.
These declarations and promises
referred to deal with the Allies' solemn vows to the Arabs to help them
attain their independence and to
leave them fuH liberty to determino
47
the form of government best suited
to their needs.
We may remind Great Britain of
the manifesto addressed to the Arabs
and which its airplanes dropped
freely among Arab communities during the war assuring them of unconditional assistance in the attainment of their national aspirations.
No doubt the archives of the Foreign
Office contain copies of this manifesto and it would be well for the
statesmen who are now in control
of British policy to refresh their
memories on its contents, that they
may ascertain the possibility of reconciling between these earlier promises to the Arabs and the later contradictory promises to the Jews
which followed much later.
Meraat-Ul-Gharb, N.Y.,Jan. 27, 1930.
UNITY SPELLS SUCCESS
The advocates of Svrian independence have shown by their steadfast
tenacity that no obstacles will swerve
them from the pursuit of their ends,
and because of this strong spirit of
determination they are bound to
achieve success.
This same spirit characterizes the
activities of the Palestinian Arabs
these latter days. Whether the incentive is their own, or whether it
is the Syrians' who are showing such
active interest in the Palestinian
question lately, we do not pretend
to discuss, because the Syrians seem
now to be in control of the guidance
of Palestinian destinies. But whatever the case, we cannot fail to admit that the Palestinians are bound
to succeed in their endeavors because
of the strong determination characterizing their efforts.
It is gratifying to see that Great
Britain herself has been favorably
�—
48
impressed by the attitude of the
Arabs. This should serve as a lesson
to the Arabs to appreciate the great
benefits of unity.
Syrian Eagle, N. Y., Jan. 28. 1930.
JEWS OF NEW YORK
BEING DISILLUSIONED
It is a fundamental truth that the
surest and safest means of success
is in unity. Unified efforts are the
greatest factor in assuring for every
nation the attainment of its aspirations and the breaking down of all
obstacles obstructing its way.
We are prompted to these remarks
by the honorable stand which the
Arabs have assumed in the Palestinian question, whether in the home
country or abroad, and which caused
a pronounced change in the attitude
of their Zionist foes. By such action
they have given cogent proof of
their fitness for national independence which all other free nations
enjoy.
Now the Jews of America are
coming to gradually awaken to the
utter impossibility of the success of
Zionist designs in the face of the
organized Arab defense. And American Jewry, as is well known, is the
backbone of Zionism. Because were
it not for American money which
is being poured into the Zionist
treasury by the hundreds of thousands the Zionist movement would
not have gained such impetus and
made possible the calling of the
Zurich congress which revealed the
sinister designs of the Jews against
the Arabs. Nay, had it not been for
that, the sons of Israel would not
have dared desecrate the holy places
of Islam and make such bold attacks on the people of the country
which resulted in the bloody uprising in which the Jews reaped the
reward of their perfidy and treachery.
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Now the former illusions of the
American supporters of Zionism are
being dissipated, thanks to organized Arab propaganda. Instead of
the visionary homeland which they
aspired to erect, they have come to
realize that the Arabs have in the
land sacred places which they hold
inviolable, as well as traditions
which surpass by far anything that
the Jews may claim. Besides, the
Arabs in Palestine are strong in
numbers and have millions of their
Arab brothers in neighboring countries who would never permit an
alien people, whomsoever that people
may be, to carry out its designs
against Palestine which the Arabs
hold so dearly.
Al-Bayan, N. Y., Jan. 21, 1930.
LOST OPPORTUNITIES
Had the Syrians, in the early
stages of their immigration, realized
the great latent opportunities in the
acquisition of real estate in Washington Street, many would be the
millionaires among them today. As
it happened, they were laboring under the false hypothesis that they
were only transients, and their stay
in America destined to be only of
short duration, for, say, a few years
in which they would acquire a small
fortune and return to their homeland. Had they but realized earlier
that their stay would be permanent
they would have invested in real
estate and reaped the great profits
that they now see slipping from
their hands.
Washington Stret in New York is
popularly known as the Syrian Quarter and the great building activities
now taking place in the district have
made land in this street as valuable
as anywhere in the metropolitan
area.
Ash-Shaab, N. Y., Jan. 30, 1930.
La
been
I the t
' takei
4*
"
�•
mm-
\
49
JANUARY, 1930
Political Developments in Syria
PALESTINE
Law and order now seem to have
been restored in Palestine. Even with
the trials of those accused of having
taken part in the last bloody uprising going on, no fresh outbreak 'has
been reported. When the Jewish
policeman Hinkas accused of leading a mob of his coreligionists
against an Arab family and murdering them in cold blood, was tried
and found guilty, the verdict was
received with indignation by the
Jews, but no recourse was had to
violence.
Present activities seem to center
on the political phase of the situation. While the Shaw Commission
of Inquiry has not yet submitted its
report, there are other moves being
considered by the British Government apparently for the purpose of
bringing a definite settlement of
the Palestine question. The latest
such move is the proposition to appoint a commission by the League of
Nations for determining the rights
of Moslems and Jews in the Wailing
Wall. Great Britain would then
claim to have shifted the responsibility from her own shoulders so
that whatever decision is reached
would be considered the concensus
of opinion of the world. This move,
if the Arabs have their way, will
prove abortive, as they plan to boycott such a commission if appointed
and never to admit in principle that
their sacred places are subject to
foreign interference and regulation.
Indicative of Arab feeling in this
matter is the editorial comment of
Al-Jamia al-Arabia, an Arab daily
of Jerusalem considered the mouth-
piece of the Moslem Supreme Council, which the correspondent of the
New York Times cabled to his paper
on January 26. Coming from what
is admittedly a highly authoritative
source, the editorial may be taken as
fairly expressive of the official Arab
point of view on the Wailing Wall
question. As reported in the dispatch
to the Times, the appointment of a
new commission would be considered by the Arabs an Anglo-Zionist
plot designed to deprive the Arabs
of their inalienable rights. Part of
the editorial follows:
"The commission is an AngloZionist plot which should be carefully watched. The British Government desired to throw the burden
of solution of the Wailing Wall problem on the mandates commission,
but the latter refused because it did
not want to shoulder the responsibility of this conflict, arisen out of
evil religious and political designs,
and because they considered there
was, in appointing such a commission, a sort of concession to the Jews
by the British Government at the
expense of the Moslems.
"Despite this the British Government did not rest and still aims to
throw its responsibility on the
League.
"The appointment of this commission, consisting of three members, is received by us with the
greatest surprise and astonishment,
because it again proves how great
is British influence on the League,
so much so that the latter finds it
difficult to refuse any British demands."
Discussing a communique issued
by the Palestine Government con-
�mmmmm
50
cerning the appointment of this
commission, the editorial goes on
to say:
"We surmise that the Council of
the League agrees with Britain that
the present conflict existing in Palestine between the Jews and Arabs
is religious and hinges on the Wailing Wall, and not that it is a political conflict over the rights of Palestine Arabs, of which they a^e being
robbed by the fact that the country
is being handed over to the Jews
under the mask of a British mandate
and the supervision of the League."
Asserting that the Wailing Wall
is a purely Moslem shrine the editorial quotes the last paragraph of
Article XIII of the mandate, which
states that the rights of Moslem holy
places should not be disputed, and
that they are to be safeguarded for
ever.
"We see," the editorial continues,
"that nine years have passed since
the ratification of the mandate, and
no commission has been appointed
to solve the religious conflicts among
the different non-Mos'cm communities, as provided by Article XIV of
the mandate.
"Why, then, does the British Government now force the Council of
the League to appoint a commission
on the wall, ignoring established
Moslem rights to their religious
shrine, which are assured by the
mandate? Is not the whole affair a
plot worked out by the British Government with the Jews for the purpose of granting the latter imaginary rights to the Wailing Wall ? Yet
this plot is being arranged with the
approval of the League and under
its supervision.
"We call the attention of the Moslem Supreme Council and the entire
Islamic world to this serious state
of affairs, and propose that Palestine
rr~r~~-!r
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Moslems boycott this commission
which the British Government is
trying to stamp with the seal of
the League of Nations.
"Palestine Moslems should reject
any solution which would in the
slightest way infringe upon their
rights to religious places. We want
the British Government and the
whole world to know that the conflict in Palestine is political between
the rightful owners of the country
and those trying to rob them of their
rights. Any solution of the Wailing
Wall problem, right or wrong, will
neither aid nor hinder solution of
the national conflict of Arabs and
Jews."
A special correspondent of the
New Yoi-k Herald Tribune, writing
from Jerusalem under date of January ]0, points out a new, important
development in the attitude of the
Aabs and anti-Zionist
elements
towards the land question in Palestine. This correspondent reports that
the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem
is strongly anti-Jewish, and that in
its efforts to block Zionist acquisition of land necessary for the develorment of some of their colonization schemes it is acquiring possession of the land itself. The Zionists,
according to this report, fear that
the purchase of land for colonizing
purposes will become increasingly
difficult as a result of this new development.
The Latin Patriarchate has lately
purchased a village that is considered of great strategical importance
for the security of Emek Israel, the
main center of Jewish post-war colonization. It is also considering the
purchase of another equally important property hindering the colonization scheme of the Zionists in another locality.
The Moslems are also bending
\
\\
�JANUARY, 1930
every effort to fight the Jews with
their own weapons, namely, the use
of money and the acquisition of land.
The Moslem Supreme Council, a government department which administers the income from the Moslem
religious trusts, has purchased a
plot of land which the Jews wished
to buy so as to extend one of the
settlements destroyed during the
disorders. The Keren Kayemeth, the
land purchasing instrument of the
Jewish Agency, failed to acquire
the property for lack of funds. For
that reason the Jews now plan a
special drive to raise funds in the
United States for their depleted
treasury, but they are experiencing
increasing difficulty in the task owing to recent publicity on flagrant
cases of mismanagement.
On its way to the United States is
also an Arab delegation headed by
Emir Adel Arslan whose object is to
influence American public opinion on
Palestinian matters and induce, at
the same time, Arab residents of
America to use their resources for
the development of the mothercountry. The delegation was last
reported in Egypt where it is being
lavishly entertained by Arab sympathizers.
SYRIA
Rumors concerning expected developments in the Syrian political
situation continue to fill the air—
and the press. Party caucusses, conferences of officials and discussions
of various programs are of everyday occurrence. But M. Ponsot continues in his silence. Not a declaration has he made since his return
from Paris last summer, and the
expected solution of the Syrian problem rests on the results of his extended study.
51
A rumor which was given much
credence was to the effect that contemplated reforms in Syria are to be
shaped along the lines of those now
being introduced in Lebanon. This
would mean drastic economy in administration by the reduction of the
numbers of officials and the adoption of a semi-dictatorial rule. Those
discrediting the probability of this
rumor advance as their only reason
the long delay attending such a policy, which would mean a wait of at
least six months, while the Syrians
have suffered and waited long enough
not to be subjected to such further
delay.
From another source it is learned
that a group of thirty prominent
notables of Damascus met in Beirut
and decided to petition the High
Commissioner to terminate
as
speedily as possible the present
uncertain condition in the political
status of Syria. While insisting on
the immediate dismissal of the
present
provisional
government
headed by Sheikh Tajeddin and demanding the substitution of a permanent, responsible government,
they left the form of government to
be chosen to the discretion of the
High Commissioner.
Strong sentiment seems to be
developing in favor of a constitutional monarchy for Syria, judging
by reports of the Arabic press of
Beirut. A convention of a large number of prominent Syrian leaders was
declared to have been held in Beirut
early in January and to have petitioned the High Commissioner for
declaring a monarchy. The comic
element in the situation is that all
those present at the conference,
while agreeing on a monarchy in
principle, differed as to the person
to be chosen. They were divided into
three principal factions, one favor-
�52
ing Ahmad Nami Bey, the other the
Sherif Ali Haidar Pasha, and the
third Adel Ibn Iyad. The two first
factions actually presented to tha
High Commissioner an identical
petition simply substituting the name
of their candidate for that of the
other, while the third faction deferred action.
LEBANON
Premier Eddy of Lebanon has at
last begun putting his economy program into effect. Some papers describe his activities as a whirlwind
and others as bombs. Quite naturally,
there has been occasioned some
grumbling as a result of hundreds
of government employees losing their
jobs, but the general sentiment seems
to be one of satisfaction and approval.
The Lebanese Academy of Science,
formed only recently, has been abolished. Eighty-five schools of different grades have been suppressed
and a saving of over one hundred
thousand dollars effected in this department alone. The judicial department was also severely pruned.
Premier Eddy is described as being
indefatiguable in the pursuit of his
policy of economic reform. He is
reported at his desk in the Saraya
even on Sundays, and many of his
subordinates and colleagues are
made to work just as hard. Rumors
are being freely circulated to the
effect that reductions in salaries
will be made to affect even members of the Representative Assembly.
What is more, there are reports that
the whole Assembly will be reorganized along the lines obtaining
in Lebanon in the pre-war period,
which means that the number of
representatives will not
exceed
twelve, instead of forty-five as at
present.
The Eddy program is said to have
THE SYRIAN WORLD
\
the whole-hearted approval of the
mandatory authorities who, according to reports, plan to introduce similar reforms in all the states of Syria
under mandate once they prove effective in Lebanon. Surely, in the
present financial stringency of the
country, the crying need is for administrative economy.
The tobacco monopoly in Syria and
Lebanon has been granted an extension of three months from January
4. The Regie, as it is called, is under
French control and had been granted
the concession during Turkish rule.
THE DRUZES
The government of Transjordania
has officially notified the Druze refugees within its borders to either
leave the country or take up their
residence within the city of Amman,
capital of the country, where they
would be under constant surveillance. This action is said to have
been the result of an attack on an
automobile caravan sometime ago
in the desert which the Druze refugees are accused of having perpetrated, although in some quarters
this sudden decision of the Transjordan Government is said to be the
result of an understanding between
the French authorities in Syria and
the British authorities of Palestine
which bound the latter to force the
native government of Transjordania
to take this step.
About a hundred Druze exiles
with their families have already returned to Syria and surrendered to
the French who are declared to be
willing to extend them clemency except in cases of personal offenses.
Among those to return was the
brother of Sultan Pasha Atrash,
leader of the last revolt, but the
leader himself is said to be contemplating seeking refuge within the
borders of Arabia further south.
-«s>a.
»***-«» >**
'
I
ill
�JANUARY, 1930
53
About Svria and Syrians
SYRIANS AGAIN CONTROL
LEBANON NATIONAL BANK
While the Lebanon National Bank
of New York was originally a purely
Syrian
institution, having
been
launched through the initiative oT
Mr. J. A. Mandour, its founder and
president, its control passed out of
Syrian hands through purchase of
the majority stock by the New Jersey Banking Corporation, then anxious to extend its banking activities
into the metropolitan area.
Now, however, control of the Lebanon Bank again reverts to Syrian
hands through the purchase of the
majority stock by the Lebanon Financial Corporation, a holding company in Which about three hundred
leading Syrian business men of the
city are interested and also launched
and presided over by Mr. J. A. Mandour. This turn of affairs is bound
to please those who regretted the
loss of control of the Lebanon National and to insure fres'h support to
this Syrian financial
institution
which is a distinct credit to Syrian
business enterprise.
SYRIAN JUNIOR LEAGUE
GIVES SUCCESSFUL PLAY
\
During the three nights that the
Syrian Junior League of New York
gave its play, "Blue and Green Mat",
at the Brooklyn Little Theatre, Jan.
30 and 31 and Feb, 1, the house was
filled to capacity. After the last performance a supper-dance was held by
the League and was well attended.
The story is by Constance Wilcox,
and the play was directed by Adele
Gutman Nathan. The cast was composed wholly of members of the
League supported by male members
of the Syrian community. Considering that this was their first effort
i' dramatic productions, the actors
displayed creditable talent.
The group of dancing girls, directed by Esther Markowitz, performed
exceedingly well. John Maesoud, in
the ro^e of the Wandering Piper and
Miss Josephine Ayoub, in the role
of Zahira, the heroine, elicited considerable admiration for their fine
I laying.
Others contributing to lend to the
play its charming Oriental atmo
sphere were Anis Fuleihan, who composed the music and directed the orchestra, and Helene Jacobs, who designed the costumes.
MARCNITE YOUNG WOMEN
HONOR PATRON SAINT
The feast day of St. Maron, patron
saint of the Maronites, having fallen
this year on Sun., Feb. 9, the Daughters of the United Maronites Society
of Brooklyn celebrated it this year
by a luncheon and dance at the Leverich Towers. Anis Azoury, president of the Holy Name Society of
the church of Our Lady of Lebanon,
acted as chairman. The speakers included N. A. Mokarzel, editor of AlHoda; Joseph M. Khoury, editor of
Ash-Shaab; Dr. Najib Barbour, representative of the Lebanese president in New York; Dominick Faour,
N. Hatem S. Harfoush and S. A.
Mokarzel, editor of The Syrian
World. Over two hundred were present.
�54
THE SYRIAN WORLD
PLAY IN ARABIC
FOR MARONITE CHURCH
SYRIANS PARTICIPATE IN
BEAUX ARTS BALL
"Fee Sabeel Ettaj", a play in five
acts translated from the French by
Rev. Mansour Estephan, was given
at the Brooklyn Academy of Music
on January 18 for the benefit of
Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite
church of Brooklyn, of which tho
Rev. Estephan is pastor. The leading roles were acted by Mrs. Aseen
Azoury and Said Harfoush who
showed such talent as to be a credit
to professionals. The director was
Salim Mechelany who is a veteran
in this line but contributes his time
and effort for charity. The Brooklyn
Academy of Music was packed as it
has been only on a few occasions
since the Syrians began to use it for
their entertainments. The program,
a huge book of 168 pages was the
largest so far produced for any Syrian affair.
The Painters and Sculptors Society
of Brooklyn, of which Nicolas Macsoud, the well-known Syrian miniature painter is president, gave its
annual ball at the Leverich Towers
in Brookiyn on Feb. 8. This is considered one of the most important
society events of Brooklyn and almost rivaled this year the Beaux
Arts Bail held in New York a few
weeks earlier.
The ball this year took on a decidedly Oriental atmosphere, which
was added to by the presence of several members of the Syrian Junior
League of Brooklyn who served
Arabian coffee of the well-known
Sheik Brand imported by M. E.
Howatt. Among the coffee dispensers
were: the Misses Adele Macsoud,
Najla Macsoud, Florence Jabara,
Selma Milkie and Helene Jacobs.
CLASS OF LEBANESE
TEACHER WINS CERTIFICATES
SYRIAN PHYSICIAN
PLANNING HOSPITAL
The principal papers of Boston
carried an account of how two rooms
of the Bowditch School of Jamaica
Plain, had been awarded Certificates
of Achievement for excellent work
in Hygiene by the Boston Tuberculosis Association. The two classes
are conducted by Miss Labeebee A.
J. Hanna, a teacher of Lebanese
descent.
In the illustrations accompanying
t5ie account, the recipients of the
certificates, together with their instructor, are shown receiving the
scrolls of distinction from Mr. Frank
Kiernan of the State League. The
activities of the pupils in the winning classes as described in the accounts, attest the intelligent devotion which the teacher paid 'her work.
Dr. M. Shadid of Elk City, Okla.
has announced the formation of a
corporation for the erection of a
"hospital with the idea of eventually
serving Western Oklahoma on the
basis of the actual cost of hospitalization." The project is capitalized
at $100,000 and some of Dr. Shadid's
associates include many men prominent in the business and financial
fields in the State.
It will be remembered that Dr.
Shadid had made plans for such an
undertaking in Syria and actually
went abroad to study the situation.
We understand that he has not altogether given up his original intentions and that his present enterprise
might prove the prelude to a similar
one to be undertaken later in Beirut.
\
�JANUARY, 1930
LEBANESE PHYSICIAN
DEFENDS FRENCH
\
In a letter addressed to The New
York Times under date of Jan. 18,
Dr. Najib Barbour, signing himself
as the Representative of the Libano
Syrian Colony, takes issue with a
Mrs. Orth on statements by her published in The Times criticizing the
French administration in Syria and
i Lebanon.
\ \J
"The FrencV said Dr. Barbour,
"have their mandate from the League
of Nations and are responsible for
their conduct in Syria to that group
of powers who constitute the League.
The mandatory government has already reported its work officially to
the League and received its sanction
and approval."
Explaining the work of the French
in the country under mandate, Dr.
Barbour continues:
"The French are doing real constructive work in Syria, and all neutrals and reasonable people who have
come in contact with French activity
in that country can testify to the
truth of this.
"Again let me state that the
French mandate has been, and is
now, acceptable to the various races
and creeds now in Syria. To them it
means continued peace, security of
life and constructive substantial
progress."
SYRIAN STUNT AVIATOR
WINS HIGH PRAISE
Joseph Musleh, a Syrian aviator
of Jacksonville, Fla., is "recognized
in aviation circles as one of the
most intrepid in the South," according to the Jacksonville Times-Union.
In its account describing the feats
of the Syrian aviator, the Jacksonville paper characterizes them as
/
55
"most daring, and being done for
the love of the sport and not for
the applause they bring, and of such
character that other aviators are
awed at the manoeuvres."
Through a letter received from
Miss Mary Sabbag of Jacksonville,
we learn that Mr. Musleh came to
America about eleven years ago
when at the age of twelve. He knew
little or nothing of English, but
through attending night school, he
not only learned the language but
acquired such an education as to be
able to pass the strict test required
of licensed pilots. Furthermore, at
the U. S. Army Air Corps in Montgomery, Ala., he withstood the examination and was passed to become,
if he desired, a second lieutenant of
Reserve Officers. There were thirty
men taking this examination and
only two were accepted, one being
Musleh.
Recently, he was admitted to
membership in the Federation Aeronautique Internationale which entitles him to any assistance or aid that
may be required in this or any foreign country.
Mr. Musleh purchased his plane
out of his own funds and while the
craft is not of the most modern
type, his handling of it in his hazardous feats emphasizes his great
skill as an aviator.
CARAVANEERS OF BOSTON
ELECT OFFICERS
The Caravaneers Club of Boston
elected the following officers for the
coming year:
George G. Naymie, President;
Nicholas Samaha, Vice-President;
Harry Nassif, Treasurer;
Anna
Shire, Secretary.
President George G. Naymie has
appointed Labeebee A. J. Hanna, who
�56
THE SYRIAN WORLD
needs no introduction to readers of Treasurer; Alfred Abdalla, SecretThe Syrian World, as corresponding ary; Sydney Abdalla, Chaplain;
Schofik Mickal, Sergeant-at-arms.
secretary of the club.
The Caravaneers are now hard at
work rehearsing Channing Pollock's
"The Enemy,'" to be presented on LEBANESE ENTERTAINS
Friday, March 7, 19G0. The coach,
AMERICAN AUTHOR
Miss Gertrude Spaulding, is well
How an individual tan be of efknown in Boston and vicinity for
fective
service to the cause of better
hc-r talent and ability.
understanding
of his motherland
The members of the club have
was
demonstrated
the past summer
reason to feel very proud of one of
by
Mr.
Michel
Maloof,
of Boston,
their members George Shaghoury,
while
on
a
visit
to
Zahie,
his homeSenior at Boston University. We
have learned that in a contest con- town in Lebanon.
Mr. Maloof counts among his
ducted by a New York publishing
house, for seniors only, at the close friends many Americans prominent
of last year, young Mr. Shaghoury, in the domain of arts, the letters and
the only Junior to compete—at the finance, some of whom were his
urgent request of his instructors— classmates in Harvard. So once back
was the winner of a very fine set in his hometown, he decided that
of law books. We feel that the young other and impartial eyes should see
man has a successful future as a the beauty of Lebanon and judge it
lawyer in store for him, and wish on its own merits. He therefore
cabled his friend Mr. Lester G.
him well.
Miss Hanna will be happy to open Hornby, the well-known American
correspondence with any Syrian So- arti3t and author who was then in
cieties anywhere concerning club in- Paris, to visit him in Lebanon. Mr.
terests. Those desiring to may write Hornby came and was the guest of
Labeebee A. J. Hanna in care of the Mr. Maloof for over a month and a
Caravaneers, 37 Sharon St., Boston, half during which they visited the
Mass., and may be assured of an famous Cedars, the ruins of Baalbek and many other outstanding
immediate response in every case.
places of interest. Mr. Hornby, in an
interview with one of the Lebanese
papers, is declared to have been imNEW SYRIAN CLUB
IN McCOMB, MISS. pressed with what he saw in this
country as he never was in all his
A correspondent in McComb, Miss.,
travels in any other country in the
writes that the Syrian-American
world. He is also said to be preparyouth of that city had formed an
ing an important book with many
organization to which they have
given the name of "Young Peoples' original illustrations of the natural
Syrian Club" and whose object is beauty of Syria and Lebanon.
the promotion of good-fellowship and
the cultivation of knowledge of their
racial background. The following officers were elected:
Kinnon Amuny, President; Corinne
Abdalla, Vice-President; Foeh Assaf,
}
U-
JOIN
THE GREAT
SYRIAN WORLD
CONTEST
¥
Jl
�
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
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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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TSW1930_01reducedWM
Title
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The Syrian World Volume 04, Issue 05
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1930 January
Description
An account of the resource
Volume 4 Issue 05 of The Syrian World published January 1930. The issue begins with a discussion of Syrians' contributions to society introduced by Rev. W. A. Mansur. As is usual with Mansur's writings in the Syrian World, it is imbued with patriotism and inspiration in relation to the value of the Syrian people. Salloum Mokarzel is featured next with a discussion focused around the changes taking place in the Middle East, with particular attention paid to the fundamental orientation in the character of the people. He discusses the new presence of cooperation taking place within the economic field, the great hydroelectric project of Nahr Kadisha, and detailed accounts of special interviews with Archbishop Antoun Arida. Labeebee A. J. Hanna and Dr. Salim Y. Alkazin follow his article with poems, and Kahlil Gibran presents his literary genius with yet another of his prose poetry titled "The Two Learned Men," a story that showcases the struggle of faith. Following yet another poem by Mischa Naimy, Ameen Rihani gives a vivid account of the inception and growth of the Ahleyah School in Beirut. Aref El-Khoury's short story titled "The Wager" is the last work of prose in the issue. The story is set in Damascus, with a Syrian-American boy and girl as its characters. The issue closes with excerpts from the Arab press and an update on the political developments in Syria.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabic literature--History and criticism--Periodicals
Arabs--United States--Periodicals
Lebanese-Americans--United States--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Syrian-American Press
Source
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New York Public Library
Publisher
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Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Coverage
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104 Greenwich St., New York, NY
Format
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Text/pdf
Type
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Text
Rights
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The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
1930s
Ameen Rihani
Aref El-Khoury
engineering
Kahlil Gibran
Labeebee A. J. Hanna
Mischa Naimy
New York
Poetry-English
Reverend W.A. Mansur
Salim Alkazin
Syria