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VOL. IV. No. 5.
SYRIAN WORLD
A MONTHLY MAGAZINE IN ENGLISH DEALING
WITH SYRIAN AFFAIRS AND ARABIC LITERATURE
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MODERN SYRIANS' CONTRIBUTIONS
TO CIVILIZATION
REV-. W. A. MANSUR
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SALLOUM A. MOKARZEL
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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
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AREF EL-KHOURY
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THE COPY 50c
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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.
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�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
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free round trip.
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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
-10
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
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�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.
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«, !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!
(/
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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
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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
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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;
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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
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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.
f
�JANUARY, 1930
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
\ I
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�41
JANUARY, 1930
k
/
1
1
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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
�""" '- —-—-
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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�JANUARY, 1930
i
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.
V
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45
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*
l
I
�1
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
I J
1/
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*
"
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mm-
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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
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�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.
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�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
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Processed by Claire A. Kempa, 2015-2017. Collection Guide written by Claire A. Kempa, 2017.
Collection Guide updated by Laura Lethers, 2023 August.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
These materials are digital copies of an original resource held by another institution. The KCLDS Archive often works with other institutions to make digital materials available online to the public. KCLDS is not able to grant permission to use or reproduce these materials. The KCLDS Archive strongly encourages users to contact the holding institution for permission to use or reproduce materials from their holdings.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
NS 0002
Access Rights
Information about who can access the resource or an indication of its security status. Access Rights may include information regarding access or restrictions based on privacy, security, or other policies.
This digital material is provided here for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
TSW1930_01reducedWM
Title
A name given to the resource
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
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
104 Greenwich St., New York, NY
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text/pdf
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
1930s
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