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VOL. IV. No. 6.
FEBRUARY, 1930
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THE
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SYRIAN WORLD
A
MONTHLY MAGAZINE IN ENGLISH DEALING
WITH SYRIAN AFFAIRS AND ARABIC LITERATURE
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AR-RAZI AND HIS MILLENIAL CELEBRATION
DR. F. I. SHATARA
II
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A DISCIPLE IN NOMADISM AND WISDOM
AMEEN RIHANI
THE OLD CRIMINAL
RAJAH F. HOWRANI
1
FROM THE DOG RIVER TO THE CEDARS
SALLOUM A. MOKAKZEL
MAGGIE AND JOE (A SHORT STORY)
LABEEBEE A. J. HANNA
THE COPY 50c
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�THE
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.
FEBRUARY, 1930
VOL. IV. No. 6.
CONTENTS
PAGE
A r-Razi and His Millenial Celebration
DR.
F. I.
7
SHATARA
While Mortal (Poem)
13
DR. SALIM
Y.
ALKAZIN
A Disci-pie in Nomadism and Wisdom
14
AMEEN RIHANI
Song of a Homesick Man (Poem)
21
NAT LA SABE
The Old Criminal
RAJA
;
F.
HOWRANI
Tears (Poem)
29
R. A.
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22
NICHOLSON
�urn inn wini,
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CONTENTS (Continued)
PAGE
From the Dog River to the Cedars
SALLOUM
A.
30
MOKARZEL
CO
Maggie and Joe (Short Story)
LABEEBEE
A. J.
39
HANNA
To My Father (Poem)
LABEEBEE
S
44
A. J.
HANNA
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Editorial Comment
45..
Spirit of the Syrian Press
47
Political Developments in Syria
51
About Syria and Syrians
54
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ILLUSTRATIONS IN THIS ISSUE
General View of the Dog River
Showeir and its Heights
The Dog River Park
The Solitary House at the Dog River
A General View of Beit Shabah
The Hub of Ehden
The Spring of St. Sarquis
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�IN THIS ISSUE
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V
DR. FUAD SHATARA should prove most helpful to
contributes to this issue an ap- those who would be initiated
preciation of the eminent Arab into the intimate life of the
physician Ar-Razi apropos of country, or those contemplating
the proposition to celebrate his a future visit to that interesting
millenial anniversary. It is re- land. * * * LABEEBEE A. J.
freshing to learn through the HANNA contributes an origbiography of Ar-Razi of the inal short story that deals with
substantial contributions of the a phase of Syrian life in AmerArabs to medical science even ica and is quite original in its
as far as a thousand years back, treatment. Her additional conAnd the account is by no means tribution of a poem will be
scientifically dull—on the con- found of extremely tender aptrary, it is of a happy, facile peal. * * * RAJA F. HOWRAstyle and abounds with anec- NI translates from the Arabic
dotes. *** AMEEN RIHANI a treatise entitled "The Old
gives us another delightful Criminal" by the foremost
chapter of his eventful travels Arabic woman writer, Mary Ziand describes in his present con- adah. The theme is based on a
tribution some of his rare ex- radical method of reasoning and
periences in Jeddah. The read- affords much material for
er is here introduced to a novel thought. Mr. Howrani is at
Prayer Club, the like of which present a student at Columbia
is possible only in Arabia. The University. * * * DR. SALIM
author further gives a most en- ALKAZIN gives various reatertaining account of a conver- sons for enjoying being mortal
sation he had with the Arab in a charming poem.* * * NAJKing, in which His Majesty LA SABE, a new contributor of
cites many heretofore unknown Brooklyn, echoes the song of a
reasons for 'Allah's especial fa- homesick man in the delicate
vors to Arabia. *** THE EDI- feeling of a young girl. * * *
TOR takes us on another leg of Other departments will be
his travels in Lebanon. In this found unusually interesting.
installment he covers the disJOIN
tance from the Dog River to
THE GREAT
the Cedars and describes many
SYRIAN WORLD
interesting places on the way.
CONTEST
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Great Syrian
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�THE
SYRIAN WORLD
FEBRUARY, 1930
VOL. IV. No. 6.
Ar-Razi and His Millenial
Celebration
I
By
DR.
F. I.
SHATARA
AL MUKTATAF, one of the leading Arabic magazines published in Egypt, has arbitrarily set January 30, 1930, as a date
for celebrating the passing of one thousand years since the death
of the famous Arab physician Ar-Razi, and has called upon the
Egyptian Medical Society, the Arab Academy of Damascus, and
other scientific and medical organizations throughout the Arabicspeaking world to consecrate that date in memoriam of Ar-Razi,
and to send in scientific contributions describing his life and works.
In the December issue of the same magazine is published a splendid lecture on Ar-Razi delivered before the Arab Academy of
Damascus last October by Dr. Joseph Faraj Hiraiz.
In view of this, the Editor of THE SYRIAN WORLD has accorded me the honor of asking me to review the life and accomplishments of this famous physician. I do this gladly but with
the understanding that I am unable to contribute anything original to what has already been written, and with the hope that his
life may be another reminder to the Syrians in America of their
rich heritage, and a stimulus to them to emulate his by contributing their share to the upbuilding of culture, learning and civilization of the land of their adoption.
Abu Bakr Mohammad ibn Zakariyya was born at Ray, near
Taharan in Persia, so that he, like many of the scholars of his
day, was an Arab culturally though not racially. The surname
Ar-Razi or Rhazes is derived from the name of his birthplace.
He was probably the greatest and most original of all the Moslem physicians and one of the most prolific as an author. He
stands in sharp contrast with Avicenna, for Avicenna was a better
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
philosopher than physician, while Ar-Razi was a better physician
than philosopher. (Browne).
There is some uncertainty about the date of his birth and it
can only be guessed at by computing from the date of his death,
which is somewhat less uncertain, occurring probably in the year
923 A. D.
Ar-Razi spent most of his life in Persia and was first interested in music, finance and other pursuits and did not take up
medicine until the age of 40. His interest in medicine was aroused
by visits to the Adudi Hospital in Bagdad, and conversations with
an old druggist who informed him that the first herb medicinally
used was accidentally discovered along a river bank by a descendant of Aesculapius who had suffered from inflammation of
his arms. On a subsequent visit to the Hospital, he beheld a fetal
monster with one head and two faces, and this aroused his curiosity and interest in medicine.
One of his principal teachers in medicine was Ali ibn Rabban
of Tabbaristan, whose father Rabban was either a Christian or
a Jew, probably the latter. Ali, according to Al-Qifty, embraced
Islam after he entered the service of the Caliph Al-Mutawakkil.
He is the author of Firdaws-ul-Hikmat—the "Paradise of Wisdom", a treatise on medicine and philosophy which was probably
used as a text by Ar-Razi.
Shortly after completing his medical studies his ability was
recognized and his fame spread rapidly. He was made physician
in chief to the hospital at Ray, where large clinics were held by
him and his pupils, and his pupils' pupils. Every patient who
reported to the clinic was first examined by the latter, and if the
case proved too difficult for them it was passed on to the Master's immediate pupils, and finally, if necessary, to the Master
himself.
Subsesuently Ar-Razi became physician in chief to the Adudi
Hospital in Bagdad, which received the name of the great Adudu'd-Dawla. Here exists some confusion, for this ruler's reign
extended from 949 to 982 A. D., long after the probable date
of Ar-Razi's death. Ibn Abi Usaybia states that when Ar-Razi
was asked to select the most suitable site for the Bagdad Hospital
he caused pieces of meat to be hung in different quarters of the
city, and selected the section where they showed the least signs
of decomposition. Another writer, Kamal-ud-Din Abi-Turab,
states that in selecting the physician in chief to the Bagdad Hos-
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FEBRUARY, 1930
pital, Adudu'd-Dawla resorted to a process of elimination and
had a list prepared of about one hundred of the most famous
physicians. Out of this list he selected fifty according to ability
and skill, and out of the fifty he picked fifteen, and then three,
and out of these chose Ar-Razi.
It is agreed by all biographers that Ar-Razi's code of medical ethics was of the highest standard. Thus Ali Ibn Ridwan, an
Egyptian, states that the most befitting description of his standard of ethics is that contained in the Hippocratic Code, namely
"that the physician shall be more interested in curing disease than
in obtaining reward; in treating the poor more than in treating
the rich; and that he should diligently pursue learning and devote
himself to the benefit of others."
Ibn Abi Usaybia, in describing Ar-Razi, says:—"He was intelligent, kindly to the sick, diligent in curing their ailments,
persistent in his search into the mysteries of medicine and other
sciences, and spent most of his spare time in reading and having
a friend read to him the writings of Hippocrates, Galen and
others."
The Editor of the Fihrist states:—"He was the man of his
day and age, who possessed the knowledge of the ancients,
especially in medicine. He traveled about the country and was
very friendly with Al-Mansur, in whose honor he wrote his
book Al-Mansuri."
He was described by a native of Ray as "an old man with a
large drooping head, who sat among his pupils to whom patients
reported, and never interrupted unless the case was too difficult
for them. He was generous, virtuous and sympathetic."
He became blind toward the end of his life from a cataract
and refused to undergo an operation on the ground that he desired to see no more of a world with which he was disgusted and
disillusioned. (Browne). As contributing causes to his blindness
it is stated by some that he was hit on the head by a patron to
whom he dedicated one of his works on alchemy when he refused
to put his theories into practice by the actual production of gold.
Others ascribe his blindness to the excessive eating of beans of
which he was very fond. For this there is no medical justification.
There is less uncertainty about Ar-Razi's writings than about
other phases of his life. The Fihrist enumerates 113 major and
28 minor works by him, besides two poems. Browne states that
of his many monographs the most celebrated is his well-known
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
treatise on small-pox and measles first published in the Arabic
original with a Latin translation by Channing (London, 1766).
Of this a Latin translation had already appeared in Venice in
1565 and an English version by Greenhill was published by the
Sydenham Society in 1848. This tract was formerly known as
"de Peste" or "de Pestilentia" and, as Neuberger says, "on every
hand and with justice, it is regarded as an ornament to the medical
literature of the Arabs."
Other monographs of Ar-Razi were on stone in the bladder
and kidney, on gout and rheumatism, and on colic. He gave a
description of spina ventosa, spina bifida, hernia and its treatment, and other surgical topics, borrowing largely from Hippocrates, Aetios and Paulos of Aegina. For cancer he advised
against excision unless the disease was limited, in which case the
entire mass affected should be removed. For bites of rabid animals he prescribed the cautery.
He added several chemical preparations to the category of
official medicines. Among these were orpiment, blue and green
vitriol and borax. (Wilder).
He wrote an entertaining work on the success of charlatans
and quacks in securing a popularity often denied to the competent and properly qualified physician.
Of his major works on medicine, the best known are the Jami
or compendium, the Kan or sufficient, the Lesser and Greater
Madkhal or introduction, the Muluki or royal, the Fakhir or
splendid, the Mansuri or Liber Almansoris, dedicated to AlMansur, one of the kings of Khorasan, and the Hawi or Continens. Unfortunately, the Hawi has never been published in the
original and what exist are translations of some of its volumes,
three of which are in the British Museum, three in the Bodleian,
four or five in the Escorial and others at Munich and Petrograd.
The Fihrist enumerates 12 volumes while the Latin translations
contain 25. On account of its enormous size, and the mass of details it contained, The Hawi appalled the most industrious copyists and was beyond the reach of all save the most wealthy bibliophiles, so that Ali Abbas tells us that in his day he only knew of
two complete copies.
There are many accounts and various valuable observations
by Ar-Razi depicting his skill in the art of medicine. The following case reported in Kitabul Faraj ba'da Shedda (book of
relief after distress) is typical.—A young man of Bagdad came
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FEBRUARY, 1930
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to him seeking relief for vomiting blood. After careful examination no cause for this malady could be determined and the patient
was in despair, believing that where Rhazes failed no one could
succeed. Rhazes, touched alike by his faith and his distress, proceeded to question him carefully and found that he had drunk
water drawn from a stagnant pool, whereupon he said to the
patient:—"When I come to-morrow I will treat you and not
leave you until you are cured on condition that you order your
servants to obey me in all that I command them concerning you."
The patient consented to this. On the following day Ar-Razi
returned with a large quantity of moss (tuhlub) which he ordered
the patient to swallow. The patient obeyed until he was unable
to take any more, whereupon Ar-Razi ordered the servants to
hold him flat on his back and force more and more of the weed
down his throat. This induced severe vomiting, and on examining the vomitus a leech was found. This had attached itself to
the patient's stomach and sucked his blood until it transferred
itself to its usual and more congenial medium—the water weed,
and thus the patient was cured. Numerous case reports similar
to the preceding could be cited. These show the unusual skill,
intuition, and power of observation of Ar-Razi.
The following are a few of the edicts he announced:—"Treatment of disease according to book instructions is dangerous unless
controlled and supplemented by the judgment and opinion of the
skilled physician."
"The physician should foster in his patient the belief in ultimate recovery even where the physician is in doubt as to the outcome, for the vital processes of the body are greatly influenced
by the status of the patient's mind."
"Stick to one physician in whom you have confidence. The
possibility of his error is negligible. In changing from one physician to another you are likely to suffer by the mistakes of all."
"If the physician is able to treat by natural means instead of
drugs he is pursuing the right course."
"The physician should be of moderate circumstances neither
too wealthy and tempted to attend to material pursuits, nor too
poor and obliged to be distracted from his scientific endeavors."
An Evaluation of Ar-Razi:
No medical Hall of Fame would be complete that did not
dedicate a liberal space to a statue or some other concrete way
of commemorating Ar-Razi. If it were possible to resurrect all
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
the dead Masters of Medicine from the time of Hippocrates up
to the present day and assemble them on a stage for the present
generation to view, Ar-Razi should be, and rightly belongs, in
the front ranks. If we possessed a yardstick for medical achievements and a scale to weigh ability, the achievements and ability
of Ar-Razi would hardly be outweighed or outmeasured by, any
of the greatest physicians in history
And what is the secret
of his greatness: Was it because of his unusual skill, his high
code of ethics, and the wisdom of his edicts? Was it because he
was one of the most prolific writers or was it because "he walked
with kings and yet did not lose the common touch" and thus won
the respect and admiration of the highest and the lowliest of his
day and age? While he possessed all these unusual qualifications,
any one of which alone entitles a man to distinction among his
fellow men, the secret of his greatness lay elsewhere. It lay in
his ability to use his five senses to better advantage than any
other physician of his day and age or any other day and age. He
resolved every medical problem to simple fundamentals and then
found and applied a simple remedy. He was not awed, or dazzled. His insight was clear, his observation keen, and his reasoning precise. He went right to the heart of a problem and did
not permit incidentals to befog his vision or detract his attention.
When Adudu'd-Dawla asked him to select a site for the hospital
in Bagdad, he knew that the driest section of the city would be
the healthiest. He did not possess, as we do now, an instrument
of precision to measure the degree of humidity, but did not permit this handicap to thwart his efforts, and therefore contrived a
simple but efficient method of hanging pieces of meat and watching for putrefaction.
When the young man who vomited blood was brought before
him he diagnosed the condition with startling accuracy and applied the remedy with equally startling efficiency. No X Rays,
stomach tubes, blood tests or any of the numerous modern diagnotic aids were available to him. If that young man were to
present himself to-day before a group of the most eminent physicians and surgeons of modern times, it is doubtful if after a
very exhaustive study they could arrive at the diagnosis as quickly
and as accurately as did Ar-Razi alone and unaided, and if they
did succeed in making the diagnosis it is doubtful if they could
prescribe such a simple and efficient remedy.
Modern scientific discoveries and inventions have been a great
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FEBRUARY, 1930
boon to humanity, but they have had the tendency of benumbing
and rendering dull the greatest gifts that a physician has—his
five senses.
It is a matter for pleasant speculation to conceive of a physician possessing all the native ability of Ar-Razi combined with
all the modern scientific methods of diagnosing and treating disease. History as yet has not produced such a physician. He is
a superman.
While Mortal
By
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DR. SALIM
Y.
ALKAZIN
To Fortune's smile I will respond
With rapture and with pleasure;
And when her brow is overcast,
With pain I fill my measure,
For still I am a mortal.
And in the silver throat of song,
I find the secret thrilling}
But in the gloomy house of death,
I am a mourner willing,
For still 1 am a mortal.
In Beauty's castle I submit
To signs of magic power,
And either laud the golden fruit,
Or sing the crimson flower,
Just like a humble mortal.
To drug the passions of my soul,
Or still its silent voice,
Or drive it like a thrall in chains
Will never be my choice.
Nor will it lead me at its will,—
But governed by concern,
Like friends, the mutual goblet fill,
And each will quaff in turn
Till I no more am mortal.
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
14
A Disciple in Nomadism
and Wisdom
By
AMEEN RIHANI
THERE is no need in ordinary hospitality for a liaison officer
between the host and his guest. You may ask for what you
want, you may refuse what is offered, you may even have an
especial desire, without any messengers, between you and your
host, except good taste and common sense. But royal hospitality
is different. The first rule is that you must not refuse anything
offered you or conferred upon you.
The kings of Arabia, despite what is attributed to them of
clannishness and coarse taste, are, in this respect, like all other
kings. They never surprise a guest, lest he become confused in
speech or conduct. Therefore, in addition to the servants, they
appoint a special person as companion to the favored one,—a
sort of liaison officer between him and Majesty,—whose business,
like a lightning rod, is to absorb desires and spontaneities, and
conduct them in mild form from one end to another.
My friend Constantine Yanni was this lightning rod; and
on the third day after my arrival on Arabian soil, he came to me
with a flow of speech which flashed with titles and decorations.
This would have been annihilating had it fallen upon me direct
from the lips of Majesty. But I reminded Constantine of the
hermit of Freike and of twenty years the said hermit spent in
America, a pitifully democratic country, without even a reminiscence of any title or decoration. And then, impressing the matter
strongly: "I am at thy mercy, O Constantine. Be quick to intercept the boon before it falls." Whereupon he said: "What about
presents?"—"Of presents I will accept anything that comes."
On the following day one of the black slaves of the Palace
came carrying upon his two hands, from His Majesty the King,
a bundle wrapt in cloth of silk, on top of which was a Meccan
dagger in a scabbard of filigreed gold; and in the bundle was a
kiswah—a suit of Arab garments—and a piece of the cUftaiii- of
the Kaaba, on which In the name of the Most Merciful God is
elaborately designed in what looks like a bas-relief in gold. My
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�FEBRUARY, 1930
15
friend Constantine's mission was a great success. He must have
said to His Majesty: This Rihani is a hermit, and sacred things
are more worthy of him than a title. Of a truth, the Kaaba curtain-piece is the most sacred and precious thing that ever comes
out of the Holy City, and is seldom presented to a Christian.
I was as happy too in my change of clothes. I put on the
white cotton smock with the long tapering sleeves, embroidered
in red around the collar and down the opening on the breast;
girded myself with the Meccan dagger, judmiyah (V); slipped
my bare feet into sandals; covered my head with a richly wrought
Indian sumadah and an ighal of gold thread, and went straightway to thank His Majesty. He opened his arms, when he saw
me in this guise, and exclaimed: "O, my dear one, O, my own
eye!" embracing me, pressing me to his heart. Needless to say
that I too was moved, so much so, that I felt something forming
in my eye; and I hastened to where I usually kept my handkerchief, but not finding even a pocket in my new garment, I dried
my tear with the end of my sleeve. His Majesty laughed and
said: "Verily thou art now of the Bedu."
We then sat down to a political discussion, which did not
last long. For the French Consul and some Jeddah worthies came
in to say salaam, and His Majesty, changing the subject, spoke
to us, for the benefit of the new beduin, methinks, about the Bedu
and their unwritten law of protection and hospitality.
***"Three have the right to khewvcah (brotherhood) and
protection; the temporary guest (2), the moving tent (3), and
the rafiq, or traveller's companion. When a temporary guest
comes into a town or a dirah, the first house or tent he passes by
claims him, having the first right to offer him hospitality—I say,
O my dear one, the first right. If the traveller goes to the next
door neighbor, the people in the first house consider it an offense
and ask the neighbor to give back the guest.—'He passed first
by our door, billah! and are we not Arabs, and have we not, of
the bounty of Allah, the wherewithal to receive a guest?' If they
f-
/
(1) A dagger is called in Al-Hijaz qudmiyah, a front-piece, because it is
worn in front. The q in Al-Hijaz and in Najd is pronounced j—judmiyah. In Al-Yaman it is called jambiyah, a side-piece, because it is
worn on the side.
(2) A passing traveller.
(S) He who enters the dirah seeking its protection, sets up his tonb or
booth of hair in its pasture land. By the tent or tonb is meant the
nomad himself, even though he has none.
�16
THE SYRIAN WORLD
do not make this protest, at least, they are looked upon with disdain. Some of them will even insist upon their right, clutching
at the guest and forcing him back to save their honor
He who
entertains a passing traveller, O brilliant one, has to offer him
protection for twelve hours after his departure, even if he has
to travel with him, or send someone to accompany him the distance of a day's travel
To ask for assistance of kinsmen against
a foe, has its limits. The right ceases beyond the fifth degree;
—that is, I have the right to ask my cousins only from the fifth
down—I say, from the fifth only
No, there is no difference
in this respect between Arabs and ashraf (sherifs=descendants
of the Prophet). But in case of a murder premeditated, the life
of a sherif is entitled to a double diah, that is two lives."
In adjudication all Arab rulers continue to observe certain
customs of the Bedu, because the Koranic law is not always accepted in the desert. Of the traditions of the Bedu, for instance, is
that any Arab can be and has to be judge, when he is called upon.
But when the difference is between two tribes, the case is heard
in the private majlis of the King.
His Majesty, relating of the trial, said: "Each party selects
twelve men to prove his case, the plaintiff selecting his from the
tribe of his opponent, and vice versa. Of the twelve men four affirm, four inform, and four adjudicate. The first four, O thou brilliant one, state the case; the second prove or disprove it; the third,
decide it. Says the affirmer: The case is thus and thus. Says the
informer. I saw or I heard thus and thus. Says the adjucator:
The decision is thus and thus."
\\
'
/
%
How approximately come the Bedu in their litigations to the
judicial system of civilized nations. They are even more certain
of discovering the truth and achieving the highest justice. For
do not the plaintiff and the defendant choose their men, that is
their lawyers and witnesses and judges, each from the tribe of
his opponent? And do not the adjudicators or judges resemble
the jury in Europe?
When I mentioned this to His Majesty, he said: "Allah,
praised be he, did not signal out the Europeans for all the human { v[
virtues. We Arabs have a few. And thou, O my dear brilliant
one, art better informed of this. Not everything that comes from
Europe is free from fault or flaw—is perfect. The Europeans
may still be ignorant of certain things, the knowledge of which
we possess and can impart. Take medicine, for example, ThoU
I')
i
�GENERAL VIEW OF THE DOG RIVER
Let. ponls du fleuve du Chien
of which has been rebuilt or repaired by Seleucids, RoA panoramic
view showing the three bridges, the upper
P
mans and Arabs since as far back as 250 B. C
�HHHM&.-.
THE SOLITARY HOUSE AT THE DOG RIVER
to
This is a sort of a wayside inn that an enterprising returned emigrant built
at the farthest settled point on the Dog River towards the source.
THE DOG RIVER PARK
The clearing on the southern bank of the Dog River makes an ideal setting
for Kaif connoisseurs.
�SHOWEIR AND ITS HEIGHTS
<
This is one of the principal summer resorts in Lebanon. The town proper
is spread on the mountain side while the new development on the heights
appears in the left background.
A GENERAL VIEW OF BEIT SHABAB
This town was once the foremost industrial center in Lebanon and is situated at an elevation overlooking the canyon dividing Al-Kateh and Kisrawan.
�THE HUB OF EHDEN
FEB
hast!
May
pain;
from
The public square of Ehden, North Lebanon, as it appeared teeming with
humanity on the Sunday afternoon of The Syrian World editor's visit.
THE SPRING OF ST. SARQUIS
A partial view of the cafes clustered around the spring which is given the
name of 'the patron saint of Ehden. Standing under the branches of the
big tree to the extreme left, is Representative Kabalan Frangei, who was
our host.
tur«
wor
bou
�FEBRUARY, 19 SO
17
hast seen, O dear one, the best doctors; but they did not cure thee.
May Allah, through the medium of our doctor, rid thee of thy
pains. Thou wilt then say to them, "Recovery has come to me
from the vicinity of Mecca, from Allah and his Prophet."
\
\
i
u
He then said: "It may be hallucination, O dear one—I say,
hallucination—imagination. Animals are also subject to it like
human beings. I will cite an example among camels. When a
certain one refuses for physical or temperamental reasons to
suckle her foal, we take him to another. But she too, for even
a better reason, withholds her milk. She will not suckle a strangfer. Now, what does the Arab do, the Arab of short-wit? He is
not always short-witted, O brilliant one. He blindfolds the beast
and then gags her, thus driving the wind inward and causing her
stomach to swell. Whereupon, with a sharp knife he performs a
slight operation, makes a few incisions in her genitals, deep
enough to be felt—I say, deep enough to be felt. The foal is
then brought near her and the bandages are removed. Instinctively, she turns her head to the region of pain, smells blood, sees
the foal, and is duped. She yields her udder with motherly tenderness. No, the Arabs are not slow-witted, O my dear one.
I They are also as quick with their eye and hand. Hast thou seen
khc boy that comes to the lagoon every day about sunset carrying
ia basket and a stick in his hand? I watch him often with amusement from this window."
|
I had indeed seen that boy the day before from closer vantage, from the opposite side of the lagoon, when he was knee-deep
in the water, prying about, peering through it. At small intervals he would stop, strike something at the bottom with his stick,
place his foot quickly upon it, and stoop to pick it up. He had
caught something, which he placed in his basket. Slowly wading
through the clear blue water, slowly with his keen eyes penetrating to the bottom, and every time the stick went down, some' thing was brought up. Not once did he miss, so trained was his
hand, so quick his stroke, so keen his eye. He was catching crabs.
His Majesty was so pleased that, like himself, I had also
observed this object of wonder. And he went on, from one subject to another, holding forth on the strange and interesting features of a country which he knew as good as the Holy Book.
***"No, Allah hath not deprived us of all the virtues, O
worthy one, nor hath he deprived us of all the fruits of his
bounty. There is a wadi near At-Taief, wadi Liyah by name in
�I—— —,
—
18
———
ii
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
which the pomegranate grows. Big pomegranates, some as big
as the head of a man, and with seeds that have very little of the
hard matter in them—full of the sweet juice. Excellent remedy
for the lungs. Some of the fastidious take it like a sherbet
squeezed into a glass. But a pomegranate should be eaten, not
drunk; for half its taste is in the pleasure of exerting the teeth
upon it. Our young men have pomegranate competitions, in
which a prize is given to him who eats the whole fruit first and
without dropping a single seed on the ground
Yes, yes; it is\
a competition. Young men everywhere, methinks, will have their
games
We have also a plant that grows in the late summer;
it has a white flower, on which the bees feed; and they produce
a honey unsurpassable in the whole world. I say so upon the
assurance of a distinguished traveller, the Khedive Abbas. For
when he came here a-pilgrimaging, he ate of our honey and
added to the two Testimonies (1), saying: 'And I testify that the
honey of Al-Hijaz is the best honey in the world.' As for our
pomegranates of wadi Liyah—'From wadi Liyah,' the hawkers
cry. 'Good for hediyah* (present)!—When I sent some to the
Sultan Abd'ul-Hamid, he exclaimed on beholding them: 'Praised \
be Allah and Peace upon his Prophet! These fruits are not only
the best of their kind in the world, but they come from the best
spot in the world.' Of a truth, O my son, we have a few good
things, and we are therewith content. Our pomegranates and \,
our honey, here be a proof that Allah, praised be he, hath not
forgotten us Arabs, the Arabs of Al-Hijaz."
That they might be forgotten one day is not morally conceivable since they have in Jeddah a form of piety and wisdom
the like of which I have not seen anywhere else in Arabia. It is
a club of seven members only, all sages;—a small circle of light,
without a line of darkness to define it;—a unique institution.
The founder is the Mayor of Jeddah, who is one of those
Oriental sages that are rare in the public life of Europe and America. He is a simple soul with an ingenious mind, who realizes
that even in India, where he spent many years, civilization has
a few things that Jeddah might well envy. But he will not concede that man in a desert waste can not order the world to him. '
\ v.'
He defines civilization as man's right relation between God and
Nature, and finds the right means to such, an end in a prayer
<v
(1) The two Testimonies of the Muslem are: I testify that there is no God
but Allah and that Muhammad is the Apostle of Allah.
wmmmmm
�—
FEBRUARY, 1930
19
rug and a hand-ball. He is the organizer and the moving spirit
of the Prayer Club of Jeddah.
i \
But it is more than a Prayer Club, for it combines its exercises so they include the body and the mind as well as the soul.
It might be better called the Koran-Athletic Club. Even then
the name is not inclusive. A triangle of practical wisdom, balancing the three purposes of life, without anything to hold it
together;—a unique conception;—a Club without a club house,
without a president, without by-laws, without dues. There is but
an understanding, an article of faith, and a pledge to attend the
daily meetings. The understanding is based on the article of
faith, which is the Mayor's definition of civilization, and the
article of faith is made a living principle at least an hour each day.
Bring your prayer rug and meet us on the sand outside the
city at sundown. There, on an elevation, beyond the citadel, I
joined these good people one day, and in spite of a deficiency,
an irregularity rather, in my Triangle, they took me into their
blessed circle. But I was beaten by their elder in throwing the
ball, and by their cadet in a poetic tilt. The meeting was always
started by standing in a line facing Mecca to say the sunset prayer;
and the member who led in prayers as imam would be the first
afterward to dctff his jubbah and start the ball game. They use
a cannon ball about the size of what we use in bowling, which
they hold in both hands, swinging it in a half-circle between the
legs and above the head, preliminary to the throw. He who
throws farthest scores. After the games, a few movements in
callisthenics are executed, and then the discussion, the intellectual
exercise, to complete the Triangle.
Having taken you, O worthy one, to the Club, allow me now
to introduce the members. Here is Hajji Zainal, the octogenarian who beat me at throwing the ball. He is brother to the Mayor
Abdullah Zainal, and is fond of quoting from the Persian poets,
Hafez and Sa'di and Jalal'ud-Din Roumi. The Zainals are of
Persian origin, and Hajji Zainal quotes in the original which
his brother translates. Here is one of his favorite quatrains from
Jalal'ud-Din Roumi the Sufi poet:
"When first my lips cajoled the flute, it moaned
i\.nd told the secret of the world's ill:—
It said: When I was severed from Love's Tree
I wrept, and all the world is weeping still."
�—
20
1
THE SYRIAN WORLD
The Collector of Customs, Sheikh Muhammad Tawil, is the
Beau Brummel of Jeddah. His jubbah, which he changes every
day, tells of a variety in his wardrobe that ranges from striped
cashmere to flowered silk. Under the jubbah is a waistcoat equally
radiant in design;—one of light green material, with green buttons of a lighter shade, I particularly remember;—and under
the waistcoat is a robe of pongee silk or of barred Damascus weave,
which comes down to a little above the ankle upon which peeps
the famous linen pantaloons, whose lace or open work graces a (
pair of patent leather pumps. His turban alone is like that of his
fellows,—a regular Hijaz turban, which is a bonnet of green
and red and yellow cloth woven together in mosaic fashion, and
around which is wound, not too heavy, a white sash. But this
Arab Beau Brummel is also a man of business, the most practical
and the most energetic member of the Hijaz Government. He
collects and he pays out with a conscience and an accuracy unexcelled in Arabia, except it be by the Parsis of Aden.
The Ghabel brothers, Sulaiman and Abd'ul-Qader, most sincerely flatter the Honorable Collector, but they do not always
succeed in imitating him. The lace upon their linen underwear
is always more evident, however, and their perfume announces
them before they approach. All Arabs love perfume; but the
Ghabel brothers are artists in the composition of essences. I have
always imagined East and West flowing from their robes, without any particular spice or flower intruding itself, without even
noticing in the swooning effusion a waft from a Paris bottle. But
they are nontheless extremely pious. If they pay five pounds
gold for a bottle of French perfume, they pay their homage
five times a day to Allah and the Prophet. Sheikh Sulaiman seems
to think that it is necessary to train oneself in mortal ease preliminary to an immortality of it.
But Sheikh Naser of Najd, who thirty years ago shook the
sand of the Nufoud from his sandals, remains a Wahhabi both
stern and serene. He yields not to the luxuries of the people
of Al-Hijaz, but he frowns not upon them. He has learned tolerance in his travels, and is a true Brother, disdaining not to pray,
as a Wahhabi of South Najd, with Muslems of other sects.
Opposite to Sheikh Naser in belief is the Persian Mulla Husein of Shiraz, he who is a master in mechanics and a disciple
of Jalal-ud-Din Roumi. He supplies the lux lights to Jeddah,
repairs its sewing machines, and airs his Sufism in the bazaars. But
,
I
*
V
/
�FEBRUARY, 1930
I
21,
the Prayer Club is non-sectarian. Bring your prayer rug and meet
us on the sands. If you have a new book of verse, bring it also
with you. But Mulla Husein carries his book in his head; and
it is a rare joy to hear him intone in opulent Persian accents the
couplets of our Master Jalal'ud-Din.
I
"I am a piece of wood,
Cut from the Tree of Love,
And made into a flute:—
The flute forevermore pines for the grove."
±41
\ <•
Although I was but a passing traveller, a moving guest, I
too feel that I am a piece of wood cut from that blessed tree—
the tree of the Prayer Club of Jeddah—and made into a flute
And the flute forevermore pines for the grove.
Sang of a Homesick Man
.
By
NAJLA SABE
My heart's in the hills,
The Lebanon hills.
Where I first learned that beauty dwells;
And bliss sublime
In the sunniest clime
The peace of the world foretells.
How I love the pine
And cedar trees
That shadow the Lebanon plains;
And Mount Sannin
In her immaculate sheen
As a monarch of beauty, she reigns.
My eyes are dim
And my hair is gray,
Yet my joy has banished my ills,
For they promised, you see,
They'd bury me
With my heart on the Lebanon hills.
�as
22
THE SYRIAN WORLD
The Old Criminal
A PORTRAYAL OF LIFE THROUGH ITS
TRAGIC ELEMENT
By MARY ZIADAH
Translated from the Arabic by RAJA F. HOWRANI
Translator's Note—The following article is a translation, more or less
free, from an Arabic Monthly Review, Al-Muktataf, (February, 1928) under the title "Al-Mojrim-ul-Kadeem", The Old Criminal. The author of the
Arabic text, Mary Ziadah (pen name, Mey) is the leading woman-literarywriter in the Arabic-speaking world, and her style is among the best of
modern Arabic literature. Mey, however, is not original in this literary
piece. She has adapted it from a play written by a Gei-man poet—a certain.
Reinhardt?
This play, or better tragi-drama, centers around a historic figure, the
Ephesian Herostratus, who lived around the middle of the 4th century B. C.
The following account of Herostratus is given in Smith's "Dictionary of
Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology."
"Herostratus, an Ephesian, set fire to the temple of Artemis at Ephesus, which had been begun by Chersiphron, and completed by Demetrius
and Paeonius. It was burnt on the same night that Alexander the Great
was born, B. C. 356> whereupon it was remarked by Hegesias the Magnesian, that the conflagration was not to be wondered at, since the Goddess
was absent from Ephesus, and attending on the delivery of Olympias: an
observation, says Plutarch, frigid enough to have put out the fire. The
stroke of Genius in question, however, is ascribed by Cicero, whose taste
it does not seem to have shocked, to Timaeus of Tauromenium. Herostratus
was put to torture for his deed, and confessed that he had fired the temple
to immortalize himself. The Ephesians passed a decree condemning his
name to oblivion, but Theopompus embalmed him in his history, like a fly
in amber."
In the present article Herostratus is justified in his deed. The article
itself, I take it, is an artistic expression, every part of which when analyzed, admirably coincides with the theory of Aesthetic appertaining to literature (prose) as Art and especially to that tragic element which is the
solution for the problem of evil in Aesthetics. In spite of its so-called pathetic element—and pathos indeed is essential in a tragedy—this picture
of human destiny affords us the proper purgation of emotions not only
through pity and fear but also through admiration for the hero as portrayed
by the artist.
The writer is sensibly aware of the difficulty of the task which he has
undertaken. He duly confesses that the Arabic text at certain culminations
la immeasurably superior to what he can put into English. Every language
has its own 'genius' and translation becomes a hazardous matter to that
I*
VjV
�FEBRUARY, 1930
23
genius. This is especially true in this case because of the very limited
knowledge the writer has of the philosophy of Art whether in Arabic or
any other language.
DOETS sometimes show mercy. It was Reinhardt whose heart
was touched by compassion, and who composed a dramatic
tragedy around this historical episode, whose hero was the un| lucky, ill-fated Herostratus.
Around the middle of the fourth century B. C, Greece was
at the zenith of her glory. Nay, even more—by virtue of her
attainments she creates in us that sense of greatness itself which
perturbs our souls whenever Greece and her glorious history are
recalled. If it be true that such an effort is produced in us after
so many centuries, how much more true in the Greeks themselves,
and it was they who made live their greatness and created it day
after day in the exuberance of pride and the love of competition
and excelling.
Apropos of this, history records Themistooles' reputed statement, "The wreath which crowns Miltiades drives sleep from
me," which is an indication of their competitive spirit.
Every unfolding of their supremacy they immortalized in
the form of a brilliant poem, and objectified through an artistic
medium. It was by this means that men learned to become heroes,
and heroes aspired to become gods.
Moreover, the land with its beautiful location and its clear
azure-blue sky shone with a radiance greater and brighter than
that of the sun—namely the radiance of life and exquisite beauty
created at the hands of the Greeks. But Athens among the Greeks
was the pinnacle of greatness and the climax of posterity, for it
was Athens of the Genius, of the Parthenon, of Wisdom, of Democracy, with Pericles at its summit.
And there, across the sea in Ephesus, arose another man, Herostratus by name, destined to perform the role of despair along
with happiness and defeat along with victory.
Instead of seeing in that criminal a crazy fool, the German
poet created in him another aspect of defeated greatness. Through
a person immortal in his defeat and despair he brings to us emotions indigenous to the human heart. For who of us has not, at
least once in his life, tasted the bitterness of defeat and the fruitlessness of hard work? "In this ultimate sense, most of human
life is tragic." (Parker). The poet sensed that remote crime, and
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
24
extracted from it the essence of life. Herein lies the greatness >
of the artist: his ability to see through the walks of the soul and
probe into the innermost of consciousness disclosing what others,
can not see. He then falls back to his special tools by the aid of I. L
which he shows us, through his own eyes, the secrets of life. We
then stamp our immediate approval interfused with a little astonishment, and with him we are moved to comprehend what he
has sensed. Indeed, Browning has sung the fame of such an artist
in
Truth is within ourselves; it takes no rise
From outward things, what'er you may believe.
There is an inmost center in us all,
Where truth abides in fullness; and around,
Wall upon wall, the gross flesh hems it in,
This perfect, clear perception—which is truth.
A baffling and perverting carnal mesh
Binds it, and makes all error; and to KNOW
Rather consists in opening out a way
Whence the imprisoned splendor may escape,
Than in effecting entry for a light
Supposed to be without.
—Browning, Robert, Paracelsus. L 726-37. \
Or Parker when he wrote: "The artist will try to reveal the j
hidden unities that so delight the mind to discover. He will aim \
to penetrate beneath the surface of experience observed by comman perception to its more obscure logic underneath. In this way
he will go beyond what the mere mechanism of imitation requires"... Or again, "Out of the infinite fullness of nature and
of life, the artist selects those elements that have a unique significance for him.
Music, when soft voices die,
Vibrates in the memory,
Odors, when sweet violets sicken;
Live within the sense they quicken;
Rose leaves, when the rose is dead;
Are heaped for the beloved's bed;
And so thy thoughts when thou art gone,
Love itself shall slumber on.
Observe how, out of the countless things which he knows,
the poet has chosen those which he feels akin to his faith in the
immortality of love."
/
1
�FEBRUARY, 1930
ess
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25
Herostratus in this tragi-drama possesses a poignant, artistic,
temperament, true in its aspiration and pain, nevertheless one
with its irregularities—perhaps weaknesses. Surely he deserves
compassion and mercy, for he is a hero in his reactions and aspirations; meagre in his work and production, he aspires to chisel the
magnificent statues and to create masterpieces of beauty, but succeeds only in being an insignificant apprentice who accomplishes
mediocre monuments and small idols of worship. How could
he endure this humiliation and feeling of impotency while he is
living in the shadow of the great temple Artemis?
George Moore in "Confessions of a Young Man" says: "How
terrible are the languors and yearning of impotency! how wearing! what an aching void they leave in the heart! And all this
I suffered until the burden of unachieved desire grew intolerable."
It was Paeonius who erected that riddle in marble, the temple
of Ephesus, the center of admiration and envy of both the Greek
and the Barbaric worlds. Foreigners, Athenians, Spartans and
multitudes of pilgrims nocked from every direction to that temple
for religious worships and aesthetic enjoyment. But he, Herostratus, while looking at the walls and high friezes of the temple,
is reminded of the immortal genius, of the old artist who has
embodied the last work of undying fame. As he recalls all this,
Herostratus becomes increasingly aware of his impotency.
Around the temple throbs the rich and varied life of the
people. Here is the day destined to dedicate Artemis. The people
raise their voices high unto heaven, unto their gods. Ships embark multitudes of worshipers. Processions of priests, Greek notables, and young men and women leave the temple with music
and songs—an exaltation of life that envisages the Greek world
in its fervor and happy religion and in its devotion to real beauty.
Amidst this exaltation Herostratus alone stands disappointed,
and weeping, waives the consolation of his beloved mother who
creeps out of her mean dwelling in a vain attempt to heal his
drooping spirit. Thus he answers her: "Remember! it was none
but you who, once, led me to this temple and with burning zeal
uttered in my ears: 'My son! let the love of fame envelop you.
Be a model of your father who shed his blood in the pursuit of
greatness and glory. Let your impelling motive be world-widefame'. I then knelt down before the altar of the temple and my
tender lips whispered fervently the prayer: 'Grant me fame, Ye
great gods'".
�*t m
ms*
26
THE SYRIAN WORLD
His mother disappeared like a 'drunkard staggering toward
home', leaving her son in a state of mental destitution.
Then came Agasias, dealer of the statues of Artemis, rebuking him and calling him to resume his 'mean, unpleasant' task. He
heard him not, nor did he hear the voice of the Ionian maiden,
the pretty Cilisea, the descendant of Paeonius. For, although he
had reciprocated her love, his hunger for perfection made him J
cruel and fierce and locked his heart to every tender and sweet \,
sentiment. While young Cilisea, the incarnation of youth, who
knew nothing of life save love and its paths, who comprehended
not the significance of perseverance and sorrow, and whose main
concern was a "friendly dwelling with life itself," turned to him
and said: "Listen, Herostratus! but we are guilty if we succumb
to sorrow and grief in our bright moment. Let us avail ourselves
of the most in life while at the prime of youth and envy not
even the builder of the temple himself. He has passed away to
his destination, but we are the children of this life."
"No! No!" answered Herostratus, "We do not belong to
this life! nor are we living! because we did not excel. Life is
but victory and conquest, or it is death, yea more bitter than
death. The children of life are Phidias the ideal sculptor, Homer
the peet, and a host of outstanding 'men of genius'. They are
and will continue to be living, enjoying a beauty of godly youth
which does not wither, notwithstanding the wind that scatters
their ashes into the four corners of the earth. We might just as
well have been unborn—I wish we were."
Herostratus, the criminal, fully realizes the worth of the
Message that great men leave to posterity. Those who, owing
to their imaginative power, have created a disingenuous, complete
world, have realized it through their art, thus enriching the wealth
of the world by their creations which became a part of the real
world—be they philosophers, politicians, leaders, artists, or poets.
In fact, were it not for their intuition, decades and centuries would
have passed and the world have been less rich, less noble, and
less beautiful; nations, like animals, would have fallen into an
abyss of utter insignificance.
It is this message, which is the guarantee for the compensation of the genius and his radiancy, that Herostratus' tragedy lies.
He is the man who fully comprehended the significance of
that Message, yet failed. He had aspirations, but lacked technical skill—his art would not obey him.
i'
�stam
FEBRUARY, 1930
I*>
[•
i
27
Now his chance lies before him. The City of Ephesus determined to replace the old wooden statue of Artemis by a marble
one with which to decorate the temple. Herostratus, because
he was a citizen and because he was a sculptor, was intrusted
with this task.
Like an electric shock, genius and intuition challenge Herostratus, "Blessed be Ye Artemis," he cried, "Ye who responded
to the prayer of the child who was reared at your feet—now is
the time that people should know him as a creator." He confined himself to his room, closing his eyes to Cilisea and to any
talk of love. He burned his midnight oil in imagination, working persistently and untediously, now measuring and then remeasuring, trying and erring, carving, building and destroying,
and rebuilding anew; disappointment turns out to be his product.
He could picture and visualize a great image, but alas! the hand
would not obey the inventive mind.
His people grew impatient with him. They announced a
competition between their Herostratus and the celebrated Athenian, Praxiteles. The latter arrived on board an Athenian ship,
and was greeted by multitudes of people who flocked to meet
him: processions of priests, elders, and young men, led by the
pretty Ionian maidens who were playing their guitars, singing
their songs of merriment and welcome, and posing their beauty—
and beauty is intensified before those who appreciate it—to the
new artist who might pass for a conqueror.
While proceeding toward the majestic temple, Praxiteles
appeared to be the carrier of Athens' greatness and its Genius.
There was hardly a measure of comparison between Herostratus
and his rival. The latter loved life sympathetically, free from
sorrow—life to him meant the enjoyment of the passing moment.
Work for him was play. He would neither give heed to, nor
would he crave for unsubstantial and hypothetical immortal
glory. Through his character (nature) he spanned the chasm
which lay between Herostratus and beloved Cilisea, and soon,
with her, a mutual understanding was reached of problems of
life and ecstasy of love.
Herostratus, the unsuspecting, became an enemy to life
through his art which disobeyed him, while Praxiteles, the happy
conqueror, created his goddesses from the very girls whom he
saw. To him girls and goddesses were one, and in the charming
looks of the former, divinity and humanity were combined, and
art and life became one.
�I ,.... I... * —
28
.BWIIUMLTWH....
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Beauty is the bridge which connects earth with heaven. In
Athens, inspired by an Athenian maiden, Praxiteles craved his
Aphrodite, and in Ephesus his Artemis shall be inspired by an
Ephesian beauty. Around him gathered the Ionian girls singing
and dancing, and among them he caught sight of Cilisea. Soon
his eyes glistened with inspiration; isn't this Artemis declaring
herself to the Artist? Her beautiful, yet fading, youth, and her
looks over-laden with love, Praxiteles shall reap and immortalize
in the beautiful marble. How wouldn't Cilisea love the Athenian
and be inclined toward him after her long experience of bitter
loneliness and misery? But how wouldn't the tragedy flame
in the soul of Herostratus, the defeated, both as a man and as
an artist?
For a second time, he was experiencing a new defeat. The
Athenian sculptor, having completed his admirable work which
emphasizes the Praxitelian conception, the human-divine conception, objectifying the beauty and the grace of the body of
Cilisea, exposed it to the onlookers, among them Herostratus,
who became an inculcation of fruitless effort. There he stood
lamenting the love of which he did not avail himself, and the
glory which passed from his hands. The demon of jealousy and
hatred overwhelmed him as he thought of that stranger who
robbed him of everything 'lightly'. Looking at the magnificent
statue, he felt the unrealization of his dreams and the futility
of his aspirations—yea, more than that, he felt an inferiority in
his personality. In view of all this, and under the stress of emotional disturbance, he picked up the chisel of his rival which lay
beside the statue, and went back home; and with one stroke he
smashed the incomplete statues and cut down the disobedient
marble, in which he tried his Art, and his luck, and his aspirations. And, coming out of his home, he caught sight of Cilisea
weeping for her lover who, having completed his monumental
work, was ready for departure to Athens, where a new glory
awaited him, and the Athenian maidens invited him for a new
love. Thus he addressed her: "With this chisel I have smashed
my statues and models; my failure is complete and to my rival is
due all the laurel crowns of victory. Come now to me, Cilisea,
you girl of the moment! Grant me the joy of the fleeting 'happy
festival of life', for which I cared not hitherto. Will you remain
true to him! he who left you without sorrow—unhesitatingly?"
"But I love him," answered Cilisea, "and I shall remain true
to him."
i.
/
�29
FEBRUARY, 1930
"Ye beautiful world!" cried Herostratus, "Are you created
to be in your entirety subservient to this man? Wouldn't you
grant me the crumbs which fall from his table, not even the withering flower that falls from his laurel crown? Do the gods so
unjustly distribute their gifts? And I, the fool, trust in their
justice and mercy?" Despair overwhelmed him and the tragedy
was inevitable. Fire and smoke pierced through the darkness
which enveloped the earth. The great temple was burning and
in front of it Herostratus was standing dishevelled, with eyes
fixed, holding a torch in his hand and crying like a madman in
,' the phantasy of his delirium.
He was incapable of creating anything, but he destroyed
/ everything. No temple, no statues, no columns, nor any immortal
remains do we have after this day.
Would they imprison him and condemn him to death, and
his name to oblivion? Yea! death is far better than life which
deceived him. If fate has thus decreed to him, he has demolished everything else: Cilisea, under the afflication of love (to
Praxiteles) threw herself into the sea; the temple is gone forever—in vain did Praxiteles come and useless was his art, and
his love, and his inspiration.
Similarly, the spirit of evil, of jealousy, of hatred, and of
repugnance had corrupted the enigmatic ancient world. But Herostratus is justified—as the German poet sees him—by his great
pain and sacrifice in loss and suffering.
It is but an Imitation of life—a true one representing defeated humanity and its subdued, though struggling, Genius.
"It is a picture of human destiny with all its significance," as
Aristotle expresses it.
I
Tears
Translated from the Arabic of Al-Khansa
by R. A.
py .
lin
?»
i
NICHOLSON
Tears, ere thy death, for many a one I shed,
But thine are all my tears since thou art dead.
To comforters I lend my ear apart,
While pain sits ever closer to my heart.
�30
THE SYRIAN WORLD
From the Dog River to the
Cedars
A CHRONOLOGICAL RECORD OF THE
EDITOR'S TRIP ABROAD
v
V
By
SALLOUM
A.
MOKARZEL
I EBANON claims many places of historical interest. The ruins
of its famous cities of old are among the wonders of the world.
They dot the coast of what was formerly old Phoenicia all the
way from Tyre and Sidon in the south to Byblos and Tripoli in
the north; while the majestic ruins of Baalbeck are reminiscent
of the glory that was once the great city of the central plain.
But all these are dead relics, representing a glory that has
passed and a civilization that exists only in memory. The pulse
of life does not throb in them, nor do they possess any inherent
virility that could defy time and insure their continuity. They
were destroyed when the civilization which they represented
came to its end. They existed so long as the race which reared
them was able to defend and preserve them. They were a flare
which illumined the horizon and diffused the light of culture
and knowledge while they lasted, but when they were consumed,
only the cinders remained, mute evidence that man's mightiest
physical achievements are subject to his own fate, that mortal
cannot build anything eternal, that only that which is native to
the soil, and is an integral part of mother nature, can lay claim
to any degree of perpetuity.
But there is in Lebanon two living witnesses to its hoary
civilization and ancient glory that have withstood the ravages of
time and defied and challenged the actions of elements. They
are records imperishable. They are an integral part of the history of man's progress on the road of culture and his ascent to
the heights of human power and achievement. Their virility is
inherent, making them self-perpetuating. In his reckoning of
his future by the study of his past, man will find these two living
memorials conspicuous milestones on his road toward progress.
Such is their quality that not only will they retain their distinc-
K
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tion, but grow in comparative importance as man realizes his
primitive beginnings for the proper evaluation of his gradual
advance toward his ultimate ends.
The living rocks at the mouth of the Dog River, and the
seemingly everlasting Cedars of Lebanon, are the two silent, yet
unimpeachable witnesses of this march of human progress since
earliest recorded history. The two huge piles of rocks forming
the gorge through which the waters of the river Lycos flow into
the Mediterranean are forbidding in their bareness, inhospitable
in their aspect, awing in their approach. But engraved in their
flanks are evidences of the greatest articulate expressions of man's
power,—and vanity. They bear inscriptions in hieroglyphics, in
cuneiforms, in Roman alphabetical characters, in Arabic, in English and in French. They tell the story of the great exploits of
world conquerors in pictures as well as in words. Assyrian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Arab and European have all left their mark
of passage on this immutable rock. Why was it that throughout
succeeding centuries the great of the world passed through this
place, and took pride in recording their deeds on its barren rocks,
for the edification and admiration of posterity? Can it be any
reason other than that this place is the pivot of the world, the
imperishable tome of history, the observation place of all generations to come? What an honor for a country to boast of being
the perpetual repository of such an historical treasure?
A little further north, in the same small, serrated territory,
are other living witnesses to a hoary age and to the steady march
of human progress. They are not as mute as the rocks, because
they have the faculty of growth, and for that reason are more
eloquent. Their virility was the subject of lyrical praise both
in the Bible and in pagan literature. Their hardihood is proverbial, and their quality of inherent youth is held forth as a
symbol. We need but mention the Cedars of Lebanon to evoke
admiration for a thing that is at once old and young, whose roots
are imbedded deep in the earth and branches reaching high toward
the heavens; trees that are as old as man's earliest recorded history; that have furnished beams for the Temple of Solomon
| as well as for the temples of pagan gods; that have served to
build the great navies of the Phoenicians and of the Egyptians;
that have stood at their vantage point, overlooking the sea and
the plain, reviewing the passage of some of the mightiest armies
and navies ever marshalled throughout history marching to
certain destruction, while they, the great Cedars, defied time and
�32
THE SYRIAN WORLD
the elements. These are the Cedars reverently called by the
natives of Lebanon the "Cedars of the Lord," because they proclaim His glory and His mark of eternity, and both through
pride and as a good augury have been chosen the emblem of
the young republic of Lebanon.
It is the privilege of the tourist to visit these two great, natural monuments of Lebanon in a single day, while at intermediate
points en route many other places of immense historical interest
may be passed.
We spent the night of August 2nd at Dhour or Heights of
Showeir, one of the principal summer resorts of Lebanon, situated
at an elevation of 1200 meters and at about an hour's drive
from Beirut. The resort may be said to be the growth of ten
years, during which the lonely, pine-covered hills were almost
magically transformed into a bustling little city where one would
scarcely find accommodations in its score of hotels, especially during week-ends, without advance reservations. Its attractions are
many and varied, chief among which is its dry climate, and the
bracing air of its pine forests which exhilarate intoxicating fragrance. At night it is a scintillating cluster of a myriad of lights,
pulsating with the strangeness of a highly cosmopolitan life, to
which the Egyptian not only contributes his presence and all
his natural gaity, but adds to that his musical and entertaining
talent. At the time of our visit two famous Egyptian singers
were giving recitals, coincident with the appearance of a theatrical company. Nor was the purely native touch lacking, for in
one of the principal open-air cafes hundreds of devotees of the
fine art of improvised poetry in the Arabic vernacular had gathered to hear one of the leading exponents in the country of this
rapidly waning art.
We made the rounds of all the principal hotels in quest of
accommodations, but without success. A courteous hotel-keeper,
a former emigrant who had returned to invest his acquired fortune in home industries, offered us his family quarters for the
night, but the offer was declined. Instead, we chose to put up
in a hastily arranged room on the ground floor opening on the
gardens, which corresponds to attic accommodations in America.
I suggested that we seek some secluded spot to spend the
evening; a place of quiet and repose where we would have thej
companionship of the pines, and the entertainment of the scintil-
�I
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FEBRUARY, 1930
33
lating stars of the clear Lebanon nights. It would be well to
evade for a time the Broadway atmosphere of this lively Lebanon resort, especially that our time was limited, and we were
touching on the high spots of the country with little opportunity
for sharing the many natural advantages it affords the true vacationist.
A companion suggested a drive through the "Bois," so named
after the famous Bois de Bologne of Paris. And it proved an
enchanting place: miles of pine forests so thick in places that
they completely hid the sky, while here and there they permitted of some apertures for the shiny stars to peep through on the
roadway.
We had driven up from Beirut that afternoon, and in the
sweltering heat of the city we had failed to provide for the
change of altitude. How we wished then to be in a closed car,
or to have some sort of warm covering!
We finally halted at a cafe deep in the woods. Everything
was still and peaceful. Only a few small parties were in the
clearing among the pines engaged in quietly sipping their arak
and nibbling at their maza. The gentle murmur of running
water was all that could be heard. But seeing us approach, and
realizing we were strangers, the obliging proprietor hastened to
treat us to some lively music, and he began to play one screeching
American jazz record after another!
In the morning we had a fuller opportunity to appreciate
the unique advantage of location which gained for this resort
its deserved popularity. It is situated on a central ridge of the
Lebanon range, commanding at once a superb view of both land
and sea. Sannin stands at close proximity, and the picturesque
valleys to the East form a kaleidoscopic panorama of endless
variety. While to the West a succession of hills and valleys,
dotted with thriving villages, gently slope down to the vast expanse of the sea. Crowning the crests of most of the hills in this
section are massive churches or monasteries which project their
bulk forcibly into the landscape.
1
f
The fortnight I had spent in Lebanon so far had been confined to Beirut and its immediate vicinity. But now was to begin
my extensive trips to the outlying sections of Lebanon and Syria.
Our itinerary called for covering the stretch from the Dog River
to the Cedars in a single day. The Dog River is mid-way on the
�34
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Lebanon littoral being only eight miles from Beirut, and although
we did not carry out our program to the letter, we can truthfully
claim that we covered half the length of Lebanon in a single
afternoon.
The descent from the Heights of Showeir was begun early
on August 2nd through beautiful Bikfaya, to the once foremost
industrial town of the countrv, Beit Shabab. In times past the town
was an important center of pottery and textile manufacturing
and brass and iron foundries; the bell-casting industry is a monopoly of the NafFah family. Not so prosperous are its industries
at present, however. It is maintained, as many other towns in
Syria and Lebanon, by emigrants' remittances.
We breakfasted at the house of Ibrahim Rahhal Mokarzel,
the mukhtar, or mayor of Beit Shabab, who, although in his
early fifties, has retired from the active management of his
extensive business interests in South Africa, which he has left
to his sons, and has chosen to spend the rest of his days in the congenial surroundings of his homeland. He built himself a large
modern house on the highest crest in the town and surrounded
it with extensive vineyards and fruit orchards. The large court
commands a magnificent view of the countryside, and it was in
this court that the board was spread for breakfast. Life in Lebanon is almost totally in the open air during the summer.
Milhem, the son of Ibrahim, was then on his bi-annual visit
to the parental home. He was young and adventurous, and waxed
enthusiastic about joining us on the trip to the Cedars. When his
father could not dissuade him from his hasty decision, he decided
to come along too. And it was well that he did, for he proved a
vernacular poet of no mean talent, offering us no end of entertainment by his copious improvisations.
Being, furthermore, the mayor of his town, he had the privilege of carrying weapons, and he brought along his double-barreled hunting rifle. A quail or a rabbit might prove a delicious
addition to a meal, and he would use the privilege of his office
to our benefit. On the way he stopped for some cartridges, but
when, later in the day, he spotted a quarry and wanted to load,
he discovered that the storekeeper had given him cartridges of
a wrong calibre! For the three days that we were together, his
honor, the mayor, every time he looked at the gun which he
was toting as useless extra weight, forgot the dignity of his
office sufficiently to curse the idiotic storekeeper in some of the
most original expressions I ever heard.
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�FEBRUARY, 1930
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35
We took hasty leave of the Hayeck family in Beit Shabab,
and made swiftly for the neighboring town of Freike, there to
bid farewell to the family of the distinguished author Ameen
Rihani, now in the United States. Half an hour later we had
reached Antilyas by the sea, whence we turned northward in the
direction of Nahr El-Kalb, or the Dog Rfver.
Except to passing tourists, the great historical importance of
the inscriptions at the Dog River gorge seem to be little appreciated. The most modern of the inscriptions, that which is commemorative of French occupation, is the most legible and conspicuous. With some effort one can locate the Assyrian inscription which remains in a remarkable condition of preservation
-'
considering that it dates back to almost three thousand years.
But the rest of the great record of the marsh of human history
seems to be in a deplorable state of neglect. This spot should be
second in importance, if not equal to, the ruins of Baalbeck among
Lebanon's historical shrines, and one would think that the government would show its appreciation of the singular honor of
being the custodian of such invaluable relics, by taking some
action to protect them and make them more accessible to tourists
of limited time.
As it is, a modern road has been built about half a mile
through the gorge to a little clearing used for a popular cafe.
It fails even to reach the old Roman bridge, only a short distance
further inland (1).
It almost borders on the profane to speak in the same breath
of these sacred relics of the ages and of the modern trivialities
that are now made their close associates. Nahr El-Kalb is now
visited for the attraction it has been lent by an enterprising and
yet romantic Lebanese emigrant who has chosen to be an amateur
botanist and naturalist, and who is an addict of the sport.
Sab4 Rouhana, a former resident of Drumright, Okla., is
the proprietor of the so-called casino at Nahr El-Kalb. He returned to Lebanon after the war and was attracted to this historic place for its sport possibilities. He built himself a house
on leased land, and when not catering to picnickers he indulges
in the chase. He was proud in showing me his menagerie of a
/
(1) An article by Dr. Philip K. Hitti in description of the Dog River and
its inscriptions and strategic importance during the ages was published in a former issue of The Syrian World, a few copies of which
are still available.
�"-
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36
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
corend, a hyena, a fox, a deer and a wolf. He even has a young
eagle in a cage, perhaps, like the Greek philosopher of old, to
ascertain personally his longevity. Whenever he cannot engage
in the hunt he finds diversion in fishing. We were his guests
until 3:30 that afternoon and we discovered that he had retained
a good deal of his American business acumen, for he charged us
Oklahoma prices.
The drive north along the seashore towns of Lebanon is
fascinating. At times the waves almost lap the road which runs
along the even level of the beach; at others the road is hewn
in the rock and almost perches over the breaking waves. Before
we reached the outskirts of Tripoli we came to the rock of Mesailaha, through which the road winds in sharp curves until it
reaches what formerly was an unnegotiable pass. Now they have
carved a tunnel through the high rock, overlooking the sea, and
the thrills of the passage are the delight of the adventurous.
We did not stop long at Jebail, ancient Byblos. But we tarried sufficiently to contemplate with reverence the abundant
waters of Nahr Ibrahim, to which the ancients gave the name of
Adonis. What memories the name invokes! For here were laid
the scenes of the most famous love episode in history—the tragic
love of Venus and Adonis. To the present day the waters of
the river turn red in the spring flood, because of the red earth
formation of the neighboring hills, and mythology ascribes the
phenomenon to the desire of the gods to commemorate annually
the flow of blood of Adonis when gored by the wild boar.
Futher north is the town of Batroun, known in times past for
its sponge fisheries. We stopped there to take some refreshments.
We were treated to the experience of having a drink of running
water—from a stationary barrel. Before dusk we reached the
outskirts of Tripoli, but instead of continuing to the city we
took the road leading to the mountain. We had an oppottunity
to admire the beautiful plain of Al-Koura, a duplicate in miniature of Al-Bika' plain, resplendent in its dark-green of olive
groves. Then began the steep ascent of the mountain in the
gathering dusk. We could feel the labors of the engine negotiating the steep climb. But night was merciful in having spread its
cloak over the countryside while we made the ascent. We reached
the town of Al-Hadath where we spent the night, and when we
rose in the morning to view the scene of the previous night's
climb, we thanked both the night and the able chauffeur in the
person of our courageous cousin, Milhem ibn Ibrahim.
)
I
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�FEBRUARY, 1930
S
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37
The morning of August 3rd found us again on the march on
the way to the Cedars. But we could not pass by Al-Diman without a halt. Fo Al-Diman is the summer residence of His Beatitude the Maronite Patriarch, the spiritual ruler, as well as the
political leader, of the Maronites. We were detained as his
guests for lunch, and only permitted to proceed after considerable
entreaties.
From the vantage point of Al-Diman we could behold the
imposing panorama of Wadi Kadisha, or the Sacred Valley.
From an elevation of seven hundred meters we saw as small
specks clinging to the sides of the valley, the old monasteries
that served for many centuries as the seats of the Maronite
Patriarchs, when they and their adherents stood in constant fear
of persecution and sought for refuge the most inaccessible spots
in the rugged mountain.
We were maintaining a furiously fast pace, as no sooner were
we permitted to leave the precincts of Al-Diman, in the early
afternoon of August 3rd, than we tore along the road leading to
the Cedars. We passed through Hasroun, birthplace of the most
famous of Oriental scholars, Assemani, who was at one time the
Librarian of the Vatican; thence to Bcharri, home of our famous
contemporary author, Kahlil Gibran, author of "The Prophet,"
the literary masterpiece which has been translated into more than
twenty languages; thence to the Cedars, our ultimate goal, where
we spent the night of Saturday and the forenoon of Sunday,
meeting experiences that make one live the life of a thousand
years or more back. Truly, after one's experience in traveling to
the Cedars, and beholding their majesty, one cannot fail to exclaim that they are Lebanon's crowning glory (1).
Sunday noon found us again at Bcharri, there to meet Archbishop Antoun Arida and the Board of Directors of the Nahr
Kadisha hydroelectric project, the enterprise which spells the
indomitable native spirit of enterprise and initiative, and then to
partake of the bounteous hospitality of the mayor, Sheikh Najib
Daher.
That afternoon found us in the neighboring town of Ehden,
famous as the birthplace of the Lebanese hero, Joseph Bey Karam, and as the town of the free and the home of the brave of
Lebanon. We waived formalities to first pay homage to the re(1) The visit to the Cedars of Lebanon will be described independently in
a eoming issue.
\
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38
THE SYRIAN WORLD
mains of the great patriot and hero, reposing in state in the principal church. To one familiar with the history of Lebanon in
the nineteenth century, the sight of the body of Joseph Bey Karam, lying as if in restful sleep after the lapse of more than
seventy years, cannot fail but inspire admiration for the great
leader whose patriotism, piety and courage upheld the Lebanese
tradition of sacrifice to the extreme in the cause of liberty.
Our entry into Ehden was by the southern route known as
Dawaleeb; otherwise the wheels. They are a succession of cafes
terraced one above the other and all thronged with merrymakers.
The roads also were congested for a mile or more from where we
first entered the precincts of the town until we reached the public
square. And the square, as well as its cafes, was also congested. Where do all these multitudes come from?
In the square we were received by the newly-elected representative of the Northern District, Kabalan Bey Frangie. He
insisted that we be his guests at the spring of Nahr Sarquis. There
prohibition is not in force, and the few hours we spent at the
cool, refreshing spring left no room for doubt as to the hospitality
of the people and their leader.
The abundant spring which takes its name from the neighboring monastery of St. Sarquis, gushes from the heart of a rock.
Last year, when Rev. Simon Akle, who was at one time a prior
of the monastery and is now in America, visited his home town,
he contributed several thousand dollars towards the creation of
a public park by the spring. The improvement was already noticeable.
| • -i u jfj
That night our whole party, composed of Ibrahim, Milhem
and Joseph Mokarzel, John Trabulsi of New York and myself,
were guests of Sheikh Joseph Estephan, member of the Representative Assembly, who had been in the United States the year
previous. His home town, Kfar Sghab, is midway between Ehden
and Bcharri, and he had anticipated our coming. This should be
sufficient explanation for the elaborate preparations. The two
cakes which the hostess had prepared could have aroused the
envy of the most expert New York chef. On the chocolate
coating, in beautiful Arabic script, were the words: "Long live
the Lebanese Emigrants" and "Long live the Mokarzels."
It was with a great effort that we were able to get leave of
our hosts to depart the next morning, crossing country by the
most roundabout ways, to reach the city of Tripoli and regain
our way to the northern cities of Tartus, Latakia and Aleppo.
FE<
J
thrc
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ing
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,
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�FEBRUARY, 1930
39
Maggie and Joe
A SHORT STORY
By
s.
re
ic >
i-
LABEEBEE
A. J.
HANNA
"Y^HERE did I hit her with the snowball?" asked the boy—
confidentially.
The girl looked at him, took his arm, and dragged him
through the snow and around the corner.
"It was some blow! Eh, sis?"
"Well, Joe," said the girl, hesitatingly, "you hit her on the
neck and the snow must have gone down inside her clothes."
"Serves her right. What do you think she'll do now, Maggie r
"Gosh, I don't know! She'll tell her mother."
"Yeh, girls always tell their mothers everything."
Maggie wasn't sure but what girls ought to tell their mothers everything, but kept still. She had her reasons for not wishing to appear dogmatic at this moment.
"Let's hurry on to the library! We must get that book! Poor
Aggie. You had no reason for hitting her that way!"
"Well, I did it just for fun!" and to the boy (and every boy)
this was final in any argument.
Maggie had no desire for an argument, but couldn't refrain
from exclaiming, "You're always having fun hurting someone!"
"Yeh!" and he turned to leave her.
"Oh!" and she caught his coat, "you're all right, only, you
must be careful. You're perfectly all right, but I don't want
you to get into trouble."
"What kind of trouble? Good grief! You girls!" and he
turned quickly.
"All right. It's all right. Only, come with me!" and Maggie
held on to Joe's coat for dear life. He didn't dare to leave her
for fear his coat would tear—and then! Why the dickens didn't
she hold his hand? He could easily wriggle away then. But
Maggie knew his strength and her weakness. She knew she could
best hold him by his coat with her left hand. She knew, as others
to their sorrow, that those fingers were strong from constant
practise on the violin, and she held him!
"Are you gonna let me go?"
�-=1*
40
THE SYRIAN WORLD
"No!"
"Well, I won't go, if you don't!"
"If I let you go, will you come?"
"All right."
They went on Down Brookline Street to the doors of the
library. Her left hand was ready in case he changed hs mind
J.m stopped Maggie looked at him menacingly
"Don't forget!" she warned.
"Oh, all right!"
taxi
6 11
b k
y
bspecial
renn^'in
' school
f*7°°*
°° ^ >'0U'J1 ^ PreP^ed for your
report
tomorrow."
Peciai
"But you said you'd help'"
miJ
'qf^f/T,? f ShTall~h' remembe^ self-reliance!"
Ir you don't help, I won't do it'"
That night, Maggie and Joe worked together. Toe was so
pleased with his oratorical attempt, as practised on hisristeTth*
wo
TEN YEARS LATER.
gaj
Margaret (she no longer allowed the name Masael
hSH
g
her hand on Joe's. It was growingg dark but he
hm
JI
2
made no attem t
to put on the light.
'
P
"Don't say that again, Joe'"
bUt
3 hUm di ger
Pd Slam her
said"tte!"
" "'"
" '
^Remember, Joe, she's your wife I"
W
<&* » she
ing hKS °',e mMher- She h- - b—s bring"Do you love Mae?"
"No."
She knew he lied.
"Even so, you must go back to her.
no woT'"11
y0U1 Hfe!
"
And liSten t0 h£r knocki
"g because I have
bbeMd e
Margaret arose and walked to the window
c?jtz
ca
sh
SI l
i 5
* - * -Ma £**£ S
w
;
»1
�___»^—
RLD
FEBRUARY, 1930
wrme**
'
mmm
41
"Joe!" she exclaimed suddenly.
He lifted his head.
"What is it?"
"Have you still your driving license?"
"Yes."
"Is it true that any one having a car may join an independent
taxi company, providing he paints it with the colors and stripes?"
"That's right!"
"Well, look here! Wouldn't my car make a good taxi?"
"It's too old."
"I've had it two years, but it's only gone fifteen thousand
miles! And I've taken good care of it."
"Perhaps. Well, what do you want to do?"
"I'll turn it into a cab and you can be my chauffeur!"
"That means I must get a chauffeur's license. I'm broke."
"I'll get it for you."
"All right. If you'll give me the car. Too much trouble
working for someone else."
"I won't give it to you, but I'll sell it. You can have a mortgage on the car."
"I don't care. You'll never get the money either way."
"How well I know it!"
He laughed.
"Well, you know, sis, if ever I can, you'll get your money.
Whether I sign or not, my word is just the same."
"Yes, I know—just as bad."
He laughed again.
She turned away from the window and sat down.
"You know, sis, there's a lot of expense to turn a car into a
cab. Paint job. Meter. Partition. Special license. Membership."
"How much all together?"
"Over seven hundred dollars."
"Good grief! That's terrible! You know I haven't been
;
working long."
"Well, it's up to you. I'm not forcing you!"
"All right. Only don't tell Uncle Abe. You know nobody
approves of my helping you."
"They're dumb!"
"Well, back to your wife you go!"
She gave him her car, and nobody knew.
�40
FE
THE SYRIAN WORLD
"No!"
"Well, I won't go, if you don't!"
"If I let you go, will you come?"
"All right."
They went on. Down Brookline Street to the doors of the
library. Her left hand was ready in case he changed his mind.
Jim stopped. Maggie looked at him menacingly.
"Don't forget!" she warned.
"Oh, all right!"
"We'll get your book and you'll be prepared for your special
report in school tomorrow."
"But you said you'd help!"
"Yes, of course I shall—but, remember, self-reliance!"
"If you don't help, I won't do it!"
That night, Maggie and Joe worked together. Joe was so
pleased with his oratorical attempt, as practised on his sister, that
he waxed enthusiastic, and the next day received a high compliment from his teacher.
taxi
miJ
wo
gal
TEN YEARS LATER.
Margaret (she no longer allowed the name Maggie) laid
her hand on Joe's. It was growing dark, but she made no attempt
to put on the light.
"Don't say that again, Joe!"
"My, but it was a hum dinger! I'd slam her again if she
said that!"
"Remember, Joe, she's your wife!"
"Yes, but I have only one mother. She has no business bringing her into our affairs!"
"Do you love Mae?"
"No."
She knew he lied.
"Even so, you must go back to her.
"Not on your life! And listen to her knocking because I have
no work!"
"Of course, it was wrong of you to marry so early in life,
but after all she's your wife and you've got to stick together."
Margaret arose and walked to the window. She looked out,
and at the curb beheld the car in which she had just brought her
brother home.
W
cal
sh
/
;
W(
ap
�FEBRUARY, 1930
ft
)\
J
I
41
"Joe!" she exclaimed suddenly.
He lifted his head.
"What is it?"
"Have you still your driving license?"
"Yes."
"Is it true that any one having a car may join an independent
taxi company, providing he paints it with the colors and stripes?"
"That's right!"
"Well, look here! Wouldn't my car make a good taxi?"
"It's too old."
"I've had it two years, but it's only gone fifteen thousand
miles! And I've taken good care of it."
"Perhaps. Well, what do you want to do?"
"I'll turn it into a cab and you can be my chauffeur!"
"That means I must get a chauffeur's license. I'm broke."
"I'll get it for you."
"All right. If you'll give me the car. Too much trouble
working for someone else."
"I won't give it to you, but I'll sell it. You can have a mortgage on the car."
"I don't care. You'll never get the money either way."
"How well I know it!"
He laughed.
"Well, you know, sis, if ever I can, you'll get your money.
Whether I sign or not, my word is just the same."
"Yes, I know—just as bad."
He laughed again.
She turned away from the window and sat down.
"You know, sis, there's a lot of expense to turn a car into a
cab. Paint job. Meter. Partition. Special license. Membership."
"How much all together?"
"Over seven hundred dollars."
"Good grief! That's terrible! You know I haven't been
working long."
"Well, it's up to you. I'm not forcing you!"
"All right. Only don't tell Uncle Abe. You know nobody
approves of my helping you."
"They're dumb!"
"Well, back to your wife you go!"
She gave him her car, and nobody knew.
�*2
THE SYRIAN WORLD
TWENTY YEARS LATER.
"Say, ma, Aunt Maggie is coming in!" A young girl turned
away from the window into an untidy sitting room.
"Who did you say?" answered the older woman, stout yet
pinched looking.
"Aunt Margaret!*' and the girl laughed in derision.
"Well, Joe isn't home yet!" and the woman continued with
her cooking.
v
"Did papa want her for something?"
"Well! Guess she wants some more help, trying to keep us
broke!"
"Where's John?"
"Out, goodness knows where—just like his father!"
The door bell rang. Bertha ran to let her aunt in.
"Why, Aunt Maggie!"
"How are you, Bertha?" answered the woman frowning at
the "Maggie." "Is your mother in? I see. And where's Joe?"
"Oh, he isn't home yet. Mother says you must excuse the
appearance of the sitting room."
"That's all right."
"Mother says you'd better not ask for money for you always
keep us broke."
"Keeping you broke: Is that so? Where is your mother?"
"You just sit down. She'll be right in."
"How's your brother John?"
"Out."
"I should have liked to see him. I don't often get a chance
to come here—and you people never think to visit me."
"We're always busy."
When the mother finally came in it was to make one long
continuous excuse for keeping her sister-in-law waiting. Then
she went on to tell how hard times were and how badly in need
of money they were. After that she began to admire her visitor's
clothes and to inquire the price of each article. There had been
a time when Margaret had pleased herself to hurt the other by
telling the exact price of articles. Now, however, she had become
more careful and said little concerning expense. She had learned
to direct the talk into other channels, for envy did not please her
any longer—nor ever had to any great extent.
The young girl sat in the corner of the room, listening to all
that passed—and certainly agreed to all her mother said and did
�FEBRUARY, 1930
'(
j:
43
—and disapproved of her aunt.
It was some time after that Joe came in. He threw his hat
on the hatrack and saying, "Hello, Maggie!" dashed into the
kitchen.
fj j
When he came back, he sat down and stretched out his long
legs lazily.
"Oh," he said to his wife, "there's something burning in the
kitchen!"
She rushed in.
"You go in, Bertha, and help her." The girl went.
Margaret sat silent, looking straight at Joe. Her brother!
She didn't belong here, no matter the blood.
"Joe," she finally said, "I need money."
"I was just gonna ask you for some. John needs a new tire
on his roadster. He's got some snappy car!"
"How's your cab company going?"
"Oh, I've got about seven cabs—all going now, but the expense is terrible. I've got so many bills to pay."
"You usually have. Well, what am I to do? I've been giving you money for years."
"What can I do? Times are tough, you know."
"They usually are," she said, drily.
"Say, why don't you get a husband? Don't you think it's
about time?"
"Get a husband? For what?"
"Then you won't have any more worries and you'll have all
the money you want."
"That is an idea—and just like you. But, as I have always
said to you, I can't marry for money, and besides, I have had no
time to think of marriage with so many family aifairs occupying
my mind. On top of that, I'm too old now."
"No," but he looked at her. Margaret was old. True, her
hair hadn't turned nor had her face become wrinkled over much
. —but her eyes, when she looked at you, how old they were!
Of course, they had always been old eyes, but they were extremely
so now, especially since they didn't seem to laugh at you any
more. Queer how time had changed his sister. Was this the little
Maggie who had rushed him along to do his homework when he
was still at school? Was this the pretty Margaret who had given
up so much that he might be with his wife always? And she had
never complained. He would call her Margaret to please her.
�rtl
44
THE SYRIAN WORLD
"Margaret," he began. She looked up, surprised. "Why have
you done so much for me? I didn't deserve t."
"You are my brother," she said simply.
"My God!" he exclaimed. He hid his head in the palms of
his hands.
"Joe, for goodness' sake, don't!" She arose and came to
him, and placed her hands on his head.
"I didn't deserve it! I didn't deserve it! How can I ever
repay you!" he repeated over and over.
"You can't. I'll go on like this."
"You're alone and we've never given you a thought. Oh,
my God!"
Joe's wife appeared suddenly. "Come in, Joe," she called.
"How long do we have to wait for you?"
Margaret tightened her coat about her. She had kept it on.
She drew herself up to her greatest height, but her sister-in-law
ignored her. She knew she was dismissed.
Joe rose and quickly followed his wife.
Margaret let herself out, to walk home alone.
To My Father
(February 12, 1880—July 17, 1923)
By LABEEBEE A. J. HANNA
Nothing but the sky
So large, so firm, so fine —
And trees with tiny leaves, so new,
Open spaces —
And my thoughts turned to you.
Nothing but the sea
So green, so blue, so deep —
The waves, each movement ever new,
And the sand dunes —
And my thoughts turned to you.
Nothing but black walls
So hot, so firm, so sure,
My soul that tires and is through
And agony
And my thoughts turned to you.
I
/
�D
45
FEBRUARY, 1930
/e
EDITORIAL COMMENT
lo
jr
QO FAR the contest for a free
trip to Syria has produced
more enthusiasm than actual
results. There has been an addition this month to the number
of registered contestants, but
none has so far attained results
anywhere approaching the minimum goal. The fact, however,
that the contestants are enthused holds forth good promise. It is to be hoped that before
the date set for the closing of
the contest the leaders would
have far exceeded the mark.
We wish to again call attention to the important concession that gift subscriptions are
credited as direct subscriptions.
* Uur
Our recor
records show that scores of
M j sympathii
izers with the cause of
/ THE S^
SYRIAN WORLD have
made gift subscriptions ranging
from five up to twenty. This
fact indicates a commendable
disposition to help circulate the
magazine because of its patent
service to the Syrian cause.
Undoubtedly there are many
more who could be brought to
share this disposition, and a few
such would help swell the list
of any contestant materially.
Why not try for them? There
are any number of wealthy Syrians and Lebanese throughout
the United States who, once the
1
fact is made plain to them,
would welcome the opportunity
to make such a valuable gift, at
low cost, to their American and
Syrian
friends.
Contestants
should find it comparatively
easy to arouse the racial pride
of their wealthy friends to the
extent of availing themselves
of such a suggestion.
It is our ambition to ultimately have THE SYRIAN WORLD
reach every Syrian home in
America and the Free Trip
Contest we have inaugurated is
but one means to that end. No
doubt the prize is large and
seemingly out of proportion
with the limited means of a
small publication, but this only
goes to show the extent of our
determination.
And let it again be said that
in the publication of THE SYRIAN WORLD we are not simply
striving to exploit a popular
need. In truth, although such
a publication seems to be a need
indeed, we are struggling
against almost insuperable odds
for its bare maintenance. It is
rather our conviction that the
service is indispensable in its
ultimate benefits of arousing
among our race a consciousness
for the best that is in them,
that we are hoping for a grad-
�46
THE SYRIAN WORLD
ual awakening to the appreciation of the true value of the
publication. And on the strength
of that hope we shall continue
to strive, to the end that THE
SYRIAN WORLD and its benefit
will in time be adequately appreciated.
READERS of THE SYRIAN
WORLD will notice that our
material covers a broad latitude and is designed to give
the widest possible variety of
reading consistent with the nature of the magazine. History,
travel, literature, poetry, fiction, politics and general news
are to be found in almost every
number. Our contributors comprise practically every known
writer of standing in the United
States, and we are happy to
state that we are discovering a
good deal of new talent, some
of whom show distinct promise.We believe we are justified
in the pursuance of such a policy, inasmuch as THE SYRIAN
WORLD is the only publication
of its nature extant, and as
such it has to cater to all manner
of needs and tastes. As often
stated, it is in a class by itself,
creating its own standard, and
can by no valid reason be held
up to comparison with the general run of English periodicals.
These enjoy an extensive field
which permits of a high degree
of specialization.
s
As matters now stand, THE
even with its
cosmopolitan nature and its
general appeal, has good reason to complain of its limited
circulation.
SYRIAN WORLD,
would, nevertheless, welW]Ecome
our readers' opinions
r
on the general policies of THE
SYRIAN WORLD. Not that we
invite commendation and approval only, rather, we would
be most anxious for constructive
suggestions and advice on methods of betterment and improvement. We wish our readers to
fully and frankly give us the
benefit of their reactions, and
every practical suggestion making for improvement in the
magazine will be cheerfully
acted upon.
^HILE on the subject of
readers and their reactions,
may we not also invite their
appraisal of our various material? We would be gratified to
learn that they appreciate and
approve of this article or department, or condemn the other. Perhaps they might have
a little more information to add
to some particular subject under
discussion, which would be welcome for publication. Whether
the opinion be in praise or in
criticism, we feel confident that
all our contributors would welcome an expression of opinion
on the part of the readers.
/
A,
9
!
'•I
�FEBRUARY, 1930
47
Spirit of the Syrian Press
Under this caption we hope to present from time to time a microcosmic
picture of the Arabic press, not only in this country, but wherever Arabic
dailies and magazines reflect the opinions of responsible, thinking writers
who are treating the different problems that confront the 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 as expressed
in these editorials.
Editor.
RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE
IN THE EAST
Tho misinformed on true conditions among Eastern peoples and in
Eastern countries take it for granted
that public opinion, as represented
by the press, is the controlling power,
in the shaping of Eastern affairs.
This is an illusion which should be
corrected. The only influence in the
East that should be reckoned with
is that of the clergy. The whole
political structure seems to be still
raised on religious foundations.
Taking the Arabic-speaking countries, we find that the governments
of King Ibn Saoud, of Imam Yahya,
of King Faisal of Iraq, are all based
on religious influence and governed
along religious considerations. Even
the Constitution which the Syrians
had drafted for a republican form of
government in their country was
impregnated with the religious
spirit. While in Lebanon itself, and
in Egypt which is noted for its
modernism, and in Turkey which is
apparently adapting itself by a revolutionary process to Western
methods, the real influence governing the peoples in all walks of life
is paramountly religious.
For this reason we cannot escape
the conclusion that all our ills and
misfortunes, whether in the mother
country or abroad, can be traced to
religious beginnings and to the
harmful influence of the clergy. We
would even state unequivocally that
political and social leaderships
are but nominal figures which bow
in impotence to the great prestige
of religious influence.
Al-Hoda, N. Y.. Feb. 28, 1930.
CLOSING SCHOOLS IN LEBANON
The reform and economy program
of Premier Eddy of Lebanon seems
to be overreaching itself. The need
for a dictator in Lebanon should not
extend to the point where the most
vital department of government,
that of education, would be demoralized in the interest of false economy.
The judicial department could stand
a good deal of retrenchment, but to
curtail expenditures on education is
an unpardonable crime.
What Premier Eddy has done so
far indicates that he is pruning the
small twigs and sparing the big
branches. Only those whose salaries
are insignificant have so far fallen
�,
48
under the knife, while those drawing fat salaries seem to be safe
from molestation.
What can the result of such false
economy in the closing of native
schools mean other than that our
children will now have to flock to
foreign
educational
institutions
where, to say the least, they could
not have an equal opportunity to
learn the rudiments of true citizenship. They will learn to respect the
foreigner and despise the native
and become on that account willing
tools in the hands of the colonizers.
Meraat-Ul-Gharb N.Y.,Feb. 18, 1930
PALESTINIANS FOREIGNERS
IN THEIR COUNTRY
The status of Palestinian citizenship came up for discussion lately
in the British Parliament and drew
from the under secretary of the colonies the explanation that the regulations in force apply equally to
Jews and Arabs without discrimination. "Any Palestinian who has not
forsaken his Turkish citizenship,"
explained the British official, "will be
permitted to return to Palestine if he
is sound of mind and body. A twoyears' residence will entitle the applicant to citizenship."
How strange are the workings of
English policy in Palestine. A foreign element of various nationalities
and tongues are permitted to enter
the country without restrictions,
while the original inhabitants of the
country are denied the right of
entry except under hard and almost
prohibitive conditions!
Such is the policy that the reputed
"British Justice" is pursuing in
Palestine to fedeem a pledge made
by Lord Balfour during the war, a
policy Which recks with injustice
in that it places a race of strangers
THE SYRIAN WORLD
on a par with the original people of
the land.
The net result of these regulations
is that the Palestinian Arab may return to his homeland if he has retained his Turkish citizenship, subject to medical examination, while
if he has become a naturalized
American he is confronted with all
manner of restrictions. But the Jew,
the wanderer who supposedly owes
political allegiance to any number
of countries, may enter Palestine
and have the right to settle in it
without the slightest restriction if
he but passes the physical examination !
It would be in order to extend to
Great Britain condolences over the
passing of what was known as
"British Justice". But it is well to
recall a famous Arab maxim which
warns that: "No tyrant but will
reap at some time the just reward
of his injustice."
Al-Bayan N. Y., Jan. 30, 1930.
FRANCE AND LEBANON
A rumor gained circulation that
the Ehdenites of North Lebanon
opened negotiations with the inhabitants of Deir El-Kamar, of South
Lebanon, with the object of the two
factions joining hands in demanding
for the country direct administration under a French governor.
The rumor proved to be false. It
was discredited by the Ehdenites
both at home and abroad. If it had
any foundation of truth the Ehdenites of the United States would have
known of it because one of the
characteristics of these Lebanese is
that they will undertake no public
action before a general consultation
among themselves, whether they be
at home or abroad. Some of their
prominent leaders in America have
f
;
/
�FEBRUARY, 1930
assured us that the rumor was a
pure fabrication. We have reason to
believe that some trafickers in patriotism engineered the rumor for
possible later benefits to themselves.
We cannot too often state that
while Lebanon loves France it will
not renounce its independence. If
France will agree to be Lebanon's
aegis and defender, without exploiting it to the personal benefit of the
profiteering among its colonizers,
then she will be the queen of Lebanese hearts and Lebanon will be
to her a more impregnable stronghold than Gibraltar. This should be
sufficient to eliminate any greed on
the part of France and any fear on
the part of Lebanon. But if the
profiteering among the French and
Lebanese should combine to pervert
this policy of amity then the two
nations are bound to lose, and the
Lebanese in that case would be the
more to blame.
We want France as a friend and
not as a domineering mistress. We
want her in that capacity for our
own honor as well as for hers. For
this reason we find no recourse but
to declare a moral war for the purging of our relations with France
from any influence that might corrupt these lofty motives.
Al-Hoda, N. Y., Feb. 27, 1930.
FAISAL AND ZIONISM
/
In support of their contention of
having a right to Palestine, the Jews
produced a ten-year-old document in
the form of a letter written in 1919
by Emir Faisal, now King of Iraq,
to Prof. Frankfurter in which he
approves of the Jewish aspirations
for the creation of a national home
in Palestine and states that the
Arabs harbor no ill-feeling towards
th» Jwwi in the latter'* prosecution
49
of this claim, "because the leaders
among the Arabs are in complete
sympathy with Zionism."
This document was produced by
the Jews as evidence in support of
their case before the Shaw commission of inquiry and was reproduced
textually by the Boston Transcript.
As would be natural, there arose
a heated controversy among the
Arabs as to the authenticity and the
propriety of the said document.
There were some who claimed that
at the time of its writing Zionism
had not reached its present acute
stage, while others defended Faisal
on the ground that his hands were
forced by political motives which he
could not well disregard.
We are of the opinion that both
contentions are wrong. It seems to
be the object of both factions to
defend Emir Faisal, overlooking the
all-important consideration that the
missive itself is of no inherent value
and cannot be entered as material
evidence. When Faisal wrote the letter he was not representing the
country in any logical form, while
on the other hand Palestine cannot
be considered an article of barter
which the Emir could trade for some
personal benefit to please the
Zionists or conform to the dictates
of whatever diplomatic considerations prevailed at that time.
On the date of the letter, Emir
Faisal was in Paris negotiating for
an Arab throne which he could occupy and for the sake of which he
was willing to make many concessions, the least of which would be
the approval of Zionist claims.
Even if Faisal, who is now King
of Iraq, were to approve the Jews'
claim to Palestine, of what weight
would be his opinion when he is but
a stranger who can claim no legal
right to represent Palestine when
the country does not authorize him
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
50
the Lebanese constitution in such
to act in such a capacity?
It would seem to us that whether manner that it became a mockery.
Faisal be the author of the afore- He deprived the Assembly of all
mentioned letter or not, or whether power and saw to it that the powers
or not he wrote it under political vested in the High Commissioner, of
pressure, none of these considera- whom he was the personal repretions could be seriously considered sentative, were well guarded. In view
because the life of a nation cannot of these facts, we feel justified in
be bartered by the mere letter of a the belief that the regrets expressed
stranger, nor can it be affected by at the departure of this French ofthe wrecklessness of a political ficial were not genuinely sincere.
schemer who exhausted every means We also would add our expressions
at his command to achieve his poli- of elation in view of the announcement that the gentleman is not to
tical ambitions.
As-Sayeh, N. Y., Feb. 20, 1930. return.
Meraat-Ul-Gharb, N.Y.,Feb. 15, 1930.
A GLAD FAREWELL
The Syrian press reports that on
the occasion of the departure of M.
Solomiac for France, the President
of Lebanon, as well as the Premier
and many ministers and representatives bade him farewell on board
his ship and showed otherwise many
marks of esteem to the departing
French official.
The importance of the event is that
M. Solomiac was the "power behind
the throne" in the Lebanese government. He had held his office as special representative of the High Commissioner for four years during
which he performed his duties with
the utmost consciousness. He was
the bugaboo of the Representative
Assembly and took great pains in
safeguarding French influence and
French interests. Whenever covert
diplomatic suggestions failed to
have the proper effect he resorted
to overt acts of intimidation to make
the representatives think his way.
He often rose in the Assembly and
attempted to silence the resolute
and courageous members who opposed foreign interests in their defense of native interests.
M. Solomiac also helped frame
THE LESSER OF THE TWO EVILS
The two principal towns of Lebanon, Ehden in the north and Dair
El-Kamar in the south, are reported
to have entered into negotiations
on the advisability of asking for
direct French administration over
the country by the appointment of
a French governor who would supercede the present republican form
of government which has given rise
to many misgivings. This is said to
have been brought to a climax by
the application of the Eddy program which has wrought havoc in
the administrative regulation of the
country, depriving some of the principal centres of distinctive privileges
which they formerly enjoyed.
It is an incontestable fact that the
Lebanese have been driven to desperation by the successive administrative changes which have taken
place in their country since the
French occupation. The republic has
been more of a preparatory school
than a going concern. And while all
these changes were taking place the
high officials were fattening on their
salaries while the rest of the people
were in dire distress.
/
�FEBRUARY, 1930
Due to these disturbed conditions
many opinions have been advanced
for administrative changes in the
country. There were those Who advocated direct French administration, while others favored a dominion status or some sort of a condition which would place Lebanon on
the same basis as outright French
colonies. Still others clamored for
complete independence along the
same terms that our brother Syrians are demanding for their own
country.
Under present circumstances we
are of the opinion that the Lebanese
Republic should remain in its present form because it is the form of
government most suitable to the
needs of the country. The Lebanese
should seek neither a principality,
nor a monarchy, nor any other form
51
of government that savors of absolutism. Many other nations have
experimented with all sorts of government theories and discovered that
the republican principle is the best.
It is well for Lebanon to profit by
the experience of other nations.
We are not inclined to offer any
apology for present conditions in
Lebanon. The situation is of the
gravest whether from the political
or economic standpoint. But what
we would say is that when one is
confronted with two evils he chooses
the lesser one. Under the present
circumstances, the wiser course is
to let matters take their course under
the direction of the Eddy cabinet
until such time that we can see concrete results, otherwise the situation
will adjust itself at the proper time.
Ash-Shaab, N. Y., Feb. 19, 1930.
Political Developments in Syria
/
PALESTINE
Peace seems to have returned to
Palestine—peace in the sense that
no further riots have been reported
and that the activities of both the
Arabs and the Jews are confined to
propaganda and political manoeuvres. In the battle of words the
Arabs appear to be having the
upper hand in that the public opinion
of the world is being won over to
their favor, a fact admitted by the
Jews themselves.
The most concrete result of the
post-riot period is that a noticeable
change is observed in the attitude
of world Jewry towards Zionism.
The stand of Dr. Magnes, President
of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has had the effect of dimming a good deal of the enthusiasm
characterizing the earlier stages of
the Zionist movement. Now the Jews
seem to be realizing that the Arab
element can be aroused to popular
action and that once such a condition prevails it becomes difficult to
deny a whole people an inherent
right.
It had been the hope of the Zionists to gradually populate Palestine
with their coreligionists, depending
for the success of this plan on Great
Britain's direct administration of the
country and the interpretation of the
Balfour declaration in a manner
favorable to their designs. Meanwhile their policy called for opposition to any form of representative
government because of the overwhelming Arab majority. Arab demands are naturally the direct op-
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
52
posite of any such plan.
Mufti of Jerusalem and reports that
At present both sides are anxiously when he asked him what Balfour had
awaiting the report of the Shaw in mind during the war when he
commission of inquiry which is ex- made promises to both Jews and
pected to be made public in the near Arabs, the Mufti replied: "He had
future. Recent dispatches from Lon- England in mind."
The proposal that an Arab commisdon stated that forecasts of the report suggest that it will be favorable sion go to London to further defend
to the Arabs. The Commission, it is the case of Palestine Arabs has not
further understood, will not confine yet been carried out.
its report to the causes of the riots
SYRIA
of last August but will deal extensively with the whole Palestinian
Conferences are still reported to
situation, offering many suggestions.
be taking place between High ComAccording to one account, the Commissioner Ponsot and his lieutenants
mission "considers the time not yet
ostensibly for the purpose of seeking
ripe for the Zionists to take control
a solution to the Syrian problem.
in Palestine." Furthermore, accordNot a word, however, has come auing to the same source, one of the
thoritatively from the High Commisrecommendations of the Commissioner as to his future plans. A
sion is likely to be that a wider inParis newspaper definitely announces
terpretation should be made of the
that M. Ponsot will soon return to
Balfour declaration on the establishFrance for further consideration of
ment of a national home for the
the Syrian question with the Foreign
Jews, and some consider that the
Office and perhaps for attending tb*
report may raise the whole question
coming session of the Mandates
of the future of the British mandate
Commission of the League of Nain Palestine.
tions.
In an article appearing in The
The latest rumor to gain circulaNew York Times, Emil Ludwig, the tion on a possible solution to tha
eminent German author who is mak- Syrian question is that High Coming a tour of the Near East, ex- missioner Ponsot has offered the
presses the belief that a parliament Nationalists what are supposed to be
in Palestine is inevitable and re- the maximum terms that France can
marks that "only by mutual under- give, which are reported by the
standing can the Arabs and the Damascus paper Al-Qabas to include
Jews live together in the country, the following concessions:
which both races possess by virtue
1—The Constituent Assembly, as
of tradition and by virtue of prom- at present constituted, to be given
ises given in recognition of their the status of a Representative Asconduct during the World War." No sembly with full powers to elect a
prudent Zionist, he continues, speaks permanent government which would
any longer of the Jewish State of enter into negotiations with the
Palestine, but all speak of a home French tending to the conclusion
in Palestine.
of a treaty.
The established right of the Jews
2—The State of the Alouites will
to Palestine which Mr. Ludwig seems be permitted to join the proposed
to concede to them is the very thing Syrian Republic on condition that
the Arabs deny.
the former retain a form of fiscal
Mr. Ludwig interviewed the Grand
~ ^
„ -.*•-**£*
autonomy similar to that now en-
/
�53
FEBRUARY, 1930
i
joyed by the districts of Alexahdretta and Antioch.
3—The city of Tripoli will be made
a free port to serve as a maritime
outlet for Syria, or perhaps it may
be definitely annexed to the State of
Syria.
4—France will waive its reservations concerning the six objectionable articles occurring in the first
draft of the Syrian constitution.
While this offer seems to be most
liberal on the face of it, there seems
to be special conditions which
Franee demands in the making of
the Treaty which the Nationalists
hesitate to concede. On the other
hand, the High Commissioner is said
to have warned the Nationalists
that in case his last offer is not
accepted he is ready to proclaim
Syria a monarchy and raise to the
throne the sherif Ali Haidar Pasha,
one of the lineal descendants of the
Prophet.
Meanwhile, sheikh Tajeddin remains in control and is apparently
as distant as ever from the Nationalist bloc. A great cry has been
raised against his application of the
strictest censorship to the press and
his causing the imprisonment of an
opposition editor and the fleeing of
several others from the country to
escape persecution.
The Paris correspondent of the
Beirut newspaper Al-Ahwal reported that Jaberi and Arslan, who
claim representation of the Syrian
nation in Europe, have entered into
an agreement with Italy for transferring to it the mandate over Syria
on condition that it place ex-Khedive
\
Abbas Helmi of Egypt on the Syrian
throne. The report was vehemently
denied by Emir Shakib Arslan, one
of the two concerned.
Rumors that Sultan Pasha Atrash,
leader of the Druze revolt, had been
warned by the government of Trans-
jordania to leave the country by the
end of winter, and that he intended
to seek refuge in Persia or sail for
Europe, have been authoritatively
denied. The self-exiled leader announces that he intends to remain
in Wadi Sirhan within the boundaries
of Nejd falling under the jurisdiction of King Ibn Saoud.
LEBANON
The Lebanese Cabinet is still engrossed in the task of enforcing the
economy program which Premier
Eddy insisted should be carried out
before he accepted administrative
responsibility. The pruning of sinecures is proceeding steadily and
material economies have been effected.
Naturally, objections are being
raised by the sufferers and their
sympathizers, but the Premier seems
to be enjoying the support and the
confidence of an overwhelming majority of the people. Where the application of the program caused the
the greatest objection was when it
cut deeply into the appropriations
for public schools. The Moslems being the largest beneficiaries under
the eld system, their losses were
naturally the most felt and they
were not unfailing in rising to protest. They claimed that discrimination was being applied owing to
religious considerations, but the
Premier refuted this accusation by
the citation of statistics and the
enumeration of flagrant cases where
teachers drawing pay for several
years were in some cases illiterates
and in others constant absentees.
What appeared for a time as a
serious move on the part of the
Ehdenites to voice their protest on
present conditions in Lebanon was
their reported negotiations with the
inhabitants of Dair El-Kamar tend-
�mat
THE SYRIAN WORLD
54
ing to the taking of action to demand
direct French administration in the
country. Bishop Augustine Bistani,
to whom the Dairanians submitted
the matter, counseled patience before
deciding on such a drastic step. The
Ehdenites later denied that they had
authorized any such move. The significance of the matter is that Ehden
and Dair El-Kamar are respectively
the most important Maronite towns
in north and in south Lebanon.
A committee of prominent citizens
, of Tripoli sent telegraphic protests
to the Lebanese Government and to
the High Commissioner on the Eddy
policy of curtailing educational facilities, accusing the Premier of improper motives and of desire to
kill the native language in an effort
to raise a generation of Lebanese
knowing only French. Legal action
was brought by the Premier against
the signers of the petition and when
they refused to appear in court by
reason of the Ramadan fast, they
were tried in their absence and sentenced to a short jail term.
About Syria and Syrians
PASSING OF BUSTANI,
GREAT ARABIC SCHOLAR
Sheikh Abdullah Bustani, concededly the greatest Arabic scholar of
the age, passed away in Beirut on
February 16 at the age of seventysix. His body was taken to Dair ElKamar for interment, while the
funeral services, held in the city of
Beirut, were attended with such
pomp and marks of reverence on the
part of the clergy, the government
and all classes of the people that
newspaper reports agree that no
other funeral of recent times approached it in ostentation.
The deceased scholar was famous
throughout
the
Arabic-speaking
world for his mastery of the language and for his gifts as a poet.
His works comprise numerous plays
in both poetry and prose. But his
greatest contribution to the language
is Al-Bustan, the new Arabic dictionary which has revolutionized the
method of word classification. It i3
published in two volumes by the
American Press of Beirut.
Perhaps the outstanding distinction of Sheikh Abdullah is his halfcentury of teaching advanced Arabic
in various colleges of Beirut, principally the Maronite College. Some
of his pupils are among the foremost Arabic scholars of the day.
The Syrian-Lebanese community
of New York is planning a memorial
meeting for the deceased scholar to
be held early in April. A committee
has been elected of which N. A. Mokarzel, editor of Al-Hoda, is chairman, Sheikh Abbas Shakra, secretary, and A. K. Hitti, treasurer.
The loss of Sheikh Abdullah Bustani is more keenly felt because it follows so closely on the death of Prof.
Jabr Dumit, who died on January 20,
and who held the chair of Arabic
literature in the American University
of Beirut for over half a century.
LEBANON NAT'L BANK
ELECTS VICE-PRESIDENT
William Catzeflis of New York
City has been elected a Vice-Pres-
1/
�FEBRUARY, 1930
ident of the Lebanon National Bank
of New York.
Mr. Catzeflis was general manager of the firm of Mallouk Brothers of New York for a period of 12
years. He is a college graduate and
thoroughly conversant with the English, French and Arabic languages.
His long business career and wide
popularity eminently fit him for his
new post.
55
city's prominent Syrian lawyers.
The entertainment was preceded by
short exercises in which the present
incumbent of the Presidency, Said
J. Akel, lauded the services of his
predecessor and his untiring activity in the intei^est of the organization. Mr. Ferris followed by a short
speech in which he outlined the purposes of the Federation and stressed
the intention of creating of the
splendid building of the Federation
a civic centre for the Syrian community at large.
PALESTINIAN WOMEN
THANK RIHANI
The women of Palestine broke
traditions to the extent of holding
public demonstrations and engaging
in many other activities in support
of the Arab cause which were unprecedented among women of the East,
especially Moslems. They also called
a convention for the public discussion of means to further their ends
and gave by their display of aggressiveness and determination great
courage to the workers for the Arab
cause.
The Syrian World has learned that
one of the first acts of this first
congress of Palestinian women was
to send a cable of thanks and appreciation to our eminent author and
lecturer, Ameen Rihani, for his effective defense of the cause of Palestine Arabs in America, reports of
which caused great rejoicing among
the Arabs of Palestine.
AS-SAYEH RESUMES
PUBLICATION
As-Sayeh, formerly one of New
York's Arabic dailies, which had
suspended publication temporarily,
has resumed publication as a weekly
magazine. The announced purpose
of this change is to reinvest the publication with its distinctive literary
character which it had largely disregarded while appearing as a daily.
As-Sayeh is the organ of Ar-Rabitah, the literary society of which
our famous author Kahlil Gibran is
president, and which counts among
its members such known literary
figures as Mischa Naimy, Nasib Arida, William Catzeflis, Nadra Haddad,
Richard Ayyoub and others.
POPULATION OF LEBANON:
FEDERATION HONORS
FORMER PRESIDENT
The American Syrian Federation
of New York held an entertainment
and dance on the evening of February 22 in honor of its former president Joseph W. Ferris, one of the
The census Bureau of the Lebanese
Republic announces that at the end
of 1929, the registered population
of the country was 840,650. These
figures comprise only Lebanese citizens and do not include foreign residents.
�56
THE SYRIAN WORLD
NEW FIND CONFIRMS
ORIGIN OF ALPHABET
CRISIS IN ELECTION OF
ORTHODOX PATRIARCH
Fourteen Sinaitic inscriptions on
stones dating from about 2000 B.
C, which are expected to establish
conclusively that Egyptian hieroglyphs furnished the basis for the
Phoenician alphabet, the ancestor of
our modern scripts, have just been
discovered on and near the plateau
of Serabit-el Khaden, in the Sinai
desert, by an expedition sponsored
jointly by Harvard University and
the Catholic University of America,
according to a dispatch to The New
York Times from Sinai dated March
13. The discoveries were made near
the site of the ancient turquoise
mines in Wadi-el-Maghara and in
the ruins of the Egyptian Temple of
Hathor, goddess of love and beauty,
on the plateau itself, which were first
explored by Sir Flinders in 1904 and
1905.
Among the Egyptian hieroglyphs
then photographed by the English
scholar were certain crudely executed
inscriptions which, although resembling hieroglyphs, defied translation
as Egyptian. It was not until 1918
that two English Egyptologists,
Professors Peete and Gardiner, announced these mysterious inscriptions were not Egyptian at all but
an adaptation of the picture-writing
of the Pharaohs into arbitrary signs
forming consonants of the Semitic
tongue.
On this basis Professor Gethe, a
German scholar, deciphered the majority of the inscriptions and illustrated their kinship with various
late Semitic alphabets. Thereupon
another German Egyptologist, Professor Grimme of Munster, made
the sensational announcement that
the names of Moses and the Egyptian Princess who rescued him from
the Nile appeared in the Petrie documents.
Ever since the death of the Patriarch of the Syrian Orthodox
Church, well over a year ago, futile
attempts have been made to choose
his successor. Several conclaves
have been convened but they invariably resulted in failure, at times
accompanied by physical violence
owing to the interference of laymen
in the deliberations of the clergy.
The latest news to reach the
United States from Syria indicates
that a convention of laymen was held
in Beirut at which it was decided to
call on the bishops to elect a Patriarch within a fortnight from Jan.
29, otherwise the laymen's convention will bring the matter formally
to the attention of the mandatory
power and to that of the native governments of the Syrian States, and
will further disclaim all representative authority of the bishops in
church matters.
This decision was precipitated by
a call issued by the Patriarch of
Constantinople to an ecumenical
congress to be held in Saloniki,
which is said to be the first of its
sweeping nature to be convened since
the division of the Eastern and Western Churches.
..
FAMOUS ORIENTALIST
DIES MOHAMMEDAN
The Syrian press reports the death
in Paris (date not given), at the
age of 68, of the famous French
Orientalist Etien Dene who had embraced Islam and performed the pilgrimage to Mecca. He was especially
noted for his paintings of North
African scenes.
His funeral took place at the
Mosque of Paris and was attended
by the Minister of Marine and many
I
in
�57
FEBRUARY, 1930
French officials and notables, as well
.B by many Moslem sultans of North
African countries visiting in Paris.
His body is to be sent to Algeria
for burial in a special grave lie had
prepared before his death.
LITERACY IN SYRIA
AND LEBANON
According to official figures made
public by the French Commissariat,
illiteracy in the different states of
Syria and Lebanon is as follows:
Country
LOCUSTS IN PALESTINE
A special cable dispatch to The
New York Times from Beershaba
dated February 27 states that Arabs
and Jews have drowned their differences and joined hands in fighting
He dread locust invasion which has
ppeared in the Jordan Valley. The
J
alestine Administration has appropriated $250,000 to combat the
menace and already more than 3000
men have been enrolled to carry on
the fight. The latest scientific devices
known are to be employed to check
the invasion, including flame throwers and poison.
In olden times the natives attempti to check locust invasions by beat.\g drums.
\
AUTOMOBILES IN SYRIA
According to the latest census,
automobiles in Syria at the close of
the year 1929 were as follows:
Lebanon
3,670
Syria
4,150
Alouite State ... 795
Jebel Druze
275
Some Lebanese newspapers complain that the number of automobiles
in Lebanon far exceeds the needs of
the country, inasmuch as its population is only eight hundred thousand souls. They remark that lack
of gainful occupations has driven
large numbers to exploit the automobile traffic.
Percentage of
Illiterates.
Lebanon
40 per cent.
Syria
77 per cent.
Jebel Druze
93 per cent.
Alouite State
85 per cent.
These figures include the whole
population of both sexes and all
classes and ages.
LEBANESE HIGHLY RESPECTED
IN URUGUAY REPUBLIC
The Arabic press of South America reports that the Lebanese colony
of Montevideo, Uruguay, has presented the government of that country with a portrait of General Otiva,
the liberator of Uruguay, woven in
threads of silver and gold and true
in every detail to nature. The woven
portrait, equalling in artistry the
finest European tapestries, was executed by native artists of Zouk in
Mt. Lebanon. The presentation was
made on the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of the independence of the Uruguayan Republic.
PEACE AMONG ARABS
Through the good offices of Great
Britain, King Faisal of Iraq and
King Ibn Saoud of Arabia met on
board a British sloop on February
24 and signed a treaty of peace and
amity. The countries of both kings
are contiguous on Syria and peace
among them should affect stabilization of conditions on Syria's
frontiers.
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
58
I
<***>«f,'**-*r-r*r<^
t
THE LEBANON NATIONAL BANK
3 19 FIFTH AVENUE,
COR. 32ND STREET
Legal Depository of
The United States — New York State — New York City
Member of
The Federal Reserve Bank — New York State Bankers
Association — American Bankers Association
*
*
4-^% INTEREST
We are pleased to announce that our Board of Directors has decided to raise the rate of interest on savings
accounts from 4% to 4J4%, computed every three
months, which raises the rate considerably above 4}4%
per annum.
On check accounts, interest will be paid at the rate of
2 ) for daily balances below $5,000, and 3% for daily
balances of $5,U00 and over.
l
The Lebanon National Bank inaugurates the return
of control to its original founders by this liberal policy
of sharing profits with its depositors. Out-of-Town accounts are solicited on the same basis. We shall be glad
to correspond with anyone, anywhere, interested in availing himself of our facilities and liberal terms.
BANKING BY MAIL is a conception of good business.
You can begin at once to enjoy the facilities of
our "Banking by Mail" department.
THE LEBANON NATIONAL BANK
"THE BANK OF FRIENDLY CO-OPERATION"
319
Corner
New York City
FIFTH AVE.,
32ND ST.,
» >>»>»»»»>>>>>>>>»>», »>>>>>>>>>»>>>>>>
>>>>»>»»
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Newspapers
Description
An account of the resource
<h4>Biographical/Historical Note</h4>
<p>Salloum Mokarzel, a Lebanese American intellectual, founded<em> The Syrian World</em> in 1926. Salloum Mokarzel was the younger brother of Naoum Mokarzel, the publisher of the Arabic-language newspaper <em>Al-Hoda. </em>Together, the Mokarzel brothers ran Al-Hoda Publishing, and in 1909, they published <em>The Syrian Business Directory.</em> </p>
<p>Mokarzel created <em>The Syrian World</em> in order to document and celebrate the culture and history of "Syria." At the time, Syria referred to the modern-day countries of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. The publication was primarily aimed towards second-generation children of immigrants, but Mokarzel hoped that it would also appeal to the general American public.</p>
<h4>Scope/Content Note</h4>
<p><em>The Syrian World</em> was published between 1926 and 1932 as a journal. In 1932, the format was changed from an academic journal style to a newspaper style, which continued until the periodical's end in 1935. After the death of his brother Naoum, Salloum took over the publication of <em>Al-Hoda.</em></p>
<p>The articles in <em>The Syrian World</em> cover a variety of topics spanning from the practical to the theoretical. Practical subjects include international and domestic travel, historical and contemporary Arabic and Arab-American art and literature, and the mental and physical health and hygiene of immigrants. More theoretical, philosophical, and ideological subjects include ideologies of race, the changing role of women, the formation of Syrian and Lebanese-American societies, and the political and psychological relationships between immigrants and their countries of origin.</p>
<p>All issues of <em>The Syrian World</em> are available, along with full indexes for the first four volumes. For volumes five and six, there are tables of contents at the start of the issues.</p>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabs--United States
Arabic periodicals
Newspapers
Arab American Newspapers
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1926-1935
Relation
A related resource
<em><a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/41" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Syrian Business Directory</a></em>
<a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/44" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mokarzel Family Papers</a>
<a href="http://hdl.handle.net/11299/175685" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Annotated Index to the Syrian World, 1926-1932</a> at the University of Minnesota Immigration History Research Center Archives
<a href="https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/58" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Al-Hoda Newspapers</em></a>
Language
A language of the resource
English
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Processed by Claire A. Kempa, 2015-2017. Collection Guide written by Claire A. Kempa, 2017.
Collection Guide updated by Laura Lethers, 2023 August.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
These materials are digital copies of an original resource held by another institution. The KCLDS Archive often works with other institutions to make digital materials available online to the public. KCLDS is not able to grant permission to use or reproduce these materials. The KCLDS Archive strongly encourages users to contact the holding institution for permission to use or reproduce materials from their holdings.
Identifier
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NS 0002
Access Rights
Information about who can access the resource or an indication of its security status. Access Rights may include information regarding access or restrictions based on privacy, security, or other policies.
This digital material is provided here for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
TSW1930_02reducedWM
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Volume 04, Issue 06
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1930 February
Description
An account of the resource
Volume 4 Issue 06 of The Syrian World published February 1930. Dr. Fuad Shatara opens the issue with an appreciative account of Arab physician Ar-Razi. This article highlights the achievements of Arabs in medicine. Following a short poem about mortality by Dr. Salim Y. Alkazin, Ameen Rihani further details his travels through Arabia. This time Rihani covers his rare experiences while in Jeddah, and a particularly interesting conversation had with King Hussein. Najla Sabe's song, Raja F. Howrani's translated treatise "The Old Criminal," and R. A. Nicholson's poem "Tears" proceed another portion of Salloum Mokarzel's travels in Lebanon. In this issue he covers the distance from the Dog River to the Cedars. Finally Labeebee A. J. Hanna contributes an original short story that discusses a phase of Syrian life in America, followed by one of her poems titled "To My Father." This issue concludes with excerpts from the Arab press and more on political developments in Syria.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabic literature--History and criticism--Periodicals
Arabs--United States--Periodicals
Lebanese-Americans--United States--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Syrian-American Press
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
104 Greenwich St., New York, NY
Format
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Text/pdf
Type
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Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
1930s
Ameen Rihani
Fuad Shatara
Labeebee A.J. Hanna
Lebanon
Medical
Music
Najla Sabe
New York
Poetry-English
R. A. Nicholson
Raja F. Howrani
Rivers
Salim Alkazin
Saudi Arabia
Travel
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/a27c489e68056d624ea2342aed8919a9.pdf
41e935eda93c2a7200f1873d95424ec4
PDF Text
Text
R1PIP11IIKPIIP
te
\
\
VOL. IV. No. 8.
I
APRIL, 1930.
THTi
SYRIAN WORLD
A
MONTHLY MAGAZINE IN ENGLISH DEALING
WITH SYRIAN AFFAIRS AND ARABIC LITERATURE
ill
111
1
ii
1I
1
I1
1
1ft
AN INTERVIEW WITH EL-ATASSI
SALLOUM A. MOKARZEL
IMAGINARY SPEECH TO THE SENATE
REV. W. A. MANSUR
THE RETURN HOME (SHORT STORY)
I
LOUIS MARON
iff
FROM BEIRUT TO THE PALESTINE BORDER
SALLOUM A. MOKARZEL
IS
POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN SYRIA
m
THE COPY 50c
1
I
��THE
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 copiea 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. 8.
APRIL, 1930.
CONTENTS
PAGE
An Interview with El-Atassi
SALLOUM
7
A.
MOKARZEL
Helpfulness
13
KAHLIL
GIBRAN
Imaginary Speech to the Senate
REV.
W. A.
14MANSUR
Despair (Poem)
22
NAJLA SABE
Wayfarers of the Lowly Road (Poem)
PAUL DEAB
I'S
�mmm H5
CONTENTS (Continued)
The Return Home (Short Story)
Louis
24
MARON
Beethoven (Poem)
27
THOMAS ASA
From Beirut to the Palestine Border
SALLOUM
A.
28
MOKARZEL
The Syrian Laborer (Poem)
38
JONARD EGIS
Book Reviews:—
Another Notable Book by Rihani
A Useful Book
A Book on Religion
English and Arabic Manual — Revised EnglishArabic Dictionary
39
40
41
42
Editorial Comments:—
Asfuriyeh a Criterion
43
Potential Field
45
Readers* Forum
46
Political Developments in Syria
49
About Syria and Syrians
53
LAST CALL
TO THE
GREAT SYRIAN WORLD CONTEST
FOR A
FREE TRIP TO SYRIA
: :
�IN THIS ISSUE
REV. W. A. MANSUR has in defense of my people. I send
ever in his writings the element it with my prayers that my
of inspiration. No doubt our blessed Master and Saviour
readers are glad that he writes may bless it to those who read
so frequently on the different it." * * * The account of the
phases of the transitional period editor's interview with Hashem
we are now going through in Bey El-Atassi, Syrian NationAmerica. It is a period frought alist leader, should prove timewith the gravest consequences ly and enlightening at the presif not dealt with in the proper ent critical stage of Syria's remanner. Rev. Mansur is con- lations with France. * * * The
tributing considerably towards editor's travel article in this isthe creation of that proper con- sue covers his journey from
sciousness that will materially Beirut to the Palestine border,
enhance the Syrians' evaluation passing through sections of
of their sterling racial qualities. Shouf to Sidon and Jedaidat
This in turn will react to a sa- Marjioun. The latter is a modtisfactory adjustment of the el Lebanese town abounding
transition problem. In his pres- in matters of interest. * * *
ent contribution he has a Syrian The short story in this issue is
character deliver an imaginary written by a college student
speech to the United States who conceals his or her identity
Senate apropos of some deroga- behind a nom de plume. Pertory remarks made against the haps the author will be inSyrians in that body. We have duced to reveal himself or herno doubt that our readers will self upon ascertaining the pubshare with the learned clergy- lic's appreciation of the touchman the spirit that prompted ing story. * * * Our poetical
him to write it. In truth, it is contributions in this issue are
more real than imaginary. And not only numerous but of exas proof of the intense degree tremely high quality, and all
of his sincerity we quote the by Syrian-American talent.
following from his covering Many of the poets are already
letter: "Nothing that I have
known to our readers, the only
written have I cared more to
present to the readers of THE new one being Jonard Egis,
which is a nom de plume.
SYRIAN WORLD than this speech
�Great Syrian
For a FREE TRIP to
The editor of THE SYRIAN WORLD having made a trip to Syria in
the summer of 1929, which he is now describing in a series of articles in
the magazine came to realize not only the great educational and cultural
advantages of such a trip, but its unrivalled possibilities for pleasure and
recreate. In our enthusiasm for the benefits of such tours, we decided to
offer one as a prize to our readers. This is on a par with the most liberal
offers made by the b,ggest American publications, whose readers are hundreds of thousands and even millions. Needless to say that this is unpreTHEinSYRIANt0WO°mAnabiC J<TaHsm' whether * America or abroad.
THE SYRIAN WORLD, m making the great prize offer in spite of
the heavy sacrifice involved, considers that in so doing it is promoting the
cause of sympathetic understanding of the motherland. This is in keeping
W!th the main object behind the publication of the magazine. Whether tne
winner be a boy or girl, American or Syrian, the purpose would have been
served by the actual contacts established with the great scenic beauties
and places of immense historical interest in our country of origin
The proposition is unprecedented, the advantages great the condi
tions most liberal. It is surely the opportunity of a lifetime for the ambitious.
"
e
ITINERARY OF TRIP
i
66
HP
ffered by THE SYRIAN
i
WORLD takes the same route
f ., ^ I"
J°
followed by the editor in his recent trip to Syria. Passage will be Cabin
class on the luxurious steamer Providence, of the Fabre Line, sailing from
New York July 2nd. Stops on route and shore excursions will be made at
Ponta Delgada, Azores Islands; Lisbon, Portugal; Naples, Italy; Palermo
Sicily, and Piraeus and Athens, Greece.
In Syria and Lebanon, the winner may remain as long as he desires
and return on any of the Fabre Line steamers to New York also Cabin
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Sailing from New York will be under the direction and full assistance
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are fully recognized in the motherland, will be assured of the most friendly
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�World Contest
SYRIA and RETURN
SYRIAN WORLD OFFER
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return, together with a liberal cash allowance for the shore excursions
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try to win?
CONDITIONS OF CONTEST
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�IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
ON THE SUBJECT OF THE
SYRIAN WORLD CONTEST
OWING to the appreciation by the public of our liberal offer
Won/ rl^ !? ^ Syrla aS ? firSt Prize in the cur^nt Syrian
World Contest and m compliance with numerous requests to
this effect, we have decided to extend our offer as follows
l~While the minimum number of subscriptions required to win
P rCmainS at ne hundre
SLT
°
d, any contestant, besides the winner, procuring one hundred subscriptions has
the option of receiving either the cash prize or a one-wayy
free trip to Syria.
2—If a contestant should procure two hundred, he receives a
rree round trip.
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1
011 8 arC e
enter the
^^fhe
, any Vindividual
Tnfd<°member.
the !^
pnze to
co test a
»
"d award
5-Contestants working for the limited prizes of either a oneway trip or a round trip may withdraw once their goal is
reached and sail on any Fabre Line steamer, cabin class,
before the date set for the close of the Contest.
Registered contestants to date are the following:
ttj. Hashem, Poughkeepsie, Mrs. J. Rafful, Toledo, Ohio
N. Y.
Ed. Hershewe, Fort Dodge,
H. Abood, Brooklyn, N. Y.
Iowa.
Mrs. R. Hamrah, Naugatuck,
Conn.
S. Kallil, Detroit, Mich.
N. Sayed, Georgetown, S. C.
F. A. Coriaty, Manchester,
E. George, E. Liverpool, Ohio
N. H.
ONE MORE MONTH
IN
BWwB^ilvi^fiL'iW.'^.'twii'w.'Mii.i.ii*^
WHICH
TO
WIN.
�THE
SYRIAN WORLD
APRIL, 1930.
VOL. IV. No. 8.
An InterviewjgWith El-Atassi
i
Syrian Nationalist Leader and President of the Constituent
Assembly Discusses the Political Situation.
By
I
SALLOUM
A.
MOKARZEL
"THAT the frequent changes of French High Commissioners
in Syria is but a part of French policy to wear down Syrian
resistance by dilatory tactics is the belief of Hashem Bey ElAtassi, President of the Syrian Constituent Assembly, and foremost Nationalist leader, as expressed to the writer in a private
interview while in Damascus last summer. He holds that High
Commissioner Ponsot, however, is the most sympathetic and the
best qualified of all the High Commissioners France has so far
sent to Syria. The Nationalists believe that if ever a satisfactory
solution is to be reached in the Syrian problem it will be through
him. That such a solution has not yet been reached indicates
the degree of the Syrian Nationalists' insistence on their sovereign rights as against France's interpretation of her mandatory
authority. They are not unwilling to concede to France its special
position, but only to such a degree as will be compatible with
their sovereignty.
In the light of the latest dispatches from Syria, the problem
seems no nearer an acceptable solution now than it was last summer. Hashem Bey El-Atassi had a long interview with High
Commissioner Ponsot in Beyrouth on April 11, later issuing a
statement announcing the failure of the negotiations. This climax came as a distinct shock to the high expectations of the Syrians who had called a special meeting of the Constituent Assembly on April 4 to formulate the minimum demands they would
'
HHRBHHBHHHHHHHMa
�8
THE SYRIAN WORLD
accept for presentation to the High Commissioner. Substantially, therefore, the Syrian situation has not undergone the
slightest change since the High Commissioner dissolved the Constituent Assembly in August of 1928, and the declarations of the
Syrian Nationalist leader would hold true at this late date as
when they were first given the writer last summer.
My interview with Hashem Bey El-Atassi took place on
August 12, 1929, at the house of one of the most militant Nationalist leaders, Falchry Bey Baroody. It was on the anniversary
of the declaration of Syrian independence and about forty of the
foremost Syrian Nationalists of Damascus had gathered at the
Baroody mansion ostensibly to attend as a body the betrothal
ceremony of the son of a certain minister of the Provisional Government. El-Atassi drew me to a corner of the spacious hall of
the men's quarters, and to the tune of the running fountain, a
prime feature in all Damascene palaces, poured out in an eloquent
flow of words the account of the Syrian Nationalists' struggles
and aspirations. He was speaking with the knowledge and the
authority of one who occupied the most responsible state offices
both during the reign of King Feisal and after. When the first
People's Assembly, which declared the independence of Syria
before the French occupation, was called he was elected President
and later became Prime Minister during the short reign of King
Feisal, and was finally elected President of the Constituent Assembly which formulated the Syrian Constitution found objectionable by High Commissioner Ponsot. He reviewed not only
the events associated with these turbulent times but touched on
the preliminaries leading to them, including the unsuccessful efforts of the United States at adjusting the Syrian political situation. On this point he spoke in unequivocal terms:
"At the conclusion of the World war, Syria looked to America with the fondest expectations. The world was then being reborn to new conditions and every nation was given to understand
that it would be free to shape its own destiny on the principal of
self-determination. During the war we had suffered much and
hoped that the intervention of America would be the panacea of
oppressed peoples. America was idealistic, disinterested and rich.
Being strong, she was in a position to enforce her will in demanding for the weak their just rights. We had even hoped that Amer-
V
�"^ ~-'^<*w*Trtf*#Mt
APRIL, 1930
ica would guide
us, on our rebirth
to national life,
along the Ipaihs
of self-government, and we so
expressed 'o u r selves to the
King-Crane Commission at the
time it visited
Syria. But America failed us and
left us to drift
alone on an uncharted
course
subject to European greed.
The .disappointment was most
severe. But this
much I can say
with the same degree of truthfulness and sincerity: we harbor no
bitterness against
America in spite
of all our suffering 'which we attribute to this
Hashem Bey El-Atassi,
failure on her President of the Syrian Constituent Assembly.
part. If she has
withheld
her
active political support, we are still hopeful of her continued
interest and moral support. We are firm in our belief that she
is the most unselfish and disinterested among the great Powers.
One could not mistake the ring of sincerity in the voice of
El-Atassi. As he spoke an expression of deep feeling crept over
his features. It was evident that the review he was making of
the recent political history of Syria stirred the very depths of his
�10
THE SYRIAN WORLD
soul. The bhthing of the roseate hopes which the Syrians had
cherished in America's interest was cause for the deepest sorrow.
The veteran leader soon regained his composure, and to the
question as to the extent of help expected from Syrian immigrants
in America, he replied that this help could be only moral and
financial. The sympathy of Syrians abroad gives the active workers in the field strength and courage to prosecute the national
cause to a successful finish, while financial aid is the sinews of all
political campaigns. The emigrants' past assistance is fully appreciated, and the hope was expressed that this display of interest would be continued without abatement or interruption.
The conversation then shifted to the subject of the present
political situation in the country. Hashem Bey El-Atassi does
not believe, in spite of the continual setbacks attending the course
of negotiations, that the situation has reached an impasse. "The
Syrian people are dependent on the righteousness of their cause
and determined to hold negotiations only with France in the
firm belief that she will act in the end on her reputed sense of
justice. All hope of English aid and fair play has been abandoned.
England, like Turkey, only used the Syrians as pawns in the
political game without regard for their own welfare. The Syrians concede that France is in occupation of the country by the
same right that would be claimed by any other Power, although
the illegality of any such claim is beyond question. But since
Prance is in actual occupation, the Syrians would be satisfied with
her mandate if it could be applied in a manner compatible with
Syrian sovereignty and dignity as a nation, a condition on which
the Nationalists insist."
Here the Syrian leader surveyed the evolution of political
events in the country from the time of the termination of the
war up to the dissolution by High Commissioner Ponsot of the
Constituent Assembly. He related how the British and Arab
forces occupied the country upon its evacuation by the Turks and
how Emir Feisal, then commander in chief of the Arab army
was entrusted with the task of government. Transjordania at
that time, was comprised within Syria as well as the four districts
of Baalbeck, Hasbaya, Rashaya, and Beka which were later annexed to Lebanon. The Syrian Government was still a military one
the Syrians declaring a monarchy and raising to its throne King
Feisal only after the failure of the American Commission to take
decisive action. Hashem Bey El-Atassi was the president of the
�V*
V ¥
VJ
I
|
|— fm» | . l_L u O 7* P-
W
-l» «w
^
3
Al-Marje, the principal square in Damascus, massec
I with French -whippets during the Syrian revolution. *,
�12
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Congress which declared Syrian independence and became later
the first and only Prime Minister during the six months' reign
of King Feisal.
"That short period of complete and actual Syrian independence," he said, "shall ever remain a golden dream which we shall
continue striving to again translate into actuality."
The British forces had evacuated the country and the Syrians were in full control. Only Lebanon was under actual French
occupation, and in order to bring this latter country into the Syrian fold the proposition was advanced by the Syrian Government
to form a Syrian federation, "chiefly to permit Lebanon to retain
its status of independence." But then the political tempest broke
out and General Gouraud sent his famous ultimatum containing
the five conditions to wit: Acceptance of the French mandate;
disbanding of the national army; acceptance of the paper issue
of the Syrian-Lebanese bank as legal currency; surrender by
Syria to France of all railroads and appointment of a commission
to determine the terms of the application of the mandate.
What followed this famous ultimatum is history. King Feisal claims to have answered it upon receipt, agreeing to all conditions, while General Gouraud insists that the answer was received
only after the elapse of the time limit and when he had already
ordered the mobilization of the army. Then came the battle of
Maisaloom and the entry of the French into Damascus for the
first time after the great war.
Hashem Bey El-Atassi here supplied some extremely important details which have not so far appeared in print. King Feisal, according to his account, was not in Damascus at the time
the French entered the Syrian capital as commonly believed. On
the contrary, he was at the town of Kaswa which is beyond the
confines of Al-Ghouta and on the borders of Hawran. He immediately returned to Damascus upon receiving the news that the
French were in occupation of the city, but no sooner had he arrived than the French themselves told him to leave. This would
absolve King Feisal of any accusation of cowardice in having fled
the city upon the approach of the French.
Here Hashem Bey El-Atassi recalled the frequent changes
of High Commissioners and consequently of policies: How De
Jouvenel had permitted the convocation of a Constituent Assembly with the tacit understanding that it would eleci. a native government on the basis of entering into treaty negotiations with the
r
�13
APRIL, 1930
mandatory power. But De Jouvenel departed, never to return,
and his successor, Ponsot, not only sanctioned his action but promised to give the people of Syria a free hand in choosing their
own form of government. The elections to the Constituent Assembly resulted in an overwhelming victory for the Nationalists,
and they decided on a republican form of government for which
they naturally laid down a constitution. Here was the stumbling
bloc to the orderly progress of Syrian efforts towards achieving
national life. The High Commissioner objected to six articles
which he held to be incompatible with the right of France as the
mandatory power, while the Nationalists, in the words of Hashem Bey El-Atassi, as expressed to the writer, maintain that the
Constitution will cease to be a constitution at all of a free and
sovereign nation if shorn of these articles."
It is now over a vear and a half since the High Commissioner
dissolved the Syrian Constituent Assembly owing to these objectionable articles, and during all this time, in spite of frequent and
earnest efforts on the part of both parties, no middle ground
seems to have been reached. Such is the political situation in
Syria today, and the faith of the veteran Syrian leader, Hashem
Bey El-Atassi, remains unshaken that if ever a solution is to be
reached it shall be through High Commissioner Ponsot and on
the strength of the Syrians' belief in their inherent fight and
in France's sense of equity and justice.
Helpfulness
By KAHLIL GIBRAN
We are all climbing toward the summit of our hearts' desire.
Should the other climber steal your sack and your purse and wax
fat on the one and heavy on the other, you should pity him;
The climbing will be harder for his flesh, and the burden
will make his way longer.
And should you in your leanness see his flesh putting upward,
help him a step; it will add to your swiftness.
*
*
*
*
*
You cannot judge any man beyond your knowledge of him,
and how small is your knowledge.
�rf
14
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Imaginary Speech to the Senate
By REV. W. A. MANSUR
/. The Greatness of the Loyal Syrian-American Citizens.
SENATORS, all history praises the venerable Syrian race because of its prominent place in history, its contributions to
avilization, and its potentialities for future world service. Europe
America and the world are its debtors. Cultures and governments
inherit vital impulses from this race. The world itself could no
progress, could not attain happiness, and could not achieve freedom were it not for the legacies of the Syrian race
q
nt I
iTC °nuy °ne authority to impress upon you the debt
of the world to the Syrian race and its native land. Edward
Gibbon says in The History and the Decline of the Fall of the
Roman EmPre, "Yet Phoenicia and Palestine will forever Ive
in the memory of mankind; since America, as well as Europe
has receded letters from the one and religion from the otW»
to hum-^nr 06 ^l ^ the m°St imP°rt^t contributions
to human progress. Their ancestors, the Phoenicians, gave us
the alphabetj the art of navigation and transmarine commerce
Their forbears of pre-Chrirstian times gave us the highTsTcon
ceptions of man regarding religion, morals and sociefy Thdr
Christian forefathers began the missionary impulse that Chris
lamzed the world Their mediaeval fathers car'ried the dvilit
mg influence to the nations, races, and languages of Europe and
The Syrian race survived world conquerors, repeated miera
tions, alien cultures and race struggles. Their country, sSd
be ween Africa Europe and Asia, was made a settlement ground
for the quarrels of surrounding nations. There Alexander the
Macedonian, Pompey the Roman, Tamerlane the Tartar, Nap0_
!rvenbahtet,eFsrenChman' & ^^ the *«&* * W*Xmn TV ^S"^"1,6^3"8 h^'e proven themselves perhaps the
most law-abiding, hberty-loving and industrious-livingof he
races in America. During the World War they contributed
�e
APRIL, 1930
racially, perhaps the highest percentage to the army and navy;
they enthusiastically supported the nation's financial drives, and
they faithfully upheld American patriotism. For Syrian-Americans believe in America's constitutional government, rule by the
vote of the majority, separation of church and state, law-obedience, free speech, press, and assembly, and readiness for the
nation's defense.
II. The Attack upon America's Constitutional Patriotism.
Recently, Senators, you heard the illustrious Syrian race
slandered to your faces; you saw the glorious Syrian race crucified before your eyes and felt the innocent Syrian race stabbed
at your feet. But, sirs, these talented people, these progressive
citizens, and these high-grade, liberty-loving, law-abiding, loyalminded, industrious-living, and God-fearing Americans are slandered, crucified and stabbed for no other reason than race prejudice.
• • i
t m
But, Senators, America's constitutional patriotism, principles
and future are being attacked, undermined and destroyed by the
slander, disgrace and hatred of American citizens. The assault
is upon the charters of independence and freedom, the ideals
and hopes, the welfare and future of the nation. The charge is
against millions of children and youth, millions of weak and
helpless, and millions of law-abiding, loyal-hearted and industrious-living citizens.
What think you of him who tramples under his feet the principles of the Constitution? What think you of him who flings to
flames the flag that stands for our liberties? What think you of
him who betrays the rights of the peoples of our nation? Sirs,
trust him not who arrays race against race in America. Trust
him not who spurrs America's races to alliances with outside
races. Trust him not who promotes the division of America on
the basis of race, color, or creed. Trust him not who plants seeds
of discord in the body, soul, and spirit of America. I care not
what his power or pelf, his name or claim, his race or place, he
who divides our nation into hostile races based on race prejudice,
discrimination, and hatred betrays the nation's soul, leads you
astray, and plants seeds of decay in the nation.
Let us beware of a narrow patriotism, the ruin of nations; a
divided nation, the bane of governments; and race prejudice,
the destroyer of good-will. Let us learn a lesson from history.
�16
THE SYRIAN WORLD
H. G. Wells says in The Outline of History, "She (Rome)
understood the value of allies; she could assimilate; abroad as
at home she could in those days at least "give and take" with a
certain fairness and sanity. There lay the peculiar power of Rome.
By that it was she succeeded where Athens, for example, had
conspicuously failed. The Athenian democracy suffered much
from that narrowness of "patriotism", which is the ruin of all
nations. Athens was disliked and envied by her own empire because she dominated it in a spirit of civic egotism; her disasters
were not felt and shared as disasters by her subject-cities. The
shrewder, nobler Roman senators of the great years of Rome,
before the first Punic war overstrained her moral strength and
began her degeneration, were not only willing in the last resort
to share their privilege with the mass of their own people, but
eager to incororate their sturdiest antagonists upon terms of
equality with themselves."
When I behold the declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and the oath of citizenship, my
mind becomes clear as to the true nature of American patriotism.
It is upon Constitutional patriotism that we should continue to
build America. Upon the following principles rest the harmony,
prosperity and defense of America: That all men are created
equal, that they arc endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit
of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That we stand for a perfect union, the
establishment of justice, and the guarantee of domestic tranquillity. That we uphold the provision for the common defense,
the promotion of the general welfare, and the securing of the
blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity. That we believe, preserve and defend the Constitution of the United States.
Senators, he who slanders any race within our nation violates
the spirit of the Constitution, lays a precedent for the insult of
other races, and prepares the way for national discord. He who
counsels you thus would delude you, betraying the trust of our
American forefathers, and leading to the dissolution of the Republic. I counsel you to abide by the Constitutional guarantees
as m so doing you stand by the soul of the Republic, you uphold
the spirit of the Union and you promote harmony among the
races in America.
*
�APRIL, 1930
17
III. The Solution of America's Immigration Problem.
What is the occasion for the disgrace, disparagement, and
contumely of other races: It is the immigration problem. Is it
not possible for men of honor, intelligence, wisdom, and humanity to study, discuss, and solve this perplexing problem without
contemptuous reproach, insolent temper, and disgraceful vituperation:
Prejudice, racial, religious or national, is usually mothered
by ignorance, born in conceit, cradled in isolation, and reared in
ill-will. Prejudice blights the mind, atrophies the sympathies
and impoverishes the life. Shall prejudiced men who have belated minds, are ignorant of other world values, and lack the
principle of good-will, be permitted to lead the nation astray?
Prejudiced men are incapable of thinking upon and solving America's immigration problem in a clear, sympathetic and just manner.
Thinking men are agreed that America's welfare demands
restrictive immigration. We are convinced that we muts safeguard America's principles, institutions and future; that overwhelming numbers cannot change their attitude, customs, and
culture quickly enough; that we cannot provide adequate means
for the Americanization of incoming multitudes. We are convinced that the incoming peoples would supplant the rights, opportunities, and future that rightly belong to Americans and
their children. We are convinced that it is difficult for some races
to be amalgamated, transformed and Americanized to produce
harmony with American ideals.
For patriotic, economic, and cultural reasons, restrictive immigration is necessary. As President-elect, Herbert Hoover was
right in saying, "The restriction upon immigration is a boon not
only to those of my hearers who were born on American soil, but
to those who have come from the old countries, for every one
would suffer equally by the lowering of our wages and standards of living."
Sirs, I propose a solution of the immigration problem on
more American, equitable, just and honorable basis. Without
insult to any race, without discrimination against any people, and
without nullification of human rights. My proposition is simple:
First, let the number of races and their population be ascertained.
Second, find the percentage of each race and nationality in penitentiary and jail, in orphanage and poor-farm, in illiteracy and
�18
THE SYRIAN WORLD
poverty. Third, secure facts about the health, education, patriotism of the rising generations. Fourth, let the immigration quota
be set on the basis of American loyalty, law-obedience, and industrious living. Let it be remembered that the public schools will
help solve the immigration, education and Americanization problems. Restrictive immigration will give guidance in selecting
incoming people, accelerate the Americanization process, and protect America's nationalism. The Constitutional guarantees will
maintain pure Americanism, provide adequate defense and uphold
national harmony.
IV. The Decision of Syrian-Americans to Uphold the Honor
of Their Race.
It seems the Senator who slandered my race knew that we
Syrian-Americans, being few in number, could not be heard above
the crowd. The Senator who villified my race must have known
that we Syrian-Americans were not racially organized and could
not speak powerfully for ourselves. The Senator who insulted
my race must have realized the Syrian race in the world was
small numerically, unrepresented by ambassadors, and unaMe to
resort to arms. Did the Senator lack the milk of human kindness: Was he ignorant of Syrian race history? Was he filled
with race bigotry that he inaugurated race persecution? Is race
organization necessary in America as insurance against race slander by the Senator?
Sirs, what man of you who nursed from his mother's breast
whose blood would not boil with indignation at the slander of
his mother and her kind? What man of you with human feelings
would not be fired with resistance at the insult of his person and
race? WThat man of you with paternal instincts for his child
would not fight at the disgrace of his child and family?
Sirs, shall we Syrian-Americans submit like dumb, driven
cattle to this ignominy and disgrace? Shall we keep silent lest
we offend you by our self-defense? Shall we cower like brute
beasts before greater numbers of other races? Sooner will our
tongues be torn by their roots, our eyes gouged out of their
sockets, and our hearts plucked from our breasts ere we consent
to such cowardly proposals. Sirs, we shall not submit, we shall
not keep silent, we shall not cower; rather, we shall resist, fight
and press our righteous cause before heaven.
But Senators, this is not the question of one race, but of all
1
..ijffBiii !_
>
» »K.£V.
I rif _
�APRIL, 1930
.
t-
races, civilizations and nations. The slandering senator has made
the American immigration problem the occasion for the world
race question.
Again let us be guided by the lessons of history. Yesterday
the cohorts of Persia, Babylon, Nineveh and Egypt overran
the Near East. Yesterday the armies of Hannibal, Alexander,
and Caesar galloped over the earth. Yesterday the Ottomans,
Spain, and Portugal swayed their powers over mankind. Today
they are all lying in the dark past, their powers destroyed, and
their civilizations a memory.
Seventy-five years ago Japan would have been considered
among the backward and inferior races. One hundred years ago
Russia, Prussia and Austria were not even mentioned at the Holy
Alliance. One hundred and twenty-five years ago China, Japan,
Belgium, Australia, and South Africa had not appeared on the
world horizon. One hundred and fifty years ago the United
States did not exist.
He would be a rash, unreasonable, and presumptuous man
who, in the light of history, would venture to draw permanent
lines for all times separating the backward from the forward
people, the inferior from the superior races, and the uncivilized
from the civilized nations. There is no basis of scientific facts,
divine revelations, or historical deductions that any race, nation,
or people is forever to be the superior of earth. For the backward, inferior and uncivilized race, nation, or people of yesterday may tomorrow supplant the forward, superior, and civilized
races, nations, and peoples of today. Thus, in the light of history,
there is nothing to be gained from race arrogance, national exploitation and military dominance.
As for the Syrian race it is among the most intelligent of
the races, among the most talented people of mankind, and
among the most progressive of immigrant races in America.
Chas. W. Eliot, president of Harvard University, said, "Millions of European and Near-Eastern people have crossed the
Atlantic and taken the serious risk of attempting to secure a foothold in fresh and free America, because they hoped to escape
from economic pressure and chronic poverty. * * * The early
comers took the risks of the wilderness, the Indians, the untried
climate, and the unknown diseases. The late comers have dared
the perils of congested cities, of novel industries and of insecure
employment. Hence, by heredity, the white Americans of today
)
\
::.;-
.
.-... *
'
�20
THE SYRIAN WORLD
—of whatever race or stock—have a fair chance to be by nature
independent, bold, and enterprising." George Adam Smith
quotes Hogarth's statement, "There is no more enterprising, no
keener intellect in the Near East than the Syrian of the Fringe
—the inhabitants of the Lebanon and the Syrian littoral." Talcott Williams says of the Syrians in America, "No more intellectual immigration has come to us in the past forty years."
The modern renaissance of the Syrian race is already bringing forward a world Syrian race, world Syrian influence, and
world Syrian commerce. Therefore, as Syrian-Americans, because of our race inheritance, race legacies, and race progress
we boldly stand for the honor of our race, and resist the slander
hurled at us in the senate chamber.
I . The Demand of Syrian-Americans for Their Rights as American Citizens.
We Syrian-American citizens demand what are our rights as
Americans. First, on the basis of the Constitutional guarantees.
Second, on the ground of having made the supreme sacrifice during the World War. Third, on the foundation of being Godfearing, liberty-loving, law-abiding, and industrious-living people.
We ask for no special privileges, we desire no exceptional favors,
and we want no rights but what belong to all Americans.
It is what a man is through choice, growth and achievement
that counts and not what he is by accident of birth, place and
circumstance. That is the true basis of American citizenship,
ideals and institutions. That is what lies back of America's character, prosperity and progress. That is the real ground of America's spirit, development and future. That is the foundation of
America's doctrine of equality. .
We Syrian-Americans are proud of our ancestors because we
would emulate them. We are proud of the achievements of our
forefathers because we desire to achieve like them. We are proud
of our fathers because we would imitate their progressive spirit.
As for pride of race, in itself it is a delusion, for no man chose
his race. As' for pride of place, in itself it is a fiction, for no man
picked his birthplace. As for pride of color, in itself it.is a superstition, for no man selected his color.
I demand what rightfully belong to Syrian American citizens
on the basis of American citizenship. Chas. W. Eliot groups the
Syrian Christian immigrants in America with the highest types
�—"
—
21
APRIL, 1930
of America's pioneers. "The English Pilgrims and Puritans, the
French Huguenots, the Scotch Covenanters, the Moravians, the
Quakers, the Russian jews and the Syrian Chnstians all fled
from religious hostilities or restrictions, and meant to secure, or
expected to find, in the New World freedom to worship God
each in his own way. They found that liberty, and ultimately
established in the United States a regime of absolute religious
toleration " We Syrian-Americans are Americans in heart, have
made America a permanent homeland, and have an American
outlook. Let us Americans repudiate race superiority, for it is
at the expense of other races; let us do away with race prejudice,
for it is due to lack of appreciation of other races; let us do away
with race discrimination, for it is founded on the discount ot
equal opportunities to other races.
On the basis of America's doctrine of equal liberty to American citizens we Syrian-Americans claim equal respect for our
race on the ground of equality with other races in America, as
well as equality of citizenship, equality of opportunity and
equality before the law.
VI. The Assurance of Victory Is Trough a Firm Trust in God.
Senators, the assurance of victory for the honor of the Syrian
race is a firm trust in God. Since our trust is in God our faith
is well founded. We are confident of final triumph because ot
the righteousness of our cause. But let it be remembered that
we did not choose this race controversy, we did not provoke this
race strife, we did not bring on us this race struggle.
Shall Senators rally to the side of race good-will, national
harmony, and human brotherhood, or to the side of race prejudice,
national sectionalism, and human strife?
Will you sing the hymn of race hatred of the slandering
Senator and betray, like Judas Iscariot, the Gospel of Christian
brotherhood for the glittering things of earth; will you apostatize, like Julian the Apostate, from the truth that would make
mankind free to uphold a dying superstition; and will you bargain, like Benedict Arnold, the republic of free men for the
sordid reward of the enemy of human progress?
I believe God has given the standard to which we should
rally It is my belief that God is the Creator, preserver and
governor of the universe; that He is the Father of all races
alike- that the Golden Rule is the guide for race relationships;
inmiffismim .
... --..
,: ? .
sessssMsssis - v;-5v-"«;».>v.->.
�22
THE SYRIAN WORLD
and that we ought to be brethren. It is my sentiment that we
uphold pure Americanism, equal citizenship, and industrious living. In the name of God, in the spirit of America's founders,
and for the sake of posterity let there be no race arrogance, race
division, or race hatred among us, rather let there be one race,
an American race; one flag, an American flag; one allegiance, an
American allegiance that shall transcend race, color, creed and
birthplace in a common American patriotism.
I predict the outcome of the race problem in America. The
day is here, and it is coming to the whole world, that no more
shall any one, group, or race be slandered, hindered or judged
on the basis of race prejudice.
With my eyes lifted to the God of mankind, my hand saluting the flag of our country, and with a prayer in my heart imploring Divine blessing, let us judge patriotism on the guarantees of
the Constitution, men on the basis of character, races on the
ground of humanity, and issues on the foundation of justice.
It is upon the Constitution, character, humanity and justice that
I claim equal respect for the glorious Syrian race among the
races of mankind.
Despair
By
NAJLA SABE
I wandered by the sea last night
To watch the foamy waves,
But more to hear their dismal groans
Resounding in the caves.
I heard them tell their tales of woe
In melancholy tones,
And heard their answer to my prayers
In mournful, fitful moans.
*
*
*
Oh Sea! If thou, a soulless thing,
Hast felt the pang of Life
How much more I, who live and love,
Must shoulder in the strife'
,,
�^
23
APRIL, 1930
Wayfarers of the Lowly Road
By
PAUL DEAB
EWER searching, our eyes seek a star,
That most precious jewel in the diadem
Which night does wear. And from afar
Our lowly road seems to wind on endlessly,
For we may not rest now and then
To hear the matins of birds, and lovingly
To touch the crimson of a rose,
Whose fragrance tells us its presence is so near.
We would forget that mortal woes
Shall be our fate. We would have not e'en one fear—
If in willows' shade we might lie,
And glimpse through swaying branches the magic sight
Of moods that fill the golden sky
As it dons the star-flecked sapphire veils of night.
Life sent for our journey the hours,
But gave us not one to spare for happy things;
Not one for music or flowers.
As though imbedded in our mind, ever rings
The cry that these hours are soon gone;
And the omnipresent fear there be no bread.
By a thousand fears are we torn.
Onward, we are into Eternity led,
Very weary. Yet shall we smile
For having rejoiced to feel the ecstasy
Of kind hands leading us awhile,
Of friendships made on this road of Destiny.
�'
---•-
THE SYRIAN WORLD
24
The Return Home
(A SHORT STORY)
By Louis
MARON
MAJIB was leaning on the railing of the upper deck at the stern
of the ship. He was watching the unending, foamy path
trailing behind them in the water. He could still see dimly the
harbor of Beirut, in the distance, and a little nearer, the American University, his Alma Mater. His young, handsome face lit
up as he fondly thought of the beautiful site of the college, of
his evening walks around the campus, and of the magnificent
view of the waters and harbor as seen from the college. Nothing had so inspired him as the lovely sunsets on the Mediterranean waters. He used to stay for hours at a time watching
their colorful, slow progress, in enraptured silence. How he was
going to miss these! Yet, they had told him of many more wonderful things in America. Perhaps they have beautiful sunsets
there, too. His brain was a whirl of past and future events. He
thought of his friends and how they had envied him when he
told them that he was going to America to continue studying.
He wondered if the college in New York was as nice as his in
Beirut. His eyes kindled as he thought of New York! In a few
weeks he would be there and see for himself all that was claimed
for it. New York had always seemed to him a realm of opportunity and adventure; yet today, as he thought of it," he felt
uneasy. His reveries seemed to have a flaw in them, a, worldly
element which was constantly interrupting them and troubling
him. And then he thought of his mother—sad and lonely, looking at him with pleading, tearful eyes. Yes, that was why his
happiness was not complete. He covered his face with his hands.
He was ashamed at the thought of leaving his mother without
a word of parting. What would she do when she found out that
he had gone—gone to a country which she knew so little about?
He trembled! How would she bear it? He made a resolution,
then, to pray each night for her welfare and health. Najib loved
the fulfillment of his ambitions and had allowed this passing
love to conquer his everlasting, sincere love for his mother. But
�25
APRIL, 1930
lie would repay her! Yes, he would write to her always—comforting letters. He would earn much money in New York—New
York, the city of fortune, teeming with good American dollars.
Yes and he would send her many of them, and perhaps then
she would be happv. The thought of acquiring money easily and
quickly braced him. He straightened his strong, lithe body.
Again he gazed at the rippling foam of the waters. He was surprised to rind that Night had suddenly taken possession of the
world during his reveries. And he was glad. He loved Night;
it helped him to dream such lovely things. The sight now from
his position on the deck was much more beautiful than before.
The moon was directly above the path of foam and was decorating it daintily with sparkling dots of silver. It was a perfect orb,
with a soft, mellow halo about it. Fluffy, black clouds covered
it now and then. Najib felt like a child and delighted in catching sight of it as it emerged from behind its temporary hiding
place, beaming and radiant with light. He stayed there for a
long while, discovering new sights and visions to refresh his sensitive, weary mind.
*
*
Three years have passed and Najib is still in New York. He
is now taking only one course at college, devoting most of the
day to his work. He has had a hard time promoting a business
enterprise of his own and even now he is having trouble trying
to keep things going smoothly. Just a little time remains to
himself and this he generously gives to his blond American
friend He liked her ever since he met her at an affair given by
one of his friends. She always seems to him so pleasant and
cheerful He likes the way she pronounces his name and admires
even more the way she talks in her inimitable, babyish way.
His letters to his mother have dwindled to an average ot
about one every four months. She is writing him faithfully,
pleading with him to come back. She enquires constantly about
his health and well-being. He knows in advance what each of
her forthcoming letters will contain. Yet he likes to receive and
read them He can picture his mother so vividly wnen reading
her letters He wants to write to her more often, but his time
is not his own. No, his time belongs to his business. His career
needs all his attention now. When he becomes successful he will
make up for everything. His mother must realize this. Doesn t
�26
THE SYRIAN WORLD
she want him to become rich? For then he could send for her
his IitH " "IT f ,Ve *?&***"• He *nUes as he thinks of
his little, o d-fash.oned mother. What would she think of New
\ork and ,ts dazzlmg, breath-taking activities? He ho es she
will bke his American friend. Yes, she will have to if she is to
live with him. But, now, he must forget about the future and
concentrate on his business. Plenty of time for these other things!
*
*
*
*
nt
is now more
ful
\yeHe
£ hhas
f Sdiscovered
Fd ^ Najib
ful, IutnT
but not much.
that his dreams of successacauir-
NfwTorrevJntit "" "^ ^ ^ * "* ^ *
Najib is changed. Success and riches do not lure him on to
work as they used to. He has no more the blond, babyish^frienS
With the sweet sm.le. He has no more the pitiful letters from
m
h, ag.„g
th
H
]S done now_]onesome and de
nde°n
He s,t at his desk and gazes blankly at the world. What ails
him? l<or months he searches for the cause of his despondency
It dawns upon him suddenly that he is homesick-homesick for
everything—his mother, and Lebanon with its beautiful hills and
plains. But most of all his mother. He longs to see her againYnSl rVKSt g°A baCk- ?°thing n°W entices hi to «tay in New
York. O her, deeper things lure him. But he'll come back to
New York! Oh, yes! For when he is well again, he will pick
up he stray threads of his business and ambitions and everyth
g
y
g
will be as he wishes it to be.
Again he is on the ship, standing on the spot where he had
stood seven long years ago. He is thinking of the mother whom
he has not seen for so many years! Is she changed? Will she
greet him the way he had imagined she would? He dopes'so
and is confident of it.
* l
He has reached his little town in Lebanon radiant with the
thought of seeing his mother again. Najla, his childhood friend,
tells him about her. Najib,s stunned! He cannot believe it He
is dazed and seems oblivious to everything. Not until he has" seen
the little rooms of his home, does he realize it all. He cries bitCOnSC
IA
U L
flce tortures hi - Why hadn't he communiCr
And
his h
dreams
fututTf
°/KtenerL
"F and
°P£S and
o£ hears
their
future
life ,together:
Shattered
lost!
He constantly
the soft, consoling voice of Najla—his mother's faithful com-
PMHHBMIHHMHMHBHI
'
�"
27
APRIL, 1930
panion. But not even that will fill the vacuum in his heart. He
needs no comfort. He wants to fight it out alone with himself.
Many months pass and Najib is still living in the same state
of misery and loneliness. One day he finds himself gazing fondly at Najla, who is now keeping house for him as she had for his
mother. Najla is pretty! Was she always like that? He never
noticed it before. How quietly she went about her duty! Everything she does or says now seems perfect to him. Her presence
makes him happier now. He wants her to be near him all the
time. Najla is conscious of the sudden change in Najib. She
blushes when their hands accidently touch. Najib wonders. Does
she feel the same way about him as he does about her? He determines to find out! Would she ? He is relieved when she reassures him. Najib is happy. He hasn't felt so in such a long time
that now it seems almost unreal. Najla is happy, too. Happy
to be with him, and happy because they are going to America.
On the day that they are to leave the little town of^ thenchildhood, Najla brings out a large oil painting of Najib's
mother. Najib reverently kisses it and prepares it for its long
journey home with them.
Beethoven
By
THOMAS ASA
Oh, immortal master of divine intent!
Though you now rest in silence and repose,
And thy knowing heart and eyes did close
Upon the world you knew, with full content,
Your deathless voice has chained this firmament jMade it forget its earthly cares and woes,
Dispelled the menace of life's hidden floes—
A messenger of love by Heaven sent.
The wings of time shall bear the joyful praise
Of creatures of the earth, with lips released
By thy vicarious touch of Godly flame j
That shall guide the soul through fruitful ways,A light to ages yet to come—till all has ceased}
Your genius has not left the world the same.
u
�28
THE SYRIAN WORLD
From Beirut to the Palestine
Border
A CHRONOLOGICAL RECORD OF THE
EDITOR'S TRIP ABROAD
By
SALLOUM
A.
MOKARZEL
VII
RISING directly behind Beirut, and forming a sort of backdrop
to the level plain which serves as stage to the capital city, is
the district of Ash-Shouf, one of the most beautiful and populous sections of the Lebanon range. Aleih, the summer capital
of the Lebanese Republic, is in this district, and although situated
at an elevation of 2500 feet, the distance from the capital proper
is but twenty minutes by automobile. Along the same latitude
towards the south are a number of important towns but a few
miles apart. If all places of interest in Lebanon were to be seen,
these could not be missed.
Aleih is the gateway to this section in that it lies directly on
the Beirut-Damascus highway. It offers much of the cosmopolitan aspect} its cafes and shops and bustling traffic and general
activity immediately betray its official character. But as one travels further south, away from the main highway, he comes more
and more into the Lebanese atmosphere, although of a decidedly
refined and modern character. The comparative proximity to
the city and the increasing means of easy transportation have converted the towns of this district into virtual suburbs. I was told
that since the war regular commutation to Beirut has been maintained during all seasons.
Aside from considerations of general interest, I had definite
personal reasons for visiting this section. Souk-El-Gharb is the
hometown of my friend and schoolmate, Nasib Kalaf, and
the summer residence of the great Arab scholar, Jabr Dumit,
whose golden jubilee as teacher of Arabic in the American University of Beirut was celebrated only a year before. We were
friends through correspondence, and in paying my respects to
mm
I
�mamm
APRIL, 1930
29
him I was voicing the admiration of his thousands of Syrian and
Lebanese admirers throughout America. Alas that he should
have passed away before the close of the year!
From there the road led to Shamlan. This is a town I would
not have failed to visit even if it were not so easy to reach. It is
the hometown of our celebrated scholar Dr. Philip K. Hitti as
well as that of our well-beloved compatriot Ibrahim K. Hitti.
Who knows that this little hamlet will not some day house a
national shrine?
And only a few miles further south was Abeih, hometown
of one of our shining literary lights in America, Dr. Salim\ .
Alkazin. I could tell by the first glance at his venerable mother,
sitting serenely on the stoop of her home facing the massive old
church, whence had come her son's rich spiritual heritage. Ihen
there must be something inspirational in the natural topography ot
the town. It nestles snuggly on a bluff overlooking a succession
of gently deploying valleys which terminate in the vast stretches
of the coastal plain to the south of Beirut. The plain here appears
like an immense checkerboard with its yellow patches of desert
and green squares of sown. It merges harmoniously into the
limpid blue of the placid Mediterranean.
This circumscribed tour of the district was accomplished in
a single afternoon. That night I spent in the city to permit ot
my early continuation the next morning on the last eg ot my
travels through Lebanon. At that season they were busily engaged
in widening the road from Beirut to Sidon and covering it with
asphalt. General traffic was permitted only at certain intervals
during the day, and the authorities were most strict in showing
no favoritism. Hence the necessity of an early departure.
The morning of August 21 found us speeding south in the
direction of the Palestine border. Soon we came to the famous
olive grove of Shwaifat, said to be the third largest in the world.
Then we passed the wireless station at Khalda, which is in daily
communication with the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Ad-Damour,
with its vast mulberry groves and numerous silk filatures, was
the next town of importance on the way. At that time of the
year, however, its river had almost dried up leaving the broad
beach in a not altogether hospitable appearance of deso ation and
nakedness. Tradition tells us, nevertheless, that it was hospitab e
enough to Jonah when he was cast ashore by the inhospitable
whale after his three days' incarceration.
�1
30
^
THE SYRIAN WORLD
While passing through a small town below Ad-Damour, our
chauffeur, who in this instance was a Metwali native of the section, brought his car to a sudden stop and complained of being
hit by a pebble. Blood was trickling from a wound in his forehead just above the left eye. He had been more observant than
we and said that two small boys about a hundred feet away were
engaged at the pastime of pelting passersby with stones, and he
would remonstrate with their parents who were the keepers of
a nearby inn. At first we thought we would not interfere, but
soon we heard piercing shrieks and screams from the direction
of the inn. Fearing the little incident might develop into a serious affair between the chauffeur and the lads' parents we decided
to investigate. Think of our surprise when, upon our arrival, we
discovered the father belaboring the youngsters mercilessly with
a mulberry twig. He was profuse in his apologies to us and to
the chauffeur. "The boys are of an irresponsible age," he remarked, "but they must learn to welcome and protect strangers
instead of molesting them." This was in strict keeping with the
universally observed Lebanese tradition.
We reached the city of Sidon shortly before noon. My cousin, Joseph Mokarzel, would not rest until he found his local
agent. And he was right in his insistance, for the agent proved
to be a neat young chap having ready access to all quarters and
all places of historical interest in the city. The car could not
travel in the narrow, tortuous streets of the old town, so he led
the way on foot to the waterfront. Going through this once
famous Phoenician seaport one did not have to draw much on his
imagination to reconstruct its hoary civilization and the conditions under which its inhabitants of old lived and worked. The
guide led us to places the ordinary tourist could hardly hope to
see—through the old Moslem and Christian quarters, past rows
of small doorways opening on inner courts that left much to be
desired from the sanitary viewpoint. Every block seemed to be
a fort in itself, built in heavy masonry with narrow and dingy
passages giving the aspect of catacombs, and the denizens flitting
about noiselessly like phantoms. The guide explained that he
was leading to the old Crusaders' fort, of which only an isolated
tower and a block house remained. But the objective did not
prove as interesting as the sites encountered en route. At one
time we actually had to stoop to pass under a stone arch supporting tower-like dwellings. He made the amazing statement that
i
�The plain of Saida, ancient Phoenician city, viewed from the piazza of a palace crowning
one of the neighboring hills.
o*
�b;
V:
General view of the Crusaders'* Castle protecting the harbor and
city of Saida. Its only value at present is that of
a relic of antiquity.
» <,m.... « m
I .1.1 ill I MJXjf WgSWgB
•oBpp
si
it
�*
APRIL, 1930
33
that passageway was actually not only a public thoroughfare, but
one of the main traffic arteries of the old quarter of the city.
Perhaps the most imposing sight in Sidon is the sea fort. It
is reached over a causeway that has fallen in ruins in places and
is covered by planks. Within this causeway was buijt an acqueduct to supply the fort with potable water during sieges.
The lone guardian of the fort opened the dilapidated wooden
door to let us into the enclosure. Alice Mokarzel, an Egyptianborn niece of Joseph Mokarzel, displayed not only bravery but
sure-footedness in negotiating the risky passages of the fortifications We went as far as the extreme tower, at the base of which
can still be observed, in a good stage of preservation, the ominous
looking sea gate. What desperate hand-to-hand encounters must
have taken place throughout the centuries in the narrow passages
leading up from the landing within this tower!
The guardian called our attention to the walls of the fort
facing the sea in which were still embedded the solid cannon balls
used before the invention of explosive shells. He also pointed
-' out the ruins of what was once the chapel during the occupation
Tof the Crusaders.
,
.. ,
The mental picture of days gone by, with all their bloody
and desperate struggles, evoked by the sight of these historic
ruins, was rudely shattered when we repaired to what was described to us as the cleanest restaurant in town. There we discovered that this was made possible through the enterprise of a
former Syrian emigrant in America, one who had seen service
on Atlantic Ave. in Brooklyn and who was now doing a thriving
business by providing his patrons with clean napkins and decent
service.
We could have continued from Sidon to the other famous
Phoenician city, Tyre. But I chose to visit Jedaidat Merjioun
and enter Palestine from the inland route. The road led to the
Khardaly Bridge, where the French army made its last desperate
stand against the Druze rebels in 1925 and effectively stemmed
their tide. Above this bridge, on the crest of a steep hill whose
bare sides rise almost perpendicularly from the depth of the
valley, is the famous Crusaders fort of Shakif, its black walls
silhouetted menacingly against the azure skies. One could hardly
imagine a more imposing and awe-inspiring sight.
Before reaching Jedaidat we stopped at a melon-grower's
hut to sample the watermelons for which this section is noted.
�I
—IIW
MMMn
34
THE SYRIAN WORLD
A section of the old. sea fortification of Sidon, now partly used as
dwellings, as viewed from the causeway leading to the Crusaders'
Castle.
They proved to be of a small variety, only a little larger in some
cases than ordinary oranges. They are sold by weight and the
virtues ascribed to them were surprising. "Place the melon in
the shade for three minutes and it becomes as cold as ice," asserted the vender. We acted on his advice but were not convinced.
The natural flavor of the melon, however, was all that was
claimed for it.
That evening I was the guest of Ceasar Rashid, brother of
mv good friend in America Mubadda Rashid of Chautauqua.
About twenty prominent citizens attended the dinner, and their
geniality, hospitality and culture were in keeping with the standard of their compatriots in America. The host requested George
Samra, then on a visit from New York, to act as toastmaster.
The speakers included Dr. Mujalli Jabara, George Nada, George
Shadid, Dr. Michel Jabara, N. Farha, Alfred Samra and the
editor of Al-Nahdat, one of the two local papers.
In responding, it was but natural to tell the homefolks of the
wonderful success their townsmen had achieved in America. The
immigrants of Jedaidat are a credit to the Syrians in every field
of endeavor.
It was most gratifying to learn of the extent of progressiveness among the inhabitants of Jedaidat. Here is a town that is
MM
I
�\\
APRIL, 1930
35
A general view of Jedaidat, taken from the highest hill of the
town which is to be soon converted to a reservoir through the
enterfrise of Jedaidat immigrants in America.
one-hundred per cent, literate. Education is paramount in the
mind of every citizen so that out of a population of two thousand,
the twelve hundred minors of school age all attend school. In
this respect it may be held out as the ideal town of Lebanon.
Another virtue of the citizens of Jedaidat is their civic pride
and patriotic solidarity. While entering the town I noticed a
beautiful cemetery, surrounded by a neat stone wall above which
could be seen stately cypresses and numerous elaborate tombstones. Inquiry revealed that all denominations, Orthodox, Catholics and Protestants, had subordinated denominational differences to the creation of this civic enterprise.
Jedaidat supports two weekly newspapers, both well edited
and of good typographical appearance. They not only serve the
local community, but furnish the connecting link between the
town and its emigrant sons abroad.
_
Ceasar Rashid accompanied me on a visit to the Melchite
cathedral where we met the Rt. Rev. Clement Sayegh who had
just returned from a visit to South America. The bishop was
occupying temporary quarters while his residence was being rebuilt after it had been destroyed by the Druzes during their
occupation of Jedaidat in their last revolution. The church building during those eventful times was used as a stable, and the
I
�:^*y BaasMSM ': aaiBw
56
THE SYRIAN WORLD
mf!e*w;-
i
77;,* Old-Country conception of kaif—a picnicking party at the
headwaters of the Hasbani river on an improvised island-cafe.
Running water is music to Lebanese ears.
sacred vessels carried away. Bullet marks were still visible in
the dome and other parts of the church.
N. Farha treated me to a pleasant surprise. He led me up
the highest hill in Jedaidat commanding a superb view of the
countryside for miles around. "On this spot," he said, "we plan
to build a reservoir which not only will supply Jedaidat with
drinking water to be distributed in the homes, but also furnish
ample water for irrigation purposes. Water is plentiful in yonder river below, and the hydroelectric power we will generate
will serve both to supply the town with light and power and
serve to pump the water to the reservoir. Then this arid land
will be transformed into radiant gardens. We could ship the
produce to nearby and distant markets and can the remainder
according to American methods for home and foreign markets.
This will become possible when power is made available. Building of home industry is the salvation of the country."
Farha was a successful business man in the United States.
He returned to Lebanon early in 1929 to devote himself to the
promotion of this project in which he is being morally and financially supported by his fellow immigrants of Jedaidat in America. He has already secured the franchise from the Lebanese
government.
�APRIL, 1930
37
Part of the party at the Hasbani river during the editor's visit to
Jedaidat. Mr. Farha is the bare-headed man with glass in center.
Mrs. Farha is mixing the ingredients for the Kibbe.
With such initiative and enterprise, Jedaidat could be transformed into a garden spot.
The following morning we breakfasted at the modern home
of the Samras. The revolution had visited this, as well as many
other homes in Jedaidat, with either complete or partial destruction, and all are being rebuilt or repaired principally with funds
from America. Nejib Samra went back home for a visit a few
years ago, and his brother George undertook the same pilgrimage
last year, and each contributed to make the parental home a
model of modern comfort.
One is actually overwhelmed by the wholehearted hospitality
of the people of Jedaidat. I was anxious to cross early into Palestine, only a few miles distant, but they insisted on treating me
to a real picnic at the headwaters of the Hasbani River. Farha
was host on this occasion and the lambs slaughtered and the Kibbe
pounded and the Arac provided were sufficient to provision an
army. And we were in fact a small army and lived up to the
most accepted army traditions in this respect.
There must have been in Jedaidat at the time more than a
score who were returning from the United States alone for a
visit to the homeland. One of these was bent on roughing it to
the limit When the party broke up in the late afternoon he
despisingiy spurned the offer to ride back to town in an automo-
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
38
bile. Shouldering his gun and rolling up his pants almost to
the knee, he hit the road alone with the assertion that he would
reach town before dark.
Close by Jedaidat is the town of Hasbaya which was the scene
of a bloody massacre during the uprising of 1860 and to which
we paid a short visit. Midway between Jedaidat and Hasbaya is
Kawkaba, whose inhabitants covered themselves with glory by
their valiant defense of their homes during the recent revolution. From time immemorial the history of that part of Syria
seems to be a continuous record of bloody feuds. I crossed the
border into Palestine that afternoon only to encounter another
bloody outbreak with the memorable Arab-Jewish riots of
August 23.
The Syrian Laborer
By
JONARD EGIS
"THE factory whistles shriek: it's five o'clock.
The mother lays her child in bed and goes
To heat the supper
"Liz, be sure to rock
The baby if he cries." Fair Lizbeth throws
Her doll aside and runs to baby's bed,
To look into his laughing eyes and say
That baby has the prettiest little head
In all the world. It seems, at end of day,
Her brother feels that father will arrive;
For now he smiles and waves his clenched fist
To show the world he's happy he's alive.
The mother looks outside: a treacherous mist
Pervades the streets
and father has not worn
His coat
She worries
In the hall she hears
His step
At last
the father's come. Man born
To work is he: a giant with no fears
—Except that one, of God. No school had he
In youth to aid him in his later life;
No books of science and philosophy;
Yet see what Life has granted him: a wife
Who loves, is faithful; children satisfied;
A place called Home to which he returns at night:
A happy, God-bless'd man, who spaces wide
Can face and shout that all on Earth is right.
it
�APRIL, 1930
39
Book Reviews
ANOTHER NOTABLE BOOK BY RIHANI
Around the Coasts of Arabia, by Ameen Rihani, New York,
Houghton Mifflin Company, 364 pp. $6.00.
ANY book by Ameen Rihani on Arabia is bound to be hailed as
a distinct contribution to Arabian lore. His former book entitled Maker of Modern Arabia, or Ibn Saoud, His Country and
His People, was considered the most notable addition in modern
times to the sum total of our knowledge on Arabia. And if it is
so considered with almost common consent it must rank among
the most notable contributions of all times, because Arabia remains today as in all times past the country of inscrutable mystery of whose forbidden interior only the most daring had ever
had a glimpse.
Not so, however, with our celebrated author and traveler
Rihani. He had access to every spot in Arabia with the exception
of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. And even these he
could have seen if he but wished to profess Islam, but this he
would not do not through any religious scruples, but simply because he would not buy a privilege on any condition. He is so
broad on matters religious that he could not conscientiously be
bound to any one creed.
Rihani's accounts of his Arabian experiences and adventures
lose nothing, however, through this seeming deficiency. Of the
two Moslem holy cities Mecca is by far the most important, and
Mecca is forbidden to all but Moslems, which puts it beyond
the immediate interest of travelers, while descriptions of it so
far published by Moslems and others have deprived it of a good
deal of its element of mystery. All other parts of Arabia, however, are lands of potentialities, yet only very little was known
about them. Never before, we believe, was such a comprehensive
account given of these parts of the world as in Rihani's recent
work.
.
,.,- j
Rihani is one of the very few contemporaries qualified to
speak authoritatively on modern Arabia. His travels in that
country were conducted under the most auspicious circumstances.y
T,rw-~i**"**-
�ammamm
40
THE SYRIAN WORLD
making it possible for him to learn and observe what the casual
traveler could never hope to know. He was the guest of the Arab
potentates wherever he went, inasmuch as his professed object
was to bring about a federation of Arab states. Arabic, besides,
being his native language, he was able to gather all his information first-hand.
While in his former work Rihani dealt with Ibn Saoud's
kingdom, in his other book just published he deals with all the
countries along the Arabian coasts. The book is in five parts, the
first dealing with the author's experiences while with King Husein in the Hijaz, the second while with the Adrisi, the third is
on the subject of Kuwait, the fourth about Bahrain and the fifth
about Aden and the Protectorates.
The book abounds with interesting information and anecdote.
Rihani in it is at his best and the reader finds himself fascinated
by the charm of description and the wealth of material. One
almost lives with the author those memorable days he spent with
each potentate, so vivid and gripping the style.
To our readers this, as well as other books by Rihani, should
have a special appeal. The author is one of us, and to share with
his host of admirers throughout the English-speaking world
their admiration of him is the least that could be expected of us
We should have his works not alone as a gesture of appreciation
but as a distinctive mark of culture in our homes and pride in
our men of outstanding achievement.
A USEFUL BOOK
The Syrian-American Directory Almanac for 1930, Arida and
Andria, New York, $2.50.
By the publication of this book, Nasib Arida and Sabri Andria have rendered the Syrian community a genuine service
which fills a Jong-felt want. The arrangement of the work is
comprehensive. It is divided into two main parts, the first being
in Arabic and containing much useful information serving as a
source of ready reference on Syrian history, political divisions of
the country and a historical sketch of Syrian immigration to
the United States, while the other section contains a business and
residential directory of Manhattan and Brooklyn in both Arabic
m
——
a
t
r
\
�I
APRIL, 1930
41
IF.
and English. This should prove invaluable for business purposes
whether for Syrian or American concerns wishing to circularize
the Syrians. The publishers promise to issue the directory annually, with additions that will gradually cover all parts of the
United States and perhaps, in time, Canada and Mexico.
With the appearance of Arida and Andria's publication, announcement was made of similar projects to.be undertaken locally
for the city of Detroit and the State of California. Naturally,
when the Syrian-American Directory is complete, as we hope it
will be in time, the other local directories will become unnecessary.
A Syrian-American Business Directory for all the United
States was published over twenty years ago by S. A. Mokarzel
and H. Otosh. It was discontinued after the first year for lack
of sufficient public support. Now, after the lapse of almost a
quarter of a century, we trust that the Syrian community will
appreciate the benefits of such a useful public enterprise sufficiently to lend it their support so that it may not prove as shortlived as its predecessor.
A BOOK ON RELIGION
The Pearl of Revelation, by Rev. Emmanuel Elkouri Hanna,
published by the author, 88 Washington St., New York City.
Rev. Emmanuel Elkouri Hanna is a Syrian Catholic missionary priest in America known among his friends for his original theories as to the High Priest Melkizadek. In the foreword
to his book he makes plain the fact that one of his principal objects in its publication is to "show who was Melkizadek and to
prove that he was a true man, a true priest and a true king having
a real father and mother." Other objects of the book are "to
prove that the sacrifices of the Old Law were real symbols of
our Divine Sacrifice, which is the Manna from Heaven; and that
the institution of the Holy Eucharist is Divine."
Church authorities and theologians are better judges of the
merits of such a work, and their approval is apparent from the
fact that it is published by the authority of His Eminence Cardinal Hayes of New York. The dedication is to the Rt. Rev. Joseph
Schrembs, bishop of Cleveland, Ohio.
�MM
42
THE SYRIAN WORLD
ENGLISH AND ARABIC MANUAL
MB k a
G
eya by Ur A J ArbeeJ
~ N.^ Z
\y\~
ti
k
- - ^
M. Dwb, N. Y., 670 pp. $6.00.
Publisked by
The second edition of this useful book was published by N.
M . Diab, editor of the Mirror of the West, who bought the pub^
n
rl
^Jrpmtht estate of the author, the late Dr. Arbeely
I he second edition is printed from the original plates of the firk
and is in every respect similar to it.
I 7 ?A cArbeely was one of the first Syrian immigrants to the
United States Having had his English education in the mother!
land and following it up to a great deal of advantage in Amer-
MSST*qualified for such a difficult work as appears
Mainly, the object of the book is to serve as a self-instructor
m English to readers of Arabic. The lessons are simplified by
the= transliteration of the exercises and the giving of the pronunciation in both languages. In this respect it is one of the most
useful books to be had in its class.
An added advantage of the work is the appendix consisting
of forty pages intended to help English-speaking persons learn
the Arabic language. The same simple and effective method is
here lollowed as in the other part of the book dealing with the
teaching of English to Arabic-speaking persons
REVISED ENGLISH-ARABIC DICTIONARY
Ellas' Modem Dictionary, by Elias A. Elias, Ettas' Modern
Press, Cairo, Egypt.
Mr Elias' Dictionary is by no means the only one of its
nature, but it surely ranks among the best. In its revised form
appearing late in 1929, many corrections and additions have been
introduced making the work more serviceable and dependable
whether for the student or the scholar. The hundreds of illustrations occurring in it give it a decided advantage.
Other recent publications by this publishing concern include
Arabic translations of The Socialistic Movement, by Ramsay
MacDonald; A Monk's Romance, by Alexis Bouvier, and other
novels and works on sociology by English and French authors
�APRIL, 1930
43
EDITORIAL COMMENT
lished in a former issue a short
report by Miss Hilda Fox on
the Lebanon Hospital for
pOR Dr. Corban's enthusiasm
Mental diseases. We now wish
over the Lebanon Hospital to announce that we have refor Mental Diseases, otherwise ceived from Miss Fox a numknown as Asfuriyeh, there is a ber of copies of the latest report
plausible reason. He is a spec- on this institution for free disialist in mental diseases and is tribution. Anyone interested
in a position to appreciate the may write us for a copy and it
great need of such institutions. will be cheerfully sent him.
Mentally deranged persons are
We are again referring to
no longer considered, in this
advanced age, as being pos- this hospital apropos of the
sessed by the devil and shackled publication of Dr. Corban's
and confined to dungeons. communication on the subject.
Medical science, combined with We cannot too highly comhumanitarian treatment, has mend the active .interest which
restored many an unfortunate this New Zealand-born Lebto a normal condition of health. anese physician has taken in the
Neglect in the initial stages of promotion of this project. It
mental, as well as of other dis- would be most gratifying to
eases and physical irregulari- see some Syrian or Lebanese
ties, is bound to aggravate the physician in all other countries
patient's conditions and perhaps follow his lead. Such work falls
lead to an incurable state, naturally within the province
whereas scientific care, applied of medical men and they
in time, might prove the means should take the initiative in
promoting it. A physician apof a complete cure.
In our age of high-tension preciates more than any other
living, mental derangements the importance of mental hyand nervous breakdowns are giene and the necessity of such
more prevalent than in former humanitarian enterprises, and a
times. Hence the necessity of committee of physicians, if
greater attention and care, and formed for the purpose, should
the urgency of providing suit- find little difficulty in interestable means for the proper treat- ing our men of wealth in the
cause.
ment of mental ills.
Dr. Corban has taken the
THE SYRIAN WORLD pub-
ASFURIYEH
A CRITERION
�44
initiative in New Zealand. He
has succeeded in interesting the
local press and raising considerable funds. He has set the
goal for his campaign at $15,000.
A further and most important consideration is that we
cannot depend forever in the
upkeep of our educational and
humanitarian institutions on
foreign charity. All claim to
national pride and all assertion
of the right for independence
fail of their own weight when
we make no concrete move to
take care of our own public institutions.
Independence in
educational and charitable enterprises should even be more
important to us than economic
independence. The latter will
follow as a natural result of the
former. We cannot hope to develop a national consciousness
when our educational and charitable destinies are controlled
and directed by foreigners.
So far practically all institutions of higher education in
Syria have been established and
are still directed by foreigners,
principally missionary interests.
The same statement, with perhaps a few exceptions of recent
origin, applies to charitable enterprises. This condition of continued dependence on foreigners spells ill for the country's
future.
THE SYRIAN WORLD
But with the present awakening of national consciousness
this condition should not be
suffered to continue much
longer. Already we are extended the invitation to share in the
management, and ultimately to
assume complete control, of
many such institutions. We
would naturally retain for the
founders the gratitude due
their benevolent initiative, but
aside from that, control and
direction should be in our
hands. The American University of Beirut is one of the institutions coming under this
class—the last campaign to
raise funds from among its
alumni and their friends was
launched on this understanding. It was a clear invitation
to the natives to share in the
support and management of
the institution with the avowed
purpose of ultimately assuming
full control. Other institutions
may be expected to adopt the
same policy.
Our fate is in our own hands,
and it would behoove us to
ponder the result of our continued dependence on foreign
charity, and to seriously consider the effect of such dependence on our national character,
for then we might be prompted
to accelerate the movement for
educational and economic independence which we believe is
bound to come eventually.
�APRIL, 1930
POTENTIAL FIELD
45
would still have ten or fifteen
thousand Syrian-Americans of
a comparatively high standard
of education. Are these not sufficient as potential readers?
A correspondent from South
Africa writes that his greatest
regret is that he cannot compete in THE SYRIAN WORLD
What would seem to be the
contest for a free trip to Syria. greatest obstacle in reaching
This would indicate that the this large number of Syrians is
idea of a free trip finds favor that they are too widely scatwith lovers of travel, especially tered. But, on the other hand,
when travel is to the homeland that should be all the more
of one's ancestors. Here in reason why they should be
America we have had unstinted reached. Protracted isolation
praise of the idea. It is agreed will in time result in complete
that the prize is valuable, the loss of one's racial identity.
terms liberal and the object This would be unfortunate for
most worthy. But why no con- what it would mean in the futestant has so far approached ture. Knowledge and appreciathe goal we are at a loss to un- tion of one's ancestral backderstand, except that entrants ground is a decided asset in the
in the contest are unwilling or cosmopolitan nature of the
unable to give the work suf- American nation, and a symficient time and effort. Other- pathetic understanding of one's
wise the goal should be easy of racial cutlure would mean a
attainment. The excuse of distinct addition to American
hard times is not sufficient to culture now in process of forstand in the way of securing a mation.
hundred subscriptions.
Syrians in America can contribute
largely along this line.
Out of a total of 250,000
Syrians in the United States, It would be a sad commentary
100,000 at least are American- on our racial pride if we canborn. All these must have at- not be aroused to an adequate
tended school, and no less than appreciation of our singular
fifty per cent, must have grad- racial heritage.
We are only too anxious to
uated from high school. Pubhave
someone win the prize.
lication of THE SYRIAN WORLD
was undertaken primarily for But it is only reasonable that
this element. They should all in order to win one should
be potential readers. Even if show results commensurate
we were to concede a drastic with the value of the prize
reduction in this estimate we offered.
i
�46
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Readers' Forum
SYRIAN SPECIALIST SUPPORTS
ASFURIYEH HOSPITAL PROJECT
Dr. Corban of New Zealand has
Faith that Syrians will not Be
Satisfied with Erection
of One Ward.
Editor The Syrian World
I was very glad indeed to see
commendable and honourable mention of the Lebanon Mental Hospital in your November issue. Unlike yourself, I have not yet had
the good fortune to pass by on the
Beirut-Damascus road and view in
reality what you bear witness to as
"the trim buildings, the well-kept
grounds, and the apparently contented inmates giving indications of
efficiency and benevolence in management." At the moment I cannot
think of any more worthy object
for interested Syrians to spend
their money on in their old
home'and, unless indeed it be
the direct relief of any of their own
relatives in necessitous circumstances. At heart the average Syrian is a supporter of good causes,
and often a builder of worthy structures. Before men had enough medical knowledge to take practical interest in cooperative healing, they
inclined more to the attractions of
religious belief, and sacred edifices
formed a common vehicle for expressing themselves. Then came general hospitals. Finally the most
highly specialized of all, dealing
with the mind—mental hospitals.
Religion, physical healing, mental
healing—a serial of progress in
three chapters. In all these the Arab
mind has played a significant role.
Dr. Withington in his book "Medical History from the Earliest
Times," states that "in an age when
no Christian monarch, with the rare
exceptions of Charlemagne and Alfred the Great, troubled himself in
the slightest about the education of
his subjects or the progress of science and literature, we find Caliph
after Caliph, and Vizier after Vizier
establishing schools and libraries
for the public benefit, and filling
their courts with pihysicians and
philosophers. Their remarkable generosity to the former would alone
entitle them to the gratitude of the
profession, and even had the Arabs
themselves made no scientific discoveries, they would at least deserve
the praise of having encouraged
others to do so."
Nearer home, we have the testimony of Usamah and others to show
that the older Arab physicians had
an intelligent conception of the
treatment of mental disorder. Are
we sufficiently honouring their skill
and wisdom by exercising in the
present generation more than a
passing interest in their achievements? A tendency of the present
age is to take the big things of
the past for granted while hurrying on to ultra modern stunts. With
what exuberance does the modern
Syrian scatter a few thousand dollars in a big to-do to express delight on some such occasion, say,
as a memorable air-journey by a
Carranza? When those in high
places pass by in the land, the Syrian is ready to meet and to fete.
\
f,'
�1"
APRIL, 1930
Of course open-heartedness can be
and is expressed in many channels.
One will build a neat new church
in his old native village; another
will be benevolent to a charity in
his new Western home. Being specially interested in mental hygiene I
perhaps run some risk of being
labelled biased, or of seeing the
world along one main path. As the
business man roughly classifies humanity for his purpose into those
who buy and those who sell, so I
suppose the doctor cleaves a line
between those who are sick and
those who are well; the psychiatrist
likewise into the more or less sane
and the more or less insane. The absence of any sharp-demarcated
boundary should make all thinking
folk attempt to visualize the aspect
from either side. Miss Hilda Fox's
article and your endorsement are
very timely and deserving of the
consideration of all Syrians Who
realize the necessity of dissimulating indifference to past heritages
from the illustrious Arabs, and the
urgency of present day claims to exercise the benevolent instinct in a
thoroughly sound channel. Only Miss
Fox was far too modest in suggesting the donation of one mere ward—
a good half dozen would better meet
the case. At our hospital here (Tokanui Mental Hospital, Kihikihi, N.
Z.) we have this week opened modern wards for over a hundred patients, and the extensions are contemplated to make provision for at
least a thousand. In addition, there
is also being erected a very fine new
nurses' home to house over sixty.
At the very least, a hospital like
Asfuriyeh wants its accommodation
douK • d almost right away. A hospital run on such amazingly sound
and proper lines should be as speedily as possible built up to a minimum
of five hundred beds. It would then
47
be in a position to make its facilities and amenities properly known,
and it could easily be filled within
a short time with all manner of
mental patients. This amplifying of
accommodations on the; very modern
system of detached wards (houses
or villas) allows both the proper
classification of patients according
to type, and the provision of more
homelike and curative features
without the evils of overcrowding.
Housing of staff is also most important—nurses deserve all the consideration that can be given to make
their work more efficient and pleasant to themselves and their charges.
The great object of a mental hospital is not much to harbour nervous
wrecks (the old idea, hence the term
asylum) as to cater to individuals
in the early stages of mental disorder and speedily return them to
their former useful spheres in a condition of normalcy. Mental hospitals
in the Near East are frightfully inadequate in accommodation when
measured by Western standards.
Whatever the French may have done
in Syria for the improvement and
betterment of its inhabitants, the
handling of the problem of mental
hygiene has not been one of their
strong points. The more the pity,
since it was a great Frenchman,
Philippe Pinel, who over a century
ago did much to bring the treatment of insanity into the high place
it now occupies. Contemporary with
him was the great English Quaker,
William Luke, who in 1792 established at York the long famous Retreat, a hospital in close sympathy
with that at Asfuriyeh.
Where others may have failed,
then, the Syrians the world over
now have upon them the duty of
focussing their attention and interest upon problems which are gaining
in importance and which merit con-
�48
THE SYRIAN WORLD
certed effort and action. I feel that "Western Civilization."
the greatest difficulty with the SyrDr. Bishara observed that Mozart
ians in the past has been insufficient and Beethoven were among the first
acquaintance with the problems con- great musicians who intuitively refronting them at home and abroad. cognized the inherent beauty and
For that reason alone they should dignity of Arabic musical themes.
support any magazine like The Syr- No nationalistic school of music has
ian World which coordinates thought
been able to escape the subtle fasciand action, and expounds and feanation of oriental melody. The Rustures those problems touching upon
sian school, which is preeminently
the welfare of the race. Therefore
oriental in tendency, is prominently
in view of the publicity which has
now been given to the Lebanon Hos- represented by the composer Rimpital in your pages, it would be dis- sky-Korsakov, who employs oriental
appointing if the assistance were themes in his "Scheherazade" symlimited to a single ward especially phonic suite. The Norwegian school
when there are probably patriotic is represented by Grieg with his
individuals who would be glad to "Peer Gynt" suite; the French school
personally donate a ward privately, contributed "Samson et Dalila" by
Saint-Saens, and the Spanish and
if only the claims are made suffiItalian
schools are likewise repreciently clear to them. I have nosented.
where else heard of such a good
In the classical works of Beethoward being able to be erected and
ven,
specifically where the minor
furnished for the very small sum of
signatures
are employed, we are
£'3000. But one feels that the Syrians abroad will miss no occasion frequently arrested by measures in
of showing that they will not let which Arabic themes are almost
such opportunities pass by without exclusively developed. In the hands
acquitting themselves honourably.
of this great genius the simple meloC. Assid Corban, M. B., Ch. B. dies of Syria and Arabia assume,
Kihikihi, New Zealand,
with their new harmonic embellishments, forms of entrancingly original euphony, making them equal if
ARABIC THEMES IN
not superior to other musical sysWESTERN MUSIC
tems. And it is in the spirit of admiration and gratitude that I feel,
Mozart and Beethoven recognized
and the Syrian world in general
their inherent beauty and dignity.
should feel, for the service rendered
by this great master, in whom no raEditor, The Syrian World:
The very interesting article con- cial prejudice existed, and who recogtributed by Dr. K. A. Bishara to a nized inherent beauty and worth
former issue of "The Syrian World" regardless of the source, that I have
impressed me as being decidedly inscribed the slight but sincere apopportune during the present period preciation which is enclosed.
Thomas Asa.
of racial agitation. The article furW.
Brownsville,
Pa.
ther emphasizes the incalculable influence the Arabic-speaking world
has had in the formation of what
is ambiguously designated the
Editor's Note—A poem by Mr.
Asa on Beethoven is published elsewhere in this issue.
h
(
1
�APRIL, 1930
49
Political Developments in Syria
PALESTINE
,
<
England has taken a definite
stand against the principal demand
of the Palestine Arabs looking
towards the establishment of representative government, for the prosecution of which they had sent a
delegation to London. The refusal
of England is based on the claim
that such a proposal is incompatible
with the requirements of the mandate. The mandate, on the other
hand, is an instrument entrusted to
England by the League of Nations,
and to act contrary to its provisions
would be a breach of trust. This
England will not undertake to do.
Lord Passfield, the Colonial Secretary, according to a dispatch to
the New York Times from London
under date of May 14, gave the
Grand Mufti and his colleagues of
the Palestine-Arab delegation a
sweeping rebuff, reaffirming the
fidelity of the MacDonald government to the Palestine mandate.
The Arab delegation had arrived
in London shortly before the publication of the Shaw commission's report. Among other things, the delegation urged the immediate creation of a Palestine Parliament in
which Arabs and Jews would be represented in proportion to their present population. This demand Great
Britain refuses to concede, as indicated by the following official statement of the Colonial office:
"The conversations which have
taken place in London between
members of the Government and the
Palestine Arab delegation are now
at an end. The delegation has expressed its views on a number of
subjects, particularly land, immi-
gration and the grant of a constitution. His Majesty's Government
has taken note of its view on these
subjects.
"It was pointed out to the delegation that the sweeping constitutional changes demanded by them
were wholly unacceptable since they
would have rendered it impossible
for His Majesty's Government to
carry out its obligations under the
terms of the mandate. It was made
clear that no proposals could be
considered which were incompatible
with the requirements of the mandate."
The Arab delegation made no attempt to conceal its bitterness at
this turn of events. It immediately
retaliated by the publication of the
following statement:
"We have decided to leave for
home with the-: impression that the
Palestine Arab case will not be
justly solved by the British Government, with which the Zionists have
such great influence as to hinder it
from doing justice or from removing injustices in our case. We are
convinced tJhat every Arab in Palestine prefers to die in defense of
his natural rights and existence
than to submit to the oppression inflicted by any measure of coercion.
As the Arab and Moslem worlds
are our co-partners in Palestine, it
is our duty to make them acquainted with the dangerous situation
threatening, the very existence of
their holy country and brother inhabitants."
The general impression in London is that the Palestine situation
is now worse than it ever was before. It is plain from the statement
�50
THE SYRIAN WORLD
of the Arab delegation that they The Alshura, an Arabic newspaper
count on the support of their broth- in Cairo, which is the Palestine Arab
er Moslems in India whom England Nationalist's organ, has telegraphed
is endeavoring to play against the to London demanding the Arab poHindu followers of Mahatma Gan- litical delegation to return as a sign
dhi, in the present civil disobeof protest, while other Arab organs
dience movement. What success such declare the delegation ought to retactics will 'have is a matter of con- turn and devote itse'f to internal
jecture. It is plain however, that
activity which has been neglected in
neither the Arabs nor the Jews are the past few years, saying:
satisfied, the former because of the
"It is impossible to solve the Arab
denial of their demands and the
latter because of the nature of the problem in London as long as it remains unsolved in Jerusalem."
Shaw report.
New life seems to have been inThat Palestine is facing a new
jected
in the Palestine Arab cause
era of political disturbance owing
to the recent developments may be in America with the arrival in New
inferred from a dispatch to * the York, the latter part of April, of a
New York Times from its Jerusalem new Palestine-Arab delegation comcorrespondent dated April 10 which posed of Emir Adel Arslan and Issa
states that Mahatma Gandhi's cam- Bandak, editor of Sawt Ash-Shaab
(Voice of the People). Emir Arslan,
paign in India is having a considerhead of the delegation, is a brother
able effect upon the political conof
Emir Shakib who came to Amersciousness of the Near East. In Palica
on a similar mission in 1927.
estine, the correspondent further
He
took active part in the Dru/.e
reports, a new Arab political party
revolt
against the French in Syria
• ailed Isteqlal, (meaning independand
chose
voluntary exile with Sulence) intends to imitate Gandhi's
tan
Pasha
Atrash in the Arabian
methods to some extent and is ordesert.
ganizing ;i procession of youths in
In a public- statement which the
cities, towns and villages throughdelegation
gave to the Arabic press,
out Palestine similar to Gandhi's
inarch in India.
they declared that they represented
The Isteqlalists aim thus to re- the Central Arab Relief Committee
vive the movement against Arabs of Jerusalem which is the financial
selling their lands to Jews. The branch of the Central Arab Execuyouths will be called the "Arab tive Committee, and that their misDefense Army," and the party's sion was two-fold: first to collect
newspaper the Meraat Elsharq, has relief funds, and the second to lay
already appealed to Arab youths before the Palestine Arabs of Amerurging participation in the week- ica authentic information on conditions in the motherland in the hope
long march.
of enlisting their interest in the reAral, feeling in Palestine is greathabilitation of the country and inly aroused over Prime Minister
ducing theni to invest in its agriMad >ona Id's statement in the House
cultural development. Purchase of
of Commons that Britain does not
land by the Arabs, they insist, will
intend to relinquish her mandate or
not only result in considerable finabrogate the Balfour Declaration.
ancial profit to investors but will
•
3
�APRIL, 1930
51
27, 1927, and their resolve to extend
the hand of conciliation to the
French on an honorable basis.
Later elections were held to the
SYRIA
Constituent Assembly in which the
The official view of the Syrian Nationalists emerged victors and
Nationalist Party is that the polit- made a sincere attempt to interpret
ical situation in the country is the will of the nation in formulatgrowing more alarming. The nation ing the draft of the constitution.
is being driven to desperation by the Great was their surprise when they
continued inaction of the French were called upon to eliminate the six
authorities in finding a suitable principal clauses which the French
solution to the present difficulties claimed to be objectionable. Then
and the protracted silence of the followed the suspension of the AsHigh Commissioner is interpreted sembly for a period of three months
as bearing ominous portent. Never- and the growing gravity of the sittheless, the Syrian official stand is uation attending this troublesome
period was such as to tax the nathat of patient waiting.
The above conclusion is deduced tion's utmost patience. This proved
from the statement published in the conclusively, however, the nation's
aptitude to weather political crises
form of an open letter to the Syrian
nation by Hashem Bey El-Atassi, inasmuch as they retained their
leader of the Syrian Nationalist self-control in spite of the increasdevelopments.
Party and President of the Con- ingly aggravating
stituent Assembly, reporting the "We have repeatedly appealed to
result of his conversation with High the nation to be patient and it conCommissioner Ponsot upon the tinually showed admirable response,
latter's return from France. The but we now entertain the gravest
meeting took place in Beirut on fear that its patience will soon be
April 11 and El-Atassi's statement exhausted as a result of repeated
was published on the 15th. Through- disappointments."
out the document there runs a feelThe statement further points out
ing of deep disappointment and bit- that the Syrian nation adhered to
terness but hope is nevertheless its policy of peaceful cooperation
manifested in the ultimate success in spite of repeated adjournments
of the cause through the tradi- of the Assembly, hoping the French
will in the end act on their protional liberalism of France.
The Syrian leader prefaces his fessed good faith. This continued
statement by an account of the trials until Jan. 11, 1929, when the High
the
long
under which the country labored Commissioner offered
during the first eight years of awaited solution which proved only
French occupation, and in which a means for the annulment of the
there were continued efforts to reach whole constitution in that it suga proper solution of the political gested deferring action on the six
problem that would safeguard to objectionable clauses until after the
the nation its self-respect. The enactment of treaty relations bepacific intentions of the Syrians tween France and Syria. Still the
were demonstrated by the meeting Syrians showed patience and M.
of their leaders at Beirut on October Ponsot again sailed for France and
also have considerable effect on the
Arab cause politically.
:
[
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
the Syrians awaited his return with
high hopes. But weeks and months
passed without his undertaking a
move for the solution of the problem. Meanwhile the Executive Bureau of the Constituent Assembly
continued functioning within the
rights invested in it by the Assembly, and by this authority addressed
the High Commissioner suggesting
a conference. This took place in Beirut on April 11, and although it lasted over an hour all that could be
drawn out of the High Commissioner was the indefinite promise
of "undertaking soon a definite
solution of the problem based on the
same liberal attitude characterizing
his former policy."
At this point El-Atassi appeals
to the nation for further patience
and for the maintenance of the
spirit of solidarity which alone is
a guarantee of ultimate success.
"The history of nations is replete
with object lessons. No weakness
can overcome a nation unless that
nation becomes divided upon itself.
The greatest crisis in the life of any
nation is when it gives itself up to
internal quarrels and dissensions
and thereby lays itself open to the
designs of the foreigner. I would
exhort you to maintain your united
front as this is your best guarantee
of retelling the aggressor. This in
your hands is the most effective
weapon against force. For a solid
union I appeal to you, as well as forrising above personal rancor which
might stand in the way of such
union. The ground of your country
soaked with the blood of your martyrs cries loud to you to be solidly
united."
The French High Commissariat
maintained its habitual silence in
the face of these developments and
the only unconfirmed rumor ap-
mmm*
pearing in the press is that M. Ponsot is still studying the problem.
M. Ponsot paid a visit to Damascus
after his conference with the Syrian Nationalist leader but met there
only French officials. A current report is that he plans another visit
to Paris soon for a further conference with the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs.
There is now in Syria a growing
tendency for joining the proposed
Arab federation under the leadership of King Ibn Saoud. Political
observers claim to see in this orientation of Syrian public opinion a
triumph of English diplomacy into
the hands of which the French are
playing unwittingly. England is now
at peace with the Arab elements and
if Syria were to be drawn into an
Arab federation France would find
herself facing a new problem which
would make her position in the
East extremely untenable.
LEBANON
The cabinet of August Pasha
Adib, formed March 25, submitted
its program to the Legislative Assembly on April 5 and was accorded
a vote of confidence. The same reform plans laid down by the Eddy
cabinet were adhered to with the exception of
those
objectionable
clauses which caused the latter's
downfall, especially those touching
on education. A new and serious
development in Lebanon is the advocacy by the Moslem element of a
change in the relations between
Lebanon and France to take the
form now existing between Iraq and
England. This movement is expected to meet with little success, but
it will tend to demonstrate to the
mandatory power the disastrous effects of its continued policy of
temporization.
-
�APRIL, 1930
5$
About Syria and Syrians
conceal the fact of his Syrian extraction. His affiliation with the
American-Syrian Federation and his
By the unanimous vote of the 54 sustained interest in all Syrian
members of the Republican Assem- public activities speak eloquently
bly District Committee of Brook- for his pride in his racial descent.
It is men such as he Who through
lyn present George C. Dagher was
elected executive member of the sheer personal ability and merit
gain the respect of the American
First Assembly District at a meetpublic
both for themselves and for
ing held on May 7, according to the
report of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle their race.
ond other metropolitan newspapers
Mr Dagher was elected to succeed
the late leader D. Harry Ralston
SYRIAN WOMAN LAWYER
who died April 4.
RECEIVES APPOINTMENT
The New York papers give long
Miss Emily Ferris, the only Syraccounts of the political and military careers of Mr. Dagher who has ian woman lawyer in New York,
been a resident of the district and was appointed Deputy Attorney
active in politics for twenty-five General for the State of New York
years and who saw service during to take office on May 1. She is to
be in charge of incompetency prothe war in an artillery regiment
The New York Syrian papers hail ceedings.
Miss Ferris has attained rapid
the election of Mr. Dagher to this
important post of leadership as success in her chosen career. Having
marking the first important success gained admission to the bar in Nebof a Syrian in national politics. The raska her native State, in 1926, she
American-Syrian
Federation
of moved to New York the following
year and in the same year was adBrooklyn, of which Mr. Dagher is
mitted
to the bar in the latter state.
a director, plans a dinner in his
She
is
a sister of the well-known
honor to be given at the Elks Club
Syrian New York lawyer Joseph W.
early in June.
Mr. Dagher is an example of the Ferris.
best type of Syrian-Americans. He
has served his country by enlistment during the war and is most SYRIAN PRINCESS
LECTURES ON SYRIA
active in serving it in politics in
times of peace. During his long
Emira Najla Bellamah of Montpolitical career his character has
real, Canada, has been giving a
been above reproach, and it was
series of lectures on Syria at the
through his sterling qualities that invitation of the Oriental Club of
he was elevated to the post of lead- McGill University of Montreal.
ership of his important district
Emira Bellamah come to America
without contest.
only a few years ago to join her
Mr. Dagher makes no attempt to
SYRIAN ELECTED
REPUBLICAN LEADER
�54
brother who is engaged in business
in Montreal. She knew very little of
English, although she had been engaged for a consideroble time in
editorial work in the mother country.
Her rapid mastery of the language
denotes the degree of her intelligence and application. The gifted
princess is to be congratulated on
her splendid efforts in bringing
obout a better knowledge of her
mother country to the people of
Canada.
SILVER JUBILEE OF
A MAKONITE PRIEST
Over one hundred and fifty guests
met at the Hotel Statler in Boston
on Sunday, April 27, to celebrate
the twenty-fifth anniversary of the
ordination of Chor-Bishop Stephen
El-Douaihy to
the
priesthood.
Among the celebrants were delegations from many distant cities.
Elias F. Shamon, President of the
Jubilee Association, was toastmaster. Speakers included Miss Labeebee A. J. Hanna, "An appreciation
of Monsignor Douaihy" followed by
a poem, "Planted in Lebanon"; ExCongressman Joseph A. Conry, former Ambassador to Russia; Rev.
Michael Saab; District Attorney
William J. Foley; Monsignor Abouzaid; Mrs. Mary Ahwaji; George
Faour; Mirshed Abdo; Joseph Reesha and Josepn J. Sarofeen.
Mgr. Douaihy was presented with
a gold purse which he immediately
pledged for the erection of a new
church and school.
In the course of his speech the
Hon. S. A. Conry said: "You should
not bend your knee to any. Your
race is as good as any of the others.
The teachings of your people have
been granted by parents who de-
THE SYRIAN WORLD
serve t'he greatest amount of respect. Developing fiction can not
equal the work of your country."
"The best sailors, from Tyre," he
continued, "had accomplishments
which have never been surpassed
The courage and bravery of the men
and the beauty of the women have
been unequaled by secular or religious history.
"The Irish have the greatest affection for you. We are related. The
Irish came from there originally—
the Phoenicians for old Erin. From
them the Irish descended.
"On behalf of His Honor Mayor
Curley, I re-welcome you here for a
strong building of the commonwealth."
District Attorney Foley said, "I
can honestly and sincerely say that
your people have given me less
trouble than any other people, and
I am proud of you."
NEW MILLION-DOLLAR
BANK IN SYRIA
The Arabic press of Beirut an^
nounces definitely the success of Mr.
Paul Knabenshu, former American
consul in Beirut and American consul in Jerusalem, in the organization of a Syrian-American bank with
a capitalization of $1,000,000.
Mr. Knabenshu had conceived the
idea of the bank when he was still
in Beirut, but owing to his transfer
was unable to complete the details.
The capital stock of the bank is
divided into twenty thousand shares
of $50.00 each, fifty per cent, of
which is reserved for American subscribers, forty for Syrians and Lebanese and ten for French.
The Syrian-Lebanese quota was
over-subscribed immediately
the
shares were offered.
!
�J
APRIL, 1930
Syrian papers further announce
that Mr. Knabenshu has sailed for
the United States to raise the necessaiy American quota. Mr. .). P.
Morgan is said to have consented
to act as chairman of the Board of
Directors.
RIHAN1 FETE I)
BY COUNTRYMEN
A correspondent in Los Angeles
writes that while in that city on
his Western lecture tour, our noted
author and traveler Ameen Rihani
was extended a banquet by the Syrian and Lebanese community at
the Hotel Roosevelt at which over
150 were present.
George A. Fuleihan of Hollywood
was master of ceremonies and introduced the speakers who included
Charles Andrews, P. A. Be Hennesy,
M. K. Doumani, Dr. A. S. Abdel
Nur, Charles Cressaty, S. K. Karam,
Miss Helen Gastine and Miss Margaret Andrews.
55
Readers of The Syrian World can
lend their co-operation to the cause
of better understanding between
the Syrians and other races by in
ducing their friends to tune in on
the coming talk of the editor which
is designed to show the Syrians in
their proper light.
SYRIAN JUNIOR LEAGUE
GIVES DINNER-DANCE
The Syrian Junior League of New
York gave a dinner-dance o.i the
roof garden of the Hotel St. George
in Brooklyn on May 10 which was
attended by 350 guests.
The Brooklyn department store at
Fredrick Loeser conducted the fashion parade held in conjunction with
the affair.
Miss Adele Macsoud, President of
the League, made a statement on
the organization's activities. The
speakers of the evening were William Catzeflis and Assad Milkie.
SYRIAN SOCIETY HOLDS
ELECTION ^AND DANCE
COMING RADIO TALK
P»Y S. W. EDITOR
The editor of The Syrian World
will speak over station WPCH in
New York City, at 4 P. M., on Sunday, June 8, on the subject of Syrians in New York City and the
United States. The program will be
under the auspices of the Young
Men's Christian Association and the
Reconciliation Trips.
Although this will be the second
time the editor will broadcast under
the auspices of the above named organizations, he has already given
many radio talks on Syria and the
Syrians since his return last year
from Syria.
The Syrian Young Men's Society
of Los Angeles, Cal., held its annual
meeting for the election of officers
for the season 1930-31, the successful ticket being as follows: Leon Saliba, President; Leo Saad, VicePresident; Samuel Mamey, Secretary; Elias Baker, Treasurer.
Previous to the induction of the
new regime, the society gave a
dance on April 30 at the Diana Studio Ballroom which was attended by
about five hundred of the best element of the Syrian community. Albert Dager acted as master of ceremonies for the evening and introduced both the retiring ond incoming officers.
�56
LEBANESE SCIENTIST
AIDED IN WORK
We are glad to copy from "Science," the official organ of the
American Association for the Advancement of Science, the following
announcement appearing in its issue of April 25:
"The Committee on Scientific Research of the American Medical Association has made an appropriation
of $500 to the department of bacteriology of the School of Medicine
and Dentistry of the University of
Rochester at Rochester, N. Y., for
research on chemotherapy in tuberculosis. The grant is to aid the
work of Dr. George Knaysi, of the
New York State College of Agriculture, who has been granted leave
of absence by Cornell University
and will conduct his experiments at
the University of Rochester."
Dr. Knaysi plans a visit to Syria
this summer and will sail early in
June.
SYRIAN GIRL WINS
POPULARITY CONTEST
I
The Elk City Daily News of Elk
City, Oklahoma, announces in its issue of April 5 that Miss Vaughncille
Joseph and her co-worker, Miss Bessie Shadid, have won the beauty and
popularity contest conducted by the
leading mercantile establishments of
Elk City. The winners will accompany the Beauty Queens of fifteen
other cities of Oklohoma on an
eighteen-day tour of the Western
part of the United States. The whole
party is to consist of thirty-two
women who will travel in a private
pullman car.
Bessie is the daughter of Dr. and
Mrs. M. Shadid of Elk City. Miss
Joseph is a music teacher and a
THE SYRIAN WORLD
studio director of the radio broadcasting station KGMP. Both young
ladies are eighteen years of age
and graduates of high school.
SYRIAN BOY WINS
ORATORICAL CONTEST
The Lake Charles American-Press
of April 11 publishes on its first
page a picture of Edward L. Shaheen with the announcement that
he had won the State oratorical contest of Louisiana and was to go to
Kansas City to enter the zone contest to be held sometime in May.
Edward is a Syrian boy of nineteen who 'has been in this country
not over ten years and whose academic career has been one of extraordinary success. He is the son of
Louis Shaheen Baaclini of Bzebdin,
Lebanon.
SIX BROTHERS
IN ONE SCHOOL
The American University of Beirut is perhaps the only educational
institution in the world that can
claim the distinction of having six
brothers attending its classes at the
same time. They are the sons of Dr.
Dawud Suleiman Bulus who graduated from the University in 1905.
The boys range in age from six to
sixteen, and accommodations for all
are provided in the university.
Dr. Bulus has held many important medical posts in the Near East
and was a captain in the medical
corps of the Egyptian army. He is
now chief of the Haifa Hospital.
The delay attending the publication of this issue permits reporting
news for a part of May.
�I
APRIL, 1930
SOUND PICTURES AROUSE
INTEREST IN SYRIA
By Vice Consul D. F. MrGnnigal,
Beirut.
(From Commerce Reports)
The first talking pictures to be
shown in Syria were exhibited on
February 12, 1930, at a theater in
Beirut. The American sound system
was used. The program consisted of
an animated cartoon, a one-reel comedy, a news reel and an American
feature picture starring a famous
French actor. All were talking films
and all were in English with the
exception of a few songs and monologues in French.
The program aroused the enthusiasm of the local public and there
seemed to be little objection to the
fact that the dialogue was in English. The theater, which seats about
700, doubled its prices, increased the
number of its weekly performances
from 11 to 21, and extended the
showing of the program from 1 to
2 weeks. The average weekly receipts of the theater when showing
silent pictures is understood to have
been about $375, whereas the gross
receipts for the first week of the
talking picture is said to have been
$3,307 and $1,575 the second week.
The cost of the program for the two
weeks is reported to have been
about $1,000.
Other theater owners have been
impressed by the success of the
talking-film exhibition and are considering the installation of sound
equipment.
The local censorship law provides
for the showing of all pictures at
the French High Commission but
as the official projection hall is not
equipped to handle sound pictures,
the Beirut exhibitors arranged to
have the censors come to their thea-
$7
tor for the required examination.
Although no new official rulings
have been announced, it is understood by the exhibitors that a sound
picture found unsuitable will be rejected as a whole and no attempt
will be made to modify it in any
way, because of the technical difficulties involved.
It is too early to predict the effect
of the introduction of sound pictures into Syria on the market for
silent pictures, but it would appear
that the demand for silent pictures
will continue active for some time
to come.
SYRIA INVADED BY LOCUSTS
In spite of all efforts to check
their advance, the locusts are making considerable headway in their
invasion of Syria and Lebanon. The
latest reports indicate that swarms
of the pests have appeared in the
vicinity of Beirut. In the district of
Damascus they have invaded the
Ghouta, after having overrun the
plains of Hauran and Jebel Druze.
Further north they have reached
the outskirts of Aleppo.
The governments of all mandated
countries are taking the most energetic measures to destroy the eggs
before 'hatching in an effort to save
the crops.
REVIVING A DEAD
SYRIAN
CITY
The Syrian government is actively engaged in rebuilding the famous
city of Palmyra, once the capital of
Queen Zenobia who for a time successfully challenged the authority
of Rome. Already 100 lots have
been awarded settlers and 45 houses
built. The highway leading to Damascus is being paved and the debris of the old native houses removed from within the enclosure of
the Great Temple.
�58
THE SYRIAN WORLD
STATEMENT OF THE OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, CIRCULATION
of The Syrian World, published monthly at New York, N. Y., Apr. 1st,1930
STATE OF NEW YORK
COUNTY OF NEW YORK.
Before me, a Notary Public, in and for the state and county aforesaid,
personally appeared Salloum A. Mokarzel, who, having been duly sworn
according to law, deposes and says that he is the publisher of The Syrian
World, and that the following is, to the best of his knowledge and belief,
a true statement of the ownership, management (and if a da.ly paper, the
circulation), etc., of the aforesaid publication for the date shown in the
above caption, required by the Act of August .24, 1921, embodied in section
411, Postal Laws and Regulations, printed on the reverse of th s form, to wit:
1. That the names and addresses of the publisher, editor, managing
editor, and business managers are:
Name of—
Post office address—
Publisher, Salloum A. Mokarzel,
104 Greenwich Street.
Editor, Salioum A. Mokarzel,
104 Greenwich Street.
Managing Editor, Salloum A. Mokarzel
104 Greenwich Street.
Business Managers, Salloum A. Mokarzel,
104 Greenw.ch Street.
2. That the owner is: (If owned by a corporation, its name and address
must be stated and also immediately thereunder the names and addresses
of stockholders owning or holding one per cent, or more of total amount of
stock. If not owned by a corporation, the names and addresses of the individual owners must be given. If owned by a firm, company or other unincorporated concern, its name and address, as well as those of each individual
member, mhst be given.)
Salloum A. Mokarzel,
104 Greenwich Street.
3. That the known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding 1 per cent, or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other secur.ties are: (If there are none, so state.) None.
4. That the two paragraphs next above, giving the names of the owners, stockholders, security holders, if any, contain not only the list of
stockholders and security holders as they appear upon the books of the
company but also, in cases where the stockholder or security holder appears
upon the books of the company as trustee or in any other fiduciary relation,
the name of the person or corporation for whom such trustee is acting is
given; also that the said two paragraphs contain statements embracing affiant's full knowledge and belief as to the circumstances and conditions under which stockholders and security holders who do not appear upon the
books of the company as trustees, hold stock and securities in a capacity
other than that of a bona fide owner; and this affiant has no reason to believe that any other person, association, or corporation has any interest
direct or indirect in the said stock, bonds or other securities than as so
stated by him.
5. That the average number of copies of each issue of this publication
sold or distributed, through the mails or otherwise, to paid subscribers during the six months preceding the date shown above is.
(This information is required from daily publications only.)
S. A. Mokarzel.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 11th day of April, 1930.
[SEAL]
EDNA M. HUCKER,
(My commission expires March 30, 1932.)
�
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_04reducedWM
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Volume 04, Issue 08
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1930 April
Description
An account of the resource
Volume 4 Issue 08 of The Syrian World published April 1930. The issue opens with an interview conducted by Salloum Mokarzel with El-Atassi, a Syrian Nationalist Leader and President of the Constituent assembly. This is followed by a quote by Kahlil Gibran titled "Helpfulness." The most important article in this issue is Rev. W. A. Mansur's writing about the transitional period occurring in America
in his story he has a Syrian character deliver an imaginary speech to the United States Senate, apropos of some derogatory remarks made against Syrians in America. This is followed by two poems, one by Najla Sabe and the other by Paul Deab. Louis Maron then presents one of his short stories titled "The Return Home," which recounts the story of a boy named Najib and his journey back and forth between Lebanon and the United States over several years. Salloum Mokarzel, the editor, then presents another portion of his journey through Lebanon, covering his travels from Beirut to the Palestine border. The last work in the issue is a poem by Jonard Egis (using a nom de plume) titled "The Syrian Laborer." The issue closes with the Reader's Forum, excerpts from the Arab press, and more on political developments in Syria.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabic literature--History and criticism--Periodicals
Arabs--United States--Periodicals
Lebanese-Americans--United States--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Syrian-American Press
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
104 Greenwich St., New York, NY
Format
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Text/pdf
Type
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
El-Atassi
Immigration
Kahlil Gibran
Lebanon
Najla Sabe
New York
Palestine
Paul Deab
Poetry-English
Reverend W.A. Mansur
Travel