Page 91 - Neglected Arabia Vol 1 (3)_Neat

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Glimpses Behind the Veil

Miss Ruth Jackson
EAD to us, Khatum." I. was seated in a small Arab hut, the
iJ Gospel open before me, yet ere 1 could begin a black face '
peered in the door. “Do not read here," ^aid the woman.
“All of you come to my hut and let the reading be there so that
my daughter may listen, for she is sick."
\Vc followed her and found Wajiha, a bride of six months, looking
very miserable indeed. In the midst of the reading she usked to go out
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Into the courtyaixl but was so weuk she had to be helped. In a few
minutes came a loud call and the women went out. A great cry arose.
The husband and brother who had been in the courtyard rushed into the
road wailing loudly. It was the women who carried Wajiha into the »• «*
hut. She was in some kind of a convulsion. I did not know what to do
but started fanning her and called for water. Her mother sat at her
head wailing aloud. A Persian woman brought a stick and broke it as
dose to the girl's mouth as she could. The girl seemed to be strangling. •*
Another woman brought scissors and kept opening and shutting them
across her mouth as though to cut her breath. fThey all believed the
* i
attack to be due to jinn'or evil spirits. She came out of it quickly, the
mother quieted somewhat and the men returned. . They all crowded
around the exhausted girl talking and discussing the affair and, to my
>urprise, asked me to read again. It was a very divided attention which
ilicy gave to the reading but yet they would not let me stop. They have
a custom of reading the Koran over the sick, especially to cast out
demons, and perhaps they thought the fact of the reading going on there
would help whether they listened or not. I stayed until Wajiha was
tetter and urged them to take her to the hospital, giving them a note to
ihc doctor. Toward sunset, when it had grown cooler, they laid her in a
bcllam and started up the creek to the hospital. They had not gone far
m|icn another attack seized her and the bellam men, fearing she would
.lie in their boat, quickly returned to her own place. Fortunately, how- v1!
c\cr, she recovered and now there is an especial cordiality to my wel­
come in that neighborhood, for staying that one trying hour accomplished
more toward breaking down barriers and establishing a sympathetic
friendship than many ordinary visits could have done. • »
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y ' ‘ .’ii
£
"Welcome, many times welcome to our house,” came in a man's voice
!
from the doorway and instantly the mother of Abdul Kerim drew her
abba across her face and held it till the man left.
"Why do you veil from the father of Abdul Kerim?" I asked in
amazement. “Is he not your husband?" . *
MNu he is not," was the bitter reply. “What do my. husband or my »•
mi care for me? From my girlhood 1 have lived and worked for them
»«1 now I am an old woman and they have cast me aside like an old
garment.” l
She left the room and then I heard the whole story. The father and
eulhcr of Abdul Kerim had adopted ami brought up an orphan girl ; :t
named Fatuma whom they dearly loved and to whom they married Abdul K
Kerim. He, however, did not care for her and after some years brought I