Page 25 - Neglected Arabia Vol 2

12 iXIitiUiCTIil) . IK. I HI. I

dress of well-bred Moslem women in Iraq, is a sleekly shingled head
fashionably short dress, sheer silk stockings and high heeled French
slippers. While we lament the passing of the graceful and distinctive
Arab costume, we bow to the inevitability of progress and strive to place
our emphasis on the graces of mind and heart, when the girls tend to be
preoccupied with an "a la mode” exterior.
Another bridge is familiarizing ourselves more and more with the
language, customs, traditions and religious background of the Arab
women. They can never adapt themselves to us and our point of view
and so we must build this bridge across which we can gel to them, livery
young missionary has had one or more experiences of sickening dtaan.
pointment in a supposedly tried and true friend and felt as though solid
ground had suddenly yawned beneath her feet; every older missionary

MRS. VAN KSS'S SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS

has had the comforting experience of meeting such a situation with u
instinctive ability to rationalize and philosophize, The} aicnt like ui^
thev don’t look at things as we do, and il doesn’t in the least mean wlm
it would to one of us."
1 ike the little dale-log bridges in the gardens, are our t.irls club, ou*
Dailv Vacation Bible schools and our Sunday School groups. They 1^4
us to centers of incredible poverty and ignorance and squalor, where »«
are still viewed with suspicion and even hostility and have to walk 44
warilv as we do upon the actual date-logs themseKes.
Pioneer road builders and bridge makers sing of the romance of ru**.
building, opening up new country to travelers and commerce and leading
to the exchange of commodities and ideas between people. Kqmii,
thrilling has been our opportunity and experience, to build bridge* U
friendship and understanding across tu our triends, the Arab women U
Basrah.

A
■i
.