Page 29 - Neglected Arabia Vol 2

14 NEGLECTED ARABIA

time, however, even if they arc some of the best officers in the outfit
But my friend has not come to talk of the army but of the future of
Kurdistan. Talk about patriotism! His eyes Hash and he waxes elo­
quent in a mixture of Arabic, French and English as he holds forth ou
the virtues of his countrymen and the future glory of his country. Hij
enthusiasm is hard to share when one pictures the wild mountains and
perilous valleys of the land he calls home, or when one goes to the
bazaar and sees the longhaired, barbarous looking burden-bearers who
are his fellow countrymen. But one cannot but admire his earnestnesi
and sincerity and wish that we might enter this evidently open door.
The Kurds are a different race from the Arabs and the few, like this
officer, who have had any kind of opportunity, have demonstrated them-l
selves to be a very superior people. Islam sits lightly upon them and,]

SOME OF "THE LEAST OF THESE"

if we are to believe the captain, they would readily embrace Christianity
en masse.
Another figure haunts the offing, one whom we assume to be |
Baghdadi from the twist of his turban. The surmise is correct. He
comes right to the point, “We are six people, myself and my brother
and—here he lists a quartet of assorted females. Their distinctions are
not important in Arab eyes. We have grown tired of the darkness and
wish to come to the light. We have, therefore, come from Baghdad and
want you to send us to some other country where we can be one of you."
A fairly large order but it has the virtue of definiteness and our friend
is straightforward. Subsequent inquiry shows he hasn't the faintest idea
of what Christianity is, save that it has something to do with “Jesus the
living one," a phrase he has learned from Islam. But he is willing tu
learn to read and whatever order I impose upon him he is ready to earn
out. Incidentally he has no work and there are six mouths to feed!
Very evidently he is the victim of the persistent and unfounded tale is
the bazaar that all one needs to do is to announce himself desirous <4 ;
“becoming one of us” and he will receive immediately cash in hand, * f