Page 119 - Neglected Arabia Vol 1 (2)

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Impressions of a Year in Arabia

Rev. Bernard D. Hakken

A 10\UIA holds many strange things fur the jiew arrival.
l>ossibly one of the first impressions that one gets is that
It seems impossible to
are so much alike.
the people
distinguish one from the other and when an older mis­
sionary speaks of that man being a Persian, or that one an Indian,
or that one an Arab, the newcomer wonders at his knowledge of
the people. This impression gradually changes as the days pass
by and one wonders at the great difference there is between the
Arabs themselves rather than between Arabs and other nation­
alities. From a blurred impression of dark faces emerge the dif­
ferences in physical features and finally the personalities of those
with whom one comes in contact. The Arab takes on an entirely
different aspect for one who begins to feel his strong and weak
points, his hopes and his fears, his loves and his hates his beliefs
and his disbeliefs. It is then one begins to come in contact with
ihc Arab’s religion and when one has uncovered another man’s
religion, he has revealed the man himself. The religion of a
man determines the man and this statement is doubly true with
die Arab, for this truth strikes one at all times and this impres­
sion, or rather knowledge, becomes stronger day by day. The
new arrival sees poverty of the worst type, he sees the great
lack of sanitation and knowledge of the simplest of health laws
and the misery caused by it. He sees cities with their queer, nar-
ruw, crooked streets which take one back live or six centuries
until he happens to see one of the few automobiles here and is
brought back to the fact that he is living in the twentieth century.
■«
Hut most of all he is reminded of the religion of the country for
the other impressions become dull with time while this one be­
comes stronger and stronger.
I Perhaps one of the greatest contributing forces toward this im­ *
pression in a person’s first year here is the fast of Ramadhan. I
| had been going to the bazaar practically every day for practice
I conversation in language study and had been received very cor-
1 Jially by those with whom I spoke, but when R;amadham arrived,
although I was still received cordially, I felt a distinct difference.
The thoughts of the people had been especially attracted to their
beliefs and they tried to show them at every turn. For thirty
days they must especially show that they are Moslems and they
arc ready to argue the superiority of their religion at the slightest
opportunity. Many are the interesting experiences a missionary
has during the last month.
The fast of Ramadhan was fairly easy on the Moslems of
Bahrein this year. The month fell between April 16 and May 16,
there was no real hot weather making fasting very uncom-
iurtable, especially from the standpoint of drinking which is for-