Page 13 - Arabiab Studies (IV)

Scdcntcrisation and Settlement of the Bedouin 3
alternative but to announce its inability to absorb and settle all
these people.
This was a tremendous shock that dashed all their hopes to the
ground. It was not only a tragedy—it was disaster.
The Bedouin, having lost their assets, their sole wealth, found
that it was hard to regain them. A Bedouin in his tent is hospitable
so he would maintain the obligations of hospitality in his house
from his ever diminishing income, for now he had no camels
producing offspring or sheep at pasture.
Social relations among the Bedouin declined and weakened, for
the Bedouin began to think twice about visiting a friend who now
was living in a stone house with a closed door upon which he had
to knock for his friend to answer. This knocking at doors is not
liked by the Bedouin who does not know what is going on in this
house with closed doors—and no one might be at home. This man
or that was accustomed to go to his friend’s ‘house of hair’ which
was open by day or by night, and he was able to see at a glance
who was inside, it being the duty of those in the tent to receive him
hospitably whatever the circumstances be.
Even if it were a woman in the tent she could perform the duties
of entertaining the guest, and the guest could personally slaughter
the animal for his meal, as well as preparing Arab coffee himself.
These were the traditional ways.
But his friend has now come to live in a closed house, and the
Bedouin is shy of sitting with a woman in a closed house like this.
In such case the guest would be obliged to go to another house or
to go away altogether.
Traditions of hospitality themselves have changed, for, instead
of the animals customarily slaughtered in honour of and to
entertain the guests, it was at times difficult to obtain these animals
and, against his will, the Bedouin had to resort to killing chickens,
or buy meat sold in the market. This caused awkwardness and
embarrassment to both the host and his guest.
Times for gathering together to take coffee, customarily the
hours of morning, noon, evening and night, came to an end, for
every Bedouin became preoccupied with his own circumstances,
his new life and how to organise it.
The disposition and respect dwindled, for the Bedouin started to
sound out the opinion of his daughter by one or other means,
perhaps through her mother, regarding the person she would
consent to marry. The authority and right of a cousin to the hand
of his paternal uncle’s daughter has diminished—in fact almost
completely disappeared (though I personally am opposed to this