We Visit Arabia

By Mrs. A.J. Wilder

Our ideals of Arabia have always been rather vague. It has been to use a land of romance, where swift camels and wild horsemen of fleet Arab steeds journey across the desert sands from oasis to green oasis. But in this land of mirage and mystery there has risen a new spirit and a new nation of Arabians taking its place in the world.  A very interesting story of this country is told by Frederick Blimpien in the Geographic Magazine. It seems that for several years a group of Arab students in Paris have been agitating for Arab independence and the idea was warmly supported by the more advanced Arabs everywhere. The war gave them their chance and Mohammedian troops joined the British under General Allenby fighting both Turkey and German, which was surprising as the Sultan of Turkey was the head of the Moslem faith. This joining with Christians to fight Turkey was brought about by the great Mohammedian leader Agha Kahn who sent out a manifesto declaring that Turkey had forfeited its leadership of Mohammedans by becoming a tool of Germany. So Arabs joined the British soldiers in the march on Jerusalem, and Mohammedan and Christian fought side by side against the Turk, in the last crusade which has freed Jerusalem from the infidel.

From Mecca, the holy city of Mohammedans, the Grand Shereef sent out a telegram to the leaders of Christian nations asking that “Arabia be admitted to the family of nations.” This telegram opened that forbidden city so that Christians are safe there where formerly they were killed simply because they were Christians; it lets in the missionaries and the traders from Western nations and may forever prevent a “holy war” which has been a fear in the Christian world. British influence, which is very strong in Arabia, has brought this about.

The gateway to Mecca is the port of Jidda, squatting on its treeless hills at whose base rolls the oily waves of the Red Sea that once engulfed the hosts of Pharaoh. Jidda is further noted for having what is claimed to be the tomb of Eve. “Adam and Eve were the big people, the Arabs say. Ever was so tall she could hold a grown lion in her lap and stroke it as we stroke a kitten.”  Needless to say, the tomb is long. It is shaped like an airship hangar and made of stone.

Mecca is 45 miles east of Jidda. It is of great importance in both the political and religious worlds but it is small and ugly. Its chief business is living off travelers for it has the greatest tourist traffic of any city in the world, being the place of pilgrimage for Mohammedians, who are 12 percent of all the people in the world.

The origin of the Arabian race is lost in the mists of antiquity but the Arabs were a nation with a king of their own long, long before the birth of Christ. Arabia once ruled from India to the Atlantic and its schools of science were world famous. Schools of healing were established in Bagdad and botany was studied as a branch of medicine. Many of our medicines and their use were known to the Arabs of that far away time and we still use many terms and signs taken from the Arab language. But education as we understand it is almost unknown in Arabia today. Learning is mostly confined to the classics of their literature and the Koran is learned by heart. There are no schools of any kind in small towns.

Arabs are divided by their manner of life into two classes, the Al Bedoo or Bedouine which means the Dwellers in the Open Land, and Al Hadr, or Dwellers in Fixed Localities. The Bedouins are the desert roamers and are better known than those who are settled in one place. Most of Arabia even outside the deserts is so dry that it is suitable only for grazing and sometimes from lack of moisture, even the scanty grass will not grow so that the Bedouin Arab must move his family and his herds from place to place. Living this free, moving life out in “The Open Land” has made the Bedouin Arab bold and defiant and quick to fight. He is tall and graceful, dark complexioned and very handsome, being usually strong and healthy and of clean and simple habits.

The aristocracy of Arabia is found in the 80 percent of the people who live in towns and villages. These families trace their ancestry back thru many generations. There is some admixture of African blood in the race which comes from intermarrying with freed slaves who have been brought from Africa. The Arabian people are very bright mentally, being the equal of any race in that respect.

The most important provinces of Arabia lie along the Red Sea coast. The valleys of these provinces produce coffee, figs, spices, hides and dates, but dates are the only crop of any importance. Grapes are grown, but the Mohammedian religion forbids drinking so no wine is made. The methods of farming are so primitive that they barely rurnish food for the people.

The finest horses in the word are in Arabia and their pedigrees can be traced back to the Fifth Century. The Arabs value their horses more than their camels, but camels are the more useful, being worked and sheared for the camels' hair and when old killed and eaten. Goats and sheep are numerous but there are only a few cattle.

Wild animals are scarce. There are some tigers, panthers, wolves, foxes, hyenas and a few monkeys.

There are few skilled workers in Arabia and tolls are of the most primative kind. The buildings are of mud or brick. The country has no factories and a few years ago 75 per cent of all cotton goods were shipped from the United States. At present, because of the war, Japanese and Indian cottons have taken their place. Kerosene, sewing machines, phonographs and cheap watches are imported from the United States.

In turn we buy many things from Arabia, Chief among which is dates. When we open a package of dates in our kitchen we also open our minds to all the romance and mystery of the Orient, if we remember that the dates were picked and packed by dark skinned Arab women in the valleys by the Red Sea.

And by opening their country to us they have really said, "Come, let's get acquainted! Let's exchange ideas as well as goods and learn from one another."

Mrs. A.J. Wilder. "We Visit Arabia." Missouri Ruralist (August 5, 1920): 22-23.  CLICK HERE to see this article as it originally appeared in the Missouri Ruralist.

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