The sexes are totally separate. I never see women when they get together—just the men. And in the homes, when I visit, the women are always carefully hidden from me. Only their near relatives, their brothers and fathers and men like that are allowed to see the women. I’m talking about the traditional Moslem family.
I’ve asked the young men who are my students how they ever make friends with girls in order to marry them and they say that it is quite a problem, but there are ways—you know love will find a way, and they meet one way or another.
I went to a Moslem wedding and it was really fantastic because I never saw the bride or any women! It was just men. They sat around smoking cigarettes and drinking tea. This seems to be their biggest thing. They love to do it. They’ll do it by the hour.
Of course I don’t speak Arabic. I can just understand a few words but they all seem entertained by what’s happening and they’ll sit for maybe three or four hours talking. There’s usually a leader and they call them “sheiks” here and a sheik is just a wise man or an educated person and he’s usually the leader of the group and everyone listens to him and asks him questions. They spend hour after hour talking like this. To me it’s been intriguing. For one thing, it gives me practice hearing Arabic even though I don’t understand what they’re saying. I just pick out a few words now and then. But I also get to watch their reactions and watch their way of life.
...
No comments:
Post a Comment