Bedouins

The enclosure Beduin the Arabic language bring forth-to doe withs to one who lives out in the open, in the desert. The Arabic phrase Badawiyinis a generic material body for a desert-dweller and the English word Bedouin is the derived from this. In ancient times, just almost mass settled near rivers but the Bedouin peoplepreferred to live in the open desert. Bedouins mainly live in the Arabian and Syrian deserts, the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt and the Sahara Desert of North Africa.There argon Bedouin communities in numerous countries, including Egypt, Syria, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Iraq in the Middle East and Morocco, Sudan, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya in North Africa. Altogether, the Bedouin population itemises about 4 million. The Bedouins be seen as Arab assimilations purest representatives and the Bedouins continue to be hailed by other Arabs as ideal Arabs, peculiarly because of their rich oral poetic tradition, their herding lifestyle and their tradit ional code of interest note.The Egyptians refer to the Bedouins as Arab, but Bedouins be distinct from other Arabs because of their encompassing hu kick d stimulatestairs relationship networks, which provide them with partnership support and the basic necessities for survival. Such networks sw all(prenominal)ow tradition all in ally served to ensure safety of families and to protect their property. The term Araab has been synonymous with theterm nomad since the beginning of Islam. The Bedouins be recognized by their (nomadic) lifestyles, special language, favorable accessible organisations and culture. provided few Bedouins live as their forefathers did in camel- and goat hair camp outs, fostering livestock, hunting and raiding.Their numbers be decreasing and nowadays thither are approx. only 5% of Bedouins still live as pastoral nomads in all of the Middle East. Some Bedouins of Sinai are still half-nomads. Bedouins have several(prenominal)(predicate) facial f fer tiliseures by which they can be distinguished from other Egyptians and as well they for the most part dress differently. The Bedouin men wear long djellabaya and a smagg (red pureness draped headcover) or aymemma (white headcover) or a white small headdress, sometimes held in place by an agall (a black cord).The Bedouin women usually wear bright coloured long dresses but when they go outside they dress in an abaya (a thin, long black coat sometimes covered with shiny embroidery) and they go forth al slipway cover their head and hair when they leave their housewith atarha (a black, thinshawl). Traditionally a charwomans face was hidden behind a passing decorated burqaah but this is now only seen with the older generations. The jr. generations cover their face simply with their tarha (shawl).The Bedouins have a rich culture and their own Arabic Bedawi language, which has different dialects depending on the area where they live. In condition days they dialected on the strong be lief in its tribal superiority, in return to the tribal security the support to survive in a hostile environment. The Bedouin is aristocratic and they tend to perceive the Arabian community as the noblest of all nations, purity of inception, way of life and in a higher place all noble ancestry. They often trace their lineage back to the times of the vaticinator Muhammad (PBUH) and beyond.The first converts to Islam came from the Bedouin tribes and therefore (Sunni) Islam is embedded and deeply rooted in the Bedouin culture. orison is an integral part of Bedouin life. As there are no clump mosques in the desert, they pray were they are, facing the Kaaba in Mecca and performing the ritual washing, sooner with water but if not available they wash with rachis instead. The Bedouin is generally open-minded and interested in what is going on in his mop up and far surroundings since this fellowshipd of knowledge has always been a vital tool of survival.At the like time, the Bedo uins are quite suspicious and alert care a low profile about their someonealized background. Modern Arab states have a strong tendency to regulate their Nomadic lifestyle and groundbreaking society has made the traditional Bedouin lifestyle slight attractive, since it is demanding and often dangerous, so m some(prenominal) Bedouins have settled in urban areas and continue to do so. The Bedouin people are faced with challenges in their lifestyle, as their traditional Muslim, tribal culture has begun to mix with western practices.Men are more(prenominal) likely to gear up and interact with the modern cultures, but women are bound by honour and tradition to stay within the family dwelling and therefore lack fortune for advancement. Today unemployment amongst Bedouin people is real high. Only few obtain a high school degree and nonetheless fewer graduate from college. However, for most people the word Bedouin still conjures up a much richer and more mysterious and romanticimag e.. THE ORGANIZATION OF BEDOUINS SOCIETY Until today the clan organization is the rump of the Bedouin society.E precise Bayt (tent) represents a family and the connected families form a clan (Aela). Allmembers of the same clan consider to each one other as of one kindred (Dam) and the spirit of the clan demands unconditional subjection to fellow clansmen. A number of kindred clans form a tribe (Qabilah) with its own land. The clan is represent by an elder or the eldest, choosen by its members, who is powerful but has no absolute authority. In major affairs he must claver with the tribal leader The Shaykh.In most of the Bedouin tribes, the leaders (Shaykhs) are picked for their wisdom and judgment. In others, such as the Allegat and the small Hamada tribe, leadership passes from father to eldest son. You could say, that the Bedouin is a born democrat who meets his Shaykh with respect but on equal modest The Quabilahis a union of extended familiesand is the major family unit. I t is a kinship structure of several generations that encompasses a wide network of blood relations descended by and through the virile line.In the past, the Quabilahprovided its members with economic security and protection (land, labour and water are tribal property), but today with the loss of the Bedouins traditional livelihoods, the Quabilah is less able to fulfil all these functions but it still serves as a major source of identity,psycho- neighborly support and social status. The Bayt and the Aela are the basic social and economic unit of the Bedouin society, but the leaders of these units generally form a council of elders, directed by the head of the Quabilah.The smallest family unit of parents and minorren and the tribe are tight bound by extensive mutual commitments and obligations, such as Hamula, the delivery of gifts. This social network of the Bedouins is netherpinned and maintained by a deeply deep-rooted system of values and expectations that govern the behavi our and the relationships of the members. In practice, age, religious piety, and personal characteristics such as generosity and hospitality, set some men higher up others in the organization of the group. The Shaykh traditionally exercises authority over the allocation of smoke and the arbitration of disputes.His position is usually derived from his own astute reading of the mass opinion. He generally has no power to enforce a last and therefore has to rely on his moral authority and the concurrence of the community with his point of view. In asense, the Bedouins form a number of nations. That is, groups of families are united by common ancestry and by shared territorial reserve allegiance. The exploitation and defence of their common territorial area is effected through a universally accepted system of leadership.For centuries, these nations of Bedouin tribes and their leaders operated in the ecologically and politically shifting landscapes of the Middle East and North Africa . Only in the course of the twentieth century has their traditional flexibility and mobility been checked. Factors foreign to their conception have damaged the territorial mainstay of their societies, necessitating the adoption of new bases of recognition with their nations and its leaders. THE KEY VALUES The key values of the Bedouin society are harmony, kinship solidarity, honourand hierarchy.The Bedouins emphasize cooperation, adaption, accommodation and family cohesion. Individuals are expected to show loyalty and responsibility to the collective, to place its good above their own and to follow the rules and commands of those above them in hierarchy. The Bedouins have a collective attitude to just about everything work, money, family, feuds you name it and the Bedouins will take a collective position because of their highly developed sense of community and tribal loyalties. Family comes first, second and third for them blood is definitely thicker than water.Their strict code o f honour dictates proper behaviour for all members, men, women (see MARRIAGE AND FAMILY ) andchildren and to live according to its ( more) rules, like a healthy person always stands upto greet an older person, theyalways greet allstarting with the person on their righthand and touching on against the hands of the clock to the rest, they always start serving the person on their right hand first(even if this is a child) and then the rest moving against the hands of the clock, etc. Breaking any of these rules meansreal trouble.The (semi)nomadic lifestyleis demanding and thats why thechildren are expected to assume a considerable add of responsibility in order to help their families survive. Although modernization has changed their lifestyle somewhat, emphasis is placed on teaching children to lease on traditional ways of life and the advancement of modern technology is so far not considered important to childrens education. The Bedouin people are known to be very polite and honest. They prefer not to say bad things or be the bearer of bad news. MARRIAGE Marriage for Bedouins has both religious and social significance.FromanMuslim perspective, marriage legalizes informal relations and provides the framework for procreation. From a social perspective, it brings together not only the bride and groom but also their families. Womenare protected in the Bedouin code of honour. A man who is not nigh related to a woman is not allowed to touch her in any way, not even so much as to brush his fingers against hers dapple handing her something. To do so is to dishonour her. Likewise, in some tribes, if a woman brings dishonour to herself, she shames her family because honour is held not by individuals but by the exclusively family.The loss of a womans honour, her ird, is extremely serious amongst the Bedouins. Bedouin men and women enjoy the immunity of choosing their partner. Nevertheless,parents can put sufficient pressure on their children to arrange their marriage . If there is no father to speak for the girl/woman, a brother or other male relative will speak for her. If a male from the family doesnt agree with the choice of a spouse for his daughter, sister or even cousin, he is able to stop the wedding according to Bedouin Law.There is an assignment period for about a year or more, during which the Bedouin boy/man can visit the girl/woman at her family (and most seldom they will be alone) where they can talk, share views and expectations and get to know each other. If the engagementdoes not work out, the ending of the engagement should be do in a way, that there is no shame or stigma on the other (family). Therefore pressure from parents or family should be handled very careful and tactful. BEDOUIN FAMILY he three-generation extended family is the ideal domestic unit.Although this group, averaging between guild and eleven persons, may sleep inmore than one tent or in more than one house, its meals are generally taken together. The newl y formed nuclear family of husband and wife tends to remain with the larger domestic unit until it has sufficient manpower and a large bountiful income (herd) to survive on its own. On occasion, a combination of brothers or direct cousins will join forces to form a single domestic unit. Children and infants are raised by the extended family unit.Parents, older siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins all take part in the rearing of the young. By the age of 6 or 7, the child begins to take on simple household tasks and soon thereafter becomes a full working member of the family. Adolescence is hardly recognized by the archeozoic teens, at the age of 16 or 17, the individual is accepted as a fullmember of Bedouin society. The Bedouins are lineal. Their names consist of a personal name, the fathers name,the agnatic grandfathers name and the great grandfathers name.Women retain their name and fathers family name unchangedafter marriage. There are distinctive terms for kin on the mothers side and kin on the fathers side. All terms bode the sex of the person designated. The smallest residential unit (Bayt) is named after its senior male resident. However, unlike settled peoples,most Bedouins are also members of larger patrilineal descent groups which are linked by agnation to form even larger lineages and sometimes even tribal confederations. RELIGION AND TRADITIONSThe Bedouins (and Muslims in general) multifariously believe in Jinn (the presence of spirits), some playful and others malevolent, that interfere in the life of humans. Hasset (the envious, evileye) is also very real to the Bedouins and children are believed to be particularly vulnerable. For this reason, they often had protective amulets attached to their clothing or hung nigh their necks. In Islam the existence of ogresses and monstrous super naturals is postulated, known as Maleika Al Ard (Kings of the Earth) and Bedouins believe they are sometimes met by lone travellers in the desert .There is no formal clergy in Islam and no centre of priests. Every Muslim has its own direct relationship with Allah. Bedouin societies have no formal religious specialists. They traditionally arrange for religious specialists, called Shaykh or Sjeikh, from adjacent settled regions to spend several months a year with them to teach the young to read the Quran. A rustic or settled religious specialist that Bedouins seek out for redress and preventative measures is called a Gatib. This is not the same as the Hakim, which is a Bedouin impact/healer is, who specializes in herbal and traditional healing. ) In addition many Bedouins tend to have ceremonies and rituals including elaborate celebrations of weddings, ritual naming of newborn infants and the circumcision of children (boys universally, girls frequently but this is less common nowadays because in the mosque is p takeed that this is in contradiction with the teachings of the holy Quran). According to IslamBedouins ritually sl aughter a goat or a sheep when a child is born.Bedouins call this Foo-ela and their family is invited to eat the prepared meat together. Bedouins of southern Sinai who are influenced by Sufism (Islamic mysticism) also celebrate the Prophets birthday and carry out pilgrimages to the tombs of (local) saints. They onlyworship Allah and these journeys are more important to consolidate the ties to the tribe and the tombs serve as a meeting place. Death and traditions Islamic tradition dictates the practices associated with death. The body is buried as soon as accomplishable and always within 24 hours.Among some Bedouin groups, an effort is made to get down the dead in one place (Maghebr), although often it is impossible to reach it within the strict time limit imposed by Islamic practices. Funeral rites are very simple and Bedouins mark their graves with exeptional simplicity, placing an ordinary oppose (or unmarked board) at the head of the grave, where family regularly place a rei nvigorated leaf of a palm tree. When they visit the graves, they take off their billet and say a prayer, after which they sit around the graves and eat fruit.Children playing around the cemetery always get a (sweet) contend from the visitors. Healing HOT SAND BATH They put their selves in the gumption when theyfeel pain in their bones or the whole body, to let the sand lick the pain and bad fluids out of the body CAMEL MILK The Bedouins take camel as their friend. They have Camel Milk to cure diseases like Hepatitis C, stomach pain, sexual disability, digestion and immunresistancy. Half il bar are herbs from the desert cleaning the kidneys Handal is a kind of fruit from the desert we put for some time under your heel. It helps against rheumatism.