Grandfather's Tale     by Ulfat Idilbi, Translated by Peter Clark Original language: Arabic Country: Syrian Arab Republic   Published by Interlink Pub Group ISBN: 0704381001 List Price: $12.95 Not available for ordering

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Here is a single, short, highly readable book, ably translated by old Arabia hand Peter Clark, that probably opens up more insights into the traditional Muslim world than a thousand worried articles in the Sunday 'papes or a whole shelf of instant books explaining Islamic Fundamentalism 'versus' modernity, 'The West' and friends... Perhaps the most memorable strand of Grandfather's Tale is on the organisation of the Hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca. In this case it is the old long-distance overland caravan of travellers. Our trip is under the aegis of the terrifyingly religious 'Grandfather' himself whose formal, traditionalist mind-set is evoked extremely well. Despite all its alien aspects and discomforts author Ulfat Idilbi makes the reader regret they have (probably) never had the honour or excitement of a long camel-borne trip across the desert's Empty Quarter to the great shrines of Islam.

The central characters of Grandfather's Tale are Daghestanis (actually members of a family exiled to Syria from their native Caucasus) and, apart from the interesting close-grained account of the texture of their traditional existence, village life, the structure of houses, relationship with neighbours and so on there is also the story — with frightening parallels to the seemingly never-ending Chechen War — of a long and bitter resistance to the authority of the Tsar of All the Russias.

The ever-present and deeply interesting background of the book though, especially for an audience with Anglo-Saxon sensibilities, is the intense sense of family connectedness — of a so-called extended family of course — that Idilbi, an esteemed Syrian woman writer, transmits. We learn too something of the women's 'Hammam (bath-house) Network' who help one mother to find a husband for her 18-year old daughter 'before it's too late' and she becomes an unmarriageable 22-year old. Other matters far more startling include references to slavery (p173), flogging (p176) and paying your bills in Mecca (p170).

'The place was swarming with people of all nations, features, colours and dress. We waited until the sanjaq arrived. This was the huge green silken banner, embroidered with silver and gold, that was borne on the camel that would be leading the Pilgrimage caravan. And the mahmal was like a small cupola draped in black velvet, also embroidered in silver and gold. This was placed on the back of a huge camel and inside it was the canopy that was being sent from the land of Syria to the holy Ka'ba in Mecca. The great caravan slowly came together. We heard music and a cannon was fired, heralding our departure. We set off, preceded by the sanjaq. Then followed the mahmal and after that the takhtarawan, a small litter also draped in a bright Damascene cloth. This was carried by two large mules. Inside sat the Emir of the Pilgrimage. After that came horses, camels with their maharas and, finally, people on foot. Our 'akkam had sat us in our mahara, Father on one side and me on the other. To make up the balance the luggage and the provisions for the road were all on my side. I would never have imagined that this small mahara would have been big enough to carry us and our luggage and yet be so comfortable. There was on my side of the mahara a little window with a curtain that shielded us from the sun. I used to lift the curtain up and gaze at the surging sea of horses, camels with their maharns and humanity all tramping forward. What a sight!' p13-14