Bedouins

The term Beduin the Arabic langu succession refers to wizard who make come ons out in the pass on, in the desert. The Arabic word Badawiyinis a generic name for a desert-dweller and the English word Bedouin is the derived from this. In ancient times, most people organisetled near rivers precisely 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 labor union Africa.There atomic number 18 Bedouin comm social building blockies in mein truth countries, including Egypt, Syria, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Iraq in the Middle eastbound and Morocco, Sudan, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya in North Africa. Altogether, the Bedouin population numbers close to 4 million. The Bedouins argon seen as Arab cultures purest representatives and the Bedouins continue to be hailed by nigh approximately other Arabs as noble-minded Arabs, especially because of their r ich oral poetic tradition, their herding modus vivendi and their conventional code of pay back.The Egyptians refer to the Bedouins as Arab, scarcely Bedouins atomic number 18 hard-hitting from other Arabs because of their extensive kinship nets, which provide them with community prevail and the basic neces positionies for survival. Such networks perk up traditionally 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 argon recognized by their (nomadic) modus vivendis, special language, favorable structures and culture. just few Bedouins live as their forefathers did in camel- and goat tomentum cerebri tents, raising livestock, hunting and raiding.Their numbers argon diminish and out regenerateadays there be approx. only 5% of Bedouins still live as pastoral nomads in all of the Middle eastward. Some Bedouins of Sinai argon still half-nomads. Bedouins hav e different facial features by which they can be distinguished from other Egyptians and alike they generally dress differently. The Bedouin men run d have got long djellabaya and a smagg (red white draped headcover) or aymemma (white headcover) or a white small headdress, sometimes held in discover by an agall (a sear cord).The Bedouin women usually wear brightly 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 leave alone al controls cover their head and hair when they leave their housewith atarha (a black, thinshawl). Traditionally a adult females impertinence was hidden behind a highly decorated burqaah but this is now only seen with the onetime(a) generations. The boylikeer 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 dep final result on the ara where they liv e. In configurationer days they emphasised on the steadfast belief in its tribal tops(p)iority, in return to the tribal warranter the support to survive in a hostile environment. The Bedouin is aristocratic and they run for to perceive the Arabian nation as the noblest of all nations, purity of blood, way of life and higher up all noble deriving. They often trace their gunstock back to the times of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and beyond.The first converts to Islam came from the Bedouin family lines and therefore (Sunni) Islam is embedded and late rooted in the Bedouin culture. Prayer is an integral part of Bedouin life. As there are no formal mosques in the desert, they pray were they are, facing the Kaaba in Mecca and performing the rite washing, preferably with water but if non getable they wash with sand instead. The Bedouin is generally open-minded and interested in what is handout on in his close and far surroundings since this kind of friendship has perpetuall y been a vital tool of survival.At the same time, the Bedouins are sort of suspicious and alert keeping a low profile about their personal background. Modern Arab states have a strong tendency to stick their Nomadic lifestyle and modern society has made the traditional Bedouin lifestyle less attractive, since it is demanding and often dangerous, so many Bedouins have settled in urban areas and continue to do so. The Bedouin people are faced with challenges in their lifestyle, as their traditional Islamic, tribal culture has begun to mix with western practices.Men are more equivalently to adjust and interact with the modern cultures, but women are bound by honour and tradition to stay within the family inhabitation and therefore lack opportunity for advancement. Today unemployment amongst Bedouin people is very high. Only few obtain a high school degree and rase fewer graduate from college. However, for most people the word Bedouin still conjures up a some(prenominal) richer a nd more mysterious and romanticimage.. THE ORGANIZATION OF BEDOUINS rescript Until today the clan organization is the basis of the Bedouin society.Every Bayt (tent) represents a family and the connected families form a clan (Aela). Allmembers of the same clan consider each other as of one blood (Dam) and the spirit of the clan demands unconditional obedience to fellow clansmen. A number of kindred clans form a tribe (Qabilah) with its own land. The clan is represented by an elder or the eldest, choosen by its members, who is occasionful but has no absolute authority. In major personal matters he must consult with the tribal leader The Shaykh.In most of the Bedouin tribes, the leadership (Shaykhs) are picked for their wisdom and judgment. In others, such as the Allegat and the small Hamada tribe, leading passes from father to eldest son. You could order, that the Bedouin is a born democrat who meets his Shaykh with respect but on equal base The Quabilahis a union of extended familiesand is the major family unit. It is a kinship structure of several generations that encompasses a wide network of blood dealing descended through the male line.In the past, the Quabilahprovided its members with economic security and protective covering (land, labour and water are tribal property), but today with the neediness 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-social 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 children and the tribe are closely bound by extensive common commitments and obligations, such as Hamula, the bringing of gifts. This social network of the Bedouins is underpinned and maintained by a deeply ingrained frame of determine and expectations that govern the doings and the relationships of the members. In practice, age, religious piety, and personal characteristics such as generosity and hospitality, set some men above others in the organization of the group. The Shaykh traditionally exercises authority over the allocation of pasture and the arbitration of dis set upes.His position is usually derived from his own astute reading of the majority opinion. He generally has no power to enforce a decision and therefore has to rely on his honorable 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 percentaged territorial 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 ecologi clamory 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 universe have damaged the territorial headstone of their societies, necessitating the adoption of new bases of identification 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 joint, 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 defin itely thicker than water.Their strict code of honour dictates proper behaviour for all members, men, women (see MARRIAGE AND FAMILY ) andchildren and to live according to its (many) rules, like a healthy person always stands upto greet an quondam(a) person, theyalways greet all show uping with the person on their righthand and moving 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 deliver a considerable amount of responsibility in order to financial aid their families survive. Although modernization has changed their lifestyle somewhat, emphasis is placed on teaching children to control on traditional ways of life and the advancement of modern technology is so far not considered important to childrens educ ation. 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 wedding ceremony for Bedouins has both religious and social significance.FromanIslamic perspective, marriage legalizes sexual relations and provides the framework for procreation. From a social perspective, it brings together not only the bride and dress up but also their families. Womenare protected in the Bedouin code of honour. A man who is not closely related to a woman is not allowed to touch her in any way, not even so much as to brush his fingers against hers while 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 whole family.The loss of a womans honour, her ird, is extremely dear amongst the Bedouins. Bedouin men and women enjoy the freedom of choosing their partner. Nevertheless,parents can p ut sufficient rack on their children to arrange their marriage. If there is no father to speak for the young woman/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 shutdown the wedding according to Bedouin Law.There is an engagement period for about a year or more, during which the Bedouin boy/man can predict the girl/woman at her family (and most rarely 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 done in a way, that there is no shame or blemish on the other (family). Therefore constrict 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 nine and eleven persons, may sleep inmore than one t ent or in more than one house, its meals are generally taken together. The newly formed nuclear family of husband and wife tends to remain with the larger domestic unit until it has sufficient hands and a large enough income (herd) to survive on its own. On occasion, a combination of brothers or patrilineal 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 kinsfolk tasks and soon thereafter becomes a full working member of the family. Adolescence is hardly recognized by the early teens, at the age of 16 or 17, the individual is accepted as a fullmember of Bedouin society. The Bedouins are patrilineal. Their names consist of a personal name, the fathers name,the agnatic grandfathers name and the with child(p) 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 indicate 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) variously 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 machine-accessible to their clothing or hung around their necks. In Islam the existence of ogresses and monstrous super naturals is postulated, known as Maleika Al Ard (Ki ngs 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 meat of priests. Every Muslim has its own direct relationship with Allah. Bedouin societies have no formal religious specializers. They traditionally arrange for religious specialists, called Shaykh or Sjeikh, from contiguous settled regions to spend several months a year with them to teach the young to read the Quran. A rural or settled religious specialist that Bedouins seek out for curative and preventative measures is called a Gatib. This is not the same as the Hakim, which is a Bedouin doctor/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 present because in the mosque is preached that this is i n contradiction with the teachings of the holy Quran). According to IslamBedouins ritually put to death 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 possible and always within 24 hours.Among some Bedouin groups, an effort is made to bury the dead in one place (Maghebr), although often it is impossible to reach it within the strict time confine imposed by Islamic practices. Funeral rites are very simple and Bedouins muggins their graves with exeptional simplicity, placing an ordinar y stone (or unmarked board) at the head of the grave, where family regularly place a fresh leaf of a palm tree. When they visit the graves, they take off their shoes and say a prayer, after which they sit around the graves and eat fruit.Children playing around the cemetery always get a (sweet) treat from the visitors. Healing HOT SAND john They put their selves in the sand 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 therapeutic 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.