Do bedouin women say "assalam alaikum?"

[CarpeDiebold]

just wondering

[pokerfan]

1. No idea

When I was there, we weren't exactly allowed to talk to any women, nor they to us.

[hickman1937]

2. Maybe give a tranlation for us dufuses.

Just saying. :shrug:

[NuttyFluffers]

3. translation: "peace be upon you"

the response is "asaalekum um salaam" ('and unto you be peace'). this is for the regional arabic of saudi arabia on the east coast of the peninsula and surrounding area.

having been a child in that region i got access to areas that normally would be restricted rigidly according to gender (children under 5 are generally regarded as 'sexless,' similar to how we treat them here. so having a dad take a daughter, or a mother a son, to the bathroom in an emergency is not all that unexpected. when older though, around 6+, they prefer gender segregation, fathers with sons, mothers with daughters, when out in public). having visited both the larger cities of daharan and riyadh, and in the surrounding small cities that catered to bedouins i can say that yes women do say this traditional greeting. in general a man does not speak to a woman unless one has no other choice; technically this, and hijab, is there so a woman must be protected from lascivious eyes and improper suggestions that could arise from any man coming up to speak with her. this gives her a different type of freedom than that of what westerners usually think of. that said, this is the explanation; now what happens in real life can often be a different matter. but also be aware, modern saudi women are often dressed head to toe in designer clothes underneath and bedouin women's arms are bedecked in gold bracelets (often treated as basic currency by the bedouins -- the women carry the wealth of the house on her person, literally. she's the bank, as it were.)

also, for cross reference, the hebrew greeting "sholom alacheim" (peace be upon you) is beautifully similar, isn't it? it shows the deep connection between these two semitic peoples.

[hickman1937]

6. Is it true that some islamic women carry a wealth of jewelry

because if their husband decides to divorce them they have no say, but they keep the gifts(jewelry)?

[NuttyFluffers]

12. it's more like being the financial secretary...

the men rule the sphere outside the home, the women the sphere inside the home. if a man wants to do a business deal he still needs to consult the wife because she's the one that manages a lot of the household finances. this isn't too uncommon to what often goes on in latin america, and in fact many households in this country. women often end up being the "household secretaries" managing the books and the valuables of the house.

and being nomadic peoples, bedouins don't/didn't have access to ATMs, etc easily. what then is the fastest way to carry loads of money without being overburdened and trying to find markets to convert to what you need? salt blocks? livestock? that's right, jewelry. in particular gold. remember, the world's premier gold market for centuries, and probably still is today, is dubai. gold is everything, because it is basically the most efficient and reliable form of currency. in a land of shifting sands, shifting alliances, and shifting marketplaces one of the few stable things in the world is gold.

so all those gold bracelets on the arm is more of a large portable bank account than anything.

depending on the regional custom though you can get different accounts to how dowries are retained. theoretically they should be held by the woman; she's bringing her family's wealth to be joined with another family, but this is her money should anything untoward happen. how it works in reality can be quite different. that and even though divorce is quite easy for the man (and supposed to be possible for women under the koran too), and there's guidelines on relatively equitable distribution of property after the end of a divorce mentioned in the koran, the stated rule and application doesn't always turn out the same. also, in some groups there's bride gift/bride payment, that the man's family offers to the woman's family. this might be part of what you are talking about. this usually goes to the woman as part of her personal finances. these things being gifts though are almost never taken back; doing so would be incredibly bad form, just as it would the world over. hospitality and generosity are two hugely important facets of life in the desert, and one cannot bear an ill reputation. the logic is simple: without others to help you the desert will kill you; learn to be hospitable and of proper upbringing.

[tjwmason]

14. Thanks for those posts

It's fascinating to hear more about Arabic culture, we are so often presented with the monolithic stereotype that we forget the basic humanity underneath.

[Jamastiene]

4. I haven't a clue, but I am sure

they say it with all sorts of pride if they do. :evilgrin:

[southlandshari]

5. Akid!

Il sittat il'bedu il'ahlah sittat fil a'laam. Humme daimon behob i'nas fil bet hum, oo mabsut ktir, ktir wen'ta il'ahalie ow il'a'saab azur hum.

:hi:

[entanglement]

8. What does it mean?

/woefully ignorant of foreign languages :dunce:

[southlandshari]

9. Translation

Of course!

Bedouin women are some of the sweetest women in the world, and are always happy when friends or family come to visit!

[CarpeDiebold]

10. lol

i dont' speak the language, it was just a silly copycat thread (do redneck women say hell yeah...)

what does that mean, what you said?

*edit* DOH! just read the post above mine.

[southlandshari]

11. LOL back atcha!

I knew it was a copy cat (a good one, at that) - I just don't get many chances to type in transliterated Arabic around here, ya know?

;)

[hickman1937]

7. Is this the same as the Irish saying,

Tá fáilte romhat? "You're welcome here".

[datasuspect]

13. as salaam alaikum means "peace be unto you"

i guess it would be the same sentiment, although when someone says as salaam alaikum to you, you're supposed to say "alaikum salaam."