The Dark Traditions

Elias Haddad Najeeb

Description

The two stories are written to showcase the world the circumstances that lead to "honor killing." They provide an in-depth understanding of the customs and traditions that dictate the behaviors, relationships, and actions of the majority of the people living in the Middle East--the Arab world.
The stories exemplify the detrimental impacts of "honor killings" on the parents and siblings.
"We females are subject to the echoes of inherited traditions and customs. Males consider it an honor to dictate our behaviors. They force us to commit to traditions that chain us and impose on us unbearable limitations. Those traditions do not apply to males!"

Sujets

• Historical fiction

Informations

• Publié par: Austin Macauley Publishers LLC
• Date de parution: 30 septembre 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781645752691
• Langue: English

Extrait

The Dark Traditions
Stories of the Middle East
Najeeb Elias Haddad
Austin Macauley Publishers
2020-09-30
The Dark Traditions About the Author Dedication Copyright Information © The Eloper Linda’s Destiny Kamil’s Release Shady’s Proposal Elopement At the Graveyard Revenge Hanan’s Killer Karim’s Family Hanan Rasheed’s Family Nizar and the Young Men in the Town Ashraf’s Release from Prison Rasheed and Nizar Huda and Nizar Rasheed’s Death Characters of the Novel
About the Author
Najeeb Elias Haddad was born in 1939 in a town called Kufranjeh, located in the northern part of Jordan.
In 1965, Najeeb obtained a bachelor degree in English literature from Damascus University, Syria.
He started his career as a teacher with the department of education and then became a supervisor for the English language until he retired.
After retirement, Najeeb moved to live in the USA with his daughter and then moved to Australia to live with his sons.
While living abroad, he wrote a number of novels based on real life stories that he either witnessed and/or heard of while living in Jordan.
Dedication
This book is dedicated to my wonderful wife, Alexandra, who has been the symbol of loyalty and encouragement to me and our beloved seven children.
Copyright Information ©
Najeeb Elias Haddad (2020)
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher.
Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
Austin Macauley is committed to publishing works of quality and integrity. In this spirit, we are proud to offer this book to our readers; however, the story, the experiences, and the words are the author’s alone.
Ordering Information:
Quantity sales: special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the publisher at the address below.
Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication data
Haddad, Najeeb Elias
The Dark Traditions
ISBN 9781645752677 (Paperback)
ISBN 9781645752684 (Hardback)
ISBN 9781645752691 (ePub e-book)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2020907938
www.austinmacauley.com/us
First Published (2020)
Austin Macauley Publishers LLC
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New York, NY 10005
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The Eloper
Basheer was walking heavily, stumbling in the narrow lane that led to his house. He felt hot and sweating. His face was pale, his forehead was frowning and his lips were murmuring words half heard and half understood, but their tone told that he was extremely annoyed and depressed. While in this condition, his eldest brother, Nader met him and said, “You are not in your usual condition. Where have you been?”
Basheer (in a voice full of annoyance and anger) said, “I have been in hospital, my wife has delivered a girl, a disaster.”
Nader (in a voice full of displeasure and consolation) said, “May God help us to bear this catastrophe.” He paused for a while and then added, “This is our fate. It is God’s will, we cannot oppose it. We must accept it with favor and patience.”
Basheer, “Yes, it is God’s gift. We can’t deny it. But we can’t conceal our disgust, grumble, and dissatisfaction. It is a girl! Why not a boy!”
Nader sighed with disappointment and said, “Did you give her a name?”
Basheer, “Yes, we named her Linda in commemoration of our dead mother, may God rest her soul in peace.”
Nader, “You did well. This name will lessen our hard shock. It makes us expect good that she may be kind and religious as her grandmother was.”
Basheer, “We all hope that.”
Nader, “This name encouraged me to have her in the future a bride for my son, Naser. He is five years older than her. They are already suitable for each other.”
Basheer, “I will not disappoint you. No one suits her better than your son. I offer her to him as a ‘tray offer’ following our traditions.”
Nader, with pleasure, said, “It is your least offer. Thank you for being so generous.”
Basheer said, “But you haven’t taken into account your son’s agreement to the bride you have chosen for him?”
Nader, “Why won’t he agree? Is he going to find a bride socially better than his own cousin?”
Basheer, “Life is now different than when we were young. Our circumstances are now on the move. Males go to universities and see girls of different social ranks and races and even of different nationalities. The girls do the same. But despite all this, we still have power upon our daughters that we can oblige them to consider our thought and carry out what we want for them, but we can’t do that with our sons.”
Nader, “I promise you, brother, to commit myself to what we have agreed on.”
Basheer, “If it is so, I from now congratulate Naser, your son, on his bride, Linda, my daughter.”
The two brothers walked together and entered into Basheer’s house.
They both swore that neither of them will break the agreement but commit themselves to it.
Many years before Linda was born, Basheer’s wife had given birth to a boy named Zuhair. Zuhair and Linda grew up. After finishing the secondary school, Zuhair joined the science college. After a few years Linda, in her turn, finished the high school and joined the nursing college.
While studying science, Zuhair loved a pharmacy student named Haifa. She was strikingly beautiful and charming. But she did not love him. Her heart was busy with one of her colleagues in Pharmacy College named Kathem, who in his turn, loved her with all his heart. Haifa and Kathem vowed to each other that nothing, except death, would separate them.
A fierce competition began between Zuhair and Kathem for Haifa. Zuhair felt that Haifa didn’t pay attention to him. He did his best to attract her to his side, but in vain. He noticed that she preferred Kathem to him. He became sure, through her treatment and behavior, that her love to Kathem was extremely deep. This made him jealous to a great extent. He couldn’t bear Haifa’s deep love to another person. He concealed his anxiety and ignored her relationship with Kathem and continued to make her feel that he adored her. But he didn’t feel any hope that might comfort him, or at least lessen his killing jealousy. An idea struck him. It was to murder Kathem. But this deed may make him spend the rest of his life behind bars. So, he put his thought aside and began to look for other means to separate Haifa and Kathem. Haifa became very upset with Zuhair’s continuous hassle. She rang him and told him to meet her at the café shop of the university. He agreed and hurried there with much pleasure hoping that she might have changed her mind. Haifa started her talk by saying, “Your behavior towards Kathem and me bothers us so much. Please, leave us alone. You are not in my mind. Whatever you do will not stop our love. I love him and he loves me. We pledged to protect this deep love and make it last forever.”
Zuhair, disappointed, replied, “Why do you love Kathem? He is not one of our tribe. He is a stranger. Aren’t you aware of the danger and problems you will face because of your unreasonable behavior? Our society refuses your behavior. The girl is denied to reveal her love, specially to a person who is not from the same tribe. Kathem is not concerned about your reputation and interest. I love you. I am not like him. I am interested in your reputation. I will keep our love secret till the time of our marriage. You have to know that your love to Kathem makes me undergo a bitter jealousy.”
Haifa, “Why are you jealous of Kathem? It never happened that I made you feel I love you. Kathem didn’t take me from you. There is no intimate relation between you and me. There is no reason for your jealousy. This is enough to make you think again of your feelings towards me.”
Zuhair, “You are the one who should think again of your feelings towards Kathem. I will neither leave you to him nor to anyone else. No one will blame me whatever I do to make you abandon him. All men in our family will support me.”
Haifa, “I beg you, Zuhair, stop harassing me. I don’t hate you, but I can’t marry you and make you happy.”
Zuhair, “It is me who decides, not you! I want you to be my wife. Your feelings are of no importance.”
Haifa, “The matter is not ‘who decides.’ It is my feelings, emotions, wishes, and love. I feel nothing towards you. Please do understand my point of view.”
Zuhair, “Don’t forget that females’ feelings and emotions are not considered in our traditions and customs to which we are wholly committed. Only males have the right to reveal their emotions and will.” Haifa felt that the gentle discussion with one who strongly believe in old customs and traditions will never bring an advantage. She changed her friendly tone and said angrily,
“I thought I was speaking to a civilized person who has good manners and a high level of social and cultural development, but you surprised me when I found you completely the opposite. Stay away from me, don’t stand in my way, and be sure that Kathem had completely filled my heart and my whole world. He is my whole life and my whole existence. I can’t change my feelings towards him, I love him deeply.”
Zuhair, “You are also in my heart. You have filled it and will never leave it.”
Haifa, “This is your problem, not mine nor that of Kathem. I know your intimate relation with Nada, your colleague in the science college. It is shameful to express your feelings and emotions to more than one girl.”
Zuhair, “Nada is not more than an ordinary friend. I do not feel any emotions towards her. She knows that.”
Haifa, “You are t