More medicine in the Desert Pt 3.

 

Mon Feb.13

       As treatment of obesity was an interest of mine for several years and I had established an obesity management program at University hospital  in Saskatoon, I was  asked to give a clinical presentation on this topic to the medical school faculty at Ben Gurion   The work was not so arduous that I could not take an afternoon off to get a little exercise and get away from the desk, to go to the Joe Alon Centre for Bedouin culture.   This is truly a remarkable centre founded by the Joe Alon foundation in commemoration of Joe, who was a pilot in the Israeli Air Force.  The term Bedouin is derived from the Arabic word 'Badu', which means desert dweller. They were desert nomads who lived by herding animals and small farming.  They roamed widely over the Arabian Peninsula.  The museum is an educational and interesting display of all aspects of Bedouin life and well worth a visit.  I learned many interesting details about Bedouin life.  Beautiful view with the 'Green Line' (the 1949 armistice borders) only a kilometer or two away.

       In the evening we went with Dr. Maroud on another Bedouin odyssey. First we went to the encampment that we had visited previously, and there after the appropriate introductions of the "professor", (me) we sat on our cotton mats cross-legged and partook of an excellent meal.  One of the bowls was lamb, which being one of the foods I particularly dislike, I discreetly avoided. Everything else was excellent and the whole meal was eaten with the fingers, and some bread rather like very thin pita, which useful in catching anything falling off the fingers and mopping up the juice.  Conversation was lively, with Mahmoud translating for me, and we reviewed the health care questionnaires we had decided on and discussed various aspects of it. Many of the Bedouins have three or four wives and although the 'enlightened' ones frown at this, and it was being discouraged, apparently it is regaining popularity among the younger ones.  They are largely fatalistic in their philosophy toward illness, and regard such things as being in the hands of Allah, and illness as a punishment for some sort of misdeed. However, in answering the questionnaire they also said if they or their children were ill, they would call a doctor.  Some also stated they would use a 'traditional' healer as well as modern medicine.  Following the meal I asked if I could  take some photographs.  The Sheik nodded approval, and I took some pictures and then M. took a few of me. The Sheik called me over, sat me down beside him and poured me some coffee - that strong, strong, very bitter coffee that the Bedouin drink as well as the strong sweet tea, which I like much better.  As we were doing this the Muezzin's call for prayer sounded and the tribe moved off, one by one, and Mahmoud and I went back to the car and took off for the next leg of the trip.  I was not quite sure what we were going to do next, some sort of meeting, and indeed it was.  M drove back to Laqiya, an unrecognized township of 8000 lying N of Beersheva, and we stopped at a little grocery store, where he seemed to  be well known.  The store was really just a large open room in a house, with an adjoining room which served as a store-room.  The two occupants of the room were young men, who sat huddled over a little open coal fire of the sort I saw the Bedouin use in their tents.  M. asked them a few questions about their dwellings - relatively new ones, and they complained profusely, in what I suspect was a well rehearsed way, about their lack of proper sewage, and how easily their home flooded if it rained and a few other things.  Then we went to a meeting in the offices of the Negev Education Association, an organization I was told, that was established to address the numerous social and educational problems facing the Negev Bedouins.  M. introduced me to two young men, one a teacher, the other a Dentist, trained I believe in Roumania.  The teacher was the spokesman, and although he apologized for his English, he did an excellent job of informing me of many of the problems that exist for the Negev Bedouin. This slight, pleasant looking young Arab man, couched his words carefully,and any criticisms of the Israeli government were carefully accompanied with numbers and facts i.e. numbers of drs/ clinics/ schools.  This soft sell continued for sometime and I wondered if I was being recruited for something, or being solicited for a donation.  No such thing took place. nevertheless, I felt I was listening to the new leadership of the Bedouin, young men who will assume increasing political power.  Every effort must be made to prevent them turning to fundamentalist sources for support, and this I have no doubt they will do if they do receive further preemptive support from Israeli sources.  I have no doubt that the extremist regimes are doing all in their power to recruit them.  We parted with traditional handshakes and farewells - I think I will be hearing from them further - at least from Maroud.    

    During the first part of my sabbatical at Duke, Irene and I  took an evening  course in creative writing.  We didn't learn much, but I think we may have taught the teacher a little and we met quite a few interesting people.  It did serve as a preparation for the next phase of things.  Soon after our arrival at Ben Gurion University, a young American Israeli member of the Department of Family Medicine was appointed as our liaison with the department.  His name is Jeff Borkan and he was a delightful host.   More about Jeff later, I mention this here only because on our first (or maybe second) meeting I hapened to mention to Jeff that we had taken a course in creative writing at Duke.  From there,the conversation went something like this:
   "That's very interesting, Stan" (and he actually sounded interested, you'll understand why in a minute).  I'm editing a book for the University of Wisconsin Press about Doctors and Patients, and I'm a bit hung up on getting the last few chapters completed.  Maybe you'd consider writing a chapter?"
     I must have said 'yes' too easily!
   "If you could do two chapters the book would be ready for publication"
     Some of us are naturally born suckers!!
    I have two chapters in that book.