The Other Side of History: Ethnographies, Travelogues, Historical Novels, and Their Place in the Study of the Past
...Makiya’s book gives insight into the historical significance of both the Rock in Jerusalem and the Black Stone in Mecca. The book is largely about Islamic belief and custom. Although it explains a great deal of theology, it also illustrates the day-to-day practice of the faith. Makiya paints a picture of the practice of Islam with these words: “…the crowd silently turned away from the Holy City before whose gates the had just arrived, turned away from the Rock, toward the titanic desolation of the desert across which they had just marched. They turned to face a different Holy City, at whose heart lay the Black Stone.” Makiya’s choice of words (“Holy City”) and the decision to capitalize “Black Stone” signal that these are very important places. The content lets the reader know that the Black Stone in Mecca is held in a somewhat higher regard than the Rock in Jerusalem in Muslim theology. The brief passage also illustrates the Muslim practice of prayer towards the Ka’ba in fresh and moving way. Unlike traditional historical sources, fiction shows people in action. A traditional historical account might explain, “Muslims pray in the direction of the Ka’ba in Mecca.” Makiya’s book says essentially the same thing in a subtle and entertaining way. In Guests of the Sheik, Fernea is writing from the same perspective as many of her readers—as a non-Muslim American with only a rudimentary knowledge of both the region and religion. Because of her perspective, she details everything in such a way that not only makes the reader feel as though they are a part of the action, but also clarifies the practice for the non-Muslim reader. Her description of the nightly religious readings during Ramadan (krayas) was particularly well written. In Fernea’s words: “The mullah sat down and the two young girls stood to lead the congregation in a long, involved song with many responses. Gradually, the women began to beat their breasts rhythmically, nodding their heads and beating in time to the pulse of the song, and occasionally joining in the choruses, or supplying spontaneous responses such as ‘A-hoo-ha!’ or a long-drawn-out ‘Ooooooh!’” Alternative historical sources illuminate the idiosyncrasies and nuances of historical figures. Makiya’s work features several people who were very important in the early history of Islam. Unlike traditional history, these characters are shown as dynamic, multi-faceted human beings. Umar, the second Caliph, is shown to be an ascetic who despises the ornate and takes his faith very seriously. Umar’s asceticism is evidenced in his meeting with the ruler of Jerusalem. While the latter is dressed regally, Umar, “was dressed in the same worn-out, coarsely woven battle tunic that he had been using on the road. He was contemptuous of finery of any kind, especially when used to enhance the body of a man.” For those who only know Umar as the second Caliph and a Companion of Muhammad, this insight into his personality is particularly helpful. Many alternative historical sources offer a sort of “language lesson.” Some sources, such as Fernea, use selected words of the actual language used by the people of the society. Others, such as The Rock use a translation of the words, but maintain their more literal definition. Fernea’s book is liberally peppered with Arabic words and phrases, which she promptly explains. These inclusions not only help give the book a little more flavor, but they also help the reader understand different elements of the society. For instance, the Sheik is usually referred to as Haji, rather than by his name. The use of this honorific means that the Sheik has made the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. Fernea’s inclusion of this detail illustrates both the importance of the pilgrimage and a detail of the sheik’s life. As a work of fiction, however, Makiya’s book cannot use language in quite the same way. Very few people can figure out the meaning of Arabic words through context, and a statement explaining the terms would detract from the narrative. For instance, instead of using a term like “caliphate al-rashidun”, which would be completely esoteric to the average reader, Makiya uses the modern English translation “the rightly guided caliphs.” This lets the reader know that among Muslims, the first four caliphs are regarded as being true and pious religious leaders, without breaking the narrative or adding a cumbersome footnote. In both Fernea’s and Makiya’s works, parents are addressed as the mother or father of their oldest child. Fernea’s friend Selma is known as “Um Feisal”, while Makiya’s Ka’b is known as “father of Ishaq.” By using these forms of address throughout their works, both authors subtly convey the importance of family in Middle Eastern culture and give a lesson in culture. There is one particular aspect of human nature that cannot be removed from any sort of human endeavor—bias. Every source of history, from the most scholarly analysis to the film “inspired by actual events” contains some degree of subjectivity. Although many historians are aware of this tendency and try hard to overcome it, it is truly impossible to completely conquer. Ethnographic and fictional sources are more likely to exhibit an obvious bias, because they are held to a different standard. Few publishers would print a piece of material with blatantly racist or ethnocentric themes, but more subtle prejudices are overlooked. Fernea’s bias is fairly obvious. In the book’s first few pages, she readily admits her prejudiced feelings towards the abayah. On her journey from Baghdad to the village, strangers stare at Fernea. She goes on to say, “I began to be self conscious. This is ridiculous, I told myself. Why should I have to wear that ugly thing-it’s not my custom.” This, and many of her other prejudices are resolved by the end of the book, but Fernea definitely slips some of her own agenda into the narrative, including her feelings on gender relations. In one scene towards the end of the book, she is upset when the Sheikh makes a somewhat degrading comment about an acquaintance of her. In her words: “The gulf that divided us from Haji Hamid never seemed greater to me than at the moment when I realized that we could not introduce him to our friend. He had already made up his mind about her, and the fact that we knew her would detract from our reputation, not improve hers.” In this statement, she makes Haji Hamid seem like someone whose opinions cannot and will not ever change. It is worth mentioning that she has only spoken to the Sheik on a small handful of occasions, and could not claim to know his deep feelings on the position of women in Iraqi society. Therefore, she is obviously slipping in a bias and judging Haji Hamid based on a single comment about a scant-clad woman in a nightclub. In order to create a well-paced, entertaining narrative, historical fiction often employs the use of ‘dramatic license’, an ambiguous term that roughly means ‘stretching the truth.’ This stretch may be as simple as adding a few additional characters or tweaking the sequence of events, but can be a much bigger revision of history. Many historical novels do not deal with well-known historical figures, but instead tell the story of an everyday person who is living i...