He continued, “There is an old Arab war song”-he didn’t sing, but recited-“ ‘Terrible he rode alone, with his Yemen sword for aid; ornament it carried none, but the notches on the blade.’ ”
Right. I’d actually heard those words before, from a guy named Gabe Haytham, an Arab-American on the Task Force, when I was working the case of Asad, The Lion.
Buck was going on now about religion-ninety-eight percent of the country was Muslim, the rest were Christians, Jews, and Hindus. He said, “Before the creation of Israel in 1948, the Sana’a government tolerated its Jews, who are part of their heritage from the days of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. In fact, many Yemenis were Jewish until the arrival of Islam.”
Maybe that explains the Yemeni delis in Brooklyn.
He informed us, “Most of the Jews fled to Israel after 1948.” He continued, “The Yemeni constitution supposedly provides for religious freedom for minorities, but there are no churches or synagogues remaining where you can attend services.” He added, “As in most Islamic countries, the conversion of a Muslim to another religion is prohibited, and punishable, usually by death.” He warned us, “Do not proselytize. It’s a capital offense. Though you may quote from the Old and New Testaments, which Muslims consider sacred texts. But try to learn a few passages from the Koran as well.”
“Which Korean?”
“The Koran, Mr. Corey.”
“Right.”
Buck continued, “Yemenis speak Arabic, including ancient dialects. Yemeni Arabic is considered the most pure form of the language-unchanged for thousands of years because of the isolation of the country. Many Arabic-language scholars, including Westerners, go to Yemen to study the language. Think of Yemeni Arabic as Shakespearean English, though it is much older.”
I asked Buck, “Do you speak Arabic?”
He replied in Arabic, and I said, “That’s easy for you to say.”
Kate accidentally kicked me under the table.
Buck said, “Sex.”
I sat up.
“Sex,” he repeated. “We all know or think we know about the Muslims’ attitude toward sex, so I won’t repeat all that you’ve heard, but I’ll recap. Sex outside of marriage is forbidden, and adultery is punishable by death.”
“Right. Screw the divorce lawyers. Get that jambiyah sharpened.”
Buck smiled and said, “That shouldn’t be a concern for a happily married couple.”
Correct, but I had to ask, “Do guys get the death penalty for screwing around?”
“Not usually, but-”
Kate interrupted, “They do with me.”
“Just asking.”
Buck also informed us, “Homosexuality is often punished by death, but rape is usually settled with a cash payment to the victim’s family. But if the rapist claims the sex was consensual, which they always do, then the victim, if she can’t produce four witnesses to the contrary, is sometimes killed by her family. What they call honor killings.”
Okay, we knew all of this, but it was jarring to hear it.
Buck next discussed marriage and family. “Polygamy is legal under Islamic law, and a man may have up to four wives, but polygamy is not common in Yemen.”
“Why not?” Kate asked.
Because what guy wants four women telling him to take out the garbage?
“Because,” said Buck, “most men can’t afford more than one wife.”
Most men, Buck, can’t afford one wife.
Buck continued, “Most marriages are arranged.”
I asked, “Do they have Match.com?”
“Yes, but the women in the photos are all veiled and they have no hobbies, interests, jobs, or education.”
Funny. I liked Buck. Even Kate laughed.
Buck informed us, “Custom regards the ideal marriage as a marriage between cousins.”
Like in Kentucky.
“Women are viewed as subordinate and must serve their fathers, husbands, brothers, and even their male children.”
This might be a good year.
Buck said, “The Yemeni constitution states that women are equal to men, but then incorporates many aspects of Sharia law, which negates that equality. For instance, in a court of law, the testimony of one man equals that of two women.”
My lawyer wife asked, “How can they call that equal?”
I volunteered, “Buck just told you. One equals two. Do the math.”
I got another kick. Restless leg syndrome?
Buck also told us that the Yemenis had the highest birthrate of any Arab country-six to ten children were not uncommon-so something was happening when those veils came off.
Buck also said, “There’s a population explosion in progress, and there are now more than twenty million Yemenis, mostly young, in a small, impoverished country with few natural resources. This is a demographic time bomb waiting to go off, and most analysts predict social upheaval within ten years.” He added, “We’re seeing it already.”
Recalling Nabeel, I suggested, “More Yemeni delis in Brooklyn.”
He replied, “In fact, there is a high emigration rate to America, Western Europe, and the oil-rich countries of the Arabian Peninsula, which serves as a safety valve for Yemen and is a source of outside money. But millions of unemployed youths remain in the country.”
Right. I remembered hordes of young men hanging around the streets and souks in Aden with nothing to do. A surefire recipe for trouble, and a fertile ground for Al Qaeda recruiters.
Buck finished up with love and marriage; divorce is easy for men-just say, “I divorce thee” three times-but nearly impossible for women. Pre-nups-marriage contracts-exist and are enforceable, unless you get an asshole judge like I did.
Buck switched to the subject of clothing. “Ninety percent of the population wears traditional Arab dress that probably hasn’t changed much since biblical times.” He advised us, “Buy a set of traditional clothing for yourselves.”
“Why?” I asked.
He replied, “Just for fun. Or you might wear it when wandering around the streets and souks.” Buck confessed, “I often dressed as a native when I left the embassy.”
I inquired, “Do you have a picture you can show us?”
He smiled, then described to us the native Yemeni attire. The men wore headgear called a thob or shiwal, usually white, and in the north they dressed in a white fouteh, a robe, and in the south the men wore a white sarong. Underwear optional.
Sometimes, I recalled, they also wore a ratty Western-style sports jacket over their robe, the pockets stuffed with khat and magazines of the metal variety. They all wore sandals, and the whole country needed a pedicure.
Two things a man never left home without were his dagger and his rifle. The right to bear arms in Yemen seemed to be an obligation, and ninety percent of the males over the age of about fourteen toted an assault rifle, usually an AK-47, capable of taking out all his friends and neighbors in a few seconds of automatic fire. Oddly, though, there was little random gun violence or crime. I mean, everyone was packing, so you thought twice before you walked into a store and said, “This is a stickup.” Everyone in the place would blow you away. Right?
Non-random gunplay was another matter. Most people who got whacked got whacked for a reason. Usually something to do with politics, or honor, or a business dispute that couldn’t be settled over a khat chew. Also, Westerners were rarely robbed at gunpoint. If you got a gun stuck in your back, you were not likely to hear, “Your money or your life.” Instead, you’d hear, “Come with me.” The purpose of kidnapping Westerners was not only money, but also a way for the Bedouin tribes to embarrass the central government and/or extort favors or services from them, which was a common pastime of the tribes. These abductions were called “guest kidnappings,” and kidnap victims often reported that nothing was taken from them, except maybe an admired watch or piece of jewelry that should be offered as a gift while you were waiting for the ransom money to arrive. Your food and upkeep isn’t free, you know. And you were getting an authentic experience.