Damascus: Jewel of the Orient
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had been touched by another. I would not marry such a girl.
Therefore I tell my friends that I saw such a girl talking to
such a stranger to warn them against marrying the girl."
The Moslem code of perverted morality is so severe that
hand-holding among teen-agers on the street or in the movies
is frowned upon. It would be unthinkable for an Arab to be
seen walking with his arm around a lady's waist. Innocent
kissing in public would instantly land both parties in jail,
charged with gross immorality. On the other hand, no odium
and no penalties are attached to similar homosexual demonstrations in public.
"Do you think this code of relationship between men and
women is normal?" I asked.
"No, it is not normal. It is wrong. But it is custom. The
young men here try to change the custom, but the old ones
are against every new thing. They say: 'We were raised without these pleasures. Why should we allow you to have them?'
My doctor says to me: 'You must marry or you must be friends
with a girl because of your health.' I cannot marry because I
do not have enough money, and I cannot find a girl to be
friends with."
"It must be very difficult," I said consolingly.
"I am lucky to know some bad women. My friends who are
unlucky ask me where to meet them. I refuse to tell. Ahh . . .
I want to live a pure life. I want to meet a girl who has an
idea of love. I have read of Western love. I have seen it in the
cinema. I think if must be a very wonderful experience. There
is no conception of love in Damascus. What they call love begins in bed and ends in bed. Syria is not like America. When I
see a girl I wish to marry, I cannot tell her my wish, but I
must first tell my mother. If she approves she must then go
to her father to ask: 'How much do you want for your daughter?' The price is usually the money he has spent on her since
her birth. Sometimes he makes a big profit. Money is only for
the beautiful girls. Many poor Syrians marry without money