Sawt al-Mara — page 35

Dar al-Ilm lil-Malayin

Mrs. Salma al-Haffar is a gifted woman of letters, known to women's literary circles through her articles and short stories, which appear from time to time in this magazine and in other magazines of the Arab world.

Mrs. Salma has lately brought out her first book, "Hala's Diaries."

"Hala" is the beautiful, musical name by which Salma was known as a young girl; as for "Hala's Diaries," they are the musings of the young girl "Hala" in the days when she was a student in Damascus.

Musings on life and society, on politics and the events through which the Syrian country was passing, when Hala was still at the beginning of her life.

And what do we find in these diaries?

There is a rebellious, defiant spirit that collides with many barriers and traditions, refuses to accept them, and tries to overstep them with boldness and sincerity.

And there is the perplexed spirit that keeps asking: why? why? why?

Why does society impose its systems the way it does? Why do people live in a cage of worn-out traditions? Why?

And there is the ardent patriotic spirit, representing a generation of youth in those grim periods in the life of the Syrian nation, appalled to see its nation trampled under the feet of the foreigner, and to see its glorious history disfigured under the pens of foreign writers...

"Hala" is very nearly carried into violent revolt when she clashes with her foreign teacher in history class...

And when we reach the last part

of the book, there takes shape before the reader the burning devotion of a daughter, as the author recounts, in a delightful, limpid style, the assassination of the Syrian leader Dr. Shahbandar and the arraignment of her father, His Excellency Lutfi al-Haffar, together with the men of the National Bloc, whom the French authorities accused of plotting the assassination of the leader-doctor.

"Hala's Diaries" are the musings of the rebellious Syrian girl, the musings of a sincere patriot, and the musings of a devoted daughter...

Etiquette, by Ruhi Jamil

The publishers: Dar al-Ahad

... The civilized nations of Europe felt an urgent need, in their life, to lay down a general system that would define for them the lines they must follow in their societies, and so they established the "rules of conduct," or what we today call Etiquette.

It was only natural that the Arabs should borrow these fundamental principles to complete their renaissance and to direct relations among the various individuals and groups...

And in order to define these lines, which the Arab world would do well to follow in its new development, so that they should not stand in isolation from the civilized world, Mr. Ruhi Jamil has produced this new book, relying

in it on what all civilized societies and peoples have laid down, and adapting it to what accords with our needs and harmonizes with our traditions...

There is no doubt that such a book, new of its kind, will greatly help to give Arab societies a deep training in conduct, so that they will not find themselves in embarrassing situations through ignorance of these basic rules of social refinement. The Woman's Voice will present some of the studies of this book, in what concerns woman.

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