Perhaps the Arab women are slow to give their love and trust, but when once given it is sure and lasting. Often these women have said to me, "Why do you love us, Khatoun?" They cannot understand that any one should care for them. Such an idea is outside the range of their experience altogether. One of the first sentences I learnt in the Arabic language was, "Ana ahubkum" (I love you all), and this is one of the most useful and necessary phrases to be learnt. Love is the magic key which opens a way to the hearts of the Moslem women, and which brings forth much fruit in return. It is sad to think that these women, who are endowed with such great possibilities of loving, should be condemned to live their lives, aye, and die too, without one spark of love to brighten and cheer them through the weary years of their lives. Sad, too, that their favoured sisters of England should be content that these things should remain so. Who is to tell them of love if we do not? They know nothing of the God of Love, who looks in pity and compassion on their stricken lives. They only know of a God who is inexorably hard and unfeeling, who holds the destiny of each life in His hand, and against whom it is no use repining, for "What is written is written." Mohammed says in the Koran, "The noblest of you in the sight of God is he who most doth fear Him." Truly has it been said that the God of the Mohammedans is an Oriental despot. CHAPTER VI MOSLEM FAMILY LIFE No home life--Women down-trodden--Evils of divorce--Naseeb--The will of God--Truth and falsehood--Honesty prevalent--A thief caught--Swearing and anti-swearing--Fighting, hair-tearing, and biting--Hammams, the Ladies' Club. "The heart of a woman is given to folly." Arabic Proverb. "May Allah never bless womankind." Quotation from Moslem Author. "The Very God! think, Abib, dost thou think? So, the All-Great, were the All-Loving too-- So, through the Thunder comes a human voice Saying, 'Oh, heart I made, a heart beats here! Face, my hands fashioned, see it in myself! Thou hast no power nor mayst conceive of mine, But love I gave Thee, with Myself to love, And Thou must love me, who have died for thee.'" R. Browning. There is no "home life," such as we understand the term, in Mosul. The word "beit" (house) is the only one in the Arabic language used for describing a home. It would indeed be mockery to call such by the sacred name so dear to the hearts of English people.