By: Ahmad Al‑Sawy Muhammad
A letter from Makkah Al‑Mukarramah, sent by Dr. Muhammad Dawud Al‑Tanir, which we are pleased to record:
A blessed greeting from the purest of lands, carrying with it prayers for success, health, and happiness… From the sacred land, the pen writes to ease what is in the heart.
Two scenes I bring from the East—perhaps you will find in them something that lightens the spirit amid these grave events.
The first is a unique expression of sound democracy and a true understanding of it. Here, I saw servants and attendants sitting with their masters and princes, eating with them and speaking to them with the tone of brotherhood and equality. The follower addresses the one he follows with a noble phrase:
“O my uncle!”
Yet you see them observing their boundaries without overstepping them. Such a sight is found only among the most refined nations.
The second scene is equally worthy of mention and recording. I have not seen it before except in the countries of Northern Europe, and yet here it springs from an innate nature—or from a cultivated habit that has deeply taken root in the souls of the people of this land, which is embracing the causes of progress and possesses many of them.
I have not witnessed a single quarrel or fight, nor seen anyone grabbing another by the hand, nor heard insults or shouting. Even when a Bedouin becomes heated in his speech with a prince, the prince responds with gentleness and patience, as if nothing offensive had been said—until he establishes the argument, and the Bedouin turns repentant. The nobles of this land possess a natural talent for such conduct.
I cannot but express my admiration for the great progress in various fields—urban, social, practical, and industrial. I expect this country to attain an entirely new stature within a short span not exceeding ten years.
We have seen glimpses of this beautiful picture during King Saud’s visit to Egypt and the Arab countries. This genuine democratic spirit is a promising sign of a great renaissance—one we hope to see reflected across all the lands of the East.