Valentine and Equus Asinus in the Middle East- Damascus: Ancient City of Asses- The Revered Donkeys of Egypt- On George Washington, Women, Cars, and Jackasses


Jordanian Valentine?

This gruesome photo of animal abuse from Jordan on al-Jazeera TV (on the left) focused my attention on the life and times of Arab jackasses. Jackasses, a k a donkeys, a k a asses, have been an integral part of the economic life of the Middle East for thousands of years. They are perhaps more important in politics these days than ever before. The social and political power of asses in Arab countries cannot be over estimated. This is the case in both the moderate New Middle East and in the radical old Middle East. Like it or not, the Arab peoples are stuck with their asses (and donkeys) today as much as they have ever been in their long history. The same can be said of other Muslim countries. The only exception to close political association with donkeys probably was a period spanning a few decades from the end of the 6th century to the early part of the 7th century A.D, the first few decades of Islam.
The asses took over after that. It is interesting that the political ascendancy of Arab asses started in Damascus, after the era of the First Four Caliphs. Damascus at some point was called the city of donkeys. Maybe it still is a city of asses, but it now has tough rivals for that title across the Arab Middle East, and in Israel and Iran. Nowadays in the Middle East: asses rule but the people don't drool.

“There is consensus that the most probable ancestor of the domestic donkey (Equus asinus) is the Nubian subspecies of African wild ass.... The earliest known remains of the domestic donkey date to the fourth millennium BC from a site in Lower Egypt. It is probable that cattle-raising peoples in Nubia, in the distribution area of the Nubian wild ass, first developed the domestic donkey as a beast of burden....

“Damascus, known as the city of asses through cuneiform writing and a center of the caravan trade, became famous for its breed of large, white riding ass. At least three other breeds were developed in Syria. This is the first indication of specific mammoth breeding, 3200 years before introduction and importation to North America. In Arabia the Muscat or Yemen ass was developed. This strong, light-colored donkey is still used in caravans and also as a quality riding animal…..

“George Washington was one of the first American farmers who imported several male (jack) and female (jennet) donkeys from Europe in order to develop a strong work mule…..” The Red River Donkey Company of Manitoba

Donkeys have been prominent in Arab media this past week. As they should be every day for several reasons most of which I shall not divulge here with the aim of protecting the innocent.
In Jordan, citizens protesting against any signs of Valentine’s Day celebration painted a donkey with the color of a red rose (above). I never though Jordanians had much of a sense of humor, but this really takes the cake. I guess lack of humor is closely related to stupidity- and I am not talking about the donkey either.

Donkeys are reported to have acted as suicide bombers in Afghanistan: which makes sense to me although it is still surprising. I didn’t realize a donkey can be stupid enough to take up the Taliban cause. I guess there are enough Salafis everywhere, even in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

A Yemeni website prides itself in the intelligence of local asses (donkeys), noting that some of them act as smugglers of hashish into Saudi Arabia. Saudi border guards now thoroughly inspect all Yemeni donkeys crossing their border. It is not clear what they mean by a “thorough inspection” of a donkey, but I can’t help but feel bad for the poor asses. When a donkey refuses to stop at the border, he is promptly shot. Some of these donkeys are especially raised and trained as smugglers. A good ass is reported to fetch a price of $100.
That is probably more than the Queen of Sheba (Saba') cost King Solomon.

Recently a Saudi dissident writer complained that women in his country are not allowed to drive cars, but they can ride donkeys. He thought that was an odd thing. I am still trying to figure out what he meant.
Another Saudi Shi'a dissident uses the ass to complain. “We are the donkeys of the Two Holy Shrines: this was the title of an article by a Saudi Shia writer who has asked King Abdullah to punish an extremist religious shaikh who called Shi’as ‘donkeys (asses) that are ridden by the Jews’…..” Aafaq

At a new ancient tomb complex, overlooking the ancient town of Abydos on the Nile about 500 km south of Cairo, archeologists this year found the skeletons of 10 donkeys that had been buried as if they were high-ranking officials. These are the first animals to be found in an Egyptian burial site. To me, this indicates that asses were as revered in ancient Egypt as they are obeyed in modern Egypt.
Which brings us to the next quote: "A study by the Egyptian government concludes that 89% of the Egyptian people are happy and content with their situation….” Alarabiya

Asses, as in jackasses or donkeys, are appreciated in the Middle East, even though they are verbally abused as stupid creatures. I grew up with donkeys all around me, and not just figuratively. In those days some donkeys, those of the hammara that carried water, were important for the local economy- more important than many people I've known and worked with, and much less harmful. I have read that a vice principal of my old high school has even titled a chapter of one of his books “How I have found my happiness with donkeys”. A friend of his, who is also a former high school (secondary school) teacher of mine, claims in al-Watan that this man has a rare license to ride donkeys, a license he claims he got in Spain during a festival of donkeys. No, he doesn’t live in a communal stable now.

For some reason I could not find much about jackasses or donkeys of Iran. I don;t think they are banned; so maybe they have moved into the cities. I am sure they have their fair share of asses in various positions in Tehran and other places. I know at least one I can mention, but not right now.
Cheers
Mohammed