Читать книгу Banyan Leaves. Gypsies and Travellers - Сергей Габбасов - Страница 4

“Dom” is a self-determination name (endonym) of a widespread groups of gypsies in the Middle East and North Africa. “Gypsy” is the term of English language and in the Arab world the “Nawar” is one of the most widely used designations. But “Nawar” is applied not only to the gypsies, but to other nomadic and non-sedentary groups. It has a negative connotation of unworthy, low-born and uncivilized person and insulting meaning of a worthless of gypsies for Arabs.

In 669 AD, 710 AD and 720 AD “Zott” gypsies (not a self-designation name, but an exonym very close-related with “Jatt”) were sent by the Arab rulers from Persia to the city of Antioch on the Mediterranian coast (Kenrick 1993). When Antioch was captured by the Greeks in 855 AD, some “Zott” were sent to Greece and some have migrated to Crete and then returned to Lebanon and Israel. Their history of traces in the Middle East was the result of multiple migrations. And their migration toward North Africa began probably during the last quarter of the first millennium (ibid.).

Traditional tent of “Dom” of Jordan has a tubular metal frame without central posts. It is very wide inside, about eight by five meters. Inner space differs from tents of Bedouin, there is no any special “womens’ section”. Bedding is folding to keep them off the ground. Food cooking is placed outside of the tent. There can be a TV, ran off a car battery, inside the tent, and a gas-stove for cooking outside of it.

The population of “Dom” in Jordan is about 35,000 people. There are at least five tribes: the “tamarreh” is the largest, “ka’akov”, “ga’agreh”, “balahayeh” and “nawasfeh”. Two other segments of the Gypsy population are discernable in these four groups: the Palestinian Dom and a conglomeration of numerous other smaller families (primarily from Iraq and Syria), most of whom are still nomadic. These groups claim that they had been blacksmiths and drivers in Iraq, shoeing camels and horses among other tasks (Phillips 2000), they often rented or bought houses until the Gulf War. Some families are settled and some are scattering throughout the country and even to Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

In Mafraq area there are other two tribes of mixed origin. One of them is “sawatha”. Phillips researched one of it’s clans – “jennayd” (he was told that this clan consisted of approximately 100 families), whose ancestors have come from Palestine through Iraq about 100 years ago. Phillips also informs us that the other tribe – “hamashlir” – is known for dancing (ibid.).

“Domari” is the native language of “Dom” people, and it dates back to the Indian heritage. It’s synonym in Arabic is “Nawari”. “Dom” are multilingual people. It is common to find “Dom” who speaks two or three languages. But their literacy level is very low and very few people can read or write. Some Dom think that their language and heritage are main reasons that stand behind called “Nawar”, and this is why they try to get rid of them (Moawwad 1999).

Being by negative attitude of surrounding peoples, “Dom” prefer to identify themselves with other peoples: settled Nawar want to be known as Arabs and nomadic – as other nomadic pastoralists of the region. In Jordan they claim to be known as Turkmen.

There is a strong problem with a school education – extremely few “Dom” families are sending children to school and none of the local authorities had organized the provision of a camp-teacher to visit the camp and educate the children (Ryder 2001). “Dom” children learn early in life to hide their identity. They walk into nearby residential areas to catch the school bus in order to avoid being identified and ridiculed (Williams 2003).

Blacksmithing, dancing and playing music for hire are not requested in Jordan, so now “Dom” live by selling products such as clothing and housing utensils and begging. They usually do trading and begging on the streets which is illegal under Jordanian law (Ryder 2001).