Fitna

In classical arabic, the term 'fitna' has many meanings. Historically it was used to describe the process of refining metal, to separate it from the dross. But later it was commonly used to describe social upheaval, or civil war. The first civil war within Islam happened in 656AD. Aisha, Mohammed's sixth, and youngest wife, and her men battled it out with Ali, Mohammed's son in law. Ali led the first group of people who believed that the Islamic succession should run by bloodline from Mohammed. Today, this group is known as Shia, and the group who believe the leader of Islam should be elected, not hereditary, are Sunni. This all began because when Mohammed died, he had no sons, and didn't nominate a successor. His followers were left to sort it out amongst themselves.

I've reached a chilling part in my book, where Abu Musa, one of Mohammed's most faithful companions warns the Islamic society against fighting each other this first time. 

"Fitna rips the community apart like an ulcer," he said. "The winds fan it, from the north and the south, the East and the West, and it will be endless. It is blind and deaf, trampling its halter. It has come at you from a place where you were safe, and leaves the wise man as bewildered as the most inexperienced. He who sleeps through it is better off than he who is awake in it; he who is awake in it is better off than he who stands in it; he who stands in it is better off than he who rides into it. So be wise and sheathe your swords! Remove your spearheads and unstring your bows!"

It is all the more chilling reading his warning, from 656AD, as this rift was just beginning, as we watch the civil war in Syria playing out with the same fearsome velocity and intensity. And it appears to respect no deadlines nor boundaries.

But the Jordanian bandwagon seems to be hanging on, at least on a Bedouin thread, who are the mainstay of the King's support network. And all we can do is hope that the trouble doesn't cross further boundaries - although Lebanon is looking increasingly shaky, with its Hezbollah (Shia) presence who are supporting Al Asad. Western governments are also loathe to pipe aid money in through the Lebanese government because of its Hezbollah element, which means the country is even less equipped to handle the influx of refugees than Jordan.

Our boys know nothing of all this of course - galavanting by day with the Glammy in the golden Mercedes. A recent favourite activity has been going to her house. She gives them hot dog sausages, or the chicken or beef equivalent, and as Rashimi sleeps, the Lozenge is allowed to lounge on her bed and watch a bit of television. I have an image of him reclined on a heart shaped bed amid plumped pink cushions, with button nose pinned to plasma screen. (It appears my imagination wasn't far off as I heard her talk about the 32'' screen...)

Every morning I have a couple of hours with the boys before she arrives. This morning Rashimi took off his nappy and hopped into the bidet, where he started to give himself a full body wash. Hammams morphed into harmonies as we had a eukelele and drum session for about 10 minutes before the Lozenge got bored and went off to do something else. As he was assembling a puzzle, I was still strumming, and he said: 'Thtop the thinging, Mummy! You are inthturbing me.' Whoever said it was girls that were the bossy ones?

the dwarves