Precerpt from In with the East Wind: A Mary Poppins Kind of Life - Bahrain: The Baluchi Community
The Baluchi Community
One of the friendships I developed in Bahrain was with
Naomi. I saw her on several of my trips there, and when my assignments came
from the Ministry of Education, I worked directly with her. We saw eye-to-eye
on so much, and professionally she lived at the cutting-edge of contemporary
pedagogy. She was Baluchi.
Bahrain has a long‑established Baluchi (Baloch) community,
one of the oldest and most culturally integrated non‑Arab groups in the Gulf.
They are not a recent diaspora; many families have been in Bahrain for
generations. A population of 44,000 Baluchis makes them one of the
largest non‑Arab ethnic communities in the country.
The Baluchi presence in the Gulf — including Bahrain — goes
back centuries, long before oil. According to regional studies, Baluchis historically
migrated along the Makran coast toward Oman and the Gulf. Many served as pearl
divers, fishermen, sailors, and tribal guards.
In the 20th century, Baluchis became especially
prominent in police forces, security services, and military units. Their Sunni
background made integration into Gulf societies smoother, and their reputation
for reliability in security roles became part of the Gulf’s social fabric.
Baluchis in Bahrain today speak Balochi, Arabic, and often
Urdu or Persian. They maintain distinct cultural traditions (dress, music,
weddings) while being deeply woven into Bahraini daily life. One scholar, J. E.
Peterson, describes the Baluch as “one of the communities most integral to
society in the Gulf” (2014).
I vividly remember some evenings spent with Naomi and
friends at her home: warmth, a blend of Gulf hospitality, modesty, and easy
laughter. Endless rounds of tea and Arabic coffee (tiny cups of qahwa—light,
cardamom‑spiced coffee were served the moment we walked in and again before we
left. The table offered dates, pistachios, halwai, small cakes, and sambusas. Sitting
in a majlis‑style arrangement—a long low sofa and cushions arranged around a beautiful,
handmade, saturated-red wool rug bearing a geometric pattern that I do not now
remember well enough to describe in detail, with everyone facing inward and conversation flowing
in multiple directions—encouraged a gentle dance between formality and warmth: respectful
distance, sudden bursts of humor, and switching between Arabic and English
depending on the topic. Naomi would lower her voice for sensitive topics, brighten
when talking about family or workshop participants, and offer food multiple
times.
Most social visits began after 8 pm, when the heat eased and
people were free from work and family obligations. When visiting any home for
the first time, a small “mashallah, very beautiful” was expected and
appreciated. Asking about family before anything else wasn’t small talk — it
was the social glue. And I always ended up staying longer than planned, as did
nearly everyone else.
There was a rhythm to the evening. Arabic coffee first: a
light body, herbal aroma of cardamom, no bitterness, a small cup, a way of
saying “you are welcome here,” a sign of respect, part of the social choreography
of the majlis, meant for conversation, not caffeine. (It’s the opposite of
Brazilian or American coffee, which is dark, strong, and meant to wake you up.)
The tray with the dallah (coffee pot), the tiny cups passing with a smile, the
soft clink of porcelain, and the warmth of hospitality. The door closed to the
outside world, and the atmosphere shifted into that uniquely Bahraini mode of
intimate, honest sharing, a gathering that was warm, safe, emotionally
spacious, and full of quiet strength. With no men present, the social
expectations softened. Scarves loosened, abayas opened, and posture softened. Voices
dropped into a more natural register. Laughter came more easily. After the
Arabic coffee came tea, then sweets, then fruit, then more tea. It wasn’t about
the food—it was about the care. The women—Baluchi, Bahraini, Indian,
Iranian, and one American—shared deeply: family worries, work frustrations, hopes
for their children, private joys, and the things they can’t say in mixed
company.
I never felt like an outsider. I was a guest, yes, but also
a woman, which meant I was welcomed into the inner space. I felt that I had earned
their trust with my growing cultural intuition and my efforts to demonstrate
respect without stiffness and to share myself and my experiences in ways that
reflected what others were sharing. As time passed, I felt myself becoming part
of the fabric of the group. In the end, I felt myself a woman among women, women
who were colleagues and friends. For years I stayed in touch with several of
them.
by Dr. Betty Lou Leaver
For more posts about and from this book, click HERE.
For more posts by and about Betty Lou Leaver, click HERE.
has gained mass recognition for releasing highly acclaimed books of varying genres
that are distributed internationally. Check us out on Wikitia.
To purchase copies of any MSI Press book at 25% discount,
use code FF25 at MSI Press webstore.
Want to read an MSI Press book and not have to pay for it?
(1) Ask your local library to purchase and shelve it.
(2) Ask us for a review copy; we love to have our books reviewed.
VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ALL OUR AUTHORS AND TITLES.
Sign up for the MSI Press LLC monthly newsletter: get inside information before others see it and access to additional book content(recent releases, sales/discounts, awards, reviews, Amazon top 100 list, links to precerpts/excerpts, author advice, and more)Check out recent issues.
Turned away by other publishers because you are a first-time author and/or do not have a strong platform yet? If you have a strong manuscript, San Juan Books, our hybrid publishing division, may be able to help. Ask us. Check out more information at www.msipress.com.
Planning on self-publishing and don't know where to start? Our author au pair services will mentor you through the process. See what we can do for your at www.msipress.com.
Interested in receiving a free copy of this or any MSI Press LLC book in exchange for reviewing a current or forthcoming MSI Press LLC book? Contact editor@msipress.com.
Want an author-signed copy of this book? Purchase the book at 25% discount (use coupon code FF25) and concurrently send a written request to orders@msipress.com.Julia Aziz, signing her book, Lessons of Labor, at an event at Book People in Austin, Texas.
Want to communicate with one of our authors? You can! Find their contact information on our Authors' Pages.Steven Greenebaum, author of award-winning books, An Afternoon's Discussion and One Family: Indivisible, talking to a reader at Barnes & Noble in Gilroy, California.MSI Press is ranked among the top publishers in California.
Check out our rankings -- and more -- HERE.
Comments
Post a Comment