Aref abu-rabia

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev | bgu · Department of Middle East Studies

Modern medicine has penetrated Bedouin tribes in the course of rapid urbanization and education, but when serious illnesses strike, particularly in the case of incurable diseases, even educated people turn to traditional medicine for a remedy. Over the course of 30 years, the author gathered data on traditional Bedouin medicine among pastoral-nomad...

This article is derived from a broader study of ethno-botany, medical anthropology and alternative medicine in Middle Eastern countries, which has been conducted during the past two decades. It presents examples of different edible and medicinal plants and their uses by different communities (urban, peasant and Bedouin) in the treatment of diseases...

This paper describes beliefs and treatments for several illnesses and diseases in the Middle East, by traditional herbalists among the Bedouin tribes. One of the most famous medicines in the Middle East is the arba’yn, which consists of a mixture of 40 different types of plants and considered a cure for all aches and pains. This medicine is sold by...

This paper describes common Sufi beliefs regarding dreams and shrines in Palestine during the 20 th century. These beliefs developed during joint and private seasonal visits (ziara). Gaining insight into the sociology of the Sufi cult of saints can enrich our understanding of similar cults in other places and shed light on the reasons for their abs...

The effects of infertility on individuals and its emotional, psychological, and social consequences are complex matters that are influenced by many variables. Research now indicates that most cases of infertility can be attributed to a physiological cause in the man or woman. Shari'a is the Islamic way of life, of which medicine is an integral part...

While the focus on ethnic identity in the Middle East conflict has tended to be on Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs, there has been a paucity of research on the effects of this social construct on the marginal groups that are directly or indirectly affected by this political dispute. Methods: A sample of high-school students from five Bedouin sch...

Human beliefs in resurrection and life after death, based on lasting exchanges between earth and heaven that prevail in human societies ubiquitously, are presented here and analysed with regard to the customs and rituals of the Negev Bedouin. The article looks at patterns of the mourning process and the different social functions and outcomes of th...

The goal of this paper is to describe beliefs and treatments for specific forms of Paralysis (falij) and other nervous disorders in the Middle East. Themes to be investigated include, the traditional medicinal practices used to treat Paralysis, as well as their curative methods using traditional herbal medicine. This paper is based on first and sec...

In this paper I will review some attitudes and perspectives regarding family honor killings, mainly in the Arab/Bedouin population in Israel, Sinai, and the Middle East in general. What is the difference between sharaf and 'ird? What deviant sexual behavior is considered a capital offense? How widespread is the use of honor killings, and what alter...

While the focus on ethnic identity in the Middle East conflict has tended to be on Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs, there has been a paucity of research on the effects of this social construct on the marginal groups that are directly or indirectly affected by this political dispute. Methods: A sample of high-school students from five Bedouin sch...

Aqueous plant extracts of 63 desert plants collected in the Negev desert and Bedouin market (Beer Sheva) were screened for larvicidal activity. Larvicidal activity was found in 16 plants, of which seven were reported in the ethnobotanical literature to be either poisonous, vermifuge, abortive, or toxic. Seven species showed high toxicity against Ae...

The continuing practice of polygynous marriage on the part of the Bedouin of the Negev in Israel is generally seen as resistance to modernity for the sake of maintaining semi-nomadic ways of life. By this logic, the numerous anthropological studies that have shown that polygyny is more widespread among older generations (particularly among men of m...

The main purpose of this article is to describe traditional breastfeeding practices among the pastoral tribes in the Middle East. It also examines beliefs and attitudes towards breastfeeding and related issues, including pregnancy, infections of the breast nipple, sources of milk, 'bad milk' syndrome and breastfeeding as a contraceptive method. The...

The right of Muslim schoolgirls in France to wear the veil (hijab) raises questions concerning the meaning of the veil for Muslim women. The debate about Muslim dress codes and whether Islam belongs in Europe has become a critical issue. The debate that began about the veil in Islam has evolved into a large discussion about Islam itself: as a relig...

Today (2006) some 60% of the 160,000 Bedouin in the Negev Desert live in seven towns, and most of the remaining 40% live in tribal settlements of varying sizes, in clusters of wooden, metal, huts, tents, or in cement block or stone houses. Al-'Aref (1934: 9-34, 231-37) and Abu-Mu'eileq (1990), claim that Bedouin tribes have inhabited the Negev for...

This is an exploratory study of the abuse-especially sexual-of female adolescents in a conservative and traditional Bedouin-Arab community in southern Israel. The objectives were (1) to examine the rate of sexual abuse, (2) to examine the rate of physical and psychological abuse, and (3) to develop regression models to predict these forms of abuse....

This paper examines Bedouin attitudes and practices relating to the evil eye as a cause of misfortune. The evil eye is perceived by the Bedouin as one of the most dangerous forces that can interfere in their lives, and they invest much energy in a variety of methods to counteract it. This paper seeks to contribute to a better understanding of the p...

This article is derived from a broad, twenty-year study of ethnobotany and folk medicine among pastoral nomads in the Middle East which took place from 1984 to 2004. The article presents examples of different treatments of diseases and disorders of the urinary tract carried out by healer herbalists. The preparation of remedies includes boiling infu...

Table 1: Urinary Diseases and Ethnobotany among Pastoral Nomads in the middle East

This article describes the broad ethno-botany and folk medicine in Palestine. It presents examples of different edible plants and their use by Palestinians in a host of manners, fresh, cooked and dried, both as foodstuffs and treatment of diseases and medical disorders. Their potential application as cancer chemopreventive agents needs to be a focu...

This paper briefly describes the state health services in general, and eye care in particular for Palestinian Arabs under the British Mandate (1917-1948). The paper will also discuss the environmental and cultural origins of the prevalence of eye diseases among Palestinian Arabs. The second part of the research describes in detail indigenous practi...

The transplantation of organs, which at first sight appears to be just a technical medical procedure, is, first and foremost a sociocultural action that gives expression to existential perceptions. In Israeli society, as in most western societies the donation of the body or parts of it, is interpreted as possible at a societal level, and not as a g...

I grew up as part of a semi-nomadic family. Up to the age of twenty, I lived in a tent with my parents, brothers, and sisters. My family raised sheep, goats, camels, horses, and donkeys. When I was a young boy I used to be a shepherd near my parents' encampments, taking care of the kids and lambs most of the day. Together with half a dozen other bo...