A Nation Lost In The Desert

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here's a saying that "the desert teaches by taking away." Certainly, for all the deprivation of their camp life, the Saharawis seem more happy and relaxed than many European societies. Camp crime rarely goes beyond theft. Saharawis remember the last murder among them: in the 1950s, when a man killed his son over a horse. The time before was in 1918, when a woman killed her two sons-in-law. Governor Mohamed-Ali says it helps being isolated, non-drinking Muslims whose young are not yet exposed to drugs. Although in the north of their host country the fundamentalist Armed Islamic Group continues to slash civilian throats, the Saharawis, as the wali puts it, believe "religion should be tolerant."

In one camp a small Saharawi boy stops playing to question the stranger. He demands, "Who's the best, Jesus or Allah?" Well, um, both are okay. "No," insists the child, "Jesus should pray to Allah, or he will go to hell." He gives a victory sign and runs off barefoot through the sand. He might have his creeds confused, but like all camp children he has learned to say one long word that's near-holy for Saharawis: referendum. He probably thinks it's something like a mirage.