TE21 Serbian Moments

Dejan Tiago Stanković

Zamalek

For some reason, Nubians are not afraid of djinns. That is why when Bedouins find a tomb in the desert, they remember where it is but do not enter it; rather, they find a black man, blindfold him, take him to the tomb and, in return for a share of whatever he finds there, make him go inside in their stead. At least that is what we were told by people who would come to the shop offering to sell prohibited goods.

Djinns

Djinns are evil spirits, little demons, Shaitan’s apprentices who usually lurk there where a person should never step foot, let alone spend time. Djinns are to be found in rubbish heaps, in toilets, around rubble, execution sites and especially in morgues and tombs – themore terrifying and filthier the place, the more malevolent the djinns. And as we shall see, djinns are also to be found at the police station in Cairo. Once a djinn grabs hold of an unwary person, it does not let go and gives vent to its fury. Just as angels come to inhabit birds, so djinns enter the body of dirty animals and sneak up on people. That is why Egyptians do not like dogs, snakes or pigs because they are dirty creatures and can bring djinns with them. You are never safe from a djinn because they can suddenly leap out at you from the dark or be carried by the wind from the desert. That is why anyone with an ounce of intelligence should wear or carry an amulet, as protection against a djinn, just as you wear a wristwatch or carry a wallet, it can even by a little cross worn around the neck.

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Haram! Haram!

Harammeans forbidden, and in Islam it refers to anything that the religion forbids. Spiritually speaking, the heresies of godlessness, polytheism and idolatry are all haram. The Quran is more of a conservative law than a spiritual text. The book deals with all aspects of the life of a sixth century inhabitant of Arabia and prescribes strict measures that were

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