The odyssey of the Abu-Mahfouz tribe

From Al-Naqab to exile

Abstract

In the following piece is the narrative of an exiled Al-Naqab Bedouin, in which he traces the roots of his tribe and family from their ancient origins to the time of 1948, when they, along with tens of thousands of other Bedouins were evicted from their lands and homes by the newly formed State of Israel. Life in exile is also described, along with the mechanisms developed by the exiles to preserve the social order and identities of their pre-exilic life, and the timeless sense of connection and belonging to their pre-exilic land. The author of the narrative, Mazin Abu-Mahfouz, is now living in Amman, Jordan. He is a civil engineer, active in the organization of the Palestinian Bedouin exile community in Jordan, as well as in many organizations of civil society in Jordan.