Under Muhammad's palm

izbalējušus, trauslus kaulus. Kad pēdējais lielais sausums iznīcināja lielāko daļu peulu cilts ganāmpulku, daudzi sajuka prātā un klida pa krūmājiem, saucot mirušos lopus, līdz paši gāja bojā.

Pats savās nāsīs esmu ievilcis pirmās dvesmas no tā, ko tuksneša klejotāji sauc shai-halad, visu vētru māti. Šī māte brāžas pat ar simt piecdesmit kilometru ātrumu stundā un spēj atņemt jebkuru mitrumu gan gaisam, gan jebkurai cilvēciskai būtnei.

"Allāhs aizvāca visus cilvēkus un dzīvniekus no tuksneša, lai viņam būtu vieta, kur pastaigāties mierā. Tāpēc vareno Sahāru sauc par Allāha dārzu, vēsta tuksneša iemītnieku gudrība.

Nu ar katru gadu aizvien vairāk izskatās, ka Allāhs ir nopietni apņēmies savu pastaigu vietu paplašināt un padzīt no tās nelūgtos iemītniekus. Taču es viņus vēl paspēju satikt - gan Sudānā un Mauritānijā, gan Mali un Nigērā, gan Marokā, Rietumsahārā un Eritrejä.

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With my own eyes, I have seen villages and even legendary golden cities, whose dwindling inhabitants still try to fight against the encroaching endless desert - and, of course, lose this hopeless battle.

With my own ears, I have heard how a former noble Tuareg of the desert's free, veiled men tells in a dead voice by a dying camel dung fire how the main purpose of his life - camels - perished before the owner's eyes.

With my own hands, I have thrown into a pit and buried faded, fragile bones. When the last great drought destroyed most of the Peul tribe's herds, many went mad and wandered through the bushes, calling for the dead livestock until they themselves perished.

With my own nostrils, I have inhaled the first breaths of what desert nomads call shai-halad, the mother of all storms. This mother rushes at speeds of up to one hundred and fifty kilometers per hour and can take away any moisture from both the air and any human being.

"Allah removed all people and animals from the desert so that he would have a place to walk in peace. That is why the mighty Sahara is called Allah's garden," says the wisdom of the desert inhabitants.

Now, with each passing year, it increasingly appears that Allah is seriously determined to expand his walking place and drive out the uninvited inhabitants. But I still managed to meet them - in Sudan and Mauritania, in Mali and Niger, in Morocco, Western Sahara, and Eritrea.

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