After taking a closer look at the dedications at the beginning of both “In the
Exchange” and “In the Temple,” my first reaction is to the subtle difference in
attitude between the two passages. When speaking to Man, Khalid is reassuring
and full of wisdom. He preaches about their Maker, while comforting Man with
his faith and trust in Man’s sprit. He takes on the role of older brother. On
the other had, when he speaks to Nature, Khalid is respectful, submissive, and
petitioning. He begs for her secrets, her love, her kindness, and her anger.
Khalid regards her as a Goddess, a supreme bring. To her, he is a pitiful son,
an infereior creature. I just found that interesting.

Sorry I forgot to post this earlier (much fewer words to explain this time):

Book of Khalid Vocabulary List III

Hammal: Arabic word for a porter.

Vali: Variant spelling of “wali,” another term for a Turkish official.

Diwan: Arabic word for a collection of poetry.

Qasidah: the Arabic word for an ode (Shanfara’s Lamiyyat al-‘Arab is an example).

Sanchuniathon: a legendary Phoenician writer.

Jannat: Arabic word for heaven. Actually appears earlier in the novel, but I missed it on the first list.

Dakhilk: although it is translated as “I am at your mercy,” this work simply means “please” in Lebanese Arabic.

Abu-Najma: if you didn’t pick it up from context, Abu-Najma is Najma’s father according to an Arab naming custom where the parents take the name of their child; Im-Hanna from book one is “Mother of Hanna (John).”

Hama and Palmyra: Cities in Syrian, Palmyra being the ruined city of queen Zenobia from the Roman era.

Wadi: a stream, which has persisted through Spanish to give us such words as Guadalupe, Stream of the Wolf.

Mihrab: a niche in a mosque that points the way to Mecca.

Wadi Kadeesha: a valley in north Lebanon that leads up to the famed cedar forests.

Mafsudin: while Rihani translates it as “sophisticated,” literally it means “corrupted.”

Mt. Sanneen: the tallest mountain in Mt. Lebanon, visible from most parts of the country, and always snow-capped.

I don't really understand what Khalid says about the "Flounces" and "ruffles". But it is rather interesting that Khalid stood up to the Priest on the idea of giving five-hundred pisetas to the Church so that he and Najma will be permitted to marry. As his response shows, which mother will sell her kids to the devil for money? It shows a man who is deeply thoughtful beyond a level which is inexplicable; someone else would have jumped at the chance just to be able to get married but he stood his ground, which cost him dearly. As his friend said, you have to hate yourself completely to love someone else.
In comparing the "The Book of Khalid" with the "Diary of an undocumented immigrant" the reasons for the characters emmigrating are very similar-which include to make money, specifically dollars. The "undocumented immigrant" leaves for America because it is almost expected of him to leave. There are many stories of people from his town who left and returned flaunting their wealth, as is the case in Khalid's hometown. The stories are also similar in that there are people who try to recruit new immigrants (though illegally in "undocumented immigrant")with the promise of enormous wealth in return.
Although not long after Khalid arrives in America does he suddenly long for his home again; the "immigrant" seems like the opposite. He is barely off the bus that he starts to look for work.

I posted this first on the open topic board, but it looks like this is the place.

I'm not too clear on what our posts should be like, but I thought I'd point out an interesting analogy Khalid makes about religion in Chapter 6 of book 2, starting on page 212;

After Khalid and Najma decide to marry, they begin discussing wedding preparations. Najma, after a bit of coaxing, asks Khalid if he will we bearing the same shoddy clothes he is wearing at the moment to their wedding. Without hesitation he agrees to wear whatever will please her, as well as allowing Najma to wear as ornate a wedding gown as she desires, one with "ruffles and flounces". From here, Khalid begins to illustrate his perceived correlation between clothing and the nature of the Church. Speaking about the course of faith and the development of religion, he says "And in spiritual pride and pride of power...it took to ruffling and flouncing to such an extent that at certain epochs it disappeared...and only the appendages remained." This effectively conveys how Khalid feels about the church and organized religion, with genuine faith being the garment and it's physical manifestations, the church and the clergy, composing the "ruffles and flounces". These institutions, like the ruffles, Khalid thinks unnecessary to true faith. It is people's preoccupation with, and patronization of, these facets of religion that allows them to grow into superficial, negative forces that are devoid of the original nature of their faith. Or more simply, that when you organize and regiment spirituality, it becomes less spiritual. Khalid's opinions on the church are further expounded upon in the next chapter, where his discussions with a Priest point out church practices that are clearly in conflict with basic Christian ideals.

James