Memed My Hawk

I wish I had had more time to read this entire novel, and at some point (once this class is done) I am sure I would love to go back and read the entire thing through thoroughly. What I was most enticed by was the idea of this internal conflict in the novel. We think of conflicts in the middle east as being large scale wars, and these are typically between the middle east and lets say....more westernized nations. But this novel presented a conflict that seemed very much like modern day slavery.
I also couldn't help thinking that Memed could almost be considered a tragic hero. His actions, though rebellious, are anything but cowardly. Not to say that those who would claim asylum and escape the place they are being enslaved are cowards, in fact most people would call them smart, but Memed endures numerous pains and losses to remain in his country to attempt to help his peoples situation with their "landlord," even though his people may not completely agree with his methods.