, 1864-11-30
THE KORAN.
CHANCES in the Koran Deman1ed-Is
iQAliYn Threatened.

1aNl1sm Threatened.
The Constantinoplc correspondent Of the
New York Ete''ing Pow thus writes concern
ing the Koran and certain changes relative to
IT.: ~,
The greatest change which the rcformcrs
claim Is that the Koran shall be translated
into modern Turkish and printed at so cheap
a price as to bring 1t within the reach Of al
classes. The ho1an, as is we'll known, is in
hnpe, On the plea that it might be dangerous
to translate It into any other idiom, still re.
mains scaled book to all who are not well
acquainted with that tongue. It's language
is, however, extremely pure and simple, and
the historical occurrences of the period in
which the Prophet made it public. The Per-
SLAMS have, nevertheless, translated it into
their language, and interpret some Of its texts
60 IS to suit themselves. So far, the REFORM
ers are Protestant In their Flews-and Ger
any Of these demands-though it cannot now
be foreseeu how far they may endea1or or de-
sire to reconcile lslamism with Christianity.
THE SULTAN.
The Sultan Of the Ottoman Empire fs as
you are we'll aware, also the Ca1iPh, OF sue
cessor to the Prophet. He Is said to ba o
very conscientious Mussulman and neither
drinks nor smokes, and moreover has but one
legal wife. His title to that character may
be somewhat wenk, and Is fatty denied By the
Pcrslaue, who hold TINT It is only hereditary
in the family Of the Prophets nephew and
the Caliph, and US such is IN. duty bonna to
maintain the Islam faith, as much SO ~ 1t 10
that Of the President Of The r..tea ga Saates % 10
uphold the Union II cannot pc supposed
ers % win m a..ich eatisfactfoa,as any deviation
from his Interpretation Of the faith Weakeua
Lis own hold upon the minds Of his people.
ATTACKS CpoN TIE KORAN.
To attempt to prove the fallacJ Of theeKo
ran, to convert Mussulmans to Christianity
in the Snltan's own capital, fs 4 direct otense
against himself, and could be severely pun
Ished ID his own Christian subjects. All for
eigners here are considered as beings on the
footing Of guests, and 1t is scarcely prudent
or courteous to offer so gross m Outrage upon
the Sultan's hospitality as to publish books
In Turkish and spread them through the cap
it'll, showing that the Prophet was an tmRos-
tor and his faith matter Of abhorrence: Re-
licioua zeal. however, over1ooks much that is
generous and discreet, and leads some to de-
sire to extend their own belief or spiritual
Impressions, If mot by the sword, at least BY
its more powerful competitor, the pen, N N
such manner as to more than leopard the
good which they might effect BY quiet pre-
cept and example.
East, in tile Persian language, called Ntze1a
4 .1ak, or the 'sscales Of Truth written BY
an erudite missionary, DR.. Pfan1er, sn Anglo
German, who has long resided in Persia. It
Was printed in London. Recently, this work
appeared here In Turkish, translated By the
| same elaborate Oriental scholar, printed like
wiso in England. 1t was introduced into
| Stamboul In secret manner, without passing
through the Custem House, and Is more an
| attack upon Islamis1l than an exposition Of
| Christianity, and SO soon called for an able
| refAtal by, cue Of the lslimas Of this capital.
| In this tho game missionary. made Teighty
| reply in Turkish. I am not aware that any
| other missionary has ever written and pub
lished anything here against 1slamism: For
| reasons which are obvious to any discreet
man, The course pursued by Dr.: Ptander was
| condemned by many Of the other missionaries
| here, and by none, more forcibly than the
Americans, whose labors arc confined almost
entirely to the Christans Of the East, among
| whom fl,cy sell cheap translat1ons Of the Bible
and Testament, and other works Of q reli-
| glo1s and moral character, not even Of q sec.
farian color. Their plan Is not to prosclyte
but to instruct, and to place the sources o.
The truth md the simplicity Of original
Christianity in the possession of all classes ol
! DeoDle.