Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-06-06
MoHAM m EDAMIsM.

mcQ, OF ManOmeC, VINO was DOfn AT
Mecca, Arabia, A. D., $50. AT the age
Of 40, he began to concert measures for
The establishment of new religion
and new empire. Bold, adroit, dis
Greet, and favored with the state of
nations, he succeeded be-
yond his own original design. He
called himself the prophet of God
said he had been transported from
Mecca to Jerusalem, and thence to
heaven and back in one night; claim
cd that the Koran, his bible, was COM
to him by Gabriel and
claimed that he was commissioned to
overturn all other religions, and con-
vert men to his faith. "Therc is one
God; and Mohammed is his prophet"
This included six articles: Belief in
God, in his angels, in his scriptures
(thc Pentateuch, the Psalms, the Cos
pei and the Koran, in his prophets
Moses, David, Christ and Moham-
med, (of who Mohammed is the grea-
test in the resurrection and judg-
ment, and in fatalism. He taught
that the resurrection will extend to
angels, genii, men and anivals. There
are seven bells, in which all "infidels''
(non- NJ ohammedans) will suffer.
Heaven is Paradise, the Garden. In
it are splendid mansions, built of cost
ly stones, for all all kind of delicious
fruits; streams flowing with water,
wine, milk and honey all the trees
are hung with bells that give out
music as Gods breath blows upon
them; noble stceds all saddled for
Moslems to ride the tree Tuba ex-
tending its branches to every house,
bending down at the wish of every
one, with the food he desires, and so
large that the fleetest horse cannot
gallop around it in 100 years and
the most ravishing girls with large
black eyes, made OF musk, whose com
pany constitutes the chief felicity OF
the faithful. Every Mohammedan
regards washing as part Of prayer
and must make pilgrimage to Nee
ca before he dies, if possible.
Mohammed was first opposed al
Mecca, and fled to Medina 622. This
flight is called Hegira in history
Gaining at last number Of converts
he drew the sword for the propaga
ton Of imposture, promising rich re
wards to warriors, and a sensual para
disc to all who fell in the cause. III
forbade wine, but allowed almos
every other indulgence, polygamy be-
ing prominent. Before his death hi
subducd all Of Arabia to the new
faith. He died at Medina in 632.
His successors are called Caliphs
Their religion is termed Islamism
and his followers are known as Mus.
sulmen, or Moslems. The Arabian
nations are usually described in his
tory as Saracens, from a prominen
tribe among them. They all claim te
be the descendants Of Ishmael.
The followers of Mahomet rapidly
extended the empire thus founded
Greece, Syria, Persia, Asia
Minor, a part of Tartary, Egypt
North Africa, Spain, and other re-
gions, were conquered within a cen
fury. Great distress attended their
conquests. Their terms were, the re-
ligion of Islam, heavy tributes OF
slavery. The empire of the Saracens
reached its height about the begin
uluS Vi tIlC ulAtlk CcutuIys
At some prehistoric period, tribe
of the Huns, Mongolians from Tarta-
nv, settled on the Northern Shores Of
the Caspian Sea and in Asia Minor
They were called Turks or lWrcomdn.
They were Overpowered by the Mo-
hammedans, aid embraced that faith
and, like the Roman Pratorians, soon
obtained the chief power. They foun
ded Bagdad, and assumed all tenn
porary authority, confining the Cal.
iphs to religious rule. They suffered
many reverses from the invasions OF
other Tartars, under the leadership O
the great ,Genghis Khan, of Mongols
or Moguls, and his fierce followers
About 1880, one Gilman, or Ottoman
q Turk and an officer, retired to tn,
North of Asia Minor and at the be
ginning Of the thirteenth century, Is
sued with his followers through tn
passes OF Olympus, swept over nu
merors countries took the titel O
Sultan, established his capital at Pru
sa, in Bythinia, and so founded tn
Ottoman or Turkish empire. Thi
empire grew with great rapidity. II
1453 Constantinople, the capitol of tn
Greek empire, fell, and the Turks es
tablished themselves in Europe,
1t is seen from this rapid sweep o
vast tracts Of history that the Turk
are neither Indians nor Arabs, a
many suppose. They are really Tar
tars, descendants Of the great Moguls
They are aliens in Europe, only EN-
camped on its soil. They have neve
become identified with the people
they have conquered. Their subject
must embrace Islamism, or becom
slaves to the Turks, Such conquercr
cannot improve or reform. The,
must be suffered as oppressors, or b
expelled. Their stay in Europe ha
been light and a curse. The inter
ests of civilization demand their ex
pulsion and now that Russia is ono
more on the march, it is hoped tina
the Turkish Crescent will recross til
Bosphorus, and permit the regenera
ton of the East.