The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-12-06
A Turkish Appeal to Allah.

La Utah lila AlJah, De Mohan,med IL
RessoM Allah-( There is no God but God,
and Mohammed is his Ressout] enuoye
ertraordinaire)-rings through the still
autumn air, as from the numerous NINA
rets of the mosques of Constantinople the
call to prayer floats down the banks and
over the deep blue waters of the Bospho-
rus. 1t is Friday-the Mussulman's Sab
bath-and the monotonous chant of the
Muezzins calling ''the faithful" to mid
day prayer breaks upon my ears as am
writing. l say monotonous, for residents
in this part of Pera are habituated to
hearing this appeal some four or five
times daily, to say nothing of its disturb
ing them in the still hours of the night.
This morning, however, the monotony is
somewhat relieved, as in addition to the
ordinary noontide appeal to Allah spe-
cial prayer has been drawn up by the
Sheik- ul- Islam - the "Head of the
Church" in Turkey, if l may thus trans
late the title-which, if it be granted,
will secure the utter determination of all
Christians from off the face of the earth,
leaving it in the possession of the Mos
lens alone. l have been fortunate in
obtaining a copy, in Turkish, of this
prayer, translation of which reads as
follows:
SO, most merciful God, have mercy on
us and protect us Thy faithful people.
Almighty God, show no mercy to the in
tidels. Merciful Oliver of all good things,
strengthen the Ottoman arms; by Thy
powerful arm discomfit the proud and
perfdious house of the impious. Glory
be to God, the Lord of the Universe. The
grace and the blessings of God be upon
our Lord, His Prophet Mohammed, and
upon all His pious followers. o, God,
strengthen Thy servant our Sultan, the
chief of Thy favorite people. Protect us
and our country and sweep Oft the face of
the earth all infidels opposed to US and
to our holy and true religion. Destroy,
Almighty God, every vestige of the i'm
pious Russians, of the equally impious
Hellenes, who are cropping in the dark
ness of impiety like swine in the mire,
and who have dared to raise their sacri
egious hands against Thy faithful people
and against Thy Prophet Mohammed.
Disperse, o God, their coalition; scatter
their assemblies; break, o God, their
weapons, diminish and annihilate their
ranks send them, o God, quickly to
their designed place of punishment.
Pour upon their heads, o God, all Thy
wrath and indignation; place them, o
God, in the central abode of the wicked
visit them with the indignation by which
Thou hast hitherto punished Thine enc
mics. o God, confound their tongues
let their blood flow in torrents; let their
heads be trampled upon by Thy faithful
servants the Osmanlis; break down their
authorities, their rulers, their strong
holds; exhaust their power. o God, make
their children orphans, their wives wild
ows, and their mothers mourners. Con-
found their mental faculties. o, God OF
mercy, let there be left no vestige on the
earth of the impious Russians, the Hell
lenes, the Slavonians and other intidel
Franks allied to or sympathizing with
them. Encompass them, o God, on every
side with grievous plaques. Overthrow
them with thy terrible wrath with fires,
with massacres, and shipwrecks; by
strangling, by pestilence, and by cholera
by famine, and by earthquakes. Make
their cities empty of inhabitants. Shake
them by the eight avenging spirits. AS
these mischevous and impious infdels
endeavor to injure u.s. let them, o God,
suffer in their own eyes, in their senses,
in their wives, in their children, and last
ly in their own lives. Let Thine anger
and indignation, o God, be hurled upon
them like hail-stones; make them and
their goods plumber to all those who
believe in Thee and Thy holy Prophet
Mohammed, with whom be the grace and
the blessings of Almighty God"