Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1882-02-17
The Future of Islam.


I conceive that the fall of the Ottoman
Empire and the annexation of its Turkish
provinces would be mere political loss of
so much territory to Islam 1t would in
volve moral consequences far greater than
this for the whole MussuIman world of North
western Asia. I nave the authority of the
most enlightened of modern Asiatic states
men in support of my opinion that it would
be the certain death blow to Mohammedan-
ism as a permanent religious faith in all the
lands west of the Caspian, and that even
among the Tartar races of the far East the
Sunite Mussulmans of Siberia and the Khan
ates, ana as far as the Great Wall of China
it would be shock from which Sunism in its
present shape would with difficulty recover.
What has hitherto supported the religious
constancy of orthodox believers in those lands
formerly Ottoman which. have become sub
ject to Russia has been throughout the con-
seriousness that there was still upon the
Russian border a great militant body of men
of their own faith ruled by its acknowledged
spiritual head. The centre of their religious
pride has been CoHstantinople, where the
Sultan and Caliph has sat snthroned upon
the Bosphorus, commanding the two worlds
of Europe and Asia and securing to them
communication with the holy places of their
devotion and the living body of true believ-
ers. Their self-respect has been maintained
by this feeling, and with it fidelity to their
traditions. Moreover, the school of st.
Sophia has been fountain head of religious
knowledge. the university at which the
Ulema of Kazan and Tiflis and Astrachan
have received their spiritual education, while
at all times religious personages from Con-
stantinople have travelled among them, keep
ing alive the recollection of their lost allee1-
ance. On this basis their faith has retained
what it has of loyalty in spite of the political
Outstanding they have undergone but with
their political centre destroyed, they would
be as sheep without a shepherd, scattered in
little groups here and there among growing
Christian population, and shut out from the
fold of their belief. Constantinople is the
assembling place of pilgrimage for all Mo-
hammedans west of the Ural Mountains, who
reach it by the Black Sea, and could nsver
be replaced to them by any new centre
further south among the Arab races, with
whom they have little sympathy or direct
religious connection. A Caliph at Mecca or
in Egypt could do nothing for them, and the
Turkish-spesking Sunites would have no
university open to them nearer than Bokha-
In this respect they would find them
selves in a far worse position than the Moors,
however universally these may become sub
ject to Europe, and their religious disintegra-
ton would be a mere question of time. /
believe, therefore, that Islam must be pre-
pared for a loss, not only of political power
in Europe and in Western Asia, but also of
the Mohammedan population in the Otto
man lands absorbed by Russia 1t will be
strange revenge of history if the Ottoman
Turks whom Europe has for so many CEN
turtles held to be the symbolic figure OF
Mohammedanism, shall one day cease to be
Mohammedan. Yet it is a revenge our child
dren or our grandchildren may well live to
see.
81 tell you," said the canvasser, you have
no idea of the hard work there is in this bus
mess 1t is either talking or walking from
morning till night beg pardon replied
the victim; 81 have pretty distinct idea of
the talking part of your programme. Now
please favor me with an exhibition of the
walking part" The canvasser exhibited
Boston Transcript