News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-12-21
THE "FALSE PROPHET"
The New Chief Who is Causing so much
Trouble in Egypt.

For very long time a tradition has
tioated among the Mohammedans of the
East that new prophet would arise in
this present year, 1882.
This prophet would rekindle the wan,
ing faith and the warlike spirit of the
followers of Mahomet everywhere. He
would free the faithful people of Allah
from bondage to other nations, restore to
the Calph (the Sultan) his lost possess
sions and decreased power, and would
fire the world of Islam with new cru
| SADIE. 1t is thus that the tradition has
been repeated from month to month in
the bazars of Constantinople, among the
marts of Damascus, and in the streets
and temples of Holy Mecca.
Some weeks ago, an obscure Arab sud
denly announced himself as the prophet
whom the tradition had foreshadowed.
He rapidly gathered to himself semi
barbarous army, raised the sacred STAN
dard OF Islam, and began his crusade.
But he was soon denounced in the
great temple at Mecca by the Grand
Sheriff as an impostor, and was branded
as "a false prophet > and ever since he
has been called by that epithet.
Yet he has resolutely reasserted his
prophetic power and mission, and at the
last accounts was marching, with his
savage array of troops, into the heart of
lower Egypt He had captured the
Soudan, the southern province conquered
and annexed several years ago by the
Egyptian Khedive Ismail, and his adj
vance was spreading alarm and panic
through the heart of that hapless coun-
try so recently the seat of war.
The strength of the "false prophet"
lies in the vivid imagination and the
religious fanaticism of the Mohammedan
races. Although separated and rent by
chism and waning in power, the follow
ers of Mahomet cling with fatalistis
tenacity to their creed and their allegiance
to the Koran.
The Jews have not moro fondly
dreamed that they would one day all be
gathered together again in the holy places
of Palestine, than have the Mohammedans
that they would resume career of con-
quest and glory, and would, by the sharp
argument of the sword, convert Chris
tendon itself to Mahomet's teachings.
The tradition spoken of has undoubt-
edly taken strong hold on their ORR
entail fancy. 1t has filled their hearts
with hope and ambition. They have
long mourned at the decay of their
power, at the helplessness and humilia-
ton of their Caliph, the Sultan. They
certainly long to see great Mohamme-
dan leader arise, who with the genius of
a Napoleon and the faith of a martyr.
will arouse Islam from its apathy and
conquer for it the mastery of the world.
The Mohammedans swarm by millions
throughout the East. They are subject
to England in India, to the Shah in Per-
STA, to the Khedive in Egypt, to France
in Algiers and Tunis, to Russia in Central |
Asia, and to the black Christians in Abys-
sinia. Everywhere their fortunes are |
low and their cause is depressed. They
accept their fate, no doubt, with the sad |
serenity which was enjoined by Mahomet
but they ever watch and wait to
throw off the thraldom of foreign masters,
and to make the world ring with the
clash of their arms and the heroism of
their deeds in the cause of Islam.
The ''false prophet does not meet
with the recognition of the Caliph, or the
high priests of the faith at Mecca, and |
his mission will doubtless fail.
But it may well be that, at a period |
not distant, we shall see great uprising
Of the Mohammedans, prepared as they
ever now are, and only needing the fire |
of warhke genius to set ablaze a conan-
grafton. Youths Companion.