The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-02-21
[FortnIghtiy Reyiew.l
The Future of Islam.

conceive that the fall of the Ottoman EN-
pire and the annexation of its Turkish prov
inces would be more than mere political loss of
so much territory to Islam. 1t would involve
moral consequences far greater than this for
the whole Mussulman world OF Northwestern
Asia. 1 have the authority of the most en-
liehtened of modern Asiatic statesmen in sup
port of my opinion that it would be the certain
deathblow to Mohammedanism as permanent
religious faith in all the lands west of the Cas-
plan, and that even among the Tartar races OF
the far East, the Sunite Mussulmans OF Sioe-
ria and the Khanates, and as far as the Great
Wall of China, it would be shock from which
Sunism in its present shape would with diff
Guilty recover. What has hitherto supported
the religious constancy of orthodox believers
in those lands formerly Ottoman which have
become subject to Russia has been throughout
the consciousness that there was still upon the
Russian border great militant body of men OF
their own faith ruled by its acknowledged
spiritual head. The centre of their religious
pride has been Constantinople, where the Sui
tan and Caliph has sat enthroned upon the
Bosphorus, commanding the two worlds
of Europe and Asia and securing
to them communication with the holy
nlaces of their devotion and the living
bodv of true believers Their self-respect has
been maintained by this feeling, and with 1t
fidelity to their traditions. Moreover, the
school of ST. Sophia has been fountainhead
of religious knowledge, the university at which
| the Ulema of KaZan and Titiis and Astraehan
| have received their spiritual education. while
| at all times religious personages from Constan-
| tinople have travelled among them, keeping
| alive the recollection OF their lost allegiance
| On this basis their faith has retained what 1t
has of loyalty in spite OF the political kussian-
| izing they have undergone; but with their
| nolitical centre destroyed, they would be as
sheen without a shepherd, scattered in little
| groups here and there among growing Cnfls.
| tign population and shut out from the 1olo OF
| their belief Constantinople is the assembling
| place of pilgrimage for all Mohammedans west
| Of the Ural Mountains, who reacn IL oy tne
| BLACK Sea, and could never be replaced to
than bv any new centre further south among
the Arab faces, with whom they have little
| svmnathv or direct religious connection. A
| Galiph at Mecca or in Egypt could do nothing
for them, and the Turkish-speaking Sunites
would have no university open to them nearer
than Bakhara. In this respect they would find
themselves in q far worse position than the
Moors however universally these may become
subject to Europe, and their religious disin-
tegration would be a mere question OF time
| 1 believe, therefore, that Islam must be
prepared for loss. not only Of political power
in Europe and in Western Asia, but also OF tee
Mohammedan population in the Ottoman lsnoS
absorbed by Russia. 1t will be strange re-
venge of history if the Ottoman Turk, whom
Europe has for so many centuries held 10 DMe M
the symbolic figure OF Mohammedanism, snal
one dav cease to be Mohammedan, Yet IL ls
revenge our children or our granochhoTer
may well live to see