Connecticut western news., 1882-12-06
THE "FALSE PROPHET.o
The New Chief Who K Causing so much
 Trouble in Egypt.

For very long time tradition has foated among the Mohammedans of the East that a 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 cf Allah from bondage to other nations, restore to the Caliph (the Sultan) his lost posses sions and decreased power, and would sade. It 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 sue l denly announced himself as the prophet i whom the tradition had forcshadowed. 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 tie great temple at Mecca by the Grand Sheriff as all impostor, and was branded as "a false prophet; ;" and ever since Ee 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 ad-
 vance was spreading alarm and panic
 through the heart of that hapless cour-
 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
 CTS of Mahomet cling with fatalistic
 tenacity to their creed and their allegiance
 to the Koran.
 The Jews have not more 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 Mahomets teachings.
 The tradition spoken of has undoubt-
 edly taken Q strong hold on their Ori- ental fancy. It 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 a great Mohamme- , dan leader arise, who, with the genius of Napoleon and the faith of Q martyr, will arouse Islam from its apathy and l conquer for 1t the mastery of the world. , The Mohammedaus swarm by millions 7 throughout the East. They are subject ) to England in India, to the Shah in Per sia, 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 l serenity which was enjoined by Mahomet [ himself but they ever watch and wait to 3 throw off the thraldom of foreign masters, 3 and to make the world ring with the clash of their arms and the heroism of Q their deeds in the cause of Islam. The "false prophet" does not meet e with the recognition of the Caliph, or the
 high priests of the faith at Mecca, and | l;o ,,,;s.;o,, will do,,I,+locu fo;1 t But it may well be that, at period s not distant, we shall see a great uprising | of the Mohammedans, prepared as they y ever now are, and only needing the fire 0 of warlike genius to set ablaze 8 confia- y grafton. Yoaah'S Conlpd,eion.