The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-08-29
A School in Morocco.

While walking about in almost any city
of Morocco one is almost sure to hear at
some point of his rambles confused
babel of sound. very like that of a mass
OF children reciting in unison lesson or
composition of some sort, issuing from,
usually, a mean, dilapidated building.
situated in an obscure, dark corner of the
street. Upon nearer approach, and, if
the surroundings are favorable, closer in
spcction, one sees-in small, dirty
room, lighted only by little window and
the open door, having for its furniture, if
any at all, only low desk, such as the
Moors use, of the meanest description,
together with few bits of ragged mat
ting stretched along the walls, and some
pieces of rugs in equally ragged condi-
ton, covering the floor behind the desk
sitting cross-lcgged, man, rod in
hand, and in front of him, ranged in
circle, sit cross legged, also, a number of
children, who, while changing in unison,
produce the sounds which attracted your
attention, accompanying the whole with
a rhythmic swaying of the body back
and forward. It is school, as
has been probably surmised ere
this The old man in the ragged jelaba is
the schoolmaster, while the almost naked
children are the pupils, who are being
taught the beginning and the end of a
Musselman's life, the Koran, which is
their sole education. the State defraying
all the expenses of the same, which can
not be very heavy, as the teachers only re-
ceive about fifteen cents month salary,
the scholars supplying them with food.
hp cob. nle oil t.t
and village has sufficient number of them
to attend the education of its children,
their attendance being compulsory. Here
it is, in these dark, miserable, dirty
rooms, that the young minds Of the chill
dren are dwarfed and the wall built around
them that bars their progress hereafter
beyond a certain point; this point was
reached over 500 years ago; from this
point since then they have not moved, nor
will they unless compelled to- Here it is,
also, that the seeds of that blind fanata-
cism which rules Morocco and other Mo-
hammedan countries are sown, and the
degrading precepts Of the Koran taught,
the effects of which are only too easily
to be traced all over the Mohamme
dan world, keeping back, as it has, its
civilization. and reducing those who be-
lieve in and follow its doctrines into de-
PRAYED, sensual beasts, having no high
aims or motives in life whatsoever.
Mohammedanism has had its day; has
served its purpose-partially civilized a
race of people that were, up to the time
of the PRONUNCIATION of that religion,
beyond the reach of Christian influence.
Here its mission and its power for work
ing good to, and promoting the welfare
of, the world ceased. Since then it has
been as clock with loosened hands; the
machinery has run, but the hands ceased
to advance-pointing always to the same
time. 1t is religion uniting men for
the duties of life; and one which must
have fallen ere this on account of its own
rottenness had it not been upheld, directly
and indirectly, by the powers of Europe,
who, through jealousy of one another,
have built under it at varions times the
props which are now supporting its
existence as a power, and which the in
domitable energy of Christians and the
ea,thy truths of their religions are con-
stantly underpinning, causing the grave
diplomatic questions" which are always
arising in the European cabinets concern
ing this ra of people, to remain in a
chronic state of soreness. Cincinnati
Commercial Gazette.