Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-03-17
MOHAMMEDANISM.
pomarkable Growth and Great
lis Vitality.

nuying the past five and twenty years
,a.,medanism has made extraordi-
NV nrogress in Africa, moving steadily
a Inland and southwark. Meanwhile Chris
M" ;t,, % stationary, and, in spite OF every
' @Dr+ 70 extend it, the fredericksburg
s 81 abvssinia remains almost the only evi-
u 5.nce Of the white mans religion IN
u ,sioo outside of Egypt proper. The
1..or Asiatic monotheism is as COM
l1, mastering the earlier as it did IN
Pc frst centuries after the PRONUNCIATION
the m'i foith of Mohammed. 1t is sad
o. tl,o 20 SOW. but it is true, that a Chrls-
thllis n ,,ngro is not always negro I'M
talllIGJu . N While the Moslemized negro
proven, hold. self-respecting man,
DeoGpt 70 fight to the death for ms Iei u
! !en or indeed for any cause WiiicLi nc
ion, u Take up. Some OF these men we fr;a are
may Ian ao,,ptering in the heart OF AFRICA
now eilC "a relentless in the moment OF
crueL .' tbov are but utterly careless -, OF
YcIGII tb ,nn when the fights lor the
iatn. :. = IN the faith they have
What Is s, ~ fms emboldens them?
% Ti2po ore tribes of splendid hghtlng HI
groes in Africa, as our eNp exp ond other
the Zulus, the Ashanlges; +bo negro
r,,o have taught us; DuG Iie So 80 10
I" ,on of an inferior type develops alIeI iio
gNen nroes a Mohammedan quanIles ne
@ E, nover shown before. Something on
@H E Hod was told about ten years ago by
NM TySyrorl w. Blyden, himself negro
\ MI; L.rriTncipal of the Presbyterian high
ana ana, Liberia, West Africa. By com
ssn n;nc his evidence with that of others
PIN! pHnI6 have fought side by side with the
IInncsas on the west coast, or have Wit
nasspd the change wrought among Ger.
toin tribes in the neighborhood OF
ZANZIBAR. we can obtain fair idea OF
What is really going on. To begin with,
Il is no light matter that already Moham-
mechanism controls nearly all the most
energetic tribes, and numbers among It's
odherents the highest social organization
on the continent. Futah, Maslna, Bornou,
Wadv. Darfur. Kordofan, SEMINAR, lin
brctoo etc are all Mohammedan, and
the religion is respected all over Africa,
even where the people have not yet ac-
canted the Koran. To quote Mr.. Blyden
himself a Nonconformist Christian, re-
member: "NO one can travel any dis
lance in the interior of west Africa with
ont being struck by the different aspects
of society in different localities, according
as the population is Pagan or Moham-
medan. Not only is there a difference In
fine methods of government, but in the
General regulations of society, and even
in the amusements of the people. The
love of terpsichorean performances, so
noticeable in Pagan communities, dlsap-
pears as the people come under the in
fuence of Mohammedanism. 1t is not
fact that when the sun goes down all
Africa Dances but it might be a fact
were it not for the influences of Islam"
The negroes become fanatics, throw aside
their fetich-worship, and their moral tone
immediately raised. In all this the Koran
acts a most important part. 1t unites
the most widely separated races in a
common sentiment and in a general an
tagonsm to paganism. From the time
when they embrace Mohammedanism
the success of Islam is their one idea.
Nor have the Mohammedan missionaries
any special advantages beyond those of
their creed in dealing with the negroes.
They come neither as conquerers nor as
wealthy men. They find the negroes free,
and they 90 about among them In the
pureSt spirit of propogandist fanaticism
The Arab missionaries live in poverty
settle down unobtrusively among the
IL
vert: the native missionaries are traders
as well as preachers. No attempt is made
to destroy the fabric of native lnstltu
lions. Mohammedanism without chang
ing its teaching, is adapted to the negro
the negro is not forced into the Arabian
mould of Mohammedanism. But the
effect upon the individual is the same
and when the Moslem convert is clothed
with a white robe, and sword is given
into his hand, he becomes then anc
denceforward the equal of every Other
Nelem in the world. To hin
lgnceforth all Mohammedans are
hvhprs More than this, equality
religion, and education come tc
The Mohammedan negro at one and the
same time. His whole being is elevated
his mind freed, his blackness, which in
contact with European Christians means
nferiority, exposes him to no disability
whatever within the pale of Islam. In
short, the negro instead of being treated
as an inferior, at once rises in his estlma
ton and in that of those around him; ano
the Arabs, who bring them the religion
ntermary with the tribes with whom
nf
reasons why our officers have found the
HOussas some of the best troops they
have ever led, with no sense whatever o.
personal inferiority to the Europeans II
camp with them and not at all inferior il
personal courage. Thus it is that negroes
VINO are free to choose Christianity, OF
who like Mr.. Blyden have chosen it, think
80 often that Mohammedanism is the re-
niigon best suited to raise the standard o
lite and morality among their fetch
Worshlplng fellov-countrymen.
Nor should we forget that the same
ellect Is produced in India. There Mo
Rammedanism gains ground, with the
same result OF, on the whole, stiffenina
me backs OF the men who adopt it. If
snort, 1t seems by no means improba
4 We. that at the time when the Moslem !,
"ogu 70 he driven from Europe, a new
E So powerful impetus will be given tC
@s@lth elsewhere. 1t is, or has been
%F ashton to decry Islam as a decavins
d E.,n, In Africa, at any rate, the eyi
cer .Ct Is al! to the contrary; and it il
ne amy am well for us to consider whether
the Vo, greatest Mohammedan power il
of fac c~ ~ We ought not to take aocoun
not 'r roov which, whether we like them O
in tw n'u d greatly affect our future polio,
WV cohtnents.-St. James Gazette.
Montana Temple of Thespis.
ollana's leading niavhousa 20 +bu