Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-12-15
RELIGIOUS FEUEs IN INDIA.
Clashes or Rival Superstitious.

are taking place In northern INDIA De-
tween Hindoos and Mohammedans
through the clashing of their festivals,
the following facts may be interesting:
1t so happens that in this year the
greatest religious festivals Of the two
races have taken place at the same
time; and the simultaneous process
sions, which form very important
part of them, by the antagonistic COM
munIties have given rise to the present
| disturbances, in which the Mussul-
mans are said TO be the aggresSors. The
concurrence OF the rival festivals Is
not very unusual. For the MOham-
medan festivals are fixed according To
| the Muslin system of reckoning by
| lunar months. their year consi sting OF
354 days and q few hOGrs; so that the
| MOhammedan New Years day hap
pens every year about eleven days ear
| lier than in the preceding year, thus
shifting the feast days continually.
Whereas the Hindoos follow the luni-
solar system. their months being pretty
well fixed and their year consisting OF
about 365 days; and so their festivals
take place at nearly regular intervals.
Hence once In every few years the
| MOhurrum of the Mohammedan>
clashes with the Dusserah of the Hin
docs, which is celebrated in the au-
tumn after the rains.
Mohurrum, OF more properly Muhar-
ran-meaning ''that which Is forbid
den" )" anything sacred"-is the first
month of the Aohammedan year; dur.
ing the first ten days of which the
Shah MusIims lament the martyrdon
of Husain, the second son of Fatlmah,
the prophets daughter, by Ali; the
tenth day only being observed by the
Sunni Muslims, in commemOratlon OF
It's having been re day on which Adam
and Eve, heaven and hell, the pen, fate.
life and death were created. The cere-
monies of the Mohurrum differ much
In different places and countries; bet
the procession forms the most striking
part Of them in India. For two or
three days the bows and arrows, the
sword and spear. the standards and
banners of Husain are carried through
the streets, followed by richly capari'
soned horses, tdzlqs borne over mems
shoulders, and worshipers loudly wall
ing and violently beating their chests,
crying In a most piteous voice, "Wah
Husainl wah Husain!' The Dusserah
OF the Hindoos, on the other hand, is a
joyful celebration; it being observed In
commemoratlon of the victory OF Ram
and Ravan, the ten-headed monster and
king of Ceylon, who abducted the beau
tiful and virtuous wife, Sta, OF the
former. This festival lasts also fol
eight or ten days, professions forming
a prominent part of it. Both CON-
AunIties are in state of great excite.
ment during these festivals, AID the
slightest contact OF the rival parties
sets fire to the perpetual, though smol-
dering antagonism between the two
cree6s.
But not merely are the festivals OF
each an offense to the other; from the
very nature of the Mohammedan and
Hindoo faiths there is standing feud
between the Hindoo and Mohammedan
races in India. To the HiudOO the
cow Is a sacred anImal-the milk Civ.
ing mother" of the family, while the
Mohammedans not only kill cows, but
In the spirit of their image-breaking
forefathers, do so publicly, and some
times in the very street. And the
Mohammedan butchers are too often
dreadfully cruel in their mode of kill
| ing COWS. This the HindoOS can not
stand, not only because their religion
forblds it, but for humanitarian rea.
SONS. And, as In the present riots, the
Mohammedans. from the very nature
of their religion, have always been az.
gressiye and fanatical, while the Hin.
docs, unless grossly offended In theiI
time honored sacred notions, do not
care in the least to interfere with the
religions Of other people.
The celebrated KOOkR trials or 1870
In the Punjsb arose from this cruel and
obtruslve method of cow-killIng adopted
by the Mohammedans. In the middle
of that year several Mohammedan cow
butchers were murdered in the Punjak
almost simultaneously, and the crimes
appeared to be induced by new Sikh
sect known as the KOokas, who were
special champions Of the COW. A Hum.
Der of the kookas were executed. But
several suspicious circumstances, and
the fact that a Judge Of Lahore who
gave judgment against Kooka vas
murdered as be was proceeding home,
lgays rise at the time 10 the impression
that general rising on the part OF the
IKookas was intended. A Mohamme.
dan fakir murdered the English secre-
tary to the municipality of Lahore al
the same time. Thus concerted ploI
OF Slkhs and Mussulmans was appre.
hended. But the real cause OF the
Kooka outbreaks was the cruel conduct
of the Mohammedan butchers.
! Here Is an instance Of the combusti-
BILE nature Of the Islamite faith. liz
1874 Parsee published in Gujrstee 6
translation Of Washington Irvings'i
life of Mohammed." This was con.
istrued into an attack on their prophet
'by the Mohanlmedans of Bombay and
the regions generally where Guiratee Is
spoken. Becoming greatly excited, the
Mussulman fanatics rushed out tc
wreak vengeance on the Parsee COM
munity. On the 18th OF February the
houses Of the Parsees were sacked, the
property destroyed, and the people
cruelty abused and lll-tTeated. For fully
two hours IN the middle Of the day the
rioters worked their will. without any
police interference. Elegant house:
were reduced to dust and many people
killed. For several days the riots con-
tInued, the Parsees retaliating, though
finally outnumbered. The government
was apparently at its wits end. A
number of Arabs who landed from the
sea at that time we're supposed for the
moment to have come By invitation.
The Mussulman Mohurrum festival,
too, was beginning. Altogether there
were reasons to fear the worst. At last
troops arrived and the rioters rapidly
disappeared.
AS curiosity the following example;
may be cited to show how the antago-
nism Of the rival communities Is car
ried to minute details in some parts oi
India, especially where there Is a Large
number Of low-caste Hindoo converts
The Mohammedans button their chap
kan, the upper garment, on the right,
the HindoOs on the left. The latter al
dinner parties sit in rows, tie former
in circles. The poorer Hindoos put
their eatables on the right side OF the
plantaln-leaf which they use for plate,