Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-11-07
RELIGIOUS sANCTUARIEs.
One of the Peculiar Institutions of PersI
and Afghanistan.

and AfghAnistan.
The Russians at Merv have built
barracks, two streets, and a church.
The fact is that, thanks to the Rus
SLAMS, the country between Meshed
and Merv is now perfectly safe. and
NJ. BOnvallott and his companions
crossed it with a servant and three
muleteers.
AS to holy Meshed, the pearl Of
Islam," having been so often de-
scribed-its dirt, its heat, its fanaticism
and its greatshrine withits golden dome
M. BonvallOtt tells us very little. Be
sides the mosques" he says, there
is nothing remarkable about Meshed.
except the degradation of its pOpula-
ton, the most depraved in the world,
with hypOcritical outward show of
the most bigoted fanaticism. 1t is a
place where is held. in the fashion of
the Middle Ages, vast religious fair,
where people trade, or amuse them
selves, or pray. The great sanctuary,
filled with Persian refugees from JUS
Eastern Alsatia: once within the sacred
precincts which surround the tomb
of holy Imam Reza, the thief, the MUIR
derer, the political refugee, or the
bankrupt, is perfectly safe"
These basis, or sanctuaries, exist at
all the great shrines in Central Asia;
not only the shrine is sanctuary, but
frequently whole quarter of the city
itself in the immediate vicinity of the
shrine. The impecunious criminal has
but to join the vast crowd of profess
siOnal beggars who thrOng the pre-
cincts of the shrine, and he is sure of
at least food and shelter and the lavish
charity of the pilgrims. The man who
declines to pay his creditors, can east
ly hire house and set up a comforta-
BILE establishment within the sanctuary.
Pilgrims and poor are fed, and well
fed, every day at the shrine of Imam
Reza at Meshed, out of the vast funds
belonging to the shrine. The privi-
leges OF the sanctuary are jealousy
guarded by horde of fanatical mol
labs, while the townspeople would be
easily aroused to tumult or open re-
bellion should those in authority, Or
even the Avenger of Blood himself, at
tempt to violate the sacred place of
refuge.
Meshed is one of the hottest of these
shrines. Close to the Teheran is an
other sanctuary, the tomb of the holy
Abdul Aim. Ispahan has its sanctu-
airy, while halfway between the an
cient and modern capitals of Persia is
one of the hottest of Persian shrines,
the tomb of the sainted Fatima at Kun.
This, like that of Meshed, is covered
by vast dome plated with pure gold
quarter OF an inch thick. These
golden dOmes, which are visible for
many miles. are welcome sights to the
criminal who is flying from justice, or
to the innocent man pursued by his
oppressors.
Besides these religious sanctuaries
the great cannon at Teheran is an in
violable 6dSt; so is the Kings stable,
and the stable of any provincial COVER
nor; the heel-ropes of the royal horses
give safety to the criminal who touches
them, and in a lesser degree the sta
bles of local governors and great men
are also bdSt. But criminal at times
falls into the hands of justice by being
starved into surrender, the grooms be-
ing forbidden to give him food or
water, or if they are not bribed, they
may decline to do so. Sanctuary in
the East is rarely or ever violated;
stratagem, bribery, false promises, or
even poison, being secretly had re-
course to, to secure the criminal
Good Words.