The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-03
ISLAMS CHAMPION.
Nd Alexander R. Webb Explains How
He Became a NOhammeddl.
Why Polygamy Is virtuous-Plan Of
Campaign by Which We Are TO be
Made Believers in the Koran.
Whence the Money Comes.
tC0pyright 1850

I found that the object of my mission had
/ been widely announced in the newspapers.
Many treated the unheard Of advent of a
; Mohammedan missionary in America as a
huge joke and as nothing more than a
subject for the witof the Photographer and
the cartoonist. In a short time the
journalists came to better understand me
and the work which proposed TO do. and
the resulting discussion has borne fruit
already in aiding to destroy the twin foes
! of ignorance and intolerance.
Cal the attempt TO propagate Islam IN
/ America ''audaciOus fanaticism, or what
You viii, have made more converts dur
/ ing these six months than any Christian
1 missionary to a MOhammedan country
has ever made in as many sears. Re
quests from the artisan and the Judge
upon the bench for literature which viii
| throw more light upon the doctrines of
Islam have come in great mum bers from
| all parts Of the country There are now
six circles formed for the purpose of the
study Of the Koran, three in New York,
one in Brooklyn, one in Washington and
| one in Pueblo, Col l expect that
| there will be one in every large city in
the country as soon as the hot months are
| over To be a member of a circle does
not necessarily imply a belief i'll Moham-
mechanism. Indeed, do not seek to make
! converts by the forcing" process which
is so often used by American missionaries
in India. / am here simply to teach the
| truths of Mohammedanism and to de-
stroy the decisions concerning it which
| are held by most Christians My con
| verts have converted themselves. In
many instances have never seen them
personally.
1t is not difficult to explain how 1 be-
| came a Mohammedan. AS soon as
reached maturity / began the study of the
various religions and Of the mysteries of
/ life and death. The possession of some
! knowledge created a thirst for more
Desiring to personally investigate the
workings of the Mohammedan religion,
! secured, through the kindness of Presi-
! dent Cleveland, in 1885. the consulship at
| Manila in the Philippine islands The
! little time 1 had to spare outside of my
| official duties | spent in the pursuit of
| further enlightenment. There could be
! but one result My Investigations made
/ me thorough Mussulman.
| Why Because l found the morals of
the followers of Allah were better than
! those of the people of our own Christian
| America. Because there is nothing about
the traditions or precepts of Mohamme-
| danism incapable of proof. Because its
| higher philosophy is the most perfect in
the world. Because there is nothing of
| superstition, bigotry or intolerance about
| il. And because l believe it can accom-
| plish in America what Christianity has
| so long attempted and so signally failed
in doing. l am here to teach its beauties,
! its philosophy and its salvation.
! am often asked who furnishes the
money to carry on this work in America
| There are rich and devout Mohammedans
as well as rich and devout Christians.
| Wealthy Indian merchants have pledged
I, 70
| period of five years. At the end of that
! time have no doubt but that funds for
the future will be forthcoming.
| am not the first ex-Christian topreach
! in a Christian land. lawyer VIM H.
| Quillian became converted to the faith
| during a sojourn in Morocco and returned
| to lay the foundation of the present Mo
| hammedan colony in Liverpool. Many
| Americans may not know that there is a
| MOhammedan mosque in Liverpool, Eng
/ land, wheIe the three hundred English
! Mohammedans worship.
Because of the success of the Liverpool
movement Hajee Abdullah Arab, a
wealthy merchant of Jeddah, Arabia.
suggested the idea of propagating the
faith in America. | was brought to his
notice through a correspondence which
entered into four years ago with Bud
ruddin Abdulla Kur, member of the
municipal council of Bombay, in refer
! ence to doctrinal points of the Koran.
} In March Of ", | was visited at Manila
! by Hajee Abdullah Arab and Moulvi
| Seraiuddin Ahmed, who requested me to
make an estimate of the cost of maintain
ing a mission in America. | did so. Haiee
Abdullah Arab returned to Bombay, con
I fcrred with his colleagues and a commit
tee was formed with Hajee Moor Jan
MObammed as its president | received
| notice by telegraph to come to India and
/ resigned my consulate
10 is not difficult even for Christian
. 10 fancy how warmly !, an American CON
/ vert to MohammCdaniSm, was received
/ by my Indian brethren. Five thousand
deyout MUssulmans greeted me at the
mosque in Calcutta, although The British
/ government had condemned me as IN ad-
/ NcuturOus American, who had
come 10 inciJe the natives TO blood
/ shed, and had, accordingly, set some
i of its idle spies to watch me The stu
( dents at the greet Madrassah college in
Calcutta, most of whom arc Moham-
medans, requested me to speak in the
/ hall Of the college. | accepted. But the
moment the lecture was advertised the
/ officials interrosed with an order that
/ the hall must not be used for religious
or political purposes" 1t is needless to
/ say that Christian missionaries had
spoken there gain and again. A small
! bungalow was finally provided by the en-
/ thusiasnc students where an immense
/ audience and several British detectives
/ listened to purely religious discourse.
/ Each one of the Mohammedans present
! who held any Office under the government
/ was either suspended or discharged for
! the "ofense"
! In Hyderabad (Deccan), which is the
/ most enlightened state in India, had an
/ experience, at once eXasperating and
/ amusing, which illustrates how silly is
{ the British prctense that the natives en-
Joy even II shadow of the rights of self
! government. You have heard of the Nj
Fam of Hyderabad no doubt He has en-
tertained more European nOtables than
any other Indian prince. When | arrived
at the station in Hyderabad l found a
gorgeous outfit awaiting me made up of
servants, native soldiers and costly car
riage
remained in Hyderabad three weeks
without seeing the ruler, although he
much desired an interview with me. The
amiable Nizam, who, to all outward APP
pearances is a monarch in his own right,
Is not allowed to eat a meal out of the
sight of paid servant of the British
government. Whatever the British resi-
dent advises he knows he must do, or else
he will be subjected to new indignities.
was permitted to lecture in the state
pavilion in the public garden of Hydera-
bad and received an ovation, but the tent
was surrounded by soldiers TO prevent me