New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-12

Side by side with tn" propaganda carried on in
Asia and Afiica by the missionaries Of the Cos
pei is that OF the Mahometan llama and. al
though il is the former whose labors monopollze
our attention and our interest, there is some
reason to apprehcnd that the proselythng power
Of Islam il making far more Roadway than that
of Christianity In northern ard ccntra! Ahlca.
in IIindostan. in China, and in the Dutch Indies
Mahometan missionaries working with signal
success {, increase the number of converts u
Islam Money has been subscribed in India. rs
well as in Turkey. for the purpose
Of making the teachings Of the Koran
known in this country Mahomctan places
of WORSHIP. Constructed by means of funds raised
in the Far East, have recently been opened in
England ana France tine Government Of the latter
nation providing the stipend of the llama in
charge of the mosques. And now We hear OF
the Mahometan missionaries extending the sphere
Of their operations to Japan.
Nowhere could they find a moro promising field
for pro.cytism than in the dominlons of the
Mikado. whose subjects have for many years been
in search of n religion that would accord equally
well with their new-nclgcd ideas of Western
civilization and their Oriental temperament, char
acter and customs. Shintoism. buddhism. Con-
fucanism and Taousm-in short, all their old
beliefs-have been practically abandoned, out
Of keeping with the progressive doctrines that
now prevail in japan. their teachings being di-
rccty contrary TO ideas of Western enlightenment.
4 short time ago the question Of adopting Christi
anity as the State religion was mootcd at Toxic,
but was decided against on the ground that many
of its prccepts were diamctrcally opposed To the
cond tions Of japanese life ard customs and that,
moreover its teachings were of too illogical
character to be blindly accepted by Intelligent
~ L.. IL al L.. % h,.
Nippon" The latter are, therefore, at the pr,;-
cnt moment, practically spanking, without
religion. though il cannot be denied that tie
spirit of religious inquiry has been particularly
actiyc among them.
Now door has been opened To Islam. About
three years ago young Japanese tlcolosian
went 10 Constantinop'c for the express purpose
Of studying the teachings OF the kcrln. TIL"
Sultan always glad to avail himself of any OPP
rortunty TO assert his position rs the Commander
of the Faithful rec, lived him most kindly, and
appointed one of the Leading Clama at COnstan
tinople TO be his spiritual guide. Before many
months hal passed the young Japlncse formally
embraced Islam, assuming at the same time the
name OF Abdul Hall. \ year ago, having com
petcd his religious instruction. he returned to
his native land. full of the zeal OF the neophytc,
and 50 gracious has been his reception by the
Mkado. so successful his efforts t. propagate his
new religion among his countrymcn. that LLAMA
have been dispatched from Constantinoplc TO assist
him in his work of Mahomctan prosclytsm 1t can
not be denied that the japanese will find in Isamisn
a faith which appeal more strongly to their
Oriental and poetical character thin Christianity
does. Moreover, its lcnicncy Oh the score of
morality, the weak point OF the Asiatic character,
will likewise serve To render il popular in the
Land OF the Rising SIN. Bat il remains 10 be
seen TO what extent AIahomctanism will affect
the hitherto rapid progress of the enlightenment
and civilization of the Japanese 1t seems
10 be pity, however, that they should get
their first glimpse into the Koran under TIE
influence Of the LLAMA of STEAMBOAT. who be-
long to the llane:ite persuasion, VIGOROUSLY the
least progressive and at the same time most
corrupt section Of Islam. rather than from the