The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-10
TURKISH CENSORSHIP
HOW THE PORTE NTE 'ERES WITH
THE WORK OF MISSIONARIES.
~nnoce Commentaries on the Script
ures Mutilated on Pretense of
Guarding Against SeditiOn.

WASHINGTON Jan. 9.-There is another
question pending between the United States
and Turkey that is of almost as much inter-
est to the Christian world as the persecu-
ton of the Armenians. It has been the
subject of correspondence between the
American legation in Constantinople and the
Department of State in washington for sew
eral years and involves the right of for
eigners as we'll as the subjects of the Sub
lime Porte to the free exercise of their re-
ligion.
The Imperial Ottoman government guar
antees religious liberty, but at the same
time exercises censorship over all religious
books, both those which are published by
the Protestant societies within the limits of
Turkey and those imported from foreign
countries. The Turkish system of censor
ship is extremely comprehensive and severe.
There is a censor in every villayat who ex-
ercises unlimited and unquestioned power
over everything that is printed and claims
the right to open and examine all packages,
sealed or unsealed, that pass through the
mails; but by law he is required to stamp
the word .texamined'' upon any letter, paper
or package that he opens. He is a member
of the highest court of the province in
which he lives, and when the governor is
absent rules in his stead. He is always a
rigid Mahometan,. and goes to his mosque
five times on Friday, which make the pub
LEGATION of Saturday newspapers difficult.
For the, last few years the missionaries
of the American board have had a great
deal of trouble with the censors whose duty
is to examine and pass upon religious
books. Some of them are entirely I'M
acquainted with the doctrines of the Chris
tian church, and some are unable to under
stand the language of the books upon which
they are expected to render Judgment. The
result is a painful trifing with things held
sacred by all Christians. The explanation
Of the Holy Scriptures in commentaries and
statements of Christian doctrine in books
and newspapers have been erased and
and even from the Scriptures themselves
introduced into books and essays for the
been stricken out. Phrases and single
words have been suppressed without regard
to their context, on the ground that they
some of the ordinary Scripture titles of the
Savior has actually been forbidden, and
when complaint has been maue to the chief
censor he has replied that since the Chris
tians are graciously allowed to use the
Holy Bible they need no other books of
religion.
The present Sultan Abdul Hamid occu-
pies the throne that was occupied by an
1876, and is believed to be imprisoned in
one of the castles on the Bosphorus. A
MES the right Of Abdul Hamid to the
throne, and is supposed to be only wait
ing for an opportunity to create a revolu-
great is the fear of such an uprising that
a decree has been passed forbidding Mu-
RAIDS name to be spoken within the limits
'murad" means Tomorrow or some
thing like that, and was formerly used
newspapers and books of the the country,
but, owing to this decree, it is now en-
been seen in print. So strict are the
Turkish censors that they have forbidden
its use in the Bible: Therefore, wherever
Old or the New Testament, the censor
strikes it out.
In the commentary on the New Tesla
ment in the exposition of the words "Pre-
pare We the way of the Lord (Matt. iii, b,
Stricken sas out by Vehmi Efren ndsn the efa ehief
censor. because it was believed to have
some hidden political significance: Refer
before a king or general, to remove any
obstacles that may be in the way along
which he is to pass, to repair the road, to
level its steep places, and SO to make it
along" The following reference to tie
violence. and the violent take it by force
tMatt. xi, lO. was stricken out because it
referred to military affairs: THE kingdom
of heaven suffereth violence like a fortified
place, but not because it itself is surrounded
by a wall, but because men themselves are
those who strive-the earnest, the jealous.
those who hunger and thirst after righteous
ness ana VINO are ready to take Ip the
cross and follow Christ-are able to seize
it or enter therein
The censor insists that the scriptural
phrase Kingdom of Christi may not be
used; that Jesus Christ must not be referred
to as a king. Wherever the word Jew
occurs Vehmi Effendi strikes it out. often
making nonsense of the context. Upon COM
plaint being made of these meaningless mu-
tilations Nehnli Efendi informed his SUI
periorS that these phrases were violent at
tacks on the Jewish religion.
The index list of the international Bible
pared by the British Sunday-school Union.
compressed into the smallest possible space
and containing no word of MINER The
censors refused to permit the publication in
Turkey unless about fifty of the titles were
erased or modified into a form a. variance
with the matter of the lessons or expanded
to a degree impossible in a brief table of
contents. The following are typical speci-
mems of the requirements of the censors:
St, Luke, iv. 14-2l, Gospel liberty" The
Romans. viii. 31-S9. Rejoicing in persecu-
ton" This title must be erased.
Romans, XIV, 1888. "A benevolent object,
This title cannot be allowed to stand unless
the object is stated. II a full statement of
compatible with the interests of he Otto
man empire the title will be allowed TO
stand with it's explanation
The titles of religious books in common
use throughout Chrfstendom are often nro-
tan ideas: for amp Professor Drum
mond's THE Greatest Thing in the World
and Montfort's The Divine Name" 'sThe
Law Still Binding etc, were suppressed
and their use prohibited.
Little Girl burned to Death.
HINTON, w. Va. Jan. 9-Ada Curry.
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