The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-12-14

supreme God, whose prophet is Ma
homet. They treat their women rath-
er better and believe that they have
souls. However, they have no educa-
zion, and are kept shut up in rooms.
Some of these women have been within
the limits of their own yards for 80 or
40 years. Others have been in rooms
for several years. These are known
as ''yeiled women
Some of them learn to read and write
at home, but these are few. Their life
is restricted, and very monOtOnous.
The MOhammedans try 10 make con-
verts by the sword, if not by the voice
They have their workers in Australia
and Africa now. In the latter place
they are making great Roadway.
The MOhammedanS bury their dead
in graves. They are wound in winding
sheets, upon which are written many
texts of the Koran.
A Mohammedan must pray five times
during the day. 1t is not an uncom-
mon sight to see a MOhammedan at
noon or at any prayer time kneeling
on the streets praying.
If dead man is suspected of not haV-
ing said his daily five prayers, his fam
lily must get a priest, who must say
over the number of prayers it is esti-
mated the deceased has omitted.
Mohammedan man and wife never
see each other until after marriage
and then the first look is through the
medium of a looking glass. Bitter dis
appointment often follows this first
look. If husband wishes to divorce
his wife, he needs only say three times
in her presence: Il divorce you" and
the thing is done, while the woman
has nothing whatever to say.
The Parsees are known as the fire
wOrshipers.' In olden times they had
temples seven stories high, on the tops
of which were the sacred fires.
The temples of today are square
buildings, two stories high, surrounded
by high stone walls, through which no
one can enter.
The Parsees say that fire is the pur-
est element that can be gotten to rep
resent the invisible spirit.
To build a sacred fire it is necessary
to get the fire caused by lightning.
This is used to purify the frankinsence
sandalwOod and myrrh used as offer
ings.
The Parsees dispose of their dead in
a peculiar manner. flowers of 81
lence" are built on the highest hills,
and in these the dead bodies are placed
to be devoured by vultures.
The Christian religion existed near
ly asaearly as it did in Syria. 1t is said
that ST., Thomas, one of the II Disci-
pies, was the one sent to India. This
was, of course, in the first century.
ST. Thomas being a builder, tried to
support himself by following his call
ing, and during his leisure time
preached Christianity. He was much
prosecuted by the HindoOs and other
people of the land.
After a time-one of the Rajahs who
was having a palace built by st. Thorn
as, was converted to Christianity, and
used his influence to allow ST. Thomas
to build a shrine in which to pray.
Out of Madras a little is a mount
called "St. Thomas Mount" and upon
this is church Of the same name. Ira
dition has it that a church has al
ways been there since the time of ST.
Thomas.
All around this are the dwellings, of
the Christians, known as St. Thomas
Christians, who marry only among
themselves.
In the South are the Syrian Chris
tians, established between the second
and third centuries.
DR.. Ryder said that every woman liv
ing in Christian country should thank
God for that. She then described the
desolate picture of the poor and mis-
cradle women in India waiting for the
Christian influence to succOr them from
their helpless condition She stated
that she was here in the interests of
20,000,000 women who were awaiting
the verdict of Christian women in the
Christian lands. 1t was being sought
to obtain medical and legal protection
for them, and the influence of the Chris
tian women was much needed. Unless
this work is accomplished, it may be
centuries before a change comes to bet
ter the condition of the women of
India.