The times., 1897-12-05
AosLEM HAREMs IN AMERICA.
Some Facts About the Turks Resi-
dent in This Country.


dent in This Country.
New York, Dec Are Mohamnedan
harems I'm the United States a possibility?
or late Years there has been sur
pusing growth Of Turkish fmnigTa ton.
The Immigrants have been Of three classes,
Syrian Jews, Arnenians, and Turks proper,
only the latter being MulIammedan AID
alien in their domestic customs. As these
alien customs are lik ely 70 lead To infrlc-
tiUns Of cur laws against polygamy. the
Immigration officials are seriously con
sideIing Whether believers in polygamy are
legally admissible.
TheTurRish representatives In thiscountry
argue, piausibly, that man isnota polyga
mist simply because he beltevesin poly ygamy,
and that, until crime is committed Moham-
medans are at liberty 10 come hither. This
point has come before the Treasury Depart
mentia The eases Of Ahmed Khulii, RassenI
AshInoId, usSein All, Mohamed Raft, and
Mustapha Zubeir.
There are plenty OF MohamInedanS al
ready in the country. Many or the recent
immigrants, who pass for Greeks because
they spet X that tongue, are really MohaIa
medans IN religion. being either refugees
from troubled Crete or from Macedonia
are generally engaged in dealing in fruir.
Tie Turks proper usually continue 10 wear
the stambouline and turban or fez par
ly FOR business reasons, as they in most
cases peddle rugs or sell cigareU or ..5oa-
koami'' CTurkish Delight. and it is a dis
tlECt advantage To look picturesque.
Tie religion OF the MohamnIedans lasts
no difficulties In the way Of their coming
inf IL IL A.
TO pray in a Mosleu can lay his robe
down ~ q SIDEWALK If he likes, and there
IS his church. Putting off Lis shoes. 1a
prostra;es himself toward Mecca in ar
complete accord with his creed as il he
were in vast vaultcd temple. If the
Mohammecan has taken up farming as an
occupation, lie can have a prayer niche in
q corner Of his best room."
So lar as known, there is no poIyga
nous Moslem household as yet in t he
NidGle States, where the Moslems have
usually remained. They are nearly all
poor men and poor Men do not often
practice poivgamy, even in Turkey. For
that matter, eye en- rich Turks never marry
more than fouI wives, the Koran limiting
the number to two, three OF four" -Four
is convenient number in tie Orient. aud
Il gives each wife one side Of the. opeB
courtyard of Mohammedan house fer her
own apartments.
There are few veiled Moslem women
IN New York, liz ing in semi-seciuson. ami
wearing the baGgy trousers. It is hsrdi-
likely that they VIII long remain 1eilet
however, since custom more than religion
renders the veil imperative, and where
the custom nc longer holds, the Veil is
apt 70 rome Off. Indeed, the Koran gives
wide latitude IN the matter Of ubser1 ancs.
Ira BeiouinOf the desert ma Y perform his
religious ahiutions with dry sand when
water IS scarce, surely d MoSlem woma n i'm
New York OF Chicago can get along with
an ordinary veil such as American women
wear.
Yet 4 any Mohammedan were ambitious
OF establishing a herem on the soil of the
New World, there would not he he slight
est1iffieultyin doing so. Any nat or tena.
ment, withisttice work at the windows and
lat negress to mind the bell and run er
rancs, would answer the purpose.
Whilethe Turks stay in tue Middle States
the Armenians gravitate 70 New England.
where they get work in the mills or enter
domestic Service They have no love for
'arming Ike the Turks though some of then
become rngdealers. They are numfn ally
Turks brcause they have been Turkisi. sui
9ectS tut that is different matter.