CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1897-12-02
THE SULTAN SPEAKS.
Tells Americans About the AR
menian Massacres-
a. I.tervtew with the Ruler of Tur-
key by Ex-United states
Mtnfster-ssys Turks Are
Tolerant.
In .n interview with the sultan, Hon.

In an interview with the sultan, Hon.
\. w. Terrell. lately United States
minister at Constanfinopie, says;
He said that ihe fas.s about recent
disturbances ia Turkey iaYe never
been faithfully reported by the press
of the United States. and tLat he hoped
that would make. known to the AmAr.-
can people what he was then about TO
say Continuing, he said:
...Eariy during the Ottoman con-
quests In Asia Minor, the Armenians.
who were being crushed by repeated
invasions OF the Tartars and the Per-
SLAMS. emigrated In large numbers, aud
obtained protection from the Ottoman
rulers. They were kindly received,
Hospitality treated, and received bene-
fits in the protection of their lives and
property. No nation continually en-
gagged in war can excel in industrial
and commercial pursuits. Thus It oc-
Cured that while the early sultnns
were busy with conquests. all manu-
featuring and commercial interests
were monopolized by Christian races,
and chiefly by the Armenians- Their
religion was also tolerated, fer Mussul-
mans tolerate the religion of all men
who worship God. Thus the Armenians
prospered, and remained contented uns
der Mussulman rule for over 400 years
They became the manufacturers, con-
tractors and bankers of the Ottoman
empire. They enjoyed their religion.
openly worshiped for centuries in their
ancient churches and monasteries. and
built new ones when needed. Their
patriarch could always present their
complaints at the sublime porte, and
they were always protected in the en-
joyment of their own methods of wor-
shipping God. .
-Four books are regarded as sacred
by all Mussulmans, namely. the Koran
the book of Confucius, the Talmud of
the Jews and the Bible of the Chris
tians. How could Mussulman mur-
der Armenians merely on account of
their religion, when the Koran pro-
hibits cruelty. ard requires that all
men who believe in God shall be pro-
tected. except during war?
One of my ancestors. Selim l., the
grandson of the conqueror of Constanti-
nople. once thought that his empire
professed the same religion. Some dis
turbances raised by Christian races
caused him to ask the Sheik-ul-Islam
il it would be lawful for him to kill all
Christians who refused to be converted
10 Islam. The sheik issued fetva. in
which he answered that it would not be
lawful and that the Christians who
were peaceful must be protected. So
Selim respected the fetva. Fire-wor-
shippers and idolaters alone have no
right to protection. and Mussulmans
are prohibited from eating meat cooked
by such people
.sThe sultan then cited many evi.
dences of the favor and partiality ex-
in. the Armenians by himself aud by
former sultans. to show that their re-
ligion was not the cause of their re-
cent misfortunes-
The sultan more than once repeated
his declaration that no Christians had
ever been prosecuted by his government,
or people for their religious faith, and
that their churches and monasieries.
which have stood from the early ages
of Chrfstianity, had been respected.
preserved and worshiped ia. that they
had always selected their own patri-
archs and bishops. and Were always pro-
tecied in r.1e full enjoyment of their
religious freedom.
-Eeferrilg to the Inassaeres, he said:
The truth, unfortunately, is never pub
'ished in Christian news papers abou:
ecnE.o;s between my Moslcm aud Chris
iiaa subjects Though no true Mussul-
man viii ever punish any rnau On ac-
count Of his religion. if he vorships
God. vet when people bind themselves
together by their religion, and then use
II 10 destroy the Ottoman empire. a
different question is presented. While
Christian Europe was excited against
the osioIana empire about cxcesses
committed 10y its soldiers during the
Greek revolution of 1927. it had no SYM
pashy 10 bestow upon the butchery of
e7.o;9 defenseless Turkish men. women
and children who were massaered in
one city after its surrender Cen
tury.