Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-01-01
THE 0 M OF ALGIERs.
Harem Means the Sacred Place of
Women Within the HOme-A
New Crusnde.

The New York Tribune publishes a let
ter from Pere Hyac!nthe's wife. giving
so new and true an insight into the lives
OF Mohammedan women and showing the
Moslem's point of view so clearly that
women all over the land should read it.
Nine. Loyson says:
"Sir:-An active member of the Alliance
Of Oriental and Occidental Women. from
out the SHOWS of your great Northwest.
has sent me Il clipping from the Tribune
OF November II. in which l am said TO be
organizing a crusade against immortality
among women in the harcms OF Algeria.
and that missionaries VIII be sent 10 c!e-
ratc the wives OF the owners OF the3,
iArcIns.' Now, this bit Of news contains
suci. "a calumnious insinua'ion that / am
in duty bound 10 reiutc it. and, reInem-
berins my old friend. Horace Greeley.
whose lcGatec you are. / count upon the
Tribune's courtesy, as well as its sense
OF justice Tor roctiiication.
The aim of our alliance Is the promo
ton OF friendly relations and peace among
nations. and FOR TINS we are cnGeLvorihS
to call In the help Of woneG-Ior their IN
nuencc IL an absolute necessity. our plat
form Is nigh and broad, the rcCGnC!IIatiOn
of all who believe In the same God-jews.
Christians and Moslems. Our method II
mutual help Ill all that Pertains :" lam.
lily life. and as our sisters OF III. great
.sliut-in Kingdom may not come 10 US.
we must 30 to them. SO we are 5eHdiAg
women Of experience. culture and ch.aFdC-
ter. who go not only to teach. but also 10
learn; and who not only believe that
Christianity Is the highest form of religion.
but are willing 10 practice IL with con
attempt at proselytins, which. especially
among MoSlems. would be as useless as IT
would be certain to shut Their Goors
against us, thus defeating the object OF
our work for peace, progress and fratern-
ity throughout the world indeed, We are
doing, among the higher classes OF women.
what your Rev. DR.. Gilbert Reid IS doing
among the higher classes Of men in China
Mrs. Gilbert Reid is our corresponding
secretary for that cGuntry-and our en-,
every way possible.
found II quite equal to Christian life III
the Orient OF n the Occident- There IS Il
great black spot on tha religion of Ma.
homet. as il was upon Israel; that IS. legal
and avowed polysamy: We have the curse
legal polyardry. Let us not, therefore. he
! too puffed up with our higher civilization
and lower morals.
Are there ten out of a. thousand of your
readers who know what 'harem' means?
The 'salemlik' is that part OF home devoted
to men. and 'harem' means more than
home with US, for it is the sacred place OF
women within the home. And who are
those women who dwell therein? AS the
Moslem family is patriarcha!. first OF all
grandmother. and the Oldest are the most
venerated. The mother. wife, widowed
aunts. sisters, or sisters-in-law, cousins
| and orphans with femdle SerEaNtS-a!l q
part of the family-and then the children
of them all! And there are never toe
many There are no OutcaSt women o.
~fourdlings in Islam. Plurality of wives Is
fast disappearing. as it did with the Jews
as the unity of conjugal love is being rec
ognized. for there is always progression
in some way with people who believe, as
does the MuSSIlman, in the living God
And there is not an infidel among them
Among the many lovely families L know If
Algeria 1 know not a single case Of polys-
amy.
And what lovely homes I have found
What devoted wives and mothers, anc
what obedient and respectful children
They are certainly such as 1 have found
nowhere in Christendom-Save with angels
visits. Chastity is the only dover of tbs
bride. and it is priceless. and there art
not two morals-one for the woman and an.
other for the man. And very certainl,
the conduct. virtue and religion OF thu
Moslem population in Algeria is IA
superior to that of many so-called Chris
tians during their recent most outrageou:
troubles.
The utter ignorance of Christians con
corning the family life of M~ussulmans
most regrettable. and has only an excus
in the absolute seclusion of the former an,
the ostentatiousness of the latter. But lie
us not be deceived touching the cause 0
combat. war and massacre between Mos
lens and Christians. The motive on tn
part of MussuImans is seldom aggrandize
rnent. power or riches. but the fierce deter
mination to maintain their religious lif
and the s~acredness of their homes. The,
are everywhere determined to keep out tn
vices of invading Christians. foremost o
all drunkenness and debauchery. and the.
nave some reason, alas: for calling som
of the specimens of humanity they Sc
dogs Like the Jews, who crucifie,
Christ. they observe the letter Of the lay
of Moses. and deem blasphemy worthy o
death. So when the Armenian and othe
anarchists Knocked Him whom they cal
Allah and we call God they kflle
them. So We propose sending Christia,
women to the East-women whose live
will prove that there is another civilization
culture, humanity and charity than tina
which they nave seen and heard of anon
the followers of Christ. And if any Amer
lean women who read this and who are be
tween the ages of % and 40, we'll educated
well recommended and speaking French
wish to enter this most useful and deligh;
full work, let them write me. America
women are generally liked in the Orien
Address HYACINTHE LOYSON.
President of the Alliance of Oriental an
Occidental Women.
%. Boulevard Inkermann. Neuill,
Paris. France, December 5, 1885,"