The times., 1901-05-26

done in the way of missionary work
that is, In the way of special enissaries
or preaching in public places The natur.
al indifference of the average Chinese tC
| speculative religion would not justify
, such a step. But the faith does not seem
| to be losing ground. and the natural in
| crease of so large a number of believers
| is considerable.
But, after all. the most interesting field
| of Mussulman activity is Africa. the land
which saw the glory Of the faith, and
| which the Crescent seems to have ma rked
| for its own. Here is fanaticism which
recalls the Middle Ages; here, too. on the
| other hand, is Moslem learning at its
| highest and best. The people Of Northern
| Africa believe that it viii be possible for
| them some day to recover their ancient
! glory, and do not look favorably upon the
| Christian usurper. History and the talk
| of the faithful have taught them of the
| religious wars and the time when the
! crescent flag foated over Spain and
| seemed about 10 dominate all Europe
| Then, too, in an oasis of the Sahara is
| situated the great convent of the Senouis-
siar that society from whose ranks, legend
says, shall arise the Mahdi. who viii put
I things under his feet.t 1t is no wonder
/ that missionary zeal finds fertile field
| in Africa.
| Figures have seemed to show a small
| decline in the Mahometau population of
I Tunis and Algiers; but this is due to the
work of the SultanS emissaries, who in
I vite the faithful to emigrdte TO a land
/ which is under the sway of a true be-
| lever rather than be ruled by infidels.
( promising them the reward Of God for
| their devotion In addition to this sort
! of propaganda, the Sultan Is said TO be
! IN constant communication with the
sheikS of the country, many of whom
are fanatics of the first water. The
Senouissia. from their convent at dag
boub. zeaIots though they are, try TO ex-
! ercise a restraining influence on these
| narrowminded enthusiasts. In the case of
! this society. many instances are told of
| Kindness to travelling Christians and of
attempts to moderate the prejudices of
| the neighboring sheiks. They are. none
the 'ess, most active in proselyting. Al
| ten llillious. Geographically two-t thirds
| of Africa belong TO Islam In Morocco.
| where fanaticism is found at its height
/ the Sultan's influence is little felt. The
| Prophet. declares himself the rightful
| Caliph. and has n strong following among
lis neighbOrs.
PHGRDfAGES TO MECCA.
The Grand Shereef of Mecca. Aoun-er-
Rafai extends the Sultan's influence in
various ingenious ways Mecca, the sa-
cred spot to all the Moslem world, is nat
| urally the centre of it's religious thought
and a whisper breathed there travels
swiftly to every part of the globe. The
| Shereef has organized corps of guides
who not only show the pilgrims the sa-
, cred glories of the holy city, but also in
| still useful political Ideas As the desire
TO fulfill the commandments of his re-
| ligion by making a pilgrimage is strong
| in every Mussulmans breast, the oppor-
| tunity of the ''mountaouafs' is great The
pilgrimages are so badly regulated that
a sense of Ill usage elbows devotion in
the minds of the newly arrived and makes
| them easy marks for the wary guides
One Christian nation, the Dutch. encour-
tacr
the canny reason that the travellers may
have an opportunity to compare their
own well ordered infidel government with
that of the holy. but uncomfortable
Hediaz.
Islam is supposed not to move. yet 1t has
| learned most enectuaIy to seek CONVEX
sion by other means than the sword. Stu
dents of the subject say that changes are
observed. always toward greater liberty
| but, of course, only among the better edu-
Gated There is undoubtedly a desire to
| advance the kingdom of Islam by quicker
methods The Sultan's victories over
! Greece brought cut a sufficiently strong
| indication of this fact. The British Gov
| eFnment in India, though aware that in
! the event OF war over the country the
| Mahometans might turn the scale went
| placidly on its way, assured that the right
| of its form of government would in time
/ NNiiApIiSAi 1N' AtStil 10 the IlbSI uuIulE, OF
at least trusting that the mutual jealousy
/ of the Hindoos and the Mahometans
| would keep them from becoming unitedIy
| rebellious. But in Africa the feeling
| showed itself in such editorial articles as
| the following, taken from ''Ill Mouayed -
| a journal published at Tangier:
| rs 1t possible TO turn aside the attacks,
| to press back the European inyasions, on
! the territory of Mussulmans and to take
| back the rights of states which the Mus
suimans have lost? Yes, / answer. If a
! voice. coming from western Africa, trav-
! ersing the plains of the Sahara, passing
/ beyond the confines of the Nile to the
| valleys of Arabia, coming TO India, travel
| ing over the plains and mountains of Sy-
| ria. should bring an echo to the city of
| Constantinople."
| The question is. VIII that voice be
| heard, and II so. what answer will the
| Sultan dare to make? VIII the revival OF
| Mahometanism which the Sultan seems
| 10 be projecting on an even greater scale
| be solely political in form, or will some
| great reformer arise to purify the ancient
| faith and make II a world power for good
| Perhaps the world is soon TO see the an
| swer to the riddle.-The New York Trf-
| bune.