The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-11-28
AFRICA's Mad M0LLAH|
influence Welded by England's
Foe In Somaliland.
CHIEF OFFANATIO MOsLEM HORDEs

How He Utilized a warship's Search
lights to Give His Followers Some
lous Power Difficulties Of Cam
paigning Against the Somalis.
The Mad Mollah, against whom an
other punitive expedition Of British
troops is about to be started in Somali-
land, in northeast Africa, has long been
an object Of suspicion by the var Of
flee, says the London correspondent Of
the New York World. He and his fol,
lowers have opposed the development
Of the interior Of Somaliland and have
constantly stirred up strife by raiding
and looting tribes which were under
British protection. Early last spring
he raided tribes within eighteen miles
Of Burao. and this despite the presence
of a British garrison, which was pow
erless to effect anything against the
mollah's rapidly moving force.
General Manning arrived at Alden a
few days ago and at nee began to
rush trained troops to Somaliland. 1t
is believed that Mad Mollah has a
force of from 10000 to $4,000 men,
many of whom are well armed and
mounted. The British cannot prompt
ly put anything like as large a force
as that in the field, but expect to send
there a brigade 5000 OF 1000 mem of
troops from India.
The mollah has been preaching the
jehad or holy "a and has thus gained
q considerable following Of Moslems
crazed with religious fervor. By his
preaching he has gained such an in
fluence over the tribesmen that he was
proclaimed mahdi by the Mussulmans
and Immediately started a Mohamme-
dan uprising.
Numerous mad" mollahs have been
most prominent one hitherto being a
warrior in Afghanistan. A mollah is
a Mohammedan priest OF prophet, and
a particularly fanatical n easily ac-
| Quires the title of "mad' mollah. The
! Mad Mollah operating in Somaliland
is known to his followers as Hail Mu-
| hammad Abdullah and belongs to the
Habr Sueliman Ogaden tribe. He mar
ried into the Dolbahanta Ali Gheri,
among whom he now lives at Kob
Fardod. a village inhabited by mol
labs, a days march east of kerritt
and about 10 miles from Berbera, So
maitland. He is a man in the prime
Of life. dark colored, tall and thin, and
has a small goats beard. He has made
several pilgrimages to Mecca, and
while there attached himself to the
sect of Muhammad Saith. whose dep
uty he claims to be in Somaliland.
This mollah is of humble origin, but
gifted with considerable intelligence
and cunning. He claims to have been
commanded to preach the Jehad
through a divine inspiration. During
the time he was melting his followers
to rebellion against the British author
ity they demanded of him some evil
dence of his miraculous power. Hav-
ing the night before seen a warshir
flashing it's searchlights, he summoned
his followers to the beach at night
and. fortunately for him, the warshiE
flashed it's s%earchlights over the shore
Illuminating the country for a great
distance. The mollah at once pro
claimed it as testimony sent direct by
Mohammed from Mecca.
This SO impressed the tribesmen tina
they will follow the mollah blindly
anywhere. He has distributed among
his followers pink colored rice, Which
he has assured them Sc long as they
fight in the holy war will render thei1
persons and horses ~invulnerable agains
the bullets of the infidels. He is {
past master in intrigue, and by prom
Uses and gifts and by arranging MAJ
riages between his followers and othe'
tribes he has gained a considerable
following.
: The difficulties which will confron
5 any large force organized by Genera
= Manning will be by no means incon
siderable. There is M definite OF
%jective. The mollah and his follower
have no fixed place of abode. but usual
/ ly live in the villages Of tribes the
. have raided. Much of the mollah'
wealth consists of herds of camels an
flocks of sheep and goats. and it
the idea of striking and destroyin
these that the expedition will have
mind. Army officers believe b mo
! lab and his followers will always b
found near the grazing grounds
S these herds.
Before any effective work can I
n done the force must cross a strip {
waterless desert known as the Haul
200 miles in breadth. Except at tt
coast, no food supplies other>than mel
u can be obtained. The only method
e. transportation for supplies, ammur
n ton, military stores, etc., is by came
o involving a climb from the coast to
vast inland plateau some 5000 fe
above the sea level.