The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-10-29

MIN one.
" No." he said, wistfully; I may not
take it
'' But why?'
" Does the Miss Sahib not know it is
my fast? The giant of darkness strives
to overcome the sun, and not even
water must pass my lips for so many
hours!'
THE duty, in the case of this young
ster, was self-imposed, for he was only
six years of age, and so not yet within
the pale of orthodox Moslem rigidity.
This story, says the Mohammedan,
explains the fighting strength Of Mo-
hammedanism, the absolute subordina-
ton of its devotees. Men trained as
this boy was training himself will Kill
for the faith just as readily as they
will die for the faith, but there is moth
ing petty about them.
They can appreciate and tolerate
other faiths so long as the adherents OF
those faiths do not insult Mohammedan-
ism. Half the outbreaks at places like
Beirut are caused, if Mohammedans
may be believed, by Christians commit
ting, either Intentionally or accidentally,
| h4ldl q oSC&i4o W ~ w.
rilege.
For Moslem the world is divided
i by tradition into two parts Oar al
Islam" Ghe abode of war;. That would
seem to imply that the Moslem's hand
| is against all unbelievers; but Moham-
medan canon law, if the best Egyptian
| lawyers are to be believed, DEGREES that
| ''Jihad," or holy war, nuts never be
made unprovoked upon Oar al-harb."
| Every one knows that the whole sys-
TEN of Mohammedan civilization bears
hardly on Christians who live under
/ it. 1t has been said that personal
rights exist only for Mohamedans in
Islam"
Christians cannot give evidence in
Mohamemdan law courts. they may not
bear arms, and they have to pay a capt..
! tation tax. THE Koran makes these
DEGREES" says the Mohammedan, in de-
fence, land we cannot go back Of it. r
These are religious dogmas, says
United States vice consul in Turkey, in
one of his official reports, which will
never alter, unless the whole fabric Of
their religion passes away and another
institution is planted in its stead.
| 81 have opened the subject before the
doctors of the law, and they assert:
1 These are religious dognlas based on
religious principles, and il his MaJu&-s
1 the Sultan wishes to order anything
] contrary, the Mohammedan population
/ collectively will not obey him. And
/ they mlgth have added that such a
step might bring on an instruction :"
! What the faith prescribes must be
obeyed. Outside of that the Moham-
nedans say, they are remarkably toler-
ant, especially in the Turkish donin-
4 ions. ~
I 1t is usually assumed by western
\ statesmen and western newspapers
4 that the Sultan Of Turkey is an auto
4 crat who can rule as he wishes whose
fiat means the slaughter Of the SPAR
\ ing Of Christian villages and Christian
I peoples within his domain Nothing is
4 further from the fact, says the Moha.n-
medan.
In theory the Sultan may be despotic,
| though even that is doubtful in the
1 light of Moslem civil and religious law.
/ In practice he is even more hampered
by ecclesiastical bureaucracy than the
i Gar OF Russia.
Il And public opinion is a more power
! full force in Turkey and other Moham-
medan countries than it is in the west
ern civilizations. The Sultan dare not
/ move a step without the sanction Of
his myriad co-religionists and his fell
low rulers of the Mohammedan world.
He may be the Caliph of Islam, the
theoretical head of the faith, but he
only holds that position while he pleases
1 Islam.
The Mohammedan conception of an
acceptable ruler is very different from
that Of the westerns. The articles Of
i belief composed by the Sheikh Naim
Ad-Din Abu HATS Umar ibn Mohammed
ibn Ahmad an-Nasnfii, famous Mo-
manned theologian, says that the Mos
lens must have a leader who shall
occupy himself with the enforcing of
their decisions
''It is not a condition" says the gem
tleman with the long name, that he
should be protected by God from sin,
nor that he should be the most excel
lent of the people of his time; but it is
a condition that he should have admin
istrative ability, should be a good gov
ernor and be able to carry out DEGREES
and to guard the restrictive ordinances
TO Islam and to protect the wronged
against him who wrongs him. And he
is not to be deposed from tho leader
ship on account Of immortality of tyran-
n.y. -
The restrictive ordinances are those
which deny civil rights to the Chris
II tian. If the Sultan does not enforce
them he is liable to be deposed.
! The Sultan Abdul Hamid is In con-
slant correspondence with the Ameer
of Afghanistan. the Shah Of Persia. the
Sultan of Wadai and other great Mo-
hammedan rulers. Their opinions in
fluence his dealings with Christian ma
lions at crises like the present. But
beyond and above these temporal
princes he is forced to consider two
spiritual monarchs, the sheikh-ul-I Islam
and the mysterious head of the great
secret order of the senussiyah.
The Sheikh-ul-Islam, who lives in
Cairo, is practically the supreme relig-
ious authority of the orthodox Moham-
medans. In effect he is the Pope of
the Mohammedan world, holding some
what the same position toward the Sui
tan as the Popes of Rome held toward
| Christian monarchs in the Middle Ages.