The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-10-04

one, and he starts out with the idea
that what may be wrong for him may
be right for outsiders. He admits
frankly that he has no standard by
which to judge the Christians.
westerns are prone to say, in con-
sidering Eastern institutions, That
is not Western, therefore, it must be
wrong. The converse would be a
criticism impossible to any Eastern
mind. A Mohammedan would never
say; That is not Eastern, therefore,
1t must be wrong. The Koran COM
mands that the "ahl kitab" who have
never embraced Islam must be judged
and treated on their own merits, if
they have to be judged at all They
are to be kindly treated and cherished.
We admire many of your mission
aries says the Mohammedan. "Of
course, we think them mistaken, but
we see that they are good men who
follow their lights. Many Mohamme-
dams help them in their educational
and medical work by gifts of money,
land and buildings"
Before you are judged at all by
Mohammedans, much less condemned,
many things will there be to be in
quired Of" says a European who has
spent almost a lifetime among Moham-
medans. First, are you an Eastern?
If you are not says the Eastern, 1
have no standing at all by which to
measure you. If you are, then of what
class or caste of Eastern are you? If
you are not of my particular commun-
ity equally are you without my orbit
If you are. and you have sinned, my
condemnation extends to the exclusion
of you from bread and water" That
rule our religion, which is greater than
either of us, has made. But 1 will
buy with you, sell with you, and talk
with you Generous and cheerful, in
deed, is this tolerance among people,
who still will die of thirst rather than
drink water from the hands of an out
slider"
Religion, says the true followers of
the Prophet, is woven throughout the
entire fabric of Mohammedan civiliza-
tom 1t is not a mere decoration, it
is part of the piece; and every mans
daily conduct is guided and regulated
by the ceremonial duties as we'll as
by the principles of his faith. Nobody
is ashamed of practicing his religion.
In Mohammedan countries it is a. COM
mon sight to see people praying at
the corners of streets or by the way
side. Their conduct is not pharaSaical.
They spread their mats and pray be-
cause it is the hour of prayer, and
they dare not neglect it, even though
it catches them unawares upon pub
lie road. They do not expect to gain
a reputation for sanctity by such con-
duct, just as certainly they would not
accord it to others who did the same.
And they expect Christians who dwell
among them to be as deVOut and at
tached to their religion as they are
themselves. If the Christian is lax,
the Mohammedan has no respect for
him.
Similarly they are rigid in their fasts
Even the children cannot be tempted to
break "hunger-stricken Ramazan,' OF
any other of the numerous fasts OF
Islam.
An Anglo Indian woman. who has
spent years studying the Mohamme-
dan temperament, tells a striking story
on this head, which illustrates the
Mohammedan spirit:
Il remember a dear small boy. the
son of our night Waterman. ills
small soul loved mangoes, and one
day, as he followed me about the gar
den, l offered him one.
" No. he said wistfully: I may not
take it,
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, six years of age. and so not yet
within the pale of orthodox Moslen
rigidity."
This story, says the Mohammedan,
explains the fighting strength OF MO
hammedanism, the absolute subordi-
nation of its devotees. Men trained
afF1iY1 h ms
kill for the faith just as readily as
they will die for the faith. but there
is nothing petty about them. They
can appreciate and tolerate other
faiths so long as the adherents OF
those faiths do not insult Moham-
mechanism. Half the outbreaks at
places like Beirut are caused, if Mo-
hammedans may be believed, by Chris
tians committing, either Intentionally
or accidentally. what Mohammedan
deems to be sacrilege.
For a Moslem the world is divided
by tradition into two pars-' Oar al
Islam Che abode of Islam) and "Dar
al-harb" (the abode of war;. That
would seem to imply that the Mos
LENS hand is against all unbelievers;
but Mohammedan canon law, if the
best Egyptian lawyers are to be be-
lieved, DEGREES that "Jihad" holy
WARP must never be made unprovoked
upon Oar al-hard."
Every one knows that the whole
system of Mohammedan civilization
bears hardly on Christians who live
under it, 1t has been said that per
sonal rights exist only for Moham-
medans in ISLAM Christians cannot
give evidence in Mohammedan law
courts, they may not bear arms, and
they have to pay a capitation tax.
'"The Koran makes these DEGREES.
says the Mohammedan. in defense.