Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-18
HAD MANY HARDSHIPS
NATIVE OF INDIA WHO GAVE TIP
- HIS RELIGION.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, November 1S.-The difiicrl-
Ties which have to be faced by natives of
India, when they give up native religions
and accept Christianity. are little realized
by the people Of this country, where, to a
large extent, mans religious beliefs are
Of interest to nobody except himself and
his immediate family. The situation In In
dia is we'll illustrated by a story which
has just come here from the Rev r. +
Newton. who ts stationed at the Punjab
mission of the Presbyterian board of for
eign missions. The story is of man who
had been Christian for years, before he
had courage to be baptized. DR.. Newton
says:
He lived In a country place, was the
Imam of masjid or mosque, and at the
same time practiced hikmat (medicine), He
came to US years ago to learn something
OF our system of medicine. as well as sur
gerry. His stay with us Of little over a
month ended In his complete alienation
from Islam. He is a man about thirty-fve
unusually well read in Persian, Arabic and
Urdu, clever above all competitors in the
practice of hikmat In all the region around.
and very ready and eager to pick UP new
Ideas. He resigned his masjid on his return
home, and relied thenceforth on his practice
alone for living. And he lost nothing,
but increased his income considerably.
Meantime he took every opportunity Of
reading the gospel to others. They did not
mind this much. Some few, indeed, ac-
cepted his views; yet he was rather laughed
at. and called by some Kiram All went
smoothly enough until he was baptized, and
then storm Of persecution broke out
which exceeded anything he had expected,
although he had anticipated there would be
opposition. His best friends. even those
who had apparently sympathized with him,
Joined the ranks OF his enemies, and he
stood alone in his village.
Life Threatened.
HE has a wife and two small boys. Her
relations are trying their best to get the
wife to forsake him. as having become
Kohr and no longer worthy of her. His
life has been threatened, he has been boy
cotted and his practice entirely stopped.
I appealed to our superintendent Of police
to give him protection from violence. He
readily responded and took the necessary
steps. Yet with all this there is danger.
for there is nothing to prevent their killing
him after dark II he chance to be abroad.
Murders are very common. the police are
corrupt and nothing so common as bribery
and false witnessing. If q crime occurs
the police make a great ado, but let Off
the criminal, even II caught, II he or his
friends be rich enough to bride them. and
In the end do nothing, or seize some poor
wretch. too poor to indulge in bribery, and
torture a confession out OF him.
Deceit and untruthfulness are universal
among rich and poor alike, and such is the
material we have to work upon. But It Is
noticeable-and the Maulavi (Mohammedan)
YaQib referred to Is case in point-that
there are men here and there who are sick
ened by the corruption among their own
people, and are in search of better things
Attempts at reform are made, as evidenced
in the rise of new sects among both Hin
docs and Moslems. while some Join the
ranks of the Christians. These are subject
to the most intense opposition and perse-
cution, and very few have the courage to
face 1t. Christians in America can form
little conception Of the difficulties convert
must needs encounter. It Is hardest OF
course. for those isolated in villages like
my friend Yaqib, with no Christian COM
munity near 10 stand by them. In the
case OF the Churas. of low caste. It Is some
what different. A. rule they are baptixed
in large numbers together, and their nuna-
Der gives them courage. Tho Musseiman
or Hindoo stands alone. Communities
never become Christian."