The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-06-04

nave permitted the Introduction OF pri-
mery school studies into the "kut-
tabs or village schools attached to
the mosques. where nothing but the
Koran was formerly taught. But the
same families which send their sons
and daughters to foreign school to
get business education will resist with
might AMI main the Introduction Of in
hdei science into the great religious
institution Of El-Azhar. That univer-
sity is at once the strongest citadel
OF the faith. and the place where that
faith is being slowly but surely stran.
gled to death.
There 10 q Mohammed journal pub
lishsd In Russia which is devoted to
reforming Islam and bringing the
faith Of the prophet into touch with
the advancing world. The movement
has received no encouragement except
from Europeanized Mosienas who have
been trained in religious thought on
the boulevards OF Paris. who are
agnosties at heart, and whose only re-
gard for Islam is political and not de-
votional. The late Moustafa Kamei
Pasha leader OF the patriotic nation
alist party in Egypt, was q devout
Moslem, who earnestly desired to re-
form his faith and to free 1t from
the shackles OF thirteen centuries Of
priestly tradition, which has quite COW
cred over the original doctrines ana
teachings OF Mohammed. Once in a
while man will arise in the faculty
of El-Azhar who strives to adjust the
inelastic code of the Seventh Century
to the rapid progress and constant
change of the Twentieth. But the
body OF Islam IL conservative and ig-
norant. 1t Will not be moved.
1t has been proved in various por-
lions OF the world that the Moham-
medan religion cannot adopt occident-
al civilization and survive. To Euro
peanize Mosletn means to rob him
of all faith. That Is serious thing
to do, for while on agnostio may be
an exemplary man. q people without
sheet anchor of faith is certain to
sink. So few Moslems have been
converted to Christianity that the re-
cord Is not worth repeating. In Tur-
key, in Syria, In Egypt, in India, In
Central Africa, wherein the mission
ares Of the cross have gone they have
made many converts. but not from Is
!, lam. The Mohammedan 10 a mono
theist and he believes in one God.
The Trinitarian theory Of orthodox
Christianity offends his monotheist
sense. If Christian civilization shakes
his faith in Islam 1t leaves him with
out any belief whatever. What the
or will do remains for time to show.
Many of the more enlightened and
devout Moslems lament the decay OF
their faith. but admit that they are
powerless to arrest It. They know
that the inflexible code of religion,
social ethics and civil law prepared
to meet conditions existing In Arabia
thirteen hundred years ago cannot be
adjusted to present conditions. They
know that the faith is inefastics that
the holy men have taught for uncount-
ed generations that the whole law
must be obeyed, that the traditions
must be obeyed, and that none but
God can change the rules in the
slightest degree. They know that they
cannot. change the law without pull
ing down the whole structure. They
know that they cannot square the cir
Gle. They realize that the crescent OF
the true faith is being aimmed in the
armament by the still rising sun OF
a religion which is elastic and which
is ever changing to meet new condi-
lions. They do not believe in the
Christian faith, but they are powerless
to answer the defiance OF the modern
soldier of the cross when he cries I'm
hoe signo vinces."
Furthermore. the civilization of the
TWenLleLn century Will NOT DTOOk the
degradation OF women, which Is a con-
comitant OF the Mohammedan religion.
The prophet himself said, Paradise Is
under the feet of mothers" thereby
recognising the influence of women
as the greatest in the world The
prophet also taught that women have
n future life and a soul, but in his
own life he was so impure, and his
picture Of heaven so bestially sensual,
that the good parts of his teachings
have been forgot and the bad alone
remembered. He permitted plurality
of wives. setting the limit at four, but
he also permitted ooncubinage with
out limit. numerical or moral. The
women of Islam are degraded into
slaves. They must veil their faces
and submit to their masters in all
things.
Fifty years ago there was but one
woman in Egypt who could read and
write. Now there are tens of thou
sands of girls in the schools. Even
the uneducated women do not desire
emancipation from the harem. They
are sorry for the European or Ameri.
can woman whose husband cares so
little for her that he will permit all
men to look upon her face. But at
the same time this conservative wo-
man is not insensible to the advan-
tages OF education. and she has found
out that actual cruelty 10 wives Is
contrary to the teachings and practice