Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-13
Regeneration of Islam.

A significant and surprising editorial re-
Gently appeared in Savah, the leading
Moslem newspaper of Constantinople,
which endeavored TO explain the recent
events above referred to:
They seem to prove the article says.
that the Islam world is in the throes of
a regeneration which will affect its So
cial as well as its political conditions,
and indirectly must concern its ecclesi-
astical affairs 1t will undoubtedly have
the same Influence that the reformation
of Luther and the French revolution had
upon society and culture. The dethrone-
ment of three absolute monarchS in three
Independent Moslem states is novel
chapter in the history Of Islam. and calls
for grave reflection by the adherents of
that faith. The. social and economical
affairs of nation as we'll as it's religion
are closely allied to it's politics. and there
cannot be a serious disturbance in one
without having great influence upon the
others. 1t means either decay or prog
ress because there is no such thing as
rest or stagnation in society. The human
race cannot remain in repose. IL must
either advance Or go backward.
This suggests a thorough inquiry into
the condition of Islam; whether the mate
rial advancement of the infidel nations
has shaken the faith Of Musselmans in
the wisdom and ability OF their leaders,
and has caused them to follow the lights
of intelligence and learning that science
has given to Europe and America. leav-
ing Asia in partial darkness. The first
thing for the people of Turkey. Persia
and Morocco to do is to consider their
part in the advancement of civilization
which Is irresistible. If the teachers of
the faith do not acknowledge the neces-
sity of such progress. their followers will
hind The period of decadence of Islam
has ended with the disposition of the
three absolute monarchies, and hereafter
there can be no tardy or Indifferent recog-
milton of the inevitable without sharing
their fate
This publication coming from the
source it does. a newspaper which rep
resents the native progressive element in
the Turkish empire. indicates the drift
of their thoughts. The unrest in Islam
awakening among thoughtful men as TO
the necessity of following the lead of
Christendom or permitting the Moslem
church to decay and lose its power. The
Young Turk movement. which caused The
overthrow of the autocracy in the Otto
man empire. was the result of foreign
influence and education, and it has not
only brought liberty of thought and
speech, but has been followed by the
publication of newspapers in every Turk
ish city. the establishment of schools for
the education of the common people. the
partial emancipation of women and a
recognition Of the civil, moral and spirit
ual rights of mankind. All forms of
worship are now tolerated in the Turkish
empire, and one is considered as good
as another except by many former Mos
lens The leading ecclesiastics of the
Moslem nations have consented to this
so easily that people wonder. The in
fuence Of the ecclesiastics at every crisis
has been cast on the side Of the revolution
in Turkey. Persia and Morocco 1t is large
ly due to their influence that the revolu-
tionary cause has triumphed. and the
new regime has been safely established.
When the professor of Mohammedan
philosophy in a German university was
recently asked to explain this phenom-
.enon he replied in the characteristic
phrases of his race:
What comes from the prophet we ac-
cept, but concerning what comes from
his follOwerS-they are men and we, also,
are men,"
Factions of Islam.
Islam, like the Christian world, is split
UP into denominations because of differ
ences In the Interpretation of the teach
ings of the prophet. and for personal and
other reasons. Certain factions have al
ways been rebellious against the Sultan
of Turkey because they deny his sane
tity and his authority as the head of the
faith. They claim that the founders of
the present dynasty obtained power and
authority by conquest and not by de-
scent from Mahomet, and have never
recognized him as supreme in the church.
Those branches Of Islam have been very
influential in promoting the revolution
in Turkey. and they are said to be be-
hind the movement for the proposed Is
lamic congress, which will be the first
that was ever held.
In India. as in every other part Of Asia,
the Mohammedans are very restless. and
the ancient customs that have governed
them are being slowly discarded. The
women are demanding emancipation.
Thousands of the daughters of the most
influential families are attending school
They have even gone on the platform to
discuss the wrongs of their sex. There
is an organization with branches in all
the principal cities of the empire working
with surprising success to place the Mo-
iammedan woman upon equality with
her English sisters
Another significant sign is the pubiica-
ton of many books in the Turkish, Ara
bic, Syriac. Persian and other languages
af q plaI3p and far