The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-06-04
Twentieth Century Egypt
I. The Dimming Crescent Of Islam.
FREDERIC J. HAskIN.

stitution Of El-Azhar That university
is at once the strongest citadel OF the
faith, and the place where that faith Is
nelng slowly but surely strangled 10
death
There is a Mohammedan journal pub
Hshed in Russia which is devoted 20 re-
forming Islam and bringing the faith OF
the prophet into touch with the adVanc-
ing world, The movement has received
no encouragement. except from European
lied Moslems, who have been trained IN
religious thought on the bouievards OF
Paris, who are agnostics at heart, ana
whose only regard for Islam is pohucal
and not devotional. The late Moustafa
Kamel Pssha, leader Of the patriotic ma
tionalist party in Egypt, was deVout
Moslen, who earnestly desired 10 reform
MS faith and to free il from the shackles
of thirteen centuries Of pFiestly tradition,
which has quite covered over the original
doctrines and teachings Of Mohammeo
once in a while a man Will arise in the
faculty of Ei-Azhar who strives 10 ad-
just the inelastic code Of the seventh cen
fury to the rapid progress and constant
change Of the twentieth. But the BODY OF
Islam is conservative and ignorant. 1t
will not be moved.
Il has been proved in various portions
Of the world that the Mohammedan re-
iigiOn cannot adopt Occidental civtllza-
ton and survive. To EurOpeanize Mos
lem means to rob him of all faith. That
nOstic may be an exemplary man, a peo-
pie without a sheet anchor Of faith is GER
tain to sink. So few Moslems have been
converted to Christianity that the record
is not worth repeating. In Turkey, IN
Syria, In Egypt, in India, in Central Al,
RIGA, wherever the missionaries OF the
cross have gone. they have made many
converts, but not from ISLAM The MO-
hammedan is a mOnOtheist, and ne De
lieves in one God. The Unitarian theory
Of orthodox Christianity Offends his mon
otheistic sense. If Christian civilization
shakes his faith in Islam it leaves him
without any belief whatever What the
second and third generations VIII De or
will do remains for time TO show.
Many of the more enlightened and de-
vout Mosems lament the decay OF their
faith, but admit that they are pOwerless
to arrest it. They know that the infleX-
ible code of religion, social ethics and
civil law prepared to meet conditions eX-
listing in Arabia thirteen hundred years
ago cannot be adjusted to present condi-
lions. They know that the faith is in
elastic, that the holy men have taught
for uncOunted 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 de-
gree. They know that they cannot change
the law without pulling down the whole
structure. They know that they cannot
square the circle. They realize that the
crescent of the true faith is being
QlmmeC IN the armament Dy the sui us
ing sun of an advancing civilization, nur-
tuTed by a religion which is elastic and
which is ever changing to meet new con-
ditions. They do not believe in the Chris
tian faith, but they are pOwerless to an
sWer the defiance OF the modern soldier
of the cross when he cries In hoe signo
vinces.'
Furthermore. the civilization of the
twentieth century will not brook 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 rec
| Ognizing the influence Of women as the
| greatest in the world. The prophet also
| taught that women have a future life and
( a soul, but in his own life he was so i'm
pure, and his picture Of heaven was so
| bestially sensual, that the good parts OF
I his teachings have been forgotten and
| the bad alone remembered He permitted
/ plurality Of wives, setting the limit at
four, but he also permitted cOnCubinage
without 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 wo-
man in Egypt who could read and write.
/ Now there are tens Of thousands OF girls
in the schools. Even the educated wo-
men do not desire emancipation from the
| harem. They are sorry for the European
or American 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 woman is
not insensible TO the advantages Of edu-
cation, and she has found out that actual
cruelty TO wives Is contrary to the teach
/ !ngs and practice of Christians. These
girls being educated now will be the
mothers OF a future generation Of Egyp-
| tan Moslems. 1t is hardly to be believed
/ that they will confirm their sons in the
ancient faith with the Old-time rigorous
/ ness of piety. Islam is being attacked by
/ the public school system. Tt will exist for
| centuries, perhaps, but it is already in
/ the decline and never again win its
sword cause the world TO tremble with
| fear.
| Copyright, 1903, by Frederick J. Haskin.)
/ TomorrOw-Twentieth Century ~Egypy.
/ VI The Ancient Church of the COpts
| u,,,rorear trim NJicboIas Tfft has baer