The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-04-22
FREE MOSLEM SERMONS.

Perhaps the greatest of the unreck
oned influences in the overthrow o.
Sultan Abdul Hamid was tho Moham
medan clergy. The outspolienness OF
that clergy, the strong demand it made
for the rights of the people, and alsc
for the protection of non Moslcms in
the Turkish empire, held the masses
of the people steady while the Young
Turks overthrow the old autocratic
butcher. We find in the current mum
ber of the HILBERT Journal reports of
four sermons that were preached in
Constantinoplc in the famous old
Mosque of St. Sophia and that had an
immediate and wcll.merited effect.
The first of these sermons was upon
the preachers of Islam, and was de-
voted TO criticism Of the "pcriod
of tyranny which had deprived the
people of one of their greatest bless
ings TO which they were entitled un-
der the law of Mohammcd. The old
autocracy had closed the lips Of the
preachers, and prevented their appeals
in behalf Of tho people, so that the
faithful were deprived of the guar.
antees of their religion in this respect,
The sermon was free in its criticism
of ''tho despotic policy" that had
been enforced to kill the noble
feelings of the people and to smother
their aspirations for the freedom which
is their religious guarantee The SER
mon pointed out that a preacher had
to he free and uutrammeled in speech,
a man Of wisdom, n man of common
sense and also man of learning, if
he hoped 10 fill his calling; and that
under Mohamm cdan law he had the
right of free speech. The sermon closed
with an appeal TO the highest ecclc.
siastical authority to consider the sit
uation and find a means of relief,
way for the uplifting of the Moham
medan rights, which had fallen so low.
This appeal, so firmly based, demand
cd the necessary reforms and that
preachers should 60 forth worthy of
the Islam and of the Moslem ranks.
The second sermon delivered, dealt
with Misunderstanding Past and
Present, IL demanded the enforce.
ment of the fundamental guarantees Of
the Moslem religion, and showed that
the misunderstanding which have pre-
vailed in high places have been the
cause OF the restrictions imposed,
whereas az the people OF Mohammc-
dan government, they had come to
such an abasement that they failed 10
realize their total lack Of respect for
lawful guarantees. There had been cs.
tablished houses of idleness (palaces
Of pashas) while they as 4 nation
were left in the rear Of progress. |
There was a denunciation also of The |
trespasses upon tho rights of The ma
tion and of the Moslcms as subjects
Of the empire, and confession that |
unjust condcmnatjons and denuncia-
tons had dropped the country to a
condition of decline, and closed with
The exhortation, "May God forbid that
in the opening future mutual misun-
dcrstandings should be the cause of
calamity
The third sermon was straiphtfor
ward demand for the recognition Of
The Rights of tho People, 1t de-
nanded that the administration should
oe clean and just; it protested against
.he administration Of affairs being put
n the hands Of incapable men, and
quoted famous saying: "'Whcn any
iuty falls TO the governor, If he does
not serve with sincerity and good will,
f he does not work for the people IS
lights as he cxerts himself TO safe
guard his own advantage, God in the
lay Of resurrection will have him
brown into the fire Of HE'LL The
sermon acknowledges that the country
vas yet between death and life, and
INVOKED all powers that he against any
lct of oppression or outrage against
'ithcr Moslcm or Christian. And with
he change all should thank God that
> we have saved ourselves from autoc-
acy.''
The fourth sermon deals with the
ubject, HJudgI~snt with Justice,p
his being a continuation Of the for
ner sermon on "The Rights of the
'eople. 1t is fine, courageous. and
'ointcd. acknowledging that the new
sultan, however well disposed he
night be, was incapable Of doing
by himself. it called upon ,