The Washington herald., 1910-06-12
CALL KILLING NO MURDER
Isams Supreme Dgntary Legazed the Putting to Death of
All Christians.

, demned the act Of drinking as inpious.
Popes and other ecclesiastical dignitaries
have before now shown that they cannot
be dragooned into submission. Neither
do the grand mutt fesr read-coated sol
diers. Moreover they fear the wrath of
the foreign press even less than they
fear readcoats."
Has Large Following.
Now, Cairo, and not ConstantlnopIe. is
the headquarters of Moslem orthodoxy.
and from its celebrated University Of Ell
Azhar, which occupies much the same
relation to Islam that oxford does 10
the Church of England, have graduated
for the past ten centuries all those
teachers of Moslem doctrine who are re-
sponsible for the fact that to-day be-
tween 9e0.0OO,000 and S0ooOa0o0 of the hui
man race are followers of the Prophet.
The influence Of the FL Azhar University
extends throughout Africa and Asia, even
10 China. to the Dutch Indies, and 10 the
Philippines. where the Mohammedan pop
ulation now subject to the rule Of the
United States Is sufficiently large and
influential t. maintain riwak, or set
Element OF students Of its own. at this
university on the banks OF the Nile
When, therefore, the grand multi Of
Egypt. that is to say, the chief of the
three great authorities OF the FL Azhar.
the other two being the rector and the
grand cadi, takes upon himself 10 pro-
claim the doctrine that the killing OF a
Christian or any other unbelieyer by a
Moslem is neither murder nor yet a
crime it is a matter for very serious
| reflection by ali civilized powers, such
as the United States. having millions Of
/ MOslems subject 10 its rule.
For there is no doubt whatever but
/ that every deyout Mohammedan. not
/ only in Egypt but throughout the length
and breadth of Africa, in the European
and Asiauc provinces of the Ottoman
empire, in the British and Dutch East
/ Indies, and in the Philippines, will take
| the lesson OF the grand mutt to heart,
viii regard his utterance about the mat
ter as inspired and as the infallible in
depreciation Of their scored law, and
when the English compel the execution of
WaTdani, VIII look upon the latter in
| the light of a martyr.
Contempt for Others.
While IL is usual for people belonging
20 one creed to look down upon those
Of another religious denomination. and to
/ regard them as to a greater or lesser
degree outside the spiritual pale. yet
there is no faith Of which 1 know that
teaches such contempt for those who dc
/ not PERTAIN thereto as Islam.
II is not so much intolerance; for Chris
! tians and Jews are permitted 10 practice
! their religion IN Turkey with a degree OF
/ liberality unknown. for instance, IN
/
/ take place through the streets Of Otto
man cities that would not be permitted
nowadays in France.
/ But this tolerance OF the MosIems I:
/ based on contempt. rather than OF
/ liberality. 1t is a contempt which unit
/ recently caused the sublime porte tC
/ vigorously exclude Christians and Jew.
! from the ranks OF its army, and which
leads the Mshommedan 20 regard tht
! idea that a Christian or Jew should en-
/ JOY the same legal rights as himself. a:
| a piece OF rank heTesy. and as altogether
/ preposterous.
In discussing the demand now made
upon the United States and upon the
other Christian powers. for the abolition
I Of the capitulations, that is TO say, Of
the exteTTitorial immunities OF juris-
/ diction enjoyed by foreign citizens ir
/ Turkey. The present minister OF Justice
at Constantinople. Nejmeddine Bey, grew
enthusiastic about the reforms which
were being inaugurated by his govern
ment. in the code, and in the personne
| OF the judiciary.
/ Declined TO Grant Reform.
But when he was asked whether 'hs
reforms in question would comprise the
/ introduction of system of justice com,