Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-07-16

great unrest IN Egypt and I found
them talking of holy war against
the Christians in Morocco, Algeria
and Tunisia.
THEY WANT GOVERNMENT
OFFICES.
There Is a big awakening Of the
Mohammedans in India. In the re-
form schemes now proposed they are
asking for their full share in the
council Of the Viceroy. A delegation
recently demanded 1--WE seats In that
council from as many provinces, to
be elected exclusively by Mohammc-
dan voters. and additional Moham-
medans elected by property owners, as
well as one TO be nOminted by the
yiceroy OF Beluchistan. 1t has al
ready been decided to give them
big representation, and from now on
they Will ask for more and more OF
the offices. So far the Hindoos have
been getting more than their share,
and the Mohammedans feel IT, They
think they have been pounded by
both the British and people Of other
religions without reason In recent
speech one OF them compared their
position as like that Of the toad in the
schoolboy's fable. said the man To-
tho hoy: "Why arc you throwing
stones at IT, it's only toad?' Yes
was the reply of the boy. and III
larn II to be a toad
The orator claimed that the other
sects were trying 20 'larn' the
Mohammedan to be a toad. He claimed
that this has been their action for
years, and concluded by saying that
the Mohammedan toad, Ike that OF
Shakespeare. might Yet have pre-
cious Jewel I'm its head and it should
be properly treated.
EDUCATING THE MOHAMMEDANS.
The Hindoos of India have practical
~ monopulized the schools. They are
greedy for education, and especially so
a step TO government Office. they
are quick to learn, and they comprise
the greater part Of the b,OpO,OO stu
dents in the government schools. The
MOhammedans are naturally illterate.
IL Is a principle OF their religion that
there is nothing good outside the kor-
an. and in the past the only incentive
for them TO learn has been that they
might read their Bibles. According to
the best estimates, about 80 per cent
of the Mohammedans of Tripolt, AL
goria and Egypt cannot read and write.
The Bedouins are all isliterate. the
Persians are almost as bad, and here
in India % per cent Of the Moham-
medans cannot read. That is. there are
only four persons in every hundred
among them who can read and write.
and that under the English govern
ment in a semi-civilized country.
The Mohammeians have been dis
cussing their situation since the Japan
Russian war. They feel that 1t is their
own fault that they have not a greater
share in the government. The desire
for education Is spreading. Cheap
TRANSACTIONS OF the sacred books are
being circulated, and associations for
the Improvement and elevation OF the
Mohammedans are being formed. The
more progressive are now sending their
boys TO government schools, and many
are patronizing the Mohammedan col
loge at Aligarh. This institution is sit
uated about IS miles from here in one
Of the old cities OF India. II was start
ed 80 years ago as a small school, but
IL Is now an up-to-date. modern coll
lege, giving a degree Of bachelor OF
arts. II has a stan OF English uni
versity graduates AZ teachers, but its
trustees are Mohammedaus and many
Of the professors are Of that religion,
In addition TO the ordinary studies, IL
pays especial attention to Sanscrit,
Arabic, ana Persian, and the students
are carefully instructed In the Moham-
medan religion. The Koran ~ read In
the chapel and prayers are enforced,
the boys bowling toward Mecca as they
go through devotions.
The Aligarh students are devoted 10
modern athletics. They hace a cricket
team WhlCn Is one or tue ptht III ITuld,
and they strain and tug at foot ball
and run upon the track. The college is
Independent OF the government. and II
Is largely supported by the contribu-
lions OF Mohammedans.
In addition TO this school there are
minor institutions In some OF the
Mohammedan cities, and the mission
aries are enrolling more and more
Mohammedans IN their schools from
year to year. This is especially 80
with the Y. NJ. c. a. which has board
ing clubs and hotels in which Moham-
nedans and Hiudoos eat together. This
means much ia a caste country like
India The missionaries tell me II Is
more difficult to convert the Moham-
medans than the Hindoos. The Moham-
medans are the stronger race. They
are better fed and better bred. They do
not believe in child marriage and they
encourage the remarrlage Of widows.
The most Of them live in cities and
eat meat The majority OF the Hindoos
live In the country, subsist upon
vegetables and have barely enough 10
keep soul and body together. The
Mohammedans hate the Hindoos and