The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-17

| central Africa the Mohammedans are
alive. Their religion is spreading from
the Upper Nile toward the Congo water
shed. 1t is growing in strength in the
| Niger basin and also in German East
Africa westward from Zanzibar. There
is a great unrest in Egypt and I found
them talking of a holy war against the
Christians In Morocco, Algeria and
T, Tunisia. ,-.
They Want Government Offices
There is big awakening of the Mo-
hammendans in India. In the reform
| schemes now proposed they are asking
| for their full share in the council of the
! viceroy. A delegation recently demand
| ed five seats in that council from as
| many provinces, to be elected exclusively
| by Mohammendan voters, and additional
Mohammendans elected by property own
| ers, as well as one to be nominated by
| the viceroy of Beluchistan 1t has already
| been decided to give them a big repre-
| sentation, 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 1t. They think they have been pound
| ed by both the British and people of other
| religions without reason. In q recent
| speech one of them compared their po-
sition as like that of the toad in the
| schoolboy's fable. Said the man to the
boy: why are you throwing stones at
| it. it's only a toad?" Yes" was the re-
| ply of the boy, land Til larn 1t to be
| toad"
The orator claimed that the other sects
were trying to "larn'' the Mohammedans
! to be toad. He claimed that this has
| been their action for years, and con-
| cluded by saying that the Mohammedan
| toad, like that of Shakespeare, might yet
have precious jewel in its head" and
| 1t should be properly treated
| Educating the Mohammedans
The Hindoos of India have practically
| nonopolized the schools. They are greedy
for education, and especially so as
step to government office. They are
quick to learn, and they comprise the
greater part of the 100000 students in
the government schools. The Mohamme-
dams are naturally illiterate. 1t is a prin-
ciple of their religion that there is moth
ing good outside the Koran, and in the
past the only incentive for them to learn
has been that they might read their BIZ
bles. According to the best estimates,
about 80 per cent of the Mohammendans
of Tripoli, Algeria and Egypt cannot read
and write. The Bedouins are all illit-
crate; the Persians are almost as bad,
and here in India 96 per cent of the
Mohammendans cannot read. That is,
there are only four persons in every hun
bred among them who can read and
write, and that under the English gov
eminent is a semi-civilized country.
The Mohammendans have been discuss
ing their situation since the Japan-R Rus
sian war. They feel that 1t Is their own
fault that they have not greater share
In the government. The desire for edu-
cation is spreading. Cheap translations
of the sacred books are being circulated
and associations for the Improvement and
elevation of the Mohammendans are be-
ing formed. The more progressive are
now sending their boys to government
schools, and many are patronizing the
Mohammedan college at Aligarh. This in
stitution Is situated about rs miles from
here in one of the old cities of India II
was started IS years ago as small
school, but 1t is now an up-to-date, mod
ern college giving a degree of bachelor
OF arts 1t has a staff of English uni
versity graduates as teachers, but its
| trustees are Mohammendans and many
of the professors are of that religion In
addition to the ordinary studies. it pays
especial attention to Sanscrit, Arabic and
Persian, and the students are carefully
instructed in the Mohammendan religion.
The Koran Is read in the chapel and
prayers are enforced, the boys bowling
toward Mecca as they go through devo-
tions.
The Aligarh students are devoted to
modern athletics They have a cricket
team which Is one of the best in India,
and they strain and tug at football and
run upon the track. The college is nde-
pendent of the government and 1t is
largely supported by the contributions of
Mohammedans.
In addition to this school there are
minor institutions in some of the Moham-
medan cities, and the missionaries are
enrolling more and more Mohammedans
In their schools from year to year. This
is especially so with the Y. NJ c. A.,
which has boarding clubs and hotels in
which Mohammendans and yindoos eat
together, This means much in caste