Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-26

Special Correspondence Of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald
CONSTANTINOPLE.
September %. 1910.
There has been considerable talk
about reorganizing and reforming the
MOhammedan Church. as to place it
upon the plane OF modern civilization.
but / have been unable to get much in
formation concerning the movement.
People outside of Mohammedan coun-
| tries seem to know more about it and
to give it more encoura cement than
those inside: and a greater degree of
interest appears to be felt among
Christians than among the Mohamme-
dams themselves.
The movement has been undertaken
by small groups Of intelligent and
earnest young men in Turkey, Egypt.
Arabia and India, who have discovered
by practical experience that their re-
ligion is of very little use to them and
that it does not supply the needs Of the
present age They recognize. too, that
the overthrow of Abdul Hamid and the
late Shah of Persia and the adoption
of constitutional government in both
of those countries are due indirectly to
defects in their religion, which has
kept the people in ignorance and under
oppression. without liberty. education
or progress. The leaders Of the revolu-
tons in the two great Mohammedan
countries were educated in Christian
or non MOslem schools and acquired
their inspiration and their ideas from
Christian or infidel teachers.
Islam does not fit modern ideas of
civil liberty and cannot thrive or even
exist under d constitutional form of
government. If, these young gentle
men argue, Islam is to maintain it's
for their needs so that they will not
be compelled to seek from Christians
and other unbelievers the encourage
ment and assistance that are necessary
Tor success in modern civilization.
Given But Little Encouragement.
The advocates of Islamic reform have
sent committees to the skeik Islam,
the spiritual head of the church at Co,t-
stantinopie. He gave them little encour-
agement and did nothing to relieve tneIn
from their dilemma, although he has
done nothing to oppose the movement in
which they are engaged. They have writ
ten pamphlets and newspaper articles
and have attempted to produce an agit.i-
ton, but have not succeeded in arOLsing
much interest, because very few Of the
ordinary mullahs can read, and the
ulemas. or theOlOgians are generally
conservative and reactionary in their
ideas, and are not willing to concede that
there is any need Of reform. Neverthe-
less, a few hopeful, Jealous and conscien-
t1Ous refOrmerS are attempting to secure
formal consideration OF the subject by
those who have the right to deal with IL
and have called what they term a pan
lslamic congress at Cairo III 1911. che
call has gone out. but has excited little
comment, and. from all / can learn. it
Will be as difficult to mOdcrnZa Islam
it would be to galvaniZe the mummy Of
a Pharoah.
The conference is to DE he'd at the
University FL Azhar, a famous ,nstftu-
dad 1yr
Saladin in the twelfth century and is still
the only university of any Importance
under Moslem management or influence.
El Azhar is very different from other
universities IN the scope and method Of
instruction. There are about ten thou
sand students. ranging in age from chill
dren or tender years to venerable priests
who are studying theology. There is no
regular organized faculty; no curriculum;
no catalogue of students; 10 rules or
regulation; no diplomas or degrees, but
a cOnglOmerate form OF instruction in
every branch Of learning from the A. B.
C's of the Arabic language to the most
abstruse problems of mathematics and
philosophy.
Any respectable person can enter the
faculty with the permission of the III
rector and teach anything he pleases. so
long as he behaves himself like a gentle
man. The Christian religion is taught
daily in the great mosque that is occu-
pied by the university by a native con-
vert under the direction OF the United
Presbyterian Mission. Any man who de-
sires to join the faculty of FL Azhar need
only apply to the director for permits
sion and find some unOccupied place in
the mosque of thousand and one
columns. The professors appear at GER
tain hours daily to meet their students.
who gather around them and listen at
tentiVely to their lectures and admoni-
tions.
1t is very interesting sight. Every
professor sitsa cross-legged on the floor
with his back against one of the thou
sand and one columns and some of
them are teaching little children the
alphabet They use strips Of tin cut
from the cans Of the Standard Oil Com
pany for states, because the marks of
India ink can be rubbed off Other groups |
OF students of different ages may he |
found discussing mathematics. astronomy. |
philosophy and other subjects with zeal |
and earnestness. At the latest report |
there were 311 professors and 3,7jS stu |
dents. The professors do not receive |
salaries, hut each student pays fee for
his instruction according to a private ar
rangement with the professor.
There has been an attempt to modern |
iZe the university. which has made some |
progress. The present rector is a pro-
gressive man and has tried to comply |
with an irresistible demand that has |
sprung up among the young men of |
Egypt and the surrounding countries for |
modern education in order that they |
may compete with those OF their own
generation who have had th1-benefit of
instruction in the American College at |
Beirut and other missionary institutions.
In the government service. in engineer
ing and commercial ard industrial af-
fairs there is growing demand for
educated young men. Preference is al |
ways given to graduates of the PrOtes-
tant college at Beirut. and those who
have been able to go to the French and !
German schools The same is true of
the professions of law. medicine. chemls-
try oi,laa nd he Of 10
applied sciences. The young men Of
Egypt and Arabia insist that they shall
have equal privileges at home and that
their government and their church must
supply them.
Early Attempts Fail.
Khedive of Egypt. attempted to introduce
schools for modern education. but the |
III l.A them. ilH nrleSiS I