The Washington herald., 1911-10-08
THE KORAN RESPONSIBLE
FOR TURKISH BARBARISM

The Koran is the basis from elementary
school to university. More stress is laid
on memorizing than on original thinking.
Why should you do any thinking for
yourself when Mohammed gave the solu-
ton to all the problems of life? II an
Oriental accepts a man as his spiritual
teacher or master. he follows him with
unouestioning loyalty. He absOrbs his
system, but does not criticise 1t. II he
asks questions ii is not for the purpose
of criticism, but to elicit further informa-
ton. Usually he sits at his masters rect
and listens in reverent silence to his dis
course. which he treasurers up in his mind
and heart
A scholar, who was collecting economic
data, once wrote to Mohammedan mer-'
chant in a town of the interior of Tur-
key, asking him for information as TO
the population of his town, the number
Of caravans entering II, &c. The Mo-
hammedan replied, full OF Indignation,
saying that it was "blasphemous" to
inquire into such things. If Allah had
wanted these facts to be known he would
have informed the world.
Modern education, however, is rapidly
destroying this native and naive state
of mind The Young Turk is thoroughly
up to date His contact with European
civilization has opened his mind to the
necessity OF scientific methods. Even the
Turk or Persian who has studied medi-
cine in his own country has been forced
to think along the lines Of modern sci
ence. A few generations Of this culture
will make a great change in the Orient
Turkey and Persia are both eager for
Western education. In both countries
there are a number OF leaders who have
received a European education and are
thoroughly in sympathy with its ideas.
Their influence is radiating through the
country. In the end 1t must pervade the
masses.
In methods of industry and business the
medieval form holds sway. Hand-wOrk is
the rule. The industrial age has not yet
struck the Orient-to which fact we owe
| the beautiful handmade articles which
characterize the East. You may stroll
| through the bazaars Of Constantinople
and see men in little booths cutting out
various shapes OF wood with hand
lathes. working at baskets. shaping and
! painting coarse china. They work slowly
but deftly. Their hours are long, but
their labor dignifes, instead of degrad-
| ing them.
! Quite the reverse to the workingman
! of the Occident. his Oriental brother Is
| the master of his fandiwork. because in
/ reality 1t is 'handiwork. And when 1t
| comes to selling his products, the ORR
! entail also is master of his business, sit
! ting cross-legEed in his little shoP'
waiting patiently for a customer. He Is
never anxious to sell. II you wish 10
! exchange your money for his goods, ne
! is ready to serve you. You feel an al
fection for the old man. He Is happE
to sell his beads. you are pleased to get
them, and the whole transaction mas
been concluded on the highest level OF
courtesy and brotherly feeling. Ihe
| Turk has no idea Of enlarging his bust-
ness. of buying up the shops around
| him. The booth which served his father
serves him. He makes a living-he is
happy. he lives near to God. What more
could he want? The possibilities Of au-
tomobiles. of steam yachts, and Of PAL
| aces in town and mountain have not yet
appeared to him.
\ The despotism of the East is over. No
u more can its rulers consign to death at
their whim. The dark age is dissolving
before the light Of the modern age. Yet
the poise and peace of the medievalism In
the Orient has a charm. 1t Is as II one
could drop from our busy. nerve-racking
life into a bit OF the Middle Ages, before
the Western World woke up-into land
where there are no nervous breakdowns,
no tension, no anxieties-and be lulied
into n bIissfuI dream. Will the East De
able to keep its characteristic OF peace!
FLANEUR
fCourrirht. 1911, by Court Gossip syndicate.)