The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1912-01-26

to the teachings of the armies of Christian mis-
sionaries spread out over 1t.
But according to a number of these very mis-
sionaries who have gained their knowledge IL
the battle-line formed by Christianity against Is
lam and other religions, this is by no means tn,
case. From the front they bring the news tina
Mohammedanism, far from being quiet is pusinl
with new life; that its missionaries, filled witt
fanatic zeal, are making hosts OF converts to thei
doctrines, not only among pagans, but among
peoples previously converted to Christianity.
Africa is where the pitched battle for converts
between Christianity and Islam is being wageo
most furiously Those who have been over the
ground declare that the religious fate of the
Dark Continent hangs in the balance. Moham-
mechanism has made such progress there of
late, they aver, that it is a question whether
1t will not soon become Africa's dominant faith.
Nor is that portion of the earth the only
place where Islam is striding trtumphantly for
ward. Pan-Islamism, seduously fostered by
Abdul Hamid, deposed Sultan OF Turkey, has
served to stimulate the aggressiveness of the
Prophets followers in India, Malaysia, Central
Asia, Siberia, Russia and other lands.
This aggressiveness is noticeable not only
among those Mohammedans who seek to recon-
cile their time-worn religion to modernity but
also among the blind fanatics of orthodoxy,
who will not give up one jot title of the
doctrines handed down to them by their fore
fathers straight from the days of Mohammed
The one great characteristic Of the Moslem
world today is unrest
Like the prodigal son in the parable Islam
Is coming to itself and is becoming conscious
of its need. Three great movements in the
Moslem world at the present time are all OF
them indicative of this unrest-the develop
ment of the great dervish orders the growth
of the pan-Islamic spirit and the attempt Of the +
new Islam to ratonalize the old orthodoxy
all OF them due to the same cause, namely, the
readjustment of Islam to the progress of mod
ern thought and western civilization, either by
way of protest and defiance, or of accommoda-
ton and compromise.
The modernist movement touches every Mos
lem who receives education western lines.
whether in Java, India Persia or Egypt and
compels him to adopt new theology and
new philosophy and new social standards or
give up his religion altogether. How far the
advocates of the new Islam go in throwing
overheard their cargo to save the ship is illus
trated in a book THE Truth About Islam,'
just published at Cairo by DR.. Muhammad
Badr a graduate of Edinburgh University. No
orthodox Moslem would recognize this pre-
sentation of Islam as the same religion which
he processes.
The enormous increase and activity OF Mos
lem journalism In all the chief centers OF the
Moslem world is also indication of intel
lectual and social unrest. Some of the leading
papers are already the mouthpiece of intol-
erance and show a sullen attitude toward
Christianity.
The religious movements in Islam today are
radically progressive retrogressive The
dervish orders and the Mahdis in Somaliland,
Yemen and the Sahara, all believe in Pan
Islamism utterly opposed to modern civiliza-
tion and their cry is Back to Mohammed"
The advocates of reform in Java and Per-
STA, the preachers of the new Islam in India.
and the nationalists In Egypt, on the contrary,
are trying to get away from Mohammed and
the early standards OF Arabian civilization, re-
ject most of the traditions. and make rational
ism the basis of their faith
According to them, Mohammed was neither
immaculate infallible. Their ideas and
their ideals at the opposite pole OF or
thodoxy.
However, as has been stated. orthodox Islam
and up-to-date Islam seem to be alike in one
thing-they are both moving forward.
To turn first to Africa, the great battle
ground, evidences Of this progress appear on
every side. In central Africa dozen sects OF
dervishes are at work proseytizing foremost
among them the powerful Senusi. who yearly
send out large bands of missionaries. In short.
as one Christian worker puts it, Every Mo
hammedan is missionary"