The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1912-01-26

cerned-as yielding more and mo
to the teachings Of the armies of Christian mi
sonaries spread out over It,
But, according to number of these very nj
slonarles, who have gained their knowledge
the battle-ine formed by Christianity against
lam and other religions, this is by no means Il
case From the front they bring the news tn
Mohammedanism, far from being quiet, is pulsi]
with new life; that Its missionaries, filled wi
FANATIC zeal, are making hosts of converts to the
doctrines, not only among pagans, but amor
peoples previously converted to Christianity.
Africa is where the pitched battle for CONVEX
between Christianity and Islam is being wage
most furfOusly. Those who have been over II
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 triumphantly for
ward. Pan-lslamism, sedulously 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 responsiveness is noticeable not only
among those Mohammedans who seek to recon-
Gle their tlmeWorn religion to modernity but
also among the blind fanatics OF orthodoxy
who will not give up jot or little 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
Mosem 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-lslamc spirit and the attempt OF the
new Islam to ratiOnalize the old orthodoxy
all Of them due to the same cause. namely, the
REIMBURSEMENT of Islam to the progress OF mod
ern thought and western civilization, either by
way of protest and Defiance OF accommoda-
ton and compromise.
The modernist movement touches every Mos
lem who receives education on western lines,
whether in Java, India, Persia or Egypt. and
compels him to adopt new theology and
new philosophy and social standards or
give up his religion altogether. How far the
advocates of the Islam go In throwing
overheard their cargo to save the ship Is illus
trated in a book. The Truth About slan1,"
just published at Cairo by DR.. Muhammad
Badr, 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
lectual and social unrest. Some of the leading
papers are already the mouthpiece Of intol-
erance and show sullen attitude toward
Christianity
The religious movements In Islam today are
radically progressive or retrogressive. The
dervish orders and the Mahdis in Somaand,
Yemen and the Sahara. all believe in Pan
Islamism utterly opposed - modern civillza-
tion and their cry is "Back(o Mohammed."
The advocates Of reform in Java and Per-
STA, the preachers Of the Islam in india
and the nationalist 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 neither
Immaculate nor infalible. Their ideas and
their ideals at the opposite pole of
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
every side In central Africa dozen sects OF
dervishes are at work proselytizing-foremo
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.