The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-11-10
A SUICIDAL JIHAD.

The dispatches from Conslantinople
show that the Shei5 ul Islam is preach
ing a holy war; or ibad. which means
II call upon the faithful Moslcms to
rally TO the green standard Of the
prophet. and give battle to The "iufi-
| dels, ms Christians, idolaters, and ce-
cedinG Mohammcdans are called. The
| form Of The name in Arabic is iibaud ;
| in English there arc variants, ms iahad.
irhad. iihad, aud more rarely iuhad,
but they all mean the same thing, and
| just now they should mean destruction
to the political supremacy of the Turks,
providing the holy war begins.
This jihad viii accord the European
powers an opportunity that ought TO be
acceptable. 20 settle the whole Turk"
ish question, both in Europe and in
Asia Austria is showing decided signs
Of discomfort with the perspective cx-
paDsion of Servia and OF Bulgaria Aus
tria viii be backed by Germany and,
with reluctance no doubt, by Italy, be-
cause of the terms Of the triple aIli-
ancc. the "dreibund as it is called; !;
but Russia. France, and Great Britain
show signs Of lining up against the
Austrian view. These differences of
opinion might become dangerous if the
situation is allowed TO inflame, and
so it ought to occur TO all concerned
that there is a better way of settling
the whole matter and relieving the
Christian world of an odious oppression,
than TO go to war either in behalf
Of the Turk or on account of the con-
quests made by the Christian allies
Of the Balkans.
1t is absolutely certain that if the
Turks are driven out of Europe, they
will perform against the Armenians
and other Christians in Asia under their
domination and at their mercy, the
same atrocities they are reported as
committing in Thrace and Macedonia
as they are driven out by the Bulgar
ians and Greeks; they are leaving be-
hind them a devastated country and
mangled, outraged, and impoverished
Christian people. 1t might be assumed
as settled that the Turkish rule viii
be driven out from Europe; but if it
is allowed to remain IN Asia Minor,
there will be a fearful reckoning exact
ed by the Turks from tho Armenians
on account of the Christian tTiumphs
in Europe. The time is ripe, as it
seems TO us. to break the Ottoman
power everywhere in the world; and
this preaching of the jihad ought to
afford sufficient pretext for doing what
ought to be done by way of preventing
massacres, outrage and pillage directed
against Christian peoples in Asia, just
as they are now being directed against
Christian peoples in Europe in the re-
gious from which the Turks are being
driven out.
There ought to be sufficient "com
pensation for all Of the European
powers IN the division of sovereignty
in the dispossessed Turkish dominions,
Great Britain might compensate her
self by acquisition Of and sovereignty
over Arabia; Russia could extend her
dominion over Armenia proper; Ger
many could have her railway with SOW
ereignty over a sufficient strip to give
her access to Bagdad, which is her
objective point in railway building in
Asia; France might obtain sovereignty
over ancient Palestine; and the boun-
daries could be so adjusted among the
great nations as to provide a substan
tial compensation also for Italy, as
well as making agreement among them
selves This preaching of the jihnd
ought to be the death blow to Otto
man rule everywhere in the world.