Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1913-06-13
'NSMET' PROVES TO
Be TURKS FATAL WORD
Abdul Hamid Foresaw Ruin OF
Spirit and Traditions of
Islam.

Islam.
The Temps publishes extracts from
the second installment OF eN-Sultan
b Hamid's reflections on his times,
which will appear in the German mag
azine Nord und Sud, which show
how clearly the late ruler OF Turkey
recognized that the infusion OF western
ideas would end in completely running
the spirit and traditions of Islam. On
this point Abdul Hamid writes:
Religious liberty is more respected
by MOslems than by any other race.
Hospitality is also better preached by
without a country and the Poles. even
at the risk of war with Russia. An our
mlsfortunes arise from our empire not
being homogeneous with Il single re-
ligious element, and from having so
many Christians amongst us. This UNI
a~Noidably creates disunion. A diversity
OF religious beliefs in the same country
Is an evil. If we woul find our old
selves. recover u ancient power, and
resuscitate our former splendor, we
must remember the source of our
strength. 1t is not by mimicking the
so-called European culture-dangerous
plague SpotS-that we shall be saved.
We must revert to the holy law of the
Koran"
The ex-sultan's remarks on ~fatalism
show an intelligent comprehension very
different from the usually accepted
opinion held in Europe.
Sk1smet - Kismet = what a fatal
word! What disasters has it already
brought on our heads! l cannot find
fatalism taught in a single page of the
Koran. n only in he course of the
last century has dlenes and stupidity
gradually developed it to it's present
noxious form. Our 'Inshallah' OF God
W1lls) is very convenient for cloaking
Incidence. Mahomet ordered submits
sion to God, but not in the sense Of
looilsh fatalism. Great is the goodness
of God. but He cannot look after the
individual needs of everybody in the
world, and every man SHOULD think and
work for himself. Who does not SOW
shall not reap, nor shall he who does
not work have bread to eat but I'M
able to grasp this truth. The Syrian
n the Arab do not let everything
slide In the same way. and the Chris
tians have a better conception. The
bible also says Take no thought for the
morrow. for the Lord shall provide, as
for the birds Of the air and the beasts
of the field yet the Christians work
hind
1t would be interesting to know the
dates when these notes were written
for instance, when the %ex-sultan re-
Elected: Whatever happens is always
criticised especially by young effendis.
All our governing classes, civil and mill
itary, are afflicted with incurable pes
simism. and by discriminating and find
ing fault with everything they arrest
and hinder the onward march-they are
our greatest evil. The young blame the
old, and vice versa; nobody allows the
other his place and rank. Urged by
infantile vanity and jealousy. the eff
fendfs reciprocally weave the most
abominable intrigues. Effendis "A la
franka' are the worst of all. Goo be
praised orr people do not share this
pessimism. for every good Moslem is
an optimist."
Abdul Hamid proceeds to point out
that the root Of all mischief is that no
Osmanli will work, but prefers to play
the lord and master. leaving others to
sweat and toll. In vain school boys
are taught that work is agreeable to
Allah. The rising generation. only
dream of becoming officers and func-
tionaries. why cannot the Turk be-
come a merchant. a skilled technical ex-
pert, or a workman" he asks. II my
self ave shown a good example by car
pentering. How difficult it is to dissi-
pate such prejudices. and how pitiful
that it should be SOL"
In another passage the ex-sultan
Il have no great confidence in
the Red Crescent, in which form we
were admitted to the Geneva v
ton, and l fear that in case of war the
Christians would not respect 1t. We
have spent much n but we lack
the help of women. In other countries
women lend precious assistance against
the horrors of war. but with us the law
which forbids them to mix in any bust.
ness closes to them the doors Of hos
pitfalls and ~ambulances."