The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1913-07-22
NOSLEM'S POPE
SAYS CHRISTIANS
LIKE POLYCANY


Constantinople, July 21.-"The
Moslem is permitted to marry more
than one woman under the strictest
rules and regulations. The result
is a general monogamy. The Chris
tian is forbidden to marry more than
one woman. The result is wide
spread polygamy and immortality.
IF man and woman have made
a mistake in marrying, why perpet-
uate the mistake? Perhaps each of
them could make another person
happy"
Such are two utterances of the
Shiek- Ul-Islam, the venerated arch
priest of the 200,000,0O0 of Islam
thoroughout the world, in an inter-
view granted today to a commission
er sent to his highness by the Chi
cago Examiner.
Never before in the thirteen CEN
turies that have rolled by since Mo-
hammed, Prophet of Allah, existed
has a Shiek-Ul-Islam granted such
an interview.
Departs From Precedent.
Most remarkable of all, the Sheik-
Ul-Islam spoke to no one who is not
a Moslem, of woman, of marriage,
Of divorce, of the Koran. Never
was such thing known; to broach
such subjects to the head of Islam
had been regarded as the height of
sacrilege.
Your highness. said !, after be-
ing admitted to the presence" 1--WE
are anxious to be enlightened as to
Islam's present attitude toward
polygamy, toward the veil and
shawl which so many Turkish wo-
men are discarding, and above all,
toward the so-called feminist move
ment, whose fundamental purpose
Is to bring about equality of the
sexes; equality of opportunity for
women and men.
Islam is far more solicitous for the
Welfare of the woman than any
3ther reliTicn," replied the prophet
Of Allah. islam is earnestly anx.
ous to keep her away from the de-
PRESSING and degrading influences
md struggles Of the street free from
a,ao .at'on with men, and to confinc
her within the precincts Of the home,
rs the Lord ordained.
Islam approves of polygamy?"
ventured.
Expects Polygamy to Endure.
What ] have said about the veil
mi shawl applies with equal force
.o nG'veamy," responded the Shaik-
'Elslam warily, THAT is, polygamy
wGs devised by Allah thirteen CEN
t"ries aeo and it cannot be changed
.' tho transient whim or division or
Erection of men and laws.
when Cad, in His infinite wis
dom, sent His apostle to this world,
Io SO ordained that Arabia should
40 rrodle Of the True Faith.
At tn s time, in Arabia, there were
three women to one man The men
II Arabia were accustomed to an un-
restricted plurality of wives. Ara
Dia is trcpicaI country and as such
polygamy becomes physiological
necessity. Our Lord directed that
faithful man have more than ole
wife; as many as four wives at
Tine.
But he said Moslem must divide
his time and attention equally
among his several wives. If he goes
out he must take them all, lie must
buy for them exactly the same wear
ing apparel. Even in the distribu-
ton of his affections he must not be
partial tc one of them.
These are severe rules to follow.
What do they all mean? They mean
that a Moslem who cannot fulfill all
the conditions laid down by the Lord
physically, \ temperamentally and
economically, must marry only one
woman.
The Christian is forbidden to
marry more than one woman; the
result is widespread polygamy and
Our religion does not regard
with disfavor or as immoral the at
tent'on of Moslem to another
woman, provided that he has fulfill
n oll his duty to his wives am in
0lined to believe that the world is