Evening journal., 1913-09-12
GOSSIP OFTHE COURTS
YF1AEEUR

Riots at Cawnpore. caused by Mos
lem sgitstors have brought the name
Of that ill-omened town into the lime
light again. Changes Of Indian policy
or administration. removal of from
tiers, weeks Of fighting along the
northwestern boundary, the death of
some of the highest among the ma
tive princes. possibly even the alb
sorrtion Ia Upper Burma % vas.
territory, would not excite the cuick
interest that the mere word Gavin
pore still is able TO arouse in gen
Grafton that still vividly remembers
the story of the Indian mutiny.
u is no small matter that trouble
has arisen in Cawnpore between local
Mohammedan and the aggressive poll
icy of the English for municipal inn
provemcnt. The story of the trouble
is not new. A few years ago the city
Of Cawnpore decided that new
street had to be cut through the
quarter of the fish market. This re-
qured the modification of the pre-
cincts of a Mohammendan shrine, not
Of the mosque itself. The reasons for
II we're accepted by the native mem
bers of the municipality. But some
over-ardent Mohammedan agitator
protested that the street might have
been planned in another direction,
whereby a Hindoo sanctuary. rather
than home OF Islam. would have
suffered. The government. however,
found it advisable 10 adhere to the or
iginal plan. The Mohammedans were
melted to make a petty revolt, and
when the commissioner tried to pre-
sent to them the true facts of the
case he was insulted and his house
bombardod with stones.
History has repeated itself. No con-
ceivable religious policy or tradition
has been harmed by the proposed
realigument of Mohammedian prop
erty i'm the Machli Mosque. Nothing
sacred was threatened. The outer
court where the ablutiOns prescribed
by the Koran are carried on, is no
sacred part of any Moslem temple,
and any one may wear his slippers
there. The policy of English admins
tration in India ever has been that
religious prejudice of every kind, as
long AS it is reasonable and docs not
conflict with the public veal, shall
be respected. No one should wish that
religious animosity of MOhammedans
against Hindus should be permitted
any moro than the immolation of
widows among the Hindus or human
sacrifice among the Khonds should
still be sanctioned. But when no
religious principle has been involved.
when the guiding spirit of the revolt
has been, and still is. purely polih-
cal. it were time TO ask the Moham-
medan authorities to intervene, II the
pledges they have repeatedly given
have any real meaning
But this is only part Of the dis
turbances that once more threaten up
heaval about the sacred waters Of the
Ganges. The Moslems of India have
been greatly stirred by accounts Of
the defeat Of their co-religionists and
the curtailment OF the power of their
Khalifa in Southeastern Europe Tn
der such conditions the authorities in
the interior should have been on their
guard more than ever TO prevent any
thing that might provoke still great
err discomfort among the MOham-
medans in India. This makes the above
related action at Cawnpore appear in
Ia different light altogether with re-
gard to the Machli Mosque affair.
Improvement plans for the relief Of
congested areas a. a rule are opposed i'm
old cities. and one instance was TO az
gravate the Moslem population by de
olaring that their objection TO the new
road was inspired by their jealousy of
their Hindu fellowcitizens. Another
and fatal-error was the calling out
Of troops who guarded the workmen
who demolished the Mosque area with
fixed bayonets How amy British admin.
iistration. with the recollections of the
horrors of the mutiny in that very city
| still fresh ia their minds. could have
been so reckless of the safety of the
English residents and of their own. IN
invite trouble so deliberately, is not
easy to understand.
Have the British administrators really
learned 30 little in all these years that
they are still ignorant of the sensitive
nature of the followers of Islam as "a
any Interference with their religion
l"Din" like in the Hebrew tongue 'or
thodux lawr) Is today as much the
word 10 coniurc with as in the days of
the Prophet.
What the Moslcms did after the par
ltial destruction of their mosque was
perfectly natural. Thousands OF then
visited the rnin a. soon a. the armed
force was withdrawn The mosque Off
cials issued statement protesting
apainst the demolition and refusing tC
accept compensation in any form. !
petition for the restoration of the build
inc was addressed TO the viceroy. Aftel
Ia mass meeting. procession carrying
black figs marched to the mosque anc
the people began TO replace the bucki
that had been torn down.
There was no disOreder. But aEail
p the armed police appeared on tn
e. scene. and the people were tre
p upon because they would not ceas
their fanatical work Eighteen Of tn
rioters" we're killed. and ono police