The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-14
OUR MOHANMEDANS IN TIE PHILIPPINES

nlete the construction. They got only
their food for their pay
Going westward from India one finds
many Mohammedans in Persia and in
Asia Minor. and especially in Arabia 1t
Is now possibleste go to Mecca, in Central
Arabia where Mohammed was born. by
railroad, and in the same way you can
visit Medina where his bones rest in a
coffin which is supposed to be suspended
half way between the floor and the roof
by invisible strings Hundreds of thou
sands of Mohammedans make pilgrim-
ages to Mecca and Medina every year.
and from now there will be a large acces-
sion to the number of these new railroads
When | was at Khartum, in the Sudan
1000 miles or so south of the Mediterran-
can sea, | was told that they weresrun
ring pilgrim trains from that country to
the Red sea in order to accommodate the
Worshpers who wished to cross from
Port Sudan to Jeddah, in Arabia. and
thence go on to Mecca. There will be an
enormous traffic from Asia Minor to Mec-
ca. The road runs through Damascus and
along the edges of Palestine, and people
will come from European and Asiatic Tur-
key to so by rail to worship at the tomb
of Mohammed.
Speaking of Jeddah, that place until
row has been the chief Arabian starting
point of these Mohammedan pilgrimages.
1t lies half way up the coast of the Red
sea and within few days walk of Mec-
ca. outside the town, under mosque, is
the spot where Eve is said to be buried,
and not far In the interior is a mountain
which the Mohammedans say was Adams
nome after he was cast out of Paradise.
fhey think the garden of Eden was
In heaven and say that when Adam
and Eve were thrust forth they drop-
ped down to earth Adam landed on
mountain in Ceylon and crossed TO
the mainland of Asia upon the chain
of islands which lie between 1t ana
Hindustan, the chain being known to
this day as Adams bridge. Eve was
dropped down at Jeddah, and Adam for
his sin spent 200 years In looking for
her At last the two came together
In Arabia and they lived at Jeddah nm
I'll they died. Ewes tomb is 400 feet
long. | suppose she filled it, for there
we're giants In those days"
] have seen a good deal of the Mo-
hammedans of Africa. They are found
by the millions in Egypt and. indeed,
the greater part of northern Africa
is inhabited by them. Among the most
fanatical are those of Morocco, the
most of whom acknowledge no allie
glance to Turkey, nor to the Sultan
at constantinople. although he claims
to be the head of the Mohammedan
world There are Mohammedans
throughout the Sahara desert and I
found millions of them in Algeria and
Tunisia. I travelled among them ~.
Tripoli. where the people are also fa-
slip off into the valley and descend
in Zanzibar and in parts of South
Africa.
The Egyptians are almost altogether
Mohammedans and some of the finest
10 n in oir
There is one which is made of alabas-
ter. on the edge of a court in which
is a great alabaster fountain where tho
worshipers battle their feet and hands
before they go in to pray
Another fine mosque Is in Jerusalem.
1t stands on the site of Solomon's tenn
pie. and it is impossible to enter IL
without permit from the Mohamme-
dan government of the Holy City. In
that mosque is the rock upon which
Abraham,built his altar upon which no
was about to sacrifice Isaac when the
Angel of the Lord called out to him to
withhold his hand The mosque is
called the Dome of the Rock, and tho
Mohammedans say that the Angel Ga
briel viii stand there when he blows
his last iRumpstses Then all the people
OF the world will come to Jerusalem
and Jehovah. sitting upon his throne
upon this rock. will separate tho
sheep from the goats. Some Moham-
medans say that the whole human race
will have TO walk tight rope or thin
wire Which will then be stretched
across the valley of Jehosophat, and
at one end of this Mohammed Will sit
AS the people go over the righteous
will be upheld by the angels from fall
ing. They Will cross to the Mount %
olives and thence go to heaven. Tho
wicked will be unsupported. They will
slip off into the valley and descend
straight to hell.
FRANK G. CARPENTER