The Washington times., 1914-01-25
SCHOLAR PREDICTS
MODERN ISLAM
Professor, Who Lived as Arab
in Sacred Mecca, Says East
and West Are Meeting.

NEW YORK, Jan. "a Mahometan
civilization, patterned after the ideas of
our Western countries, is the picture Of
future Islam of Prof. Snouck Hur-
range, of Leyden University. Holland.
After nearly a lifetime spent IN the
study of MahOmetanism at first hand,
Dr. Hurgrange has been selected as eX-
rhanCe professor to this country to de-
liver a series of four lectures at several
sf our universities on his observations
IN the east.
DR.. Hurgrange does not pose as a
prophet when he speaks Of what is to
become of the Islam faith and follow
eTs. and his statements are simply de-
Diction of the result Of a Well-dehned
movement which is at present apparent
IN the MOslem countries
The slow but steady assimilation OF
the ideas of our Western civilization IS
distinctly apparent among the more in
grange said, and the result is to be
changed MahometaniSm. The faith will
not be lost nor cast aside by the Ma
nOmetans as this movement progresses,
but many of the medieval customs and
beliefs will vanish A correct attitude
or the Christian countries to assume
toward the Mahometan countries will
have this process in mind, and all ef-
iorts among those people must follow
along these lines.
Adopt Our Ideas.
The more advanced of the Moslems
are already adopting many of our ideas,
and they are stripping themselves of
many of the customs and beliefs which
seem TO US impossible of tenure with our
modern civilization. Foreign influences
are creeping in through contact and the
educatiOn gained in the schools conduct
ID by the European and American mis-
sions. Yet 1t is to be noticed that
lmong those educated few their firm
ness of belief in the Mahometan teach
lnEs is not shaken
But there are two difficulties which
tTise to make this process of assimila-
lion and progress exceedingly slow.
one of these is the totally Inadequate
revision for public instruction made by
ne MOslem countries. Instruction is
limited to a very few, mad even to these
are prOpOunded medieval sciences and
doctrines which are in i'll accord with
LdYanced education. The second great
lrawback to an Improvement of their
civilization on the lines of our ideas is
The absolute lack of eucatiOn among the
women of MahOmetan countries. This
after failing in Moselem civilization is
- hNAE SAAO1lS AdCLOE against any real
assimilation of our ideas, where woman
IS held an equal plane with man.
Not a Nation.
The process of assimilation and the
result to which this course will lead are
comparable TO Judaism, except in the
one greatdifference that the Jews were
once a nation, while the Mahometans
extend over many countries, and are
not in any sense a nation. The Jews
once held their stand of aloofness to the
Gentiles, and ii seemed to their civiliza-
lion impossible that they could ever
asslmilate the ideas of the great coun.
tries outside. Yet the Jew is now a
part Of our civilization and varies but
little from our customs. But the Jew
through all these centuries has not lost
has separate religion and tenets. Ny
idea Of the Moslems in the far future is
similar to the JeWS-a part of our civil
lIzauon, but still clinging closely to
their religion, shoTn of those doctrines
and teachings which are in conflict with
cur civilization"
DR.. Hurgrange spent seventeen
wears in the Dutch Last Indies as Of
ncial adviser TO the government of
Holland on any matters appertaining
20 affairs which concerned the admin
istratiOn OF the natives interests He
- No" toNSlQeIGO lne lGaulng authOr-
lty on MOhametanism. Holland has
dominion over some forty million
people, and of these about thirty-fve
millions are Mahometans, a few hun
dred thousand Christians, and the
rest heather.
Returns to Holland.
Seven years ago he returned to Hol-
land. where, at Leyden. the chair in
Nrabic and Slavic languages was va
ant and he accepted IT, on condition
hat he still retain a general advisory
-pacity to the government on Ma
"metan matters This was granted.
nd Dr.. HUrgrange is still adviser TO
mis- country on these matters.
He il one Of the few foreigners who
as ever been inside the sacred Mos
lem city Of Mecca In 1854 he went to
Mecca and lived there without any
suspicion attaching to him. Had it
Zen known that he was a foreigner
.- would have been driven out, If not
He'd outright. nr. Hurgrange is an
.asDt III the Arabic language. and it
IS his ability as a linruist that per-
HltteC his accomplishment Of this
IrkliSh feat he even got past the
ray dogs. which, il IS said, are
fraid Of the MOslen, but which smell
ut the foreigner and attack him, re-
EfaliTrr him , b.. 70 Blr