Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-08-01
DIFFERENT VIEW
OF MODERN TURK
Moslem Is Not So Cruel, Bigot-
ed and Intolerant as He
Has Been Reported.

When we look at it dispassionately it
| seems strange that one man should
hate another and even wish to kill
him, because he has a different belief
| in regard to something of which from
the nature of things it is impossible
for either to have exact knowledge.
This unreasonable and most unfor-
tunate bent of the human mind is re-
sponsible for the oceans of blood shed
in religious wars. The ferocity of re-
ligious hates surpasses all others and
large part of written history is the
record of atrocities committed in the
name of religion. The possibility of
honest error is never conceded. For
nearly 400 years the followers of
Mohammed have been regarded as a
type of all that was cruel, sensual and
bigoted in man. In modern times
Turkish atrocities" has been the
watchword in the Balkan states, where
a hell broth is perpetually seething.
and those restless, sanguirary people,
when not engaged in the pastime of
cutting each otheas' threats, are sure
to be marrying the hated Turk. Few
realize the debt We owe to the follow
ers of the prophet.
Within few years after the death
of Mohammed the Arabs had taken
Alexandria, Antioch, Aleppo, Tyre, and
when the Khalif Omar entered Jerusa.
lem he rode a camel beside the Christ
ian patriarch Sophronius, who had
capitulated. They conquered Syria,
seized the Mediterranean ports and
overran Northern Africa. After brief
season of wild fsnaticism a remarkable
change came over them; they became
the patrons of learning, and Almansor
invited all philosophers, giving protec-
ton, no matter what their religion
might be. In A. d. I'll they subjugat-
ed Spain. They built great cities; it is
said that in Cordova one might walk
zen miles in a straight line through
5plendidly lighted streets, and this
was 700 years before there was pub
lie lamp in London, when the cities of
Europe were collections of huts. their
streets public sewers, reeking with
filth. They founded universities, es-
tablfshed colleges. Libraries were es-
tablished in their chief town, and to
every mosque was attached a public
school, and it is said that the great
khalif. Haroun AIbraschid, made John
a
erintendent of his school Almaimon
the Emperor Theophilus to
permit Leo the mathematician, to visit
Bagdad and instruct him in his learn
ing. DO not" said the khalif, 'let
diversity of religion or of any country
cause you to refuse my request. Do
what friendship would concede to a
friend. In return offer you hundred
weight of gold, a perpetual alliance
and peace" The Byzantine monarch
instantly refused the request, saying
that "the learning which had illustrat-
ed the Roman name, should never be
impaired to a barbarian" There was
cordial cooperation between the Arabs |
and the Spanish Jews in the promotion
of learning, and Jewish physicians be-
came the most learned in Europe. Aft |
er occupying Spain for more than 700
years the Arabs were ruthlessly driven
out, and their new-fangled methods OF
defeating the mysterious ways of
were soon forgotten, and
Spain to this day is one of the most |
countries on earth.
In our own time the terrible Turk"
has been the synonym of cruelty, ty-
ranny and lust, whose delight seems to
be TO perpetrate fiendish atrocities up
on his Christian subjects and who, but
for the conflicting interests OF the
great powers, would long since have
been ANONYMOUSLY expelled from
We have been led to believe
that Abdul Hamid, the sultan dethron-
ed by the young Turks, was a fit rep
resentative of a cruel and Degenerate |
611E1 ~
and fanatical soldiers. ready to put to |
death any one who might venture I'M
hidden into the imperial palace. Now |
comes Eidney Whitman. well known |
pubIicist, who for years was cores
pondent of a great newspaper, and
who enjoyed confidential relations
with Abdul Hamid. and by residence in |
and journey through |
Asiatic Turkey, has abundant knowl- /
edge of what he writes. In his recent
w published Turkish Memories he tells \
a different story. whitman repre-
sents the sultan as the antithesis OF
what we have believed him to be. A
man of exceedingly sensitive nature,
rare delicacy of feeling, with strong |
domestic affections. His features ex-
pressed calm dignity and benevolence
and a marked capacity for leniency
and forgiveness. That the anterooms
in the imperial palace. next to the
apartment where the sultan worked
early and late. was accessible to all,
with no soldier in sight except the
sentry at the place OF exit. When Alb
iul Hamid assembled the throne chaos
reigned in the Ottoman Empire. II was
bankrupt and corruption
was everywhere. Bosnia, Herzego-
VIVA. Servia. Bulgaria and Montenegro
we're In rebellion, demanding what
amounted to independence and auton-
omy. and melted and backed by Russia
war was declared. Notwithstanding
he almost insurmountable difficulties
n his position he instituted many re-
forms. He established a school for
training government officials. as well |