The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-09-29

also Its Lord Itlgn chancellor. IN TINS
sense. thai he is the head Of its Judi
ciary, the supreme judge of the land.
from whose decision there is no ap-
peal, not even to the throne. Twice
a week he presideS over the supreme
court OF justice, or ArzOdeSsi, which
is attached to his palace at Stamboul-
He has absolute control over the
imanS, mollahS, ulemaS and SOftaS, as
we'll as over the superiors OF the vari-
Gus medrasseS, or theological col
leges. and also over all judicial courts
and institutions. All the judges and
magistrates of the empire hold their
office from him., and how thoroughly
they are subjected to religious influ-
enceS is apparent from the fact that
the revenue required for their main
enanc are derived from h vakouf,
or church lands.
These are enormous in extent. In
fact the "Statesman's Year Book" one
Of The most conservative of standard
works of reference, declares that at
| least three-fourths of the urban prop
erty of the Ottoman empire belongs
to the vakoufs. 1t is no exagseration
indeed to assert that it holds most Of
the freehold in the Sultan'S domin-
ions, and is the ground landlord of the
vast majority Of the population. The
leases which it grants have all sorts
OF oppressive StipulatiOnS, among
them one to the effect that if a lease
holder dies without a direct heir, a
son or daughter Or grandchild, the
property revertS ipsO facto to the
vakouf and cannot be b~eaueathed to
either widow or other relatives.
Badly Behind Times.
1t is quite out of the question TO
bring the Moslem interpreters of
1slamic law to mOdernize heir appli-
cation thereof, or to realize that the
times have changed since its precepts
were devised by the Prophet fourteen
centuries ago, in Arabia, to suit the
needs of nomadic tribes in a pastoral
country. From the Sheik-ulIslam at
Stamboul, and from the Grand Mutt
at Cairo, down to the lowest Cad or
Magistrate, it is regarded in the light
of a mortal sin, and as sacrllege, to
sWerve from what are understood to
be the teachings Of the founder OF
their faith.
How this works out was seen by
the refusal in 1910 of the Grand
Mutt at Cairo to ratify the capital
sentence passed upon Wardani, the
assassin of Prime Minister Boutrous
Pasha, a Coptic Christian, on the
ground hat according to Islamic law
a Moslem cannot be put to death
for the killing Of a Christian. Ac-
cording to the Grand Mufti murder IS
no crime in the eyes Of Islam, when
the slayer is a Moslem and his victim
an unbeliever. This doctrine, familiar
to those who have lived for any
length of time in Mohammedan coun-
tries independent of foreign control,
was a shock to the English authori-
ties at Cairo. who apparently had not
been aware thereof and who as 500
as they got over their surprise prompt
ly proceeded to have Wardani hang
ed in defiance of the protests Of the
Grand Mufti.
Another reason given by hat high
religious n judicial dignitary for his
refusal to sanction the execution was
that there is no mention Of r%evOlvers
in the Koran, or in that Cheriat Law
which is based on the holy writ OF
1slam-the Cheriat dates back to the
eighth century-and consequently any
Moslem making use Of a revolver to
wound or murder is guiltless of any
crime known to the sacred law.
Lord Cromer, in his book Mod
ern Egypt" relates the difficulty
which he experienced when this self.
same Grand-Mufti advocated as tht
. most natural thing il the world the
|, cr%ucifixion of criminals in delicately
: impressing upon him that although
; the onward tramp of civilization
5 might be heard but raintly within tn,
: sacred precincts of the Mosque, Eng
: land was nevertheless standing with
out it's walls and would be compelled
: to enforce a veto on any such act o
extreme barbarism."
Lord Cromer goes on to say tina
. while he could not this he could no
do much more. He could not max.
the Egyptian horse drink of tn
' waters Of civilization, albeit the mos
y limpid stream OF social and judicia
reform were turned into the trough
q for him, IL the Grand Mufti con
demned the act of drinking as impi
e Gus. Popes and other ecclesiastical
dignitaTies have before nov know
q that they cannot be dragged into sub
mission. Neither do the Grand Mufti
: fear red coated soldiers. Moreover
e they fear the wrath Of the foreig7
l. press even less than they fear III
It red coats"
e The action Of the Grand Multi o
Egypt in virtually legalizing the mur
" DER of Christians bS MOSlomS and IN