Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-26
IN REPORTED
UPRISING OF SENUsS|
Arabic Order of Moliammedans Hope
to Establish an Indcpcni-
cnt State.
ABOUT HALr-CENTuRY OLD
Military Means of Order Greater Than
oscd-Strongl,old of Forces
is Said To BE DSchcbel Ghnrian.
Equipment Fairly Modern.

CONSTANTINOPLE, September %
Aside from the more important thea
tiers OF warfare. interest has been
aroused here in a reported uprising of
the ScnusSi. the Arabic order of the
Mohammcdaus IN Northern Africa. with
the hope of establishing an independent
state in the Italian Province of Tri-
poll
1t is a little ovc~ nifty years ago
that tho man who was better known
rs the Sheiit- Sonussi went into the hin
,erlnd al Tripoli To promote "a schis-
matte Muharnm eda nism. of which he
himself WAS the author. The religious
circles at Mecca and Medina to whom
the reformCr in question had stated his
views on the Moslcm religion. had not
4 taken kindly To them. ScnuSsi was an
Arab to the core. and as such resented
the asCcndrucy OF the Turks In the
temporal affairs of a faith Of which
an Arab. Mohammcd, was the prophet
In tho hinterlAnd OF Tripoli. Scnussi
encountered conditions that We're ia
vo.ahlc 10 The spread Of a religious
reform movement. The Arabs Berbcrs
anH Negroes OF the arid stretches In
what was then still a Turkish satrapy
gathered about Senussi and listened to
whatever new truths he had to an
nounce. In very little time. Senussi
had become Sheik -Scnussi, and Mcneil
ui-ke'r his capital. over the main en-
trance of the Senussi temple in that
city, Shcik Senussi caused the follow
ing words 10 be painted:
Turks and Christians: will de-
StroE them both in single day"
LEGEND STILL VISIBLE
AND IT'S SPIRIT FORCE
That legend is said TO be still visible
and II is certain that its spirit is still
torce among the Senussi-the term
identifying fully so per cent OF all
Mohammedans in Tripol, Tunis. AL
Ecria. Eastern Morocco and the Sudan
Contrary TO popular belief the word
Schussi is not tribal name. hut tho
desisnation of a sort OF secret order
With the death Of the first shcik
Scnussi. his reform lost much Of ~.
militancy. The founder of the cult
II such i, may he termed. never as
pred TO temporal power. but his sue
ccsSor, the present Shcik -Senussi
proved To be more OF a poutician
some even say statesman than n relir
ious leader, with the result tina, SEEMS
S'S"i "e!aIhe political, rather than q
spiritual force.
Ii seems however. according n +,
formation obtained here, that tho order
OF inc Scnusst is far from having ,h,n
nohed altogether the pcrccpts and cy
ample OF its founder No North Afri-
can Mnssulman will directly admit that
he Is a Scnussi. but that he bclon,s 20
INC order may he learned from his at
mud" while AT prayer in the mosque.
N''io the regular follower of Mo
manned, during the parts of his PRAYER
ceHNcied In standing position. ner
mus his arms to hang motionlcss at
'He s'ncs' the Senussi crosses his arms
right hand the left wrist in such a
manner that thumb and index finger
rest on the pulse
The present sheik OF the Senussi was
not pleased with the Ottoman govern
men', when, with the treaty of Lau-
Same. Tripolt was ceded to Italy.
Through the former deputy Of Tripoli
to the Ottoman Parliament, the shcik
announced that he had severed his con-
hcc'ionS with the supreme caliphatc
ana mat he would continue the war
With the Italians on his own account
ihe deputy in question, Suleiman-cl-
l'nvun. has since become the shcik. <
ahlest lieutenant, and Is credited with
being an excellent organizer and lead
az o! troops. Baruni IS also known as
a natter Of Italians without equal. even
In Tripo!i
ENJOYS ABSOLUTE
LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE
That the. Senussi would have ever
c"np!ctcfN broNcn with the Ottoman
government had II not been for the
occupation Of their country by the
Italians, Is not thought likely here
The order had f." many years enjoyed
absolute liberty OF conscience, and uu-
der this policy much OF the former
fanatic!sm had vanished But recent
Information on this subject, coming di-
rect from North Africa, shows that Tho
ft.. IL