Norwich bulletin., 1917-03-14
THE WAR PRIMER By National Geographic Society

The Senussi.-The defeat of the Se- nussi at Gibra, in Egypt, by the Brit ish forces brings again to notice this fanatical group of Moslems about whom there has grown up such a for midable body of legend and myth, and whose last appearance priminently was during the Turso Italian war of 1911-1s12 Of them the National Geo. graphic society, with headquarters in Washington, says:
 '"The sect of the Senussi was found ed in 1885 by Sidi Maho1ned bin Ali Senussf, commonly known at Sheikh Mestaganem not long before the dom ination of that country passed from Turkish to French hands. He was counted a lineal descendant of the great reputation for sanctity at Fez. He began his opaganda at Mecca, where his marked success provoked much jealousy among his rivals, and he was compelled to leave the holy city, makink his way to Egypt. This hegira he did not neglect to turn to his own benefit through the inevitable comparison which it enabled to make between himself and the child Jesus, who has high place in the Moslem calendar of holy men.
 At Alexandria Senussi established a zawia, or monastery, which attracted a large number of zealots. The Sheikh ul Islam at Cairo-not to be confound-
 
 stantinople-excomm Senussi, who fled across the Iybian desert to Jebelel Ahkdar, near Benghazi, on the north coast of the Tripolitain. Here he set up another zawai and repeated the successes which had attended him at Alexandria. Here, too he died in 1859 in the oder of sancti and doubtless also amid the inuumerable other aro- mas which are characteristic of the East. He was succeeded by his son, Mahomed, who ruled the sect until 1902, and whose successor has not even yet been completely identified. The free the Moslem faith from the many abuses which had crep it; (2) to re- store the purity of the faith under universal leader; (3) to liberate all those in Africa from foreign rule; all this to be accomplished by a wide spread Jehad, or Holy War, after which Islam, under one 1eader-pre- sumably Senussi hirnself-was to be celansed and purified and restored to it's primitive austerity and vigor.
 "On his death bed Sheikh Senussi proclaimed his son and successor Ma homed to be the long expected Mahdi, Taofe she 6f haa sa ess Gs propS Sy eey says that a great prophet shall arise, who will be the the Prophet him. self reincarnated, shortly before the end of the world; and that under his
 
 be gathered into the fold of Allah. The circumstances of Mahomed Senussi's early life coincide with the qualifica- tions by which the great Prophet had declared that the new leader might be singled out. His parents were named Mahomed and Fatima, as had been foretold; he was a direct descendant of Mahomed; he had lived for several years as a hermit; he had the high nose and open face" of the prophecy, the v-shaped opening in his teeth and the purple mole between his shoulders which signified the favor of Allah. It Is not strange, therefore, that his ap- peal to the fanatical was such as to give the Seniissi their highest power under his rule; for he wasy in addf-s ton, man of strong personality and of remarkable foresight and was also an excellent organizer and adfninfstra- tor. ....... he was so strong that he proclaimed an edict Of exco1arn uTiicatfon against Abdul Majid, Sultan of Turkey and commander of the faithful, on account of the cIoseriess of his relations with the European powers; and during his reign travellers have generally borne witness that Senussi admittedly pos seSsed among his co-religfoniSts power greater than of either Mahdi or Khalif.
 aHe early abandoned Benghazi as his seat of power and built at Jagh- bub a strongly fortified awia- This center of Moslem fanaticism is located northeast of the oasis of Siwap, on the frontier between the Tripolitain prov ince of Benghazi and Egypt; Here were established factories for the pro duction of firearms, war depots. textile establishments and other n1anufac- lures useful for warfare. Here. too. was gathered the liberal tribute paid to the sect by the faithful; and the kf- ' rrrae cod