Evening star., 1922-12-12

Near east politics are inextricably
bound up with religion in ways 1t Is
hard for us to conceive. And some
prevalent misconceptions about the
Mohammedan faith seem to add CON
fusion to many discussions ABOUT
Moslem problems.
"a caliph without temporal power
is more radical departure In the
Islam world than the western mind
at first can grasp" says a oulletln
from the Washington headquarters OF
the National Geographic Society.
"The easiest way to dispei some OF
these illusions is by pointing to sew
eral striking likenesseS between the
worlds two newest among the major
religions. The term 'Mohammedan,
like the term Christian Is a nick
name. Both names were given. with
cOntemptuous intent. by enemies or
the religions.
Both Religions Nicknamed.
''The term Christian was quickly
The term 'Mohammedan' never has
been adopted by the followers of the
prophet. He sought to avoid the en-
ployment OF his own name by supply
ing one--the name OF lslam-by which
he hoped Mohammedanism would be
known. He further sought to make
this word. meaning resignation. imply
the five cardinal points of the new
faith. The first of these points was
the brief creed. There is no God but
Allah. and MOhammed is His prophet
The other four enjoined prayer. Civ
ing Of aims. the fast OF Ramodan and
pilgrimage to Mecca.
Another significant parallel be-
tween Christianity and Mohammedan-
ism is that both are the religions of
millions of people of races alien to
that of their founders. Christ was a
III AIOhanlmeI h.
the Mohammedan nism modified by the
Turkish temperament and nationality
that has claShed with western civil
ization in recent centuries.
Islam Not Religious Unit.
Most misleading of all the illusions
about Mohammedanism, however. is
the tacit assumption that the Moham-
medan world is a religious unit. Seen
a long way off, the sects and groups
fade away. In reality there are two
great branches of Mohammedanism.
the Sunnites and the Shiites. Among
both these branches. and also outside
them, there are sharply drawn cleav-
ages.
Recent caliphs, who have been the
sultans of Turkey, have claimed spir-
itual supremacy over the Moham- =
medan world of some 800. 900. 900 souls.
But in actual fact the Sultan of Tur-
key had little more spiritual ascend
ancy over the M"hammedans outside
Turkey than the King of England has
over the EpiscopalianS in the United
States. In fact. there would be no
urgent near east problem at this
moment had his leadership been
recognized on the other side Of the
Bosporus in Asia Minor.
Calfphs Have Always Ruled.
"A Very important difference be-
tween the western mind and the Mo-
hammedan viewpoint has, hitherto
precluded a spiritual ascendancy of
the latter. which would cut across
all lines of temporal power and in
clude even warning nations. The Mo-
hanmedan has no priests. Islam is
the most pragmatic of all religions
Heretofore if a caliph did not rule
he wasn't caliph. spiritual ruler
up to now has been incomprehensihle
to the Moslem mind. Naturally. then
caliphs have sought to rule by the
sword.
ideas are potent factors in geog-
raphy. Not only does the Moham-
medan conceive it difficult to pray
Thy Kingdom come and then fight
in peace time. his religion and his
law go hand in hand. Mohammed was
a law giVer. not only in the Mosaic
but also in the Justinian sense. There
are as many codes of law among Mo.
hammedans as there are sects; and AS
many kinds of lawyers as there are
codes. Among the Sunnites. the
orthodox major division of Islam
there are four schools of law. A
Hanafite would as soon engage a
Malakitc lawyer as a Presbyterian
congregation would be likely to en-
ploy a Unitarian preacher.
1.-The very word 'caliph' has an al
lurement which dates back to child
hood days when you lived among
these fantastic Arabian knights al
the court of Caliph Harun al Rashid
Rashid was a bona fide caliph, and in
your later years a reading of the