The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1922-02-03

prepared by the National Geographic So
clety Washington. u. @
Though the World war changed the
temporal map Of Arabia. raising the
narrow strip Of the Heiaz, formerly
a Turkish province, into Kingdom.
IL did not alter the place in the world
of Mecca, chief of the Hejaz cities.
That mystic city under Arab control
still is the center Of all MOhammedan
thought and action az it was under the
Turks.
The Importance Of Mecca is not due
TO its resident population of perhaps
100000 but To the more than 100000
pilgrims who visit it each year from
every nation of Islam. Statistics are
hopelesSly contradictory and confus-
Ing regarding the number Of annua!
visitors According TO Turkish official
estimates, in 1907 there were no less
than 2S0,000 pilgrims Ii is a marvel
how SO many thousands can find food.
shelter. and. most Of all drink. in
such desert city.
The religious capital of Islam. and
now the temporal capital of the new
kingdom of the Hejaz. affords an in
dex ia the growth and strength of
MOhammedaniSm In various parts OF
the world. for one can rightly gauge
the strength Of religious feryOr in this
great non Christian faith by the num-
Der of those who go on pilgrimage.
From Java, Bengal. West Africa, Cape
Colony and Russia. as well as from the
most inaccessible provinces of China,
they come every year and return to
their native land-if they escape the
hardships of travel-tO tell of the
greatness and glory of their faith.
however much they may have been
disappointed in the actual condition
of the city and its sacred buildings.
When we consider Mecca. Moham-
med's words of prophecy in the second
chapter Of his book seem to have been
literally fulfilled so we have made
you the center of the nations that You
should bear witness TO men. The
old pagan pantheon has become the
religious sanctuary and the goal of
universal pilgrimage for one-seventh Of
the human race.
From Sierra Leone 10 Canton. and
from TObOlSk To Cape Town the faith
full spread their prayer carpets build
their houses lin fulfllment Of an inn
portant tradition. even their out
houses y. and bury their dead orient
ed toward Mecca. If the old world
could be viewed from another planet,
its details disclosed. the observer
would see concentric circles of living
worshipers covering an overwhelming
area. and one would also. see vast
areas Of Moslem cemeteries with ev-
cry grave dug with its main axis to-
ward the sacred city
Its Mysteries Laid Bare
Mecca is ne longer a yelled civ 4
score Of intrepid travellers have un-
yelled H. From Bartema. Wild and
Joseph Pitts to Burton. Burckhardt
Hurgronie and Courtellemont. they
took their lives in their hands. herd
ed with strange companions. under
went untold hard>hipS. and by luck or
pluck came ScatheleSS ont of this lions
den OF Islam According To Doughty
scarcely a pilgrimage takes place with
out some persons being put To death
as intruding Christians An educated
and pious hoslem in Cairo admitted
recently thar when ne went on pilgrim
age and took pictures of the city his
life was endangered more than once
by the fanaticiSm of the inhabitants
However. there are many who believe
that the establishment Of the new
kingdom will mean the removal Of re
StrictionS against nOn-MoSlemS
The mixture OF races brought about
in HeiaS province for ~ many cen
turtles by the pilgrimages has not been
conducive 10 morals or good govern
ment No one who has read the ac-
count Of social life AZ Mecca - given
by Hurgronje and other travellers. in
Guiding Moslem pilgrims themselves.
can doubt the need for social reform
I'm that city Mecca Is the microcoSm
OF Islam IN its religious life and as
pirationS. According Ia HurgrOnje:
1t j. Islam. the official religion. which
brings together and amalgamates all
tn, heterogeneous constituents 81 Nee
can life ON the other hand. this So
cietv itself YIELDS into chaotic whole
the prejudices ant superStltions Of all
countries In other words, Mecca i
the Sink-hole of Islam. Al witnesses
agree a 90 the hagnnt immortality
Ehici ,s.a~sadeS the streets and even
the n.o-aue of the sacred tity. the
preI- en-, ~ tie slave t~ade. tie