The L'Anse sentinel., 1923-07-13
New Turk Leaders Realize That
Modern Economic Existence
Makes Changes Necessary.


onstantinople.-Five times a day,
above the modern tumult of the Grande
Rue de Pera, Constantlnople's most
Europeanized thoroughfare, there rises
in monotonous recitative shrill, far
voice. "Come to prayer" 1t chants,
"Come to prayer, come to prayer! l
bear witness that there IS no God but
Godl bear witness that Mahomet Is
the prophet of God! Come to saliva
ton God Is great!'
The voice is all but drowned in the
changing Of electric cars, the footing
Of automobile horns; the crowds that
press along the narrow sidewalks
Armenians, Greeks, Jews Russians,
Western soldiers and civilians Of all
natlons-heed II not: and you may
pass the place hundred times with
out even noticing the minaret Of the
little old mosque, dwarfed and hidden
between tall new houses, whence the
muezzn sends forth his exhortatIOn.
Between this voice with its spiritual
message and the unheeding multitude
bent on the business and pleasures Of
modern life lies nll the depth Of the
apparently unbridgeable abyss that d.
vldes Islam as hallowed by the tradi-
tions Of centuries from Western civill-
zation. Five times a day the Moslem
Is commanded to interrupt his daily
work to say his prayers and perform
the prescribed ablutions that precede
them, losing In the process Mt n mod
crate estimate, FIVE out OF the ten
hours Of the normal working day.
Teachings Of Priest.
In the mosque the priest will teach
him that II Is mortal sin to lend
money at interest, In other words to
engage In any kind of banking busi-
ness, and that all the future events Of
his life, whether fortunate or unfor-
tunate, areCpreordained by God, thus
sitting whatever spirit Of enterprise
he may possess.
1t is the realization of the fact that
the precepts Of Islam In their present
form have become irreconciable with
the conditions Of modern economic ex-
istence which has inspired the leaders
Of new Turkey with the great plan Of
religious reform they are at present
engaged In carrying out at Angora.
Islam still represents tremendous
political force, and Mustapha Kemal
and his associates are keenly alive TO
the great future possibilities which lie
open TO Turkey us the strongest lnde-
pendent Mohammedan power. They
know perfectly well that the extraordI-
nary successes they achieved In their
struggle against the allies at Mudnnia
and Lausanne were not due to fear of
their little army in Anatolia, however
excellently led and organized II might
be, but to the far greater menace ex-
erted by the solidarity OF the Moslem
world against the colonial interests OF
England and France.
The British dared not risk war with
Turkey because of the effect on India
and Egypt, on the Afghans and Arabs
This dread of the European colonial
powers, and particularly Of Britain
has dominated and Will for long time
to come continue to dominate the en-
tire situation in the Near East, ant
the Turkish leaders naturally wish [,
exploit II to the utmost by infusin,
fresh blood into the veins Of Islam ant
welding the Moslem world as closel,
as possible together under Turkey,
leadership. The reform they contem
plate has therefore a threefold aim
To bring Islam into harmony will
modern economic civilization, TO in
tensify Its spiritual influence by re
storing II to its original purity and &
consolidate its political prestige an,
power.
Reforms Cause Anxiety.
1t is not surprising that the Euro
pean powers with colonial interests 4
Africa and Asia are inclined to vie,
this reform of Islam with extreme anS
iety and to attempt to discredit II
Officially inspired prophets have dark
iy predicted that II must InfalIIbly so,
incurable dissensions among the Mos
lem world--as II this were not exactl
what european diplomacy is most an,
Iously hoping will happeni AS a maj
ter Of fact the modernization OF Islar
has been authorized by Mahomet hin
self. who expressly says In the Kora
that the time may come when II wi
be necessary TO modify his precepts !
order to suit altered conditionsl
Furthermore, many Of the change
sdyocated BY the reform commItte