The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1924-10-10

Prerared by the National Geographic Sc
ciety. Washington. ID. c.
| A new world problem, or more prop
erly a renewed world problem, arises
with recent attacks by the fierce Wa
habis of Central Arabia on the more
settled governments that fringe that
huge peninsula. A hundred years ago
this fighting Mohammedan sect held
| sway over practically the whole of
Arabia, putting supposed Turkish con-
! troll to scorn, and even dominating the
| holy cities of Mecca and Medina so
that pilgrims from all parts of the
world had to conform to Wahabi GUS
toms. With their greatly enlarged
| power since the World war, and their
recent evidences of aggression toward
their neighbors, the possibility of a
new Wahabi hegemony embracing
most of Arabia does not seem exceed
| ingly remote.
In fanaticism the Wahabis are the
Westerners ultimate conception of
Mohammedan zealots, and in this re-
gard quite different from many of
their more urbane fellow religionists.
This is the sect whose followers, in
their fighting frenZieS, actually invite
death, in the belief that in dying for
the faith with their boots ON they
are assured of an immediate entrance
into the paradise. 1t is even said that
one of the fighting Wahabi leaders of
the past century furnished each of his
warriors with a written order on the
Mohammedan counterpart of ST Peter
forthwith to admit the bearer to the
realm of the blessed.
Vandalism seems fanatical, blood
thirsty movement as it is eXemplified
in the destructive raids of its votarieS
against their neighbors who differ
somewhat in religious views, but it has
suffered, as movements" always have
by being taken over by narrower
minds and hotter heads than those of
its founder.
The Wahabi sect was founded early
in the Eighteenth century by 2Adbel
Wahab who might be termed the Cart
wright of Mohammedanism for he was
essentially a Moslem Puritan seeking
to turn his faith back to what he con-
sidered its simple fundamentals Feel
ing that Mohammedanism should be
uncompromisingly monotheistic, he
was particularly disturbed by the
tendency to worship Mohammed, who
claimed to be only mortal, as well
as Allah.
Before his death Wahab converted
to his simplified faith a powerful sheik
of central Arabia, Mohammed Ibn
Saoud. He became both the religious
and political head of Vandalism; and
he, too, took leaf from the funda-
mental teachings Of Mohammed and
began spreading his faith by the
sword.
Puritanism by Force.
Another Saoud, descendant, found
himself at the beginning Of the Nine
teenth century master Of practically
all Arabia, with powerful force of
Wahabi fighters at his command. He
took the sacred city, Mecca, and his
enemies who had been taught to look
upon the Wahabis as infidels, expect
ed the worst. What Saoud did, how
ever was to put his Puritanism into
effect. He put an end to vicious prac-
tices which had been Accomplishments
to the pilgrimages; had his servants
drive the populace with sticks to the
mosques at prayer time; and careful
ly policed the town. One of his spec
tacular activities was TO have every
tobacco pipe he could find seized and
burnt in a huge bonfire.
The powerful Wahabi state center
ing in the interior of Arabia was
crushed by combined Egyptian and
Turkish forces between 1911 and 1918.
Since 1924, however, the sect has been
growing quietly, though its power was
balanced by a non-Wahabi state, shar-
ing the interior of the peninsula.
Since the World war the Wahabis
have crushed this rival power and now
dominate all of central Arabia. Only
the outer shell is held by non-Wahabis,
and Ii Is becoming serious question
whether these states, without Euro
pean assistance, can hold their own