Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-19
The Story of Civilization

4, to rise over the ruins of Solomon's
Temple The Mosque of Omar stands
there today one of the fairest sights of
the Holy City, carrying no sign Of the
wars which gave 1t birth.
The triumphant army turned now to
Egypt. and in brief campaign t63S)
| Amrou captured its ancient and modern
capitals. Other Moslem forces made
| their irreSistibly pious way along the
stood at the Pillars of Hercules. in
| sight Of romantic Spain A Spanish
chieftain, Count Julian. having tstsry
SaidD sworn revenge on his King for
seducing Julian's daughter. aided the
! Moorish general at every step. and
guided him TO victory. The Saracens
/ tfor this name. with so many others.
had now been attached to the followers
! OF the great prophet landed In til A.
D. on that gigantic rock which thence
| forth was called after the Moorish
leader, Gebel al Tarik, the mountain of
Tarik-and then, by gradual corruption,
Gibraltar. On the plain of Here's the
! Spanish and Moslem armies met. and
/ for a time the invading force. over
whelmed by numbers. seemed destined
! to their first defeat My brethren"
said Tarik. the enemv is before you.
the sea is behind: whittier would We
! fly?" The desperate Moors fought like
| men who count Gfe a questionable
boon; the Spaniards at last gave way.
! and the victors. careless of their losses.
and drunk with blood pushed on over
! plain and mountain to the siege and
! CONQUEST Of Cordova Granada and
| Seville. From the Western end of
Europe to the Eastern end of Persia a
dozen nations had been within a CEN
fury united into one Moorish realm
Through all this territory, and later
through the northern half Of India. tho
religion OF Allah and Mollammed ruled
II was in manv ways a simple faith
its strict monotheism seemed reason it.
self ov the side OF the intricate Trini-
t3rianism that was entangliue Eurone
III theological cobwebs and sectariar
hate: and its priestless ritual Of fasting
and prayer was closer akin to primitive
Christianity than the complex ceremo-
nialism and mythology of repacanized
Catholicism. Only In its theories of the
after life did Islam de. obedience to
Cod rival the creeds of medieval Eli-
rope: it pictured terrible he'll for all
who should refuse to accept Mohammed.
place Of eternal torment and fire
whose victims shall not taste GOODNESS
or drink. save scalding water and run
ming sores" and shall drink the scald-
| ing water like thirsting camels under
the desert sun: while those who lived
firmly In the faith or died for it in It's
holy wars. would be received into ever
lasting happiness, reclining upon lux
uriouS cushions. drinking wine to their
desires content tbut their heads shall
not ache with 1t. neither shall they be
conIusedo. and served by girls whose
beauty would be theirs to command and
would remain Joy forever.
On the earth. however. the good Mos
lem must restrain himself and live i
stole life. He must recite his creed
every day. and Ave times daily he must
kneel and pray. with his face turned
toward the city Of the prophets birth
During the whole month Of Ramadan
when Gabriel revealed the Koran to
Mohammedl he must neither eat nor
drink. nor indulge in love. from the
rising OF the sun to the going down
thereof. He must give aims to the
poor: for though prayer will take him
half way to God. fasting will lead him
to the door OF Gods dwelling. only
aims will gain him admittance Each
Friday he must go TO the temple an0
join his fellows in prayer And If he
can. he must. at least once in his life.
make pilgrimage to Mecca, and kiss
the Kaaba, still worshiped as the sa-
cred stone that Abraham had placed
there countless years before.
The moral code built upon the new
creed was less perfect than that OF
Christ. and more adapted TO human
flesh It recognized and encouraged
The dominance of man over woman
and sanctioned his custom Of having
variety OF wives and keeping them in
the strict seclus!cn and discipline of the
haren. No woman should GO into the
streets without her masters permits
sion. or unveiled: no woman should
ever show her face 70 any man except
her father. her brothers, and her hus-
band. Even a Western philosopher.
NieizSche unable TO win one bit of
love-, looked with envy and admiration
upon this firm and masculine code.
Outside the circle Of the one true
latin MohaMmedaniSm exacted no i'm
possible kindliness The MosIem would
De courteous TO strangers and hospitable
TO those who trusted him: he would
grant freedom OF worship TO minorit!es
accepting his rule: even in war he would
Keep his word. whatever might befaIl:
and Saladin might teach the princes of
Europe the high-born art OF being a
gentleman. Every race that refused the
prophet was an enemy. and no honest
Moor would rest till all such races had
been made TO bite the dust: but within
Islam the watchword must be peace.
The good Mohammedan must honor
his parents. circumcise his children,
protect the fatherless. help the poor,
give full measure and just weight. be
abst!nent and thrifty. avoid all alcoholic
drink. shun pork and clean his teeth.
And 70 every fellow Moslem he must. on
meeting, make the ancient salutat!on,
Peace be with you" History Is never
tired Of irony.
The Fall Of the Caliphate.
For 500 years the CsliphS ruled. and
the flowers Of culture blossoraed from
Knoraasan 70 Spain. Why did :he!r
power fall and their colortu! civilization
disappear?
FIRST Of all, their own luxury
ruined them: 10 taste all the Joys
Of the flesh Is 10 lose the relish
Tor the risks and hardships 81 war.
the h2ure Of Echeherezade was the
hyrabol o. the change. Perhaps their
love Of letters destroyed them the youth
mat learned science and philosophy IN
me schools could not c!cave to Allah
and Mohamned with the firm and un-
gu :>tion'ng faith that had conquered
continents
6ec,s grew up within the fold. and
vars broke Out In which Moor slew
Moor with Moorish rufhlesaneas. One
Caymath rose and announced himself
a. the reIncarnation Of Mohammed:
many fanatics accepted him and fought
:pr him with blind fidelity The forces
. u stYf TEEEyy demanded the surrender
III the neret!cs. your master" SAID
t:e leader Of the rebels. is at the head
81 $1,000 so!dierS three such men
a. tncse are wanting IN his host ="
Tht:eQpgn he comma ufed one ot hf
nrn " plunge dagger into hin Own
heart another VI leap INTO the Tigr.
ara drown, and third 10 fling himself