Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-06
turkeys REFORM
PLANS ARE HALTED
Mustapha kenaE, Wary Eye
on Afghanistan, Soft Pedals
Radical Program.

ANGoRA, 5Nrky. April s,--Mustapha
Renal, needing the diacofd that broke
", the program Of Ananullah Of Afghan.
IaTan, has put the soft pedal on Turkeys
hitherto Fiotous rhapSody Of reform.
The lull probably will be only tempoF-
airy, although II may be prolonged,
One of the most recent pianissinae efs
fects came IN the mosques. Before
Amanullah was dethrened In Afghan-
lstan the dhazi ordered that the sacred
writings which hang in the MosleH
places Of worship and bear in the OLD
Arabic script the names Of the Prophet
and the caliphs with verses from the
Koran, should be replaced with inserip-
tons in the new Latin alphabet,
There was a mufmuFing among the
die-haFd orthodox, but the order was
about to be executed when. close on
the heels Of Amanullah's downfall, the
decree was reseinded. So the old alpha,
bet of the Koran, taboo everywhere else
in Turkey. still holds good In the
mosques.
But reforms are still Matching In the
restless brain of the President at the
Turkish Republic. Once the nation has
had time TO swallow and digest the
revolutionary changes that have been
crowded into its mouth, his powerful
REORGANIZATION VIII pfeetItuo IAS AaFAess
dase Of all--ths reform OF fundamentals
in the national religion,
This reform viii 60 50 far as To de-
lete from the Moslem faith such tenets
as those of blind submission to q blind
fate, of eontentmeat with little OF Moth
ing, and Of patience carried to the
point of stagnatien, 1t viii 60 even
further in introducing those principles
of Christianity which are believed To
have been instrumental In developing
the vitality and driving power of the
Oceident.
Just how this tremendous tampeFina
with an ancient creed Is to be effected,
and this giants dream OF stirring the
sluggish faculties Of whole people into
new life through a new faith Is TO De
realized, are things unrevealed, hut the
important known point Is that the
Ghazi's masterful mind is working the
problem out. The entire faculty OF the
STEAMBOAT Divinity School has been
called for sudden consultation to An
CORA, which means that portentous
things are under way.
A definite but premature revelation OF
the impending upheaval Of ancient Mes.
lem ritual and belief was made last
summer when the Gonstantineple press
got hold of the report which eemnils-
sion Of the divinity professors Of Stam-
boul had just completed fol-, kemalt
consideration. There was hasty denial,
of the validity of the published report
but inner circles are confident It VIII
serve as basis for Kemal's next great
undertaking.
The report advises two lines OF action:
the giving Of new direction to Moslem
belief as described above, and the mod
ernixng, even frankly the Chr,stianising,
of traditional Meslem ritual. This VIII
mean the introduction of pews and IN
strumental music in the mosques, the
scrapping of prayer rugs, and the tIaln-
ing of worshipers to keep on their
shoes and take off their hats.
These reforms have not yet been exc
ecuted, due to Turkeys present policy
of watching storm-tossed Afghanistan,
but rug merchants are SO sure that tney
will be put into effect later that they
have already begun to curtail the pros
duction of PRAYER rugs.