The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1958-06-27
Church And Moslems:
Concerts To Faith
Can't Be Sure Of Life
by Erik v. KuehneIt-L eddihn

In the worlds entire missionary picture there Is
after the Soviet Union-nO effort as apparently
fruitless as our activity among the Mohammedans.
One has to take a long range view indeed TO
find reasons for hope, but we should not forget that
the Church has infinite patience and that Gods ways
are mysterious.
For my own person l am, after having surveyed
the situation, anything but detected. Some day the
thaw is bound to set in. And | don't think we'll have
to wait for more than two generations.
The reasons for my, admittedly modest, optinn-
ism are these: among the educated classes the Moslem
faith in the Near East has deteriorated by leaps and
bounds. AgnoSticism las a result of Western influ-
enceS) and simple, u~ndogmatic thelsm is rampant
only among the less educated layers, is the lslamic
faith still extremely strong. Signs of their piety, e-
pecially among men, abound.
Yet, in most of these countriesI expect the
nations east of PerSia-if a conversion occurs the
hapless new Christian can no longer be sure of his
life. And If he were murdered the authorities would
not lift a finger to avenge his death.
Whereas the lower classes would consider bap-
tism a blasphemous form Of aPosfasy and . betrayal
Of their faith, the religiousIy Indifferent upper classes
would regard it as an act of treason toward the eovn-
try and the nation.
Thus an Iraqi, an Egyptian, or . Syrian who be.
comes q Catholic will have to leave his country and,
under an assumed name, settle elsewhere unless he
can keep his conversion a deep sercret. Usually, but
not always, a more liberal attitude prevails towards
a MosIem girl who marries a Christian.
Women, after all, are less important than men.
The situation is somewhat better in Pakistan,
Malaga, and especially in Indonesia: Yet young Malay
III 0Rt ~ h6AoSS ~ NS1~S
Northwestern area of PakiStan, among the savage
tribesmen, conversion still amounts to a form of SUI
cidal martyrdom whereas the rest of the country, as
far as our missionaries are concerned is, together
with Indonesia, the most generous, friendly, and hos
pitable among the MoSlem nations. tPaklStan, Sig
nificantly, is also one Of the most reSolutely anti
Communist countries in Asia. In karachl, the capital,
a solemn Corpus Christi procession takes place every
year, starting from st. Patrick's Cathedral which is
under the care of Dutch Benedictines.
In the Netherlands such professions are for.
hidden by law and even in American cities with a
large percentage Tor a majority Of Catholics il would
encounter difficulties and non-cafholies might con-
eeivably show irreverenee.
But not in Karachi, where the Moslems love to
watch the procession and behave with respect and
piety. They also crowd the Catholic schools which
they esteem very highly.
In spite of all this the Catholic universities fur
Their west. in the Arab countries, make practically no
converts, nor do the colleges and high schools, but
the time is bound to come when the ice will melt,
when the nationalistic effervescence will subside,
when the Moslems, inevitably, will turn toward the
Church.
II must not be forgotten in this connection that
the MosIems are not truly pagans but las Hilaire
Bslloe repeatedly pointed our herefies.
They believe in Jesus as the greatest OF the
prophets after Mohammed. They insist that he was
born Of = virgin whom they veneraie highly.
Thirteen hundred years before we did, they con-
sidered it a dogma that Our Lady was conceived
without the stain of original sin.
They venerate Moses and Abraham, as well as
st. John. They concede that Christians land jews
can be saved without conversion to M-ohammedanisn1.
They also have great respect for sanctty and scholar
ship.
II the present time many Catholics are study.
ing Mohammedanism which, we ought not to forget.
has produced many great rystics. There is an out.
standing Dominican center in Cairo, "EI Aznar,"
which pvrsues lsIamic studies and where spent .
delightful evening praying. eating, and browsing in
The library with the monks. Il was served eggs for
dinner, while the Fathers ate only vegefablesl
Here Moslem preachers and professors from
nearby Ell Azhar University, a purely theological in
~stitution with a leading position in the Moslem world,
give and receive information.
The Dominicans of Eel Aznar" are working In
the calm knowledge that some day truth will prevail
over error and that eyes which, today, are still closed
will become seeing.
They are biding their time-fasting, praying,
A~l krlrs~G -. ~