Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Wβ learn'that a number o* English, people have deliberately embraced the Mahomedan religion, and are actively , engaged in endeavoring to make fresh; converts. A correspondent of the Manchester 'Examiner was recently Bent to Liverpool, where the movement eraginated, in order to ascertain the faote. The prime mover is Mr W. H. Quilliam, deBcribed aa a well-known solicitor. He was brought up as a Wealeyan, and took an active part in Sunday School and temperance work in connection with, that body. In 1883 be was very ill, and in the beginning of 1884 was ordered to the South, of Spain for the benefit of hia health. He crossed over to Morocco, and there got his first glimpse of Islam. He was struck, he tells us, with the apparent sincerity of its followers, and began to enquire about its tenets. When he got to England he studied the Koran aud other books, and became convinced that the true religion was Islam, and that he ought to adopt it. Then arose the question, however, how would it affect him professionally ? This was a serious matter, seeing that he was married and had a young family dependent upon him. However, at last he determined to take the final step, and told his family and relations that he had ceased to be a Christian and had determined to become a Mussulman. Thereupon, not unnaturally, they began to laugh, and gave significant bints of his probable removal to a lunatio asylum.

Mb Quiujam was not discouraged by this unsympathetic attitude on the part of his friends. On the contrary, he not only proceeded to live according to Moslem rules, but set himself the task of endeavoring to make converts. He utilised hie, temperance lectures for this purpose. Hβ " dragged in," as he puts it, a sketch of the Prophet Mahomed, eulogised his work, and dwelt at length on the prohibition in the Koran against both wine drinking and gambling. At the conclusion of one of hia meetings a gentleman who was in the audience came up and asked him some questions with regard to lelam. Mr Quilliam answered these, sent him a copy of the Koran, and in three weeks' time this anxious enquirer came up to Mr Quilliam and said, "I acknowledge that there is only one God and that Mahomed was bis prophet. That was his first convert. A week later he lectured on "The Great Arabian Teetotaler." This time a lady, came up, and asked for the loan of the Koran, and we are told she is now Treasurer of the Association.

Thb work of proselytism did not go on very fast. As soon as Mr. Quilliam had four converts they took a small room in Mount Vernon street for two days a week. Often, he says, they had no audience but themselves, and the ragamuffins of the neighborhood broke their windows and pelted them with mud and filth. However, they went on making converts until now they have about forty-four members, all adulta. Five of them are Indian gentlemen, the rest are all converts from Christianity, twelve of them being ladies. They nave taken a large old-fashioned hduse in Brougham terrace, Liverpool, and turned it into a Mahomedan institute. In addition to library, reading-room, museum, chess and draughts-room, &c, there is at the rear of the institute the " pro-Moeque," » building capable of accommodating 160 to 200 worshippers. The services on Friday are in both. Axabio and English, and are restricted to professing Mussulmans, but on Sundays there are public mission services both, morning and evening, to which strangers are invited. These latter services axe all in English. There is no priesthood in Islam, the congregation in turn conducting , the service. There are no and.no fixed seats, inaamuoh as it is considered that every part of the mosque is the property of every true believer. Eaoh member gives the Treasurer what be-or she thinks right, and, so far, jre are told, the body has never been short of funds, in whioh respect, we opine, $ ia more fortunate than many Christian Churches. Finally the reporter aaked tho President of the congregation—"Do you believe, Mr Quilliam, that you will con: yext England to Islam P" To this Mr Quilliam gravely replied— "I fear but few things, I hope many things, but I trust all things to God, and 1 have no doubt but that if it is Allah's will to bring this country to Islam, He is powerful enough to do so. Here we sea Mr Qoilliam's legal training showing itself. The answer strikes us as savoring quite as much of professional caution as of Moslem piety.

Tax success of the latest undertaking of the two New Zealand governing athletic bodies, the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association and Cjrcliete' Alliance Championahip Meeting has been most emphatic The attendance was unprecedented, some 8000 or 9000 people being present on the two days, and the takings amounting to nearly iS4QO. This alone is a most satisfaotory feature, as the figures are much !in exoess of those of the English J and American championships, but when Iwe consider the meeting from an athletic point of view, it shows » most disi tinct advance in almost all events on past efforts. The visit of a strong New South Wales contingent proved an additional attraction, and the New Zealanders more ♦ban held their own against them at all distances except the sprints and quartermile, in which the redoubtable Macpherson, the pride of the Sydney amateurs, scored three most meritorious wins in New Zealand record time. Canterbury competitors showed up well, Wilmott securing the one,fiveand ten-mile bicyclecha-npionabips, Hayward the twenty-five mile bioycle championship, and Ledsham both the bicycle handicaps, while Wood won the half, mile, and three miles flat championships, in New Zealand record time in the first and last events. Auckland succeeded in winning the championship banner, Canterbury being a good second considering the small number of representatives she had competing. % Strango 60 say, with the exception of the walks, which the Auckland representative won in fine style, Auckland's chief successes were obtained in eventa thatthelecalClub does not encourage. Tii., the long and high and pole jumps, and putting the weights, and what is more, in almost every base the winner's performance broke the record. Batger'a double win in the hurdles must have been very satisfactory to Wellington, and hie feat of beating the world's record In jtibe quarter mile hurdle championship was ft very fine one indeed. The meeting eeems to'have b*een carried out in a manner that "feats great credit «a all the officials.

This article text was automatically generated and may include errors. View the full page to see article in its original form.
Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP18910209.2.25

Bibliographic details

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7782, 9 February 1891, Page 4

Word Count
1,099

TOPICS OF THE DAY. Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7782, 9 February 1891, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY. Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7782, 9 February 1891, Page 4