TURKISH CRUELTY TO ARAB TROOPS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 53, 26 November 1917, Page 5

TURKISH CRUELTY TO ARAB TROOPS

A DIVISION EXTERMINATED

An article in "El Kowkab," an Egyptian newspaper published in Arabic, gives instances of the ill-treatment or the Arabs by the.Turks. The writer states that Ferid Boy was at the outbreak of war sent to Basra with instructions to kill the Chief Sberif of that place, but ho was forestalled in this project by tho occupation of Basra by tho British. After this event, when the Arabs were hoping for deliverence from Turkish tyranny, Abdul Kader Bey, a staff major, was dispatched to transfer tho Mosul Army Corps to Aleppo and that of Aleppo to Constantinople. The Bagdad Army Corps was at that timo divided into two portions, one for Basra and the other for Bagdad. The latter was ordered to Erzorum in order to scatter the officers, of whom the greater part were Arabs. The division proceeded from Bagdad to Erzerum in tho of winter, the clothing of the troops being merely a linen uniform such as is worn by troops in hot regions. „In this costume they arrived in h country where tho temperature was 25deg. below zoro and the ico Bft. thick. They died at the rato of from 60 to 60 a day. _ When tho officers made representations to Abdul Kader ho abused them • and said :— "Don't oomo appealing to me about clothes and rations. This is too small a punishment for you Arab traitors, whose only wish is to hand over your country'to the English." One morning Abdul Kader, who had been put in command of the division, came upon an Arab officer, named Mustafa Effendi, performing his morning prayer. As Abdul did not receive the military salute bo stopped and poured out a volume of curses.

The officer turned and said, "Your excellency, I was at prayer, and that was whv I failed to give tho salute." Abdul Kader, foaming with rage, said, "You, do you love God?" He answered, "Yes, sir, I love and worship God,'and I must do my devotions to Him as I do my military duties."

The commander said, "Since you lovo God iso much I am quito ready to send you off to him," and, drawing his revolver, ho fired threo shots, killing him on the spot. ' After this Abdul Kader wrote to all the companies of the division to the effect that all that was required from officers and men was tho performance tof their military duties, and that they wero not expected to fast, pray, or do any other of the ancient absurdities which had been imposed _by their forbears merely with the object of deceiving the people. Besides which, a fetva of the Shcikh-ul-Islam had forbidden tbo Turkish Army to fast when on a campaign. Subsequently Abdul Kador killed 17 officers of this division with his own hand, and three'months after their arrival at the front there wero not more than 300 or 400 men left alive.

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