A NEW MAHOMET

Evening Star, Issue 18809, 6 December 1924, Page 14

A NEW MAHOMET

THE GOtISWEfWB OF MECCA. FANATICS OF THE DESERT. AN ADVENTUROUS CAREER. Too many one-horse sheiks, all ’* scrapping ” in a petty irascible way with cadi other, have been the curse of Arabia. So, at least, thinks Ernest Brcnnqckc, writing in the Now York ‘ World.’ Of course, bitter tribal battles and raids are nothing now in Arabia. Probably it would 'not bo really Arabia without a few lively sheiks on tho ;warpath. But for decades, points out tho writer, Arabia has been in a state of violent, ferment. The war, with its intense stimulation of nationalistic ambitions, has really heightened this effervescence. So when Arabia had tire opportunity to unite the faithful followers of tho Prophet all the way from North-western Africa to tho Malay Archipelago, and was hoping to dominate the world as in tho time of Mahomet himself, she found herself hopelessly divided. But now a gigantic bearded Bedouin, Ibn Saoud, Sultan of Nejd, lias swooped down on tho Holy City of Mecca with hundreds of thousands of fanatical Arabs at his heels. The King of the Hcdjaz. Sherif Hussein Ibn Ali, whipped in battle, is said to have fled for his life to tho friendly security of the British naval ■guns at Jeddah. Victorious in a series of fierce desert scraps, Sultan Saoud first captured tho strategic town of Taif. Having secured this summer capital headquarters of Mecca, the Sultan now, apparently, holds Mecca in his grasp. This item in tho Press .despatches has lurking behind it, points out Mr Erennecke, a drama of intenscst excitement and firo, “ a romance of breathless thrills, played out on tho burning sands and weird Oriental oasis nights. A genuine shiek is tho hero —Bisraillah!” iio continues: “ Now at last a real leader has npcared. A Mahomet incarnate has come forth from the arid desert in the very centre of tho peninsula. He may soon make himself Caliph. All Moslems will rejoice. He may plan the fight for the dominance of Islam. Already Great Britain, with a sensitive finger on the pulse of Mohammedan Egypt and India, feels nervous—even though Ibn Saoud the sheik is Great Britain’s ostensibly faithful friend. From the Mohammedan standpoint Ibn Saoud, Sultan of Nejd, is a peerless lender. His fathers were noble, brave, renowned. He has had a career which roads like a dime novel; he is a true ‘ Arabian Nights ’ hero, veteran of reckless deeds and hairbreadth escapes. He is a firm if dashing ruler; ho is generous to his fallen enemies. Ho is devoutly religious, a champion of the pure orthodoxy of tho Koran.

“ And he looks tho part ho plays. He is well over 6ft tall, and proportioned like a college full-back. His life spent on horseback has made him a superbly tough physical specimen. At the same time, he possesses the grace and elaborate charm of a born Oriental prince. Ho is now just in his prime; he is about fortyfive years old.

AN EARLIER ADVENTURE.

Twenty-two years ago this Ibn Saoud, a youth of twenty-three, was living in enforced seclusion at the court of tho aged Sheik Maharrck, in the town of Kuweit. Ho rode horses madly, “ like the devil himself ”; had become an expert marksman, and had proved his courage in thosa wild nightly raids against caravans and neighboring tribes, which are life’s blood to the noble Arab.

“ For tho young Saoud was a noble by birth. And when he was not riding or shooting he indulged In dreams of the power which should one day bo his. Ho was tho direct descendant of tho great Sheik Saoud,- who had held together the whole peninsula in tho stormy days of Abdul Wahab in the middle of last century. Ho was tho hereditary head of tho most distinguished family of rulers in all Arabia. He was the rightful Sultan of Nejd, the central kingdom. “ Rut his lino had fallen upon evil days. A rival family, the Rashids of tho northern plains, had usurped tho ancient powers of the Saouds. Mohammed Ibn Rashid had captured Riadh, tho capital city of Nejd, and driven out the Governor appointed by the elder Saoud, and placed his own underling in charge, himself ruling from his own city of Shammar.

“ Young Saoud, banished at Kuweit, dreamed revenge on Rashid. He bated Ills ancient enemy, nursing his hatred as only an Arab can. Ho dreamed of recovering the glory of his fathers. He believed that Destiny was with him. Secretly he laid his plans, as ho poured over his AI Koran in the library of his protector. “ Gradually ho gathered nhout him a few trusted friends, .all kindred spirits. They mapped out their plans. At last one night came when they mounted quietly and stole out into the desert—and Ibn Saoud had embarked on a career which ho swore would end in the Caliphate or death. Tho little group of horsemen, their robes flapping in the moonlight, cautiously approached the walls of Riadh. Silently they surprised and overpowered (ho sentinels at the gates, then dashed tor the castle, slaughtered the guard—and Saoud himself assassinated the Governor who had been installed by Ibu Kashid. One of tho raiders mounted to the roof of the palace. “ ‘ The kingdom,’ he cried, ' belongs to Allah and to Ibn Saoud! ’ “ And with that cry began a career which for brilliance and power has seldom been equalled in Arabia since the days of tho Prophet himself.” CONSOLIDATING HIS POWER. Whereupon we have a vivid picture of tho vindictive Ibn Rashid scuttling for refuge to the desolate scrub heights of Jebcl Shammar. The young and energetic Saoud at once began to extend his power in concentric circles about tho fastnesses of Riadh. Ilis procedure was charmingly simple. One fine day some desert-dwell-ing little tribe of nomads would receive a ferocious-looking messenger mounted on a powerful Arab stallion or a white Wahabi racing she dromedary. Tribute was sternly demanded in the name of ‘‘ His Gracious Mightiness, tho Emir of Riadh, Great Chief, to the glory of Allah, Sultan of Nejd.” 31. was most emphatically up to tho sheik of that little tribe. He could drive the sharpest bargain possible with the messenger, and send in something or other representing taxes. No matter how little tho value might be, it signified that he had “ joined up ” with Ibn Saoud. It is easier to start paying tribute than it is to stop, and nearly every such case meant a permanent addition to tho realm of Nejd. Ur the Bedouin head man might be a free spirit who received the messenger with laughter or scorn, and, perhaps cutting off the tail of his camel, drove him back with curses. In that case, some fine day a cloud of horsemen would come storming out of the desert without even a whisper of warning, and the swift, terrible “ mercy of Ibn Saoud ” would be once more displayed, “In spite of the apparent harshness of these methods, the personality of the new ruler invariably drew from his new subjects the same passionate devotion that characterised his original followers. His military success was continuous. Gradually tho whole of inland Arabia came under his sway. Tribes who rebelled were punished without mercy. Tribes who tendered submission became members of a great Arab empire, and among these allied tribes petty raids and forays and thieving operations ceased. Life and property became secure as they had not been for decades or even centuries. A ‘ Pax Arabica ’ settled down over the peninsula.

AN INTERNATIONAL FIGURE. “ For fifteen years t-Lta process ctntinued. The star of the Saoud waxed brighter and brighter. Still, ho remained only a local Arab chief, albeit the greatest by far in the whole land. Then he coneeived a plan that bad in it the daring of

genius, and its success made him at one stroke mi international figure, "For fifty years Ihe liatorl 'forks, nmnirnil rulers of all Arakin, had lielcl sway in Hnssa mid Kaleef, These provinces wore tlio richest in tlie eastern portion of the peninsula. They sent ,yearly rovenuos to Constantinople. Three regiments of Turkish soldiers were quartered there. Those regiments were chronically depleted, so that, at the limo. of Urn Saoud’s cotip there were probably not over 2,000 men in the garrison. Some estimates put, the figure as low ns 1,200. But. even at (ho lowest, figure Sacmd’s achievement was considerable.

“ With a scant 300 picked horsemen ho attacked tho capital city of Hothoof, where the garrison was stationed. Confederates within opened the gales, and the city fell into his hands almost without bloodshed. The province fell with tho city, and thus, at one stroke, tho independent Arab chief perhaps doubled his revenues and at the same time entered the arena of world politic. ... “ Thus, at tho beginning of tho war, the Sultan of Nejd, tamer of the untamable, was perhaps the outstanding figure in Arabia. His Court was a byword for hospitality. He was never entertaining less than 150 nomad guests in bis perpetual ‘ open house.’ Often there wore ten times that number at Riacih. Although ferocious in battle, ho affected within his Court a winsome manner and a smile that attracted and fascinated timid children. His generosity to tho poor kept his treasury always at a low ebb, in spite of his relatively enormous revenues. At one feast 400 sheep and ninety-three camels were consumed by a band of visiting pilgrims. No wonder that his 2,000,000 halfstarved subjects loved him, and wore, many of them, ready to die at his bidding. By 1914 the" only source of discontent in Nejd was tho feeling that tho country was too peaceful. The impetuous warriors felt irked by the lack of stirring action. And the Saoud’s bitter lifelong feud with Ihn Rashid was still unsettled. Tho Rashid still held Sliammar to the north.” THE GREAT WAR.

Here is the setting for as fine a drama as one could wish. It only needed tho outbreak of tho Great War to set things in action. Rashid, lured by no one knows what promises from Constantinople, declared for the Turks. Now, although the Turkish Empire had held Arabia nominally ever since 1517, actually its power had seldom extended more than _ a few miles from the coast, and the Turkish soldiers were both hated and despised by the fearless Bedouins. It was, therefore, a wonderful relief for the pent-up energies of Ibn Saoud and his horsemen at Riadh to have two such perfectly legitimate enemies at once. He accordingly declared at once for the Allies—especially the British —and with most of Arabia sympathetically bade of him, commenced harrying the Turks and Ibn Rashid.

Far across the desert, on the western side of Arabia, a similar process was going on. Hussein Ibn AH, Emir of Mecca since 1908, and his fiery son, the Emir Feisal, declared for the British. The famous Colonel T. E. Lawrence, detailed from British Headquarters in Egypt, arrived at an understanding with Feisal, and the two together seem to have made an almost invincible combination in the West. A certain Captain Shakespeare, the British political representative at Kuweit, on the Persian Gulf side of Eastern Arabia, was similarly detailed as advisor to Ibn Saoud. Between the two Arabian forces the Turks and Ibn Rashid of Shammar were soon caught as in a pair of tongs. After several hot skirmishes Saoud caught up with Rashid at Mejma on January 24, 1915, and fought a stand-off battle. Captain Shakespeare, “on special duty,” was killed in action, a fact which had great bearing on subsequent events. It meant that while Hussein and Feisal had Colonel Lawrence as their loyal friend at the Allied Councils, poor Saoud had no one. However, ho went enthusiastically ahead, decisively defeated Rashid, and cleared the Turks out of his half of Arabia. Meanwhile, as other writers have pointed out, the astonishing generalship and fear-, less daring of Colonel Lawrence, backed by wild tribesmen of Feisal and Abdullah, the two sons of Hussein, was rolling the Turks up north along the Red Sea. The Turks soon lost all holdi on Jeddah, Mecca, and Tail, so that between Hussein and Saoud they were practically driven out of the peninsula. HUSSEIN'S ASCENDANCY. By the time General Allenby finally broke the Turks in Palestine, far to tho north, and captured Jerusalem, the hinterland of Arabia was practically Allied country. Hussein, being nearest tho Allied operations, was much better known, and, with Colonel Lawrence’s brilliant assistance, took a lion’s share of the credit. He declared himself independent, and the Allies recognised him os “King of the Hedjaz,” Feisal was made King of Iraq (or Mesopotamia), and Abdullah King of Transjordania. Hussein, who is said to be the oldest living descendant of Mohammed, even aspired to an empire, and began calling himself “Sultan of the Arabs.” It will be remembered that Colonel Lawrence and “ Emir Feisal ’’ were in Paris when tho Peace Treaty was signed, vainly endeavoring to have Arabia, or, at least, Syria, recognised as an independent nation. What was the haughty Ibn Saoud doing all this time? Mr Bren-nccke tells us: “Ibn Saoud instinctively recognised in this Hussein a dangerous rival who threatened the sovereignty of Nejd itself by his assumption of the title of ‘ Caliph,’ nominal head of all the .Mohammedans. The Sultan of Nejd, to put it plainly, waxed jealous of the Emir of Mecca. Still, the two were ostensibly fighting on the same side. They could not quarrel gracefully, at least not while the war lasted, much as they,would have liked to fly at each other’s throats. Their relations were described as ‘ friendly, but formal.’ “In 1919, however, this quasi-friendly feeling was abandoned. A dispute arose over the boundary between Nejd and Hedjaz. Without more ado the two chiefs came to grips. A battle was fought, in which the Caliph’s army lost 4,500 men. But European efforts at conciliation stayed further hostilities until this year. “A few months ago Nejd again rose up in arms. Pilgrims to Mecca had complained of ill-treatment and lade of hospitality Buffered at the hands of the Caliph. They saw in Ibn Saoud tho ideal man for this august office; a religious fanatic, a commanding military figure, a romantic personality, a generous chieftain. And Saoud saw” his bright opportunity to remove the last obstacle in the way of his supreme ambition, the actual leadership of tho whole Moslem world.” LIKENESS TO MOHAMMED.

Now, it is interesting at this point to note some of the striking analogies between tho present situation of Ibn Saoud and that of Mohammed himself at tho beginning of his career. It will bo reracmbared that Mohammed, although descended from the influential Koreish family, bad been raised like Ibn Saoud as a Bedouin, and spent part of his youth as a caravan guide (which explains the references to him as a “camel driver”). After Mohammed’s famous flight from Mecca in 622 because of religions persecution, ho established himself across •’►the caravan routo at Medina, and, like Ibn Saoud, gathered followers as a successful freebooter. And, finally, it was Mohammed’s capture of the already sacred city of Mecca eight years later with his deserttempered army that set him on the high road to the conquest of Arabia and the Oriental world.

Ibn Saoud, strangely enough, also comes to Mecca in tho guiso of a religious reformer as well as a robber baron. For almost 200 years his distinguished family have been loyal adherents of the famous teacher Abd-01-Wahab, who instituted a “ back-to-the-Koran ” movement in tho heart of Nejd. The Saoud family backing him, ruled practically all Arabia for a time as a Wahabite dynasty, and no doubt still look on such figures as King Hussein of tho Hedjaz, as parvenu upstarts. With the exception ot the Senyussis of the North African desert, the Wahabis, wo are told, preach the most fanatical simplicity in worship of all the seventythree Mobwamedan secta. They denounce as idolatry tin visting of _ **uinos, such as Mecca, and tho invocation of the saints. They insist on a literal interpretation of the Koran, and on emphasising it, rather than the subsequent explanations of the

.four main theological schools. They attack all luxury, including silk for dress, Ihn use of toiiacco, or of the rosary in prayer. To one writer, in fact, they recall n picture of one of tho early Caliphs. Omar, ■enraged at the grand retinue and gorgeous raiment of some of his victorious reluming generals, hopping off his mangy camel, serrtmiitig imprecations, and pelting them with clods and dung till they lied in horror to their laughing followers. The Wahabis also rigidly condemn the loose administration of justice, all laxity against inlidols, and addiction to wine or impurity of any kind. Their Bedouin Commonwealth insists on the strict observance of tho law, the payment of tribute, military conscription for continual warfare against the infidel, internal peace, and the rigid administration of justice in special courts. In other words, they are manifestly trying to lead the Moslem world back to the forceful devout days of the early caliphs, when the power of conquering Islam stretched in a huge crescent from Kashgar, on the Chinese border, to Gascony, in France. Abd-el-Wahab even followed Mohammed’s example in extending his religious teaching by force, wo avo told. All unbelievers, including Christians. were to he put to death, and immediate entrance into paradise was promised all soldiers who fell in battle. It is said that every soldier was provided with a written order from Abd-el-Wahab to the gate-keeper of paradise to “admit bearer on sight.” DANGER TO PEACE. How ranch of this doctrine stands as an intangible power back of the dynamic Ibn Saoud remains to ho seen. Ho lias gathered his strength and struck, Transjordania was first invaded, and the League of Nations was worried till tho British Air Force bombed him out. Ho has gathered himself again, and completely vanquished tho Caliph-King Hussein of the Hodjas. This happens at the_ psychological moment, when Mustafa Kemal, having deposed the old Sultan-Caliph at Constantinople, the Mohammedan world is without any universally recognised religious head. Hussein, at Mecca, has been tho nearest thing to a Caliph they have had for the Inst year. Now Saoud, the Holy City of Mecca in his grasp, stands dramatically poised for tho conquest of Afahi a. Back of him now is said to he tho Moslem League of India and the Egyptian Nationalist Committee. Will the European Powers, will Groat Britain especially, dare intervene? That is the question. Tho ‘World’ writer concludes as follows: “To millions of Mohammedans this Prince, son of Princes, from the arid Arabian interior, is a veritable Messiah- for their militant faith. His star is still in tho ascendant. Egypt, Turkey, and India are on tiptoe. His next move may have the most vital, perhaps the most awful, consequences for tho Western, as well as for tho castorn, world.” Recent newspaper reports have credited King Hussein with a forced abdication. The New York ‘Times’ commentsi “King Hussein is the victim of a fundamentalist movement now 200 years old. Basing their entire creed on tho literal interpretation of the Koran and the Sunna, or discourses of tho Prophet, the Wahabis are in irreconcilable warfare with all formalism, Their hostility to shrines, saints, and ceremonials makes no exception for Mecca itself. One hundred and twenty years ago the holy city was plundered by the Wahabis, and the Black Stone of the Kaaba, tho most sacred of .Moslem symbols, was hacked to pieces. “Tho probable cause of this new outburst of Bedouin orthodoxy would be, ironically -enough, tho very notable strides which Arab nationalism has mado during tho last half-dozen years toward a place in tho sun.”