MAHOMETANISM AND THE MAORIS.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XX, Issue 3933, 15 June 1877, Page 2

MAHOMETANISM AND THE MAORIS.

Sm, — The subjoined clipping will perhaps be acceptable to you in connection with what has been said of late in the Press and the pulpit on the subject of Mahometanism. It is from the Pall Mall Gazette of April oth : — "As a religious system Islam is much more flexible and tolerant than Ultramontanism or Presbyterianism. Though strongly opposed in theory to every innovation, and greatly corrupted by its chief converts, the Turks', its fundamental dogmas are not incompatible with civilization, as may be seen from tlie fact that it gave to the mediaeval Church her greatest theologian , and that it proved itself in its schools of Bagdad and Cordova the apostle of modern culture. * * * * * Jt§ rapid spread, till it ' could boast an empire from the Atlantic to the plains of India and the highlands of Thibet,' indicates that it supplied a great want. It did a good work in overthrowing the effete despotism of Byzantium ; in supplanting by a new civilization the wretched Christianity of the East, plunged in abstract lifeless theological formulas. The fact that, though it has long since given up its policy of conquest, it coutiuu.es to extend its spiritual sway goes far to confirm the impression derived from other sourco of its eminent adaptability to certain intermediate stages of culture." It seems, indeed, beyond all doubt that it would be eminently adapted to a race in the present stage of culture of the aborigines of New Zealand, and would be as successful in civilising and elevating them as it has unquestionably been with the aboriginal races of Africa. There is also no small probability that, if introduced by Mahomotan missionaries, it would ho taken up with avidity. A tendency to substitute a Unitarian system, more or less similar to tlio Judaism of the Old Testament for Christianity has as we ail know, been already developed in the religion of Pit/ Jft/in'rc ; and what is this but ono move in the direction of -Mahometanism i The groat practical tenet of Islam too, tho abstinence from alcoholic liquors, is rapidly assuming tho position of distinctly religious tenet with the natives. Pvkkhoni.st.