IF ISLAM ROSE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 254, 13 October 1911, Page 3

IF ISLAM ROSE.

THE STORM CENTRES. GENERAL MASSACRE FEARED. SECRET AGITATION. The possibility cf a Holy War, resulting from lite present international situation, as mentioned in the cablt s. was referred to the other day by Mr. Chas. J. Judah, of Redfern. a British subject, who is closely in touch with Mohammedan affairs, and who was formerly secretary to H .H. Kunioir Abdul Guffoor Khan. Rais of the Dharampoor district of India. He said that if the crusade or HolyWar were declared it would bring the thousands of fanatical Mohammedans from all parts of Africa. There would be rebellion and massacres, and then an international conflagration. THE MOSLEM HOPE. It has long been an open secret in North Africa that the Moslems cherish the hope that at no very distant date they will be able to dear the face of the map of the Christian races. The ambition born of fanaticism has long become a tacit, yet active. tenet of their creed. The universality of the belief in the ultimate massacre of the’ white races in Northern Africa can be gauged from the fact that some 35 vears ago it was current in Benin, on the west coast. The information was conveyed to one of the pioneer medical officers in tin- fever-stricken centre by his black servant, who. having neeived kindness at his masters hands, desired to prevent Ins venturing in company with a caravan of Mohammedans Up Ihe an ' thence across the desert to Algiers. Since that time the vague threat has hung like a mirage on the horizon ol white settlement, but it has been so vague and indistinct-never sbowiHS niore than a spasmodic sign of tu.fi mint in that portion of the countiy -that it has long been ignored and ‘ to the regions of oblivion, where so many of Ttrirumours and echoes of .as e j dit ion find tlieir final rest mg pUf * m the u.jnd of the complacent Ciiii - t ian.

THREE STORM CENTRES. There' an- three distinct storm , i nlr< < in 'be w " rkL '' here where the danger lies l ira , t . nlr c< art . unuuestionablv Northern Africa. Turkey, and Etrypt. Ins "> tbtt -e eountric:. that the cd

the surface unison between the? Christian anel the Mohammedan races would receive the first shock in the event of determined and concerted action.

Should this occur it would inevitable' mean a general massacre of the Christian peoples in those countries. It would not be war, but simply a cold-blooded slaughter of innocent people—immolated on the altar of religious fanaticism. There is a large see-t in the Mohammedan world that has for many years past devoted its religious energies to the propaganda jehad or religious war. The headquarters of this secret society, if it may be so termed, are in Northern Africa, in that mysterious walled town which the outside world knows nothing of, except what is wafted to it on the breeze of vague rumour. It is here where the power to declare a Holy War is said to lie. The Sultan of Turkey is not the real head of Mohammedanism, and it is not known exactly whether the sympathy of the mysterious directors of the Moslem movement will be sufficiently strong to raise the green flag —the symbol of Holy War. The only known facts concerning this city were revealed some three years ago by an English officer in a magazine article, and later by an officer in the Egyptian army. It was there pointed out that the European world had scarcely any cognisance of its existence ; yet it is reported to be a large and populous place. The avowed object of the Pan-Islam movement, which came into existence 10 years ago, is to bring together the Moslemic tribes throughout the whole world. It is largely dominated by the fanatical zealot and the religious extravaganzaist and Islam, whose one desire in life is to mingle his prayers with the blood of Christians. They have long determined to proclaim a religious war, and examples of tentative attempts. which were fortunately doomed to failure before they had grown to very serious dimensions are to be found in Oindunnan, the Mad Mullah and Mahdi. FOSTERING TROEBLE. It is the fanatics that are always fostering discontent, creating imaginary wrongs, establishing visionary grievances, anel generally instituting an unreasoning and bigoted hatred against all who differ from their religious tenets. There is a spirit to rise in the people which manifests itself more pronouncedly in the larger proportion of the population of Egypt and Northern Africa than in any other Moslem country, and the flame of fanaticism is being carefully nursed and gently fanned to fever heat. Once it reaches a certain point the- cloud will burst, and the fury of the wild hordes and motley multitudes of these* great countries will be* le-t loose on all Christians within their reach. The* question that has to be- faced is whether the restraining influence .of Great Britain and oilier European nations is sufficiently powerful to hold the misguided religious zeal of the semi-civilised nations in check. It is consolatory to reflect that if a general rising did occur the probabilities are that the civilised Powers would eventually gain thje mastery of the situation, but not before an incalculable amount of mischief bad been done. They would iuevitaoly •day the entire Christian population in Egypt, as the number of Europeans is infinitesimal, the Arabs predominating in both Egypt and Northern Africa proper.

In India the situation, generally regarded as serious, is not, in the light of accepted fact, as dangerous as many suppose. A rough estimate of the relative numerical strength of Mhoannneilanism and Christianity in all parts of the world gives a preponderance in favour of Christians by upwards of 250 millions. This estimate includes all Christian sects, and those religious or semi-religious nondescripts that are invariably included under the same heading. There are supposed to be 250 million Mohammedans in the world ; so if these figures are even remotely, correct, the Christians are just again as numerous as the tribes of Islam. There are 70 million Mohammedans in India, but the balance of power is held by the Hindoos, who outnumber them. ’ A bigoted hatred, deadly m its intensity, exists between the two races. In this hatred lies the safetyvalve of India. A storm of Mohammedan fanaticism could not sweep ‘he country, because the Hindoos would cheek it with a counter massacre, and as they are more numerous would equalise matters, if not completely subjugate their ancient foes. A ri-ing in India could not culminate in a general war for the extermination of the Christian laces, it would merely confine itself to a spasmodic murder ot the people, wiheh would be checked before the whole nation was thrown into confusion. If it were possible for the Hnidoos and the Mohammedans to coalesce, then the whole aspect of the question would be completelychanged, and England would eventually lose India. The question has its serious aspect, but apart from this the case for the Moslem opens many avenues for sympathetic consideration. The Policy of the British Government has been to treat the races fairly, and there has been a marked absence, wherever Great Britain has exercised a potent sovereignty, of that brutality of treatment which has so often disfigured the government of foreign nations over Moslems and barbaric and semi-barbaric races. Should there be any attempt at a general rising, the time would have come for drastic action.. ... Both in Tinkev and Egypt it is m the fanatic element that the danger of peace lies. In India there are 3iin. 1)60.O'-b people, and if a rising occurred it would, mean trouble for the British Government in that sphere of control, but the outcome could not terminate in a general massacre of Anglo-Indians.