TURKISH REFORMS.
CHRISTIANS IN THE ARMY.
EQUALITY OF THE RACES. By Telegrraph.— Association.—Copyright.
Constantinople, November 2. A firman (decree by the Sultan) adding a contingent of recruits, both Moslem and noji-Moslem, to the Constantinople forces, was read to-day in the presence of the troops.
. Large crowds cheered the proclamation as establishing the equality of the races.
A new era of justice and toleration has opened for Christians in Turkey. A few months ago the Grand Vizier ordered the Sheikh-ul-Islam (Sahib Mollah), the official head of the church, to prepare for distribution in every town and village in the empire a manifesto demonstrating by texts from the Koran and from the books of traditional sayings of Mahomet the duty of all good Moslems to treat Christians with justice, and to regard them as fellow-citizens with equal rights. The most learned ulemas (doctors of the. Sacred Law) ,took the manifesto as the text .of their sermons during the festival of Ramazan last September. " Following upon this came a decree that one-fourth of the Ottoman army, should henceforth be composed of" Christians. •
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New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14209, 4 November 1909, Page 5
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179TURKISH REFORMS. New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14209, 4 November 1909, Page 5
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