ITALIAN DESIGNS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22714, 29 October 1935, Page 13

ITALIAN DESIGNS

ENMITY OF MOSLEMS , Tlie threat to the independence of . some 10,000,000 Ethiopians has caused 300,000,000 Moslems, especially the 40,000,000 inhabiting the Near and Middle East—Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Transjordan, Iraq, Iran, Arabia—to rise in protest, writes Joseph Levy from Cairo to the New York Times. Moslems are siding with the Ethiopians because they feel that the latter arc the victims of " Imperialism," a term comparatively new to most Moslems. Only 20 years ago a struggle between two Christian countries would have been of but little concern to the majority of the Mohammedan world. Any minor affair arising out of a religious question in some local mosque would have created far more interest. There are many factors that have contributed to this recent concern of Moslems in outside affairs, chief among them being the spread of education and the development of communications, together with the influence of the progressive Arab press. Prior to the World War the majority of the followers of Mohammed inhabiting the Near and Middle East were subjects of a Turkish Sultan whose capital was Constantinople, whence he ruled over the entire Ottoman Empire. Even those who were not direct Ottoman subjects looked to the descendant of the Osinans as their religious and spiritual head, lie was the Caliph of the Faithful. However. with the general re- : shuffling of boundaries brought about by the World War, the Ottoman Empire also suffered vast changes. Mustapha

Kemal Pasha did away with the Caliphate. The greatest part of the Near I and Middle East was cut up into small ; separate countries under foreign tutelage. European civilisation and culture forced their way among people who were far happier without them. Politicians and political leaders sprang up overnight, and cries of nationalism, patriotism, and independence were echoed from Assuan in Egypt to Kirkup in Mesopotamia. These political leaders, who rose from the upper class Moslems, imbued the ignorant masses with an anti-foreign feeling. The masses were told repeatedly of the dangers of foreign imperialism. A rumoured threat to the religion of Mohammed is beyond all doubt the best means of arousing Moslem masses against a foreign Power, and such means have been taken advantage of to the fullest extent by Moslem politicians. Although to the average fellah or Bedouin imperialism is an almost meaningless term, yet he knows that it is a danger to Tslam. Hence imperialistic colonisation must be fought against. This anti-foreign propaganda has been so well spread and has taken such a strong root that to-day the Moslem no longer distinguishes between a purely Moslem country and a Christian nation upon which a European Power may have designs. It is therefore little wonder that Moslems throughout the Near and Middle East with almost no exception strongly and wholeheartedly sympathise with Ethiopia in its present conflict with Italy. The Italian Government, too, in the last 10 mouths, spared no effort to en- | list Moslem sympathy on its side. This ! has been attempted in many ways, • primarily by articles in small Arab j papers. These articles described how Ethiopia mistreats its Moslem inhabitants, while Italy is most friendly to- j

i wards them. But these journals were • soon forced to cease their pro-Italian I propaganda under pressure of con- • tinuous attacks in the main body of the ! Arab press. Even the services of a ■ man like Emir Shakib Arslan, the Arab 1 nationalist leader residing in Geneva, whom the Italians enlisted to further their propaganda, proved futile. Broadcasting in Arabic from Bari, where the Italians have one of their most powerful wireless stations, failed to influence the Moslems. Moslems are vindictive, and llieir press is now reviving stories of what the Italians did to their co-religionists in Tripoli. According to the Arab press, the Italians, while trying to quell the rebels in Tripoli, did not confine themselves to punishment and suppressing tlie rebellion in the ordinary manner, but are reported to have desecrated mosques, burned the holy Koran, insulted Mohammed, and committed atrocities against the native inhabitants. " Imperialistic ruthlessness" is how, the conduct of the Italians in Tripoli is described to the Mohammedans by their leaders, and the same term is being used to describe Italian designs on Ethiopia. Eor a true picture of Moslem opinion on the Italo-Abyssinian conflict, let us make a survey of those Moslem countries where Western civilisation c-.ists. , In Egypt mass meetings were held | where resolutions were passed con- I I derailing Italy's actions and pledging j ! support to Ethiopia. In this 'and of the I , Pharaohs a prince v of the royal family ■ proposed himself as a volunteer in the • Ethiopian Army. This required courage and came as a surprise to the public at large, since it is an open secret that King j Fund is on the friendliest of terms with

, Italy, where he spent a great part of his life prior to his accession to the throne. While no member of the Egyptian Government or any important political leader will dare to voice publicly his true opinion, one finds uo difficulty in '. detecting that the inner feelings of the Egyptians, with almost no exceptions, , are wholeheartedly in sympathy with the Negus Haile Sellassie and his 1 people In Palestine the entire Arab press is violently anti-Italian and pro-Ethiopian, with the exception of Al Jamia al Arabia, which assumes a neutral atti- \ tude. Several months ago Al Jamia published pro-Italian articles, some '• written by the paper, others by the Emir ; Shakib Arslan. Al Jamia Al Arabia is I the organ of Haj Amin El Husseiui, the Mufti of Jerusalem and president of the j Moslem Supreme Council. All the other Arab newspapers accused Al Jamia as j ..ell as. Haj Amin El Husseiui and his friend Emir Shakib Arslan, of being r agents of the Italians to the detriment I of the Arabs. Under such pressure the paper was forced to modify its tone. In Syria and the Lebanon, over which the French hojd a mandate, the press, is muzzled, and two newspapers were closed down by the French authorities for their vehement attacks on Italy. Hatred of Italy was displayed in Damascus when an infuriated mob ransacked the offices established there by the Itali i; ns to recruit labourers for service in j Eritrea. Doors, windows, and office | furniture were smashed, and cries of | " Down with Italy " echoed through the ; air. j In Iraq and Persia the press is wholly in sympathy with the Ethiopians.