'ISLAM AT CROSS-ROADS'

Waikato Times, Volume 97, Issue 15894, 19 January 1924, Page 3

'ISLAM AT CROSS-ROADS'

PRESENT WORLD CRISIS. (By Rev. De Lacy O'Leary, D.D.) Dr O'Leary, in discussing the present crisis in the world of Islam, takos a great deal of trouble to investigate the various manifestations and symptoms of that crisis end, where possible, to account for them. Hitherto Islam has been in theory, and very largely in practice., a democratic fraternity in whicli differences of rawe, colour, and family were stnk in a curiously effective equality of religion. The Moslem has tolerated a succession of the most outrageous d-espotisms, comforting himself with, the knowledge that th-;rc was no bar of law, custom, or precedent Do prevent him from becoming the Despot whenever it should please Allah to put down the mighty from their seat and send the rich empty away. And Moslem history gives innumerable instances of such abasements and the counter-balancing exaltations of the humble if not of the ineek. Certain families, however, enjoyed a pre-eminence among the great bulk of the Faithful—as for example, th@ descendants of tb.e Caliph All hepatoma, the daughter of the Prophet—and among the later recruits to Is!arn, such as the Turks, the House of Othman enjoyed for many centuries an immense racial prestige. Still, on the whole, in spite ot innumerable heresies and internecine wars, cruelties and oppressions one Moslem was far in L jre likely to make common cause with another Moslem against a non-Moslem than was a Christian likely to unite with another Christian in. similar circumstances.

This state of affairs seems to be passing away. Islam is distracted by a sudden growth of Nationalism, almost tropical in its rapidity and magnitude. Arabs joined with Christians against their Tuikish oppressors regardless of the fact that they were brother Moslems. Turks openly express their scorn for Arabs and have actually translated the Koran out of the sacred Arabic into rather primitive Turkish, and some of them openly talk of the propriety of abandoning Isiam. Egyptians, proud of their nationality, affect to despise their brother Moslems in India, and Afghan Moslems In India tecause they are subject to the British, and Afghan Moslems have refused to help their oppressed fiofcharali co-religionists as being the subjects of the anti-British Soviet. It is tills anti-British cross-current which seems to have been stemming the tide of disunion in Islam. Dr. O'Leary gives instances and quotes examples which lead the reader to realise that to the Oriental!, and particularly the Moslem Oriental, it is truly a case of Angleterro voili I'ennemi. To those curious who ask why, haying in mind an honourable rScord, in cur own eyes, in India and Egypt. Dr. O'Leary, who has closely studioi his subject, gives answer. And his answer which properly occupies several pages of his book, may perhaps be put more briefly in this wise. We have considered our administrators and soldiers in Mcslem lands as the salt of the earth. The Moslem has ac- '■ oepted the definition and so long as ; that salt was sparingly appli-.d he found the savour of the resullan; rlish to be not altogether displeasing to him. But when salt was imported by the ton he was nauseated by the taste and revolted against the diel. Dr O'Leary suggests thai our system of educating Orientals on lines deve- I loped for Occidentals may need revi- j sion; that we should not so eagerly ! lxposc the crudities of our island civi- j lisation to those who consider it un- j seemly and rather barbarous; and that j we should hand-pick those of our race who arc to maintain or...rathcr rebuild its prestige in the eyes of exacting »\siatics. He points out that the system of education specially arranged for young Arab, Egyptian, and Turkish law students at Lyons is calculated to make them oven more critical of the British and all their works than they ire as Moslems. It has been very jlear during the last lew years that , ery many Moslems, if they could agree ipon nothing else, could, at least unite n detestation of the British, and maiu,ain at least the semblance of a 'Moscm Nation" for our discomfiture.