THE CAPITAL OF NEW ARABIA

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 124, 12 February 1918, Page 7

THE CAPITAL OF NEW ARABIA

MECCA TBE CITY OF PILGRIMS : ABOUT EL HEJAZ A picture of Mecca the Mystic, enpiial of, the new kingdom within Arabia, ■which was established recently by tho Grand Sherif of the Moslem faith, is contained in a communication to tho National Geographical (Society from Dr. S. M. Zwerncr. "Of all the provincos of Arabia, El Hejaz, which recently revolted against Turkish rule and set up. its own kingdom, with tho Grand ■ Sherif of Mecca as sovereign, undoubtedly has most frequent contact with the outside world, yot is the least known," ho says. "Parts of it _ have never yet been.explored. El Hejaz is so named because it forms 'the barrier , between Tehama, tho coast province on [tho south, and Nejd in tho interior. Its sole importance is due to the fact •that it contains the two sacred cities, Mecca and Medina, which. for more than thirteen centuries have been the centres of pilgrimage ,for the Moslem world. , ■

"Before tho railway was completed from Damascus to Medina, the port of that city, Yonbo, was as flourishing as 'Jiddah is now; hut at present it has almost the appearance of a deserted uity. The whole pilgrim traffic has been air vertetf, and even the caravan route from tho coast to Medina is at present unsafe. The importance of Mecca is not due to its resident population of perhaps 100,000, but to the more than 200,000 pilgrims who visit it each year from every nation of. Islam. Statistics are hopelessly contradictory and confusing, regarding the number of annual visitors. According to Turkish official estimates, in 1907 there were no less than 280,000. pilgrims. It is a marvel how 60 many thousands can find food, shelter, and, _ most of all, idrink, in such a.desert city." Strength of Islam. The religious capital of Islam, and now the temporal capital of the _ new kingdom of Arabia, affords an index to tho growth and strength of Mohammedanism in various parts or the world, for one can rightly gauge the strength of religious fervour in this great non-Christian fflith by the number of those who go on pilgrimage. From Java, Bengal, West Africa, Capo Colony, and Russia, as well, as from tho most inaccessible provinces of China, they come every year and return to their native land—if they escape the hardships of travel—to tell of the greatness and glory of their faith, however much they may have been disappointed in the actual condition of the city and its sacred build- , When we consider Mecca, Mohammed's words of prophecy in the second chapter of his book seem to have been literally fulfilled;. "So wo have made y6u the centre of the nations that you should bear witness to men." The old pagan pantheon has become the religious sanctuary and trie goal of universal pilgrimage for one-seventh of the human race. 1 From Sierra Leone to Canton, and from Tobolsk to Cape Town, the faith-ful-spread their prayer • carpets,, build tbeir houses (in fulfilment of an important tradition, even, their outhousesl), and bury their dead toward the meridian of Mecca. If the Old World could be viewed from an aero r plane, the observer would see concentrio circles of living worshippers covering an ever-widening area, and one would also see vast areas of Moslem cemeteries with every grave dug towards the sacred city. . . No Longer a Veiled City. Mecca,is no longer a veiled city. A 'score of intrepid travellers have unveiled it. Prom Bartemai -Wild, and Joseph Pitts to Burton, Burkliardt, Hurgronje, and C'ourtellemont, they took their lives in their hands! herded with strange companions, underwent untold hardships, and by luck or pluck came gcatkless out of this lion's den of Islam., According to Doughty, scarce a pilgrimage takes place without some persons being put to death as intruding Christians. An educated and pious Moslem here, in Cairo assured mo only a few months ago that when he went on pilgrimage and took pictures of the city his life was endangered more than once by the fanaticism of the inhabitants. However, there are many who believe that the opening of the Hejaz Railway, especially as a branch is to be carried to Jiddahj the breaking up of Turkish power in Arabia, and the establishment of the new kingdom will mean the removal of restrictions against non-Moslems. i .

The Turkish Government was most ■unsuccessful in introducing liberty and reform in the province of Hejaz, as it has been in other portions of the empire. Their task, even had they made a conscientious effort, would have been' especially difficult here because of the •mutual hatred between Turks and 'Arabs, the restless character of the Bedouin population, and the utter collapse of all respect for authority after iho Turkish defeat in the Balkan War. The Arabs have at last insisted upon ruling their sacred cities themselves, and have placed the Grand Sherif of Mecca, El Husein Ibn AH, on the temporal throne of the new kingdom, as well as upon the spiritual' throno of the whole Moslem world, save that portion- dominated by the Sultan of Turkey.