EUROPE AND ISLAM

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 32, 7 February 1913, Page 7

EUROPE AND ISLAM

" I had despaired of ever seeing in my life the two communities (Hindus and Mohammedans) joining hands, but the ways of Providence are inscrutable, and I never dreamt that the rapprochement would be brought about so soon and in such a tragic manner," said the Hon. Mr. Mazar-ul-Huq, in his addl-ess of welcome at the Indian Congress at Bankipare last month. " The recent treatment of Islam by Europe has turned the scales. The sacrilege committed by the Russian troops on the sacred mausoleum of Imam Moosi Raza at Meshed, in Persia, exasperated the religious feelinge of Moslems throughout the World. Sir Edward Grey, the author of the Anglo-Russian Convention, never raised his little finger to prevent the outrage. Then Italy invaded Tripoli, o, country peopled wholly by Moslems of Arab descent, and living peacefully under Turkish rule. It was a shameless act of brigandage attended by most inhuman atrocities, but this time Sir Edward Grey, with what I can only call indecent haste, recognised the sovereignty of Italy over a country which still remained to be conquered. Then came the greatest blow to the prestige of Islam— the invasion of the seat of its Rhalifate by the Balkan States. -While Turkey was still fighting Italy she was treacherously attacked on all sides. If the belligerents had fought purely for territory, the war would not have produced any visible effect upon the Mussulmans of India. But these Christian States openly preached a crusade against Islam. It was not a war against the Turks, but a war to turn Moslems out of Europe— a war between the Asiatics and the Europeans, a war between the Cross and the Crescent. Then the feel- j ings of the Moslem worjd rose' in ihdignation against the perpetrators of this outrage upon humanity and their religion. .It is to bo regretted tliat most of the responsible Ministers of the British Government, including the Prime Minister of England himself, gave vent to their feelings, which clearly showed their intolerance of Islam. Mr. Asquith in his Guildhall speech referred to Salonica as the gate through which Christianity had spread in Europe, and expressed his pleasure that it was once more in the hands of a Christian Power. There was ! not a word of regi'et at the humiliation j of England's old ally, Turkey, not a j word of sympathy with the Moslem world, but a hope that Constantinople itself might fall and be cleared of the presence of the hated Turk. Read the speeches of Mr. Lloyd George, Mr. Churchill, Mr. Masterman. and Mr. Acland, and you will find the same exultant tone at the expulsion of the followers of Islam from Europe. This attitude of the British Ministers deeply offended the sentiments" and wounded the religious feelingß of 70,000,000 Mussulman subjects of His Imperial Majesty in India. Ludtily at thispcritical juncture two factors came in, which soothed the ruffled susceptibilities of the Moslem community. We have now at the helm of the Indian Government a Viceroy who grasped the danger and at once handled the situation with tact and sympathy. His subscription towards the fund of the Red Crescent Society greatly conciliated public opinion. He was nobly assisted in his great task by men like Lords Carmichael and Pentland, Sir Charles Bayley, and Sir James Meston, and many other high European officials. These great statesmen have saved the situation. < The latest ' instance of this sympathy is the opening of a subscription list by Her Excellency Lady Hardinge to enable the Indian ladies to subscribe. The Moslems of India can never forget all this kindness."