THE WAR IN EGYPT.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1151, 19 September 1882, Page 2

THE WAR IN EGYPT.

+ — ARABI PASHA’S APPEAL to ENGLAND

The following letter was addressed by Arabi Pasha to Mr Gladstone a few days before the bombardment of Alexandria, but did not reach his hands until after that event:—

“To the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, M.P. Alexandria, 2nd July, 1882. Sir, —Our Prophet, in his Koran, has commanded us not to seek war, nor to begin it. He has commanded us also, if war be waged against us, to resist, and under penalty of being treated ourse’ves as unbelievers, to follow those who have assailed us with every weapon, and without pity. “ Hence England may rest assured that the first gun she fires on Egypt will absolve the Egyptians from all treaties, contracts, and conventions, that the control and debt will cease, that the property of Europeans will be confiscated, that the canals will be destroyed, the communications cut, and that use will be made of the religious zeal of Mahomedans to preach a holy war in Syria, in Aiabia, and in India. Egypt is held by Mahomedans as the key of Mecca and Medina, and all are bound by their religious law to defend these holy places and the ways leading to them. Sermons on this subject have already been preached in the mosques of De-

mascus, and an agreement has been come to with the religious leaders of every land throughout the (Mahomedan) world. I repeat it again and again that the first blow struck at Egypt by England or her allies will cause blood to flow through the breadth of Asia and of Africa, the responsibility of which will be on the head of Engb.nd. “The English Gove iment has allowed itself to be deceived by its agents, who have cost their conn ay its prestige in Egypt. England will be still worse advised if she attempt to regain what she has lost by the brute force of guns and bayonets. “ On the other hand, there are more humane and friendly means to this end. Egypt ia ready still, nay, desirous, to come to terms with England, to be fast friends with her, to protect her interests and keep her road to India, to be her ally. But she must keep within the limits of her jurisdiction. If, however, she prefers to remain deceived, and to boast and threaten us with her fleets and her Indian troops, it is hers to make the choice. Only let her not underrate, as she has done, the patriotism of the Egyptian people. Her representatives have not informed her of tne change which has been wrought among us since the days of Ismail’s tyranny. Nations in our modern age make sudden and gigantic strides in the path of

progress. “England, in fine, may rest assured that we are determined to fight, to die martyrs for our country—as has been enjoined on us by our Prophet—or else to conquer and so live independently and happy. Happiness in either case is promised to us, ana when a people is imbued with this belief their courage knows no bounds.—Ahmed Arabi.”