THE SENOUSSI. Influential Mohammedan Secret Society. HATERS OF CHRISTIANITY. Forbidden to Speak, Salute, Trade With or Serve Jews or Christians -A Fanatical and Powerful Order.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 95, 28 March 1885, Page 4

THE SENOUSSI. Influential Mohammedan Secret Society. HATERS OF CHRISTIANITY. Forbidden to Speak, Salute, Trade With or Serve Jews or Christians -A Fanatical and Powerful Order.

A correspondent writes to the London "Telegraph" that there exists in Egypt and Mohammedan countries a secret societycalled the " Senoussi," which is greater in its influence and numbers than ever was the Society of Jesus in its palmiest days. It had a hand, he says, in Arabi's rebellion, counts the Mahdi of the Soudan as one of its officers, and was at the bottom of the two movements, having instigated both of them. The Grand Master of the Senoussi boasts that he has more or less at his command about 30,000,000 of Mohammedans— that is, over a third nf the total number of the faithful. The greater number of these being more or less subject to Christian powers, dream of nothing but of the universal empire promised by the Koran. The feeling of intense hatred against the Christian is deeply engrafted in thoir hearts, and whether latent or eruptive, the work which goes on is permanent. They are at any moment prepared to seize the opportunity of a struggle with civilised nations ; their sole aim is a holy war, with neither truce nor mercy, against the unbelievers and against all those who covenant with the infidel. Their headquarters are at Serhboub, on the Egypto-Tripolitan border. It resembles a fortified convent. " Even ten years ago i it had sixteen big guns purchased at Alexandria, and several large factories where gunpowder was produced, and small arms, obtained in Egypt, remounted and repaired. In February last the number of big guns had increased to over a hundred, and : there were besides twenty mitrailleuses of German manufacture. According to trust- 1 worthy information, two Italian and three Austrian vessels anchored during the months of June and July last in the port of Tabrouk —which belongs to the Order — laden with arms, shot and shell, which were immediately forwarded over 200 kilometers seperating the port from Serhboub. There are also at the latter place a splendid library, transported thither from Mecca, the former headquarters of the fraternity, stables containing over 4,000 horses, magnificent reservoirs and plantations, etc. According to the distinguished French author Duveyrier, the bodyguard of the master who resides there consists of over 3,000 Algerians."

The Organisation. Scattered over the countries of Turkey, I Tripoli, Tunis, India, and wherever Moham medanism prevails, are " centres of action," some 500 or 600 in all. It has representatives at Constantinople and in France. "To give one solitary instance of the activity of these agents, I may state that during the Commune one of the Senoussi stationed at Peris managed to purloin from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the Quai d'Orsay, a document of a compromising nature, stamped with the seal or the chiefs of the Touareg of R'dames tribe, who rank among the most fervent adherents of the Order. ..." Just as in the case of the Jesuits, so it is with the Senoussi— le but justijie, les moyens, and they have recourse even to the most outrageous means to attain the object they keep in view. The Grand Master, who styles himself, among other things, the "Khalifa," or Lieutenant of God, corresponds with his subordinates by means of relays of special messengers who, in very confidential cases, convey verbal meseages only. To such a perfection are the means of communication carried amongst the Arabs that the Bedouins of the Pyramids of Giseh announced the massacre of Col. Stewarts party at Merawi twentyfour hours before the official news reached Cairo. In the same way the bombardment of Berber, the surrender of Tokar, and the | massacre at Sinkat were known here in the bazaars long before the official news of it was received. Some of their rules of life are also interesting; "Unquestioningobedienceis striotly enjoined, and even the Sultan and all other chiefs of Mohammedan States must conform to the precepts of Islamism, as interpreted by the Order, at the risk of

hostility against them being declared as justified. All embroideries, gold or silver ornaments, or jewellery are. strictly forbidden in the .case of men, but are permitted to women. Tobacco and coffee are likewise severely prohibited. Tea is allowed, but it must be sweetened with brown sugar, and not:with white, for the latter is defiled by the bones of animals killed by unbelievers, which are used to refine it. Members of the Order are forbidden to speak, salute, trade with, or 1 serve either Jews or Christians, and according to the precept •ontained in a sermon preached in March, 1861, by Hadj Ahmed Ben Bel-Kasen, Mokkadem of the town ot Rhat, any Jew or Christian who is no longer a rayah— that is to say, who is no longer subject to a Mohammedan Government — becomes # an adversary whom it is lawful, nay^ whom it is necessary, to rob and kill at all times and in all places. The members of the Order who possess a capital of over £5 pay annually 2£ per cent, thereon into the treasury, which receives, in addition, vast donations of cattle, lands, slaves, and money. Both the Turkish, Egyptian, and Tunisian Governments have been most liberal in granting it subsidies, lands, and fiscal immunities.

The Real Mahdi. "Sidi Mohamed Ben AH Es-Senoussi, who, during the last years of his life, used always to hide his face with a veil, lest the brilliancy of his aspect should dazzle his disciples, died a few years ago in the odour of sanctity. Before his death he solemnly proclaimed his son not only his successor as chief of the Order, but also as the Messiah, or Mahdi. According to Koranic tradition, the true Mahdi was to make his appearance in the 1300 th year of the Hegirah— i. c, A. 3). 1883— at which date he was to have attained his majority. His father's name was to be Mohamed, his mother's Fatima. The present Grand Master of the Senoussi fulfils all these requirements, and is known throughout the Mussulman world by the name of Sidi Mohamed el Mahdi. "It may be urged that since Senoussi claims to be the true Mahdi, there can be no co operation on his part with the Saudanesse Mahdi, Mohamet Ahmet. This is a mistake. The Koran distinctly states that several Mahdis will arise simultaneously with the chief one, but that they will all in the end submit to the latter. It is probably with a view of verifying this prophecy that the Senoassi has called forth false Mahdis in the Yemen and Hedjaz, in Syria, as well as in the Soudan. "If native accounts— the only ones we have at our disposal — are to be relied upon, it would appear that Mohamet Ahmet no longer clams to be the Madhi, but rathe the principal forerunner, the St. John the Baptist of the latter."