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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1928-04-05, Page 3.74 A HOLY WAR IN ARABIA Fanatics in the Home of Fanaticism Work "Themselves into Frenzie to Throw Out Unbelievers ISLAM VS BRITAIN Arabia—that furnace of fanaticism in which, for a thousand years, Is.am has forged her thunderbolts—has beenefanned once more into a flame o% religious war. Abdul Aziz ibn Abclur- Rahinan ab 17'aisab ab -Saud, to give him his full name, King of the Hed- jaz, yvhieh includes the holy places of Mecca and Medina, and Sultan also of Nejd, his inland patrimony, has flung his wild Wahabi tribes against Bri- tish Influence at Kowett on the Per- sian Gulf to the east and Transjor- dania, the threshold of Palestine, to the west. And he has, curiously enough, started his offensive at a time when trouble faces Britain in Egypt. It is an explosion wholly in the man- ner of Mohammed himself—first ti dight for the true faith against the in- fidel and the herettic, and secondly an. ',attempt at conquest of territory— Arabia for the Arabians, a Saracenie -empire, to extend from the Mediter- ranean to the frontiers of Persia. In the seventh and succeeding cen- turies the Arabs and their converts, the Turks, were able to carry fire and sword into the heart of Spain and to the gates of Vienna. That was be- cause. their military and political' science was at least equal to any re- sistance offered to them. In the Mid- dle Ages Ibn Saud might well have been a second Saladin: But to -day he is confronted by Westetrn weapons,` the airplane, the tank, artillery, pres- tige. He can he checked, and the probabilities • are that, whether by arms .or by .negotiations aor both, he will be. A Romantic Eastern Chieftain. vet he. is. a'chieftain whostevery gesture evokes romance, A .man in me telly -Meth year, he stands well over six feet fu height. The perfect Sheik, he spent his youth in the sad- dle, riding madly over the desert and with his rifle, achieving fame as a marksman. By ancestry he was direct heir to the Sultanate of Nejd. If the capi- tal, Riadh, • was held by the rival family of Rashid, the reason—accord- ing to Ibn Saud—was usurpation. Ibn Saud's first exploit was to put that The Heshiznites are Moslems, But they are Moslems 111 touch with and amenable to the West, Luxury, laxity, display --so it seemed to the Wahabis—were undermining the rec titudes of the true faith, A holy war was proclaimed,• therefore, and in -the Autumn of 1924 King Hussein van- ished from Mecca, Per a day or two his heir, Prince Ali, tried to oeenpy the vaeant sovereignty, but he also, disappeared. Ibn Saud entered. the city in triumph and was accepted as King. The British -Policy. The British acquiesced in the fait accompli and even continued ,to sub- sidize Ibn Saud. But there arose the question, once again, whether the vic- tor would be satisfied even yet with his success, and if dissatisfied, what would be his next objective? In the world of Islam the Sultans of Turkey have been Caliphs or Spiritual heads of the faith. With the deposition of the Sultans by the Turks thetuselves the Caliphate fell into abeyance. Shortly before his fall King Hussein, as trustee for Mecca, had declared himself Caliph, but there were other possibilities—the Aga Khan, the Amir of Afghanistan and the Sultan of Morocco among them— to say nothing of King Fuad of Egypt, The candidature of King Hussein, therefore, was unconfirnted when he fell into obscurity. • There arose the question, therefore, whether Ibn Saud would follow his example. Would the Caliphate be his next acquisition? Clearly his territories in Arabia, con- sisting of the Hedjaz and Nejd, gave him a sufficient basis of temporal power on which to found such a claim. He has deeided on •a very different initiative. Instetad of using his posi- tion in order to impress the pilgrims who throng Mecca from points so dis- tant as Java and Southern Africa, Ibn Saud has again seized the swodd. That 'his hang has been forced can hardly be doubted. The secret of his success has been religious impulse. That impulse was - concentrated against any surrender of the pure practice of Islam to the influence of Ships of the Desert CAMEL CONVOY ON THE DESERT OF ARABIA These are Wahabi tribesmen, There are conflicting and persisting rumors of trouble in that district, mateer straight. The city was sur- prised, and, standing on the roof of the palace, a Mahabi warrior cried: "The kingdom belongs to Allah and to Ibn Saud!" After this success the struggle be- tween Ibn Saud and Ibn Rashid con- tinued without intermission, One by one villages were visited by miss* saries demanding tribute for "His Gracious Mightness the Emir of Riadh, Great Chief, to the glory of Allah, Sultan of Najd.", , One by one the villages submitted. In Arabia Ibu Saud betaine the most dreaded of ail potentates. To disobey. hitn was to be obliterated. They who resisted were wiped out.. ' In manner he is gracious, polite, dignified~ As. tai lidebe. td 'end father, ale ie kindly. But as a ruler, he has . ''been inflexible. Hea stands for the fui}damtln`.tals, of Islaryt agn,inst,a.11 corn - 4 :�pronise rg a`8 ,i4 ¼i ':, •1 1 Strict Livers. i•a=larejateaasiele alea's%ltfealie,;forfeit'if he net;lf.e s ;daily prayer at'.tile mosque.• ' o• smoke "tbbaLco, to drink fermented 1 }t gilb't,,to wear soft raiment of silk and US covet' old and jewels—these also are deadl\ offeises; t Thetrule is purl- taiiko'al. iThea great moscuo is un decorated. Even piliimages •are;afore '•�'•1 ' bidden. Najd may be des'cri'bed as the Scotlsntt; ef rebut- -a: Scotland not with. t; J:oh i Knox. ,,It has meant ''.that Tor the•]ient'up energies of the, Wahabis the only outlet liras' been war, With the British Ibn'Saud• has•lived hitherto iln excOiieXi `1,ethns.' 'The Brl- t tish greatly preeer ed. hien "tar Ibit Rashid, who had favored the Turk. It ,s , ,lpn Saud therefore who received - a the subsidies, Which among the oases Indicate good feeling. In the year 1923 there developed the question whether Nejd and the .chieftainship over the 'Wahabis would gallery the ambitions of Ibn 'Saud. There were other potentates than he in Arabia., and particularly obnoxious to hint were the tibi jut ous . Bashi, tniteS. The Hashilnite King of the Hedjajn 'was Hussein; and Hussein had three sons. .The eldest, Ali, was reserved ler his tether's throne. The second, Abdltllah, was appointed to be Limit of Transjordania. The third, Peisut, became. King of Iraq, or MVieeopotantia, It war an arrangement that, as long t+.s ft lasted, relegated Mit Saud to Is h teeonilary statim la the unbeliever. Ibn Saud, riding an Arab steed, looked the part. But Ibn Saud, seated in an automobile, ap- peared to his more eager followers un- duly to resemble the Hashimites them- selves. His followers became rest- less, and to govern Nejd from Mecca was less easy than' to attack* Mecca from Nejd. To fortify his throne Ibn Saud must set forth again on the war- path. Having played the part of a Napoleon all his life, there Is no other part, open to him to play. Whether it be to a Moscow or a Waterloo, on he Hoist march. For -the simpleminded attitudfe of the Wahabis there is, after all, t logi- cal reason. Their power depends ab- solutely—and , they realize it—on . the horse %and tate camel. Throw epen Arabia to mechanical transit. an the peculiit . activities of Nejd, which in- clude as frequent toll on passing cara- vans, deme to an end. The Arabic; of :Doughty—Arabia Infelix for the for- eigner—ceases to be. Whether by 'reason' or instinct, the Wahabis ap- preciate the position. Also they are "displaying what has always been the limitation of Islam. Tri theta stern insistence on simple truths and simple lives, there is cer- tain strength of character.- The Wa- habis' methods are cruel, but in their own way these tribesmen are reform- ers., The trouble is, however, that, having destroyed abuses, they do not' know, bouts to reconstruct. In attack, - thee initiative is formidable, but eta„ cept in attack they have no initiative 'at all. Attack is thus their only idea. of policy. Au Arabia, antagonized and hostile, would be therefore a singularly un- welcome addition to Britain's re- sponsibilities in the Middle East: She has Egypt on her hands, refusing tQ ratify 'any treaty except on the basis of the absolute independence, mili- tary and eco,Romic, 'viwhioh Britain is unwilling to concede. Also she has Palestine where Arabs are apt to be restive iinder the suspicion that Zioii- ism, however carefully safeguarded, inay threaten their influence over the country and their property therein, XL will be assumed, then, that Bri- tale will do her utmost to adjust this latest situation with a minimum use of Wee, For several generations, ea governing minds have' liked an St dlnired the Arab, and more import. ngland's Friendly Arab Ally IRAQ'S RULER AND HIS ADVISERS King Feeisal is a son of King Hussein of Hedjjaz, dethroned three years ago by King Ibn Saud, with le starting the holy war in Transjordinia and Iraq. Connoraut Makes Delicious Fowl ()Rave•• -•The eoriparant, %. vara sea fowl which he're'tofore bee, been ema eldevred ('mite jnerc ibbe, when properly prepared may males a delicious', palae.te'pleaain,g tors d'oeuvre, re-, Searches carried on at the nation .' museum here • Indicate. . This revelation 0a34e to light when a oemroirant specimen was received alt the museum from the New Bruns- wick coast, Membern of the mus.enin biological, staff had heard that the flesh of the cormorant was very dis- ague~able to the. taste bat the cause of .solenelfic research roust be served and so time Maritima bird, .a nine pound s+pecimen, was cooked. An- noumcem,ent that the cormorant was not as tough, and inedible a fowl es it was believed to have been, was made after three naturalists of the niusyum staff had industriously munched the wings and drumsticks of the New Brunswick cormorant, "Bootlegger" is adjudged a libelous term. How about "hijacker"? And "scofflaw"? ant,,have been liked and admired in return. Lawrence Could Help. \ A man of the stamp of Colonel Law- rence, who welded the Arab tribes together in the World War and there- by won great renown, would under- stand Ibn Saud. But there are larger than personal questions involved.' Is it conceivable that the Mohammedism of the Wahabis, however attractive may be the sincerity of it, will be able to avoid contact with a world-wide Is- lami of a less exacting type? Mecca can hardly expect to be the capital of certain principalities in Arabia. It is the • goal of innumerable pilgrims whose health—to mention only one circumstance—must be subject to quarantine. A British Moslem, Lord Headley, told King Hussein plainly that if lie had to stand bareheaded in the sun, it would be his death, and this rule, at any rate, had to be re- laxed. So with smallpox, now raging in Syria, , In the Wahabis we see then the last defiant stand of those shock troa,ps who,' centuries before; the Nor- man Conquest, carried the banner of the Prophet to ruthless victory, chang- ing the history of mankiud by a'valor and by a vengeance Amalekite in its ferocity and Amalekite in its racial origin, The dignity of Ibn Saud is impres- sive. He sits impassive, listens in- tently, answers with deliberation. He does not deny that he has been re-, sponsible for massacres of .civilians, for the seizure of property and for the demolition. of shrines which are re- vered by 'Millions of Moslems but con- demned by Mahabi oithodozy. But he argues that he has committed no art save what is in accordance with the Koran and that he has been subjected to provocation. Queen Elizabeth, British Dreadnaught, Is Rammed Valetta, Malta, — The collier Cornthe, leaving the harbor here, col- lided with the stern of the British battleship Queen Elizabeth. Both ships were damaged. Admiral Keyes, ashore at the tine of the accident, im- mediately went aboard. The British super -dreadnought the Queen Elizabeth, which was launched in 1913, played a romantic part in Bri- till naval activities during the World War. She was an ail Burner and at the time of her launching was one of the most powerful vessels afloat. The Queen Elizabeth headed the Allied fleet which demolished the Turkish forts at the entrance to the Bartle nelies in 1915.and took part in. exten- sive bombardment operations at the Gallipoli peninsula. She was hit by Turkish shells tiering these opera- tions and was damaged somewhat. Her eight 15 -inch guns were reported to. be the most accurate ever possess- ed by the British navy. The vessel was used in support of the troops which fought at Gallipoli. The Queen Elizabeth was the vessel. aboard which the surrender of the German fleet was arranged at a cos.. rents be- tween Germau and British representa- tives in November, 1918. Unemployment in Canada Quebec Chronicle -Telegraph (Ind.): Of all countries in the world Canada, by reason of her extremes of climatte, has perhaps the greatest variation between the peaks of employment and unemployment in her basic industries. Yet no nation-wide organized effort has ever,,been made to devise means of `stabilizing the situation. "Girl Regains Sight Sitting at Radio," Here's hoping she doesn't lose her hearing. New Engine For "Sport" Plane Is Planned by British Firm Landau—Cue of the Largest aero- engine manufacturers in England is about to undertake the production of two new types of motors. The Brat will be a high-efileiency engine suit- able for a "sports" -type of .light Plane. It will be similar in lay -out, size .and weight to the Cirrus aero - engines, which are used extoaneively by the light airplane clubs and pri- vate owners, but it will develop from 100 to 120 horsepower. With this engine the fast single - seater light plane, fulfilling a similar purpose in the air that Is fulfilled b y the sports: car on the roads, will be- came possible. • It is believed that if a market for this type of plane does not now exist., It will soon be brought into being as the number of private owners and club Members increases. The second engine will be of such sirperiom power that it will be adapt- able primarily to commercial services .and "air taicis," 1 Prince of Afghanistan Is Latest Royal Student in Path Lycee Paris—This Is a "royal school- house," Parisians are reminded through the discovery of another heir apparent wearing out the hard benchers of a lycee, The French wel- come these distinguished students, hoping they will spread the fame .of (ranee. • Prince H,eydayat Wale, son of Ama nullah•, King of Afghanistan, was 1 found to be a student here when his royal father and mother recently visited France. He, like other future {I sovereigns- of many countries, will' then go to St. Cyr, the West Point of France, and learn all about war. j Vinh Thuy, young King of Annatn, is still in school here. He went back to mount the ttr'•one atter the death of Ma father two years ago, but has ' resumed phis sudies. The late King Peter of Serbia was one of the mrs.t brilliant students of the French army school. Prince Monivong, who became King of Cambodia last August, was eduoatod in Prance, studied at St. Cyr and beoam•e an officer in the fam- ous Foreign Legion in Afraca to get practical military experience. Scores of other royal personages .have had much of their schooling in France. A New Zealand Smash et, ,w,rh wae,,:. ' ter . t "BUT YOU'D OUGHTER SEE THE TRUCK" The result of an unexpected meeting of a passenger bus and a truck al Hamilton, N.Z. No one was injured. Costermongers ' Now `Traders' I London -- Costermorigers are no longer costermongers. They have chosen to be known as street traders: ; And the "Street Traders Ball" was official name of tate function at wraith they entertained the Duke and Duchess of York, which in the past was known as the "Coster Ball." ADAMSON'S ADVENTURES—By 0. Jacobsson. ANEW /HA!! HA! WHAT A STUPID LooKING. BRUTe THAT ELEPHANT 15! J isi &yrt1:1144.4, tnc ) Never Abuse a Pomo Da nceless .letalaa it, The Lash far Bandits Ottawa :Journal (Cons.): Bandits of the 'United States must be made aware with certainty that when they cross, into Canada they become sub• jest to legal machinery that is swift and severe. The lash should be ad. ministered to such criminals on every occasiou. And there need be no mauidiug sympathy for them. It may be taken for granted that armed black- guards of this type will shoot to kill without any regard for their victims. Gunman in the United States are al- together too numerous for Canada to view with equanimity the trausfer of their activities to this side of the border. British Immigrants Toronto Globe (Lib.) : it will be well if Canada concentrates on British stock, for while the Continental int- migrants profess an intention to go !farming, experience has shown that thousands of them drift to the cities and swell the ranks of the unemploys ed, or menace the Canadian standard of living, once the watchful eye of the authorities is removed . . .. British settlers, plus the people of the French, race who were already here, have proved a tower of strength in the del velopment of the Dominion. The Toui ist. "4re you going abroad uext sum. mer?" "No, I really believe 1'nt erai5J on the water wagon;" Marriage ""it—'he life' sentence that is suspended by bad behavior.