At Others They Appear As Prophets, Prophets Of Ill, By
Preaching Boldly The Holy War.
The French in Africa now furnish them with an everlasting theme of
denunciation.
From Morocco they travel eastwards, filling the Sahara and
the Atlas with the odours of their holy reputation. So that religious
light, like that of civilization, is now moving from the
west - eastwards, instead of, as in times past, from the east - eastwards.
The Maroquine Mahometans may be cited as a case in point. They find too
frequently only the form of religion in the east, as we do in the
eastern churches. They are beginning to assault Mecca as we have
assaulted Jerusalem.
Now for an anecdote or two illustrative of the high state of orthodoxy
professed by the Shereefs. Some time ago, a number of handkerchiefs were
brought, or rather smuggled into Mogador, having printed upon them
passages from the Koran. One of them got into the hands of the Emperor,
who thinking the Christians were ridiculing the Sacred Book, ordered
instanter all the cities of the coast to be searched to discover the
offender who introduced them. Happily for the merchant he was not found
out. His Highness commanded that all the handkerchiefs which were
collected should be destroyed. When Mr. Davidson was at Morocco, he
prescribed some Seidlitz water for the use of the Sultan, and placed on
the sides of two bottles, containing the beverage, Arabic verses from
the Koran. The Sultan was exceedingly exasperated at this compliment to
his religion, and had it privately intimated to Mr. Davidson not to
desecrate the Holy Book in that abominable manner.
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