Pan-Islam   By: G. Wyman (George Wyman) Bury (1874-)

MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED LONDON . BOMBAY . CALCUTTA . MADRAS MELBOURNE

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY NEW YORK . BOSTON . CHICAGO DALLAS . SAN FRANCISCO

THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, LTD. TORONTO

PAN ISLAM

BY

G. WYMAN BURY

Author of "The Land of Us," "Arabia Infelix."

MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED ST. MARTIN'S STREET, LONDON 1919

TO

MY WIFE

PREFACE

I have written this book to present the main factors of a many sided problem political, social and religious in a form which the general public can easily grasp.

Modern democratic principles tend to give the public increasing control of international and inter racial affairs, and therefore any contribution to public knowledge on such questions is in the interests of sound administration.

The book is not intended to advise those who actually handle these affairs: I give such advice, when required, in more detail and not through the medium of a published work.

"Pan Islam" is an elementary handbook, not a text book still less an exhaustive treatise, but the questions it discusses are real enough. My qualifications for writing it are based on a quarter of a century's experience of the subject in most parts of the Moslem world, and I have studied the question in areas which I have not actually visited through intercourse with pilgrims from those parts.

I have no axe to grind or infallible panacea to advocate; I merely lay the result of my researches before the public for its information, as failing health has warned me to "pass the ball when collared," and I would like to think that the land where most of my life's work has centred will not be mishandled by cranks and opportunists after I have left the game.

An arm chair is a sorry substitute for an Arab pony, and a garden plot for the highlands of Arabia Felix, but the human mind is not necessarily confined by such trammels, and if my environment is narrow I hope my book is not.

G. WYMAN BURY.

Helouan, 27th July, 1919.

CONTENTS

PAGE

CHAPTER I

ITS ORIGIN AND MEANING 11

CHAPTER II

ITS BEARING ON THE WAR 24

CHAPTER III

ITS STRENGTH AND WEAKNESS 83

CHAPTER IV

MOSLEM AND MISSIONARY 110

CHAPTER V

A PLEA FOR TOLERANCE 187

PAN ISLAM

CHAPTER I

ITS ORIGIN AND MEANING

Much has been written about Christianity and Islam, so I hasten to inform my readers that this is not a religious treatise, nor do I class them with the globe trotter who searched Benares brass bazar diligently for "a really nice image of Allah" and pronounced the dread name of Hindustan's avenging goddess like an effervescing drink.

I presuppose that Christians or Moslems who read this book have got beyond the stage of calling each other pagans or kafirs , and it will have served its purpose if it brings about a friendlier feeling between the two great militant creeds whose adherents have confronted together many a stricken field.

Most people have heard of the pan Islamic movement, especially during the War. Some of us have called it a political bogey and some a world menace, but these are extremist views it is really the practical protest of Moslems against the exploitation of their spiritual and material resources by outsiders.