Religion: Naughty Turkiya Hassan

Brave men and great fighters are the followers of Islam, but their religious sensibilities are tender as an aching tooth. Because the British War Office tried to get them to bite paper cartridges tactlessly greased with pork tallow 76 years ago, Moslem sepoys fought the great Indian Mutiny. Because a Moslem fanatic proclaimed himself a redeemer or Mahdi in Egypt 40 years ago, thousands of Egyptians rebelled, left the bland head of Charles George (“Chinese”) Gordon stuck on a spike at the gates of Khartoum. Last week because a Swiss headmistress hoisted the skirts and paddled the bottom of naughty Turkiya Hassan at Port Said’s Al Salaam Missionary School, Egypt was threatened with still another Holy War. Vexed, Turkiya Hassan walked to the police, cried that she had been beaten because she had refused to be baptized a Christian. All over Egypt pious Moslems cried out in fury. The Arab Press squirmed with headlines like a parade of Arabic sea serpents: poor children were lured into schools and clinics for conversion; missionaries made use of hypnotism: French Catholics called Mohammed an impostor and vilified his faith. Two of the biggest newspapers are owned by Christians, nevertheless dared not let themselves be completely outdone in anti-Christian fury. While the Press squirmed, a committee petitioned fat King Fuad to “save Moslems from the evil intent of the missionaries” and in particular discontinue tax exemption to missionary institutions, withdraw subsidies for mission schools. One hundred and fifty thousand pounds would be saved annually for State schools and welfare work. The petition was concurred in by the present rector of Al Azhar University Sheikh Ahmedi el Zaharawi, who promptly gave £200 to an anti-mission fund. This reporters took to mean that the Government was interested, that things looked bad for the Christians. Half a dozen U. S. Protestant societies and two churches—Seventh Day Adventists and United Presbyterians—have missions in Egypt. Last week they joined with Rome in repudiating all accusations against them.