Page:The Fall of Constantinople.djvu/40

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THE FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE.

subdue the enemies of God and Mahomet. To recognize these doctrines and to live up to them is to be faithful, to refuse to recognize them is to be an unbeliever.

Islam makes believers fighters.

The feeling of superiority which such a revelation supplies over races which have not acquired such knowledge gives compactness to the nation, all the members of which believe they are specially under the Divine protection. Translated into action, this portion of the creed means that it is the duty of those who have accepted Mahomet's teaching to regard as enemies those who have not so accepted it. The result was that an amount of fanaticism was created in fighting, which at various times in the history of Moslem states has carried on their armies irresistibly to victory. The Moslem faith, with its sure and certain hope of black-eyed houris, has always supplied a certain amount of fanaticism ; but Moslem fanaticism has always been at its height when its non-sensual, its great positive side, the revelation to men who had ceased to believe in their idolatry of the existence of a God, has first dawned upon its votaries.

Final influence of Mahometanisn is deadly.

I am speaking here of the influence of Moslemism when is first embraced by a savage or barbarous race, and it is with this period that I am mainly and almost exclusively concerbed. There comes a time in the history of such a race, after its adoption of Islam, when other teachings of the religious system come into play, and when the poison of Moslemism begins to work. Family life is impossible where Islamism exists. Sensuality has everywhere been increased under its rule — a sensuality which causes directly and surely a moral and physical decay of the race. "Mahomet," says Sprengel, who has written an exhaustive life of the Prophet, "became a licentious theocrat." Mahomet affirmed that his devtion was increased by the innocent pleasures of sensuality and perfumes. Wherever his religion has had full sway, the consequent increase of sensuality has always been the means of weakening the race. The modern Turks have diminished in numbers, have been incapable of advancing in civilization, have lost ground, and have gradually become weaker through their sensuality, and especially through