With regard to morals he
is severe where the Koran is severe, indulgent where it indulges. Wine
with him is an abomination, and asceticism with regard to meat and
tobacco is often practised by him. On the whole he is respectable and
respected; but the reforms he would impose on Islam are too purely
reactive to be altogether acceptable to the mass of Mohammedans or
suited to the urgent necessities of the age. It is conceivable, however,
that should the revival of Islam take the form of a religious war, the
races of Africa may be found taking the leading part in it. Tripoli,
Tunis, Algiers, and Morocco contain hardy races of fighting men who may
yet trouble Europe; and fifty years of rule have not yet assimilated the
French Sahara.
It is difficult to gain accurate statistics as to the proportion of
pilgrims sent to Mecca by these various States, but it would seem the
Algerian pilgrimage is the smallest. This is due mainly to hindrances
raised by the French Government, whose policy it is to isolate their
province from the rest of the Mussulman world. An Algerian pilgrim is
called upon to produce the sum of 1000 francs before he is permitted to
embark for Jeddah, and he is subjected to various other needless
formalities.
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