ISLAM

SIDELIGHTS ON MOSLEM CHARACTER 147
Islam, but it was those passages of the Holy Quran
(such as There is no compulsion in religion^ etc.,)
that guarantee the inviolability of their Church
against compulsory molestation. Hardly a year
passes in which a considerable number of Europeans
do not adopt the religion of Islam. America is also
inflected with Islamism. All these European and
American converts do not go to the Muslim East
to seek their fortunes. They are mostly people of
position and means. The Western adherents of Islam
are persons of education. The excessive condemnation
of Islam in literatures of Christendom has its
reaction, and it is possible that these educated men
or women who are interested in religious questions
may grow curious to find out the causes of the hostile
criticism of Islam. When they refer to unbiased
sources they discover not only grounds which refute
the charges of the Christian critics, but also the
proverbial influence of Islam upon the conduct of
mankind. Accordingly some of them adhere to Islam
of their own free will."
Mr. Devonian would have been surprised and almost
dissuaded from launching on his glorious task to
find these facts strewn over the pages of Christian
history and draw the conclusions for himself. The
following paragraphs from Mr. E. P. Knight's
*
Awakening of Turkey 19 would conclusively prove
the points
for himself ?
stated here. Would Mr. Devonian look
"In justice to the votaries of the Moslem creed