RELIGION IN MESOPOTAMIA. 



181 



a Hebrew Christian Church. The history of its vicissitudes, 

 of its discipline, its triumph and captivity, is not dissimilar 

 to the history of the Jews. 



My third remark or suggestion is that " We have ap- 

 parently reached a very definite advance towards the realization 

 of that Kingdom and fellowship which has been the leading 

 feature of Divine revelation since the first clear call came to the 

 Semitic Sheikh whose earliest religious conceptions were received 

 at Ur of the Chaldees." 



I shall Only briefly refer you to the phenomena that lead me to 

 make this suggestion . You will be able to supplement the reasons 

 for my hope by your knowledge of what is happening outside the 

 countries with which we are now concerned. 



1. The "Unchanging East" is changing at last under the 

 influence of Western trade, laws and civilization. India, China 

 and Japan have changed, but the Mohammedan lands have been 

 the last to yield. 



2. For 500 years Islam has held the gates and keys of the 

 Orient, has barred the way to a peaceful settlement of the East, 

 has fostered religious hatred and fanaticism, has either held 

 captive or held in check the greater part of Eastern Christendom, 

 and has caused endless trouble to European peoples. 



3. The collapse of Turkey has changed all this. The die is 

 already cast, and no modification of the Treaty of Sevres will 

 alter the fact that the political weapon of this great Eastern 

 religion, the so-called " Sword of Islam," has been shattered 

 for ever. 



4. As a religion Islam remains, and may even continue to 

 flourish, for it has prospered most under British protection ; 

 but other influences have been at work and the character of 

 Islam as a religion is also rapidly changing. 



5. One of the greatest strongholds of its fanaticism was in 

 Mesopotamia. The recent revolt was engineered at Kerbela 

 and Negif. The revolt had to be crushed, and its suppression 

 has incidentally extinguished the last surviving fires of fanaticism. 

 The religious intolerance of Islam, though not yet entirely 

 eliminated, is now doomed to disappear. 



6. The Wahabis of Central Arabia represent a diflerent form 

 of religious bigotry that is less dangerous to civilization than the 

 fanaticism fostered by the Turks. We have rendered essential 

 services to their leader, IbnSaood, who sent his son to London, 

 where I had. the privilege of a few words with him some months 



