Page 261 - Neglected Arabia Vol 1 (3)_Neat

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4 NEGLECTED ARABIA

life and thought, we may well ponder how we can utilize this cn.
thusiasm and need of an emotional outlet, in presenting the Chriw
tian message to them. A dark and repulsive picture of their mental
and spiritual background was afforded me by attendance at several '
of the gatherings which celebrate the ‘Ferhat Zahra.’ . .
main object is to make fun of Amr and gloat over his downfall, and |
consequently they are anxious to avoid the notice of the Su'nnikJ
For suggestive and obscene gestures and actions, I have never scca'rj
anything to equal it except the carvings on temples and Juggernaut
cars in South India. It is horrifying to see such things done in th*
name of religion, under the leadership of Mullayas; and it was an*,
palling to see the number of children present, taking it all in.'* • |
Dr. Mylrea remarks, “Kuwait is still an ultra Arab and ultra Mo*,
lem town and the prejudice against us and our work is still verr
strong.” .
Discouragements
In working against this solid wall of Moslem bigotry discourag*:
men Is are bound to appear. It is discouraging to work away at stonv^
bard hearts and apparently get no results. It is even more discoid
aging to begin to get responses and feel that one is ecuiquering
then because of extra active opposition on the part of the enemy i*
find one's work dissipated like frost on a sunny morning. There ha* ;
been active opposition of this kind to our work in Iraq as report^ i
by our evangelistic workers there. Mr. Moerdyk reports from :
Amarah: “ ‘And there are many adversaries.' For some reason c« ;
other the Mohammedan zealots of the Sunnis and more particularly
of the Nejf Shi’ahs seem to have taken to themselves the duty
arousing the people against our Christians and inquirers. Early i* j
the year letters, and even in some cases telegrams, were sent to j
different towns far and near reporting that numbers of the Mohan*,
medans were becoming Christians and calling upon the religion I
leaders to come and help before it was too late. Wonderfully exaj. j
gerated stories were invented and circulated; for example, that u 1
many as one hundred women and girls had been sent off to America |
in one lot and that many men and boys were given regular monthly I
stipends for coming to our meetings and for witnessing that tha •;
were Christians. The Aathemias of Bagdad sent a preacher who ((4 j
three or four days preached to large audiences in the Mosque to j
arouse the Mohammedans to be loyal and zealous in their religion j
and to slander the Jews and the Christians. Our work was especially I
mentioned. This man also visited other towns and there succeeded
in circulating anti-Christian stories. A man from Yemen pas*4 j
through Amarah and was used by the Shi ahs to address audicnm j
on the subject of our work. Three other religious leaders were y* j
in turn from Nejf, all of whom remained in the town for longer<4.
shorter period*. The last one of these seems to have succeeded i» j
persuading quite a group to subscribe towards the expense of ou»|
ing and maintaining a religious book-shop and rca(l,"S root?. 1
is to be anti-Christian. . . . A considerable an mint _of auti-CW,
tian literature from Nejf has been circulated m the town.