Page 125 - Neglected Arabia Vol I (1)

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10 NEGLECTED ARABIA

And now a word about the Protestant community. In Bagdad, as I
at* Basrah, Protestantism is identified with missionary effort, whose p
history throughout all the Near East proves that however much a |
Protestant organization may intend to work for the uplift of the |
Muslim population alone, yet wherever there is an Oriental Church, j
ihere will also be, in time, those who will come out and attach therm- \
selves to our faith. It may be called a by-product of our effort, but j
none the less its importance must be recognized. The Protestant 1
Christian who comes to us from the older missions to the North, or |
from our own midst, is, in the mind of the Muslim, the only evidence |
m general of what Christianity can do with the Oriental, what he him- |
self may expect to become if he accepts our preaching of Christ. The
responsibility for the leadership of. such a factor for good or evil cannot ]
lightly be put aside. Most of us are acquainted with the Protestant I
community at Basrah. That at Bagdad is larger, and in some ways
better equipped to be the exponent of a purer Christianity than may be * I
found in the several Eastern Churches. They are well organized, I
and the isolation and strain of long endured war conditions have given
them an independence that is admirable. As would be assumed from J
their association with the C. M. S., they have become accustomed to the j
liturgical service of the Church of England and many of them con­
sider themselves members of that body. With this connection I have
not in the least interfered, though I have been able to help them in
many ways, especially in their relations with the Government.
Passing on to what may be considered the most important section of 1
this report—the Muslim population and the Mission's interest in it—it -
must be borne in mind that there is no essential difference between I
the Muslim population of Bagdad and that of Basrah; between ‘the .1
Mission work that we have done in the latter place and that which we ;
might do in the former. The slight differences due to a larger popula­
tion and a position inland may be readily understood and discounted.
What I mean is that the change in latitude will bring no new problems
to confront us; there is no hope of discovering in the City of the
Caliphs a new and easy road to the Muslim heart; nearness to the seat
of Government and a speaking acquaintance with the King of Iraq will
not make it easier to speak of the King of Heaven. I see no indica­
tions that mission work in Upper Mesopotamia will be • a bit more
promising than in Lower; in Bagdad, than in Basrah, Amara and
Nasaria. But this is not to say that the reorganization of missionary
effort in Bagdad is not of the utmost importance.
The limited amount of time at my disposal, and the somewhat chaotic
conditions, have militated against my obtaining as broad and varied
an acquaintance with the Muslim thought of Bagdad as I could have
wished. But I have talked with enough men representative of the
various strata of society to know that the advent of an American
Mission will be generally welcome. I say “American," for that desig­
nation is still in Mesopotamia an introduction that, insures respectful
consideration. It is perhaps in educational work in some of its many
branches that the most promising future lies. Just what and how