"Perhaps all dogmatic religions are more or less like that, but the
Christian religion has accommodated itself to the spirit of the ages,
whereas Islam remains fixed, the religion of the seventh century, born
in a desert and suckled in a society that was hardly better than
barbarism."
He began to walk again and to talk with great animation.
"What does Islam mean? It means slavery, seclusion of women,
indiscriminate divorce, unlimited polygamy, the breakdown of the family
and the destruction of the nation. Well, what happens? Civilisation
comes along, and it is death to all such dark ways. What next? The
scheming Sheikhs, the corrupt Pashas, the tyrannical Caliphs, all the
rascals and rogues who batten on corruption, the fanatics who are
opponents of the light, cry out against it. Either they must lose their
interests or civilisation must go. What then? Civilisation means the
West, the West means Christianity. So 'Down with the Christians! O
Moslems, help us to kill them!'"
The Consul-General stopped by Gordon's chair, put his hand on his son's
shoulder, and said--
"There comes a time in the history of all our Mohammedan
dependencies--India, Egypt, every one of them--when England has to
confront a condition like that."
"And what has she to do, sir?"
The Consul-General lifted his right fist and brought it down on his left
palm, and said--
"To come down with a heavy hand on the lying agitators and intriguers
who are leading away the ignorant populace."
"I agree, sir. It is the agitators who should be punished, not the
poor, emotional, credulous Egyptian people."
"The Egyptian people, my boy, are graceless ingrates who under the
influence of momentary passion would brain their best friend with their
nabouts, and go like camels before the camel-driver."
Gordon winced visibly, but only said, "Who is the camel-driver in this
instance, sir?"
"A certain Ishmael Ameer, preaching in the great mosque at Alexandria,
the cradle of all disaffection."
"An Alim?"
"A teacher of some sort, saying England is the deadly foe of Islam, and
must therefore be driven out."
"Then he is worse than the journalists?"
"Yes, we thought of the viper, forgetting the scorpion."
"But is it certain he is so dangerous?"
"One of the leaders of his own people has just been here to say that if
we let that man go on it will be death to the rule of England in Egypt."
"The Grand Cadi?"
The Consul-General nodded and then said, "The cunning rogue has a
grievance of his own, I find, but what's that to me? The first duty of
a government is to keep order."
"I agree," said Gordon.
"There may be picric acid in prayers as well as in bombs."
"There may."
"We have to make these fanatical preachers realise that even if the
onward march of progress is but faintly heard in the sealed vaults of
their mosque, civilisation is standing outside the walls with its laws
and, if need be, its soldiers."
"You are satisfied, sir, that this man is likely to lead the poor,
foolish people into rapine and slaughter?"
"I recognise a bird by its flight. This is another Mahdi--I see it--I
feel it," said the Consul-General, and his eyes flashed and his voice
echoed like a horn.
"You want me to smash the Mahdi?"
"Exactly! Your namesake wanted to smash his predecessor--romantic
person--too fond of guiding his conduct by reference to the prophet
Isaiah; but he was right in that, and the Government was wrong, and the
consequence was the massacre you represented to-day."
"I have to arrest Ishmael Ameer?"
"That's so, in open riot if possible, and if not, by means of testimony
derived from his sermons in the mosques."
"Hadn't we better begin there, sir--make sure that he is inciting the
people to violence?"
"As you please!"
"You don't forget that the mosques are closed to me as a Christian?"