Page:Islam, Turkey, and Armenia, and How They Happened.djvu/43

Rh If addressed to a Christian by mistake it must be and is withdrawn at once. When they meet a Christian acquaintance they may use common words of recognition or make a slight motion with their hand without uttering a word.

5. Practical Enmity Against Christianity. No Moslem can change his faith without infliction of the death penalty. Especially those who are proselyted to Islam can never return to their original faith without being murdered for the supposed treason, while Christian men and women are induced, forced, and very often tortured to accept Islam. To marry such a convert woman is regarded highly virtuous. In case of such a conversion, which is very rare, the once Christian man is clothed with a heavily embroidered robe and a rich turban put upon his head, and mounted upon a fine horse and accompanied with a crowd of howling dervishes and singing mollahs he is paraded in the streets and by the houses of his former friends; then he is taken to the house of the greatest Moslem and entertained there for several days until a believing woman is found to marry this new-born servant of Allah, who with his faith changes also his name.

Such common proverbs are publicly spoken, even to the face of the Christians: "Giaour's property is lawful to Moslem;" "Giaour's neck is for the sword of Islam;" "Giaour's head belongs to the government, and his property to the public;" "It is virtuous to drink Giaour's blood;" "Giaour has no religion;" "On the Day of Resurrection Giaours shall grovel