Page:The young Moslem looks at life (1937).djvu/143

 Here we have a glimpse of the problem of the Moslem East facing the Christian West. The young Moslem looks at the West with longing eyes. He wants its culture, its comforts, its educational system, its industrial improvements, its democracy, its freedom of the sexes, its electric power, trains, automobiles, airplanes—in short, its material and social blessings. But he does not want Christianity. To him Christianity stands for the Crusades, the World War, and exploitation of his people. To him the culture and material comforts of the West are not part and parcel of Christianity. He can have these and still keep Islam.

And besides, why should he desire to give up Islam? As religions go it is superior to Christianity. It is more up to date, more modern, for it began six centuries later in time. Christianity is like an antiquated automobile. One would not think of buying a 1916 model when the latest streamlined model of the current year is to be had. Islam is like this latest model which supersedes all former models because of its superiority in design and efficiency in operation. As one student of Islam puts it, the Moslem sincerely thinks that Christianity does not offer men and women a religious experience that is higher and better and more perfect than that offered by Islam, but, on the other hand, that it drags them back to a religious stage that for a long time has been a back number. He thinks that we are turning the clock backwards.