Alex Wright


Slouching Towards Mecca

December 11, 2005

From an 1856 Harper's article on the impending collapse of Islam:

The difficult labor of bolstering up the present effete government will soon be too expensive to the Western nations, and Europe will find it necessary to divide the dominions of the Sultan, and the haughty Turk will have a Christian for his lord and master, and Christians for governors, magistrates, and police-officers. Then the terrible higher law of which we have spoken will have no power in the land.

When that time comes the religion of the False Prophet will vanish in a single generation... In anticipation of that day, which may come at any moment now—which will come in a few years at the latest—every missionary that can be sent to the Orient should be sent forthwith, and the strength and wealth of the Western churches should not be spared.
And, presumably, we will be greeted as liberators.

From Harper's Archive.


File under: Quotes

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