A BIBLE SHOP AT AMARA, ARABIA.
By S. M. Zwemer
[Missionary of the Reformed (Dutch) Church.] THE village of Amara is located about one hundred and fifty miles north of Busrah, on the Tigris, and has, especially within the last five years, become an important center of trade for the Arab tribes of Mesopotamia. With a population of over 9,000, among whom are 600 Chaldean Christians, 900 Jews, and 1,000 Sabeans, the place is a natural center for mission work between here and Bagdad, the nearest other mission station, 500 miles away by water route. The village had, therefore, frequently been visited by our colporters on their river journeys for the last four years. It seemed wise to establish a foothold there, and so one of our most efficient helpers was sent with instructions to rent a small shop and begin the sale of Scriptures and other books. Hitherto in our work in Arabia we have found a book-shop a sort of multum in parvo, which, altho it makes no great display, and is apparently only a means of livelihood to the man in charge, and is therefore not a stone of stumbling among a fanatic population, yet is practically a center for every kind of evangelistic work. Here education is sold in books without there being a school; there is vigorous preaching—thank God, also at times praying—yet we can truly say it is not a chapel—debates and controversy enough with little groups of Moslems, yet never technically “street preaching.” Hitherto we have opened such “shops” (not depots for storing the word, but workshops to use the sword of the Spirit) at Busrah, Bahrein, and Muscat, with encouragement. All these were, of course, opened under difficulties; but even in Busrah it was never hinted that a book-shop required a license from the Sublime Porte. But a shop is not always a shop in Turkish Arabia. Trouble at Amara began very soon. All the books taken by our colporter were of the “allowed” kind, and had, in addition to the censorship of the press, also passed under the approval of the censor at Busrah. A shop was selected, rent paid for six months in advance, shelves put up, and the colporter exposed his wares. On the second day the local authorities came, and, under plea that an order from Stambul was required, closed and sealed up the shop. Our agent notified me, and I presented the case to the Wali at Busrah, who, after long argument, granted us the right to sell books on the streets, but not in a shop at Amara. His excellency sought in vain through old and new editions of the Ottoman code for the ground for his decision; but he told me, with smiles, that it was final, promising, however, to order by telegraph that the books be restored. This was on a Thursday. Electricity travels, when properly manipulated, at à la Turque speed. We waited patiently five days. A private message reached our colporter on the same day, but the official telegram was still panting along the wires, because there were absolute proofs at Busrah that it had left, and equally strong proofs at Amara that it had not yet arrived. We waited impatiently two days; then I went to Amara. On the second day after my arrival the delayed message came, and the books were restored to us. They were taken to the khan, sold on the streets, and examined by all who visited us. Every night scores of Moslems crowded into our little room and heard the Gospel. One day good news came from Busrah by wire privately: “The governor here has given permission to open the shop.” Again, alas, the official telegram made no appearance! The wire might be broken, our news be false, or Allah knows what; but no message has come, they said. We waited four days, and then went back to Busrah. The message needed an escort; it was afraid to travel alone. At Busrah we learned, not to our surprise (one should never be surprised at Turkish duplicity), that it had left officially five days ago. And again the proofs were so many and strong of the wires being unbroken and the message delivered that—well, I was speechless. Forsooth, some clerk was to blame, and a new telegram would be sent immediately. This I saw carried to the office and heard ticked on the instrument. The escorted message reached Amara undamaged. Two days later the American book-shop was opened. It is open still. The camel’s neck has entered a new tent. God’s light is now on a candlestick. Two Arabic texts, prepared in beautiful script by our industrious colporter during the days of waiting, tell the story of our victory and adorn our “shop:” “Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.” “Be wise now therefore, O ye kings; be instructed, ye judges of the earth.” How matters changed so suddenly is a mystery to us, unless, as we believe, it was a direct answer to prayer.—N. Y. Independent.