ARABI TO "THE TIMES."

Inangahua Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1221, 17 January 1883, Page 2

ARABI TO "THE TIMES."

Apart from its instrinsic value, the following letter to the " Times " will be viewed with curiosity, as the result of the iuuoculation with British opinions to, and the assumptions of the most valued privilege of an Englishman by one of the most benighted of foreigners : — "Sir, — I have seen in No. 1105 of the "Jawaib," under the heading of the ' Arrest of the Seditious in Egypt,' an article saying that so many rebel officers have been seized, and so many Bedounin Sheiks, and such and such a Cadi, and such a deputy, and such an one of the Ulema, and such a Mudir, and such an officer, or interpreter, or merchant, or clerk, and have been sent to prison. Now, all ye champions of liberty, if it is the soldiers who aie rebels, why have so many Notables and Ulema and Cadis of such different duties been imprisoned and ill-treated 1 And if the whole of the nation of every class was of one mind in and work, for the libera. tion of their country, and its defence, why, then, are they to be stigmatised by the name of rebels lln the name of truth this is evident tyranny that they should be treated as such. The war was in accordance with the laws of God and man, consonant to a solemn decree; of a Council ir.i.ler the presidency of the Khedive a:id Dervish Pasha, the Envoy oi" U;o' iSjllua. And afttv

the soldiers and inhabitants had left Alexandria, th-.i ICIi-dlvc- returned and went over to those who were fi"htiti2 against his country — a thing prohibited by every law. The entire Egyptian nation was unanimous as to the necessity of suspending IVwlik Pasha for having transgressed the prescription of the Divine and highest law, and demands the continuation of the defence of the country by a decree which was made known to his Majesty the Sultan. After that, are we rebels 1 I say that we where defending our country in away approved by the laws of God and man, and whoever says the contrary does not speak the truth, but, on the contrary, is a slave to passion and money. I add that the Ulema of Islam and the Moslem of every country of the world allow that we never exceeded the limits laid down in God's book, and deprecate the illtreatment we receive, which is contrary to all justice. O'ye just men !is it fair that the sons of the country should be deprived of every office, and that foreigners should take their places, together with those who have come to Egypt, like Circassians, Albanians, and Bulgarians; so that even down to the lowest ranks, such as the conbashia of the army, the places are given toothers than the sons of Egypt? Are not the Egyptians as good as the Bulgarians and other foreigners? But we shall find among the champions of kumanit} 7 some to defend the right against the tyranny of the time which blackens the face of man. From my prison cell at Cairo, November 1st — Ahmed Arabi, the Egyptian."