ALLEGED DESTRUCTION OF MOHAMMEDAN MONU- MENTS BY THE GREEKS.
fTo THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."]
Sia,—The Committee of the London Moslem League would be very grateful if you would be good enough to find space in 'your columns for the enclosed representation to the Most Honourable the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.—I am,
Sir, Ac., M. H. ISPAHANI, Hon. Secretary. The London Moslem League, 18 Sloane Street, S.W. .
The London Moslem League,
18 Sloane Street, S.W. 1. July 25th, 1922.
To THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE, Foreign Office :— SIR,--1. The Committee of the London Moslem League beg respectfully to forward herewith for the information of the Most Honourable the Marquess Curzon of Kedleston a report by a distinguished French architect, Monsieur Raymond Aine, on the devastation committed by the Greeks in Asia Minor. It relates only to a part of the damage that has been done by them.
2. As the report speaks for itself, my Committee do not wish to dwell on the details. They desire, however, to call the particular attention of His Majesty's Government to the ruth- less and insensate destruction of Oriental architecture, mosques, shrines and colleges, the beauty and artistic merit of which made them precious in the eyes of the civilized world. Such wholesale devastation was not committed even by the Germans in the late war.
3. My Committee have, in previous letters, invited attention to the destruction and desecration of Moslem homes; homesteads burnt down or blown up; farms and often whole villages wiped out; but so far as they know no notice has been taken by His Majesty's Government of their appeals. They venture, how- ever, to hope that the story told by Monsieur Raymond Ain& and his account of the destruction of the cherished monuments held sacred by the followers of Islam, of whom more than 100 millions owe allegiance to the King, will be strongly condemned.
4. As the vandalism has been the direct result of the per- mission given by the Allies to the Greeks to land troops in Smyrna and to occupy Asia Minor, my Committee, representing in England the King's Mrisulman subjects, consider themselves entitled to appeal to His Majesty's Government to insist on the Hellenic Government making the fullest reparation for the devastation and damage committed by the Greeks, as has been done in the ease of Germany with respect to German destruction of property and public buildings in Belgium and France. Should the Greeks fail to make such reparations my Committee hope that the Allies would make good the damage, which could not have been committed but for their permission to the Greeks to invade Asia Minor without adequate guarantees of good conduct.
I have the honour to be, Sir, Your most obedient and humble Servant, (Sigd.) H. H. Isrsmori, Hon. Secretary.
Previous page
