I refer to the opinions of the late former Mufti, Sheikh Muhammad Abduh. I have repeatedly referred in my previous reports to their opinions, which are similar to the opinions of the late Mr. Ahmed, founder of the Aligarh school in India. Their primary argument is to obscure the landmarks of Islam without shaking the pillars of the Islamic religion. They are true patriots in the sense that they aim to promote the interests of their country and their people, but they are devoid of the quality of Islamic unity. Their demands and objectives, if my understanding of them is correct, are inseparable. They oppose Europeans in introducing Western civilization to their country, but rather assist them in doing so. Relying on the true meaning of Egyptian national unity, which I believe this party relies on, they have not been as active in the past as they are now for reasons I do not need to mention, but the Egyptian government's British advisors are not responsible for them. It has become clear these days that one of their most prominent figures, His Excellency Saad Pasha Zaghloul, has been appointed Minister of Public Works. The reason for his appointment is not dissatisfaction with the administration of that ministry, contrary to what some claim, nor a desire for any fundamental change in the educational policy that the ministry has followed during this period. Rather, the desire is to have a capable, brilliant, and enlightened Egyptian man from this group participate in Egyptian reform. His appointment is an experiment, and this experiment will be closely monitored. If it proves successful, as I hope and believe, I will be determined to take another step in this direction. If not, it will be necessary to hand over the reins of reform to Europeans, especially the British, more than in the past. However, confidence is established in both cases, as the introduction of Western civilization to Egypt is ongoing in every department of its government, based on methods that I have long considered before relying on them. These methods are capable of progress and expansion, but they are not capable of regression or fundamental change.

(4) The Egyptian Press

I have always been one of those who agree to grant freedom to newspapers, but I admit that there is a large group of influential people and a community among the inhabitants of the Egyptian region who do not share my opinion in this regard, especially the most respected and esteemed elements in the Egyptian national social body. They consider absolute freedom left to Arabic newspapers to be pure evil with no good in it, and they suspect – and there is no shame in that – that the newspapers that shape Egyptian public opinion do not reflect it as it truly is, and that they mislead those who would have shown it correctly if not for them. I also admit that in the context that took place last spring and summer, some Arabic newspapers did not hesitate to sow seeds of doubt about religious beliefs.